Posted on in MLB

MLB Trade Deadline: What Needs to Happen?

Now that the MLB is in full swing after the rather boring All-Star Game, the focus of the MLB will turn towards the MLB trade deadline. August 1st will be here before we know it, and many teams could use trades to get themselves back in the playoff picture, or even just make themselves look better, perhaps. Here are some trades which I think should happen:

LA Dodgers Trade SP Clayton Kershaw and 2B Howie Kendrick to Tampa Bay Rays SP Chris Archer and 3B Evan Longoria

I completely understand that Kershaw leads the NL in WAR despite missing over a month of play, but the Dodgers offense is inconsistent. Howie Kendrick has been good at times, and Longoria just has been on the Rays for too long. I think this trade can power LA into a possible division champion contention. As for the Rays, it can only get better from here. Tampa has been in a state of flux for many years now, and the ‘Rays’ of the sun don’t seem to be helping at all. Now, LA is going to lose one of the best pitchers in the game, but I think that Longoria will thrive under the leadership of manager Dave Roberts, who is all about high-powered offenses.

Colorado Rockies Trade OF Carlos Gonzalez to Oakland Athletics for OF Josh Reddick

This trade is a golden one for both teams because these are two great outfielders looking to change teams in order for contracts to be fulfilled. These are two of the best power-hitters in their respective leagues, and these teams are already having downfalls which will force them to have to settle for sitting on the couch in October, so why not try to improve the team going into next season. This will also possibly force these players to restructure a contract, and not have to walk away from their respective teams.

Milwaukee Brewers Trade OF Ryan Braun to NY Yankees for LF Carlos Beltran and CP Aroldis Chapman

The Yankees want to make their team as young as possible, and Milwaukee needs veteran leadership in all facets of the game, and so Beltran and Chapman are excellent position fillers. Braun on the other hand will always be an MVP candidate (even if he is on PEDs), and New York needs a guy who is a blend of power hitting and skilled fielding, and Braun brings that to the table immediately. The Yankees have some work to do in the AL East if they want to be in the Wild Card, though. They are 4.5 games behind the Wild Card leader, the Toronto Blue Jays, who are also in the AL East. Now, with Boston flailing a bit, New York could be in good hands, but if the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers continue their hot streak, New York ain’t seeing the playoffs this year.

Atlanta Braves Trade RF Nick Markakis to Kansas City Royals for OF Alex Gordon

Unfortunately for the Atlanta Braves, Markakis’ glory days are behind him. His days in Baltimore were great, and they just didn’t seem to last very long. Alex Gordon had his glory days last year in Kansas City. Now, he is an outfielder, like Markakis, looking to find his ‘fountain of youth’. This trade makes a lot of sense because these are two outfielders who have a lot of potential and can still be productive if put on the right team. Markakis has a contract which pays him $11 million per year all the way through the year 2018. This allows for trades for him to become much easier than expected. This trade will give Atlanta fans a chance of hope, as they are the worst team in the big leagues.

*I would like to thank everyone for their support of my blog, as my last post was featured last week on the MLB.com Blog.

Posted on in MLB

The Best MLB Storylines After All-Star Break

The MLB has been the center of attention in terms of sports to watch now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have brought an NBA championship to The Land, and with All-Star Break over and the season back in swing, here are my predictions for what will happen after the break.

How Legit Are the Orioles?

Let’s get serious now about something, their pitching stinks outside of Chris Tillman. I mean SPs Kevin Gausman and Ubaldo Jimenez were supposed to be huge this year, but it hasn’t happened. However, they are one of the best hitting teams in the MLB, led by 3B Manny Machado and RF Mark Trumbo, and their fielding has been bailing out their pitchers quite a bit. I will be very concerned in the playoffs if the pitching does not improve by then, but they can light up the scoreboard for sure, and that can make them a threat to teams like the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians (the top 2 seeds in the AL).  Also, if they can get a high seed, they could coast their way to the World Series (33 wins at home).

The Case for Texas and Cleveland

Yes, I am talking about the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians. If the Indians were to win the World Series, then Cleveland may as well just become the new Paris (except unlike the 2016 France Soccer team, Cleveland has a championship). The Rangers were off to a hot start to the year, but in their last 10 games, they have gone 3-7 overall, and only have a +16 run differential. Cleveland has a +81 run differential, and Baltimore, whom we mentioned earlier as a threat to these teams, had a +41 run differential. Texas hasn’t produced much, scoring 41 runs in their last 10 games, and allowing 94. If this keeps up, Baltimore and Cleveland will fight ‘til the end for the top seed in the AL.

What About Dem Cubbies?

The Chicago Cubs just could not seem to find their mark in June. Their pitching, including SP Jake Arrieta, who was supposed to be the best in the biz, has been on a downfall lately, and the team is starting to get a bit overconfident. Manager Joe Maddon has to do a better job of mixing it up and keeping the team intact. They do not want to turn out like the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors in the NBA, blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Cavaliers, and losing in 7. If they get to the World Series, they better not perform like that.

Do the Washington Nationals Have a Clear Path to the World Series?

The Washington Nationals seem to be having a very clear path in the NL right now because no team is overly good right now besides the Nats. The Cubs are disappearing, the Giants are inconsistent, the Mets look like the best team in the league, and then the worst. I mean the NL has turned into a roller-coaster with too many twists, turns, and drops, and it is making baseball fans sick. The Nationals have been so good across the board, with guys like infielder Daniel Murphy, C Wilson Ramos, OFs Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth, and SPs Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer playing on top of their game, that they seem so dominant, and yet their record doesn’t say so. If they keep playing like they have, though, it’ll be smooth sailing for the Nats.

Who Will Be the Wild Card Teams for Each League?

Right now, in the AL, the Wild Card spots belong to the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. In the NL, the spots belong to the LA Dodgers and NY Mets (Mets hold tiebreaker over Miami Marlins). I think that the Dodgers will make it in as a Wild Card team for the NL. As far as the 2nd Wild Card spot in the NL, I think that the Marlins have been so good of late, and OF Giancarlo Stanton’s confidence is through the roof after his historic All-Star Break (he hit 61 HRs in the Home Run Derby to be crowned Derby champion), and that will propel Miami to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years (they won the World Series in ’03). For the AL, I don’t think any teams are going competitive enough to prevent either Boston or Toronto from being Wild Card teams.

Front-Runners for MVPs?

For the AL, I would have to say it will be neck-and-neck between Mark Trumbo and Jose Altuve. Their stats are so similar, but I think that Altuve’s improvement from a fantastic 2015 campaign gives him the AL MVP. For the NL, it’s Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, and Giancarlo Stanton. I think that Harper gets the edge due to how he has played as of late.

Posted on in MLB

MLB Division Races: Who’s Gonna Win Divisions?

 

The MLB season has had lots of surprising teams, such as the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and Washington Nationals all turning up, and teams like the Houston Astros, LA Angels, and Pittsburgh Pirates all having somewhat of a downfall. Anyways, I will go division-by-division, and predict who wins the division.

The American League

AL East

Out East, The O’s, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays have been exchanging places and are fighting like no other for the division title. The O’s recently won their series against Boston, yet lost 3 straight to Toronto before that. The Jays have a much better East record than the Sox, so they will fight closely with the O’s for the East, but I think Baltimore comes out on top, regaining their firepower they established in 2014. The only concern I have is that Baltimore is very weak against the AL West, which is showing up to be the weakest division so far, but star batting and defensive play from 3B Manny Machado, RF Mark Trumbo, and pitching from Chris Tillman has helped Baltimore get to where they are now, and they will continue to come up big this season. I think they are very legit in the AL, and should represent them in the World Series in late October.

AL Central

This has been an ugly division this year in the sense that their division leader (Cleveland Indians) only have 35 wins so far this year. Their pitching is okay, the batting is below expectations, but every team in the AL Central has played below their expectations this year. Cleveland isn’t very good after the All-Star Break, but the Kansas City Royals are. Expect the Royals to capitalize off of that and win the AL Central.

AL West

The Texas Rangers have 7 more wins this season than Seattle, the 2nd place team. The AL West, which should be the most stacked division in the AL, is turning out to be the most one-sided show in the AL. The Mariners will definitely be a team to look out for in the wild-card race, but the rest of the AL is under .500, which is a huge disappointment, considering how we all thought that the Houston Astros woke up from the dead. Unless Texas has a big downfall, they’ll win the division by sleeping through it.

The National League

NL East

This division is much like the AL West in the sense that the rosters are pretty stacked, and yet the Washington Nationals are 5 wins ahead of the New York Mets. The Nationals really seem to struggle against the NL Central, and that’s really their only weakness. The Mets can, and will fight until the very end, but Washington has proved to the Mets that letting star infielder Daniel Murphy go was a HUGE mistake by the Mets, and they are paying for it. Also, the Nationals have NL MVP candidates in Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth, and a NL Cy Young winner and candidate in Max Scherzer. The Nationals only NL competition is the Chicago Cubs, who are the front-runners to win it all in October.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs win the NL Central. Nothing else can be said. They have the best roster in the NL, and maybe even in the major leagues. That’s all there is to be said.

NL West

On paper, it looks like you should give the San Francisco Giants the AL West right now, but I’m not so convinced. The LA Dodgers and Colorado Rockies, yes the Colorado Rockies, who sucked last year, all look like they could get back in it. The Dodgers have the pitching of guys like Clayton Kershaw, Scott Kazmir, and Kenley Jansen to help them out, and their batting order has guys like Corey Seager, Adrian Gonzalez, and Joc Pederson, who are straight fire, even though they haven’t played like this year. Expect the Dodgers after the All-Star Break to wake themselves up. As for the Rockies, they are all about batting, as their pitching has been very lackluster. If their batting order, which has guys like Trevor Story (the NL Rookie of the Year front-runner), Carlos Gonzalez, and Nolan Arenado can all turn up, then it’s a 3-way race between them, the Giants, and the Dodgers. I think that San Francisco will hold on, but the batting of LA and Colorado could help cause havoc in the West.

Posted on in NBA

2016 NBA Finals Game 6: All or Nothing? Or Everything?

The NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors looks like they have become interesting again, as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 41 points each in their win to force a Game 6 back in Cleveland. However, the scuffle between Warriors PF Draymond Green and Cleveland superstar LeBron James in Game 4 might’ve just ruined the series for Golden State, as the Cavs are clawing back.

Tonight: Game 6

Tonight, very simple. Draymond Green will lose the game single-handedly for the Warriors. He is the reason Cleveland has all the momentum on their side to force a Game 7 back in Oakland, and he will be afraid. Every time he has the ball, the fans will be booing him, and anytime he is the primary defender, people are probably going to be chanting ‘Kick LeBron,” just so he can get ejected and lose his mind. I think the tactic from Cavs fans could work, because LeBron and Kyrie are IN THE ZONE! If someone like Kevin Love, JR Smith, or even Tristan Thompson can get it going, it’ll be a relaxing flight back to Oakland for the Cavs.

Who Wins Game 7?

I think Cleveland wins Game 7, making a historic comeback down 3-1 in the series. I just do not see a way that Draymond can calm himself down and not put more pressure on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Also, their Center Andrew Bogut is done for the series, so Green has to rebound the ball and be aggressive on the glass. I do not like the Warriors’ chances of winning this series.

The Offseason

LeBron fulfils his promise of crowning Cleveland ONCE, and goes back to Miami and fulfils his promise of winning even more, as he said on July 10th, 2010.

Posted on in Final four, NCAA Basketball

The Ultimate Winning Play?

In April 2016, the Villanova Wildcats played the North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2016 NCAA Basketball National Championship Game. The game was the greatest ever, and it all came down to one last play. Joel Berry III just hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 74 apiece, and Villanova Coach Jay Wright called his final timeout. In the NCAA, you have to go down the entire length of the court after a timeout. With 4.7 seconds left, Kris Jenkins of Villanova inbounds the ball to Point Guard Ryan Arcidiacono. Arcidiacono dribbles down the court past Berry, but it was the design of the play on both sides that made for the great ending. UNC played a 1-3-1 man-on-man press to Arcidiacono, to hopefully force a turnover, but if Arcidiacono got past Berry, they had Justin Jackson, Isaiah Hicks, and Brice Johnson all who could stop the 3-point shot. Villanova designed a play making sure that Arcidiacono got the ball of the inbound in a position in which he could get past half-court and find someone on the 3-point line. Arcidiacono gets past Berry, UNC collapses, and Arcidiacono pops it back to Jenkins on the 3-point line to get an almost-uncontested 3-pointer to win the championship, and boy did it pay off. #Win!

Posted on in Football, NFL

Super Bowl 50 Predictions: Pre-Media Day

I normally talk Super Bowl once and never come back to it, but this time, I feel I need to write after Opening Night. Opening Night begins Monday, February 1st, at 8:00pm, and then comes Media Day the next morning. I think that Media Day is always a good time to see and find out how the players and coaches plan to come in to the Super Bowl with in terms of their mindset (don’t get too carried away like Marshawn Lynch, though). Anyways, here are my predictions for Super Bowl 50, pre-Media Day:

The Players

Expect the players of the Carolina Panthers to come out and show their exciting side of themselves. The team is a bunch of party freaks, honestly, because that’s what the season has been like. The Denver Broncos players, on the other hand, know what it is like to face challenges, and they will come laser-focused and ready to go. I think Denver could use their ability to stay calm to their advantage.

The Coaches

Both Broncos Coach Gary Kubiak and Panthers Coach Ron Rivera have been part of a Super Bowl team. Kubiak was a backup QB and Offensive Coordinator for the Broncos during their Super Bowl runs in ’97 and ’98, and Ron Rivera was part of the ’85 Chicago Bears team as a linebacker, and that team may have been the greatest football team ever.

The Game

After Media Day, you can get an even better feel of what the teams want to do in the game, and how they will come out and pursue their goal. So far, if I had to make a prediction based on how I’ve seen these teams play, I would have to go with the Broncos, knowing they’ve come up big in many, many games this year. QBs Cam Newton and Peyton Manning will light up the field, but the Panthers defense, led by CB Josh Norman, won’t be able to stop the receiving core of WRs Demariyus Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, and TE Owen Daniels. Manning gets the MVP, and retires as the GREATEST OF ALL TIME! Final Score: 41-34, Broncos

 

 

Posted on in Football, NFL

The Divisional Round: Will The Powerhouses Fall?

Many of us are waiting anxiously to see what powerhouse teams like the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers can do after their extra week of rest and relaxation. Well, here I am to give you the record straight, with my predictions below:

AFC Divisional Round Predictions

(2) New England Patriots vs. (5) Kansas City Chiefs

TE Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots got a shot in the knee because of his recent knee injury from practice earlier this week. That causes a lot of concern because their offensive line is playing terribly right now and the Kansas City defense is hotter than hot right now. Their offense has figured out how to win without their big-time stars. Chiefs win. Final Score: Chiefs, 29-26.

(1) Denver Broncos vs. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh simply put has too many injuries. Broncos win with Peyton Manning returning to legendary form. Final Score: Broncos, 48-34.

NFC Divisional Round Predictions

(1) Carolina Panthers vs. (6) Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson vs. Cam Newton is turning into Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady in a rivalry sense, as the 2 QBs have nearly identical playing styles, and so the teams’ defenses. This will be one game that could get ugly and physical, and Carolina loves that. Final Score: Panthers, 28-23.

(2) Arizona Cardinals vs. (5) Green Bay Packers

Now 3 weeks back in the desert, Green Bay got manhandled and saw their QB Aaron Rodgers get sacked 8 times and picked off twice and fumbling twice, and backup QB Scott Tolzien got sacked as well, and the Pack scored just 8 points, so clearly, Arizona has a crazy good defense, and that was WITHOUT Pro Bowl Safety Tyrann Mathieu, The ‘Honey Badger’. The offense is number one in the league, with a balance in run and pass, scoring 38 points in that game. This game will be closer, but ‘Zona will still win. Final Score: Cardinals, 44-31.

 

Posted on in Football, NFL, Superbowl

Wild Card Weekend: It’s Finally Here!

Wild Card Weekend, the weekend in which a team with a losing record can upset a heavy favorite. It is finally here, and boy will it be one to remember. Anyways, all the hype shall be settled on the field, so here is how I see it all unfolding.

AFC Wild Card 

(4) Houston Texans vs. (5) Kansas City Chiefs

Both of these teams started terribly, and yet here we are seeing them in the playoffs. The Chiefs started 1-5 and have won 10 straight, and Houston started 2-5, and finished 9-7 for the year, winning the AFC South. Honestly, as great as KC has been, the Chiefs on the road in the playoffs is never something good for them. Houston wins. Final Score: 26-23, Texans

(3) Cincinnati Bengals vs. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s hard to believe that one of the most exciting teams in NFL history is the 6th seed in the playoffs, but unfortunately for Pittsburgh, that’s just how the season turned out to be. Now, Cincy could have been the #1 or #2 seed in the AFC, giving them a week of rest and letting that carrot-top QB Andy Dalton who can’t seem to spell the word playoffs right another week of well-deserved rest, but instead, they blew a lead in Denver and lost to the now #1 seed Denver Broncos. The new QB is that kid AJ McCarron that went to Alabama and won TWO National Championships as member of Nick Saban’s Tide, yes him, AJ McCarron gets the nod, but the NFL pressure has seemed to crack on him in big games (as seen in Denver). Steel City fans will be waving their Terrible Towels to victory. Final Score: 41-34, Steelers

NFC Wild Card

(3) Minnesota Vikings vs. (6) Seattle Seahawks

Get all the coats you own and wear them to this game, because a -15°F game is not fun for a football fan. Anyways, I think Seattle has a disadvantage because their passing game has been as deadly as Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, and it may continue, but this will be an exciting game. Minnesota did crazy things last week, with fake punts and suffocating defense that helped them stop the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota will win, but Russell Wilson will have the game of his life. Final Score: 41-36, Vikings

(4) Washington Redskins vs. (5) Green Bay Packers

Just when you thought the Packers were unstoppable, they turned bad. A 6-0 start ended as a 10-6 overall season including losing 3 games at home, something that you almost never saw happen. The Redskins, on the other hand, are seemingly unstoppable in terms of winning lately, on a 4-game win streak, 3 of those coming on the road. Captain Kirk and the Redskins will sure like to see themselves in the NFL Divisional Round, and they should. Final Score: 38-28, Redskins

Posted on in NFL

NFL Predictions: How the Season Will End Through My Eyes

 
The NFL season has seen many surprises and storylines so far, with the Carolina Panthers going 14-0 trying to go 16-0, and teams like the Denver Broncos, who were Super Bowl favorites at one point this year, clinging to dear life for a playoff spot. Here is how I see the rest of the NFL season going down. 
The Washington Redskins WILL Win The NFC East

Some people may say that the NFC East is the worst division in the league, but clearly they have yet to see the Houston Texans and any other team in the AFC South play a football game this year. In my opinion, this is what football needs, one division in which good teams may or may not be playing to their standards and yet look like a legit playoff threat. That’s the case with the Washington Redskins, who are leading the NFC East right now, and should remain in that position the rest of the way. I think Redskins QB Kirk Cousins is a true game-changer in this league, whereas Sam Bradford, Eagles QB, won’t seem to reach that point.

The Denver Broncos Will Survive

Yes, they will make the playoffs. All the distractions about Peyton Manning will be put to rest, as all they need to do is win one game, and they are in.

The Panthers Will Go 16-0

People may say that the Arizona Cardinals will win the Super Bowl, but they won’t. Cam Newton will keep ‘Dabbing’, and will go undefeated for the year (19-0)!

Odell Beckham Jr. Does Not Deserve His Suspension

Why suspend the most exciting player in NFL history? Part of the game of football is getting scrappy and trying to physically beat your opponent, and that was what he was doing. Anyways, they ain’t making the playoffs, but Odell is Odell, and the Panthers have wrongdoing in this, too. They had ball boys holding baseball bats pregame and tried to beat up Odell. How did he lose the appeal?

The MVP Is…

Cam Newton. No questions asked.

The Final AFC Wild Card Spots Go To…

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. Pittsburgh has some crazy fans waving yellow towels for 4 hours on game day, and the Chiefs haven’t lost in 3 months or something.

The Final NFC Wild Card Spots Go To…

The Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings. The Seahawks’ playbook has no running plays now, and the Vikings somehow, and I mean somehow, with a terrible QB, just win (weird, huh).

Posted on in Football, NCAA

The Game: Michigan vs. Ohio State

Michigan and Ohio State have had some memorable matchups over the years, and now, this is the biggest rivalry in College Football history. This year could be the most exciting matchup in the rivalry, as Ohio State comes off what might be a playoff berth-ending loss to Michigan State, and Michigan tries to convince the College Football Playoff Committee that they should be in it as a 2-loss team. Here is who I think will win and what the scenarios would be after that:

The Game Preview

Jake Rudock, the Michigan QB, has looked like the best QB in college football since he saved Michigan’s playoff hopes by beating Indiana in a 2OT thriller. Ohio State played like they knew they would win the game no matter what, making some extremely head-scratching play calls throughout, leaving star RB Ezekiel Elliott to make his decision to elect for the NFL. I think that right now, the underdog is still Michigan, but the win will still come to them, and it may be a blowout loss for the Buckeyes.

What Happens Now?

Well, a lot of things need to happen. They cannot get higher than the 4th seed in the playoff to make things clear, but still, a lot of things need to go Michigan’s way for them to get into the playoff. First, Penn State has to beat Michigan State, which isn’t completely out of the question, but Michigan State has been hot as of late, so hold your breath Wolverine fans. Also, Florida State and Temple have to lose, putting each of them at 3 losses. Lastly, they need Stanford to beat Notre Dame, and then hold their breath until Tuesday night and pray that the Committee messes up big time, much like last year, when we saw no Big 12 Conference teams in the playoff. Anyways, TCU beating Baylor last night could for the Committee to ruin the playoff for everyone once again this year, so just pray Michigan fans. Just. Pray.