2 Reasons Why The Arizona Diamondbacks Are In 1st Place

What a year for Arizona sports fans. Not only do they have the MLB All-Star Festivities but they also have, for the first time in 3 years, a big to make the playoffs. With the Giants struggling on offense, this is the best time for them to make a run. After two last place finishes in the last two years, the Diamondbacks have made an almost incredible and unpredictable season. Here are the 2 main reasons why the D-Backs are back.




1. The Pitching Has Been Extraordinary 

Ian Kennedy is leading Arizona

It all begins with Ian Kennedy. Kennedy is having a Cy Young season. He has 16 wins (Tied for 3rd in MLB, Tied for 1st in NL), a 3.09 ERA (12th in NL), 154 strikeouts (9th in NL) and only 4 losses. After having an average season last year, Kennedy is living up to the potential the D-Backs saw in him. Kennedy has two side-kicks with Joe Saunders (8-11, 3.98 ERA) and Daniel Hudson (13-9, 3.75 ERA). The Bullpen has also not been a major problem. J.J. Putz is pitching like it's 2007 (he had 40 saves and 82 K's). He has 32 saves and 42 strikeouts in 45.2 innings. They traded for sidearmer Brad Ziegler at the trade deadline to add bullpen. He and David Hernandez will be the set-up men.


2. The Offense Has Been Better Then Expected

Justin Upton is a star

Arizona only had 2 All-Stars this year. RF Justin Upton and C Miguel Montero. Both are stars in the making and this year is proving just that. Upton is hitting .298 with 25 home runs, 77 ribbies, 146 hits, 19 stolen bases, 35 doubles, and 5 triples. Montero is batting .269 with 12 homers, 62 RBIs, and 28 doubles. The biggest surprise is 3B Ryan Roberts. Roberts has only played more than 36 games once before this year. He is now played in 117 with a .258 average, 16 diggers, 50 RBIs, 15 steals, and 20 doubles. They also have CF Chris Young with 17 HRs, 57 RBIs, .232 average, 29 doubles, and 18 steals. They have also traded for 2B Aaron Hill, 1B Lyle Overbay, and SS John McDonald. Other key players include OF Gerado Parra, Of Collin Cowgill, and INF/OFWillie Bloomquist.

All in all, watch out for Arizona in September and maybe in October.

College Sports Never End, Not Even During Summer Break

The 2011 Summer Universiade Logo

The school year isn't the end for college sports. Every two years a international event is held by the FISU (International University Sports Federation). The event is called Universiade. There is a Winter and a Summer Universiade. The Winter Universiade was held earlier this year in Erzurum, Turkey from January 27-February 6. 


The Summer Universiade started Thursday the 11th in Shenzhen, China. It is ending later today with the Closing Ceremony. The 26th ever Universiade had 24 sports, including Athletics, Basketball, Football (Soccer), Golf, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, and many more.




With only 5 medals left to be handed out later today in China, China not only has the most gold medals with 75, but also has the most medals overall with 145. Russia, who has 131 total medals, second most total medals. Russia also has the most silver medals with 44 and 45 bronze medals. 3rd overall with 87 total medals is Japan, Korea is in 4th with 77, and the in 5th with 49 medals is the US.

Going for the rebound, From left to right USA's Darius Miller
(#12),  Finland's Matti Nuutinen (#11), USA's Orlando Johnson
(#9), and USA's Trevor Mbakwe (#15)

Basketball for the US is usually a guarantee for a medal. The Men's Basketball team didn't deliver on the expected medal. The US team, featuring Scoop Jardine (Syracuse), Aston Gibbs (Pitt), and JaMychal Green (Alabama), didn't even compete in a medal game. They defeated Germany 86-83 to take 5th Place. The Women's team, however, showed what US basketball is all about. They won 112-53 vs Brazil, 114-68 vs Slovakia, 85-33 vs Great Britain, 96-30 vs Finland, 79-67 vs Australia, and 101-66 vs Chinese Taipei in the Gold Medal Game. The US team was led by the Ogwumike sisters, Nneka and Chiney (Both go to Stanford), and Sklar Diggins (Notre Dame).


The US earned 11 of their 15 medals in the pool. 8 of the 11 medals won in swimming events were individuals. The 8 events and winners are Jimmy Feigen (men's 100 meter freestyle), Matt McLean (men's 200 meter freestlye), Michael Klueh (men's 800 meter freestyle), Tim Phillps (men's 50 and 100 meter butterfly), Haley Anderson (women's 1500 meter freestyle), Jennifer Connolly (women's 50 meter backstroke), Annie Chandler (50 meter breaststroke), and Madeline Dirado (400 meter IM). The 3 other swimming gold medals came through relay victories. The Men won the 4x100 (4 swimmers each swim 100 meters) freestyle relay and the the 4x200 (4 swimmers each swim 200 meters) freestyle relay. The Women won the 4x200 freestyle relay.


Next week, the college football season begins. The end of one college sports season ends within two weeks of when the new season starts. That proves that the college sports season never really ends.

Jim Thome Hits 600

Thome celebrates with his teammates

One of the best clubs in sports has a new member. The 600 Home Run Club welcomed Jim Thome yesterday after he hit a 7th inning home run off Daniel Schlereth. Thome hit the home run 1 inning after he hits home run #599 off Rick Porcello. 

Jim Thome has had a career different then any other 600 HR Club Member, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr, and Alex Rodriguez. He wasn't considered the best player of his era (Ruth, Mays, Aaron, Griffey Jr), wasn't linked with steriods (Bonds, Sosa, Rodriguez ) and wasn't a media star who was always in the spotlight (All of them). 

Thome led the league in home runs in 2003 with the Indians (47) and came in second twice in 2001 (49) and 2002 (52). He lost to Rodriguez  both times by less then 5 homers. The least diggers Thome hit in a season in which he played at least 81 games (half the season) was in 1994. he played in 98 games and hit 20 home runs with the Cleveland.

Thome is not the man you will think will hit 600 home runs because he did his work quietly. So quietly that he only made 5 all star games. In the years he came in first and second in the home run race, he wasn't in the All-Star Game. Thome participated in 3 Home Run Derby but didn't win any. Maybe that's another reason why he was not a house hold name. Should all fans know who he is.

If there really was a club for 600 Home Run Club, around the walls would be plaques. Thome's plaque would be placed there at the end of the year. And hopefully soon after Thome retires he will have a Hall of Fame plaque

Congrats Jim! You really deserve this.

Cape Cod Baseball League is More Then Premier

Cape Cod, home of fantastic seafood, beautiful lighthouses, great beaches, and the Cape Cod Baseball League. The Cape League has for years been called the primmer summer collegiate baseball league. It has no real competitor for the top spot. Primmer is an understatement, the Cape Cod Baseball League is one of the top baseball leagues in the country and is the undisputed  collegiate baseball league/conference (Includes summer leagues and NCAA Conferences).

Why? It is quite simple. The CCBL has all the qualities of a great league. The scouts get they want by the players using wooden bats. In college players use metal bats which is much different. By using wooden bats, scouts can see if a player can hit well with a wooden bat. If they don't the scouts learned something they never would have known before. It will also show the scouts if the fielders will react differently for when the ball comes off a wooden bat. All in all, the Cape League is a scouts heaven

2007 Y-D Red Sox

The scouts also see top players vs. top players. They see how great players work with each other. One prime example of this is the 2007 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Players on the team included C Buster Posey (5th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, 2010 World Series Champ, Injured but on San Francisco Giants roster), INF Gordon Beckham (8th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, 2009 Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year, Currently with Chicago White Sox), C/1B/DH Jason Castro (10th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, Injured but on Houston Astros roster), Collin Cowgill (5th Round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, Currently on Arizona Diamondbacks roster). and many more stars. They blended really well and played really well. This showed them that they can fit well in a new environment and perform well.

The League 10 teams, Bourne Braves, Brewster Whitecaps, Chatham Anglers, Cotuit Kettlers, Falmouth Commodores, Harwich Mariners, Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Orelans Firebirds, Wareham Gateman, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, that have great volunteers and workers. Withouy them there would be no league. They spend most of their summers working. Where do the players live during the season, in volunteers homes. Volunteers are the players that unofficially run the league.

The 2011 CCBL season ended 2 days ago in Falmouth with Harwich beating Falmouth in 7-5, sweeping them in the best of 3 series. Next year, I suggest you head to Cape Cod to see some games, go to the Hall of Fame (Yes they do have a Hall of Fame, it is located at the JFK Museum in Hyannis), and most importantly, have fun.

A Proposition for the National Football League

The NFL is the only sports league of the 4 major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) that does not have a minor league. I believe they should have two minor leagues. Here is my proposition.

The NFL Should Have Two Minor Leagues

Some teams need more players then the standard 53,

Reason 1: Gives Players a Chance to Play

Sometimes teams have to cut players they want to have develop but they can fit on the 53 man roster. This would give these players the chance to develop under NFL supervision. Teams might also find that they have a star no one knew about. Some players need to develop before they hit it big time. It can also help injured players recover and train.

Reason 2: It Can Make A Lot Of Revenue 

After a lockout where one of the top issues was how to split the revenue. The owners love to get money and this will get them money they never thought of getting before. Anyone will want to go to a football game. The fans will want to buy merchandise, food, drinks and more. That can add a lot of money to 9 billion the NFL has right now.

How: Buy the UFL and bring back NFL Europe 
To me this is simple. The UFL and NFL Europe will make the more popular around the country and the world. It will bring in more revenue in new places and expand football around the world.


Here what the United Football League brings. In areas where there is no pro football, there is an opportunity for the NFL to make money. The UFL has taken advantage of that opportunity, placing teams in Las Vegas Omaha, NE Sacramento, CA, Hartford, CO, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. But if you add teams in Oregon, Alabama, Mississippi, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Mexico, Oklahoma City, Tennessee, and Iowa you've expanded pro football to new places where getting money was much harder.

Bringing back NFL Europe will globalize the game, which is needed. The 3 other major sports league of the major 4 major sports leagues capitalize on the the world market. Football isn't as popular as it is in the US. Did anyone even know that the International Federation of American Football World Cup was held last July? I doubt it. The US team featured no real superstars and they dominated every other team. Bringing back the league will defiantly make other countries better at football and you never know. The next Jim Brown or Joe Montana might find interest in football thanks to NFL Europe. 

If my plan happens to come true, NFL Europe will have 14 teams 

Why Cleveland and Pittsburgh Are The Trade Deadline Winners

Getting Ublado Jimenez shows Cleveland
 really wants the AL Central title

The Indians and Pirates are not usually buyers at the trade deadline but this year is an exception. Cleveland needed to upgrade both their pitching staff and Pittsburgh needed to add to their line-up. Both teams did just that.

First lets start with the Cleveland Indians. Their pitching rotation was not playoff ready. They needed an ace to be the be the top guy in the rotation. They got Ubaldo Jimenez from the Colorado Rockies for minor leagues  pitchers Joseph Gardner, Matt McBride, and Alex White. Jimenez is going to be that guy. I believe that he will be a great down the stretch for the Indians.

The Indians also picked up OF Kosuke Fukudome from the Chicago Cubs for 2 minor leaguers and OF Thomas Neal from the San Francisco Giants for 2B Orlando Cabrera. Both will help Cleveland's outfield which includes Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo, who both are on the DL.

Ryan Ludwick is great addition to the Pirates

The Pirates have not had a real power hitter all year. Now they have 2, 1B Derrek Lee and OF Ryan Ludwick. They got Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles for minor leaguer Aaron Baker. They received Ryan Ludwick from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later or cash. Both Ludwick and Lee will make the Pirates more of a threat in the NL Central. Putting them in the line-up moves Andrew McCutchen to the lead off spot and puts less pressure on him to hit for power. 

The losers of the the trade deadline is no doubt, the Houston Astros. Houston traded away its 2 best players, RF Hunter Pence (Pence was traded to Philadelphia) and CF Michael Bourn (Bourn was traded to Atlanta). Houston now has no one the fans can support. Look for Houston to be the worst team in baseball very soon.

All in all, the surprise teams of the 2011 MLB season, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Indians, are the winners of the 2011 MLB Trade Deadline. The losers, the Houston Astros, are on a total decline after the deadline.