MLB Regular Season Wrap-Up/Playoff Preview

Todd Helton's Retirement

Todd Helton
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Todd Helton played his last game yesterday. He played his whole career with the Rockies. He player his college career at Tennessee and it was very eventful. He played on the Volunteers football and baseball teams. His football career was at a peak during the 1994 season, when he started three games due to the starting quarterback getting injured. In his third start, he also got injured and was replaced by, Peyton Manning, and the rest is history. His baseball career was better than his football career. He won the Dick Hoswer Trophy in 1995 as college baseball's best player.

Two years after being drafted, Helton played his first game in the majors on August 2, 1997. The next year, he was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year. His best year was 2000. He was arguably the best player in the league. He was first in the league in batting average with .372, on-base percentage with .463, slugging percentage with .698, on-base plus slugging with 1.162, hits with 217, doubles with 59, total bases with 405 and ribbies with 147. He also had 42 homers, 103 walks, 138 runs, 8.9 rWAR, and 163 OPS+. He made an All-Star appearance, was fifth in the MVP voting and won a Sliver Slugger Award.

The next four seasons were much the same. He hit over .329, had 182+ hits, 39+ doubles and always had an OPS over 1.000. It was a stretch for the ages. He appeared in the All-Star Game every year, won three Gold Gloves, and three Sliver Sluggers. From 2005-2007, Helton was still hitting about .300/.400/.475 every year. After 2007, he was not the same player, but still was productive. 

Todd Helton
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With Helton's career over the question now becomes whether or not he is a Hall of Famer. He definitely has the numbers and many highlights. He is a little short on the accolades, but that is not his biggest problem. His two big problems are that he played in the Steroid Era and played in Denver. Players from the Steroid Era have had trouble getting into the Hall. Also, many people have been downgrading Helton and Larry Walker's career numbers for playing in a hitter-freindly ball park. However, I believe that Helton deserves to be in Cooperstown. He has been a great player for many years and his peak seasons were amazing. Not only that, Helton is just an all-around great guy and one of my favorite players.

Breakout Seasons from Matt Carpenter, Carlos Gomez

Many players have had breakout seasons in 2013. The biggest breakout star has been St. Louis Cardinals' second baseman Matt Carpenter. He leads the league in hits with 199, doubles with 55 and runs scored with 126. He has been outstanding for the Cardinals this year. Carlos Gomez also had a breakout year. With Ryan Braun injured and suspended for most of the year, the Brewers need other players to rise up to the occasion. Gomez did just that and was Milwaukee's best player. He hit 27 doubles, 10 triples, 24 homers, stole 40 bases and had a .843 OPS. He also had a rWAR of 8.4, which placed him third in the league. Both players had incredible regular seasons and, hopefully, that success will carry over to next year.

Playoff Team to Rise to the Occasion

The Detroit Tigers are primed to return to the World Series for the second straight season. They are the most complete team in postseason. They have the league's best rotation and a stacked lineup. Let's start with the pitching. Their starting rotation is outstanding. It's starts with Justin Verlander. Even though he has had an off year, he is still a menace to face in October. Then, they have Max Scherzer, arguably the best pitcher in the game this year. He is 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA, 0.970 WHIP, a 145 ERA+, and 240 strikeouts. Their third starter is one of the most underrated in the game this year. Anibal Sanchez has been superb. He has an ERA of 2.57, a WHIP of 1.154, 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings, an ERA+ of 163 and 202 strikeouts. That 1-2-3 combo is deadly. Their lineup is built around the best player in the game, Miguel Cabrera. But, Miggy is not the only player who has been good in the lineup. Omar Infante is hitting .318, Prince Fielder has 36 doubles, 25 round-trippers, 106 RBIs and an OPS of .819 and Torii Hunter, Austin Jackson, and Victor Martinez have had productive years. The Tigers look like they will be back in the World Series.

Playoff Team to Struggle in the Limelight

Dan Uggla
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I am a fan of the Braves, but not in this year's playoffs. Not only do they have to face the NL's hottest team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. if they were facing any other team, I would have liked them a lot more. It is not just their opponent. They have been very streaky. Justin Upton has been hot and cold. Justin's brother, BJ, and Dan Uggla both have batting averages under .185. That is way under the Mendoza Line. The only constant, productive hitters have been Freddie Freeman and Chris Johnson. They do have a top defensove shortstop in Anrelton Simmons. His defensive WAR of 5.4 this year is tied for the highest all-time. Their starting pitching has been good, but not great. They will need to have great starting pitching to have a chance against LA. Atlanta may have made the playoffs, but they were not a very good team in the regular season, and their flaws will show in the postseason. 

Wladimir Balentien: The New NPB Home Run King

Wladimir Balentien celebrating
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Wladimir Balentien has broken the single-season home run mark in the Nippon Baseball League. Balentien hit his 55th and record tying homer on Wednesday. On Sunday, he hit two home runs to become the new single-season home run champ of Japan. The record though, has, and will be surrounded in controversy. 

Sadaharu Oh hit 55 home runs in 1964 to set the record. Oh is considered the greatest player in the history of Japanese baseball. He has the professional home run record with 864 round-trippers. Twenty-one years later, Randy Bass was within one home run of tying the record. Many Japanese players and fans did not want a foreign player breaking such a sacred record. On the last day of the season, Bass' Hanshin Tigers faced the Yomouri Giants. The Giants' managers was Oh. Bass was intentional walked four times. In a fifth at-bat, Bass reached out and poked a pitch into the outfield. Oh denied telling his pitchers to throw balls. It was later revealed that a coach would fine a pitcher one thousand dollars for throwing a strike to Bass.

In 2001, another event involving Oh and the record occurred. Tuffy Rhodes, also an American, tied the home run record. He then went to play the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, managed by Oh. The pitchers on Fukuoka Daiei Hawks refused to throw strikes to Rhodes. Oh denied involvement again. One of his coaches said the pitchers were following what he told them. The coach, Yoshiharu Wakana, commented on the race, saying, "It would be distasteful to see a foreign player break Oh's record."

The next year, another non-Japanese player came close to breaking the record. This time it was Alex Cabrera of Venezuela. He tied the record with five games left in the season. He, like his fellow foreign players who came close to the record, saw little strikes. Oh told his pitchers to throw strikes, but they did not. Cabrera didn't hit another home run.

Now, back to Balentien. He is in his third season with the Yakult Swallowers of the NPB's Central League. Born in Curacao, he was signed by the Mariners in 2000 at the age of 16. He made his major league debut on September 4, 2007 with the Reds. Two years later he was traded to the Mariners. He played the 2010 season in Triple-A. Before the 2011 season, he signed with Yakult. He had 147 minor league homers and 15 major league dingers in his career in the states. 

Wladimir Balentien
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This year, Balentien has been outstanding. He has a .338 batting average, .462 on-base percentage, .816 slugging percentage, 132 hits, 57 homers, and 120 ribbies. While there has not been controversy over team's not throwing strikes, there still has been controversy. In June, NPB announced they are using a livelier ball, without notifying the players. That may spark some controversy around baseball if he really is the champ. But, Oh also used "juiced" equipment. He was using a compression bat, which could hit a baseball ball farther then the average bat. These bats were banned in the MLB, but not in NPB until the 1982 season. So, you could say the two even out. 

In the end, you need to give Balentien his props. He earned this honor. And hopefully, the people of Japan will accept that.

The 125th IOC Session: Winners Include Tokyo, Wrestling

For the last few days, the International Olympic Committee hosted it's annual IOC Session in Buenos Aires. They made many decisions involving the future of the games. Here is how it all went down.

Tokyo is elected the host of the 2020 Olympics
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Tokyo has been selected as the host of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The Japanese city beat out Istanbul and Madrid in the voting. This will be Tokyo's second time hosting the Olympics. It's first time hosting it was in 1964. The only other time Japan has hosted an Olympic Games was the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. They select a host city through voting. All IOC members, except those from a candidate city's country and the IOC president, vote for a country to host the Olympics. The first round had Tokyo getting 42 votes and Istanbul and Madrid both receiving 26 votes. Only two teams make the final round of voting, meaning that Istanbul and Madrid need to have a tiebreaker round. Istanbul edged Madrid 49-45 in the tiebreaker round. Then, in the final round, Tokyo secured the 2020 Olympics, defeating Istanbul 60-36.

Tokyo was the favorite going in and considered a "safe choice". But it did have hurdles to overcome, specifically being close to Fukushima. Fukushima is where the nuclear disaster of 2011 occurred. Tokyo's bid said that the disaster would have no effect on Tokyo or the games. It is too early to see if that is true. 

The 2020 Olympics host vote was not the only major decision made at the 125th IOC Session. The day after the vote for the host, another vote was held, this time on which sport will be added to the program for at least the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. The three sports that were being voted upon were baseball/softball, squash, and wrestling. Wrestling was dropped from the program in February due to the recommendation of IOC. Baseball and softball were dropped from the program in 2005. The last Olympics where baseball and softball competed was in 2008.

The voting for the sport was not even close. Wrestling received 49 votes, baseball/softball got 24 votes, and squash received 22 votes. This was the right decision. Even though I love baseball and I think squash could make it as an Olympic sport, wrestling was the most deserving. It should have never be cut. Not only is it one of the best Olympic sports, it is a big part of the Olympics history. The right move was made. 

Thomas Bach
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The final decision made was about the IOC President. Jacques Rogge's term as president reached it's maximum. He had been the president since 2001. There were six candidates running to succeed Rogge as resident. They were Germany's Thomas Bach, Sweden's Sergey Bubka, Puerto Rico's Richard Carrione, Taiwan's Wu Ching-ko, Singapore's Ng Ser Miang, and Switzerland's Denis Oswald. 

The first round of voting had Bach get 43 votes, Carrione received 23, Bubka got 8, Oswald had 7, and both Ching-ko and Ser Miang received 6 votes. Their was a tiebreaker to see who would make the next round between Ching-ko and Ser Miang. Ser Miang received 56 votes to advance. In the second round, Bach got 49 votes to seal the victory. My favorite fact about Bach is that he won the gold medal in the team foil at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Bach should be a good president. 

2013 NFL Preview

AFC East

Best Quarterback: Tom Brady: Is this even a question? Who else am I going to pick, Mark Sanchez, EJ Manuel, Ryan Tannelhill? Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in history.  He has dominated this division for a decade, and has shown no signs of slowing down. Brady is a great quarterback and is going to have another great year. 

Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Danny Amendola: Amendola may have never played a snap in the regular season with the Patriots, but he will be crucial to the team's success. Amendola is replacing Wes Welker as Brady's go to wide receiver. Amendola can become a player just as good as Welker, the key is going to be to keep healthy.

Breakout Star: Stevan Ridley: Ridley had a little bit of a breakout season last year, having the most rushing yards by a Patriot since Corey Dillon in 2004. Now, I believe he will be a top five rusher in the league. Since the Patriots have a core of young and inexperienced wide receivers, they will be relying heavily on run.  Especially in the first few games and definitely throughout the year. Ridley proved he can be a very good back in the league. Now, he has the potential to be one of the best in the biz. 

Most Important Defensive Player: Cameron Wake: I love Wake. He is one of the most underrated players in the game. He is a sack master and a perennial All-Pro. It would not surprise me if he is in the top three in the league in sacks. He had an excellent year last year, recording eighteen sacks, and will have to live up to that for the Dolphins to be good.

Division Winner: New England Patriots: This may be the easiest division in football. The Jets and Bills will be bad this year. The Dolphins may be decent, but not good enough to overtake New England. For the eleventh time in thirteen years, the Patriots will win the division. And they will win it by at least four games.

AFC North

Best Quarterback: Joe Flacco: After winning the Super Bowl and receiving a very big pay check, Flacco is as high as a quarterback could be. I rate him as just a better quarterback then Ben Roethlisberger because Flacco is a better quarterback. I feel Roethlisberger can be overrated due to his two Super Bowls. Flacco is a very good passer and knows how to win games. He may not be an elite quarterback or worth his paycheck, but he is the Best QB in the AFC North. 

Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): AJ Green: Who knows how successful Andy Dalton and the Bengals would be without AJ Green? Green is one of the best deep threats in the game, second only to Calvin Johnson. He will catch about 100 balls and have 1450 receiving yards. He is destined to be an All-Pro wide out this year.

Breakout Star: Jordan Cameron: Cameron is in a very good situation in Cleveland. His quarterback, Brandon Weeden, is young and inexperienced. Young and inexperienced quarterbacks usually rely on their tight ends. Not only does Cameron have that going for him, the Browns new offensive coordinator Norv Turner uses tight ends a lot in his offense. I also think Cameron is a good TE. With all these factors working for him, he will have a great year.

Most Important Defensive Player: Geno Atkins: Atkins is underrated. He is not doubt one of the best interior defense players in the game. After recording 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles last year, he is on pace to have an even better year. Without Atkins, the Bengals defense would be substantially worse. Atkins improves them like no other player in the league. He will be a top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

Division Winner: Cincinnati Bengals: This is the year the Bengals win the division. After two years of making the playoffs as a wild card team, Cincinnati is going to win the AFC North title. They have a good offense and defense. The defending Super Bowl champs, the Ravens, don't look like they will be as good as they were last year, while the Steelers are not a great team. This is the Bengals' year. 

AFC South

Best Quarterback: Andrew Luck: Luck may only be in his sophomore season, but he is the best quarterback in the AFC South. He has the potential to be one day end up in the Hall of Fame. I love his game. He has a good arm and is mobile when he needs to. He does have some issues he needs to work out. Luck needs to complete more passes and throw less picks. If he does that, he will be very successful.

Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Arian Foster: Foster has changed the Houston Texans. He sets up their offense. Even since he rushed for 1616 yards, Houston has made the playoffs. That is because the opposing defense became focused on stopping Foster, which opened up the passing game. Matt Schaub is a decent quarterback, and is much better when the defense focuses on the rushing game, which leaves holes in the secondary. Foster not only is a top three running back, he helps the passing game.

Breakout Star: Vick Ballard: Ballard had a very good second half last year. This year I expect him to make a big jump. I expect the Colts to run the ball more then they did last year and this means more attempts and more yards for Ballard. Ballard could be a very good running back and this year we will see him take a big step. He will be one of the top 15 running backs in the league this year.

Most Important Defensive Player: JJ Watt: I like many players on the Texans defense, especially Brian Cushing and Jonathan Joseph. I think both are excellent players, but they are better because of Watt. Watt, the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year, was outstanding. He had 20.5 sacks and 16 deflected passes. He wreaks havoc on offenses. There is not one player who improves their defense like Watt.

Division Winner: Houston Texans: The Texans are a very good team. They have no glaring weaknesses. On offense, they have Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Johnson. On defense, they have JJ Watt, Brian Cushing, and Jonathan Joseph. I have been a fan of the Texans for a long time and they look like they are bound for another playoff season.

AFC West

Best Quarterback: Peyton Manning: Manning came back from four neck surgeries last year and still was one of the best quarterback in the game. He can call and run a game like no one else. And now, with a great wide receiver core, he is destined to have a great season. Even at 37, he looks like he can still be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Jamaal Charles: Charles is an excellent running back. He can easily rush for two hundred yards. Charles is electrifying and a spark plug. The Chiefs success will be based upon how well Charles does. The better he is, the more success Kansas City will have.

Breakout Star: Wesley Woodyard: With Elvis Dumerville in Baltimore and Von Miller suspended for the first six games of the year, someone on Denver's front seven is going to have to step up. Wesley Woodyard is going to be that guy. Last year, he was the team's leading tackler with 114 tackles. I think he will need to keep up those numbers and put some pressure on the quarterback for Denver's D to be successful.

Most Important Defensive Player: Von Miller: Even though he is suspended for the first six games of the season, Miller is still an elite player. He improves the Broncos defense drastically. When he gets pressure on the quarterback, he either gets the sacks or forces a bad play. When he returns to the Broncos, you will see an immediate improvement on defense. 

Division Winner: Denver Broncos: This is not a very strong division. The Raiders are awful and the Chargers are not a very good team. I do like the Chiefs this year. They had a very good team last year, but because they did not have a quarterback, they stunk. While I will need to see Alex Smith perform like he did in 2011, he will lead the Chiefs to a .500 record.

NFC East

Best Quarterback: Eli Manning: This was a tough decision to make, but Manning edges RGIII due to senoirty and he is not coming off an injury. Manning has won two Super Bowl titles and two Super Bowl MVPs. But, he still needs to improve. He had his worst competition percentage in five years. The most important stat involving Eli Manning is his playoff record in years that he did not win the Super Bowl. It is 0-3. Manning is very hit or miss, and it would not surprise me if RGIII overtakes him as the division's top signal caller by the end of the year.

Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Alfred Morris: Morris had an outstanding rookie season last year. This year I expect him to be even better. With RGIII coming off a torn ACL, they will want to ease him back into the game and have him run less. And by doing that by handing the ball off to Morris a lot. That means a lot of carries and a lot of yards.

Breakout Star Morris Claiborne: I think the Cowboys' starting cornerbacks, Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, are one of the best pairing the NFL. Both are good corners and Claiborne has the potential to be one of the better corners in the league. I think that he is going to have a great sophomore season and show his great playmaking skills.

Most Important Defensive Player: Jason Pierre-Paul: Pierre-Paul is a difference maker on defense and for the Giants. He had 16.5 sacks and 93 total tackles during the 2011 season and the Giants not only made the playoffs, they won. Last year he had 6.5 sacks and 66 total tackles and New York missed the playoffs. When Pierre-Paul is successful getting to the quarterback and stopping the run, the Giants can be unstoppable. When he is not, their defense suffers and they lose games. 

Division Winner: Washington Redskins: The Redskins are bound for their first back-to-back division titles since the 1982-83 season. I am a huge fan of the offense and I feel their defense is underrated. Their linebacker core featuring London Fletcher, Ryan Kerrigan, and Brian Orakpo is top notch. The Giants are too inconsistent to win the division, while the Cowboys are even more inconsistent. The Eagles are one or two years away from seriously contending. This is the Redskins year.

NFC North

Best Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers is one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He has a great arm and an excellent knowledge of the game. My favorite part of his game is his mobility. He is not going to be the guy who runs for one hundred yards a game. Rodgers can easily get out of the pocket and make the throw on the run. I am excited to see how he performs this year.

Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Adrian Peterson: This is a very easy question. Peterson is the best running back in the game and is the main reason Minnesota made the playoffs last year. He is going to have another excellent year this year. 

Breakout Star: Randall Cobb: Cobb had a very good season last year as he became a regular in the wide receiver core. Now, with Greg Jennings in Minnesota, he looks like he could become Aaron Rodgers new favorite target. He will gain a lot of yards from the slot, in the return game, and possibly in the running game. Last year's leader in all-purpose yards is destined to aciculate even more as Aaron Rodgers go-to-guy.

Most Important Defensive Player: Lance Briggs: This is going to be a big year for Briggs and the Bears defense. Their leader for the last thirteen seasons, Brain Urlacher, has retired. That means the spot as the Bears' leader in the locker room and on defense is up for grabs. Briggs is the man who is going to fill the role. He is vocal enough to be the man and is also an All-Pro. If Briggs can fill the leadership role (which I am positive he will), the Bears should be in a playoff race.

Division Winner: Green Bay Packers: The Packers are the best team in the division. The Bears, Lions, and Vikings are good teams, but they are not on the level that Packers are on. As long as the Packers have Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback and their defense can be alright, they will be a very good team. 

NFC South

Best Quarterback: Drew Brees: Brees has been excellent the last few seasons. He has had back-to-back seasons of 5000 passing yards and 43+ touchdowns. He does need to cut down on his interceptions, but when you have as many pass attempts as him, it is understandable. Brees is bound for another excellent season.

Most Important Offensive Player: Tony Gonzalez: The Falcons have three top flight weapons for Matt Ryan. They are wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White and tight end Gonzalez. Gonzalez is more important then the wide outs because he is consistent and is a leader. White has been inconsistent and Jones can be shut down, while Gonzalez is pretty much unstoppable.  He also opens the field when the linebackers and safteys have to focus on him. That leaves gaps open for White and Jones. 

Breakout Star: Cameron Jordan: Jordan has steadily improved over the last two seasons. This year, I feel he is primed for a breakout year. The Saints defense was ranked last in yards and second-to-last in points the league in 2012. This year, they will be improved due to the return of head coach Sean Peyton and the hiring of new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. They are going to need someone to step up big. That man will be Cameron.

Most Important Defensive Player: Darrelle Revis: Tampa Bay's defense was awful last year. They were ranked 29th in yards and 23rd in points. So, during the off-season they picked up the best cornerback and arguably the best defensive player of the game, Darrelle Revis. Revis is now going to be the new leader on the new look defense. With Revis, their defense is much improved and will soon put them in contention for a playoff spot.

Division Winner: Atlanta Falcons: I think this division is one of the hardest in the NFL. All four teams are good team and all have weaknesses. The Falcons are an excellent regular season team. Ever since they drafted Matt Ryan, they have always finished above .500, missed the playoffs only once, and has won 13 games twice. They are always successful in the regular season and this year plans to be no different.

NFC West

Best Quarterback: Colin Kaepernick: Kaepernick just edges out Russell Wilson as the division's top quarterback. Kaepernick has all the skills to be the best quarterback in the league. He has a cannon for an arm and can make any throw. He also can out run the defense when he needs to. In two or three years, it would not surprise me if Kaepernick is a top three quarterback.

Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Marshawn Lynch: The Seahwaks have made the playoffs two of the last three seasons. The mainstay on the offense during these years is Lynch. He has gone from second-string in Buffalo to one of the hardest and toughest runners in the league. When he picks up yards after yards, it forces the defense to anticipate the run. Then, Russell Wilson and the passing game work much more efficiently. 

Breakout Star: Stedman Bailey: The Rams drafted Tavon Austin eighth overall to give Sam Bradford a dynamic receiver in the slot. But, I loved their second third round pick, Stedman Bailey. Bailey has excellent hands. He rarely drops a ball. I think he is going to be Bradford's big play threat on deep balls. If the ball goes near him, he will to catch it.

Most Important Defensive Player: Navarro Bowman: There are so many players you can pick for this spot, including Richard Sherman, Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith, Patrick Peterson, James Laurinatis, among others. I pick Bowman because he is the back-bone of the 49ers defense. He is a tackle machine and many time goes unnoticed due to the fame of Willis. He is a great player.

Division Winner: San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers and the Seahawks are both one of the best teams in the league. This will be one of the best divisional races in a long time. I think San Fran will edge Seattle in the divisional race because I like their team just a little bit better.  Even though Seattle won't win the division, no doubt they will make the playoffs.