2012 National League All-Stars

Ah yes, the  83rd mid-summer classic is upon us. It will be played on July 10th at 5:30pm (PST); televised on Fox.  This year's All-Star Game is being held in Kansas city at Kauffman stadium, home of the Royals. As per the rules of playing in an American League park, the designated hitter will be in full effect and will be decided upon by retired NL Manager and future 1st ballot Hall of Famer, Tony LaRussa. In following with the tradition my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, I will be rooting for the Senior Curcuit.

Here is a preview of the lineup for the National League:

POSITION PLAYERS

Infield

C - Buster Posey ~ Giants
As I may personally disagree with this particular choice, its hard to deny Buster a starting spot on this years All-Star roster.  He has a line of .303/.370/.480*; with an OBP of .370, that is incredible for a catcher with durability questions who has caught 480 innings this season already. My choice would have been with either Brian McCann or Yadier Molina, but Posey is a good choice for the starting catcher.

*Denotes: Batting Average/On-Base %/Slugging %


1B - Joey Votto ~ Reds
Votto is one of the more popular players in the National League and for good reason, he's really good.  Votto's line is .350/.471/.559.  Votto's OBP is the highest in the Majors, he leads the NL in slugging percentage and may very well break the major league record for doubles in a season.  He belongs as the starting 1B in the NL.


2B - Dan Uggla ~ Braves
It is my personal pleasure to announce that Dan Uggla will be the starting second baseman for the NL; unfortunately he is the only starter for the Braves.  Ugg's line is .235/.363/.414. One might wonder why someone with a batting average that is as low as .235 and yet he has an OBP of .363. This is due to the fact that Uggs is on pace for a personal best for walks with 51. If Uggs can cut down on his strikeouts (90 already!) he will improve the dismal .235 he is currently batting.


SS - Raphael Furcal ~ Cardinals
In my opinion, Raphael Furcal is the front-runner for NL Comeback Player of the Year.  Once written off as washed up and not nearly the base-stealing threat he once was, Furcal has posted a line of .282/.348/.377 with 9 steals on the year. I was lobbying for the Braves to pursue a 1 year contract with Furcal after the 2011 season, because its obvious he still has some gas left in the tank. The Cards were wise in retaining Furcal for this season, as evidenced by his 3rd All-Star selection.


3B - Pablo Sandoval ~ Giants
Pablo Sandoval has been surging at the plate as of late. Batting .357 during this streak of hitting safely in 7 of his last 10 games. During this current streak, "Panda" (as he is referred to in the clubhouse) ended his 19 game homerless drought with a blast this past Friday night at AT&T Park. Naturally a 3rd spot hitter (in the lineup) Panda has been batting 6th; but there have been talks as of late to his moving back to where he has hit the most homers (38).

Outfield

CF - Matt Kemp ~ Dodgers
This is Kemp's second selection to the All-Star Game. Before Matt Kemp went down with a hamstring injury he was the most dangerous, talented ballplayer in the National League; a true 5-tool baseball player. The five tools are 1) Hitting; 2) Hitting for Power; 3) Can field exeptionally well; 4) Has a GREAT arm; 5) is great at Baserunning.  Kemp is desceptively fast.  Matt Kemp is currently on rehabilitation assignment right now, working the rust off of his picturesque swing. More than likely, LaRussa will use Kemp as the DH, which would be wise.


RF - Carlos Beltran ~ Cardinals
When Carlos Beltran came down to St. Louis from the NY Mets, people knew he carried a big stick, but Cardinal fans were wondering just how big 'a stick he carried. He has 20 HR's and is batting .310 so far this year and has reached base safely in 17 of the 19 games he started in the month of June.


LF - Melky Cabrera ~ Giants
In 2010 when Melky was a Brave, he batted a dismal .255 and was subsequently traded to the Kansas City Royals.  Flash forward a season and a half and here's a man who is batting .350 and leading the Major Leagues with the most hits (109).  This is easily the best half-season in Melky Cabrera's career and he was rewarded with a start at LF in this year's All-Star Game.


PITCHERS

Starting Pitchers


SP - Clayton Kershaw ~ Dodgers
Last year's NL Cy Young Award winner is as dominant as ever this half-season; posting an ERA of  2.74 and a misleading 5-4 win/loss record due to the lack of run support Kershaw has recieved as of late.  Nothing hurts a pitcher's confidence like taking a loss after only giving up one or two earned runs; and that's what has been Clayton Kershaw's 2012 season, with the exception that the 24 year old has learned to shrug off tough losses and press forward.


SP - R.A. Dickey ~ Mets
Dickey has been the feel-good story of the year in the nation's biggest city.  Here is a 37 year-old former position player turned knuckle-baller. And let me tell you, his knuckleball is for real, as evidenced by his success this season.  He is 12-1.  12-1!!! Not even Tim Wakefield achieved this type of success in a the first half of a season.  There is a certain mystique about knuckle-ballers that baffles baseball purists, myself included.  Its hard to imagine not being able to hit a 73 mph (and thats a VERY fast knuckler) out of the park each time it is pitched, but that never happens. The ball dips darts and dives in an almost comically unpredictable manner.  I tip my Braves hat to Dickey for his 12-1 record, his 3 complete games and especially his 2 shutouts. He will likely be the starter for the game, which makes Dickey the 1st knuckler to start the mid-summer classic since Dutch Leonard in 1943.


SP - Lance Lynn ~ Cardinals
Lynn started off the 2012 season completely gangbusters; recording a 10-2 record in his first 13 starts. Lynn has cooled considerably in his las few starts, giving up 17 runs in 15 1/3 innings.


SP - Stephen Strasburg ~ Nationals
The Washington Nationals ace, Strasburg, has posted a 9-3 record with an adequate 2.81 ERA. It will be interesting to see what Davey Johnson does come the end of August when his best pitcher hits his so-called inning limit that the Nationals front office placed upon the 3rd year pitcher after making (so far) a successful comeback from Tommy John surgery.

SP - Gio Gonzalez ~ Nationals
The other half of the Washington Nationals dynamic duo Gio Gonzalez is a serious contender for this season's Cy Young award. He boasts an 11-3 record and a 3.01 ERA.


SP - Wade Miley ~ Diamondbacks
While being a quiet rookie has flown a bit under the radar, Miley's pinpoint control is the reason he was chosen for the 2012 All-Star Game.


SP - Cole Hamels ~ Phillies
The Phillies are the surprise of the National League; and not in a good way. On the cusp of the midway point of the season, the Phillies are 11 games out of 1st place and there is talk of Hamels being a traded by the July 31st deadline. That being said, Hamels is 10-4 with a 3.08 ERA.


SP - Matt Cain ~ Giants
Matt Cain is the ace of the Giant's staff, as witness by his pefect game earlier this season.  He's leading the National League in innings pitched and is enjoying a 2.53 ERA; this is Cain's 3rd All-Star selection.


Relief Pitchers


CL - Craig Kimbrel ~ Braves
"Killa Craig" has converted 23 of 24 save opportunities this season and is boasting a 1.50 ERA. Just to get a litmus test of how good Kimbrel truly is, he is holding left-handed batters to a miniscule .043 batting average; thats just filthy. If this game is tight with the National League leading in the 9th, look for Kimbrel to close it out. This is Kimbrel's 2nd All-Star appearance in as many years.


CL - Aroldis Chapman ~ Reds
Chapman throws harder than anyone in the majors; sorry Verlander, he just does. This guy has the All-time record for fastest pitch recorded: 105mph.  I can't explain how fast that truly is, but batters have been known to remark, "Didn't see the pitch til it was in the catcher's mitt." Look for Chapman to pitch the 8th inning to set-up for Kimbrel if the game is close.


CL - Jonathan Papelbon ~ Phillies
The back end of the bullpen for the NL is riddled with closers.  That's because there are some pretty good closers in the National League. Papelbon has 18 saves which ranks 4th in the NL; he also sports a 3.03 ERA.


CL - Huston Street ~ Padres
Street has bounced back impressively from missing the first month of the season. He is 12 for 12 in save opportunities and is sporting a 1.29 ERA which helped him net his 1st All-Star appearance.


CL - Joel Hanrahan ~ Pirates
The 30 year old Pirates closer has converted 20 of his 22 save opportunities and has a 2.10 ERA to earn his 2nd All-Star appearance.



RESERVES

C - Carlos Ruiz ~ Phillies
Ruiz has been on a tear this year. He boasts a line of .356/.420/.579 and has 11 homers so far this year.

1B - Brian LaHair ~ Cubs
 LaHair plays the game a lot like Michael Young of the Texas Rangers; he can play multiple positions...well.  He primarily plays 1B, but during interleague play he showed everyone he can play RF as well. He's batting .284 with 13 homers on the year.

2B - Jose Altuve ~ Astros
This is Altuve's first full season in the Majors, someone please remind him of that! He is batting .308 with 27 extra-base hits in 72 games; which gives him a slugging % of .450.


SS - Starlin Castro ~ Cubs
Castro is one of the few bright spots for the "Lovable Losers." He has a line of  .298/.319/.432  and 16 steals this season.


SS - Ian Desmond ~ Nationals
Desmond is part of those upstarts for our Nation's capitol. He has a line of .276/.305/.483, which is not too shabby for an everyday shortstop.


3B - David Wright ~ Mets
If Chipper Jones is the most hated Brave in Mets fan's eyes, then David Wright is the most hated Met in Braves fan's eyes. And for good reason; he's good every single year. Wright has the 2nd highest batting average in the NL with .354 and earned his 6th All-Star appearance.

RF - Jay Bruce ~ Reds
The only stat that isn't impressive for Bruce is his batting average (.257) but the other stats are there: 17 Homers and 54 runs-batted-in.


RF - Giancarlo Stanton ~ Marlins
The ballplayer formerly known as "Mike" Stanton has been consistent since his Major League debut. The 22 year old is batting .282 with 19 homers and 50 RBIs.


CF - Andrew McCutchen ~ Pirates
"Cutch" has had a phenomenal 1st half.  He's batting .346 with 15 homers and 51 RBIs with 14 steals.  If he stays this consistent, he will be in the running for MVP at the end of the season.

LF - Carlos Gonzalez ~ Rockies
Gonzalez is making his 1st All-Star appearance, because he is leading the league in runs as well as total bases. Not to mention is line is a smoking hot .337/.394/.604.

LF - Ryan Braun ~ Brewers
The reigning 2011 NL MVP will be making his 5th straight appearance in the mid-summer classic.  With the "false-positive" steroid test behind him, he's having a typical Braun-esque year: .308 22 homers and 55 RBIs.


There is one spot left on the National League roster and it's down to Chipper Jones, Michael Bourn and the 19 year old phenom (that hurt to write), Bryce Harper.  My only hope is that Chipper gets the nod and we, as fans, get to see Chipper in his final All-Star game.  Results of the poll will be released this Thursday, July 5th. 

Tommy John and a Second Chance

Mention the name "Tommy John" to anyone who watches Sportcenter and they immediately know that it means that a pitcher had some kind of operation in order to elongate the pitcher's career and "fix" their throwing arm. "Tommy John" surgery is the common name for Ulnar Collateral Replacement Surgery and there are a litany of pitchers, both professional and amateur, have had this procedure. Most people, avid baseball fans included, don't know the specifics of what Tommy John is and what it entails. Let's delve into the history and application of Tommy John Surgery and discuss just a few of baseball's superstars who have had this surgery:



Tommy John Surgery, or UCR surgery, is defined as a surgical graft procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body; often from the forearm, hamstring, hip, knee, or foot of the patient) or from a cadaver doner (see diagram left). The procedure is common among collegiate and professional athletes in several sports, most notably baseball. Basically in non-medical terms, a person blows out or rips the ligament in their elbow and has it replaced by a shiny new one; much like blowing out a tire and putting on a new one.

I chose this particular subject, because the Major League leader in ERA, Brandon Beachy of the Atlanta Braves, tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John last week. The procedure was first performed in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe, who today serves as a Special Advisor to the LA Dodgers, and is named after former major league pitcher Tommy John; whose 288 career victories ranks seventh all time among left-handed pitchers.

The necessity of the Tommy John surgery became prevelant due to the wear and tear a pitcher goes thru during the longest season in all of sports; 162 regular season games, plus spring training and the postseason. The UCL can become stretched, frayed, or torn through the repetitive stress of the throwing motion. Anyone who has ever thrown something extremely hard and then felt soreness in the ebow region has placed stress on the UCL; now imagine throwing a baseball thousands upon thousands of times.

Back to the procedures namesake, Tommy John; Thirty-seven baseball seasons have passed since the very first UCL replacement surgery. John was 31 years old with 124 wins and 11 seasons under his belt. He never threw heat like Strasburg or Smoltz, instead he relied on a bottom-out sinker that forced ground balls. But the three pitchers, as well as many others who have undergone UCL reconstruction, have one thing in common: a mechanical flaw in the timing of their deliveries that causes the arm to lag behind the rest of the body, putting extra stress on the shoulder and elbow. The very nature of how a baseball is thrown by a pitcher (overhand, rather than the ergonomically correct underhand) generates enough force on each pitch to rupture the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. To throw a baseball properly, a pitcher must get into the right position at the right time with the right succession of movements, like dominoes falling.

After John's procedure in 1974, he spent the entire 1975 season recovering. At the time when John came back in 1976, he posted a 10-10 win/loss record that, at the time, was considered miraculous. Tommy went on to pitch until 1989 and posted 164 wins during that period. Having personally known Sandy Koufax, who had retired in 1966 at age 30 after a short but brilliant career, that a damaged UCL meant you were done. With this successful surgery, and subsequent recover, it effectively gave all pitchers hope that if the most important ligament in their throwing arms were to give way, their career was not necessarily over.

Despite the inevitable year-long stint on the DL that rehab from the surgery requires, teams and pitchers seem to barely flinch at the diagnosis of a compromised UCL. "It's become an accepted side effect of the job," says George Paletta, the Cardinals' head team physician and orthopedic surgeon. That's because the surgery works; 92 percent of elite pitchers with reconstructed UCLs return to their prior level of competition for at least a year.

The list of Tommy John surgery recipients include: Deion Sanders (strangly NOT a pitcher), Jamie Moyer (the 76 year old who was demoted to the minors by the Rockies a few weeks ago), John Smoltz, Stephen Strausberg, Kerry Wood, Eric Gagne, Tim Hudson and a whole laundry list that reaches into the hundreds. Soon to be added to the list of successful UCL replacement surgeries will be Brandon Beachy of the Atlanta Braves (God willing).

God-given genetic superiority and freakish athletic ability often help those with less-than-ideal pitching mechanics make it to the majors, which is why you will find shockingly few exemplars of pitching mechanics on Tuesday Night Baseball. "Everyone knows smoking is bad for you, yet people still smoke," says Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild. "It's the same with pitching. I've seen guys who don't have great mechanics pitch for a long time. The body adjusts."

Until it doesn't, then a consultation and ultimately "Tommy John Surgery" courtesy of Dr. James Andrews (doctor to the athletes et al.)

Here is a top 10 list of pitchers who have had successful Tommy John surgeries courtesy of Sports Illustrated:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1103/mlb-tommy-john-surgery/content.1.html

More Bad news for The Bombers

Baseball's arduous schedule can certainly take a toll on even the most physically conditioned players.  By the All-Star break you start to get a good idea of what teams are the ones to watch for in the second half of the season and which ones have playoff potential.  In the past 3 seasons there have been at least 2 division leaders that either lost first place by October or completely missed the playoffs.  In a season riddled with injuries and with the All-Star break rapidly approaching, you have to wonder what consequences the last two injuries will cause for the Yankees.

Andy Pettitte took a one-hopper off of Casey Kotchman's bat in the fifth inning of yesterday's game that will effectively take him out of the rotation for at least four weeks.  The Yankees also announced that club ace Sabathia will be placed on the 15-day DL after suffering a left groin strain during his pitching outing Sunday at Mets Citi Field.

These are the types of injuries that can do some serious damage to a team.  Pettitte rejoined the Yanks on May 13th, 2012 and his impact on the rotation has been a welcomed addition.  Pettitte has started 9 games this season and currently holds a 3-3 record; however, the 3 no-decisions for Pettitte have resulted in New York victories.  He has also posted the lowest ERA (3.22) and WHIP (1.09) among the starting rotation, amassing a commendable 59 strikeouts during his stint.

Now comes decision time for Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman.  The likely candidate on his way to Yankee Stadium is Triple-A RHP Adam Warren.  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Warren pitched a complete game shutout on June 3rd against the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore affiliate) string out 6 during his outing.  He is set to make his first major league start on Friday against the White Sox.

The July schedule for the Yankees will bring a tremendous test with the recent injuries to the team.  They will face off this weekend against AL Central leading Chicago White Sox and will have 15 games in July against division rivals that will certainly challenge the current 5 game lead.

"We've just got to weather the storm," Pettitte said. "Nobody's going to feel sorry for you with injuries and stuff like that. We've got a lot of good stuff going on here. We've got plenty of guys who can step in and do the job, so it's time to put my pom-poms on and be a cheerleader now for six weeks or so."

Why We Call Him "Frediot"

Say the word "Frediot" to any Braves fan and they will know who you speak of and exactly why. Fredi Gonzalez was named the successor to Bobby Cox "unofficially," when the Florida Marlins deemed Hanley Ramirez to be more of an asset to the franchise than Fredi Gonzalez in 2010.  Almost immediately the media, and those inside the Braves franchise, said that Gonzalez was the front-runner to replace a legend. 

Fredi then inherited a team that had been skippered by a living legend, and the most beloved manager in not just Atlanta Braves history, but the whole history of the franchise; dating back to when they were known as the Boston Red Caps in the 1910s, in Bobby Cox.  The Braves managerial choice seemed like a Cinderella fit...up until September of 2011. 

September 2011 saw the 2nd worse collapse in baseball history; bested (or worsted, if that's a word) by only the Boston Red Sox in ineptitude.  Had the Red Sox not collapsed last year, the Braves would have been the perennial whipping-boy of the baseball media; but the baseball Gods are fickle and saw fit to force the Sox into a tailspin of epic proportions.  Last season left this Braves fan in a 6 month depression that was thought to be dormant; until this past week. 

The Braves were supposed to be the favorites for the NL wild card, but I wonder if that is even possible with a Skipper as inept as "Frediot" Gonzalez.  There has already been talk this year of Frediot being on "double-secret probation," and if at any time it seems as though things are slipping away from him that he will be fired and subsequently replaced; "ANY TIME' is NOW. Fredi is a lesson in mismanagement; one only needs to look at his handling of the bullpen in 2011 to get a litmus test on Frediot's managerial acumen. 

The Braves have/had the best bullpen in not only the NL, but the Major Leagues as a whole.  One colossal collapse, and an unreliable 'pen (with the exception of 2011 Rookie of the Year Craig Kimbrel) later, coupled with a plethora of questionable managerial decisions, equals the Braves naming someone, ANYONE "interim manager."  Lets examine just 1 of the examples of "Frediocy:"

On June 13th, the Braves were playing the Evil Empire, err, I mean the Yankees. Things were going well, the Braves were handling the Yanks 4-0 late with Mike Minor throwing a gem of a game.  Flash forward to a pitching change due to a base hit by Derek Jeter. ONE BASE HIT AND HE SWITCHED PITCHERS.  Atlanta was leading 4-0 going into the top of the 8th inning, and Mike Minor was still on the mound after shutting-out New York and pitching his best game of the season. After giving up a hit, Minor was immediately pulled from the game and Jonny Venter’s was brought in in relief. Venters, who has struggled with consistency (a gross understatement) throughout the year, gave up two quick hits to load the bases to bring up A-Rod; who incedently was #2 on the list of career grand slams, behind only Lou Gehrig.  Notice the grammar in the previous sentence, paying close attention to the word "WAS." My dad and I watched this happening in real-time, but it seemed like slow-motion. Here's a recap of our experience:

Me: WHY THE F@#$ IS VENTERS IN THIS GAME???
Dad: Because the Lord obviously hates us, son. Either that or Fredi is the Devil. Either way here comes a grand slam.
Me: Please no...
TV; "WAY BACK, AND ITS A GRAND SLAM FOR A-ROD, WHO IS NOW TIED WITH LOU GEHRIG ON THE ALL-TIME GRAND SLAM LIST..."
Me: (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted)
Dad: Told you, been around this game too long, son.

After another Venters hit, Cory Gearrin came into the game and immediately gave up a 2-Run shot to Nick Swisher that gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead, which would hold for the final score. Lets recap: Braves up 4-0 in the top of the 8th, 1 hit given up by the starter, Mike Minor; replaced by a terrible Jonny Venters, 2 more hits, bases loaded, A-rod comes up, its now 4-4.  One more hit, then Frediot finally replaces Venters with the equally inept Cory Gearrin, HR Nick Swisher; 6-4 Yanks.  Jonny Venters obviously shoulders a lot of blame for giving up four hits, including a Grand Slam, without ever recording an out. Cory Gearrin deserves blame for giving up the 2-Run homer to Swisher. But they wouldn't even have been in the game had it not been for Frediot replacing a starting pitcher who's only crime was giving up a hit to Derek Jeter (who is chasing Pete Rose's all-time hit record) and Fredi managed, once again, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. 

Not many managers would still have a job after their club completely collapsed to miss the playoffs in the last month of the season.  The Red Sox, who did the same thing at the same time as Atlanta, not only fired their manager without hesitation, they let go of their "Prodigy" GM Theo Epstein to the Cubs. Let us not forget that Epstein built 2 different World Series Champions and Terry Francona helmed both squads to the title within 7 years and was considered one of the best managers in the game. Fredi Gonzalez was never even on the hot seat for his gross negligence and terrible decision-making, and he’s never led a club to the  playoffs in 5 full seasons of managing (4 with the Marlins).  This leads me to believe that the problem goes way deeper than just Frediot, Frank Wren (Atlanta GM) has some 'splainin to do.

I certainly hope the Braves right this ship and get back to their winning ways, but how big of a cushion can a team give the Washington Nationals (the upstarts who are leading the NL East) before Braves internal management says "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, FREDIOT."

Lost in the Linsanity: An Editorial

This is Jeremy Lin, that's all that's going on in sports. Right?
(Reuters/ Mike Segar)

Right now, you can't turn on the television or radio without hearing about Jeremy Lin. The Harvard graduate has taken the sports world by storm and has done so at a very opportune time. Let me just say that I am Linsane in the membrane. I'm Rush Linbaugh. This time of year, the sports world is starving for stories and Jeremy Lin has been what is holding the 24 hour sports cycle together. Lin is a special talent and I will say my piece on him, but here is what you may be missing in the world of sports if all you hear is Jeremy Lin.


Red Wings Dominate at Home
The Detroit Red Wings have not lost a game at home since November 3rd. The Wings have rattled off 23 consecutive wins and go for #24 tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. While turning Joe Louis Arena into Fort Neverlose, the Red Wings have earned the best record in hockey. Their home winning streak has been a big part of that as on the road, Detroit is a sub .500 team. It will be interesting to see if they can continue their winning ways without the continued services of assist leader, Pavel Datsyuk.

Coming into town, the Canucks boast a great road record, 20-10-2. Vancouver will be the toughest test in JLA until the Chicago Blackhawks come back into town. If they make it to that point with the home winning streak still in tact, the Wings will attempt to set the all time record for most consecutive home wins across sports against the last team to beat them.

Hope Springs Eternal at Spring Training
Pitchers and catchers have already reported to baseball's spring training and the rest of the players are filtering in. All eyes will be on newcomers such as Yu Darvish, but what interests me is the players trying to make another run at one last summer in the sun.

49 year old Jamie Moyer is trying to get on with the Colorado Rockies. Moyer has 260 wins on his career and feels he can contribute both on and off the field. He's going to have a chance to make it, as the pitching staff for the Rockies are comprised of mostly new faces from the off season. According to the Washington Post, Moyer has already been establishing himself as a clubhouse leader, teaching the former American league pitchers on staff the nuances of hitting and bunting.

In the American League, making a less auspicious return is Manny Ramirez. General Manager Billy Beane haas described the signing of Ramirez as "low risk" but critics haven't been as kind to the signing. ManRam's best years are behind him and he still must serve a 50 game suspension from his positive PED test. The signing is nothing new in the home of Moneyball where aging sluggers have spent their last seasons, often without impact on the roster.

Heat Leading the League
Even within the same league, there are stories that are being missed in the Linsanity. The Miami Heat are playing great basketball and it seems the chemistry between the big three is working. They are tied for the best record in the league with the Oklahoma City Thunder at a 26-7 mark. The two squads look like they are in an early collision course in the Finals.

The only teams that look like they could challenge the Heat and Thunder respectively are the Bulls and the Spurs. The Spurs themselves have put on quite a winning streak, at one point rattling off 11 consecutive victories to propel themselves to the top of their division. Tony Parker has been unconscious, leading the aging roster on one last journey against time and trying to get to the Finals, themselves. This could be the effect of the lockout shortened season benefiting the teams who had established chemistry over the years and know how to rev themselves up to make a run.

The Bulls, lead by reigning MVP Derrick Rose go into the break with a 5 game lead on the second place Pacers. The Bulls lost a close one against the Heat in their first match up on the road. The teams have three more meetings in what will decide who the king of the East is going into the playoffs.


Finally, Jeremy Lin
A lot has already been said about Jeremy Lin. I haven't watched many of his games but from what I've seen, I know this. The guy can play ball. The biggest knock on him so far is that he turns the ball over too much. In his 10 games he has had 56 turnovers which is most ever for a player in their first ten games. However, stats don't matter. Wins do. The Knicks are shooting 15% better from the floor when he's out there and they are winning games. Before Lin, the Knicks were looking at the lottery once again but with him at the helm, they are in the playoffs at the midway point.

Now that Carmelo Anthony has returned, I would expect Lin's production to go down some but overall I think his return will be good for the Knicks in the long run. Anthony provides something that no one else on the team can. Anthony is a strong player and can get to the rim out of his small forward position. What separates him from his teammates is his willingness to create difficult points, especially late in games. I think that with Anthony back in the lineup, the Knicks can make some serious noise moving into the second half of the season. Right now, New York is the hottest team in their division and if they continue to play like they have been playing the past 3 weeks, they will win the Atlantic Division.

Braun, If You Did it...Just Admit it

Ryan Braun will accept his National League MVP Award at the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s winter awards dinner on the 21st of this month and after recently testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Braun contests that the substance that was found in his PED test was that of a medicinal nature; whether that is the truth remains to be seen. One thing this amateur sports writer knows is that "if ya did it just admit it;" Jason Giambi admitted to taking the "juice," as well as A-Rod and we the general populous collectively moved onward towards the future.

Such was not the case with my former favorite athlete (not just baseball player) Barry Bonds; he decided to go the way of Pete Rose and deny, deny, deny, then tell the truth in a schlocky "autobiography" that was nothing more than a ghost writers interpretation of a degenerate gambler's proclivities; perhaps in 20 years Bonds will write a book to let us know what we already watched with eyes wide shut and why his cap size grew from a 7 to a 7 3/4 in just under 3 years. Braun has a chance to be a man, take his licks, and keep on with a career (though tainted horribly) but a career nonetheless. I digress:

Braun falling down while trying to complete an inside-the-park home run, is the purest form of allegory I could find when I began penning this editorial; if Braun does indeed deny the PED allegations and they are found to be true, this would be a literal fall from grace and further solidify the guilty until proven innocent mentality the athletes in the MLB have forced upon each of us fans; overnight Braun will go from MVP to baseball pariah.

Braun's positive test for performance-enhancing drugs took a potentially final turn Thursday when he made a desperate plea and stated his case before a three-member panel. The panel could meet as early as Friday, but no decision is expected prior to what will prove to be an awkward Saturday night; That is when Braun is expected to accept his MVP award at a New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s dinner. avoid what could be a devastating suspension; not only for himself as an athlete, but the whole Milwaukee organization.

The evidence against Braun seems insurmountable; A source told the NY Daily News the following:

(Braun tested) insanely high, the highest ever for anyone who
has ever taken a test, twice the level of the highest test ever taken.

Now we have a clear cut case of he said/she said against a panel the has never been wrong or been proven to have made any mistakes in the 9 years of testing (beginning at the minor league level.) No player has ever successfully overturned a suspension; zero, zip, NADA and there is no reason to lean towards the contrary. Braun will either be vilified or vindicated from this moment forward, and this fan can't help but see Braun twist his metaphorical mustache while having some damsel tied to some railroad tracks. This is the biggest battle of Braun's career, and he's losing...badly. I make no bones about it, I'm a tomahawk chopping Brave, but Braun was my overall favorite player (behind Chipper Jones, naturally) and I feel like I fell for it the same way the " great home run chase of '98" duped me and the rest of the free world.

If Braun would just stop listening to his team of pirahna, err, lawyers, he would see that the truth will indeed set him free; like the title of this story states: IF YOU DID IT BRAUNIE, JUST ADMIT IT and go take your 50 game suspension like a man and maintain what little dignity you have left.

Kimbrel Unanimously Wins ROY

Craig Kimbrel was voted the 2011 National League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers of America. Kimbrel was part of the 3-headed monster that was the back end of the Braves bullpen with Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty (collectively known as "O'Ventbrel"). Until the Braves 'pen succumbed to overuse, the 7-8-9 innings of games the Braves were ahead by 3 runs or less saw a virtual "lights out" when trying to face these hurlers; Kimbrel provided the knockout punch the Braves had been missing since Smoltzie was our closer a few years back.

Posting an NL rookie record 46 saves, a 2.10 era, and 277 K's in only 77 appearances; for those who don't know, that's an actual "butt-load" of strikeouts per 9 innings. When talking about just a "1-2" punch, the Braves combo of Venters/Kimbrel were perfect throughout the summer months this past season. PERFECT. This combo of setup man and closer was quite simply the best in baseball this year; a lefty/righty, 8/9 inning combo that has the mustard to strike out the final 6 batters no matter who they are. Kimbrel is a thoroughbred who was groomed from day 1 to be the Brave's closer; starting with his call-up in 2010 so he could be mentored by then Braves closer, Billy Wagner. In 3 years in the minors spent in Danville, Rome, Myrtle Beach, and finally AAA Gwinette, Kimbrel had 51 saves in 121 appearances; while posting a 1.85 era and a staggering 14.4 strikeouts! To put Kimbrel's k/9 stat into perspective to allow you to understand how powerful and how NASTY Kimbrel's stuff really is, his k/9 is 14.4 whereas "The Rocket" Roger Clemens, one of the most prolific strikeout pitchers of all-time has an 8.55k/9 for his career and the best numbers he could muster were 10.68k/9 back in 1998 when he pitched for Toronto.

In 2010, Kimbrel got a taste of the closer role for the Braves and got the chance to pitch in all 4 of the Braves postseason games despite only hurling 20 innings during the regular season. This instance shows just what it means when a ballplayer has "IT," the intangible that separates professionals from amateurs; and Kimbrel has "IT" in spades. Despite the fact that the 2011 season came crashing down around all of the Braves, and the fact that Kimbrel struggled for the first time since April, (5 for 8 for saves in September), this does not mean Kimbrel has forgotten how to throw "heat." In game 3 of the 2010 NLDS, Kimbrel came into the game in the 9th and subsequently blew the save and took the L; that very next night, instead of falling flat on his face, he did what good closers do: He got the save and gave his team another chance to win the series. Get used to hearing this name folks, here's a stud that will be around for awhile.

Suicide Squeeze: Wild Card Madness

It was a crazy night last night with 4 games deciding who was going to the playoffs. Tampa Bay, Boston, Atlanta and St. Louis all were looking at do or die scenarios where if they took care of their business, worst case scenario they had a one game playoff. Here are some quick hits on last night's games and how it shakes out in the playoff picture.

St. Louis at Houston

The Cardinals jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the 1st with 7 hits to all but eliminate the drama from their part of the race. St. Louis got a complete game 2 hitter from Chris Carpenter, who struck out 11 and walked only 1. With the game already well in hand in the 9th inning, Allen Craig hit a solo shot to put an exclamation point on St Louis' win. They put the pressure on Atlanta who faced division rival Philadelphia.

Philadelphia at Atlanta

There was high drama at Turner Field as the Braves lead the Phillies going into the top of the ninth. They were three outs away from forcing a one game playoff with the hard charging Cardinals. Craig Kimbrel came in to make the save for the home team. Kimbrel got in trouble as he loaded the bases and Chase Utley hit a sacrifice fly to send the game into extra innings. Neither team threatened until Hunter Pence singled to right field to score what would be the winning run as in the bottom of the inning Freddie Freeman grounded into a season ending double play.

New York at Tampa Bay

The Yankees looked to be gift wrapping the AL wild card to their division rival Red Sox as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead featuring a grand slam from first baseman Mark Tiexiera. However, the Rays would not be denied. In the bottom of the 8th, the Rays erupted for 6 to make it a one run game and in the bottom of the 9th, with two outs Dan Johnson stepped into the batters box and hit a home run to right field to save their season to that point. The Yankees had a runner in scoring position but couldn't push him across setting the stage for Evan Longoria's walk off home run to left, to win the game.

Boston at Baltimore

A rain delay paused the final game of the Red Sox season for 1 hour and 26 minutes, giving them a chance to see Tampa complete their rally against New York. The Orioles had just completed a rally of their own. Jonathan Papelbon had struck out the first two batters he faced when he ran into trouble, surrendering back to back doubles to tie the game and then a game winning single to lead off man Robert Andino to give the Red Sox their first loss of the season when leading after 8 innings.

This is how the playoffs now shake out, the American League playing their game 1's tomorrow night and the National League on Saturday.

American League             National League
New York vs Detroit          Philadelphia vs St. Louis
Tampa Bay vs Texas          Milwaukee vs Arizona