Here's the standings, as of Thursday, May 8:

I should have just kept my mouth shut. Apparently my last article (this one, if you were wondering) was able to drum up some interest in our Armchair Fantasy League. This has caused me to lose my footing a little, falling a spot from 4 to 5 (more on that in a minute). Let's take a look at the big moves in the past two weeks.

Biggest Riser

Yakob878

In the last article, I made an ill-conceived joke (as, I concede, most of my jokes are) about Yakob and his pitching situation. He responded by jumping an astounding 7 places in the standings and leapfrogging me in the process. How'd he do it? Well, for one, he's got Cole Hamels and Chad Billingsley, both studs (and by the way, I stand by my earlier remark that Billingsely is the better pitcher). However, it's the unlikely contributions from Vicente Padilla (3.02 ERA so far in 8 starts) and Scott Olsen (2.22 ERA in 7 starts) that have him climbing the rankings. I think that Padilla's performances have been misleading, and that he won't pitch this well all season. I mean, a majority of his starts have come against weak offensive teams (Toronto, Seattle, and Minnesota are in the bottom half of the AL in runs scored). In his 3 starts against strong offensive teams (Los Angeles of Anaheim, Detroit, and Oakland), he's gone 15.2 innings and given up 14 runs (11 of which were earned). He's 30 years old, and he hasn't been above average since 2003.

Scott Olsen, on the other hand, is only 24, and he's always had great stuff. His off the field issues have always been the only thing noteworthy about him, but he's a different pitcher this year. His performances against the above average offenses in the NL (Atlanta, Los Angeles, and yeah, the Pirates...no, seriously, the Pirates) have been good (especially his 7-inning, 5-hit, no run game against the Braves on April 15). He's still got room to improve, and he's clearly the best pitcher on this young Marlins team. Well, they're mostly young, except for this guy.

So to get back to my original point (which is probably lost by now, assuming I even had one in the first place), Yakob's got the biggest jump of the week, despite having his best player (and #1 overall pick) Alex Rodriguez on the DL. Having Skip Schumaker in your outfield isn't a good sign, but I've learned not to doubt this guy after having my words shoved directly down my throat.

Biggest Loser

Clemens' Conscience

Biggest Loser really sounds a little harsh, but it's simply the guy who fell the farthest in the standings since the last time I did this. This first dubious honor goes to the owner of Clemens' Conscience, who fell a whopping 4 places in 2 weeks. Looking over his roster, I'm not sure how exactly he fell so far. He's got great pitching, as Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, and Johan Santana are all very good. Daniel Cabrera's doing his annual promise show (think of it as a promise ring, except the only thing in common is the word promise), where he shows off his potential for a short time period then promptly loses it for the rest of the season (call it the Oliver Perez Expo). My best guess for his struggles is the general improvement of the rest of the league (which, of course, is directly attributable to me), as Falcon, Bobbyjim, and Alex have all jumped over him in the standings. It's a long season, so I'm sure he'll come back around.

Other Notes

• Falcon's also making a lot of noise in the AGM Fantasy League. I'll be honest, I hold only a small advantage over him (less than a percentage point), and I decided to hold off writing this until today, at which point I had moved back in front of him in the standings. Yeah, it's a dick move, and no, I don't feel bad about it. I do want Roy Halladay on my team though (he might be my favorite pitcher this side of John Maine), and if you read this Falcon, let me know what you want for him, and I'll probably go for it.

• My team sucks. Well, let me be more specific. Justin Verlander sucks. At some point, I would hope he would turn it around, he's absolutely killing me right now. I like the rest of my team. I would like to pat myself on the back for having the wherewithal to start Joey Votto yesterday, which singlehandedly saved me from having to be in the dreaded 7th spot. I'm like a genius.

• Right now, there's a pending trade that could alter the landscape of the league. In the deal, Crackajg would get Torii Hunter and Ben Sheets, and Romi would receive Larry Jones, Aaron Rowand, and Randy Winn in return. If it goes through (and why shouldn't it? It's a fair trade, with Romi probably coming out as a slight winner), there could be repercussions that show up in my next update.

• Congratulations to Davis for taking over 2nd place from some Rented Mules. Everyone, however, is still looking up at Tyler's team, which is about 30 points higher than anyone else.

• Also, a special commendation should be given to Corey, who managed to escape the cellar, albeit it only to be ahead of an inactive player. We'll wait until he actually catches up to a real team before we have more than a reserved golf clap for him.

Once again, if you guys like this sort of thing (and why shouldn't you? I wrote it, you better like it), say it in your comments or with your votes, or both. Both would be terrific.

Earlier this week it was announced that 6′4″ Michael Avery out of Lake Sherwood, California, had committed to the University of Kentucky. No big deal, right? Wrong.

What is most surprising about Avery’s commitment to Billy Gillispie’s Kentucky basketball program is the fact that he has never played in a high school basketball game. Yes, the 6′4″ Avery is currently enrolled in the eighth grade at Ascension Lutheran School in Thousand Oaks, California.

Five years ago Orange County native Taylor King stunned the entire nation by committing as an eighth grader to UCLA. King’s commitment started a trend of high school freshmen and sophomores committing to big-time programs such as Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, and USC.

Nowadays, Avery’s commitment is no longer a surprise like King’s, but a growing trend among high school prospects. It is fairly common to see coaches accepting commitments from prospects before they have even proven themselves against adequate high school competition. However, it is important to question whether this is a healthy trend?

I don’t think so.

In most circumstances, I don’t blame the parents for allowing their child to accept a scholarship offer from a Division 1 basketball program. If Harvard promised to pay for your child’s education, you probably wouldn’t stop him from accepting their offer. Basketball scholarships are estimated to range from $40,000 to $160,000. That’s a lot of money and making sure their child’s college education is taken care of when he is in the eighth grade is a big relief for many of these families.

However, it appears as if the coaches are the ones to blame here. To some extent, I can understand why a mid-level program make take a chance on an early commitment from a prospect who the coaches feel might develop into a high-caliber player. But when the big-time programs like Kentucky and UCLA, become involved in this “premature recruiting” it is important to note that this has officially become a widespread trend.

As we saw with Taylor King, 14, is way too young for players to be choosing colleges. King originally committed to UCLA but ended up decommitting and listening to other schools. He eventually chose Duke over Gonzaga and UCLA. Following a disappointing season at Duke, King decided to transfer to Villanova University.

His constant flip-flopping shows that this recent trend might not be so beneficial for college basketball.

For the people who have not been introduced to the "Home Runs of the Day" yet, let me just clarify a couple of things: The "situation part" (the part that states the score) is the score BEFORE the home run is it.

• And, on a second note, the first part of the score is the score of the home run hitter's team. The second number represents the opponent's team.

The Battle of the Former 19 Game Winners Six months have passed since Chien-Ming Wang and the New York Yankees faced the Cleveland Indians and C.C. Sabathia in Game 1 of the 2007 ALDS. A lot of things have stayed the same during those 6 months, while other things have changed radically. You can take a look at the aces of both of these teams for instance. Wang has dominated every game he has been in (except for 1 against the Boston Red Sox where he surrendered 8 runs in 4 innings), while C.C. has done awful (he surrendered 5, 4, 9, and 9 runs respectively in his first 4 games, and one good game after that, where he pitched 6 scorless innings with 11 strikeouts). However, since that only good outing Sabathia had, they have not lost a game, and were on 5 game winning streak going into the game. Was that game C.C. dominated in just a lucky victory against the slumping Kansas City Royals? Looking at his stats of the Indians/Yankees game, it appears that it wasn't. He matched Chien-Ming Wang nearly inning after inning; the key word there is "nearly".

C.C. Sabathia pitched a gem against the Yanks, but it wasn't enough, as the Indians weren't able to give him any run support.

This game was nothing more than a pitcher's duel, as only one run and eight hits (4 from each team) were surrendered during the entire game. That one run scored was right after Sabathia picked off Robinson Cano at first. The very next pitch by Sabathia was driven over the left field wall by Melky Cabrera (the best #9 hitter in the MLB right now, in my opinion), tying him for the team lead with Jason Giambi's 5 home runs. Cabrera's 5th home run last season came on July 25th, so you can tell that he's learning what pitchers are going to throw him in certain situations.

"I feel good," Cabrera said. "I've been lucky that I have five homers so far. I'm just paying attention to that I'm in the lineup every day."

Although C.C. Sabathia pitched a tremendous game, giving up only 1 earned run in 8 innings pitched, along with 8 strikeouts, and only one walk, that 1 run could make the difference in a win/loss (depending on which side you're on). In case you were wondering, Wang pitched 7 innings, with 9 strikeouts (which is not like him at all, as he's more of a groundout pitcher) and 2 walks. Not bad...

Grady Sizemore's streak for most consecutive games played ended two Sundays ago at 382.

On a side note, Grady Sizemore's consecutive game streak came to an end today, as he sprained his right ankle the day before. Sizemore's streak, which had been the longest active one in the big leagues, ended at 382. He had not missed a game since August 22, 2005. Baseball's new reigning everyday go-getter is the Atlanta Braves' Jeff Francoeur, who [as of April 27th] played in 351 straight games. Sizemore's streak was the longest by an Indians player since Toby Harrah's 473 straight from 1979-83.

Also, Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts of his own to nail down his 7th save of the season (the 450th of his career), leaving him 28 behind Lee Smith for second place all-time. A late congratulations is deserved for us at AGM to Rivera for becoming the 3rd pitcher to accomplish this feat.

Gagne Pitches Scorless Ninth? Brewers Still Lose!? There have been a lot of surprises going on so far this season. One of them happened on the 27th, when the king of blown saves, Eric Gagne, pitched a scoreless ninth inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers still lost to the Florida Marlins. Thanks to Wes Helms, who homered in the 10th against Seth McClung, the Marlins were able to beat the Brewers in extra innings, 3-2.

Both starting pitchers, Manny Parra (Brewers) and Ricky Nolasco (Marlins) weren't able to go through the sixth inning, as both managers relied more on their bullpens for the last 4-5 innings of baseball. Guys like Taylor Tankersley (who blew his second save in the game), Derrick Turnbow Eric Gagne, and Seth McClung, all of whom have ERAs above 6.00, were involved in the game. Overall, both bullpens did pretty well, as each team only surrendered 1 run.

Wes Helms' last home run was over 8 1/2 months ago.

The 7th inning was pretty fun to watch, as Mitch Stetter was able to get the Brewers out of the inning 1, 2, 3, after Turnbow gave up two walks and a base hit to load the bases. In the bottom of the inning, with the score being 2-1 in favor of the Marlins, Bill Hall crushed one off Taylor Tankersley, driving it over the left field wall for his 7th home run of the season. 2 1/2 innings later, Wes Helms, a man who hasn't homered since August 10th of last season, hammered a pitch to give the Marlins the lead again. Kevin Gregg was able to pick up the save by striking out Craig Counsell, although there were runners on second and third.




Brett Myers: Two More to Add to his Collection

Philadelphia Phillies' Brett Myers still leads the Major Leagues in home runs surrendered. He added two more to his season total, breaking the tie he had with Texas Rangers' Jason Jennings earlier in the season. In only 37 innings pitched, he has surrendered more home runs than he did for the entire 2007 season; he pitched 68 2/3 innings last season. He's not starting off that great. I'm sure that if he did better, the Phillies would be first in the NL East by at least a couple of games, and they'd would have to battle for a .500+ winning percentage, like they're doing right now (they are 14-12 as of April 27th).

Remember, you can always have the privilage to cast a vote for the "Homer of the Day" in the comments section down below. Feel free to discuss who should win today or who should've won yesterday, or what I could've done to make the article better.

Homer of the Day (April 25, 2008) And the Homer of the Day for April 25, 2008, goes to...

NO ONE YET

I didn't give you guys the 24 hours you need to vote. I don't have any votes yet. If you'd like, here is the link to the article. You can just comment the person you think should win there.

On Another Matter: I apologize for procrastinating, once again. I've just been really busy with catching up on my APs. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you waiting for these. Thanks guys, for your support.

We need more than 3 votes. The more votes we have in these articles, the better. It makes it more interesting, and makes me feel better when I post these articles (in other words, it makes me feel like I'm not wasting me time). Thanks in advance. If this helps, I give a thumbs up to all the votes, and almost every single comment on here; for all those people who desperately need those 15 points.

I’ve been carpooling to work with my co-worker Tammy and I have to say I never thought it would be that big of a deal, until I really did some thinking into the gas price situation. It takes roughly 70 bucks to fill up my Blazer now … it cost 23 bucks to fill’er up when I bought it in October of 2003. With only five payments left, it is really pointless, at least in my estimation, to get a new car. I can go without a payment for a year or so and see how it holds up.

Anyway, with one tank a week (average) by both of us, it was costing collectively $110 a week in gas. I realize we both do independent travel, but for the sake of argument, we’ll be cutting that in half and one of us will be pocketing the difference every other week. Makes sense.

It rained today, boo on that, but an even bigger pain in the butt was the jump in price of regular unleaded at the Sheetz in Mt. Joy.

May 7, Sheetz
8:30 a.m. - $3.57
2:30 p.m. - $3.69

That’s just crap. I might end up getting a scooter to put around town with.

Weather : 68 and raining periodically.
Gas : 2FM (you figure it out)
Random Word of the Day : hendecasyllabic

Olympic wrestler Sara McMann featured in ESPN The Magazine

With the wrestling community being relatively close in nature, there are opportunities to meet many great people along the way. One of those people I’ve been fortunate to meet along the way is Sara McMann. A Maryland native, she’d wrestled in Minnesota and then a live-changing experience brought her to Lock Haven in Pennsylvania. Then a few more … which you can go into detail with the ESPN The Magazine feature.

It’s the first time Sara’s gone on record about one such tragedy. It’s a very moving and emotional piece, Lindsay Berra wrote a fantastic story. Oh, here’s a tidbit, she’s the granddaughter of Yogi Berra.

Oh, here’s a pose-down between (above or to the left, whatever it looks like in the browser) Sara and I in Baku at the World Championships … yes, I’ve dropped about 20 pounds since.

Sara’s currently training down at Division II Limestone College. Her boyfriend Trent Goodale is an assistant coach for the Saints and Ben Stehura was a teammate of McMann’s at Lock Haven. Sara also now has company, as Jenny Wong and Mary Kelly are also training in Gaffney, S.C.

Hey Trent, you still owe me a t-shirt …

This is great exposure for the women’s wrestling, the sport’s exposure nationwide and ultimately, a wrestling story in a major all-sports magazine. High Fives go to the folks at USAW for getting this one through.

Oh, keep an eye on USA Today this weekend, another feature on wrestling personalities. We need it after USA Today botched the hell out of covering the NCAA Division I Championships.

NAIA adds yet another wrestling program

Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., announced Wednesday it was adding two sports to its athletics roster. Women’s bowling and men’s wrestling will be coming to the school and will start during the 2009 season. The NAIA’s goal of working towards 50 college wrestling programs by 2010 is coming close, but with Baker announcing, it brings the total number of college wrestling teams added since 1999 to 57.

The NAIA also looks to be adding more women’s wrestling programs. Currently of the eight colleges which have added or will add wrestling, seven are in the NAIA. Lindenwood announced the addition of a program last week. The only NCAA program with a varsity wrestling program is Division III Pacific University in Oregon.

Well, isn’t this an interesting turn of events
Some of the nation’s top high school programs are often accused of it and South Dakota has moved to make it a non-issue entirely. The state has banned post-match hand-shakes. Many times, intense programs and their core of wrestlers don’t walk over and shake the opposing coach’s hand after a match. I always did, mainly because I was typically on the losing end of those bouts.

But it was a cadence for us, we’d shake, arm raise, go to the corner and shake the hand of the opposing coach. I never gave it much thought. I thought this was how it was done. Then one tournament I saw an entire team (it might have been at the Beast of the East or Virginia Duals) not shake hands. I thought to myself, “Wow, that’s arrogant.”

Well, then my opinion changed and it’s a topic of discussion amongst fans. Should it be about respect or should it be about sportsmanship or basically congratulating a coach on “beating you?”

I’m interested in your thoughts (cough) comment below (cough).

DeMarco passes
One of the great innovators in terms of tournaments, pairing and making off-season tournaments flow much easier has passed away.

Paul Franklin writes about Greg DeMarco and his lasting legacy on New Jersey wrestling. I’ve only seen pictures of the Old Bridge wrestling festival, but friends from Jersey still tell me the stories about great matches they’ve wrestled or witnessed in the summer time outside.

Our condolences go to the DeMarco family. I never had the pleasure of meeting Greg, but hear good things.

I’m curious to hear the good things folks here might have to say about him.

I’m interested in your opinion. Here is my All- International Team:

STARTERS:
C - Yao Ming, Rockets, China.
PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks, Germany.
SF - Boris Diaw, Suns, France.
SG - Manu Ginobili, Spurs, Argentina.
PG - Tony Parker, Spurs, France.


RESERVES:
C - Pau Gasol, LA Lakers, Spain.
PF - Mehmet Okur, Jazz, Turkey.
SF - Peja Stojakovic, Hornets, Serbia.
SG - Hedo Turkoglu, Magic, Turkey.
PG - Leandro Barbosa, Suns, Brazil.
PF - Luis Scola, Rockets, Argentina.
PG - Jose Calderon, Raptors, Spain.

Some very good players were left off of this roster due to the depth available, including: Nene, Andrea Bargnani, Andrei Kirilenko, Anderson Varejao, Andris Biedrins, and Beno Udrih.

So, would this All-International team be a title contender, a mediocre playoff team, or would they be lottery bound?

The many styles of Manny Stiles are Back..., Front, Top, Bottom, side and all other angles in between - I guess I'm back - but I don't know when, how, for how long or in what capacity... until further, more descriptive notice. I feel good and I think other matters always have a way of working out in a manner you never could have guessed! That's life!

When did the world flip upside down without my permission? - The NL has all the powerhouse teams and the AL is sputtering... I think Interleague play in a few weeks will settle things towards the "norm" again...

Just in Time - All signs are pointing to me, the wifey and kids arriving in Michigan just in time for the Stanley Cup Finals. I've always quietly rooted for the Red Wings since my illustrious Sega NHL Hockey career began - and the In Laws are Red Wing diehards. I will never forget the game 7 whooping of Patty "I'm a horrible father" Roy when I was in Michigan downing an endless stream of icy cold Labatt Blues with the family. Plus my roommate from college - whom I used to abuse in Sega Hockey; now he's a World Ranked video hockey game player (seriously), is a Dallas resident and quality trash talker to boot (Although he lost the "who would win more titles - Eric Lindros or Shaquille O'Neal" bet to me HANDILY - Therefore, Go Red Wings!

Ow! My Hamstring! - No matter what the status of Chauncey Billups, the Pee-Stains are in trouble. And no, a move to Michigan will NOT make me a Pistons, Lions or even a Tigers fan at all. If ever there was a city that suffered my fanwrath unnecessarily, it is Detroit. And I will be soon be subjugated to my second place sports Hell (Boston being #1). But then, I would NEVER EVER EVER live in Massachusetts... although Maine is kinda nice. Unlike Boston, the fans of Detroit have nothing to do with why I don't like Detroit teams. I can tolerate Detroit fans easily, I just plain ole' don't like those teams (GO Red Wings!) That being said, I am hoping to check out the Tigers' press box in September when the Rays come to town!!!

I'll say it... - even though I don't want it to happen, the Spurs aren't done yet.

Things I know:

Am I the only one who wonders? If he was alive and in his prime today, how would he do in MMA?

Blue vs. Red (and I don't mean states) - Scott Rolen looks terrible in a Blue Jays uniform. It hurts my eyes to see him not wearing some divergency of red. And damn him for ruining my Wednesday night with his second HR of the season.

It's ok to suck, it's not ok to suck at keeping your composure - Bashing objects in the dugout after a poor performance really won't take away - even slightly - from the blatent fact that you sucked.

Stupid is as stupid does - Hey, Chicago Bulls... YOU are the ones who fired Scott Skiles to begin with! You KNEW you'd need a new coach and now you're afraid to pony up for the one you want??? Duh.

Stop living in the past. Seriously - Just because a team has never had a winning season in it's ten year history DOESN'T mean it can't happen. The Rays are hanging tough despite injuries, despite playing in the AL East and despite the mind-numbing stupidity of the national media. HELLO? Even the vaunted Pinstriped Turds went 21 seasons before reaching the World Series...

Bandwagons suck. And if you ever called me a nadwagon fan, you're a certified idiot - The Boston Red Sox fascination that has swept the American landscape is nauseating. I'm convinced that 80-90% of current Red Sox fans are clueless as to whom Nomar Garciaparra was... I remember feeling sorry for the Sox in the 80's because hardly anyone rooted for them.

Fashion with "Manny Blackwell" - Of the "America's Teams" of the past 5 decades, the Red Sox have the least fashionable logo; barely ahead of the 80's 49ers. At least the Cowboys of the 70's - as intolerable as THIER fans were - had the distinguished star and the cheerleaders as icons.

The PA Turnpike is the most ridiculously constantly "Under Construction" toll road in the U.S - the Penguins vs. Flyers series will get some heavy viewing at Casa De Stiles. As I was born and raised in PA, it's an intriguing matchup - whether I am now a Red Wings fan by association or not. I just hope the Finals matter more than the last PA team vs. Red Wings finals (a.k.a. the "End of Eric Lindros Mattering")

Maybe, naked babes, but I don't think that would even draw a meager interest in my personal being for golf - If I hit a ball, YOU go chase it! Wasn't this the year that Tiger was going to win every event?

Naked babes and free beer wouldn't be enough to make me enjoy soccer - I don't care how much you might love it, but soccer sucks. I do like watching tennis however... Seriously, I've watched more cricket in the past 5 years than soccer. (Now ask me how much cricket I've watched!)

I don't know exactly when, but it was sometime around the advent of the hard salary cap - I used to love the NFL. Now every time I hear something about the NFL I can't help but think - the more you need my attention, the less you'll get. It's ephing MAY! I don't care about football in MAY!!!

Stop it. Just Stop it. - OK, Memo to the General Media: Micah Owings can hit. He always could!!! Look up the all time High School leaders in Home Runs and see Owings comfortably in second place - just one behind Drew Henson - yes, yes, insert Henson joke here, and only TWO other High Schoolers ever but I digress. Owings was a decent hitter in college. The REAL feat of amazement no one is seeming to grasp is that Owings is pitching well, too!!!

PETA needs a better marketing plan - Hello, douches of PETA... try, JUST ONCE to make an outcry BEFORE the fact. If there is any organization that jumps on the story for marketing purposes only MORE than PETA, well... there isn't. PETA is the equivalent to a lawyer that places ads in ambulances instead of the buses, trains and subways of public transportation. When you make noise only when the general population's noise is the loudest, it captures NO ONE's attention. Bitch about the inbreeding of thoroughbreds . Bitch about the modernization of safer racing surfaces. Don't bitch about a horse that is mortally injured being euthanized. Don't bitch about a 1,200 lb beast getting slapped with a whip and don't bitch about horseracing in general. A person smart/lucky enough to bet $100 on the winning trifecta could BUY your organization and make you disappear.

P.S. - Getting Pam Anderson to speak on your behalf is not helping your cause. Unless you're trying to save animals like crab lice or the herpes and chlamydia viruses.

To us it's Chinese Food, but in China, they just call it "food" - Congrats on trotting the Olympic flame to the top of Mt Everest. While you're up there, take a good look to the north at what you're doing in Tibet and consider aiming your resources in a more functional manner. You got the prominent stage and attention you wanted, now realize the rest of the world won't be fooled about your issues as your own people are. Killing people over religious and cultural differences goes against the foundation of every religion and culture.

BTW - Americans may be everything the world says we are, but at least we're TRYING to not pollute as much as possible - or at least attempting to rectify what we did to this mudball planet we ALL call home.

Things I wish I would have never thought about:

I know the world does not revolve around me, but... - Yes, I really do believe that my individual actions sway the outcome of sporting events and alters history forever. Coincidences aren't THAT frequent... also, google: "Sports Augury" if you doubt me!

It's over and I knew it would be before you did - The most enjoyable run of professional basketball (Mike D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns) was over well before anyone else was ready to admit... But I told the 23 people who were listening that it was coming. Now I don't know what to do!

When I root loudly, things go wrong. When I bet on things I root for, people die - I sometimes feel like I am a walking jinx to teams I root for... I mention how the Rays' bullpen is getting better then they act like it's 2007 all over again, blowing a decent outing by Matt Garza.

With enough Ranch dressing, even a hat would taste good - When I typed the words "If the Lakers go to the Finals, I will eat my Suns hat" I knew it was stupid for one very simple reason - that hat fits me SO WELL; better than any other hat I currently own (since my Rays hat paid the price of wear and tear - literally tear) - I have a gigantic head - 7 7/8" - but I still don't think the Lakers will advance to the Finals - which if you read the title of this section, should be heading to Loss Vegas RIGHT NOW to bet against me!!

One think I thought of and KNOW is true, but wish I wouldn't have mentioned it, because now it will prove me wrong - When the majority of professional media picks a side on an 'iffy' issue, they are ALWAYS wrong. Don't know what I mean? Write down the top headlines for a week and then read them in 6 months. Worse than weathermen are sports journalists. They are rarely right and never have to apologize for being wrong! I dare you to read the headlines from six to eight months ago. "The Pats are headed to a perfect season", "Kobe wants out of LA", "The Rockies are unstoppable", "Tiger Woods is unstoppable".

Why do I wish I wouldn't have thought this? - Because no one in the media is talking about the Rays seriously yet, which means they soon will and all hell will break loose.

Eric Hinske is the new Carlos Pena - A Rays spring training non-roster invitee is on a tear! What? you thought it would be Brian Anderson? I hope this doesn't mean they'll both be overpaid and sucking next year? Ugh... why do I have these thoughts?

Now I did it... - I made mention to how L.A. was so fake. I hope this doesn't mean that all the "True Hollywood Stories" will actually be true from now on... (cue dramatic THS music!)

All this and more to come, for sure

Carlos Gomez became the first person in 22 years to hit for the cycle as a member of the Twins.

Carlos Gomez started his game with the Chicago White Sox with one homer and 8 RBI's in 111 at bats, but last night he became the first Twin to hit for the cycle since 1986 when Kirby Puckett accomplished the feat 22 years ago. Hitting for the cycle and hitting 3 homers in a game are rare events but both happened today with Joey Votto hitting 3 homers yesterday.

Gomez, obtained from the New York Mets in the Johan Santana trade, hadn't hit that well this season, batting only hitting .261 coming into the game. However, he finished the game with a .282 average. Gomez has only 18 home runs in the Minors in 4 seasons, but has blazing speed. In 2005, he stole 64 bases, and the following season he stole 41 bases. He won't be 23 years old till December. Gomez is tied with Jacoby Ellsbury and Ichiro Suzuki for the AL lead in stolen bases.

The Minnesota Twins won the game behind a 16 hit attack and the pitching of Livan Hernandez (5-1), while Mark Buehrle (1-4) lost his fourth decision in a row, while his ERA ballooned to 5.31.

Below is a link to Hawk Harrelson doing the commentary on this video as Gomez hits for the cycle.

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805082661559

Joey Votto Hits Three Homers In Reds Seven Home Run Attack Joey Votto showed yesterday that the future is now for him with the Cincinnati Reds after homering three times and driving in four runs. With the Reds entrenched in last place and eight games behind the first place St. Louis Cardinals, they needed a game like this as they trounced the Chicago Cubs 9-0.

Not only did Votto hit the three homers, they also got a sterling pitching performance from Edinson Volquez (5-1), who allowed the Cubs four singles in seven innings and lowered his ERA to a microscopic 1.06.

Volquez is the only Reds starter with more than 2 wins, with Johnny Cueto having the 2 wins and Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo having a combined record this season of 2 wins and 9 losses. However, Harang has a respectable 3.09 ERA. On the other hand, Arroyo has been hammered this season and has an ERA of 8.63.

Votto and Volquez may become known as the Killer V's if they keep playing this way. Votto was overshadowed by Jay Bruce while in the Minors but Votto is getting it done in the majors while Bruce is still in the Minors.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805072656947

Around the Bases Cliff Lee (6-0) pitched the Indians to a 3-0 win over the New York Yankees, and lowered his ERA to 0.81, while Chien-Ming Wang (6-1) abosorbed his first loss in the 35th game of the season for the Yanks. Lee has allowed only one homer in 44 innings, struck out 39, and walked two batters. Lee, who was 5-8 last season with a 6.29 ERA, didn't win a game last season after July 1st.

The Oakland A's tied the Los Angeles Angels for first place in the AL West with their 6-5 win in 10 innings against the Baltimore Orioles, who have lost five in a row. Mark Ellis hit the game winning walk-off homer in the bottom of the tenth inning. George Sherrill blew his first save of the season for the Orioles.

Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save this season, as the Boston Red Sox lost to the Detroit Tigers 10-9. The Tigers had 18 hits in the contest, with 16 of them being singles and two of them being doubles. Placido Polanco had five hits to lead the Tiger attack. Polanco started the game hitting .238, and by the end of the game he was hitting .270. His average has risen 130 points since April 24th when he was hitting .140.

The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 behind the pitching of Shaun Marcum (6-2), despite a good pitching effort from Matt Garza (1-1), who allowed only one run in 6 2/3 innings. Three Rays relievers gave up five runs in the final 1 1/3 innings wasting the good start by Garza.

Zack Greinke (4-1) gave up the most runs in a game this season, allowing three runs in 7 innings, but was still the winning pitcher. In his last start, he gave up two runs in 7 innings and took the loss. The Kansas City Royals won 9-4 yesterday, as Jered Weaver (2-5) allowed 8 runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. Weaver was thought to be the pitcher they could count on with John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar on the disabled list, but it has been Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana (both with 6 wins each) who have carried the Angels.

Vicente Padilla (5-2) pitched the Texas Rangers to a 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, while Erik Bedard (2-2) took the loss despite allowing 2 runs and 2 hits in 7 innings, but the Mariners could only muster 2 singles in the game. Bedard finished the game with a 1.99 ERA.

The New York Mets clobbered the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-1, as John Maine (4-2) took the win and drove in two runs in the 13 hit attack. Brad Penny (5-3) took the loss, allowing 10 runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The Dodgers had been scoring over 8 runs a game when Penny pitched but last night that wouldn't have been enough for a win.

The Atlanta Braves defeated the San Diego Padres behind the pitching of Tim Hudson (5-2) by a score of 5-2. Chipper Jones had two hits to raise his average to a major league leading .429.

Barry Zito (0-7) extended his lead over seven Major League pitchers, who have lost 5 games this season, but pitched his second best game of the season in the 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Phil Dumatrait (1-1) took the win, pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Xavier Nady took over the NL RBI lead with 34 after hitting a 2 run homer.

Burke Badenhop and the Florida Marlins (1-2) defeated the Milwaukee Brewers and Dave Bush (6-2), as the Brewers lost their 5th game in a row, and their 7th in the last 10 games.

Carlos Lee hit a walkoff single to defeat the Washington Nationals 4-3. Lance Berkman hit his 11th homer of the season. Berkman was hitting .303 at the end of April, but after having 14 hits in 21 at-bats in May, he has raised his average to .361. In April, he only had 1 homer and 8 RBI's in the entire month, but he already has 3 homers and 8 RBI's in his first 5 games in May.

The St. Louis Cardinals were ahead of the Colorado Rockies 3-0 entering the 8th inning, but the Rockies scored 4 times in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 win. Rick Ankiel, who had thrown out two runners at third base the day before he was thrown out at second by Willy Taveras.

Micah Owings was 1 for 3, raising his average to .417 after hitting a double pitched a quality start, but didn't get the loss in the Philadelphia Phillies' 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. They remained 5 percentage points behind the Florida Marlins as the top four teams in NL East all won yesterday. Ryan Howard continued to struggle with an 0 for 4 game. He has 3 hits in 24 at bats for an average of .125 in May after hitting .168 in April and is hitting .163 for the season. Howard didn't hit his 6th homer till May 6th last season so with 6 now he is not that far behind the pace of last season but he was hitting .200 on May 6th last season.

Looking at Amateur Drafts of the Past Matt Bush, the No. 1 pick of the 2004 amateur draft, has hit so bad since being signed by the Padres that he has been converted into being a pitcher. In 722 Minor League at-bats, he has a total of 3 homers, a .219 batting average, a .276 slugging percentage, and an OPS of .570.

Since becoming a pitcher, Bush is 1-0 with a 1.25 ERA and has struck out 16 in 7 2/3 innings. Before Bush ever played a game he was involved in a fight at a nightclub in Arizona not exactly the way to impress the organization.

Bush has thrown 95 MPH, but after one start, he tore a ligament in his pitching elbow and won't pitch again till 2009. He will only be 23 when he returns so he still has a chance to succeed as a pitcher. If he doesn't he will be regarded as one of the worst No. 1 picks ever. He has never played above A level in his four minor league seasons. By picking Bush they missed a chance to sign Justin Verlander, who was chosen as the second pick in 2004 by the Tigers.

In 2002, Bryan Bullington was chosen as the first pick by the Pirates and has an 0-3 record in the Majors with the Pirates in 18 innings this season. He was chosen ahead of No. 2 pick B.J. Upton, No. 6 pick Zack Greinke, and No. 7 pick Prince Fielder, who would have been a huge upgrade at first base over Adam LaRoche. No. 17 was Cole Hamels and Jeff Francoeur was No. 23. No. 44 was Joey Votto and No. 50 was Micah Owings.

Delmon Young was the No. 1 pick in 2003 while No. 29, Carlos Quentin, is currently tied with Mike Napoli for the AL home run lead (8). Napoli incidentally was chosen by the Angels in the 17th round and was the 500th overall pick in 2000. Napoli homered in his first Major League at-bat and has 8 homers in only 66 at bats this season. He has 34 homers in 553 Major League at-bats.

In 2005, Justin Upton was the first pick by the Diamondbacks, and is hitting .347 this year for them. He was the only 17 year old picked in the first round in 2005. Alex Gordon, Jeff Clement, Ryan Zimmerman, and Ryan Braun were picked immediately after Upton.

In 2006, Luke Hochevar was picked first by the Royals. Evan Longoria, now with the Rays, was the No. 3 pick. No. 10 was Tim Lincecum and Max Scherzer, who was recently called up by the Diamondbacks, was No. 11. Joba Chamberlain was No. 41.

In 2007, David Price, was the No. 1 pick chosen by the Rays. The No. 6 pick, Ross Detwiler, has already seen action with the Nationals at the Major League level. Matt LaPorta was the No. 7 pick by the Brewers and should be in the Majors within the next couple of years.

Ya, I agree. I'd take Tom Brady over Larry Bird in the clutch.

This is the 23rd edition of the popular Meet the Users series, where The Beast will be interviewing a particular ArmchairGM user. The goal for the series is to allow all users to know each other better. The 23rd edition goes to Yakob878.

1. How did you learn about AGM?

Funny you should ask that question. I remember reading over all the articles and that is always the question that opens, it is always open with something like this. “I was writing articles on some other blog and was recruited here by Dan . I actually heard about the site from my friend, you might remember him from his first and only one of two articles, one that hit Deadspin the article was this. He actually was my recruiter to this site. The article was heavily viewed if I remember. It was only his first on the site too. I can’t imagine what he could have developed into if he kept writing. Too bad for all those rips he received on Deadspin and a few anons on this site. That is why he told me he gave up on writing majorly. So not to get too much off topic that is how I learned about Armchairgm.com.

2. After a close call in the first round against the Hawks, are you concerned about the C's?

As most users know here, I'm a pessimist, so yes. I am always worried that my team is going to lose. But, The Celtics should be fine in my opinion. The Hawks were probably one of the tougher matchups the C's could have drawn. A young athletic team that will go down fighting with nothing to lose. Guys like Al Horford and Josh Smith, with Joe Johnson leading the way... that can be a scary combination. The C's probably struggled because of inexperience as a group in the playoffs. Their first series together in the playoffs was the same as most first things: a lot of kinks can be worked out. They got out of that series and should look for nothing but the best from the Cavs, and whoever elsse might or might not come there way in the NBA playoffs. LeBron James is a great player and great players do bounce back. So his performance in the early games in round two might seem low. However, HE WILL GET HOT. So, the C's have to keep playing tough defense and they will be alright.

3. As a Boston sports fan, who would you rather have the ball in the clutch: Tom Brady or Larry Bird?

If I had to choose between either one of them, my answer would have to be Tom Brady. Now this answer has a little controversy behind it in my point of view. One reason is because of my age (I'm a few weeks away from turning 16). I have only had seen one of the two compete in competition. Not that I am stupid and have never heard of Larry Bird. I know right well what he and the other members of the Original Big 3 accomplished in the 80’s, giving the Celts their last championship in '86. Another is the opportunities that arise in any basketball game versus in a football game. In basketball, teams get many more possessions and occur more frequently than those that happen in football. In football, a team can hold the ball for almost an entire quarter, but in basketball, a team has possession for no longer than a minute. The last reason I would pick Brady is because of the great respect I have for the NFL game and all who play it. Not that I don’t respect the NBA, but I have a true passion and love for football. I still enjoy playing basketball, but not as much as football. Tom Brady is a prime example of what I want to be someday. A “Nobody” who will never make it in the NFL, the person who never gives up on their dream and seizes the opportunities when they occur. I was actually in attendance for the game Drew Bledsoe was injured by Mo Lewis and Brady saw his first action in the 2001 season. Also, Brady has already acquired three championships, and I’m not going to even say anything about last season. Bird has three in his career. Brady is at the peak of his career and I am sure of it will achieve at least one more ring in his playing days. So, I pick Brady over Bird even if the reasons are not too great. It's all I can think of because the two are just to great.

4. You seem to have a lot of Vince Lombardi quotes on your user page. Is he the greatest coach in NFL and sports history? Are his ideas still applicable in the modern age of sports?

I knew this one was coming. Vince Lombardi’s speech entitles “What it takes to be number 1” is my motivation in life. I believe Mr. Lombardi is the greatest NFL coach of all time, until someone dethrones him. I say NFL because no two professional sports leagues are the same in my opinion, and any combinations between two different sports just don’t compare all. Now his career postseason win-loss record was 9-1, he won the first two Super Bowls, along with 4 other NFL championships in the 60’s. Now, we all know that I am a huge New England Patriots fan. So, I think this man will ultimately become the greatest coach of all time in the NFL, having a championship trophy named after him. To some, he is the hooded demon... to others, he's the defensive guru. Now please do me a favor and don’t turn this entire discussion into SPYGATE! Now to the speech, I have a few parts that I feel everyone needs to live by. One is “There is no room for second place” You see in the sports and real world, if you are always pessimistic, as I usually am, you do not think many things are possible. So you settle for certain things. However, if you don’t settle, you will find that you have achieved much more than you could have ever imagined in the beginning. Another part is explained in the quote, “You have to play from the ground up – from the soles of his feet right up to their heads, every inch of the body has to be put into it.” Saying in order to achieve glory and success in whatever you do you will never achieve your full potential if your entire mind and every inch of your body is dedicated to the same goal. The last quote I believe in the most important is this “But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour-his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and he has exhausted on the field of battle-victorious.” This is something I believe in a great deal if I am playing a sport, especially football. However, it could be anything in my life, and I see people taking short cuts or complaining, not giving it all I get really angry in the fact that they, in some sense, don’t care and nothing happens to them because of it.

5. You're known by most users for saying, Ya I agree." Where did this come from? Was it just random or did it originate from anything?

Three words have been said by everyone (at least) once before. I made myself known on this site last summer (when I joined) and kept posting the simple phrase “Ya I agree”. I was a kid at home in the summertime bored out of his head, who loved sports and wanted to get a hobby. So I spent a lot of time on this site. I started reading articles and like I’m sure some other users here, when they first came to the site, started scoping it out from a far. I did and wanted to get more involved in the community. So I decided to comment more using the famous quote. The reason was that I am a very cautious person at new things I do and try. I rarely take on new tasks with a great sense of confidence. That is who I am. I did not want to whore points or anything like that, I just wanted to be accepted by the community and not hated for my beliefs on sports, so then I chose the neutral path of saying something no one would be mad at. A few users called me on it and I realized people just cared that if you back up what you say with facts, users will respect you for who you are (for the most part). One user in particular I would like to thank who helped me out of this is Insan, who I hope is going to come back this summer and become active. So I did, and I am glad I listened. He has given me more confidence to give it my all in new things I then went on to the wikifying scandal one at a time that prompted many fan boxes. I think 10 months into my time at this site, I have finally found the correct way to do things: comments editing, and not caring about points, but for the site as a whole to succeed.

• One thing I don’t know is whether another user has gone through this. I think I went through around 6 phases of my AGM life, wondering if any other user has done something like that. Phases meaning way you spent your time on the site.

Even professional athletes, those who have been accused of being the epitome of self indulgence, have answered the call to arms.  Some were famous and utterly dominant at their respective sport, others were just good enough to cling to their spot on the sports landscape.  Regardless, these wonderful athletes made a supreme sacrifice, all for honor & country.  These impossibly brave few are symbols of all that is great about the human condition.

What follows is a salute to some sports figures who served in the military in time of war.

Bud Adams- One of the original owners that founded the American Football League in 1960, and current owner of the Tennessee Titans, Adams served in WWII in the Pacific theater. 

Tom Landry-Head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1960-1988 and inducted into to the Hall of Fame in 1990, Landry served in the Unites States Army Air Forces with the 860 th Bomber Squadron that was attached to the 493 rd bomber group out of Debach, England.  Landry survived 30 missions as a co-pilot, including a crash landing in Belgium.

Ted Williams-Arguably the greatest hitter in MLB history, Williams served with the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII as a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida, and a fighter pilot in the Korean War.  Williams got called back to active duty at the age of 34 and flew 38 combat missions in Korea and flew with the same group as John Glenn.  Williams was awarded the Air Medal for being able to return to base after his hydraulics were knocked out by flack.  Williams sacrificed five years of his career to serve his country.

Chad Hennings-A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988 and Outland Trophy winner his senior season, Hennings flew 45 missions in an A-10 Thunderbolt over Northern Iraq from 1988-92.

Jackie Robinson-His military career during WWII eerily mirrored his future MLB career.  While stationed in Texas, Robinson refused to move to the back of bus when a white driver told him to.  He was arrested by MP’s and was eventually transferred and received an honorary discharge in 1944.

Ahmard Hall-A fullback for the Texas Longhorns and now the Tennessee Titans, Hall served with the Marines, 3 rd Battalion, 8 th Marines out of Camp Lejeune.  Hall performed missions in Kosovo in 1998, and Afghanistan in 2002.

Yogi Berra-Served in the U.S. Navy and took part in the D-Day invasion and served in North Africa & Italy.

Joe DiMaggio-Arguably the most iconic sports figure in American history not named Babe Ruth, DiMaggio enlisted in the Air Force in 1943.  His parents, along with all other immigrants from Germany, Italy, and Japan, were labeled “enemy aliens’ and were forced to carry photo identification and couldn’t travel more than five miles from home without a permit.  DiMaggio served as a fitness instructor and rose to the rank of sergeant.

Bob Feller-He became the first major league player to enlist after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  Feller served four years in the navy, primarily aboard the USS Alabama, and earned five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars.

Hank Greenberg-Served as a scout for B-29 locations in the Pacific theater during WWII.

Warren Spahn-Enlisted in 1942 and served in the U.S. Army.  Spahn fought in the Battle of the Bulge, Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen, and earned a battlefield commission.  Spahn was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze star for bravery.

Dick Adams-Enlisted in the Air Force in 1941 and was discharged in 1945.

Jack Lummus-Played for the New York Giants in 1941 and was in fact playing a game against cross town rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers, when the attack on Pearl Harbor took place.  The Giants’ players sat around at half time listening to news accounts of the attack.  The Giants played the Chicago Bears in the championship game, after which Lummus enlisted in the Marines.  On February 19, 1945, Lummus was among the first wave of troops to land on Iwo Jima.  On March 8, after being appointed his company’s commander, Lummus led an attack on several fortified Japanese positions.  After eliminating three strongholds, Lummus stepped on a landmine.  He died on the operating  table only after uttering his famous last words, “Well, doc, the New York Giants lost a mighty good end today.”  Lummus was awarded the Medal of Honor.  His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as leader of a Rifle Platoon attached to the 2d Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 8 March 1945. Resuming his assault tactics with bold decision after fighting without respite for 2 days and nights, 1st Lt. Lummus slowly advanced his platoon against an enemy deeply entrenched in a network of mutually supporting positions. Suddenly halted by a terrific concentration of hostile fire, he unhesitatingly moved forward of his front lines in an effort to neutralize the Japanese position. Although knocked to the ground when an enemy grenade exploded close by, he immediately recovered himself and, again moving forward despite the intensified barrage, quickly located, attacked, and destroyed the occupied emplacement. Instantly taken under fire by the garrison of a supporting pillbox and further assailed by the slashing fury of hostile rifle fire, he fell under the impact of a second enemy grenade but, courageously disregarding painful shoulder wounds, staunchly continued his heroic 1-man assault and charged the second pillbox, annihilating all the occupants. Subsequently returning to his platoon position, he fearlessly traversed his lines under fire, encouraging his men to advance and directing the fire of supporting tanks against other stubbornly holding Japanese emplacements. Held up again by a devastating barrage, he again moved into the open, rushed a third heavily fortified installation and killed the defending troops. Determined to crush all resistance, he led his men indomitably, personally attacking foxholes and spider traps with his carbine and systematically reducing the fanatic opposition until, stepping on a land mine, he sustained fatal wounds. By his outstanding valor, skilled tactics, and tenacious perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, 1st Lt. Lummus had inspired his stouthearted marines to continue the relentless drive northward, thereby contributing materially to the success of his regimental mission. His dauntless leadership and unwavering devotion to duty throughout sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.

Nile Kinnick-Won the Heisman Trophy in 1939 and died in a training flight on June 2, 1943.

Eddie LaBaron-Played with the Washington Redskins from 1952-59.  Served in the USMC in Korea and earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Pat Tillman-Famously walked away from a $3.6 million contract offer to serve with the 75 th Ranger Regiment.  He died on April 22, 2004 in Afghanistan, a victim of friendly fire.  Tillman was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and Silver Star, becoming the first NFLer to die in combat since 1970.

Bob Kalsu-An All-American at Oklahoma, Kalsu satisfied his ROTC obligation by enlisting in the Armed Forces for Vietnam in 1969.  Kalsu was killed in action on July 21, 1970 in the A Shau Valley.

Gene Tunney-Was heavyweight champion in boxing and fought in WWI.

Rocky Bleier-Drafted into the army in 1968, Bleier was part of the 196 th Light Infantry Brigade and was wounded several times.  He earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Joe Louis-When asked why he joined the racially segregated army, Louis responded with profound simplicity, “Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain't going to fix them.”

Hoyt Wilhelm-Arguably the greatest relief pitcher of all time, Wilhelm was wounded in action during the Battle of the Bulge, for which he received a Purple Heart.

 Phil Rizzuto-Served three years with the U.S. Navy in WWII.  

Pee Wee Reese-Served three years in the navy in WWII.

Jerry Coleman-Was a Marine aviator in WWII & Korea, and is now the voice of the San Diego Padres.

Earl Johnson-He compiled a 40-32 record as a starting pitcher for Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.  Johnson was part of the 120 th Infantry Regiment, 30 th Infantry Division, earning a Silver & Bronze Star.  His Bronze Star citation read, “Sergeant Earl Johnson and several other members of his unit…courageously braved severe hostile fire and were completely successful (in their mission).”

John McKay-Probably the greatest coach the USC Trojans ever had, McKay led his team to four national titles.  Before his coaching career began, McKay survived multiple missions as a tail gunner during WWII.  While he was head coach of a