The Sporting Word

Pujols Pulls Through

2005-10-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

With one swing of the bat last night, Albert Pujols cemented himself as the best hitter of the 21st Century. With one swing he showed why he is on a plateau above all the others. Great hitters compile great numbers during the regular season. There are several great hitters in the major leagues. But Pujols is the greatest because he can perform when his team absolutely needs him most.

The Cardinals were done. Their season was all but over. All but Albert. Facing one of the most dominating closers in the game, when nothing other than a home run would suffice, Pujols delivered. He trotted around the bases calmly, with his chin held high. Nothing ecstatic. No jumping around or pumping fists. It was as though he completely expected to hit that ball 450 feet.

Pujols is carrying this offense in the postseason just as he did during the regular season. In the playoffs, he's batting .429 with two home runs. He's getting on base 50% of the time. During the regular season, he led the Cardinals in every major offensive category. And most of the minor ones, too. He played the most games, got the most hits, scored the most runs, hit the most doubles and home runs, drove in the most runs, got the most walks. He even stole the most bases.

Several other players in the league are a dominant figure on their team in a similar way. But Pujols separated himself by showing he can deliver on a large stage, with the season hanging in the balance and in the face of 40,000 screaming Astros fans. Notice the postseason numbers for some of his notable contemporaries:

Alex Rodriguez: the MVP candidate got just two hits in 15 postseason at-bats after batting .321 during the regular season. He led the team (along with Derek Jeter) with five strikeouts in the four-game American League Division Series loss to the Angels. He stranded three runners and went 0-4 in the Yankees' final game of the postseason.

Vladimir Guererro: The career .324 hitter batted just .184 in the postseason. He got seven hits in ten games, all singles. He drove in one run. In the American League Championship Series, he went 1-for-20.

Andrew Jones: He had a strong postseason in many respects, hitting .471 with five RBI in four games. But in the Braves' elimination game (the same situation the Cardinals faced last night), look at how Jones performed in his several chances to put his team on top. In the top of the ninth, he grounded into a double play. He struck out swinging with two runners on in the 11th. He walked in the 14th. He flied out in the 15th. He reached on an error in the 18th. That's five plate appearances in which he could have put his team on top of the Astros. Five plate appearances, no hits. The major league home run champ hit 51 during the regular season. But he couldn't do it to keep his team's hopes alive facing elimination.

David Ortiz: He is the toughest to take a jab at. He put up very Pujols-like numbers and performed fairly well in the Red Sox' elimination game. Ortiz hit .333 in the series loss to the White Sox. Facing elimination, he put the Red Sox on the board with the home run in the 4th inning of Game 3. But in his two remaining at-bats that game, he flied out to end the 5th with two runners on and struck out swining in the 7th with the Red Sox trailing by one run. He was on deck when Edgar Renteria grounded out to second to end the game. If Ortiz had been hitting after Eckstein, maybe it's a different story.

The NFP

2005-10-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

The NBA has finally achieved all its objectives. The league has obviously mastered any salary cap issues, ridded all violence from the league, and has purged its reputation that drugs are rampant in the NBA. Yes, it was only a matter time before the league addressed the most ubiquitous and pressing issue the league has ever faced: a mandatory dress code.

The NBA has turned into the National Fashion Police (NFP). Business casual attire is required during league or team activity. Players must wear a collared or turtle neck shirt. Khakis, jeans, or dress pants are required as well. I don’t want to see Dirk Nowitzki dressing up in an attempt to look nice. Did you see what he wore during his Dallas Mavericks conference introducing him as their top pick? In case you forgot here is a link: http://www.njsportspromotions.com/NowitzkiUltrarookie.jpg. I’d much rather see him in this attire: http://www.deansplanet.com/encounters_dirk-nowinski.html. I am unsure what the NBA thinks this new requirement is going to accomplish? Will people who wish to emulate Allen Iverson wear blazers instead of gold chains? I understand the NBA has a reputation to uphold, but the clothing is not the thing causing harm to its reputation. It is people like Shawn Kemp the NBA needs to be worried about.

Shawn Kemp has been in and out of rehab for drugs. His weight had ballooned almost as much as the number of illegitimate kids he has. Players like Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace have been caught using marijuana. Fellow star, Carmelo Anthony has also been ticketed for possession. The NBA needs to deal with the problem head on. It needs stricter standards and penalties for drug offenders. Charles Oakley claims 60% of the league uses marijuana and calls the enforcement by the NBA “a joke”.

So let Allen Iverson be Allen Iverson. If you squash his individuality what incentive does he have to try and be a role model? The more one attempts to change a person is, the more angered and rebellious the player will become. Mr. Stern needs to focus on the bigger problems that are responsible for the poor reputation of the NBA, but it now seems as if Mr. Stern is in fact a big reason why the NBA’s reputation is lacking.

A Wie Bit of a Mistake

2005-10-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

Michelle Wie made her much anticipated professional debut this weekend in the LPGA World Samsung Championship. This was the biggest story of the weekend in golf, even bigger than Annika Sorenstam coasting to yet another victory. The problem was that Wie didn’t just make the headlines for competing in her first tournament as a pro.

She made the biggest headlines for being disqualified from the tournament, and losing $53,126 in the process. She was disqualified for taking an illegal drop on the seventh hole Saturday, removing her ball from a bush and putting it three inches closer to the hole, according to Wie. She was then disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

The problem wasn’t that she was disqualified necessarily, it was the way it happened. She wasn’t disqualified until Sunday after her final round, a full day and then some since she made the drop. Most of all, the person who reported the incident was a reporter for Sports Illustrated, not a LPGA official.

First of all, hasn’t the LPGA ever heard of a statute of limitations? I know this is something every other rules organization has heard of. I understand that the Rules of Golf are a big part of what makes the game so endearing, but come on. Disqualifying someone for an incident that happened a full day earlier is obscene. Also, no LPGA officials picked it up. If the officials didn’t notice it at the time, nothing should be done about it. That’s the just way the ball bounces.

Think of it this way. A baseball team wins the a game in extra innings thanks to a walk-off two-run homerun. The call is controversial and it looks like a fan interfered with the play, but the play stands as called, game over. MLB consults the replay the next day and sees it’s not a home run, so they reverse the call and award the game to the other team. Sounds crazy right? Exactly. This would never happen in any other game, that statute of limitations had run out.

The next thing is who reported the incident to the LPGA. It was a reporter for Sports Illustrated by the name of Michael Bamberger. So the way I see it, Michelle Wie was penalize because of her popularity. If she were some mediocre golfer who nobody cared about nobody would have even noticed and she would have never been disqualified.

Another thing, since when is it the reporters job to help make the news. I’ve been taught throughout my journalism education that reporters report the news, they do not make it. So who is this guy to take this issue to officials. He can write about it and say anything he wants to in print, but it is not his place to do the job of LPGA officials. Sure he was trying to do the right thing, but it’s not his job. Reporters can squawk about calls from the press box, but they cannot change them.

Lastly, the way the LPGA went about the situation is a joke. Besides the fact that they should have left well enough alone, admitted a mistake and told everyone the statute of limitations had run out, they handled the situation very poorly in my opinion.

They reviewed the tape and didn’t see anything conclusive. So after Wie had already signed her scorecard for the final round officials took her and her caddy out to the seventh hole to ask them about the incident. They then measured it off with a string, that’s right, a string. Pretty scientific I know. Seems like some sort of rinky-dink operation to me. Then they decided to disqualify her.

Wie made an amateurish mistake by not getting officials to help her, sure. But the way the LPGA handled the situation was a disgrace, and robbed this young lady of an excellent start to her career and a nice chunk of change. The Rules of Golf simply need some boundaries that make it clear you can’t be penalize for something that happened after two different scorecards were signed, that to me is a joke. Until then, one can only hope Wie has learned from her experience.

Angel's Not Robbed

2005-10-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Can we please put an end to all this talk about how A.J. Pierzynski and the "called third strike" controversy won Game 2 for the Chicago White Sox? Reporters, on-air personalities, and baseball players alike act as if the game was won when Pierzynski reached first base. Though filled with controversy, Pierzynski's "stealing" first base was not even the most significant play of the inning. It may not even be the most significant stolen base of the inning.

Everyone conveniently forgets the series of events that transpired after Pierzynski reached first base that allowed the White Sox to win. After all, a man on first with two outs, no matter how he got there, is still just a man on first with two outs. The two plays that followed are of considerable more importance than how Pierzynski got on first base.

Event number one: Pablo Ozuna steals second base. Consider this achievement. First of all, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had to gamble by removing one of his best postseason hitters with the game still tied. Then, Ozuna had to attempt a stolen base against a team that gunned down both Pierzynski and speedy Scott Podsednik in Game 1. Granted, it was Bengie Molina who threw out those two potential base stealers, and backup Josh Paul was behind the plate in the ninth. Guillen, obviously, knew that. And he knew he could exploit it.

Paul is taking a lot of flack for not tagging out Pierzynski on his way to first. Yet no one seems to care that he stood up slowly in the box and didn't even manage a throw to second as Ozuna easily swiped the base. He must have still been frustrated from the previous play. But does that give him permission to let the winning run move into scoring position without a fight? He gave Ozuna second base as easily as he "gave" Pierzynski first base.

Event number two: Crede hits a game-winning double: Consider how Escobar was looking on the mound. He had struck out five of the last seven batters he'd faced (including Pierzynski). He made Tadahito Iguchi look like he was swinging a bat for the first time in his life with an ugly strikeout in the eighth. He blew past Paul Konerko in three pitches. Yet, for some reason, Joe Crede had Escobar's number.

He doubled off Escobar in the seventh, and did it again in the ninth. Why is there no mention of Escobar throwing a cheese ball with an 0-2 count? How can Pierzynski be the hero and not Crede? Pierzynski said it best in an interview after the game. "Give Crede all the credit," he said. "I didn't do anything. I just struck out."

If Pierzynski had not swung at that pitch, it would have been ball four, and he would have reached first base anyway. Then, with all the controversy aside, Crede and Mark Buehrle would be the heroes of last night's game. They still should be.

I don't mean to take anything away from what Pierzynski did. His heads-up hustle extended the inning for the White Sox and made it possible for them to win the game without going into extra innings. But I do want to eliminate the argument that the umpire lost the game for the Angels. Instead, a mental breakdown lost the game for the Angels. Paul was too frustrated to try to make a play on Ozuna stealing second. Escobar was too frustrated to pitch something off the plate with an 0-2 count to Crede.

Arguing with the umpire is like arguing with the sun. The ump is baseball's absolute. The game is set up in such a way that whatever the umpire says happened, happened. It is the responsibility of baseball players to play the game within this framework. To stretch the analogy further, the movement of the sun allows for a day to exist. The outcome of that day is entirely up to us and in our control. Likewise, the umpire allows for a baseball game to exist. What players do with that game is entirely up to them. An ump's call is concrete and permanent, and it's up to baseball players to treat it as such and move on to the next play.

The Angels didn't move on. They let the call fester. And they let the winning run score. All on their own. I was pleased to see that Angels manager Mike Scioscia understands this. In his press conference following the game, after discussing the controversial play, he put all the blame on his team "playing bad". The bottom line, as with any baseball game, is the losing team didn't execute. The winning team did.

Nothing controversial about that.

Somber Series

2005-10-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Everyone keeps talking about the Anaheim Angels' flight itinerary as if it's the most important aspect of the American League Championship Series. All of a sudden, because the Angels were on a plane the last two nights, they enter with a huge disadvantage against the White Sox. It's true that Anaheim should be an underdog in the upcoming series, but it has nothing to do with jet lag.

On a list of several aspects that will affect the outcome of the ALCS, the Angels' travel exhaustion ranks near the bottom. After all, baseball teams are taking red-eye flights all season long. If you want to talk about doing something strange, talk about the White Sox not playing a game for three consecutive days. That happened only once all season, during the All-Star Break. The Angels have taken at least 40 flights prior to this suddenly exhausting four-hour flight to Chicago.

Exactly one month ago, the Angels beat the Red Sox in Boston in a game that ended at 10:23 p.m. They got on a plane, flew to Chicago, probably landed at about 3:00 a.m., went to a hotel and slept. They started a three-game series with the White Sox later that day, at 8:00 p.m. Remember what happened? The Angels swept Chicago, jet lag and all.

That scenario isn't much different, rest-wise, from what Anaheim is facing today. They've been at their hotel since 6:00 a.m. They don't need to be at the ballpark until 4:00 p.m. at the earliest. That's ten solid hours to get a good night's rest. All that alcohol should have them pretty much knocked out anyway.

These players are professional athletes that make a living travelling the country with little rest and performing at a high level. In baseball, more than any other sport, players are prepared to handle hectic travel plans.

This championship series will be decided, like all the others. First, by starting pitching. Second, by timely hitting. Exhaustion from a five-hour flight will have no effect whatsoever.

Not Packing It In

2005-10-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

This is finally the year the Green Bay Packers will be left behind in the NFC North Division, or so it seemed until this past week. The team that has reigned over the division for the past three season looked to be all but done after a 0-4 start left them one of the few winless teams leading into week five of the NFL schedule.

Then the New Orleans Saints rolled into Titletown. Everyone feels badly for what the boys from the bayou have had to go through this year, of course, but the Saints were just what the doctor ordered for a Packers squad that looked absolutely pathetic in the first four games of the season.

The Packers were down 3-0 early, then proceeded to rip off 52 unanswered points to win the game in a laugher. They were led by none other than the legendary Brett Favre, who some critics said would eventually end his consecutive games streak to give rookie Aaron Rodgers playing time under center.

Favre is nowhere near being at the end of his career. He still has the game, he still has fun and he still can lead his team when he needs to. The problem is he doesn’t have the team around him that he usually does. Ahman Green hasn’t run for a hundred yards in 12 sraight games including the playoffs. Pro Bowl wide receiver Javon Walker is hurt. Two Pro Bowl offensive linemen are gone via free agency, and simply put the defense is bad.

The Packers are in rebuilding mode, and Favre has to realize this by now. The organization has let him down from this stand point. He is there to win and win now, the organization is ready to get younger in a hurry. The whole team is young to the point of needed time to get used to the league.

With this organizational mentality it is only a matter of time before Favre is holding a press conference to announce his retirement, then rebuilding will really be under way with a young quarterback, it almost makes you think they want him to retire.

After saying all that, the Packers still have a shot at winning the North. Simply put, the North is bad, worse than it was last year. The Pack started 1-4 last year too, then reeled off six straight wins to help clinch the division title.

Nobody has set themeselves apart this year in the North, with Minnesota being a major disappointment already. Sure the Packers have been awful until this week, but maybe this win was just what they needed. The defense stepped up and had two interceptions for touchdowns, Favre was Favre and the running game wasn’t as bad as it has been.

A 52-3 win can do wonders for the confidence of a young team, and a confident young team is a much better asset to Favre than a young team that isn’t confident at all. The moral of the story is this, you cannot count anyone out of this division race yet, especially a team with a living legend under center, and a sudden burst of confidence and momentum.

Okafor Odyssey

2005-10-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

Emeka Okafor grew up in Houston, Texas. He went from a relatively unknown high school player onto center stage at the University of Connecticut. Coming out of college, most people believed he was as close to a sure thing as an athlete can get. He was projected to be a double-double guy night in and night out. The Charlotte Bobcats immediately grabbed him with the second overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft.

Emeka’s rookie season was faced with its ups and downs. He led all rookies in points per game at 15.1, led all rookies in rebounds at nearly 11 a game, and finished fourth in the league in double-doubles for the season. The question is why isn’t he getting the attention he deserves? Perhaps one of the biggest reasons is that he is not flashiest rookie in the league. While Ben Gordon may have outstanding fourth quarters to surge the Bulls back into games, Emeka Okafor would steadily contribute throughout the entirety of the game. Emeka Okafor doesn’t have the athleticism of a Kevin Garnett or the power of a Shaquille O’ Neal, but he still gets the job done. Another reason for the lack of attention given to Okafor is that he plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. He played in the team’s inaugural season. Nobody cares about an expansion team as they are years away from competing. If Brevin Knight and Gerald Wallace are the other stars of your team, than you have a problem. That may help explain how the Bobcats were able to secure 18 wins this past year.

In spite of all the hardships Emeka Okafor had to endure, he still remains optimistic. The reason for this is due to a solid draft by the Bobcats. They got two tar heel alumni in Sean May and Raymond Felton. This should help create more chances for Okafor because defenses must remain honest. I even read recently that Okafor has looked to Hakeem Olajuwon for advise. Olajuwon has turned him to yoga as way to keep fresh during the season. The future looks bright for both the Bobcats and Okafor.

Baseball's Workhorse

2005-10-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

This season, major league baseball players did something that hadn't been accomplished since 1964. It's not a new home run record. In fact, it has nothing to do with power numbers. It has nothing to do with the nine steroid suspensions that were dished out this season. On the opposite spectrum of the nine suspendees stand ten players who stood up this year and showed that baseball players can be dependable and resiliant.

In my mind, these ten players are the most impressive work horses in the major leagues. They are the players who showed up to work everyday and played in all 162 games. I originally wrote a column on August 12 celebrating the 11 players who, at that point, had played every game. Now, 50 regular season games later, all but one have kept up pace.

Step back and think of this accomplishment for a moment. These players played in 162 games over a 180-day span. That's like working Monday through Saturday for six straight months. Plus, seven Sundays. And on the off days (and some on days) these players took about 38 flights with their team over the course of the season.

That's enough to wear anyone down. So much so, that this number of players have not played all 162 in more than four decades. This should put an end to the argument that players today are weaker, more susceptible to nagging injuries, and less dependable than they were in the old days.

The following ten players didn't miss a game the entire season:

1. Bobby Abreu, Phillies: Didn't play too well after his monstrous Home Run Derby performance, but still finished with more than 100 RBI and 31 stolen bases.

2. Jason Bay, Pirates: He's emerged as one of the most balanced hitters in the National League, coming from literally off the radar. He had 32 home runs, 44 doubles, scored 110 runs and drove in 101 RBI.

3. Raul Ibanez, Mariners: He doesn't put up anything spectacular, but has shown consistent production the past four seasons. All those games seem to have taught him patience at the plate, as he put up career numbers in walks (71) and on-base percentage (.355).

4. Carlos Lee, Brewers: Lee slowed down significantly as the Brewers playoff chances dwindled. Still, he set career marks in home runs (32), doubles (41) and RBI (114).

5. Hideki Matsui, Yankees: This international work horse has never missed a game as a Yankee. They say his consecutive game streak goes back another 1,000 games if you look at his Japanese career. He batted above .300 for the first time in his MLB career and finished second in the American League with 45 doubles.

6. Juan Pierre, Marlins: He had an off year offensively, batting just .276. But his legs more than made up for his weakened bat. He got 13 triples and 57 stolen bases.

7. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: He had quite possibly his best season in a career filled with incredible seasons. He bat above .320 for the first time in nine years. He also led the American League in home runs (48) and slugging percentage (.610).

8. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: After getting 262 hits last year, Ichiro's accomplishments were all but buried this year. Yet, he still managed to get more than 200 hits for the fifth straight season (his first five in the major leagues). Ichiro was willing to go beyond singles this year, belting 15 home runs and getting 13 triples, both career highs.

9. Mark Teixeira, Rangers: He has made steady, consistent improvements in each of his three seasons in the majors. Teixeira was the leader of a power-packed Rangers offense. He was one of only three players in the league (and the only one not on the Red Sox) to get more than 140 RBI.

10. Miguel Tejada, Orioles: It would be big news if this guy didn't play in every game. He's got the league's longest current consecutive game streak, spanning the past five seasons. Tejada's run production was way down this season, but he managed a career and league-high 50 doubles.

The A's Eric Chavez missed a game on August 23 after playing in the first 124 games. He joins Andruw Jones, Brandon Inge, David Wright, Adam Dunn, and Jeromy Burnitz as players who took only two games off. Another three players (Hank Blalock, Albert Pujols, and Jose Reyes) missed just one game.

But these rare ten who played in all 162 should earn a special place in the hearts of fans, players, and managers. The work horses make no excuses for missing games and prevent their teams from having to scramble among Triple-A talent to fill their roster spot.

Hockey Towns USA

2005-10-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Mike Moore

After 16 months of anger, 16 months of frustration, and 16 months of resentment, it took only 95 seconds for fans of Hockeytown to remember what it was they had missed so much. And it wasn’t a sight which sparked the memory, it was a sound. Resembling that of a speeding fire truck, the horn blared once, then again, three times, and finally four. It is a sound in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena that is as synonymous with goals as the goal judge himself. In an ordinary time, it is a sound that visiting teams may relate to the 7am screeching of an alarm clock on Monday morning, but Wednesday, even fans watching from St. Louis had to welcome it.

The purpose of its sounding was simple. Red Wing’s forward Pavel Datsyuk skated out from the corner and scored the first goal of the season just 95 seconds into the first period of meaningful hockey in Detroit since May of 2004. But the symbolism of the sound was much deeper. It caused over 20 thousand fans wearing red and white to jump from their seats and scream. Fists were pumped, high fives were exchanged, and there, in that brief moment, the memory of the NHL lockout was gone. All that mattered now was the siren, the five players with the winged wheel hugging in the offensive zone, and the song resonating from the speakers, “Hey Hey Hockeytown…”

Four more times Wednesday night the same scene would play out, four more times the new-look Wings moved the puck as if they had been playing as a unit for years around a Blues defense which looked confused to say the least. Four more times the crowd raised from their seats to not only cheer a goal, but to cheer the return of the best game on earth. And you know what, from those at the rink to those watching on T.V., the message was the same; “Welcome back hockey! We missed you.”

From the day NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took to the podium to inform the hockey world that the 2004-2005 season had been cancelled, many worried how the game would ever rebound. Sponsors lost interest, fans turned away, legends called it a career and even ESPN, a station which features pro-figure skating and pro table-tennis, said no thanks to an opportunity to broadcast NHL games. Actually, the real worry wasn’t how the game would rebound, but if it would.

While only time will give the complete answer, things couldn’t have started much better Wednesday night; and while the response in Hockeytown could have been predicted months ago, it wasn’t only Detroit which enjoyed the return. Wednesday marked the busiest playing date in the NHL’s 88-year history. For the first time since ten teams took to the ice to open the 1928-1929 season, every franchise opened on the same night; 15 games and 30 teams in all. Even more remarkable were the numbers. Eleven of the 15 games were sellouts and the total attendance of 275,447 across the board (18,363 average) shattered the leagues old record of 259,837 in February of 2003 when 14 games were played on the same night. Over 41 thousand fans gathered in at two separate rinks in Florida alone. Nearly 18 thousand were on hand in Nashville, nearly 19 thousand in Dallas and at the same time the White Sox were defeating the defending World Series champions in MLB’s divisional series, nearly 17 thousand gathered at the United Center for the Blackhawks debut.

Those not blinded by the excitement of its return noticed the game of hockey is a different one. In Detroit for example, names such as Hull, McCarty, Dandenault and Joseph have been replaced by Lilja, Cleary, Franzen and Osgood (second time around). The two line pass will no longer be called while “water skiing,” or the constant clutching, hooking and grabbing by defenders will no longer be ignored. For one night, the rule changes looked better than a winning lottery ticket. Not only were more goals scored, but scoring chances were present at every pass of the puck. Quicker more talented skaters had room to work. Datsyuk had a goal and an assist for the Wings while Jaromir Jarg had two goals for the Rangers. New faces in new places, another selling point for the game, played as if they were right at home. Eric Lindros (Toronto) had a goal, Peter Forsberg (Philadelphia) controlled the ice as he picked up assists on the Flyers first two goals, Paul Kariya (Nashville) scored his first goal as a Predator in front of a sell-out crowd and what many think to be the next great one, Sidney Crosby had an assist in his first pro game. Not to mention the first ever shoot-out in NHL history took place in Toronto.

If nothing else was proved Wednesday, it is obvious hockey still has a spot in the hearts of sports fans. Fans who were given every explanation as to why the game had to go away, why it couldn’t afford to continue as it was and why the lockout, in the long run, would save the NHL. If that is in-fact the case, if a better game continues to take the ice and if the NHL can return to its glory days both in the United States and in Canada, where the sport is often considered a religion itself, and if the excitement seen on one fall night in October is just a preview of what is to come, well, then 16 months of anger, frustration and resentment won’t seem all that long after-all.

Hockey's Home

2005-10-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The NHL debuts tonight in an arena near you. The league is coming back in full force, with each of its 30 franchises opening on the same night. Games are literally going on across the continent.

Not a single league game has been played since the Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on June 7, 2004. That was 484 days ago. Since then, the NHL has gone through numerous negotiations and made several important changes to the rules. Tonight the game is more exciting than it has ever been.

The goalie equipment is smaller. The offensive zones are larger. The two-line pass rule is gone. But the most important change is what happens after the game. After tied games, that is. Starting this year, games tied at the end of regulation will be decided by a shootout. Teams will get five minutes of regular overtime to try to win the game. If no one scores, three players are selected from each team to compete in a shootout.

Ties have been eliminated. Forever. Teams' records will no longer look like winning lottery numbers. Sure, they're still keeping track of overtime losses, but you can't have it all.

The underlying requirement for all sporting events is there must be a winner and a loser. For generations, the NHL ignored this seemingly simple law. During the 2003-2004 season, there were 170 ties. That means 14 percent of all games ended with no winner or loser. A competition without a winner is not a competition at all. Meanwhile, the league was allocating "points" for games that, on a competition standpoint, didn't really exist.

Now all of that (or the most important part of it) is gone. Shootouts are the most exciting parts of the sporting world's low-scoring games like hockey and soccer. They put the best of one team against the best of another in a quick flurry of action. They give fans a reason to stay until the end of the game, because, for once, the game promises a winner.

The NHL has a long way to go. In many ways, the league could not be further off the sports radar, doomed to the Outdoor Life Network. Plus, the baseball playoffs are in full swing and the NFL has reached the meat of its regular season. However, the league has taken some vital steps to move back into the sporting realm. For the first time in more than a year, actual meaningful games will be played tonight. And thanks to the new rules, there will be 15 winners and 15 losers.

Viking Warrior Hurting Team

2005-10-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Daunte Culpepper came clean yesterday about a knee aggravation that may be the cause of his horrible start this season. He suffers from a strained ligament and bursitis in his right knee. Nevertheless, he insists that he's going to stay off the sidelines. "There's swelling, and it's painful, but I'm a warrior," Culpepper told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I'm going to push through this."

Why should he force himself to push through it? Isn't that what we've been witnessing the past four weeks? What good is he doing playing at less than full strength?

Culpepper has 10 interceptions and only four touchdown passes. In the Vikings' three losses this season, he's thrown just one touchdown. Last week against the Falcons, he was sacked nine times. That moves the total to 20 for the season. It looked as though things were back on track with an impressive victory over the Saints in week three. Culpepper played nothing like the ugly imposter that took him over in the first two weeks. But after the embarassing loss to the Falcons on Sunday, it looks more like the Culpepper who played the Saints was the imposter.

Culpepper is an extremely talented quarterback who will do wonders for Minnesota when he's completely healthy. Right now, he's obviously not. Culpepper insisting he'll be in the lineup is bad for the team and bad for himself. I understand that's he's a competitor and naturally wants to start every single game. I can respect that. But Mike Tice needs to step in and say enough is enough.

Through all the difficulties this season, Tice has never removed Culpepper from a single play. His backups have no pass attempts. How many sacks and interceptions does it take to get backup Brad Johnson in the game? You remember him. He helped the Buccaneers get their only Super Bowl title in 2002 with a pair of touchdown passes. Now he's gathering dust while the Vikings let their season dwindle. I'm wagering that a Brad Johnson at 100 percent is better than a Culpepper at 70 percent.

Here's what Tice needs to do. The Vikings have a huge game this Sunday against the division rival Chicago Bears. Pulling Culpepper from his starting job might do more damage than good. But Tice needs to give Culpepper an untimatim. He needs to give him a simple task: take the lead in the first half. Tice should pull Culpepper aside and tell him "if we go into the locker room at half with the lead, you're staying in the game. If not, Johnson's going to get his shot."

That way, Daunte has his own destiny in his hands. He knows his body more than anyone else. He knows what he can do. Culpepper is more responsible that anyone else on the offense for putting points on the board. So Tice needs to give him some extra incentive to do just that. If Daunte feels he needs to be a "warrior" and stay in the game, he needs to show the coach and the fans why he deserves to be in there.

Playoff Pickings

2005-10-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

October is the best month to be a sports fan. You've got the baseball playoffs (which, unlike basketball and football, involve only the upper-eschelon teams and don't drag out for two months), the heart of the NFL regular season, and college football. Professional baseball writers will try, and fail, during the course of the day to select which teams will move on from the opening round of the baseball playoffs. I am no different.

Only four teams will remain after this week in contention for the World Series title. The following are my selections:

San Diego vs. St. Louis: The Padres will stun everyone by beating Cris Carpenter tomorrow night in St. Louis. The Cardinals are cold from playing largely meaningless games in September. In his last four starts, Carpenter is 0-1 with a 9.14 ERA. Also, one of his five losses this year came to the Padres. Peavy, on the other hand, had a 2.03 ERA in September and is backed by a team that has won five its last six.

From there, it will be all downhill for San Diego. Pedro Astacio doesn't have much of a chance against Mark Mulder in game two, and the Padres' offense just doesn't have the firepower to stay with the Cardinals. Adam Eaton has a chance to beat Matt Morris in the first game in San Diego, but it will likely be an offensive showcase for both teams, with the Cards coming out on top.

The Padres are a mediocre team that snuck into the playoffs because they play in one of the weakest divisions in baseball history. They will give the Cardinals more problems than St. Louis fans would like (the Padres are 4-3 against the Cards this season), but in the end, Albert Pujols will put this team on his back if necessary and carry them into the National League Championship Series. The Padres have no one with 20 home runs and no one with 85 RBI. Only Dave Roberts has the capability to steal, so I don't see them putting up more than four runs in any game of the series.
Cadinals win 3-2.

Houston vs. Atlanta: The Astros have the huge advantage of starting the series with Andy Pettite on the mound. No pitcher has had a better second half than Pettite. He's 13-2 since July 1 and he's won seven straight starts. But he's facing Tim Hudson, who threw nine shutout innings against the Astros in his only start against them this year. Whoever takes that first game will win the series, and Pettite will win.

Game two is a juicy pitching matchup between Roger Clemens and John Smoltz. Neither of these veteran fireballers had a very good September, but in the playoffs, they'll be pulling from experience. Even still, this game will not be as meaningful as the game one. So it remains a toss up.

In the end, the Braves are doomed to take the route of so many Braves team before them. It hasn't been their year the past nine division titles, and it isn't this year either. Andruw Jones is an incredible player, but one individual isn't enough to win a playoff series. The Astros, on the other hand, are an incredibly balanced offensive team. If Biggio has an off night, Morgan Ensberg, Jason Lane, or Lance Berkman can back him up. If Andruw Jones has a bad game, the Braves are done. Adam LaRoche will swing at anything under pressure and Chipper Jones did not finish very strong. The Braves' young talent was incredible in the regular season (including beating the Astros five of six times), but won't be able to handle the Pettite, Clemens, Oswalt combination under pressure. Plus, with Brad Lidge closing games, the Braves won't have much of a chance at late-game comebacks.
Astros win 3-1.

Chicago vs. Boston: This should be a classic battle between an explosive offense and a stellar pitching staff. The Red Sox bring home runs and late-game heroics from David Ortiz. The White Sox bring one-run victories and stolen bases. Conteras will silence Boston's bats Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field. He helped the White Sox survive their way into the playoffs by winning his last eight starts and compiling a 1.99 ERA in September. Matt Clement, on the other hand, went 1-3 in September. Since entering the All-Star break at 10-2, Clement went just 3-4 in the second half.

David Wells outdueled Mark Buehrle in Boston in August in a 9-8 slugfest and the same thing will happen in Chicago in game two. They are two very similar pitchers who are susceptible to giving up home runs. That definitely gives the Red Sox the edge.

This series will come down to whether the White Sox can win in Fenway (where they were 1-2 this season). Either Freddy Garcia or Jon Garland will pitch a gem in Boston and the White Sox will bring the series back to Chicago, where they will win the fifth game. A week ago, I would have picked the White Sox to lose in the first round. But this team has won five straight, including sweeping the Indians in Cleveland to finish the season, even though they didn't need a single one of the victories to make the playoffs.

The Red Sox are obviously a superior offensive team, and their two victories will likely be blowouts. But Boston doesn't have a reliable closer and the White Sox will use mechanics and small ball to produce meaningful runs against weak bullpen pitching in the late innings.
White Sox win 3-2.

Yankees vs. Angels: As in the Astros-Braves series, one team in this series has better pitching and better hitting. Plus, the Yankees have years of playoff experience and an owner who won't stand for anything less than a World Series title. The Angels do have home field advantage (thanks Showalter) and Bartolo Colon on the mound on Tuesday. Plus, they're 6-4 against the Yankees this season. Added up, that may be just enough to get one win against New York, likely in game two, with John Lackey over Shawn Chacon.

New York will not lose in Yankee stadium, and they will come out with a vengeance in any elimination game against their opponent, after what happened last year. The Yankees went 19-9 in September (so did the Angels). But the Yankees have so many more offensive weapons to rely on in hard times. They hit 82 more home runs than the Angels this season and scored 125 more runs.

The big difference in Mariano Rivera. Even though his 43 saves seem just about average, hitters are batting just .177 against him. In his lone appearance against the Angels this year, he went 2.2 innings without allowing a hit.

Golden Oppertunity

2005-10-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

I recently had a conversation with a rabid Notre Dame Football fan. Actually, I have these conversations frequently, having grown up no more than 30 minutes from the Golden Dome. But anyway, these conversations usually go something like this:

ND Fan: USC is going down in two weeks!

Me: Haven’t you noticed that USC is one of the best teams of all-time; they have a quarterback for the ages, and the best playmaker in the country?

ND Fan: It doesn’t matter, they’ll be over-confident when the come to South Bend and we’ll crush them.

Me: You’re brainwashed.

Now of course this conversation is paraphased, but it more or less represents the conversations I’ve had with every Notre Dame fan after they get a few wins and that crazy green fever in them. Nevertheless, you get the point, and I really do think they’re all brainwashed.

I remember the last time something like the beginning of this season happened. It was Tyrone Willingham’s first year as head coach for the Fighting Irish in 2002. He started 8-0 and the next thing I know I’m seeing all these “Return to Glory” t-shirts in the halls of my high school. South Bend had a fever, and the only cure was a dose of reality. Boston College delivered the first dose, USC the second, and N.C. State the third on New Years day when they beat the Irish 28-6. Next thing you know Willingham is run out of town.

Notre Dame, the surrounding area and the fans have a tendency to take this “Return to Glory” thing too far too soon, and I can see it happening all over again.

I will give them this; Brady Quinn is the real deal.

So is wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, who makes a highlight reel catch every week. I played against him in baseball when we were both seniors and he was imposing then (he collected the save and struck me out in the final inning, and also hit probably the longest home run ever hit at our field), but on the football field he is even more imposing now. He catches a touchdown or two every week (8 TDs in 5 games) and is averaging nearly 100 yards receiving per game.

So the offense is legit, and I’m sure Charlie Weis doesn’t have to pay for anything in South Bend. The problem is the defense isn’t capable of shutting anyone down. They haven’t gotten roughed up too bad, but they were certainly exposed by Drew Stanton and Michigan State in their only loss of the year to the tune of 44 points given up.

So how can anyone think that the Irish will be able to keep USC under say…49 points? This might be the best offense to ever take the field in a college football game. Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, I could go on forever. And let’s not forget how USC torched the Irish last year.

I’m glad Irish fans are confident (though I’m glad I’m not at home where the local news media would be absolutely saturated with pro-ND propaganda), but there is no way they can compete with USC.

Charlie Weis is a great coach, and is doing great things with Willingham’s offensive players, but that defense won’t be able to slow down Leinart & Co. any better than the next team. Also, let me say it will be interesting to see how the Irish offense reacts to a real defense like Tennessee.

Return to glory, maybe. Competing for a national title, possibly in the next few years. But that time is not now in South Bend, no matter how much people want to believe Touchdown Jesus will enact divine powers for it to be that way. USC will cure that fever again, and show Notre Dame what it’s like to be the elite program that ND used to be.

Roll'n Rollins

2005-10-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The focus of major league baseball this week is on pennant races. Rightly so. The focus is also on MVP races. Not so rightly so. Meanwhile, hardly anyone is talking about what could be the best individual accomplishment by any player this season.

Jimmy Rollins is in the middle of a 33-game hitting streak. With a hit on Friday, he would move into a tie for 12th for the longest hitting streak in baseball history. No other player in baseball is on the verge of such a momentous single-season accomplishment. Rollins already has the franchise record for a team that's been around since 1897. If he gets a base hit in the final three games of the season, he'll have the longest streak in the majors in the past 18 years. That would be the most impressive individual performance by any player this year.

Many people discount the importance of hitting streaks because it seems like such an arbitrary thing. However, looking at the list of the top hitting streaks of all-time shows that Rollins is joining select company. The top ten features Joe Dimaggio, Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Paul Molitor, Willie Keeler, and George Sisler, among others. All of them, except Bill Dahlen (who hit in 42 straight in 1894) are career .300 hitters or above. Jimmy Rollins is just two games from joining the top ten.

It's quite remarkable when you think about it. Rollins hasn't gone 0-fer since August 22. In most games, he gets only four at-bats to get a hit. Four bad swings, and it's over. One bad game, and the streak is cut to zero. It's not like an earned-run average of a batting average that a player can pull back up the next game.

Andruw Jones hitting 51 home runs, four more than anyone else in the league at this point, is pretty impressive. David Ortiz is six RBI shy of 150. That would be pretty impressive, but Miguel Tejada did that last year. If Rollins finishes the season with the streak intact, he'll have done something that's only been accomplished five times in the past 100 years.

The hitting streak is incredibly impressive because it is so individual. Getting a base hit is one of the most difficult things to do in all of sports, and Rollins cannot defer it to anyone else. When Greg Maddux was piling up the consecutive seasons with 15 wins, he had strong Braves teams backing him up most of the way. His streak is incredible, but it differs from Rollins' because Maddux could have a bad night and his offense could bail him out. Or, he could have a couple losses, and make up for it later in the season. Rollins has no such luxury.

Some say Rollins' streak will be tainted if it spans two seasons. They argue that for some reason, taking the offseason removes the pressure and that he'd only have to start 2006 with a 21-game hitting streak to surpass Dimaggio.

The likelihood of that happening is about the same as the likelihood of Corey Patterson going the first 21 games of 2006 without striking out (unless, of course, he's not in anybody's lineup). However, if Rollins somehow manages to keep the streak alive to reach 57, sometime in early May of 2006, it may be the most incredible streak in the history of baseball (Cal Ripken Jr. included). Being out of baseball for six months and then picking it back up without missing a beat is more incredible that just keeping a hot streak alive during the course of one season.

But we'll talk about all-time streaks when Rollins hits 57. In all likelihood, he'll go 0-5 tomorrow night and the discussion will be over. But for now, he's three games away from doing the most significant thing any individual player has done this year.

Fill in the Blanks

2005-10-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

Okay, kids, you know how “mad libs” work: Whenever you see parentheses, get your friends to give you whatever word the story asks for, and the story writes itself.

I’m (adjective) of Barry Bonds.

After a year of (verb ending in –ing) about how rough his life is, the biggest (noun) in baseball is back in the batter’s box. Apparently, he didn’t jump off a bridge like he said the media forced him to.

You remember that press conference, right? I’ve always laughed about the “bridge” comment. After all, did we force him to use the (noun), or the (noun)? And did the media force him to have an extra-marital (noun)? Whose fault is it that his former mistress (verb ending in –ed) about injecting him with steroids? What she said can’t really be verified, but is it our fault she exists in the first place?

Perhaps the most moving part of the whole thing was his son, who I’m sure was just (adjective) to be there. The son wore a Barry Sanders jersey, which struck me as kind of funny. See, Sanders was a record-breaker who was clean, whereas the press conference was for Bonds, a record-breaker who is (adjective).

It’s too bad he didn’t head off of the bridge he spoke of. Baseball was doing just fine without this distraction. Now, instead of talking solely about one of the most (adjective ending in –ing) playoff races in recent memory, we have to hear about his pursuit of Hank Aaron, a pursuit fueled by (anything on BALCO’s shelves).

We almost made it a year without hearing about the (adjective) outfielder, whose knee couldn’t keep him out long enough, as far as I’m concerned. He was probably just waiting for his (noun) to flush out. It explains the constant delays to his return, right?

There’s too much excitement in baseball this year to make room for his ego, which is roughly the size of (any of the nine planets). Roger Clemens’ E.R.A., BoSox-Yankees, and Dontrelle Willis have kept me (adjective). Why make a place for a (noun) like Bonds?

At the plate, baseball has filled his void with other solid hitters. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are giving pitchers fits in Boston. Albert Pujols is still a menace with a (noun). Andruw Jones is carrying the Braves to another division title. And check out what Jimmy Rollins is doing in Philadelphia. His hitting streak is the longest by a shortstop since 1900.

The return of Barry means that the talking (part of the body, plural) on ESPN have made a story out of the N.L. West. Seriously, any airtime dedicated to the N.L. West this year makes for worse television than (Stephen A. Smith talk show). We need to worry more about the Indians chasing down the White Sox in unprecedented fashion than we do about teams like San Diego and San Francisco, who will finish with worse records than (any team that has ever finished eight games over .500).

With any luck, the Giants will miss the postseason, and we won’t have to watch any more Bonds than we already have to. The Yankees might make it, but hey, I’ll take the Yankees over Bonds any day of the week. After all, it will be nice to see Joe Torre one last time before The Boss (verb ending in –s) him.

Something else that (verb ending in –s) me: it’s a little confusing that a guy who was as silent with the media as (Eagles football player with the initials T.O.) before he hurt his knee — when he was questioned endlessly about steroid use — is currently talking more than (former 49ers football player with the initials T.O.) now that everyone is obsessed with his comeback.

Bonds is talking all the time now. He even told Congress to get a (noun) and stop pursuing performance-enhancing drug use. Pretty bold statement from a guy who (verb ending in –ed) his way out of testifying before a Congressional committee on steroids.

The best thing to do with Bonds right now is to ignore him, like we do with (any WNBA star, if you can name one). Stop thinking about him, and he’ll disappear. With any luck, so will this (adjective) talk about him being the most-feared hitter of all time. Seriously, the most-feared? How about (former baseball player whose name ends in –abe Ruth)? I hear he was something special.

Bonds will likely pass 714 homers, but I certainly hope he never makes it to 755. With any luck, next year he’ll have a season worse than (any member of the ’62 Mets except Richie Ashburn).

But he probably won’t. If he plays, he’ll have a (noun) year. So, I’ll just hope something prevents him from playing, be it his ingestion by a (prehistoric reptile) or a guilty (noun).

Or, if he has any respect for the game, he’ll just walk away, and let the records of greater ballplayers stand.

Steroid Crackdown Not About Kids

2005-09-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

I admire the efforts by Congress to bring stricter punishment to steroid-users in baseball and other professional sports. The baseball players union has been dragging its feet and has not properly dealt with the problem. Commissioner Bud Selig's proposal of a 50-game ban for the first offense, 100-games for the second, and lifetime for the third is appropriate (although I would raise the second offense to an entire season).

However, Congress has missed the point in one major aspect. The reason baseball should crack down on steroids is not because high school kids are "following" the examples of major leaguers and using drugs themselves. Senator John McCain made a plea during today's hearings, hoping to punctuate this point. "This is an issue which is greater than the issue of collective bargaining," he said. "It's about young Americans who are tempted to take these substances into their bodies, and some of them commit suicide!"

That's not what it's about at all. Pardon me for not taking the "won't someone think of the children?" approach, but getting steroids out of the major leagues is about protecting the integrity of the game of baseball, not about protecting teenagers from making dumb decisions. Congress knows that the average mother cares much less about Hank Aaron's home run record than the safety of her own child. That's why McCain is trying to make the problem sound like a threat to kids.

The main problem is the integrity and history of baseball is coming under attack from a substance that makes the playing field unlevel. If a few (or a few thousand) teenagers are taking steroids on the side, that's a decent footnote, but it's not the reason we should be fighting to get steroids out of the sport. The average fan cares more about baseball's illustrious records than whether some teenagers are pumping themselves with drugs. And that's who the sport needs to be saved for: the fans.

Let's pretend that Barry Bonds came out and said he used steroids. Let's say he even specified the dates he injected himself. Then he told kids not to do it. How big of an effect would this have on preventing teenagers from using steroids? I think it would have no effect. Kids don't care if Barry Bonds tells them not to do it, they'll just look at his power numbers and try to duplicate them in the same "performance-enhancing" way.

Athletes should not be held responsible for being role models to kids. If a teenager is dumb enough to take a steroid, it's not a pro baseball player's fault. It's not the coach's fault or the parent's fault. It's the teenager's fault. Let's stop pretending that high school kids are incapable of making a sound decision without first getting it endorsed by one of their major league heroes.

The biggest threat steroids bring to the game of baseball is tainted records, not teenage drug abuse. Baseball, more than any other sport, is steeped in its history. Fans thrive on comparing former sluggers to the home run hitters of today. They love using numbers to compare pitchers from different eras. This is a good thing. In baseball, it may be the most important thing. The records bring generations together. The numbers transcend time.

Steroids put all of that at risk.

Yet Congress is trying to define the problem as just another ill facing today's youth. Baseball integrity is much more valuable than that. It's too important to be clumped together with the effect of "Hollywood's morals" on kids, or Joe Camel cigarette ads.

We're not talking about kids stuff. We're talking about the most endearing and enduring sport in America. And it's facing what could be its biggest challenge.

That's why baseball needs to be harsher on steroid users. Because the fabric of the game could be torn if it's not. I could not care less if high school kids continue to take steroids. That's their own decision, and their own fault. But major league baseball should have none of it, for the sake of the league.

Palmer Power

2005-09-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The Cincinnati Bengals are off to their best start in 15 years, due in great part to the turnaround of second-year quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer is leading the NFL with eight touchdown passes and ranks second only to Ben Roethlisberger in quarterback rating.

Palmer is at the head of the league's most surprising team (Dolphins notwithstanding). He's calling the shots on the NFL's most exciting offense. He's throwing to, quite possibly, the league's best wide receiver in Chad Johnson. He's performing like the leader the Bengals have needed for so many years.

But Palmer's influence in the world of football extends beyond the NFL. Exactly three years ago, Palmer emerged as the top passer in college football. It came after a mediocre season his junior year. Witnessing his rise (and most likely mirroring his moves) was freshman backup Matt Leinart.

The new stud of USC football spent his first two seasons watching Palmer from the sidelines. He redshirted as a freshman (2001), then watched Palmer win the Heisman Trophy in Leinart's first year of eligibility.

Palmer took the Trojans from a 6-5 team that lost to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2001, to an 11-2 team, that beat Iowa in a BCS bowl the next season. Since then, USC has won two consecutive Associated Press national titles, built on the strength of Palmer's protege, Matt Leinart.

Now, Palmer could be starting the same thing in Cincinnati. He had a rough rookie season, throwing just 18 touchdowns to go with 18 interceptions. The Bengals finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. This season, Carson and the Bengals are 3-0 (as are the Trojans), with a good chance to win their fourth straight next week against the offensively-anemic Texans.

Palmer's strength comes from his ability to open up enormous leads. The Bengals have trailed only once the entire season (down 3-0 early in week one to the Browns). In week two, Palmer helped open a 37-0 lead over the Vikings with three touchdown passes in the first half. On Sunday, Palmer already had two touchdown passes before the Bears got on the scoreboard. He's also poised, having completed more than 70 percent of his passes this season.

In the NFL, patience is usually something for losing coaches and losing organizations. But USC showed patience in Palmer, and the school was rewarded with another Heisman winner, not to mention a resurrected program. The Bengals have also shown patience. Not much, but just enough, for Palmer to start to feel comfortable and confident. The Bengals may or may not be on the verge of a dynasty. But Palmer is definitely the one to take them there.

After all, he's built programs before.

The New In-"DEE" Colts

2005-09-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

If you would’ve told me a year ago that the Indianapolis Colts would be undefeated through three games with only two touchdown passes by Peyton Manning I would have laughed at you. But here we are, three weeks into the season, and that is exactly what has happened.

The defense Indianapolis has featured over the past few seasons certainly has not been Super Bowl caliber, to say the least. If it weren’t for Manning and his offensive mates, the Colts defense would have held them out of the playoffs. But this year is a different story. Dwight Freeney and company have established themselves as a defense to be recokoned with, or have they?

Let’s have a look at Indy’s opponents so far: Baltimore, Jacksonville and Cleveland. Call me crazy but none of those offenses exactly strike fear in me. Baltimore is a run-first, pass only when we have to offense that has struggled to score points in recent memory. Jacksonville has a good young quarterback in Byron Leftwich, but that’s about it. The Cleveland Browns, while improved over last season, are not going to put the fear of God in a defense with Trent Dilfer under center.

I will be much more convinced about this “improved” defense when they play a more high powered offense, like Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Cincinnati or New England. So the defense has been impressive, but I’m not convinced until they show me they can shut down an offense capable of putting up some points.

So until that time comes, they had better figure out the offense. Peyton and company have been woefully inept at putting the ball into the endzone even by Ravens standards. Their 47 points scored ranks third in their own division, behind the Jaguars and the Titans. So I guess it’s a good thing the defense has been good, or they may have found themselves on the wrong side of the win-loss column.

They have played a couple of good defenses (Baltimore and Jacksonville), but 13 points at home against the Browns, you must be kidding me. That’s really bad, and nobody knows that better than Manning and his record breaking band of receivers. It is possible that defenses have figured them out; it is also possible that the departure of tight end Marcus Pollard and the injury to tight end Dallas Clark have hurt the offense more than anyone suspected.

I’m convinced that the Colts offense will come around, and still not convinced that the defense is as good as everyone has been playing it up to be. So until they can prove that to me, the AFC title still goes through the defending champion New England Patriots, who reasserted their dominance with a victory over Pittsburgh this weekend.

Besides, if everyone else in the league has “figured out” the Indianapolis offense, can you imagine what Bill Belichick will be able to do when he gets a chance at making Manning’s life a living hell again? If Manning can’t put up points against the Browns, there is no reason for me to believe he will be able to do so against the Patriots.

So for those reasons the Colts still have a long way to go if they want to play in Detroit at the end of this season. They not only have to prove they can beat other perennial AFC heavy weights, but they also have to go through a team that is less than two hours away down I-74, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Torre's Trouble

2005-09-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

ESPN baseball writer Tim Kurkjian reported earlier today that Joe Torre could be fired if the Yankees don't make the playoffs. This seems ridiculous at first. After all, Torre has built the franchise, and has kept it going for almost a decade.

In Torre's nine complete seasons as head coach, he has compiled a record of 887-567. He's never had a losing season. He's won eight division titles, including seven straight. He's taken his team to the World Series six times, winning four rings. He's never had a losing record with the Yankees. He's never missed the playoffs.

But all that winning is also Torre's crutch. I believe the Yankees are headed for the postseason again this year and that Torre's job will be firmly intact. But for a team that has made the playoffs every year since the strike, missing the postseason with so much talent is inexcusable. That's why Torre isn't out of the woods.

People talk about the Yankees' payroll all the time, as they should. They have almost twice as much money as any other team in the league. But it goes beyond money. Their lineup is just too loaded to not make the playoffs. They have Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, and Jason Giambi. They have Randy Johnson and Mariano Rivera. I understand players can have off years, but the cornerstone of a manager's job is getting his team to perform at its talent level. The Yankees are a playoff-level team. Not living up to that potential is like any other coach failing expectations.

Some may say Torre is being held to unreasonable demands. After all, 24 other managers in the leauge won't make the playoffs this season, and almost all of them will still have their jobs next year. But in reality, the scales are not equal. Each team has different expectations set by its ownership. Some teams, like the Royals or Devil Rays, may just be shooting to play .500 baseball. Other teams may just want to sell more tickets than last year. Still others may just want to match last year's win total after losing a key player.

Torre is in danger because George Steinbrenner's expectations are to win the World Series every year. And it isn't the flowery "we'd like to compete in our division every season" kind-of goal that every team owner has. Steinbrenner literally wants to win it all, all the time. Anything less is a failed season. By that measure, Torre has had four failed seasons in a row. He hasn't won it all since 2000. In fact, the Yankees haven't even made it to the series in two of the past three years. That's a pretty hefty slump. Several managers have been fired for much less.

I completely expect the Yankees to perform well in the next ten days and slide into the playoffs, likely with an eighth straight division title. But if they crumble, crash, and miss the playoffs, Torre is as deserving to go as any other manager who's lost his job for failing to meet expectations.

Making a Pitch for the Playoffs

2005-09-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Both the Houston Astros and the Anaheim Angels appear to be playoff-bound. Both teams have been carried since August by an underrated veteran pitcher.

Bartolo Colon finally got some attention when he became the first pitcher in the American League to get to 20 wins. Not Johan Santana. Not Jon Garland or Mark Buerhle. Not Randy Johnson. Instead, it's the short, stubby Colon who has helped the Angels take a 1.5 game lead in the division.

Colon is often dismissed because he doesn't look like he should be a good pitcher. He looks like Fernando Valenzuela. The bad Fernando Valenzuela. Yet he is one of the hottest pitchers in the majors. Again. Colon is 9-1 in his last 12 starts. His ERA in August was 1.72. And this isn't a first. Colon was a 20-game winner for Cleveland and Montreal in 2002. Perhaps most impressive, Colon has pitched more than 200 innings for five consecutive years, and more than 188 innings for eight straight years. He hasn't had a losing season since he went 4-7 as a rookie in 1997.

The Astros ace is even more impressive. And I'm not talking about Roger Clemens. Andy Pettite has emerged as Houston's clutch performer on the mound. For some reason, the team hits more for Pettite than they do for Clemens. Pettite has won seven consecutive starts, improving to 17-9 with a victory over the Pirates last night. His ERA is a remarkable 2.45. Yet "The Rocket" usually gets most of the remarks on that team. Pettite has quietly bounced back from a season of obscurity last year.

Even though Pettite has been riddled with missed starts the past four years he's never had a losing season. Ever. His career winning percentage (.654) isn't far from Clemens' (.664). In fact, they're so close that in a hundred decisions, Clemens would average just one more victory than Pettite. During a critical July, when Houston was making up ground and battling up the wildcard, Pettite led the charge with a 0.90 ERA for the month. The Astros went 22-7 that month, with five victories from Pettite.

Neither Pettite nor Colon are appreciated because they aren't strikeout leaders. They both fare pretty well. Pettite is 22nd in the league with 161, while Colon is 27th with 149. But take a look at the top of the list. Some of the names are Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Mark Prior. Each of these pitchers is seen as an intimidator on the mound. They bring a lot of attention when they make a start because they can blow the ball past hitters. Yet none of them has more than 15 wins. In fact, only one of the top ten leaders in strikeouts has more than 15 wins. That's Cris Carpenter with 21.

Pettite and Colon win games because they know how to get outs, if not strikeouts. They don't allow needless baserunners. Colon has walked just 40 batters in 212 innings. Pettite has walked 41 in 209. Both pitchers average close to seven innings per start, which means they don't put unnecessary weight on their bullpen. They can be depended on to stay in the game until the victory is all but sealed.

Other pitchers may have higher numbers on the radar gun, more strikeouts, more press. But Pettite and Colon have more wins. And that's what gets teams to the postseason.

Mascot Madness

2005-09-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The WNBA announced the new team name and logo for the new franchise in Chicago today. And the much anticipated result is: The Chicago Sky. They'll be light blue and yellow (like a sky?). I'm told the logo includes the Sears Tower, which forms the "k" is Sky.

Team CEO and president Margaret Stender said the name had to be "distinctly Chicago". Right. No other towns or cities in America, or in the world, for that matter, have a sky. Stender said they got the idea because of the Chicago skyline, but doesn't every major city have a skyline? She said they chose Sky because it's inspirational, as in "reaching for the sky" and it's "high energy." Nothinhg gets my juices flowing like looking up at the sky, especially during drab Chicago winters when the city is covered in a gray haze for five months.

The most disappointing thing is that they had so many good things to chose from. Stender joked that one of the choices was Chicago Loopsters, named after downtown Chicago's "Loop." I don't think that's half bad. Drop the -sters and just call them the Chicago Loop. Chicago Wind is lame. Chicago Fire is taken. Heck, why not call them the Chicago Stenders after the first owner. At least that's original. Few things are more bland than the Sky.

So this got me thinking about the worst and best team names in professional sports. College teams are not included because they are way to numerous. Also, I don't give bonus points for tradition. Just because the Cincinnati Reds have been the Reds for 140 years doesn't change the fact that they're called the Reds.

Let's start with the negative:

Cities that didn't even try: Houston Texans, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Canadiens, New York Mets, New Jersey Metrostars (MLS). Come on. When your team mascot is just the state (or province, or country, or city nickname, or just a generic nickname for the word "city") that's just unacceptable. That's the reason you have the city to precede the mascot. There's no reason to double up.

Trying too hard to sound cool: Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Wizards, Jacksonville Jaguars, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Silver Stars (MLS). More recent franchises seem to be most guilty of this. It's like they're going out of their way to avoid having a monosyllabic nickname. Timberwolves, Jaguars, Wizards and Raptors may be cool in fantasy comic books, but not professional baseball teams. Diamondbacks, with the "clever" play on words for a baseball team, just sounds too cutesy. And nobody knows, or cares, what a Silver Star has to do with San Antonio (just don't mess with Texas, right?)

Too generic: Miami Heat, Connecticut Sun, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Sky, Columbus Crew (MLS). The first three have to do with warm weather. That in itself shows you've got a problem. Miami, Connecticut and Phoenix all claim to be hot. So does Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Houston, and pretty much any other city in the summer. Complaining about hot weather (or glamorizing it) is lame. The Chicago Sky have already been dealth with. For the Columbus Crew, why not just call them the Columbus Team?

Bad Birds: There are a surprising amount of bird mascots, but the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Red Wings (bird feature?) come up short in the fearful mascot factor. I don't care what your state bird is, or if you've got Cardinals taking over the city, you don't name your team after an animal the size of rat that couldn't hurt a fly. If you're going to go with a bird mascot, stick to Falcons and Eagles.

Seems depressing: The Indiana Fever (WNBA). Who wants to be sick? Why would you want to name your team after a condition that makes you want to lay in bed all day, vomit, and hope to die?

Now to the good ones, one at a time:

New York Yankees: It's a classic nickname that goes back even before professional baseball. It's distinctively American for a team that happens to be the most prominent in the country. Plus, it's original. No one else can, in good conscience, name themselves the Yankees after the reputation the boys in the pinstripes have built.

Milwaukee Brewers: This is one of my personal favorites. They've picked a profession that the city is known for, and that most people in Milwaukee can relate to. It's snappy, original, and distinctly Milwaukee. They brew beer, they're proud of it, they advertise it. That's what a mascot should do.

Seattle Mariners: How is it that all of these teams on the coast haven't come up with an idea to name the team after "one who navigates a ship"? It doesn't have Brewers impact, but a Mariner sounds like he'd be a pretty cool guy and someone you'd like to hear stories from.

Colorado Rockies: One of the few recent franchises that got it right. The Rocky Mountains are the most distinguishable feature in the area, and they're one of a kind (unlike the sun or the sky). Rockies sounds intimidating and it makes for a great logo.

Los Angeles Dodgers: I like this one just because of the history involved. When they were in New York, they were originally named the "Trolley-Dodgers." That's just great creativity. In a city like New York with so much going on, the ownership came up with something that almost everyone could identify with.

Dallas Cowboys: Teams in Texas are notorious for bad state-oriented names (see Texans, Silver Stars). But the Cowboys works because it's so appealing. What kid didn't pretend to be a cowboy when he was growing up? There's something very fun-loving and interesting about being named after guys who spent their lives going from town to town and rabble-rousing, kind-of like a professional sports team.

New England Patriots: This mascot has captured the American revolutionary spirit the way the Yankees represent the Civil War era. The leaders were known as patriots. Our founding fathers were patriots. Back in the day when Boston was king of the country, being called a patriot meant a lot. It still does.

Pittsburgh Steelers: This is a great city identifier. Pittsburgh is a harsh, industrial city. They make steel. No other city can stake such a worthy claim to steel, unless Gary, Indiana somehow gets a professional team (WNBA, maybe?). It symbolizes the grit and hard-nosed style of play this team is known for.

Green Bay Packers: It's such an original name because it has original roots. The name wasn't thought up in some committee like these new mascots are. The original team owner just happened to get uniform money from the Indian Packing Company, his employer. So, sure, he named the team after the company. The Packers is simple, and like Steelers and Brewers, a profession, not an animal, is always the way to go.

San Francisco 49ers: They had to be thinking, "we can't name our team after a year, can we?" But what else did they have? the San Francisco Rice-a-Ronis? 49ers is great because the history of that city is so well known, the number needs no explanation. The city of San Francisco may be non-existent if they hadn't struck gold in 1849. This is a proper tribute.

Philadelphia 76ers: You know I couldn't have the 49ers and not the 76ers. I like it specifically because Philadelphia is reminding everyone that they were around, and pivotal, when the United States declared themselves independent. Before Washington D.C., Philadelphia is where the fathers came and made their stand.

Detroit Pistons: Maybe my favorite of all. What says Detroit more than automobiles? But they didn't pick something lame like the Detroit Autos or the Detroit Transmissions. They picked the Pistons, a high-charged, powerful, no-nonsense firecracker that makes the car move. Brilliant.

Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks have done something smart that the Canadiens and Texans have failed to do. They took a regional name and twisted it a little bit. I didn't know until ten minutes ago that a Canuck was a "Canadian, specifically a French Canadian." But who knows that? Only the people who are distinctly Vancouver enough to get it. I'm fine with that. Plus, Canuck rhymes with puck. Pretty sweet.

Minnesota Lynx: This is another one I had to look up. Minnesota took a generic name like wildcats (perhaps the crappiest mascot name of them all) and made it distinct. A lynx is a wildcat native to northern North America, or, in other words, Minnesota, which is about as north as we go. Lynx is a snappy, one-syllable word that sounds crisp.

Phoenix Mercury: Phoenix has done for hot weather was the Lynx did for the wildcat. They've found a cool way to use it. Heat, Sun, Suns and Sky are all garbage. But Mercury sounds tough for some reason. It's lurking around the corner, blazing hot, and ready to pounce.

Chicago Fire: Another one of my favorites. They picked something well-known about Chicago, without getting lame about it. They're not the Chicago Columbian Expositions or the Chicago Riotous Democratic Conventions. They're lucky to have an event that sounds so cool as a mascot, but credit them for being the first professional team in Chicago (and there are many, and there have been many others) to think of it.

Week 2 Wonderings

2005-09-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The second week of action in the NFL is so full of surprises, shocks and oddities that I couldn't pick one thing to focus on. Some obvious observations coming from yesterday:

Team with an 0-2 start that still has the best chance: Oakland Raiders. Moss and Company at least competed in both of their losses, which can't be said for most 0-2 teams. Their problem is they're not using their best weapon to full potential. Sure, Randy Moss leads the NFL in receiving yards after the first two weeks, but he has only 10 catches. After tying the game 17-17 against the Chiefs yesterday with a 64-yard touchdown, Moss got just one more pass the rest of the game, for six yards. In the Raiders' final two drives, when they could have taken the lead, they didn't pass to Moss once. The future doesn't get easier, with a trip to Philadelphia next week, but the Raiders are the best 0-2 team in the league, and will probably be the best 0-3 team after next week.

Team with a 2-0 record that still has to worry: This is a little tougher because all five teams that are 2-0 are pretty solid. But Kansas City gets the nod because their defense is suspect. They're ranked 27th in the league in yards allowed and they haven't been tested yet this season. They have decent wins over the Raiders and Jets, but nothing overpowering. They've got one of the better rushing combos in the league, but their winning ways won't continue if Priest Holmes keeps averaging just 80 yards a game and Larry Johnson can't stay out of trouble with the law.

Defense Bailing Out Peyton: Last year it was all about touchdown passes. This year, Peyton has thrown just two in two games (and none in yesterday's win over Jacksonville). But the Colts are still 2-0 because they're defense has allowed just 10 points in the first two weeks (best in the NFL). But the defense is deceptively strong. They actually allow quite a bit of yards (25th in the league), but force turnovers to make up for it. The Colts forced four turnovers against the Ravens and allowed the Jaguars in the red zone only once, when they got a field goal.

What's the Deal with Dillon?: The man who averaged more than a hundred yards a game last year hasn't got a total of 100 yards in the Patriots first two games. In 37 carries, he has just 99 yards, an average of 2.7 a carry. His longest run so far is just 14 yards. Tom Brady is tough, but New England's going to have a tough time three-peating if Dillon doesn't start getting some yardage.

Younguns stepping up: While Dillon and Ladanian Tomlinson have put up sub-par numbers, a couple young running backs are leading the league. The NFL's top rusher right now is rookie Carnell Williams with Tampa Bay. The same man who led Auburn to an undefeated record last season is helping the Bucs start 2-0. In second place is the Steelers' Willie Parker, in his second season. In the first two games, he's already passed his rushing total from eight games last year.

Roethlisberger's Range: The Steeler's quarterback has won 16 consecutive regular season starts. He also leads the league in passing rating (a near-perfect 153.7) and yards per attempt (14.8). Big Ben has been criticized for not throwing the ball very much (his 32 attempts is least in the league among quarterbacks with two starts). But maybe the Steelers should have him throwing the ball more with the start he's having.

Urlacher Finally Living Up: The much-promoted Bears linebacker is on pace to get double-digit sacks for the first time in his career. He's also tied for fifth in the league with 15 tackles. After disappointing Chicago fans the past two seasons, Urlacher seems to be back in his role as a leader on the very stingy Bears defense.

Culcrapper

2005-09-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

It seems as if everyone thought that when the Minnesota Vikings jettisoned their star wide receiver to Oakland in the off season they would be better for it. Sure, Randy Moss was a distraction both on and off the field. But after two horrific games this season, the Vikings seemed to be headed in the wrong direction without their former star.

The list of problems is long in Minnesota, but it all really begins with quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Eight interceptions and no touchdowns in the first two games is absolutely unacceptable for any quarterback in the NFL, but especially one who would have been the MVP of the league last year had it not been for some guy named Manning. Thanks to Daunte’s inability to keep a hold of the ball the Vikings have turned it over 12 times in 24 possessions.

Though much of the blame falls on Culpepper, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Michael Bennett. It’s a wonder I would even mention him, considering he has barely existed for the first two games. His stat line reads as follows: 9 attempts, 39 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 fumble. That is about equivalent to a typical first quarter for Willie Parker.

So they haven’t been able to pass the ball well, or run the ball well. Their defense hasn’t been much better either. But can you blame those guys? They’re put in awful position time after time. With all those turnovers the Vikes are giving up a ton of field position.

So in three huge facets of the game, they’ve been absolutely horrible through two games. Who does the blame eventual fall on but Mike Tice. The head coach has come under scrutiny at other times as well, but this year appears to be just what the doctor ordered for those who have wanted him out before. Daunte’s lack of composure, an anemic running game, and basically an all-around horrible team will eventually cost Tice his job, and rightly so. There is too much talent in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for him not to run away with the NFC North.

That being said, the North is not out of Tice’s reach yet. This division is pretty bad, and a 0-2 start does not drop them, or the Green Bay Packers, out of contention just yet. A couple more weeks of losing may drop both of them out, but that time has not yet come. The North has already proven to be an inconsistent division. The Lions dismantled the Packers in week one, but went on to be demolished by the Bears in week two.

Tice and his team have time to regroup and win the division because none of the other teams are going to run away with it. They had better get their act together though, or Tice and his staff will be sent packing sooner rather than later.

Lance Passing the Chance

2005-09-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Whew. Lance Armstrong is not coming back. It's a wise decision in a sporting world filled with athletes who don't know when to ride off into the sunset. Armstrong's decision to be done with competitive cycling is good for him, good for America, and horrible for the Tour de France.

Now Americans no longer have to pretend to care about cycling for three weeks in the heart of the baseball season. Not a single person from the United States will be following the Tour de France in 2006. You think we care if Ivan Basso or Jan Ullrich finally get to wear the yellow jersey? The only yellow jersey this country will follow next year is Kobe Bryant's. And that's the way it should be.

I have nothing against cycling as a sport. It requires stamina, strength and endurance. But the Tour de France is something Americans have never cared about unless an American is winning. It's a gruesomely long event that is scored in such a painstakingly drab fashion. It doesn't matter who wins day-to-day, just add up the total time and you've got your leader.

It was fun to watch Armstrong dominate the Europeans at their own game, on their own turf, for so many years. But what else is there for him to prove? He said he was thinking of coming back to combat doping allegations. The French press has said that Armstrong cheated in 1999. Look, if the six consecutive titles he's won since that year haven't proven he doesn't cheat, then would a seventh? I can understand if he wants to come back because he loves the sport and still desires to compete and dominate. But to come back to try and prove wrong the French press is dumb.

Plus, he's already had his "farewell" tour. Throughout July we had to listen to reporters say, "this is Armstrong's final race." Few things are more pathetic than resurfacing after all the good-byes and saying "hey, uh, do you mind if I stick around a little bit?"

We need to let Lance Armstrong move on. We need to let the Tour de France settle back into obscurity. Americans tend, instead, to find something of interest, then pump it and pump it until it loses its flare. Look at reality TV. And botox. But Lance has done the right thing walking away while he's on top, having done all that could be done, and letting Americans get back to focusing on the sports we love most.

MV-Lee

2005-09-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

There has been a lot of talk lately about the "front-runners" in the MVP race in the American and National League. Sportswriters and columnists seem satisfied in narrowing down their nominees to two players in the AL (Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz) and two players in the NL (Andruw Jones and Albert Pujols). Each of these players is having an incredible year and is extremely valuable to his team. But one player, the league leader in batting, slugging, and OPS, is inexplicably missing from the list.

Some time between now and when he was being touted as a Triple Crown threat during the All-Star break, Derrek Lee has dropped completely out of the MVP race. This is a gross error by several writers who are putting way too much emphasis on recent numbers. It's almost as though they're punishing him for having such a good first half. He was supposed to bat .400. He was supposed to win the Triple Crown. Now that those hopes have been dashed, the writers are writing him off as an MVP candidate, too.

I understand the MVP is usually won in September and usually goes to a player on a contending team. Usually. But that isn't really the intent of the award. The writers are asked to vote for the "most valuable player to his team" when they cast their ballot. Lee, Jones, and Pujols are obviously the most valuable players on their respective teams, but Jones and Pujols have the advantage of playing on a more valuable team. Both the Braves and Cardinals are playoff-bound. But Lee shouldn't be excluded just because he plays for the injury-ridden and all-but-eliminated Cubbies.

Lee's numbers are astonishing. He's batting .339, best in the majors. He has 46 doubles, that's 11 more than Pujols and 22 more than Jones. He's scored 20 more runs that Jones and is second only to Pujols for runs scored in the majors. Lee has a good chance to get 200 hits. Maybe most impressive is his domination in slugging percentage, which is perhaps the best measure of batting value. At .669, he's 43 points ahead of second-place Pujols. He blows away his American League counterparts, with Ortiz at .603 and Rodriguez at .596.

Lee doesn't do the flashy things. He doesn't have the late game heroics like Big Papi. He hasn't hit 50 home runs like Andruw Jones. He just hits. People fault him for trailing Jones and Pujols in RBI. But who does he have to drive in? For most of the year he's been batting third behind Corey Patterson and Todd Walker. Patterson may have cost Derrek Lee the MVP. His ridiculous .255 on base percentage is beyond unacceptable for a lead-off hitter. Plus, take away his 13 home runs when he wasn't technically "on base" to be driven in, and it's amazing Lee has still managed to drive in 100 runs.

Others may point out that Lee bat only .284 in August, dropping his batting average 16 points by month's end. Got a guess what Pujols batted in August? .287. And Jones? .272. So don't hand me this stuff about Lee crumbling down the stretch.

Lee also provides a Gold Glove at first base. In nearly 1,300 total chances this season, he's made only five errors. That's six less than Pujols, and Lee has 34 more assists. Jones is an incredible outfielder, granted, but Lee is involved in getting many more outs for his team. First basemen don't get many highlights on ESPN, unlike outfielders who can misjudge a fly, then sprint and make a diving catch. In my book, scooping a two hopper from Aramis Ramirez is just as difficult, but it rarely ends up in the highlight reel.