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
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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.

The 2012 Frozen Four

Tampa is hosting the 65th Frozen Four. This year's Frozen Four looks like it will have some really good final games. Here are reports on the 4 teams in the Frozen Four, Union, Ferris State, Boston College, and Minnesota. 


Union Dutchman


This is the Dutchman's 1st ever appearance in the Frozen Four. They are in the ECAC and also won their 1st ECAC Tournament in Atlantic City this year. The team is captioned by D Nolan Julseth-White. F Jeremy Welsh scored a team-leading 27 goals and 16 assists. Senior F Kelly Zajac leads the team in 34 assists. G Troy Grosenick has a great save percentage at .936 and a .783 win percentage. They have the best defensive team.  They gave up an average of 1.67 goals per game. Union beat Michigan State 3-1 in the 1st round and U Mass-Lowell 4-2 in the next. 


Ferris State Bulldogs


Ferris State had the best regular season in their conference, the CCHA. The Bulldogs head coach is Bob Daniels. He has coached Ferris for 20 years. This is his 2nd time leading a team to the Tournament. The team is led by Senior C Jordie Johnston who had 20 goals and 16 assists this season. Fellow Senior and Co-Captain, D Chad Billins had 22 goals. Ferris State defeated Denver and Cornell, both by the same score of 2-1, in the 1st 2 rounds of the tourney. 


Boston College Eagles

Chris Kreider
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The Eagles are on 17 game winning streak and are ranked number 1 in the USCHO Poll. They were a number 1 seed in the tournament and were champs in the Hockey East tournament for the 3rd straight year. They have best record in the Division 1 with 31-10-1 and the 2nd winningest coach in college hockey history, Jerry York. Parker Milner has a great goalie winning percentage of .844. Chris Kreider has 23 goals and 21 assists which adds up to 44 points. Johnny Gaudreau has 20 goals and 22 assists. BC shutout their 2 opponents they faced in the tournament to this point, 2-0 vs Air Force and 4-0 against Minnesota-Duluth.


Minnesota Golden Gophers


The Golden Gophers are led by Don Lucia, who is in the top 10 in career wins by a college hockey head coach. They have a two really good sophomore forwards, Erik Haula (20 goals, 28 assists) and Nick Bjugstad (25 goals, 17 assists). D Nate Schmidt may only have 3 goals, but he has 38 assists on the year. They have the best goals per game average with 3.67. Minnesota blew out the opposition in their 2 games to this point in the tournament. They beat Boston University 7-3 and North Dakota 5-2.


All of these teams have a chance to win. Boston College is the favorite but that doesn't mean anything. Union is a team that I think can make a run at the championship because of their good D. If we are looking at patterns in deciding the winner, Minnesota, last years champs have a good chance to win it all. Another pattern can be found in Ferris State's nickname and school colors, the bulldogs and red and yellow which are the same as last year's winners, Minnesota-Duluth. But, check out the games between Union and Ferris State and BC and Minnesota.

9 Innings of MLB Preview

Even though the MLB had it's 1st games in Japan between Oakland and Seattle, I decided to do my season preview before most of the other teams start their seasons.


Inning 1: Kansas City Royals

Billy Butler and Alex Gordon are key players
on the Royals
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For the last couple of years, Kansas City has been described as a team that is a few years away from success. This year might be the year for success. The Royals have 5 of their 6 1st Round Draft Picks from 2005-2009 on the team (Alex Gordon, Luke Hochevar, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Aaron Crow). Alex Gordon led the team in WAR with 5.9. That also put the 2nd pick in 2005 Draft at 7th in the WAR category. Both Hosmer and Butler had 19 home runs. Moustakas had 89 hits in 89 games. 


Pitching might keep them from being in the playoffs for the 1st time since 1985 (They won their only World Series in '85). Closer Joakim Soria is out for the year. Aaron Crow was an All-Star as a reliever. They signed a good starter in Jonathan Sanchez. Hochevar was 11-11 last year and is likely to improve on that. They have Jonathan Broxton and Greg Holland. This Royals team might not make the playoffs but it may be a big year for their development. I think that they might have their 1st winning season since 2003. The improvement of the record, team and  hosting the All-Star Game, means success for Kansas City.


Inning 2: Houston's Last Year in the National League

The Astros were terrible last year. They got rid of their best players and won 56 games. Of their top 3 RBI producers, Carlos Lee led the team with 94, Hunter Pence had 62 before being traded, and Chris Johnson had 42. Carlos Lee is the only good hitter on this roster. Wandy Rodriguez is a good pitcher that will get them double-digit wins. The team gave up an average of 4.91 runs per game an had an a 4.51 ERA. 2011 is Houston's last season in the National League. It may be a season that will want to quickly forget.


Inning 3: The Twins


Last year, the Minnesota Twins dropped from 1st Place in the AL Central to last place in not only the their division, but in the entire AL. They were injury plagued. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, the Twins best players, were injured for a good part of the season. And it wasn't just those stars, Denard Span and Tsuyoshi Nishioka each played less then 70 games while Jason Kubel played less then 100. For the Twins to be successful, they must stay free from injury and play like they did when they made the playoffs in 2010 and 2009. 


Inning 4: The Washington Nationals

Gio Gonzalez was a big acqusititon for the Nationals
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The Nationals finished last season in 3rd place. This finish was their best in their 1st 7 seasons. It may not seem like a big jump but they came close to a winning record, 80-81. The Nationals gained 21 wins in the last 3 years. They upgraded their pitching staff in all type of ways. They will have 2 #1 starters in Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. Last year, Strasburg, the number 1 pick in the 2009 Draft, was recovering from Tommy John and Gio Gonzalez was received in a trade. Jordan Zimmerman, Edwin Jackson, and Chien-Ming Wang are all decent starters. They have a two good set-up in Tyler Clippard and Brad Lidge. The Nats closer, Drew Storen, had 43 saves last year.


The are also very powerful in the hitting department. DC's most consistent player, Ryan Zimmerman, signed on for 6 years over the winter. Last season, Jayson Werth had an off year and he continues to struggle, the Nationals will a tough year. 2B Danny Esponsa had a great rookie season and will look to prove it was no fluke. Micheal Morse was the team leader in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) last year. Ian Desmond led the team in steals with 25 in 2011. Phenom Bryce Harper is starting the season at Triple A and when he get's to the Big Show, everyone's expectations are going to be through the roof. The record of the Nationals will be not be a good example of how well they will play, because of their division. The Phillies, Braves, and Marlins are all top teams in the NL, while the Nationals are a middle of the pack team. 


Inning 5: The Wild, Wide Open West 


During the last 3 seasons, a different division champ has risen from the NL West. The Dodgers in 2009, the Giants in 2010, and the Diamondbacks in 2011. This year might be as crazy as it has ever been. The Diamondbacks are looking to prove that their 2011 campaign was no fluke. The Giants are healthy and with Buster Posey back behind the plate and in the line-up, they are looking to return to the World Series. The Dodgers have new ownership that could spark the team. The Rockies are like foxes. They sneak into the playoff hunt and then make a run. The Padres are not likely to do anything. 

Each team has a player that will be an x-factor. The Diamondbacks is Aaron Hill. He needs to bounce back from an off year and hit like he has in previous seasons. The Giants have Pablo Sandoval. If Sandoval can hit 25 home runs for the Giants, they will be in good position for a run at the title. Los Angeles needs a good year out a Andre Either to make him and Matt Kemp a great duo. Colorado's x-factor is Jhoulys Chacin who is going to be the team's number 1 starter. They need 12+ wins from him this year.

Inning 6: Uniform/Logo Differences 

The new Blue Jays uniforms with the new logo in the backround
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The big uniform/logo news of the offseason was the rebranding of the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins. With the city/state name change, they also got all new logos, uniforms, and color scheme. They new colors are yellow, blue, orange, white, and black. The Toronto Blue Jays also made a cool change to their logos and uniforms. Their new logos are like the original logo from 1977. San Diego also changed their logo and uniforms. The home plate logo is gone and has been changed to a circle which has an interlocked SD is inside. The Dodgers slightly changed their logo. The lines are larger and the font is slightly different. The Orioles went retro in their new cap with the smiling Oriole. The Diamondbacks took away the team name of their logo so it is just the big A. There were many other additions and changes but these were the more notable. 


Inning 7: The 2nd Wild Card


The 2nd Wild Card will be in place for the 1st time ever this season. The 2 Wild Card teams will play a winner take-all game at the end of the season to see who will make the next round of the playoffs.


The American League looks to have 6 great baseball teams, the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Angles, and Rangers. Not to mention the other 8 teams that could sneak up and take a spot away from these teams. Every team has a chance to make the playoffs. But, they have 1 game to really make it. Just imagine, a winner-take-all Rangers-Rays or Angles-Yankees, or even Red Sox-Yankees. There might not be a better game. Those are only a few of the great game options for the AL. 


Inning 8: Big Names, Big News

Both Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder left the NL to
go to the AL
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Ryan Braun won the NL MVP last year. But, he was given a 50 game suspension for PED usage. The suspension was later taken away due to the sample being mishandled. Braun is going to get a lot of media attention that could affect his season. Ichiro had a career low year last year. For the 1st time ever in his MLB career, he didn't get 200 hits or a .300 average. He also didn't make the All-Star Game and win a Gold Glove. He's getting up there in age (38) and wants to have one more good season. Yu Darvish is coming over from Japan and is looking to prove he is worth the big buck he is earning. Yoenis Cespedes is a Cuban defector looking to prove himself in Oakland. He hit is 1st 4 bagger in the 2nd game of the year in Japan. Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder both got big contracts and left the teams they were on your team last year. If they don't produce, they are going to get some heat.


Inning 9: Playoffs


Last season, 4 teams that missed the playoffs in 2010 made the playoffs. Those teams were the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. The teams that were replaced were the Atlanta Braves,  Cincinnati Reds,  Minnesota Twins, and San Francisco Giants. The teams that made it both years are the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers. All of these team and a few more, like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, and Miami Marlins, have a chance of making the playoffs. The extra wild card has made the race wide open. Thats means a great year of baseball. 

NCAA Tournament Final Four

The Final Four finished up last night in The Big Easy. Both games were very good games to watch. They were exciting and electrifying. The Superdome had it's green court that was bright to the eyes. Here's a Final Four report. 

LOUISVILLE vs KENTUCKY

Anthony Davis Slams It Home
Chris Steppig-Pool/Getty Images

The 1st game of the doubleheader was between rivals Louisville and Kentucky. for most of the 1st half, Kentucky held a good lead over Louisville, even though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out for most of the period in foul trouble. At the start of the 2nd half, Louisville got on a role and tied the game at 49 with 9:31 left on the clock. Kentucky, however, couldn't be stopped as they won 69-61. Player of the Year Anthony Davis led the Wildcats with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. 






OHIO STATE vs KANSAS

Tyshawn Taylor steals the ball in the last minute
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

In the 2nd Game, Ohio State started off hot while Kansas couldn't make a shot. For most of the last 8 minutes of the 1st half, Ohio State held a double digit lead over the Jayhawks. At half time, it was 34-25. Kansas came out of half time rolling. The Jayhawks tied the game a few times but they didn't take the lead until about 2 minutes were left. The lead wasn't long but they got it back retook the lead with 1:08 left in the game. With about 8 seconds left and Kansas up by 3, Ohio State passed the ball in and Tyshawn Taylor stole it but threw it away trying to pass the ball to teammate Elijah Johnson who was driving to the basket. Kansas fouled Aaron Craft. He made the 1st shot. He purposely missed the 2nd, got the rebound, and put up a shot. But, the referee called a lane violation. Kansas ran the clock out and won 64-62. Thomas Robinson had 19 points and Jeff Withey had 8 bounds and 7 blocks.


CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW


This is the 4th time in history that 2 teams with the same 1st letter in the college name are facing off in a NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final. The previous times were between Oregon and Ohio State in the 1st ever tourney in 1939, Wisconsin and Washington State in 1941, and Kentucky and Kansas State in 1951. 


Kentucky is the definite favorite being the number 1 overall seed in the Tournament and having defeated Kansas earlier in the year by 10. They have Davis, who is expected to be the number 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.  Davis averages 14.4 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game, and 4.6 blocks per game. Kidd-Gilchrist averages 11.9 and 7.5 rebounds per game. Terrence Jones averages 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Those 3 make up a great front court. The backcourt is just as good with Marquis Teague, Doron Lamb, and Darius Miller. This might be the team that gets John Calipari his 1st NCAA Tournament. 


Kansas's last championship game appearance was in 2008, where Bill Self's Kansas team defeated Calipari's Memphis team in OT. This year's Jayhawk team is lead by Thomas Robinson and Taylor. Robinson averages 17.7 points per game and 11.7 bounds per game. Taylor averages 16.8 points per game and 4.8 assists per game. Withey is having a great tournament. He had 10 blocks vs. NC State and 15 points vs UNC. In last night's game, Travis Releford played really well without much notoriety. He played 38 minutes, had 15 points and 6 rebounds. We can't forget Elijah Johnson, who has had 10+ points tin every game in the Tournament, and also had 10 rebounds vs. OSU.


I believe that Kentucky will beat Kansas tomorrow in the Mercedez-Benz Superdome. Kansas has played really bad in the 1st half in the Tournament and then go on to play a great 2nd half. Against Kentucky, you can't do that. That is a recipe for a loss.