Out of the blue, Philly emerges to land Lee - Just when he seemed on the fence of heading either Texas or New York bound, the Cliff Lee sweepstakes took a surprising twist. Ditching the glam of playing under the microscope that is the big apple, and the sweltering heat Texas has to offer, Lee decided to return to the team that traded him just a year ago. Though his destination might seem like somewhat of a surprise given Philly was under the radar in acquiring Lee, the biggest shocker is the amount of money he left on the table. According to sources, New York offered a 6-year, $138 Million dollar deal with a $16 Million dollar option for a seventh year. Meanwhile, Texas offered a similar contract worth $138 Million over 6-years, the only difference -- a seventh year option of $23 Million.
Those same sources say if Texas was willing to guarantee a seventh year, Lee would have signed on the dotted line. Instead, he settles for 5-years, and $120 Million to pitch in the city of Brotherly Love. After winning a Cy Young Award with a mediocre Cleveland Indians ball club in '08, Lee was traded mid-season to the Phillies, pitching them to their second consecutive World Series appearance and single-handedly won the only two games in the series against the Yankees. With a year left on his contract, the Phils dealt Lee to the Mariners in fear of not being able to sign him to a long term deal, and later packaged a number of prospects to Toronto for Roy Halladay. The move was often criticized, but couldn't have worked out any better now that they have both Halladay who won the Cy Young this past season, and Lee, who was nothing short of magical during his brief stint with the club. To compliment their dynamic duo of Cy Young Award winners, the Philadelphia pitching staff also includes Roy Oswalt, who has finished atop the Cy Young voting for a number of years, and 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels. With Lee back in the mix, the Phillies now have three of the eight best winning percentages in all of baseball among starters (Halladay and Oswalt), and is being regarded as the best starting pitching staff in all of baseball. However, the reigning World Series Champion San Francisco Giants beg to differ. What the deal means for teams like the Rangers and Yankees that are still in need of an All-Star pitcher, only puts fire under those desperate to make a trade for Kansas City's Zach Greinke. Or perhaps Joe Blaton, who the Phillies are shopping in hopes of cutting payroll.
Although he could have made a bit more cash having signed with either Texas or New York, the $120 Million dollar deal still makes it the fourth richest free agent contract issued to a starting pitcher in Major League history, only behind former Indians teammate C.C. Sabathia's $161 Million with the Yankees, Barry Zito's $126 Million with the Giants, and Mike Hampton's absurd $121 Million dollar contract he signed with the Rockies. Does the acquisition of Cliff Lee now surpass Boston as the clear cut favorites to win it all heading into next season?
Two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance in which they lost in five games to the eventual back-to-back World Champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic get a much needed makeover to go along with their new arena. Whether or not the pieces fit, is yet to be determined. With the Celtics continuing their dominance, and the Heat finally finding its groove, Orlando general manager Otis Smith worked his magic (no pun intended) in hopes of keeping up with the rest of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference. After an early season skid that not even 'Superman' Dwight Howard could stop from happening, dropping 5 games in a 6 game span, Smith traded Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Michael Pietrus to the Phoenix Suns for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark. The blockbuster moves didn't stop there, as Rashard Lewis was sent to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Gilbert Arenas. Though it may not be the biggest acquisition of them all, it may be the most surprising, as it seemed the Wizards couldn't give Arenas away after last year's gun incident that resulted in an indefinite suspension that saw the self-proclaimed 'Agent Zero' miss a good portion of the 2009-2010 NBA season. When being told about the acquisition of Arenas, Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said he was unsure on how he'd fit him into the system, which may include him coming off the bench. With plenty of talent in the point-guard department with the likes of J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson, that may not be a bad thing, leaving Stan Van with a number of options. Although the lethal three-point shooting weapon of Rashard Lewis will be sure to be missed, the big man presence of Marcin Gortat has to be Orlando's biggest loss considering how much of a drop in size they'll suffer, making it easier for teams like the Celtics to utilize their bigs. The biggest addition on the other hand, is Hedo Turkoglu who played a key role in the Magic's Eastern Conference Championship in '09. Since leaving the squad, Hedo has run into some trouble with the organization he formally signed with last year as a free agent (Toronto Raptors), before being traded to the Suns where his numbers have only regressed. While it's unknown if Turkoglu can reincarnate himself back into stardom for Orlando, the deal was worth a shot considering how much of an upgrade they got in Jason Richardson over the elder Vince Carter.
Coming off a blowout win against the rival Seahawks, San Francisco would take a trip down south to San Diego for another blowout. This one however, would come at the expense of the 49ers. After winning the coin toss, Chargers QB and potential MVP candidate Philip Rivers wasted no time connecting with one of his favorite targets, as wide receiver Vincent Jackson hauled in a 58 yard reception for an early San Diego touchdown. Jackson, who had a Pro Bowl season last year, held out for a majority of the season, missing 10 games while seeking a new deal. Having played only two games before Thursday night, Jackson had only two catches and zero touchdowns to show for. Though he would make up for time lost, finishing the game with a big night offensively. Before most of the scoring took place, a huge blow would be felt throughout the 49er defense later on in the early going of the first quarter, as one of their better players -- Justin Smith was ejected for pushing who he thought was a player, but turned out to be an official. A few drives later, the 49er offense finally appeared to get something going, kicking a field goal. However, a leverage penalty would give the 49ers a 1st and goal. After failing to reach the end-zone on three straight players, including an Alex Smith run that was first ruled a touchdown before being overturned on a Norv Turner challenge, Mike Singletary decided to go for it on forth down, but the San Francisco offense came out empty handed as they failed to score. The Chargers would tack on ten more points before the half, on a Nate Kaeding FG, and another TD pass to V-Jack, making it 17-0. Out of the locker room to start the second half and in need of some momentum, Ted Ginn appeared to have gotten the deal done, returning a kick off back for a touchdown, only to be negated by an illegal block in the back penalty. Not much would be worth noting for the 49ers after that, as San Diego's lead only grew. Vincent Jackson continued his onslaught, reeling in a career high third touchdown reception to go along with 112 yards on 5 catches, putting the game well out of reach. Filling in for the injured Frank Gore, back-up running back Brian Westbrook prevented the Niners from being shut-out for a second time this season, with a touchdown run in the 4th quarter. Though the 34-7 loss has to be deflating for a 49er team that came off a big home victory less than a week ago, the playoffs are still not out of the question depending on what the rest of the NFC West does this weekend.
Week 16 - For Week 16, the 49ers look ahead as they get set to visit St. Louis to face off against the division leading Rams who they beat at home in an overtime effort 23-20, back in Week 10. A much different team when playing at home, Sam Bradford and company plan to put an end to San Francisco's Playoff hopes.
Sending ripples in this years MLB offseason and the baseball universe, is the ongoing deals that have transpired in the early weeks of Baseball's Winter Meetings. Though the list of Free Agents isn't as appealing as it has been in years past outside of Cliff Lee of coarse and a few others, we've already seen a handful of blockbuster deals being made. While the overspending of the Nationals to get Jayson Werth garnered much attention, fitting that blockbuster category, another big move being made this time by way of the trade, was the dealing of Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. In exchange, San Diego received a number of Minor League prospects.
Upon being introduced in a press-conference in Massachusetts, A-Gone took little to no time to catch the support of Red Sox Nation by describing his desire to win and his readiness to, "Beat the Yanks." Gonzalez, a 3-time All-Star and 2-time Gold Glove Award winner, will service the final year of a four-year deal in 2011, worth $6.3 Million dollars. While a contract extension is in the works, what the change of scenery does for Gonzalez who has developed a reputation for his raw ability to hit the long ball to the opposite field despite hitting in the pitcher friendly Petco Park for the past five seasons, will only help his cause now that he'll be playing in the friendly confines of Fenway. Just two seasons removed from a disappointing offseason in which Red Sox GM Theo Epstein failed to sign Mark Texeira, it seems the acquisition of Gonzalez just might have made up for it, not to mention for a fraction of the price.
As if it wasn't apparent enough that the Red Sox were ready to put last season behind them, a season in which they failed to make it to the Postseason for the first time in four years, they go out and make yet another blockbuster deal. After the addition of the slugging/defensive-wiz Gonzalez, the Red Sox made an aggressive effort to bring in the speedy Carl Crawford. Helping reshape Boston's line-up as one of the more devastating groups from top to bottom, Crawford agreed to a 7-year, $142 Million dollar contract, giving the Red Sox one of the better 1-2 punches that we've seen in years past. The Crawford signing has its own domino effect, as teams like the Angels will have to do without the player they based their entire offseason plan on, and will be forced to resort to plan B.
After offering a 6-year, $108 Million dollar contract that ended up not being enough for the biggest marquee position player of this offseason, the Angels will have to shop the market in hopes of landing an All-Star player that can help L.A. regain supremacy in the AL West. One possibility is signing Adrian Beltre who revitalized his career last year with Boston, hitting .321 to go along with 28 home runs and 102 RBI's, all career highs since his MVP-like season in '04 with the Dodgers. As for the aftermath of a Tampa Bay Rays team, 2-years removed from a World Series appearance and the best record in the American League last season, the ball club has seen a number of key players that contributed to their success sign elsewhere. Those players include reliever Joaquin Benoit, first baseman Carlos Pena, the aforementioned Carl Crawford, and closer Rafael Soriano who remains to be unsigned at this point. Adding insult to injury, shortstop Jason Bartlett was recently traded to San Diego, and rumor has it, starting pitcher Matt Garza is being linked to a possible trade. Hoping to rise from the ashes like the Rays have in recent years, the Baltimore Orioles who have been cellar dwellers in the AL East for the past several years, hope to put an end to that by acquiring All-Star slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds from Arizona. Although the Red Sox and Yankees remain to be the clear cut favorites in the powerhouse division, it'll be interesting to see how the 2011 season pans out.
After failing to make it three consecutive wins last Sunday by losing to the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers returned home to face off against the Seahawks. For Mike Singletary and co., hosting Seattle meant a chance to redeem themselves after enduring their only defeat within the division this season. Having been out since Week 7 with an injured shoulder before being demoted and having his job taken over by back-up QB Troy Smith, Alex Smith made his return to Candlestick, where the boo birds were in full effect just two plays in. But having a knack for getting on the board early on the teams first offensive possession and not much after, Smith connected with his favorite target -- TE Vernon Davis for a 42 yard touchdown, silencing a bit of the crowd for the time being.
Two possessions later, the Seahawks answered with a touchdown of their own, as QB Matt Hasselbeck found wide-out Ruvell Martin 11 yards out for a touchdown, tying the game at 7. With a chance to respond, Smith marched his team down field before having to settle for a Jeff Reed field goal, as the first quarter concluded. However, the 49ers would get the ball back minutes later on an interception by inside linebacker Takeo Spikes, leading to another field goal. The San Francisco defense would come up big yet again, as LB Travis LaBoy got to Hasselbeck, forcing and recovering a fumble. This time, Smith would make the Seattle defense pay, finding WR Josh Morgan who pranced his way into the end-zone, putting SF up 20-7. The following possession, Seattle would fail to convert on a fourth and 4, adding to their turnover total. The rest of the quarter would be dominated by the 49er offense, highlighted by a quick 5 yard pass that RB Brian Westbrook turned into a 60 yard touchdown. Jeff Reed's third field goal of the day would make it 30-7, as San Francisco entered the locker room with their biggest lead at the half this season. The 49er D that impressed to say the least, proved their first half performance would be no fluke, as Safety Dashon Goldson tacked on another TD with a pick six. After finally putting together a promising drive on offense in which Seattle reached the red-zone, 49er Cornerback Nate Clements joined the party with an interception of his own, giving the Seahawk offense not only a headache, but also their fifth turnover in six possessions.
With both teams exchanging punts, Reed would add yet another field goal to his long list of chores on the day, increasing the lead to 40-7. Special teams would then come up big for Seattle, as Running Back Leon Washington ran back a kick return 92 yards for a quick Seahawk touchdown. Hoping to inch closer several drives later, the Seahawks would decide to go for a FG, but Kicker Olindo Mare's kick would end up missing wide right. Seattle would eventually get those points back, when WR Deon Butler hauled in a 2 yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck. However, the early hole Seattle dug themselves in, and the many costly turnovers, proved to be too much to come back from, as the 49ers continued their supremacy of beating their fellow NFC West foes. Week 15 - With the win on Sunday, San Francisco preserved their Playoff hopes, moving within one game in the standings, and setting themselves up for a pivotal Thursday night showdown against the (7-6) San Diego Chargers. Just like the 49ers, San Diego is also in need of a win in order to close in on division leading Kansas City. Game time is set for 5:20 p.m. and will be shown on NFL Network.
Coming off a rather ugly, but lopsided victory on Monday night against the division rival Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers traveled to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to face off against the Packers who wore their throwback uni's. With both teams trailing their respective division leaders by a game in the standings, a win would keep them in the thick of things, while a loss could decide their fate in the playoff hunt. With a staggering 261 rushing yards in their last outing, the San Francisco run game would be put to the test having to go up against one of the league's better defenses.
Getting on the board first, would be the 49ers who marched down field on offense. Coming up short on third down, the newly acquired Jeff Reed who was released just weeks prior to his 49er debut, took no time fitting in, splitting the uprights for a 44 yard field goal on San Francisco's opening drive. After compiling some 50+ yards led by Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby tried for a 33 yard field goal to tie it, but missed. Following a handful of harmless drives, Reed would connect for another field goal, giving the 49ers an early 6-0 boost. However, a six point lead wouldn't nearly be enough, as Rodgers began to set in. A 49er penalty would give the Packers offense a free play, resulting in Rodgers finding his talented wide-out Greg Jennings 50 yards out in the end-zone overtaking the lead. Green Bay fullback John Kuhn would then tack on another seven points after a 49ers three and out. Trailing 14-6, Troy Smith took only 20 seconds to connect with his Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis, who dodged a tackle and scored on a 66-yard reception, as Green Bay hung on to a 1-point lead heading into the half. Starting the second half with the ball, the Packers offense would continue right where they left off, ignited by a catch and run by veteran wide receiver Donald Driver. A combination of nifty moves and shitty tackling would doom the 49ers, as Driver was able to stay in bounds and add to Green Bay's lead.
Troy Smith and company would respond with another Jeff Reed field-goal, but were unable to get anything else going on offense from there on. Meanwhile, a pair of Crosby field goals and another touchdown pass from Rodgers to Jennings padded Green Bay's lead, before a late Troy Smith interception sealed the deal. Unfortunately for the 9ers who dropped to a disappointing 4-8 record with the loss, both St. Louis and Seattle who are tied atop the division (NFC West), won on Sunday, dropping San Francisco in the standings. As for Green Bay, they trail the first place Chicago Bears by 1 game in the NFC North. The loss at Lambeau was the second in as many years, and has me wondering, what's up with the scheduling? I'm not trying to make up excuses, but two straight meetings on the road against a non-division foe is something I don't remember seeing. Not to mention in the blistering cold at Lambeau where teams not accustomed to the cold weather don't fare very well. Noteworthy - Despite the loss, Vernon Davis finished with a career high 126 yards on 4 catches to go along with his lone touchdown reception. In week 14, the 49ers will get a chance to avenge one of their bigger defeats this year, when they took a loss on the road in week 1 to the division rival Seattle Seahawks, 31-6.
On July 8th, LeBron James shocked the basketball world by announcing his decision to take his talents to South Beach, ripping the hearts out of not only Cavalier fans, but the entire state of Ohio in the process. A little less than five months later, the organization and its fan base were given their first shot at the one they embraced and worshiped for seven years. Not by burning his jersey or making an anti-LeBron add, but rather facing him on the hardwood. The precautionary actions taken for the safety of both the players and fans varied from enhanced security, to selling beer and other drinks in styrofoam cups instead of the usual plastic, glass, and aluminum. TNT, which televised the game, did its part by lowering the sound level of the crowd before tip-off, who had a lot more to say than 'boo'.
With the electric atmosphere that rocked Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena before the game even started, you would think it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. How big was the game? Even Drew Carey showed up decked out in Cavs gear. Just how intense was the hostility? The Cleveland faithful boo'd every time LeBron lied hands on the ball, along with the minute long boo-fest they greeted him with during player introduction. Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the other hand, who played his entire 14-year NBA career alongside LeBron in Cleveland prior to signing with the Heat this past offseason, received a standing ovation. After watching the game slip past them as early as the final minutes of the first quarter, it wasn't long before Cavs fans began cheering louder for a LeBron missed field goal, than when Cleveland actually made a basket. However, that would eventually die down, as James soon found his comfort zone, leading Miami to a 19-point lead heading into the half. Regardless of their team being blown out, the fans made sure they left a lasting impression, as they began chanting such expletives as, 'Ass hole' among others. But my favorite of them all was, "Akron hates you!", of coarse referring to James' birthplace. Fan made t-shirts and signs were also fan favorites and were just as funny as the boo's and chants. One shirt read, 'Quitness' instead of the former motto 'Witness', also poking at the controversy that suspected LeBron quitting on his team during the Playoffs last season. Another shirt in particular that took the cake for me, was 'The Lyin King'. For the better half of the game, James was seen on the sidelines laughing and conversing with the Cavaliers bench. Something Cavs head coach Byron Scott didn't take very likely.
But when it was all said and done, LeBron got the last laugh, scoring 38-points in route to defeating his former team, 118-90. Since the beating LeBron and company served up in Cleveland, the Heat have shown no signs of slowing down, going on to win the next three games and extending their win-streak to six, their longest this year. Many are pointing at LeBron's return to Cleveland as being a possible turning point for this Miami Heat squad that was thought such highly of coming into the season. Although they won't reach the Chicago Bulls territory of 72-regular season wins many believed they were capable of achieving this year, they could very well be a force to be reckoned with if they keep it up, even though they're yet to defeat a legitimate team. As for the rematch, Cleveland and Miami will meet again on December 15th, this time behind the support of LeBron's new posse.
Nats Break The Bank - With baseball now entering its hot stove stages of the offseason, a chess match breaks out as teams begin shifting their pieces in hopes of a title run. Coming into this year's Winter Meetings held in Orlando, Florida, pitcher Cliff Lee and outfielder Carl Crawford were among the bigger names available via free agency. But with the ridiculously large amount of cash the Washington Nationals dished out to outfielder Jayson Werth, one would think otherwise. Filling the void of the All-Star slugging Adam Dunn who agreed to terms with the Chicago White Sox, Werth inked a 7-year deal worth $126 Million dollars, joining Barry Zito and Alfonso Soriano as one of the biggest over payed contracts in recent years.
Although neither Soriano(8-years, $136M), or Zito(7-years, $126M) have lived up to their lucrative contracts thus far, at least both players had seasons somewhat worth the money they were given, prior to signing their deals. This is in no way, shape, or form a bash on Jayson Werth, but rather the Nationals organization for spending an absurd amount of money on a player simply not worthy of it. After all, Werth just signed on the dotted line as I'm sure anyone would. Being named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career in 2010, Werth benefited from playing in a hitters ballpark and hitting alongside offensive juggernauts such as Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard among others. To his defense, Werth, who had arguably his best season in the Majors, did tend to shine brightest this past season when Philadelphia endured a handful of injures which included former MVP Jimmy Rollins, and the aforementioned duo of Utley and Howard who is also a former MVP. But at age 31, it would be hard to argue Werth hasn't already peaked. However, Nats general manager Mike Rizzo and skipper Jim Riggleman would argue that his better days are yet to come. Then again that's obvious, given how much money they've invested in him. Whether or not that's true, the Nationals will have their man locked up for many years to come until the 2018 season.
Although Werth will experience a decrease in talent, leaving a team that has won four consecutive NL East pennants for a ball club that has placed last in three straight seasons, the Nationals do have a star in third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, and have yet to see what last year's first overall pick and phenom -- Bryce Harper is capable of at the big league level. Not to be forgotten is the first overall pick of 2009's Draft, Stephen Strasburg who will miss all of next season due to Tommy John surgery. With all that taken into account, the future looks very bright for the Nationals organization.
What the deal does for the rest of remaining 2011 free agents yet to sign, only adds dollar signs to their wallet. With all due respect, if Werth can make Zito-like money, I'm convinced Crawford can make Soriano-like money. But above all, it sets up Albert Pujols who's seeking an extension from the St. Louis Cardinals, that I'm guessing will range somewhere near A-Rod territory (10-year, $275 Million).
When two NFL teams meet in Week 11 with identical records of 3-7, they're usually out of the Playoff hunt and looking forward to the following season. That's unless you play in the laughing stock that is the NFC West, where a record of 4-7 moves you within one game back of first place. Facing off in the desert for a Monday Night match-up, both the 49ers and Cardinals had one thing on their mind -- winning.
With an injured kicker in Joe Nedney, San Francisco would be forced to use the inexperienced Shane Andrus, who missed a 47 yarder on the 49ers opening drive. Luckily for San Francisco, Arizona would be kind enough to give the ball back, when Cardinals running back Beanie Wells fumbled the hand-off minutes later. The turnover would work perfectly for the 49ers, who were sure to execute right away, as QB Troy Smith connected with Michael Crabtree in the end-zone just one play later. The Arizona offense responded with a big passing play of their own with a 48 yard pass from Anderson to Wells which set up a Cardinal field-goal. With 49er RB Frank Gore seeing limited action due to a bother hamstring he suffered in the first quarter after compiling 52 yards, Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon saw a majority of the snaps, carrying the ball. A Dixon touchdown run would make it 14-3. The rest of the half would be all about the 49er defense that forced three straight three-and-outs, before Westbrook added a TD run of his own, his first as a Niner. The only threat came before half time, but the San Francisco defense put an end to the surge, forcing Jay Feely to kick a field-goal. Arizona would then intercept a Troy Smith pass that was deflected off the hands of Michael Crabtree, but was unable to capitalize due to the clutch 49er D, as both teams entered the locker room at the half with San Francisco owning a commanding 21-6 lead.
Andrus who missed a field-goal in the first quarter, would get a chance to redeem himself two quarters later. However, Arizona would have other plans as cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie got a hand on the ball, preventing San Francisco to add to their lead. Andrus would eventually make on a drive later from 38 yards out, making it 24-6. Adding to the dominant 49er defense that did a lot of what it was expected to do coming into the season, making stop after stop, linebacker Takeo Spikes intercepted a Derek Anderson pass, setting up another 49er FG. With the displeasure getting the best of the remaining Cardinal fans come the 4th quarter, Anderson was given what I like to call the Alex Smith treatment, receiving more boo's than cheers, as the Cardinals dropped their 6th straight game. Coming into Monday's game, Westbrook had only 5 carries for 9 yards as a member of the 49ers. But when given the chance, the 2-time Pro Bowler registered a total of 136 rushing yards, reaching the 100-yard plateau for the 21st time in his career, and his first since December 7th, 2008 as a member of the Eagles. Along with Gore and Dixon, San Francisco totaled 242 yards rushing. Meanwhile for the Cardinals, Arizona's tandem of Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower combined for a whooping total of 13 yards rushing, their lowest in 845 games. After the game, it was learned that the 49ers would be without their 2-time Pro Bowl running back for the remainder of the season, creating some doubt in San Francisco's chances of winning the division.
Noteworthy - SF outran Arizona, 261 yards to 13 yards, as the 49ers leave the desert unscathed. The 248 run difference was enough to make it the third largest run differential in Monday Night Football history. The biggest story other than the 49ers inching only a game behind the division leading Rams/Seahawks who are tied atop the NFC West for first place, was the 188 rushing yards San Francisco was able to pile on, despite Gore leaving in the 1st quarter with a fractured hip. After the game that many were uninterested in due to the one-sided affair, Arizona QB Derek Anderson went on a Dennis Green like tirade when being asked why he was laughing and smiling on the sideline with teammate Deuce Latui, while his team was being blown out. Anderson denied ever laughing and stormed off the podium in front of a live newsroom, as seen here:
Manager of the Year - With the highly coveted Commissioner's Trophy being handed out earlier this month to one of the most unlikeliest candidates coming into Spring Training (the San Francisco Giants), the 2010 Baseball season officially came to an end. However, there would still be much to look forward to as players and managers alike awaited the announcements of this year's award winners. While both Bud Black of the Padres (90-72) and Ron Gardenhire of the Twins (94-68) won the Manager of the Year Award in each of their leagues respectively, most of the other handful of awards would be somewhat more of a surprise. Cy Young Award - Leading the debate was the Cy Young Award. While Philadelphia's ace Roy Halladay pretty much had the NL Cy Young Award won before the season concluded, tossing only the second no-hitter in Postseason history to go along with a regular season perfect game and career highs in wins and strikeouts, the race in the AL would end much closer. Finishing the year with a 13-12 record, Seattle's Felix Hernandez beat out his competition (C.C. Sabathia and David Price) by way of almost every other statistical category possible, both traditional and sabermetrical. Despite finishing behind the pack in wins, Hernandez placed atop the charts in ERA (2.27), innings pitched (249 2/3), and came one strikeout shy of tying the Angels' Jared Weaver for tops in the league. Granted only 10 pitchers have led their league in those three categories since the Cy Young Award was introduced in 1956 (all winning the award), it was only fitting Hernandez also took home the hardware. Much to blame for King Felix's poor win-loss record, was the atrocious run support he was given by the Mariners offense, which scored the fewest runs per game of any major league team since the DH was adopted to the AL in 1973. Hernandez' 13 wins were the fewest by a starter to win the award in a non-interrupted season, surpassing Tim Lincecum's 2009 total of 15 wins he logged for the Giants. Hernandez' mediocre 13 victories proved once again that wins are an overrated stat when it comes to starting pitchers as 17 others in the American League alone finished the season with more victories than the Mariners ace. While the lack of runs proves to be the case more often than others, the bullpen is obviously another issue starters have to deal with, which is something San Francisco's Matt Cain would be able to tell you a little about. Most Valuable Player Award - Sticking with the AL, Josh Hamilton of the American League Champion Texas Rangers beat out Miguel Cabrera, and Robinson Cano for the MVP Award. Posting 32 home runs, 100 RBI's, 95 runs scored, and 40 doubles to go along with his league leading .359 batting average, Hamilton helped the Rangers reach the Fall Classic for the first time in franchise history, despite missing 29 games due to a bruised rib cage. For what it's worth, the 29 year old Hamilton added to his MVP campaign by leading the league in slugging and on-base percentage. Meanwhile in the NL, Reds first baseman Joey Votto beat out Colorado's Carlos Gonzales and St. Louis' Albert Pujols in an almost unanimous vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America, falling one first place vote shy of the sweep. In spite of not being named to the All-Star team in July and trailing the opposition in both home runs and RBI's, Votto edged the Cardinals slugger who was aiming for a third consecutive MVP Award and fourth overall.Most importantly, Votto's efforts helped Cincinnati clinch a Playoff berth for the first time in 15 years, and although they fell short in the NLDS getting swept by the Phillies, the Reds gave us a sneak peek of how just much talent their young team has. Rookie of the Year Award - As for the award I anxiously awaited the most, the Rookie of the Year Award, Giants rookie sensation Buster Posey won the hardware in the NL, outlasting fellow Georgia native Jason Heyward who placed second in the voting. Prospects Jaime Garcia (St. Louis) and Gaby Sanchez (Florida) came in a distant third and fourth place. In my eyes, Posey won the award before the season even ended, considering the quick turnaround the Giants made when he was entered into the lineup. However, many would argue that he had a slight disadvantage, only playing two thirds of the season in the Majors (108 games), opposed to Heyward who appeared in 38 games more than Posey (142 games). Regardless of the extra month Heyward had over Posey, the Giants catcher had him beat in just about every major offensive statistic, except for RBI's, finishing with 67, five shy of Heyward's 72. Posey, who was promoted by the Giants in July as the everyday catcher once Bengie Molina was shipped to Texas, was given no easy task, and was fed to the lions early having to catch the Giants' All-Star pitching staff, not to mention hit in the heart of a Giants order that wasn't known very well for its offensive abilities prior to what they showed in the World Series. Regardless, Posey made his presence felt right away, starting his magical ROTY campaign off with a 21-game hitting streak, falling one game short of tying the Giants' franchise record held by Hall of Famer Willie McCovey. For what it's worth, the 23 year old catcher also caught the attention of voters by getting the job done defensively, successfully throwing out 37% of those who tried stealing bases. If you ask me, I'd say no words and or award can describe just how much Posey meant to the Giants organization and their first crack at bringing home a World title to the bay area. On the American League side of things, Neftali Feliz joined teammate Josh Hamilton in the award category, earning Rookie of the Year honors, and becoming the first Texas Ranger to win the award since 1974, ending a 36-year drought, the longest dry spell of any team to ever win the award. Though the AL ROTY race wasn't as competitive as its counterpart in the NL, Feliz exceeded Detroit's Austin Jackson by a total of 12 first-place votes and 24 points overall. At the early age of 22, Feliz set a Major League record for most saves by a rookie, with 40, surpassing the previous total of 37 saves collected by Seattle's Kazuhiro Sasaka who won the award in 2000. With a win-loss record of 4-3, Feliz finished the season with 71 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings while allowing 43 hits and 18 walks, all leading to a 2.73 ERA. The stat I found to be the most interesting regarding Feliz' All-Star season, was of the 127 Major League pitchers to compile at least 40 saves in a season, he's just one of 23 who had three or fewer blown saves. More importantly, he played a major role in me winning my Fantasy Team this season (Along with Posey and Hernandez)! :-)
With an overtime win against the St. Louis Rams in the rear-view mirror for the 49ers, San Francisco hosted the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Given how poorly Tampa Bay has fared in the past when playing on the road in SF, the 49ers would be a perfect test for those still doubting the Bucs as a legit team. No one would like to guarantee that more than Josh Freeman who has developed the potential to become one of the game's up and coming star quarterbacks in only his second year. Meanwhile, 49er QB Troy Smith came into Sunday aiming to add to a resume of his own. Hoping to extend San Francisco's current winning streak of two games and improve his career mark to an undefeated 3-0 when being named the starter, Smith would have his work cut out for him and had a hard time getting anything going with his offense.
Though that wouldn't appear to be the case in the game's early going. After being awarded good field position on almost every offensive possession thanks to Ted Ginn's good kick returning and an early gamble by the Bucs deciding to fake a punt, the 49ers were unable to find an answer as Smith struggled mightily. The combination of San Francisco's lackluster offense and a number of miscues including a Josh Morgan fumble, spelled doom for the 49ers, as Buccaneers running back Cadillac Williams scored on a 6-yard run, giving Tampa Bay a lead that would only increase. Heading into the locker room behind 7-0 at half time, the contest remained a one possession game before Josh Freeman took control. Hoping to rally late, Troy Smith was intercepted by veteran cornerback Ronde Barber, ending the threat. For Barber who has played for the Buccaneers his entire career since being drafted in 1997, the pick-off was the 40th of his career, and solidified a place in the history books for the 5-time Pro Bowler. While Barber stands alone as the Bucs all-time leader in interceptions, he also stands tall in a club of his own, becoming the first and only player in NFL history to record 40 interceptions and 25 sacks in a career. With neither teams offense putting up eye-popping numbers, Freeman clearly had the better game, passing for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns in route to a 21-0 win. The blowout loss was the first time the 49ers were shut out at Candlestick Park in 33-years. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay logged their first win at the Stick since 1980 and only their second ever.
Week 12 Preview - With little positivity to poke at regarding the loss, I think I speak for everyone when I say Monday can't come any sooner. In spite of the poor 3-7 records heading into Week 12, the division foe Arizona Cardinals will host the visiting San Francisco 49ers for a Monday Night game on ESPN. Although the records are nothing to brag about, the game could very will determine one teams Playoff fate, depending on how Seattle and St. Louis fair against their opponents this week. Regardless of the game being on the road, I expect to see Mike Singletary and co. get back on winning track, or else we might be seeing another change at the quarterback position. That however remains up to this man:
Kobe to wear Grinch inspired sneakers on Christmas - For years now, we've grown accustomed to watching Kobe Bryant and the Lakers showcase both their talents and their special edition sneakers on live television for Christmas. Watching one of the most anticipated match-ups the NBA has to offer has become just as significant as opening presents on December 25th. However, one thing that we've been yet to see during the holiday extravaganza, is a shoe that garners as much attention as the game itself. Not only will we finally get to see one of the highest regarded regular season games in quite some years as the Lakers host the Heat, but we'll also get to see some of the more flashy footwork to step foot on the hardwood.
Making its debut this Christmas, is the newest installment of the Zoom Kobe sneaker that Team Nike and Bryant put together for this very occasion. While most basketball sneakers nowadays follow the color scheme of their team uniforms, Kobe's latest choice of footwear is definitely out of the ordinary, breaking all rules. Last Christmas we saw the debut of the "Chaos" Zoom Kobe V which had little to no comparison to the holiday. This year, #24 takes a much more appropriate approach to the holiday spirit. Behold, the Nike Zoom Kobe VI "Christmas" edition: Serving as the inspiration behind these yet to be released sneakers, is one of my personal childhood favorites -- Dr. Suess' 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas'. Given the Lakers' uniform colors consist of white, purple, and gold, the vibrant color of electric green throughout will be sure to catch your eye. Unfortunately for those of you hoping to land these joints just in time for the holiday, will have to wait 'til the 26th when they're expected to hit selected Nike retailers. The good news for all you sneakerheads and basketball enthusiasts is you won't have any trouble trying to figure what to spend all that leftover Christmas money on.Look for Kobe to sport these bad boys as he and the Lakers hope to redeem themselves after the 102-87 blowout loss L.A. endured to the Cleveland Cavaliers last Christmas.
Heading into Week 10, the 49ers would face a division foe for the first time since Week 1 when they opened the season with a loss in Seattle. Coming off a BYE and in need of a win, San Francisco would need an overtime thriller in order to keep it a tight race within the NFC West. Entering the day at an even record of 4-4, the Rams opened the game with a nice drive led by their former Heisman Trophy winning Quarterback Sam Bradford, resulting in a field-goal. 49er QB Troy Smith who is also a former recipient of the Heisman (2006), was named the starter on Friday just days before the two teams met. Similar to his counterpart, Smith was sure to get things going right away, as he connected with his tight-end Vernon Davis for 40-yards on San Francisco's first offensive play of the game. After marching all the way down to the Rams 21-yard line, a number of sacks knocked 49er kicker Joe Nedney out of field-goal range, ending in a punt. The 49er defense seemed to have made a stop of their own by intercepting a pass from Bradford, but would be erased due to an off-sides call. The self inflected penalties plagued what looked like an easy visit to the red-zone, but wouldn't haunt SF all that much, as they were able to get on the board a drive later thanks to another deep pass to Davis on the first play of the drive, this time a 65-yarder which set up an easy 1-yard Touchdown ran in by Frank Gore.
The 49ers appeared to be on their way to an early 14-3 lead when Smith found Davis in the end-zone, but the TD was whipped out on a delay of game call, resulting in a FG. Sam Bradford would then begin to utilize his young wide-receiver Danny Amendola who has looked a lot like a poor man's Wes Welker given how he's been used. The two would eventually connect in the end-zone, tying the game at 10-10 heading into the half. A slow start to the second half would see an array of punts before Stephen Jackson finally found an opening for a 10-yard TD run. San Francisco would inch closer with a field-goal, before making a stop on defense that set up for some late game heroics. While traveling all the way into Rams territory, Smith threw two touchdowns, but were both negated by penalties. Before you knew it, what began at the 20-yard line was soon brought back to mid-field. However, a big 4th down conversion 18-yards out would save both the game and quite possibly the season, setting up a go-ahead Touchdown caught by the 49ers' Michael Crabtree with 2-minutes left in the game. Those 2-minutes remaining would be all Bradford needed to get his team in field-goal range, as St. Louis kicker Josh Brown chipped in a 33-yarder, sending it into overtime. After winning the coin toss and selecting to receive, the Rams failed to convert a first down, giving Troy Smith a perfect chance to lead his team to victory in only his second 49er start. Moving his team down field some 55 yards, Smith would do just that, setting his kicker up for a game winning 29-yard field-goal. Noteworthy & Week 11 Preview - The back-to-back wins for the 49ers were their first consecutive wins this year, and featured a career high in the passing department for Troy Smith, who finished the game with 356 passing yards to go along with a touchdown. Frank Gore totaled 87 yards rushing and a Touchdown on 22 carries. Week 11 will see the vising Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have been one of the bigger stories in the NFL this year, carrying a surprising record of 6-3. Even more surprising, the Bucs have already surpassed their 2009 overall record when they finished the season dead last in the NFC South, at 3-13. Coming off a close win against the Rams, I expect to see a similar game this week, with the 49ers edging out another win at home.
Significant or not, the Miami Heat are off to a slow start to begin their 2010-2011 campaign of bringing an NBA title back to South Beach. After losing the first game of the season to the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics in which Miami scored a whopping total of 9-points in the first quarter and 30-points in the first half, many believed it would take a game or two for the "Miami-thrice" to click. That appeared to be the case once they went on to win four straight, but now things are beginning to look gloomy.
Coming into the season as the highly favored team out East thanks to the return of D-Wade and the acquisition of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Miami fell to the Celtics for the second straight time in two games, this time in Miami, dropping their record to 5-4. As if 25-points wasn't enough, after the game Paul Peirce shitted on LeBron and the Heat by tweeting "It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to South Beach", of coarse mocking LeBron's choice of words when he made his decision a world wide spectacle that turned out to be more of a mockery and a waste of our time. In other Twitter news, after the 2-time defending World Champion Los Angeles Lakers endured their first loss of the season by losing on the road to the Nuggets, 'Lakers Lost' became an instant trending topic amongst the Laker haters and users of the social network alike. As usual, I gave my two cents and made the suggestion that 'Heat Lost Again' should also make the cut as a trending topic. Then again, the Lakers falling for their first loss of the season might not be as believable as Miami adding another loss to their record, right? After all, it was the Lakers that were projected to threaten the Chicago Bulls 1995-1996 single season record of 72 wins, wasn't it? Wrong! Unless they go on a number of 20-game winning streaks throughout the season considering their only 6-losses away from failure, anyone's hopes of this Miami Heat squad surpassing the Bulls 72-win mark can be put to rest.
Also worth mentioning, is the LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers who stand at a record of 4-4, only one win less than James' new team. Boy would it be a sight to see if the Cavs were to host their former hometown hero on December 2nd, sporting a record similar to Miami's, let alone beat them. That might sound like somewhat of a far cry, but who knows, at this point it looks like anyone can after the Utah Jazz erased a 19-point lead heading into the second half, led by Paul Millsap's 46-point outburst. Sure we're still in the first month of the NBA season, but is the slow start in South Beach a cause for concern, or are the Heat just setting themselves up to silent the critics and turn this whole thing around?
I'm not counting this talented Heat squad out, but like I said before the season started, it's going to take at least one year playing alongside one another before LeBron and company gel and play to their full potential.
