HUGE RED SOX TRADE

Actually, there is no trade. But since I have your attention, why not read the wonderful article below? Sorry for the deceit.

With the 4pm EST Saturday trade deadline quickly approaching, there have already been a few big name players on the move to potential contenders. A few of the moves have been head-scratching, notably the Diamondbacks weak return for Dan Haren from the Angels. Other than Haren, current and future impact players such as Joe Saunders, Cliff Lee, Sean Gallagher, Chris Ray, Bengie Molina, Russell Branyan, and Conor Jackson have changed teams to bolster playoff contenders or fill out rosters of teams in "rebuilding" years. Regardless of where you look, trade rumors swirl around big names like Prince Fielder, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, Joakim Soria, Adam Dunn, and Jayson Werth to name a few. But realistically, only two or three big names could end up switching teams within the next five days. The reality of the trade deadline is a myriad of mediocre players being overpaid for, with a few steals here and there. But in a fantasy world, below are trades that SHOULD happen, for the sake of the contenders, pretenders, and the Pittsburgh Pirates (always in a class of their own).

1. SF Giants acquire Corey Hart from Brewers - The Giants lead the NL wild card race. They are only 3 back of San Diego for the division. Rookie Buster Posey cannot remain the staple of the team's offense, and 1B Aubrey Huff leads the team in every major offensive category. An outfield that consists of Burrell/Torres/Rowand would have looked great in 2003, but in 2010 the lack of production isn't playoff worthy. Milwaukee is 9.5 back in the WC, 8.5 back in the division, and admittedly needs payroll trimming to at least make an attempt to keep Prince Fielder. The trade makes sense for both teams regardless of the players exchanged from SF.
2. Twins acquire Ted Lilly from the Cubs - Another season, another Chicago disappointment. They need to rebuild, and they can start with a trade deadline fire-sale. The Twins surely need another quality SP behind Baker/Liriano/Slowey/Pavano, and Lilly brings veteran experience and innings-eating ability immediately. The Twins are only a game back of the team from the South Side for the AL Central, with the heavy hitting Tigers breathing down their back. Trading for Lilly would give Minnesota a quality 5 rotation heading into another tight division race.
3. Reds acquire Roy Oswalt from the Astros - Cinci was supposed to be a contender a few years down the road, but they have been one of this year's surprise teams. Their extremely young rotation has been stellar, and they have the heralded Aroldis Chapman pitching decently in AAA. But they have fallen a game back of St. Louis for the Central, and with rumors of the Cards going hard after Oswalt, Cinci needs to step in and do whatever it takes to block the trade. Adding Oswalt solidifies a rotation that will need to limit its starters innings, and also adds a veteran that can compete far better than Bronson Arroyo.
4. Rockies acquire Lance Berkman from the Astros - So maybe he doesn't fit their payroll, but adding money will sweeten the deal. Berkman wants to play for a contender, the Rox are only 4 games out of the wild card, and Jason Giambi isn't exactly an elite first baseman anymore. Imagine Berkman at Coors Field. Enough said.
5. Red Sox acquire Scott Podsednik & Joakim Soria from KC - The Sox outfield has been in shambles all year. Podsednik is a cheap outfielder who can get on base, fill in at all three OF spots, and an excellent runner off the bench come playoff time. Think of him as a Dave Roberts type. Soria is exactly the type of bullpen help the Sox desperately need, and although executing this trade will be unbelievably costly for the Sox, they have plenty of trade pieces in the minors. They can certainly find a way to send a package along the lines of Nava/Doubront/Reddick/Rizzo/Vitek, including any or all of these prospects and/or throw-ins.
   

What An Idiot

Hit me in the nuts once, shame on you. Twice, shame on me. Third time, that'll probably end in surgery.

2010 Heisman Hopefuls

Every year, analysts submit arguments for lists of anywhere from 6-20 players who could compete for the Heisman. Realistically, there are under ten, and usually only about five that actually have a chance. The player is going to come from one of the top two or three teams going into the season, and will be a skill position player. And by skill position, I mean it will be a running back or quarterback. That is how pathetic the selection process has become. Only six times in the Heisman's history has it been awarded to any position other than QB/RB, the last being WR/DB Charles Woodson in 1997. Only three times has a defensive player won the award, and all three played on both sides of the ball. So limiting the list to QB/RB is simply "Phase I" of the process.
"Phase II" of the Heisman selection is narrowing down the possible teams the winner may come from. Only once in the last ten years has a Heisman winner come from a team ranked outside the AP Preseason Top 6. That player was a rare case in Tim Tebow. There has also only been one repeat Heisman winner, which was Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975. Chances are this feat may never be repeated. So based on the AP Preseason Top 7 Projections, the list of teams that the Heisman winner will come from can be limited to Alabama, Ohio State, Boise State, Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, and USC. Seven of the last eight winners have come from one of those teams, so I would put my money on any of them.

"Phase III" is selecting the heralded list of possible candidates. Sticking with the assumption that the list can be limited to QB's and RB's, the below list are the players on the top 7 teams that fit the bill:

• Andy Dalton, QB - TCU - Dalton led the Horned Frogs to an undefeated season up until a Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State. He threw for 2756 yards and 23 TDs while only tossing 8 interceptions. A three year starter entering his senior year, Dalton had impressive victories against Utah, BYU, and Clemson in his junior campaign. He has improved his team's win total every year, and has gone 2-1 in bowl games. Dalton will have a lot to prove to be considered a true Heisman candidate, and it all starts with a week 1 matchup against Oregon State. Other notable opponents in 2010 are Baylor, SMU, Utah, Air Force, and BYU.
• Mark Ingram, RB - Alabama - As mentioned, Archie Griffin in the only multiple Heisman winner. In recent years, Tebow, Leinart, Bush, Bradford, McCoy, etc. have all had shots at winning multiple trophies, but all lost out on their second bid or didn't win one at all. Ingram is only a junior, but he as well as Alabama have a huge target on their backs. He will certainly have to improve on his 2009 numbers of 1658 yards and 17 touchdowns, as Heisman voters will compare those numbers as well as his team's performance come voting time.
• Kellen Moore, QB - Boise State - The junior enters his third season as the starting signal caller for one of the nation's most potent offenses, year in and year out. Moore has lost one game in college, a 1-point loss to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl his freshman year. He avenged the loss with a Fiesta Bowl victory over TCU last year, which capped off an almost statistically perfect season. Moore threw 38 TDs, 3 interceptions, and for 3536 yards. Boise enters their final season in the WAC, moving to the more prominent Mountain West. After feelings of being robbed of a chance to compete as national champion the last two years, Boise should get a shot at the BCS Championship with another undefeated season. The season rides on Moore's back, and if he can put up big numbers and earn a BCS birth, he will certainly be a top 4 Heisman candidate.
• Terrelle Pryor, QB - Ohio State - Pryor has been a household name since his controversial recruitment battle a few years ago. With two seasons under his belt and looking to redeem a mid-season loss to Purdue that cost the Buckeyes a chance at a championship, Pryor will look to lead OSU to glory. Unlike Moore and Dalton, Pryor will only have to put up solid numbers and not turn the ball over to be a Heisman candidate. As the Buckeye's record goes this year, so does Pryor's shot at the Heisman. A BCS Championship birth along with an undefeated season will solidify Pryor's place in the top 4 in 2010, especially if he can improve on his 18 TDs and 11 picks last year.

Texas and Oklahoma don't have the big name candidates at either QB or RB to generate consideration for the list, mainly because of youth and duty sharing. Garrett Gilbert of Texas and Landry Jones are young and lead teams into a "rebuilding year", and Matt Barkley of USC will certainly lose QB battles against Andrew Luck of Stanford and the speedy Jeremiah Masoli of Oregon. In what seems to be a small group of Heisman hopefuls in 2010, one could make arguments for plenty of players, such as QB Case Keenum of Houston, QB Jacory Harris of Miami, QB Jake Locker of Washington, RB Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State, QB Ryan Mallett of Arkansas, RB John Clay of Wisconsin, or RB Noel Devine of West Virginia, just to name a few. But when it comes down to wins and losses, as well as carrying their team on their backs to prominence, it is a much safer bet to limit the list to Dalton/Pryor/Moore/Ingram. When the voting concludes and the ballot is revealed on December 11th or 18th, I expect a close vote between Pryor and Ingram, with Terrelle Pryor getting the nod as the second Buckeye QB to take home the hardware in the last 5 years.

It's Actually Kinda Sad....

"I will never have a heart attack. I give them."
- George Steinbrenner, July 4th 1930-July 13th 2010

Sean Haley v. Tyler Palioca - The $1000 Bet

Sean and I have what some may call a gambling problem. Us, we call it a gambling solution. Almost three years ago we made this bet that would pay the winner a cool G at the end of ten years. It seems like just yesterday, yet we are already 3.5 years into it. I started off hot, but I think I'm going to start saving what I will owe him now so it will hurt less. What we did was at the conclusion of the 2007 season, we each drafted 5 players for a mini-team. Whoever had the 5 players with the most total homeruns for the next ten years was the winner. Simple right? Well we also had to make sure we picked young players who would still be around, as well as players who wouldn't be affected when they couldn't take steroids anymore, or who ended up retiring, or who just plain began to suck. Things looked bright for me at first with Chris Young looking like he wouldn't last in the majors, but the tides turned when he started looking like an All-Star. Meanwhile, David Wright decided to stop hitting jacks for me, and A-Roid doesn't have the same pop as before his post-roids era. This is how we decided the draft order at the time:
Draft was determined when Asdrubel Cabrera faced Jon Lester with no outs
in the 6th inning of game 4 of the 2007 ALCS between Cleveland and Boston.
Sean picked Cabrera would reach base, Tyler said he would be retired.
Cabrera struck out on a 2-2 count. Tyler picks first.
Thus, the draft order looked like below. Keep in mind all of the players and their outlooks were a lot different at the time, so don't go judging on how things are today:
> - Draft order and results as follows (current standing and current HRS):
> 1. Tyler - Alex Rodriguez (3rd Base NYY at time of draft - 518)
> 2. Sean - Prince Fielder (1st Base MIL at time of draft - 80)
> 3. Sean - Ryan Braun (3rd Base MIL at time of draft - 34)
> 4. Tyler - Ryan Howard (1st Base PHI at time of draft - 129)
> 5. Tyler - David Wright (3rd Base NYM at time of draft - 97)
> 6. Sean - Miguel Cabrera (3rd Base FLA at time of draft - 138)
> 7. Sean - Albert Pujols (1st Base STL at time of draft - 282)
> 8. Tyler - Adam Dunn (1st Base CIN at time of draft - 238)
> 9. Tyler - Matt Holliday (LF on COL at time of draft - 103)
> 10. Sean-Chris Young (CF on ARI at time of draft - 34)

Unless Chris Young cannot last in the MLB, I would say this competition is all but over, with Sean winning in the future by a solid 100-150 HRs. But I will still keep watching just as well, as to this point he still only has a slight overall edge. Below are the results as of the 2010 All-Star break. Hopefully Miguel Cabrera tears his shoulder up in a game of celebrity whiffle ball ;)

Season 1 (2008) + Season 2 (2009) + Season 3 (2010 in progress) = Total for player

Sean's Five Players
------------------------

1. Prince Fielder 34+46+20=100
2. Ryan Braun 37+32+13=82
3. Miguel Cabrera 37+34+22=93
4. Albert Pujols 37+47+21=105
5. Chris Young 22+15+15=52

TOTAL 432

Tyler's Five Players
----------------------

1. Alex Rodriguez 35+30+14=79
2. Ryan Howard 48+45+17=110
3. David Wright 33+10+14=57
4. Adam Dunn 40+38+22=100
5. Matt Holliday 25+24+16=65

TOTAL 411

The Final Fallout: Cleveland's Monster in Disguise

He was admired by many since coming to Cleveland 5 years ago. He pushed the franchise to become one of the best in the NBA for half a decade. The fans loved his passion and devotion, and he made millions from his team's success. But now, he has tarnished his reputation. In one night, he not only made a mockery of himself and Cleveland, but also managed to turn an otherwise sympathetic situation into a circus of hatred. And no, I'm not talking about LeBron James. This man is Dan Gilbert, a 48-year old cry baby in a suit.
The 2002 NBA season was a blessing for the Cleveland Cavalier organization. They won only 29 games in the 2001-2002 season, and fell to the bottom of the East the next year, winning an NBA-worst 17 games. But the Cavs knew what could lie ahead. Along with Denver, they had a 22.5% chance of landing the top pick in the draft, which WAS going to be LeBron James. The comparisons of James to Kobe or MJ had been hyped since his freshman year in high school, and Cleveland was ecstatic about the idea of the Akron-produced superstar landing with the hometown franchise. As luck would have it, Cleveland landed the first pick, beating out Denver, Toronto, and Miami in the annual ping-pong extravaganza.
The rest of the story is history. Yet little did we know, three of those top five would end up together in South Beach. Toronto took Chris Bosh fourth, and Miami took Dwayne Wade fifth. And now all three will play together in the NBA. Rumors swirl about a 2008 conversation taking place between the three at the Olympics, supposedly planning on joining forces in the much anticipated “Summer of 2010”. And now here we are, an alliance of the superpowers attempting to take the NBA by storm.
Dan Gilbert is a coward. His letter on the Cavaliers website shows his true colors. LeBron brought glory and notoriety to a franchise once teetering on collapse. He single-handedly increased the worth of the Cavs by $100 million. Millions of his jerseys sold globally, attendance reached its all time high, and the Cavaliers became a world-renowned team. LeBron brought an Eastern Conference Championship to a city devoid of any professional sports title since the Browns won an NFL championship in 1964. He led a team that won 40 games all but once in his tenure, and made the playoffs five of his seven years. He was a ROY, a two-time league MVP, and a seven-time all-star. How many teams in the NBA can boast of having a player of his caliber at any time in THEIR HISTORY? To call LeBron “narcissistic, selfish, or cowardly” qualifies as the lowest of low blows. To suggest he “quit” on his team in the playoffs is a sham. Yet Dan Gilbert overlooks all the good the minute LeBron walked out the door.
There have been many infamous “guarantees” by marquee players and coaches in sports. Dan Gilbert's takes the cake. LeBron left Cleveland not for greener pastures, but to seek a title that has evaded an often stacked Cavs team. He took less money. He left the comfort of home. He chose the harder of the two paths, going to a team with only four NBA players on the roster. And he did this to create a winning legacy. The collusion between James-Bosh-Wade during the basketball World Championship and Olympics showed that a dream team was again possible. The alliance of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen further supported the new “Big Three's” dream. Surely, LeBron watched the Celtics demolish the Lakers in 2008 and thought “Why not me?” And so Bosh and LeBron bolted the only franchises they have known to seek a coveted ring. Who wouldn't?
Anyone who believes in loyalty and devotion to one team obviously hasn't watched professional sports for a decade or two. Gone are the days of Jordan, Bird, Ripken, Marino, etc. No true competitive athlete wants to finish an illustrious career without a title or two to show for it. LeBron didn't want to make that mistake. An outstanding debate about the all-time greatest basketball player often ends in a standstill between Jordan/Bryant/Magic/Bird/LeBron. You can add up all the MVP's, scoring titles, and millions of dollars made, but the debate always has had one glaring disparity: rings. MJ won 6 titles, Kobe is at 5. Magic captured another 5 in the 80's, and Bird brought 3 back to Boston. LeBron gave everything he had to not only capture his first, but bring the Cavalier's their first as well. But seven years of “failure” will take a toll on a true winner. LeBron didn't like the direction the team was going in, surrounding him with streaky talent and plenty of mediocrity. He never was given a true partner in crime to battle for a title. In a time where players changed teams more frequently than any other time in history, Gilbert couldn't acquire a right-hand man to assist the “King”. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Caron Butler, Baron Davis, Chris Webber, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Pau Gasol, and even new teammates Mike Miller and Bosh all could have been had in the last five years. But Gilbert and Co. attempted to please LeBron with the likes of Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, a washed-up Shaq, Delonte West, Ben Wallace, Larry Hughes, and the list goes on. Did anyone ever believe one man could outlast the Boston Trio or Dwight Howard/Rashard Lewis/Jameer Nelson or Kobe/Gasol/Artest in a seven game series? Regardless, LeBron certainly didn't, and now Gilbert is left with inflated contracts of mediocre talent in a soon to be empty Quicken Loans Arena.
Playing the traitor card is a last ditch effort of desperateness. LeBron happened to land with his hometown franchise by the luck of the NBA-draw in 2003. He gave them seven solid years. Why not celebrate what you had instead of lamenting what won't be? I don't see anyone tearing apart Dwayne Wade for not signing with the Bulls, yet he was born and raised in Chicago. Chris Bosh grew up in Texas, played ball at Georgia Tech, and spent seven years with the Raptors, yet the public outcry over him going to the Heat has been non-existent. Even worse, Amare Stoudamire signed a $100 million deal with the Knicks, and he is a Florida native. Miami and New York fans HATE each other. But still, not a peep. You don't have to look far back in history to see a trend of players spurning their hometown for a winning organization. Mark Teixiera rejected the Orioles and Nationals to be part of a Yankee dynasty. Paul Pierce has refused to play anywhere but Boston after growing up in Los Angeles. Adrian Peterson crossed the Red River for the Sooners after growing up in Texas. Why are these scenarios so hard to accept? Because the bottom line of sports has long been forgotten. Money, power, loyalty – none of those matter to an elite athlete. An elite athlete wants to win. And that's why LeBron went to Miami. To win.

Sources: NBA.com, ESPN.com, MLB.com, baseballreference.com