Back With a Vengeance

I can't tell if it's the 60-degree weather we've been having, or the fact that Spring Training is underway. Either way, despite being fully entrenched in February, my inner clock has convinced me that spring is here.

Baseball is officially back, and so are the Sox. What's more is that this year serves as perhaps the most-anticipated season ever for Sox fans. 2011 carries more promise and expectation than ever. For decades, frantic hope was a spring tradition in New England along the lines of melting snow, blooming flowers, birds and snowbirds making their returns, and college co-eds eagerly trading their Northfaces for tank tops. But everything changed in 2004 - we're far more relaxed and rational now!...... Right!?

This particular installment marks arguably the finest Sox team ever on paper. Of course games are not played nor won on paper, but consider the following: last year the Sox finished with 89 wins and 6 games out of the wildcard. This went down with the Sox trotting out a lineup featuring 2 of this year's starting 9 in their elimination game. The team was simply ravaged by injuries. The argument could be made that the Sox would have drastically improved (to the tune of 5-10 extra wins and probable playoff status) had they simply got healthy this offseason. Re-insert Two Years Removed From AL MVP Status Dustin Pedroia; perennial top-3 AL corner infielder Kevin Youkilis; and the overrated but rather useful Jacoby Ellsbury, and that alone makes last year's 2nd-best lineup in baseball that much more potent.

Enter Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford - without question the two best position players acquired by anybody this offseason. Carl Crawford is one of the most exciting players in baseball, as well as one of the most consistent. He has been one of my favorite players in the game over the past eight seasons. A historically good all-around athlete (he received scholarship offers for both football and basketball; to quarterback the University of Nebraska, USC, Oklahoma, Florida, and Tulsa, in addition to a starting point guard offer from UCLA), he has already put together a fine baseball career at the age of 29. For the next seven seasons, he will man the Monstah at Fenway and provide good-to-great offense, 50+ steals, Gold Glove-caliber defense, and both consistency and (hopefully) longevity given his track record of good health, freakish workout regimens, and overall athletic ability.

Adrian Gonzalez has long been coveted by the Red Sox brass. Since John Henry owned the Marlins (not-so-ironically during seasons in which the Marlins drafted Josh Beckett #2 overall and then Adrian Gonzalez #1 overall in subsequent years), he has had an affinity for the first baseman. Theo had been hard at work in trying to facilitate a trade to bring in the lefty slugger for reportedly the past 2.5 years and perhaps longer. In addition to providing two-time Gold Glove first base defense, Adrian Gonzalez has a swing tailor-made for Fenway. Gonzo had been mired in the worst hitter's park in baseball (Petco Park) for the past five seasons, in addition to being surrounded by the 3rd-worst lineup in baseball over that timeframe. Blessed with perhaps the best opposite-field power in the game save for Ryan Howard, we can expect to see nearly a dozen Gonzalez bombs to clear the Monster in his 81 games at Fenway and dozens of doubles denting the green giant. Despite the unfavorable situation in San Diego and the NL West (featuring both great pitching and tough parks to hit in), Gonzo has exceeded 30 HRs each of the past four seasons. Having developed a very patient eye (a Sox lineup trademark), featuring tremendous opposite-field power, and being inserted into the middle of the projected best lineup in baseball, very big things are expected of Gonzalez. Expect him to sign a very lucrative long-term extension with the team shortly after opening day.

The Sox rotation features 2 of the very best young pitchers in baseball in Lester and Buccholz; in addition to 3 veterans who have the tools and track record of being among the best in the game. John Lackey and Beckett finished with rather subpar (a very diplomatic way of putting it) seasons in 2010. Should one or both of them respond and return to career-norm production, the Sox have the potential to finish with the best staff in the AL, despite pitching in the finest offensive division in the game. The wildcard is, without question, Diasuke Matsuzaka. With a new pitching coach; no arm-burning-out, pre-MLB-season World Baseball Classic innings on his arm; no recent injuries; and having reported to Fort Myers in tremendous shape, Daisuke looks to be in the best position to approach his legendary-status hype and promise.

Featuring a retooled bullpen and a former lights-out closer as an extra set-up man, the Sox look to have a tremendous 'pen in place. Bobby Jenks was brought in for that 7th/8th inning role to complement Daniel Bard. Jenks is not too-far removed from dominance. In 2007, the burly right-hander tied the record for most consecutive batters retired - a cool 41 batters over 14 appearances. However, he's struggled in recent years, but still has the stuff and potential to be a big-time hog cog as a late-inning setup man.

I miss the ALCS heavyweight bouts between the Sox and Yanks. It's been far too long since the last one: the oh-so-sweet 2004 ALCS, which, as we all recall, was a legendary, record-setting, historically dramatic, insert-your-own-superlative series for the ages and storybooks. Might this be the year? We'll have to wait 7 months, but it's going to be an awfully fun summer in the meantime. Buckle up, keep your limbs in phalanges inside the ride, and enjoy! You know I will.

Yet Another Mock NFL Draft

A thousand apologies to those of you who have been diligently checking my blog... only to find no new posts. With school responsibilities occupying most of my discretionary time and all of my writing creativity, I - as you know - have been severely slacking. To post something new, to have a documented listing of my predictions (and so it doesn't go to waste), I give you my mock draft which has been in the works for several months. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I have some indefensible fascination with the NFL draft - and have for years. It's actually one of my top-3 favorite sports days of the year. So, yes, I'm an NFL draft nut; and no, I don't really care if you think that makes me a nerd. And while I wish I had Mel Kiper's job, I find him to be remarkably annoying and crazy. Additionally, I can't stand how much people talk about his hair.

To further supplement what you're about to read, these are my predictions for tomorrow's first round selections. The players are ordered as if no trades will occur - the chances of which is essentially zero. Sometimes teams will trade into a slot and choose the player listed; other times a team will trade into that draft slot to take a different player entirely, which will blow up the mock draft. Again, these are predictions and not necessarily what I would do if I were selecting for these teams. In fact, many of these predictions are based too much on logic, which is why it will probably be horribly wrong. Also, economic factors will certainly come into play, but unfortunately I'm not privy to the performance of the NFL owners' investment portfolios. But, in any case, here you have it. Please don't ask how many hours have been put into this - it's far too embarrassing...

1. Det - Matthew Stafford - QB Georgia
2. StL - Jason Smith - OT Baylor
3. KC - Tyson Jackson - DE LSU
4. Sea - Mark Sanchez - QB USC
5. Cle - Aaron Curry - OLB Wake Forest
6. Cin - Andre Smith - OT Alabama
7. Oak - Jeremy Maclin - WR Missouri
8. Jax - Michael Crabtree - WR Texas Tech
9. GB - Eugene Monroe - OT Virginia
10. SF - Brian Orakpo - OLB Texas
11. Buf - Michael Oher - OT Ole Miss
12. Den - BJ Raji - DT BC
13. Was - Aaron Maybin - DE Penn St
14. NO - Malcolm Jenkins - S Ohio St
15. Hou - Brian Cushing - OLB USC
16. SD - Rey Maualuga - ILB USC
17. NYJ - Josh Freeman - QB Kansas St
18. Den - Knowshon Moreno - RB Georgia
19. TB - Larry English - DE Northern Ill
20. Det - Robert Ayers - OLB Tennessee
21. Phi - Chris "Beanie" Wells - RB Ohio St
22. Min - Eben Britton - OT Arizona
23. NE - Darius Butler - CB Connecticut
24. Atl - Evander "Ziggy" Hood - DT Missouri
25. Mia - Clay Matthews - OLB USC
26. Bal - Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR Maryland
27. Ind - Peria Jerry - DT Ole Miss
28. Buf - Brandon Pettigrew - TE OK St
29. NYG - Everette Brown - OLB FSU
30. Ten - Vontae Davis - CB Illinois
31. AZ - Donald Brown - RB Connecticut
32. Pit - Max Unger - C Oregon

Half-a-Billion Bones and Beyond

"Help is on the Way as Yankees spend smart"
-actual top headline on New York Yankees MLB official team site as of 1/3/09

I was going to try to reenact my initial response, but I positively abhor the wildly overused and teenie-bopper, nonsensical "Laughing Out Loud" acronym. In case you doubt the kick I got out of reading that laugher of a headline, just ask our Siamese who has been literally in my face for the past 30 minutes.

A number of variations of shock and surprise flooded my e-mail last Tuesday.
"What's going on? Can you believe this? What the heck? Seriously... What the heck!?" That was pretty much the recurring theme. So when asked what I thought, I shared in the surprise but promised a more clairvoyant written response post-holiday madness.
Yeah, the Yankees brought in this offseason's two biggest names. Yeah, the Yankees just committed almost a half-billion dollars to um... three people. Three people who are not even in the top-three in the league at their respective positions.

So, can I believe it? Of course I can. But I didn't a few weeks ago when I said that the Yankees were effectively removed from the Teixeira running. I underestimated their resolve (a mistake), and I underestimated their commitment to spending (a confounding oversight). The silliest thing I hear out of the mouths of Yankees-fans is "That's just how committed they are to winning. They do what it takes." In an economy that is bringing major corporations to their knees and record-numbers to the doors of the unemployment office, and is seeing everyone and their moms cutting spending... we have the bully with the biggest stick making sure everyone knows their place.
So much for social responsibility.

Am I complaining? Far from it. What might look like such is simply me bringing some things to light. I mean, do the Sox have a legitimate shot at finishing 3rd in the division and missing the playoffs - perhaps with a 95-win season? Very much so. But such is, I guess. That's not the problem, though. The problem is that the Yankees have essentially spit in the face of every other MLB franchise and in the collective face of every Mr. or Mrs. Smith who got laid-off these past few months... But, I guess, it's all in the name of winning. Putting the best product possible on the field of the new Yankee Stadium. Filling those luxury boxes which have become unsurprisingly tough sells. But I guess committing another $180 million to Teixeira will sell a few more luxury suites. Sour grapes? No... Perhaps some perspective, though.

The Yankees are playing within the established rules. There is no salary cap in the MLB. Therefore any team is free to spend what they please, how they please. Does that mean they should inflate payroll when everyone else is trimming, simply because they can? Well, no, not exactly. Does that mean they should thumb their nose at the sport, at the sport's fans, and at a national economy on the verge of ruin? You'd have to be a Jeffrey Skilling advocate to think so.

There is a luxury tax in baseball - if teams exceed a certain payroll threshold for at least the second time, they are required to contribute 40% of that excess to the commissioner's office. The Yankees are very much past that $155 million threshold. The only other franchise that joined them in cutting a luxury tax check was the Detroit Tigers; but the disparity in payrolls between the two teams was over $60 million. Some more perspective: that difference is more than seven MLB franchise's entire payroll figure.

What this means?? The Yankees committed $423.5 million in contracts to these new free agents. Now this is where it gets good: the Yankees were already well beyond the luxury tax threshold - therefore any new dollar commitments will receive that 40% taxing.

So, some quick math... 423.5 x 1.4 = ...... 593.

That's right. $593 million allocated to the CC, Burnett, and Teixeira aquisitions. Holy schnikes. Who cares, though, right? It's only money. Three weeks ago when I said they weren't done, I guess I was more right than originally thought. And guess what? I can almost guarantee that they are still not done. Part of me is hoping that they finalize another 9-figure deal so that they can approach a prestigious $750,000,000 offseason spending figure. Maybe then, enough will be enough. Maybe then, the wheel will become so obnoxiously squeeky, that there will be no other choice but to douse this immensely flawed and broken system with oil. Then they can light a match for all I care. It's on. It's barely 2009 and I can't remember the last time I've been this fired up for a season. The Sox and the Evil Empire matching up in next year's ALCS would be a phenomenal birthday present.

Last year the Yankees wore the loveable losers hat (rather gracefully I might add - Note: gracefully... not graciously. Don't get it twisted). From Hank Steinbrenner's office came the orders that being a punch line and missing the playoffs simply cannot occur again... at any cost. Of course (being the Yankees and forgetting that championship clubs are built from within) the logical choice is to open the bottomless pocketbook and splurge $650 million (or whatever the final figure will be). That oughtta fix it. So let them trot out all-stars or former all-stars at most every position - let them round out their rotation with the same. And let's see how they fare. Perhaps if they're the ones who finish third in what might be the most competitive division in the history of all the major sports... then maybe they'll figure it out. Maybe those brilliant fellows who comprise the Yankees front office, who (for the past nine years since their last title) keep following the same head-scratching, failing formula (spend more than the next guy and trade away all premium, young cost-controlled talent for washed-up former stars), maybe then they'll cut spending and start rebuilding the way every other team in sports has to. And maybe Mr. Smith will be able to bring little Johnny to a game at the new Yankee Stadium with a clear conscience. And he can tell him all about the Yankee lore of yesteryear... and of a franchise that used to be the most-respected in all of sports.

[Flash back to reality]

But now? Now they're the hated Yankees again.
Order has been restored in the galaxy t'would appear.

Sticks and Stony

I spent a good portion of last weekend contemplating what to write about for my next post. With the Broncos floundering about (looking very ugly and beatable I might add) atop the AFC West standings, I decided to avoid that sore subject for the time being. A couple weeks ago when I was kicking around the blog idea, I wanted to write one of my first posts on the UConn Men. Specifically on one of the more compelling characters I've ever met - Stanley Robinson. "Sticks" was the nickname that Assistant Patrick Sellers assigned to him. Stanley was cool with it, so I guess it kinda stuck.

This is gonna require me to take you back a couple years when I was working at UConn. An ultimately good experience, I worked with some great people, established a rewarding relationship with Athletic Director Jeffrey Hathaway, and got to meet and get to know some of the athletes.

Stanley Robinson hit the UConn campus early in the summer of 2006, several weeks prior to all the incoming freshmen. After only one conversation, I knew what this kid's deal was. Without seeing his ID, address or recruitment info, I knew he was from Alabama. The accent, the respectful "Yes Sir. No Sir", the constant smile, and the genuineness - a great kid with a great heart that was unknowingly about to declare his major in Culture Shock. My friends and I were immediately drawn to his personality. The type of guy that you love seeing walk through the door, because you knew you were about to get a real smile, a joke, and someone willing to hang out and talk about anything. An ultimately down-to-earth and refreshingly humble individual.

His athleticism was off the charts. Someone who had great height, could jump through the gym, added a shot-altering presence, and possessed a surprisingly fluid jump shot with 3-point range - just a remarkable offensive prospect. He struggled to get minutes early as a freshman, but finally cracked the starting lineup on January 13 at St. John's (he posted a double/double with a couple dimes and a blocked shot). This got me excited for a few reasons - he was fun to watch, he gave the team a much-needed spark offensively (despite his inconsistencies), and because I was just genuinely happy for him.

But there was an impending fall from grace. Calhoun started benching him immediately following each blown defensive assignment (as he does with everyone), each time he didn't box out, each questionable shot or turnover. The dejection and loss of confidence was more than apparent. There were maturity issues - everybody knew it. He was 17 when he arrived on campus, and he'd probably never left Alabama.

He talked about his mother and his daughters all the time. He made sure we all got to see their pictures, and we all knew their names. Behind the enormous smile, though, was a young kid struggling mightily, and I could see it in his eyes and in the way he carried himself. I offered words of encouragement when I could, and words of advice when appropriate. He was homesick though, struggling with the temptations of all of the on-campus pressures (substances, women, etc… which are exacerbated 10-fold for athletes), and struggling with Calhoun's methods. After all, Calhoun doesn't just subscribe to the tough love theory - he wrote the book. Stanley assuredly had difficulties adjusting to this. He'd either take Calhoun's cursing and coaching as personal attacks or turn a deaf ear - neither approach was successful.

As an aside, I have been relatively vocal with my endorsement of universities affording collegiate athletes a stipend – a number of universities do so, but under the table (see USC). I obviously don’t condone the behavior that leads to athletes stealing laptops and such - but it’s much harder to imagine that such behavior would occur if they were provided with some measure of living expenses. One has to consider that the majority of scholarship athletes are inner-city kids. And as such, they probably received a poor high-school education (and therefore must dedicate a larger segment of their time studying to maintain eligibility), whose parent(s) probably have no money, and who struggle to balance a work-out schedule, practice schedule, class schedule, study schedule, and so on. These kids make their universities an absurd amount of money. Yes, several receive scholarships, but as the university’s highest-profile students they also have a certain lifestyle to live up to - that's just the way it is. It's fine enough in theory to object, but one can't reasonably expect them to never have any spending cash, never have fresh clothes or a cell phone, have to rely on friends or freeloaders to pick up the tab if they want to eat out...
Not be able to buy a plane ticket to fly home to see their kids.............................

Fast forward to last winter. Rumors started circulating around campus that Stanley's frustrations were coming to a front. He was looking to transfer. Surely any number of D-1 schools would love to bring him aboard - give him a fresh start. Alabama was calling. As a Stanley fan and a UConn fan, this was disastrous news. I desperately wanted to see the kid flourish under Calhoun; that being literally what was best for him personally and his best bet to become a 1st-round selection in the NBA draft (plus avoiding the one-year layoff for transfer eligibility). Honestly though, I had my doubts... Everything culminated with Stanley withdrawing himself from UConn after the Fall ’07 semester. It appeared as though the book was finally getting closed.

Earlier this year, (surprisingly and to everyone’s relief) Stanley announced that he would return to UConn and take classes this Fall. Calhoun promised to allow Stanley to return to the team following this semester... but with conditions. Calhoun knew that Stanley needed to grow up – fast - in order to realize his tremendous potential and help carry the team deep into March (or early-April !?). So Coach made him go get a job. Stanley couldn't practice with the team, work out with the team, anything. Instead he had to work at 7AM full-time, working out on his own, upping his grades. Stanley agreed to serve his "suspension" dutifully and faithfully, eyeing Fall's finals week and Stony Brook on the team schedule.

Five months removed from the Calhoun-imposed life lesson, Monday marked the return of #21 to the UConn bench. A very warm reception reverberated through the XL Center. I couldn’t help but crack a big smile myself witnessing his satisfaction – the kind that knowing you’ve done the right thing brings. You could see the relief, the weight being lifted... the joy. He’s back doing what he loves, and he’s back to push UConn over the top.

A year or so ago, in one of my (admittedly few) moments of clarity, I realized something:
True joy comes not from doing what you wanna do. But from being where you know you’re supposed to be.

From one of your biggest fans, Stanley, here’s to your fresh start. Here’s to you picking up the pieces and putting them all together. Here’s to you getting your life where it needs to be. And here’s to you going through a serious dose of reality... and coming out a better ballplayer and a better man.

Takin' the Plunge

Here by popular demand!!

Yeah, not quite. More like because of prodding from the girlfriend and sister-in-law... But maybe that's the swift kick I needed. So, thank you ladies.

What is this? What am I trying to accomplish? Who could possibly wanna hear what I have to say about sports and life? These are a few of the questions (barriers) that I faced, but honestly, I don't really care. I'm gonna keep pumpin out posts until - well, I'm not really sure about that either... Maybe until I get paid for a similar activity.

So what is this? This is a blog that's gonna focus primarily on my passion - sports. Many a career in sports has been contemplated - I've been hearing my whole life: find a career in something you're passionate about... otherwise, in 30 years, you're gonna wake up one morning with serious regrets. Well, obviously that's something I desperately want to avoid. So, you might see me or hear about me doing something sports-related in the next few years. We shall see.

This is not a breaking news sports column - I'm not a member of the AP, and as such, you can find your sports news at ESPN.com or a similar site. What you will get when you come here is opinionated commentary, speculative forecasting, some fantasy football discussion, some words on the business world (both sports and otherwise), maybe some movie reviews sprinkled in, and any semi-relevant topic I feel like discussing. Feel free to make requests, as that will undoubtedly give me ideas, and give me an opportunity to make you happy - another passion of mine.

Who could possibly want to read my nonsense? A fantastic question... and, I suppose, one that will be answered in a relatively short period of time. I take criticism very well (I guess that just speaks to how much I've gotten over the years). So, please... feedback (positive or negative) is greatly appreciated.

There you have it - the down 'n dirty. What's my first post gonna be on? I'm glad you asked! This is my favorite time of the year, both in life and the sporting world. Between football getting interesting and baseball's winter meetings, I'm engrossed... So, here it is.

The Evil Empire just signed an albatross to an albatross contract - the writing was on the wall, and the Yankees (like clockwork) just made an atrocious deal - obviously, I'm delighted by that development. C.C. Sabathia is a Yankee...

C.C. in Pinstripes

Where to start?

When it became apparent that the Yankees had their eyes fixated on C.C. Sabathia (I know. Sorry. Not a pretty picture.) it was all over. When the Yankees find something they desperately want, its just a matter of time and how much money... kinda like Mr. Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life". In this case, money to the tune of $161 Million over 7 years. One of my Yankee-fan friends called to gloat the other day. I didn't wanna laugh at him, but I found the whole thing comical. "You should always be wary of career-year contract-year guys - Sabathia is no exception", I told him. I ended that conversation by simply saying the name "Carl Pavano". He hung up on me.

Seriously, how many red flags are on this guy?? He's wildly out of shape (pushing 3 bills), has 500+ innings on his arm in the past 2 seasons (including the postseason), he's been awful in the postseason (he has the 2nd highest career postseason ERA for those with greater than 25 innings), and his career numbers at the old Yankee Stadium are laughable. The New Yankee stadium sports indentical dimensions to the old one - a hitter's park by very definition. In my musings, I wondered things like: what's the over/under on "C.C. gets knocked around by a right-hand heavy lineup on C.C. bobble-head night, Yankee fans boo C.C. mercilessly after Girardi yanks him, and a drunken Yankee fan shouts profanities and whips his bobble-head directly at C.C.'s enormous melon." In case you were wondering, my guess is late-May. The chance that he'll still be productive in year 5 of the deal approximates zero. Year 7? fuhgetaboutit. This is a match made in heaven. This is the Yankee way. New York will eat him alive...

The Yanks are far from done. They just signed A.J. Burnett for 5 years and $82.5 Million. In short, they just added $40 million per year on two shiny new starters. Beautiful. Every indication is that they will add yet another starter via free agency. I think this might mark the first year ever that a MLB team subscribed 3/5 of their starters in the same year... If they do in fact sign one more, that will mean $50 Million annually allocated to only 3 new starters. Wow. Granted, that's nearly the same that they're paying the left side of their infield, but that's neither here nor there...

The silver lining in the whole situation: this effectively removes the Yankees from the Teixiera-running. Mark Teixiera will get a similarly enormous deal (probably from the Sox). A switch-hitting, ultra-durable, middle-of-the order bat with Gold Glove defense... Not the most economical choice, and one that would entail shipping Lowell or Youkilis out of town; but the offense needs some serious bolstering and options are very limited. The Nationals just made him a 8 year, 160 Million offer. The Angels just offered him 8 years as well. Expect the Sox to trump both offers shortly.