A Three Man Race for the NL MVP? Not so fast…

After yesterday’s short piece on the AL MVP, I started thinking about the players who would probably win it in the National League. Unlike the American League, the National League is most likely a race between three different players. Two outfielders and one catcher, if you’ve been following baseball you know of these three young superstars. A case can be made for any of them to win it, but who’s going to be this years National League MVP?

Much like the Pirates .500 chances, Cutch will fall just short of his first MVP award.
(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)

Let’s take a trip down memory lane: Remember when the Pirates held a 1 game lead of the NL Central going into the All Star break? Who ever thought that could ever happen?! Believe it or not, the Pirates were one of the best teams in baseball heading into the All Star break and they had one player to thank for that: Andrew McCutchen. A five-tool player, Cutch was on fire this first half of this season and his performance was certainly worthy of having his name thrown into the NL MVP race. He was batting .362 heading at the break and it looked like the Pirates were on their way to a first winning season in almost 20 years!

Now back to reality: The Pirates are now a .500 team; have a 1.3% chance of making the playoffs; and Cutch’s performance has suffered a little. If there was an award for best first half, Cutch would be a slam dunk to win it. He was clearly the team’s and the league’s most valuable player heading into the All Star break. As of right now, I don’t think that Cutch is going to win it. He should get plenty of top five and even top three votes for MVP, but if Cutch wins it, I’ll be surprised. However, Cutch is going to be a generation player. With only 3 years under his belt in the Majors, we haven’t even seen the best of this young Pittsburgh outfielder. The city of Pittsburgh haven’t had this kind of baseball talent since the early 90s with some guy named Barry Bonds.

He’s got the numbers, but past history will prevent another MVP season for Braun
(AP photo)

If you’re going on pure numbers, there’s this stud in Milwaukee who’s putting up similar, if not better numbers than last season. Ryan Braun, who won last year’s MVP over Matt Kemp in a coin flip vote, is  arguably having a better season this year than last year. His average is down a little bit from last year, but he’s still batting .313/.388/.599. Braun has also set career highs in home runs with 40 (which leads the NL), drawn 59 walks, and with 171 hits and 104 RBIs, he’ll most likely set carrer highs in those categories as well. Oh and did I mention that he’s got 27 steals on the season too? One word can describe him: stud.

You know what other word a lot of people use to describe Ryan Braun: cheater. During last off season, news got out that Ryan Braun was tested positive for PEDs aka the Cardinal Sin of ball players. I don’t know about you, but I was devastated when I heard about it. In my eyes, Braun was supposed to be the next great generation of players: a clean generation that resembled baseball in it’s Golden age. Even though, through a series of legal loopholes, his suspension was lifted, there was still a sour taste in my mouth. I suspect that same sour taste will be in the mouths of voters this year and years to come when it comes to Braun. Even though his stats back it up, I’ll be shocked if Mr. Braun repeats this year as the NL MVP, but he should gather a bunch of top 3 votes from writers across the country.

With a ROY already to his credit, look for Posey to add an MVP this season
(Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

When it comes to important positions on the field, the catcher is one of the most undervalued positions in all of baseball. With the ability to physically call the game, throw runners out on a dime, and take charges from the likes of Prince Fielder at home plate, a catcher who can do all of those things are  a dime a dozen. Luckily for San Francisco Giants fans, they have found their franchise catcher in Buster Posey. Having not played since his rookie season two years ago because of a knee injury he sustained earlier last year, many people wrote off Posey this year as an elite catcher. Sure, we all knew he had amazing potential (on both sides of the plate), but I don’t think many people predicted the season he is having right now. Since the all star break Posey’s been playing out of this world. He’s batting close to .400 and is gunning people out from home left and right.

When it comes to the MVP of the year in the NL, it has got to be Buster Posey. Although still young in his career, he’s such an important part of that clubhouse. When he went down last year, the team was absolutely pathetic on offense. They didn’t score nearly as many runs as they did in their World Series run one year previously and looked last luster on defense the entire season. With a healthy Buster Posey behind the plate, the team is rejuvenated and actually considered a one of the teams poised to make a deep October run, even without their normal ace Tim Lincecum who has struggled all year. Catchers aren’t usually considered favorites for the MVP award. Since 1972 only three catchers have won the award (Bench, Munson and Mauer), however I think it’s time the baseball writers to give credit where credit is due.

Ovechkin May Stay

Courtesy of nhlsnipers.com

Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin isn’t sitting around and waiting for the NHL lockout to end. Like many other players, he will be traveling overseas to play professional hockey elsewhere. For Ovechkin, he’ll be returning to his former KHL team, the Moscow Dynamo whom he played for prior to moving onto the NHL. While his contract has a clause that allows him to come back to the NHL once the lockout ends, the most exciting player in hockey isn’t sure that’s what he’ll do. In a statement earlier this week the Russian left winger stated that if player salaries are cut enough, he would consider staying in Russia and playing for the Dynamo instead. In his interview he stated, “If our contracts get slashed, I will have to think whether to return there or not. I won’t rule out staying in the KHL, even past this season.”

This statement is showing the threat that this lockout could potentially provide to hockey, not only in the NHL but around the world. The NHL and KHL have agreements that players who have NHL contracts cannot skip out on those contracts and play in the KHL instead. If Ovechkin stays he would be in breach of that agreement and it could result in action being taken by the NHL to not allow their players to compete in International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events. That would mean that not only do American fans not get to see one of the best players in the world in the NHL, but international fans would miss out on the presence of the world’s best players on the global stage.

While I don’t believe that Ovechkin will actually do this because of the many implications, it does show that star players are frustrated and that even more big names could feel the same way. If they do and if enough of them decide that they’re over the greediness of the NHL and its owners, then they could leave and potentially ruin the league. Ovechkin’s comments and Sydney Crosby’s leadership role with the NHLPA is a sign to the owners that their stars are unhappy, and that could mean a storm is coming their way. Hopefully they realize that there’s more potential damage to be done by them wanting as much money as possible, than they originally believed and swallow their pride and negotiate. From hockey fans around the world please bring back hockey.

Posted by: John Kotkowski

Couples Inducted

Courtesy of newsobserver.com

Freddy Couples was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Known to many fans as “Boom Boom,” and for his amazingly smooth swing, Couples has been one of the biggest names in Golf for years. During his career, Couples won 15 PGA Tour events, a green jacket and played on multiple Ryder Cup teams. He now plays on the Champions Tour and can be seen in some PGA events throughout the year, especially the Masters. He fought injuries throughout his career, but has still persevered to continue playing at 52 due in large part to the smooth swing he possesses. Had it not been for that swing, his playing days may have been over years ago. Lucky for us however, he’s still playing and still competitive. Hopefully we see a few more years out of Boom Boom.

Bruins Preview Take 2

Courtesy of masslive.com

Yesterday I previewed the forwards on the 2012-2013 Bruins roster and how I felt the lines would shake up. Today, I bring you my defensive pairings and predictions as well as a goalie preview.

DEFENSE:

The Bruins are one of the strongest defensive teams in the NHL. They’re top 6 do a very good job of containing the top forwards from opposing teams and clear loose pucks and bodies in front of the net. Goaltending has been very good in Boston in the past few seasons and a large part of that is due to the great play of the defensemen. I’m assuming the pairings will go as follows:

Chara(13 G, 43 A)                             Boychuk(5G 25A)

Seidenberg(6G, 24A)                      McQuaid(7G 18A)

Ference               (6G, 19A)                             Hamilton(4G, 15A)

In the first pairing you have the best shut down defenseman in the NHL playing with another solid, defense-first type defender. Zdeno Chara is the biggest and strongest defenseman in the NHL, his reach and his power make it very tough to go around him and he goes against the best forwards on the other team every game. Johnny Boychuk is another strong defender, nothing special or flashy about his play; he just protects the front and takes the body. Both of these guys have big shots from the point and should be the highest point producing pair this team has.

The second pairing puts a very underrated defender, Dennis Seidenberg, with tough guy Adam Mcquaid. Dennis Seidenberg is the second best defenseman on the Bruins roster, another shut down guy who can keep top forwards under control throughout the game. Adam McQuaid is a very big, strong and tough defenseman who should be feared by most in the league looking to fight. He proved last year he was no one to mess with, and with the usually subdued personality from Seidenberg, his presence will keep other forwards honest.

The Third pairing would be the most interesting to watch this season should it be allowed to happen under the new CBA. Dougie Hamilton, a 19 year old defenseman of the year in the OHL last season, was recently sent back to his OHL team after the lockout was announced. Under the old CBA he wouldn’t be allowed to return to the NHL this season, but the expectation is that the rule will change. Should he return he will be a player to watch in black and gold this season, his size and offensive skill have Bruins fans hoping they have found the key to their powerplay. His partner, Andrew Ference is a team-first guy who is always willing to protect his teammates. We have seen multiple times where Ference has taken exception to hits on teammates and dropped the gloves. Other than that he is a gather the puck and make the pass D-man; very safe and very reliable on the backend.

GOALTENDING:

This year’s team will not feature Vezina winning goalie Tim Thomas. As Thomas is taking a year off, Tuukka time is now. The young goaltender will be starting in net for the Bruins this season, he is very technically sound and brings a calm presence to the crease. He always looks in control on the ice and allows the play to come to him. I expect a huge season out of Rask, he has shown his capabilities in the past and I think he proves naysayers wrong and puts up a strong season. His backup Anton Khudobin is another young goalie in the Bruins’ system. He is another very technically sound goalie that proved to fans last year that he can be a special player. I’m confident in his ability as a backup, and feel this tandem should do well for the Bruins.

A Race for the Ages

(Detroit Free Press)

If you’re not paying attention to baseball right now, there’s something wrong with you. Sure, I understand that football season is getting underway and many of your Fantasy Baseball teams are knocked out of the playoffs, but this is the best time to watch baseball. Even though all of the games matter in the end, there’s a sense of urgency that teams alive for the postseason are playing with that you don’t find in June or July. More importantly, this is where players are trying to etch themselves into the history books. They’re trying to win the highest individual honor there is: the Most Valuable Player of the Year. In my opinion, there’s a two man race for the AL MVP, plain and simple.

If you’ve followed baseball for the past few seasons, you know that there’s this guy in Detroit who absolutely smashes the ball. He’s hit 30+ HRs and 100+ RBIs each of the past eight seasons and during those seasons has had a batting average no less than .292 and as high as last season’s .344 mark. I’m talking about the one and only Miggy Cabrera. What can I say? The guy’s an absolute stud. He’s finished in the top five in voting each of the past three seasons and has a resume this year that could make a case for him to win his first MVP award. Oh and did I mention, Miggy could become the first player since 1967 to win the Triple Crown? MVP a slam dunk right? Not so fast?

If you’ve turned on a television or surfed the web for little over ten minutes, you might have heard about this kid name Mike Trout. This twenty-year-old rookie has taken the baseball world by storm since his call up to the Majors this year on April 28^th.  He’s a complete five tool player; the kid can hit, field, play AMAZING defense, get on base, and most importantly steal bases. With a slash line of .327/.558/.954, it’s absolutely amazing to believe that we baseball fans can watch this kid play for the next fifteen to twenty years. He’s without a doubt going to win the Rookie of the Year, but will he win the MVP?

This is the question that faces many baseball writers out there: Cabrera or Trout? Both of these players have had seasons worthy of the MVP Award and they both are clearly the two front-runners for the award. I think it’s going to come down to one factor: the Triple Crown.

If Miggy C wins one of baseball’s most coveted prizes, then it’s incredibly hard to not award his season with the MVP award. Even though Trout has been the clear favorite for the award for much of the season, he’s in the middle of a “slump” towards the end of the season (batting ONLY .284 in the month of August) and that could cost him valuable votes. Baseball writers have a tough decision to make this year. Do you vote for the more complete overall player who’s WAR is 10.3 and would rank easily top fifteen seasons of all time? Or do you vote for the hitter who crushes the ball and sweeps the Triple Crown categories? Only time will tell.

Posted By: Tim Valton

Things Are About to Get Darko in Boston

(hardwoodparoxysm.com)

According to league sources, the Celtics have picked up the rest of Darko Milicic’s 4 year contract from the Twolves. Thank God it’s only two years at 5 million per season because this was the only bad offseason acquisition for the C’s. I know Darko is 7 feet and will be somewhat of an inside presence, but there is no way I want him starting over Bass or KG. Milicic should receive about 15-20 minutes off the bench at the very most. If the 10 million for 2 years is what he gets in the final deal, I think the Celtics made a very bad call and should have invested that money elsewhere.

Posted by: Joe Quinn

NFL Week 3 Predictions

(Getty Images)

New York Giants at Carolina

Panthers 24-Giants 21       Key Player- Cam Newton

Hakeem Nicks isn’t playing and Manning wont throw for 500 yards without him. Panthers are playing A+ football and I’d expect more of the same from  them Thursday night.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis

Colts 21-Jaguars14            Key Player-Donald Brown

Andy Luck played pretty well last week against the Vikings. Blaine Gabbert and the Jags don’t look like they’re going to see a lot of W’s on their record.

Buffalo at Cleveland

Bills 31-Browns 17               Key Player- C.J Spiller

The Bills don’t need Fred Jackson when Spiller can rush for over a hundred yards and a touchdown or two. The Browns need a QB and then I could see them winning some games.

New York Jets at Miami

Jets 17-Dolphins 14       Key Player- Santonio Holmes

Not the marquee matchup of the week but should be a closely contested game. At the end of the day Sanchez is a better QB than Tannehill and thats not saying much.

Kansas City at New Orleans

Saints 24-Chiefs 20      Key Player- Darren Sproles

The Saints got a rude awakening in the first two weeks, but I dont see another loss this week. The Chiefs got whooped by Buffalo and their run game hasn’t hit it’s stride just yet.

Cincinnati at Washington

Redskins 28-Bengals 27         Key Player-RG3

Yeah, I think its gonna be that close of a game. Im giving it to RG3 only because he’s at home. Nothing would surprise me in this game other than a blowout because they’re both so close talent wise.

Detroit at Tennessee

Lions 21-Titans 10              Key Player- Calvin Johnson

Jake Locker is a bottom of the barrel quarterback and Johnsons got no chance whatsoever against the Lions D line. Stafford should have about 350 pass yards.

San Francisco at Minnesota

49ers 34-Vikings 7                  Key Player- Alex Smith

San Fran is #1 in the power rankings for a reason, their defense is unreal and they now have a balanced offense. The Vikings will win a few games now that AP is back, but they’ll have to wait another week.

St.Louis at Chicago

Bears 17-Rams14             Key Player- Brandon Marshall

The Bears have a very good offense, but with Cutlers attitude and performance last week it just doesn’t look good. The Rams finally found their go to guy in Amendola, but that’s not enough. This game would be a blowout if Chicago had better chemistry.

Tampa Bay at Dallas

Cowboys 28-Buccaneers 21               Key Player- Demarco Murray

Romo and Co. will be back in full force this week after a terrible loss last week to Seattle. Tampa will keep up with Dallas, but I just see the Cowboys as a much more rounded team.

Atlanta at San Diego

Falcons 31-Chargers 20              Key Player- Julio Jones

Matty Ice and the Falcons looked great in the first two weeks with good wins over KC and Denver. The Chargers on the other hand look like they’ll have a good season, but I dont see this as a win.

Philladelphia at Arizona

Cardinals 21- Eagles 17               Key Player- Larry Fitzgerald

Another game that I would give to either team at home. Both started out hot and are 2-0, but coming off a huge win at New England I like Fitzgerald and the Cardinals to pull this one out.

Pittsburgh at Oakland

Raiders 20-Steelers 17               Key Player- Sebastian Janikowski

I think the Steelers will be taking this game for granted and McFadden will shock them with a big game. The Steelers have the pieces, they just need to utilise them correctly and I dont see that happening just yet.

Houston at Denver

Texans 35-Broncos 28                    Key Player- Arian Foster

The reason I see this score being so high is that the Texans have the most balanced offense in football and Manning is going to revenge his loss from Monday. Foster and Tate are the best duo in the game and Denver doesn’t have an answer on defense.

New England at Baltimore

Patriots 27-Ravens 24                Key Player- Rob Gronkowski

This will be a blood bath. They’re both coming off close losses and its a playoff rematch. Brady should zone in and take control of this one, but Flacco is proving himself this year too.

Green Bay at Seattle

Packers 31-Seahawks 17                Key Player- Greg Jennings

Seattle had a great win last week against Dallas, but I personally think it was a fluke and they will have a much tougher time with the Packers. Rodgers should have a big day to make up for last week as well.

 

 

Bruins Preview

Courtesy of eliteprospects.com

I know the league is in a lockout right now, but I believe they will play this season; and for that reason I wanted to give my predicted lineup and potential for the 2012-2013 Boston Bruins. Two seasons ago the Bruins won the cup, before being stunned in a 7 game series by the Washington Capitals in the first round last spring. To me, they should still be considered one of the best teams in East and a strong contender for their second cup in 3 years. With pretty much the same team coming back, you shouldn’t expect much of a drop off in skill level or production.

FORWARDS:

The top 6 from the beginning of last season will be back, including Nathan Horton who missed a large part of last season including the playoffs with a concussion. Last year we saw this group of 6 forwards put together an incredible stretch where they simply dominated the opposition, and scored goals by the pairs. Here’s how I expect the lines:

Marchand (27G, 34A)                                     Bergeron( 23G, 45A)                       Seguin (37G 42A)

Lucic(31G, 39A)                                               Krejci(19G, 43A)                               Horton(24G, 32A)

Bourque (10G, 14A)                                        Kelly(18G, 28A)                                 Peverly (16G 24A)

Paille(7G, 9A)                                                   Campbell(9G, 11A)                            Thornton(6G, 9A)

We will once again see the dynamic line of Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin that provides grit, speed, skill and two-way play. Marchand is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Boston with his gritty, in-your-face style that gets under the opponents skin. He also provides speed and the ability to put the puck in the net to this line. We just hope that his gritty style doesn’t hurt them, as he was suspended multiple times last season for on-ice incidents. Bergeron is the best two-way player in hockey as proven by his Selke award this summer. He is the future captain of this team and he leads by example night in and night out. Seguin is the best offensive player in the organization. He has an incredible wrist shot and quick release, and his speed allows him to take the puck wide with speed and around defenders. I just hope that he has realized now that he can’t go through defenders in the NHL like it’s the OHL, and instead uses his speed to beat them wide.

On the second line we have a couple of big, strong power forwards who can put the puck in the net sandwiching a crafty centerman who can dangle and dish the puck with the best of them. Milan Lucic does it all; he hits, he fights, he scores and he’s a big body in front of the net, now the highest paid Bruins forward I expect his best season yet this year. Horton is another power forward; not as much hitting and fighting as Lucic, but he doesn’t shy away. He has shown in his two seasons with the team that he can put the puck in the back of the net as well. Krejci is a true playmaker who has a knack of finding players when others would think it impossible. He has an incredible set of hands, but the consistency needs to be there more if he’s going to play to his full potential.

Next you’ll see probably the best third line in all of hockey. One of the most underrated players in the league, Chris Kelly finds himself centering a natural center in Rich Peverley and newcomer Chris Bourque. Kelly has been a great addition to this team after he was acquired from Ottawa; he has been involved offensively and his great team-first attitude has earned him a spot as an assistant captain. Peverley is a very fast forward who always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time, it doesn’t hurt that he is great in the circle and can step in and take faceoffs when necessary. Chris Bourque, the son of Bruin great Ray Bourque was acquired from Washington in the offseason. He has some strong offensive potential and has put up pretty good numbers in the AHL. I think he’ll fit in great with the third line in Boston and hopefully provide a little offensive spark.

Now for the gritty 4^th liners. On the left side you have enforcer Shawn Thornton, the guys puts his body on the line night in and night out for his teammates and is always willing to drop the gloves to defend them. He can even dangle a little bit, evidence being his nifty backhand toe –drag penalty shot goal against the Jets last year. Gregory Campbell is another Bruin who’s addition is getting positive feedback from the fans. He’s a very strong defensive player with a surprisingly good wrist shot, he’d be a third liner on most teams. However, he accepts his role with the Bruins and isn’t afraid to fight either. Finally, Daniel Paille has earned a bit of a reputation in Boston as someone who can’t finish, but this guy is a great fourth  liner who could easily play on most third lines as well. He has tremendous speed and is great in his own zone; a strong penalty killer, I’d expect him to score 3-4 shorthanded goals this season.

Defense to come tomorrow

Posted by: John Kotkowski

Ultimate Fan

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Can He Do It?

Courtesy of themajors.net

Since Carl Yastrzemski batted .321 with 44 homers and 121RBI, Major League Baseball hasn’t seen a triple crown. This year however, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers has a legitimate chance to be the first since 1967. Miguel Cabrera is batting .333 the next closest is Mike Trout (.327), he has 40 homers 2 shy of the AL leader Josh Hamilton, and he has a 6 RBI cushion over Hamilton with 129. With 15 games left for Detroit, I believe he will do it. He has 13 of those 15 against the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Chiefs, two of the worst teams in the AL. I fully expect Miguel Cabrera to take full advantage of these matchups and put up 5-6 more homeruns and 10+ RBI’s. I think he finishes with a .334 averages, 45 homers and 141 RBI, just beating out Hamilton in the homerun department as he finishes with 44. Hamilton faces a much tougher schedule with the majority of their remaining games against the Angels and A’s two playoff contenders.

I think this is the year we see a triple crown. The numbers are there, the right player is there and his schedule is fitting for him to stay hot right through the end of the season. This would be great for baseball and get people more interested in the league before playoffs begin.

 

Posted by: John Kotkowski