The Spygate Conclusion

This game is all the way down to -21 for the Patriots, down four points from the -25 it opened up at. That just means good news for anyone who has bet on the Patriots. Bad weather? The Patriots beat the Colts 20-3 in one of these snow games. None of this weather stuff or "student vs teacher" stuff matters. The Jets are still one of the worst teams in the league and the Patriots are the best. The Jets may not put up a point. Take the Pats and the under.

Pats -21, Under 42

Other picks:

Buffalo +6 over Cleveland
Cardinals +4 over NO
Tampa -13 over Atlanta
Baltimore -4 over Miami
St. Louis +8 over Green Bay
Jacksonville +3.5 over Pittsburgh
Seattle -7 over Carolina
KC +4 over Tenn
Oak +11 over Indy
Detroit +10 over San Diego
Philly +11 over Dallas
Wash +6 over New York

Monday Night Downer

Wow, ESPN sure has a whopper of a game tonight. Two mediocre west coast NFC teams playing in the rain. Yikes.

Anyways, I have a feeling that the 49ers can cover the +10 in this matchup, despite their offensive woes and injuries. The defense is largely healthy and has played well this season, but Seattle's injuries are what matter most. The Seahawks will be without Shaun Alexander and Deion Branch. Two of the only weapons on that offense. The windy, rainy weather will make the passing game less useful in this matchup, which means it will come down to Morris vs Gore. I would take an 80% Gore over the other option any day.

Take the under if you can find it at 38. This game won't be intriguing or fun to watch, but a modest wager could at least give you something to do on Monday night.

Pick: 49ers +10 and U 38

NFL Sunday Picks

Bad day yesterday, went 8-11 and missed some good picks. Put it behind and head to the NFL...

Buffalo -3 PUSH over Miami
Cleveland +10 over the Steelers
Kansas City -3 over the Broncos
Jacksonville +4.5 over the Titans
Green Bay -5.5 over Minnesota
Washington -3 over Philly
New Orleans -10 over St. Louis
Cincinnati +3.5 over Baltimore
Atlanta +3.5 over Carolina
Chicago -3.5 over Oakland
Dallas -1.5 over New York Giants
Detroit +1.5 over Arizona
Indianapolis -3.5 over San Diego

Weekend Plays

Nailed the game last night, still can't believe oddsmakers were giving WVU 17 points. Anyways, onto this week.

Penn State (25) at Temple +25
Temple has not really been blown out by any opponent this year and the under is 9-3-1 in Temple's last 13 home games. Penn State has played almost all their games close this year and has not faired well going 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games. Take the points and Temple at home.

Pick: Temple +25

Wake Forest at Clemson (20) -9
Jump on this. Wake Forest is a shell of the team they were last year when they won the ACC championship, and Clemson still beat them by 10 points. Clemson has rolled their past three games, outscoring 147-41. Two of those were conference games. Take Clemson, Spiller, and Davis to roll through the Wake.

Pick: Clemson -9

Alabama (23) at Mississippi State +5
I think Alabama may get Croomed in this matchup. Alabama usually only wins or loses by a few points, never blowing out anyone. The trends are against the Bulldogs, but they did just march into Kentucky and come out with a win, while Bama had that crushing loss at home vs LSU. Croom beat em last year and he knows how to hang tough. Take Sylvester and the points.


Pick: Miss St +5

Texas A&M at Missouri (7) -19.5
Missouri has been a spread covering machine this season, going 7-1 this season against the spread. I don't see them changing at all here, especially against a mediocre Aggie team at home.

Pick: Mizzou -19.5

Kentucky (22) at Vanderbilt +3.5
This is the best Wildcat team we've seen in years, and they have still beat Vandy handily the past three meetings. Vandy has played teams tough this season, but 3.5 points is just a win or a loss straight up anyways and I can't see Kentucky stumbling here after their embarrassing loss to Miss St last week. Look for a big revenge type game from Woodson.

Pick: Kentucky -3.5

Boise State (19) at Utah State +24
Note the Hawaii game where the passing attack put up 52 points on Utah State. Utah State is just a terrible team and the Broncos won this game 49-10 last year. Go blue.

Pick: Boise State -24

Connecticut (16) at Cincinnati -6.5
Is UCONN ever going to get any respect? They are a damn good team this year and have beat three Big East rivals in a row. Cincy has some pop too, but I think a touchdown is too much to take Cincy.

Pick: UCONN +6.5

Kansas (5) at Oklahoma State +6
Kansas still isn't getting any respect either. See here:

• Jayhawks are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
• Jayhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
• Jayhawks are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. win.
• Jayhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
• Jayhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
• Jayhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
• Jayhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
• Jayhawks are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
• Jayhawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
• Jayhawks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
• Jayhawks are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite.
• Jayhawks are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
• Jayhawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
• Jayhawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
• Jayhawks are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
• Jayhawks are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
• Jayhawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

I suppose that means take OK State...nah.

Pick: Kansas -6

Quick Picks:
Michigan -2.5 over Wisconsin
Arkansas Pick'em over Tennessee
Ohio State -15 over Illinois
Virginia Tech -6 over FSU
Georgia -2 over Auburn
Arizona State -7 over UCLA
Miami -3 over Virginia
South Carolina +7 over Florida
Boston College -6 over Maryland
California +4 over USC
Baylor +38 over Oklahoma

Big East Bumblers

Tonight we have Louisville at the Mountaineers as 16 point dogs. In most gambling circles, this number has risen to 17. While Louisville has been hit or miss this season, I think this is way too many points to hand to a team that lost to South Florida. Louisville is 4-0 ATS as a big road dog. West Virginia does not have a very impressive secondary, so this could prove to be a big night for Brian Brohm.

Another factor? This game has yet to be a blowout in the Big East.
In '06 - 44-34 Louisville
In '05 - 46-44 WVU

Both of these games saw largely the same players that are on these teams this year. Also, even if WVU gets a nice first half lead, Rich Rodriguez may choose to sit Pat White as he often does, bringing the offense to a complete holt (see South Florida Thursday night game).

My picks?
Tease Louisville to +23 and the spread to over 60.

Both of these teams are strictly offensively minded and as you can see, the 80 point average they have had the last two years is in your favor.

Happy betting.

Monday Night Hit Stick Pick

This game is not going to be pretty. Two phenomenal defenses and two mediocre offenses taking the field that screams UNDER, UNDER UNDER! Lets take a look...

Samari Rolle and Chris McCalister are out on the Ravens D, which has not looked as dominant this year as it has in years past. With that said, Baltimore has only lost one game by more than a touchdown all season long, and that was when they were blindsided by the apparently decent Cleveland Browns.

The Ravens always play the Steelers tough, as the divisional matchup offers some good ole fashioned hate. I don't see the Ravens getting blown out by the Steelers as the oddsmakers seem to envision. This team has not covered the spread all season, but if there were ever a time to take the Birds, this is it.

Safest bet?

Tease the Ravens from +10 (BoDog) to +16 or 17 and tease the O/U to 42.5 (BoDog) and take the under.

If I was going to bet on anything else, I would probably just go with the +10 to Baltimore.

Teaser: Ravens +16, Under 42.5

Sunday Grindhouse Quick Picks

I went 9-5-2 yesterday. Not bad, but not great. Here are my NFL picks for today...

Tenn -5.5 over Carolina
Vince Young is a spread covering machine and at home, I see no change.

Denver +3 over Detroit
I am still not convinced Detroit is that good. We will see if Bly and Bailey can shut down the passing attack.

New Orleans -3.5 over Jacksonville
Brees and company is rolling and the Jags lost Marcus Stroud up the middle to a drug suspension. Deuce and Bush should have a few more holes to hit up the middle today.

Cincy -1 over Buffalo
This will be a shootout, as neither defense is good and Losman has the reins this week to throw to Lee Evans all day. Cincy's O will prove to be at least one point better in the end.

Green Bay -2.5 over Kansas City
Favre finally has a good team around him, and even though he has never beat the Cheifs, I see him stealing a win and running away from Arrowhead.

San Diego -7 over Minn
San Diego is just too powerful for the Vikes. This could be a landslide.

Washington -3.5 over NY Jets
The Jets are going 1-15. 'Nuff said.

Cleveland -1 over Seattle
Cleveland is proving to be a very tough team at home this season. Shaun Alexander still has not found his stride. Go with Cleveland.

San Francisco +3 over Atlanta
Atlanta is a team in turmoil and they are locally blacked out this week. The fans have finally made their voices heard (or not heard...) and there will be little support at this game this week for the Falcons. Joey will be sacked again and again.

Tampa Bay -3.5 over Arizona
Tampa D at home against a rotating set of quarterbacks will be able to shut down Leinart and Warner.

Houston +3 over Oakland
Houston will right the ship with an outright win over Oakland this week.

Indy +6 over the Pats
The Pats weren't even 6 point favorites to the Jets and Dallas earlier this season, I just don't know how the hell they are all of the sudden 6 point favorites against a fellow unbeaten on the road. The Colts D will step up and at least make this a game. Go big on Indy...

Philly +3 over Dallas
This is a trap game and I did not even want to pick it. I think that Philly will win straight up. Dallas has struggled mightily in Philadelphia the last few years and on primetime, look for McNabb and Westbrook to have a game. Stay away from this one, but I think Philly takes the points.

Good luck, good picks.

Weekend Picks

The weekends picks...

Clemson (24) at Duke +16

The Tigers are 5-2 ATS against an opponent with a losing record and even though the home team is 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 meetings, Duke is just too beat up defensively in the front four to keep up with Spiller and Davis.

Pick: Clemson -16

Wisconsin (19) at Ohio State (1) -15

This game is always played very tough and the road team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings. Wisconsin is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings. The Buckeyes defense is stout, but the Wisconsin offense has found its groove in their last couple games, outscoring their opponents 77-6. Take the points.

Pick: Wisconsin +15

Vanderbilt at Florida (17) -14.5

After my Dawgs went down and upset the Gators last week, I can't see anything but an absolute blowout in the Swamp. The Commodores have played teams tough this season, but Florida has too much talent to have lost 3/4 games. Take Tebow and the Gators to rebound from last week and put a hurtin' on Vandy.

Pick: Florida -14.5

Troy at Georgia (10) -16

I don't like Georgia to cover this game at all. Troy is 6-2 ATS this season and the Dawgs are 1-4 ATS in their last five games where they are picked by 10.5 or greater. The Bulldogs will give up some touchdowns to Troys passing attack and Troy comes in with a 6 game winning streak. Don't see the Bulldogs covering.

Pick: Troy +16

San Jose State at Boise State (22) -25.5

Boise has an uncanny way of covering at home and I don't see that trend changing. SJ lost 30-0 to Fresno State last week. Take the blue field.

Pick: Boise State -25.5

Texas (12) at OK State +3

OK State got dismantled by Troy earlier this season and I don't think Texas will have any problem covering 3. The favorite is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings of this group.

Pick: Texas -3 PUSH

LSU (3) at Alabama (18) +7.5

Tuscaloosa is a tough place to play, but the road team is 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings and Bama is 5-16-2 ATS in their last 23 home games. Take LSU to cover and take over the number 2 spot in the polls after this week.

Pick: LSU -7.5

Quick picks:

USC -15 over Oregon State
Arkansas +5 over South Carolina
Rutgers +1.5 over UCONN
Boston College -6.5 over FSU
Cincinnati +5 over South Florida
Oregon -7.5 over Arizona State
Texas A&M +21 over Oklahoma
Missouri -4 over Colorado
Michigan -4 over Michigan State PUSH

Good luck and good picks...

Fall is the best season of all ...

College football finally returns next weekend and I have my top 25 in order. I would not be surprised to see WVU in the National Championship, but with their schedule I couldn't put them ahead of LSU.

College Football Top 25

1. Southern California (11-2 in 2006)

QB John David Booty returns as a big contender for the Heisman Trophy this season, as he threw three times more touchdowns than interceptions in his first year at the helm of the USC offense. WR Patrick Turner should take over as the number one receiver and the defense has ten returning starters.

2. LSU (11-2)

Even with the loss of four first-rounders in April, this is still a dominating team. QB Matt Flynn has some big shoes to fill, but WR Early Doucet will make his transition a bit easier. The defense ranked third in the nation last season and will be as good, if not better this season with the return of first-team All-American DT Glenn Dorsey for his senior year.

3. West Virginia (11-2)

The Mountaineers had the third-ranked scoring offense in the nation last season and should have two Heisman candidates in QB Par White and RB Steve Slaton. The return of coach Rich Rodriguez’s lethal running game will cancel out any shortcomings on defense, as every WVU game has the potential to become a shoot-out.

4. Michigan (11-2)

The offense has all the pieces in place with QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and WR Mario Manningham. Manningham alone caught nine TDs last season, despite missing four games with injury. The Wolverines would be higher, but the defense has some serious question marks and coach Lloyd Carr has lost to Ohio State three years running and lost four straight bowl games.

5. Florida (13-1)

The reigning champs are riding the hype of QB Tim Tebow, who has yet to start a game. SEC teams will be looking to force Tebow to establish a passing game, as thus far he has been mostly a running threat. The defense lost nine starters, but DE Derrick Harvey is a stud and will wreak havoc for the Gators.

6. Texas (10-3)

QB Colt McCoy is the best in the Big 12 and led the Longhorns to the sixth-ranked offense in the country. RB Jamaal Charles has breakaway speed and has the talent to become Texas’ best player. The defense lost coordinator Gene Chezik, which could leave a big hole.

7. Wisconsin (12-1)

With nine returning starters on offense, new starting QB Tyler Donovan will have plenty of help. Travis Beckum led all tight ends last season with 61 receptions and 903 receiving yards. The defense led the conference in total points allowed per game, pass defense and yards per game.

8. Louisville (12-1)

The fourth-highest scoring team last season will excel with QB Brian Brohm and speedy wide receivers Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia. The defense held nine opponents to 17 points or fewer and should be strong once again. If the Cardinals can get past a November meeting at West Virginia, a trip to New Orleans isn’t out of the question.

9. Virginia Tech (10-3)

This defense is absolutely nasty. It has lead the nation in total defense two-years running and returns eight starters, including shutdown corner Brandon Flowers and tackle-machine linebacker Vince Hall. RB Brandon Ore will lead the offense and QB Sean Glennon will be improved. Upset of the year could be brewing down in the Bayou week 2 ... stay tuned.

10. Oklahoma (11-3)

The lack of a true starter at QB and the loss of RB Adrian Peterson may put Oklahoma in second place in the Big 12. Wideout Malcolm Kelly should be one of the best in the country and RB Allen Patrick showed he can run in Peterson’s absence. CB Reggie Smith leads the secondary, which will be carrying the rest of the defense.

11. California (10-3)

QB Nate Longshore and explosive WR DeSean Jackson could very well be the most dangerous deep threat in the nation. If the defense can pull together and linebacker Zach Follett can repeat his performance from last season (12.5 tackles for loss coming off the bench), then Cal could make some noise.

12. Arkansas (10-4)

Despite headaches at quarterback with Mitch Mustain leaving this offseason, the Razorbacks boast the best pair of running backs in the country. Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden and 1000-yard rusher Felix Jones will dismantle defenses. The Hogs defense will be decent and the schedule is favorable.

13. Auburn (11-2)

A healthy Brandon Cox will give the offense a jump start this year with the help of wideout Rod Smith. The strength of the Tigers will be defense, as they were the seventh-ranked scoring defense last year. DE Quentin Groves leads the unit alongside linebacker Trey Blackmon.

14. Boston College (10-3)

All-ACC QB Matt Ryan should be even better this season without his foot injury, and two of his top three receivers are returning from ’06. The defense could be the best ever for the Eagles, with 10 returning starters. LB Jolonn Dunbar will lead the defense alongside All-ACC selections B.J. Raji and DeJuan Tribble.

15. Georgia (9-4)

QB Matthew Stafford’s rookie campaign wasn’t smooth, but the experience he earned will help him this season. RB Kregg Lumpkin should step up and have a big year from scrimmage. The defense is young, but the secondary ranked fifth in the country. S Kelin Johnson is a hard-hitter who will anchor the D.

16. Penn State (9-4)

QB Anthony Morelli could have a great season with his outstanding receiving corps of Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams. Despite a tough schedule, Penn State’s defense will carry the team, led by linebacker Dan Connor. The defense ranked seventh in the nation in run defense last year.

17. Ohio State (12-1)

The Buckeyes will be rebuilding an entire new offense with the losses of Anthony Gonzalez, Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. RB Chris Wells is their best offensive player, but the defense will be the backbone. All-American LB James Laurinaitis led the defense in both tackles and interceptions last season.

18. Rutgers (11-2)

Carried by RB Ray Rice and the running game, the Scarlet Knights were 15th in the nation rushing last season. QB Mike Teel will need to step up for Rutgers to repeat their 2006 success. The defense has six returning from being ranked 4th in the nation last year.

19. Tennessee (9-4)

QB Erik Ainge had a breakout year in his first season as full starter, completing 67 percent of his passes. The running game will be decent with a trio of backs sharing carries, but the receivers will hurt with Robert Meachem gone. There are questions on defense but stud safety Jonathan Hefney will anchor the secondary.

20. Texas A&M (9-4)

The Aggies have a very complete offense, as they averaged 200 yards rushing and passing per game last season. RB Mike Goodson is the star in the backfield and averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The defense has made big strides and the pass defense should be much improved this season.

21. Nebraska (9-5)

Wideout Maurice Purify will lead this offense and help Arizona State transfer QB Sam Keller settle into his new offense. Shutdown corner Zack Bowman anchors the secondary in what should be a solid defense in the Big 12 North this season.

22. Hawaii (11-3)

Behind QB Colt Brennan’s 58 touchdowns and 18 NCAA records broken or tied already, Hawaii led the nation in scoring offense, total offense and passing offense. While defense takes a backseat to the O in Hawaii, the D forced 29 turnovers last season and will be led by LB Adam Leonard.

23. Florida State (7-6)

FSU has had three straight years of single digit wins. The quarterback position is a problem, but RB Antone Smith will break out this season and carry the offense. The now more experienced defense should be formidable, as last season they finished 18th in the nation in yards per game.

24. UCLA (7-6)

QB Ben Olson was sidelined for three fourths of the season last year, so the offense was non-existent. With Olson healthy and RB Chris Markey quietly rising as a star in the Pac-10, the Bruins should be contenders. 10 starters are returning on defense and they should rank among the country’s best.

25. Miami (7-6)

Though the offense struggled last season, RB Javarris James stood out as one of the best freshman backs in the country. He should break out this season and restore the Hurricane offense. The defense was dominating last season, ranking in the top 10 in yards per game and rushing defense.

Starting All-Stars? Hmm...

Some of the starters for the All-Star teams are somewhat of a joke if you ask me. It may truly be time for the voting for the starters to be taken from the hands of the public and placed into the hands of the manager or writers.

Lets do some stat comparisons between between the starters and reserves.

Starter: Barry Bonds AVG .304 | HR 16 | RBI 40 | OBP .516 | SLG .603

Reserves:
Carlos Lee AVG .293 | HR 15 | RBI 68 | OBP .345 | SLG .513
Matt Holliday AVG .349 | HR 13 | RBI 62 | OBP .397 | SLG .578

It is a crime that Holliday is not starting in this game. Sure, Barry has an amazing OBP, but for all the walks he gets, his legs are not helping the Giants once he's on the basepaths. This will be Barry's 14th All-Star appearance. Let the new talent in. Let the new talent start. Who would you rather have deciding the home-field advantage? The old man or the new giant?

The Starter: David Wright AVG .288 | HR 14 | RBI 44 | OBP .377 | SLG .502

The Reserve: Miguel Cabrera AVG .329 | HR 17 | RBI 57 | OBP .392 | SLG .585

Miggy should have this start. Both Wright and Cabrera are young studs, but Cabrera is playing in a lineup with no payroll and no other studs to help him pick up his RBIs and runs. Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez are his only two helpers, while Wright bats in the middle of a stacked, $100 million lineup. The inevitably soon-to-be DH Miggy should get the start at 3rd while he is still in the NL and eligible for a position.

Starter: Derek Jeter AVG .338 | HR 5 | RBI 39 | OBP .411 | SLG .470

Reserve: Carlos Guillen AVG .322 | HR 12 | RBI 59 | OBP .388 | SLG .562

Jeter's numbers have been impressive this year, and it must be taken into account that he bats leadoff, but Guillen has 20 more RBIs! Guillen is playing for a team that will probably make the playoffs and made it to the World Series last season. Guillen deserves the start, Jeter is just a bigger name.

Starter: Ivan Rodriguez AVG .282 | HR 8 | RBI 43 | OBP .295 | SLG .447


Reserve: Victor Martinez AVG .323 | HR 14 | RBI 63 | OBP .384 | SLG .543

Rodriguez? Really. REALLY?! This isn't even arguable. I mean, Martinez is the best complete offensive catcher in the AL, bar none. Not even Mauer is better than Martinez as a whole (power!). Martinez beats Rodriguez in every category, by a significant amount. This is a joke pick by the public, as Rodriguez hasn't been All-Star material for a few years now, but his best days in Texas have stuck with his name.

Just a few beefs. And I hope that the Boss is breathing fire right now every moment he thinks about the Rocket. Ah, serenity now, George. Serenity now.

"Don't Stop Believing..."

The conclusion to the Sopranos was amazing. I don't care what any of the TV critics or numbskulls on the sports radio say, Director David Chase ended it the way he wanted to, giving the bloodthirsty fans the finger. My theory... Tony is definitely dead. I will explain now.

Reason #1: Go back to the "Blue Comet" episode right before the finale. The flashback Tony has with Bobby is key. "You won't even hear the gun go off when you die" or something to that effect. Well, Tony looks up and ... Whats that? ... Oh yea, silence. Did you hear the gun go off?

Reason #2: Homage to the Godfather. In the Godfather, Michael Corleone gets up to go to the restroom right before he kills Virgil. He gets his gun ready in the bathroom, comes out, pauses for a second, bada bing bada boom, Virgil takes a few in the head. Not to mention the fact that earlier in the episode right before we see Phil's head burst like a watermelon, we see Tony holding an orange. Every time you see an orange in the Godfather, someone is about to die.

Reason #3: The two guys in the restaurant who were looking all sketchy weren't just nobodies. Of course they weren't! Would The Sopranos ever do that?! Hell no! The guy at the counter was the father of a guy that was involved with Tony's family a few seasons back. Tony had him whacked when things got a little out of hand. Revenge is at hand there. The guy who walked in was the buddy of another soldier who was working with Christopher a couple seasons ago. Christopher eventually ended up whacking the guys buddy. Yet another revenge scenario.


Reason #4: Tony has screwed alot of people. A ton of people in his run on the show. He has never truly suffered for any of it, always avoiding the law and maintaining power. Plus, even if they were to make a film, Phil is gone, Bobby is gone, Christopher is gone, Sil is probably not coming out of that coma, and the feds are waiting to move in any second.

The series is over. No film. Just the best ending possible. Classy and thought-provoking. I loved it.

So Roger Clemens beat the Pirates, big deal, who's next? The Kansas City Royals? These are merely an extension of Roger's minor league tour de force, preparing him for when the big AL bats come to town and put a shellacking on him. He's amazing for what he's doing at this age, but I still don't think he can single-handedly save the Yankees. Even if they go out and grab another big hitter - say a Mark Teixera or even Todd Helton - pitching is their achilles heel this season and it will not be improving no matter who gets healthy. Philip Hughes is NOT Francisco Liriano. Period

Seeing the Spurs manhandle LeBron and company is making me wish I was not a witness like Nike would prefer me to be. It's painful, Ginobili, Duncan and Parker are all better players than LeBron on the court right now, if only because they have one another to depend on. There will be no comeback in this series. The only reason the Cavs are even in this position is because Chicago tanked on the last day of the regular season, opening the door for Cleveland. LeBron will be seen again plenty in the Finals though...lest we forget that Jordan did not reach the Finals until he was 28. LeBron is 22. By the time he retires, he may hold the most rings of all.

The conclusion to the Sopranos was amazing. I don't care what any of the TV critics or numbskulls on the sports radio say, Director David Chase ended it the way he wanted to, giving the bloodthirsty fans the finger. My theory... Tony is definitely dead. I will explain now.

If looks could kill...

Can I just say that Jonathan Papelbon is the most exciting closer to watch since Eric Gagne went on his ridiculous streak of consecutive saves?

Watching Paps tonight was like watching a lino zeroing in on a helpless gazelle. He performs, like a trained actor. He came in tonight with 1 out in the 8th, men on the corners. The first batter he faced was a defining moment for Paps. Coming in to face the Rangers most consistent hitter, Michael Young, already deep in trouble, he opened him with a fastball. 94 mph, blew it by him swinging. Second pitch, splitter, in the dirt, Young holds off. Third pitch, fastball, 95 mph, blew it by him swinging. Fourth pitch, fastball, 96 mph, froze him at the plate, strike three, out. He then threw one pitch to the next batter, as the batter popped up. Out of the inning in 5 pitches.

His toughness is unquestioned, and the glare is impenetrable. He takes a deep breath, then stares in, lips pursed in an O shape, as if after he throws that 96 mph fastball by you, a smoke ring will slowly emerge from his mouth. Paps moving back to the bullpen to be closer could prove to be the biggest move in the Red Sox season, as he has yet to waver under pressure, or show fear in front of the best hitters in the game. Papelbot could prove to be at Mariano-level if he keeps consistent for a few more years.

Way to go Johnson, but I was cheering for Eldrick to make the comeback. Tiger, you had 3 holes to go to make that shot, and the water hazard wasn't worth the risk. I commend Johnson for BEATING Tiger, rather than having Tiger concede.

Goodnight Senegal.

What Could Have Been...

It was 40 years ago this season that the Boston Red Sox Impossible Dream season began. With the joys that Yaz, George Scott, Rico Petrocelli, Reggie Smith, Joe Foy and, of course, New England's own Tony Conigliaro brought to the bewildered city, fans were reinvigorated with Red Sox in their blood. This wasn't just any Red Sox team, this was a team that the previous season had two years earlier in '65 been arguably one of the worst teams in baseball history going 62-100. Though the Red Sox would shock the world and take the dream all the way to game 7 of the world series against the St. Louis Cardinals, there was a casualty along the way that no true Red Sox fan could ever forget.

Tony C entered the league at age 19, playing outfield for the Sox and hitting 24 longballs before breaking his arm in August of that year. Quite a feat for a teenager in the majors, 24 HR, rookie season, not even a full year played. His sophomore season he would improve on those numbers, leading the league hitting 32 homers. In '66 he would hit 28 homers, well on his way to 100 homers at the young age of 22.

In the year of the Impossible Dream, Tony C had 20 homers, making him at the age of 22 the youngest player ever in the AL to reach 100 homers. Then, in the middle of the magical season, the tragedy struck.

On August 18, 1967 the Red Sox were facing the Anaheim Angels at Fenway Park. Tony C was batting against pitcher Jack Hamilton when he was hit by a pitch in the left cheekbone, turning out the lights in Tony's head. He suffered a broken cheekbone and severe damage to his left retina. There was no earflap on the batting helmet to protect the side of his face. Tony C's season and peak effectiveness were done for good. Boston had lost one of their hometown hero at the tender age of 22. Hamilton would deny that he intentionally threw at the batter, but a fastball to the head is hard to defend as a Major League pitcher. The Conigliaro family never forgave him, even as Hamilton attempted to visit Tony in the hospital, but was denied access by the family. Hamilton never truly recovered from the incident either, as he became wary of pitching inside to hitters, for fear of severely injuring another batter. His strikeout rate declined and ERA rose over the next couple years and he retired in 1969.

Though Tony C would go on to win the Comeback Player of the Year in 1969, his eyesight had permanent damage that could never be back to the naturally perfect vision he had before the incident. He would go on to hit 162 home runs in his shortened career and drive in 501 RBIs. He would suffer another blow at age 37, this one proving to eventually be fatal, as he had a heart attack and lapsed into a coma in 1982 in Boston. He would never fully recover as he died at age 45 in 1990.

Tony C has not been forgotten in baseball lore though, as each year a player who has overcome an obstacle or adversity in his life to perform at top levels on the field again is awarded the Tony Conigliaro Award. This year the Red Sox have unveiled a new bleachers section this year to be known as "Conigliaro's Corner" in memory and tribute to the storied, maligned homegrown outfielder. The seats are $25, the same as the number that Tony C wore during his times with Boston.

Tony still holds the MLB record for most home runs hit as a teenager (25) and he was well on his way to 600, maybe even 700 with the jump start he had in age. The question will always be...what could have been?

Looking into Lucchino...

Today is an interesting day for Larry Lucchino. He gets to watch his personal, Theo-less work live, as Anibal Sanchez pitches against the Nationals, Hanley Ramirez looks to continue his hot start and Josh Beckett looks to down the suddenly-mighty KC Royals. Larry Lucchino has been bugging me ever since the Theo contract debacle in the '06 offseason, when Lucchino seemed absolutely determined to show that the Red Sox organization did not need Theo Epstein, that Theo was overrated, that the Sox were better off without him. Lets back up a bit...

When the Red Sox were in the A-Rod lottery, trying to send an incredibly discontented Manny Ramirez down to Texas and bring the highest payed player to Boston. Lucchino was strongly opposed to bringing Rodriguez to Boston, and while the whole Manny thing has worked out, the fans and ownership have had to deal with the prima donna's act ever since. There has never been reports of A-Rod deciding he wanted out of the limelight, not running out a ground ball, or deciding he just didn't want to play that day. A-Rod has lived up to his contract not only in numbers, but in character, the ultimate competitor. Manny has often showed his neutrality to winning and losing on the field, only caring about his own privacy. Though I love Manny, I would have truly loved to have seen A-Rod playing his natural position at SS at Fenway. Lucchino cares not about the character of a player apparently.

Then Lucchino was strongly against the Nomar trade. Sure, you have to have some kind of sentimentality toward arguably the best Boston player since Yaz and Freddy Lynn, but numbers and health do not lie. Had the Sox been swept by the Yankees in '04, Lucchino would have gone for Theo's head. Trading Nomar has turned out to be the most heads up move in Sox history. He was on a downslide, and in '05 when he stepped out of the batters box and collapsed like man shot between the eyes, Theo had to smirk. Nomar was much more fragile than any diehard Boston fan was willing to believe. If the Sox had traded Manny, and he had been punished for "being Manny" in Texas, Boston fans would have seen the light with him as well. Lucchino is simply not the visionary that Theo is and does not look at things in the long run. He is the classic Boston front office CEO who looks for the "quick fix", rather than going in for the long haul.

When Theo left, largely I believe because of Lucchino's actions and media-whoring, Lucchino tried to erase Theo and move on as quickly as possible. While the rest of the front office was figuring out ways to bring Theo back into the organization, Lucchino was setting up interviews with new potential GMs Jeremy Kapstein, Jim Bowden and Jim Beattie. Henry and Werner pretty much seemed to act as if they were not going to take any of these guys seriously, as Theo was the only man on their radar. When Lucchino realized this, he took a step further and promoted Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington to "co-general managers". This was yet another childish ploy by Lucchino against Theo, as Theo had grown up in the organization with these two individuals and if he were to return, it would seem like he was kicking his closest friends out of their jobs. Lucchino seemed determined to do anything and everything to ruin Theo and keep him out of the Sox office, the same office that Theo had used to put together the first Boston World Championship team in 86 years.

Though Theo has returned of course, and Lucchino has taken more of a backseat when it comes to speaking to the media, I will not forget the way that Larry has treated the golden boy, Mr. Epstein. And I know, in the near future when Theo starts making waves by attempting to move a big name in Boston, or deciding not to resign a big name ::cough:: Schilling ::cough::, Lucchino will be waiting to pounce...

Opening Day Nostalgia

"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come." -James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams

Opening day represents one of the greatest days of the year for baseball fans all around the country. It represents hope. Hope for a playoff birth, for a chance at glory, for a turnaround season. Every fan of every team, from the Royals to the Yankees, enters opening day with thoughts of October dancing in their heads. Writer Thomas Boswell even wrote a book about it, Why Time Begins on Opening Day, a great read for any devout baseball fan.

Opening day in Cincinatti is a city-wide holiday, as the league's first ever professional baseball team actually has a parade every opening day, celebrating the rebirth of a new season. The Reds are the only team in baseball that has the benefit of opening at home every year on opening day.

On Opening Day, the garauntee of a stellar matchup is there too, as it's your ace against their ace. Adrenaline pumping and nerves mounting, as the first ABs of the season and the first 6-4-3 double play combinations are tested in games that count. Hall of Famer pitcher Early Wynn once said, "[a]n opener is not like any other game. There's that little extra excitement, a faster beating of the heart. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all."

Crazy things happen on opening day as well...
-In 1940, Hall of Famer Bob Feller pitching for Cleveland threw the only no-hitter ever on Opening Day.

-My dearest "Teddy Ballgame" batted .449 in Opening Day games, hitting 3 home runs and 14 RBIs in 14 games.

-On Opening Day in 1974, Hammerin' Hank tied the Sultan of Swat Babe Ruth's all-time home run record when he blasted his 714th home run at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinatti.

-Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson recorded 9 SHUTOUTS in 14 opening day starts throughout his illustrious career.

-Hall of Famer Frank Robinson hit 8 home runs throughout his career on Opening Day

-Soon to be first-ballot Hall of Famer Greg Maddux is a perfect 6-0 in 7 starts on Opening Day

While opening day victories usually don't mean much as a forecast for how a team will perform throughout the season (the Devil Rays share the current winning streak with a few other teams of 3 straight Opening Day wins), the excitement and aura of the baseball diamond cannot be downplayed on this day of days. So take a sick day this Monday, tell your wife you'll mow the lawn or clean out the garage tommorow, grab a 6-pack, sit in the easy chair and soak up the magic of Opening Day. Because on Tuesday, you might just be another Pittsburg/Kansas City/Tampa Bay/Florida fan talking about next season.

HOLY TORNADO! Predictions...

I figure before the season starts and baseball's lack of parity is on display, I might as well try my hand at some division predictions...

AL East

For the first time since Tampa Bay ws created in expansion, I feel that the AL East has five legitimate contenders. Tampas young talent is now maturing and reaching the primes of their careers with Soctt Kazmir, Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, BJ Upton and Delmon Young. Tampa is my favorite story coming out of the AL East because they are a young, fun team that has unbelievable upside.

Now, let me preface this pick with COMPLETE UNBIAS. The Yankees DO NOT HAVE THE PITCHING to win this division this year. I am not saying the Red Sox are better hitters, but look at the Yanks rotation: Wang is hurt, Pettite is already having lingering back spasms, Pavano is the opening day starter and he hasn't pitched in about two years, Kei Igawa has been hit hard in spring training, Mussina is getting old but hes consistent and Philip Hughes cannot be expected to step up in his first year in New York. The Boss will remove Cashman's head come the end of the season.

1. Red Sox
2. Yankees (Wild Card)
3. Blue Jays
4. Devil Rays
5. Orioles (sorry Miggy, no World Series for you this year like you wanted. Jaret Wright couldn't help the Yankees, he certainly won't help the Orioles)

AL Central

Take out the god-forsaken Kansas City Royals and the AL Central looks to be a photo-finish. Without Liriano to complement Santana, the Twins rotation is a question mark this year. This will be the year that the Twins do not reign over the Central. The White Sox look good, as does pennant winning Detroit, but I have to reach and give the division to the Cleveland Indians. With 5-tooler Grady Sizemore, C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez and a slew of young talent waiting to explode, I think Cleveland makes a huge leap this year and takes the division.

1. Indians
2. Tigers
3. Twins
4. White Sox
5. Royals

AL West

This year, Oakland won't have a chance. I look at the line up and wonder how they could have let the Big Hurt go so easily after his 40 year old buckling knees carried the team offensively last year. Eric Chavez has fallen from grace and shows no sign of upside. Their chance was when they had Zito, Mulder and Hudson, but those days are long gone now. The Rangers are hurt by their ballpark, a pitchers nightmare and hitters dream. Even though Texas is very talented on offense and will benefit from a full year of Ian Kinsler, I don't think they have enough. I give it up to the LAA Angels. Bartolo Colon had a good pitching session the other day showing excellent velocity and control, and combining that with Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver (once he's healthy), K-Rod, Howie Kendrick, and a reliable outfield, the Angels should win this division. It will NOT be by a huge margin though.

1. Angels
2. Rangers
3. Athletics
4. Mariners

NL East

Though I am an AL guy at heart, the NL East is probably the most evenly matched division in baseball (minus the Nationals since they let Soriano go). The Phillies showcase the reigning MVP and hope that Brett Myers and Cole Hamels can pitch them to a playoff berth. The Phillies have horribly underperformed the last few years, as each year it seems there are "experts" talking preseason about how this is the year for the Phillies. Well, sorry, but it still is not the year for the Phillies. Ryan Howard or not, the team faces too many sluggers in their bandbox home to be successful. The Marlins are my favorite team in this division with so much young talent that it is truly sad thinking about how the Red Sox, Yankees and other big spenders will pluck them away in the coming years. With a $15 million payroll, the Marlins cannot expect to get into the playoffs. This team overperformed immensely under fired Manager of the Year Joe Girardi. It will be fun to watch how they perform individually, but hopes for a playoff appearance are doubtful.

This leaves the Braves and Mets. Both teams stocked with talent and big names BUT one doth not look past the rotations to figure this one out... The Mets are putting out there Tom Glavine, the Shadow of the Former El Duque, John Maine, Oliver Perez and Chan Ho Park. There isn't a single pitcher in that rotation at the top of his game. I don't even need to go over the Braves rotation because the Mets are so mediocre. And Pedro doesn't pitch until June but that doesn't matter, he will NEVER be the Pedro of 1999-2000.

1. Braves
2. Mets
3. Phillies
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central

To me, this is the most puzzling division to figure out. The Cards are an easy pick for the division, but I think that the wild card comes out of the central as well. For me, the Astros are the wild card in this league, adding Carlos Lee to Lance Berkman is deadly and with the 2nd best pitcher in the league with Oswalt, the Astros take the WC. The Cubs have hitting, but no pitching to back it up. As per usual, Prior and Wood are question marks and Ted Lilly isn't going to win more than 12 games this year. Dempster is a shaky closer as well. I like the Brewers as well, but there's too much competition in the league for the small market beer-makers. Cincinatti is interesting with Arroyo and Harang as a one-two punch but I don't buy the hype. Arroyo could easily be a one-hit wonder.

1. Cardinals
2. Astros (Wild Card)
3. Cubs
4. Reds
5. Brewers
6. Pittsburg (Jason Bay won't waste his whole career on a loser...)

NL West

Arizona is going to be good this year...second place good. Randy Johnson will flourish now that hes out of New York and the young stud outfielders Chris B. Young and Carlos Quentin are going to surprise the league this year. Colorado simply doesn't have the pitching to win, despite the blossoming superstars Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins. The Dodgers overperformed last year and lost J.D. Drew in the offseason. San Francisco got a key pickup with Barry Zito, but they lost Jason Schmidt. Bonds will play a Clemens-length season or until he hits 756. San Diego will hold on to the division again, as Clay Hensley will benefit from Greg Maddux's presence and Jake Peavy and Chris Young will dominate hitters in pitchers dream Petco Park.

1. Padres
2. Diamondbacks
3. Dodgers
4. Giants
5. Rockies

Thats it...goodnight Senegal.

Who To Watch in '07

Conor Jackson, ARI: Look for this guy to see all of his numbers take a nice leap in his sophomore year. After posting a career .332 AVG in 3 seasons in the minors, he transfered that to .291 in 485 AB in the majors. His line last year was .291/15 HR/75 R/79 RBI. With a full year as a starter and about 100 more ABs, I'll put him at .288/20-25HR/90R/99RBI.



Alex Rios, TOR: Last year, everyone gave the rave reviews and big time contract to Vernon Wells, shifting attention away from Rios' break out year. At .302/17HR/82RBI/68R/15SB Rios posted a very respectable, albeit under-the-radar performance. The numbers would have been significantly gaudier if Rios had not contracted a staph infection in June. Hes a five-tooler in the making with power, speed and quick hands. He will emerge this year as a prominent part of a potentially daunting Blue Jay lineup alongside Glaus, Wells, Frank Thomas and Overbay. With the protection in this line up I'll go with .315/24HR/78R/97RBI/25SB.



Howie Kendrick, LA-ANA: While he does seem to have Francouer syndrome with 9BB in 267ABs, this 22 year old posted .285/4HR/25R/30RBI/6SB in limited playing time. The 6SB for a 1B are impressive enough in that limited playing time. He will have plenty of time to develop this year and despite the growing pains experienced by all young players, I predict .280/14HR/75R/63RBI/18SB.


Brad Hawpe, COL: Hawpe is somewhat of a puzzle in Colorado, as he is one of the only Rockies players I have ever seen who produced significantly LESS at Coors Field than at opponents fields. Heres the numbers breakdown:
Home: .282/6HR/34R/36RBI
Away: .303/16HR/33R/48RBI
If he can begin to take advantage of Coors Field, then there is nothing to stop this 27 year old from posting sky-high numbers. I put him at .305/30HR/80R/99RBI.


Adrian Gonzalez, SD: Hitting in the pitcher-friendly Petco Park 81 games a year is no walk in the park. Gonzalez seems to be on a mission to prove this wrong. A-Gon posted .304/24HR/83R/82RBI last year and at the Fisher Price age of 25, he will undoubtedly improve upon those numbers this year. He proved in his first full season he can hit anywhere and this year will go .308/28HR/95R/100RBI.

Bonds gets death threats? How can that be...

So Mr. Bonds claims that he receives death threats. The only motivation for him revealing this information right now is a sympathy ploy. I have no doubt in my mind that he has been receiving death threats for more than just this season or this past season. The interesting point to observe here is the fact that these death threats are most likely connected to Bonds' creep toward Henry Aaron's 755. This connection is of note because both of these athletes are African-American, which pretty much eliminates the factor of racism. If a black athlete is breaking the record of another black athlete, racism is pretty much void, making these threats a different color of hate. This is steroid hate, attitudinal hate. This is payback for years and years of sneers and indifference toward MLB fans who put money in Bonds' pocket. While no one deserves to receive death threats, I have a very hard time feeling bad for Mr. Bonds, who had every chance in the world to embrace the fans as McGwire and Sosa did during their run to home run records.

MLB Notes
-"Manny being Manny" has struck again! His agent has come out and said Manny is "at peace" with his current team and location. Aw, thats swell Manny! You're at peace with being paid $18 million this season to play in a town that has inexplicably given you a free pass to do and say anything you want! I love Manny, but I would love him more if I could hear some quotes from his mouth rather than his agent or his spokesperson Loose-Cannon Tavarez.

-I am completely convinced at this point that Eric Gagne was a heavy steroid user. Sure, this may be old news, but looking at his stats he goes from the year 2000 where he had a 5.15 ERA and 4-6 record to 3 consecutive years with an ERA that hovered under and over 2.00. He also developed an unhittable 99 MPH fastball 3 years into his MLB career! Not to mention the fact that since the steroid rules were strengthened Gagne has made 16 appearances in the past 2 years. He may never be the same again.

-While I may rip on the Braves, I firmly believe that the Jones' will have a huge year. Andruw is in the last year of his contract and has made it clear that he will not be providing the hometown discount again to Atlanta. He will put up big numbers and take off running to the highest bidder. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Texas or Boston next year. Chipper had a decent year in 2006 even though he was on and off with injuries. A full season of health will remind everyone why he was the MVP in 1999.

-Kansas City cannot seem to win. If they don't spend money, they get beat. If they spend money, they are STILL going to get beat. Gil Meche is the worst signing of the entire offseason. At first I thought it was Ted Lilly, then Sammy Sosa, then Barry Bonds, but Meche trumped them all. Investing $55 million on a guy who has 55 career wins and 44 career losses. He has won 15 games once and has a career 4.65 ERA. Worst of all, he's a righty. One day I will buy the Royals and move them to Brooklyn, where I will end these senseless signings and build an empire.

-I have a feeling that A-Rods time in New York is coming to a close. If this past offseason is any sign of things to come, the 2007 offseason is going to have astronomical contracts. This potentially provides A-Rod with an opt out of New York. If in 2008 or 2009 any position player is making $1 million more than him, A-Rod has the option to VOID his contract. New York and A-Rod have yet to prove to be good bed partners and I think A-Rod would happily go back to Texas or anywhere that isn't Boston or New York. While I have razzed A-Rod plenty of times, I can't help but feel he has been treated unfairly by the New York media, which gave Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield what seemed to be a free pass when they came under steroid scrutiny. A-Rod has never been suspected of foul play or steroid use, yet he gets worse treatment in the tabloids than any other player. Although, I suppose the $27 million he will make this year is enough to attract the guile of any beat writer.

Thats all folks, more to come tommorow.

The Fall of the Braves Divisional Dynasty

Thats correct, if you would like to play for the Braves, come on out! They can only offer you at most $50 grand per year (void if injured) and unfortunately, Liberty Media cannot offer you health benefits, pension, 401Ks, retirement funds...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

14 consecutive division titles will never happen again. Ever. Especially not from the Braves. Lets take a look at the downfall of a dynasty that could have truly kept it going, well, forever if they wanted.

The Mets overspend on horribly evaluated talent (Cliff Floyd) and make moves that are unexplainable (Kazmir for VICTOR ZAMBRANO?!). The Marlins apparently find it impossible to spend over 20 million on a major league baseball team, making them an uphill struggle every year. The Phillies get the right pieces but fall apart down the stretch. The Nationals are still the mess from Montreal, but they are wearing fun disguises in our nation’s capital.

Lets go back 6 years to 2001. Here’s the pitching staff:

Greg Maddux; Tom Glavine; John Smoltz; Kevin Millwood; Jason Marquis; Odalis Perez

That was only 6 years ago. Every one but Smoltz is now pitching on a different team. Every decision not to resign these players had to do with MONEY. The AOL/Time Warner merger destroyed this team. When Turner was running the Braves himself, he went out and got the big guys. More importantly, he KEPT the guys who mattered. Lets fast forward to 2006.

Had the Braves kept just Maddux, Millwood, Glavine, Smoltz, Marquis and let Perez and Burkett go, the results would have been unsightly.

Maddux: 15 wins

Marquis: 14 wins

Glavine: 15 wins

Millwood: 16 wins

Smoltz: 16 wins

That staff would be one for the ages! In comparison to the current pitching staff the Braves are wielding: Smoltz is the ONLY pitcher on the team to have won over 13 games. Hopes cannot be particularly high so far…but wait lets look at hitting.

The Braves have some promising young hitters, but they are almost all still developing, especially the strikeout friendly Jeff Francouer. Simply looking at the years since 2000, Atlanta has let an all-star team pass through the city, making short stops only to move on because, why? Time/Warner wouldn’t put up the money. Lets name drop:

JD Drew

Marcus Giles

Rafael Furcal

Javy Lopez (this ones a stretch, but injuries have riddled him in Baltimore, look for a big year in Colorado)

Gary Sheffield

Mark DeRosa (has developed into a very good everyday hitter)

Adam LaRoche (entering a PRIME and they sell high, typical)

Looking at who is occupying those positions now, with the exception of Brian McCann, there isn’t too much to impress. Craig Wilson? Ryan Langerhans? Jeff Francouer (yea, yea), Kelly Johnson (2B apparently…).

14 consecutive division titles, 1 championship. I attribute this completely to the corporations unwillingness to spend the money to field a championship team. In 1995, the Braves payroll was $45 million. The Yankees was $46 million. The one year that the Braves went all the way, they were being paid equal to what the Boss was paying his players. Since then:

Braves Yankees

1996: $47 mil $52

1997: $50 mil $59

1998: $59 mil $63

1999: $75 mil $88

2000: $82 mil $93

2001: $92 mil $112

2002: $93 mil $126

2003: $106 mil $152

2004: $90 mil $184

2005: $86 mil $208

2006: $90 mil $194

Sure, it isn’t fair to compare the Braves salary to crazy George and his Yanks, but keep in mind, with Ted in charge, the Braves kept up with the Yankees up until the AOL/Time Warner merger in 2000. Though they have been sold to Liberty Media, team president Terry McGuirk came out immediately to tell Braves fans, NOT SO FAST, “there will be no change in the current front office structure, personnel, or day-to-day operations of the Braves.” An apparent transparent transaction. In other words, want a payroll increase? FAT CHANCE.

Transparent is exactly how I see the Braves, who are gearing up for more years like the struggle-filled 2006, devoid of any big transactions or moves for fear of money burdens. The off-season said it all…so long LaRoche, hello Craig Wilson and Mike Williams. A bullpen can only save games that the hitters put the runs up for.

At least you'll always have this...

17 seasons...2 home runs. The man, the myth, the legend. Senor Belliard.