Braden vs Rodriguez
So this Dallas Braden kid nearly replaced Milton Bradley as the Major League Baseball Player I like the least. He probably came closer to replacing Bradley than I would like to admit. Bradley is a jerk and will eventually cause trouble for whichever poor team decides to sign or trade for him.
But Dallas Braden accused Alex Rodriguez of breaking an unwritten rule.
Following a Robinson Cano foul ball, Rodriguez cut across the diamond to return to first base (where he was prior to foul ball by Cano). As Rodriguez was jogging back to first he ran across the mound and Braden went nuts.
"The long and short of it is it's pretty much baseball etiquette. He should probably take a note from his captain over there," Braden said, referring to Yankees leader Derek Jeter, "because you don't run across the pitcher's mound in between an inning or during the game. I was just dumbfounded that he would let that slip his mind."
Personally, I think Rodriguez had no idea that he was running across the mound. It's true that A-Rod has a history of breaking unwritten rules - yelling at a Toronto Blue Jays player Howie Clark as he ran by while Clark was trying to catch a pop fly, knocking the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove during a playoff game against the Red Sox, and (prior to the Drug Abuse Policy) A-Rod took steroids.
Braden had every right to say something to A-Rod. But Braden took it to far.
"I was just trying to convey to him that I was still out there, that ball's in my hand and that's my pitcher's mound. If he wants to run across the pitcher's mound, tell him to go do laps in the bullpen," Braden said.
In an interview with Baseball Tonight, Braden said that he would have yelled at his own Grandmother had she went across his mound.
Braden is a goober.
I hope Rodriguez crushes the next pitch he sees from Braden.
Yankees Triple Play
Consider this: before yesterday, the last time the Yankees turned a triple play was in 1968. The highest paid player on the 1968 Yankees was Mickey Mantle. That year Mantle made $100,000. This year Alex Rodriguez is the highest paid player on the Yankee Roster, and he's making $33,000,000 this year!
Coming into this year, A-Rod averaged 519 at bats a season. Say he gets 519 at bats this season - that's over $63,000 an at bat!
Tebow - 25th Pick
The Denver Broncos made the right choice last night and grabbed Tim Tebow. I realize that Tebow will not start this year, but he should get some playing time. The Broncos have two established quarterbacks in Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn. Those two will probably battle it out for the starting job. Tebow will probably be the short yard QB and if Denver elects to run the Wildcat, Tebow will be under center.
The Broncos will not be disappointed.
NFL Draft
Biggest Surprise - Jimmy Clausen was not taken in the first round
Clausen was hyped as the most Pro-Ready QB in the draft. Worst case scenario, I thought Clausen was going to be a taken in the late teens. But everyone passed on him. Clausen has top five talent and he'll be a great pick for a lucky team in the second round.
Best Pick - Tim Tebow
I've already made my point
Worst Pick - Rolando McClain
Oakland needed a QB and they passed on Jimmy Clausen. Once again, the Raiders failed on Draft Night. If I was a Raiders fan, I would be looking for another team.
Best Fit - Dez Bryant
Bryant is perfect for the Cowboys. He has a bad history, character issues, and actually could be better than Roy Williams. When the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the 90s, they had plenty of guys with character issues. They are just a few more bad characters away from being on their way to another Super Bowl victory.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tim Tebow - First Round Pick
Is Tim Tebow good enough to be selected in the first round in tonight's NFL Draft?
Yes.
Tebow is a proven winner. He has the heart and determination to be the best quarterback in the NFL. Will he ever become the best QB in the league? That remains the be seen - but the kid has the desire to be the best. Most of the players who will be drafted tonight and over the weekend just want a massive paycheck.
I'm not buying into the whole - Tebow is not ready to help a team now - talk. He's the best short yard running QB I've ever seen. Fourth and one? He'll get it 75% of the time.
I'm afraid that Tebow is getting the Tyler Hansbrough treatment. He's a dominate white athlete is a predominately black man's arena.
I've never been a big fan of Derek Jeter's but the guy knows how to win and the majority of baseball fans (Yankee fans or not) recognize that Jeter knows how to help his team win. The same principle applies to Tim Tebow.
Tebow finished his college career as the greatest college football player in NCAA history. And while he may not reach the greatest professional football player rank, my money is on that when Tebow retires from the NFL, he is in the top ten greatest players of all time.
Personally, I would love to see my Colts take in at pick 31. He would be a great addition to the offense and he could learn from the best QB in the league.
Go ahead and pass on Tebow now - every team that does will regret that decision.
Yes.
Tebow is a proven winner. He has the heart and determination to be the best quarterback in the NFL. Will he ever become the best QB in the league? That remains the be seen - but the kid has the desire to be the best. Most of the players who will be drafted tonight and over the weekend just want a massive paycheck.
I'm not buying into the whole - Tebow is not ready to help a team now - talk. He's the best short yard running QB I've ever seen. Fourth and one? He'll get it 75% of the time.
I'm afraid that Tebow is getting the Tyler Hansbrough treatment. He's a dominate white athlete is a predominately black man's arena.
I've never been a big fan of Derek Jeter's but the guy knows how to win and the majority of baseball fans (Yankee fans or not) recognize that Jeter knows how to help his team win. The same principle applies to Tim Tebow.
Tebow finished his college career as the greatest college football player in NCAA history. And while he may not reach the greatest professional football player rank, my money is on that when Tebow retires from the NFL, he is in the top ten greatest players of all time.
Personally, I would love to see my Colts take in at pick 31. He would be a great addition to the offense and he could learn from the best QB in the league.
Go ahead and pass on Tebow now - every team that does will regret that decision.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Fantasy Baseball Team
A couple of weeks prior to the 2010 MLB Season, the members of Human Growth Hangover drafted our teams. In our ten team league, I drafted seventh in odd numbered rounds and fourth in even numbered rounds - the basic serpentine draft.
I've already made 16 roster moves since the start of the season and we've only been playing for two and a half weeks.
My team is listed below:
Hitters
C - Brian McCann
1B - Prince Fielder
2B - Robinson Cano
3B - Evan Longoria
SS - Jason Bartlett
OF - Vernon Wells
OF - Jeff Francoeur
OF - Scott Podsednik
DH - Ben Zobrist
Disabled List - Carlos Beltran
Pitchers
SP - Johan Santana
SP - Adam Wainwright
SP - Josh Johnson
SP - Ricky Romero
SP - Jair Jurrjens
SP - Brian Matusz
SP - Jonathan Sanchez
SP - Tim Hudson
SP/RP - Francisco Liriano
RP - Rafael Soriano
RP - Francisco Rodriguez
I've already made 16 roster moves since the start of the season and we've only been playing for two and a half weeks.
My team is listed below:
Hitters
C - Brian McCann
1B - Prince Fielder
2B - Robinson Cano
3B - Evan Longoria
SS - Jason Bartlett
OF - Vernon Wells
OF - Jeff Francoeur
OF - Scott Podsednik
DH - Ben Zobrist
Disabled List - Carlos Beltran
Pitchers
SP - Johan Santana
SP - Adam Wainwright
SP - Josh Johnson
SP - Ricky Romero
SP - Jair Jurrjens
SP - Brian Matusz
SP - Jonathan Sanchez
SP - Tim Hudson
SP/RP - Francisco Liriano
RP - Rafael Soriano
RP - Francisco Rodriguez
Monday, April 19, 2010
Strikefarce
I noticed this weekend during the Lakers/Thunder game that "Playoffs" does not include a hyphen.
Moving on.
Strikeforce
This past Saturday night, Strikeforce set up in Nashville, Tennessee and once again gave CBS viewers a free, pay-per-view worthy fight card for free - Saturday's card had three title fights.
This was Strikeforce's chance to surpass the UFC in the minds of the casual MMA fan. Diehard UFC fans will never admit that Strikeforce is a threat but the casual fan could have been swayed by Saturday's event.
Unfortunately, the event was complete trash. All three title fights had that thirty second period of action but the fights lacked in overall fireworks.
Light-Heavyweight Title Match
Gegard Mousasi had stretches, during his match with King Mo, where he looked unbeatable. However, these stretches were few and far between. He seemed to be bored at times. Other times, he seemed not to care about the outcome of the match. When Mousasi wanted to fight, he lit King Mo up like a Christmas tree. Just one look at each fighter's face after the match would have fooled anyone about the winner of the match. Maybe the Mousasi wanted out of the limelight.
Regardless of what was wrong with Mousasi, King Mo stuck to his game plan and won the title. Even though Mo couldn't see out of his left eye, he outscored Mousasi and took home the title.
Middleweight Title Match
Other than the first minute of the match, Jake Shields completely dominated MMA legend Dan Henderson.
Following at massive right hook from Henderson, Shields regrouped and grounded and pounded Henderson to a win. Henderson should have finished the fight after he laid Shields out early in the match but he seemed reluctant to go in for the kill. I got the sense that Henderson was out to prove he could outlast a younger Shields.
While Shields won in a dominate fashion, it was not pleasing to the eye. Most MMA fans want to see brutal knockouts, bone crunching submissions, or stand-up, back and forth boxing matches. And while ground and pound is high on the list, ground and pound that lasts the entire round is not exciting.
Lightweight Title Match
I feel like this was one of the worst MMA fights I have ever seen. I grew tired of Shinya Aoki dragging his butt across the cage - literally, he drug his butt along the cage floor. Gilbert Melendez should have knocked Aoki out within the first minute but he, like everyone else who was in a dominate position on Saturday night, laid back and allowed Aoki to regain his composure and drag his but along the floor.
The biggest news of from Nashville on Saturday night was the brawl between Jason "Mayhem" Miller and members of Jake Shields' entourage. I missed the brawl live but after watching the Miller get his head kicked in on YouTube, I am ready to declare that it was the best fight of the night.
Way to go Strikeforce - you fail.
____________________________________________
Jackie Robinson Day
I have no problem with Major League Baseball honoring one of the all time greats of the sport. Robinson was a great hitter, was better than average on the base paths and in the field, and all-round great athlete.
Just about everyone is aware that Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Doing this required more than hitting above .300 and playing in the field. I cannot image the day to day struggles Robinson had to endure just to be able to play the game he loved.
This brings me to my point - having everyone, on every team wear number 42 cheapens the significance of what Jackie Robinson did. Every major leaguer will say that he respects Robinson and they'll use words like courage and determination when speaking about him. However, Jackie Robinson is not important to everyone in the majors. So why make all players wear 42?
Jackie Robinson Day should be a day where those who want to honor Jackie Robinson - not everyone.
Moving on.
Strikeforce
This past Saturday night, Strikeforce set up in Nashville, Tennessee and once again gave CBS viewers a free, pay-per-view worthy fight card for free - Saturday's card had three title fights.
This was Strikeforce's chance to surpass the UFC in the minds of the casual MMA fan. Diehard UFC fans will never admit that Strikeforce is a threat but the casual fan could have been swayed by Saturday's event.
Unfortunately, the event was complete trash. All three title fights had that thirty second period of action but the fights lacked in overall fireworks.
Light-Heavyweight Title Match
Gegard Mousasi had stretches, during his match with King Mo, where he looked unbeatable. However, these stretches were few and far between. He seemed to be bored at times. Other times, he seemed not to care about the outcome of the match. When Mousasi wanted to fight, he lit King Mo up like a Christmas tree. Just one look at each fighter's face after the match would have fooled anyone about the winner of the match. Maybe the Mousasi wanted out of the limelight.
Regardless of what was wrong with Mousasi, King Mo stuck to his game plan and won the title. Even though Mo couldn't see out of his left eye, he outscored Mousasi and took home the title.
Middleweight Title Match
Other than the first minute of the match, Jake Shields completely dominated MMA legend Dan Henderson.
Following at massive right hook from Henderson, Shields regrouped and grounded and pounded Henderson to a win. Henderson should have finished the fight after he laid Shields out early in the match but he seemed reluctant to go in for the kill. I got the sense that Henderson was out to prove he could outlast a younger Shields.
While Shields won in a dominate fashion, it was not pleasing to the eye. Most MMA fans want to see brutal knockouts, bone crunching submissions, or stand-up, back and forth boxing matches. And while ground and pound is high on the list, ground and pound that lasts the entire round is not exciting.
Lightweight Title Match
I feel like this was one of the worst MMA fights I have ever seen. I grew tired of Shinya Aoki dragging his butt across the cage - literally, he drug his butt along the cage floor. Gilbert Melendez should have knocked Aoki out within the first minute but he, like everyone else who was in a dominate position on Saturday night, laid back and allowed Aoki to regain his composure and drag his but along the floor.
The biggest news of from Nashville on Saturday night was the brawl between Jason "Mayhem" Miller and members of Jake Shields' entourage. I missed the brawl live but after watching the Miller get his head kicked in on YouTube, I am ready to declare that it was the best fight of the night.
Way to go Strikeforce - you fail.
____________________________________________
Jackie Robinson Day
I have no problem with Major League Baseball honoring one of the all time greats of the sport. Robinson was a great hitter, was better than average on the base paths and in the field, and all-round great athlete.
Just about everyone is aware that Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Doing this required more than hitting above .300 and playing in the field. I cannot image the day to day struggles Robinson had to endure just to be able to play the game he loved.
This brings me to my point - having everyone, on every team wear number 42 cheapens the significance of what Jackie Robinson did. Every major leaguer will say that he respects Robinson and they'll use words like courage and determination when speaking about him. However, Jackie Robinson is not important to everyone in the majors. So why make all players wear 42?
Jackie Robinson Day should be a day where those who want to honor Jackie Robinson - not everyone.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Baseball Season and Baskeball Play-off Predictions
After a Jason Dowdell sized layoff (inside joke), I have returned to Wisdom of Wes and have very intention of actually contributing to this blog at least once a week.
MLB
Major League Baseball's 2010 season is now in full swing. By now, most teams have played seven or eight games. No one should be surprised that the Yankees and Phillies are both still good - they are probably the two best teams in baseball.
My Prediction for the Play-offs and Awards
AL East - Yankees
AL Central - Twins
AL West - Rangers
AL Wild Card - Rays
The only prediction I'm not comfortable with is the West. All four teams still have a legit shot at the Division Title because none of the four are dominate. If Cliff Lee is out pass May, you can scratch the Mariners. I think the Rangers offense will continue to score runs and the pitching staff will do just enough to hold on.
AL MVP - Joe Mauer
AL Cy Young - CC Sabathia
These two are safe picks. If I had to go out on a limb and pick a couple of dark horses, I'll go with Nelson Cruz for MVP and John Lackey for the Cy Young.
NL East - Phillies
NL Central - Cardinals
NL West - Giants
NL Wild Card - Braves
I'm settle on all the division winners - I'm hoping the Braves grab the Wild Card. Thus far, the Braves' starting pitching has been iffy at best. If the starters do not improve, the bullpen will be used up at June and the team will crumble.
NL MVP - Albert Pujols
NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay
Again, I went with safe picks. I think someone like a Hanley Ramirez or Ryan Braun could make a run at the MVP. Dark horse MVP winner could be Jason Heyward (I'm a Braves fan, sorry). Tim Lincecum will always be a candidate for the Cy Young. The Cy Young dark horses: Adam Wainwright or (very dark horse) Jonathan Sanchez.
Every baseball fan should be happy for the Kansas City Royals; they've played one week in and they are not mathematically eliminated from the play-offs.
_________________________________
NBA
The Play-offs are starting this weekend. Many of the opening round series are (on paper) look to be promising.
East First Round Series
Cavaliers vs Bulls - Cavaliers in 4
Celtics vs Heat - Celtics in 7
Hawks vs Bucks - Hawks in 5
Magic vs Bobcats - Magic in 5
The Cavs, Hawks, and Magic should all roll into the second round without much trouble. The Celtics and Heat matchup could go either way but I think the Celtics experience will get them pass a very determined Dwyane Wade (who will average between 35 and 40 points a game during the series) and his Heat teammates.
West First Round Series
Lakers vs Thunder - Lakers in 6
Nuggets vs Jazz - Nuggets in 7
Suns vs Blazers - Suns in 4
Mavericks vs Spurs - Mavericks in 6
The West series should mostly be epic. With Brandon Roy out for the series, the Suns will run away from the Blazers. The rest of the series will be great TV. I'm looking forward to the Kobe Bryant vs Kevin Durant matchup the most. It wouldn't surprise me if both Bryant and Durant averaged 30+ points during the series.
MLB
Major League Baseball's 2010 season is now in full swing. By now, most teams have played seven or eight games. No one should be surprised that the Yankees and Phillies are both still good - they are probably the two best teams in baseball.
My Prediction for the Play-offs and Awards
AL East - Yankees
AL Central - Twins
AL West - Rangers
AL Wild Card - Rays
The only prediction I'm not comfortable with is the West. All four teams still have a legit shot at the Division Title because none of the four are dominate. If Cliff Lee is out pass May, you can scratch the Mariners. I think the Rangers offense will continue to score runs and the pitching staff will do just enough to hold on.
AL MVP - Joe Mauer
AL Cy Young - CC Sabathia
These two are safe picks. If I had to go out on a limb and pick a couple of dark horses, I'll go with Nelson Cruz for MVP and John Lackey for the Cy Young.
NL East - Phillies
NL Central - Cardinals
NL West - Giants
NL Wild Card - Braves
I'm settle on all the division winners - I'm hoping the Braves grab the Wild Card. Thus far, the Braves' starting pitching has been iffy at best. If the starters do not improve, the bullpen will be used up at June and the team will crumble.
NL MVP - Albert Pujols
NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay
Again, I went with safe picks. I think someone like a Hanley Ramirez or Ryan Braun could make a run at the MVP. Dark horse MVP winner could be Jason Heyward (I'm a Braves fan, sorry). Tim Lincecum will always be a candidate for the Cy Young. The Cy Young dark horses: Adam Wainwright or (very dark horse) Jonathan Sanchez.
Every baseball fan should be happy for the Kansas City Royals; they've played one week in and they are not mathematically eliminated from the play-offs.
_________________________________
NBA
The Play-offs are starting this weekend. Many of the opening round series are (on paper) look to be promising.
East First Round Series
Cavaliers vs Bulls - Cavaliers in 4
Celtics vs Heat - Celtics in 7
Hawks vs Bucks - Hawks in 5
Magic vs Bobcats - Magic in 5
The Cavs, Hawks, and Magic should all roll into the second round without much trouble. The Celtics and Heat matchup could go either way but I think the Celtics experience will get them pass a very determined Dwyane Wade (who will average between 35 and 40 points a game during the series) and his Heat teammates.
West First Round Series
Lakers vs Thunder - Lakers in 6
Nuggets vs Jazz - Nuggets in 7
Suns vs Blazers - Suns in 4
Mavericks vs Spurs - Mavericks in 6
The West series should mostly be epic. With Brandon Roy out for the series, the Suns will run away from the Blazers. The rest of the series will be great TV. I'm looking forward to the Kobe Bryant vs Kevin Durant matchup the most. It wouldn't surprise me if both Bryant and Durant averaged 30+ points during the series.
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