Opening Day is less than a month away, but in the meantime baseball fans all need something to keep them busy while their teams get ready down in Florida or Arizona. A few years ago, during a long roadtrip out to Pittsburgh (my favorite ballpark I've seen in person, by the way), my friend and I did a hypothetical of the starting lineup you would build if you wanted to build a team for the next 3 years.
It ends up we weren't thinking far enough ahead. As ESPN's SweetSpot posted this morning: "Michael Baumann of Crashburn Alley has a fun post on a theoretical
question: If your life depended on winning the next 10 World Series, who do you pick for your 25-man roster?
Money is no object. Injuries are a factor. Your team can't be too old,
or it won't win down the road. It can't be too young or it won't win
now. So who do you take?"
10 years is a long time so there is a lot of commitment involved here which means that you really have to look hard at those guys in their late 20s and early 30s to see how they will age in the last 5 years of this project. Starting pitching is the toughest, in my opinion, to figure out (especially since injuries are a factor). The other positions have their tough calls as well, like second base: do you go with a Robinson Cano or Dustin Pedroia who may be a little older but are more polished, or do you go with a young stud like Dustin Ackley and hope that he is your answer there?
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Even if you just want to give your starting 9, let's see what you've got.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
View from the Seats: Rangers vs Devils
Tonight I'm checking out a new section of Madison Square Garden, West Balcony 19, Row 1. This is an awesome way to watch the game, even if the picture doesn't do it justice. An awesome view and I'm excited for them to finish the construction because that walkway will be very cool.
This game has been a defensive battle as only 26 shots have been attempted so far in the game. Rangers lead 1-0 on a chippy game as we get down to the final few minutes at MSG
This game has been a defensive battle as only 26 shots have been attempted so far in the game. Rangers lead 1-0 on a chippy game as we get down to the final few minutes at MSG
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
View from the Seats: Knicks vs Hawks
I had to check out Linsanity in person and, well, wow. A few years ago, the fun and excitement at the Garden was booing Isiah Thomas as they were losing. Now, it's Lob City East and Linning. And it's awesome (h/t to Doug on the awesome seats, too. Section 9, row 16 is the way to watch the game).
It's also a different Knicks team with offensive weapons, depth and *gasp* defense. It's at least fun to watch which is more than I could say earlier in the season. Now, Pringles still has a job, Jeremy Lin jerseys are all over MSG and this is a team that looks like they can do something in the playoffs if they get there.
Well, maybe. But, tonight, as they lead the Hawks by 20 in the 4th, Madison Square Garden is rocking again for Basketball just watched Lin get another assist towards a double-double. Awesome.
It's also a different Knicks team with offensive weapons, depth and *gasp* defense. It's at least fun to watch which is more than I could say earlier in the season. Now, Pringles still has a job, Jeremy Lin jerseys are all over MSG and this is a team that looks like they can do something in the playoffs if they get there.
Well, maybe. But, tonight, as they lead the Hawks by 20 in the 4th, Madison Square Garden is rocking again for Basketball just watched Lin get another assist towards a double-double. Awesome.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Leading a Semi-Charmed Kind of Sports Life
There's a Seinfeld episode where George realizes that it's better to get up and leave the room after telling a great joke and go out on that note, than stay and have the possibility of ruining the mood. I sort of feel like that in my last year of sports. It hasn't always been championships and parades, but, for the most part, it's been pretty close. Here's what it's looked like:
February 2011: Won a quarter of the Super Bowl squares. No skill, nothing you can do, but pray, but I took home a nice sum of money just for the score ending up on a random set of numbers. Thank you, Green Bay Packers!
April 2011: Despite knowing very little about the NCAA tournament, I took home the title before the final game was ever played in my only money league. That makes it 4 times in the past 5 years I've come out in they money in March Madness brackets. Proving, once again, that knowing less is sometimes more.
August 2011: Pitching wins championships ended up not only being a mantra in real baseball, but fantasy baseball as well as a 16-team league strategy of hoarding pitchers led to a huge division title in one of the tougher fantasy baseball leagues I've ever played in. I am pretty good at fantasy baseball, but that still was one of my greatest seasons to date.
September 2011: Not only did the Yankees take an improbable AL East crown, but I watched the best final day of the regular season in the history of the game which also saw the Red Sox (and Jonathan Papelbon) blow a huge September lead to take "choking" to a whole new level. "2004" can now be countered with "2011". I will always remember flipping back-and-forth between the live games and MLB Tonight, watching the insanity unfold.
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| Like Victor Cruz at the Grammy's, I've been salsa'ing with my sports year (sports grid) |
February 2011: Won a quarter of the Super Bowl squares. No skill, nothing you can do, but pray, but I took home a nice sum of money just for the score ending up on a random set of numbers. Thank you, Green Bay Packers!
April 2011: Despite knowing very little about the NCAA tournament, I took home the title before the final game was ever played in my only money league. That makes it 4 times in the past 5 years I've come out in they money in March Madness brackets. Proving, once again, that knowing less is sometimes more.
August 2011: Pitching wins championships ended up not only being a mantra in real baseball, but fantasy baseball as well as a 16-team league strategy of hoarding pitchers led to a huge division title in one of the tougher fantasy baseball leagues I've ever played in. I am pretty good at fantasy baseball, but that still was one of my greatest seasons to date.
September 2011: Not only did the Yankees take an improbable AL East crown, but I watched the best final day of the regular season in the history of the game which also saw the Red Sox (and Jonathan Papelbon) blow a huge September lead to take "choking" to a whole new level. "2004" can now be countered with "2011". I will always remember flipping back-and-forth between the live games and MLB Tonight, watching the insanity unfold.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Lin & Trivia
I thought I'd share the trivia I prepared for the Super Bowl party I attended in the heart of Giants country---- Northern Jersey!!!
The answers appear a little ways below the link to the Jeremy Lin photo gallery on nypost.com
Total possible points 18 (one more than Jeremy Lin’s #)
1) Where did Eli go to college?
2) Where did Brady go to college? Bonus if you can name that school’s fight song.
3) Why no handles on tea cups in China?
4) What was score of previous Giants vs. Pats Super bowl?
5) What cities in Florida have hosted a Super Bowl?
6) Which QB threw most Interceptions in a Super Bowl (5)?
7) Name a team that has never won a Super Bowl?
8) Name a team that has never been in a Super Bowl?
9) Name a recording artist from Indiana?
10) What do they drink in the winner’s circle at the Indy 500?
11) What is the #1 beer brand sold in the USA?
12) This family activity has decreased 80% in US households since 1960? (Answer is not board games.)
13) Who did the Giants lose to in their only Super Bowl loss? Bonus if you can explain the team’s nickname.
1) Where did Eli go to college?
2) Where did Brady go to college? Bonus if you can name that school’s fight song.
3) Why no handles on tea cups in China?
4) What was score of previous Giants vs. Pats Super bowl?
5) What cities in Florida have hosted a Super Bowl?
6) Which QB threw most Interceptions in a Super Bowl (5)?
7) Name a team that has never won a Super Bowl?
8) Name a team that has never been in a Super Bowl?
9) Name a recording artist from Indiana?
10) What do they drink in the winner’s circle at the Indy 500?
11) What is the #1 beer brand sold in the USA?
12) This family activity has decreased 80% in US households since 1960? (Answer is not board games.)
13) Who did the Giants lose to in their only Super Bowl loss? Bonus if you can explain the team’s nickname.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Will The Public's Confidence Get to the Giants?
It’s been a while since the last blog post, but I couldn’t let this entire New York Giants playoff run go by without something. Anything. I just have been one big ball of confused emotion during this playoff run. It wasn’t that I didn’t think the Giants had this in them (I did), but I thought that this team had too many big injures and too many inconsistencies to go more than one game in the playoffs. They seemed like they were doomed to have that one, head-scratching game. That whole last paragraph and everything about this playoff run could have been a VHS-style grainy replay of the 2007-2008 football season, except for one thing: the public (and even the Giants website) is picking the Giants.
Don’t get me wrong, I have confidence in my team and I’m happy they’re confident in themselves, but every time the general public starts picking the Giants en masse, the Giants play like a mess. There are many, many differences between 2007 and 2011 but the biggest difference is that the Giants are finally at the point where many people don’t think they can lose—and that scares me to death.
I can’t shake that feeling that this team is going to win either which means that I’m definitely setting myself up for disaster. Why am I so confident? As they say in weight loss commercials, past results don’t predict the future, but the Giants beat the Patriots earlier in the season when their offensive line was terrible and disorganized, Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks were out with injuries, and the Giants defense could be described as porous…at best. Now? They have a confident O-line (hey 2007), a defense that’s playing like no one can stop them (yo 2007), and health at the right time of year with role players stepping up for those who are out for the season (what’s up 2007). Oh, and the Giants have three top wide receivers, two tight ends who can catch the ball and three running backs who can work the screen out of the backfield with an ELIte quarterback at the helm and a defense that is so bad that they’ve employed a wide receiver (Julian Edelmen) as the cover DB against the other team’s best receiving threat*.
 |
| The Giants website is even overconfident about the team (NYDN) |
Don’t get me wrong, I have confidence in my team and I’m happy they’re confident in themselves, but every time the general public starts picking the Giants en masse, the Giants play like a mess. There are many, many differences between 2007 and 2011 but the biggest difference is that the Giants are finally at the point where many people don’t think they can lose—and that scares me to death.
I can’t shake that feeling that this team is going to win either which means that I’m definitely setting myself up for disaster. Why am I so confident? As they say in weight loss commercials, past results don’t predict the future, but the Giants beat the Patriots earlier in the season when their offensive line was terrible and disorganized, Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks were out with injuries, and the Giants defense could be described as porous…at best. Now? They have a confident O-line (hey 2007), a defense that’s playing like no one can stop them (yo 2007), and health at the right time of year with role players stepping up for those who are out for the season (what’s up 2007). Oh, and the Giants have three top wide receivers, two tight ends who can catch the ball and three running backs who can work the screen out of the backfield with an ELIte quarterback at the helm and a defense that is so bad that they’ve employed a wide receiver (Julian Edelmen) as the cover DB against the other team’s best receiving threat*.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
My Interview With Tina Cervasio
Knicks sideline reporter Tina Cervasio came on my tv show last night. Everybody check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNtTMISsNw
Sunday, January 8, 2012
View from the Seats: Falcons at Giants Wild Card Game
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Can Jets Stop Jackson?
The Jets worst defensive performance of the year was week 3 against Oakland. They allowed Darren Mc Fadden to rush for 171 yards on 19 attempts and 2 touchdowns. Fast forward to today’s game against the Bills and Gang Green is facing another physical back, who brings the same level of physicality McFadden does, as well as breakaway speed. This player is Fred Jackson, and the similarities to McFadden are striking. McFadden is 6 foot 2 210 lbs. Jackson is 6 foot 1 215 lbs. Both have breakaway speed, and run a majority of their plays up the middle with Jackson specifically garnering 284 yards and 30 touchdowns on 45 attempts.
While the Jets have always been good against the run, this year at least the stats have been somewhat misleading. The Jets have handled the short versatile backs, Ray Rice and Maurice Jones Drew fine but struggled against McFadden and Ben-Jarvus Green Ellis. In terms of running back style Jackson fits into the latter group, which is not good. Today represents a chance for the Jets defense to bring back their old swagger and physicality that they had in the second half against the Chargers. If the Jets defense bottles up Fred Jackson, the Bills won’t be able to establish a tone offensively, and without a fair balance between run and pass plays the Jets can key in on Fitzpatrick, once they stop Jackson.
Today is the day where we see how good the Jets defense is. In a must win game (even though I say every game is a must win game) the Jets have to rekindle the defense of last season, and dominate Buffalo on the line of scrimmage. In the Bills loss against the Bengals and their luck win against the Patriots Jackson struggled held under 75 yards in both games. If the Jets can hold Jackson to that type of game they will win, and in a season with 3 AFC East contenders a win today could make all the difference.
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