Bryce Redeker Leads RedHawks in Many Ways

Bryce Redeker dug his feet into the batters box and waited for the pitch. Louisiana Lafayette’s pitcher began his delivery and threw a ball on the outside corner of the plate. Redeker swung hard, but as the bat and ball met on contact, Redeker’s whole season turned upside down.

Redeker, a Miami junior when this at-bat took place in March of 2010, had started the season off at a blistering pace with a .579 slugging percentage including a homer, 3 runs and 8 RBI in 19 plate appearances through just 4 games.  However, the strong start would come to an abrupt end.

“When I took my swing I felt something crack.” 

Fast-forward 12 months to March 23, 2011: a full year since breaking his hamate bone and missing essentially the entire 2010 campaign.  He played two years of Junior College ball at Kankakee Community College and then transferred to Miami for the 2010 season.  Thus, this season marks his first full one at the D-1 level. 

Plenty of fans sit in the sunshine at McKie Field for the season opener, watching as the Red-Shirt junior bats during his first ever game in Oxford.  This time, after the pitcher releases the ball, the only crack is the sound of the bat as Redeker lines a single into right field.  Barreling down the line, Redeker aggressively rounds first, despite the fact that his hit has no chance of being a double.  He then stops and trots back to first base. 

“[Miami Baseball Head] Coach [Dan] Simonds is always preaching, ‘bring the intensity, bring the effort, bring the focus’,” said Redeker.  “If I can go out there and give it everything I’ve got, everybody else is going to give it everything.”

There is no doubt within the RedHawk clubhouse that Redeker is a leader.  Through April 6^th, he posted a .355 batting average including 3 homers, 22 runs batted in and a 0.561 slugging percentage.   Perhaps most impressively, the outfielder has still yet to make an error this year and he is the only Miami player to start all 28 games.

“He’s a very, very hard worker,” said Simonds.  “Every day, he comes to the park trying to improve a part of his game.”  Simonds, now in his fifth season as head coach, has seen Major League talent roll through his program; most recently, Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Adam Eaton.  “Quite honestly, I think that [Redeker] is going to play at an even higher level than college.”

Redeker especially proved how devoted he is to improving his game during the rehab and off-season following his broken hamate.  Breaking the hamate bone, a small bone in the hand, is a common injury for hitters.  MLB stars such as David Ortiz, Ryan Zimmerman and Dustin Pedroia have all encountered the injury.  Redeker spent hours rehabbing with Miami trainer Paul Eversole during March and April of 2010 in time to play a summer of healthy baseball.     

“I was getting adjusted last year and everything,” said Redeker.  “I was getting really excited for the season and that just kind of set me back about 6 months or whatever.  So I couldn’t play for; I was completely out of baseball for about three months.  It was depressing, but you just have to work through it.”

Redeker certainly leads by example with his bat and glove, and he knows that it is game time when he steps between those lines.  However, Redeker also realizes, like many baseball players before him have, that baseball is a long season.  There are too many ups and downs in a season to get real excited after a win or real disappointed after a loss. 

“He is pretty much one of the bigger jokesters on the team,” said Junior Outfielder Ryan Brenner. 

Brenner, along with the rest of Miami’s team, would point to Redeker if asked who the team clown is.  Redeker admits that he thinks with the drag of a long season and daily practices, the team often needs to loosen up and remember that they’re playing a game.  A simple game that they started playing for pure joy. 

“During practice one time we were doing some outfield drills and for some reason all of a sudden he decided to try and catch one behind his back,” said Brenner.  “Completely missed it and he had to run some laps because of it.”

Despite theatrics such as this, coach Simonds does not get fed up with the ways of Redeker.  Simonds realizes that a high adrenaline guy like Redeker inevitably spills a little of that intensity into other aspects besides the game itself.  “He keeps it loose,” said Simonds.  “He’s really well-respected amongst his teammates.  He plays with a lot of intensity and a lot of passion.”

The 6’1”, 215-pound player carries himself with a very calm and collected manner to the unbeknownst.  He hesitated to converse about any specific stories of himself being a clown; however, after the interview finished and he walked away, Redeker clearly quacked at one of his teammates passing by.  

“Quack”, as in the noise a duck makes.  Redeker certainly differentiates himself in various ways on and off the field. 

Pirates Lack Resemblance to ’08 Rays

57 wins.  Multiple NBA teams will win more games than that in their current 82-game season; however, the Pittsburgh Pirates settled on that number at the end of their 162 game season in 2010. 

Coming off the worst season since the league expanded to a 162 game schedule in 1961, Pirates fans shouldn’t expect much in 2011.  Yet, as the annual tradition goes now, comparisons get drawn with the Pirates and the 2008 Rays who went from worst to first for the first time in MLB history. 

Opening Day is such a beautiful occasion because as the age-old saying goes, “hope springs eternal”.  Fans believe the stars will align for their team this year and all the question marks on their roster will vanish.  That’s one of the great things about baseball and I would never want to take away those wishful thoughts from a Pirates fan.

With that in mind, the Pirates simply do not have the talent to compete in 2011.  Their 18-year losing-record streak is due to three main reasons, and until those change, the Pirates won’t share any resemblance to the pennant winning Rays. 

1.   Poor Drafting

A dramatic difference between the Pirates and Rays is their ability to draft well.  Since the Rays inception in 1997, the two teams draft histories look extremely different:

Rays vs. Pirates: First Round Picks Since 1997
Year	Pick #	Rays	Pick #	Pirates
1997	31	Jason Standridge	8	J.J. Davis
1998	None		15	Clinton Johnson
1999	1	Josh Hamilton	8	Bobby Bradley
2000	6	Rocco Baldelli	19	Sean Burnett
2001	3	Dewon Brazelton	8	John VanBenschoten
2002	2	B.J. Upton	1	Bryan Bullington
2003	1	Delmon Young	8	Paul Maholm
2004	4	Jeff Niemann	11	Neil Walker
2005	8	Wade Townsend	11	Andrew McCutchen
2006	3	Evan Longoria	4	Brad Lincoln
2007	1	David Price	4	Daniel Moskos
2008	1	Tim Beckham	2	Pedro Alvarez
2009	30	LeVon Washington	4	Tony Sanchez
2010	17	Josh Sale	2	Jameson Taillon

Tampa’s picks include three All-Stars (Hamilton, Longoria, Price), a Rookie of the Year (Longoria), and an MVP (Hamilton).

I’d be willing to bet, that even if you call yourself a baseball aficionado, the only Pittsburgh names that jump off the page at you are Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, and Paul Maholm.  Those names probably sound familiar because they all not only made it to the big leagues, but will be on the Pirates 2011 Opening Day roster.  

2.   Low Payroll

Again, the Pirates will begin a season with the smallest payroll in baseball with a projected Opening Day payroll of $34,933,000, according to ESPN.com.  Tampa Bay also struggles with payroll issues as exhibited by the departures of Carl Crawford, Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, and Rafael Soriano during this past offseason. 

However, the Rays management still boasts a $72,323,471 payroll entering this season.  Both teams have low attendance; however, the Rays realize that the only way to win baseball games is to put a team on the field. 

Scouting and good drafting are large parts of the reason the Rays rose to the top; however, they would never have been able to reach the World Series if they traded the likes of Crawford, Longoria, and B.J. Upton before they reached the majors.  Who knows what the Pirates could have done without trading Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Jose Bautista, and Xavier Nady. 

3.   Neglected fan base

Ultimately, I have trouble seeing the Pirates win in the near future because I believe they have owners who don’t care about the standings.  PNC Park, with the beautiful Roberto Clemente Bridge stationed in the skyline beyond the outfield, could hold it’s own in an argument over most beautiful baseball parks.  Pittsburgh has a loyal fan base that would come watch winning baseball.  There’s a key word in that last sentence: winning.  There’s a reason the Steelers and Penguins draw large crowds each year.

Fans attempted to show their displeasure with a walkout during the 2007 season.  Pirates fans showed up for the game and then got up and left their seats after the third inning.  Unlike most Pirates games, the event made SportsCenter the following morning; however, owner Robert Nutting seemed un-phased and no changes resulted.   

Is there anything good to say about the Pirates?

Yes.  Pirates’ fans in 2010 enjoyed the debut season of Pedro Alvarez, who raked up 16 homers 64 RBI while manning the hot corner.  Andrew McCutchen proved he’s not a believer in sophomore slumps (.286 / .365 / .449) and seems poised to put up similar numbers this season.  Left fielder Jose Tabata hit .299 en route to an eight place NL Rookie of the Year finish while Neil Walker hit .296 with 12 homers and 66 RBI before finishing 5^th in the voting. 

Another bright spot is the addition of new skipper, Clint Hurdle.  Hurdle managed the Rockies to a 2007 World Series and was the hitting coach during the wild Rangers season a year ago.  Colorado and Texas were synonymous with sub-500 seasons before their recent October surprises.

I won’t pretend to know the least of the Pirates farm system; however, if it resembles their current plethora of young stars such as Alvarez, McCutchen, Tabata and Walker, Pittsburgh fans may be more inclined to come out and show pride in the black and yellow during the Summer months.  That is of course, assuming GM Neal Huntington does not ship the talent to bigger and better places.  

2011 NL Central Preview

Can the Reds repeat as NL Central Champions in 2011?

This could be the year folks.  The NL Central Champ has not won a playoff game since 2006, when LaRussa led his boys to the promised land.  4 straight years of October broomsticks waving in their faces is bound to end this year, right? 

The order below is according to their 2010 finishes.  I think the Brewers will win the Central, but my name isn’t Tim Kurkjian so nobody really cares what I think. 

Cincinnati Reds

2010 Record: 91-71

Projected 2011 Record: 89-73

The Reds are coming off of a season that featured a lineup that scored the most runs in the National League (790) and a defense that yielded the best fielding percentage in baseball (0.988) including three Gold-Glove winners in Brandon Phillips (2B), Scott Rolen (3B), and Bronson Arroyo (P).  Despite impressive runs by young pitchers, the Reds ended the season with a lowly 4.01 ERA, the worst among NL playoff teams, and part of the reason the Reds found themselves swept out of the offseason. 

Reds GM Walt Jocketty needed to add some sort of staple to a rotation filled with question marks if he wanted to take Cincinnati to the World Series like he did while working as GM of the Cards in 2006.  Instead, Jocketty added lefty Dontrelle Willis and lost longtime ace Aaron Harang.  Now the Reds are left looking to add solid starting pitching and a team psychologist.  

St.Louis Cardinals

2010 Record: 86-76

Projected 2011 Record: 83-79

As if the whole Pujols fiasco looming over their shoulder for the whole season wasn’t going to be enough, the Cardinals now have to try and win the NL Central without the latter part of their 1-2 rotation punch.  Although the Cardinals certainly have some impressive pieces on their roster, including 20-game winner Adam Wainwright, a catcher in Yadier Molina who has a streak of 7 straight gold gloves going, slugger Matt Holliday in left, and what could quite possibly be the greatest the player of all time in Albert Pujols at first. 

With that said, I think the Cardinals have too many holes in their lineup to do much this year.  Lance Berkman has an injury record long enough to make your body ache and the Cardinals aren’t helping his case by moving him from first base to right field.  Ryan Theriot   

Milwaukee Brewers

2011 Record: 77-85

Projected 2011 Record: 92-70

When he suits up for Opening Day next month, Ron Roenicke will become the third member of Mike Scioscia’s coaching staff to land MLB gigs, joining the likes of Joe Maddon (2006, Rays) and Bud Black (Padres, 2007).  Brewers fans have reason for optimism with a potential impact manager joining the club as well as two workhorse pitchers joining the rotation with 2009 AL Cy-Young Zack Greinke (Kansas City) and 2011 13-game winner Shaun Marcum (Toronto).  Ufortunately for the Brew Crew, Greinke thought he signed a pickup basketball deal, not an MLB contract.  Classic mixup. 

Houston Astros

2010 Record: 76-86

Projected 2011 Record: 72-90

Houston Astros fans are going to repeatedly hear the two worst words in any sports fans vocabularly thrown at them by analysts all year: transition phase.  Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt both departed Texas at the end of last season with trades to the Yankees and Phillies respectively.  Carlos Lee is the only pawn that GM Ed Wade still has to play with from the 2005 World Series team, but some youngsters on the team like Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn indicate that the future could be just beyond the horizon.  The Astros won’t finish last in the NL Central, but that’s only thanks to the Pirates.   

Chicago Cubs

2010 Record: 75-87

Projected 2011 Record: 89-73

Chicago received a dose of Tampa Bay this offseason with additions of starter Matt Garza and first baseman Carlos Pena.  Quick, name all four Cubs with the first name Carlos: Zambrano, Marmol, Silva and Pena.  Garza hopes to help a rotation that struggled mightily last year and lost Ted Lilly, while Carlos Pena needs to fill the shoes of Gold Glover Derek Lee who was traded to Atlanta last August after 7 seasons on the North Side.   Bottom line for this Cubs team, the stars need to play like stars.  Although the little things need to fall in place too, the reality is that the Cubbies will spend October on the links unless Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano perform like their contracts indicate they should.  You can’t call a team with a payroll above a million dollars a dark horse; however, not many people are picking the Cubs and quite frankly they could surprise their skeptics. 

Pittburgh Pirates

2010 Record: 57-105

Projected 2011 Record: 162-0

Just making sure you guys are paying attention there.  The Pirates endured their 18^th straight losing season in 2010 and will certainly not be #biwinning any championships in 2011.  I’d like to sit here and write that they have a lot of young talent on their roster and could surprise some people this year.  Realistically, the 2011 Pirates aren’t drastically different from the 2010 Pirates, who failed to produce a single player with a batting average above .300, a homer total above 25, an RBI total above 90, and here’s the kicker, no Pirate starter finished the season with double digit wins.  I always feel sympathetic for Pirates fans, but then I pause and remember Pittsburgh has the Steelers and Penguins too. 

10 days until Opening Day: the greatest day of the year. 

RedHawks Take Their Talents to South Carolina

After a long off-season restricted to indoor practicing due to the frigid Oxford weather, Miami’s baseball team finally gets a chance to play outside this weekend as they take part in the annual College of Charleston Invitational in South Carolina.

In a telephone interview Thursday afternoon, head Coach Dan Simonds said the team left Oxford Friday afternoon, drove 9 hours, and finished the trip Thursday morning.  Although they capitalized on the warm southwest Ohio weather this week by practicing outside on Miami’s turf football field at Yager Stadium, an early departure allowed the team to practice outdoors on an actual diamond for the first time all year. 

RedHawk ballplayers spent much of the offseason in the weight room, with a rigorous three-day a week lifting schedule, but has recently turned to a six-day a week practice routine with hitting, fielding, and throwing on a daily basis and have since cut down their lifting to two days a week. During the early parts of the season when the weather is too snowy or icy to go outdoors, the team will continue to practice out of Withrow Court. 

The team was excited to get outside for the first time and are even more thrilled to step across that white line for a real game.  “It’s almost like letting out a bunch of kids for the first time to play,” noted Red-Shirt Junior outfielder, Bryce Redeker.  “I know it’s not the best for us to never be able to go outside and see fly balls or get real groundballs, but when we get outside it’s go-time.”

Last year’s team finished the year a disappointing one game below the .500 mark, with a 28-29 record, but nearly the entire roster has since returned.  Everyone except Miami’s best player from 2010, Adam Eaton, who left the team last May after his junior year when the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him. 

Eaton tore up the competition in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) last spring, boasting an astounding .368 batting average accompanied by team-highs in at bats (220), runs (64), hits (81), doubles (18), triples (9), and homers (13).  Those 9 triples represented the most of any MAC player and the 7^th most of all the NCAA players in the nation.  Both the current team and the former RedHawk star feel weird that a new Miami baseball season is beginning without Eaton on the roster.  “I would love to have another season at Miami but at the same time I’m leaving for Spring Training in Arizona on March 7^th and that’s something I won’t ever regret,” said Eaton via telephone. 

Life goes on and the RedHawks aren’t looking in the rearview mirror even for a second.  “Guys have been filling in and they’ll be able to step it up where we’re missing him,” said senior second baseman, Jon Edgington, who was chosen based on team vote to serve as one of the four captains for the RedHawks this season.  The other three are seniors Adam Weisenburger, Sam Dawes and Kyle Weldon. 

Weekend Lineup

Play kicks off for the RedHawks on Friday afternoon against Marshall, followed by a Saturday encounter with the host Cougars, and a Sunday matchup against Kentucky.   Sophomore RHP Mac Thoreson will be on the bump Friday for the RedHawks, with Red-Shirt Junior LHP Shawn Marquardt going Saturday and Senior LHP Tyler Melling starting on Sunday.  All three will be kept on a strict pitch count of 80-85 pitches and freshmen lefties Seth Varner and Alex Brown will both be available out of the bullpen in addition to the regular set of relievers. 

2010 Stats                                    ERA            W-L            APP            IP

Mac Thoreson                              5.08              5-6               16              72.2           

Shawn Marquardt                        Missed 2010 with Tommy John Surgery

Tyler Melling                               5.90               4-7               15             90.0           

Friday’s probable starters:

1.     Ryan Brenner – CF

2.     Jon Edgington – 2B

3.     Bryce Redeker – LF

4.     Kyle Weldon – 1B

5.     Adam Weisenburger – C

6.     Kevin Bower – DH

7.     Ryan Kaup – SS

8.     Brad Gschwind – 3B

9.     Ryan Curl – RF

Miami will benefit greatly from the return of outfielder Bryce Redeker who missed nearly all of last season due to a wrist injury.  Shawn Marquardt’s RedHawk debut should also prove interesting for the RedHawks on Saturday. 

Miami seems excited to get things going after spending a long off-season practicing indoors and are poised for a good weekend of baseball against some tough competition.  “We focus on the process and take care of the little things,” said Coach Simonds.  “Focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves.”

Baseball Season's ... Almost Starting to Think About Getting ... Underway

Pitchers and catchers report in less than 2 weeks.  In under two months, 57 days to be exact, Opening Day will be here.  Thus, it’s time to start looking forward towards the notable stories of this year’s baseball season. 

Perhaps I could talk about the star-studded rotation out in Philadelphia that some are comparing to the Braves starters in the 90s.  What about Theo Epstein’s fantastic off-season in which he added two of the most sought after lefties on the free-agent/trade market (Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford).  Or maybe I’ll discuss the ridiculous 7-year, $126 million contract that the Nat’s GM Mike Rizzo generously dolled out to Jayson Werth.

Wrong, wrong and wrong again.  Even if you haven’t been following baseball during the offseason as obsessively as me, these stories still found their way onto SportsCenter and therefore into your head.  I want to talk about a story you did not notice.  A story that was not re-run on ESPN for hours and hours.  I want to talk about a team that enters Spring Training with a solid lineup, a fantastic manager, a solid pitching core and next to no chance of making the playoffs.  The Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore shuffled through two managers last season (Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel) before finally pulling Buck Showalter out of the Baseball Tonight studios and back into the dugout where he belongs.  After his August call-up, Showalter led the Orioles to an impressive 34-23 record.  Even more impressive when you consider that the Orioles ended the season 30 games below .500 with a 66-96 record. 

Baltimore parted ways with shortstop Miguel Tejada; however, key additions include gold-glove first baseman Derrek Lee and shortstop J.J. Hardy who has quietly averaged 24 homers a year over the last four seasons during stints with Milwaukee and Minnesota. Perhaps most notably, the O’s traded for slugger Mark Reynolds who hit 32, 44, and 28 homers in the last three seasons respectively despite leading the league in strikeouts each of those years. 

Most recently, the Orioles added Justin Duchscherer, who has received praise for his great potential but has also been limited by injuries to just five starts since 2008.  Duchscherer joins a young and upcoming rotation featuring 24-year-old Brian Matusz and 25-year-old Brad Bergesen.  Baltimore’s GM, Andy MacPhail also added a closer in Kevin Gregg. 

The new cast joins a solid core, highlighted by catching stud Matt Wieters, who will begin his third year of service in 2011, outfielders Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, and second baseman Brian Roberts. 

When you take a look at that Baltimore depth chart, the Orioles quietly built themselves a solid little ball club.  Problem is, they face off against two divisional opponents who have payrolls over $150 million and another who continues to find success in a great farm system and an even better manager. 

I’m not here to advocate for a restructuring of baseball, just here to remind fans that if Buck Showalter’s Orioles win 90 games but still find themselves on the links come October, they ought to get some recognition from baseball fans outside of Baltimore.  

Roger Goodell: State of the Union

Tuesday night, President Barack Obama will address his flustered nation, attempting to soothe their economic, health care, and environmental worries.  Obama will likely be realistic with Americans at times and overly comforting at other points.  Americans are not the only group that needs comforting and reality spoken to them at this time: NFL fans need a good ‘ol fashion speech. 

Roger Goodell (NFL), Bud Selig (MLB), David Stern (NBA), and Gary Bettman (NHL), the big four commissioners in professional sports, work behind the scenes for primarily all of their duties.  They seem to only make public appearances during their respective sport’s championship game as they pass out the trophy or when they must discipline an athlete and SportsCenter plays clips of their punishment rulings nonstop.

Roger Goodell should shadow the annual State of the Union address made each January by the Prez and provide an NFL State of the Union.  Fans fear that a lockout looms next fall and the awkward two-week break before the Super Bowl serves as a perfect time to cool the nerves of non Pack or Steel fans.  On second thought, as a big Bears fan, for the sake of my health, not having to suffer through another Lovie Smith press conference or Jay Cutler interception parade may do me well. 

Football fans hope that there will be football on Sunday come next fall but we really don’t know what the chances are of both sides settling.  If Goodell were to actually make this speech, he’d likely spend the whole time telling us that “there will definitely be an NFL season in 2011” and football fans have “nothing to worry about”; however, fans want to know the IFs.

If there is a lockout, how will the 2011 Draft work?  What will happen to players contracts: will they be paid for not playing, will a deal with three years left on it still have three left after the strike season?  How big of an impact will a strike season have on college football attendance and TV ratings?  Most importantly, if there’s no football on TV, what in the world are we supposed to do on Sunday? 

Serving since 2006, Goodell is by far the least tenured of any of the big four comishes.  Selig, Stern and Bettman all have seen lockout-shortened seasons.  Goodell obviously won’t ever have a State of the Union address for NFL fans; however, my point is that transparency is essential.  A solid line of communication between four parties (Goodell, the owners, the players and the fans) could prevent Goodell from falling into that list of current commissioners with strike shortened seasons under their belts.  If the players and owners can communicate effectively, they will have established a form of bipartisanship that the U.S. Congress continues to search for. 

Obama may not fix America, but in the name of any football God that rests up there, lets hope Goodell can fix the NFL. 

Skies Look Cloudy for Ohio Baseball

 Ohio sports fans have little to cheer about right now, but that doesn’t mean springtime will bring anything more exciting.  Baseball lovers inevitably get their hopes up in April, but Reds and Indians fans seem likely to get theirs crushed.     

Cincinnati is coming off a division title; however, they are also coming off a three game sweep out of the ALDS against the Phillies.  That’s the fourth consecutive year that the NL Central champion has been swept out of the playoffs: Cubs (2007), Cubs (2008), Cardinals (2009) and Reds (2010).  Perhaps the Red did not win the division as much as everybody else in the NL Central simply lost it last season.  The Indians lost 93 games last season, so Tribe fans have smaller expectations entering 2010 than Reds fans; however, both teams appear primed for a troubling season thanks to their horrible off seasons.  AL Central and NL Central teams amped up their rosters as Chris Antonetti and Walt Jocketty’s BlackBerrys saw little activity this winter.

In the Senior Circuit, the Brewers additions of Zack Greinke and Sean Marcum make the Milwaukee rotation a legitimate force that should get real consideration for a possible playoff run when teamed with an offense that finished fourth in NL runs scored (750) in 2010.  Milwaukee also seems poised to hold onto Prince Fielder (who will be a free agent at the end of the 2011 season) and make a stab at a run this year.  Although the Cubs seem stuck in an awkward phase of expiring contracts (4 more years of Alfonso Soriano, 2 more years of Carlos Zambrano, and 1 more year of Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome), general manager Jim Hendry made some solid additions that may not make the Cubs instant division favorites, but certainly propel the club into a better direction.  Chicago’s North Side team looks slightly more like the Rays after acquiring former Tampa Bay first baseman Carlos Pena and right-handed pitcher Matt Garza (or was that Joaquin Benoit that the Cubs traded for).

In the American League, the Indians watched their central division foes prime themselves for a division run. White Sox sign free-agent left-handed power bat Adam Dunn and resign gold glove first baseman Paul Konerko.  Meanwhile, the Royals restocked their farm system by acquiring youngsters Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, and Jeremy Jeffreys in exchange for departing with 2009 Cy-Young Zack Greinke.  The Tigers added Victor Martinez to their core of young ballplayers (Austin Jackson, Brennan Boesche, and Will Ryhmes) and the 2010 AL Central Champion Twins … well they’re coming back with Gardy and co.

Reds rotation troubles make them look questionable for a repeat in 2010.  What follows are Cincy’s five probable starters in 2011 with their 2010 ERAs in parenthesis: Edinson Volquez (4.31), Bronson Arroyo (3.88), Johnny Cueto (3.64), Mike Leake (4.23), and Homer Bailey (4.46).  Note: Dusty Baker hinted that Aroldis Chapman might remain in the bullpen for all of 2011.  When you’re facing top-heavy rotations in your division such as Carpenter-Wainwright and Greinke-Marcum, the Reds’ lack of an ace, much less two aces, may prove to be a fatal flaw.  They scored the most runs in all of the National League last season (290), but their bats grew mighty quiet in the three game series against Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt in which they scored all of 4 runs on 11 hits during the three game Philly sweep. 

Indians fans have had very little to cheer about since they won the ALDS over the Yankees in 2007 with the help of some pesky bugs and next Summer looks as if it will follow the recent trend.   San Francisco Giants fans had plenty to cheer about in October despite pre-season skepticism from the “experts”; therefore, you never really know what to expect from the Indians lineup that appears weak at first glance. 

The Browns and Bengals seasons have finally come to a close and Cavs fans recently saw their team lose 10 straight to cement themselves into the bottom of the entire NBA standings.  Looks like the pride and joy of Ohio right now is … the Blue Jackets.    

RIP Ronnie, Summer Will Never Be The Same

Legendary Cubs third baseman and radio broadcaster, Ron Santo, passed away early Thursday morning.

Former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo passed away last night at the age of 70.  The Chicago Tribune reported that Santo went into a coma late Wednesday night and died early Thursday morning. 

He was never enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but Cubs fans across the country know the baseball world has lost a legend.  On the field he was spectacular, but his role as color commentator for Cubs radio broadcasts since 1996 is a large part of the reason that Cubs fans everywhere felt like they lost a grandfather when they heard the news of his passing.  That’s the best way I can describe the connection Cubs fans have to Ronnie; he seemed like family to us all.

I have only met him once but I feel like I knew him personally, because of the countless times I listened to his voice alongside Pat Hughes.  Whether I was listening in the car, turning the radio on and muting the TV volume while watching the game, sneaking my AM radio around in class during April and May, or inviting him and Pat into my room while the Cubs were in extra innings on the West Coast and my parents had sent me to bed hours ago, it always brightened my day to hear his voice.  He transcended the emotions of being a Cubs fan over airwaves better than anyone because he loved the team dearly.    

During the final week of the 1998 season, he famously shouted “Oh no!” when outfielder Brant Brown dropped a fly ball with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth in a game against the Brewers.  That call exemplified the passion with which he brought to the broadcast every day.  Cubs fans know what suffering feels like, and Ron Santo provided the perspective of a true Cubs fan.  After his playing days, he became the largest fan out there, and every time a player made an error, failed to hustle, or frustrated fans in any other way, Ronnie was there to yell about it. 

When the Cubs retired his number 10 during the 2003 season, he told the Wrigley Field crowd in his speech at the ceremony, “THIS is my Hall of Fame.”    

Despite suffering from Juvenile Diabetes, Santo wore a smile on his face almost all the time.  I say “almost” and not “always” because you would never find him grinning after a Cubbie loss.  Those close to him said he lived and died with the Cubs, getting a little too high with every win and a little too low with every loss.  Whether he was walking on the field before a game talking to the players and coaches or signing autographs for fans, Santo always seemed merry.  In an era of shouting voices on sports radio that seem to get frustrated over everything and yell about it just for the sake of generating listeners, Santo never pretended to be happy or mad, he simply wore his true emotions on his sleeve. 

I never got a chance to watch Santo play on the diamond, but hearing him on the radio was as much a part of my adolescent years as anything else.  Every summer from 1996 to 2010, I could count on turning on WGN Radio in the car and hearing the comforting voices of Pat and Ron.  The Cubs have not selected a replacement for Santo, but with no disrespect to whichever well-qualified color commentator they decide to bring in, it will seem as though there’s something missing every time I listen to Cubs broadcasts on the radio.  I am not sure if that uncomfortable feeling will ever go away.

Thanks for the memories Ron.  My thoughts and prayers are specifically with the Santo family; however, millions of Cubs fans across the country are mourning as well.  That says something about the impact this man had on the world. 

I’m sure you are up there in heaven looking down on us all, and I know you will be jumping up and clicking your heels when a championship finally comes to the North Side. 

I am Thankful for that Large Serving of Sports

Due to a large intake of schoolwork, travel, turkey, pumpkin pie, football, and channel flipping, the space on this blog has remained desolate for the past couple weeks.  I apologize, and it certainly won’t happen again (until finals and Christmas creep up on me in the next few weeks).  I’m currently traveling back to Oxford from Chicago, with a first-class view of Ohio from the top level of a Megabus.  I wish I could report about some ridiculous passenger riding on the big blue vehicle with me but everyone seems completely normal. 

            The sports world provided plenty of entertainment for food-coma stricken fans who plopped down on their couch with a remote in one hand and another plate of leftover stuffing in the other hand.  Coach K won game number 800 as head coach for Duke Tuesday night with a big early-season victory of Kansas State.  Even in Kansas City, far from a neutral site, Jacob Pullen’s beard proved to be no match for Duke’s freshman guard Kyrie Irving, who tallied 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Also Tuesday night the Miami RedHawks delivered a huge 23-3 victory on the gridiron at home over Temple, improving their regular season record to 8-4.  Kent State’s surprising 28-6 upset over Ohio University on Friday, just days after Kent State’s head coach Doug Martin resigned, gave the RedHawks sole possession of the MAC East championship.  Miami next faces MAC West champions NIU at 7:00 in the MAC title game this Friday at Ford Field in Detroit.  Coach Haywood and the entire coaching staff deserve credit for the hard work they’ve put in over the last 365 days to turn a 1-11 team into the most improved team in college football who simply waits to see which bowl they get selected for. 

            Wednesday night featured few national sports storylines, but I got to channel flip between my Bulls and Blackhawks so all was well.

            Turkey day NFL matchups involved the Lions, Cowboys, and Bengals each in separate games.  Gross.  Fortunately, the middle game of the day between the Cowboys and Saints, in which Drew Brees’ boys found a way to win 30-27, made a first-glance boring NFL day into something worthwhile.

            Friday: the day of all college football days.  Auburn vs. Bama, Oregon vs. Zona, and Boise State vs. Vada.  Despite trailing 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, 2^nd ranked Auburn (10-0) defeated 11^th ranked Alabama (9-2) by a score of 28-27.  Regardless of his off the field allegations, Cam Newton deserves the Heisman.  Team’s like Boise and TCU don’t have to overcome touch matchups like this Alabama game and other SEC opponents Auburn faces: give Auburn a national championship spot right now.  Oregon pummeled Arizona 48-29, including 34 second half points.  I assure you there will be no lack of scoring in that national championship.  Boise State fought tough against Nevada, but the Bronco's kicker Kyle Brotzman missed two short field goals and cost his team the game.  Kellen Moore’s Heisman should not live and die on the foot of the Bronco’s kicker.   

            Another typical day in the NFL this season left viewers confused as to who’s good and who is not.  Two premiere teams faced off as the Falcons downed the Packers 20-17.  Matt Ryan went 24-28, throwing for 197 yards: not phenomenal numbers but it improved the Falcons home record to an impressive 6-0. 

            So after all that, sit back and take a deep breath.  College football conference championships are upon us and the smell of bowl season is in the air!

L.A. Football? Please No!

Sports Illustrated NFL columnist, Peter King, writer of the most widely-read football column in the country (Monday Morning Quarter Back), knows more about the NFL than any reporter or columnist I have come across.  Therefore, when I read this in his column on Monday, I didn’t take it as mere rhetoric used for the sake of creating discussion amongst readers: “This is the best chance Los Angeles has to get a team in a long time.” 

King believes that the NFL has stayed away from LA for so long because they don’t want to play at USC’s Coliseum nor in the suburbs.  However, Casey Wasserman and Tim Leiweke announced their financial support for a giant stadium complex capable of hosting much more than NFL football: Final Fours and the 2022 World Cup or any other future World Cup.   Think Cowboys Stadium 2.0.  The mega-stadium would be located right near the Staples Center in downtown L.A.

The Rams and Raiders deserted the City of Angels 15 years ago, so fans in L.A. may be thirsty for professional football; however, I don’t think this should be a pressing concern for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.  Obviously, the most urgent thing on any NFL executives’ plate is what appears to be an inevitable lockout at the conclusion of this season, and King acknowledges that LA football won’t even be a discussion until that is resolved.  Goodell has discussed expansion into Europe in the next few years, so although the idea of football in LA seems pedestrian in comparison, I still don’t support the notion of Los Angeles football. 

California is not exactly deprived of professional sports franchises.  Three NFL teams (Chargers, Raiders, and 49ers), three NBA teams (Lakers, Clippers, and the Sacramento Kings), three NHL teams (LA Kings, Ducks, Sharks), and a whopping five MLB teams (Giants, Padres, Dodgers, Athletics, and Angels).  That is thirteen total teams in the four major sports, including the reigning NBA and MLB champs (Lakers and Giants).  14 seems excessive. 

Los Angeles, including Anaheim, which is so close to LA that the Angels can’t even decide which city they’re from (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), has six total sports teams (Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Dodgers, and Angels).  Six teams is more than any other city this side of the Big Apple.  The main two teams rumored as possibilities for a move to LA are the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders.  San Diego needs football more than LA.  If the Chargers leave, the Padres will be the only team in town.  L.A. on the other hand has those six teams and a pretty significant film scene going on in this place called Hollywood.    In terms of the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles: been there, done that. 

Last season of HBO’s popular show, Entourage, featured Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) in heavy talks with Jerry Jones, attempting to bring an NFL team to L.A.  Asides from that work of fiction, I have not recently heard much talk about the prospect of L.A. football until I stumbled across Peter King’s column.  I hope the discussion stays quiet.  

Browns, Bengals, and the Wacky first half of the NFL Season

          Browns RB, Peyton Hillis, celebrates his 184 yard performance and a Browns win over the Patriots on Sunday 

            The conclusion of Week 8 of the NFL season leaves many fans scratching their heads in confusion.  Half of the season has past, and although the pre-season favorites to win the Super Bowl have disappointed (Cowboys 1-7, Colts 5-3, Saints 6-3), there still seems to be lots of room for debating the best team in the league.  We’re talking acres and acres of room for debate. 

            Experts seem to like the AFC South (except the teams from Ohio): the Ravens and Steelers sit atop most NFL Rankings (if Colt McCoy played more like a rookie and less like a young Tom Brady against the Pats this weekend, then New England would probably hold the mid-season crown).  The Browns aren’t going to make the playoffs; however, Cleveland certainly has hope for the future.  Colt McCoy won two of his first three NFL starts, upsetting the Saints and Patriots.  Sure the Browns lost to the Steelers 28-10 in his debut, but the kid threw for 281 yards!  If Browns fans’ excessive cynicism prevents them from storing faith in the future of McCoy, they surely can’t ignore the guy he’s handing the ball off to, Peyton Hillis.  The Arkansas grad has run for 644 yards this year and surpassed the century mark on three separate occasions.  I don’t think the Broncos’ GM Brian Xanders sleeps well thinking about the trade he made last Spring (Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn).  Just as quickly as the James jerseys went up in flames, the Hillis and McCoy jerseys should be going off the shelves in Cleveland. 

            Moving on to the Bengals … well at least the Reds had an impressive run this season, because Cincinnati football is ugly.  The Bengals 21-27 loss to Pittsburgh looks like a close loss to a good team, but the national audience watching on Monday night will attest to the one-sidedness of the game.  The T.O. and Ochocinco experiment seems just as silly in November as it looked in July.  Owens has played well thus far, but his fellow VH1 reality show host looks miserable.  Since his 159 yard performance in week one, Ochocinco has caught for a mere 314 yards in 7 games (45 yards per game).

            One of the top receivers in the league has been on three teams this year, Michael Vick has the highest QB rating in the NFL, Wade Phillips got the boot yesterday from Jerry Jones, a Raiders-Chiefs game in Oakland was sold out with much of the country watching on TV, and commissioner Roger Goodell successfully made baseball more of a contact sport than the NFL.  The second half of the season can’t be stranger than what’s happened so far.  Can it?