Clippers' season a success despite falling short

In what's been a memorable year for the Los Angeles Clippers who went from being a sub .500 ball club (32-50) just a year ago to a 5th seed and advancing to the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs this season, the franchise was struck with an early exit. After a back and forth battle which featured a decisive game 7 victory on the road against the 4th seeded Memphis Grizzlies, the Clippers were given the daunting task of having to go up against the no. 1 seeded San Antonio Spurs. Fresh off their sweep of the Utah Jazz in the first round, San Antonio's veteran experience proved to be too much for a banged up Clippers squad who saw their 2012 campaign end much sooner than many would've hoped. After tying the Chicago Bulls for a league-best record of 50-16 during the regular season, the Gregg Popovich-led Spurs continued doing what they've done all season long -- winning, by moving to a perfect record of 8-0 this post-season and pulling off the sweep of the Clippers, serving as a blockade to L.A.'s magical run.

Despite being eliminated, the Clippers' season ended with their heads held high. Having been in the shadow of their Los Angeles counterparts -- the Lakers who the Clippers share a venue with, L.A.'s "other team" was given a different wrap in 2012 thanks in large part to a newly constructed roster which featured newcomers Kenyon Martin, Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams, Caron Butler, Nick Young, and All-Star Chris Paul. Coupled with returning players DeAndre Jordan and the high-flying Blake Griffin, the Clippers would showcase one of the West's better teams. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury sustained to Chauncey Billups would put a dent in the Clippers' season and spell doom for their chances of winning the franchise's first NBA title. Had Billups been healthy, there's no telling how the seeding would've shaped up and where the Clippers would be right now. My guess is they'd still be alive and well. Instead the organization and their fans will have to sit back and wait alongside the 26 other teams who's season has also ended. 

Although they might not have reached the ultimate goal this season, 2012 was still a success for the Clippers who not only gave their fans something to cheer about other than a Blake Griffin highlight-dunk, but also made only their eighth trip to the post-season in franchise history and fifth time since moving to Los Angeles in 1984. And with the nucleus of talent they have now, a season of experience having played with one another can't hurt and should only help the team in 2013. The biggest question mark regarding the team, however, is whether or not head coach Vinny Del Negro who's been at the helm in L.A. since 2010 will be the one on the sidelines drawing up plays for a fourth season. While the head coaching position begs a question, one thing that is certain is that the Clippers won't be taken lightly by other teams heading into the season like they have been in years passed. 


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Bryce Harper's wild first two weeks in the Majors

Though it's only been two weeks since the Washington Nationals decided to call up their 2010 number one overall draft pick and phenom Bryce Harper, there's not much the 19-year old hasn't done already at the big league level in what looks to be the beginning of a promising career. Making his much anticipated Major League debut on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Harper wasted little time to record his first big league hit as he did so in his third at-bat of the ballgame with a double to left-center field over the head of Matt Kemp before later adding a sacrifice-fly. With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and runners on first and second, the Las Vegas native and LVHS alum would also showcase his cannon of an arm after fielding an A.J. Ellis single and throwing a strike to catcher Wilson Ramos in time to snag the runner at home, but Ramos failed to hang on to the ball, allowing the run to score. Unfortunately Harper's debut would then be overshadowed by the red-hot Matt Kemp who stole the show with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning as the Nationals fell to the Dodgers, 4-3. 

After receiving a warm welcome from the Nationals fan base during Harper's first home stand in Washington, Cole Hamels of the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies gave Harper a welcome of his own in front of a nationally televised audience with a bean ball to the lower back on the first pitch he saw. Later in the inning after advancing to third on a single by Jayson Werth, Harper would get a bit of revenge by stealing home plate on an attempted pick-off throw to first. Among those to congratulate Harper on his rare steal was teammate Mark DeRosa who's been nursing a sore left oblique muscle since late-April. DeRosa aggravated that same injury when the two exchanged high-fives, extending his time on the shelf. But similar to his first big league hit, his first steal would come in a losing effort as the Nats went on to lose the ballgame, 9-3. The biggest news however, would come after the game when Hamels admitted to intentionally throwing at Harper. "I was trying to hit him," Hamels said. "I'm not going to deny it." Little did Hamels know his comments would land him a 5-game suspension issued out by the Commissioners office as well as some backlash dished out by a variety of managers throughout the league who were opposed to Hamels purposely throwing at Harper for no apparent reason. 

And though Hamels' beanball was received without leaving a cool battle wound to brag about and show his friends, the mark left by Harper's bat tells a different tale. On a night he went 0-for-5 against the Reds, Harper vented some frustration by swinging a bat against the dugout wall which ended up bouncing back and catching the 2010 Golden Spikes Award winner right above the eye. With blood running down the side of his cheek, the cut which would require ten stitches looked like something out of a Gladiator scene with Harper's face-paint and eye black the only thing missing. If anything, that shot to the head was just what Harper needed to wake up the sleeping giant from his slump. Two games later, Harper would connect for his first Major League home run with a solo shot to center field off of Padres pitcher Tim Stauffer in the third inning, worthy of a curtain call. And after rounding the bases and receiving high-fives in the dugout from his teammates without hurting anybody this time, Harper ran up the stairs and acknowledged the fans still standing and applauding the 19-year old on what should be his first of many round-trippers. 

So just to recap the first few weeks of Bryce Harper's Major League endeavors, the kid has already stolen home, has a pair of home runs under his belt, was intentionally thrown at, injured a teammate, stirred up a bit of controversy and received his first medical bill (ten stitches). Pretty event-filled if you asked me. And with a young crop of talented hitters in Harper, Wilson Ramos and Ryan Zimmerman as well as veterans Jayson Werth and Michael Morse and pitchers Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman in the rotation, the Nationals' rebuilding phase appears to have finally payed off with the ball club currently sitting atop the NL East at 22-13 and beginning to play a winning brand of baseball the city of Washington has waited so desperately to see since the organization relocated from Montreal and changed their name from the Expos in 2005. With almost all of their top prospects panning out at the Major League level and other organizations within the division only getting older and beginning to deteriorate, it wouldn't surprise me if the Nationals end up taking off in a similar way that the Tampa Bay Rays did a few years ago in '08. 


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Humber, Weaver hurling History

27 Up, 27 Down - Though we're still in the early stages of the 2012 MLB season only a month in, there's been no shortage of excitement as we've seen not one, but two of the game's more remarkable achievements already. Unless you're a fan of the New York Mets who selected him out of Rice University with the third overall pick in the 2004 Draft or one of the teams he bounced around with before eventually landing in the south side of Chicago where he's fit nicely as the no. 5 starter, it's unlikely you've heard the name Philip Humber more than once or twice if at all. At least that was the case until Saturday April 21 when Humber pitched his way into the history books by throwing the 21st perfect game in MLB history. Needing only 96 pitches, Humber struck out 9 batters while tossing the third perfect game in White Sox franchise history (19th no-hitter) by blanking the Seattle Mariners in their own home of Safeco Field by a final score of 4-0.

After a successful college career, Humber was thought to be one of the bright up and coming talents in the game. But some early struggles at the Minor League level coupled with Tommy John surgery would keep him on the shelf for awhile, forcing him to claw and fight his way back onto a big league roster. It wasn't until January of 2011 when Humber was given another chance after being claimed off waivers by Chicago where he found pitching coach Don Cooper. The two gelled immediately and worked on a few adjustments in Humber's pitching mechanics which proved to be vital in the right-hander's turnaround, helping the 29 year old Humber log a 9-9 win-loss record and a 3.75 ERA in 26 starts last season, his first full year in the majors.

Having gone the first eight frames without allowing a single three-ball count, it seemed almost inevitable that Humber would complete the feat without the fear of walking a single batter. However, Humber's bid for a perfecto was threatened not once, but twice in the ninth inning when Mariners outfielder Michael Saunders drew threw consecutive balls before eventually striking out to lead off the inning. It was then that you almost knew the Baseball Gods wouldn't let anything tarnish Humber's gem. And after the pinch-hitting John Jaso flew out to right field, it was all up to Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan who stepped up to the plate and worked the count full. The final pitch would also be the most controversial as Humber challenged Ryan with a slider that bounced into the dirt. Ryan attempted to check his swing, but swung just enough to convince home plate umpire Brian Runge that he went around. Instead of running to first, Ryan argued the call, allowing White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski to throw the ball to first for the final out.

After getting the 27th out, Humber's teammates poured from out of the dugout and raced in from the outfield to mob him on top of the mound where they celebrated his remarkable accomplishment before later receiving a congratulatory phone call from longtime fan of the White Sox, President Barack Obama.

Leave it to Weaver - Since the Angels' busy off-season which not only brought All-Star's Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson aboard, but also a ton of hype along with them, Halo fans have had little to cheer about after getting off to a poor 7-15 start prior to their series with the lowly Minnesota Twins. But a series sweep and a no-hitter could be the shot in the arm Angels manager Mike Socia and company have been looking for in hopes of getting the team back on track. And with Halos ace Jered Weaver on the mound, the team was able to accomplish both. Less than two weeks after 2012 saw its first no-hitter thrown by Chicago's Phil Humber which came in the form of a perfect game, Weaver got in on the fun by twirling a gem of his own.

With 27,288 fans in attendance and on their feet cheering on the Northridge, California native, many of which were friends and family of Weaver's, the 29-year old right-hander made history after getting Twins shorstop Alexi Castilla to fly-out to deep right field for the final out of the ballgame, sealing the no-hitter and romping Minnesota in the process, 9-0. Weaver's line included 9 K's and 1 BB on 121 pitches with his only blemishes coming in the form of a strikeout-passed ball by catcher Chris Iannetta and a 2-out walk in the 7th when Josh Willingham reached base safely. Obviously not as impressive, but dominant nonetheless was the Angels offense who's bats awoken to tie a season-high in runs with 9 and set a season-high in hits with 15. Both contributed to help complete the sweep of the Twins and get the Angels their first three-game winning-streak of the season.

Angels fans are no stranger to the no-no as they've seen 10 Halos accomplish the feat in the ball club's 51-year existence, one of those coming last year from Ervin Santana who tossed a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. Weaver almost joined that club several years ago when he and Angels reliever Jose Arredondo combined to no-hit the cross-town rival Los Angeles Dodgers on the road through 8 innings, but still lost the game, 1-0, preventing him from etching his name into the record books much earlier. With both the hitting and pitching doing their part and finally coming alive it seems, could this be a springboard to get the Angels out of their last place funk and back into the division race? The way the Angels clubhouse celebrated Weaver's no-no, you would've thought they just won game 7 of the World Series, something many analysts and fans of baseball predicted they'd do this season.


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Paging Mr. Pujols

When you think of players who are notoriously slow starters in the game of baseball, such names as Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees quickly come to mind. But Albert Pujols who many have gone as far as saying will go down in history as the greatest ballplayer to ever play the game when his career is all said and done? Though he's had a few slightly sluggish starts to his standards when kicking off the season, nobody saw the future Hall of Fame slugger who signed a $254 Million pact with the L.A. Angels during the off-season, beginning his new 10-year deal in the worst slump of his distinguished career. Through the first 18-games, Pujols, a 3-time NL MVP and former batting champion, remains homer-less in 2012 and has logged a whopping 4 RBI's this season while hitting an anemic .232 to start the year. At this rate, not even the rally monkey could help Pujols find his swing.


Now hit-less in 19 straight at-bats, spanning over a career-worst five-game stretch, Pujols and the 6-12 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who many predicted would give the 2-time defending American League Champion Texas Rangers a run for their money in the AL West, have instead found themselves 8.5 games back in the division where they currently own the distinction as cellar dwellers. Meanwhile, the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals who decided to pass on offering Pujols the long-term deal he coveted, seem to be doing just fine without him having been energized by off-season acquisition Carlos Beltran who the team signed to help fill the void Pujols would leave on offense. Unlike Pujols, Beltran has been off to a blazing-hot start, connecting for 5 home runs, driving in 10 RBI's and stealing 5 bases before running into an 0-for-18 skid just recently. But even after taking his slump into account, Beltran is still hitting .033 points higher than Pujols. Currently atop the NL Central at 12-7, it's likely that the Red Birds and their fans have already forgotten about arguably the greatest player to ever don a Cardinals uniform.


Though it's still early, it's hard not to compare the early disappointment of Pujols to Adam Dunn who after solidifying himself as one of the game's premier sluggers for so many seasons, simply couldn't translate his power numbers from the National League to the American League when he relocated from Cincinnati to the south side of Chicago last off-season. Fortunately for the Halo's, Pujols and company still has another 144 games left to help turn the ship and find their stroke. We all know an end to Pujols' home run drought is inevitable, but assuming his struggles at the plate continue, how much longer until Angel fans begin to shower the 9-time All-Star with boo's?

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Jaime Moyer, Baseball's Father Time

For those who have passed their prime in whatever it is that they do but refuse to hang it up just yet, they would tell you that age is just a number. Rockies pitcher Jaime Moyer proved just that on Tuesday night by becoming the oldest player in Major League history to record a win at the age of 49 years and 151 days old, surpassing the previous mark set 80-years ago by Jack Quinn of the Brooklyn Dodgers who won a game at 49-years and 70 days of age. Despite failing to throw a single pitch above the 79 mph mark (87 pitches), Moyer tossed 7 stellar innings while allowing only 6 hits and 2 runs (both unearned) in Colorado's 5-3 victory over the division-rival San Diego Padres. Though Cameron Maybin was Moyer's only strikeout victim of the ballgame against 2 walks, Moyer instead relied on another one of the pitcher's best friend's -- the double-play ball as he induced three twin killing's to help his cause and etch his name into the record books as his wife and kids watched from the stands.

Moyer's magnificent feat which displayed both longevity and perseverance as well as an uncanny love for what he does, would have came days earlier had it not been for a number of costly errors which robbed the lefty from logging a win in either of his first two outings. Back in 1986 when Moyer made his Major League debut with the Chicago Cubs during the Reagan Administration, gas prices were a mere 93 cents a gallon. While the price of gas has since then risen and costs almost $3 more on average today, one thing that hasn't changed is Moyer's will to win. Old enough to be the father of most of his Rockies teammates, the 26-year veteran hasn't let his age stop him from being the most consistent starting pitcher on Colorado's staff thus far, boasting a 2.55 ERA over his first three starts.

What may be an even bigger accomplishment than becoming the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win a game, however, is the road Moyer took to get back onto a big league mound. After missing the entire 2011 season last year due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, Moyer signed a Minor League contract with the Rockies before making the team during Spring Training. Tuesday night's victory marked the first win for Moyer since June 27, 2010 and was win no. 268 of his long-lived career which also saw stints with the Cubs, Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles, Mariners and Phillies before eventually coming to the Mile-High City. Having pitched in four different decades which is something only a handful of players in Major League history can brag about doing, it'll be interesting to see if Moyer can continue to pitch the way he has been to start the season. If so, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he makes a return in 2013 in hopes of becoming the league's first ever 50-year old winner.


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Zito Revitalized?

After being swept in their season opening series against the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants hit the road for Colorado's Coors Field to take on the Rockies where they looked to avoid their first 0-4 start since 1950. Despite losing the trio of games in the desert to kick off their 2012 campaign, it wasn't the offense that had struggled as they lost all three games by a mere one run, but rather their pitching. With Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner all failing to get San Francisco into the win column, it was up to the veteran Barry Zito to make sure this year's Giants squad wasn't the first to fall to 0-4 in over half a century.

Little did we know that Zito wouldn't only log the Giants' first win of the season on Monday, but he would do so in shutout fashion as the former Cy Young Award winner with the Oakland A's hurled his first complete-game shutout in a Giants uni and his first since April 18, 2003. With backup catcher Hector Sanchez behind the dish, Zito gave up just 4 hits while allowing 0 walks and striking out 4 before San Francisco's offense did the rest of the work as the Giants routed the Rockies by a final score of 7-0. Pablo Sandoval led the way with an early 2-run home run in the first, followed by an RBI knock and an RBI groundout by Sanchez and Angel Pagan in the third. Shortstop Brandon Crawford would put the finishing touches on a near perfect day with a bases-clearing double in the fifth.

For Zito who watched most of the 2011 season from the dugout while on the disabled-list nursing a foot injury, the dominant outing was a great sign following a disappointing spring training and couldn't have come at a better time. Had I been told prior to the season that the Giants' first win would be a Barry Zito shutout in Coors Field of all places, I simply wouldn't have believed it. But after watching Zito make quick work of the opposition in the first few innings, there was little doubt in my mind that he couldn't go the distance and pitch arguably his best game since donning the orange and black. Zito's stellar work on Monday should be a tremendous motivation booster and should do wonders to his confidence. But before we declare that the Zito of old has somehow returned over night, let's all just hold our breath and hope it's a sign of good things to come from the 33 year old lefty who's in his sixth year with the ballclub after signing that seven-year, $126 Million mega deal during the 2007 winter meetings.

And with the Giants' young stud Buster Posey back and in need of some rest every few days until he's 100%, don't be surprised if Hector Sanchez is called upon to catch Zito from here on in a similar way that Eli Whiteside was during games that former Giant Jonathan Sanchez pitched. It seems that the two have already built a lasting relationship and gel pretty well together. After all, if it's not broken, don't fix it.

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Giants extend Cain, Prepare to kickoff 2012 season without Vogelsong

With the health of Ryan Vogelsong one of the biggest concerns heading into the 2012 season as he's expected to begin the year on the disabled-list, one less situation the Giants organization and their fans will have to worry about is the future of All-Star pitcher Matt Cain. After extending the contracts of Tim Lincecum, Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez during the off-season, the team saved the best and biggest for last by offering Cain a mega deal.

Prior to the signing, Giants fans were praying to the Baseball Gods every night before bed that they'd wake up to the news of Cain agreeing to a new deal with the ball club. Though it took a little longer than many would have hoped, those prayers were answered just days before the start of Opening Day when both sides agreed to a 5-year, $112.5 Million contract. The deal which locks Cain up until the end of the 2017 season, includes an option worth $21 Million for 2018 and is the most lucrative contract in MLB history issued to a right-handed pitcher, surpassing the previous mark held by the Dodgers' Kevin Brown (7-years, $105 Million).

Cain, already a 7-year veteran, has become a fixture in the Giants' rotation and is currently the longest-tenured Giant having made his Major League debut with the organization back in August of '05. The first of many homegrown talents of the pitching variety which the Giants have become famous for the past several years now, it was Cain who paved the way for other young studs such as teammates Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner who together have formed one of the most formidable starting rotations in all of baseball for what looks to be many years to come.

Looking passed his sub .500 career win-loss record of 69-73, which to his credit has been an indication of receiving the Major League's lowest run support over the last five seasons (3.7), Brian Sabean and company instead looked at more significant stats such as innings pitched. Having reached the 200 innings plateau for the fifth consecutive season in 2011, Cain is among an elite class of hurlers to have achieved that feat in five straight years. The others being Roy Halladay, Dan Haren, Mark Buehrle, C.C. Sabathia, James Shields and Justin Verlander. Still at the youthful age of 27, Cain has already achieved so much on the mound being the workhorse that he is, but even he would tell you that there's still room for improvement.

Historically an unfortunate victim of poor run support including the 20 of Cain's first 30 career starts in which the Giants scored two runs or fewer in, you would think a player of Cain's stature had enough of the torturous style of baseball that San Francisco tends to play. Wrong. Following the busy 2010 season which saw Cain put in plenty of work on the mound during both the regular season and in the postseason where he hurled another 21.1 scoreless innings in San Francisco's title run, many believed the excessive number of innings pitched would have put a toll on the right-hander's throwing arm the following year. Instead, he would log a career-low in ERA (2.88) while being named to the All-Star squad for the second time in his career. If you're one of those baseball fans who firmly believe that pitching wins games then the Giants appear to be in good shape for many years to come.

However, one predicament the front-office could find themselves in several years from now is what exactly they'll do when the contracts of Lincecum, Cain, Posey and Bumgarner all expire around the same time and if they'll be able to afford re-signing them. But until that time comes, we'll enjoy the ride for the time being.

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Miami's tough off-season

Is there any team in the NFL that's had a more depressing off-season thus far than the Miami Dolphins? After failing to land such QB's as Peyton Manning, Alex Smith and Matt Flynn, the Fish instead had to settle for the much less appealing David Garrard who sat out the entire 2011 season to undergo surgery on a herniated disk. Prior to their 6-10 finish just a season ago, Miami appeared to be in the running for the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and the chance to potentially take super-prospect Andrew Luck when the team got off to a dismal 0-7 start. However, a late surge towards the end of the year would knock the Dolphins out of the 'suck for Luck' campaign Miami fans were so desperately hoping they'd still be in come season's end.

Despite missing out on Luck, there still appeared to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Dolphins organization who Peyton Manning was first linked to once he hit the free-agent market after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. Their chances of landing Manning were dealt a huge blow, however, when GM Jeff Ireland traded Pro-Bowl wide-out Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears in exchange for two third round draft picks. Having gotten rid of their best player on offense practically for a pack of peanuts, the team failed to lure Manning who just days later would inform the franchise that they were no longer on his list of desired destinations. With Manning no longer in the picture, Ireland and co. were forced to explore other options at the quarterback position with both Matt Flynn and Alex Smith being possible candidates. But just like Manning, the two would decide to sign elsewhere as Flynn flocked to Seattle and Smith re-signed with the 49ers.

Miami's misfortune would lead to them inking 10-year veteran David Garrard who missed all of last season due to injury. To his credit, Garrard has put up decent numbers since being named Jacksonville's starting quarterback in 2007, but he's seen little success aside from an 11-5 finish in '07 before being bounced in the playoffs. With Garrard now on board and playing for the Jaguars' inner-state rivals, I'm not sure Miami doesn't already have a solid QB in Matt Moore. After stepping in for the injured Chad Henne, Moore started the final 12 games of the season, winning half of them and showing progress as the season wore on. Adding Garrard to the mix doesn't hurt Miami, but they definitely didn't come out as winners this off-season and it wouldn't surprise me if they were in the same position next year. With everyone and their brother wanting to play for other Miami based sports teams such as the Miami Heat and the newly named Miami Marlins, the Dolphins on the other hand are stuck on the outside looking in as the team in town that nobody wants to play for. And as long as Jeff Ireland is pulling the strings as the team's GM, that might not change for years to come.

Disgruntled Dolphin fans expressed their disinterest in the way their team's been run the passed several years by protesting outside of the team's headquarters in Davie, Florida with paper bags over their heads and signs directed to the general manager that read, "Fireland." Since the retirement of Dan Marino following the 1999 season, the Dolphins franchise has experienced a never-ending QB carousel, having gone through 16 different starting quarterbacks without striking gold. With that number likely to increase this year now that Garrard's aboard, another tally might be added in another year or two if Miami goes after a quarterback with the likes of Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill who the team hasn't ruled out the chances of drafting just yet with the 8th overall pick. But even with a decent quarterback, more needs to be done in order to turn around what was has become one of the laughing stocks of the NFL back into the proud franchise they've been known to be. Regardless of who his starting quarterback is in 2012, recently hired head coach Joe Philbin should have a full plate of tasks to overcome in hopes of turning the franchise around.

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49ers add Depth on Offense, re-sign Smith, Ginn & Rogers

After making his long anticipated decision to take snaps for the Denver Broncos last week, the teams who were in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes that missed out on the 4-time MVP are now forced to lick their wounds and find an alternative at the quarterback position. Among those teams were the San Francisco 49ers who following the failed attempt to land the future Hall of Fame quarterback, were forced to kiss and makeup with Alex Smith after flirting with the longtime QB of the Colts. Shortly after the news broke that the 49ers were among the finalists in landing Manning, Smith too was exploring other options just in case Manning chose the bay area, with Miami being the most likeliest of his destinations. But once Manning notified the 49ers and Tennessee Titans that Denver was where he had chosen to take his talent, San Francisco's GM Trent Baalke reminded Smith about the 3-year deal that was still on the table.

After leading the 49ers on a magical run which saw the franchise capture its first division title in nearly a decade as well as a trip to the NFC title game, Alex Smith agreed to return to the organization that will pull the curtain on the 2012 season as one of the favorites to win it all next year. The 3-year deal reportedly worth $24 Million had to be an easy one to agree to for Smith who saw nothing but improvements made on offense this off-season as he'll now have two new weapons to throw to in Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. But the decision to bring back Smith didn't prevent head coach Jim Harbaugh from adding another player at the quarterback position to heat up the competition as former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Josh Johnson agreed to a 2-year contract. Having played under coach Harbaugh at the University of San Diego where the two won back-to-back Pioneer Football League Championships together, the addition of Johnson not only gives Harbaugh a player he's familiar with, but it also gives him a solid backup to rely on if Alex Smith were to get hurt or struggle. After grooming Smith the way he did last year, I'm curious to see what Harbaugh could do with a player he's coached in college.

Perhaps the most overlooked signing of the 49ers off-season so far is that of wide-receiver and kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. Many fans including myself believe that if Ginn was healthy enough to play in last year's NFC Championship game against the New York Giants, it would've been the 49ers who represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. Sidelined with a knee injury, substitute Kyle Williams was called upon to be the backup where let's just say he had a game to forget. Similar to Mario Manningham who last week joined the team he helped defeat in January's NFC title game, former New York Giants running-back Brandon Jacobs followed his teammates lead by signing a one-year, incentive laden deal to serve as Frank Gore's backup in SF. The acquisition of Jacobs bolsters an already dominant running game led by the aforementioned Gore as well as backups Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon.

And the last signing, but definitely not the least was made today as San Francisco and cornerback Carlos Rogers worked out a 4-year extension, meaning the 49ers will have all 11 of their defensive starters in 2011, back for another go around in 2012. With defense being their most strongest asset last season, it was important to re-sign Rogers who not only made his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 2011, but also played as big a role on the defensive side of things as anyone. After tying Dashon Goldson with the team lead in interceptions with six, good enough for fourth in the league, it was a no-brainer for Jim Harbaugh and company to reach out and sign Rogers to a long-term deal given the former first round pick out of Auburn finally found the perfect fit on defense in Vic Fangio's system. With all these personnel additions and returns, one thing that's certain regarding the 2012 San Francisco 49ers is that the team should be just as lethal as last year and then some.

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Ramon Sessions fitting in nicely in Lakerland

Since the collapsed trade of Chris Paul to the Lakers back in December, the one thing that has separated the purple & gold from the rest of the top teams in the league has been consistent production from the point-guard position. Though the 37 year old Derek Fisher has came up big time and time again while donning a Lakers uniform, a move needed to be made if Kobe Bryant and company planned on putting last year's crushing sweep to the eventual NBA champion Dallas Mavericks behind them and make another run a title no. 17. And with Thursday's trade deadline looming, it was now or never for the Lakers who were so desperately in need of help at point-guard that they were reportedly showing interest in free-agent Gilbert Arenas, but instead chose to pass on the troubled former All-Star.

Having grown accustomed to seeing the Lakers acquire big name players near the trade deadline in recent years, GM Mitch Kupchak instead decided to steer clear of the sexier trades for a low-risk, high-reward type of deal by landing back-up point-guard Ramon Sessions from the Cleveland Cavaliers along with former first round pick Christian Eyenga. In exchange for the fifth year player out of Nevada, the Lakers sent Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and a first round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft to the Cavs. To prevent a logjam at the point-guard position, the Lakers were forced to bid a farewell to longtime bearer of the purple & gold -- Derek Fisher and another 2012 first round draft pick to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jordan Hill. With Fisher out, backup PG Steve Blake has inherited the starting role with Sessions taking Blake's former role serving off the bench.

Though it may have only been four games since his arrival, the Lakers appear to have struck gold with the addition of Sessions as he's shown more and more of his skills game after game. In his debut Friday night at Staples Center against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, Sessions put up 7 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in 19 minutes while showing Laker fans something they haven't seen from the point-guard department in awhile -- speed. In his next game against the Jazz, Sessions would showcase a bit more of his passing ability by logging 10 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists to go along with a steal. After a 14 point, 2 rebound, 4 assist, 1 steal performance in a losing effort on the road against Houston, Sessions would log his best game in a Lakers uni yet. This time it would be his shooting that was put on display as he dropped 17 points while collecting 9 assists to add to his 5 rebounds and 1 block, helping Los Angeles knock off the defending World Champion Mavs for the third time this season in as many matches.

Laker fans might not be used to having a point-guard that can attack the basket with such speed, but one thing that's certain is that they're loving every bit of it. The most valuable asset that Sessions will bring to the table is that he relieves Kobe from his duty of having to be the main facilitator now that Bryant appears to have a true point-guard who can dictate the game and control the tempo by creating plays. In every game he's been in so far, the Lakers have looked like an entirely different team with Sessions on the floor. Having progressed each game and only getting more comfortable the more he plays, I'd say it's only a matter of time before Ramon makes his way into the starting lineup as Steve Blake on the other hand has yet to solidify himself as the starter for the foreseeable future since Fisher's departure.

Currently boasting an overall record of 29-18, good enough for sole possession of the no.3 seed in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to have solved their long standing issue at the point-guard position. At least it seems that way. However, the real test will be whether or not Sessions can go toe-to-toe with All-Star PG Russell Westbrook and Western Conference heavyweights Oklahoma City who the Lakers will most likely get a look at in the Playoffs this year. But before Mike Brown and co. can even look that far, they'll need to solve their woes on the road where they currently own a dismal record of 10-15.

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