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Last week Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle in a losing cause for he Orioles. He became the third player this year, after Mark Ellis of the Athletics and Fred Lewis of the Giants to hit for the cycle.
The Giants have had players hit for the cycle 24 times. (Lewis’s cycle put them ahead of the Pirates.) Luke Scott of the Astros became the first rookie to hit for the cycle, when he accomplished the feat last year. Gary Matthews Jr. was the most recent player to hit for the cycle in order when he was with the Rangers last year.
The Twins had eight players hit for the cycle between 1970 and 1986 but none since.
Does the name Tyrone Horne mean anything to you? Well he’s the only professional baseball player ever to hit for the home run cycle. Baseball Guru adds
Horne’s four homers and 10 RBI helped the Travelers rout the Missions, 13-4. Horne went on to win the Texas League home run crown with 37 that year, also driving in 139.
But get this: Horne never made it to the majors in the U.S. (He did play in the Korean Major Leagues, though.) I’d add that this isn’t necessarily surprising. For someone to lead a minor league level in HR (or any counting stat) for a season, he’d have to play nearly a whole season, at least, in that league. That would mean that his team never saw that he had progressed enough to go to the next level.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
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| Sunday, July 8, 2007 |
Who are the best players in the NFL at their positions? CBS SportsLine’s Pete Prisco takes a shot at answering the question:
Quarterback:
1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis: His Super Bowl ring clinches his spot here at the top.
2. Tom Brady, New England: He’s not far behind. In fact, it’s 1 and 1A.
3. Carson Palmer, Cincinnati: Now that he’s a year removed from the knee injury, he should be even better in 2007.
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans: He is the perfect fit for the Sean Payton offense. He has the ability to find the right guy and get it out on time.
5. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia: Even coming off an injury-marred season, he’s still one of the league’s best.
It’s hard to argue with the top three. McNabb is a stud but I don’t think he’s top 5 anymore since he can’t stay healthy.
Running Back:
1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego: There is no debate at all who should top this list. He has a chance to break all the rushing records if he can stay healthy.
2. Larry Johnson, Kansas City: He’s had two really big back-to-back seasons, proving that he isn’t a one-year wonder.
3. Frank Gore, San Francisco: His breakout season came in 2006 and now he needs to show he wasn’t a one-hit wonder. The bet here is that he isn’t.
4. Steven Jackson, St. Louis: He was fifth in the league in rushing last season, but he also caught 90 passes.
5. Fred Taylor, Jacksonville: He averaged 5 yards per carry last season, rushing for 1,146 yards.
But how many games did Taylor miss because of injury — again?
Fullback:
1. Mike Karney, New Orleans: He’s a load as a blocking back. How do you think Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush get all those yards?
2. Lorenzo Neal, San Diego: He’s the guy who paves the way for LaDainian Tomlinson.
3. Kyle Johnson, Denver: He can catch it, block and run with it if needed. He’s a good, young player.
4. Dan Kreider, Pittsburgh: He’s a sledgehammer when taking on linebackers. He paved the way for Willie Parker to get to the Pro Bowl.
5. Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta: The Falcons paid him a lot of money to be their fullback for a reason. He can block.
I’m not even sure how to rank fullbacks, since teams use them differently and some barely use them at all.
Wide Receiver:
1. Chad Johnson, Cincinnati: His 15.7 per-catch average was the best among the league’s best receivers. That’s why he is tops on this list.
2. Andre Johnson, Houston: He’s big and strong and fast. He doesn’t get the due he deserves.
3. Torry Holt, St. Louis: For some reason, he doesn’t get the attention he deserves. He’s right there near the top.
4. Steve Smith, Carolina: When he was slowed by injury, it really affected the Panthers offense. When he’s on the field, he is a game-breaker.
5. Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis: He’s consistently among the top receivers in the league. At some point, though, he will start to slow down.
I disagree with the order here but not the rankings. Harrison and Smith deserve to be even higher, given how long they’ve dominated.
Tight End:
1. Antonio Gates, San Diego: He gets the slight edge over the Chiefs’ Tony Gonzalez because he’s in his prime.
2. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City: The most-prolific pass-catching tight end in the league can still scare teams down the middle of the field.
3. Jeremy Shockey, N.Y. Giants: Love him or hate him — and that’s the way it is with him — he’s a good player. He loves to play the game, too.
4. Kellen Winslow, Cleveland: After missing 2005 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, he bounced back with an 89-catch season. If he stays on the field, he can be even better.
5. Alge Crumpler, Atlanta — He’s the best blocker of the elite group. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he knows how to get open.
Not to be a homer here but I think Dallas’ Jason Witten should be on this list. I’d certainly rather have him than Crumpler. Or, really, Shockey.
Offensive Guard:
1. Shawn Andrews, Philadelphia: In his third season, he emerged as the best player on the best line in the league. He physically mauls his opponents.
2. Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota: His play dropped down some after the move from Seattle to Minnesota as a free agent, but he’s still near the top.
3. Logan Mankins, New England: Keep an eye on him. He’s one of the rising guards in the league.
4. Brian Waters, Kansas City: With Will Shields gone, Waters will finally get the attention he’s deserved for a long time. He outplayed Shields in a couple of seasons.
5. Kris Dielman, San Diego — On a good line, he was the team’s best player. He was rewarded for it with a huge contract after the season.
Center:
1. Olin Kreutz, Chicago: He’s been topping this list the past few years. He keys that Bears rushing attack.
2. Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets: In his rookie season, he showed why he will be a perennial Pro Bowl player.
3. Jamaal Jackson, Philadelphia: He has power and quickness, which you need at the position. He’s an emerging player.
4. Tom Nalen, Denver: He’s getting up in the years, but he still keys the Denver run game. His ability to move is vital in the Denver blocking scheme.
5. Kevin Mawae, Tennessee — For a young line, he was just what they needed. Vince Young should be happy he has him.
Offensive Tackle:
1. Walter Jones, Seattle: Year after year, he’s the best overall lineman in the league. That won’t change in 2007.
2. Jammal Brown, New Orleans: In his second season, he really came on after moving from the right side to the left. He will be a Pro Bowl player for a long time.
3. Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore: He might not be the player he was a few years ago, but he still plays at a high level.
4. Marcus McNeil, San Diego: As a rookie he was a dominant left tackle. When he truly learns the position, watch out.
5. Tarik Glenn, Indianapolis: He has protected Peyton Manning’s backside his entire career — and done a heck of a job.
I’m not really sure how to rate offensive linemen, since there are no meaningful stats.
Defensive End:
1. Julius Peppers, Carolina: He’s always around the ball, producing a team-high 13 sacks, 38 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles and two recoveries. What I like most is that he never leaves the field. He can play the run. He’s a top pass rusher. He can drop into coverage. And he’s adept at batting down passes, with a team-high 12 last season.
2. Jason Taylor, Miami: The NFL Defensive Player of the Year at 32, and, yes, there’s a reason. He’s a ferocious pass rusher who disrupts everything. Tackles. Forced fumbles. Sacks. You name it. Hey, he even scored twice last year — half the total of Chris Chambers. He has outstanding speed and quickness and has made himself into a decent run defender.
3. Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis: So he didn’t have a great season. He has produced four in a row of double-digit sacks and led the club in pressures last year with 33. He’s fast, quick and tenacious and hasn’t missed a game in three years. One critic labeled him as one-dimensional, but so what? He explodes to the pocket and is brutal to defend.
4. Aaron Kampman, Green Bay: I love this guy’s motor. He always, always is working. You have to love his productivity, too. He was second in the NFL in sacks in 2006 with 15.5 and was the Packers’ third-leading tackler. Translation: He plays the run as well as the pass.
5. Will Smith, New Orleans: He was named to the Pro Bowl because he’s the top defender on a club that didn’t play much defense in 2006. I know, you want to talk about Charles Grant, and he’s solid. But Smith is quick, pursues well, reads well, works hard and produces. Look at last year’s stats: He led the Saints in sacks, not Grant.
Defensive Tackle:
1. Kevin Williams, Minnesota: In talking to GMs and personnel directors, Williams was a consensus choice. Nobody plays the position better. He’s quick, solid against the run and an inside force in the pass rush. When you wonder why the Vikings are so effective against the run, you start here.
2. Richard Seymour, New England: He can play inside or out and is always a force. That is, when he’s healthy. He wasn’t last year, and his play suffered. When he’s right, there’s no better defensive lineman. He’s big, strong and versatile, with the ability to run over blockers or beat them on the edge.
3. Jamal Williams, San Diego: He plugs the middle of the Chargers 3-4, and he does it effectively. He’s big. He’s strong. He sheds blockers, and he makes stops. For years he was the best-kept secret in San Diego. Then the league caught on. Now he has made the Pro Bowl the past two seasons.
4. John Henderson, Jacksonville: I’ll take Pete’s word on this: He tells me Jags coach Jack Del Rio thinks Henderson is the best three-gap tackle out there. So why isn’t he rated higher? He can be inconsistent.
5. Marcus Stroud, Jacksonville: He’s big and powerful, and he’s a problem for opposing teams — especially with him paired with Henderson. One scout called him “a poor man’s Richard Seymour,” and that’s not bad, folks. He’s quick off the ball and can penetrate.
Inside Linebacker:
1. Brian Urlacher, Chicago: Once, I thought he was overrated. Not anymore. He’s one of the most disruptive forces on any defense. He can rush. He can drop into coverage. He pursues. He tackles. He punishes ball carriers. Plus, he’s a team leader. In short, he’s does it all. One of today’s elite players.
2. Jonathan Vilma, N.Y. Jets: He was supposed to be hurt by the Jets’ move to a 3-4, and he was. At times it seemed he was lost out there. Still, he produced a team-high 116 tackles, the second consecutive year he led the Jets. He’s athletic. He’s a sure tackler. And he’s outstanding in coverage.
3. Ray Lewis, Baltimore: He’s a step slower than he was and can be taken out of plays. Nevertheless, he’s still better than most of what’s out there. The guy plays with a rare passion and ferocity, is instinctive and still has big-play ability. But this is what’s most impressive: He led the Ravens in tackles despite missing two games.
4. DeMeco Ryans, Houston: I’m reluctant to put rookies in here, but this guy is too good to be left off any list. He led the Texans in tackles with 156, including 126 solos, and was the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s physical, good at blitzing and airtight in coverage. Most important, he’s productive.
5. Antonio Pierce, N.Y. Giants: All he does is make plays. He had a career-high 132 tackles last season for the Giants, but that’s not what makes him special. He diagnoses plays, is a good blitzer and works well in space. Plus, he has a solid work ethic. In short, he can do virtually everything.
Outside Linebacker:
1. Shawne Merriman, San Diego: Yes, he’s one-dimensional, but what a dimension: He’s a dominant pass rusher. Merriman led the league last year with 17 sacks despite missing four games. So he’s ordinary in pass coverage. Big deal. There is no one I’d rather have attacking the pocket from this position.
2. DeMarcus Ware, Dallas: Now that Wade Phillips is in Dallas, Ware might be the next Merriman waiting to happen. He’s an outstanding pass rusher who plays the run well, can shift to pass coverage easily and who has terrific back-side pursuit. He’s more of a complete player but isn’t at Merriman’s level as a pass rusher.
3. Adalius Thomas, New England: An extraordinary athlete, he can play almost anywhere on defense. In fact, he has. He has speed, quickness and an ability to take over a game. Plus, he has a knack for making big plays. New England paid him the big bucks for a reason: He’s a perfect fit for its defense.
4. Shaun Phillips, San Diego: One of general manager A.J. Smith’s best draft picks, Phillips was a backup until Steve Foley bowed out. Then San Diego found out what it was missing: A marvelous pass rusher who produced 11.5 sacks in 2006 and make big plays while Merriman was out.
5. Lance Briggs, Chicago: The Bears won’t let him go because they like what he does for the league’s stingiest defense. He’s instinctive, good at blitzing, good vs. the run and solid in coverage. He isn’t fast, but he always hustles. Plus, he’s terrific on back-side pursuit.
Cornerback:
1. Champ Bailey, Denver: The closest thing to a cover corner, he’s so good that opponents try not to throw in his direction anymore. Still, they threw enough last season that he had 10 interceptions –- a testament to his hands, speed and ability to cover. His feet might be his biggest asset, with scouts impressed with the guy’s quickness and change of direction.
2. Nate Clements, San Francisco: He has the size, speed, quickness and change of direction you look for at the position. Plus, he can play either side. He’s tough, unafraid to make tackles and has excellent ball skills. No wonder the 49ers made him a rich man in the offseason.
3. Chris McAlister, Baltimore: There are a couple of things I like about this guy: 1) his size and 2) his ability to play press coverage. His long arms are an advantage, as his ability to make tackles. Sure, he’s older, but he’s consistent and is outstanding in bump-and-run coverage.
4. Terence Newman, Dallas: When you watch the Cowboys, the first thing you notice is opponents trying to exploit Anthony Henry. That speaks to their respect for Newman, who can fly and match up with any receiver -– either on the outside or in the slot. Hey, he once was matched with Atlanta tight end Alge Crumpler. Newman is an outstanding athlete who’s unafraid to play the run.
5. Dunta Robinson, Houston: He doesn’t get much attention because he plays on a dreadful team, but Robinson is legit. He’s fast, physical, has good hands and reads well. He’s also a hard worker. You will hear more of him if the Texans ever discover what it’s like to have a winning season.
Safety:
1. Ed Reed, Baltimore: A big-time hitter who can cover the field. Like teammate Ray Lewis, he’s slowing down, but he’s smart, anticipates plays, has good range and reads quarterbacks as well as anyone in the game. He’s also a great technician and a team leader.
2. Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia: Two years ago, he was supposed to be slipping. Yeah, sure. He might not have the quickest feet, but so what? He’s smart, anticipates plays and rarely is caught out of position. He’s also the quarterback of a defense that propelled the Eagles to division championships five of the past six years.
3. Adrian Wilson, Arizona: Pete loves this guy, and I can see why. He’s murder on quarterbacks, whether it’s sacking them or picking them off. He’s physical, has outstanding speed and decent range. Plus, he’s a hard worker. He was named to his first Pro Bowl last season, and it’s about time.
4. Dawan Landry, Baltimore: The brother of Redskins’ rookie LaRon, he is smart, physical and instinctive. He’s OK in coverage, but, at 220 pounds, is a force in the box. I was reticent to put him here, but I had a couple scouts insist that he belongs. “He plays like a seasoned vet,” said one.
5. Kerry Rhodes, N.Y. Jets: He’s a secret outside of New York, but that won’t last. Rhodes has great size, good range and good speed. He’s also fluid, able to turn out of his backpedal to cover a deep receiver. The Jets kept moving people in and out of the position until he showed up, and watch him. You’ll discover why.
Roy Williams should probably be high on this list, even despite his weaknesses in coverage.
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From USA Today –
There may have been an ulterior motive for New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez to miss his first game of the season: he was resting up to face Los Angeles Angels pitcher Bartolo Colon.
Despite a current 0-for-19 slump and a strained hamstring, Rodriguez may still get a chance to extend his domination over Colon as the Yankees open a three-game series Friday against the Angels at Yankee Stadium.
The All-Star third baseman sat for the first time Thursday as the Yankees (40-42) recorded a 7-6 victory over Minnesota. Rodriguez, who tripped over Twins first baseman Justin Morneau running out a ground ball on Monday, went 0-for-4 on Tuesday while playing the field and 0-for-4 on Wednesday as the designated hitter before being a spectator in the series finale.
”He was a little uncomfortable yesterday,” said Yankees manager Joe Torre, who listed Rodriguez as questionable for this game. ”I don’t think it’s anything more than it was, but probably a couple of days playing on it exposed it a little bit more. We still don’t think that it’s anything that’s going to require anything more than maybe a day or so off.”
Colon (6-4, 5.79 ERA) may be secretly hoping Rodriguez – the major league leader with 28 homers and 80 RBIs – takes another day off. Rodriguez is batting .444 (20-for-45) with eight homers and 17 RBIs against Colon, hitting three of them in a 12-4 rout April 26, 2005, in which he ended up with a career-high 10 RBIs…
Michael Arkush at Yahoo sports writes-
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – Natalie Gulbis seems to have it all. She has appeared in her own reality series on The Golf Channel, posed for a calendar and made more than $2.5 million since joining the LPGA Tour in 2002. Yep, Gulbis has it all – well, except that she never has won a professional golf tournament.
Mind you, she has come close. Last year, she lost a playoff at Jamie Farr’s event in Ohio to Mi Hyun Kim. She easily could have won it. The year before, she finished third twice. Still, no Ws in 144 starts.
It’s one thing to be without a major, another to be without a victory. That sounds a lot like Anna Kournikova. Yet Gulbis is no Kournikova.  She will win out here. It won’t be this week – she ended Saturday tied for 35th at 5 over par – and it may not be soon. She is suffering from a disk problem that caused her to withdraw from two tournaments and miss another in the last month. If this weren’t the U.S. Women’s Open, there is no way she would be here. She is playing with pain.
What I said with Michelle Wie and her wrist injury, applies to Natalie also or any golfer. If injured, rest is required. Trying to play while hurt is not going to have good results and make the healing process taken even longer.
Arkush is the first golf writer I know of to make the Natalie Gulbis-Anna Kournikova analogy.(Some made the analogy between Michelle Wie and Anna of late. Wiesy doesn’t match up. That’s all I say) I did it almost a year ago after Natalie’s playoff loss to Mi Hyun Kim in Toledo. The golf media is mistaking Natalie’s physical talents for her talent on the golf course. Natalie can play, but she’ll never be a superstar golfer.
So why hasn’t she won yet? She blames it on driving accuracy, and the numbers support her. Since turning pro, she never has finished in the top 50 of that crucial category. This season, entering the Open, she stood at 49th, hitting 71 percent of her fairways. That’s not nearly good enough.
Gulbis needs to get that figure up to about 73 or 74 percent. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is. She’s working on it, spending as much as possible when she’s home in Las Vegas with her coach, Butch Harmon. They also talk when she’s on the road.
 Some have speculated that Gulbis has allowed herself to be too distracted with the TV show and the calendar and all the other glamour stuff. Not true, she indicated. All the glamour stuff happens in the offseason. The game is what she focuses on during the season.
Gulbis has been dedicated for years. In 1997, at age 14, she became the youngest player (at the time) to Monday-qualify for an LPGA event. She won four tournaments in her freshman year at the University of Arizona and later qualified for the tour on her first try. She knew what she wanted and went after it.
Her first three years were solid, if not spectacular, finishing each time about 40th on the money list. Then, in 2005, she had what appeared to be her breakthrough season, finishing sixth with more than $1 million in earnings. She recorded an impressive 12 top-10s in 27 starts and was a member of the Solheim Cup team. Last year, she ranked 16th on the money list. Those are not Kournikova stats.
*****
Yet she is only 24. There is time.
Yes there is time, and I’m predicting Natalie will win on the LPGA Tour eventually and multiple times. You have to remember, with the constant influx of South Korean talent, Natalie’s first win is not going to come easily. There is plenty of good players who have yet to find their way to the LPGA. I and Mr. Arkush could be wrong too. There have been a long line of not miss golfers in PGA and LPGA history. Who is to say Natalie Gulbis won’t be another.
Maybe the golf MSM will give us a break from their Natalie hype till that win is acheived. I’m betting otherwise. These guys thinking and writing when not full of factual errors, is too often driven by their male egos.
Sunday’s Baltimore Sun had an article by Dan Connolly, “Help Wanted” about what the Orioles need in a new manager.
The Orioles have hired a new manager every few years for the past decade or so. They’ve tabbed World Series champions and big names. They’ve developed their own and dipped into the hot-prospect well.
They’ve done just about everything but find the right manager at the right time to point them in the right direction for the long term.
I guess the problem with the article starts at the very beginning. When a team’s problems extend a decade, the manager is probably not the main problem. Since avey Johnson quit, the Orioles have had Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove, Lee Mazzilli, Sam Perlozzo and, now, Dave Trembly as managers. They’ve also had Pat Gillick, Frank Wren, the late Syd Thrift, Jim Beattie/Mike Flanagan and Mike Flanagan/Jim Duquette as general managers. Given the lack of continuity in those running the team it’s not hard to see that the problem extends beyond the manager.
But the Orioles aren’t yet sure exactly what or whom they are looking for. Perhaps a mix of energy and attitude from a good, old-fashioned taskmaster could stop the spiral of losing. It would be a change, but in this era of baseball, that style is on the endangered list, if not extinct.
What’s more likely is a new hybrid, a custom fit that will work in Baltimore, but maybe not in other places. That, however, will take time, research and risk, because as Orioles fans have seen, things don’t always go as expected.
The problems is that none of this illuminates the Orioles’ biggest woes: the inability to identify and develop talent. Earl Weaver was a great manager but there was only so much he could do in 1986. He probably kept that team afloat for 3/4 of the year. But the talent wasn’t there and collapsed terribly in the last quarter of the season leading the first last place finish in the franchise’s history.
In reviewing the Orioles’ managers past, Connolly, only once puts his finger on the manager’s quality.
Then there was Davey Johnson, a superlative tactician with a contagious swagger who didn’t care if he irked players or management. He’s the only one of the recent lot to have won here, but he did it with a star-studded roster, not the collection of complementary players that has defined the Orioles for nearly a decade.
“Superlative tactician” refers to a guy who had Aaron Ledesma replace Rafael Palmeiro at first base when the team faced Randy Johnson. And it marked the only season – including playoffs – in which Randy Johnson lost five times to the same team.
But that’s how I describe tactics. Not calling for steals, hits and runs and double switches, it’s a matter of matching up players to opponents and situations to maximize their value to the club. If a player is weak against left handers then a good manager benches him against lefties and only starts him when a righty is starting against his team.
That’s why the term manager as a job description is appropriate. A manager manages the talent the front office has acquired. This also means that if the talent is limited, so too is the manager.
For most of the season the Orioles have had a slugging percentage of under .400. If that’s the case, unless the team has an ERA under 3.50, it won’t do well. The Orioles just don’t have the talent to compete and even bringing back Earl Weaver at the height of his powers (if that were possible) won’t make this a winning team.
Later on Connolly refers to a poll of Sun readers
The Orioles haven’t had a screaming, in-your-face general since the most successful manager in club history, Hall of Famer Earl Weaver, hung up his dirt-kicking spikes in 1986.
Because of Weaver’s success, however, the perception here is that winning and a fire-breathing leader are as intertwined as hardshell crabs and Old Bay seasoning.
In last week’s Sun/baltimoresun.com baseball poll, readers were asked what trait they most wanted in a manager, and more than 40 percent said “a fiery mentality,” easily trumping “ties to the Oriole Way” and three others.
The problem again, is that Weaver didn’t win because he was fiery. Perhaps his personality motivated some players, but the underlying talent was there. Weaver knew how to exploit the talent to his advantage. He maximized the output of the players he had in his charge because he understood platoon splits and the value of a walk and the (negative) value of an out.
(Famously, Weaver supposedly responded to the late Pat Kelly’s admonition that he “… walk with God” with “Pat, I want you to walk with the bases loaded.”)
In other words, Weaver was using the same sort of analysis that Bill James popularized, 25 years before MoneyBall appeared. (Davey Johnson did too.) And the Orioles during Weaver’s tenure were excellent at developing talent.
True the Orioles now have some offensive talent in Brian Roberts and (hopefully) Nick Markakis. And some pitching talent in Eric Bedard and Jeremy Guthrie. (Daneil Cabrera for all the hype, has not as yet been any better than average. He still allows too many base runners. The Orioles best hope for Cabrera is for him to have a breakout year and then trade him to a team that gambles that Cabrera will sustain his success.) Of those four only Markakis is young. Counting on Adam Loewen at this point is ridiculous. But there still isn’t reason to hope that the Orioles lack of success is coming to an end any time soon.
Mike Flanagan might be ranked as the 10th best General Manager in baseball by Forbes, but his record so far from a baseball standpoint is not the so encouraging.
It’s true, that I’d probably prefer a General Manager who subscribed to Bill James’s ideas, but that isn’t necessary. Brian Sabean has had success with the Giants (despite statistically inclined naysayers) and Bill Stoneman has had success with the the Angels, though neither seems much enchanted with statistical analysis. Still each has shown an ability to evaluate talent effectively and build a consistently good team.
As far as manager is concerned, the one person I’d love to see wearing an Orioles uniform in the dugout right now, is Larry Dierker. He did a great job with Houston in part because he’s statistically inclined. (He did have a lot of talent to work with.)
The Orioles may wonder which manager will help the team the most, but unless the Orioles get a General Manager who is effective in recruiting and developing talent, the Managerial revolving door will continue, because all the team is doing is addressing the symptom, not the cause of the futility.
Crossposted at Soccer Dad .
Chien Ming-Wang and Edwar Ramirez made for a hugely enjoyable game tonight. Wang got fairly lucky, getting by with mediocre stuff but got double-plays when he needed them. I was pissed when Torre brought in Proctor for the eighth instead of Edwar Ramirez, but I held out hope he’d be used in the ninth. He came in, glasses and all, and dominated three great hitters, including last year’s MVP, striking out the side (without allowing a baserunner). He got all three Ks on his nasty changeup, and after the third one even Derek Jeter had a huge grin on his face. He won’t be this dominant once word and video gets around of him, but he does have the ability to be a very good to great set up man.
- Meanwhile, the Yanks top two prospects (since Phil Hughes is now considered a major leaguer) both had great nights. Joba Chamberlain absolutely destroyed the Harrisburg Senators tonight in Trenton: 6 ip, 4 h, 0 r, 12 k, 1 bb. And Jose Tabata racked up four hits (in six at-bats) and a stolen base against Clearwater.
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| Tuesday, July 3, 2007 |
The easiest path to a mythical college football national championship is to go undefeated. The easiest way to do that? Not play anybody Mark Schlabach gives his take on the teams that have the weakest opponents:
1. KANSAS: The Jayhawks’ nonconference schedule includes more cream puffs than your favorite bakery: Central Michigan, Division I-AA Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International (all at home). Kansas doesn’t play Texas or Oklahoma in Big 12 Conference play, and the Jayhawks will face Nebraska in Lawrence, Kan., and Missouri in Kansas City.
Nonconference opponents: Central Michigan (home), Southeastern Louisiana (home), Toledo (home), Florida International (home)
Toughest game: at Texas A&M, Oct. 27
Easiest game: vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Sept. 8
Hawaii 2. HAWAII: Warriors quarterback Colt Brennan won’t have many problems putting up Heisman Trophy-like numbers against Hawaii’s schedule. The Warriors play two nonconference games against Division I-AA teams Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern, along with a road game at UNLV and home game against Washington. The Warriors’ WAC schedule includes home games against Fresno State and Boise State and road games at San Jose State and Nevada.
Nonconference opponents: Northern Colorado (home), UNLV (road), Charleston Southern (home), Washington (home)
Toughest game: vs. Boise State, Nov. 23
Easiest game: vs. Charleston Southern, Sept. 23
Arkansas 3. ARKANSAS: The Razorbacks’ slate is a perfect example of why SEC teams have a poor reputation when it comes to out-of-conference scheduling. The Hogs will get fat on a nonconference schedule that includes home games against Troy, North Texas, Division I-AA Tennessee-Chattanooga and Florida International. SEC road games at Alabama, Tennessee and LSU prevented this from being the country’s easiest schedule.
Nonconference opponents: Troy (home), North Texas (home), Chattanooga (home), Florida International (home)
Toughest game: at LSU, Nov. 23
Easiest game: vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga, Oct. 6
Indiana 4. INDIANA: In a season in which the Hoosiers don’t play Big 10 heavyweights Michigan and Ohio State, they beefed up their nonconference schedule with the likes of Division I-AA Indiana State, Western Michigan, Akron and Ball State. Indiana plays rival Purdue and Penn State at home, but travels to Iowa and Wisconsin. Thanks to the soft schedule, look for the Hoosiers to play in a bowl game for the first time since 1993.
Nonconference opponents: Indiana State (home), Western Michigan (road), Akron (home), Ball State (home)
Toughest game: at Wisconsin, Oct. 27
Easiest game: vs. Indiana State, Sept. 1
Connecticut 5. CONNECTICUT: The Huskies might have put together a tougher schedule by returning to the Atlantic 10. Their nonconference schedule includes games against Division I-AA Maine and two of the worst I-A teams — Duke and Temple. The Huskies play seven of their 12 games at home, including key Big East dates against Louisville and Syracuse.
Nonconference opponents: Duke (road), Maine (home), Temple (home), Akron (home), Virginia (road)
Toughest game: at West Virginia, Nov. 24
Easiest game: vs. Maine, Sept. 8
Navy 6. NAVY: The Midshipmen play only four Division I-A teams that finished with winning records last season: Rutgers, Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Northern Illinois. Five of Navy’s 2007 opponents won four games or fewer last season, including Duke (0-12), Temple (1-11), North Texas (3-9), Army (3-9) and Air Force (3-8).
Toughest game: at Rutgers, Sept. 7
Easiest game: vs. Duke, Sept. 22
Northwestern 7. NORTHWESTERN: The Wildcats could see a big turnaround in coach Pat Fitzgerald’s second season, thanks to a not-so-daunting schedule. Nonconference games against Division I-AA Northeastern, Nevada, Duke and Eastern Michigan (at Detroit) are potential victories. Home games against Minnesota and Indiana could bring the victory total to six, making Northwestern eligible for a bowl game.
Nonconference opponents: Northeastern (home), Nevada (home), Duke (home), Eastern Michigan (neutral)
Toughest game: at Ohio State, Sept. 22
Easiest game: vs. Northeastern, Sept. 1
Texas Tech 8. TEXAS TECH: Give the Red Raiders some credit for scheduling a pair of nonconference road games … at SMU and Rice. A home game against UTEP might be challenging, but a Sept. 29 game against Division I-AA Northwestern State will be a rout. Texas Tech plays home games against two of the Big 12 conference’s most talented teams, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
Nonconference opponents: SMU (road), UTEP (home), Rice (road), Northwestern State (home)
Toughest game: at Texas, Nov. 10
Easiest game: vs. Northwestern State, Sept. 29
Ohio State 9. OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes won’t miss Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and the rest of their departed stars during the nonconference schedule. Not against Division I-AA Youngstown State, Akron and Kent State, anyway. At least a Sept. 15 game at Washington will be played outside the state of Ohio. The Buckeyes play two of their most difficult Big 10 games on the road, at Penn State on Oct. 27 and at Michigan on Nov. 17.
Nonconference opponents: Youngstown State (home), Akron (home), Washington (road), Kent State (home)
Toughest game: at Michigan, Nov. 17
Easiest game: vs. Youngstown State, Sept. 1
Texas 10. TEXAS: The Longhorns get kudos for scheduling a home game against TCU, a possible BCS sleeper. But the rest of the schedule sets up very well for coach Mack Brown. The other three nonconference games should be routs, against Arkansas State, Central Florida and Rice. The Longhorns play top Big 12 foes Nebraska and Texas Tech at home, along with the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma in Dallas.
Nonconference opponents: Arkansas State (home), TCU (home), Central Florida (road), Rice (home)
Toughest game: vs. Oklahoma (Dallas), Oct. 6
Easiest game: vs. Arkansas State, Sept. 1
You can’t blame the athletic directors. It’s to each school’s benefit to play weak teams — so long as they don’t lose.
As we enter the halfway point of the 2007 season there is nothing more fun than picking the mid-season award winners. Some categories were tough, some were easy. Let us know what you think and where you think I went wrong, or where I got it right on the money.
Jonathan C. Mitchell’s Picks
AL MVP
1. Magglio Ordonez (DET – OF)
2. Alex Rodriguez (NYY – 3B)
3. Vladimir Guerrero (LAA – OF)
4. Gary Sheffield (DET – OF/DH)
5. Dan Haren (OAK – SP)
NL MVP
1. Chase Utley (PHI – 2B)
2. Prince Fielder (MIL – 1B)
3. Eric Byrnes (ARI – OF)
4. Russ Martin (LAD – C)
5. Matt Holliday (COL – OF)
AL Cy Young
1. Dan Haren (OAK – SP)
2. J.J. Putz (SEA – RP)
3. C.C. Sabathia (CLE – SP)
4. Justin Verlander (DET – SP)
5. Josh Beckett (BOS – SP)
NL Cy Young
1. Jake Peavy (SD – SP)
2. Brad Penny (LAD – SP)
3. Chris Young (SD – SP)
4. Ben Sheets (MIL – SP)
5. Takashi Saito (LAD – RP)
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Jeremy Guthrie (BAL – SP)
2. Reggie Willits (LAA – OF)
3. Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS – SP)
4. Delmon Young (TB – OF)
5. Dustin Pedroia (BOS – 2B)
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Troy Tulowitzki (COL – SS)
2. Hunter Pence (HOU – OF)
3. Josh Hamliton (CIN – OF)
4. Micah Owings (ARI – SP)
5. Chris B. Young (ARI – OF)
AL Comeback Player of Year
1. Carlos Pena (TB – 1B)
2. Jack Cust (OAK – DH/LF)
3. Eric Gagne (TEX – RP)
NL Comeback Player of Year
1. J.J. Hardy (MIL – SS)
2. Derek Lee (CHC – 1B)
3. Dimitri Young (WAS – 1B)
AL Manager of Year
1. Mike Scioscia (LAA)
2. Eric Wedge (CLE)
3. Terry Francona (BOS)
NL Manager of Year
1. Bud Black (SD)
2. Ned Yost (MIL)
3. Willie Randolph (NYM)
AL Hank Aaron Award (best hitter)
1. Alex Rodriguez (NYY – 3B)
2. Magglio Ordonez (DET – OF)
3. Vladimir Guerrero (LAA – OF)
NL Hank Aaron Award
1. Prince Fielder (MIL – 1B)
2. Chase Utley (PHI – 2B)
3. Matt Holliday (COL – OF)
World Series Prediction
Cleveland over Philadelphia (I like to stick with my pre-season predictions!)
-Jonathan C. Mitchell
The Israeli Baseball league’s first season is underway, and a few bloggers have posted their impressions.
A mother in Israel Took her family out to the ballgame. She doesn’t say much about the game but meets some players watching in the stands – he quit his job as an investment banker to play ball in Israel! For those interested 25 Shekel is roughly $6 right now, so the cost of a game is about that of a minor league game. (Actually I believe the price for a Baysox ticket now is $9 and $6 for children.) The cost of the baseball hat is as expensive as a major league hat. I’d guess they’re being priced for collectors.
Guest Blogger at SerAndEz, Eliezer StrongBad writes comprehensively about the Boychiks of Summer. The game experience left something to be desired. He notes that the players range in age from 17 – 51, so I suppose there’s still time for me to retire early and become a professional ballplayer. He did like the radio broadcast.
Life in Israel brings news updates from the league including the first no-hitter and the first game played under protest. I wonder how many lawyers are in the league.
(h/t Life in Israel)
And who knew, the inaugural game was broadcast on WNET!
For full information about the league, check out its website.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
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