As you may have noticed, I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to baseball.  I love following prospects, I get the shakes after the season when there is not a game to put on TV, I have a dog named Fenway and my parents have two dogs named after Cooperstown and Williamsport for the Hall of Fame and Little League World Series.  Baseball is a part of me to my core, so it is no surprise I listen to many podcasts, read many websites, and keep up with several blogs regarding baseball.  Baseball Prospectus recently brought up a concept that I love and think it would be a game changer, plus, I know just the guy and team to make it happen.  What is the concept you ask?  Simple, the super reliever.  A closer that pitches 6-9 outs per appearance, and makes as many as five appearances a week.  That would be 15 innings max per week, which will match the innings of a team’s number one starter.  Last year, Jose Valverde pitched 74 innings as a work horse closer and was named the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year.  But what if a team can have a closer that pitches 150 innings?  How many times does a pitcher leave after six innings and a manager is forced to roll out pitcher after pitcher until you get to the 8th or 9th inning, depending on whether or not a team has a premier set-up man?  But what if the starter leaves after six, and a team brings out their set-up man for an inning, then a dominant closer for two innings?  That would completely change the game.  It would allow for a team to carry an extra offensive player or two that could help with situational hitters, defensive replacements, and pinch runners.  This obviously fits best for a National League team.  Now, the first argument would be the Kimbrel defense from last year as he was clearly gassed down the stretch.  So obviously, you need a manager with some balls to give it a shot, and you need a guy whose arm could hold up to that kind of work load.  I think I have found the perfect team/manager/player combo for this…the Arizona Diamondbacks.  I don’t think anyone will argue whether or not Kirk Gibson would be willing to stick his neck out there and give something a shot that brings a position old school and have a closer that works as much as Goose Gossage did.  Then you look at the roster, and you realize they have the pitching staff and depth in the organization to take a shot with a rubber armed prospect.  And they have that rubber armed prospect in Trevor Bauer.  He came out of Hart High School in my home town, so I have watched him pitch since high school.  The thing that was different about Bauer is he would play long toss between innings, throw a bullpen session after pitching a full game, and I never saw him put ice on his arm.  This continued at UCLA, which led him to be a top 5 pick in this past year’s draft.  The Diamondbacks already have a full rotation of starters that are above average to ace, currently have a closer who has performed best as a set-up man, and of their top 10 prospects, there are 6-7 future big league starters.  Here is how I see it working.  Tentatively pencil Bauer in as the official relief man for Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill, and Daniel Hudson.  Have him pitch the 8^th and 9^th innings for their starts knowing they will all go at least 6 if not 7 innings per start.  If you need a 7^th inning guy, use J.J. Putz.  Get decent run support and those three starters could easily win 20+ games a year.  Then for the final two pitchers of the rotation, likely Joe Saunders and Josh Collmenter, will have J.J. Putz as their closer and the full bullpen to fit in the rest of the time.  What would the numbers look like?  Simple, let’s assume each of the top three starters start 32 games. And each throws two complete games, and five other games they go to the 8^th inning.  So Bauer would throw 165 innings, or 60+ innings less than a front of the rotation starter, but the innings come on consecutive days rather than five days rest.  Now, admittedly, Bauer’s career will likely be shortened by this throwing program, so a team would have to compensate him at a level somewhere between elite closer and elite starter money assuming it works out.  That being said, wouldn’t it be worth it to add 2-3 wins per starter and give Bauer 60+ saves.  (Remember, a six out save is a save regardless of the score)  Bauer was a high draft pick, and you could rip the D-Backs for trying this, but they also have Tyler Skaggs, Archer Bradley, and Patrick Corbin, who all will be in the minors this year, but are future middle to front of the line starters.  So I say go for it!  Give it a shot, what is the worst that happens?  Bauer wears down, maybe needs Tommy John, honestly, big deal, and then you let him rehab and become a starter.  But if it works, you could dominate 95 games a year, and the other 67 would be a typical staff.  If the D-Backs use this strategy this season, I will project them for 95 games minimum, and they would be damn near impossible to beat in a short series, and pretty tough in a seven game series.  I think Gibson is gutsy enough to give it a shot, Bauer is the perfect guy to fill that position, and the D-Backs have the perfect mix of big league talent and minor league potential, to be able to give it a shot.  So how about Arizona, are you ready to change the way a team looks at the game?  Screw Moneyball, I say go with Bauerball.

Remember Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins?  Or Dominique vs. Spudd Webb?  Or even Vince Carter vs. gravity?  The great dunk competitions of all time, pure athleticism and creativity to do something a human has never done before.  Ah, the good old days.  When the stars performed in the dunk competitions, or Reggie Miller and Larry Bird would participate in the 3-point competition.  This year a power forward wins the 3-point competition and 4 guys that might not even be recognized by their own mothers competed in the dunk contest.  Chase Budinger, funny, and ballsy, to jump over Diddy while wearing a White Men Can’t Jump inspired hat.  But the winner of the competition included a dunk over a massive 5’5” Kevin Hart…yeah, totally champion worthy.  Granted, his double dunk over a seated Gordon Hayward was impressive and reminded me of dunk contests past.  Then there was a guy who wears a glow in the dark jersey but wasn’t smart enough to bring in a glow in the dark ball?  And everyone was so impressed with Blake Griffin’s dunk last year.  Really?  He brought out a chorus to sing I Believe I can Fly which was a good touch, but then dunks over the hood of a car.  Not really that impressive, I am pretty sure I could jump over the hood of a Kia.  I would have been impressed if he jumped over the roof.  And everybody gets 2 minutes to complete a dunk?  Remember if you missed a dunk, you missed the dunk, deal with it?  Then the guys went out and pulled off dunks we have never seen before on the first attempt.  But now they put a glorified midget in the way and do the exact same dunk we see in games, and it takes them 54 attempts to get it down.  It is getting ridiculous.  Somebody mentioned, can’t remember where I heard it, a fantastic solution.  Bring the dunk contest to the fans.  Create four geographical brackets.  Hold American Idol style audition process for non-NBA players to compete in each area for a chance to perform in the dunk contest.  The creativity would bring fun back to the dunk contest.  Make the prize for the winning dunker to be a few grand to them, and a $50,000 check to a NBA charity in the dunkers home city.  Couldn’t be any worse than the garbage they throw out there today.  Then came the actual game.  The West squad put up a score in the high 80s…in the first half.  The all-star game is just a 2 hour dunk contest, where the highlights are better than the actual dunk contest, but is still incredibly boring.  I thought the Pro Bowl was bad since the back-up left guard on the worst team in the league gets run at quarterback because nobody shows up, but the NBA all-star game was even worse. 

Ever since Ryan Braun tested positive for PEDs, I have been telling everyone who would listen that Braun would win an appeal. Just because Commissioner Bud Selig is no longer officially owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, you can’t possibly argue that the Brew Crew is not still his team. The team he supports, the team he wants to win. And whatever influence he can exert when it comes to a key decision involving Milwaukee or one of its best players, you can bet he will. I don’t know if anyone will take a look at “independent” arbiter, Shyam Das’ bank account to see if Selig slipped him a few million. But would it surprise me? Hell no.

Let’s look at some facts. Braun has steadfastly maintained his innocence since he tested positive, but we all know that’s a bunch of crap. Rafael Palmeiro did too. So did Mark McGwire before eventually coming clean (interesting word choice there, huh?) But the facts are, the limit for testosterone to epitestosterone to stay within the doping rules is 4-1. Braun’s was nearly 8 times that. This unequivocally shows that he wasn’t just doping, he was effectively drinking PEDs from a fire hose. If we were to draw an analogy to alcohol, and Braun was tested at 8 times the legal limit for driving, going to jail would be the least of concerns. Because he would be dead.

More facts. During his ultimately successful appeal, Braun argued that his test was improperly stored on the way to the lab. NOT, that the test was flawed, that the procedure was. Essentially, he admitted to being not just a doper, but a RAGING doper, but with the help of Selig on his side was able to circumvent the rules.

I suppose I shouldn’t be angry since I knew all along how this would play out. But I am upset that nobody in the sports media is raising more of a flag on this. Shouldn’t someone who brazenly wags their middle finger at the rules get called out on it?

That is right; the Boston Red Sox have acquired Chris Carpenter.  Granted, they had to give up a key member of the two World Series championship teams, but it has landed them a big right handed arm.  Carpenter is, of course, a big righty with an impressive fastball and a biting breaking ball.  He has overcome a number of arm surgeries early in his career, but has proved his health is no longer an issue.  Last season his ERA was under 3 and his K/9 was near 8.  The guy just looks like a pitcher.  He is working on added a pitch or two to his repertoire, but has shown he can be successful with the pitches he already has.  I am of course referring to Chris Carpenter, the middle of the road prospect relief pitcher from the Chicago Cubs as compensation for Theo Epstein.  And blame me for small sample size…which would be a good point, since those stats I threw out there were in 9.2 big league innings.  In those innings he did allow 12 hits and 7 walks, which is actually impressive since his command of the strike zone would make Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn look like Roy Halladay.  For months there was speculation of who the Red Sox would get for Theo, whispers of Brett Jackson hit the rumor mill, which we all knew was a load of bull, but really?  A 26 year old “prospect” that has proven he will be a mid-level middle reliever at best?  It was time to part ways with Theo, but at least pretend to make the compensation worthwhile, at least throw a guy that might spot start from time to time.  But instead Bud Selig played the cruel joke on Red Sox fans allowing websites to throw out a headline that says “Red Sox add Chris Carpenter” just to get a couple extra clicks…oh…wait…

 

Something bothers me about mock drafts. For whatever reason, most mockers refuse to entertain trade scenarios in their forecasts. Why? I don’t get it. Well, I figure I can complain about it, or I can do a mock myself… while mocking myself. Just go with it.

 

1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: I’m not going to insult you by trying to pass something off as analysis here. It’s a foregone conclusion, he’s Peyton’s heir to the throne, either right away, or after a season or two in the future Hall of Famer’s tutelage.

 

2. Cleveland Browns – RG3, QB, Baylor: The Rams trade this pick down a couple spots. Rams management has been so incompetent in recent years that a Vontaze Burfict pick here is not out of the question, but I don’t think Cleveland will let a chance at a franchise QB pass, and with two first rounders, they have the most attractive trade bait for the Rams. The Browns might also stand pat, and if the Redskins trade up to take RG3, they may take Alabama’s Trent Richardson with Peyton Hillis’ future undecided.

 

3. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT, USC: There is a ton of first round tackle talent this year, but Kalil is probably the best of the bunch, and the Vikings O line has been dreadful. They have other pressing needs, like the entire defense not named Jared Allen for example, but opening holes for all-universe Adrian Peterson (assuming a recovery from a bad knee injury) is the top one.

 

4. St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: Trading down again for more picks and hoping to land offensive line help like David DeCastro or Jonathon Martin would have been the smart move, but when have the Rams ever done that? So they’ll go with Blackmon to try to give Sam Bradford a weapon. Blackmon has ability, but in general is a little overrated. Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd is better.

 

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: Richardson is an unfathomable value here. I think he’d go first overall in a year that didn’t have two awesome quarterbacks headlining the draft. As you can probably surmise from their lofty draft position, Tampa has multiple needs, but backs like Richardson don’t come along all the time. In fact, they almost never do.

 

6. Washington Redskins – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame: They’ll be annoyed that the Rams took Blackmon, whom they wanted, but little do they know they have a gem here. Floyd is huge, has great hands, and is fast enough to run the deep route. There are no weaknesses in his game.

 

7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Reilly Reiff, OT, Iowa: Yikes, what a disaster this team is. I’ll be honest, they have so many holes, I have no idea where they’re going to start plugging. But if it were me, I’d start by picking a very good lineman to help find out whether Blaine Gabbert can play any better if he’s actually kept upright.

 

8. Miami Dolphins – Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina: Remember Robert Quinn, the DE the Rams disastrously selected in the first round last year? Coples is Quinn, minus the character and brain tumor issues. The Dolphins were better than their record last season, but need playmakers on defense, especially with the retirement of Jason Taylor.

 

9. Carolina Panthers – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU: Run defense is an equally pressing need, but Claiborne is a rare combination of attributes at cornerback. Big enough to rumble with the physical receivers, fast enough to keep up with the speed demons, and good enough to excel at both. They will not be able to pass on him here.

 

10. Buffalo Bills – Devon Still, DT, Penn State: In a division other than the AFC East, maybe they don’t take Still. But this is one division in which you can’t get away with not being able to get pressure on the quarterback. There are good pieces in place in Buffalo, even if they overpaid by about 50 million for Ryan Fitzpatrick. If they can improve their interior defense, they’re a contender.

 

11. Seattle Seahawks – Jonathon Martin, OT, Stanford: Notice how Andrew Luck spent most of last season comfortably on his feet? Martin was the guy who ensured that on Luck’s blind side. So when the Seahawks overpay to win the Matt Flynn sweepstakes, they’ll at least know his “six” will be in good hands.

 

12. Kansas City – Vontaze Burfict, MLB, Arizona State: Talent-wise, this is not a reach. A potential Ray Lewis-type franchise linebacker will be too much to pass up, especially with the awesome Eric Berry patrolling center field behind him. There are some “character questions” here, but wouldn’t you want your middle linebacker to have a bit of a temper?

 

13. Arizona Cardinals – David DeCastro, G, Stanford: Believe it or not, the Cards are not horribly far away from being good. Upgrading their interior line with this beast of a player will help. DeCastro could immediately be one of the top five guards in the NFL. He’s that good.

 

14. Dallas Cowboys – Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College: They might have snagged David DeCastro here, but for Arizona plucking him from under their noses. Kuechly is a solid player across the board, and an outstanding tackler. Plus, you can bet your bottom dollar Philly wanted him with the next pick and you’re kidding yourself if you think that doesn’t play into this decision at all.

 

15. Philadelphia Eagles – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU: The Eagles couldn’t stop the run last season and it brutally murdered their playoff aspirations. They wanted Kuechly but that obviously isn’t happening. Brockers with his freakish athletic ability should help, though. He can play any D line position and is capable of playing well against good competition as you may have seen in the BCS Championship Game… you know, if you watch that kind of garbage.

 

16. New York Jets – Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina: Part of the reason Mark Sanchez looked pretty sucky last season was the lack of real reliable target outside of Dustin Keller, whom he underutilized anyway. Santonio Holmes is a problem child, and Plaxico Burress’ best years were behind him, but adding Jeffery will give Sanchez a viable red zone target and a go-to guy if the problems between he and Holmes are not solved.

 

17. Cincinnati Bengals – Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia – Football drafting 101. When you brilliantly nab yourself a franchise quarterback and a stud receiver in one draft, surround your aforementioned franchise quarterback with a solid line. Glenn might be a slight reach here but he’s very good and versatile to boot.

 

18. San Diego Chargers – Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State – Jared Gaither can’t be the answer to the Chargers’ offensive line woes, right? It sounds dumb to say that Adams is big. He’s a tackle, he’s supposed to be. But Adams really is humungous, and has good technique. Again, there’s some “off-field” stuff that follows him around like a cartoon raincloud, but it’s only enough to drop him below Jonathon Martin, not out of the first round altogether. Especially with how many teams need tackle help.

 

19. Chicago Bears – Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois – Yes, yes, I know. They already have Julius Peppers. Yes, they have perceived holes elsewhere. But they got a gift with the resignation of OC Mike Martz. For all his wizardry on offense, Martz gets quarterbacks killed by not leaving any tight ends or backs in to help block. His departure means Jay Cutler will be protected, and therefore more accurate, Forte will be healthy again so the offense will be good. Another defensive playmaker to complement Peppers? Could mean a return to the elite for this once glittering unit.

 

20. Tennessee Titans – Brandon Washington, G, Miami (FL) – When Chris Johnson had his monster year, he was able to both hit the homerun ball on runs around the edge, AND pick up meaningful yardage between the tackles. Since, his interior line has not opened holes as well. Washington is underrated because Miami wasn’t great this year, but that wasn’t his fault. He’s better than a lot of linemen ranked ahead of him and I’m betting the Tennessee front office recognizes that.

 

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama – It stands to reason, if you’re a really good linebacker on a really good defense, you’ll have suitors. Upshaw is an excellent pass rusher, solid against the run, and a proven winner in college. The Bengals don’t have a LOT of needs, but after adding Glenn four picks ago, they’ll see this defensive playmaker available still and jump at the chance. The Bengals might win 12 games next year.

 

22. St. Louis Rams (from Cle.) – Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama – They’re just a bit north of the national champs, so they must be just as good, right? I know, I’m hilarious. But Jenkins is a top ten talent with a troublesome history, but the Rams cornerbacks are not good, and IF Jenkins can keep his nose clean, he’ll be a solid NFLer.

 

23. Detroit Lions – Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska – The Lions will have resisted trade offers from New England, who likely also wanted Dennard. But if anything was learned in the season finale where Packers’ backup QB Matt Flynn decimated the Lions secondary to the tune of a gazillion yards and 5 touchdowns, it’s that the secondary needs help. Dennard has great tools and should succeed nicely if he gambles a little less at the next level.

 

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Bobbie Massey, OT, Ole Miss – Big Ben got battered from pillar to post last season, and still hung in there. But the human body can take only so much pounding and if the Steelers want their franchise quarterback to survive next season, they need to protect him. At first glance, Massey might look like a reach, but what a player this guy is. Much like Alshon Jeffery, don’t judge a player too harshly just because the guys around him aren’t very good.

 

25. Denver Broncos – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama – I personally think that with his size, Kirkpatrick translates better as a safety in the NFL as a cornerback. But Champ Bailey ain’t gonna be around forever and the Broncos know it. And as long as you don’t expect Kirkpatrick to single cover the little waterbug speed demons like Mike Wallace, he’ll hold up as a corner too.

 

26. Houston Texans – Mohammed Sanu, WR, Rutgers – Houston is in a great position. Great defense, superb running back… but their lack of anyone to properly complement Andre Johnson at receiver was magnified when Johnson was hurt last season. The trio of Johnson, Sanu, and Owen Daniels will give Matt Schaub a nice array of weapons for four weeks, and then whomever is the backup for the next thirteen weeks after Schaub gets placed on IR with a hangnail.

 

27. New England Patriots – Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia – The Pats need secondary help and are masters at getting maximum value from their draft picks (last year’s Ryan Mallett pick notwithstanding) and Minnifield may end up looking like the best cornerback from this draft, and not just because the expectations are higher for the other, more highly regarded CBs. He’s a perfect fit in New England.

 

28. Green Bay – Mark Barron, S, Alabama – Another team who needs to improve in the secondary. This draft isn’t exactly ripe with safety talent but Barron is good enough at all aspects of his job that he doesn’t need to be hidden anywhere, and the Packers’ already good run defense will allow him to focus more on his coverage responsibilities. Fearless forecast, Barron leads the NFL in interceptions in 2014.

 

29. Baltimore Ravens – Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama – In the unlikely event Burfict falls to here, they’d prefer him. Hightower isn’t mean enough to fit the Ravens mold at inside ‘backer. But he’s a complete player, cerebral, and a very good tackler. He only dropped this far because all the teams with needs at linebacker also had far more pressing needs at other positions.

 

30. San Francisco 49rs – Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina – You can slot several wide receivers into this spot for San Fran, as that’s clearly their biggest need. There’s no real logic applied here as to why I picked Jones. The only logic is that it’s not Kendall Wright. The Niners already have Crabtree and Ginn as deep threat/return guys. They need a Mr. Reliable with good hands and Jones is that guy.

 

31. New England Patriots – Juron Criner, WR, Arizona – I don’t think the Pats need a wide receiver as much as everyone says. Welker is terrific and their two tight ends practically play like receivers. But that said, Criner is another one of those guys on a crappy team who still was able to perform. They probably wanted Chase Minnifield here… oh… right. They already got him. I freakin’ hate the Patriots…

 

32. New York Giants – Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina – Chase Blackburn may have made a terrific interception in the Superbowl, but he’s still Chase Blackburn. And Tom Coughlin is a big country music fan, especially that song Brown does about leaving that girl behind in Colorado. Wait, different guy? Oh. Well, THIS Zach Brown runs like Jamal Charles and tackles like a younger London Fletcher. At linebacker. He needs some refinement, but wow.

 

I know there are some snubs here, but when you have 45 first round talents available with only 32 slots, some guys are gonna get shafted. That’s just the way it is.

 

Why is everyone so desperate draw comparisons for the current phenomenon that is Jeremy Lin?  Why can’t we just sit back and enjoy a great story in the sports world?  And if you are going to compare it to something, why does everyone make such horrible comparisons.  Tim Tebow?  Really?  Answer something for me, did you know who Jeremy Lin was before this recent stretch?  If you didn’t answer no, you either just told a lie or you went to Harvard, and if you went to Harvard, what the hell are you doing reading us?  Now, Tim Tebow, correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t he arguably the greatest college football player of all time?  So where is the comparison other than the religious ties?  And don’t tell me they both come through in the clutch, because while that is true, Jeremy Lin plays well in the first three quarters as well, which you certainly can’t say about Tebow.  Then you hear the Kurt Warner comparisons.  Ok, this is closer, guy comes out of nowhere after spending time in lesser leagues, gets a chance due to unfortunate circumstances, and comes in to light it up.  Pretty good start, but it is a start.  Kurt Warner is a hall of famer, Jeremy Lin hasn’t even started 10 games yet.  What about Mark Fidrych?  Ok, he made the team after being a non-roster invitee in 1976 and won the Rookie of the Year and two all-star games before suffering a torn rotator cuff and having to retire after just four years.  Maybe, but let’s hope he doesn’t suffer a career ending injury and let’s face it…Lin isn’t insane, he may be the creation of “Linsanity”, but I don’t see him yelling at the basketball before tossing up a free throw.  I have heard John Daly comparisons.  Ok, maybe a bit of a reach here, but Daly did win the 1991 PGA Championship after being a last minute entry after Nick Price dropped out with his wife about to give birth.  But does anyone really want to stick Jeremy Lin with a John Daly comparison?  Torsten and I have discussed this topic and came up with three comparisons of our own.  A Taiwanese right handed Nick Van Exel with hair.  An American Yao Ming only a foot and a half shorter with a jumper.  A different minority Mark Sanchez with more accuracy and a rounder ball.  Those three seem crazy, right?  Well so is trying to compare Jeremy Lin to anyone else.  The great thing about sports is we can get a story like we currently have with Lin.  So please, do me a favor, stop trying to compare him to other stories, and let his stand on its own.  Maybe it only lasts a few more weeks, maybe it lasts an entire career, regardless, comparing him to past athletes doesn’t do him justice.  Just sit back, turn on the TV, and enjoy this great story playing out in front of us.

It is well known that I fully believe the Nationals will win the 2013 World Series.  But I have recently realized they just may face an even less likely team in that matchup.  I am convinced the Kansas City Royals will have a legit shot to make a run.  So, as we are counting down the days for this weekend when pitchers and catchers report for the 2012 Spring Training, I figured I would give a prediction…for the 2013 World Series.  I am calling it a year in advance; the Nationals will beat the Royals in the Fall Classic.  Now granted, this will be the least watched World Series ever, but will be loaded with future stars.  We all know Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, and Steven Strasburg, but Jason Werth will settle in to the second spot of the Nationals line-up and live up to his contract.  Jordan Zimmerman is the best pitcher in the league that wouldn’t be recognized in his own home town.  In Kansas City, Mike Moustakas will finally live up to the hype, Alex Gordon will continue his stellar comeback as a power hitting outfielder.  Erik Hosmer will be one of the best power hitting first baseman in the league in 2013.  Mike Montgomery and Danny Duffy will make for a studly one-two combination at the top of the rotation, and one Jonathon Broxton will rediscover himself as a dominating closer for the Royals.  Below are my starting line-ups for the series, pitching staffs, and predictions.  I have included a couple of signings based on the 2013 free agent market.

Nationals beat the Royals 4 games to 2.

Nats starting lineup

1) Ian Desmond – SS

2) Jason Werth – CF

3) Bryce Harper – RF

4) Mike Morse – LF

5) Ryan Zimmerman –3B

6) Anthony Rendon – 1B

7) Danny Espinosa – 2B

8) Wilson Ramos – C

9) Pitchers Slot

DH) Rick Ankiel (or sign Carlos Quentin)

Pitchers – Strasburg, Zimmerman, Gio, and the newly signed Zach Grienke

Royals starting lineup

1) Alicedes Escobar – SS

2) Mike Moustakas – 3B

3) Erik Hosmer – 1B

4) Bubba Starling – CF

5) Alex Gordon – LF

6) Will Myers – RF

7) Billy Butler – DH

8) Salvador Perez – C

9) Johnny Giavotella – 2B

Starting Pitchers: Mike Montgomery, Danny Duffy, Luke Hochevar, and John Lamb or newly signed Edwin Jackson

Surprise contributors: Bernardina makes a Dave Roberts type steal and Lombardozzi comes through with a pinch hit game winner. 

WS MVP: Jason Werth with two steals, three home runs, and 7 RBI in the series

 

I must be the only one who didn’t give a damn. Why are people so surprised over the Luis Suarez non-handshake of Patrice Evra? Enough with the outrage. Everyone knows Suarez is a tosser. It’s not like we saw the Virgin Mary working the corner, or Kobe Bryant putting the team ahead of his personal stats. This should have been expected… And as much as I hate to side with Suarez on anything, if one grown man doesn’t want to shake the hand of another, he shouldn’t have to.
Speaking of Kobe, can he just retire already? It’s one thing to get outplayed by super rookie Jerry Lin after lying to the national media by saying you had no idea what he was accomplishing. But to shamelessly heave up terrible shot after terrible shot in a futile effort to rack up as many points as Lin at the expense of a loss for your team is pathetic. To not hustle back on defense a single time is unforgivable. Then to follow up that “performance” with an equally hideous one against Toronto was criminal.
Shame on the basketball and LA sports media for glossing over the fact that Kobe’s selfishness and greed are what put the team in a position where they needed a last second basket to win against one of the league’s worst teams. When your shooting percentage is in the 30s, you did NOT win the game for your team, even if you hit the last bucket.
And how come you “journalists” didn’t once point out that these opponents, the Knicks and Raptors, were the opponents for two of Kobe’s virtuoso performances in his career, the 81 pointer against Toronto and the 60-something pointer at Madison Square Garden? I cannot honestly believe that I’m the only one who noticed that Kobe was unapologetically trying to recreate those point totals in a pitiful attempt to prove his best days are not behind him. To all of you sports/basketball writers who still sing Kobe’s praises like he’s the same guy who used to care as much about his team winning as he did about his own numbers, shame on you. You’re cowardly brown-nosers and it’s reprehensible that you still cash a paycheck.
And I don’t even like basketball!!!

We are just a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting, but there is already championship baseball on your TV.  I have been known to tune into the Caribbean Series from time to time, but I have found something even better to watch…the Australian Baseball League Championship Series.  I am typing this in the bottom of the fifth, but I have been on the ABL website, so I know the final result, so if you are watching, stop reading now.  Game one was a pretty good 4-1 win by the Perth Heat.  Game two was a fantastic matchup that was won by the Melbourne Aces in the 13th inning sending the series to a decisive third game.  Now, a bit of background that as I have become an “expert” since watching the ABL all the way back to Friday.  There are six teams in the league, four make the playoffs after a 45 game season.  the Perth Heat were the runaway leaders of the regular season being the only team with a winning record, finishing 13 games better than the Aces, and 14 games beter than the other four teams in the league.  There are guys in the low minors and a few that have some MLB experience in the league, most notably Justin Huber.  Now, back to the baseball.  Melbourne scored at least one run in each of the first three innings of game three, but Perth managed to keep the game close eventually tying the game at 6 in the fifth. After the fifth inning, the scoring suddenly stopped as both bullpens pitched lights out the rest of the way.  The decisive game three, try and put yourself in a game seven of the World Series mindset here, goes into extra innings.  Both teams at the edge of their seats on every pitch.  Then comes the bottom of the 13th.  The leadoff batter is hit by a slider, advances to second on a sacrifice bunt, then to third on a groundout.  The series winning run now stands 90 feet away for Perth with two outs in the inning.  The second pitch of the following at-bat would leave Mitch Williams thanking his lucky stars he didn’t lose a series this way, even if he was known as “Wild Thing”.  The slider from Andrew Russell was well off target and gets away from catcher Kevin David and makes it’s way toward the backstop.  James McOwen breaks toward the plate.  David gets to the ball and flings it back to home at nearly the same time McOwen gets there….but McOwen just gets under the tag.  The Perth Heat celebrate their second consecutive Claxton Shield.  I now have an even bigger itch for Spring Training to start, but I have also found the perfect fix to the post-Super Bowl depression I fall into due to the lack of decent sports.  Let’s face it, watching competitive baseball with nobody you have ever heard of is still better than regular season college basketball or the non-Jeremy Lin garbage the NBA is currently putting out there on a night to night basis.  So thank you ABL, thank you for giving me something decent to watch.  Now, where can I find a Sydney Blue Sox hat here in America?  By far my favorite obscure sports hat I have seen in some time…got to get me one of those.

Who else is shocked that Gloria Steinem hasn’t charged into the media spotlight after Brandon Jacobs’ comments toward Tom Brady’s wife, supermodel Giselle Bundchen. The Giants running back reportedly said that Bundchen should “stay cute and shut up” after she was critical of the Patriots receivers late in the Superbowl after some critical drops. Or, has society finally evolved to where someone can call out a stupid bimbo for being, well, a stupid bimbo without having prominent feminists freak out over some perceived slight against all womanhood. One can only hope.
Here’s an idea for a reality tv show. While it can’t be proven, you can assume Bundchen’s tweets had a lot to do with star receiver Wes Welker’s inability to catch a potentially game clinching pass deep in Giants territory late in the fourth quarter. It was a difficult enough play, but the normally sure handed Welker was open and would make that catch probably 90% or more of the time. Let’s have Bundchen run that route and have Tom Terrific whip the same pass to her ten times on live tv, and see if she catches it one single time.