Heading into the 2013 MLB season, no two teams had higher expectations than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers. So much so that many had predicted the first ever Freeway Series in this year's Fall Classic. Unfortunately those same two teams share another distinction two months into the season as being the biggest disappointments thus far into the year despite owning the two highest payrolls in all of baseball. With both clubs at or near the bottom of the standings, the Dodgers (25-32) dead last in their division and the Angels (26-33) ahead of only the lowly Houston Astros in the American League West, there's still plenty of time for both teams to turn it around. The question is, can they?
While the Angels are hoping for Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton to turn things around on offense after getting off to a slow start as well as get their ace Jered Weaver back on track after a fractured left elbow landed him an early trip to the disabled-list, their National League counterparts appear to have found what they've been missing all along. Having suffered from a lack of power all season long near the bottom of the pack in home runs and only ahead of the White Sox, Nationals and Marlins in the runs department, the Dodgers lineup has been rejuvenated practically overnight while getting a glimpse of the future. With their star player in Matt Kemp on the DL with a hamstring injury and scheduled to make a pit-stop in the Minor Leagues for a rehab assignment, Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly who's been on the hot seat, elected to make a decision many thought he would've made during the final weeks of spring training by calling up 22 year old prospect Yasiel Puig. Puig, a native of Cuba, signed a 7-year, $42 Million deal with L.A. after defecting from his homeland in 2012 and had a superb spring before being promoted to the Majors on June 2. He would make his big league debut the following day.
Taking on the division-rival Padres, Puig was plugged into the starting lineup as the lead-off man where he'd finish the game 2-for-4. However, his most impressive feat of the night would come on a play made for the final two outs of the ballgame. With 1-out in the 9th and a runner on first, Puig tracked down a fly ball on the warning track before rifling a toss on the fly to the first baseman Adrian Gonzalez in time to gun down the runner attempting to retreat to the bag for the game-ending double-play, worthy of a SportsCenter Top 10 nominee. And for those who missed his debut, the Cuban sensation made sure he backed it up with an encore even more awe-inspiring. Following their 2-1 victory over San Diego the night before, Puig highlighted a come-from-behind win over the Friars by going 3-for-4 with 2 home runs, 5 RBI's and 2 runs scored and possibly saving his manager's job in the process (at least for now) as L.A. improved to 2-0 in the Puig era after the 9-7 triumph Tuesday. The 22 year old stud became the first Dodger ever with a multi-homer game in his first two games and only the second player in franchise history with 2 home runs and 5 RBI's from the lead-off spot.
Up until Monday the Dodgers were a two man show led by Adrian Gonzalez and their ace Clayton Kershaw who's 1.85 ERA is third in the Majors behind only Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox and Shelby Miller of the Cardinals. The kid has made one hell of a first impression on his first homestand and already has as many home runs in his first two games as teammate Matt Kemp has all season. A start of this magnitude will most likely draw the comparisons to Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and other young stars who made an immediate impact with their clubs last season, but Puig seems poised to write his own chapter as the one who helped save the season despite the year being far from over. While he definitely appears to be the shot in the arm the team was desperately in need of on offense, he'll need all the help he can get from struggling players like Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez while key cogs Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford are sidelined with injuries.
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With the month of June right around the corner, the Pittsburgh Pirates are rolling and stand at 34-20, good enough for the second best record in all of baseball, trailing only the St. Louis Cardinals (35-17) who lead the NL Central division by 2 games over the streaking Pirates. With a 16-4 record in their last 20 games including 3 out of 4 wins against the reigning American League champion Detroit Tigers, Clint Hurdle's Pittsburgh ball club is the hottest team in all of baseball and figures to make a habit out of their recent winning ways. But no matter how hot the Bucs may be out of the gates or even at the All-Star break, Pirate fans won't hold their breath until the final out of game no. 162 as they've grown all too familiar with disappointment in the past.
While most franchises and their fans would complain about missing the playoffs for two decades, the Pirates haven't even finished a season above .500 in that span. Not only have the Buccos endured one of the most crucial playoff droughts in all of sports, but they own the distinction of having the longest streak in North American sports history with 20 consecutive losing seasons. To put that into perspective, the Pirates haven't made the postseason since the George H.W. Bush administration back in 1992. Andrew McCutchen, who is the catalyst of the Pirates offense and is be the best player to don the black and yellow since Barry Bonds did so from the mid to late 80's to the early 90's, was six years old when Pittsburgh last made a trip to the postseason. A dry-spell he's now being counted on to help end. And after coming within just four games of the .500 mark in 2012 before finishing the year 79-83, a year in which the McCutchen-led Pirates were sixteen games above .500 as late into the season as August 8th before much of that same disappointment came crashing down on Pittsburgh, McCutchen and company look to ensure a collapse of that magnitude doesn't happen again.
Led by a surprisingly good pitching staff which boasts a 3.12 ERA, second in the bigs to only the division-rival Cardinals and is second in the NL in strikeouts behind Cincinnati, Pittsburgh's bullpen has stolen the show up to this point. Anchored by reliever Jason Grilli who has yet to blow a save this year, has converted on a perfect 22 of 22 save opportunities to lead the Majors. Ace A.J. Burnett who was acquired during the off-season and knows a thing or two about winning having won a World Series in 2009 while with the Yankees, leads the NL in punchouts, trailing only Texas' Yu Darvish for the Major League lead. But whether or not the Pirates' pitching staff can continue their early dominance on into All-Star break and more importantly beyond it, is worth keeping an eye on.
Though McCutchen will most likely be in the MVP race come seasons end like he was last year, the Bucs will only go as far as their pitching takes them. If the rotation and bullpen holds up, Pittsburgh just might see their losing ways come to an end. But if their pitching staff begins to fold down the stretch and the ball club is forced to lean on their offense, the Pirates' hopes of making it over .500 and into the postseason might sink along with their ship.
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Don't look now but the Cleveland Indians are baseball's hottest team. Winners of 18 of their last 22 games including five in a row, the Tribe stand alone atop the American League Central division at 26-17, 2.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers after completing a four-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners on Monday with a 10-8 victory in extra innings. While most of the baseball world has begun to take notice of the Cinderella story that is the Cleveland Indians' blazing start, unfortunately their fan base hasn't quite gotten the memo. At least not yet. Despite their red-hot month and a half, the Indians are struggling to attract a packed house. The empty stands have even caught the attention of some of the players who've begun giving out free tickets to lucky fans on Twitter and other social media networks.
Though Cleveland fans have seen a similar beginning to the season in each of the past two years only to witness their beloved Tribe return to earth with a mediocre second half following the All-Star break, this year's Indians squad appears to be different. Of coarse having an ace in Justin Masterson who took home AL Player of the Week honors this week after going 2-0 with 20 strikeouts and a flawless ERA of 0.00 in 16 innings is nice as well as hitting a league-best 60 home runs, but this year's Indians squad has something they've lacked the last two years -- a proven manager who knows quite a bit about winning in first year skipper Terry Francona. With the acquisitions of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn creating some buzz during the offseason, it was the addition of Tito which garnered the most attention prior to Spring Training. Having managed a team to a pair of World Series titles while at the helm in Boston, Francona serves as the hope to help turn things around for an Indians franchise that hasn't made it to the postseason since 2007.
Francona's ball club has been no fluke up to this point, as they've knocked around some of the game's best, handing losses to such pitchers as Felix Hernandez, R.A. Dickey, David Price, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Bartolo Colon and Justin Verlander, all of whom are former Cy Young Award winners. Jake Peavy of the Chicago White Sox was the only former pitcher to take home the hardware that Cleveland faltered to this season, preventing them from making it a perfect 8-0. They've also had a flair for the dramatic, logging six walk-off wins already with their most recent coming on Monday in a wild, back and forth affair that ended on a 3-run home run from Yan Gomes to give Cleveland the 10-8 victory. If there's one thing we've learned about this ball club thus far it's that they refuse to give up. And while the Indians most likely have more naysayers than believers, whether or not their third time will be a charm will be one of the many storylines worth keeping an eye on this MLB season.
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While the NBA season is still in full swing for those teams still battling it out in the playoffs, the biggest storyline coming into the year has already reached an early climax. Entering the 2012-2013 NBA season, expectations were at an all-time high for the Los Angeles Lakers who added future Hall of Fame players Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to a roster that already included All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. On paper the team seemed virtually unstoppable and had the potential to be one of the greatest squads ever put together in Laker land. Little did they know that everything that could go wrong would. With injuries plaguing the team all season long, it was their defense that was often criticized.
Entering the final month of the NBA schedule, the Lakers found themselves in and out of the playoff picture leading to a playoff promise by their team captain Kobe Bryant. And though the Lakers would deliver on Kobe's guarantee on the final day of the regular season by defeating the Houston Rockets in an overtime thriller to lock up the No. 7 seed, the man himself was unable to help his team reach their ultimate goal in the NBA Finals as L.A. was swept in the first round for only the second time in franchise history by the San Antonio Spurs. But to say the Lakers were short-handed would be an understatement. Nash, Gasol and Howard all missed games due to injury and were joined by teammates Jordan Hill, Metta World Peace, Jodie Meeks, Antawn Jamison and Steve Blake as those who fell victim to the injury bug. But what happened to Kobe Bryant seemed almost unreal.
For many fans of the Lakers and basketball alike, Kobe has virtually evolved into this superhero-like character that nobody thought was capable of falling to an injury of this magnitude. The moment Kobe went down with a torn Achilles tendon, it seemed as their championship hopes were destined to soon follow. And while many were quick to point the finger at Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni as the reason Kobe had played more than 40+ minutes for seven consecutive games, D'Antoni deserves as much blame as I do. Kobe and his teammates know that had they played more consistently all season long and not just won games down the stretch with their backs against the wall, Bryant wouldn't have needed to play so many minutes that late in the season in hopes of securing a playoff position. Besides, Kobe's been around long enough to demand some time on the bench to catch his breath if need be.
Now that the nightmare that was the Lakers' 2012-2013 season is over as Dwight Howard described it, the three biggest questions and concerns entering next year are as followed:
1. Is Dwight Howard the future of the Lakers franchise and will they re-sign him?
The Lakers made it no surprise that they've wanted to add Dwight Howard to their team for years and last offseason they finally got their wish. And though his first campaign with the purple & gold didn't end the way Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had in mind, it's unlikely Howard was at full strength at any time this year while recovering from back surgery during the offseason. It's also important to look at what's available at center and what other options the Lakers can go with. When at 100% Dwight Howard is the best center in all of basketball. When limited as he was this year, he's still in the top 3. And though Howard's first impression in L.A. wasn't a very good one, the Lakers can offer him a max contract of $118 Million over 5 years where as he can make a max of just $87.6 Million if he were to sign elsewhere. While Dallas, Houston and Atlanta are all rumored to be interested in his services, who in their right mind would leave $30 Million on the table to play for another team? Neither of the mentioned teams have a brighter future with their current roster than the Lakers do with Houston maybe being the only exception.
2. Is Mike D'Antoni the man for the job?
With every Laker fan in the world including me going to say no in favor of bringing back Phil Jackson, it appears as if that ship has sailed for good. The Lakers had their chance to bring in Phil for a third stint as head coach before the hiring of D'Antoni and decided to move on. After signing D'Antoni to a 3-year, $12 Million deal in November, it's unlikely the team will cut ties with him a year into his contract. Then again, that's exactly what they did with the man D'Antoni replaced in Mike Brown who was relieved of his duties just a year and 5 games into his 4-year deal signed in 2011. And considering he took over a team trying to find its identity as well as plug in two All-Star players in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash who struggled to get on the same page offensively as Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, he deserves a full year at the helm to try and right this ship.
3. Have we seen the end of the Kobe Bryant era in L.A.?
The answer to this question relies more so on the decision of the Lakers' front-office than it does on Kobe. We all know Kobe is as hard headed and stubborn as they come and no player in the league wants to win another title more than Bryant does. The question is, what is he willing to sacrifice in order to get that sixth ring? While the possibility of the Lakers amnestying Kobe has been a popular topic of discussion this season, the smartest thing to do would be for Kobe to take a pay-cut. Maybe I'm reaching when I say this but what better way to help your team add talent in hopes of winning a title than to show you're a team player by taking less money. But say there is no pay-cut, Bryant who will be 35 years old at the start of next season and most likely won't be cleared to play until mid-season, is scheduled to make $30.5 Million in salary next year. That total could climb to $80 Million for the Lakers franchise after factoring in the luxury tax. But as smart of a move as that sounds, it's hard to think a premiere franchise with such class as the Lakers would let a 17-year run which saw 5 championship banners get raised go down the drain with arguably the greatest player to ever don a Laker uniform. Not to mention how big a blow the franchise would endure in the PR department. So if you asked me, I'd say no. The Kobe era in Tinseltown is not over and the Black Mamba will be that much hungrier to prove the critics wrong and add another title to his resume.
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For over a decade now Roy Halladay has been one of the most dominant starting pitchers in all of baseball so it's come to the surprise of many that the 2-time Cy Young Award winner has struggled as of late. After logging four consecutive seasons with an ERA under 3.00 from 2008-2011, Doc saw his ERA climb up to 4.49 in 2012, his worst season in the Majors logging more than 15 starts. Hoping to put last season behind him, Halladay's struggles have followed him into 2013. After a difficult spring training Halladay was hit hard in each of his first two outings to start the new year as he had a hard time finding the strike zone and failed to go more than 4 innings while being tagged with an 'L' in both games. However, the biggest concern regarding the 36 year old hurler is his velocity which has seen a significant dip.
Halladay's decrease in velocity has been well documented over the last couple of seasons but he's still managed to produce a high rate of strikeouts including career-highs in consecutive seasons in 2010 and 2011 with 219 and 220 K's despite losing up to 4 mph on most of his pitches. While some are pointing towards simple mechanical issues as the reason behind the recent drop in velocity, others can point towards his lengthy track record. Since 2006, Halladay has logged the most innings in the Majors during the regular season with 1,571.0. Though he would finish 2012 with a record above .500 (11-8), it would be Halladay's worst year in the big leagues in many ways. Despite throwing fewer than 200 innings in a season for the first time since 2005, Halladay allowed more earned runs last year than he did in each of the past four years. He also walked nearly the same amount of batters as he did the previous year while throwing close to 80 innings fewer. Having been known for his ability to go the distance and throw a complete game quite often, 2012 was the first year in which Halladay failed to log a single complete game after recording at least seven in each of the last five seasons. The year would also see Doc serve a stint on the disabled-list for the first time since 2009.
The 8-time All-Star did manage to redeem himself a bit, however, with a strong performance on Saturday in his most recent outing. Facing the Miami Marlins, Doc tossed 8-innings allowing 1 run on 5 hits and 1 walk while punching out a pair to get his first win of the year. Though the match-up was by far the easiest he's seen yet granted the Marlins were without their best hitter in slugger Giancarlo Stanton, an outing like the one on Saturday was much needed for Halladay who nearly split his ERA in half from 14.73 in his first two starts to 7.63. The victory was also career win no. 200 for the right-handed Halladay who's main goal isn't to accomplish milestones but to win a World Series. Three years removed from a Cy Young campaign in which he hurled a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter in the same year, Halladay is one of the key players the Phillies will be counting on in order to help them keep pace in the division with the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals. How Halladay can adjust on the mound while trying to return to form pre-2012 will be one of the main stories worth keeping an eye on as the season unfolds. Do you think Halladay can find a solution that will help him return to his dominant self or will this year be 2012 all over again? (Leave your thoughts in the comment box below)
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The 49ers' search for a new cornerback is over. Having already made adjustments in several departments this offseason including at wide-receiver, defensive tackle and kicker, San Francisco has finally addressed the area most in need of a makeover. After flirting with the thoughts of possibly bringing in Darrelle Revis before realizing that it just wouldn't work out financially, the 49ers went out and landed a player more fit for their budget in Nnamdi Asomugha. The former first round pick out of Cal Berkeley played just a stones throw away from his college campus for the Oakland Raiders whom he represented in the Pro Bowl for three consecutive season from 2008-2010 during his 8-year tenure with the franchise. Asomugha, 31, was targeted by the 49ers as a free-agent just two offseasons ago before signing a five-year, $60 Million pact with the Philadelphia Eagles.
After two sub-par seasons in Phillly which many blamed on the defensive system ran by Andy Reid, Asomugha was cut from the team just hours into the official start of the 2013 season, making him a free-agent. Seeking a change of scenery and a fresh start, the 4-time All-Pro found an answer in the 49ers. With the acquisition being a low risk, high reward deal for San Francisco granted no money is guaranteed and is almost all incentive based, Asomugha gets to return to the bay area with a team stacked with star players on defense that will compliment his talents. Not to mention he'll have a chip on his shoulder looking to prove there's still plenty left in his tank. Normally a player of his caliber would take offense to the thought of a 1-year deal worth practically nothing but with the Eagles slated to pay him $4 Million in salary in 2013, Asomugha could do without a hefty paycheck. For a player who's raked in plenty of cash throughout his career but has yet to reach the playoffs, the only thing on the mind of a 10-year veteran like Asomugha is winning a championship. And who has a better shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy next season than the San Francisco 49ers.
So what's not to like about the Niners signing Asomugha? Sure we would've all preferred seeing a healthy Darelle Revis donning the red and gold, picking off passes like Deion Sanders did during San Francisco's last title run in 1994, but Jim Harbaugh and company won't have to worry about the thought of receiving damaged goods in Revis while giving up a plethora of draft picks in return which makes Asomugha less of a gamble and by far the safer choice. If Asomugha does flourish in a Niners uniform he can make up to $3 Million depending on if his team makes it to the playoffs. He can also see those figures rise if he makes it to the Pro-Bowl. Nnamdi will be competing alongside teammates Chris Culliver, Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers for a nod at the starting cornerback position. And with the help of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio at his aid, coach Harbaugh hopes to milk every once of football out of Asomugha in order to solve their issues in the secondary and once again make the 49ers defense the most formidable force in the entire National Football League.
Just when you thought San Francisco's busy offseason was done they went and traded for Cleveland Browns QB Colt McCoy. Expected to battle it out with fellow backup Scott Tolzien, McCoy who opened the 2011 season as the Browns starting quarterback, saw limited action last year while serving as the backup for Cleveland's Brandon Weeden. McCoy, a former Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2008 with the Texas Longhorns whom he set numerous passing records with helps the 49ers fill the hole left by Alex Smith who was traded last month to the Chiefs, leaving the strong safety position as the area most in need of upgrading. And with 13 picks in all in this month's NFL Draft the 49ers are expected to target that position with either their first or second pick (31st and 34th overall).
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After splitting the season series in 2012 as well as beef up their rivalry, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks have yet to stop competing against one another as both teams have made this off-season an arms race. With the NFC West expected to be a dogfight between the two, both organizations have gotten off to an early start in preparation of claiming the division title in 2013 by adding weapons to their roster. Making the first splash of the off-season was the Seahawks, acquiring wide-receiver and kick return specialist Percy Harvin from the Minnesota Vikings. Hours after learning that Seattle had bulked up their receiving corps, the 49ers made a deal of their own, answering their biggest threat to overtake them in the division with the addition of wide-out Anquan Boldin who last month helped the Baltimore Ravens defeat his new team in Super Bowl XLVII and figures to be a one-year rental at the wide-out position.
San Francisco showed no ill-will towards Boldin putting a dent in the franchise's perfect Super Bowl record, sending a sixth-round pick in next month's draft to Baltimore in exchange for the 3-time Pro-Bowler who is in the final year of his contract. With the 49ers getting a seasoned veteran receiver for what many considered to be a bargain, the Seahawks were forced to give up a little more in return for Harvin who not only brings a little more to the table offensively, but also comes with some baggage as he bumped heads with Vikings personnel on a number of occasions. Not to mention an injury history that has haunted him for much of his young career including a season-ending ankle injury suffered during week 9 this past year. But when healthy, Harvin, a former Rookie of the Year can be the deep threat that Seattle lacked last season as well as one of the most dangerous men on special-teams in the game today. After all, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is somewhat of a wizard when taking on players with a troubled past and developing them into play-makers. And though Harvin may be the better player out of the two now with Boldin's better days in the league behind him, Boldin will help his new team just as much if not more than Harvin will.
With 10 years of NFL experience under his belt, the 32 year old Boldin will replace the four year elder Randy Moss and will be the guiding light and mentor to his fellow 49er wide-outs as Mario Manningham, Michael Crabtree, Kyle Williams and A.J. Jenkins are all under the age of 27. And in case they're in need of some tips, who better to learn from than a man that was credited by former Ravens teammates Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones for making them better receivers. And while Harvin and Boldin are the two biggest names acquired by either team this off-season, they aren't the only ones. Seattle also made an effort to bolster their defensive line with the signings of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, an area in which their NFC West counterparts have excelled in. The one area the 49ers are vulnerable at however, is their secondary. With the cornerback position being an issue as seen in the NFC Championship game as well as in the Super Bowl where Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco picked the 49ers apart through the air, we can expect to see some improvement.
And with a stockpile of picks (15 in all) in next month's draft, don't be surprised if coach Jim Harbaugh targets a corner or a safety early on to fill in for the departed Dashon Goldson who recently agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5 years, $41 Million). There's also the possibility of trading for the Jets' Darrelle Revis or signing free-agent Nnamdi Asomugha who's looking to bounce back from two mediocre years in Philadelphia. And a return to the bay area might be just what he needs to regain that form that helped Asomugha make three consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl while with the Raiders, making him one of the most coveted players in free-agency just two years ago. But the closer we get to April's NFL Draft, the likeliness of acquiring one of the aforementioned corners decreases. The 49ers did sign former St. Louis Rams defensive-back Craig Dahl to a three-year deal but that doesn't quite solve their issue. Other notable 49er acquisitions this off-season include former fifth overall pick in 2009 -- defensive-tackle Glenn Dorsey and kicker Phil Dawson who in his 15th NFL season last year was named to his first ever Pro-Bowl with the Cleveland Browns, hopefully solving San Francisco's nightmare kicking situation caused by David Akers last year.
What was once considered to be the weakest division in all of sports as recent as a couple years ago has suddenly transformed into one of the most competitive divisions in all of football. The St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals are quite on the same radar as Seattle and San Francisco are, but even they can put up a fight and win a game on any given Sunday. And though the rivalry between the 49ers and Seahawks has always been one to keep an eye on, it wasn't until just recently that it evolved into one of the game's best. Even the coaches have some history and bad blood between one another dating back to when they both held clipboards at the collegiate level in the Pac10. And with a nucleus of young talent on both sides of the ball including at the quarterback position with two young studs in Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson at the helm, we should be in store for some entertainment for many years to come.
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One last go around - For 17 seasons, longtime Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has dominated the American League landscape with his devastating cutter, sawing off broken bats and fooling batters while on his way to becoming baseball's all-time saves leader with 608 career saves. Saturday afternoon, however, the 43-year old Panama native held a press-conference in front of the media where he announced his plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2013 MLB season, ending the distinguished career that began with the New York ball club in 1995. With plans to retire after the 2012 season last year, Rivera, a 12-time All-Star was forced to rethink his retirement when those plans came to an abrupt stop after suffering a knee injury while shagging balls prior to a game in Kansas City on May 3, which turned out to be a torn ACL that put the 17-year veteran on the shelf for the remainder of the season. Having been the poster boy for success during much of his career, many thought there was no way that one of baseball's most celebrated players would go out like that.
They would be right as Rivera refused to let his decorated big league career end at the hands of an injury, shooting down all rumors of that being the last we saw of the one they call 'Mo' toeing the rubber in the ninth inning with the game on the line. "I'm not going down like this," Rivera told the baseball world after undergoing knee surgery in June. And after those words left his mouth, the sun came out and the birds began to sing like a scene from a Disney movie. But like all Disney movies which feature a happy ending, the only way to properly end this saga will be for the Yankees to send their closer on a horse riding in the sunset with a sixth World Series title under his belt. With Rivera calling it an "honor to put on the pinstripes," it's been nothing short of an honor for us baseball fans to watch him take the hill during the ninth inning and do what he's done his entire career -- win ball games. And though I'm not a fan of the Yankees personally, I think I can speak for everyone when I say Mo wore the pinstripes the way they were meant to be worn -- with class. After watching another one of baseball's all around good guys take the field for one last hurrah in 2012, Mo could expect similar treatment to that of Chipper Jones who received gifts from every National League organization last season in what was his final year in the big leagues before calling it quits.
One gift that won't be given to him, however, is a sixth World Series Championship and is one he and his teammates want more than anything else. Unfortunately it won't be an easy task as the Yankees will be without much of their power hitters to start the year. With Mark Teixeira out 8 to 10 weeks with a strained tendon in his right wrist, Curtis Granderson sidelined until May with a fractured right forearm and Alex Rodriguez not expected back until mid-season at the very least while recovering from hip surgery, the Yankees will depend heavily on Robinson Cano to provide much of the pop for the Bronx Bombers. They'll also be looking for some much needed production from players such as Ichiro Suzuki, Travis Hafner and Kevin Youkilis, all of which were All-Stars for their respected former clubs. Not to be forgotten is Derek Jeter who himself is recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the ALCS last season and Brett Gardner who when healthy can run the base paths with the best of them. As for the pitching staff, Phil Hughes is expected to miss his first start of the regular season while battling back problems.
The injury bug has been so contagious to the Yankees organization as of late that even Yankees GM Brian Cashman hit the disabled-list with a broken leg and dislocated ankle suffered during a sky-diving stunt. For their sake, I hope this isn't a bad omen of things to come for those who support the pinstripes. And for the first time in awhile, the Yankees are entering the season as underdogs to make it out of their division on top with the recent retooling of the Toronto Blue Jays who many are expecting to contend for a title.
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With less than two months remaining on the NBA's regular season schedule, the Los Angeles Lakers who entered the 2012-13 season as the consensus favorites to win it all this year or at the very least compete for a 17th NBA title are on the brink of failing to make the playoffs. Currently sitting at 28-30, coach Mike D'Antoni's Lakers trail the 8th seeded Houston Rockets by 2.5 games in the Western Conference standings. Having played inconsistent ball all season long, it wasn't until just recently that the Lakers who's roster consists of two former MVP's in Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant and the best center in the league in Dwight Howard began playing like it. And not to be forgotten is All-Star Pau Gasol who's on the shelf with a foot injury.
In need of some inspiration, the Lakers got plenty of just that on Monday after learning that longtime owner Jerry Buss had passed away at the age of 80. In their first game following the All-Star break, the Lakers played host to the hated Boston Celtics. With emotions running high, Kobe Bryant and company payed homage to their late owner of 30+ years by defeating the rival Celtics who Dr. Buss said he bought the Lakers some 34 years ago to beat, 113-99. Following the win, Kobe would go on to make a guarantee that the Lakers would in fact make the playoffs and will fear no team in their way. Though over time we've learned to believe anything and everything the Black Mamba tells us, his most recent promise is one that won't be a cake walk to fulfill as half of the Lakers' remaining schedule will be games on the road (12-of-24) as well as games versus teams that would make the playoffs if the season ended today.
Their emotional win in honor of Jerry Buss versus the Celtics appeared to be the shot in the arm that Dwight Howard and company desperately needed as the Lakers went on to win their next two games against the Portland Trailblazers and on the road versus the Dallas Mavericks before witnessing their three game winning-streak hit a skid at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. While they've played better ball as of late winning 11 of 15 games since January 25 entering Monday's meeting at Denver, a streak bested by only the Heat and Spurs during that stretch, the Lakers will need to treat every game from here on out with a win or go home mentality and play with that same hunger that they played with against the Celtics. And with their final game of the season at home against the Houston Rockets we could be in store for some late-season drama down the stretch.
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49ers rally to punch ticket to New Orleans - For the first time since the 1994 season the San Francisco 49ers are going to the Super Bowl. After their heart-wrenching overtime loss at home to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship just a year ago, Jim Harbaugh and company made sure not to disappoint the second time around as his team rallied late to pull off the unthinkable in Atlanta, overcoming the largest deficit in NFC Championship history. What ended up being the proudest day for the 49ers franchise since Steve Young's legendary performance in Super Bowl XXIX that solidified him as one of the game's all-time greats as well as help him get the monkey off his back, began as a nightmare.
Like they did in their divisional round meeting at home against the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers fell into an early hole. Only this time the hole would be much bigger to crawl out from. Ten points bigger as San Francisco found themselves down 17-0 in the second quarter as the Falcons scored on each of their first three possessions. But after watching the division rival Seattle Seahawks overcome a 20-point halftime deficit in Atlanta the week before, the 49ers knew that there was still hope despite no team ever coming back to win an NFC title game down by more than 14 points. With the odds stacked against him in only his 9th career start at quarterback, Colin Kaepernick refused to push the panic button and proved to be composed while in a situation that most QB's his age would fold in. With everyone expecting him to steal the show with his legs like he did the previous week at Candlestick Park where he torched the Packers for an NFL record 181 rushing yards, the speedy quarterback instead got the job done with his arm.
After finally getting on the board during their first possession of the second quarter thanks to a 15-yard touchdown run by rookie running back LaMichael James, the first of his career, the 49ers got their first stop on defense. And after watching the Falcons put up 17 straight points to open the game, San Francisco found themselves scoring 14 unanswered-points of their own as Kaepernick lobbed a pass to a wide-open Vernon Davis from 4-yards out to pull within a field goal with just under two minutes remaining in the half. But as Seattle learned the week before when Falcons QB Matt Ryan orchestrated a game-winning drive with only 31 seconds remaining in regulation, never leave enough time on the clock to allow Matty Ice to march down the field. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Ryan would do just that, capping off a 7-play, 80-yard drive with a touchdown pass to tight-end Tony Gonzalez. Seemingly stealing back the momentum after San Francisco began picking up steam to pull closer, Atlanta once again found themselves leading by double-digits as the 49ers trailed 24-14 at the half.
Equally as hot as they were on offense to end the first half, the 49ers opened the second half in a similar fashion as Kaepernick came out guns blazing, completing passes of 21, 20 and 17 yards to Randy Moss and Delanie Walker, setting up Frank Gore who put an exclamation mark on an impressive opening-drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to once again bring San Francisco within a field goal. What was a turnover-free ballgame throughout the first two and a half quarters would soon evolve into a game of miscues as three of the next four possessions would end in turnovers. The first of which being a Matt Ryan interception that led to a missed field goal by David Akers. San Francisco would be given a second chance following Ryan's fumbled snap recovered by Aldon Smith but once again failed to capitalize as Michael Crabtree fumbled on the 1-yard line just three plays into the fourth quarter. But a three and out inside their own 10 yard line would prove to be harmful for the Falcons as the 49ers got the ball back with excellent field position. For the San Francisco offense, the third time would be a charm as Frank Gore broke the plain for his second touchdown on the day, giving the 49ers their first lead of the game.
It would then be up to Matt Ryan who would be called upon to lead his team on a game-winning drive for the second consecutive week, only this time with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. And after stringing together a number of plays including a controversial pass to wide-out Harry Douglas that appeared to have hit the ground but was ruled a catch with a little help of the officials, the Falcons appeared to be heading in the right direction. Marching all the way down to the 10-yard line and in need of a first down to keep the drive alive, the Falcons faced fourth down. Having been relatively quiet all game long logging only a pair of tackles, Pro-Bowl linebacker NaVorro Bowman would come up with the biggest play of his career, knocking down a pass to Falcons receiver Roddy White that forced an Atlanta turnover on downs, sealing the game as San Francisco completed the comeback and pitched a shutout in the second half to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years.
Quest For Six - Equally impressive is the road that the Baltimore Ravens took to become AFC Champions. After easily taking care of the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card round in Baltimore, the Ravens did what they do best by taking to the road and knocking off the number one seeded Broncos in Denver, setting up a rematch of last year's AFC Championship between the Ravens and New England Patriots. After falling behind early, the Ravens pulled a similar trick from under their sleeve to that of the 49ers by not allowing the Patriots to score a single point in the second half. Three costly turnovers including interceptions on back-to-back drives doomed any chance New England had of pulling off a comeback of their own as Baltimore avenged their heart-wrenching loss that took place in the same exact stadium just a year ago by pulling off the upset.
Setting the table for what should be a hard fought battle between two of the most formidable defenses in the league, brothers John and Jim Harbaugh will meet for only the second time in their coaching careers. Though defense is what comes to mind first when mentioning these two teams, it's their quarterbacks who've gotten them where they are. Had it not been for Joe Flacco's deep desperation pass to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds remaining in Denver to send the game into overtime or Colin Kaepernick's record setting performance to oust the Packers, we'd be seeing two other teams going at. Instead we'll see a pair of teams that many predicted would meet in the Super Bowl before the season even started, including myself. Having drooled at the thought of a Harbaugh family reunion in the Super Bowl since last season, football fans and everyone that has a sibling, will finally be treated to what they've longed for.
Though both teams share the same task - win the Lombardi Trophy, one team will fall shy of the ultimate goal and will be forced to walk off the field with a bitter taste in their mouth and a heartache even more painful than the one felt after losing in the Conference Championship last season. A feeling neither organization has ever endured as the 49ers and Ravens are a combined 6-0 in Super Bowls with San Francisco winning five and Baltimore one. And while this Ravens team shares a good amount of similarities with the one that won the Super Bowl in 2000, most notably on defense, the same cannot be said for their opponent. Although they were the team of the decade during the 1980's and won a fifth Super Bowl after the 1994 season, these 49ers aren't your father's 49ers who were led by Joe Montana and Steve Young. These 49ers are being led by a new breed of quarterback. One that is just as dangerous with his legs as he is with his throwing arm. Not to discredit Steve Young who owns the NFL record for the most rushing touchdowns ever among quarterbacks, but even Young knows his running ability isn't quite up to par with Kaepernick's.
Making only his 10th career start in the NFL, Kaepernick will take the challenge of being the one who the 49ers franchise will depend on to make it a record 6-0 all-time in Super Bowl appearances. When the 49ers last went to and won the Super Bowl I was 4 years old so as you could imagine I've been waiting for this day almost my entire life. Some 18 years later my blood still runs red & gold, proving that some things never change. Something else that won't change is the 49ers undefeated mark in the Super Bowls as I have them coming out on top, 21-17. #QuestForSix
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