Entering Monday night’s heavily publicized showdown between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, all of the attention focused on Rex Ryan’s quotes and the Jets resurgence this season. Judging by their performance this season, people thought that there was a new leader in the AFC East, as the Jets have used an arsenal of weapons to complement their stout running game. Jets fans stubbornly believed that the Patriots were an inferior team to them and that they had the personnel and winning mentality to win the Super Bowl this season. However, there was one big problem: the Jets heavily underrated the abilities of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady to deliver in the clutch, and on Monday night, New England put together an absolute masterpiece on both sides of the ball.
Ever since wide receiver Randy Moss’s departure, the Patriots have not had to rely on one or two receivers to deliver the big plays. Instead, Brady has used every running back, tight end, and wide receiver to make plays. As a result, the Jets defense, which was initially geared to stop New England’s prolific passing attack with cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie on the side, had no answer to the Patriot offense.
In the first half, the Patriots scored on their first four drives and set the tone of the game. None of the four drives were extremely time consuming, the longest one being 4:03, so the Patriots moved quickly and efficiently against the Jets defense. During the first two drives, one resulting in a field goal and the other a touchdown, running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran effectively through the tackles, which opened up the play-action passing game for the Patriots. Short and speedy receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch torched the Patriots in the middle of the field, as they consistently found holes in the secondary. Both players were targeted a combined eight times in the first two drives, with six of them resulting in receptions.
As Branch and Welker continued to find holes in the New York defense, the entire New England receiving corps began to quickly wear out the Jets defense. The Patriots scored touchdowns in each of their ensuing two drives, and Brady continued to open up the playbook and use Brandon Tate, Rob Grownkowski, Aaron Hernandez, and Danny Woodhead, who had a key 35-yard reception in the second quarter that set up a Brandon Tate touchdown reception. By the half, New England scored 24 points offensively and absolutely picked apart the New York defense. The Jets’ pass rush was virtually nonexistent, as Brady seemingly had all day to throw the ball. The linebackers could not cover the Patriot tight ends or effectively tackle the New England running backs. The secondary was absolutely picked apart by Brady, as the Jets committed a boneheaded pass interference call that set up the Patriots first touchdown.
The second half was much of the same as the first half. Between the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, the Patriots had two 93+ yard touchdown drives to put the game out of reach. Like he did in the first half, Brady targeted six different players in both of the lengthy drives, as the Patriots needed only 8 plays on each of those drives to score the touchdown. Instead of the long 80-yard pass plays that were a staple of the New England offense in recent years, the Patriots methodically moved down the field with 10 and 20 yard plays. The 45 points scored by the offense was a tribute the superiority and brilliance of the New England offense, as this unit absolutely picked apart the Jets defense and put on an absolute masterpiece.
Defensively, the Patriots were equally, if not more, impressive, as they frustrated Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez all night and neutralized the Jets running game. The defensive linemen were able to generate a consistent pass rush on Sanchez and allowed the linebackers to play in coverage. The Jets offensive line looked overmatched by the Patriots defensive line, as five linemen had great difficulties guarding three pass-rushers. After a modest first half, the Patriots harassed Sanchez in the second half, forcing him to throw interceptions in three consecutive drives. Sanchez had a quarterback rating of only 27.8, as his struggles resulted in only three points scored for the Jets.
Overall, the Patriots sent a message to the rest of the NFL with the dominating performance against the Jets on Monday night. In all likelihood, the AFC Playoffs will run through New England, as the Patriots have the hold on the top overall seed in the AFC. They have already beaten all of the elite teams in the AFC, including Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Indianapolis, and the New York Jets. Judging by Monday night’s performance, the Patriots seem primed to make another Super Bowl run this season and if they continue to play as efficiently as they did on Monday night, they will virtually be unstoppable as a team.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Without Moss, Brady Doing a Great Job of Spreading the Ball Around
Although wide receiver Wes Welker’s individual numbers have declined since Randy Moss’s abrupt departure on October 5, the New England Patriots have actually improved considerably on offense as a whole without the polarizing presence of Moss. Brady is doing a much better job spreading the ball to everyone, including the suddenly revived Deion Branch, which has also improved the running game and create a balance offensively.
Back in Week 2 against the New York Jets, Brady consistently forced the ball into Moss, who was only single-covered by Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie in the second half. In fact, after Moss’s acrobatic one-handed touchdown catch late in the first half, Brady targeted Moss seven times in the second half. The result? ZERO catches, TWO interceptions. The Patriots ended up losing that game and Brady threw as many interceptions that game as he has the rest of this season.
With the enigmatic presence of moss not out of the locker room, the Patriots offense has become even more explosive. To make it even better, they’re doing it as a collective unit with a bunch of no-name players, just how New England won their three Super Bowls to begin this millennium.
Finally, the Patriots have realized that Tom Brady is the unquestioned leader of this team, and they are surrounding him with high-character, low-key players that don’t need to be force fed the ball. Six players have at least 18 receptions while five have at least 24. Danny Woodhead, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Branch, and Brandon Tate have become bigger focal points to this offense, and it has paid tremendous dividends for the team.
Following the Cleveland game, which we can now say was an aberration, the Patriots have scored at least four touchdowns and 30 points in each of their past three games, which were all wins. Against Detroit this past Thanksgiving, Brady threw for an astounding four touchdown passes in the second half; two each to Branch and Welker. In previous game against Indianapolis, Hernandez, Welker, and Danny Woodhead each had a touchdown reception. Against Pittsburgh, Gronkowski had three touchdown receptions. Different players are getting it done in different weeks.
With the passing game going extremely well, the running game has certainly opened up for the Patriots. BenJarvus Green Ellis and Woodhead, two undrafted running backs, have combined to rush for 971 yards this season and while that may not seem like a lot, they haven’t gotten the amount of carries as other elite running backs in the league. They have averaged nearly five yards per carry and do an exceptional job of breaking tackles and getting the tough yards. They fight for every last inch on every play and despite their physical limitations, they have turned negative plays into positive plays several times this season. Coach Bill Belichick covets these running backs, and the work of these two players has kept opposing defenses honest against the run, which has continued to open up the passing game.
As everyone continues to get more comfortable and acclimated as an offense, New England will continue to put plenty of points on the scoreboard. Since a different player has a breakout game each week, the defense does not know who Brady will distribute the ball to at any given time. In addition, since each of these receivers and running backs feels like they are a major part of this team, they will continue to run hard and either create separation for themselves or for their teammates. Deion Branch must feel like one of the luckiest people in the world coming back to New England, as he gets to join an unselfish receiving corps who only cares about winning.
Back in Week 2 against the New York Jets, Brady consistently forced the ball into Moss, who was only single-covered by Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie in the second half. In fact, after Moss’s acrobatic one-handed touchdown catch late in the first half, Brady targeted Moss seven times in the second half. The result? ZERO catches, TWO interceptions. The Patriots ended up losing that game and Brady threw as many interceptions that game as he has the rest of this season.
With the enigmatic presence of moss not out of the locker room, the Patriots offense has become even more explosive. To make it even better, they’re doing it as a collective unit with a bunch of no-name players, just how New England won their three Super Bowls to begin this millennium.
Finally, the Patriots have realized that Tom Brady is the unquestioned leader of this team, and they are surrounding him with high-character, low-key players that don’t need to be force fed the ball. Six players have at least 18 receptions while five have at least 24. Danny Woodhead, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Branch, and Brandon Tate have become bigger focal points to this offense, and it has paid tremendous dividends for the team.
Following the Cleveland game, which we can now say was an aberration, the Patriots have scored at least four touchdowns and 30 points in each of their past three games, which were all wins. Against Detroit this past Thanksgiving, Brady threw for an astounding four touchdown passes in the second half; two each to Branch and Welker. In previous game against Indianapolis, Hernandez, Welker, and Danny Woodhead each had a touchdown reception. Against Pittsburgh, Gronkowski had three touchdown receptions. Different players are getting it done in different weeks.
With the passing game going extremely well, the running game has certainly opened up for the Patriots. BenJarvus Green Ellis and Woodhead, two undrafted running backs, have combined to rush for 971 yards this season and while that may not seem like a lot, they haven’t gotten the amount of carries as other elite running backs in the league. They have averaged nearly five yards per carry and do an exceptional job of breaking tackles and getting the tough yards. They fight for every last inch on every play and despite their physical limitations, they have turned negative plays into positive plays several times this season. Coach Bill Belichick covets these running backs, and the work of these two players has kept opposing defenses honest against the run, which has continued to open up the passing game.
As everyone continues to get more comfortable and acclimated as an offense, New England will continue to put plenty of points on the scoreboard. Since a different player has a breakout game each week, the defense does not know who Brady will distribute the ball to at any given time. In addition, since each of these receivers and running backs feels like they are a major part of this team, they will continue to run hard and either create separation for themselves or for their teammates. Deion Branch must feel like one of the luckiest people in the world coming back to New England, as he gets to join an unselfish receiving corps who only cares about winning.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Patriots Should Start Returning to Mindset of 2007 Season
Last night, the New England Patriots were able to defeat the pesky Indianapolis Colts behind James Sanders’s late interception. Several positives came out of the win. Through three quarters, the New England offense absolutely dominated the Colts defense. They moved the ball at will, scored touchdowns in each of their first three possessions, and effectively mixed in the rush with the pass. In addition, they intercepted Peyton Manning twice in the first three quarters. Unfortunately for the Patriots, there are four quarters in football, and the final stanza has been a major problem for this team this season.
Sure, the Patriots are 8-2 and have a share of the best record in the NFL. They have beaten three of the elite teams in the NFL in the Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers, who have a combined 20-10 record this season. However, the Patriots have had tremendous difficulties putting away teams this season, as their lone convincing, dominating victory this season came on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins.
If the Patriots continue to allow teams to come back late in games, eventually, they will be punished for their porous fourth quarters. Here are some of the poor second halves the Patriots have had this season: they allowed three 70+ yard touchdown drives to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, were outscored by the Jets 18-0 in Week 2, surrendered 17 fourth-quarter points to the Chargers in Week 7, gave up 17 points in the second half to the Browns in Week 8, yielded 23 fourth-quarter points to the Steelers in Week 9, and gave up two late touchdown drives to the Colts on Sunday.
Those are way too many second half collapses for a team with championship aspirations. Bill Belichick-coached teams almost never choke late in games. In fact, in years past, the Patriots always were the team to comeback on opponents or put teams away. Tom Brady is one of the elite closers of this generation, so the porous second halves of late has put him in unchartered territory.
Last night, against Indianapolis, the Patriots had a comfortable 31-14 lead with 10:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. They were in this exact same position (with the same score) almost one year ago to this day, when they allowed three late touchdown drives to suffer a devastating 35-34 loss to their archrivals. You would believe that the Patriots must have learned their lesson from last year about not getting comfortable with any kind of lead against an elite quarterback like Peyton Manning.
However, déjà vu struck all over the again for the Patriots yesterday, as they allowed Peyton Manning to march 73 yards down the field in 2:26 to cut the lead down to 10 points. New England went three-and-out in their next possession, and Manning took advantage by driving 73 yards down the field again, culminating with a second straight touchdown pass to Blair White. That drive took only 2:18 and suddenly, what was once a comfortable 17-point lead dwindled to three in a matter of minutes. The Patriots next drive lasted only 2:21, before punting the ball without forcing Indianapolis to burn a timeout. That gave Manning an opportunity with 2:25 remaining to march 74 yards down the field to pull off an improbable comeback. After driving to the Patriots 24 yard-line, James Sanders intercepted Manning’s pass and helped the Patriots avoid another disastrous result at the hands of the Colts.
New England will eventually be punished, either later this regular season or in the playoffs, if they continue to allow teams to hang around in the game. Although the media blasted New England for running up the score in the 2007 season, they need to return to this mindset and continue to score touchdowns late in games to intimidate opponents and put other teams away. If the Patriots play with the same aggressive mindset in the final stanza as they often do in the first three quarters, they would blow out teams and avoid the possibility of a collapse late in games. The objective of each game is to win, not to satisfy the media’s needs and wants.
The Patriots would not put themselves in this kind of precarious position late in games if they approach each game by seeking to annihilate their opponents. Great quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger will eventually punish the Patriots if they are given the opportunity to win the game. Thus, although the Patriots continue to win and are in a prime position to have home-field throughout the AFC playoffs, they will need to learn to put away opponents and avoid the potential of a late-game collapse.
Sure, the Patriots are 8-2 and have a share of the best record in the NFL. They have beaten three of the elite teams in the NFL in the Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers, who have a combined 20-10 record this season. However, the Patriots have had tremendous difficulties putting away teams this season, as their lone convincing, dominating victory this season came on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins.
If the Patriots continue to allow teams to come back late in games, eventually, they will be punished for their porous fourth quarters. Here are some of the poor second halves the Patriots have had this season: they allowed three 70+ yard touchdown drives to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, were outscored by the Jets 18-0 in Week 2, surrendered 17 fourth-quarter points to the Chargers in Week 7, gave up 17 points in the second half to the Browns in Week 8, yielded 23 fourth-quarter points to the Steelers in Week 9, and gave up two late touchdown drives to the Colts on Sunday.
Those are way too many second half collapses for a team with championship aspirations. Bill Belichick-coached teams almost never choke late in games. In fact, in years past, the Patriots always were the team to comeback on opponents or put teams away. Tom Brady is one of the elite closers of this generation, so the porous second halves of late has put him in unchartered territory.
Last night, against Indianapolis, the Patriots had a comfortable 31-14 lead with 10:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. They were in this exact same position (with the same score) almost one year ago to this day, when they allowed three late touchdown drives to suffer a devastating 35-34 loss to their archrivals. You would believe that the Patriots must have learned their lesson from last year about not getting comfortable with any kind of lead against an elite quarterback like Peyton Manning.
However, déjà vu struck all over the again for the Patriots yesterday, as they allowed Peyton Manning to march 73 yards down the field in 2:26 to cut the lead down to 10 points. New England went three-and-out in their next possession, and Manning took advantage by driving 73 yards down the field again, culminating with a second straight touchdown pass to Blair White. That drive took only 2:18 and suddenly, what was once a comfortable 17-point lead dwindled to three in a matter of minutes. The Patriots next drive lasted only 2:21, before punting the ball without forcing Indianapolis to burn a timeout. That gave Manning an opportunity with 2:25 remaining to march 74 yards down the field to pull off an improbable comeback. After driving to the Patriots 24 yard-line, James Sanders intercepted Manning’s pass and helped the Patriots avoid another disastrous result at the hands of the Colts.
New England will eventually be punished, either later this regular season or in the playoffs, if they continue to allow teams to hang around in the game. Although the media blasted New England for running up the score in the 2007 season, they need to return to this mindset and continue to score touchdowns late in games to intimidate opponents and put other teams away. If the Patriots play with the same aggressive mindset in the final stanza as they often do in the first three quarters, they would blow out teams and avoid the possibility of a collapse late in games. The objective of each game is to win, not to satisfy the media’s needs and wants.
The Patriots would not put themselves in this kind of precarious position late in games if they approach each game by seeking to annihilate their opponents. Great quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger will eventually punish the Patriots if they are given the opportunity to win the game. Thus, although the Patriots continue to win and are in a prime position to have home-field throughout the AFC playoffs, they will need to learn to put away opponents and avoid the potential of a late-game collapse.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Defensive Pressure a Critical Key to Patriots Success
Last week, against a mediocre Cleveland Browns team, the Patriots defense was absolutely torched by Peyton Hillis and Colt McCoy. The Browns controlled the ball for over 38 minutes, Hillis had 29 attempts rushing for 184 yards, and McCoy had a completion percentage of 73.6%. These stats reflect the poor defensive pressure applied by the front seven, as McCoy was never hit or sacked in the game, while Hillis did not rush for any negative plays.
Fast forward one week, and the Patriots suddenly looked like a defensive juggernaut against an elite Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Featuring Ben Roethlisberger, a good offensive line, and a future star in running back Rashard Mendenall, Pittsburgh had every reason to believe that they could steamroll the New England defense. However, the Patriots thought otherwise and absolutely stymied the Pittsburgh offense. The defensive pressure applied on Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh backfield was the key to this quality defensive effort.
Overall, New England sacked Roethisberger five times and hit and pressured Roethlisberger 10 other times, which caused him to make several poor decisions. Hybrid defensive ends Mike Wright and Tully Banta-Cain, two relative unknowns who thrive in Belichick’s system, each led the way with 1.5 sacks and two different knockdowns on Roethlisberger. Through three quarters, the Patriots forced the Steelers to four different three-and-outs, and Pittsburgh’s 23 points in the fourth quarter came when the game was already in-hand.
If the Patriots defense continues to apply consistent pressure to the quarterback like the unit did this past Sunday in Pittsburgh, New England will be primed for success this season. Roethlisberger, who remains one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, was clearly rattled from all of the pressure from the New England front seven. Roethlisberger was forced to scramble out of the pocket from the New England pass rush in multiple instances and make several quick decisions to avoid getting sacked. With the tremendous speed and instincts of the New England linebacker corps and defensive ends, the New England front seven can run with almost every quarterback in the NFL.
Most of the better quarterbacks in this league (Brady, Manning, Brees) all play best within the pocket and when they have time to throw. The best way to disrupt their rhythm is to apply quick, consistent pressure, which will get them out of their comfort zone. Teams like Pittsburgh and the New York Jets, two of New England’s primary competitors in the AFC, feature several long developing plays that take several seconds to complete. If the Patriots apply pressure, it will eliminate these plays from their playbooks and force them to make shorter throws, which will allow cornerbacks Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington to play more aggressively on the receivers.
Last year, the Achilles heel for the Patriots was the defensive pressure. Baltimore absolutely torched the New England front seven in the wild card game last year, as Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco seemingly had at least 4 seconds to throw every snap, while running back Ray Rice had wide open running lanes to rush in.
This year, defensive newcomers Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham, and Rob Ninkovich have stabilized the linebacking corps and added a new dimension to the defense that was missing a year ago: a consistent pass rush. All three of these players run extremely hard on every snap and use their quickness and instincts on opposing tackles to get to the backfield in a hurry. As a result, the Patriots have improved considerably on defense from the beginning of the regular season, and the Patriots have recently forced upper-echelon quarterbacks Phillip Rivers, Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre into playing below their standard. If the Patriots continue to find a way to get to the quarterback, they will ease the pressure on their offense and continue to frustrate opposing quarterbacks.
Fast forward one week, and the Patriots suddenly looked like a defensive juggernaut against an elite Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Featuring Ben Roethlisberger, a good offensive line, and a future star in running back Rashard Mendenall, Pittsburgh had every reason to believe that they could steamroll the New England defense. However, the Patriots thought otherwise and absolutely stymied the Pittsburgh offense. The defensive pressure applied on Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh backfield was the key to this quality defensive effort.
Overall, New England sacked Roethisberger five times and hit and pressured Roethlisberger 10 other times, which caused him to make several poor decisions. Hybrid defensive ends Mike Wright and Tully Banta-Cain, two relative unknowns who thrive in Belichick’s system, each led the way with 1.5 sacks and two different knockdowns on Roethlisberger. Through three quarters, the Patriots forced the Steelers to four different three-and-outs, and Pittsburgh’s 23 points in the fourth quarter came when the game was already in-hand.
If the Patriots defense continues to apply consistent pressure to the quarterback like the unit did this past Sunday in Pittsburgh, New England will be primed for success this season. Roethlisberger, who remains one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, was clearly rattled from all of the pressure from the New England front seven. Roethlisberger was forced to scramble out of the pocket from the New England pass rush in multiple instances and make several quick decisions to avoid getting sacked. With the tremendous speed and instincts of the New England linebacker corps and defensive ends, the New England front seven can run with almost every quarterback in the NFL.
Most of the better quarterbacks in this league (Brady, Manning, Brees) all play best within the pocket and when they have time to throw. The best way to disrupt their rhythm is to apply quick, consistent pressure, which will get them out of their comfort zone. Teams like Pittsburgh and the New York Jets, two of New England’s primary competitors in the AFC, feature several long developing plays that take several seconds to complete. If the Patriots apply pressure, it will eliminate these plays from their playbooks and force them to make shorter throws, which will allow cornerbacks Devin McCourty and Kyle Arrington to play more aggressively on the receivers.
Last year, the Achilles heel for the Patriots was the defensive pressure. Baltimore absolutely torched the New England front seven in the wild card game last year, as Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco seemingly had at least 4 seconds to throw every snap, while running back Ray Rice had wide open running lanes to rush in.
This year, defensive newcomers Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham, and Rob Ninkovich have stabilized the linebacking corps and added a new dimension to the defense that was missing a year ago: a consistent pass rush. All three of these players run extremely hard on every snap and use their quickness and instincts on opposing tackles to get to the backfield in a hurry. As a result, the Patriots have improved considerably on defense from the beginning of the regular season, and the Patriots have recently forced upper-echelon quarterbacks Phillip Rivers, Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre into playing below their standard. If the Patriots continue to find a way to get to the quarterback, they will ease the pressure on their offense and continue to frustrate opposing quarterbacks.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Starting Pitching and Closer Carry Giants to World Series Championship
The San Francisco Giants Opening Day Lineup featured Mark DeRosa at left field, Aaron Rowand at center field, John Bowker at right field, Pablo Sandoval at third base, Edgar Renteria at shortstop, Juan Uribe at second base, Aubrey Huff at first base, and Bengie Molina at catcher. Out of those eight position players, only two (Uribe and Huff) started the majority of the postseason games for Giants in 2010.
Three of those players (Bowker, DeRosa, and Molina) were no longer with the team during the postseason, and Rowand, Renteria, and Sandoval, all lost their starting jobs during the season due to poor play. Although Renteria did deliver for the Giants in the postseason when it mattered, he was largely a nonfactor for the majority of the season.
Point of the matter is this: the Giants could have used really anyone on the field with the legendary pitching rotation that they had. Sure, GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy made some shrewd moves in acquiring outfielders Pat Burrell and Cody Ross and inserting Andres Torres and Buster Posey into the lineup during the middle of the season. Also, Posey made a strong case for Rookie of the Year with his spectacular all-around play over the final three months of the season.
However, people cannot seem to forget that the offense and defense as a whole was not very good throughout the season and postseason. The team had slow, below-average fielders in Huff and Burrell and scored three runs or fewer in over half of their regular season and postseason games. Otherwise, why would Sabean and Bochy make so many drastic changes to the starting lineup multiple times throughout the course of the season? Want to take about team chemistry? How could a team of self-proclaimed “misfits” really get a feel for each other if half of the starting lineup was not even with the team at the beginning of the season? It takes months, often multiple seasons, for a group of players to really develop strong relationships with each other, so the chemistry within the clubhouse has been drastically overblown by the public. After all, these position players barely know each other, having spent a season or less with each other.
Even the bullpen was in major flux for the majority of the season. At the beginning of the season, pitchers Guillermo Mota, Denny Bautista, and Jeremy Affeldt were primary set-up men for closer Brian Wilson. However, all three pitchers floundered this season and lost their roles midway through the season. By the end of the season, newcomers Javier Lopez and Ramon Ramirez played significant roles in the bullpen, while unknown Santiago Casilla established himself as a force. Outside of Wilson, Sergio Romo was the lone bullpen pitcher to play a key role in the postseason for the Giants, and even he nearly cost the Giants in the NLDS against the Braves, after surrendering late go-ahead hits to the Braves in Games 2 and 3.
The only constants for the Giants this season has been their legendary starting pitching and the clutch play of closer Brian Wilson all season and postseason. Playing behind a subpar offense and defense every night, every pitcher on the Giants had enormous pressure to prevent the opponents from scoring each and every game. The starting pitchers were up to the task right from opening night, when Tim Lincecum shut out the Houston Astros 3-0, all the way until the World Series, when Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner each shut out the Rangers once in the series.
Overall, the Giants’ starters had an ERA of 3.54 this season, which ranked 3rd in the MLB, and had a Major League-best 2.26 ERA in the final 30 days in the regular season. To put that into perspective, the next-best starting pitching ERA during the final 30 days of the season was 2.75 by the Philadelphia Phillies, who had high-profile pitchers Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels anchoring the rotation. The Giants had nearly a 0.50 better earned run differential than the Phillies. Also, Giants starters led the major leagues in strikeouts with 888, 31 better than the next closest competitor. Strikeouts are a strong representation of a pitcher’s performance, since this stat does not rely on defense to make plays.
Excluding Barry Zito, who was not part of the Giants postseason roster, every other Giants starter had under a 3.50 ERA this season. Playing behind the fourth-worst fielding team in the Major Leagues and a 17th-ranked offense, the Giants needed every quality start they could get to reach the playoffs. Despite the subpar offense and fielding, they managed to squeak by the Padres in the final game of the regular season to reach the postseason.
Once they reached the postseason, the Giants starters absolutely carried the team into the World Series. Against Atlanta, each of the four starters pitched at least 6 innings and allowed no more than two earned runs. Cain and Lincecum each did not allow an earned run while Sanchez only allowed one run, which really should have been charged to Sergio Romo, who allowed a home run to Eric Hinske after Sanchez walked a batter. While Sanchez struggled the remainder of the postseason, Bumgarner, Cain, and Lincecum delivered in the NLCS and World Series. Cain did not allow a SINGLE EARNED RUN throughout the postseason his three starts, Bumgarner pitched a shutout against Texas, and Lincecum closed the deal with an exceptional 8 inning, one run, performance against Texas in the final game of the World Series. Pitching against Halladay and Lee twice each in the NLCS and World Series, Lincecum won three of those starts and set the tone with Game 1 wins over Philadelphia and Texas.
While the starting pitching was great, Wilson was equally exceptional in the back end of the bullpen. Wilson led the MLB in saves in the regular season with 48 and had a 1.81 ERA in 70 appearances. He pitched in countless high-pressure situations in the regular season and was the one bullpen pitcher that Bochy trusted on a regular basis. In the postseason, Wilson was even better, posting 16 strikeouts, allowing no earned runs, and pitching 11.2 innings of shutout baseball in 10 appearances. With the starters going deep into most of the postseason games, Wilson pitched in nearly as many innings as every other bullpen pitcher on the staff combined and recorded six critical saves for the Giants.
As the old adage goes in baseball, “great pitching beats great hitting.” The Giants proved this statement throughout the season and especially the postseason, when the Phillies and Rangers, two explosive offenses, struggled to manufacture runs against the Giants pitching staff. San Francisco shut out the Phillies and Rangers a combined three times in two convincing series victories. Overall, San Francisco’s starting pitching and Wilson’s brilliant closing more than made up for the lackluster offense and defense and propelled the Giants to their first championship in 56 years.
Three of those players (Bowker, DeRosa, and Molina) were no longer with the team during the postseason, and Rowand, Renteria, and Sandoval, all lost their starting jobs during the season due to poor play. Although Renteria did deliver for the Giants in the postseason when it mattered, he was largely a nonfactor for the majority of the season.
Point of the matter is this: the Giants could have used really anyone on the field with the legendary pitching rotation that they had. Sure, GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy made some shrewd moves in acquiring outfielders Pat Burrell and Cody Ross and inserting Andres Torres and Buster Posey into the lineup during the middle of the season. Also, Posey made a strong case for Rookie of the Year with his spectacular all-around play over the final three months of the season.
However, people cannot seem to forget that the offense and defense as a whole was not very good throughout the season and postseason. The team had slow, below-average fielders in Huff and Burrell and scored three runs or fewer in over half of their regular season and postseason games. Otherwise, why would Sabean and Bochy make so many drastic changes to the starting lineup multiple times throughout the course of the season? Want to take about team chemistry? How could a team of self-proclaimed “misfits” really get a feel for each other if half of the starting lineup was not even with the team at the beginning of the season? It takes months, often multiple seasons, for a group of players to really develop strong relationships with each other, so the chemistry within the clubhouse has been drastically overblown by the public. After all, these position players barely know each other, having spent a season or less with each other.
Even the bullpen was in major flux for the majority of the season. At the beginning of the season, pitchers Guillermo Mota, Denny Bautista, and Jeremy Affeldt were primary set-up men for closer Brian Wilson. However, all three pitchers floundered this season and lost their roles midway through the season. By the end of the season, newcomers Javier Lopez and Ramon Ramirez played significant roles in the bullpen, while unknown Santiago Casilla established himself as a force. Outside of Wilson, Sergio Romo was the lone bullpen pitcher to play a key role in the postseason for the Giants, and even he nearly cost the Giants in the NLDS against the Braves, after surrendering late go-ahead hits to the Braves in Games 2 and 3.
The only constants for the Giants this season has been their legendary starting pitching and the clutch play of closer Brian Wilson all season and postseason. Playing behind a subpar offense and defense every night, every pitcher on the Giants had enormous pressure to prevent the opponents from scoring each and every game. The starting pitchers were up to the task right from opening night, when Tim Lincecum shut out the Houston Astros 3-0, all the way until the World Series, when Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner each shut out the Rangers once in the series.
Overall, the Giants’ starters had an ERA of 3.54 this season, which ranked 3rd in the MLB, and had a Major League-best 2.26 ERA in the final 30 days in the regular season. To put that into perspective, the next-best starting pitching ERA during the final 30 days of the season was 2.75 by the Philadelphia Phillies, who had high-profile pitchers Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels anchoring the rotation. The Giants had nearly a 0.50 better earned run differential than the Phillies. Also, Giants starters led the major leagues in strikeouts with 888, 31 better than the next closest competitor. Strikeouts are a strong representation of a pitcher’s performance, since this stat does not rely on defense to make plays.
Excluding Barry Zito, who was not part of the Giants postseason roster, every other Giants starter had under a 3.50 ERA this season. Playing behind the fourth-worst fielding team in the Major Leagues and a 17th-ranked offense, the Giants needed every quality start they could get to reach the playoffs. Despite the subpar offense and fielding, they managed to squeak by the Padres in the final game of the regular season to reach the postseason.
Once they reached the postseason, the Giants starters absolutely carried the team into the World Series. Against Atlanta, each of the four starters pitched at least 6 innings and allowed no more than two earned runs. Cain and Lincecum each did not allow an earned run while Sanchez only allowed one run, which really should have been charged to Sergio Romo, who allowed a home run to Eric Hinske after Sanchez walked a batter. While Sanchez struggled the remainder of the postseason, Bumgarner, Cain, and Lincecum delivered in the NLCS and World Series. Cain did not allow a SINGLE EARNED RUN throughout the postseason his three starts, Bumgarner pitched a shutout against Texas, and Lincecum closed the deal with an exceptional 8 inning, one run, performance against Texas in the final game of the World Series. Pitching against Halladay and Lee twice each in the NLCS and World Series, Lincecum won three of those starts and set the tone with Game 1 wins over Philadelphia and Texas.
While the starting pitching was great, Wilson was equally exceptional in the back end of the bullpen. Wilson led the MLB in saves in the regular season with 48 and had a 1.81 ERA in 70 appearances. He pitched in countless high-pressure situations in the regular season and was the one bullpen pitcher that Bochy trusted on a regular basis. In the postseason, Wilson was even better, posting 16 strikeouts, allowing no earned runs, and pitching 11.2 innings of shutout baseball in 10 appearances. With the starters going deep into most of the postseason games, Wilson pitched in nearly as many innings as every other bullpen pitcher on the staff combined and recorded six critical saves for the Giants.
As the old adage goes in baseball, “great pitching beats great hitting.” The Giants proved this statement throughout the season and especially the postseason, when the Phillies and Rangers, two explosive offenses, struggled to manufacture runs against the Giants pitching staff. San Francisco shut out the Phillies and Rangers a combined three times in two convincing series victories. Overall, San Francisco’s starting pitching and Wilson’s brilliant closing more than made up for the lackluster offense and defense and propelled the Giants to their first championship in 56 years.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
After Rough Weekend, NFC West May Reach New Level of Futility
Each of the four NFC West teams, the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, and Seattle Seahawks, had disastrous weekends. The Seahawks were blown out by the Denver Broncos on the road, Arizona got pummeled by Atlanta, St. Louis lost to lowly Oakland, and the San Francisco 49ers dropped to 0-2 with a gut-wrenching loss to the New Orleans Saints. Every one of these four teams has a major flaw, and this could potentially be the first year where a division champion may achieve a losing record.
Seattle, after an impressive opening week victory over division rival San Francisco, got demolished by the Denver Broncos 31-14 at Invesco Field in Week 2. The Seahawks are extremely young and inexperienced on the offensive line, which derailed them in Denver last week. A mediocre defensive line, missing top pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil, consistently applied pressure to Hasselbeck and forced him to throw three interceptions. Granted, the offensive line was not the sole reason for all of Hasselbeck’s miscues, but the offense as a whole had tremendous difficulties moving the ball against Denver’s defense, which is not an elite group. Defensively, the Seahawks lack the personnel to apply a consistent pass rush, and they had major problems applying pressure to Denver quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton, not considered an elite quarterback, threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks. The interior of the offense and defense is a major weakness for the Seahawks and will cause problems for the team as the season wears on.
Arizona, the two-time defending NFC West champions, looked even worse than the Seattle Seahawks. After an uninspiring, unimpressive 17-13 Week 1 victory over St. Louis, the Cardinals got smashed by Atlanta 41-17 in the Georgia Dome. Quarterback play remains a critical concern for this team, as Derek Anderson, who supplanted Matt Leinart as the starter in the preseason, threw two interceptions and had troubles moving the ball against an above-average Atlanta defense. Defensively, Arizona surrendered nearly 450 yards of total offense, three passing touchdowns from Matt Ryan, and two rushing touchdowns from Jason Snelling. Atlanta could not even move the ball down the field against Pittsburgh, yet the Falcons made the Cardinals look like an NCAA team. Both the rushing and passing defense was awful for Arizona, and Derek Anderson is the worst quarterback in a division full of below-average quarterbacks. In a quarterback league like the modern day NFL, Arizona will have major troubles this season.
The St. Louis Rams, the worst team in the NFL last season, showed steady improvement from 2009, but they still have ways to go before fielding a winning team. They were unable to take advantage of a favorable early schedule, as they lost to Arizona and Oakland to open the season. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has shown glimpses of why St. Louis made him the number one overall pick and gave him an extremely lucrative contract, but he will need more seasoning before establishing himself as a quality NFL quarterback. He has only gotten two first downs in two fourth quarters and has already thrown four interceptions against two below-average defenses. Defensively, the Rams have allowed both the Raiders and Cardinals to gain over 400 yards of total offense. They have a very light front seven and were pounded by both Arizona’s and Oakland’s offensive lines. Also, they had over 25 undrafted players on the roster last year, so they will need some time to rebuild the team. They are at least another two years away from contending in the division.
Lastly, the San Francisco 49ers relinquished a golden opportunity on Monday Night Football to establish themselves as the frontrunners in the NFC West. Though they dominated time possession and outgained the Saints by 130 yards, the 49ers committed four turnovers and quarterback Alex Smith did not show the intangibles to lead his team to a victory. As a starter, Smith has more than double the amount of losses as wins and although he has showed glimpses of potential as a starter, he threw two interceptions in or near the red zone last game against the Saints. Also, the 49ers have not shown the ability to win away from Candlestick Park, as they were 2-6 last season and were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 34-6. Though they are strong defensively, the road woes and inconsistent quarterback play will give these teams problems going forward.
With major flaws in each of the four NFC West teams, this could be the first time in NFL history that the division winner ends up with seven or fewer wins at the end of the season. Within the division, none of these four teams are strong enough to enough to dominate each other and with the way Arizona, St. Louis, and Seattle lost to subpar teams in Week 2 and the way San Francisco has played on the road the last few years, this division could reach a new level of futility.
Seattle, after an impressive opening week victory over division rival San Francisco, got demolished by the Denver Broncos 31-14 at Invesco Field in Week 2. The Seahawks are extremely young and inexperienced on the offensive line, which derailed them in Denver last week. A mediocre defensive line, missing top pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil, consistently applied pressure to Hasselbeck and forced him to throw three interceptions. Granted, the offensive line was not the sole reason for all of Hasselbeck’s miscues, but the offense as a whole had tremendous difficulties moving the ball against Denver’s defense, which is not an elite group. Defensively, the Seahawks lack the personnel to apply a consistent pass rush, and they had major problems applying pressure to Denver quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton, not considered an elite quarterback, threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks. The interior of the offense and defense is a major weakness for the Seahawks and will cause problems for the team as the season wears on.
Arizona, the two-time defending NFC West champions, looked even worse than the Seattle Seahawks. After an uninspiring, unimpressive 17-13 Week 1 victory over St. Louis, the Cardinals got smashed by Atlanta 41-17 in the Georgia Dome. Quarterback play remains a critical concern for this team, as Derek Anderson, who supplanted Matt Leinart as the starter in the preseason, threw two interceptions and had troubles moving the ball against an above-average Atlanta defense. Defensively, Arizona surrendered nearly 450 yards of total offense, three passing touchdowns from Matt Ryan, and two rushing touchdowns from Jason Snelling. Atlanta could not even move the ball down the field against Pittsburgh, yet the Falcons made the Cardinals look like an NCAA team. Both the rushing and passing defense was awful for Arizona, and Derek Anderson is the worst quarterback in a division full of below-average quarterbacks. In a quarterback league like the modern day NFL, Arizona will have major troubles this season.
The St. Louis Rams, the worst team in the NFL last season, showed steady improvement from 2009, but they still have ways to go before fielding a winning team. They were unable to take advantage of a favorable early schedule, as they lost to Arizona and Oakland to open the season. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has shown glimpses of why St. Louis made him the number one overall pick and gave him an extremely lucrative contract, but he will need more seasoning before establishing himself as a quality NFL quarterback. He has only gotten two first downs in two fourth quarters and has already thrown four interceptions against two below-average defenses. Defensively, the Rams have allowed both the Raiders and Cardinals to gain over 400 yards of total offense. They have a very light front seven and were pounded by both Arizona’s and Oakland’s offensive lines. Also, they had over 25 undrafted players on the roster last year, so they will need some time to rebuild the team. They are at least another two years away from contending in the division.
Lastly, the San Francisco 49ers relinquished a golden opportunity on Monday Night Football to establish themselves as the frontrunners in the NFC West. Though they dominated time possession and outgained the Saints by 130 yards, the 49ers committed four turnovers and quarterback Alex Smith did not show the intangibles to lead his team to a victory. As a starter, Smith has more than double the amount of losses as wins and although he has showed glimpses of potential as a starter, he threw two interceptions in or near the red zone last game against the Saints. Also, the 49ers have not shown the ability to win away from Candlestick Park, as they were 2-6 last season and were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 34-6. Though they are strong defensively, the road woes and inconsistent quarterback play will give these teams problems going forward.
With major flaws in each of the four NFC West teams, this could be the first time in NFL history that the division winner ends up with seven or fewer wins at the end of the season. Within the division, none of these four teams are strong enough to enough to dominate each other and with the way Arizona, St. Louis, and Seattle lost to subpar teams in Week 2 and the way San Francisco has played on the road the last few years, this division could reach a new level of futility.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Padres and Astros Have Played and Pitched Exceptionally Well After Trading Aces
On July 31, 2009, the day Jake Peavy was dealt from the San Diego Padres to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for four players, the Padres were 42-62, which was last place in the NL West. With an unproven manager, an relatively unknown pitching staff, and a mediocre farm system, the Padres seemed to have little hope of contending for the foreseeable future. Likewise, on July 29, 2010, the day the Houston Astros dealt ace Roy Oswalt to the Philadelphia Phillies for three prospects, the Astros stood at 42-59, which ranked near the bottom of the entire National League. Similar to the Padres, the Astros had little hope of contending in the near future, especially with no notable superstar on its roster. However, trading away the aces happened to be the best thing that happened to these two franchises in a long time.
Following the Peavy trade, the Padres finished the 2009 season 33-25 to reach 75 wins for the season. While that may not sound like a significant amount, the Padres displayed remarkable improvement in the final two months of the season. The Padres had the third best team ERA in the major leagues over the final two months of the season.
Though Peavy has been a dominant pitcher over the past five years in San Diego, he was becoming extremely injury prone and took up a substantial portion of the San Diego payroll. In fact, Peavy alone made $15 million in 2009. The rest of the team made a combined $29 million. With Peavy gone and the playoffs out of reach, the Padres used the final two months of the 2009 season to develop young pitchers Wade LeBlanc, Clayton Richard, and Mat Latos. Those three pitchers developed nicely for the Padres, as they each averaged at least 6.0 K/9 over the final two months of the season.
The Padres carried over the momentum they generated at the end of 2009 into the 2010 season, as they currently have the best record in the National League at 76-49. The Padres have won with pitching and defense, as they own the best team ERA and FIP in the majors. LeBlanc, Richard, Latos, Jon Garland, and Kevin Correia have formed one of the best starting rotations in baseball, as they have combined to yield an average of fewer than three runs per game. The bullpen has been even better than the starting pitching this season, as Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Tim Stauffer, and the rest of the San Diego relievers have the best xFIP among all major league teams at 3.12. To put that into perspective, the next best relieving team, the Atlanta Braves, have a team xFIP of 3.56.
Meanwhile, the Houston Astros have also improved considerably since trading their ace, Roy Oswalt. They have gone 15-10 since trading Oswalt and have just taken the first three games of the four game series against Oswalt’s current team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Like Peavy, Oswalt was making $15 million per year and was taking a large chunk of the team’s payroll. Without Oswalt and with the team out of contention, the Astros are replicating San Diego’s strategy of developing young pitchers down the stretch of the regular season. J.A. Happ, Bud Norris, and Wandy Rodriguez are each receiving significant opportunities to gain experience during the final two months of the season.
As a result, the Astros are currently enjoying their most successful month of the season. While the overall pitching numbers of Houston may not be as flashy as San Diego’s (the Astros have a 3.73 team ERA in August, which ranks tenth in the majors), the Astros have allowed two or fewer runs in eight of their last nine wins. Their starting pitching has been stellar this month, as Houston’s starters have the major league’s fourth best team xFIP at 3.74 in August and the ML’s sixth best team FIP at 3.46. With the considerable improvement, the Houston Astros are preparing to contend for the NL Central in 2011 and surprise the rest of the league, similar to what San Diego is doing this season.
Overall, for whatever reason, the Astros and Padres have considerably improved by trading their aces. The starting pitching statistics for both of these teams has been far better without their ace. Granted, the Astros have only played 25 games since dealing Oswalt, so they will need to have sustained success before they can experience a Padre-like turnaround. Most baseball writers projected San Diego to be out of playoff contention before the all-star break. Not only have the Padres exceeded expectations, they are primed to make a run at the World Series this year, as San Diego has the overall pitching to succeed in the postseason. Houston can soon follow San Diego’s path next year, as it continues to develop the young starters. Trading away aces may not always be a bad thing after all.
Following the Peavy trade, the Padres finished the 2009 season 33-25 to reach 75 wins for the season. While that may not sound like a significant amount, the Padres displayed remarkable improvement in the final two months of the season. The Padres had the third best team ERA in the major leagues over the final two months of the season.
Though Peavy has been a dominant pitcher over the past five years in San Diego, he was becoming extremely injury prone and took up a substantial portion of the San Diego payroll. In fact, Peavy alone made $15 million in 2009. The rest of the team made a combined $29 million. With Peavy gone and the playoffs out of reach, the Padres used the final two months of the 2009 season to develop young pitchers Wade LeBlanc, Clayton Richard, and Mat Latos. Those three pitchers developed nicely for the Padres, as they each averaged at least 6.0 K/9 over the final two months of the season.
The Padres carried over the momentum they generated at the end of 2009 into the 2010 season, as they currently have the best record in the National League at 76-49. The Padres have won with pitching and defense, as they own the best team ERA and FIP in the majors. LeBlanc, Richard, Latos, Jon Garland, and Kevin Correia have formed one of the best starting rotations in baseball, as they have combined to yield an average of fewer than three runs per game. The bullpen has been even better than the starting pitching this season, as Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Tim Stauffer, and the rest of the San Diego relievers have the best xFIP among all major league teams at 3.12. To put that into perspective, the next best relieving team, the Atlanta Braves, have a team xFIP of 3.56.
Meanwhile, the Houston Astros have also improved considerably since trading their ace, Roy Oswalt. They have gone 15-10 since trading Oswalt and have just taken the first three games of the four game series against Oswalt’s current team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Like Peavy, Oswalt was making $15 million per year and was taking a large chunk of the team’s payroll. Without Oswalt and with the team out of contention, the Astros are replicating San Diego’s strategy of developing young pitchers down the stretch of the regular season. J.A. Happ, Bud Norris, and Wandy Rodriguez are each receiving significant opportunities to gain experience during the final two months of the season.
As a result, the Astros are currently enjoying their most successful month of the season. While the overall pitching numbers of Houston may not be as flashy as San Diego’s (the Astros have a 3.73 team ERA in August, which ranks tenth in the majors), the Astros have allowed two or fewer runs in eight of their last nine wins. Their starting pitching has been stellar this month, as Houston’s starters have the major league’s fourth best team xFIP at 3.74 in August and the ML’s sixth best team FIP at 3.46. With the considerable improvement, the Houston Astros are preparing to contend for the NL Central in 2011 and surprise the rest of the league, similar to what San Diego is doing this season.
Overall, for whatever reason, the Astros and Padres have considerably improved by trading their aces. The starting pitching statistics for both of these teams has been far better without their ace. Granted, the Astros have only played 25 games since dealing Oswalt, so they will need to have sustained success before they can experience a Padre-like turnaround. Most baseball writers projected San Diego to be out of playoff contention before the all-star break. Not only have the Padres exceeded expectations, they are primed to make a run at the World Series this year, as San Diego has the overall pitching to succeed in the postseason. Houston can soon follow San Diego’s path next year, as it continues to develop the young starters. Trading away aces may not always be a bad thing after all.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Phillies Hit Home Run in Acquiring Oswalt
Cliff Lee, who the Phillies acquired from the Indians midway through the 2009 season, pitched exceptionally well during his brief stint with the Phillies. Including the 2009 playoffs, when Lee accumulated an astounding 1.67 FIP in five starts, Lee was the unquestioned ace of the Phillies staff. He was worth nearly three wins more than any other Phillies starter in 2009 (Lee had a 6.6 WAR while Hamels had a 3.8 WAR). However, despite all of Lee’s successes in leading the Phillies to a second straight World Series appearance, Philadelphia decided to trade Lee in December to the Mariners in order to acquire Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays. The Phillies sent three prospects, including highly touted pitcher Kyle Drabek, to complete the trade.
From the outset of the 2010 season, the Phillies have regretted trading Lee to acquire Halladay. Sure, Halladay has performed marginally better than Lee, as Halladay has a slightly lower xFIP and a higher strikeout-to-walk ratio. However, acquiring Halladay did not address Philadelphia’s concerns of improving the back-end of the rotation. After Halladay and Hamels, the Phillies have struggled to receive any major contributions from the third, fourth, and fifth starters. J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, and Kyle Kendrick all have an xFIP of over 4.53, which ranks in the lower half of all MLB pitchers. Sure, the Phillies offense has had a pretty rough year with a team wOBA of .328. However, the Phillies could not really do anything to bolster their offense, as they have locked up Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard for the foreseeable future.
That’s where the Phillies’ acquisition of Roy Oswalt will pay dividends all the way through 2012. Though they did give up a promising pitcher in Happ and two other prospects, the Phillies are built to win now. The core members of the team (Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Roy Halladay, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Jimmy Rollins) are all in the prime of their careers and are locked up long-term. These seven players and Jayson Werth, who is in a contract year, are not going to get significantly better from now until the rest of their careers. This core group only has a few more productive years remaining before they begin to plateau. Every one of their main players, sans Halladay, has appeared in a World Series with the team, so they are in no way going to attempt to rebuild.
Also, the Phillies have already invested a tremendous amount of money to several of their key players. This year, Ryan Howard just signed a 5-year/$125 million extension that will keep him in the city of Brotherly Love through 2016. Utley signed a 7-year/$85 million deal in 2007. Halladay signed a 3-year/$60 million extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2013. Ibanez signed a 3-year/$21 million deal in 2009. Victorino signed a 3-year/$22 million deal in 2010. In fact, the Phillies already have a $142 million payroll, and that number will continue to increase as some of these contracts begin to kick in.
Sure, Happ has a promising future ahead of him, but he has yet to develop into a quality starter. He had a 4.49 xFIP last year and does not strike out a lot of batters. His 6.3 K/9 ratio in the past two years ranks among the middle of the league. Oswalt, on the other hand, has had tremendous success throughout his career in Houston and is still in the prime of his career. Forget his 6-12 record, as Oswalt has been one of the unluckiest pitchers in baseball this year. Wins and losses do not measure a pitcher’s ability, as they strictly correlate with the quality of a particular team. The Astros are one of the worst teams in baseball. This season, Oswalt has one of the best peripherals in baseball, as he has recorded a 3.45 xFIP, which ranks 10th in the MLB, and has accumulated an average of 8.37 strikeouts per nine innings. He is doing all this while pitching at Minute Maid Park, which is one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball.
Thus, the switch from Minute Maid Park to Citizens Bank Park should not negatively affect him that much at all. He is anyways more of a groundball/strikeout pitcher, as he has only yielded a 32% flyball percentage in his major league career. In addition, he is extremely durable as a starter, as he has registered at least 30 starts in each of the past six seasons.
With the Phillies looking to win now, they could not have asked for a better deal to acquire Roy Oswalt. They did not need to give up Jayson Werth, who is on the last-year of his contract, so they are primed to make a third consecutive championship run. Credit GM Ruben Amaro Jr. for recognizing the mistake with the Cliff Lee deal and countering that with the acquisitions of Halladay and Oswalt. With the deal, the Phillies have arguably the best 1-2-3 punch at the top of the rotation. Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels can match up with anyone in the majors. Combine that with a recent surge on offense, the Phillies now have what it takes to get back to the World Series for a third straight year.
From the outset of the 2010 season, the Phillies have regretted trading Lee to acquire Halladay. Sure, Halladay has performed marginally better than Lee, as Halladay has a slightly lower xFIP and a higher strikeout-to-walk ratio. However, acquiring Halladay did not address Philadelphia’s concerns of improving the back-end of the rotation. After Halladay and Hamels, the Phillies have struggled to receive any major contributions from the third, fourth, and fifth starters. J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, and Kyle Kendrick all have an xFIP of over 4.53, which ranks in the lower half of all MLB pitchers. Sure, the Phillies offense has had a pretty rough year with a team wOBA of .328. However, the Phillies could not really do anything to bolster their offense, as they have locked up Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard for the foreseeable future.
That’s where the Phillies’ acquisition of Roy Oswalt will pay dividends all the way through 2012. Though they did give up a promising pitcher in Happ and two other prospects, the Phillies are built to win now. The core members of the team (Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Roy Halladay, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Jimmy Rollins) are all in the prime of their careers and are locked up long-term. These seven players and Jayson Werth, who is in a contract year, are not going to get significantly better from now until the rest of their careers. This core group only has a few more productive years remaining before they begin to plateau. Every one of their main players, sans Halladay, has appeared in a World Series with the team, so they are in no way going to attempt to rebuild.
Also, the Phillies have already invested a tremendous amount of money to several of their key players. This year, Ryan Howard just signed a 5-year/$125 million extension that will keep him in the city of Brotherly Love through 2016. Utley signed a 7-year/$85 million deal in 2007. Halladay signed a 3-year/$60 million extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2013. Ibanez signed a 3-year/$21 million deal in 2009. Victorino signed a 3-year/$22 million deal in 2010. In fact, the Phillies already have a $142 million payroll, and that number will continue to increase as some of these contracts begin to kick in.
Sure, Happ has a promising future ahead of him, but he has yet to develop into a quality starter. He had a 4.49 xFIP last year and does not strike out a lot of batters. His 6.3 K/9 ratio in the past two years ranks among the middle of the league. Oswalt, on the other hand, has had tremendous success throughout his career in Houston and is still in the prime of his career. Forget his 6-12 record, as Oswalt has been one of the unluckiest pitchers in baseball this year. Wins and losses do not measure a pitcher’s ability, as they strictly correlate with the quality of a particular team. The Astros are one of the worst teams in baseball. This season, Oswalt has one of the best peripherals in baseball, as he has recorded a 3.45 xFIP, which ranks 10th in the MLB, and has accumulated an average of 8.37 strikeouts per nine innings. He is doing all this while pitching at Minute Maid Park, which is one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball.
Thus, the switch from Minute Maid Park to Citizens Bank Park should not negatively affect him that much at all. He is anyways more of a groundball/strikeout pitcher, as he has only yielded a 32% flyball percentage in his major league career. In addition, he is extremely durable as a starter, as he has registered at least 30 starts in each of the past six seasons.
With the Phillies looking to win now, they could not have asked for a better deal to acquire Roy Oswalt. They did not need to give up Jayson Werth, who is on the last-year of his contract, so they are primed to make a third consecutive championship run. Credit GM Ruben Amaro Jr. for recognizing the mistake with the Cliff Lee deal and countering that with the acquisitions of Halladay and Oswalt. With the deal, the Phillies have arguably the best 1-2-3 punch at the top of the rotation. Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels can match up with anyone in the majors. Combine that with a recent surge on offense, the Phillies now have what it takes to get back to the World Series for a third straight year.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
David Stern Has Single-Handedly Destroyed the NBA
When David Stern succeeded Larry O’Brien as commissioner in 1984, the NBA was at an all-time high, both in terms of quality of competition and fan interest. Competition was fierce, as the Lakers and Celtics, led by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, renewed the greatest rivalry in basketball. Officials encouraged physical play, which led to intense battles and more importantly, tremendous interest in the game. Players did not receive lucrative contracts, relative to modern day, so they focused more on team play rather than individual statistics. However, as soon as Michael Jordan left the NBA following the 1997-98 season, the league has progressively deteriorated, and much of the blame should be pointed to the man calling the shots, David Stern.
Although Stern has received a positive reputation amongst the people associated with the basketball industry, he has turned off basketball aficionados for some of the decisions he has made. First, he has turned the NBA from a physical, competitive league into a soft, cry-baby confederacy. Nowadays, officials call even the slightest of hand-checks fouls, so any time a player attacks the rim, he will most likely draw a foul and shoot free throws. Gone are the days when Kevin McHale can clothes-line Kurt Rambis. That famous play in the 1984 NBA Finals only drew a regular personal foul. Today, it would result in a flagrant-2 foul, an automatic ejection, and most likely, a suspension.
In the recent 2010 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers, there were a combined 350 free throws shot between the two teams. 350 free throws! That is an average of 50 per game between each team. This would have never happened in the NBA glory days in the 1980’s and 90’s. To put that in perspective, the Celtics/Lakers 1984 Finals, which went seven games, featured only 155 free throw attempts. Officials can often dictate the outcomes of a number of games with the large number of foul calls.
As more fouls have been called, more players have increasingly complained to the referees. Every hand-check that is not called a foul almost always results in an argument from the player. Stern could have eliminated this problem if he did not ask his officials to call the game so tightly. If every basketball game allowed for physicality, competition would be fiercer, bitter rivalries would exist, and individuals would focus more on the team game instead of isolating themselves at every given opportunity.
In addition, Stern has always been more concerned about gaining money rather than improve the quality of the game. During the 1984-85 season, when the salary cap was first introduced, the average player salary was at $330,000, while the total cap was at $3.2 million. Granted, inflation rates have considerably increased over the past 25 years. However, since players relatively made the same amount of money for a low price, they focused on winning much more than earning individual accolades. In today’s game, the average player salary is at $5.2 million, so players often attempt to increase their scoring average and total individual statistics in order to earn a more lucrative contract. Thus, instead of using more teamwork and skill, players have become more egocentric; as a result, there are more isolation plays than ever in the modern game. Gone are the days when the Showtime Lakers, the Bad Boy Pistons, or the Michael Jordan’s Bulls entertained the basketball universe with exemplary teamwork and physical play.
With the salary cap and maximum player salaries, the NBA has become less competitive as ever. It’s why LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and a multitude of other stars have colluded to form super teams, which has eliminated the parity of the NBA. There are two major problems with the summer of 2010. First, it has again proven the notion that players are far less competitive as they were before. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson would have NEVER attempted to form a super team because they were the ultimate competitors and wanted to dethrone each other. LeBron, Bosh, and Wade do not have that same mentality. Second and more importantly, only FOUR teams have a legitimate shot at winning the NBA championship in the 2010-11 season: Magic, Celtics, Heat, and Lakers. The other 26 teams cannot possibly compete with these four powerhouses. The competitive imbalance, from both the league and player standpoints, directly correlates with Stern’s encouragement of passive play and his sole desire of making as much money as possible.
Although Stern has received a positive reputation amongst the people associated with the basketball industry, he has turned off basketball aficionados for some of the decisions he has made. First, he has turned the NBA from a physical, competitive league into a soft, cry-baby confederacy. Nowadays, officials call even the slightest of hand-checks fouls, so any time a player attacks the rim, he will most likely draw a foul and shoot free throws. Gone are the days when Kevin McHale can clothes-line Kurt Rambis. That famous play in the 1984 NBA Finals only drew a regular personal foul. Today, it would result in a flagrant-2 foul, an automatic ejection, and most likely, a suspension.
In the recent 2010 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers, there were a combined 350 free throws shot between the two teams. 350 free throws! That is an average of 50 per game between each team. This would have never happened in the NBA glory days in the 1980’s and 90’s. To put that in perspective, the Celtics/Lakers 1984 Finals, which went seven games, featured only 155 free throw attempts. Officials can often dictate the outcomes of a number of games with the large number of foul calls.
As more fouls have been called, more players have increasingly complained to the referees. Every hand-check that is not called a foul almost always results in an argument from the player. Stern could have eliminated this problem if he did not ask his officials to call the game so tightly. If every basketball game allowed for physicality, competition would be fiercer, bitter rivalries would exist, and individuals would focus more on the team game instead of isolating themselves at every given opportunity.
In addition, Stern has always been more concerned about gaining money rather than improve the quality of the game. During the 1984-85 season, when the salary cap was first introduced, the average player salary was at $330,000, while the total cap was at $3.2 million. Granted, inflation rates have considerably increased over the past 25 years. However, since players relatively made the same amount of money for a low price, they focused on winning much more than earning individual accolades. In today’s game, the average player salary is at $5.2 million, so players often attempt to increase their scoring average and total individual statistics in order to earn a more lucrative contract. Thus, instead of using more teamwork and skill, players have become more egocentric; as a result, there are more isolation plays than ever in the modern game. Gone are the days when the Showtime Lakers, the Bad Boy Pistons, or the Michael Jordan’s Bulls entertained the basketball universe with exemplary teamwork and physical play.
With the salary cap and maximum player salaries, the NBA has become less competitive as ever. It’s why LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and a multitude of other stars have colluded to form super teams, which has eliminated the parity of the NBA. There are two major problems with the summer of 2010. First, it has again proven the notion that players are far less competitive as they were before. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson would have NEVER attempted to form a super team because they were the ultimate competitors and wanted to dethrone each other. LeBron, Bosh, and Wade do not have that same mentality. Second and more importantly, only FOUR teams have a legitimate shot at winning the NBA championship in the 2010-11 season: Magic, Celtics, Heat, and Lakers. The other 26 teams cannot possibly compete with these four powerhouses. The competitive imbalance, from both the league and player standpoints, directly correlates with Stern’s encouragement of passive play and his sole desire of making as much money as possible.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Despite Loss, Flyers Showed Tremendous Resilience Throughout 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
People seem to forget that the Philadelphia Flyers had to win in a shootout against the New York Rangers on the final day of the regular season just to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In that decisive final game, the Flyers trailed by one heading into the final period, and their season was on the brink of elimination. After advancing into the playoffs, almost nobody picked the Flyers to defeat the second-seeded New Jersey Devils, who had earned 103 points in the regular season, in the first round of the playoffs. The Devils, for one, had Martin Brodeur, arguably one of the greatest goaltenders ever, and they even had best scoring defense in the league. The Flyers, on the other hand, faced a slew of injuries, including ones to center Jeff Carter and to left wing Simon Gagne.
Nonetheless, Philadelphia goaltender Brian Boucher, substituting for injured goaltenders Michael Leighton and Ray Emery, played a phenomenal series against the Devils. Though it appeared on paper that Brodeur would have a significant edge in goaltending, Boucher outplayed Brodeur throughout the series, as the Flyers got stronger as the series progressed. After an overtime win in game 3 to jump ahead to a 2-1 series lead, the Flyers won the final two games of the series by three goals each, as Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, and Jeff Carter each had two goals in Games 5 and 6.
Following a five game romp over the Devils, the Flyers next had to face the Boston Bruins in the second round. After Marc Savard’s triumphant return from his concussion injury he suffered in the regular season, the Bruins cruised to win the first three games of the series, and it appeared the Flyers were down and out. After all, only two teams in NHL history, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders, have ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. However, Simon Gagne returned to the Flyers lineup in Game 4, and he brought life and energy back into his team. He scored the game-winning overtime goal in Game 4 to send the series back to Boston. Philadelphia continued the momentum in Game 5, shutting out the Bruins 4-0 in Boston. But, Game 5 was a costly win, as the Flyers lost Brian Boucher to a sprained MCL, jeopardizing his status for the remainder of the series.
The Flyers, though, had come this far and were determined to keep fighting in spite of the loss of Boucher. Few people had expected them to beat the Devils and certainly no one felt that they could come back from this insurmountable deficit to the Bruins. In Game 6, Michael Leighton admirably played in place of Boucher, as he held the Bruins scoreless for the first 59 minutes of the game. The Flyers won Game 6 2-1 behind a tremendous overall defensive performance and a power play goal by Danny Briere in the second period. The Flyers, now, had all the momentum heading into Game 7, as the Bruins lost David Krejci and Marco Sturm to injuries. The only thing Boston had going for them heading into Game 7 was home ice. They certainly fed off that home crowd early in Game 7, as the Bruins quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead 15 minutes into the game. However, as they have done all postseason, the Flyers never gave up and stormed all the way back to tie the game at the end of the second period. Then, Simon Gagne scored the game-winning power play goal midway through the third period to give the Flyers an improbable 4-3 Game 7 win AND a 4-3 series win. These two different 3-0 comebacks symbolized the grit, toughness, and resilience of this Flyers team.
After a tough seven-game series against Boston, the Flyers had to quickly bounce back and face the Montreal Canadiens in the conference finals. There was only a one day rest period between Game 7 of the Boston series and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers did not have time to scout or prepare for Montreal, so they had to ride out the momentum they had established in the final four games of the Boston series. They did just that, as they scored the first nine goals of the series in Games 1 and 2, and the Flyers shutout the Canadiens in the first two games of the series. The Flyers were firing on all cylinders, as Michael Leighton progressively improved, the top three lines of offense overpowered Montreal’s defense, and the Philadelphia defense led by Chris Pronger did an outstanding job of disrupting the rhythm of the Montreal forwards. After a hiccup in Game 3, the Flyers shut out the Canadiens again in Game 4 3-0 and won the clinching Game 5 4-2 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals as a seven seed. Remember, this is the same Flyers team that came a period away from missing out on the playoffs.
In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers had to face the heavily favored Chicago Blackhawks, who had just swept the top-seeded San Jose Sharks in four games. In Game 1, the Flyers lost 6-5 in a high-scoring affair, as Chicago forward Tomas Kopecky scored the game-winning goal eight minutes into the third period. Game 2 was a more physical grind for both teams, and the Blackhawks led 2-0 after two periods. However, like they have done all postseason, the Flyers never quit, as they outshot the Blackhawks 15-4 in the third period and scored a goal five minutes into the third period to pull within one goal. However, despite accumulating multiple scoring chances, they were unable to score the equalizer and fell behind in the series 2-0. Nonetheless, the Flyers established a rhythm during the third period of Game 2 and carried the momentum into their home ice. Left wing Ville Leino scored the game-tying goal in the third period before Claude Giroux scored the game-winner in overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 3 that cut the series deficit to 2-1. Then, in Game 4, the Flyers jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead and never looked back. Philadelphia won Game 4 5-3 and tied the series at two. After losing Game 5 7-4, the Flyers once again faced the possibility of elimination in their home building. They were down 3-2 in the third period of Game 6, and the season once again appeared on the brink of elimination. Then, like they have done throughout the postseason, found the extra gear of energy. Philadelphia left wing Scott Hartnell scored the equalizer late in the third period and sent the game into overtime. Though the Blackhawks would score the game-winner in overtime and win the Stanley Cup, the Flyers once again exhibited throughout this series that they would fight until the very end.
Despite facing tremendous adversity throughout this postseason, the Philadelphia Flyers continued to persevere and fight until the very end. They overcame injuries, deficits, and a heavy schedule to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. In the first round, the Flyers completely outfought and outhustled the Devils. In the second round, they never seemed to panic after falling 3-0 in the series and 3-0 in Game 7 to the Bruins. In the conference finals, they simply overpowered the Canadiens. In the Stanley Cup Finals, they fought until the very end of every game, as the Blackhawks needed three game-winning goals to defeat the Flyers. Although the Flyers were not the best or most talented team of this year’s playoffs, they certainly were the toughest and most resilient.
Nonetheless, Philadelphia goaltender Brian Boucher, substituting for injured goaltenders Michael Leighton and Ray Emery, played a phenomenal series against the Devils. Though it appeared on paper that Brodeur would have a significant edge in goaltending, Boucher outplayed Brodeur throughout the series, as the Flyers got stronger as the series progressed. After an overtime win in game 3 to jump ahead to a 2-1 series lead, the Flyers won the final two games of the series by three goals each, as Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, and Jeff Carter each had two goals in Games 5 and 6.
Following a five game romp over the Devils, the Flyers next had to face the Boston Bruins in the second round. After Marc Savard’s triumphant return from his concussion injury he suffered in the regular season, the Bruins cruised to win the first three games of the series, and it appeared the Flyers were down and out. After all, only two teams in NHL history, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders, have ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. However, Simon Gagne returned to the Flyers lineup in Game 4, and he brought life and energy back into his team. He scored the game-winning overtime goal in Game 4 to send the series back to Boston. Philadelphia continued the momentum in Game 5, shutting out the Bruins 4-0 in Boston. But, Game 5 was a costly win, as the Flyers lost Brian Boucher to a sprained MCL, jeopardizing his status for the remainder of the series.
The Flyers, though, had come this far and were determined to keep fighting in spite of the loss of Boucher. Few people had expected them to beat the Devils and certainly no one felt that they could come back from this insurmountable deficit to the Bruins. In Game 6, Michael Leighton admirably played in place of Boucher, as he held the Bruins scoreless for the first 59 minutes of the game. The Flyers won Game 6 2-1 behind a tremendous overall defensive performance and a power play goal by Danny Briere in the second period. The Flyers, now, had all the momentum heading into Game 7, as the Bruins lost David Krejci and Marco Sturm to injuries. The only thing Boston had going for them heading into Game 7 was home ice. They certainly fed off that home crowd early in Game 7, as the Bruins quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead 15 minutes into the game. However, as they have done all postseason, the Flyers never gave up and stormed all the way back to tie the game at the end of the second period. Then, Simon Gagne scored the game-winning power play goal midway through the third period to give the Flyers an improbable 4-3 Game 7 win AND a 4-3 series win. These two different 3-0 comebacks symbolized the grit, toughness, and resilience of this Flyers team.
After a tough seven-game series against Boston, the Flyers had to quickly bounce back and face the Montreal Canadiens in the conference finals. There was only a one day rest period between Game 7 of the Boston series and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers did not have time to scout or prepare for Montreal, so they had to ride out the momentum they had established in the final four games of the Boston series. They did just that, as they scored the first nine goals of the series in Games 1 and 2, and the Flyers shutout the Canadiens in the first two games of the series. The Flyers were firing on all cylinders, as Michael Leighton progressively improved, the top three lines of offense overpowered Montreal’s defense, and the Philadelphia defense led by Chris Pronger did an outstanding job of disrupting the rhythm of the Montreal forwards. After a hiccup in Game 3, the Flyers shut out the Canadiens again in Game 4 3-0 and won the clinching Game 5 4-2 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals as a seven seed. Remember, this is the same Flyers team that came a period away from missing out on the playoffs.
In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers had to face the heavily favored Chicago Blackhawks, who had just swept the top-seeded San Jose Sharks in four games. In Game 1, the Flyers lost 6-5 in a high-scoring affair, as Chicago forward Tomas Kopecky scored the game-winning goal eight minutes into the third period. Game 2 was a more physical grind for both teams, and the Blackhawks led 2-0 after two periods. However, like they have done all postseason, the Flyers never quit, as they outshot the Blackhawks 15-4 in the third period and scored a goal five minutes into the third period to pull within one goal. However, despite accumulating multiple scoring chances, they were unable to score the equalizer and fell behind in the series 2-0. Nonetheless, the Flyers established a rhythm during the third period of Game 2 and carried the momentum into their home ice. Left wing Ville Leino scored the game-tying goal in the third period before Claude Giroux scored the game-winner in overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 3 that cut the series deficit to 2-1. Then, in Game 4, the Flyers jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead and never looked back. Philadelphia won Game 4 5-3 and tied the series at two. After losing Game 5 7-4, the Flyers once again faced the possibility of elimination in their home building. They were down 3-2 in the third period of Game 6, and the season once again appeared on the brink of elimination. Then, like they have done throughout the postseason, found the extra gear of energy. Philadelphia left wing Scott Hartnell scored the equalizer late in the third period and sent the game into overtime. Though the Blackhawks would score the game-winner in overtime and win the Stanley Cup, the Flyers once again exhibited throughout this series that they would fight until the very end.
Despite facing tremendous adversity throughout this postseason, the Philadelphia Flyers continued to persevere and fight until the very end. They overcame injuries, deficits, and a heavy schedule to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. In the first round, the Flyers completely outfought and outhustled the Devils. In the second round, they never seemed to panic after falling 3-0 in the series and 3-0 in Game 7 to the Bruins. In the conference finals, they simply overpowered the Canadiens. In the Stanley Cup Finals, they fought until the very end of every game, as the Blackhawks needed three game-winning goals to defeat the Flyers. Although the Flyers were not the best or most talented team of this year’s playoffs, they certainly were the toughest and most resilient.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
MLB Mid-Year Report: There are Three Competitive and Three Mediocre Divisions in 2010 Season
So far, a little over 40% into the 2010 MLB regular season, the time has come to distinguish between the pretenders and contenders. With interleague play just around the corner, there has been a competitive imbalance in both leagues. Arguably four out of the five best teams in the American League play in the AL East, while every team in the NL East had a winning record just a mere ten days ago. On the other hand, both the AL and NL Centrals have been mediocre at best, and each division boasts three of the five worst teams in each league. Thus, in this relatively young season, there have been three extremely competitive divisions (AL and NL East, NL West) and three lackluster divisions (AL and NL Central, AL West) in the majors.
First, the AL East has been nothing short of spectacular this season, as the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox have played exceptional baseball, accumulating a combined 142-93 record. The Rays, after a disappointing 2009 campaign, have bounced back admirably in 2010, led by a younger starting rotation anchored by David Price and an explosive lineup featuring Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria. They have the best run differential in the major leagues. The Blue Jays have relied predominantly on their offense and their breakout star, Jose Bautista, who leads the team in home runs, runs, OPS, and RBI’s. After a disastrous start to this season, the Boston Red Sox have bounced back nicely, winning 24 of their past 35 games. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have posted a combined 2.56 ERA, while Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis have a .400 OBP. The New York Yankees have the league’s best offense led by second baseman Robinson Cano, who leads the team in nearly every major statistical category. Overall, the AL East is the best division in baseball by a landslide and boasts the top four offensive teams in the majors.
The other two divisions in the American League are nowhere near the caliber of the AL East. The AL Central is currently a two-team race between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers, as the Indians, Royals, and White Sox have all underachieved. After trading for Jake Peavy and Alex Rios last season, the White Sox have failed to capitalize on their pricey investments, as they rank in the bottom five in both pitching and defense. The Indians and Royals both have tremendous offensive deficiencies caused by lineups. Meanwhile, the Twins and Tigers have continued to separate themselves from the rest of the division. Though the Twins and Tigers are ahead of the pack, both teams have faced some major problems. The Tigers are the worst fielding team in the American League, having already committed 46 errors this season. The Twins have no established ace on their staff, as Kevin Slowey, an average pitcher, has the most wins on the team with seven. In all, the Twins should win this division under the leadership of catcher Joe Mauer and manager Ron Gardenhire, but this is primarily a result of the weak competition of their division.
In addition, the AL West lacks a dominant team in this division. In fact, though three out of the four teams in the division currently have more wins than losses, the leader of the AL West, the Texas Rangers, are only four games above .500 at 31-27. Three of the four teams in this division have scored fewer funs than their opponents, with the Angels and Athletics being the only two teams in the major leagues to have a winning record with a negative run differential. The Rangers have received a breakout performance from Vladimir Guerrero, whom they signed to a one-year contract following his tenure with the Angels. He leads the team in batting average, RBI’s, and home runs. The Angels and A’s have been exceptional in close games, posting a combined 22-7 record in one-run games. The Mariners, meanwhile, have been disastrous offensively, as they have scored the fourth most runs in the major leagues. Every team in this division has dealt with or is dealing with a severe injury, and the AL West appears to go down to the wire.
In the National League, two out of the three divisions are tremendously competitive. First, the National League East remains the most competitive team from top to bottom, as the first and last place teams are separated by a meager six games. In addition, each NL East team has had at least one new acquisition that has made a tremendous different on the team. In Philadelphia, Roy Halladay has lived up to the expectations of being the ace of the Phillies staff, as he recently threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins. In all, he has accumulated a 2.03 ERA, 77 strikeouts, and an 8-3 record this season. In Washington, Stephen Strasburg did not disappoint in his major league debut, posting 14 strikeouts and a win for the surprising Nationals, who appear well on their way to shattering last season’s record. The Atlanta Braves have received tremendous contributions from outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Billy Wagner. Wagner has 10 saves and 36 strikeouts in 24 appearances this season, while Heyward is well on his way to earning Rookie of the Year honors, posting a whopping .906 OPS with 10 home runs. The New York Mets have improved considerably from last year thanks to the arrival of Ike Davis, who already has made a flurry of spectacular defensive plays and has 18 extra-base hits in 45 games this season. The Florida Marlins, like the Nationals, also received a rocking debut from outfielder Mike Stanton, who went 3-for-5 in his major league debut and will pair up with shortstop Hanley Ramirez to form one of the most exciting young combinations in the majors. From top to bottom, the NL East has all contending teams, and this race should go down to the wire.
Furthermore, the NL West has four extremely talented teams that have all played well recently. The Colorado Rockies, which stormed into the postseason under Jim Tracy’s leadership last year, has received incredible contributions from Ubaldo Jimenez, who already has a 0.93 ERA and a 10-1 record into June. Though they have struggled with pitching recently, the San Francisco Giants, behind a four-headed monster of Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez, have carried the Giants to a 32-26 record behind a 3.30 staff ERA. The San Diego Padres have been the surprise team of the National League thanks to a NL-leading 2.99 team ERA. After a slow start, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won 23 of their past 30 games behind the NL’s fourth leading offense. As long as the Padres, Giants, and Rockies continue to pitch well, this race will also go down the final days of the season.
On the other hand, the worst division in the National League is clearly the NL Central, with four teams well out of contention and another, the Cincinnati Reds on the verge of a downfall. The Cubs, Pirates, Astros, and Brewers have all tremendously underachieved. The Astros and Brewers have the two worst offenses in the National League, while the Cubs have received almost no contributions from their power hitters Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee. The Brewers have the NL’s second worst team ERA at 5.30. The first-place Reds have a surprising lead in the NL Central thanks to the NL’s best offense, but can the youthful Reds carry their momentum in the latter stages of the season? The Reds are led by young pitchers Mike Leake and Jonny Cueto and hitters Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, none of whom have experienced a pennant race. The St. Louis Cardinals, despite slow starts from Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols, are right in the mix under a tremendous starting rotation featuring Jaime Garcia (1.43 ERA), Adam Wainwright (84 strikeouts), and Chris Carpenter (7-1 record). Once Pujols and Holliday step it up, the Cardinals should be able to win this underachieving division.
Overall, there is a tremendous competitive imbalance in the MLB. With four high quality teams in the NL West and AL East and a division full of contending teams in the NL East, it is unfortunate that deserving teams from one of these divisions will be left out of the postseason, while mediocre teams from both the other three division can reach the playoffs. With the four top teams in the AL East playing each other approximately 60 times each year, they face a much more daunting schedule than any other team in baseball. In addition, due to the tremendous competition in the AL East, arguably two of the top six or seven teams in baseball will be left out of the postseason. It’s what happens when there is such competitive imbalance between the six divisions in baseball.
First, the AL East has been nothing short of spectacular this season, as the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox have played exceptional baseball, accumulating a combined 142-93 record. The Rays, after a disappointing 2009 campaign, have bounced back admirably in 2010, led by a younger starting rotation anchored by David Price and an explosive lineup featuring Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria. They have the best run differential in the major leagues. The Blue Jays have relied predominantly on their offense and their breakout star, Jose Bautista, who leads the team in home runs, runs, OPS, and RBI’s. After a disastrous start to this season, the Boston Red Sox have bounced back nicely, winning 24 of their past 35 games. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have posted a combined 2.56 ERA, while Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis have a .400 OBP. The New York Yankees have the league’s best offense led by second baseman Robinson Cano, who leads the team in nearly every major statistical category. Overall, the AL East is the best division in baseball by a landslide and boasts the top four offensive teams in the majors.
The other two divisions in the American League are nowhere near the caliber of the AL East. The AL Central is currently a two-team race between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers, as the Indians, Royals, and White Sox have all underachieved. After trading for Jake Peavy and Alex Rios last season, the White Sox have failed to capitalize on their pricey investments, as they rank in the bottom five in both pitching and defense. The Indians and Royals both have tremendous offensive deficiencies caused by lineups. Meanwhile, the Twins and Tigers have continued to separate themselves from the rest of the division. Though the Twins and Tigers are ahead of the pack, both teams have faced some major problems. The Tigers are the worst fielding team in the American League, having already committed 46 errors this season. The Twins have no established ace on their staff, as Kevin Slowey, an average pitcher, has the most wins on the team with seven. In all, the Twins should win this division under the leadership of catcher Joe Mauer and manager Ron Gardenhire, but this is primarily a result of the weak competition of their division.
In addition, the AL West lacks a dominant team in this division. In fact, though three out of the four teams in the division currently have more wins than losses, the leader of the AL West, the Texas Rangers, are only four games above .500 at 31-27. Three of the four teams in this division have scored fewer funs than their opponents, with the Angels and Athletics being the only two teams in the major leagues to have a winning record with a negative run differential. The Rangers have received a breakout performance from Vladimir Guerrero, whom they signed to a one-year contract following his tenure with the Angels. He leads the team in batting average, RBI’s, and home runs. The Angels and A’s have been exceptional in close games, posting a combined 22-7 record in one-run games. The Mariners, meanwhile, have been disastrous offensively, as they have scored the fourth most runs in the major leagues. Every team in this division has dealt with or is dealing with a severe injury, and the AL West appears to go down to the wire.
In the National League, two out of the three divisions are tremendously competitive. First, the National League East remains the most competitive team from top to bottom, as the first and last place teams are separated by a meager six games. In addition, each NL East team has had at least one new acquisition that has made a tremendous different on the team. In Philadelphia, Roy Halladay has lived up to the expectations of being the ace of the Phillies staff, as he recently threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins. In all, he has accumulated a 2.03 ERA, 77 strikeouts, and an 8-3 record this season. In Washington, Stephen Strasburg did not disappoint in his major league debut, posting 14 strikeouts and a win for the surprising Nationals, who appear well on their way to shattering last season’s record. The Atlanta Braves have received tremendous contributions from outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Billy Wagner. Wagner has 10 saves and 36 strikeouts in 24 appearances this season, while Heyward is well on his way to earning Rookie of the Year honors, posting a whopping .906 OPS with 10 home runs. The New York Mets have improved considerably from last year thanks to the arrival of Ike Davis, who already has made a flurry of spectacular defensive plays and has 18 extra-base hits in 45 games this season. The Florida Marlins, like the Nationals, also received a rocking debut from outfielder Mike Stanton, who went 3-for-5 in his major league debut and will pair up with shortstop Hanley Ramirez to form one of the most exciting young combinations in the majors. From top to bottom, the NL East has all contending teams, and this race should go down to the wire.
Furthermore, the NL West has four extremely talented teams that have all played well recently. The Colorado Rockies, which stormed into the postseason under Jim Tracy’s leadership last year, has received incredible contributions from Ubaldo Jimenez, who already has a 0.93 ERA and a 10-1 record into June. Though they have struggled with pitching recently, the San Francisco Giants, behind a four-headed monster of Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez, have carried the Giants to a 32-26 record behind a 3.30 staff ERA. The San Diego Padres have been the surprise team of the National League thanks to a NL-leading 2.99 team ERA. After a slow start, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won 23 of their past 30 games behind the NL’s fourth leading offense. As long as the Padres, Giants, and Rockies continue to pitch well, this race will also go down the final days of the season.
On the other hand, the worst division in the National League is clearly the NL Central, with four teams well out of contention and another, the Cincinnati Reds on the verge of a downfall. The Cubs, Pirates, Astros, and Brewers have all tremendously underachieved. The Astros and Brewers have the two worst offenses in the National League, while the Cubs have received almost no contributions from their power hitters Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee. The Brewers have the NL’s second worst team ERA at 5.30. The first-place Reds have a surprising lead in the NL Central thanks to the NL’s best offense, but can the youthful Reds carry their momentum in the latter stages of the season? The Reds are led by young pitchers Mike Leake and Jonny Cueto and hitters Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, none of whom have experienced a pennant race. The St. Louis Cardinals, despite slow starts from Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols, are right in the mix under a tremendous starting rotation featuring Jaime Garcia (1.43 ERA), Adam Wainwright (84 strikeouts), and Chris Carpenter (7-1 record). Once Pujols and Holliday step it up, the Cardinals should be able to win this underachieving division.
Overall, there is a tremendous competitive imbalance in the MLB. With four high quality teams in the NL West and AL East and a division full of contending teams in the NL East, it is unfortunate that deserving teams from one of these divisions will be left out of the postseason, while mediocre teams from both the other three division can reach the playoffs. With the four top teams in the AL East playing each other approximately 60 times each year, they face a much more daunting schedule than any other team in baseball. In addition, due to the tremendous competition in the AL East, arguably two of the top six or seven teams in baseball will be left out of the postseason. It’s what happens when there is such competitive imbalance between the six divisions in baseball.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Blackhawks Head and Shoulders Above Rest of NHL
After defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday night, the Chicago Blackhawks crept closer to hoisting the elusive Lord Stanley’s Cup. Fifty years have passed since the Blackhawks last won the championship, but they are well on their way to securing the ultimate prize, after winning their seventh consecutive game this postseason. As the stakes have gotten higher, the Blackhawks have continued to get better and have shown why they are without a question the class of the NHL this season.
What makes the Blackhawks so lethal is their ability to adapt to any style of play. They can win high scoring shootouts, as witnessed by their 6-5 Game 1 victory over the Flyers in the Finals. They can win slugfests (they have won both of their overtime games these playoffs). They have two exceptional lines of defense, with a potential Norris Trophy winner in Duncan Keith. They have three of the top scoring lines in the NHL. They have a rising star in goaltender Antti Niemi. Quite frankly, the Chicago Blackhawks are the most complete team in hockey.
After a disastrous start to these 2010 NHL playoffs, the Blackhawks have continued to progress with each successive series. In the first round, the team played tight and felt the pressure of being the favorites to win the Stanley Cup Finals. The Blackhawks put way too much pressure on themselves to dominate every game and show why they were the best team in the NHL. As a result, they struggled mightily in their first three games against the Nashville Predators in the first round. The Blackhawks went against their physical style, as they had an astounding 13 fewer hits, 13 more giveaways, and three fewer shots on goal.
After the series was tied 2-2 heading into Game 5, the turning point of these playoffs occurred for the Blackhawks. Down 5-4 with under 30 seconds remaining in regulation and playing shorthanded, Patrick Kane scored the equalizer to tie the score, and Marian Hossa followed Kane’s heroics with the game-winning goal 4 minutes into overtime. The Blackhawks seemed to relax after this game and play like the 112-point team they were in the regular season. After scoring only seven goals in the first four games of the Nashville series, they scored ten goals in the final two games of that series and finally displayed the crisp, precise offense that was existent in the regular season.
Though the Blackhawks had two mental breakdowns in home losses to Vancouver in the second round, they absolutely throttled the Canucks in winning three road games and showed throughout the series that they were the better team. Chicago made Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo look overmatched, as the Blackhawks scored a remarkable 21 goals in their four wins in the series.
In the conference finals, the Blackhawks continued to progress, as they swept the top-seeded San Jose Sharks in four games. Unlike the previous two series, the Blackhawks used stout defense and goaltending to dethrone the Sharks. They held the second line of Joe Pavelski, Ryan Clowe, and Devin Setoguchi, who dominated the first two rounds, without a goal. In addition, despite being outshot by a combined 118-110 in the first three games of the Western Conference Finals, the Blackhawks only allowed five goals during that span. With outstanding defense, the Blackhawks swept one of the top teams in the NHL.
With a great mix of talent and finally playing more loose and relaxed, the Blackhawks are currently firing on all cylinders. Offensively, they have three outstanding lines of offense, with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Marian Hossa anchoring the first line, Dustin Byfuglien, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg in the second unit, and Andrew Ladd, John Madden, and Troy Brouwer playing in the third line. The offense has a nice mix of youth, experience, size, and speed. Any one of these nine guys can take over a game at any time. In fact, each of these nine guys has scored at least one goal in these playoffs, and the Blackhawks have eight different players with at least 10 points in these playoffs. Kane, Toews, Byfuglien (with 3 in the conference finals alone), Hossa, Sharp, and Versteeg all have scored either game-winning or game-tying goals in these playoffs. It shows how lethal this offense has been this season.
Defensively, the Blackhawks are just as good, if not better. The top line of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook is arguably the best in the NHL. Keith logs an average of nearly 28 minutes of ice time per game while Seabrook averages 24 minutes of ice time. Both players do an exceptional job of clearing the puck, getting into passing and shooting lanes, and anchoring the power play unit. They helped the team record 14 power play goals in the first three rounds of the playoffs. The second line of Brian Campbell and Brent Sopel is equally as potent, as they both do a stellar job of quarterbacking the power play unit and passing the puck to the front line. Finally, goaltender Antii Niemi has continued to improve, sans the game 1 performance in the Stanley Cup Finals. After permanently taking over the starting goalie spot from Cristobal Huet in mid-March, Niemi has recorded a 2.49 GAA in the playoffs, including an impressive 1.67 GAA against the Sharks. With the Blackhawks playing in several close games in these playoffs, Niemi has been counted on to make several clutch saves, and he has responded by posting a 14-4 record this postseason.
Overall, the Blackhawks are the most complete team in hockey, with three exceptional lines on offense, two stellar lines on defense, and a rising goaltender in Antii Niemi. As a result, they have won their past seven straight and 10 of their past 11 postseason games and they have shown the ability to win in a multitude of ways. Their early postseason struggles against the Predators seem like a distant memory, as they swept top-seeded San Jose in four games and are well on their way to defeating the Flyers for their first Stanley Cup victory in 50 years.
What makes the Blackhawks so lethal is their ability to adapt to any style of play. They can win high scoring shootouts, as witnessed by their 6-5 Game 1 victory over the Flyers in the Finals. They can win slugfests (they have won both of their overtime games these playoffs). They have two exceptional lines of defense, with a potential Norris Trophy winner in Duncan Keith. They have three of the top scoring lines in the NHL. They have a rising star in goaltender Antti Niemi. Quite frankly, the Chicago Blackhawks are the most complete team in hockey.
After a disastrous start to these 2010 NHL playoffs, the Blackhawks have continued to progress with each successive series. In the first round, the team played tight and felt the pressure of being the favorites to win the Stanley Cup Finals. The Blackhawks put way too much pressure on themselves to dominate every game and show why they were the best team in the NHL. As a result, they struggled mightily in their first three games against the Nashville Predators in the first round. The Blackhawks went against their physical style, as they had an astounding 13 fewer hits, 13 more giveaways, and three fewer shots on goal.
After the series was tied 2-2 heading into Game 5, the turning point of these playoffs occurred for the Blackhawks. Down 5-4 with under 30 seconds remaining in regulation and playing shorthanded, Patrick Kane scored the equalizer to tie the score, and Marian Hossa followed Kane’s heroics with the game-winning goal 4 minutes into overtime. The Blackhawks seemed to relax after this game and play like the 112-point team they were in the regular season. After scoring only seven goals in the first four games of the Nashville series, they scored ten goals in the final two games of that series and finally displayed the crisp, precise offense that was existent in the regular season.
Though the Blackhawks had two mental breakdowns in home losses to Vancouver in the second round, they absolutely throttled the Canucks in winning three road games and showed throughout the series that they were the better team. Chicago made Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo look overmatched, as the Blackhawks scored a remarkable 21 goals in their four wins in the series.
In the conference finals, the Blackhawks continued to progress, as they swept the top-seeded San Jose Sharks in four games. Unlike the previous two series, the Blackhawks used stout defense and goaltending to dethrone the Sharks. They held the second line of Joe Pavelski, Ryan Clowe, and Devin Setoguchi, who dominated the first two rounds, without a goal. In addition, despite being outshot by a combined 118-110 in the first three games of the Western Conference Finals, the Blackhawks only allowed five goals during that span. With outstanding defense, the Blackhawks swept one of the top teams in the NHL.
With a great mix of talent and finally playing more loose and relaxed, the Blackhawks are currently firing on all cylinders. Offensively, they have three outstanding lines of offense, with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Marian Hossa anchoring the first line, Dustin Byfuglien, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg in the second unit, and Andrew Ladd, John Madden, and Troy Brouwer playing in the third line. The offense has a nice mix of youth, experience, size, and speed. Any one of these nine guys can take over a game at any time. In fact, each of these nine guys has scored at least one goal in these playoffs, and the Blackhawks have eight different players with at least 10 points in these playoffs. Kane, Toews, Byfuglien (with 3 in the conference finals alone), Hossa, Sharp, and Versteeg all have scored either game-winning or game-tying goals in these playoffs. It shows how lethal this offense has been this season.
Defensively, the Blackhawks are just as good, if not better. The top line of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook is arguably the best in the NHL. Keith logs an average of nearly 28 minutes of ice time per game while Seabrook averages 24 minutes of ice time. Both players do an exceptional job of clearing the puck, getting into passing and shooting lanes, and anchoring the power play unit. They helped the team record 14 power play goals in the first three rounds of the playoffs. The second line of Brian Campbell and Brent Sopel is equally as potent, as they both do a stellar job of quarterbacking the power play unit and passing the puck to the front line. Finally, goaltender Antii Niemi has continued to improve, sans the game 1 performance in the Stanley Cup Finals. After permanently taking over the starting goalie spot from Cristobal Huet in mid-March, Niemi has recorded a 2.49 GAA in the playoffs, including an impressive 1.67 GAA against the Sharks. With the Blackhawks playing in several close games in these playoffs, Niemi has been counted on to make several clutch saves, and he has responded by posting a 14-4 record this postseason.
Overall, the Blackhawks are the most complete team in hockey, with three exceptional lines on offense, two stellar lines on defense, and a rising goaltender in Antii Niemi. As a result, they have won their past seven straight and 10 of their past 11 postseason games and they have shown the ability to win in a multitude of ways. Their early postseason struggles against the Predators seem like a distant memory, as they swept top-seeded San Jose in four games and are well on their way to defeating the Flyers for their first Stanley Cup victory in 50 years.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Kobe is Right: It’s All About Defense for Lakers
After a second straight loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant, who recorded a spectacular 38 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in game 4, criticized his team’s porous defensive effort in Phoenix. He refused to answer any questions about offense in his postgame press conference. Instead, he pointed out that the Lakers were thoroughly outhustled, outplayed, and extremely lackadaisical defensively. In addition, he noted that the Lakers will not win this series if they continue to play ineffective defense. He was right.
For all the talk about the Lakers inability to execute on the Suns zone defense, they have still scored an average of 107.5 points in their past two games. However, they have allowed a whopping 118 and 115 points to the Suns in these past two games, which has allowed the Suns to get back into this series. The Lakers have scored more than enough points to put themselves in position to win the game, but their defense has been nothing short of embarrassing. Defense wins championships, but the Lakers have yet to receive that memo in this series.
Offensively, the Lakers have actually played better than most observers think. Sure, they have had a few problems adjusting to the Suns defense, like attempting an uncharacteristic 60 3-pointers in their past two games. Still, the Lakers managed to score 62 points in the second half of game 3, against the zone defense, and over 50 points in each half of game 4. In game 4, they shot a very respectable 49.5% from the field, committed only six turnovers, and accumulated 25 assists, which adds up to a very impressive 4.17:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Clearly, the Lakers offensive struggles have been blown out of proportion.
The other end of the floor has been an absolute nightmare for the Lakers. They have allowed the Suns to get off uncontested shots on a regular basis, and they have been unable to make the defensive adjustments like the Suns did in games 3 and 4. In fact, in these past two games, the Suns have recorded an astonishing 28 offensive rebounds, 74 free-throw attempts, and have committed only 14 turnovers. With two All-NBA defenders in Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant and a distinct size advantage over the Suns, the Lakers have absolutely no excuse to allow the Suns to record this many points and rebounds.
Throughout these 2010 playoffs, the Lakers have won most of their games with outstanding defense. In the first two rounds, the Lakers were 6-0 when allowing fewer than 100 points. Conversely, they were only 2-2 when allowing at least 100 points. While 100 points may not seem like exceptional defense, the Lakers can afford to give up a few more points than other opponents due to their top-notch offense. In addition, the Lakers, especially when they battle the Suns, play with at a faster tempo with more possessions that the average NBA team, so their defensive statistics are inflated. Thus, the Lakers do not need to play outstanding defense every night to give themselves a chance to win; instead, they just need to give more effort on that end of the floor.
For all the talk about the Lakers inability to execute on the Suns zone defense, they have still scored an average of 107.5 points in their past two games. However, they have allowed a whopping 118 and 115 points to the Suns in these past two games, which has allowed the Suns to get back into this series. The Lakers have scored more than enough points to put themselves in position to win the game, but their defense has been nothing short of embarrassing. Defense wins championships, but the Lakers have yet to receive that memo in this series.
Offensively, the Lakers have actually played better than most observers think. Sure, they have had a few problems adjusting to the Suns defense, like attempting an uncharacteristic 60 3-pointers in their past two games. Still, the Lakers managed to score 62 points in the second half of game 3, against the zone defense, and over 50 points in each half of game 4. In game 4, they shot a very respectable 49.5% from the field, committed only six turnovers, and accumulated 25 assists, which adds up to a very impressive 4.17:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Clearly, the Lakers offensive struggles have been blown out of proportion.
The other end of the floor has been an absolute nightmare for the Lakers. They have allowed the Suns to get off uncontested shots on a regular basis, and they have been unable to make the defensive adjustments like the Suns did in games 3 and 4. In fact, in these past two games, the Suns have recorded an astonishing 28 offensive rebounds, 74 free-throw attempts, and have committed only 14 turnovers. With two All-NBA defenders in Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant and a distinct size advantage over the Suns, the Lakers have absolutely no excuse to allow the Suns to record this many points and rebounds.
Throughout these 2010 playoffs, the Lakers have won most of their games with outstanding defense. In the first two rounds, the Lakers were 6-0 when allowing fewer than 100 points. Conversely, they were only 2-2 when allowing at least 100 points. While 100 points may not seem like exceptional defense, the Lakers can afford to give up a few more points than other opponents due to their top-notch offense. In addition, the Lakers, especially when they battle the Suns, play with at a faster tempo with more possessions that the average NBA team, so their defensive statistics are inflated. Thus, the Lakers do not need to play outstanding defense every night to give themselves a chance to win; instead, they just need to give more effort on that end of the floor.
Monday, May 24, 2010
These Conference Finals Have Shown that Rest Equals Rust
For the most part, both the NBA and NHL Conference Finals have been a major disappointment. It’s quite possible that none of these four series will last more than five games, and a majority of these games have either been lopsided or lackluster. For instance, every game in the Flyers-Canadiens series has been decided by at least three goals. A common factor in these conference finals is that the team with more rest entering the series has been on the losing end of these conference finals.
First, in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks, after dethroning the Detroit Red Wings in five games, had a whopping eight-day gap between the conclusion of the conference semifinals and the start of the conference finals. By the end of the Red Wings series, the Sharks were clicking on all cylinders, as the top two lines of forwards were at the top of their games. In particular, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who both struggled in the first round, amassed a combined 12 points in the conference semifinals.
However, all the momentum gained from the Detroit series was immediately lost in the conference finals, in which the Chicago Blackhawks swept the Sharks in four games. The Sharks clearly lagged behind the Blackhawks all series, as Chicago had the edge in puck possession in every game of the series. The Sharks were also often a step in slow in reacting to the puck, something they excelled at in the Detroit series. Clearly, the long rest period negatively affected the Sharks, as they could not carry over their momentum into the conference finals.
The Eastern Conference Finals was no different, as the Montreal Canadiens, who had two more days of rest than the Philadelphia Flyers, looked completely flat in the first two games of the conference finals. In fact, the Flyers shut out the Canadiens by a combined score of 9-0 in the opening two games, including a 6-0 romp in the opening game. Montreal goaltender Miroslav Halak, who played exceptionally in the first rounds against Washington and Pittsburgh, has not looked the same in this series, while the Canadiens offense as a whole has disappeared, getting shut out in three of the first four games of the series. Like San Jose, Montreal has been negatively affected by the long rest, as they have not maintained the same level of play that they showed in their first two series.
Similarly, both the conference finals series in the NBA have been equally as lopsided, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Orlando Magic, who absolutely dominated their two first round series by sweeping both Charlotte and Atlanta, have been annihilated by the Boston Celtics in the conference finals, losing the first three games of the series. Entering the series, the Magic had seven days of rest, while the Celtics only had two days after struggling to defeat Cleveland. The long layoff caused the Magic to lose their edge in this series, as the Celtics have led for all but four minutes against the Magic. In addition, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Rashard Lewis, the three marquee players for Orlando, have averaged a combined 20 points fewer than what they accumulated in the Atlanta series. Additionally, Orlando’s overall intensity and execution haven’t been the same against Boston, as they have recorded more turnovers than assists in the conference finals.
Along the same lines, the Phoenix Suns looked shaky in the first two games of the conference finals against the Lakers. After having eight days off between games, the Suns looked out of sync in the opening two games against the Lakers, allowing an astonishing 126 points per game and shooting under 31% from three-point range. The trio of Steve Nash, Channing Frye, and Amare Stoudemire particularly saw their production dip in the first two games, as they averaged a combined 17 points fewer than what they recorded in the conference semifinals. It took the Suns until the third game of the series for them to finally play like their normal selves.
It’s no accident to why the Suns, Magic, Flyers, and Sharks all struggled with longer rest. In the regular season, these teams play on a consistent basis, with no more than two or three days off at a particular time. With more game action, playoff teams build a stronger rapport and establish an identity. Extensive time between series destroys the momentum and everything a team has built during a period of time, since teams have never been accustomed to taking this much time off. It is very difficult for a team to regain its swagger after not playing for a period of time, especially in the playoffs where teams battle hard on a regular basis. For teams like the Suns who play at a faster pace, they need continuity to excel, since their offense revolves more on precision and rhythm. Overall, these playoffs have proven that the teams with more rest have shown rust, while teams that have played on a consistent basis have maintained their rhythm.
First, in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks, after dethroning the Detroit Red Wings in five games, had a whopping eight-day gap between the conclusion of the conference semifinals and the start of the conference finals. By the end of the Red Wings series, the Sharks were clicking on all cylinders, as the top two lines of forwards were at the top of their games. In particular, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who both struggled in the first round, amassed a combined 12 points in the conference semifinals.
However, all the momentum gained from the Detroit series was immediately lost in the conference finals, in which the Chicago Blackhawks swept the Sharks in four games. The Sharks clearly lagged behind the Blackhawks all series, as Chicago had the edge in puck possession in every game of the series. The Sharks were also often a step in slow in reacting to the puck, something they excelled at in the Detroit series. Clearly, the long rest period negatively affected the Sharks, as they could not carry over their momentum into the conference finals.
The Eastern Conference Finals was no different, as the Montreal Canadiens, who had two more days of rest than the Philadelphia Flyers, looked completely flat in the first two games of the conference finals. In fact, the Flyers shut out the Canadiens by a combined score of 9-0 in the opening two games, including a 6-0 romp in the opening game. Montreal goaltender Miroslav Halak, who played exceptionally in the first rounds against Washington and Pittsburgh, has not looked the same in this series, while the Canadiens offense as a whole has disappeared, getting shut out in three of the first four games of the series. Like San Jose, Montreal has been negatively affected by the long rest, as they have not maintained the same level of play that they showed in their first two series.
Similarly, both the conference finals series in the NBA have been equally as lopsided, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Orlando Magic, who absolutely dominated their two first round series by sweeping both Charlotte and Atlanta, have been annihilated by the Boston Celtics in the conference finals, losing the first three games of the series. Entering the series, the Magic had seven days of rest, while the Celtics only had two days after struggling to defeat Cleveland. The long layoff caused the Magic to lose their edge in this series, as the Celtics have led for all but four minutes against the Magic. In addition, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Rashard Lewis, the three marquee players for Orlando, have averaged a combined 20 points fewer than what they accumulated in the Atlanta series. Additionally, Orlando’s overall intensity and execution haven’t been the same against Boston, as they have recorded more turnovers than assists in the conference finals.
Along the same lines, the Phoenix Suns looked shaky in the first two games of the conference finals against the Lakers. After having eight days off between games, the Suns looked out of sync in the opening two games against the Lakers, allowing an astonishing 126 points per game and shooting under 31% from three-point range. The trio of Steve Nash, Channing Frye, and Amare Stoudemire particularly saw their production dip in the first two games, as they averaged a combined 17 points fewer than what they recorded in the conference semifinals. It took the Suns until the third game of the series for them to finally play like their normal selves.
It’s no accident to why the Suns, Magic, Flyers, and Sharks all struggled with longer rest. In the regular season, these teams play on a consistent basis, with no more than two or three days off at a particular time. With more game action, playoff teams build a stronger rapport and establish an identity. Extensive time between series destroys the momentum and everything a team has built during a period of time, since teams have never been accustomed to taking this much time off. It is very difficult for a team to regain its swagger after not playing for a period of time, especially in the playoffs where teams battle hard on a regular basis. For teams like the Suns who play at a faster pace, they need continuity to excel, since their offense revolves more on precision and rhythm. Overall, these playoffs have proven that the teams with more rest have shown rust, while teams that have played on a consistent basis have maintained their rhythm.
Monday, May 17, 2010
LeBron and Cavs Are Complete Fakes
Watching the Cleveland Cavaliers this postseason was a complete embarrassment to the NBA, especially considering how they acted and played during the regular season. Prior to the season, the Cavs acquired Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most charismatic and outspoken individuals, to go along with the NBA’s most marketable superstar, LeBron James. They needed to make a splash after the Orlando Magic overwhelmed the Cavs in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals and decided to go all-in for the 2009-10 season, considering LeBron James’s impending free agency. Owner Dan Gilbert, the front office, the players, and fans all believed that the Cavs would be the overwhelming favorites to win a championship this season and bring a title to a starving Cleveland fan base.
The Cavs played the regular season like they were the clear juggernauts of the NBA. Throughout the season, the Cavs absolutely man-handled their opponents, as they coasted to a league-best 61-21 record, including a 35-6 home record. In addition, their midseason acquisition of Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards (for no cost) added offensive firepower to an already explosive team. They outscored opponents by an average of seven points per game and had the league’s MVP in LeBron James, who averaged 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists. The regular season success led to an excited fan base, as the Cavs sold out every home game for the first time in franchise history. In addition, the players seemed to mesh very well together, as they were often seen dancing around, talking, and laughing on a consistent basis. Everything was set up for a Cavs championship run.
However, everything changed once the playoffs started. From the first-round series against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavs never looked like the same team everyone saw in the regular season. There was no more dancing around, more tension on the sidelines, and a poor exhibition of teamwork. As a result, though the Cavs defeated the Bulls in five games, the Cavs were ungracefully eliminated from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics in the second round. In the Celtics series, the Cavs lost the last three games, including the last two in merciful fashion. The primary reason for the loss? LeBron James, whose attitude and play negatively contributed to the team’s efforts.
In the final three games of the series, James accumulated a combined 19 turnovers and did not play with the same sense of urgency that he displayed in the regular season. Throughout the past twelve months, James kept saying that nothing short of a championship this season was acceptable, and that he would do everything in his power to get one. He did just during the regular season, as he held himself accountable for the team’s successes and failures, while developing a chemistry with his teammates that was unparalleled. However, his demeanor changed completely in the playoffs. He never displayed any sort of on-court leadership with his teammates when his team needed him the most. For instance, during the lopsided loss in game 5, James acted indifferent throughout the game, even though his team was losing. He stood away from the action, took only 14 field goal attempts, never displayed a sense of urgency, was unwilling to take over the game, and most notably, never brought his teammates together to fix the problems.
Clearly, the Cavs were not the same team everyone saw in the regular season. They acted completely differently both on and off the court. All of the dancing, communicating, and laughing that everyone kept seeing in the regular season was nonexistent in the playoffs. The chemistry and bond between the players could not be seen either, as the Cavs were unable to make the necessary in-game adjustments. This change in attitude reflected LeBron James’s indifferent demeanor, as the league MVP never took action when his team needed him most. Furthermore, this postseason has proved that James should not be linked or compared to the all-time greats, such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Although James may be statistically superior or on-par to these two legendary guards, he does not display the willingness to win in the biggest stages. There is a reason why Bryant and Jordan each have four and six championships, respectively. When their teams needed them the most in most calling circumstances, both players stepped up when they needed to. James has a long way to go to match up with these legends and if he continues to display an unmotivated demeanor, he may never get a championship.
The Cavs played the regular season like they were the clear juggernauts of the NBA. Throughout the season, the Cavs absolutely man-handled their opponents, as they coasted to a league-best 61-21 record, including a 35-6 home record. In addition, their midseason acquisition of Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards (for no cost) added offensive firepower to an already explosive team. They outscored opponents by an average of seven points per game and had the league’s MVP in LeBron James, who averaged 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists. The regular season success led to an excited fan base, as the Cavs sold out every home game for the first time in franchise history. In addition, the players seemed to mesh very well together, as they were often seen dancing around, talking, and laughing on a consistent basis. Everything was set up for a Cavs championship run.
However, everything changed once the playoffs started. From the first-round series against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavs never looked like the same team everyone saw in the regular season. There was no more dancing around, more tension on the sidelines, and a poor exhibition of teamwork. As a result, though the Cavs defeated the Bulls in five games, the Cavs were ungracefully eliminated from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics in the second round. In the Celtics series, the Cavs lost the last three games, including the last two in merciful fashion. The primary reason for the loss? LeBron James, whose attitude and play negatively contributed to the team’s efforts.
In the final three games of the series, James accumulated a combined 19 turnovers and did not play with the same sense of urgency that he displayed in the regular season. Throughout the past twelve months, James kept saying that nothing short of a championship this season was acceptable, and that he would do everything in his power to get one. He did just during the regular season, as he held himself accountable for the team’s successes and failures, while developing a chemistry with his teammates that was unparalleled. However, his demeanor changed completely in the playoffs. He never displayed any sort of on-court leadership with his teammates when his team needed him the most. For instance, during the lopsided loss in game 5, James acted indifferent throughout the game, even though his team was losing. He stood away from the action, took only 14 field goal attempts, never displayed a sense of urgency, was unwilling to take over the game, and most notably, never brought his teammates together to fix the problems.
Clearly, the Cavs were not the same team everyone saw in the regular season. They acted completely differently both on and off the court. All of the dancing, communicating, and laughing that everyone kept seeing in the regular season was nonexistent in the playoffs. The chemistry and bond between the players could not be seen either, as the Cavs were unable to make the necessary in-game adjustments. This change in attitude reflected LeBron James’s indifferent demeanor, as the league MVP never took action when his team needed him most. Furthermore, this postseason has proved that James should not be linked or compared to the all-time greats, such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Although James may be statistically superior or on-par to these two legendary guards, he does not display the willingness to win in the biggest stages. There is a reason why Bryant and Jordan each have four and six championships, respectively. When their teams needed them the most in most calling circumstances, both players stepped up when they needed to. James has a long way to go to match up with these legends and if he continues to display an unmotivated demeanor, he may never get a championship.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Big-Game Success Separates Crosby from Ovechkin
Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin? Who’s the best hockey player in the world? It’s a debate that has gone on since the 2005=06 season, the year both men entered the league and the year after the infamous lockout. Both players have had exceptional careers up to date, with both men surpassing 50 goals this past regular season. These two superstars have additionally scored over 100 points in four out of their five seasons in the NHL. However, what separates Crosby from Ovechkin is his ability to get the job done in the biggest moments, something Ovechkin has yet to do.
This season, the Capitals ran away with the President’s Cup Trophy and were a heavy favorite to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. After all, they had 18 more points than every other team in the Eastern Conference and were the top-ranked scoring team in the NHL. They had superstars on both offense (Ovechkin and Alexander Semin) and on defense (Alex Green). They faced the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the first round, and the Capitals had a 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5 at home. From there, everything fell apart.
The Canadiens won the remaining three games of the series to record one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports. After recording 19 goals in their first four games of the series, the Capitals only scored one goal in each of their last three games. Though Ovechkin had five goals and five assists in the series, he failed to deliver when the team needed him most in Games 5-7. Ovechkin recorded one goal and one assist in the final three games of the series, and his Capitals were an abysmal one for 33 on power plays over the seven games. This series symbolizes Ovechkin’s inability to deliver in the biggest moments. In his five seasons in the NHL, Ovechkin has only managed to win one postseason series, a win over the New York Rangers in seven games in the 2008-09 playoffs.
On the other hand, Sidney Crosby has done wonders in the postseason. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the worst team in the NHL prior to Crosby’s arrival. Though his team struggled in his first two years in the league, he nonetheless made the most out of his lackluster supporting cast. He single-handedly carried Pittsburgh to the 2007 playoffs, in which he scored an unprecedented 120 points. Then, with the emergence of young stars Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal, the team took off in Crosby’s third year. He led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals, in which his team was ousted by the Detroit Red Wings in six games. In those playoffs, Crosby recorded a staggering 27 points and 21 assists, as the Penguins dominated Ottawa, NY Rangers, and Philadelphia en route to the Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
Crosby carried that momentum into the 2009 NHL playoffs, in which the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. On the way to hoisting the Cup, Crosby’s Penguins defeated Ovechkin’s Capitals in seven games in the second round. In the decisive game 7, Crosby game up huge, as he recorded two goals and one assist to seal the Penguins 2-1 victory. Ovechkin could not match Crosby’s performance, as he only attempted three shots on goal and scored a meaningless goal when the game was out of reach.
Also, Crosby outdid his brilliance in the 2008 playoffs, as he recorded 15 goals and 31 points on his way to winning the 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in the playoffs. Even in this year’s playoffs, despite playing with a depleted roster, Crosby came up huge in the first round series against the Ottawa Senators. With the Penguins trailing 1-0 in the series and 1-0 in Game 2, Crosby scored the game-tying goal, assisted on the go-ahead goal, and made a miraculous save to preserve the lead and the win. The Penguins went on to win the series in six games. Such moments are what define great players, and Crosby’s heroics in the postseason define his greatness.
In addition, the 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament, one of the greatest hockey events ever, displayed Crosby’s greatness. First, Crosby’s Canada’s team and Ovechkin’s Russia team met in the quarterfinals of the tournament. In the single elimination game, Canada routed Russia 7-3, further showing Crosby’s big-game success over Ovechkin. Then, in the gold medal game, which was the highest rated hockey game since the 1980 gold medal game, Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to help Canada hoist the gold medal. The legend of Sidney Crosby just continued to grow.
While Crosby already has two Stanley Cup Finals appearances, a Stanley Cup championship, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and an Olympic gold medal to his resume, Ovechkin only has two Hart Trophies to his resume, which only indicate his regular season prominence. Ovechkin has yet to deliver on the biggest stage, as evidenced by his team’s meltdown in the first round of the 2010 NHL playoffs. Crosby is well on his way to a third straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance this season, and his ability to come up grand on the biggest stages makes his the best hockey player in the world.
This season, the Capitals ran away with the President’s Cup Trophy and were a heavy favorite to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. After all, they had 18 more points than every other team in the Eastern Conference and were the top-ranked scoring team in the NHL. They had superstars on both offense (Ovechkin and Alexander Semin) and on defense (Alex Green). They faced the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the first round, and the Capitals had a 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5 at home. From there, everything fell apart.
The Canadiens won the remaining three games of the series to record one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports. After recording 19 goals in their first four games of the series, the Capitals only scored one goal in each of their last three games. Though Ovechkin had five goals and five assists in the series, he failed to deliver when the team needed him most in Games 5-7. Ovechkin recorded one goal and one assist in the final three games of the series, and his Capitals were an abysmal one for 33 on power plays over the seven games. This series symbolizes Ovechkin’s inability to deliver in the biggest moments. In his five seasons in the NHL, Ovechkin has only managed to win one postseason series, a win over the New York Rangers in seven games in the 2008-09 playoffs.
On the other hand, Sidney Crosby has done wonders in the postseason. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the worst team in the NHL prior to Crosby’s arrival. Though his team struggled in his first two years in the league, he nonetheless made the most out of his lackluster supporting cast. He single-handedly carried Pittsburgh to the 2007 playoffs, in which he scored an unprecedented 120 points. Then, with the emergence of young stars Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal, the team took off in Crosby’s third year. He led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals, in which his team was ousted by the Detroit Red Wings in six games. In those playoffs, Crosby recorded a staggering 27 points and 21 assists, as the Penguins dominated Ottawa, NY Rangers, and Philadelphia en route to the Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
Crosby carried that momentum into the 2009 NHL playoffs, in which the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. On the way to hoisting the Cup, Crosby’s Penguins defeated Ovechkin’s Capitals in seven games in the second round. In the decisive game 7, Crosby game up huge, as he recorded two goals and one assist to seal the Penguins 2-1 victory. Ovechkin could not match Crosby’s performance, as he only attempted three shots on goal and scored a meaningless goal when the game was out of reach.
Also, Crosby outdid his brilliance in the 2008 playoffs, as he recorded 15 goals and 31 points on his way to winning the 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in the playoffs. Even in this year’s playoffs, despite playing with a depleted roster, Crosby came up huge in the first round series against the Ottawa Senators. With the Penguins trailing 1-0 in the series and 1-0 in Game 2, Crosby scored the game-tying goal, assisted on the go-ahead goal, and made a miraculous save to preserve the lead and the win. The Penguins went on to win the series in six games. Such moments are what define great players, and Crosby’s heroics in the postseason define his greatness.
In addition, the 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament, one of the greatest hockey events ever, displayed Crosby’s greatness. First, Crosby’s Canada’s team and Ovechkin’s Russia team met in the quarterfinals of the tournament. In the single elimination game, Canada routed Russia 7-3, further showing Crosby’s big-game success over Ovechkin. Then, in the gold medal game, which was the highest rated hockey game since the 1980 gold medal game, Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to help Canada hoist the gold medal. The legend of Sidney Crosby just continued to grow.
While Crosby already has two Stanley Cup Finals appearances, a Stanley Cup championship, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and an Olympic gold medal to his resume, Ovechkin only has two Hart Trophies to his resume, which only indicate his regular season prominence. Ovechkin has yet to deliver on the biggest stage, as evidenced by his team’s meltdown in the first round of the 2010 NHL playoffs. Crosby is well on his way to a third straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance this season, and his ability to come up grand on the biggest stages makes his the best hockey player in the world.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Both Bay Area Teams Have Impressive Drafts
Both the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders have been laughingstocks over the past seven seasons, since the Raiders and 49ers last made the playoffs. Poor drafts for both teams contributed to the demise of these once-proud franchises. For every Patrick Willis the 49ers picked, they drafted first-round busts like Rashaun Woods. The Raiders have received even less production from their top draft picks. Their past six first-round picks (Darrius Heyward-Bey, Darren McFadden, JaMarcus Russell, Michael Huff, Fabian Washington, and Robert Gallery) have not lived up to expectations for the Silver and Black.
However, the tide appears to have turned in the 2010 NFL Draft, as both Bay Area franchises significantly improved their rosters with effective drafts. First, the San Francisco 49ers needed to address their offensive line issues immediately. They were dismal in both run-blocking and pass-protection. Frank Gore and other 49er running backs had almost no running lanes throughout the year, which contributed largely to the off-year for Frank Gore. Although Gore rushed for a modest 1120 yards, he could only muster five 100-yard rushing games for the team, he rushed for under 100 yards in eight of his 14 games and could never achieve sustained excellence throughout the season.
Gore’s struggles could also point to the fact that the 49ers became a pass-happy team in the second half of the season. The team abandoned the ineffective rushing game often during the season, as Gore had 8 games in which he had 16 or fewer rushing attempts. This led to the offensive line allowed over 50 sacks in each of the past two seasons, with a league-leading 55 in 2008. This style of play is not favored by Mike Singletary, who believes in an offense with a power running game. To do that, he needed to beef up the offensive line. That’s why the 49ers drafted right tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati with their two first-round picks.
Both of these linemen play with a mean streak, which is favored by Singletary. Davis is a very physically polished tackle, who has tremendous upside. He has long arms, which will definitely help him in pass protection, though he needs work in run-blocking. Iupati is a very big and physical player, two exceptional traits for a guard. He loves to knock people over and will definitely help in all aspects of blocking. Both players provide a significant upgrade over the ineffective Adam Snyder and Tony Wragge, both of whom struggled mightily last season. With Staley on the left side and Davis on the right, the 49ers have solidified their tackle position for the next several years. Continuity on the offensive line leads to championships. Just ask the 2006-2008 New York Giants, who possessed an offensive line that played 48 straight games together.
In the next two rounds, the 49ers received two potential defensive stalwarts, who fell due to various reasons. They selected safety Taylor Mays, a physical specimen with elite speed and size. He loves physical play and can develop into a potential star under Singletary’s tutelage. In the third round, the 49ers picked up OLB Navarro Bowman, who has first-round talent with tremendous natural instincts and great physical skills. If he can clean up his off-the-field issues, Bowman can form a lethal duo with Patrick Willis at linebacker.
The Raiders equally had an impressive draft. After ranking 26th in total defense and 29th in run defense, the Raiders needed a difference-maker on defense. They found one in MLB Rolando McClain, who provides instant leadership, credibility, and play-making skills to the Raider defense. McClain is one of the smartest football players in this year’s draft and his presence provides a major upgrade over the departed Kirk Morrison. Then, they drafted DT LaMarr Houston with their second-round pick, whose quickness will help the defensive line. DT’s Gerard Warren and Gerard Joseph were ineffective last year, so Houston will provide a boost to the unit.
Offensively, the Raiders had trouble protecting the quarterback, similar to the 49ers. Their tackles allowed opposing pass-rushers to pressure the quarterback far too frequently. The Raiders upgraded this unit significantly by acquiring two solid mid-round prospects in tackles Edwin Veldheer and Bruce Campbell. Both men are physical stalwarts with tremendous upside, as Veldheer possesses a 6-foot 8-inch frame with long arms. Campbell, on the other hand, ran an unprecedented 4.84 40-yard dash at the combine and 34 reps on the 225-pound bench press. Both tackles, with seasoned training, have the potential to turn into upper-echelon tackles.
Though this draft, both the 49ers and Raiders put themselves in position to contend for their winnable division titles. San Francisco, with better offensive line play, has the pieces to put plenty of points on the board, which will significantly ease the pressure on the highly ranked defense. With Kurt Warner out in Arizona and rebuilding years in Seattle and St. Louis, the 49ers should be the favorite to win the NFC West. As for the Raiders, they should have an improved defense as a whole with the additions of McClain and Houston. If their run defense improves, they will have a chance to post a .500 record, something they haven’t achieved since 2002. All this new hope is created from the impressive drafts done by these two franchises.
However, the tide appears to have turned in the 2010 NFL Draft, as both Bay Area franchises significantly improved their rosters with effective drafts. First, the San Francisco 49ers needed to address their offensive line issues immediately. They were dismal in both run-blocking and pass-protection. Frank Gore and other 49er running backs had almost no running lanes throughout the year, which contributed largely to the off-year for Frank Gore. Although Gore rushed for a modest 1120 yards, he could only muster five 100-yard rushing games for the team, he rushed for under 100 yards in eight of his 14 games and could never achieve sustained excellence throughout the season.
Gore’s struggles could also point to the fact that the 49ers became a pass-happy team in the second half of the season. The team abandoned the ineffective rushing game often during the season, as Gore had 8 games in which he had 16 or fewer rushing attempts. This led to the offensive line allowed over 50 sacks in each of the past two seasons, with a league-leading 55 in 2008. This style of play is not favored by Mike Singletary, who believes in an offense with a power running game. To do that, he needed to beef up the offensive line. That’s why the 49ers drafted right tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati with their two first-round picks.
Both of these linemen play with a mean streak, which is favored by Singletary. Davis is a very physically polished tackle, who has tremendous upside. He has long arms, which will definitely help him in pass protection, though he needs work in run-blocking. Iupati is a very big and physical player, two exceptional traits for a guard. He loves to knock people over and will definitely help in all aspects of blocking. Both players provide a significant upgrade over the ineffective Adam Snyder and Tony Wragge, both of whom struggled mightily last season. With Staley on the left side and Davis on the right, the 49ers have solidified their tackle position for the next several years. Continuity on the offensive line leads to championships. Just ask the 2006-2008 New York Giants, who possessed an offensive line that played 48 straight games together.
In the next two rounds, the 49ers received two potential defensive stalwarts, who fell due to various reasons. They selected safety Taylor Mays, a physical specimen with elite speed and size. He loves physical play and can develop into a potential star under Singletary’s tutelage. In the third round, the 49ers picked up OLB Navarro Bowman, who has first-round talent with tremendous natural instincts and great physical skills. If he can clean up his off-the-field issues, Bowman can form a lethal duo with Patrick Willis at linebacker.
The Raiders equally had an impressive draft. After ranking 26th in total defense and 29th in run defense, the Raiders needed a difference-maker on defense. They found one in MLB Rolando McClain, who provides instant leadership, credibility, and play-making skills to the Raider defense. McClain is one of the smartest football players in this year’s draft and his presence provides a major upgrade over the departed Kirk Morrison. Then, they drafted DT LaMarr Houston with their second-round pick, whose quickness will help the defensive line. DT’s Gerard Warren and Gerard Joseph were ineffective last year, so Houston will provide a boost to the unit.
Offensively, the Raiders had trouble protecting the quarterback, similar to the 49ers. Their tackles allowed opposing pass-rushers to pressure the quarterback far too frequently. The Raiders upgraded this unit significantly by acquiring two solid mid-round prospects in tackles Edwin Veldheer and Bruce Campbell. Both men are physical stalwarts with tremendous upside, as Veldheer possesses a 6-foot 8-inch frame with long arms. Campbell, on the other hand, ran an unprecedented 4.84 40-yard dash at the combine and 34 reps on the 225-pound bench press. Both tackles, with seasoned training, have the potential to turn into upper-echelon tackles.
Though this draft, both the 49ers and Raiders put themselves in position to contend for their winnable division titles. San Francisco, with better offensive line play, has the pieces to put plenty of points on the board, which will significantly ease the pressure on the highly ranked defense. With Kurt Warner out in Arizona and rebuilding years in Seattle and St. Louis, the 49ers should be the favorite to win the NFC West. As for the Raiders, they should have an improved defense as a whole with the additions of McClain and Houston. If their run defense improves, they will have a chance to post a .500 record, something they haven’t achieved since 2002. All this new hope is created from the impressive drafts done by these two franchises.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
What’s up with Koreans Playing Well with Tiger Woods?
First, it was Y.E. Yang at the 2009 PGA Championship. Then, K.J. Choi just outplayed Tiger Woods at the 2010 Masters. Both Korean men went against the norm and simply outplayed Woods during their pairings at these past two major championships. It’s something that rarely happens. Just look at guys like Aaron Baddeley, Sergio Garcia, Alex Cejka, and a number of others, who have all performed miserably in past final-round pairings with Tiger Woods.
However, Y.E. Yang of South Korea changed everything in the 2009 PGA Championship. Prior to this tournament, Woods had been 14-of 14 when holding at least a share of the lead heading into the final round of a major. Woods led Yang by two shots, with several others lurking, heading into the final round of the 2009 PGA Championship, and it seemed almost inevitable that this would be another victory lap. After all, Yang had only won one PGA Tour tournament, though he did outlast Woods to win the 2006 HSBC Champions Tournament.
Still, this was Tiger Woods, arguably the most intimidating, respected athlete the world has ever seen. Woods was indestructible. He was on a mission to catch Nicklaus’s record of 18 major championships, which he trailed by four. The 2009 PGA Tournament was Woods’s to lose, as there was no real threat to catch him. However, everything changed in this one unforgettable round.
From the opening tee shot, Yang showed much more composure than Woods, as he consistently drove the ball into the fairway. Woods, on the other hand, could not find his swing, as his shots landed all over the place. Thus, Woods faltered back to 6-under through nine holes and shared the lead with Yang heading into the back nine.
Then, with both players tied through 13 holes, the tide finally turned in the 14th hole, a drivable par 4. Both players reached the front edge of the green on the tee shot. From the fringe, Yang was able to sink in a 75-foot chip shot for an eagle and an outright lead. Woods followed up Yang’s heroics with a birdie of his own, but he relinquished his precious lead. With Yang up one heading to the final hole, the Korean hit one of the greatest approach shots in major championship history, as his 220 yard shot landed within nine feet of the hole. He went on to sink the putt and win the championship by three shots, with Woods bogeying that hole.
A similar performance occurred also at the 2010 Masters, as Woods was clearly outplayed by fellow partner K.J. Choi, as these two were paired together for four straight days. Although both men shot the exact same scores, Choi clearly had the far better week and had a much greater chance at winning the tournament than Woods, especially in the final day. During the final round, Choi hit each of his first 13 possible fairways, while Woods drove the ball all over the place. In fact, at one point in the final round, Choi held a share of the lead on the back nine, before faltering down the stretch.
Nonetheless, Choi played exceptionally well, despite playing through all of the distractions presented by Woods’ off-course issues. He maintained his composure through the entire tournament, as Woods was the one who was rattled with all of the commotion.
Thus, both Korean men held their own and played the best golf of their careers alongside Tiger Woods. Neither Korean golfer was intimidated by Woods, as they played very fundamentally sound golf. They did not take any unnecessary chances and used a more conservative approach to frustrate Woods and execute their game plan. In the future, other golfers should clearly replicate these Koreans’ approach to the game when they are partnered with Woods.
However, Y.E. Yang of South Korea changed everything in the 2009 PGA Championship. Prior to this tournament, Woods had been 14-of 14 when holding at least a share of the lead heading into the final round of a major. Woods led Yang by two shots, with several others lurking, heading into the final round of the 2009 PGA Championship, and it seemed almost inevitable that this would be another victory lap. After all, Yang had only won one PGA Tour tournament, though he did outlast Woods to win the 2006 HSBC Champions Tournament.
Still, this was Tiger Woods, arguably the most intimidating, respected athlete the world has ever seen. Woods was indestructible. He was on a mission to catch Nicklaus’s record of 18 major championships, which he trailed by four. The 2009 PGA Tournament was Woods’s to lose, as there was no real threat to catch him. However, everything changed in this one unforgettable round.
From the opening tee shot, Yang showed much more composure than Woods, as he consistently drove the ball into the fairway. Woods, on the other hand, could not find his swing, as his shots landed all over the place. Thus, Woods faltered back to 6-under through nine holes and shared the lead with Yang heading into the back nine.
Then, with both players tied through 13 holes, the tide finally turned in the 14th hole, a drivable par 4. Both players reached the front edge of the green on the tee shot. From the fringe, Yang was able to sink in a 75-foot chip shot for an eagle and an outright lead. Woods followed up Yang’s heroics with a birdie of his own, but he relinquished his precious lead. With Yang up one heading to the final hole, the Korean hit one of the greatest approach shots in major championship history, as his 220 yard shot landed within nine feet of the hole. He went on to sink the putt and win the championship by three shots, with Woods bogeying that hole.
A similar performance occurred also at the 2010 Masters, as Woods was clearly outplayed by fellow partner K.J. Choi, as these two were paired together for four straight days. Although both men shot the exact same scores, Choi clearly had the far better week and had a much greater chance at winning the tournament than Woods, especially in the final day. During the final round, Choi hit each of his first 13 possible fairways, while Woods drove the ball all over the place. In fact, at one point in the final round, Choi held a share of the lead on the back nine, before faltering down the stretch.
Nonetheless, Choi played exceptionally well, despite playing through all of the distractions presented by Woods’ off-course issues. He maintained his composure through the entire tournament, as Woods was the one who was rattled with all of the commotion.
Thus, both Korean men held their own and played the best golf of their careers alongside Tiger Woods. Neither Korean golfer was intimidated by Woods, as they played very fundamentally sound golf. They did not take any unnecessary chances and used a more conservative approach to frustrate Woods and execute their game plan. In the future, other golfers should clearly replicate these Koreans’ approach to the game when they are partnered with Woods.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
NCAA Should Not Expand Tournament to 96 Teams
Every year, the NCAA Tournament is arguably the greatest three weeks of the year. Cinderella schools like George Mason and Davidson can finally showcase their talents in front of a national audience. Buzzer beaters and upsets happen on a consistent basis. Heck, since each of the 64 games played in the tournament is based off a single elimination basis, emotions run extremely high while heartbeats soar to an all-time level. With the current success of this format, why would the NCAA even think about expanding the tournament to 96 teams?
This new suggestion seems like one of the most ludicrous ideas ever created. Multiple problems will happen with a drastic expansion. First and most importantly, what exactly would the regular season mean? Each year, teams play approximately 33-35 regular season games to fight for a position or spot in the NCAA Tournament. Since there are only 31 at-large bids available out of 347 Division I schools, only teams with the strongest resumes can have a shot at entering the tournament without winning their conference tournament.
Expanding the tournament would therefore mean that perennial contenders Connecticut, North Carolina, Arizona, and UCLA, who all had abysmal 2010 seasons, would have had a legitimate shot at making this season's NCAA Tournament. Each of these teams had at least 15 losses, with UCLA even having a losing record. To have these teams then make it to the tournament this season due to their high reputation would have been an absolute embarrassment to college basketball.
Furthermore, if 96 out of 347 schools made the NCAA Tournament, that would account for over 27 % of college basketball. Although that would significantly help teams from mid-major conferences receive an at-large bid into the tournament, this would definitely deteriorate the quality of play in the big dance. Each year, approximately ten or so teams have a legitimate shot at winning a title. Expanding the tournament would lessen the quality of play in the earlier rounds of the tournament, something that is in the most part non-existent today. With the current format, each round of the tournament generates tremendous suspense and intrigue. Upsets would not have the same meaning if the tournament were expanded. There would be no Bucknell over Kansas or Hampton over Iowa State shockers that seriously alter the college basketball landscape.
Another reason against the expansion would be the length of the tournament. Ten days of college basketball over a three week span is the perfect amount of allotted time for the tournament. Fans definitely have maintained a sustained interest during this three week period, as college basketball often concludes its season on an extremely high note. Lengthening the tournament would definitely change that. It would become like the NHL or NBA playoffs, two extremely prolonged events that definitely cause the fans to lose interest. Ratings for these two playoffs during the past decade were at an all-time low, and this was largely due to the two-month allotted period for the playoffs. People can only watch a continuous event for a certain amount of time before they begin to lose interest.
In summary, the NCAA would definitely take a substantial hit if it were to expand the tournament to 96 teams. The NCAA is only concerned about making money, but they must realize that maintaining a large fan support should be the primary goal. The NFL and MLB have the right playoff systems, as they are always usually short and compact. Fans can maintain a high level of interest during the NFL and MLB postseasons, since these only last barely a month. The NCAA should look to the MLB and NFL instead of the NHL and NBA when determining its postseason formats. Otherwise, college basketball will definitely lose a substantial amount of interest.
This new suggestion seems like one of the most ludicrous ideas ever created. Multiple problems will happen with a drastic expansion. First and most importantly, what exactly would the regular season mean? Each year, teams play approximately 33-35 regular season games to fight for a position or spot in the NCAA Tournament. Since there are only 31 at-large bids available out of 347 Division I schools, only teams with the strongest resumes can have a shot at entering the tournament without winning their conference tournament.
Expanding the tournament would therefore mean that perennial contenders Connecticut, North Carolina, Arizona, and UCLA, who all had abysmal 2010 seasons, would have had a legitimate shot at making this season's NCAA Tournament. Each of these teams had at least 15 losses, with UCLA even having a losing record. To have these teams then make it to the tournament this season due to their high reputation would have been an absolute embarrassment to college basketball.
Furthermore, if 96 out of 347 schools made the NCAA Tournament, that would account for over 27 % of college basketball. Although that would significantly help teams from mid-major conferences receive an at-large bid into the tournament, this would definitely deteriorate the quality of play in the big dance. Each year, approximately ten or so teams have a legitimate shot at winning a title. Expanding the tournament would lessen the quality of play in the earlier rounds of the tournament, something that is in the most part non-existent today. With the current format, each round of the tournament generates tremendous suspense and intrigue. Upsets would not have the same meaning if the tournament were expanded. There would be no Bucknell over Kansas or Hampton over Iowa State shockers that seriously alter the college basketball landscape.
Another reason against the expansion would be the length of the tournament. Ten days of college basketball over a three week span is the perfect amount of allotted time for the tournament. Fans definitely have maintained a sustained interest during this three week period, as college basketball often concludes its season on an extremely high note. Lengthening the tournament would definitely change that. It would become like the NHL or NBA playoffs, two extremely prolonged events that definitely cause the fans to lose interest. Ratings for these two playoffs during the past decade were at an all-time low, and this was largely due to the two-month allotted period for the playoffs. People can only watch a continuous event for a certain amount of time before they begin to lose interest.
In summary, the NCAA would definitely take a substantial hit if it were to expand the tournament to 96 teams. The NCAA is only concerned about making money, but they must realize that maintaining a large fan support should be the primary goal. The NFL and MLB have the right playoff systems, as they are always usually short and compact. Fans can maintain a high level of interest during the NFL and MLB postseasons, since these only last barely a month. The NCAA should look to the MLB and NFL instead of the NHL and NBA when determining its postseason formats. Otherwise, college basketball will definitely lose a substantial amount of interest.
Friday, April 2, 2010
2010 Season Preview: San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants will look to build on their encouraging 2009 campaign, which resulted in an 88-74 record and their first winning season since 2004. For the first time in five seasons, the Giants actually remained in contention throughout the entire year in 2009, as it took an incredible run by the Colorado Rockies to edge the Giants for the wild card spot. Nonetheless, the team received multiple positives from last year.
First, pitchers Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum established themselves as one of the most lethal one-two punches in all of baseball. Lincecum won his second consecutive National League Cy Young Award, after posting a 15-7 record, a 2.48 ERA, and recording a NL-leading 261 strikeouts. Cain additionally pitched a phenomenal season, which earned him his first career all-star appearance. He posted a 14-8 record, a 2.89 ERA, and 171 strikeouts. Both players would have received many more wins had they not played in front of a dismal offense.
Another positive from last year was the resurgence of third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who led the team in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, and RBI’s. With last season’s performance, Sandoval established himself as the heir apparent to Barry Bonds, as he finally brought back life to an otherwise atrocious Giants offense.
Speaking of the Giants offense, the batting was clearly the biggest lowlight of the 2009 season and was a significant factor in the team’s failure to reach the postseason. The Giants finished 26th in the MLB in offense, as no player other than Sandoval posted a .300 batting average. In addition, acquisitions Edgar Renteria, Freddy Sanchez, and Ryan Garko all had disappointing seasons, with Renteria batting a dismal .250. Furthermore, the team did a poor job of working counts, which resulted in several quick, unproductive innings.
Therefore, with all things considered, here are the five keys for the Giants in the upcoming season:
1. Back end of the Giants rotation – Outside of Lincecum and Cain, the Giants did not receive consistent contributions from the final three pitchers in the rotation. Barry Zito, although pitching his best season as a Giant, only recorded 10 wins and an unimpressive 4.03 ERA. Jonathan Sanchez, who pitched a perfect game last year, was demoted midseason and posted a 4.24 ERA. These two pitchers, along with Madison Bumgarner and Todd Wellemeyer, need to have consistent, productive seasons for the team to have any shot at reaching the postseason and to ease the pressure on Lincecum and Cain to perform.
2. Outfield Hitting – Last year’s opening day outfielders, Aaron Rowand, Fred Lewis, and Randy Winn, all had subpar seasons, which largely resulted in the inefficient Giants offense. With Lewis struggling mightily and Winn no longer with the team, Nate Schierholtz, Mark DeRosa, and Eugenio Velez need to have quality seasons to provide a lift to the Giants offense. Rowand had an encouraging spring training, while Velez and Schierholtz batted well towards the end of last season. All three players hope to carry the momentum into the 2010 season.
3. Middle Relief – For the large part, the Giants bullpen pitched extremely well last year. Brian Wilson had 38 saves, Jeremy Affedlt had 33 holds, and Sergio Romo had 41 strikeouts in 45 innings. However, other than those three pitchers, the Giants received inconsistent contributions from the rest of the bullpen, including Merkin Valdez, Justin Miller, and Bob Howry. The middle relief cost the Giants in last season’s heartbreaking, 14 inning loss to Colorado. Overall, though, this unit needs to remain strong, efficient, and consistent throughout this season.
4. Bruce Bochy – Although Bochy did record his first winning season as a Giants manager, he still made some controversial, dubious decisions that cost the team games. He played several aging, unproductive veterans over the younger players. He often pulled some of his starters and bullpen pitchers out too early. He sat some streaking players due to matchup problems. Bochy needs to make smarter decisions and trust the younger players for the Giants to perform at a high level.
5. Playing Well on the Road – While the Giants used their spacious ballpark effectively by posting a 52-29 home record, the Giants stumbled to a 36-45 record, which resulted in their absence from the postseason. The Giants finished four games back of the Rockies for the wild card spot, so if they had won a few more of those road games, they could have caught up to the Rockies. This season, the Giants will need to split on the road to increase their chances of reaching the postseason.
The Giants have the potential to make the postseason in 2010. If they continue to build on last year's winning season, they can do some serious damage this season.
First, pitchers Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum established themselves as one of the most lethal one-two punches in all of baseball. Lincecum won his second consecutive National League Cy Young Award, after posting a 15-7 record, a 2.48 ERA, and recording a NL-leading 261 strikeouts. Cain additionally pitched a phenomenal season, which earned him his first career all-star appearance. He posted a 14-8 record, a 2.89 ERA, and 171 strikeouts. Both players would have received many more wins had they not played in front of a dismal offense.
Another positive from last year was the resurgence of third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who led the team in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, and RBI’s. With last season’s performance, Sandoval established himself as the heir apparent to Barry Bonds, as he finally brought back life to an otherwise atrocious Giants offense.
Speaking of the Giants offense, the batting was clearly the biggest lowlight of the 2009 season and was a significant factor in the team’s failure to reach the postseason. The Giants finished 26th in the MLB in offense, as no player other than Sandoval posted a .300 batting average. In addition, acquisitions Edgar Renteria, Freddy Sanchez, and Ryan Garko all had disappointing seasons, with Renteria batting a dismal .250. Furthermore, the team did a poor job of working counts, which resulted in several quick, unproductive innings.
Therefore, with all things considered, here are the five keys for the Giants in the upcoming season:
1. Back end of the Giants rotation – Outside of Lincecum and Cain, the Giants did not receive consistent contributions from the final three pitchers in the rotation. Barry Zito, although pitching his best season as a Giant, only recorded 10 wins and an unimpressive 4.03 ERA. Jonathan Sanchez, who pitched a perfect game last year, was demoted midseason and posted a 4.24 ERA. These two pitchers, along with Madison Bumgarner and Todd Wellemeyer, need to have consistent, productive seasons for the team to have any shot at reaching the postseason and to ease the pressure on Lincecum and Cain to perform.
2. Outfield Hitting – Last year’s opening day outfielders, Aaron Rowand, Fred Lewis, and Randy Winn, all had subpar seasons, which largely resulted in the inefficient Giants offense. With Lewis struggling mightily and Winn no longer with the team, Nate Schierholtz, Mark DeRosa, and Eugenio Velez need to have quality seasons to provide a lift to the Giants offense. Rowand had an encouraging spring training, while Velez and Schierholtz batted well towards the end of last season. All three players hope to carry the momentum into the 2010 season.
3. Middle Relief – For the large part, the Giants bullpen pitched extremely well last year. Brian Wilson had 38 saves, Jeremy Affedlt had 33 holds, and Sergio Romo had 41 strikeouts in 45 innings. However, other than those three pitchers, the Giants received inconsistent contributions from the rest of the bullpen, including Merkin Valdez, Justin Miller, and Bob Howry. The middle relief cost the Giants in last season’s heartbreaking, 14 inning loss to Colorado. Overall, though, this unit needs to remain strong, efficient, and consistent throughout this season.
4. Bruce Bochy – Although Bochy did record his first winning season as a Giants manager, he still made some controversial, dubious decisions that cost the team games. He played several aging, unproductive veterans over the younger players. He often pulled some of his starters and bullpen pitchers out too early. He sat some streaking players due to matchup problems. Bochy needs to make smarter decisions and trust the younger players for the Giants to perform at a high level.
5. Playing Well on the Road – While the Giants used their spacious ballpark effectively by posting a 52-29 home record, the Giants stumbled to a 36-45 record, which resulted in their absence from the postseason. The Giants finished four games back of the Rockies for the wild card spot, so if they had won a few more of those road games, they could have caught up to the Rockies. This season, the Giants will need to split on the road to increase their chances of reaching the postseason.
The Giants have the potential to make the postseason in 2010. If they continue to build on last year's winning season, they can do some serious damage this season.
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