New Direction

I've recently become a season ticket holder for both Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State baseball programs. I live in Smyrna, GA, so I am pretty much halfway between both of these teams, making it easy to see a lot of D1 baseball this spring. Being a curious soul, I started thinking about all of the other baseball I am missing outside of MLB: DII, DIII, JuCo, NAIA, International, etc. Since there is so much baseball to follow, I thought I would just stick to college ball this season in all its different forms, pointing out the great performances and interesting facts that fill a college season. We are about a week away from the start of D1, but the other levels are already underway. Starting tomorrow, I will start writing about the wonderful world of college baseball, and I hope you can join me. It'll be fun!

Road Tripping!

Sure, it's the first day of the year, but it's never to early to think about spring! Saturday I took a drive to Birmingham on other business and had a chance to see Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, home of the SEC baseball tournament. Even though I couldn't get inside, I could see that this is a great sports complex and a great place to watch college baseball. Hopefully, I'll be back in the summer!

Dodgers Lining Up the Dollars

Reading USA Today, I was struck by today's article from Bob Nightengale. https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/opinion/2017/12/17/dodgers-braves-swap-stocks-vaults-for-next-free-agent-frenzy.html In it, he states that the big Dodgers/Braves trade was a money dump by both teams, with the Dodgers now in the running for the Bryce Harper sweepstakes of 2018. He also makes a point of conjecturing that this means Harper will be wearing Dodger blue and Manny Machado will don Yankee pinstripes in 2019. I think it's way too early to make these kind of prognostications. Major League Baseball has a tendency to be placid when it comes to these situations in the last ten years or so. Personally, I think Harper stays in DC and Machado takes his talents out of Baltimore. But, I don't think we're talking an A-Rod type extravaganza. We'll see it coming well ahead of time, and few fans will be caught off guard. Machado at Yankee Stadium? Definitely a strong possibility.

Why the Nationals Must Retain Bryce Harper

There is no question in my mind that the Nationals must keep Bryce Harper and not lose him to free agency. Sure, Harper has ties we all know about. His connection with Las Vegas and the western U.S. His number 34, a mathematical homage to Mickey Mantle. Plus, I'm sure the way the Nats have ended their seasons has not boded well for a superstar who hasn't even reached his full potential yet. Still, Washington must find a way to get a deal done with Harper by next winter.

With Daniel Murphy, Shawn Kelley, and Gio Gonzalez coming off the payroll after the 2018 season, there should be money for Harper. Some of you may be saying that one superstar is not worth losing three very good players, two of which had great seasons that they will probably carry into 2018. I don't agree. This is the kind of thinking that breeds mediocrity in modern sports, and Washington has had it's fair share of mediocrity. There is still plenty of offensive punch on this team, and more coming up through the minors. Also, if you need a little more protection, you could pick up a Jay Bruce in 2019 for relatively little expenditure. It can work.

Also, Harper is the star for the Nationals, meaning that he will not be upstaged by any other player on the team. Say what you want about Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, or Anthony Rendon. They can't even approach the superstar power of Harper, and Scherzer has won the Cy Young two years in a row! Harper has swagger and ego that will not adjust well to a multi-superstar team.

But, if you are a numbers junkie, check out this write up from the Washington Post:

"A talent like Harper doesn’t hit the market often. Since entering the majors as a 19-year-old in 2012, he has batted .285 with an OPS of .902, creating runs at a rate that is 41 percent higher than the league average after accounting for league and park effects (141 wRC+), placing him 11th overall in that span. His 27.7 Wins Above Replacement, as calculated by FanGraphs.com, rank 10th, and that’s why it’s going to cost a king’s ransom to keep him in a Nationals uniform."

Also from that same article,

"It was calculated in 2013 that one marginal win is worth $7 million, while FanGraphs assesses Harper’s 2017 campaign of 4.8 WAR to be worth $38.3 million on the open market, making it closer to $8 million per win in today’s free agent environment. If we use an aging curve that keeps Harper’s projected production steady until age 30, then subtract 0.25 WAR each year from ages 31 to 35, all while increasing the cost of a win in free agency by 5 percent each year, Harper would be worth almost $567 million through 2028. An aging curve consisting of players who have had similar careers through their age-24 season — a list that includes Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey Jr. — has Harper worth $562 million from 2019 to 2028. If we use a more aggressive aging curve, one that keeps his production steady through 2020, his age-27 season, before seeing a 0.25 WAR decline each year over the next eight seasons, his estimated 10-year value as a free agent drops to $507 million."

While this may be higher than I think, it illustrates Harper's value in the current market, and also illustrates why the Nationals need to do everything in their power to keep him in D.C. The Yankees are effectively off the table after the Stanton trade, and I don't believe the Angels are going for a Trout/Harper combo now that they have acquired the international jewel, Shohei Ohtani. But the Dodgers and Cubs could make serious bids for his services, and effectively doom the Nationals' NL East supremacy. The Phillies have a lot of money to spend and some solid future talent. Plus, the Mets are not as bad as they seemed last year. Taking Bryce out of the division sets loose the sharks of the NL East to feed on the Nats, and further alienates a fan base looking for a true postseason.

The Largest Trade in Baseball History

In the wake of Giancarlo Stanton's move to the Yankees and the Winter Meetings, Pinstripe Alley printed a story on the largest trade in baseball history by number of players. It was between the Yankees and Orioles in 1954. Don Larsen and Bob Turley are the two significant names in this trade. A lot of quantity, but not a ton of quality, as you'll see in the article. https://www.pinstripealley.com/2017/12/9/16710222/yankees-orioles-trade-baseball-history-don-larsen

Pennant Races Winding Down

So, it is 6:50 and the Nats have clinched home field in the NLDS thanks to the Dodgers loss to the Giants. In a 5 game series, not a make-or-break development, but a good morale boost heading into the postseason, when you know that you'll be without Ramos and Strasburg, and possibly nursing Murphy and Harper. The O's are currently trailing the Yankees 7-3 in the bottom of the 8th in New York. The Blue Jays, Tigers (in Atlanta), and Mariners all play tonight, still in the hunt. It looks like tomorrow will have some excitement, as the O's are not likely to pull this one out today. The Red Sox and Indians are still fighting for ALDS home field, with Boston holding the tie-breaker. Oh, and the final NL Wild Card spot will be decided tomorrow between the Giants and Cardinals. Can you say Game 163? Talk to you later!

Nats in Town Tonight!

It's been a while since my last post, but I'm excited because the Nats are in Atlanta for a four game series that started on Thursday! I have club level seats and I'm ready to cheer on my Nats to a sweep. Mad Max is going up against Tyrell Jenkins. I'd really like to see some no hit stuff from Scherzer live and in person. Bring it! I am starting to reach the point where I'm torn between which team to root for. Now that I live only 2 & 1/2 miles from the new stadium in Cobb County, the Braves will be a part of my life next season, as it will be much easier to get to the games (I can even bike to the game!). Plus, I've always been a sucker for a bad team playing well in individual games, as evidenced by my love affair with Nats in the midst of 100 loss seasons. So, I find myself rooting for this group of Braves, what with mainstays such as Freddie and (it looks like) Teheran, and new blood like Dansby Swanson. Got to go, but I'll have more later. Congrats to Jayson Werth for the 46 game on-base streak!

Harper Jersey from Papelbon Fight on Sale

In just another example of 'a fool and his money are soon parted,' an auction is underway for the jersey Bryce Harper wore in his scuffle with Jonathan Papelbon last season. So far, the price has exceed $4,800. Yeah, I'll just leave it at that...

Scherzer Pitches Well Against the Cards

It was great to see Max Scherzer pitching like an ace today against the Cardinals, as the Nationals won 6-1 and swept the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. It was his best start of the season so far: seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. A lot of his success can be attributed to his fastball, which was clocked at an average speed of 95.2 MPH and an 80% strike rate (44 of 55 fastballs were strikes). Ten of those strikes were swing-and-misses, meaning that his fastball had some great movement as well. He admits to making a small mechanical adjustment that affects his fastball control (a shortening of his arm action), which shows the kind of work he puts into his craft. Hopefully, he can bring that same fastball domination to bear against the Cubs in Chicago next weekend.

Orpik Suspended 3 Games

So, we just received word that Caps defenseman Brooks Orpik has been suspended three games for his hit to the head of Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta in Game 2. To me, this is a ridiculous decision by the NHL. Sure, it was a hard hit and he should have been suspended. But, three games basically takes him out of the series and swings the momentum of the series in the Penguins favor. There have been hits already in the postseason that have been worse than Orpik's, and the most I have seen is a one game suspension (Yes, I'm speaking about Bellemare). I think it's a little much...

February 2, 2016

We're closing in on the Super Bowl, but we have some great matchups today. First, the Caps will play Florida at home in a nationally televised game (NBCSN). Both teams are at the top of their respective divisions, but the Caps will be resting Holtby and will be without Ovie. So, it will be interesting to see the effort against a top-tier club. The Hokies play Syracuse at the Carrier Dome as a 9.5 point underdog. Also in relevant college action, the Hoyas will play Butler in Indianapolis and the Bulldogs will face South Carolina at home (19-2? Really?) All of my college teams' games look like potential losses, but here's hoping that one of them go against common wisdom. On the national stage, only two games really light up the radar, and they are both 9pm EST tips on the ESPN networks. West Virginia plays Iowa State and Indiana faces Michigan at home.

Fortunately, I don't have to put up with another lackluster effort by Les Bullets. They got smacked in the mouth last night versus the Thunder, and now they can look forward to facing the Warriors at home tomorrow night. Yay. National television audience: Don't watch unless you are a Warriors fan. This could get ugly.

While I'm on a bitter note, did you see what Art Briles said about RGIII and a 'dream' scenario of returning to Dallas? Yeah, it would be a dream for the Skins twice a year! Happy Groundhog Day!

January 24, 2016

Great sports day today! Right now, I'm watching some EPL, with a match between Swansea City and Everton. Not a great match, but it is followed up by Chelsea and Arsenal. Great morning sports action! Then, of course, it's Championship Sunday. Who'll be in the Super Bowl? Personally, I'm taking Carolina and New England (though I'd rather have Denver). Finally, on the local front, UNC visits snowy Blacksburg in a hoops matchup at 3pm. I'll have some more updates later. Stay warm!

Update: Great AFC Championship so far. Denver is up 20 to 12 on the Patriots, with the Broncos defense stepping up big so far. VA Tech put in a great effort vs. UNC, but just couldn't get the job done. More after the football game!

Braves Win

Braves with a nice win over the Mets, 6-4. Wilson Perez is 4-0 on the season, the best start for a Braves rookie starter since Tommy Hanson. Tomorrow is a special 5:05 start for Father's Day, and we'll see if they can sweep the Mets with their best pitcher on the mound, Matt Harvey. Great day of baseball, and nice to watch U.S. Open golf all day! Man, that course in Washington is terrible...

Nearly Perfect Saturday!

Now I see why we picked up Scherzer!!! Last 2 starts, 1 hit total. Today, he was 1 out away from a perfect game before hitting Jose Tabata (Did he lean in?) with a pitch. Truly a dominant performance against a very good team. Earlier in the day, Curtis Joseph and Manny Machado put away the Blue Jays after Darren O'Day performed some tightrope antics in the 8th (bases loaded, nobody out, and struck out three in a row). Truly a great day of baseball for me, and now I'm watching the Braves take on the Mets. 2-2 tie in the 3rd. D.C. fans: Celebrate! And don't forget the free Dominoe's Pizza...

Good Young Pitchers Tonight!

So far, so good for the young starters in Washington and Atlanta. Joe Ross is through 7 innings, allowing one run and striking out 11 as the Nats lead 3-1. Matt Wisler is also through 7 innings, has allowed one run and struck out one in his Major League debut, as the Braves trail 1-0. And Danny Espinosa just tripled in Robinson to pad the score 4-1. Things are looking up! More later...

Oh, and Marco Estrada is no hitting the O's through 7 innings. Just great...

Tiger Woods at the US Open

By the way, did anyone else watch Tiger Woods in primetime last night? That was hard to watch, considering the caliber of player he has been over his career. I'll bet you he had nightmares about fescue last night! So far today, he is even after three holes, with a birdie on the Par 4 12th. He is currently tied for 152nd place. I am not a Tiger Woods fan by any means, but that was rough.

Tough Weekend

Wow! My baseball teams have a tough weekend ahead of them, particularly with how two of them have been playing lately (I'm looking at you, Nats!).

First up, the Nats play the Pirates at home. I don't think I need to tell you how the Nats have been playing lately, and the errors last night made me literally turn the game off. They are going up against a team that has won eight games in a row and are starting to hit their stride. In my opinion, the Pirates are the favorites to win the NL Central, just like I think the Nats will still win the NL East, so this is a potential playoff matchup. Hometown boy A.J. Burnett will start for the Bucs, and he has pitched very well to start the season. The Nats will need some runs and will have to minimize errors, particularly with youngster Joe Ross on the mound.

Next, the O's play the Blue Jays in Toronto. Now, the O's have been playing alright lately, so I don't have a lot of bad things to say. But they are going up against an equally effective Jays team at home, with guys like Josh Donaldson knocking balls all over and around Rogers Centre. The matchup tonight is Mike Wright vs. Marco Estrada, which probably means the balls will be flying out fairly frequently tonight. Look for a slugfest.

Finally, the Braves take on the Mets in Atlanta. Hopefully, I'll make one of the games this weekend, though it has been ridiculously hot and humid. The Braves are starting to become the Braves we all thought they'd be, though I will say the offense has been better than I thought. And, of course, I love that I can see Nick Markakis on a regular basis again (Great that he broke the outfielder errorless streak last night!). The Mets, on the other hand, are improbably in first place, and will feature some of the best young arms in baseball this weekend: Jacob DeGrom (tonight), Noah Snydergaard, and Matt Harvey. There will be plenty of fastballs for the Braves hitters! Tonight, the Braves counter with Matt Wisler, the #59 prospect in baseball, making his Major League debut. I haven't seen this kid yet, but I'm really looking forward to it! Talk to you later!

Opening Day!!!

My favorite day of the year is here! This year is extra special since it coincides with my wedding anniversary (2nd time it has done so for us). Also, I have a Nationals team that appears to be the cream of the NL East. Playoffs, here we come! Oh, and my beloved Orioles have a tough road ahead in the brutal AL East. However, I think they'll still be in the mix come September. Hope springs eternal! Good luck to everyone's teams today! We all can't win, but we can at least stay healthy. ***Make Opening Day a National Holiday***

Orioles 4, Nationals 0

So, I was just checking out the Top 50 Fantasy Prospects on ESPN.com (courtesy of Jason Collette), and the Orioles have four players ranked in the Top 50: Kevin Gausman, Henry Urrutia, Jonathan Schoop, and Dylan Bundy. Since this list only relates to the 2014 season, it doesn't include prospects such as Hunter Harvey or Eduardo Rodriguez. However, I was struck by the lack of Nationals representation. True, the young talent is already on the field, but I was hoping for one or two prospects to buzz about. However, the only prospect showing in the national media is Lucas Giolito, and 99% of opinionators think he is at least a year away. So, we'll have to hope for new talent excitement in Charm City and on-the-field success from DC's boys of summer. Talk to you soon!

Wei-Yin Chen

According to reports, the Orioles and the Nationals are interested in lefty Taiwanese pitcher Wei-Yin Chen, who is eligible for free agency in Japan and may test the Major Leagues. according to Dan Connolly's article in the Sun, Chen is 26 years old, has a fastball that sits in the low 90s with a good forkball and curveball. Obviously, the Orioles need the pitching help much more than the Nationals, but the fact that both teams are in the hunt along with the other major free agent players is saying something. Personally, I hope Chen is wearing an O's uniform next season.