Matt's Gotta Hurt! Harvey to DL, More Moves Coming?

On the day where Jeremy Hefner made the decision to undergo Tommy John Surgery, the Mets organization, their fans, and just about everyone involved with the Mets got close to the worst news they could've gotten yesterday. After experiencing forearm tightness and being admittedly tired after his last start, the Mets sent young phenom and ace Matt Harvey to undergo an MRI, which revealed a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and was placed on the DL today. He is almost certainly out for the rest of 2013. When the swelling goes down, the Mets and Harvey will have a decision to make... Whether to undergo Tommy John Surgery or to try to rehab it. If he goes with the surgery, he will most likely be out all of next season. He should really just have the surgery. If he doesn't, and is able to just rehab it, it will be a ticking time-bomb just waiting to pop. I'd much rather miss Matt Harvey for the 2014 season than have him miss the 2017 season when we will be competitive. The risk is of having the surgery is not nearly what it used to be. Most pitchers who have undergone the surgery recently have come back stronger. Some examples are Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Adam Wainwright. He should just have the surgery now!

Placing Matt Harvey on the DL was not even close to the only move the Mets made today. They traded 2 of their most productive players from this season to the Pirates, shipping away John Buck and Marlon Byrd. John Buck had been backing up Travis d'Arnaud since his call up, and one topic of discussion was whether he would want to resign with the team to help mentor the young d'Arnaud or try to get a starting job somewhere else. It is a mute point now. They have called up Matt den Dekker, Anthony Recker, and Robert Carson. The Pirates sent 19 year old Dilson Herrera our way as well as a player to be named later. Herrera, mostly a 2nd basemen, was the #11 ranked prospect in the Pirates system. I don't have a problem with the trade, and Herrera has a chance to be a very good player, but Marlon Byrd has had one heck of a year. He will be missed in Flushing.

Another Milestone for Ichiro

On August 21 2013, Ichiro singled against R.A Dickey. The hit itself was nothing special but the significance of it was historic. The single marked Ichiro's 4,000 professional career hit. He joined Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Julio Franco, Jigger Statz, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron as the only known players with 4,000 hits. This milestone joins the many other milestones Ichiro has claimed. Throughout his 13 year career, Ichiro Suzuki has been a hitting machine. For example, he join Fred Lynn as the only players to win MVP their rookie seasons. Also, he is tied with Pete Rose for the most 200-hit seasons with 10. Furthermore, he is the only player to start a career with 5 consecutive 200-hit seasons. What makes the achievements so astounding is that only six other players had 5 consecutive 200-hit seasons at any point of their career. Moreover, Ichiro owns the most hits and second most hits in a 4-year span. Ichiro has had an amazing career but there is still one milestones Ichiro can get to solidify his legacy: 3,000 major league hits. Reaching this plateau would not only solidify his legacy but make him a lock for the Hall of Fame. Every member of the 3,000 hit club that is eligible to be in Hall of Fame is in with the exception of Rafael Palmeiro, who is unlikely to make it because he is linked to steroids, and Craig Biggio, who received 68% of the votes this year which was his first year on the ballot. Ichiro needs only 279 hits to get 3,000 major league hits. Even if he can't reach 3,000 major league hits, Ichiro will always be remembered as one of the greatest hitters of not only his generation but of all-time.


 

What does the future hold for Albert Pujols?

     On Monday August 19, the Los Angeles Angels announced that due to his foot injury, Albert Pujols will be out for the remainder of the season.
     Starting out his career in Saint Louis Albert Pujols has was amazing. Now that Pujols has become a Los Angeles Angel with the third highest contract in all of baseball history he hasn't been able to produce. In his first 11 seasons in the MLB with the St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols was a star as soon as he stepped on the field, winning the Rookie of The Year in 2001. Altogether as a Cardinal, Pujols batted .328, 445 homeruns, 1,329 RBI's. Also with the St. Louis Cardinals, he averaged 40 homeruns and 121 RBI's a season, a nine time MLB All-Star and finished in the Top 5 of the MVP Voting in all but the 2007 season.

     Over about the past six years Albert Pujols stats have dipped even in his two MVP years in 2008 and 2009. "If I stay healthy I will keep on hitting. God has blessed me with strength and hitting talent," said Pujols. Even for Pujols it must be hard to believe that he can go back to the old Albert in the 2014 season but Albert isn't worried about that yet. "I take things one day at a time. I'm not thinking about the 2014 season because I can't even predict if I'll be alive then. You've got to enjoy each day, and forget about making plans. I hate talking. I just let all my work do all the talking. This game is already too tough while being healthy. Imagine if I do it while I'm Injured."
      8 Homeruns short from being the 26th player in the 500 homerun club, Pujols claims that it was the whole Angels Organization decision. Albert who was supposed to come back in 6-8 weeks said "We didn't only consider this year, but also the 8 remaining years left on my contract."
    With the 2014 baseball season a long ways from now, and this being Pujols only  who knows what the feature will hold? The beauty of sports is, absolutely no one knows. Reporting from SBC Hive this is Matisse Nelson, see you next time, stay classy Los Angeles.

Does Biogenesis Trump Baseball in 2013?

     Aside from those without the luxury of Internet and the occasional rock dwellers, everyone who’s anyone has heard of the recent Biogenesis scandal plaguing Major League Baseball. Bud Selig has had his hands full since January in what has turned out to be one of the most controversial topics in recent memory. The epicenter of this epic chronicle lies in Coral Gables, Florida, where this clinic-turned-human-growth-hormone-front was operated by Anthony Bosch. Following the clinic’s demise in late 2012, the Miami New Times obtained documents from a former employee linking Biogenesis of America to several professional baseball players. The list of baseball players linked to this scandal includes, but is not limited to, Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun and, most infamously, Alex Rodriguez. 

The lawsuit between Biogenesis of America and Major League Baseball is still hot-pressed, but a sliver of justice was dealt out this past July when 12 of the13 players linked to the clinic received 50-game suspensions. The lone wolf of the baker’s dozen is Alex Rodriguez, who was dealt a 211-game suspension from Mr. Selig and has since appealed this mockery of cosmic proportions. Local and national news outlets alike continue to cover this story, granting Major League Baseball more publicity than it cares to receive. Due to its controversy, the historic encounter between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, which took place on August 18, was in the national spotlight for the following 48 hours; the man at the core of the controversy, Mr. Biogenesis himself, Alex Rodriguez. Even though many people tuned into this game for the wrong reasons, the merit of the sport outshone the gossip in what will be recorded as an all-time classic.

Even though the 2013 season is drawing to a close, there are certain men who never got the memo that the Biogenesis scandal was taking priority over the game of baseball this year. I’d like to personally thank those few select men -- like Andrew McCutchen, Yasiel Puig and Chris Davis -- who have all decided to take the road less traveled and keep baseball a sport, not an institute of childish tabloids. The Pittsburgh Pirates, despite their 17-year playoff drought, are currently leading their division, leaving many a Philly fan with a sour taste in their mouth. The Los Angeles Dodgers have literally torn through their competition, winning 41 out of their last 50 games. In my opinion, this is the club to beat come October. And Chris Davis continues to turn heads as he leads the entire MLB in homeruns at an astounding 46 long balls. Though Biogenesis continues to garner the headlines, certain ball clubs have thrown down the gauntlet in an effort to claim the attention they so well deserve.

 

Sophomore Success: Which Quater-Back will have the Best Second Season?

As we know in baseball, second year players can develope a nickname called a “Sophomore Jinx” or “Sophomore Slump”. For instance, if a player such as Bryce Harper or Mike Trout (rookies in 2012) were to do bad up at the plate this season, they would be caught in a Sophomore Jinx. In football, this occurs almost every year.

With lots of hype built up around
players in college, expectations are high for both their rookie season and sophomore season, wether it’s a running-back, quater-back, or basically any other position.

Entering the 2013 season wil be five dominant quater-backs who were all drafted in 2012. Those quater-backs are:

Andrew Luck Ind.

Robert Griffn III Wash.

Ryan Tannehill Mia.

Russell Wilson Sea.

Brandon Weeden Cle.


The question is, who will have the best season coming off of impressive rookie seasons.


1st. Andrew Luck-


Luck may be following in the footsteps left by Peyton Manning. Drafted first-overall in the 2012 draft, Andrew Luck was debatebly the best quater-back in college (Stanford). Last year, the Colts did not have a strong run-game  with Delone Carter and Donald Brown which caused defenses to focus more on blitzing and stopping the pass-game. However, with a recent addition of Ahmad Bradshaw, it should help open the passing-game up even more. With several targets to hit, it shouldn’t be hard for Andrew to find his former teammate on Stanford,tight-end Coby Fleener, Pro-Bowler Reggie Wayne, young reciever, T.Y. Hilton, and five-year veteran, Darrius Heyward-Bay. Not-to-mention, Andrew has found consistant success with Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton throughout the 2013 pre-season. Regardless, with a career total of 4,374 over the corse of one-year, Andrew Luck is bound to have yet another great season.

2. Russell Wilson

Being quite the athlete, Russell was not only a superb quater-back in his first year, but Russell was also drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as a second-basemen! Seattle’s run-game is not a problem as “Beast Mode”, Marshawn Lynch, is certainly a power-house in the open field. Plus the Seahawks have a great backup in Robert Turbin. Jumping over to the passing-game in Seattle, Sidney Rice and Golden Tate are frequent targets for Wilson. With the addition of kick-returner/wide-reciever, Percy Harvin, Seattle should be a very hard team to deffend. In football, a great defense will always stop a great offense and if you take a look a Seattle’s defense, a secondary including Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas is one of the best in the leauge.



3. Robert Griffn III

Of corse “RG3″ was known for his incredible rookie season, but depending on his recovery from injury, Robert’s sophomore year could be a challenge. Defensive cordinaters will try to come up with a game plan that will keep Robert in the pocket. On the other hand, Griffn had made defensive cordinators cringe last year, with his acurate arm and willing ability to run with the ball. Along with Robert, was rookie runnig-back, Alfred Morris, who contributed to improving Washington’s run-game. Behind Alfred was, Roy Helu Jr., who always helped RG3 find a reciever on screen plays and never failed to pick up an extra yard every time he touched the ball. As for Griffn’s wide-outs, Pierre Garçon as well as Leonard Hankerson were easy finds for Robert as both were big on burning secondaries and finding the open scene. You can’t forget about Fred Davis either! Playing only seven games in RG3′s rookie year, Fred Davis is one of the best cantitdates for Robert to pass too. On top of all of that, Robert Griffn III, is a very dedicated, hard worker, and he studies every concept the game.


4. Ryan Tannehill

The twenty-five-year old, Texas A&M Grad., Ryan Tannehill, threw for a total of 3,294 yards and tossed 12 touch-downs in his rookie year. That was without wide-reciever Mike Wallace! Basically locking up Wallace, Miami has decided to bulid their team around Ryan Tannehill and Mike Wallace which will benefit Ryan in the long run.

WATCH OUT: Although obtaining a Rookie of the Year (2009) / Pro-Bowler (2011), Mike Wallace, is cruical for a quater-back like Ryan Tannehill, both Davone Bess and Armon Binns are no longer playing for the Dolphins, and star tight-end, Dustin Keller, suffered a season-ending injury.



5. Brandon Weeden

On the other end of a trade with Maimi, the Cleveland Browns’ aquired Davone Bess to complete the Brown’s wide-reciever staff. Along with Weeden, Trent Richardson, the solid running-back was drafted last year, and already made a name out of himslef. If the run-game isn’t good enough with Trent, Weeden is protected by one of the strongest offensive lines in the league, led by tackle, Joe Thomas. Aside Joe, the Borwn’s statisfactory offensive line includes, Alex Mack, Ryan Miller, and John Greco. With a great tail-back to help Brandon and a “brick-wall” for an offensive line to support him, Brandon Weeden his destined to succeed.

 

 

d'Future

Travis d'Arnaud has played 3 games in the MLB, and now that John Buck is coming back, the Mets have decided d'Arnaud is going to stay and they optioned Anthony Recker to AAA Las Vegas. It's starting to get very exciting for us Mets fans. With d'Arnaud, Wheeler, and Harvey all here, we're finally getting the chance to see the players that we've been hearing about for such a long time. Despite what their record is, Mets fans should be excited and pleased with how this year has gone. They've gotten great play from guys like Marlon Byrd and Juan Lagares, and seen the upside of
Wilmer Flores. With Noah Syndergaard still on the way, as well as many young arms, it won't be too long before we see the Mets in the future. d'Arnaud through 3 games has failed to record his 1st MLB hit, going 0-7, but he has drawn 5 walks already in 12 plate appearances. He has looked very nervous at the plate and behind it,  but I'm sure that once he starts to relax, we'll all see why he has twice been traded for pitchers who have won the Cy Young. While he has looked nervous at times, he hasn't looked scared or intimidated. He knows he belongs here. One thing that I liked seeing from him was in his debut, he wasn't scared to go out to the mound to calm down his pitcher and put his arm around him. His 2nd game he wasn't intimidated about catching one of the best pitchers in the game and would constantly talk to him after innings to see how Harvey felt and what he wanted to do with the hitters that were due up the next inning. Things like these are very promising signs from a young kid like d'Arnaud. It shows me he has confidence, can call a good game, can handle a pitching staff well, and really just knows what he is doing back there. Now I just wish his jersey had a real lower-case 'd' and not an upside down 'p' like it currently does. The future of the Mets is looking very bright, and it won't be long before us Mets fans will be watching our team in the playoffs for the 1st time since 2006.

Johnny Football to Johnny Heisman to Johnny Scandal

     Let's start with Johnny Manziel. High school player highly recruited out of Tivy High School in Kerville, Texas as a Duel-Threat Quarterback. Later on Johnny Manziel stayed close to home as he signed with the Texas A&M Aggies.
     Johnny Football, Johnny Football is the most electrifying player in college. He could do no wrong. Johnny Football threw for 3,706 yards, 26 touchdowns and completed 68% of his passes.  later that year Johnny Heisman took the Aggies to a Cotton Bowl where Johnny Heisman won MVP. Along with the illustrious award Johnny Heisman added more to his trophy collection that very same year. First Team All SEC , David O'Brien offensive player of the year award, SEC Freshman of the year and the most prominent of them all SEC Male Athlete of the Year.

      Johnny Scandal, the sad story of Johnny Scandal. Johnny Scandal is in big trouble. Johnny Scandals broker claims that in Johnny Scandals hotel room in exchange for 7,500 dollars Johnny Scandal signed over 300 mini and full sized helmets while in attendance for the Walter O'Brien foundation event. 

     In the video of Johnny Scandal, its reported to be a very casual scene. Johnny Scandal, sitting on a bed signing helmets.  Although in the video it doesn't show Johnny Football excepting any money, I wouldn't find it hard to believe. On the video, Johnny Scandal says "you've never did a signing with me" and if the Broker were to tell anyone he would not interact with him again. Along with that, Johnny Scandal who reportedly was calm cool and collected through these recordings also said if he was asked about the deal he'd say he was approached by autograph seekers.
     With the season starting soon, Texas A&M has their mind set on Johnny playing in their season opener against Rice. Will this happen? What will happen next with Johnny? Only the season will tell. Until then, stay classy Aggies. 

First-Timers?

       13 NBA teams have never won the prestigious NBA Championship. For the past 30 years the winners of the Finals have always been one of these 9 teams: Mavericks, Heat, Lakers, Spurs, Bulls, Pistons, Celtics, Rockets, and 76ers. Of those 9 teams, only 2 won one title during that span and only 3 of the nine didn't win back to back titles. Every one of those teams with the exception of the '04 Pistons had a common formula: A superstar and important role players or a sidekick. The '04 Pistons though had a starting lineup filled with all-stars but none were considered a superstar. With these being said, I believe four team can finally win their first title this year.
       The Pacers are a great young team. Much like the Pistons of 2004, the Pacers don't have a  superstar yet but their roster contains all-stars such as Roy Hibbert, Danny Granger, David West, and the rising Paul George. This year, the Pacers look to build on last season's success and finally get past the Heat. Since the joining the league in 1976, the Pacers haven't had the same success they had in the ABA where they won 3 titles. Only once have they advanced to the Finals in 2000 where they lost to the Lakers. Paul George and Roy Hibbert might finally be able to bring a NBA title to Indy.
        Much like the Pacers, the Clippers are a young and electrifying team. Their superstar is Chris Paul with Blake Griffin being his Robin. Together the two make "Lob City" a true contender something LA Clippers fans aren't used to saying. Since 1984, the Clippers have always been the second wheel in there own city. They've only had a better record then the Lakers five times! This year though might be year where LA is celebrating the red, white and blue instead of the purple and gold. The pressure is on Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, an eight-year veteran.
       The Grizzlies are a lot like the Pacers in the sense that they are a small-market team. They also play "big" with their most important players being their center Marc Gasol and forward Zach Randolph. Being an expansion team that started in 1995, the Grizzlies haven't found much success. They've never won the Western Conference nor their own division. However, this Grizzlies team is different from others. Defenses win championships and the Grizzlies are anchored on a strong defense with Tony Allen dominating guards on the perimeter  and the Defensive Player of the Year banging down big men in the post.
       The Brooklyn Nets have drastically improved their team and their prospects to bring Brooklyn it's first NBA title. During the off-season, the Nets added all-stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to a line-up that already featured all-stars Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez. That gives the Nets a starting line-up with all-stars at every position. Also, the bench includes Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko, who are both proven players. The Nets with Julius Erving had success in the ABA but their only success in the NBA was during the Jason Kidd era. Today, Jason Kidd is helping the Nets as a coach and not a player. I wouldn't be surprised if Kidd brought them their third Finals appearance this season.
      13 teams still have not won a championship. This could easily change to 12 by the end of this upcoming year.




    

MLB Finally Gets it Right

Bud Selig announced that the MLB will be implementing instant replay for the 2014 season. This is great news, but it is long overdue. I was getting so tired and frustrated when the outcome of a game would be affected by an umpire. I'm glad they will finally use instant replay on all plays,except for balls and strikes, rather than just homers. The main argument against it is that it could slow down the game, but it actually might speed it up, and here's why. When an ump misses a call, managers come out and argue for more time than it would take to review it. Here's how it is supposedly going to work. Every manager has 1 challenge in the 1st 6 innings, and then 2 from the 7th inning on, and if they win a challenge, they get to keep it, but if a manager wins a challenge from the 1st 6 innings, it doesn't carry over past the 6th. Also, replays on homers are still up to the umpire and don't have to be challenged. However, this is not the best way to use instant replay. The way they should do it is the same as the NHL. Every game in the MLB should be monitored, and when there is a questionable call, the guys monitoring the game back in NY press a button to signals the umps that they are going to review the play. The umpires then wait until the people reviewing the call get back to them with the correct call, which would only take around 15 seconds. This is still only a proposal that needs to be voted on in the offseason.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Miguel Cabrera

Putting yet another All-Star Game in the books, 84 to be exact, teams have now entered the second-half of the 2013 baseball season.
As of July 21st, the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers start the second half facing the Kansas City Royals in a three game away series. A line-up with Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter, and Victor Martinez is good enough, right? Well, lets add power-surge, Miguel Cabrera to the line-up. Leading the Tigers in Avg., Hits, RBI’s, Runs, Walks, OPS., OBP., SLG., and home runs, Miguel has done ‘nothing’ but help his team become a first place, World-Series contender. Failing to succeed, the Tigers lost two out of three games to the Royals, however, in tonight’s 4-1 victory, Miguel Cabrera helped prevent a sweep, as he homered for the 31st time this season!
In the 2012 season, a Triple-Crown winner (15th) as well as AL MVP Award winner, “Miggy” ended the first-half of 2012 with 18 home runs, produced a batting average around 320., and was held accountable for 71 runs batted in.  Good numbers, huh? This year, 2013, Miguel heading into the break had 30 home runs, increased his batting average by 35 points, and drove in 24 more runs than he did last season heading into All-Star weekend.
Reason of being, Miguel has improved his vision better at the plate and has seen more pitches to hit. To back this up, I simply show the stat where Miggy had 32 walks last year heading into the break, as opposed to his 60 walks this season. Intentional or not, that is 28 more walks then he had last season. Although Cabrera does not lead the league in Home-Runs, Chris Davis has taken that spot, Cabrera leads the American League in RBI’s, Hits, and Base on Balls. As some pitchers surpass Miguel in some columns due to inter-league play stats, Miguel does not lead in OPS, OBP, and Avg., but he has put up fantastic numbers including a 359. Batting Average, 31 Home-Runs, 96 RBI’s, 452 OPB., and a 668. SLG. average.
On the other hand, Miggy finished with a 330. batting average, 44 Home-Runs, and 139 RBI’s, contributing to his AL MVP award and Triple Crown award. Miguel may not be in check for Triple Crown, but Miguel is sure to be in check of winning yet another AL MVP award in two years.
Is Miguel Cabrera one of the new “faces of baseball”, yes indeed but now is Miguel Cabrera a future Hall of Famer, or furthermore, one of the greatest ball-players of all-time? Without a doubt, Miguel Cabrera is a First-Ballot, unanimous vote, Hall-of-Famer. His numbers speak for themselves, he may very well be one of the greatest to ever play the game of baseball.

What the Cubs’ have in Store with their Farm System

Soon after the second-half plunge began in Major League Baseball, MLB.com had rearranged it’s most impressive top-100 prospects. As players from every team rank amongst the best of the best when it comes to minor league baseball, five-tool players, monstrous hitters, and fireballers are placed on this list, ranking prospects of all sorts 1 through 100. A team that is no stranger to having players on the list is the Chicago Cubs.
After endless years of losing, Chicago had landed many picks through upper-most rounds several drafts. Chicago also used a large amount of money they had to sign international baseball players of the past two-to-three years.
Chicago, after recently receiving second-overall pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft, and signing over three International prospects, has five players listed on the top 100 prospect list all being under number 75! In order the Cubs’ prospects rank:

Javier Baez (#10)
Albert Almora (#24)
Jorge Soler (#29)
Kris Bryant (#39)
Mike Olt (#62)

As the for Cubs’ International prospects, they rank in this order:
Eloy Jimenez (#1)
Gleyber Torres (#3)
Erling Moreno (#17)
Jen-Ho Tseng (#29)

As the future looks nothing but bright for the Cubs’ lets take a look a what their team lineup may be in the future, according to my predictions!

Pitching Rotation:
#1  Jeff Samardzija
#2 Travis Wood
#3 Duane Underwood (Possible other #3′s : Pierce Johnson and Alberto Cabrera )
#4 C.J. Edwards (Possible other #4′s : Paul Blackburn and Arodys Vizcaíno)
#5 Jake Arrieta (Possible other #5 : Carlos Villanueva)

The Chicago Cubs’ Lineup:

C: Welington Castillo/ Dioner Navarro
I see Welington fitting in perfectly behind the plate for Chicago. With a developing bat and great control over his starting rotation, Welington has shown to be very intelligent on a baseball diamond knowing every technique and every batter’s plate appearances. With 72 hits in only 86 games, Welington is solid contact hitter that the Cubies’ can rely on not only behind the plate, but deep into their lineup. For Dioner, he has entered his ninth season and he is only getting older. At the age of twenty-nine, Navarro could be a good back-up catcher for Welington if he needed a day off or got injured (*knock on wood*). Navarro, an “in-and-out” player for the Cubs’ this year, has blasted nine home-runs and posts a 365. on base percentage. Re-signing Navarro may not be guaranteed, but if Chicago were to keep a back-up catcher, Dioner is the guy to stick with.

1B: Anthony Rizzo/ Dan Vogelbach
I think a seven-year, $41-million contract extension may seal the deal for keeping Anthony Rizzo on the Cubs’ team. Still not convinced? Rizzo is an everyday player starting at first base, who has batted third almost ever game of the 2013 season. If that is not enough, maybe this scouting report is, “plus-fielding, plus-makeup, power-hitting first baseman”. As the two-year veteran has not dead-set back-up, the Cubs’ may turn to Dan Vogelbach, twenty-year old first basemen. Dan, as some would call a “one-trick pony” at the plate, is  6′ 0″,  250 Lbs. with an underestimated amount of power. As Dan needs time to progress as a defensive player, his power certainly makes up for his defense as Dan has a .283 batting average, .360 on base percentage, .450 slugging percentage, and an .810 OPS. The numbers don’t lie folks!

2B: Javier Baez/ Darwin Barney
The following year after Starlin Castro made his SS debut, the Cubs’ drafted Javier Baez, nine overall in the first round. Baez, originally a shortstop, is said to be playing third base or perhaps shortstop, provided Starlin Castro moves to third-base. However, I feel as if Castro is staying put at shortstop, and eventually, the third-base position will be occupied. Thus Baez should be willing to play second-base in order see constant playing time. Javier may need to gain better plate discipline, but with some decent pop and an incredibly fast bat speed, Baez will fill an important role in the Cub’s line. As of fielding, Baez has a decent-to-strong arm and lots of range, as he is quick to any ball hit near him. Darwin Barney, in the eight-hole, is yet another young mid-infielder, but looking at the Cubs’ future, it seems as if  there are one too many good middle-infielders.

SS: Starlin Castro/ Junior Lake
As we know, Starlin Castro, is most definitely one of the biggest factors in the Cubs’ success further down the road. Although struggles with his batting skills have haunted him for the pat four years, Starlin is a great infielder for the Cubs’ and a large help with getting on base as he has mastered hitting doubles and singles as opposed to hitting home-runs. After Junior’s recent call-up, he has done nothing but help the Cubs’ cruise to victories. Having only played 18 games, Lake has these numbers in order of the stat column (AVG., OBP., SLG., OPS.) .333, .351, .533, and .884! Plus, Lake has shown great contact, plate discipline, and a good arm, however, Lake mainly only able to play third or shortstop which is taken by Starlin Castro and my next bet for third, Kris Bryant. In the mean time, however, Junior Lake would be able to participate at third, untill Bryant is called up.

3B: Kris Bryant/ Mike Olt
As the Cubs’ were looking upon a starting pitcher, it seemed obvious the Cubs’ would invest in either Mark Appel Jonathan Gray, but as the draft was nearing, it looked as if all of the Cubs interested washed over to third-basemen Kris Bryant. Selected second-overall by Chicago in the first round, Bryant was the most promising hitter to enter the draft.A plus-arm and plus-defense is not the best tool about Kris. Bryant also jacked thirty-one home-runs, posted a .329 average, and drove in sixty-two runs over the corse of sixty-two games played for San Diego St. High School. Bryant played a bit of right field as well as first-base in high-school, but Kris is more well-rounded as a third-basemen. Either way, Bryant’s bat will always help him succeed in the Bigs. acquired in a recent trade with the Texas Rangers, giving up Matt Garza, the Cubs’ obtained third-basemen, Mike Olt. Major League Baseball #62 prospect, Olt, along with Bryant, also played the out-field and first-base, but like Bryant, Olt is much better at third. Mike played a bit of ball with the Rangers in the Majors, but due to the fact there was no room on Texas’s roster, Olt got little to no playing time. On the other hand, Olt has a great eye up a the plate which can generate lots of walks for Olt plus his highly touted power will pay off as well. Olt would serve as a great starting thrid-basemen or a role-player.

LF: Brett Jackson

CF: Albert Almora

RF: Jorge Soler

Outfielders may be hard to predict because you can not forget Matt Szczur, Eloy Jimenez, and possibly Nate Schierholtz, but considering Eloy has time to develop since he is still only seventeen-years old, Matt is mainly a base-stealer and single-hitter, and Nate may not returning with Chicago, as he might not be resigned.

As far a the bullpen is concerned, Kevin Gregg, thirty-five years old, looks to be a future closer, and for middle-relievers, don’t forget, Chicago has tons more pitching prospects that can be turned into relievers, and Chicago also has Justin Grimm, Pedro Stroop, and more to come.
As we all know, anything can happen with teams any day of the year. Players traded, players released, players added, much more can occur. These are my predictions for the Chicago Cubs’ lineup in a couple of years, for the most part, 2015.

Behind Enemy Lines: The Josh Hamilton Story

Reaching the mid-season mark, former AL MVP and 5x All-Star Josh Hamilton has yet to prove his “old-ways” in Anaheim. After a blockbuster move was made by the Angles of Anaheim in the 2012 off-season, Josh Hamilton had taken his talents to California to spark an even bigger rivalry with his former team, the Texas Rangers. The Anaheim Angles, a team in 3rd place (9 GB) have jumped the gun heading from last place, to third however, Josh is receiving little to no recognition, batting .230 with 14 homers. Perhaps the 5x All-Star and AL MVP award winner is simply, “in a slump”, but Hamilton is being hit hard with criticism as  he knowns a thing or two about being critiqued. Before we a quick to judge, lets take a look at Josh’s “visit to Hell”.
Joshua Holt Hamilton grew up in the small town of West Raleigh, North Carolina playing ball with his friends and family. Josh was quite the athlete, as he played football, basketball, and baseball. Coached by his father, Tony Hamilton, and Oakland A, Landon Powell’s father, Ronnie, Hamilton was a star on the basketball court, football field, and baseball diamond. As Ronnie recalls, he made a statement about the little eight year-old Pop Warner player. “Josh would average about 30 yards every time he touched the ball. Nobody could  catch him and nobody could tackle him. They either ran him out of bounds or he  scored.” (SI.com) On the basketball court, left-handed “Hambone”, broke apart defenses and was one of the few kids to dunk at a young age. Aside from Hamilton’s abilities on a field or court, Josh showcased his skills on a baseball diamond. Hamilton was an athlete, yes, but beyond that, Hamilton was a “freak of nature”, in a good way that is. Josh developed as a pitcher and occasionally a shortstop. To begin Josh’s journey, his days at the shortstop position were limited. Hamilton had gained such velocity on his throws, that when he fired a ball to first-base, his first-basemen was so scared, that he began to move out the way to prevent himself from becoming injured. Thus, Josh had made the move which positioned him as an outfielder. Along with his experience at the shortstop position, his days as a pitcher were limited as well, well at least in his younger league.Hamilton was pitching to hard, as opposing batters would run out of the batter’s box before Hamilton’s release was reached.  This led to complaints and furthermore an upgrade to the older league. The incredible athlete grew up doing incredible things in an incredible amount of time. Hamilton won Home Run Derby’s, tournaments, accolades and more, which all led up to Hamilton’s high school career.Not-to-mention, Josh was chosen to play baseball, as he spent all of his days smiling and playing the sport he loved, baseball.”It came easy to him” said Ronnie Powell.
Throughout college and high school Josh was a leader, who’s life revolved around baseball. As a junior, senior, etc. Josh’s numbers proved he would be an MLB sensation and everyone would agree on the that, especially Tampa Bay Devil Ray scout, Mark McKnight. Attending Durham Riverside High, Mark came to watch a few games in the spring season of 1999. Mark provided extraordinary notes about Hamilton on his report for Tampa including a 20-80 point scale (Avg. 50) for the Rays to ponder. on this scale, Mark noted, “Hitting ability: 70, Power production: 80, Running speed: 65, Throwing arm: 80, Fielding ability: 70. McKnight had compared this young multi-position player to Ken Griffey Jr. and even Alex Rodriguez and when asked about the markings of ’80′ pn Hamilton’s report, he said, “ ”I had been scouting for nine years and I had never put grades like that on  anybody.” (SI.com) Mark did further exams on Hamilton having to do with Josh, and Mark had noticed Hamilton was not only an excellent ball player, but, “When a light flashed, Hamilton had to press a corresponding button as fast as he  could. Says McKnight, “The optician told me, ‘That guy has the best eyes I’ve  ever tested. His night vision, his depth perception, everything is just off the  charts. He’s got 20-10 vision.’ The only other player I’d ever heard of with  20/10 vision was Ted Williams. I thought, ‘Man, this kid is too good to be  true.’” (SI.com)
Later after Hamilton graduated high school, he directly entered the 1999 Major League Baseball Player Draft. Tampa Bay had the first overall pick in the 1999 drat and it was no shock that the Devil Ray organization was going to draft Hamilton. Going first-overall to the Rays, Tampa Bay also acquired Carl Crawford in that draft. With very high expectations, the USA Baseball Amateur Player of the Year/Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year, Hamilton made his minor-league debut in 2000 and later suffered an injury in the month of August. In the following season, an April motorcycle injury did not help Hamilton one bit. This motorcycle injury placed Hamilton on the DL until the month of June and shortly after returning off the DL, Hamilton had yet another injury, which at this point, was a season-ending injury. Throughout the span of Hamilton’s first three years in the Majors, Josh had one too many injuries which resulted in Hamilton missing a total of 236 games which is almost a season and a half! While Hamilton was missing 236 games, he gained a new group of ‘friends’. His new friends introduced him to a life filled with strip clubs, drugs, alcohol, and tattoos. Hanging with his friends on a daily basis in these Tattoo Parlors caused Hamilton to have over 20 images tattooed on his body, which he regrets, and started his addiction with drugs and drinking. Josh’s attraction for drugs and drinks became more and more heavier as Hamilton was caught drunk at strip clubs and bars and left alone with a “wasted” body. Years later, after testing positive for substance abuse and being suspended, Josh was placed in a program to treat his addiction and substance abuse problem. As Hamilton’s life was on a decline, the word was out the he would be band from the game of baseball due to the fact he had violated the league’s prevent program and substance abuse rules. Being banned was rough on Hamilton. Afterall, he could not play the game he loved, not only that, Josh had been refusing to listen to the assistance he had received from his family. After the banning, Hamilton was determined to put his life back on track and he did exactly what he wanted to do in 2005. Fading away from his old “trouble-making” friends, Hamilton turned to the Lord for help. With the support of his wife, grandmother, and family, Josh managed to find his Lord and ask for help. Surrounded by prayers and the worshiping of his lord, Hamilton teamed up with the good left in him and pulled himself out of his “slump”, guiding his life back on the right path. During Josh’s recovery, he explains his nightmares to the media, “Josh talks of a horrible nightmare during the first week of sobriety in October 2005. He was fighting the devil, a creature that was heart-wrenching to look at.  He would use some type of blunt object to hit the devil, however the devil kept getting back up and he was never able to defeat him. He would wake up in a terror, sweating profusely, and exhausted, as if he was really fighting the devil.”(Bleacherreport.com) A year later after Josh had somewhat “cleaned-up”, Major League Baseball had informed Hamilton that his ban had been lifted and he was eligible to reenter the Majors. Hamilton then later said, “A few weeks later, his nightmare returned. But this time, as Hamilton tells the story, when fighting the devil, there was another fighting beside him, Jesus Christ. Hamilton says that he was filled with the strength of the Lord, and together they defeated the devil.” (Bleacherreport.com) As Hamilton looks back, he has been sober since the scene when he woke up drunk on his grandmother’s doorstep which was in the year of 2005. Hamilton was then acquired in 2006 by the Cincinnati Reds in a Rule Five Draft. Although Hamilton was out of the game for a little while, the same expectations ran high for him as he made the Reds Opening Day roster in 2007 and played for more than half of the season in the outfield for Cincinnati. Even though fans, on the road, would tease Josh or try to get into his head, he tried making the most of it as he knew he would have to deal with it sooner or later. Following up the 2007 season Hamilton had, Cincinnati traded Hamilton in December to Texas for Dominican pitcher, Edison Volquez. Fitting in well for Texas, Hamilton felt at home. His first experience was when he was asked to tell his heart-warming, bounce-back, story. Along with news-reporters, fans, and sports reporters, Josh’s fellow teammates came to listen including, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young. Josh is now tested two to three times during a week to ensure there is no drug abuse occurring. Keeping in mind that just one more positive test can lead to a full ban from baseball, Hamilton is eager for every test because he knows the test will come back negative. Having a huge power-surge in any team’s lineup with a player such as Hamilton is crucial, and Josh has proven that by taking the Rangers to two consecutive World Series (2010-2011) . Aside that, “Hammy” has won an AL MVP award, honored the Rangers 5 times as an All-Star, and has also treated himself to 3 Silver Slugger Awards, 1 AL Batting Champion Award, 1 ALCS MVP Award and 1 AL RBI Champion Award.
Now as an Anaheim Angel, Josh Hamilton looks to help any team he plays for and he holds on to one of the most inspirational stories in sports history. Josh remains to be tested on a weekly schedule and passes his testes every week. Joshua Holt Hamilton still shares his story and talks about it with anybody who asks because he wants people to know that no matter what, there will always hope.

Top Five Surprises In Major League Baseball

5) Orange Crush:
Who knew Chris Davis would be leading the Majors in home-runs at this point of the season? A rookie in 2008, Chris Davis blasted seventeen homers in his first year, followed by twenty-one his second. After spending two years in the minors, Davis was called up to the Majors in 2010, where he hit one home-run. After several setbacks, and filtering in-and-out of the minors, Davis was then aquired by Baltimore where he debuted in 2011 and hit five home-runs, but spent most of his time on the Disbaled List. After four Major League years, Davis hit a total of fourty-six homers, however, in 2011 Davis hit thirty-three moonshots, and at this point in the 2013 season, he leads the Majors with fourt-three home-rus.

4) Marvelous Max:
Topping the list for AL Cy-Young cantitdates, Max Scherzer, 17-1 with a 2.81 earned run average, has been improving since coming into the league. This year, Max has taken his game to another level, leading the Detroit Tigers pitching staff.

3) Biogenesis Scandal:
Big-name players on playoff contending teams, were recently suspended for the rest of the season. Ryan Braun disgracing himself with his blatant lies in February about not using steriods, and a two year suspension hanging over "A-Rod's". Baseball has taken a hard stance on this issue.

2) Disappointing Year:
Coming off a 98-game win season, the Washington Nationals may be the biggest disappointment this year, as they are now three games under 500 pct. and fourteen games back. A team loaded with pitching, reining Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper, and a host of other young talent, this team was poised to make a strong playoff run, but it looks like that will have to wait until next year.

1) A Cinderella Story:
Nowhere near .500 pct. in almost twenty-two years, Pittsburgh may be the biggest surprise of the year. Owning the best record baseball, MVP cantitdate Andrew McCutchen, and five All-Star selections, these Buccos look like the sky is the limit. It's not a matter if they will have a .500 record, it's a matter of how far they can go in the post-season.

Beno Udrih to Provide Leadership and Experience for Knicks

This offseason the Knicks have lost experience and leadership in players like Jason Kidd, Kurt Thomas, and Marcus Camby. Each of these players was depended upon by the organization to not only improve the games of their teammates around them, but also to provide wisdom for the younger players on the team. If these players were to accomplish these things the Knicks would in turn be one step closer to a championship.

As one is able to recognize these vets were unable to govern the Knicks to a ring and most of the leadership was lost in the offseason (Kenyon Martin as the exception).

Despite this, the Knicks managed to sign nine-year vet Beno Udrih to a one year 1.27 million dollar contract in order to strengthen the lack of leadership and experience that was lost in this year’s off-season.

Udrih, who averaged 10.2 points and 6.1 assists in 27 games last season, is a great addition to the Knicks as he has proven him self to be a true floor general and will come of the bench providing much needed guidance for starting point guard Raymond Felton.

The nine-year vet will play along side Bargnani, and J.R Smith on the Knicks second team and will supply the leadership that was lost between this upcoming season and the last. 

Ike Davis Back On Track

Ike Davis was demoted to AAA Las Vegas back in June, with an average of .161 (30-186) with 66 strikeouts in 207 plate appearances. He was brought back at the beginning of July, and has been great! Since coming back, he has had 105 plate appearances, hitting for a .300 average and a .467 OBP while drawing 22 unintentional walks and has only struck out 22 times. In the 207 plate appearances he had before his demotion, he had drawn only 17 unintentional walks. When he was sent down, he was lost. He had no idea what he was doing at the plate anymore, and he has come back a new player. His confidence is back. He has been seeing the ball much better at the plate, and though he has only hit 1 homer since his return, the home runs will come as Ike continues to square the ball up, because he is just too strong to not hit the ball out of the ballpark when he squares it up.

I always try my best to not be biased when I write, but it's hard for me to do that when it comes to Ike. I remember watching him in spring training 2010 on TV and ever since then he has been my favorite Met, and seeing him struggle was hard to watch. I always rooted for Ike, and never liked when fans would boo him. I'm just so glad to see him doing well again.

Early Choice for the Calder Trophy

Again, its a bit early but that doesn't really matter...today I'm looking at the stacked rookie class.  I will give my pick for the Calder trophy finalists and the rookie of the year. 

My first of three finalists is the number 1, Nathan Mackinnon.  You can't go wrong having this guy in your  top three rookies.  Mackinnon is the can't miss product out of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia; yes the same Cole Harbour that is the hometown of Sidney Crosby.  Last year in 44 games with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads he had 75 points.  You can make the argument that he did play with number 3 overall pick Johnathan Drouin who helped his production...he'll be playing with even better players in Gabriel Landeskog and possibly Matt Duchene.  Mackinnon will have a great season (injury-free) and could possibly win the Calder trophy. 

Next is Mackinnon's teammate in Halifax Johnathan Drouin.  Drouin had an even better season than Mackinnon, in 49 games Drouin had 105 points with 41 goals and 64 assists.  If Drouin plays on the top line in Tampa Bay it will be interesting to see if he takes the "playmaker" role and focuses on dishing the puck to the 2010 and 2012 Rocket Richard trophy winner Steven Stamkos or he will become the secondary scorer on the first line and have Martin St. Louis's goal scoring drop and Drouin will take over his scoring.  Drouin will have a better season than Mackinnon...he could be your Calder trophy winner. 

Pictured (L to R): Johnathan Drouin TBL, Nathan Mackinnon COL, Alexander Barkov FLA


The dark horse of this trophy race is the tenth overall pick,  Valeri Nichushkin.  Nichushkin has been playing in the KHL the past two years and has been showing some great things.  He is a very similar player to Jaromir Jagr, he uses his 6" 200 pound frame to keep opposing defenders off the puck.  He didn't have the greatest stats last year with just 4 goals in 18 games played for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.   Nichushkin has 1st line potential and I would not be surprised if we see him play on a line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin next season.  Nichushkin is definetly the dark horse....but he is down but certainly not out.

Now what you've all been waiting for, my Calder Trophy selection is....Johnathan Drouin! Drouin has all  the skill to be the rookie of the year AND he has two stellar teammates in Stamkos and St. Louis.  Drouin should have a great season and will have a better season than Nathan Mackinnon.   If you have any questions make sure to comment with your question.  Thanks for reading...make sure to come back to the SBC Hive and read some more.  This blog has ended...go in peace!

2013-2014 NFL Starting QB Races

Training camp has just concluded, which means it's time for four weeks of preseason football. Usually, starting quarterback races headline preseason, and this season is no different. Currently, there are four big races going on. Those races are on the Jets, Bills, Jaguars and Eagles. In this article, I will give my opinions on all of them.

Jets- Sanchez vs Smith:

In my opinion, Geno Smith should be the starter. He is young, with a strong arm, and is very mobile. The Jets desperately need a playmaker, and Geno Smith can be that guy. Their only other playmaker is Santonio Holmes, who is injured. Smith would give the Jets some spark entering the season. Sanchez has also been struggling. Since 2009, he has the worst total QBR, which is 34.7. He had the second most interceptions thrown in the 2012 season with 18. He also was 30th out of 32 in total completion percentage with 54.8%. Last year with West Virginia, Smith had a 71.2 completion percentage, and only threw seven interceptions. But, we still have to keep in mind this was in college, and the Big 12 is not the NFL. But, in a read-option heavy league, Smith fits the part of the Jets starting QB.

Bills- Manuel vs Kolb:

Again, I'm going to chose the more versatile and athletic quarterback in EJ Manuel. Kolb is a pocket passer. Manuel is a pocket passer with the ability to scramble and make plays on his feet. He fits Doug Marrone's offensive system. At Syracuse last year, Marrone ran more than he passed, and tried to give Quarterback Ryan Nassib some running chances. Nassib had 84 rushing attempts for 138 and two touchdowns. Manuel had 103 rushing attempts for 310 yards last year at Florida State. I would bet Marrone tries to utilize all of his weapons to pound some yards out on the ground, then go to the air. I would still choose Manuel over Kolb. Though, if Marrone implemented an air it out system like Bruce Arians has in Arizona, which is Kolbs former team, I would choose Kolb because that's the kind of style he plays in, and because of the experience in that kind of system.   

Jaguars- Henne vs Gabbert

This is a tough one, but I'm going to have to choose Henne. They should have Henne start, but keep Gabbert around if things go bad. These two guys are almost even, but I'm picking Henne because of experience. A struggling team like the Jaguars need a quarterback who has had experience in the league. They can't afford to have a quarterback like Gabbert, who doesn't have alot of experience. Lack of experience can result in turnovers and mistakes. Also, last year, Gabbert only played in 10 games last year, due to a forearm injury. Both Quarterbacks played in 10 games. Gabbert started the first 10 games, then Henne finished the season as the starting QB. They had the same completion percentage, but Henne threw for 400 more yards. So, statistics show that Henne is a more effective QB, and is the better choice for the Jaguars starting QB.

Eagles- Vick vs Foles

This is an easy choice. Vick is the clear choice for starter, because he fits Chip Kelly's offensive system better than Foles. Foles is a pocket passer, while Vick is a pocket passer and scrambler. In Chip Kelly's fast paced, high octance offense, a pocket passer doesn't fit. He likes to run read-options, and Quarterback runs. Last year, Marcus Mariota, the Oregon starting QB for the 2012-2013 season, ran 106 times for 752 yards. Mariota also had 5 TD's. Foles is not a QB that you want running Chip Kelly's offense. Mike Vick is the one you want. He is a successfull runner, and in Andy Reid's offense, his running skills were not used correctlly. Chip Kelly will run Mike Vick, and he will be happy, and so will Eagles fans. If this dynamic duo plays out correctly, then expect the Eagles in the playoffs

-Nick O'Connor

Harvelous!

Last night against the Rockies, Matt Harvey threw his first career complete game, and it was a 4-hit shutout! He really pitched phenomenally, like he has all season long. Over the 9 innings, he struck out 6 and walked none. He walked none! There's no one word to describe him that does him justice. He's just so much fun to watch, and such a presence on the mound. The year he is having is an incredible year for anyone, but the fact that it's his 1st full year in the MLB is just unheard of! Almost all rookies struggle and have to learn how to pitch at this level, but not Harvey. While he has had a few rough starts in his career, you could probably count them on one hand. That's how good he has been. He improved his record to 9-3 and lowered his ERA to 2.09. In the complete game he threw only 106 pitches, 78 of them for strikes. He threw a 1st pitch strike to 24 of the 30 batters he faced. The thing about last night's game though was it didn't seem like Harvey had his best stuff, and Terry Collins said the same thing. According to TC, Harvey had "85, 80%." The fact that he was able to do what he didn without his best stuff is stunning! In the 9th inning with 2 outs, Harvey took a screaming liner off his right knee, and immediately waved Ray Ramirez and Terry Collins back to the dugout. This was his shutout, and he knew that. This guy is a total gamer! A lot of scouts projected him to be a #3 starter in the MLB, and they were way off! As long as he doesn't get injured, Matt looks like he could be the Mets ace for many, many years to come. His future is so bright! The 5-0 win over the Rockies improved the Mets' record to 51-60 and moved them ahead of the Phillies into 3rd place in the division. The offense was provided by Omar Quintanilla, who singled in Wilmer Flores in the 2nd, John Buck, who singled in Ike Davis in the 4th, and Wilmer Flores, who doubled in Juan Lagares, Marlon Byrd, and Ike Davis. Wilmer also picked up his first MLB hit with a 2nd inning single.

No-No For The Bio

BUD SELIG BE LIKE: NO NO NO, NOT IN MY HOUSE

Being the avid sports fan that I am, I watch Sports Center: a LOT of it. In June when Tony Bosch's drug clinic was ripped open with the suspension of Ryan Braun, every day for the next 2 weeks were about Braun, and NASCAR. While ESPN continue to show the same 4 clips of highlights, and T.J. Quinn's starting-to-gray-beard, I did read outside the lines (yes pun intended) and noticed the graphic they showed from a February interview with Tony Bosch outside of his Miami-based clinic. The picture below shows just a portion of the names connected to the biogenesis clinic suck as Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, Ryan Braun, Francisco Cervelli, and Danny Valencia. Braun got suspended for the rest of the season and if the stars and moon align, the postseason. Than comes August 5th, 2013. Buddy S drops some big suspensions on all players found guilty. Many of these players are apart of teams in playoff races so this could impede their team's postseason runs.
A-Rod/Roid/Fraud is the most notable name, but he joins a list of players to be shamed. Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, Ryan Bruan of the Milwaukee Brewers, Evereth Cabrera of the Padres of San Diego, Cesar Puello and Jordany Valdespin both New York Mets, Sergio Escalona of the Astros, Jesus Montero of the Mariners, Jhonny Peralta of the streaking Detroit Tigers, and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Antonio Bastardo round it out. In addition to those major-minor leaguers, there are two less important free-agent pitchers: Fautino De Los Santos and Jordan Norberto. Rodriguez is the only one of the named players to be fighting the suspension. Since he is challenging the ruling, Rodriguez is aloud to play until the arbitrator hears his case and gives him the final say. In case you readers of this fine blog are thinking, "If he is suspended, why is he playing?" Well to answer you fine readers of the fine blog there is a deal between the MLBPA and the league itself saying that if he's (A-Rod in this case but any player who is suspended) fighting the suspension, he's technically not suspended yet, so therefore he's eligible to play... he might as well play. Now that you look at the rules that were agreed upon by the two parties, it makes sense. That being, there is a legal reason why he's still aloud to play. It might not be right because he is a proven second-offender to the joint-drug prevention program. The clause is in there for players who are innocent, yet were accused of being guilty. "You're innocent until proven otherwise."

Alex Rodriguez will be a boost to the Bronx Bombers no matter what kind of fan you are. All other 3rd base options have only had 6 home runs through 700 plate appearances through August 5th. He is the biggest name in this scandal and was rightfully suspended throughout next year due to this being his second offense.

Nelson Cruz will be a bull missed by the Rangers because of his power hitting. Entering Monday, Texas was 2.5 games out of first in the AL West.The Rangers do have some young players in the minors though who stride with big bat. And there's a guy named Manny down their somewhere too... but he was on 'roids, as well.

Detroit was smart. While it seemed like nobody moved during the trade deadline except for Jake Peavy, the Tigers grabbed a youthful infielder from the Bo-Sox in Jose Inglesias. While Jhonny Peralta is one of the best defensive shortstops in the majors right now, a young player like Inglesias can help them while Peralta is suspended. I suspect an AL Central crown for the reigning American League Champions no matter how hard the Cleveland Indians think otherwise. 

Evereth Cabrera is on a team who is just playing for fun at this point. But he was a bright spot on this Padres club who is lacking in every position. While they did retrieve Ian Kennedy from the divisional opponent Arizona Diamondbacks, Evereth was a defensive and offensive piece that could be the best on the team. He is arbitration eligible so his next contract wouldn't be impacted as much as a younger player.

Cesar Puello was a player whom the Mets thought fondly of. He is a 22 year old Double-A outfielder. While he is likely to begin the 2014 season in Triple-A for the Las Vegas 51's, if he produces on an average rate and does't strike out around as much as he did this year (82 k's in 329 at bats) he could more than possibly make a spot on the 25-man roster next Spring Training.

Fellow Mets outfielder Jordany Valdespin has not been on a power surge as of late, but if he goes on a hot streak, he could possibly be in Citi Field for the Mets soon. Jordany has a very high chance to be the replacement for current big-leaguer Marlon Byrd if he gets traded, claimed off of waivers, or isn't resigned at the end of his contract. The Mets have Jordany locked up for the next few years under the rookie deal he signed when drafted.

Fernando Martinez is pictured above playing for the Astros this season

Fernando Martinez is a 24 year old Yankee Triple-A outfielder and signed a one year contract going into this season. The deal was worth $493,000. He is arbitration eligible through 2017 so if he has a smart agent, he will try to resign with the Yankees and go through arbitration to get the max amount of years with max mula. One issue was his health. He was injured this year and hasn't played since June 29th. With the injuries coming from the big league club, there is a strong chance he could become a mulit-purpose outfielder next season for the Yankees.

Bastardo was on the Phillies during the 2009 World Series run

My hometown of Philadelphia was hit with three suspensions the past two seasons. Freddy Galvis two seasons ago was smacked with a 25-game suspension for a PED that wasn't major, but it kept him out of the pinstripes for the first few weeks of the season. In the beginning of the current season catcher Carlos Ruiz was suspended for using Aderol when it wasn't medically necessitated. Aderol is a substance that isn't banned, but it is a medication only allowed to be used by players who have ADHD. Chooch took Adderall during his career season in 2012 and was suspended in the offseason for doping. Finally, Antonio Bastardo was found guilty of taking the drugs disposed by Tony Bosch and his affiliates and he's wound up suspended. Bastardo was a relatively decent pitcher this season for the Phighten Phils as he tossed just over 42 innings with 42.2 and compiled a 3-2 record with a 2.32 ERA.  The suspension could mean something for the Phillies being that they didn't ship away Papelbon during the trade deadline so Bastardo and Chad Durbin were the veteran relief pitchers in the pen. Durbin and Bastardo are the only two pitchers in the Phillies' bullpen to have an extended period of time in the majors on the team as well. From an overall team standpoint, this could affect the positioning of the Phillies in the standings. Yes, you and I both know the Phillies have about a 5% chance of making a pennant run and a shaky team in general won't help.

The Houston Astros have built up a great minor league because of all of the losing they have done in the past 5 seasons. This player wanted to be big, and well... he did. Lefty Sergio Escalona was apart of the group who was suspended for 50 games. He is 29 years old and is supposed to be in the prime of his career. He hasn't really made it into anything being that he suffered Tommy John surgery in early 2012 and just got off of the injury. But he got onto something else. Only throwing 15 innings this year with Double-A Corpus Christi, he has given up 25 hits and was awarded with a 6.60 ERA. DON'T WORRY ASTROS FANS!!! His chances of returning to the bigs aren't out of the question.

Catcher Jesus Montero was coming into the season as one of the best minor-leaguers in the MiLB. BleacherReport calls him "a sure-fire middle-of-the-order bat." He has a chance to come up for the Mariners next season if he goes through arbitration and can work out a deal to get some more years on his contract. He is in a situation much like Jordanny Valdespin or Cesar Puello being that he could return to the 25 man roster just in the starting nine... not so much.

***AN EXTRA NOTE***

Bartolo Colone, Gio Gonzalez, and Melky Cabrera were all linked to Tony Bosch, just all three of them were found not giulty being that all substances that they got from Bosch were legal. The substances also were not in anyway a violation of MLB's rules.

(from left) Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Bruan, Nelson Cruz, and Melky Cabrera

Yours truly,
Simon Williams

2013 Basketball offseason

    This NBA Offseason has been nothing short then amazing and I'm loving every second of it4. The New Orleans Pelicans have taken flight acquiring Jrue Holiday, and Tyreke Evans, although this doesn't sound like much it couldn't get better for the Pelicans. Now Jrue Holiday has Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon Anthony Davis and if able to use his full potential Austin Rivers to pass to. Tyreke Evans has had injury issues in the past but thats a blessing in disguise for the Pelicans. Now that they have over loaded on Guards they always have somebody else. The only con to this is that since the Pelicans have overloaded on guards that doesn't leave much space for depth at the center position now if Anthony Davis gets hurt it'll be a team of Guards.
    For the Houston Rockets theres been nothing short of a miracle, acquiring the leagues best center, Dwight Howard. This is great for the Houston Rockets, now Dwight Howard unlike in LA has two solid guards that can pass to him, James Harden and Jeremy Lin. Dwight nor Kobe was willing to take a smaller role and now Jeremy Lin has already done so and James Harden did it with Russel Westbrook and Kevin Durant, so who's to say he won't be able to do so again? Also, with the Houston Rockets Dwight Howard is the oldest on the team and he has already took a team with absolutely nobody to the Finals so now he has player to pass to him this will only make him better.
     As far as the Cleveland Cavaliers are concerned, I'd be happy to be with that organization . All star point Guard and  former Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving is finally getting the players that can help him besides Dion Waiters. The Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2013 draft selected the Forward Anthony Bennett from the University or Las Vegas, along with that the Cavaliers signed Andrew Bynum to a 2 year 24.5 million dollar contract. Although Andrew Bynum didn't play in a NBA game last year and he might still have injury issues it doesn't matter. The beauty of the Cavaliers is that they have everything they need. Kyrie Irving directing the game, Dion Waiters helping out with his valuable contributions, Tristan Thompson and his non stop potential and offensive rebounding maniac and of course Anthony Bennett the amazing forward.
      Although the Golden State Warriors haven't made extreme changes to their lineup Andre Iguodala brings a lot to the table as the newest Warrior. Now coach Mark Jackson and the rest of the coaching staff can do whatever they want with this lineup. You can have Iggy play the two and have Klay Tomphson come off the bench and provide valuable minutes, or you can have him play the three, move down Harisson Barnes to Power Forward and David Lee as your Center. Also, the Warriors already have one of the best shooters in the League Steph Curry who can create a shot off the dribble or be able to get you the ball for a nice assist. The possibilites for this team is endless and I can't wait to watch them.
      For the Brooklyn Nets all  I can say is wow. The things that they have been able to accomplish now is amazing. Jason Kidd now the head coach for the Brooklyn Nets will have much success with them next year. Deron Williams who has been known for not having good relationships with coaches will now respect Jason Kidd,  the main reason Brooklyn hired Jason Kidd was because Deron Williams always looked up to him. Along with All Star Guard Deron Williams, He'll also have veteran leadership out of Finals MVP Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the newest additions to this team.
      Reporting from SBC Hive this is Matisse Nelson, stay classy Basketball.
     
   
   

What the Yankees Need to Do to Replace A-Rod

     In 2007, the Yankees gave Alex Rodriguez a 10 year, $275 million dollar contract, that would last him until 2017, when he would be 43. Now, since he was suspended until the start of the 2015 season, the Yankees will get around 34 million dollars back if he does not win his appeal, and it doesn't look good that he will. 

    Just say that the Yankees want the hold on to A-Rod, and use him until his contract is up. What they should do is take that $34 million and spend it on a third baseman, and sign someone like Michael Young, Wilson Betemitte or Mark Reynolds to a 1 year contract. Any of those guys who are all in their 30's would sign a one year, seven million contract to play for the Yankees. Their best bet for a player is Michael Young who is 37, and he will definetly be worth a one year, seven to eight million dollar contract. Now they have around 26 million left. They then should go out and grab a new addition to the rotation, and let Phil Huges go. I think they should re-sign Pettite for another year, but not with the A-Rod money. What they should do is try to get a big ace like what they did in '09. They need to take all of the remaining A-Rod money, and some of the other money in the bank, and try to sign Tim Lincecum, James Sheilds or Dan Haren to a 3 year, 30 million contract, and sign Kuroda back. But if they chose to keep Hughes, and sign Kuroda and Pettite back, and want position players, then they need a new shortstop besides Nuñez and Nix. Obviously they sign back Jeter, unless he choses to retire. He has had his injury problems, so the Yankees need a legitament shortstop for the future. I think besides his recent suspension for steroids, I really think they should go for Jhonny Peralta. Peralta is young, and he will know not to do steroids again, because he knows the consequences for multiple steroid use, i.e. Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees will then use David Adams and Jayson Nix, or Kevin Youkillis for their third baseman if they don't want to sign Michael Young, Wilson Bettemite or Mark Reynolds.

    A bad choice would be paying the rest of his contract for him to go, because that's practically giving away 114 million. The Yankees need to keep him until 2015, then find a struggling team who is desperate for a short term third baseman and star player that is willing to pay the contract, so that the Yankees will then have some cap space to get a big name player that is young, and talented.

Nick O'Connor

Pistons future

      The Detroit Pistons, a team in full rebuilding mode have just signed arguably two of the leagues best, Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith. Free agent Josh Smith coming off a medi-oker  Atlanta Hawks signed a 4 year 54 million dollar contract with the Detroit Pistons. Brandon Jennings was traded for Point guard Brandon Knight, Forward Kris Middleton, and Center Slava Krastov. After the Bucks-Pistons trade Point Guard Brandon Jennings was signed to a 3-year 25 million dollar contract.
      Along with the seasoned veterans Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings, the Detroit Pistons with the 8th overall pick in the 2013 draft picked Kentavious Caldwell-Pope the Shooting Guard out of The University of Georgia.
      Now the Pistons have the one, the 2 and the three. In order for the Pistons to work Brandon Jennings and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have to figure out what to do together. Unless Brandon Jennings wants a repeat of the 2012 Milwaukee Bucks, a medi-oker team not able to make a deep playoff run then he needs to figure out what to do and fast.
      In my opinion, I feel that Brandon Jennings should be the star player. Josh Smith is just a compliment and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has not even played in a real NBA game yet.
     For Brandon Jennings, he will be the star player but more of a Chris Paul feel.  Now that he has more players to pass to he has to use them, in Milwaukee Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings would take the ball down the court and just shoot. Brandon Jennings will have to become a pass first player but can still catch and shoot on the three point line whenever he wants.
      Reporting from SBC Hive this is Matisse Nelson, stay classy Detroit.
     

Predicting the Chicago Blackhawks Forward Lines Next Season

I know it’s a bit early, but I’ve been thinking about how the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks forward lines could look next season without any injuries.

The first line will look almost entirely the same from the cup run this past year.  On the wings I have Conn Smythe winner Patrick Kane and breakout playoff performer Bryan Bickell.  These exceptional wings are centered by one of the best two-way forwards in the league in captain Jonathan Toews.  The main reason for this pairing was that when the three played together in games 4, 5, and 6 against Boston they combined for 13 points. 

Next comes the second line, I think this line will be the most important if they want to repeat.   In the middle is rookie sensation Brandon Saad, who looks to have a breakout season after his phenomenal rookie season.  On the wings are veteran wingers Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.  Saad’s job is not guaranteed as Brandon Pirri who led the Rockford IceHogs in scoring last season.

The third line will also have to be effective.  With Andrew Shaw, Michael Handzus, and Jimmy Hayes two out of three of those players got second line time last season.  Shaw had many big goals at big times in the postseason.  Handzus also had a solid postseason.  And with big-man Jimmy Hayes there will be no shortage of toughness on this line. 

The fourth line will only have one returning member from the cup-winning fourth line in Marcus Kruger.  This line has a little bit of everything.   It has the checker that a fourth line needs in Brandon Bollig.  A playmaker in Marcus Kruger and an offensive skill player in Ben Smith could be the missing piece on the line.  With all the pieces in place Kruger could have a breakout season.

The Hawks only lost one major offensive player in Dave Bolland but knowing how good of a coach Joel Quenneville is….the Hawks are poised for a repeat.

 

Bickell                                                   Toews                                                   Kane

 

Sharp                                                    Saad                                                      Hossa

 

Shaw                                                     Handzus                                               Hayes

 

Bollig                                                     Smith                                                   Kruger

THE 2013 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS