Week 4: 49ers get back on track with blowout Win over St. Louis

The San Francisco 49ers entered Thursday night's game against the division-rival St. Louis Rams under .500 for the first time under head coach Jim Harbaugh who also endured his first set of back-to-back losses at the helm in weeks 2 and 3. Having been blown out in each of their last two outings, the 49ers were in dire need of a win to get back on track and prove to the league that last year's Super Bowl appearance was no fluke. And though Colin Kaepernick and company would eventually light up the scoreboard, something they've been unable to do since week 1, their double-digit win against the Rams was anything but flawless to start. 

One of the lone areas the 49ers struggled at in 2012 was at the kicker position. David Akers who set numerous records in his first year with the team in 2011 followed that up with a forgetful season in 2012 which resulted in the 49ers moving on from Akers and acquiring Browns Pro-Bowl kicker Phil Dawson. But so far in 2013 Dawson has had the look of anything but a Pro-Bowl kicker, missing 3 of 6 field goal tries to begin the year, begging the question if the 49ers are simply cursed at the kicker position. In the fist half it definitely appeared so as Dawson missed a 53 yard try on San Francisco's first drive on offense before later attempting and missing a 71-yard free-kick, something that's become a rarity in today's game. The last of which was successful in 1976 by Ray Wersching. The Rams would strike first on a 40 yard field goal off the foot of Greg Zuerlein who got some help from the right post, ending St. Louis' scoreless first quarter drought at 10 games. Unfortunately for Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, those would be the only points his team would score until late in the fourth quarter. 

The 49ers who've prided themselves on rushing defense over the last few years have been exceptionally bad in that category this season, allowing a league high 6 rushing touchdowns through the first three games. Also not indicative of the Niner defense is the 350+ rushing yards surrendered. And though they haven't looked like themselves out of the games in 2013, the San Francisco defense got back to their true identity on Thursday by holding the Rams to only 18 yards rushing on 19 carries despite being without Pro Bowlers Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith. Rams QB Sam Bradford was also given a hard time, throwing an interception and losing a fumble after constantly being pressured throughout the game. But the 49ers dominance on the ground attack wasn't limited to the defensive side of the ball. Running back Frank Gore who entered the game without a 100-yard performance through the first 3 weeks, surpassed the century mark in the first half alone by rushing for 107 yards by halftime before finishing the game with 153 yards and a touchdown, the 14th TD of his career against the Rams. 

Like Gore, another 49er that has made a living off torturing the Rams defense is receiver Anquan Boldin who hauled in 90 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions. Dating back to his time spent in Arizona as a member of the Cardinals, Boldin has logged over 1,200 receiving yards against St. Louis. The duo of Gore & Boldin combined for more yards than the entire Rams offense by games end. 

As for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who's been under heavy scrutiny for his poor play the past two weeks, Kaepernick threw for a pair of touchdowns on Thursday after failing to reach the end zone in each of his last two games. He didn't exactly have the type of awe-inspiring performance that would cause you to pick your jaw up from off the floor but he managed to play a clean game and didn't throw a single interception after throwing four in his last two outings. After trailing early, Kaepernick and the 49ers put up a barrage of scoring-drives, tallying 28 unanswered-points in route to a 35-11 victory. The second of Kaepernick's two touchdown passes went to tight-end Vernon Davis and the running back tandem of Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon each finished with a touchdown run of their own. With a combined 10 points following losses in weeks 2 & 3, the San Francisco offense mustered 14 points by halftime and from there on it was smooth sailing, ending coach Harbaugh's longest losing streak at two games. The Rams who were a thorn in coach Harbaugh's foot last season, handing the 49ers a tie at Candlestick and a loss in St. Louis, were finally put in their place. 

Week 5 Preview - Having been knocked around in each of their last two games, it was nice to see the 49ers return the favor and do some bullying of their own in week 4. But a repeat of that dominance is unlikely in week 5 as the 49ers prepare to host a Houston Texans team coming off a heart-wrenching loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks in which they squandered a 20-3 lead at the half and lost 23-20. Like San Francisco, Houston was picked by many to contend for a Super Bowl title this season but have had their fair share of struggles and sit at 2-2. It's no secret that the 49ers have been at their best under coach Harbaugh when establishing the run game and feeding Frank Gore. And with a stout passing defense in town like Houston's, the 49ers will be best off doing just that, feeding Frank the Tank the ball. But like the Texans, the 49ers will also have a tall order ahead of them as Houston hopes to run the ball down San Francisco's throat with a two-headed monster of their own at running back with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Who comes out victorious in this one is anyone's guess but one thing that's certain is that it should be a good one!

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Week 3: Lack of Offense leads to 49ers scratching their head

This past Sunday the 49ers returned home after a blowout loss on the road in Seattle for what they thought would be a way to get back on track. Instead, the team's struggles followed them to the bay area where they would show side-effects that carried over from the beat down received by the Seahawks. Hosting the Andrew Luck led Indianapolis Colts who 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh mentored at the University of Stanford, the reunion between college coach and former player eventually turned into a player teaching his former coach a lesson as San Francisco lost consecutive games for the first time under their third year head coach.

Penalties which have haunted the 49ers defense through the first few weeks continued to plague the team on Sunday including on the first two plays from scrimmage on the Colts opening drive which set up Indianapolis near mid-field. From there Andrew Luck would carve up the 49ers secondary before handing the ball off to the newest Colt Trent Richardson who was acquired in a trade with the Browns earlier in the week. Richardson took little time to fit right in, plowing into the end zone from 1-yard out on his first carry with his new club to put them ahead, 7-0. After failing to put together a single touchdown drive in Seattle in week 2, San Francisco's offense appeared to have shaken off the cobwebs on their second possession of the game, as the 49ers were able to establish the run game early on, something they've perfected under coach Harbaugh but were unable to accomplish in weeks 1 and 2. QB Colin Kaepernick orchestrated a nine play, 91-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 13-yard TD run by running back Kendall Hunter, tying the game at 7. However, it would be the only time coach Harbaugh's team would pay the end zone a visit. 

As if the 49ers receiving corps wasn't banged up enough to start the year, the team was without their best target on offense in Pro-Bowl tight-end Vernon Davis. Hampered by a hamstring injury suffered in the loss at Seattle, Davis watched his quarterback struggle all afternoon in what would eventually be Kaepernick's first loss at Candlestick Park since being promoted the starting QB in week 11 last season. Completing 13 of 27 passes for 150 yards with a fumble and an interception, Kaepernick followed up the worst outing of his NFL career with another sub-par performance. As for Andrew Luck, last year's first overall pick in the 2012 Draft didn't have one of his brightest performances either, throwing for only 159 yards on 17 of 26 completions, but he came up big when needed and put the game away for good in the fourth quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run he capitalized with an emphatic spiking of the ball. Indy added salt to the wound with another late touchdown by running back Ahmad Bradshaw as the Colts routed the 49ers by a final of 27-7.

The 34 points San Francisco scored in their week 1 win against Green Bay now looks like an anomaly as Kaepernick and company has scored a whooping 10 total points in their last two games. Is it a coincidence that the 49ers haven't been able to muster much success on offense while coach Harbaugh has elected to drift away from the read-option some? The 49ers have also utilized very little play-action plays, another area in which Kaepernick has excelled in. Regardless, Kaepernick's poor performances over the past two weeks which I believe he'll bounce back from, have already ignited a 'bring back Alex Smith' type of crowd on Twitter. Numerous users of the social media website sent Kaepernick tweets with stuff you'd expect from a 12 year old problem child. Everything from "You suck" to "Kaepernick is garbage" was sent to the 49ers quarterback and guess who favorited each and every tweet -- none other than Colin himself. If anybody wants Colin Kaepernick to bounce back from his recent struggles, it's Colin Kaepernick. And these negative tweets from so called "fans" should only add to his hunger.

Rome wasn't built overnight so for anyone that's been a Niners fan prior to the Harbaugh era knows the hardships this franchise has been through over the last decade or so. So to see panic of this magnitude from the fan base three weeks into the season is laughable. 


Week 4 Preview: With blowout losses in back-to-back games for the 49ers, coach Harbaugh will have little time to prepare his team for their next opponent as San Francisco has a Thursday night meeting in St. Louis to face the division-rival Rams on short rest. Like the 49ers, the Rams are 1-2 and are hoping to rebound from a double-digit loss suffered in week 3. Losing 31-7 on the road in Dallas last week, St. Louis allowed nearly 200 yards on the ground alone and three touchdowns through the air. But by no means will Thursday night's game in St. Louis be an easy task for the 49ers who almost always have a hard time against the Rams, but it might be good for Kaepernick and company to play with their backs against the wall. Having opened the season as one of the few Super Bowl favorites, the 49ers have already taken a hit in many of the NFL's power rankings. So much so that pundits are prematurely declaring the 49ers season over if they lose and fall to 1-3. In their two meetings last season, coach Harbaugh was unable to solve Rams coach Jeff Fisher who handed Harbaugh both a loss and a tie in 2012. Entering Thursday's game, the all-time series between the 49ers and Rams is tied, 62-62-1.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Week 2: Seahawks Defense leaves 49ers Sleepless in Seattle

No rivalry in the NFL has been as heated in the last few seasons as the one out west between NFC heavyweights San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. And on Sunday night, those two teams renewed their rivalry as a record crowd of 68,388 fans attended CenturyLink Field for what was regarded as one of the most highly anticipated games on the NFL's regular season schedule between two young stud quarterbacks and a pair of stout defenses. But what began as a back and forth slop fest, eventually turned into a lopsided beat down. During the game's early going you would've thought you were watching a Seattle Mariners vs San Francisco Giants baseball game not only because of the hour-long weather delay due to lightning but also because of the low-scoring affair that took place in the first half.

While power outages have worked in San Francisco's favor in the past, weather delays would prove to be another story for the reigning NFC champs who found themselves trailing 5-0 at the half following a safety and a field goal. Though it would be a forgetful day for both young QB's who made a bet prior to the game that the loser had to shave an eyebrow in promotion of the new Madden 14 video game, 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick would be on the short end of the stick when it was all said and done. Kaepernick who put up a career-high 412 passing yards in Week 1, would follow up arguably his best NFL performance with his worst, throwing for only 127 yards. With 3 interceptions in all of last season, Kaepernick matched that total in this game alone, receiving little help from his receiving corps who were held in check by Seattle's stellar secondary. Receiver Anquan Boldin who stole the headlines in his 49ers debut last week by compiling over 200 yards receiving to go along with a touchdown, was virtually a ghost in this one, hauling in just one grab for 7 yards after being blanketed in the first half by Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.

San Francisco failed to establish the run game for the second straight week as Frank Gore was basically a non-factor, tallying just 16 yards on 9 carries. However, the same couldn't be said for the team on the other sideline. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch has been a thorn in the side of the 49ers defense in the past and this game was no different, rushing the ball for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns. Before the game had ended the Pro-Bowl running back received enough Skittles to feed the entire coaching staff as he also added a 7-yard touchdown reception, scoring all three of Seattle's TD's. Like his 49ers counterpart, Russell Wilson would also have a hard time making plays as he and Kaepernick threw for a combined 58 yards in the first half. Only his line would be slightly better at the game's end, completing under 50% of his passes (8-for-19) for 142 yards to go along with a touchdown and an interception. But where Wilson struggled, his defense more than made up for it, giving head coach Pete Carroll a 29-3 victory over the team he grew up rooting for and once upon a time served as the defensive coordinator for on his 62nd Birthday.

With coach Carroll handing Jim Harbaugh the worst loss in his NFL coaching career the last time these two teams met, a 42-13 win in Seattle last December, Sunday night's meeting wasn't an improvement by any stretch despite the score being slightly closer. After being held scoreless in the first half, San Francisco's only points would come in the third quarter as kicker Phil Dawson put the Niners on the board with a third quarter field goal. But the scoreboard wouldn't be the only place coach Harbaugh saw his team receive a beating as they also took a hit in the injury department. Though rookie safety Eric Reid would log his second career interception in as many games this season, he would have to be helped off the field in the second quarter after suffering a concussion, forcing him to leave the game.

And while Reid has reportedly passed every NFL-mandated test since his injury and should be good to go come week 3, the news regarding nose tackle Ian Williams who departed Sunday's loss with a foot injury wouldn't be anything but pleasant as it was learned that he'll be out for the remainder of the season with a broken ankle. Former first round pick Glenn Dorsey who was acquired during the off-season will fill the void left by Williams. Vernon Davis also left Seattle banged up with a hamstring injury, causing the Pro-Bowl tight-end to miss practice all week and is questionable to play in Sunday's game.

As seen in this one, home-field advantage made all the difference in the world. After pulling out a sloppy victory from the skin of their teeth on the road in Carolina in Week 1, a game in which Seattle easily could have lost and most likely would have had it not been for DeAngelo Williams' careless late fourth quarter fumble, the Seahawks took it to their division foes much like they did last December in the same building. With both teams not scheduled to meet again until week 14 in San Francisco, Harbaugh and company has plenty of time to work out the kinks in preparation of their next bout. Whether a wager will be on the line between the two QB's in the rematch is unknown but it's only fair Kaepernick and Russell make a second bet when the two teams meet again this time on Kaepernick's home field. Check out the video of Kaepernick owning up to the bet and shaving off his eyebrow down below:


Week 3 Preview: San Francisco looks to bounce back from their ugly loss with a meeting against the Indianapolis Colts at Candlestick. Having already seen a pair of talented QB's in each of their first two games this season in Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, the 49ers will now turn their attention to another standout passer in Andrew Luck who coach Harbaugh knows quite a few things about dating back to their time spent together at the University of Stanford. But as excited as coach Harbaugh will be to see his former star quarterback, their reunion will be the last thing on their minds once the whistle blows as both teams look to get back into the win column. Indy is coming off a 24-20 loss at home to the 2-0 Miami Dolphins and is primed to get back on track. Luck won't be the only one the Niners defense will have to keep an eye on as running back Trent Richardson will be looking to make a first impression with his new team after being dealt from the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday in one of the more bizarre trades we've seen two weeks into the season. Richardson who was drafted third overall in last year's draft was traded for a first-round pick in next year's draft. And as much as I like the move for the Colts, I just wish it had happened after week 3 so the 49ers wouldn't have to face him...


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Week 1: 49ers Pack a Punch vs the Pack, 34-28.

Eight months after watching San Francisco's Colin Kaepenick torch the Packers' defense for an NFL-record 181 yards rushing, the most ever by a QB, Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy and his defensive personnel were itching for revenge against the multi-talented quarterback who led the 49ers to a 45-31 win over the Pack in last year's NFC Divisional round meeting. Being left with many sleepless nights and nightmares ending with the 49ers QB sprinting to the end zone kissing his bicep, Green Bay spent the entire offseason studying film, trying to get a beat on Kaepernick and the read-option. And though they kept him at bey on the ground on Sunday, they were unable to find an answer for him through the air. Having already showcased his running ability, this time Kaepernick utilized his weapons through the passing game, throwing for a career-high 412 yards, eclipsing both the 300 and 400 yard mark for the first time in his young career.

Making his 49ers debut, Anquan Boldin stole the show by nabbing 13 grabs for 208 yards and a touchdown. Looked upon by head coach Jim Harbaugh to be the fill-in for the injured Michael Crabtree, Boldin impressed his new team just like he did when they faced him in the Super Bowl in February. With Boldin being by far the number one target of the day, Kaepernick also showed plenty of love to his tight-end Vernon Davis. The chemistry issues that Kaepernick seemed to have with Davis last year prior to the Super Bowl were nonexistent on Sunday as the two connected six times for 98-yards and a pair of touchdowns. With arguably the best quarterback in the game today on the other sideline in Aaron Rodgers, the former league MVP also logged a nice outing of his own, throwing for 333 yards and a trio of touchdowns as wide-outs Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb each eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards and hauled in a touchdown respectively. But unlike San Francisco's offense which was flawless in the turnover department, the Packers were unable to play mistake-free football as they suffered both an Eddie Lacy fumble and an Aaron Rodgers interception in the first half.

Rookie safety Eric Reid dazzled in his NFL debut and made it obvious why the 49ers traded up to snag him with their first round pick in April's Draft. The kid out of LSU recorded six tackles to go along with the only interception of the game, a heads up play on a tipped pass intended for Jermichael Finley that came within inches of touching the ground. During a dry-spell in which the 49ers defense had a hard time making tackles, the 21-year old Reid made it look rather easy and had no trouble adapting to the starting role. Aside from poor tackling, the only other issue the 49ers seemed to have in their season-opener was play clock management as Kaepernick had to blow a handful of timeouts at times they could've done without. But given it's only week 1, there's plenty of time for adjustments to be made.

The one topic everyone seemed to talk about following the game however, was the late-hit that Packers linebacker Clay Matthews put on Colin Kaepernick during the second quarter. Matthews who was in the news earlier this week for publicly saying he and the Green Bay D were targeting the 49ers QB, made a lunging tackle on Kaepernick who was several yards out of bounds after scrambling and coming up short on a 3rd and 6 play. Penalty flags were thrown for the late hit before a fracas ensued as 49ers left tackle Joe Staley ran to his QB's aid and confronted Matthews, leading to both teams coming to blows as Staley was hit with a foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both penalties offset one another but instead of losing a down, the officials mistakenly rewarded San Francisco another down. The hit did anything but startle the third year Quarterback out of Nevada and in fact fueled the Niners offense who scored on the very next play on a 10-yard touchdown connection to Anquan Boldin. Though the call didn't necessarily cost Green Bay the game, it definitely changed the complexion of it.

With the 49ers leading for most of the ballgame, the Packers took their only lead of the day in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run in by Eddie Lacy, putting Green Bay up, 28-24. But less than three minutes later, Kaepernick and company would respond and retake the lead after a five play drive was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Frank Gore. Gore's late touchdown coupled with kicker Phil Dawson's second field goal in three tries would put San Francisco up for good as the 49ers kicked off their farewell season to the historic Candlestick Park in winning fashion with the 34-28 victory, their third straight over the cheese-heads. Kaepernick's dominant 412 yard performance gave him the most passing yards in a 49ers season opener and made him just the fifth QB in the Super Bowl era to log 400 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the first game of the season. With the win, coach Jim Harbaugh became the first head coach in 49ers franchise history to win his first three season openers.

Noteworthy: The 49ers won the time of possession battle vs the Packers: 38:35 to 21:25. Defensive-end Aldon Smith who set a franchise-record with 19.5 sacks last season, got to Rodgers twice on Sunday. Boldin single-handedly matched what the WR's on his former team did in their season opener: Ravens WR's: 15 catches, 215 yards, 1 TD.

Week 2 Preview: With the game against the Packers in San Francisco's rear-view mirror, Jim Harbaugh and company looks to prepare for their Sunday Night showdown with the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Predicted by many to dethrone the 49ers for the NFC West title this season, the Seahawks got off to a shaky start in week 1. Seattle who won their season-opener on the road against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, looked like anything but a playoff team in the 12-7 win squeaked out with the thanks of a late 4th Quarter fumble by Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams on the 8-yard line. But coach Harbaugh knows that if anything can wake a sleeping giant, it's the raucous crowd better known as the -- 12th Man at Seattle's CenturyLink Field. You can expect nothing short of a hard-hitting, trash-talking affair in the hostile environment on Sunday night which just so happens to be Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll's Birthday. A Birthday the 49ers hope to spoil by sending the Birthday boy home with a Seattle loss.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

The Magnificent Seven

Thursday evening saw the NFL kickoff the 2013 season in historic fashion as the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens began their title defense on the road against another AFC heavyweight in the Denver Broncos in a much-anticipated rematch of last year's AFC Divisional round match-up. Chosen by many (including myself) as the favorites in the AFC, the Broncos opened the season with a bang. With the game delayed more than 30 minutes due to lightning, there would be no power outage on the field as Peyton Manning and company brought plenty of electricity on offense. But by the looks of things at the half which saw Baltimore take a 17-14 lead into the locker room, the game seemed like just another day at the office for Peyton who had a pair of touchdown passes by halftime. However, the game would be anything but ordinary for the future Hall of Fame quarterback as he would go on to register a performance for the ages.

Seeking revenge against the team that put an end to Denver's Super Bowl hopes last year in an overtime thriller, Peyton Manning set out to dismantle the Ravens defense. He would do just that by leading his team to a 49-27 trouncing of the defending champs, completing 27-of-42 passes for 462 yards and tying an NFL record with seven touchdown passes, becoming only the sixth player in league history to do so and only the second player to accomplish the feat without throwing a single interception. Prior to Manning who logged an unheard of QB rating of 141.1, the last player to throw for seven touchdowns in a game was Joe Kapp of the Minnesota Vikings who reached the mark in 1969. Already regarded as one of the all-time greats to man the quarterback position, the 37-year old Peyton has once again defined greatness with what many are calling his best performance ever. Adding to his already decorated resume, Manning's stellar season-opener also gave him 23 career games with at least 4 touchdown passes which ties Brett Favre for the all-time mark as well as his seventh career game with at least 5 TD tosses, tying him with Drew Brees for the most ever.

Manning distributed his TD passes pretty evenly with pinpoint precision, connecting twice in the endzone with the newly added Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas and tight-end Julius Thomas who stole the show in the first half with Andre Caldwell being the odd man out with only one score. To put Peyton's remarkable 7-touchdown performance into perspective a tad bit easier, the Kansas City Chiefs threw for a total of 8 touchdown passes all of last year. Hall of Fame QB John Elway who is now the executive vice president of football operations for the Broncos, threw for a measly 7 touchdown passes his entire rookie season in 1983. Not to discredit Peyton in anyway but though there's been more praise of the Broncos offense, it could be as much a story on the criticism of the Ravens defense. Baltimore who didn't allow their seventh passing touchdown until week 10 last season, has already seen that total reached in their first game of the year which can't bode well for a team that's predominately known for their defense. 

While the team was somewhat expected to take a step back on defense this season following the departures of Ed Reed, Paul Kruger and the retirement of Ray Lewis, nobody expected a performance or lack there of of this magnitude. After all, no Ravens team has ever allowed 49-points in their 18-year existence. But before we start dubbing the 2013 Baltimore Ravens as the worst defense ever, let's let the dust settle and see how they bounce back at home where Thursday night's game should have been played all along. After failing to strike a deal with the Baltimore Orioles who the Ravens share a parking lot with, John Harbaugh's team was forced to open the season on the road, a rarity for defending Super Bowl champion teams and the first to do it since the 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But back to the man of the hour, Mr. Peyton Manning. I wish I had said this before the start of the season but I'm gonna go ahead and pick Peyton to win the MVP this year. After last night's performance, how could you not? Though the MVP voting polls aren't open just yet, the award is pretty much Peyton's to lose as he's an early favorite to win it.

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Throwback Thursday x Ichiro

While the 2013 New York Yankees have looked more like the second installment of the Bronx Zoo with all that has gone on with Alex Rodriguez who has once again found himself in hot water regarding PED's, there has been some highlights in a season that'll most likely see the Yankees miss the postseason, unfamiliar territory to baseball's most storied franchise. In the Bronx for game two of a three game set with the division-rival Blue Jays, Yankees outfielder Ichiro Suzuki stepped up to the plate on Wednesday needing one hit to give him 4,000 total hits in an illustrious career that started overseas. The Japanese star would waste little time to etch his name into the record books by slapping a single to left in the first inning against Toronto's R.A. Dickey who served as a teammate of Ichiro's in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners. The hit also helped him surpass Lou Gehrig on the all-time hits list.

After play stopped for a few moments while the Yankee dugout poured onto the field as each player hugged and congratulated Ichiro individually followed by a standing ovation from the 36,000+ fans in attendance to which Ichiro took a bow and waved his helmet in appreciation, play resumed but not before baseball added the legendary Ichiro to its list of all-time greats. Standing at 5'11" and weighing in at 170 lbs, Ichiro is small in size but has been anything but at the plate, having hit his way into the record books and pave his way to Cooperstown when it's all said and done. Beginning his professional career at the age of 18 for the Orix Blue Wave of the Japanese Pacific League, Ichiro Suzuki embarked on his journey as an unlikely candidate to reach one of baseball's most prestigious class of hitters. In 2001, the first Japanese-born non-pitcher to sign a Major League deal was introduced to the United States with lofty expectations, arriving to the show with 3 MVP Awards and 7 consecutive batting titles to his name while in Japan. How would he translate that success to the American scene? -- By hitting .350 with 242 hits and swiping 56 stolen bases on his way to winning both the Rookie of the Year Award and the MVP Award in his first season, becoming only the second player in MLB history to win both in the same year.

It didn't stop there, in fact the legend only grew as Ichiro went on to set an MLB-record by amassing 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons from 2001-2010 as well as set the single-season mark for hits in 2004 when his 262 hits broke George Sisler's record of 257 which stood since 1920. While Wednesday's first-inning single may have looked like just any other hit, it was more than that. The now 39-year old Ichiro who will celebrate his 40th Birthday in October, joined the elite class of Pete Rose and Ty Cobb as the only other players with 4,000 hits during a professional career. Though Ichiro's hits total is split from both leagues with only 2,722 of them coming in a big league uniform and the rest in Japan, 4,000 hits is a lot of hits no matter where they're from. While there are those that argue that the level of skill in Japan's baseball league isn't quite up to par with that of the Major Leagues, former Major League player and coach Bobby Valentine who spent six seasons managing in Japan's Pacific League, said when describing the talent in Japan that every player in Japan is good enough to make a big league roster. In fact, Japan has been every bit as good as the U.S. at baseball if not better as Team Japan won each of the first two ever World Baseball Classic's. Japan's passion for the game of baseball has even been felt throughout the Little League level as Japan knocked off Chula Vista, California to claim the Little League World Series earlier this week, the countries ninth LLWS title.

But back to the man of the hour -- Ichiro, who has 1 more year remaining on his contract, has been the benchmark of a professional wherever he's played regardless of continent or team. Having taken a backseat to all the buzz and media attention that Yankee teammate Alex Rodriguez has garnered as of late, Ichiro's milestone is undoubtedly one worth mentioning and celebrating. A lifetime .330 hitter between both Japan where he hit .353 and the Majors where he's compiled a .320 bating average, Ichiro has seen his numbers regress over the last few seasons but his fan base remains among the top of the list in the history of the sport and rightfully so. He's also as cool as the other side of the pillow off the field. Watch this vintage interview he did some years back with Bob Costas, it's one of my all-time favorites.



Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

2013 San Francisco 49ers Season Preview and Super Bowl Prediction

With the start of the NFL's regular season looming and the San Francisco 49ers looking to bounce back from their disappointing loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl 47, here's three things to keep an eye on heading into the season as one of the most storied franchises in all of football looks to capture their sixth title and their first since the 1994 season.

1. Will Colin Kaepernick continue to run rampant on the NFC West or will they figure him out? - Though 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn't invent the pistol formation, they utilized it to perfection in 2012 and made it one of the hardest formations for an opposing defense to adjust to. With little known about the pistol offense at the professional level aside from college footage, the 49ers used it to their advantage, catching defenses guessing on more than one occasion. On the biggest stage of his career making his first playoff appearance, the duel-threat Kaepernick torched the Green Bay Packers for an NFL-record 181 rushing yards, the most ever by a QB in a single game. But with months of preparation and studying film during the offseason to get up to speed with this formation that has taken the league by storm and has catapulted the 49ers young quarterback to instant fame, teams most notably those within the division figure to create defensive schemes to best counter the pistol and put a stop to the human gazelle that is Colin Kaepernick.

2. What about the D and can we count on the 49ers secondary? - Finishing the 2012 regular season with a record of 11-4-1, beating out the Seattle Seahawks for the division crown by a half a game, the 49ers had a tougher road than anticipated while capturing their first set of back-to-back NFC West titles since the franchise won four straight from 1992-1995. And with a target on their back in the NFC, division foes Seattle, the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals plan to do everything possible to prevent coach Harbaugh and company from raising a third consecutive pennant. The best way for San Francisco to maintain their supremacy in a division full of hungry playoff hopefuls and a conference far superior than their opposite, is through their defense. Two years removed from having the league's most formidable defense from top to bottom, head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio saw San Francisco's secondary regress in 2012 and hope to breath life back into the heart and soul of the team. Though they weren't exactly terrible, there were some gaps and there's plenty of room for improvement as indicated in their loss to the Ravens.

Harbaugh and co. hope safety Eric Reid who the 49ers selected 18 overall in this year's draft NFL Draft can fill the shoes of the departed Pro-Bowler Dashon Goldson. Fingers are also crossed for positive contributions from cornerback's Carlos Rogers who had a down year in 2012 compared to his Pro-Bowl year the season before. Nnamdi Asomugha is another player at the corner position that looks to rebound with his new team and will be called upon to help fill the void of the injured Chris Culliver who sustained a season-ending ACL tear earlier this month. That's if Asomugha makes the squad as early reports had him being the odd man out towards the end of training camp. But that might all change now that Culliver is no longer in the 2013 picture. 

3. Who will step in and pick up the slack at wide-out? - With the 49ers receiving corps currently in shambles as two of the top three options in Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham are on the shelf nursing injuries and aren't expected to be back until mid-season, the team will be seeking contributions from a list of 10 players vying for a roster spot at a position the 49ers are paper thin at. While Vernon Davis poses an enormous threat worthy of double-coverage from the tight-end position and the newly acquired Anquan Boldin has done nothing but impress at training camp, who Kaepernick calls his go-to target outside of the two aforementioned names is anyone's guess up to this point. While nothing is set in stone, Kyle Williams and newcomer Austin Collie lead the pack and are early candidates to most likely win over the last vacant spot. Also worth noting is that Boldin and Collie who has shown flashes of talent but has suffered from lingering concussions during his stint with the Peyton Manning-led Colts, are the only active wide-receivers on San Francisco's roster that have amassed at least 100 career receptions. That alone should describe just how inexperienced the team is in the wide-out department.

Coach Harbaugh had envisioned for last year's first round pick A.J. Jenkins to be the next bright young star to carry the torch at the wide-out position but after watching his rookie season from the sidelines followed by a forgetful training camp and a preseason that is better left unmentioned, speculation of the former Illinois standout failing to make the team arose. But instead of getting nothing in return, the 49ers dealt Jenkins to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for receiver Jon Baldwin, pulling the plug on the A.J. Jenkins experiment. Like Jenkins, Baldwin is a former first round pick that was selected 26th overall out of Pittsburgh in 2011, four picks earlier than Jenkins and has also failed to live up to the hype. But considering both players are still young (Jenkins 23 years old and Baldwin 24) the fresh start a change of scenery brings might do both players some good and could benefit both parties in the process. It definitely couldn't hurt given they've been declared busts up to this point. Unlike Jenkins who has yet to haul in his first career reception, seeing action in only one game where his lone target was a drop, Baldwin has over 500 receiving yards to his name and 2 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Baldwin will have to learn the playbook and build chemistry with his new quarterback in a fraction of the time those he'll be competing with received.

Now, with all that said, I think it's about time for my Super Bowl prediction: Last year at the start of the postseason, all signs pointed towards a rematch of Super Bowl 24 between the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos, a game in which the Joe Montana-led 49ers demolished John Elway and the Denver Broncos in blowout fashion -- 55-10. But as we all know, 2012 didn't end to well for Denver who fell victim to a late collapse and a desperate hail mary that resulted in a miracle touchdown from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco to Jacoby Jones which ultimately put an end to Peyton Manning's stellar first year with the Broncos. But with all of that behind them now and a new weapon in receiver Wes Welker for Peyton to throw to, I'm predicting the 49ers and Broncos to meet at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on February 2 for Super Bowl XLVIII. 


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Deadline Dud

This year's MLB trade deadline was a whisper in the night opposed to years passed as there were no major splashes made in baseball's trade-o-sphere. However, a few clubs managed to address their pitching needs without dealing for marquee names. Perhaps the biggest name dealt was starting pitcher Jake Peavy who relocated from the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox. Though Peavy, a 4-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner isn't quite the pitcher he once was with the San Diego Padres as he's had a hard time adjusting to the offense-friendly American League, he gives Boston a much needed arm in a rotation that's been without arguably its best pitcher in Clay Buchholz who's been idle since June 8 with a shoulder injury. The move also benefits the player as the 32-year old Peavy (8-4, 4.28 ERA) departs a last place Chicago team for Boston who currently sits atop the AL East with an MLB-best 66-wins. Peavy is under contract through 2014.

One team hoping to spoil the party and prevent Boston from making the postseason if not meet them there, are the Baltimore Orioles who answered their division-rivals with a move of their own, acquiring hurler Bud Norris from the last-place Houston Astros. Norris, who served as the ace for a Houston ball club that's had a torturous 2013 campaign, owning baseball's worst record at 36-71 in their first year in the American League, has gotta be as happy as anyone now that he'll be shifting from the race for the worst record in all of baseball for what's expected to be a pennant race in the AL East. Orioles skipper Buck Showalter who helped turn the franchise around in 2012, leading them to their first playoff appearance in 15 years, knows his squad has been highly dependent on its power hitting offense while the team's mediocre pitching staff has fallen by the wayside, putting up numbers near the bottom of the pack in almost every major pitching category. That's where Norris comes in and hopes to make his presence felt.

However, as far as importance goes, both of these deadline deals fail to match that of the Texas Rangers acquiring Matt Garza from the Chicago Cubs for Mike Olt, C.J. Edwards and Justin Grimm, which took place last week. Nolan Ryan and company hope the addition of Garza will help the Rangers catch up to and pass the Oakland A's who dethroned Texas for the American League Western Division title last season and currently lead the division by 3.5 games. Garza who's been surprisingly consistent despite playing a majority of his career in the powerhouse AL East while with the Tampa Bay Rays and in the hitter-friendly Wrigley Field, will now be given the daunting task of having to pitch in Arlington, Texas where the triple-digit temperatures are no friend to a pitcher's earned-run average. But who wouldn't sacrifice a few notches on their ERA to play for a contender that's made two World Series appearances in the last three years.

Another name or beard rather that is quite popular among baseball fans is Brian Wilson. The former All-Star closer for the San Francisco Giants has been M.I.A. from the big league stage since April of 2012 while recovering from a second Tommy John surgery. After watching his team win the World Series without his help in 2012, negotiations with the San Francisco ball club went sour when the team he compiled 171 career-saves for over seven seasons failed to offer Wilson a contract following his second surgery. Wilson didn't shy away from expressing his disappointment with the Giants front-office as his feathers were ruffled so much so that he chose not to accept an invitation to the team's ring ceremony back in April. And to spite them even more, the former ringleader of the 2010 Giants club which were best known as a band of misfits, signed with the team's arch rival -- the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Signing with the Dodgers gives Wilson a chance to prove he still has something in the tank as well as play for a contender as it appears the blue crew is primed to run away with the division, barring a setback of suckage like the 2013 Dodgers prior to Yasiel Puig's arrival. The deal which keeps Wilson under contract for the remainder of the season is a low-risk, high-reward type of signing for L.A. considering they didn't have to give up any prospects to get an arm that helps bolster the bullpen assuming he resembles the Brian Wilson that led the National League in saves in 2010 with 48. And if not, they won't be obligated to his services past 2013 which makes it a win-win for Don Mattingly and company. 

Last but not least is Alfonso Soriano, the lone position player acquired before the deadline worth mentioning. After beginning his Major League career in 1999 with the New York Yankees where he spent five seasons, two of which he made the All-Star team in while donning the pinstripes, Soriano was dealt to the Rangers for Alex Rodriguez who he'll now call his teammate. The Yankees began the season as one of the better teams in the AL and remained near the top of the AL East standings until just recently where they're now looking up at everybody in the division except for the Toronto Blue Jays who still can't get over the .500 mark and continue to disappoint. Soriano is due $25 Million over the remainder of 2013 and through 2014, with the Cubs picking up nearly $18 Million owed to the 7-time All-Star. Though Soriano's batting average has dropped drastically over the years and he no longer poses a major threat on the base paths, he can still pile up RBI's as evident in 2012 when he racked up a career-best 108 ribbies while swatting 32 home runs, his largest total since 2007 when he hit 33 homers with the Cubbies. But even the addition of the 37-year old Soriano doesn't look like it'll be enough to help the Bronx Bombers overcome the much younger and talented teams ahead of them in the division. At least not this season.

The limited action at this year's trade deadline is most likely an indication that teams feel more eager to hang onto key players since the MLB's adoption of a second Wild Card team in each league which was introduced for the first time in 2012, thus making teams that would normally be sellers at the deadline into hopeful contenders. That move may have forever altered the landscape of the trade deadline we once knew to be one of the more exciting week's of baseball. But that's not to say moves still can't be made as there's always the waiver wire that teams can resort to. The waiver deadline is a whole different ballgame though, which doesn't end until August 31. With that said, lets keep our eyes peeled for any forthcoming deals made through waivers. For all we know, they might be more groundbreaking than what this dud of a trade deadline offered.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

A Freaky first half of the Season for the Giants

With half of the 2013 MLB season already in the books as teams collect as much rest as possible during the All-Star break in preparation of the dog days of summer that await, the midway point couldn't have come at a better time for the San Francisco Giants. The defending world champs who've won two of the last three World Series titles, have looked like a shadow of their 2012 selves up to this point. Having been bit by the injury bug practically all year long with injuries striking up and down the lineup as well as across the pitching staff, the Giants who are without their spark plug on offense in speedster Angel Pagan, have limped to the halfway mark with a 43-51 record, 6.5 games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks. Though the GMen have maintained some success at home until their most recent home stand which saw Bruce Bochy's ballclub uncharacteristically drop 5 of 6 at AT&T Park, their road record of 15-31 is among one of the worst in the National League and has translated to their first sub .500 record at the break in years.

After appearing to hit rock bottom, losing 17 of their last 23 games, the Giants did manage to head into the All-Star break on somewhat of a high-note by taking 3 of 4 on the road against the pesky San Diego Padres. One of the wins being a game that Giants fans my age will be sure to one day tell their grandchildren about. Less than two weeks after being no-hit by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey who tossed his second career no-hitter in a 3-0 win over the Giants, Tim Lincecum who received the loss, had the tables turned on him just two starts later. Following their first pair of consecutive road wins in nearly a month, Lincecum would do something that baseball fans knew he was capable of the moment he broke onto the big league scene as a 150 lb. kid that could reach the mid to high 90's with his fastball while his build and features resembled that of a bat boy more than they did a Major League pitcher, resulting in players and fans simply calling him, "The Freak."

Despite his recent struggles, the now 29-year old pitcher in his seventh season would display a performance fit for the record books in vintage Lincecum fashion by tossing the 15th no-hitter in Giants franchise history and the 7th since the team moved out west to San Francisco. Striking out 13 Padres batters, Lincecum's only flaw came in the walk department where he allowed four men to get on base via the base on balls. Timmy also added a hit batsman, but none of that prevented him from making history and completing the first no-hitter in Petco Park history since the stadium opened its doors in 2004. The Padres who've been no stranger to the no-hitter having been no-hit on eight different occasions and as recent as 2009 against pitcher Jonathan Sanchez of these very same Giants, oddly enough have yet to throw a no-hitter of their own and are the only active Major League franchise with that claim.

Lincecum's no-no which was followed up by a bear-hug from his battery-mate Buster Posey who rushed the mound and a Gatorade bath from the rest of his teammates, required the second most pitches in MLB history, falling one pitch shy of Edwin Jackson's mark of 149-pitches on June 25, 2010 when he no-hit the Tampa Bay Rays as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the All-Star break looming, you had to have wondered whether the extra days of rest factored in on Bochy's decision to keep his pitcher in despite the high pitch-count. But given the circumstances of just how rarely a feat of this magnitude occurs and the relationship Bochy has with his former ace who's come close to making history on a number of occasions, the skipper never would've heard the end of it had he elected to pull his starting pitcher in favor of the bullpen. Factoring in all the warm-up pitches, it's likely Lincecum exceeded the 200-pitch mark and is something I'm sure almost every pitcher that's ever stepped foot on a mound would sacrifice if it meant etching their name into the record books with a no-hitter.

Also worth mentioning is the spectacular defense Lincecum had behind him making play after play. None greater than the play outfielder Hunter Pence made in right when coming in hard making a diving catch to rob San Diego's Alexi Amarista of a hit to end the eight inning, preserving the no-hit bid. At that point it seemed that the Giants' right-hander was destined to make history. The no-no is just the most recent accolade to add to the illustrious career of Lincecum who also has a pair of Cy Young Awards on his well decorated resume as well as a pair of World Series rings. Lincecum, a popular topic in trade rumors as of late, has long been in need of a confidence boost since following up a stellar postseason while in the Giants bullpen, with a mediocre 2013 campaign. Bruce Bochy and company hope that this historic performance will do just that as the team tries to right the ship in the second half and get back to their winning ways. But with a rising Dodger squad and a Diamondbacks team that's shown no signs of slowing down expected to be atop the NL West pennant race until the end, the Giants will have their work cut out for them. But whatever you do, don't count Bruce Bochy's club out, because we all know what happened the last two times that took place.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Howard Ditches Hollywood for H-Town

No more sleeping with the lights on and hiding under your covers, the "Dwightmare" is over. After days of weighing his options, NBA All-Star center Dwight Howard has made his decision on where he'll be taking his talents for the upcoming 2013-2014 NBA season and beyond -- Houston, as the signing was made official on Wednesday. Hoping to make basketball in Houston as synonymous with the city as codeine syrup and screwed and chopped music, Howard plans to bring the franchise its first championship since the team won back-to-back titles in 1994-95 with another dominant big man in Hakeem Olajuwon. And though he didn't make his decision on national television like LeBron James did a few season's back which rubbed people the wrong way, he still made a lot of people unhappy. However, there won't be any need for lighter fluid and matches to burn jersey's like we saw when LeBron made his often criticized decision to leave his home state of Ohio for the sandy beaches of Miami, mainly because Howard's departure didn't take everyone by surprise quite like LeBron's.

Even after Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak finalized the deal that was several years in the making to finally land the best big man in the league last offseason, we were all aware of the possibility of Howard being a one-year rent-a-player. What we didn't know, however, was just how mightily a Lakers squad which featured Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and Howard would struggle. While injuries were partially to blame for their early elimination in the playoffs, falling to the eventual Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs in a four-game sweep, the Lakers' star-studded cast had a hard time gelling even when healthy which had to have made Dwight's decision to walk a bit easier. Not to mention Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni's system which Dwight felt he was unfit for, whom he asked the Lakers to fire in November in favor of Phil Jackson. Having suffered from a torn labrum and coming off of back surgery in his lone season with the purple and gold, Howard received plenty of criticism from Los Angeles' media circus while getting little support from teammates Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant who he told during negotiations before making his decision, he was upset with after they failed to come to his aid and stick up for him.

Further spoiling the relationship between Howard and the Lakers organization was when Howard publicly said he, "never really felt embraced in L.A." But all things considered, even that would make it difficult to walk away from the extra $30 Million dollars that only the Lakers could offer him. Though it's become a rarity in sports these days, Howard's decision to ditch Tinseltown to play for a much younger Rockets franchise in a small market is proof that money isn't everything. Also left on the table along with $30 Million dollars is the torch to the Laker team that Kobe planned to hand down once he retires in the next few years. With big men being the foundation that paved the way to a number of NBA titles from Laker greats George Mikan to Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O'Neal and so on, Howard walked away from the thought of becoming the latest big man to write his own chapter in Laker lore. If there's one thing Laker fans did learn about the failed experiment that brought the 27-year old Howard to L.A., it was that playing under the brightest of lights in Hollywood were just too much for him to handle and that the real Superman was indeed Shaq.

Where the Lakers go from here is anyone's guess. Though not signing Howard adds to the money Mitch Kupchak and company will save from an already hefty fee from the league's luxury-tax, it also opens the door even wider for the Lakers to go after not one, but two superstar talents via free-agency next off-season in a free-agent class that will most likely feature such star-studded names as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony among others. As for the Rockets who landed arguably the most coveted free-agent player of the off-season alongside All-Star point-guard Chris Paul who announced earlier this week that he'll be re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, Howard joins a young squad led by the rising Chandler Parsons and the bearded James Harden who reached super stardom after leaving Oklahoma City last season. And with head coach Kevin McHale at the helm who knows a thing or two about playing inside the post and figures to utilize Howard to his full potential. Something Howard felt coach Mike D'Antoni failed to do in L.A.

Before making his decision and choosing Houston as his destination, Howard's list of suitors included the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, all of whom he eliminated before eventually choosing between the Lakers and the Rockets. A choice he described as, "tough" before saying he made his decision solely on winning a title and not the money. And though Kobe Bryant took to his Twitter account to wish Dwight Howard the best with his new team after un-following him from the social networking site, we all know deep down that he doesn't mean it. Similar to when a man says he wishes his ex the best when she's in a relationship, it's all a lie. Even with Howard in the mix, I still have a hard time placing the Rockets ahead of the Spurs, Thunder, Warriors and Clippers in the Western Conference power rankings.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest