Baseball Week #8: How Are My Predictions So Far?

Hard to believe that one third of the baseball season is almost complete. I like to have fun with the numbers and see where my predictions are going so far. So this week, I will compare my predicted win totals for the teams to to a teams projected totals.

But first, a couple of baseball quickies for the week:

-Another manager was fired this week, as Colorado canned Clint Hurdle. Hard to believe the Rockies were in the World Series less than two years ago.

-It seems there's some debate about what to do with Manny if he gets elected to the All Star team. To me, I think someone high up in MLB should prevent this from happening. Yes, the fans have a right to vote for whoever they want. But it sends a really bad message to reward cheaters. Hopefully it won't come to anything.

-Umpires. After a couple of incidents with the Cubs this week, maybe MLB needs to look closer at the umpires' conduct. I don't condone Carlos Zambrano's childish behavior, but the umpires need to back off of players.

Predictions vs. Projections: How Am I Doing So Far?

AL East:

Boston: Predicted 97-65; Projected 91-71. Need David Ortiz to hit.

NY Yankees: 95-67 vs. 96-66. Doing well after a slow start.

Tampa Bay: 87-75 vs. 78-84. Expectations were higher; now fighting to stay out of last place

Toronto: 78-84 vs. 90-72. Doing better than expected, but can they hang?

Baltimore: 74-88 vs. 74-88. I wouldn't be surprised if they project a little higher.

AL Central:

Cleveland: Predicted 90-72; Projected: 67-95. Oooops. Ultimately, they should get to .500 in this division, right?

Minnesota: 85-77 vs. 76-86. I think ultimately they will go over .500

Chicago Sox: 83-79 vs. 78-84. Starting to move up now

Detroit: 79-83 vs. 91-71. Surprise divisional leader.

Kansas City: 77-85 vs. 76-86. Fading already after a good start.

AL West:

Los Angeles: Predicted 88-74; Projected: 81-81. Death and injuries have hurt

Oakland: 83-79 vs. 62-100. Ooooops.

Texas: 81-81 vs. 99-63. Can the pitching last?

Seattle: 75-87 vs. 78-84. Is Griffey finally finished?

NL East:

NY Mets: Predicted 96-66; Projected: 91-71. Still not sure what to make of the Mets

Florida: 85-77 vs. 74-88. They were 11-1??

Philadelphia: 83-79 vs. 93-69. Jury's still out as they lose a key player for the season

Atlanta: 79-83 vs. 79-83. Still trying to rekindle the old magic.

Washington: 69-93 vs. 44-118. Are they really this bad??

NL Central:

St.Louis: Predicted: 89-73; Projected: 96-66. Just remember I told you so....

Chicago: 82-80 vs. 84-78. Again, remember I told you so...

Houston: 81-81 vs. 65-97. Last place...for now.

Cincinnati: 75-87 vs. 88-74. Big Dust has them playing well.

Milwaukee: 70-92 vs. 96-66. I WAY underestimated this team (so far).

Pittsburgh: 66-96 vs. 73-89. Not in last place...yet.

NL West:

Los Angeles: Predicted: 93-69. Projected: 108-54. Even without Manny, they are playing well

San Francisco: 86-76 vs. 81-81. Still hard to say with the Giants

Arizona: 84-78 vs. 71-91. Talent not coming through.

Colorado: 76-86 vs. 67-95. Just fired their manager.

San Diego: 68-94 vs. 79-83. Very streaky so far.

Analysis:

I've only picked two records dead on so far, within one game on two others. Basically, it's way too early to truly assess. But, I will stand by my prediction of St. Louis. I predicted the Cubs' issues and they are ringing true. I figured the Dodgers were the best team in the NL, but I didn't see their recoed coming. I think the Yankees may struggle with their pitching, but you can't argue with how they've played lately.

I'll pick this up again in July.

No Hunter Flops this week...sorry!!

JP

Sunny Saturday!!!

Well at last here in Northern Virginia...a forecast of sun with little to no chance of rain in the foreseeable future. If you're in my area, then you know over the last two months, we have had more rain, clouds and generally depressing weather. So I'm psyched!! That means pool...barbecue and hammock laying.

As far as watching sports? As strange as it seems a sports blogger, I have watched zero sports over the last couple of weeks. I can't really blame work, although that has been a factor. Nothing has floated my boat. The Cubs are so...well, the Cubs. I'm sorry I missed Carlos Zambrano's temper tantrum. If that's the only thing that generates any excitement, does that mean my interst in sports is finally waning?? I wouldn't think so, but I actually haven't missed the sports. Hmm..maybe I better see a doctor??

A colleague of mine from work did ask if I was ready for fantasy football. Hmmm..with around 100 days or so from football season starting, I kinda laughed. But has football taken over as my my favorite sport? I mean, we consume two-three entire days a week on football now with pick preparation, fantasy preparation, actual game watching. I don't spend that time on baseball anymore. And the NBA and NHL? Get real.... French Open? ZZZZZZZZZ. The Tour de France is coming up, but even that doesn't have the zeal of the past. How I long for the Greg LeMond days.....

Gee then, loyal readers, what was the point of posting today?? I'm not really sure...It's almost like this was the Seinfeld of Riff posting...a post about...nothing.

I may break out of the sports watching drought as the Cubs take on the Dodgers. National coverage the next two days. The series is even as outstanding pitching has been the rule. But no bets with my friend Mckie. I know he's afraid of losing money to me.

Did anyone notice how much Penn State football coach Joe Paterno makes? He's had us believing he doesn't make much (by today's standards); however, it's be revealed that makes around $1.2 million. I think for someone around as long as him, that's probably fair.

San Diego State pitcher and future savior of baseball Stephen Strasburg actually lost a game yesterday. To Virginia! Go figure....I still think by the time he reaches the majors (maybe late summer), he'll have the same fate as most of hot shot pitchers. Just remember what happened to Mark Prior, who was supposed to be the next tom Seaver....

Well...that's about it. Maybe later on I will put out a post that matters. But every so often you have post like these...the rambling madness of a sports fan gone nutty. At least I have the pool and the sun today. I'll take that combo almost any time. Look out for my baseball review tomorrow!!

Jp

Temper Tantrum Thursday

I'm sorry sorry I missed this one, but Carlos Zambrano really had a temper tantrum for the ages on Wednesday against the Pirates. For those who didn't see, check the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwzj4fDE8dg

Zambrano is known for getting excitable at a moment's notice, but there are many issues at play here. One, isn't it time for Zambrano to can this act? A suspension is surely on the way, and the Cubs can ill afford to be without Zambrano once again. It's time to grow up. Two, it does appear the umpire initiated the contact with Zambrano (thus Z "ejecting" the umpire) I think the umpires are getting out of control and Baseball needs to start looking at this instead of assuming the players and managers always being at fault.

It was a nice run for the Blackhawks, who are now out of the NHL playoff picture. They took the champs to three overtime games out of the five. I firmly believe in next year for this team.

Big news out of Memphis is that the men's basketball is being investigated for major violations from the 2007-2008 season. That was the Final Four season with 38 victories and Derrick Rose. One of the violations involved a fraudulent SAT score involving a player from that team. This could mean forfeiting that season and the Final Four. I know Kentucky is a gem of a job, but does it make anyone wonder now that coach John Caliperi bolted so quickly (although I don't believe he was personally involved in the violations)????

The big bad Yankees are now tied for first place after their poor start. I will review all things baseball in my weekly Sunday recap. Always a treat to write (and for you to read)!!

My last thing for the day is that the world lost a genuinely nice man yesterday in Dr. Jim Tiffany. You're in a better place and I will miss you as will all of your colleagues. I'm sorry about the end and hope you won't hold it against me.

Hopefully a calmer Friday...

JP

The Riffs's Summer Reading List

Summer's always a great reading season-whether it's at the beach...or if it's assigned school reading.  The Riff  has a great collection, but surprisingly sports books are in the vast minority.  I did spend a fair amount of time reading sports books and almanacs when I was much younger; ironically,as I have grown older, I haven't read that many sorts books.  But I have read enough that I have a good quality of suggestions that I think you will enjoy:

1. Ball Four-Jim Bouton.  I have read this book perhaps more times than any book I own.  Published in 1970, this tell-all was way ahead of its time in content and subject matter.  God forbid anyone would tell the world how Mickey Mantle drank and drank.  But we also saw sides of baseball players we never ever imagined.  Greenies...imagine how "innocent" that was compared to steroids.  Still a must read nearly 40 years later.

2. Summer of 1949-David Halberstam.  I was so sad when Halberstam tragically was killed in a car accident.  His sports books were awesome-and he was never really considered a sports writer per say.  But this book put you in the heart of a pennant race between two hated rivals-The Yankees and the Red Sox.  All of the back stories of baseball's legends was really the bonus for me.  If you like baseball history, this is your book.

3. Summer of 1964-David Halberstam.  If you didn't get enough of 1949,"1964" covered a tale of two World Series opponents-the Yankees and Cardinals.  Remember this was the year the Phillies tanked down the stretch.  But the Cardinals were interesting team in their own right-especially as the racial makeup of baseball was changing as our country was.  As for the Yankees, this was a dying team on its last legs.  More back stories and history make this another must read by Halberstam.

4. The Greatest Game Ever Played- Mark Bowden.  Yes, football season doesn't start for a while.  But for great sports reading...and a quick one at that...this one tells a story of an NFL still in the dark ages.  But in December 1958, the NFL Championship game between Baltimore and the NY Giants changed all of that.  Again, if you like sports history,you'll really enjoy this book.

5. Clemente-  David Maraniss.   I don't do biographies all that often, but Maraniss really hit the spot on this one.  Clemente as not only a Latino hero, but a sports hero in general really gives one an appreciation as to how awesome he was.  Even more amazing was how much Clemente doubted himself.  Clemente's life ended early and tragically, but nevertheless,we will always be touched by his greatness.

6. The Professional- W.C. Heinz.  An awesome novel about a professional boxer by one of the best in the business.  Even more amazing, this book was written in 1959 and can still stand up to the best of them today.

Honorable mention:

-Moneyball.  A book that changed how baseball teams were run.

-Boys Of Summer-Roger Kahn.  I still after all of these have never read this book-but it is on my list of must reads!!

-Wrigleyworld-Kevin Kaduk.  A truly fun book about a writer spending a summer in Wrigleyville.

-Friday Night Lights.  I find the TV show the best of all, but it all started nearly 20 years ago with this classic.

What's really cool is that most of these books can be found in most major bookstores and in paperback!!  Have some fun this summer and try any of these.  Summer reading was meant to be fun.  And you can wow your friends with what was learned!!

Jp

When Wednesday Doesn't Feel Like Wednesday

These short work weeks wreak havoc on you sometimes-it's already hump day!! Which means the weekend is this close again. Maybe this is the weekend I finally follow the wife to the gym...before she really can kick my not as healthy ass in. Some random hump day musings:

-What is going on the NBA playoffs? Usually these things are fixed to maximize as much audience as possible (or as much as anyone still cares), but what's going on is truly ridiculous. Can you say Denver and Orlando?? Ewwwww. At the very least, we all figured LeBron would finally make an NBA Final?? Starting to wonder about is abilities as a team leader yet??

-The Penguins are in as they spring cleaned Carlina in four straight? Can Chicago believe in miracles???

-The C(h)ubs finally won on Tuesday, ending my mini baseball boycott. I wasn't going to watch anymore sports until the bastards finally won. Now that they finally won, do I jinx the winning streak??

-Mike Tyson's daughter died after a tragic accident involving exercise equipment. I'm still not sure if there was supervision or why Tyson wasn't around. Gotta feel bad for Iron Mike, who doesn't seem to catch any breaks any more.

-Congrats to George Mason's baseball team, who was awarded an at large berth to baseball's version of the big dance. I believe they have something like 42 wins. This team apparently can hit, so we'll see if they cause any match up problems for the big boys.

Not much else to say, but make sure you see my post later on today regarding my summer reading list. Some good stuff in there that should make you wanna jump and read. Seriously....reading is...or should be the foundation of our society. The society gone to pot by the internet and video games.

Anyway...have a good hump day...

JP

On This Day In Baseball History....

Sorry this got out late; hope you enjoy no matter what day it is

I saw an excellent article in Sunday's New York Times sports page about the "perfect" game Harvey Haddix pitched in 1959. In fact, it was 50 years ago today that Harvey Haddix (pitching for Pittsburgh) took a perfect game into the 13th inning!! In fact his opposing pitcher, Lew Burdette also pitched into the 13th inning as well (scattering 12 hits over his 13 innings)!! Of course you would never ever see something like that nowadays. But baseball was much different back then.

The sad thing about that game was that someone had to lose. 12 scoreless innings by both starting pitchers. The Braves were the opponents for the Pirates this day in 1959. The same Braves team who won the two previous National League pennants. These were the days of Aaron, Matthews, Spahn. So the fact that Haddix had pitched 12 perfect innings against this team (or any team for that matter) was truly amazing. We also have the Pirates, who would win in 1960. In a sense, you had what was past against was going to be. But of course no one knew that at the time!! Unfortunately bad luck and game circumstances in the unlucky 13th inning proved to be Haddix' undoing and the one and only hit led the only run scored this day.

Because baseball is weird about its records, this special game is never considered as a no hitter or a perfect game. Perfect games and no hitters nowadays are considered such if the game is nine complete innings (and finished). No 5, 6 or 7 inning no hitters. While Haddix technically pitched 9 perfect innings, the game was not over. Haddix will always get special consideration for his accomplishment, but sadly his perfection unravelled in that fateful 13th inning.

Of course back in those days, no one would have known about the game or had live look-ins as the game as developing. Can you imagine what we could have seen? I'm sure on a local level, maybe the game was televised. But I doubt it. As I said before, the game was different then. I'm not sure if anyone but the most devoted fans would have noticed the boxscore the next day (or following day even, depending on newspaper deadlines).

Anyway, it made me feel that perhaps baseball has lost its way with all of the overpaid, overblown and over pampered players of today. On this day in 1959, 2 pitchers and 2 teams battled out for 13 tough innings...both pitchers finished what they started. And made their next starts. That's what baseball was then and should be today.

On this day in 1959 was when baseball witnessed perhaps the best individual performance ever. Relish and remember the memory...

Thanks to baseball reference.com, here's a link to the boxscore of this famous game:http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN195905260.shtml

JP

Another Weekend Ketchup...Maybe Pickles Would Help

These stretches of not posting regularly really suck. After a harder than anticipated work week, I finally have some time to relax...and reflect on what's been happening in sports lately. Now that we begin Summer today, hopefully this brings more fertile postings from the Riff...

Now mind you, the Riff hasn't watched sports on TV much lately. Which is truly amazing for those of you who know me. I haven't turned the TV on one time to watch sports so far this weekend. So how in the world can I possibly opine on what's going on? Newspapers and internet, baby!! But could it also be that other things (besides work) have piqued my interest?? Say it isn't so!!! But today, I will do my best to catch up...

I do have a correction from Friday's post about the hockey playoffs. The Blackhawks were not down 3-0 at that point; it was only 2-0. They took Friday night's game in overtime, thus increasing my excitement for a Chicago-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Final. But sadly Chicago lost and are now down 3-1. Pittsburgh is on the brink of doing their part and are now one game away to a surprising final.

NBA...bleh. So what if Lebron had his Jordan-esque game winning shot. The Cavs ARE STILL LOSING THE SERIES!! Who would have thought Orlando could be reaching the NBA Finals?? And Denver keeps pushing the LA Lakers, but LA is so far doing their part in leading their series.

NFL- the Michael Vick reinstatement watch is on. You know how I feel about that. What's really interesting in the NFL now is that that Tennessee Titans have filed tampering charges against the Deadskins in the Albert Haynesworth signing. Yes, teams tamper all the time, but I think this case has merit and we'll see if the NFL actually does something about it.

Racecars. If you get your jollies spending (now with rainouts) two days watch cars race around in a circle, the here's a drink to ya. I'd rather watch rodeo than this nonsense. Even on a rainy day. I'd rather clean my closet. Oh snap, I actually have to do that.....

Baseball. The traditional way I suppose to spend Memorial Day. I did my checkpoint in an earlier post, so I won't say much here. I'm still amazed that the Nats here in DC still don't draw well; I almost considered walking up on Saturday night and buying tickets right then and there. I fell asleep instead.

So what will the Riff do today, especially if it rains? Maybe read Lou Pinella's biography...It's too late to drive to Boalsburg, Pa for the annual 4 mile Memorial Day run. There's always next year when I'm 40....

Happy Memorial Day

Baseball Week #7: Memorial Day Checkpoint

Memorial Day is noteworthy for two reasons: It's the beginning of Summer and it's one of three traditional checkpoints for baseball. Fans and media have used Memorial Day, Fourth Of July and Labor Day as the three checkpoints to gage the teams' progress. Of course at this early stage of game, it's too soon to make any rash decisions about what direction teams ought to go in. But enough baseball has been played that adjustments probably should be made.

So let's do our Memorial Day assessment.

Teams that need help (and should think of saving their season NOW before it's too late:

1. Cleveland. Perhaps one of the biggeset disappointments in MLB so far. With some of the moves made in the postseason, most figured they would take a weak AL Central. It's all about pitching and their pitching sucks. It might be time to look at acquiring some pitching...

2. Chicago Cubs. Granted there have been injuries, but I'm in "I told you so" mode. I told you in the beginning this team would have depth issues and would have bullpen issues. Both are severely biting the Cubs in the butt. There's been no offense this year either. It's time to start dealing now, before the season gets away. It's not too late.

3. Boston. Yes, Boston. Yes, they are in first place, but you kinda feel they're capable of tanking it at any moment. They need a bat to make up for the fact David Ortiz has been beyond awful this year. And they will need offense to survive what is now a tougher AL East than expected.

4. Chicago White Sox. The defending division champs may find that the move that is most needed is replacing their manager. Outside of that, they may need to inject younger blood into their offense.

Teams that should party on Memorial Day (because they are doing better than expected):

1. Milwaukee. After key defections from last year (and the fact that they were built to win last year and fired a manager in the process), Milwaukee was not seen as a threat this year. The Brewers still have a young nucleus in their offense, which has allowed some wiggle room in their pitching. I expected St. Louis to contend, but not Milwaukee.

2. Detroit. They are playing this year as they should have last year. And they have taken the reigns in what is a weak AL Central. They could be hard to beat if Cleveland and Chicago still languish.

3. Texas. The pitching may finally be starting to catch up to the hitting. Texas has taken advantage of the Angels' injury issues and stepped up in the AL West. We'll see how long it lasts...

4. Toronto. They have faded the last ten days or so, but they are unexpectedly hanging in there in a very tough AL East.

Teams that should pack it now; you're never gonna recover:

1. Washington. It's shame, because they finally have the offense to put fannies in the seats. They need a bullpen very badly.

2. Pittsburgh. 16 straight losing seasons...and counting

3. Arizona/Colorado. Already more than 10 games behind a team that will get Manny back at some point. See ya next year.

4. Oakland. Time to dump players and start Moneyball over.

Memorial Day Hunter Flop No Star team:

-A changeup for the weekly flops; we make a "team" this week

1b- Jason Giambi. 5hr, .222 BA. No longer protected with the Yankees lineup (and must be off cycle)

2b- Aaron Miles. The Cubs made a big deal about this free agent signing, but at .204, I long for the days of Mark DeRosa

SS- Alexi Ramirez. From Rookie of the Year to .226 flop. Sophomore years are a bitch.

3b- Mark Fontenot. He's more at home at 2b, but injuries put him here. Only hitting .208 after a hot start.

C-Geovany Soto. Another Rookie of the Year to flop. .202 BA and only 1 HR. Get a feeling why the Cubs aren't so good this year??

RF-Milton Brady (.188 BA) and Brian Giles (.170). Hard to pick one here. Hard to believe only a year or two ago Giles was money. As far as Bradley, another great free agent signing by the Cubs.

CF-BJ Upton. .195 BA is definitely not where this called can't miss prospect ought to be.

LF-Carlos Guillen. .200 BA isn't hurting Detroit now, but I'm sure a lot more was expected than this.

DH-David Ortiz. .195 BA and only 1 HR. Maybe the "LVF"-Least Valuable Flop" of the year. Very mysterious how far he has sunk. Could it be Ortiz is off cycle???

SP- Ricky Nolasco. A staggering 9.07 ERA. Balloons can't even carry this ERA.
SP- Scott Kazmir. A 7.69 ERA. This was once a very promising pitcher.

RP-Kip Wells. A 6.90 ERA gets you a spot in the Washington bullpen.
RP-Jonathan Albaladejo. A 6.00 ERA gets you to Mariano Rivera too soon

And there you have it...the Memorial Day checkpoint. Hopefully you can make the pool as part of your plans today...

JP

Freaky Friday-Something Must Be In The Water

Here's some random thoughts as we head into the holiday weekend:

-Mike Vick was released from the (hokie) pokey. I know this has been one the more heavily debated things of recent memory-Should the NFL reinstate Vick or not? I think the tact that should be taken with athletes who have violated the PED's (performance enhanced drugs) or crimes against anything living that there should be a zero tolerance rule. Granted this does not mirror society, but given all of the millions of chances we give athletes when they behave badly, I think that Mike Vick does not deserve to be reinstated. Let him feel life like the rest of us and let him earn his 10 bucks an hour being a janitor.

-Damn Cubs get swept, it's a bad thing. But to the Cardinals?? The Cubs were helpless and feeble against a team more shorthanded than them. It's still too early to panic, but since my expectations were low anyway, why care?? Because I just do....

-Turns out the arena the Denver Nuggets use to play their fake basketball games (NBA) double booked events for Monday night. I'm surprised that any thought was out there that Denver would be even this far in the playoffs and here they are. Gotta like two fake empires like the WWE and NBA duke it out when we should be outside cooking out or at the pool.

-My NHL Finals dream is kinda going down the toilet. The Penguins are doing their part, as they lead their series 2-0. My BlackHawks, however, are down 3-0 after two straight overtime losses.

-Speaking of Denver, they beat the Lakers. Do the Lakers really give a damn? I know I don't...

I'll have lots more later this weekend, so stay tuned...

Jp

Sunday Recap and Other Things

So we will not see a rematch of last year's NBA championship series. We will also see a new NBA champ as Boston got blown out by Orlando yesterday. The LA Lakers did their part in beating Houston, setting up what could be a Kobe vs. LeBron NBA Final. If both LA and Cleveland get by their next opponents.

The BlackHawks lost their opener against the defending champs Detroit in the opener of their conference finals series. I'm not sure if the young 'Hawks really have a chance in this series, but will gain the experience of having gone this far. Not that's any consolation if/when they lose to Detroit.

The Cubs fell to Houston yesterday as a furious ninth inning rally fell short. A big series with St. Louis is next for the week; I didn't realize how short handed the Cardinals were, but they remain in a race they were never expected to be in. Carlos Zambrano made a rehab start yesterday and expects to be back by late week.

I forgot to mention yesterday in the baseball recap of a big game in baseball history (reading the NY Times reminded me of this). On May 17, 1979, probably the craziest game in baseball history was played at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22...in nine innings no less. Yes, the wind was blowing out and if you see the box score alone you can see how crazy it was. I actually remember seeing the boxscore in the Philadelphia Inquirer 30 years ago today and was mesmerized even then by the craziness of it. With the quality of pitching the way it is today, I wouldn't be surprised to one day see a game like that again.

A short one day, but I figure I can keep interest in Riff again if I post every day. Even during a busy week for me.

Jp

Baseball Week#6: Tale Of Two Centrals

The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are running away from their competition so far this baseball season. Take a little deeper look at the divisional races and you find something common in each league.  Take a look at the Central Divisions.  They are both crazy in their own way.

Let's start with the NL Central.  Going into the season, everybody was practically gift wrapping this division to the Cubs.  I wasn't buying then and I'm not buying now.  However, you have to be. impressed with what the Cubs have done with all of the adversity they have faced this year.  They remain one half game out of first place with a five game winning streak.  The Cardinals spent most of the spring ion first place (as I predicted) and have hung in despite their own adversity.  But the bigger surprise is Milwaukee-first place in the NL Central.  After seemingly putting all of their eggs into last year, the Brewers are once again contending.  But will their pitching hold up all year?  Also surprising are the Dusty Baker led Cincinnati Reds.  They are only two games out with a young team.  Can Big Dust lead this team into the playoffs?  Certainly this division at this point in the season is the best in terms of competitiveness.

The AL Central is equally jumbled, with 4 teams bunched together.  But this division contrasts with their counterparts in that they resemble the old NFC Central Division (the Black and Blue division back in the day) and even the old NHL Norris division (teams were known to be under .500 and fighting for playoff spots).  The AL Central is now led by last year's losers Detroit (19-16).  Detroit is trying the worst to first move and have wrested first from Kansas City.  The Royals started off nicely, but have crashed recently, but still hang in there at 19-18.  The team is young and given the mediocrity, the Royals have a great chance to win this thing.  Never count out Minnesota, who always do more with less.  And the ChiSox, as defending champs, still lurk four games behind.

This week's Hunter Flops:

-John Lackey.  Ejected after just two pitches on Saturday night.  Maybe the buffet was extra good.

-Edwin Encarnacion.  DFL among qualifiers with a .127 BA.  Ouch.

-Milton Bradley.  All the splash for his signing, he's hitting .194.

-Felix Pie.  .200 BA; change of scenery has not helped his hitting.

-Geovany Soto.  .202 BA.  Injuries or sophomore slump??

-Ricky Nolasco. 7.78 ERA, worst among qualifiers.

-Cubs Bullpen.  Another blown lead on Saturday; Kevin Gregg  just downright sucks with his 6.00+ ERA.

-Randy Johnson. 6.86 ERA.  End of the road??  Trying like hell to get to 300 wins.

-Washington pitching.  DFL in team ERA (5.90)  On pace to become just the third team since the 1930's to give up 1000 runs.

Next week: Memorial Day checkpoint

JP

The Riff's Deluxe Edition: Ketchup, Mustard and Pickles

Missing a week of writing meant missing a lot of great sports stuff.  Baseball's not the only season heating up. Today, you'll see everything-the deluxe edition of the Riff.

I will post more on the baseball on my weekly recap.  But here are my observations of the week:

-Early reports of the Cubs' demise were greatly exaggerated.  Even with injuries and a very leaky bullpen, the Cubs are very much in the NL Central race and on pace with last year when they had the NL's best record.  Scary what they could do at full strength.

-In Washington, the talk is centering around who the next Supreme Court Justice will be.  Maybe talk will also center around who the next manager will be.  I don't think everything is Manny Acta's fault, but at some point fingers have to be pointed at the field general.  And that's Acta.  The Nats could be so much better, given their offense.  But pitching helps win championships and the offense isn't even putting fannies in the seats.  For all of the battles getting baseball in DC, no one is going. Granted things are tough and team is the worst in baseball.  But a 35% decline in attendance is a very bad thing.

The NBA playoffs chug along and last year's finalists are in the fights of their lives.  The Lakers should be on easy street, given that Houston lost their two best players.  But the series inexplicably is tied and one wonders if the Lakers really care.  When Kobe is your so called leader, that explains some things.  As for the Celtics, they have been fighting since the playoffs started.  And they also lost two key players, but they are far from quitting  Perhaps the lakers can learn from them.  Sure if they win today, they get Cleveland.  But the Celts are the Champs until someone beats them.  I still won't watch this crap, but frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing a Lakers-Celtics rematch in the end.

The NHL playoffs have been sensational this year and not just because the Black Hawks have advanced to play Detroit.  The Pittsburgh-Washington series, for what little of America saw, was a great series with a great rivalry re-born.  Every game was a fight and fans were not disappointed.  Pittsburgh ultimately won, furthering my dream of a Chicago-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Final.

The Preakness stakes saw a filly won for the first time since 1924.  Probably more noteworthy was the new policy that fans could not BYOB.  Attendance dropped 30%, putting the future of this event in jeopardy.

Soon to be inducted NFL Hall Of Famer Bruce Smith was busted for DUI.  I believe this is his third or fourth offense.  Not a great way to conduct yourself...

Summer's almost here.....maybe it's time to go bowling...

JP

39 Reasons To.... (Con't.)

Okay loyal readers, this should be 39 reasons not to follow the Riff anymore. After some internet issues and the usual work issues, I think I'm ready to resume riffing after another one of my world famous hiatuses. Back a couple of weeks ago, I started a "39 Reasons" post to celebrate my wife's 39th birthday. Well this past week, I also hit that magical age. Man, we're on the brink of 40. Middle age. Scary. And lately, I have felt it too. Even in sports, pushing 40 is mostly a sign that one is about finished with their careers. Which to many, that means their lives seem over. Today, instead of finishing my "39 Reasons" with random riffs, I want to devote this post to those who achieved great things at age 39.

Before I start, a big thank you to baseballreference.com for stat help.

-Hank Aaron hit 40 home runs at age 39 on his way to breaking Babe Ruth's record, which would happen at age 40.

-Warren Spahn went 21-10 and pitched 18 complete games, both categories leading the NL.

-Ted Williams won his last batting title at age 39 in 1958, hitting .328 (and also led the AL with a .458 on base percentage).

-Ernie Banks hit his 500th career home run when he was 39

-Gaylord Perry won the the Cy Young Award in 1978 at age 39, I believe becoming the oldest player at the time to do so. he was also the first win win Cy Young's in both leagues.

-Phil Niekro threw 334 innings, went 19-18, started 42 games (completing 22) all at age 39!! At 40, he actually threw 342 innings!!

-Rickey Henderson led the AL with 66 stolen bases and 118 walks at age 39.

-Steroids or not, Barry Bonds won an MVP at age 39; that year he won the batting title, walked 232 times and slugged over .800.

For non baseball players:

-Jerry Rice caught 83 passes at age 39.

-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a very productive player at age 39

Clearly life did not end for these guys at age 39.  Some continued to achieve, while others faded away.  Life doesn't end at 39.  Unless you're Jack Benny.

Jp

Baseball Week #5: Manny and the Aftermath

In what has become a rather interesting year for baseball, given the economic climate and the surprise teams, this past week was marred by Manny Rameriez' suspension. I've already spoken about this topic and would rather not address it anymore. But I think what should be discusses is how this will affect baseball this season and beyond.

For the immediate, one can't help but wonder how this will affect the Dodgers. In my and other people's books, the Dodgers were a favorite to win the NL pennant. I think while they have a big lead now in a pretty dead division, it does give teams hope that they can close the gap on the Dodgers. The Dodgers will weather the storm because they were a pretty solid team without Manny anyway. But the psyche and how it will affect the Dodgers during the next 50 games. Not to mention the distraction afterwards. Just ask the Yankees (who aren't as good as we all suspected-with or without ARoid). I don't care what Manny has said or will say on the subject. He's a caught cheater who put his own selfish needs ahead of the team's. Plain and simple. And that's what all of these prima donnas have and will do.

Beyond this season, I think baseball needs to once again change their policies about illegal drug use. As I posted yesterday, they need to adopt a zero tolerance policy. Zero means zero. No exceptions. Baseball has been corrupt from top to bottom on this issue for many years. It's now time to take drastic action or baseball will be destroyed. For good.

Enough about that. On to happier topics. Like some surprises of the season so far. Like the Kansas city Royals. Maybe the kids are finally paying off. The Royals find themselves in first place and given the mediocrity of the AL Central, should hang in there for a while. Perhaps this is the team that replicates (sort of) what the Rays did last year. Toronto is another surprise. Maybe we should not be, given Cito Gaston is managing this ball club. But Toronto finds itself in first place in a rugged division. I'm not sure how long the Jays can hang, but with Roy Haliday as the horse, they stand a good chance. In the NL, St. Louis was not expected to contend, let alone be in first place. But given the Cubs issues, St. Louis (I told you so!!!!) will be in this race for the long haul.

Hunter Flops:

Many contenders this week, so lets not waste any time

-Mark Teixeira. .196 BA and only 6 HR. Maybe ARoid being back will help

-Brian Giles. remember how good he used to be? DFL among qualifiers with a .151 BA.

-Derrek Lee. .209 BA. Please go on the DL. Now. Before you wreck your health and the Cubs at the same time.

-BJ Upton. .165 BA. More flop than fantastic.

-David Ortiz. .221 BA and 1 HR. Think he misses Manny??

If you have a winning record, does that make you a flop? Bronson Arroyo, Jamie Moyer and Josh Beckett all have winning or .500 records and each has an ERA of 6.75 or higher.

-Oliver Perez. 9.97 ERA. Maybe the Mets need Pedro back ASAP.

-Cleveland. Now they almost have as bad a record as Washington. This year's version of Detroit.

-Oakland. I expected better than last place this year; some expected them to win.

-NY Yankees. This team has issues galore. Too many to print.

-Arizona. They were expected to contend; instead, they have flopped and fire their manager.

I almost want to put the Cubs on this list. They had depth issues (to me) going into the season. Now that Aramis Ramirez is out at least six weeks...or longer.., there's no great Plan B. Derrek lee has been hurt almost all year; Carlos Zambrano is on the DL as well. Milton Bradley is sucking badly. Yet the Cubs are a respectable 16-14, but a rough road lies ahead. Time to deal. It's not too late to save the season.

Enjoy Mother's Day!!

JP

Hipsters And Fertilization

Two of the now most notorious "caught" cheaters in baseball and perhaps sports converged in a weird way this week. "Shocking" news that Manny Rameriez was suspended for using a banned substance and ARoid's return Friday intersected in ways we would not have guessed. And baseball is there to witness all.

As we have now absorbed all of this, what does this actually mean for the sport we love? The players? Cheating as a whole? Does it all really matter? All questions I want to address this morning.

As a naive 18 year old, it would have never occurred to me that athletes would have cheated to the extent that Ben Johnson did in the 1988 Olympic Games. But he did and I think from that point, nothing should be shocking from that standpoint. And yet, about to turn 39, I still find myself a little shell shocked when I know I shouldn't. Athletes cheat. They want an edge. And stay "young" as long as possible. That has become so obvious as Barry Bonds proved when he set the home run records. Baseball is no stranger to scandal. I grew up with the mid 1980's cocaine scandal, the strikes and now steroids.

If we are to believe that Manny had a "health issue", the we are all fools. Again. I think we should know better. Manny used fertility drugs or whatever to mask his cheating. And we are so numb by Aroid and the others that it doesn't seem to matter. I have a solution-have a no tolerance policy. Y'all know the rules and consequences. One strike and yer out. Period. The latest scandal is bad business. Y'all are greedy. And you take advantage of us. One of two things must happen: legalize drugs or kick players out for one violation. I don't care if it's not fair. Just do it. Now.

The failed drug tests and cheating gives a black eye to all. We fans are gullible and take too much. We don't trust anyone anymore. But we still go back. And root for them anyway. What does this means for me? I know I'll keep following my sports. I think all of this matters, but we love sports so much we cannot turn our backs. We'll find new players to root for and new players to hate. It's all part of the game. I can't fool myself into thinking otherwise. That's what it all means to me. I'll keep my Ryne Sandbergs as my sports "hero". But my real role models are my family and peers. At least I know where they stand with me.

As for cheating as a whole? We are surrounded by it every day in all walks of life. I'm a hypocrite to criticize cheaters. We've all done it to some extent. Taxes...golf..cards..whatever. We all like to win and we all like to do well. Or be better. Or be rich. Or greedy. So we shouldn't be that angry at all of cheaters and drug users because us normal people do all of that and probably more. So maybe that's why we are so numb by it. It's wrong, but it's part of life. For athletes, it's magnified 10,000%. Is that fair?

All in all, I'm mad, but in theory I know I shouldn't. Sport is a diversion. Not life. It's time to treat it that way. And not be so consumed by it (Ha!!). It doesn't affect my bottom line

And that's how I feel because Stone Cold says so...

I'll lighten up. Eventually...(Yeah, right...)

Thanks...

Jp

Viva Man(ny) Vegas

Okay...maybe Manny didn't use the blue pill, but a fertility drug?   Word that Manny Rameriez was suspended by Major League Baseball for using a banned substance once again sent shock waves through a sport that needs no more bad news.  Of course many questions have to be asked:

-Why on earth would Manny take a chance on any substance that turned out to be banned?

-Do we buy any of his nonsense about not knowing?

-Do sports fans really care any more?

-When did Manny use this banned substance-before or after his contract signing (not sure if this matters)?

Fertility drugs?  Was manny trying to be MANNY??

Baseball does not need any more of this crazy stuff.  It's no wonder fans are turning to the NFL and other sports. Think the Boston fans miss him now?? 

Of course lost in the shuffle is that Brett Faver apparently snubbed the Vikings and will stay retired.  Who's doing who the bigger favor??

Men's NCAA Volleyball Final Four this week.  Can PSU repeat??

Maybe if Manny had only taken the blue pill....liking the fact that the Cubs won't have have to face Manny later this month.

Here's hoping for a dry Friday..

JP

Cinco De Mayonaise

Ketchup, pickles, mayonnaise.  What on earth Jared is your fixation with condiments?   Good question.  And yet as it continues to rain, cookouts are far from my mind right now

Yes..late night weirdness has reared its ugly head once again.  And deep in the recesses of the riff's mind are sports thoughts that might not make the mainstream.

Bret Favre is considering yet another comeback.  He's becoming worse than Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, Floyd Mayweather.  What makes anyone think Favre is the answer in Minnesota?  He wrecked the Jets' season in 2008 and caused a coach to get fired.  The Vikings made the playoffs without him last year; will take him to the next level this year?  Hells No.

Not sure why Tony Dungy feels the need to meet with Mike Vick.  Vick is the worst possible slime.  Hopefully the NFL sees likewise.  Maybe Vick can be an All Pro janitor.

Hockey karma is so not with me.  The Penguins losing two games to the DC Caps and the Blackhawks now behind two games to one.  Maybe I should stop caring again.

The Big Ten Plus One Conference isn't looking to expand, as Joe Paterno had suggested.  With the BCS conferences all expanding, it surprises me the conference that started it all (with regards to the first wave of expansion) cannot keep up.  I think the possibility of a Big Ten Championship football game is very exciting and it makes sense.  Which is why it won't happen.

And lastly, the number 31 was retired by the Cubs.  Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux were both great pitchers of their generations.  Wish in some ways Fergie could have it alone, since he achieved more with the Cubs...but no big complaints.

Time to sleep.....hump day awaits

Jp

 

Shake Your Monday Maker

Someone should tell Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano to stop being an athlete and start acting like a pitcher.  On Sunday, Big Z decided to bunt and actually beat it out!  In the process, he strained his hammy and now finds himself on the DL.  Bad news and I think while Z recovers and rehabs, maybe someone should tell him to change his act.  I admire his athleticism, but he needs to concentrate on pitching.  Pitching.

The Washington Capitals are on some serious cheese.  Two wins now against the birds from way down under as the series moves on to Pittsburgh.  Let's hope the Penguins wake up...

Sad news out of Dallas as a scout was paralyzed over the weekend as the Cowboys' practice facility collapsed during a storm.

So the Celtics had to lose a game...a little too late as Orlando upset Boston in the NBA playoffs

King James appears to be the next MVP of the NBA.  Can't quibble with this one, even with my low care level of the NBA.

The Cubs retired number 31 on Sunday, covering both Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux. While Maddux distinguished himself elsewhere, he's still a Cub favorite, winning his first Cy Young award in Chicago.  Jenkins was one of the great pitchers of the 1970's, winning 20 games or more six straight years.

See you tomorrow.  Happy Cinco De Mayo

Jared

Baseball Week#4: Better Late Than Never

For the first time since I started the Riff, I missed a baseball recap last week. So I thought I'd make up for lost time and riff about baseball as much as you can handle it:

-The ARoid saga just won't die; I suspected as he got closer to being ready to play again, more steroids crap would come out. Like ARoid using when he was in high school. Think baseball may want to consider suspending him now? (By the way, the Yankees are 13-11 without him, but that's because their pitching is pretty bad right now)

-My first "I told You So" happens now: the Cubs are mediocre and barely above .500 (12-11), while the Cardinals are 4 up, without Chris Carpenter. Albert Pujols is dominating, as usual.

-I am afraid MLB will ask Cubs SS Ryan Theriot to pee in a cup after back to back games of hitting home runs (including a grand salami). TheRiot had only 8 career HR's coming into Friday's game.

-As expected, attendance the first month of the season is down. Is it the weather or the economy? Or are people just damn sick of all the drug talk? Personally, I always go to a game or two bad economy or not. It's the ticket prices and overpriced concessions that will ultimately keep me from more games. $200 a trip is a lot to ask of a couple to go to a game in any economy.

Surprises this year (so far):

I meant to write this last week as April was ending, so I will throw it out there this week:

1. This whole swine flu or other illness (like staph) not reaching the big leagues. Granted the closeness and the whole locker room thing, I'm shocked there's hasn't been an outbreak of anything yet.

2. Florida Marlins. I'm not shocked, but it's still a bit surprising how well they've played. They've been on a roller coaster so far, but still hang on to first place.

3. Kansas City. Good to see this team in first place. Given that the AL Central could be wide open and mediocre, the Royals have chances long term.

4. The Stinbrenners not getting on Joe Girardi's case...yet. This Yankee team was not built to be 13-11. In the old days, Girardi would have been fired or something.

5. Seattle. Funny how Junior comes back and the Mariners are in first.

Hunter Flops.

Now for the ugly of baseball. The following are the flops of the first month of the season:

-Cleveland Indians. It's way too early to panic, but 9-15 in a bad division? And after some changes?

-Tampa Bay. At 10-15, should we be really surprised? Yeah... a little.

-Mark Teixeira. .182 BA after signing the huge contract. Not the best way to start in the biggest city.

-Derrek Lee. First time flopper. Very sad day for him to be on this list, but .207 and looking like a shell of his old self. He's playing hurt and needs to go on the DL.

-Jimmy Rollins. .200 won't get you very far for the defending champs.

-Edwin Encarncion. .127 BA is DFL ampong qualifiers.

-Justin Verlander. 6.44 ERA. 2 years of suck going on. Think he might already be washed up??

-Sidney Ponson. 0-4 and a 7.16 ERA. Imagine how much better the Royals would be without this joker.

-Josh Beckett. 7.22 ERA. I'm wondering if there's issues with this guy.

I conclude this week's recap with a Cubs rant. I've read already how Lou Pinella has mis- managed this year's team. Upper management did a terrible job building this roster and now that injuries have reared their ugly head, we're seeing how thin this team is. Milton Bradley?? You couldn't do better than that?? The pitching is a mess-they cant find the strike zone. The bullpen is crap. And yet, they're 12-11. A lot of teams wouldn't mind that. But these are the 21st Century Cubs and expectations are different. I expect better for the month of May....

Until next week....

Jp

39 Reasons To....

.....well today is mrs. jp23's birthday. And yes, while she'll kill me for saying, she turns 39 today (well technically at like 11:57 pm, which gives her 3 whole minutes to celebrate). And we here at the Riff have 39 quickies for you today to celebrate. Whether it has to do with mrs.jp23 or not:

1. Watched the NBA playoffs last night. That's a first for me in a long time

2. Watched the Derby yesterday. Wife had a great idea: put $1 in a hat, then draw a horse. Winner takes all. And someone did draw the winner. And it made non horse race fans like me watch.

3. Bulls disappointed last night. Always next year.

4. Still have the Blackhawks. Alive and tied.

5. Too bad the Penguins and capitals are meeting now. This was made for the Conference finals.

6. JoePa wants a 12th team in the Big Ten. Preferably from the East. That's a good one.

7. George Mason's baseball team is on the brink of the top 25 rankings.

8. So Detroit guaranteed $41 million to their first round draft pick. Isn't this wrong in today's economy?

9. Didn't watch much of the NFL draft. I'm sick of every little thing being overblown. I mean, who cares??

10. I see that London wants to host the Super Bowl.. You're kidding, right??

11. Isiah Thomas is now a college basketball coach. Whats the over/under that team is on probation??

12. I hate Milton Bradley. Waste of space in my book

13. Okay...39 little rants may be much for attention spans (and sanity). So when I turn 39 in a few days, I shall continue this line. I will leave you with some famous (or maybe infamous) number 39's:

-Roy Campanella

-Malcom X and MLK were both assassinated at age 39

-Neil Armstrong was 39 when he walked on the moon

-Jimmy Connors reached the US Open Tennis semifinals at age 39

-Larry Csonka

-Hugh McElhenny

-Stan Hack (Cubs 1935-36)

Anyway.....Happy 39th SFP

JP

Late Night With Jaredsportsriff

Okay...for those of who look forward to DAILY posts, I'm sorry.  Big time.  I've missed a ton and I'm sure you have too.  So I give you the best late night entertainment around.  At least that's what my PR department says.

Let's start with a sport my friends know I despise and my wife thinks I'm silly: the NBA.  I hate the NBA and have for years.  My boycott has become legendary, at least in my mind.  But I wished I have not missed what is becoming a legendary NBA playoff series- the baby Bulls and the Champs.  The Bulls pushed the Celtics to the brink once again, with a TRIPLE Overtime win over the champs.  That makes three overtime games already.  I may have to watch game 7.

I'm even getting excited about the NHL, which has been more than ten years since I cared.  The Blackhawks won their first playoff series since before I was married (1996).  The Blackhawks of course promptly lost their first game in their next series, but that's beauty of a seven game series-one game does not make a series.

We in DC should be happy that an area team actually won a playoff series.  Kudos to the Capitals for their big comeback.  But my "support" stops there.  With the Penguins next to take on the Caps, the road to the Cup is over for the locals.  Maybe if the Penguins and Blackhawks continue on their current track, we'll have a Stanley Cup rematch from 1992 (I was still in college...barely)

Now to the C(h)ubs.  I'm going to be proven right...and it kills me!!  Injuries may be their undoing, but this team was not built right in the first place and it's showing in spades.  With Derrick Lee, Aramis Rameriez and Milton Bradley all injured, there aren't key players to take their place.  I bet the Cubs regret letting Mark DeRosa and Jim Edmonds go.  And the bullpen...uggghhhhh!  Carlos Marmol has been wild, a little hurt and just downright bad.  Bet they wish they had Kerry Wood back.  Kevin Gregg has been beyond stinky.

And last for this very late night is that a now pain free Joe Paterno wants to see the Big Ten expand to twelve teams.  He's concerned the Big Ten has no exposure late in the year and thinks an additional team will help the cause.  He may be laughed at as a cranky old man, but Paterno may be right here.  All big conferences now have season ending championship games; the Big Ten goes weeks without games at season's end.  Plus Paterno would like to see some sort of playoff for the national championship as well.  Gotta love his spunk.

I hope to not be on a hiatus any more.  Hope you like this better than Leno

JP