Insult to Injury - Many would argue that this baseball season could possibly be the year of the pitcher with all the frequent perfect games and no-hitters being tossed thus far. Others would debate that this has been the year of freak accidents as there's been a handful of bizarre injuries that have plagued ball clubs across the league this season. But just when you thought it couldn't get any worse than the walk-off celebration that ended in a disaster and landed Los Angeles Angels first baseman Kendry Morales on the disabled list for the remainder of the year, the bar has been raised. Not one, but two abnormal injuries have occurred since then, starting off with San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Mat Latos.
While in Colorado to face the division rival Rockies, Latos was walking down the dugout steps when he tried holding back a sneeze before feeling a slight pull in his left side. The injury doesn't sound to severe, but it was enough for the Padres to place their young hurler on the DL. Since starting off his first full season in the Majors, Latos has been quite a surprise, posting a record of 11-4 and an ERA of 2.48 in 18 starts. Latos' success along with the rest of the Padres pitching staff has been a key in the Friars' surprising first place record of 59-40 which is also the best record in the National League. I'm not sure it can get any more ridiculous than that, but the most recent blunder to strike Florida Marlins' Chris Coghlan, gives Mat Latos a run for his money.
Last year's National League Rookie of the Year encountered a freak accident this past Sunday after the Marlins celebrated a walk-off victory over the division leading Atlanta Braves. Coghlan tried executing the pie to face method on the game's hero and Marlins third baseman Wes Helms before injuring himself. While Helms was being interviewed by Fox Sports Florida for his late game heroics, Coghlan who lacks of ninja stealth skills and quickness, jumped out from the dugout and was only able to pie the side of Helms' face as he eluded the tag similar to a play at the plate.
Coghlan seemed to be fine at first as there were no footage of him showing any signs of pain, but it was after the failed pie attempt that Coghlan had realized he injured himself. While Latos' injury only resulted in a missed start or two, the young outfielder and Florida native could miss up to 6-8 weeks if surgery is required after x-rays revealed a torn meniscus in Coghlan's right knee. Even though Coghlan hasn't produced like he did during his Rookie of the Year campaign last season, he's an important presence in the Marlins clubhouse as the Fish who currently own a sub .500 record, are fighting to stay afloat and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Although pieing has become synonymous with walk-off celebrations over the past few years, the Florida Marlins have banned the pie to the face jubilation after watching one of their players fall to an injury that could have been avoided. As another casualty falls victim to the ongoing freak accidents that have struck Major League Baseball this year, there's no telling what kind of bizarre injury will occur next. My guess is it'll be of the insect variety or will involve a toilet. What do you think will cause the next freak accident to strike baseball?
I know it's been awhile since my last movie blog so I thought what better time to do one than now. This past weekend I payed a visit to the nearest movie theater to catch the recently released blockbuster hit movie 'Inception'. Since first viewing the trailer of 'Inception', before leaving the movie theater in disappointment at the release of 'Shutter Island', I thought the movie looked interesting but would most likely wait for it to hit the local RedBox and just watch it from the comfort of my home on DVD. But that was before everyone and their brother raved about the movie over Facebook, Twitter, etc. and told me I HAD to watch this movie. So with high praise comes high expectations of coarse.
Talk about one giant cluster fuck! The movie was complex from the get go and I began asking myself question after question before the movie even hit its climax. I don't think I've ever asked so many questions while watching a movie. Who's dreaming? What's going on? Was that real or part of the dream? All are questions you will find yourself pondering throughout the entire two and a half hours. As the rest of the movie went on, it was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. If you plan on understanding the movie from beginning to end, expect to spend some $30 doing so and watching the movie more than once. For Leonardo DiCaprio who played the lead role as "Cobb" the main character, another stellar performance was put on as far as his acting goes, similar to that of 'Shutter Island', but the movie just didn't work for me.
However I won't knock the movies special effects, as those alone made the movie stick out from the rest of the bunch. Crazy cinematography, newsstands exploding into millions of little pieces, slow motion, people fighting upside down, awesome lighting, jaw dropping architecture, the list goes on. But aside from that, it was just another movie that fell short of my expectations. I don't think I've ever left a movie theater so confused in my life. Then again I might have been one other time I found myself more confused after a movie and that was with a few friends awhile back when we went to see 'Son of the Mask'. The only reason I left the theater scratching my head after that movie though, was because I was wondering what the hell I was thinking wasting some $10 for quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. Like I said, I'll have to watch this movie again to understand it a little better but until then I'd suggest waiting for it to hit Pay-per-view.
Step aside Hulkamaniacs! - Since early June when pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg first took the mound in a big league uniform and made his Major League debut by living up to the hype and striking out 14 Pirate hitters in 7 innings, while allowing 0 walks, and 2-earned runs on 94 pitches, it was obvious the 22-year old right-hander was going to be a bright star for many years to come. However, since his dominant outing in front of a sold-out crowd at Washington's Nationals Park, Strasburg has only further enhanced his stardom by creating larger than normal gatherings at the ballpark and selling out numerous games both on the road and at home. With less than a handful of starts under his belt, analysts are already comparing the craze Strasburg has created to that of 'Fernandomania' when the city of Los Angeles embraced Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela as soon as he hit the scene in Strasburg like fashion.
Even more surprising, with only his debut outing on his resume, he's already got a burger named after him called, you guessed it, a 'Strasburger'! The menu item which has already became a fan favorite and can be purchased at the restaurant inside the Washington ballpark. *Eat at your own risk!* If having a dish named after you isn't considered rock star status, maybe having opposing stadiums double ticket sales when you're scheduled to start will do the trick. Or perhaps the fact that his jersey and other Strasburg merchandise is being sold at the oppositions ballpark? The starting pitcher out of San Diego Sate University and Southern California native has received early fan fare that hasn't been seen since Mark 'The Bird' Fidrych began manicuring the mound in the mid to late 70's when he was embraced by fans across the league, and most notably in Detroit. His presence causes much attention similar to the man he shares the spotlight with in the nation's capital, President Obama. But if Strasburg can continue to deliver like he has been, don't be surprised if you see any 'Vote Strasburg' campaigns come the next election in 2012.
Prior to his arrival in Washington, the Nationals were almost irrelevant and rarely ever received any air time. However since being called up to the bigs, almost every one of Strasburg's starts have made it on ESPN or another major media outlet. Something I find very fun considering you couldn't pay someone to watch a Nats game a month or two ago. But just a little more than a month into his big league career, Strasburg is already the biggest thing since 'Beatlemania' took the world by storm (alongside Beiber-Fever of coarse). Continuing the love fest that has followed Strasburg since being drafted first overall in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft and signing a record breaking $15.1 Million dollar contract, his extremely rare 1 out of 1 special edition "Superfactor" baseball card out of the 2010 Bowman Chrome set was being auctioned off on eBay for an astounding $50,000 big ones before the seller decided to remove the item. With the card scheduled to hit the online auction once again in the near future, collectors can begin asking themselves, "Hmm a brand new car or a baseball card?" 
But back to his work on the field, Strasburg has shown no signs of slowing down since his much anticipated and critically acclaimed debut performance that put him on the map. Through 9 starts, Strasburg owns a record of 5-wins and 2-losses. In both losses combined, Strasburg only allowed 4-earned runs including a 1-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals during Interleague play which was also his first Major League loss. Also worth noting, the young hurler received 0 runs of support in both losing efforts. Now that it's clear both defeats were received due to a poor offense, I think it's safe to say Strasburg would be undefeated on almost every other ball club in the league. If he continues to dominate the opposition, it'll be hard to root against him in terms of the Rookie of the Year Award. But if management decides to shut down their superstar pitcher which is what general manager Mike Rizzo has in mind, it'll be a close call. According to sources, the phenom will be limited to 160-total innings to avoid over working him which sounds a lot similar to the way the Yankees approached the young talent of Joba Chamberlain several years ago when forming the 'Joba Rules'. But if that's what they gotta do to prevent another Mark Prior or Kerry Wood incident, then so be it.Noteworthy: Strasburg became only the third pitcher in MLB history to record at least 14 strikeouts in his Big League debut. J.R. Richard of the Houston Astros (1971) and Carl Spooner of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1954) the others. ESPN's 'By the Numbers' did a crazy comparison of Strasburg and the All-Time Major League punchout king Nolan Ryan. Ryan started a total of 698 games before having himself a 14 K performance without giving any walks. It took Strasburg only 1. Still think the kid's all hype?
Miami Thrice - As we all know, earlier this week, LeBron James announced his plans in front of a live audience. His decision? The 2-time reigning MVP shocked the world and announced his early retirement from the game of basketball to pursue competitive eating...At least that's what I was hoping for. Instead James is added to the Miami mix that refuses to stop concocting. That's right, get the lube ready, LeBron is joining Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh for a Miami threesome. Just days into free agency, the Heat have already formed what looks to be the biggest thing to hit South Beach since Hurricane Wilma in 2005 as all three superstars have made Miami their destination for many years to come. LeBron said himself that the major factor in his decision was the best opportunity for him to win both now and in the future by teaming up with D-Wade and company.By pulling the unthinkable and ditching Cleveland, LeBron's decision was so devastating it would make Drew Carey want to commit suicide. If you ask me, I think he took the safe way out considering the fact that he hasn't been able to get off the hump and add an NBA tittle to his trophy case. It's like the saying goes, 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em' and that's exactly what James did. But as his chances of finally winning a tittle increase, his popularity and image take a blow. How did the Cavs organization and fans take LeBron's decision in leaving his home town in hopes of having a better chance at winning a ring? Let's just say it didn't sit well with the Ohio fan base as footage of fans yelling, crying and even torching a James jersey was all caught on tape moments after he made his commitment to play in Miami public.
Controversy now comes into play as Cavs owner Dan Gilbert took a different approach by describing LeBron's decision as "selfish, callous, and cowardly betrayal." Gilbert also guaranteed Cavs fans that the team will win a championship before the self-titled 'King' wins one. Talk about a low-blow, right? Gilbert also accused LeBron of quitting in the Playoffs and added, "Watch the film, the evidence is there."Upon receiving word of Gilbert's hand-typed letter, LeBron continued to say Ohio still has his heart. But after having their hearts ripped out, the Ohio faithful say they don't want his heart. With that being said, I think it's safe to say LeBron is now the most hated and unwelcome man in all of Ohio. However, the fans of Cleveland are no stranger to heartbreak as they've been down this road before when Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns moved the team to Baltimore in 1996. What I'd like to know is why Gilbert is so upset about LeBron turning down his offer when he accused the man of quitting? Why would you want to bring back a quitter to your team? Also, what makes Gilbert so confident that his team will win a championship any time soon if they've been yet to win one in the teams first 40 years of existence, not to mention when they had a superstar like 'King James' on the roster?However, the shots at his former All-Star player didn't stop there. For what it's worth, Gilbert who owns the sport memorabilia company 'Fathead', slashed the price of LeBron's wall graphic decal from $99.00 to $17.41. 1741 Just so happens to be the birth year of Benedict Arnold who is known famously as a traitor for turning his back on the Continental Army to join the British Army.
Prior to LeBron's hour-long ESPN special, the Cavs were close to selling out their season tickets for next year, when fans thought there was no chance their hometown hero would abandon them. Meanwhile in Florida, within hours of receiving news that LeBron was Miami bound, the Heat sold out what was left of their season tickets. Other than the Cleveland fans who bought season tickets, the person I feel for the most is newly hired head coach Byron Scott who will now be in charge of a LeBron-less Cavs team that was irrelevant prior to James' arrival in 2003. It was obvious LeBron wasn't fully dedicated and loyal to his native Ohio when he showed up to an ALDS game in Cleveland wearing a Yankees lid when the Indians were facing the much hated New York ball club. But with the one they once cheered for and loved now on opposite sidelines, it'll be one hell of an atmosphere when the two teams meet in Cleveland for the first time next season.After Heat president Pat Riley worked his magic, no man had it made better than D-Wade who not only gets to remain in Miami where he's played his entire NBA career, but doing so with the acquisition of two All-Star caliber players. By re-signing Wade and adding Bosh and James, the Heat have landed not one, not two, but all three of this offseasons biggest attractions. Taking that into account, the Heat are now the team everyone loves to hate, as their additions have painted a target on their back. Las Vegas casinos immediately announced the Heat as the favorites to win it all next season surpassing the reigning back-to-back NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. But if that didn't add enough hype to the Heat winning a tittle next year, LeBron's rally-cry should do the trick. Upon being introduced in a Heat jersey similar to how Shaq was in 2004, James put the weight of the world on his teams shoulders as he said the Miami-three don't plan on winning one NBA tittle, but instead plan on winning 8 NBA tittles. Those are some mighty words coming from someone who's yet to win one...
If and when LeBron does win a tittle with his new cast of players, he will no longer be "the man." And as long as he's in Miami alongside Wade and Bosh, what James fails to prove is that he can be among the game's greats and win a championship as a leader instead of just another piece to the puzzle.In the aftermath of his rant, Dan Gilbert was fined of coarse by commissioner David Stern for his comments, a whopping $100K. Cleveland fans seemed to have his back in the whole James debacle and offered to help pay the fine. As for his teams offseason, let's just say things haven't gone their way as they've been yet to sign a key player to add to their puzzle. As for the Heat, since the signing of their big three, the team has gone on a shopping spree by adding LeBron's buddy in Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, guard/forward Mike Miller, veteran Power forward Juwan Howard, and re-signing PF Udonis Haslem. The Heat made a little bit more cap space by practically getting rid of their second overall pick just two seasons ago -- Michael Beasley for peanuts (2011 and 2014 second-round draft picks). It's not yet known if the Heat are done making moves this offseason, but even the retired Penny Hardaway wants in on the action and would like to play a part in the Heat's newly constructed All-Star team.
The question I'm pondering is, who's team is it now that there's an even bigger star in town, LeBron's or D-Wade's? Sorry Bosh.
As most teams in the NBA were anxiously waiting to find out where this year's most coveted free-agents were headed, one team in particular who wasn't in the sweepstakes for this offseason's marquee names were the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead of hoping to land a big name player, the repeating champions of the basketball world were hoping to re-land their future Hall of Fame coach of 12 years -- Phil Jackson. Jackson was reported as possibly retiring once he heard rumors that returning to the team for a 13th year would cost him a large portion of his paycheck. Jackson would have to settle for a seven million dollar pay-cut from $12 Million to $5 Million if he indeed decided to return to coach in Hollywood. However, it seems the relationship between Phil and Lakers owner Jerry Buss' daughter Jeanie Buss has once again prevailed, won over and encouraged him to return to the sidelines. Then again it could be the desire for a 12th ring and a third three-peat.A key cog in the Lakers chances of three-peating next season hung on a thread when uncertainty was in the air of whether or not the Zen Master would continue to coach the team he's helped win 5-NBA Championships in 11-years. The one season without Jackson in '04-'05, the Lakers finished with a dismal record of 34-wins and 48-losses and failed to make it to the Playoffs. When first hearing about the pay-cut the Lakers organization wanted Phil to take, I thought the chances of him returning were slim to none unless he decided to coach home games only which was a possibility once upon a time due to his health. But after giving it tremendous thought and consulting his doctor, Phil made it public that he would return for what he called his, "Last Hurrah." With Jackson set to return, another question to be asked amongst Laker fans is, 'Famar or Fisher?'
The veteran Fisher who is a free agent this offseason has been in the NBA for 14 years, playing 11 of them in L.A.. Alongside Bryant, Fisher is the only remaining Laker player to stick around since the team won back-to-back-to-back championships in the early 2000's despite a brief hiatus from the Lakeshow where he split stints from 2004-2007 playing with both the Golden State Warriors ('04-'06) and the Utah Jazz ('06-'07). With his veteran leadership, Fisher played a significant role in the Lakers back-to-back role this year. But similar to Phil Jackson's case, Fisher would also have to take a pay-cut if he plans to take part in the Lakers shot at third straight NBA tittle. Hometown kid and UCLA alum Jordan Farmar on the other hand has shown talent at times, but it's unknown if the 23 year old point-guard is ready to take control of an All-Star cast. Why can't the Lakers keep both of them you ask? Earlier this week it was learned that the Lakers signed PG Steve Blake to a 4-year, $16 Million dollar contract. Whether or not that rules out any interest on Fisher's part is not yet known.
Dr. Feelgood - Another head coaching job that was recently secured was that of the Boston Celtics. Prior to surprising the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic in the NBA Playoffs, Doc Rivers made public that the 2009-2010 season would be his last as the coach in Boston due to the desire of spending more time with his family and watching his kids finish high school. But after coaching the C's to their second NBA Finals appearance in three years and consulting his family, his kids told him to return to doing the one thing he loves doing best -- coaching. With Rivers scheduled to honor the last year of his contract with the Celtics, has his return to the team encouraged Paul Peirce to stay put in Boston? And speaking of the Celtics, the team has reported that they've come to terms with Power forward/Center Jermain O'Neal, signing him to a 2-year deal.
With all eyes in the NBA on this year's free-agent class which includes a number of marquee players such as LeBron James, D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, and the underrated talent of David Lee among others, the next couple of days are guaranteed to be full of excitement and surprises. And if the aforementioned names above aren't appealing enough, those who opted out of their contracts with their current teams include All-Stars Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki. However, both of which are rumored to be close to signing new deals with their respective squads. Small Forward Rudy Gay led off the free-agent frenzy by re-signing a 5-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies worth $82 Million dollars. Days after, it was learned that swingman Joe Johnson had agreed to a 6-year deal worth $119 Million dollars to remain in Atlanta. Both of whom are worth nowhere near the dollars they'll be making if you ask me.
The first big name free-agent to sign elsewhere would be Amar'e Stoudemire who ditched Phoenix to play in the Big Apple as a New York Knickerbocker. Stoudemire's 5-year deal is estimated to be worth $99.7 Million dollars. In the hunt for LeBron who just so happens to be this offseason's biggest attraction, the Knicks are hoping to get off to an early start in impressing the one they call 'King James'. Although Stoudemire is a big man and is someone every player would like to surround themselves around, Chris Bosh is rumored to be James' ideal go-to big man. Rumor has it that James is trying to recruit Bosh to join him in Cleveland. Bosh however hopes to play alongside LeBron anywhere but Cleveland in what would be a sign-and-trade acquisition.
The latest speculation involving Bosh however has him teaming up with D-Wade in South Beach with enough money leftover to acquire another key player. All of which could lead to a lethal All-Star cast if LeBron decides to join them. But that won't be known until James announces his decision via ESPN tomorrow in what will be a live one-hour program starting at 9 PM. Normally I would call LeBron a attention whore for pulling such shenanigans as announcing his decision in front of a live television crew, but considering the money raised will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of America, I won't be too harsh on the guy. Similar to the Knicks, the Bulls are also hoping to impress James by making an early splash and landing center Carlos Boozer.
A few free-agents that don't create as much buzz and hype as they once did, is Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. Reports are in that Shaq has suitors in Boston, Atlanta and Dallas. Given the circumstances that Boston will be without their starting center Kendrick Perkins for a lengthy period of time, the Celtics would be his best fit in my opinion. Iverson on the other hand wants to return for a final season with a team that feels he could help. But if the 'help' he's referring to doesn't include coming off the bench, I don't see a team taking a chance on him. Beginning last year in Memphis before being shipped mid-way through the season back to Philly and taking a leave of absence due to his daughters health, A.I. refused to come off the bench. Perhaps he would reconsider and be willing to accept the role of a bench player this time around. Then again that may be his only option.What do you think will be the next big move? (comment below)
