NBA Summer League 2012 Top Players

The NBA's Summer League's have returned after not happening last year due to the lockout. There are two leagues. The Orlando Summer League and the Las Vegas Summer League. The Orlando League played from July 9th to July 13, while Las Vegas played from the 13th to the 22nd. Here are 3 players that played very well in the Summer Leagues. 


Austin Daye


The Pistons 6'11 forward had a really good summer season. In the Orlando Summer League, he averaged 15.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 2 bpg. His best game was against the Orlando Magic, in which he scored 24 points, grabbed 6 boards, and had 1 stuff. He went 8-10 from the field, 3-3 from behind the arc, and 5-5 from the line. He also had 5 blocks against Boston and 11 rebounds against Philadelphia. He was tied for 1st in rejections, 4th in rebounds, and 4th in points in the Orlando Summer League. 

Damian Lillard
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Damian Lillard 


Damian Lillard, the 6th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, played excellent in the Las Vegas Summer League for Portland. Lillard's per game averages were 26.5 points, 5.3 assists, 4 rebounds, and 0.5 steals per game. He only played in 4 out of the 5 games, though. He shot 43.8% from the field, 37,9% from distance, and 89.3% form the line. When the Trail Blazers faced the Hawks, Lillard scored dropped 31 points, dished out 7 assists, and had 3 bounds. He was 1st in points and 7th in assists in the Las Vegas League. 


Markeiff Morris


Markeiff Morris played very well in Las Vegas. The 6'10 bigman from Kansas averaged 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 offensive rebounds, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He had a great percentage from the charity strike, a 89.7%. Aganist Cleveland, Morris was a monster on the boards, picking up 17 rebounds and scoring 24 points. In the game, he also went 9-10 from the free throw line. He was tied for 2nd in rebounds, tied for 7th in blocks, and and 10th in points for the per game averages in the Las Vegas Summer League. 

Minor League and Independent League Baseball All Star Games

Triple A


The Triple-A All-Star Game was celebrating it's 25th anniversary at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY, where, in 1988, the 1st Triple-A All-Star Game was held. This is also Coca-Cola Field's 25th anniversary. A Home Run Derby and Celebrity Home Run Derby was held with the festivities. In the Celebrity All Star Game, New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski hit a homer over the left field wall. For the Celebrity Contest, there was a wall that was much closer to home plate. He hit 12 jacks to win the contest.


In the Triple-A Home Run Derby, 6 players competed to be called champion. Those players are the Round Rock Express' Joey Butler, the Oklahoma City RedHawks' Mike Hessman, the Tacoma Rainers' Luis Jimenez, the Charlotte Knights' Dan Johnson, the Columbus Clippers' Matt LaPorta, and the Buffalo Bisons' Valentino Pascucci. In the 1st round, Hessman hit 9 homeruns and Jimenez hit 5 shots to make it to the 2nd round. Butler, Johnson, and Pascucci all hit 3 homers, so they went into a playoff where the top 2 make the next round. Johnson, who won the 2010 Triple-A Home Run Derby, and Pascucci made the next round. The 2nd Round had both of the contestants in the playoff hit 13 home runs to make the finals. In the finals, Johnson went 1st and hit 5 homers. The hometown favorite, Pascucci, hit 6 big flys to win the Derby to the delight of the crowd.

Wil Myers won the game's MVP
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The Triple-A All-Star Game is between the International League and the Pacific Coast League. The Pacific Coast League had lost the last 3 All-Star Games coming into the match-up on Wednesday night.  However, from the start, it looked like it would be their night. They got on the board in the top of the 1st when Hessman hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the Reno Aces' Adam Eaton. Later in the inning, Omaha Storm Chasers' Wil Myers singled to bring in Reno Aces' Jake Elmore. The Albuquerque Isotopes' Tim Federowicz doubled home Myers in the 4th to put the lead at 3-0. No other runs were scored for the rest of the game and the PCL won. Myers won the game's MVP and was named the PCL's Star of Stars. He went 2 for 3 including an RBI and a double with a run scored. This performance was just 3 days after he went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI's in the MLB All-Star Futures Game. Matt Harvey won the International League's Star of Stars award. He pitched 2 innings, gave up no hits, and had 2 strikeouts. 


Eastern League 

Eastern League Home Run Derby
Carl Kline/MiLB.com

The Eastern League is a Double-A baseball league. It had both an All-Star Game and a Home Run Derby, the latter being held the day before. Both were held at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, PA. The Home Run Derby was a very unique derby style. There were targets around the stadium where the 31 contestants must hit to get points in a 2 minute span. The system for the Derby was not it's only interesting aspect. There was a screen protecting fans from a "party" on the infield dirt and a screen protecting live music on the infield grass. The Harrisburg Senators' Chris Rahl won the event, highlighted by hitting a crane on one of his longballs, giving him 100 points. He won with a score of 340, only 6 points ahead the Richmond Flying Squirrels' Daniel Mayora.


Eastern Division beat the Western League 5-4 in a thriller that ended with a walkoff.
Binghamton Mets' Eric Campbell, with a 3-1 count in the bottom of the 9th and 2 outs on the board, hit a groundball single into left field. Reading's Tony Hanzawa scored to win the game for the Eastern Division. Campbell won the MVP with that clutch hit and for going 2 for 3, including a double and scoring a run. Campbell got into the game in the bottom of the 5th when he pinch hit for Darin RufFor the West, the Erie SeaWolves' Jordan Lennerton went 2 for 3 with a dinger and 3 RBIs. New Britain's Daniel Trupen got the winning by pitching the last 1/3 of the top of the ninth for the Eastern Division.


Atlantic League 


The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is known as one of the most competitive and has some of the best players in independent baseball. Their All-Star Game was held at Campbell's Field in Camden, NJ. A Celebrity All-Star Game was held before the game. The Freedom Division features the Lancaster Barnstormers, the Somerset Patriots, the Sugar Land Skeeters, and the York Revolution. The Liberty Division's teams are the Bridgeport Bluefish, the Camden Riversharks, the Long Island Ducks, and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. There were 8 players from Lancaster, 7 players from Bridgeport Bluefish, 6 players from the Camden Riversharks and Long Island Ducks, 5 players from Somerset and York, 4 players from Sugar Land Skeeters and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.


The game was won by the Freedom Division, 9-5, over the Liberty Division. The Liberty Division was up when the top of the 9th inning. The Liberty Division's Manager, and Long Island's Manager, Kevin Baez put in hometown player, Zach Hammes. He gave up 6 runs as the Liberty All-Stars went from up 4-3 to down 9-4. They could get a comeback as the Freedom Division won. Somerset's Jeff Nettles played in his 8th All-Star Game as he is coming close the the league's all-time home run record. He has the Atlantic League's record for game played, at bats, RBIs, and doubles. The MVP of the game was the Barnstormers' Fehlandt Lentini, who went 2 for 3 and scored the go-ahead run in the 8th inning for the Liberty Division. 


Frontier League 


The Frontier League is an independent league in the midwest. It is the oldest independent league still currently around. The All-Star Festivities included a Home Run Derby and an 
All-Star Game. 14 players were in the Home Run Derby, held July 10th, the day before their All-Star Game. From the 14 that started the 1st Round, only 4 made the 2nd Round. Those players are the Florence Freedoms Jim Jacquot with 9, the Lake Erie Crushers Russell Moldenhauer hit 7, the London Rippers' Joash Brodin had 5, and the Traverse City Beach Bums' Jeff Flagg, who won a tiebreaker to get in. Both Flagg and Brodin couldn't get enough homers to tie or get past the 1st round totals of Jacquot and Moldenhauer so those 2 automatically made the finals. In the finals, Moldenhauer went 1st and set the bar at 5 round-trippers. Jacquot couldn't beat that and the Crusher Mouldenhauer won.


The All-Star Game was a slugfest. A total of 7 homers were hit in the 9 inning ball game. The East defeated the West 9-6 at the Corn Crib in Normal, Illinois. Traverse City had 3 players hit home runs, Jose Vargas, Jeff Flagg, and Brain Heere. Southern Illinois also had 2 players hit longballs, Chad Maddox and Jake Kaase. Crushers' Paul Fagan pick up the victory for the East Joash Brodin may have lost the Home Run Derby but he did get MVP honors, by going 4 for 5 with a four-bagger. 


Pecos League


The Pecos League has 6 teams in the states of New Mexico (Las Cruces Vaqueros, Roswell Invaders, Santa Fe Fuego, White Sand Pupfish), Colorado (Trinidad Triggers), and Texas (Alpine Cowboys). It is also an independent league. For the All-Star Game, players from the Invaders, Pupfish, and Triggers will be on a team called the Mountaineers. Players from the Cowboys, Fuegos, and the Vaqueros will be on the Desert Plainsmen. Before the game, there was a Home Run Derby, won by the Triggers Daniel Pembroke. He has 11 diggers on the season and, in the contest, he had 4 homers in the 1st round and then 4 in the final. 

Both teams line up before the game
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The game was a high-scoring affair. The Mountaineers scored at least a run in the 1st 5 innings. 3 runs in the 1st, 1 in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, and 2 in the 5th. They added 3 more runs in the 8th. The Desert Plainsmen scored 3 runs in the 4th and 4 in the 8th. The Mountaineers won 11-7. The Desert Plainsmen had 4 errors in the game. Trinidad's OF Jacob Fabry went 2 for 2 off the bench for the Mountaineers with a run and an RBI. Roswell's Nathan Johnson struck out the side in the top of the 1st for Mountaineers. 

Mascot Put On The DL

The Potomac Nationals are currently 8-8 in the 2nd half standings and 39-47 overall. That has them 2nd in the Carolina League's (An Advanced-A League) Northern Division. However, a major injury has happened to the Franchise. Not to the team's leading power hitter Justin Bloxon, speedster Blake Kelso, or the team's leader in wins, Trevor Holder. No, it is the team's mascot, Uncle Slam.

Uncle Slam
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Uncle Slam is the only mascot of the P-Nats. He has been with the ball club since it became the Potomac Nationals in 2005. He is the team's Director of Fun and, their #1 fan. He was born on July 4th. Uncle Slam is a switch-hitter and throws righty. He likes to watch Potomac's games, help with contests with at Pfitzner Stadium (Home of the Potomac Nationals), meeting fans, participating in local events, signing autographs for fans, and playing baseball. He even has a facebook and a myspace page. 


Uncle Slam was injured in a fire at Pfitzner Stadium that happened on June 29th. The Nationals have put him on the 60 Day DL, retroactive to July 4th. He is going to return at the start of the 2013 season.


Not only is this a big loss for the team, but it also puts them under the minimum for mascots per team in the Carolina League. They need to have at least 1 mascot according to league rules. They are looking to sign a mascot to fill the void. The deal would be for two months and they would receive baseball bucks, Chili's lemonade, Chick-fil-a sandwiches, and the opportunity to see fireworks every Saturday night. 


This is a very unique situation. I have never heard of a mascot going on the DL. I've never heard of signing a mascot to a baseball franchise for two months. However, it would be a good opportunity for an experienced mascot in the area who is available for the next two months. I do wonder what it will be like when Uncle Slam comes back next year. 

MLB All-Stars

The MLB All-Star Game is on next Tuesday. As usual, there are many players that may surprise people that they are heading to the All-Star Game. Maybe it is because of the small market or they have been putting up great numbers under the radar. Here are some of the players. 

Andrew McCutchen 

Andrew McCutchen
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McCutchen has been on the rise for many years. This year, he has begun to become the best of the best. He is 1st in Majors with a .356 average, 16 homers, 54 ribbies, 53 runs, 2nd in the NL with a .603 slugging percentage, and a 1.014 OPS, which puts him 3rd in that department in the NL. He has a 9.33 runs created per 27 outs and a .247 isolated power average. His fielding has been outstanding. 1 error in 78 games, a .995 fielding percentage and a 2.51 range factor. He is also the leader for the surprising NL Central leading Pittsburgh Pirates, who have a 46-36 record. 

Melky Cabrera 

Melky had a very good season last year for the Kansas City Royals and is proving it was no fluke by having an even better year this year. He is about tenth of a point behind McCutchen for the batting crown. The "Melk Man" has 18 two-baggers, 7 three-baggers, 7 home runs, and 42 RBIs, and 54 runs. He also has a .395 OBP, a .518 slugging percentage, and a .913 OPS. He has always been a good fielder and this year is no different. In LF, where he has mostly started, he has a .978 fielding percentage.  

Joel Hanrahan 

We have another Pirate on the list. This is Hanrahan's 2nd consecutive All-Star Game. He has 22 saves and has 4 wins. In the 34 games he has appeared in, the Bucs have only lost 2 of the games. In both of the losses, Pittsburgh was down when he came into pitch. He has a 1.12 WHIP, a 2.45 ERA, 35 strikeouts, 9.55 Strikeouts per 9 Innings. Whenever Hanrahan pitches, it will most likely be a win.

Billy Butler
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Billy Butler

The lone representative (so far) from the Kansas City Royals, who are hosting the 2012 All-Star Game and the 3rd ASG in Kansas City, is their Designative Hitter Billy Butler. Butler has been a good player for the last few years and this year he has finally gotten the recognition he deserves. He has 16 home runs, 49 runs batted in, a .296 average, 360 OBP, .492 slugging percentage, and a .852 OPS. He also has 85 hits, 31 runs, a .306 secondary average, and a .205 isolated power.

Jim Johnson 

In Jim Johnson's 1st year as a closer, he has performed very well. He has 25 saves, which is 1st in the Majors. The Orioles 9th inning man has a 0.77 WHIP, 1.24 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and 3

In the 36 games he has pitched, they have lost only 6 of them. In the 6 loses, 1 of the games was tied when he pitched and in the 5 games, they were losing when he came into pitch. 

2012 NBA Draft

The NBA Draft happened last night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ (Even though New Jersey does not have an NBA team anymore). The 100% sure thing in the 66th NBA Draft was Anthony Davis going #1 to New Orleans. It was a very good draft and there many interesting picks. Here is my opinion on some picks and a trade. Also, a unique fact.

Pick #18: Houston Rockets select Terrence Jones

Jones went back to Kentucky for a sophomore season and ended up winning the National Title. However, he went lower this year then he would have expected to go last year. The Rockets got a player who was forgotten throughout this process. Many of his numbers dropped during his 2nd season, but he wasn't used in the same way last season. He is a good defender and can play inside and out of the post. I believe he can be a solid NBA player. On this Houston Rockets team, he probably won't start, but will be a highly used back-up at both forward positions. 

Perry Jones III
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Pick #28 Oklahoma City Thunder select Perry Jones III 

Perry Jones III, like Terrence Jones and Pick #22 Jarod Sullenger, went back to college for his sophomore season. And, also like Sullenger, his stock and his selection time dropped due to an injury. Many NBA doctors apparently were warning teams about a meniscus problem in his knee. Jones III is a talent that, even with the knee problem, should have been drafted in the 18-24 range. Without the knee issue, he is definitely a lottery selection. He is that good. At the 28th pick, Jones III is at a spot where he might not get the money he would have expected, but he goes to winning team where he is going to get playing time. That is what he needs to grow and mature as a player. 

Pick #35: Golden State Warriors select Draymond Green

Draymond Green was a very successful college player, but his stock in the NBA draft didn't reflect college career.   He was a 1st Team All-American last season, 2011-12 Big Ten Player of the Year, and went to Final Fours 2 years in a row. The problem is that he is undersized for a power forward at 6'7. He will have to become a small forward in the NBA. He can shoot a jumper and dribble the ball well, so that will make for an easier transition. The worry for Green was he will have a trouble guarding the quicker small forwards and the power forwards will over power him in the post. I believe he can make the transition to guard small forwards, but with power forwards he would have a difficulty. Still, he will be a good player in the NBA. 

Will Barton
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Pick #40: Portland Trail Blazers select Will Barton

Will Barton is a player I really like. He is a guy that has talent and would be a bigger name if he went to a higher-profile school then Memphis. He improved in his 2 year at Memphis in almost all categories. He has improved on his shooting from the field and the line. His 3-point percentage went up, but that was because he took less shots from distance. He is a good shooting guard with strong potential. I thought Barton could have went much earlier in the draft, but I think he is in a great situation in Portland. The shooting guards on the Trail Blazers last year include: Jamal Crawford, who is a free agent, Wesley Matthews, who averaged almost 14 points a game,  and Elliot Williams, who didn't play much and also went to Memphis.  Even if Crawford comes back, Barton should get playing time and more importantly, time to develop into a very good scorer.

Pick #48: New York Knicks select Kostas Papanikolaou

The 1st European selected out of the 48-57 area, where 7 out of 9 picks were from Europe. He is one of the players in that area I really like because of his European history. In the Euroleague Finals against CSKA Moscow, he scored 18 points and led Olympiacos to an 19 point comeback to win 62-61. I always like European players that were successful in Europe. To me, it shows that they were successful in a highly-competitive league. If he improves his game in the next few years and then comes over, I would expect him to be a decent player, at least, in the NBA.

Trade: Cleveland gets: #17 Pick Tyler Zeller, Kelenna Azubuike (Not a Rookie)                            
             Dallas gets: Pick #24 Jared Cunningham, Pick #33 Bernard James, Pick #34 Jae Crowder

Tyler Zeller
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This was a trade that I thought was a little questionable from the Cavaliers side. I like Tyler Zeller and I think he can become a really good player in Cleveland. But, I think the Cavs should have given up 3 picks to get him, especially because of the deepness of the Draft. Jared Cunningham who is a good defender and gets to the foul line a lot. Bernard James served in the Air Force from 2002-08 and didn't play basketball in high school. Even though he's 27, he still is fresh and will get better. Jae Crowder is a good all-around player who will be productive in the pros. The more I look at the trade, the more I begin to understand it, but I still think 3 was a little too much. 

Same College, Same NBA Team

It seem like a lot of players who played on the same team in college heading to the same NBA training camp. #1 Pick Anthony Davis's Kentucky teammate Darius Miller was selected by the New Orleans Hornets at Pick #46. Syracuse teammates Fab Melo and Kris Joseph were picked by the Boston Celtics at 22 and 51 respectively.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Hot Streak

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim started the season slow, having a record of 15-21 after a 5-0 loss to Oakland on May 14th. Since then, they have gone 25-12 and gone from last place in the division to 2nd place. Everyone has been producing much better since then. There have been many factors in the turn around. Here are some of the reasons.

Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout
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Mark Trumbo was the starting 1st Baseman for the 2011 Angels. But when he came into the season, 1B was filled and so was DH. They needed to find a new spot for him. They tried 3B but the corner outfield spots were a better fit for Trumbo. But it's not just him playing very well in the outfield (1 error in 44 games), but it's his stellar hitting that's making him an MVP candidate. Trumbo's .316 puts him 6th in average in the AL, his 17 homers ties him for 8th in the AL, he is 3rd in the AL in SLG (.612) and OPS (.980), his 36 XBH places him in 8th in the AL, and he is 5th in the AL in Isolated Power with .295. He is really doing well.






Mike Trout was called up to the majors on April 27th. He played parts of the year with LA and in the minors. He had high expectations, being a top prospect for the last few years and being a possible 5-tool player. He has met expectations and beat them for his 1st season spent mostly in the majors. He a leader in the AL in many categories, including in 1st in batting average with .338, 1st in steals with 21, 3rd in OBP with .399, 8th in OPS with .931, and 3rd in Runs Created per 27 Outs with 8.71. His defense is just as good as his hitting and his speed. He has played mostly Left and Centerfield, but is now the starting CF. His range factor in CF is 2.63 and has a .988 fielding percentage.

Scott Downs
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Scott Downs has been a great set-up man for the Halos this year. He currently has 13 holds, 6 saves, and 1 win in a team-high 28 games. He only has given up 1 earned-run for a 0.36 ERA and also has a 1.36 WHIP. Ernesto Frieri came over in a trade from San Diego and has become the closer. In 22 games, he has 9 saves, 0 blown saves, 5 holds,only 4 hits, and averages 15.55 K's per 9 innings. Many other relievers have pitched and gotten multiple holds, including Jordan Walden (5), LaTroy Hawkins (3), Jason Isringhausen (3), Hisanori Takahashi (3), David Carpenter (2), and Kevin Jepson (2). 




The Angels have really had a great turn around since the middle of May. The combination of Trout and Trumbo have surprised many by performing better then Pujols, Kendyrs Morales, and Torii Hunter. The bullpen has done well since the turning point in May. I expect this team to continue improving and do well for the rest of the year. However, if they get into another slump, they are going to be in trouble.

College World Series

The College World Series has lived up to it's normal standards with another great tournament. This year, there have been upsets, surprise runs, and a great looking finals between the Arizona Wildcats and South Carolina Gamecocks. 


The 8 teams that made it to the College World Series are Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Kent State, South Carolina, Stony Brook, and UCLA. Stony Brook was in it's 1st ever appearance at the College World Series, but didn't have any luck. After beating the #1 seed  LSU in the Super Regionals, they lost the first 2 games they played. Florida were the runner-ups in last year's tournament and were looking good coming into Omaha, however they lost their first two games and they were out. UCLA and Kent State both had 1 win, but 2 loses. This was also Kent State's 1st CWS appearance. Florida State lost 10-3 to Arizona to send Arizona to the finals and Florida State packing. South Carolina beat Arkansas in the semi-final. However, it was only the Razorbacks 1st loss. Since the CWS is a double elimination tournament, they played a 2nd game to see who would make the finals. South Carolina won that game, 3-2, to make it to their Finals.

Matt Price has 5 career wins in Omaha
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This is South Carolina's 3rd straight appearance in the CWS Finals. They won the last 2 championships and are looking for a 3 peat. They are led by Junior's Christian Walker and LB Dantzler. Walker is hitting .319 with 11 HRs, 55 RBIs, 12 two-baggers, 75 hits, and a .446 OBP. Dantzler has 10 diggers, 48 ribbies, 15 doubles, and a .266 batting average. Both have experience in the last 2 championships. Senior Michael Roth is the ace of the staff with a 9-1 record and a 2.49 ERA. Junior Closer Matt Price has 13 saves and has a CWS record of 5 wins. 


Arizona is looking for College World Series title number 4 and it's 1st since 1986. Junior Kurt Heyer is the star of the staff with a 2.24 ERA, 113 K's and a 13-2 record. Konner Wade is 10-3 with a 4.17 ERA. Sophomore Johnny Field leads the team with a .373 average with 18 doubles, 7 triples, and 3 homeruns. Robert Refsynder has 7 round-trippers and 64 RBIs, both team highs, and a .357 average. Seth Mejias-Brean leads the team in two-baggers with 22, and also 60 RBIs and a .360 batting average.


I expect a great finals in the College World Series.

NBA Finals Through 3 Games

The NBA Finals through 3 games is turning out to be a good series. Miami, after losing the 1st game, has taken a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4, tomorrow at home. LeBron is playing much better then he has in the last 2 NBA Finals. Kevin Durant is playing OK, but is in foul trouble. Russell Westbrook is scoring well, but is being criticized for shot selection. Dwayne Wade is playing fine. Chris Bosh is playing like he needs to. James Harden is playing well one night, bad the next. It's looking like a great series.

Shane Battier is the series x-factor
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Shane Battier is playing like the role player the Heat have been dying for the last 2 years. He is averaging about 14 points per game in the series. In Game 1, he scored 17 points and went 6-9 from the field in 42 minutes. Game 2 was much like the same, 17 points in 42 minutes. However, Battier was more efficient from the field, going 6-8 from the field and 5-7 from distance and Miami picked up the W. The Game 3 stat line for Battier was 9 points in 35 minutes. He shot only 2 shots, 3 pointers, and made both. The other points came from a perfect night at the line. He has really played well in a spot he has never really in.


Oklahoma City has an All-Star defender in Serge Ibaka. He was 2nd in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year, the league leader in blocks in the regular season, and an 1st Team Defensive Player. he is currently averaging 3.11 blocks in the postseason. In Game 1, "Iblocka" had 0 blocks but they won. In Game 2, he had 5 rejections and in Game 3, he had 2 stuffs. Game 1 was the 1st time since March 1st he had no blocks and only the 4th time in the regular season and postseason combined. His scoring has decreased in the last 3 games. He needs to be more efficient and I believe he will.

Derek Fisher
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The Thunder's bench has been used more in the series. James Harden scored only 5 points in Game 1, played well in Game 2 with 21 points, and then dropped to 9 points in Game 3. That cannot happen for the rest of the series. They need consistency from Harden to win the series. Derek Fisher and Nick Collison played well in Game's 1 and 2, but slightly struggled in Game 3. The +/-'s for Fisher were +6 in Game 1 and +13 in Game 2. +13 and +8 were the +/- line for Collison in Game 1 and 2 respectively. Game 3 those lines dropped off to -9 for Fisher and -11 for Collison. They need to be successful when they are on the court. They better these 2 veterans play, the better off OKC will be. 



Miami has taken the lead in the series. But, it isn't like they have it in the bag. Oklahoma City will be relentless. They have scored more points in the 4th quarter in the series (78 OKC-65 MIA). The 3rd quarter isn't as bad, but it isn't one or two possessions, at 72-64. Combined that is 150-129. That averages out to be 25-21.5. The 1st half is 156-136 in favor of Miami. The average is 26-22.66 with Miami on top again. The winner of the series will need to win the half it is currently losing.

Euro 2012

The 2012 UEFA European Championship starts on July 8th. Hosted by both the Ukraine and Poland, it is the first time for both countries to host the championship. Both countries have 4 cities where games will be played

The toughest group is Group B. This is Portugal's 2nd consecutive tournament where there are 3 really good teams in their group. In the 2010 World Cup, Portugal had Brazil and Cote'd Ivory in the same group. This year, I think the group is even more difficult. In the group is Germany (2nd in FIFA World Rankings, 4th in World Football Elo Ratings), Netherlands (4th, 3rd), Portugal (5th, 12th), and Denmark (10th, 19th). All teams are very good and it will be the group to watch. All these teams could be champions. 

van Persie, Robben, and Sneijder must be leaders to win
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I really like the team from the Netherlands. They have a great forward in Robin van Perise and 2 great midfielders in Wesley Snejider and Arjen Robben. Rafeal van der Vaart is a good middie. They have a very good striker who comes of the bench, Klaas-Jan Huntelar. Sneijder has an ankle injury but it will most likely not affect him. This team has great potential. They may have a chip on their shoulder after losing the World Cup Final in Extra Time on a Andres Inesta by a  goal. It was their only loss of the tournament. I believe that this is the time for this team to prove they are the best. I expect them to in the Euros.

Group D is also very tough. England (6th, 6th), France (14th, 12th), Sweeden (17th, 10th), and Ukraine (52nd, 31st). While it is unlikely the Ukraine will make it past the group stages, the 3 other teams have good chances. France is going to look like a new team without former star Theirry Henry and it won't be like the World Cup where they fell apart. England is with stars Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole, and John Terry (despite the charges against him about being racist). Sweeden has one of the best forwards in the tournament, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will be the team leader. I believe, the teams that advance will be the teams whose defense can stop the forwards that can get the ball in the back of the net. 

Group A is not a very strong grouping. It features Russia (13th ,16th), Greece (15th, 25th), Czezh Republic (27th, 24th), and Poland (62nd, 35th). Poland has a slight chance of making the next round. The favorite is Russia.  This team has experience with success in the Euro 08 and having one of the better forward lines, led by captain Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko. Greece, the Euro 2004 champs are a team that I think could be good or bad. The Czech Republic has one of the better goalies in Petr Cech. 

Casillias, Sergio Ramos, Fernando Torres, Xavi, and
 Inesta Will Play Very Well In the Euros
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Group C is the group that interests me. Spain (1st, 1st) will make it through this round without a doubt with the great play of Andres Inesta, Xavi, Iker Casillas, and others on the star studded squad. They will do very well in the tournament. Then comes the question mark. I am not big on Italy (12th, 15th) as a team, but I think Mario Balotelli is a great striker that can lead a team. Croatia (8th, 11th) is a team that is ranked high, but didn't even play in the 2010 World Cup. Ireland (18th, 21st) will have a hard time making it, but who knows what could happen.

The Cubs Problem

When Theo Epstein came over to Chicago in October, one of the biggest moves he made in the offseason was getting 1B Anthony Rizzo from the Padres.  As GM for the Red Sox, Epstein had traded Rizzo for Adrian Gonzalez in 2010. However, Epstein always was high on him. Coming into this season, he looked like the 1B of the future. Rizzo is now tearing up the Minor Leagues with 17 home runs, 44 RBIs, 11 doubles, .354 average, .713 slugging, 35 runs, and 63 hits in 47 games. So, while other minor league studs like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are in the majors, why is Rizzo still in Triple-A?

Bryan LaHair
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In front of him on the franchise depth chart is Bryan LaHair. LaHair had 38 homeruns last year in Triple A, which was first for Minor League Baseball. He was also won the Pacific Coast League MVP and was selected to be a member of Baseball America's Minor League 1st Team All-Star Team. This year, the 29 year old has hit 10 homeruns, 21 RBIs, 9 doubles, and has a .299. Even though he has been slumping for the last week, he is in the top 10 for homeruns, slugging percentage (.584), and OPS (.978). He is also 7th in Isolated Power (.285) and 5th in Secondary Average (.455). He has also done a nice job in the field with a .991 fielding percentage and a 9.10 range factor. 




So, what are the Cubs going to do? Anthony Rizzo has only played 1B in his minor league career. Bryan LaHair is mainly a 1B, but played 135 games in LF in the minors and 1 game in left this year. In left, he has a .992 fielding percentage. Rizzo is also more likely to be the 1B because he is a lefty, limiting spots available to him. LaHair throws righty. The current leftfielder for the Cubbies is Alfonzo Soriano, who is making an outrageous amount of money. But, he can be moved around, having experience in the infield and other outfield spots. 


I believe if the both players are in the same line-up, LaHair must switch positions. LaHair is much older and it less of a risk to move him to as new spot. The position for LaHair can be LF.  Him and Rizzo in the same lineup would be great for run production. They would give the Cubs around 25-30 round-trippers and 100+ ribbies. Those two in the middle of a line-up could be the beginning of a World Series title coming back to the North Side of the Windy City.

National Lacrosse League Finals

The National Lacrosse League held it's championship game, called the Champion's Cup, last night. 

Cody Jamieson
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The Eastern Conference Finals featured the Toronto Rock and the Rochester Knighthawks. Toronto beat the Buffalo Bandits 7-6 to make the Conference Finals. The Rock didn't allow a goal in the 2nd half. Rochester defeated Philadelphia 14-13. The Knighthawks held off a rally by the Wings, who scored 7 goals in the 4th period, to win. When the Conference finals came around the #1 seed Toronto out shot Rochester 64-40. However, the Rock could not pull out the win. Rochester won 17-13. 


In the Western Conference Finals, the Edmonton Rush and the Minnesota Storm. Edmonton were 4th in the West in the regular season with a 6-10 record. Edmonton beat the 1 seed, Calgary, 19-11. Minnesota beat the 2 seed, Colorado, 14-10. The game between the Rush and Storm was not even close. Edmonton dominated 15-3. Ryan Ward had 4 goals and 3 assists, Aaron Wilson had 3 goals and 4 assists, and Shawn Williams who only had 1 goal and 5 assists. The lead at 1 point was 11.


The Edmonton Rush are led by NLL's Defenseman of the Year and NLL's 1st Team All-Pro Kyle Rubisch and NLL 2nd Team All-Pro Goalie Aaron Bold. Rubisch was the league leader in forced turnovers with 43. Bold was 3rd in Saves with 571 and 3rd in Goals Against Average with 10.47. 


2012 NLL 2nd Team All-Pro Cody Jamieson is a leader on this Rochester team. He was 4th in the League in points for the regular season. Rochester has 2 All-Rookie Team members Johnny Powless and Stephen Keogh. Powless also won the Sportsmanship Award. 


Now to the game. 

The goalies after the game
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The 1st half was low scoring. Edmonton's Zach Greer scored the 1st goal of the game in the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter, the rush added to the lead while Rochester could only put 1 on the board. Going into halftime, it looked like Edmonton was going to pull away.


The momentum shifted largely after halftime. Rochester blew the game open in the 3rd period. The Knighthawks scored 6 goals in the quarter. Edmonton scored none. Jamieson and Mike Accursi both had 2 goals. Keogh and Powless scored the other goals. Edmonton could not recover as Rochester won the game, 9-6. 


Jamieson was the games MVP. He had 4 goals and 4 assists. Matt Vinc had 46 saves on 52 shots. 

The Philadelphia 76ers Keys To Success

Andre Iguodala was clutch in Game 6
Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls in a Game 6 last night at home. Andre Iguodala hit 2 clutch free throws to put the 76ers up 79-78 and gave them the win. This sent them to the 2nd Round. It was their 1st NBA Playoffs series win since 2003. Iguodala played a game high 43 minutes, had a game high 20 points, and a team high 7 assists. 


Chicago  won Game 1 of the series. However, Derrick Rose torn his ACL in the game and this put him out for the playoffs. Game 2 went to the 76ers by a convincing 17 points. This showed that the Bulls would need to play much harder. In the 3rd game, Joakim Noah went down with an ankle injury, making it the 2nd crutial injury the Bulls have had this series.  I think this was the turning point of the series. The 76ers knew this was their opportunity to kick the Bulls while they were down. Two of their best, and most important, players on the 76ers were out. They attacked, winning 79-72 and were led by Spencer Hawes with his 21 points and 9 boards. 


Game 4 again went to the 76ers. Chicago was down 3-1 after winning the 1st game. Game 5 was do or die. For the Bulls, they pulled out a not-so-pretty win to continue the series. The Bulls got back to playing really good defense. The 76ers only scored 10 points in the 2nd quarter, only shot 32.1% from the field, and 18.2% from distance. Game 6 was a great win for the 76ers. 


Andre Iguodala really stepped up his game to prove why he is the leader and star of this team. He is averaging 12.0 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists per game in this year's playoffs. He has a great assists to turnover ratio at 5.3, which is in the top 5 in the playoffs. He has also played great defense threw out the series. I was very impressed by his play.

The 76ers have a great cast of players including Holiday,
Brand, and Williams
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The supporting players for Philadelphia are outstanding together. Lou Williams is the team's leading scorer in the regular season, and comes off the bench. Williams was the runner-up in the NBA's 6th Man Award. The player ahead of Williams on the 76ers depth chart at Point Guard is Jrue Holiday. Holiday is the team's leading scoring and in assists in the playoffs. He has an average of 18.2 points and 4.7 assists. Evan Turner is the sophomore starting shooting guard. He is in the top 3 in rebounding by a guard in the playoffs with 6.3 per game. Starting Center Spencer Hawes is having a great playoffs. Hawes is averaging 11.5 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. Elton Brand is averaging 8.0 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game,and 2.5 blocks per game. Thaddeus Young is a key bench player. He had 12.8 points per game in the regular season (3rd on the team) and in the postseason he has 7.2 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. F/C Lavoy Allen and G Jodie Meeks have not played much in the playoffs this year, but if they get the playing time, the can play really well. 


Philadelphia has one of the most underrated defenses in the NBA. Opponents average 83.6 points a game against the 76ers. Thats in the top 5 in the NBA in the playoffs. In the regular season, opponents scored an average of 89.4, which is in the top 3 in the league. They also held their opponents to a FG% of 42.7%, which is also in the regular season top 3. Opponents grabbed an average of 10.7 offensive rebounds in the regular season. That put them in the top 5 in the category. ESPN's Hollinger Stats put them with a 96.6 defensive efficiency (top 3), and a 75.2 defensive rebound rate (top 5). 


The 76ers are going to face the Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals tonight. I like the 76ers to win the series in 6 games. I believe Iguodala will shut down Paul Pierce in the last minute in at least 1 game. With that being said, I would expect all games in the series to be exciting. 

MLB's Unknown Surprise Division Leader

There have been a lot of surprises with teams leading their divisions or on the top of their divisions. The Dodgers, Nationals, and Orioles have been getting a lot of notice for doing this. However, there is another team that is leading their division that is surprising to many. The Cleveland Indians for the 2nd year in a row have had an unexpected head start. They are up 2 games on the Detroit Tigers and 4 up on the Chicago White Sox. Their quick start has been a result of many factors.


One reason for the good start, the Cleveland Indians have done very well after starting off slow in the 1st few games. They were 1-4 after 5 games, including losing 2 heartfelt games in extra inning to the Toronto Blue Jays. After that, they have gone 16-8 since and have played really well. 

Chris Perez has been great this year
Theron W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Indians have also gotten great production from Chris Perez, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Kipnis. Perez, the closer, has 11 saves on the year. He has only given up 3 runs since giving up 3 in the 1st game of the year and only 9 hits in total. He has been very efficient in the clutch, which is exactly what he needs to continue to do. The up-the-middle duo of Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Kapnis has been outstanding. Cabrera has an average of .340 and Kapnis .288. Cabrera also has an OBP of .426 and .958 OPS. Kapnis has had a lot of power at plate this year. He has 5 homer and 20 RBIs to date. Cabrera has 9 doubles to add to his 3 homers. Kipnis also has 3 doubles and 3 triples. They also have very high fielding percentages.




The Tribe have been very patient at the plate. They are tops in the majors in walks with 136. Thats 20 more then the next team, Tampa Bay. They have 7 players in the top 40 in walks in the AL. These include Carlos Santana (23), Travis Hafner (19), Shelley Duncan (15), Shin-Shoo Choo (13), Cabrera (13) Jack Hannahan (12), and Kapnis (12). That is definitely a sign of a team that can make pitchers throw pitches and strikes


The Cleveland Indians are really rolling, just like last year. Last year, however, they struggled down the stretch. That led to their demise at the end of the year. This team looks to be better fit then last year. They have more experience, especially their young stars. like Cabrera and Justin Masterson. This may be the year that the Indians return to the playoffs.

NHL Playoffs To This Point

The Playoffs in the NHL have been fantastic. There has been so much drama in the match-ups. All of the games have been exciting. This might be the beginning of the greatest playoffs in NHL history. I think it has all the characteristics of a great playoffs, nail biters, great goaltending, outstanding play, and a little edginess and fighting. 

Pittsburgh and Philly played some intense games
Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI

In every playoff game, you want to see the players wanting to win, anyway they can. Just look at the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3. Captain Sidney Crosby made some attempts to get his team pumped. The result, a couple a fights and brawls. Pittsburgh may have done better in the fights, but they lost the game 8-4. The intensity didn't help the Pens as they lost the series 4-2.


The best series is definitely the 7 game series between the defending Stanley Cup champions Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals. This series was one for the ages. In every game, the points differential was just 1 goal. Four of the games went into overtime, while 1 went into double OT. Every game seemed to keep the fans on the edge of their seat seeing who will take the game. Game 7 was a exciting game. Only 4 penalties throughout out the game really showed they were there to play. And when the power play showed up, there was so much pressure to either stop any shot there is or not to waste the advantage. When the game went into overtime, the drama intensified. The game ended when after Boston failed to clear the puck, Mike Knuble took the puck down the ice and took a shot. Tim Thomas saved the shot, but Joel ward got the rebound and put in the back of the net for the game-winner.


Two other series went to a 7th game, the New York-Ottawa series and the Florida-New Jersey series. New York was the best team in the East in the regular season. They had some trouble with the Senators. They were down 3 game to 2, but came back in Game 6 and won, 3-2. In Game 7, the Rangers went up 2-0 and didn't let the lead go, winning 2-1. The Game 7 of the Florida-New Jersey was a real thriller. The Devils took a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd period. But, Florida didn't die and tied it up. The Game went into OT and then Double OT, where Adam Henrique scored his 2nd goal of the game to send Florida packing.


The big upset series was no doubt Los Angeles over the President Trophy winning Vancouver. Los Angeles won the series surprisingly in 5 games. Starting goalie Roberto Luongo was replaced by Cory Schneider after Game 2 and didn't return. Like in the Stanley Cup last year, Luongo didn't come up clutch. However, Kings G Jonathan Quick played exceptionally well in goal. The Kings might be the sleeper team of the playoffs.

Pekka Rinne making a save vs. the Red Wings
Photo by Dave Reginek/NHL

In the other Western Conference games, the main story was the play of the goalies. Mike Smith of Phoenix was superb, stopping 43 shots in Game 1, 46 in Game 2, 35 in Game 3, 30 in Game 4, 36 in Game 5, and 39 in Game 6. In Game 5, he shutout the Blackhawks after playing 4 straight OT games. The Coyotes won the series 4-2. Nashville's Pekka Rinne played really well, as he did all season. D Francis Bouillon had a +/- of 6 in the 1st round. The Predators beat the Red Wings 4 games to 1. The San Jose Sharks won Game 1 against the Blues. However, that's how many they would win. The Blues then beat the Sharks in the next 4 games to win the series. 


The Conference Semi's start tonight with Nashville and Phoenix. The West is wide open this year with #1 Vancouver out. All 4 teams have gotten great production in net. The East is just the same. The Rangers may be the favorites but they struggled vs. Ottawa. Philadelphia played their hearts out against Pittsburgh and I expect them to do the same. New Jersey has the greatest goalie in history in net. Washington has that chip on their shoulder that cannot perform in the playoffs.