WTF: Eric Chavez Fan
Click To Enlarge For Some Hardcore
If you haven’t been paying attention to the Oakland Athletics this year then I must tell you the sky is blue and third baseman Eric Chavez is once again injured. See Chavez at one time in Major League Baseball was equivalent to Tampa Bays Rays Evan Longoria is now. By 23 he had his first Gold Glove then by 24 he had another and was in the mix for MVP talks and it would continue till he was 28.
That’s when it all changed for Chavez. A back injury added with a shoulder injury then both shoulders then back to the back and here we are four years later with only 154 games added to his baseball card. Apparently it doesn’t get any easier for Chavez as fans of his have taken to sponsor his page on Baseball-Reference.com, which is the baseball encyclopedia of stats, to blast him for 2001 and 2006 failures while comparing him to death and taxes. Chavez is in the process of deciding whether to try rehab one more time or retire but to this fan the sooner he rides off into the sunset the sooner the healing process can begin.
Having been to Oakland only once I wouldn’t be comfortable making this statement but after seeing someone tattoo Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden and now this, A’s fans are hardcore.
WTF: LeBron James
Queen LBJ
Only Kings Have Rings and for the second straight year LeBron James won the MVP award but ended up getting owned in the NBA playoffs. Take your seat and watch once again a real king in the playoffs.
God Save The Queen!
Kings Have Rings
King Of What?
The Boston Celtics made C’ing believing by ousting two time MVP LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2 in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Yep, in six games you saw the team with the best record that achieved 61 wins, a team that had home court advantage throughout the playoffs, a team with five players who have All-Star game credentials by their name,a team coached by a former Coach of the Tear winner, a team with two members of the all NBA Defense squad this season and a team with the leagues MVP lose.
Go ahead make the excuses but you witnessed it and James will once again will watch the rest of the NBA playoffs like you and me and that’s on TV. I just wonder if this summer we will see James create another line of slogan tee-shirts this summer?
A Game Winner & It’s Not Kobe
The theme for the NBA 2009-2010 regular season was game winners by Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, I mean he did have 6 of them. However we are now on the verge of the NBA Playoffs second round and last night former Finals MVP Boston Celtics Paul Pierce help Miami Heat start packing with this game winner.
No the series isn’t over just yet but Dwyane Wades tenure in south beach is, see you in Chicago next year.
Minnesota Twins Orlando Hudson Thinks Racism Why Jermaine Dye Doesn’t Have Job
Is It As Easy As Black & White?
Minnesota Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson hints at that that some African-American Major League Baseball players are getting the blackballed treatment not for declining skills but because of their skin color.
“You see guys like Jermaine Dye without a job. Guy with [27 home runs and 81 RBIs] and can’t get a job. Pretty much sums it up right there, no? You’ve got some guys who miss a year who can come back and get $5, $6 million, and a guy like Jermaine Dye can’t get a job. A guy like Gary Sheffield, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, can’t get a job. We both know what it is. You’ll get it right. You’ll figure it out. I’m not gonna say it because then I’ll be in [trouble].”
Between the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program and Urban Youth Academies, baseball has tried to resolve that gap between the sport and African-Americans. Compared to football and the stranglehold of basketball, baseball finishes a distant third. While the tremendous influx of upcoming African-American talent in the major leagues in recent years from Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Howard, Tampa Bay Rays Carl Crawford to Arizona Diamondbacks Justin Upton and Atlanta Braves Jason Heyward is a positive sign, it doesn’t eliminate the feeling that others have been mistreated.
While some will accuse Hudson of race baiting and paranoia, the reality is quite the opposite, he is taking public a concern that promotes discussion and forces MLB to be honest with itself.
However I don’t think it’s as clean or easy to explain Dye’s unemployment as a racist thing as it is to explain the context of financial realities in baseball. Has racism been a problem in baseball’s history? Of course it has, it’s been a problem throughout American history. It still exists today but figure into the equation that the market for aging sluggers with little defensive value is minimal and with the the free-agent market in the last 5 years shifted drastically away from older players at high cost.
Consider the former World Series MVP’s phone did ring in the offseason with Dye and his agent, Bob Bry, turning down offers from the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, and last week rejected an offer from the Washington Nationals.
In comparison aging outfielders with similar skill like Milwaukee Brewers Jim Edmonds and Seattle Mariners Mike Sweeney have jobs but it also has to do with they were willing to take $650K and Dye is not.
MLB.com lists 25 unsigned free agents. Of those 25, two are African-Americans, Dye and Sheffield. Dye is still sitting at home for similar the reason that Jarrod Washburn is and that’s unrealistic salary demands.
Santonio Holmes Traded To New York Jets For 5th Round Pick
George Hill & Greg Oden's T-Mobile Fave 5
The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded troubled wide receiver Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick in next week’s NFL draft.
Holmes is facing a civil lawsuit in Florida from a woman who claims he threw a glass at her, cutting her above the eye, in an Orlando nightclub. The police also have been investigating the woman’s claims. Holmes denies hurting the woman.
The player has run into trouble before this offseason. He was cited for marijuana possession, a misdemeanor, in Pennsylvania in 2008. The Steelers made Holmes inactive for the game following the incident and he subsequently apologized. In 2006, he was arrested on a domestic violence charge in Ohio.
As reported by FOX’s Jay Glazer the Steelers where not feerful of Holmes upcoming 4 game suspension but that it would happen again. In four seasons in Pittsburgh, the 26-year-old Holmes, the MVP of the 2009 Super Bowl, had 235 catches for 3,835 yards and 20 touchdowns.
In New York, Holmes gives quarterback Mark Sanchez another big-time target to throw to in an offense that already had Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, promising tight end Dustin Keller and recently signed running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
Dirk Nowitzki Is From A Different Planet
From humble beginnings in Würzburg, Germany to NBA MVP. Dirk Nowitzki came to North America with basketball skills unrivaled by his peers. But nobody really knows how he obtained his basketball powers.
In fact, it was from a meteor that Nowitzki gained his powers, leading me to believe that Würzburg translated means Smallville.
The Day Dr. Dre Took Over
Do Yourself A Favor Buy Some Beats By Dre
How often do you see Dr. Dre make public appearances outside of something musically related that was as big as Opening Night of Major League Baseball?
Last night he dropped by to take some batting practice and drop off some Beats by Dre headphones, if you don’t own them yet you must, to some of the Rex Sox players like former American League MVP Dustin Pedroia. Now Dre wasn’t the only headliner to make an appearance last night as he was seen with Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine, Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James while Aerosmith’s front man Steven Tyler and Neil Diamond even popped up during the course of the night.
But Dre’s rarity stole the show.
Stephon Marbury Named Chinese All Star Game MVP
Half Court Shots, Thats Why He's Called Starbury
Stephon Marbury in his first season in China walked away from the Chinese League All-Star game as it’s MVP.
Selected to the North All-Star squad representing his club Shanxi Zhongyu, Marbury dropped 30 points on the South at Beijing’s Wukesong Arena to secure a 133-121 victory and did so with style.
Marbury did so with more than his scoring, he did so with an array of “no-look passes, alley-hoops and mid-court three-pointers” that won him the Most Valuable Player honors and rescued what had been “quite a dull game,” according to the Xinhua news agency.
Mid-court threes? Maybe it’s this kind of performance that helps the Starbury sneakers sale in China or maybe not.
SGE Fantasy Baseball Preview: First Base
Sleeper Pick
Ironic that this post is about first basemen and before I jump into breaking down that position, I need to first apologize for lying to about having this post up and ready for yesterday. Rudy J and myself got into a heated debate that lead to a texting war filled with stats about the breakout year in the catcher position. I couldn’t argue with his pick of Oakland Athletics Kurt Suzuki’s ability to steal a base or eight or that he possibly could be go for under double digits in the money department. He made some very valid points on Suzuki but I still have to ride with Mike Napoli and the his potential to drive in more RBI’s. But enough about our bickering and let’s get to previewing the first base position since we are now only 18 days away from Opening Day.
The first base position has an abundance of talent here that will help you even if your playing just a National League or American League fantasy league. Home runs, RBI’s, average, on base percentage, even strikeouts can be found here with the only thing not found is stolen bases.
Although numerous talent can be found at this position, I wouldn’t advise on letting to many of the premier players come off the draft boards. Now if you end up with New York Yankees Nick Johnson or Philadelphia Phillies Ross Gload as your starting first basemen, then I don’t think fantasy baseball is for you.
Moving into the rankings your roster will never go wrong with National League MVP Albert Pujols, Phillies Ryan Howard, Milwaukee Brewers Prince Fielder or Yankees Mark Teixeira but lets go deeper. If you happen to be the lucky one to posses the very first pick overall there’s really no going wrong selecting any of these four, I would go in the order listed though.
Breakout Player: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
- I can already hear people saying how can Cabrera be the breakout player but stay with me. Major League Baseball fans and fantasy owners already know Cabrera is one of the most consistent players in the game. With his admission that he quit drinking which effected him last season and losing 15 pounds all the while coming into that prime baseball age of 26-years-old, I see him making the jump into the elite. I’m talking about his first season in the 40 home run department, 130-140 RBI season, while still collecting 200 hits and a .330 average. He’s ready for Tiger fans to stop whispering about how much money they are giving him and start rejoicing. Cabrera might cost a pretty penny but in 2010 he wont let you down.
Sleeper Player: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
- I know some of you will look at this pick and say that’s who you would have chosen as your breakout player. Remember though your going to be in a draft with some people that just look at numbers and don’t remember or didn’t see that his number took a hit because the man struggled with depression in May and June. Not to mention he missed some time in August with blurred vision. So it’s safe to safe Votto had an up-and-down season on and off the field. Take a look at his September run when he bounced back with a .385 average, 5 home runs in just 30 games. Votto is just as much of a key part of that Reds young core as Jay Bruce.
Risky Player: James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers
- I speak from experience with Loney, he will make contact and surprise you with his 150 plus hits but that’s all he can do. Every year I look for a young player or two to take on as a project, leaving him on the bench however keeping an eye on him everyday and it’s resulted in some of the most fun I’ve had is with my project players. I’ve had Loney three years now and this will not be a fourth. The first year came out of necessity and he showed me a lot of promise for me to draft him the following year in the 25th round. That was the year I noticed he could hit however there was no power behind it. Thinking it was just the progression a player goes through and it would change in year three, I came to be sadly mistaken as I watched him display the same skill all over again in 158 games. Compound that with Loney having the strange problem in 2009 of hitting .251, 1 home run and 36 RBI’s in 79 games at home but hit .309, 12 home runs and 54 RBI’s on the road in the same amount of games.
Slipping Player: Lyle Overbay, Toronto Blue Jays
- Over the last two seasons, Overbay has developed a serious problem hitting against lefties. Through 2007, he had a career mark of .283 against right-handed pitchers and .285 against left-handed pitchers. Since then though Overbay has hit .287 against righties and .206 against lefties that has him now only starting against right handed starters. The trend doesn’t look to turn around as he is 33-years-old and plays in the American League East a division with some top notch left-handed pitching.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for the preview of second base, no lie this time it will be up.
SGE Fantasy Baseball Preview: Catchers
Sleeper Pick
With Major League Baseball Opening Day just 20 days away its time to prepare yourself on who to draft for your fantasy baseball team and Sports Grind Entertainment is here to help you. We’ll provide you with a few list of things you don’t do on draft day and what to keep your eye on in the season but first we are going to breakdown each position everyday starting with the catchers.
The catcher position is not one your going to find a whole lot of power from but looking for a player that is going to be solid as rock in the consistency department. Your not looking to draft catchers extremely early in the draft but don’t miss out by waiting to long. At the end of the year normally the fantasy teams sitting at top the rankings had an above average catcher they could just plug into the lineup from day one and never worry about. If your searching the waiver wire all season long for a catcher, its because you made the mistake here in at the draft.
Now lets move into the rankings. It’s easy to write that you should draft American League MVP Joe Mauer or Boston Red Sox’s Victor Martinez or Atlanta Braves Brian McCann but lets face it, everyone can’t get the best. If they do end up on your roster you’ve surely made a few people jealous.
Breakout Player: Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Napoli has come up through the Angels organization and steady increased his plate appearances and the amount of time he’s seen behind the plate each season. Even playing in a part time role Napoli has managed to crank out 20 home runs the last two seasons and his highest plate appearance being that of 382. Another plus for Napolis is that he definitely with see all action against opposing lefties since he hit .330 against them last season. He could even get days off behind the plate and stay in the lineup at the DH spot when Hideki Matsui needs a day off.
Sleeper Player: Baltimore Orioles, Matt Wieters
- Wieters came up to the majors May 29 and did a respectable job as Baltimore’s starting catcher. He is a talented young hitter and should come to improve. In just a 169 game minor league career he hit 32 home runs. He spent most of last season batting in the seventh or eighth spot while getting adjusted to the big leagues but is likely to move into the fifth spot or fourth spot in the everyday lineup.
Risky Player: San Francisco Giants, Bengie Molina
- Molina did hit 20 home runs last season but at 35 the questions of his body being at risk for injury is highly of concern here. Add to the fact the Giants are waiting for any sign to turn the page and hand over the responsibilities to future, Buster Posey. He’s gone from top prospect to starter waiting to be and that’s not a good sign for Molina.
Slipping Player: Los Angeles Dodgers, Russell Martin
- Martin is only 27 but seems as if he’s playing with a body of 38 year old. Martin has led National League catchers in at-bats for three consecutive years, but all the wear and tear behind the plate is taking its toll and catching up to the All-Star. Martin’s body may fall him taking him out of the game before it was meant to be. Don’t look for a 20 steal season from Martin ever again either.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for the preview of first base.
Curt Schilling Sells His First Video Game
Jerk
Former Boston Red Sox pitcher and current jerk Curt Schilling sold his first video game from his 38 Studios, to EA Studios. His first game is “Project Mercury” a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game like World of Warcraft is a single-player epic role playing game.
It will have the creation an enormous world, with heroes and villains and a rich back story from the brilliant minds of R. A Salvatore and Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn, and be available for PlayStation3, Xbox 360, and the PC.
“Project Mercury” is the first game to be published for 38 Studios which is the creative enterprise of the World Series MVP and avid gamer Schilling. It will be developed at Big Huge Games, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 38 Studios, under the leadership of Ken Rolston, former lead designer of the critically acclaimed hits, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivionare.
Such disgusting news for me to receive on the same day that Final Fantasy XII dropped.
San Antonio Spurs Top 9 Worst Injuries Of All Time
1996-97: The Gift & The Curse
The latest injury to San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, a broken the fourth metacarpal in his shooting hand, has cost him the rest of the regular season in a year that has already plagued him with plantar fasciitis, spraining both ankles, a strained hip flexor and food poisoning.
With the Spurs currently hanging onto the Western Conference seventh seed that already has many questioning their chances in the playoffs and with this latest injury it will sure cast a greater shadow of doubt. While injuries are part of the game, what have been the 9 most damaging to the Spurs franchise? Why 9? In honor of Tony.
- 9. Tony Parker 2009-10 season
Parker an NBA Finals MVP season looked shaky from the start when he suffered his first injury in a year that was filled with many. While playing overseas in the off-season for France against Hungary in Eurobasketball Parker turned his ankle. The bug was cast before the season even started but stayed with him until March 6 in Memphis, where his regular season came to end. Parker sat out numerous games in the year to a variety of injuries: plantar fasciitis, a strained hip flexor, spraining both ankles and food poisoning.
- 8. James Silas 1976-76 season
Possibly one of the best Spurs of all-time that the NBA never had a chance to see at his peak. In the last season ABA before the merger Captain Late broke his ankle by landing on the foot of New Jersey Nets guard Brian Taylor in the ABA Finals. Recovered and ready for the Spurs first season in the NBA he suffered a cartilage tear in his knee restricting him to play in only 22 games for a Spurs team that was poised to contend. Silas played only 37 games the following season and was out of the league in four years.
- 7. Manu Ginobili 2008-09 season
One of the greatest to put on a Spurs jersey was injured in the semi-finals of the Beijing Olympics. The injury carried through to the NBA season and limited him to appear only in 44 regular season games and missed the entire playoffs. San Antonio went in as the third seed with a 54–28 record but was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round 4–1 the earliest exit since 2000.
- 6. Johnny Dawkins 1988-89 season
Originally drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft the former Duke all time leading scorer and Naismith College Player of the Year was suppose to be the point guard of the future for the Spurs and coach Larry Brown. Durring the 88-89 season he started to suffer from a nerve injury in his left leg and foot that allowed him to only see action in 32 games. The nerve injury in his leg would eventually force him to retire from the game.
- 5. Terry Cummings 1992-93 season
In a season in which the Spurs improved on its record and advanced out of the first round they did so with limited minutes from one of their best scorers in Cummings. In the off-season Cummings tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a pickup game that forced him to miss the first 74 regular season games. Upon his return, he could no longer put up All-Star numbers he was accustomed and from then on was used in a role much like a reserve.
- 4. Derek Anderson 2000-01 season
Anderson was a vital part in the Spurs plans of providing outside help to Tim Duncan and David Robinson averaging 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game on the wing. The Spurs looked to be on their way to earining a second NBA championship in 3 years as the stars where lining up until Dallas Mavericks Juwan Howard drew a flagrant foul on Anderson. He separated his right shoulder when he drove for the basket and Howard swung his arm into Anderson’s side that caused him to land on his shoulder. He missed the rest of the Mavericks series and returned in the conference finals against the in limited minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers. Anderson and the Spurs where caught in a no win situation since it wasn’t adequate enough time for him to heal.
- 3. Tim Duncan 1999-2000 season
In the Spurs first chance at trying to repeat as champions after winning their first NBA championship, they entered the playoffs without Duncan. He was averaging 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game in a season that he had earned co-MVP with Shaquille O’Neal during the All-Star Game. However Duncan injured his meniscus shortly before the end of the regular season against the Sacramento Kings. The injury forced him to miss the playoffs and the Spurs saw them lose to the Phoenix Suns 3–1 in the first round. Without Duncan the Spurs relied on Malik Rose and Jerome Kersey to play alongside David Robinson but in the series they saw them go down as well with injuries.
- 2. Johnny Moore 1986-87 season
An assist man, who lead the league in that category in 1981-82, a steal man, an all around NBA player in his first five season with the Spurs. Moore often found the open man and wasn’t afraid to make the extra pass as he is one of only three players in teams history to record 20 assists during a game was hospitalized December 26,1986 with the devastating disease, Desert Fever. Doctors warned him that the disease could be fatal. Desert Fever luckily did not cost his life but ended up costing his basketball career as Moore lost three years of playing. He finally was able to return to the court to play in 53 games during 1989-90 season, which would be his last.
- 1. David Robinson 1996-97 season
The year that will be known as the gift and curse for the Spurs franchise. That season saw Robinson hurt his back in the preseason, an injury that would plagued him the rest of his career, limited him to 6 games before breaking a bone in his foot. He wound up missing the entire season and the Spurs finished 20-62. The curse is it cost the Spurs their best player in franchise history and their season but the gift came in the form of ping pong balls and the drafting of Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest University with the number one overall pick.
Is there a Spurs injury you believe that was missed to be of greater significant than these 9? Feel free to leave your feedback.
LeBron James Files Paperwork For Number Change
Where's Bill Russell's Respect?
Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is good to his word on changing his number out of respect for Michael Jordan. James has filed the paperwork on the same day the Cavaliers played the New York Knicks and ahead of Wednesday’s league deadline to switch numbers for next season to the No. 6. The number he sported as a member of the U.S. basketball team at the 2008 China and the day his first son was born.
Player do not directly benefit from merchandise sales, however. It goes into a league-wide pool that is distributed to teams and then players based on seniority.
Last fall, James said he wanted to surrender No. 23 out of respect to his hero, the number Jordan wore for nearly his entire Chicago Bulls career excluding the brief period he donned the No. 45.
But as James is changing his name out of respect for Jordan believing the number should be retired across the league I ask what about showing respect to the NBA’s greatest champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell. This is the touchy subject you get into when you start to proclaim one athlete better than another from different eras and stating Jordan’s number should be league wide retired.
Russell donned the No. 6 through 11 championships in 13 years with the Celtics and on his way to lead him right to the Basketball Hall of Fame after being a 12 time All-Star and a 5 time NBA MVP. Let’s not forget our history.
The number change won’t make much a difference if James lands in a new city this off season.
Steve Nash Most Ridiculous Man In The World
No the two time league MVP Steve Nash isn’t as funny as a Will Ferrell or Aziz Ansari but he sure can hold his own. Hilarious.
Hair Wars: Tracy Porter
New Orleans Saints defensive back could have stolen some Super Bowl MVP votes away from Drew Brees last night when it stepped in front of a fourth quarter Peyton Manning pass and took it 74 yards for a score. Porter defiantly did take home the MVP award for best hair with his ode to the Super Bowl.
(Good Look)
Black History Month: February 5th
Hall Of Famer
On this day Hank Aaron, one of baseballs elite on and off, was born. The man they called “Hammerin’ Hank” career spanned the from the years 1954 through 1976, played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves in the National League, and his last two years (1975–76) with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League.
His most notable achievement was setting the MLB record for most career home runs with 755, which he held for 33 years until being surpassed by San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds on August 7, 2007.
He is the only player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times. He is also one of only four players to have at least seventeen seasons with 150 or more hits. Aaron made the All-Star team every year from 1955 until 1975 and won three Gold Glove Awards. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (2,297), the most career extra base hits (1,477), and the most career total bases (6,856). Aaron is also in the top five for career hits with 3,771 (third) and runs with 2,174, which is tied for fourth with Babe Ruth).
In 1957, he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award and helped the Milwaukee franchise to a World Series victory.
Kurt Warner Retires From National Football League
Never Giving Up
Kurt Warner has called an end to one of the great storybook careers in NFL history. The 38-year-old quarterback announced his retirement from the game after a dozen years in a league that at first rejected him, then revered him as he came from nowhere to lead the lowly St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls, winning the first of them. Written off as a has-been, he rose again to lead the long-suffering Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl a year ago.
Warner walked away with a year left on a two-year, $23 million contract, knowing he still had the skills to play at the highest level.He had one of the greatest postseason performances ever in Arizona’s 51-45 overtime wild card victory over Green Bay Packers on Jan. 10, but sustained a brutal hit in the Cardinals 45-14 divisional round loss to the New Orleans Saints six days later.
Warner leaves the game with a legacy that could land him in the Hall of Fame even though he didn’t start his first game until he was 28. In a comparison with the 14 quarterbacks to make the Hall of Fame in the last 25 years, Warner has a better career completion percentage, yards per pass attempt and yards per game. Only Dan Marino had more career 300-yard passing games.
In 124 regular-season games, Warner completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns. He and Fran Tarkenton are the only NFL quarterbacks to throw for 100 touchdowns and 14,000 yards for two teams.
He was also the fastest player in NFL history to 10,000 yards passing and tied Dan Marino as fastest to reach 30,000. He has the top three passing performances in Super Bowl history. His 1,156 yards passing in the 2008 playoffs broke the NFL record of 1,063 he set with St. Louis in 1999.
He played three seasons in the Arena Football League and one in NFL Europe, mixed in with a sting stocking grocery shelves back in Iowa. Warner made the Rams as a backup in 1998, then was thrust into the starting role in 1999 when Trent Green was injured.
What followed was a masterful and wholly unexpected season, when he led the Rams to a 13-3 regular-season record, then a Super Bowl triumph over Tennessee Titans. He was named the league and Super Bowl MVP. St. Louis was upset in the first round of the playoffs the following season, but Warner had them back in the big game in 2001, where “The Greatest Show on Turf” lost a squeaker to New England Patriots. The season earned him a second NFL MVP award.
But after an injury-plagued 2002 season, he was sacked six times and suffered a concussion in a 2003 season-opening loss to the New York Giants. He never started for St. Louis again. He signed a free agent contract with the Giants for 2004, but was replaced by rookie Eli Manning after nine games. Warner came to the Cardinals in 2005 and was an off-and-on starter before replacing the injured Matt Leinart part way through the 2007 season.
Warner had to beat out Leinart the following spring, then led the Cardinals to the NFC West crown and playoff victories over Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia before the narrow loss to Pittsburgh Steelers in last year’s Super Bowl, where he threw for 377 yards.
Warner’s departure leaves Leinart the presumed replacement. The former Heisman Trophy winner has started 17 games for Arizona but only one in the last two years.
Oakland A’s Prospect Leaving Team To Become Priest
2009 Arizona Fall League MVP
Oakland Athletics Grant Desme, who was the A’s second round pick in 2008, is retiring from baseball to enter the priesthood. Desme was recently selected the 2009 Arizona Fall League MVP and was considered the top prospect in Oakland’s system.
The 23-year-old outfielder batted .288 with 31 homers, 89 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 131 games at Class-A Kane County and Stockton last season. He then hit .315 with a league-leading 11 home runs and 27 RBIs in 27 games in the fall league.
Not every day your something like this.
Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning Wins NFL Most Valuable Player Award
MVP
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning won his fourth NFL MVP award recieving 39 1/2 votes to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees 7 1/2 out of the 50 sports writers and broadcaster who cover the league. Manning became the first player to win the award four times, winning in 2003, 2004 and 2008, breaking a tie with Brett Favre at three MVPs.
Manning threw for 4,500 and 33 touchdowns this season and led the Colts to a 14-2 record with numerous comeback victories this season. Manning lost his longtime favorite receiver, Harrison, this season and his replacement Anthony Gonzalez, went down with a right knee injury in the opener. Manning turned to his latest fave, Reggie Wayne, who had 100 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns and to Dallas Clark who was one of two tight ends with 100 receptions in a season and 1,106 yards with 10 scores.
Plus Austin Collie tied for the rookie lead in receptions with 60 and scored seven times while . Pierre Garcon developed into a deep threat and averaged 16.3 yards on 47 catches, with four TDs.
Only four players, all quarterbacks, earned votes as the other two were Philip Rivers of San Diego (2) and Brett Favre of Minnesota (1).
Manning joined the truly elite of team sports: Wayne Gretzky (9), Barry Bonds (7) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), the leaders for MVP awards in their sports.
Andre Dawson Elected To The Hall Of Fame
The Hawk
First let me say that I’ve seen some of the ballots and being a person that subscribes to the religion of baseball it makes me absolutely sick on how some of these writers who get admission into the Baseball Writers Association of America actually voted or in some chases choose not to file one single vote. Absolutely disgusting.
Back on November 29, I posted a detailed run down of who I thought deserved admission into the Baseball Hall of Fame as well as those I would not vote for, if I was lucky enough to have a vote, and today the results from the Baseball Writers Association of America told us the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame class would only have the inclusion of outfielder Andre “The Hawk” Dawson.
Dawson a five tool player was a 8-time All-Star and 8-time Gold Glove outfielder, was also the 1977 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1987 NL MVP. In 21 season he finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs as well as 1,591 RBI’s among many more baseball accomplishment’s. Dawson played for the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins. The Hawk on his ninth try received 420 out of 539 votes for 77.9%, 2.9% more than the 75% needed to be inducted.
Dawson, whose fielding prowess earned him the nickname “The Hawk,” will be honored along with manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, who were elected by the Veterans Committee, will be inducted into the Hall July 25 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York.
I hate to take away from Hall of Famer Andre Dawson moment but when you see that the BBWAA had 5 blank ballots, in what I am going to assume was pure laziness,just infuriates me considering guys like Bert Blyleven missed by 0.8% or that Roberto Alomar missed by 1.3%. While my blood is still boiling I would like to dot trademarks around the writers eyes that used their votes to tell me that Kevin Appier, Pat Hentgen, David Segui and Ellis Burk need to have a plaque of enshrinement next to Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Bob Gibson, Mickey Mantle, Ozzie Smith, Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays just to name a few.
Players may remain on the ballot for up to 15 years provided they receive five percent of the vote in any year. There were 11 candidates who failed to make the cut this year, all among the 15 players who were on the ballot for the first time. The first-year candidates who received sufficient support to remain other than Alomar were shortstop Barry Larkin with 278 (51.6%), designated hitter-third baseman Edgar Martinez with 195 (36.2%) and first baseman Fred McGriff with 116 (21.5%). Other holdovers who will remain on the ballot are pitchers Jack Morris and Lee Smith, first basemen Don Mattingly and Mark McGwire, shortstop Alan Trammell, outfielder-DH Harold Baines and outfielders Tim Raines, Dave Parker and Dale Murphy.
Once again congratulations to you Hall of Famer Andre “The Hawk” Dawson.
Randy Johnson Retires From Major League Baseball
No, THANK YOU
Am I a Randy Johnson stan? Yes. Is Randy Johnson a Hall of Famer? Yes. Will Randy Johnson be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot? Yes. Again Am I a Randy Johnson stan? Yes.
Now that those questions are out of the way, it’s time to say goodbye to an extraordinary 22 year Major League Baseball career. The Big Unit finished with 303 wins on his career, good enough for 22nd all-time, 5 Cy Young Awards with another 3 in which he finished 2nd place and 1 3rd place finish, he struckout 4,875 batters to put him second all-time behind Nolan Ryan and first among left-handers, 10 time All-Star, 2 time 20 game winner, a World Series champion, and to not to be forgotten is that he pitched a no-hitter and a perfect game.
You can call those the major accomplishments but here’s just a few more to add to the resume a 2001 World Series co-MVP, earning four ERA crowns, nine strikeout titles, and the ability to boast having beaten every single big league team at least once.
Johnson’s career began in Montreal with the Expos and included stops in Seattle, Houston (where he was the CC Sabitha before there was a CC Sabaitha going 10-1 after being traded down the strecth to push the Astros into the playoffs), Arizona, New York and finally San Francisco. Johnson overcame wildness early in his career to become a dominant starter that included a 10-year stretch between 1993 and 2002. During that span, he struck out 2,928 batters in 2,188 innings to go with a 2.73 ERA and 175 wins.
Thank you Randy Johnson for the memories and allowing me to say I witnessed perhaps the most dominant left handed pitcher of all time.
Yankees, Tigers, Diamondbacks Complete Three-Way Trade
Winners All Around
I gotta admit I have been neglecting my responsibilities when it comes to offering Sports Grind Entertainment feelings about all the moves happening at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. Instead I’ve just been siting on my fat ass and watching as fan and enjoying that Christmas always comes early for this O.G. baseball fan. So I’ll start off by tossing the ball around the diamond with the blockbuster trade that going the hot stove burning.
The three team deal had the New York Yankees receiving All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson. The Arizona Diamondbacks received right-hander Edwin Jackson and right-hander Ian Kennedy. The Detroit Tigers acquired the most players in getting lefty reliever Phil Coke and prospect Austin Jackson and right-hander Max Scherzer and left-hander Daniel Schlereth.
I’ll go by win-loss record in breaking down each team involvement, so first up is the World Series champion Yankees (103-59) who acquired Grandson. He’s a web gem in the outfield who’s only 28 and adds another left handed bat to an already dangerous lineup. Granderson hit .249 with 30 home runs, 71 RBIs and 20 steals. But to acquire Grandson the Yankees gave up Kennedy who has been hit with the injury bug but is fairly young and has only pitched 59 innings in big leagues. Coke is also another young arm sent packing, he was the Yankees primary left-handed reliever for 2009. The Yankees dug into their farm system and sent their best prospect rated by Baseball America Austin Jackson away.
My prospective is that this move signals that they are unlikely to re-sign both Johnny Damon and World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and might have bailed on too much youth but these are the Yankees so you can almost guarantee they will always be movers and shakers if they see an area of weakness in the future.
The Tigers (86-77) are next up to bat and keep in mind that this ball club forced a one game playoff with the Minnesota Twins. Detroit received a young left-handed Coke to help out an already strong pitching staff and Austin Jackson to eventually take over for Grandson. They reeled in a strikeout machine in Scherzer who is a number two starter on most clubs but could be pushed as far down as fourth with the Tigers, he struck out 174 batters in 170 1/3 innings. Detroit also received Schlereth, the son of former NFL lineman Mark Schlereth, who has a mid-90s fastball and could be the Tigers future closer or slot in to be the setup man.
The Tigers did give up a web gem outfielder in Grandson but where able to shed his $23 million contract over the next three years and the arbitration-eligible Edwin Jackson. In return received a plethora of young talent on the mound and a possible replacement for the center field spot.
Coming in last in this trade as well as the National League West is the Diamondbacks (70-92). Arizona received All-Star Edwin Jackson who is World Series tested and fails to the number three starter behind aces Dan Haren, Brandon Webb. and replacing the young arm of Scherzer with Kennedy. Edwin Jackson finished the season with a record of 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 214 innings, his best ever in MLB.
The Diamondbacks might have given up two young arms but a huge reason why the team fail to the lows they did last year was the season ending injury to Webb after one start and the lack of run production. While the bats haven’t been address yet, the pitching staff didn’t take a nosedive.
Yankees: Winners/Tigers: Winners/Diamondbacks: Winners
Pudge Rodriguez Signs With The Washington Nationals
Best I've Ever Seen
The Washington Nationals came to terms with free agent Ivan Rodriguez on a two year deal worth 6 million dollars. Rodriguez will be a leader in the clubhouse and mentor to the leagues youngest pitching staff.
The potential Hall of Famer also will serve every-day duties for the first month or two of the season, until Jesus Flores is fully recovered from shoulder surgery, and then will mentor Flores.
Rodriguez, 38, last year passed Carlton Fisk for the career record in games caught. He has won 13 Gold Gloves, been to 14 All-Star Games and is a career .299 hitter. Rodriguez, the 1999 AL MVP, is also the all-time leader in games started at catcher and total chances and putouts at the position and is tied with Gary Carter for sixth all-time in home runs as a catcher with 298.
Rodriguez served as a backup for the Rangers after being acquired from the Astros in August. He played in a combined 121 games and hit .249 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs.
Washington catchers last year hit .250 with a .310 on-base percentage and 121 strikeouts.
