2011 Sports Year in Review

   I wrote this article on new years day, but forgot to post it. Here it is, 2 weeks late -

 Plain and simple, 2011 was one of the greatest years in sports history. So many incredible moments made this year special, unforgettable, and historic. From the Mavs incredible playoff run, to the greatest day in baseball history, this year will never be forgotten. 


     Lets start out with baseball. Coming off of the year of the pitcher 2.0, MLB needed something very special to top 2010. They got just what they needed, plus more. The Red Sox mega-team started off terrible, then put together an incredible rest of the year before...September. The Milwaukee Brewers hovered around .500 for a few months, than put together perhaps the greatest month in MLB history in August. T-Plush entertained (and enraged) fans across the nation, and the milestones of Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter added to the rich history of the NYY. But on September 28, baseball was at it's best. The 2 wild card spots had ties going into the day. In the NL, it was the surging Cards and the collapsing Braves. In the AL, it was the red-hot Rays and the ice-cold Red Sox. In the NL, the Cardinals easily defeated the Astros, so the Braves had to win to force a tie breaker. They ended up losing a nail-biter in extra innings. While this was happening, the Rays fell behind to the Yankees 7-0, and the Red Sox were leading the Orioles by a slim margin. The Orioles had just made the comeback, meaning there would be a tie-breaker between the AL teams after the Yankees crush the Rays, right? No, very wrong.The Rays did the impossible and scored 6 runs in the 8th, then, down to their last strike, tied it up. It was Dan Johnson, the benchwarmer, who hit the HR off the greatest closer in the history of the league. After some thrilling extra innings, Evan Longoria won it all for the Rays. The Red Sox had collapsed on an incredible scale, same with the Braves. This all was within about 45 minutes. My opinion? The greatest 45 minutes in sports history. This may seem like an exaggeration, if you weren't watching the games that night. If you were, you know how special this night was.
     And how could we forget the World Series? Every game was close, intense, and full of incredible plays, pain, and historic performances. Pujols' 3 home runs, Carpenter throwing his body at first base to get the out, the incredible fielding by Elvis Andrus. But game 6 is what will be remembered. Twice the Cardinals were down to their last strike, twice they came back. David Freese hit the walk off homer, and the Cardinals were able to win Game 7.


      The Packers barely clinched the last wild card spot. Half their team was on IR. Rodgers had a concussion. Things seemed very hopeless for the pack. But, after some dominating playoff wins and a historic NFC championship, the Packers were able to make the super bowl. In the season we're currently in, Tim Tebow dominated headlines and, whether you love him or hate him, was a winner. And who could forget about Jerome Simpson's touchdown flip, which could be one of the greatest plays in the history of football. Drew Bree's yards record, the Lions resurgence, and the Colts awful play without Manning are some other stories from a good year in football.


    The NHL. Fun year...probably. Im not really sure, though. Who really cares? (just kidding, Quinn)
    
    There is a Lids at a mall in Chicago that I go whenever i'm there, and because of that I know the guys who work there pretty well. We've had some pretty good sports debates, including the one where one of them said Devin Hester is better than anyone on the Packers! But the best was in July, when one of them asked me about the best player in the NBA. D-I-R-K spelled one of them, and the arguments began.
    But how could you disagree? While injured and sick, he led the complete Mavs over mega-favorites (the Heat) and embarrassed LBJ forever. The NBA had a great season to cap off a pretty good decade of basketball, with young stars like Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, and Brian Scalabrine (just kidding) electrifying the basketball world. But the lockout took a significant toll against the NBA, shortening the season and angering fans. At least college basketball was good, with upsets all over this year and last year.
The top sports in 2011 was baseball, hands down. You might be hard pressed to find a better regular season finale or world series for decades to come. But other sports also had their moments, making 2011 an absolutely incredible sports year. 

Why BOSTON is the Best Sports City

To read Quinn's take on why Montreal is the best sports city, go to frankelsports.blogspot.com


My best friend and Canadian buddy Quinn Frankel and I are both passionate sports fans, but we tend to argue. He claims that Montreal, home of the Montreal Canadians, is the best sports city. BUT: Boston is, and here's why:


1. Championships (recent and past)
The Montreal Canadaians are they Dynasty of Hockey, but that's it for the city. The Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, and Patriots are all amongst the top all-time in their sports, in championships, history, and tradition. In the past 10 years, Montreal has had 0 championships. ZERO. Boston? 8.
8 > 0.


2. Teams
Montreal is a great HOCKEY city, but not a great sports city. After all, Montreal has only 1 sports team (a great team), and Boston has one in each of the 4 major U.S. sports. More sports is more fans, and a better sports environment, at least in Boston.


3. Legends
In each of Boston's sports, they have a legend who is either the best or near the top of their sport. First, the Celtics have arguably the 2nd and 3rd best players ever in Russel and Bird. In football, Tom Brady is not the best, but one of the QB's to ever play. In hockey, the Bruins have the 2nd best player ever in Bobby Orr, and the only Canadian that is close is Maurice Richard. In baseball, the expos are gone and didn't have any standout legends. The Red Sox have, well, just to name a few: Ted Williams, Roger Clemens, Yaz, Cy Young, Tris Speaker, Boggs, and many others. 


Plain and simple, there no debate over best sports city. If it was best hockey town, then we'll talk. Boston is not only the Best Sports city in the U.S. or North America, but the best in the world.


Oh, and remember when Montreal Canadians fans booed our national anthem? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2qFfuLy_fs

The 2011 Turkeys

     Since last year I have made my annual list of failures in sports at thanksgiving...also known as the Turkeys. Below I will list players and teams in sports that have failed this year. Whether it's blowing expectations, a scandal, or something else, these people and teams have a lot to be embarrassed about. In no order, here are my 2011 Turkeys.

1. Lebron James/Miami Heat

After the most productive off-season in sports history, the Heat were loaded and had what seemed to be the greatest team in the history of the sport. They introduced themselves with fireworks and personal shows, with celebrations and over the top events. After a great regular season and playoffs, Lebron and D-Wade mocked Dirk Nowitzki's fever and cold in front of the media. Dirk and the Mavs ended up thrashing them as the Heat (Lebron in particular) choked under the pressure of the finals.

2. Jay Cutler

In the NFC championship, the Bears had the home-field advantage against the red-hot Packers and still needed everything they could to win. When QB Jay Cutler went down, it seemed hopeless. When pictures from the sideline made him look fine, and he was walking around without crutches and didn't need surgery after the game, fans ended up doubting his toughness and ability to perform. Sure, he was hurt in the long run, but he acted weak which hurt his team.

3. Penn State

I couldn't talk much about Favre in last year's Turkeys, so I can't talk about Penn State here (it's a clean blog). Or, as they have been calling it around Madison, STATE PENN.

4. Tony LaRussa

Ok, so he won the World Series. Creds to him for that. But from in August and September, his actions towards the Milwaukee Brewers and MLB were unacceptable. From filing a report because of "ribbon lights changing (cheating?)" to plunking Braun with a 100 MPH fastball, his actions were terrible. Not to mention his terrible attitudes in press conferences about the rivalry that he created himself.

5. Manny Ramirez

STEROIDS! Wait...estrogen? Manny Ramirez embarrassed himself yet again with steroids and hormones discoveries that led to his retirement and that may ruin a legendary career. 

6. Floyd Mayweather

It's the fight that everyone wants, Manny vs Floyd. But he's too scared to take up the challenge, which is what EVERYBODY else wants. These are 2 of the best boxers ever and the fact that Floyd still won't fight Manny Pacquio is embarrassing for him. After all, the fight, if put on prime time TV, would make the sport the most popular it has been since the 1970s.

7. Kris Humphries

OK, you're a New Jersey Net. I'm sorry, I know it's not your fault. BUT MARRYING A KARDASHIAN? SHAME ON YOU.

8. NBA and NFL

This one is more for the NBA, because no games were missed in the NFL. The greedy owners and players wanted too much money and sacrificed games for that, which ruins the leauge for the fans, the real reason for the pro leagues. There was no "love of the game" from the NBA players union, and none from the owners either.

9. CHICAGO CUBS

The lovable losers aren't lovable. But they are losers. Big time losers, 103rd year in a row.

Tony La Comebacks

So here I am, sitting in the basement at midnight, with the TV on quietly in the background as the rest of the family sleeps. What did I just see? Did I see David Freese walk off game 6 of the world series? Yes. Did I see 2 last pitch comebacks in the 9th and extra innings? Yes. Did I see one of the greatest games in baseball history? Yes. Think back to September 28. It was a little less than a month ago, and it was the "greatest night in baseball history". The Red Sox and Braves capped off epic collapses. The Cardinals finished an amazing comeback, and so did the Rays. The Brewers were in beast mode, and the Phillies were expecting to sweep their way to the title. About a month later, we are headed to game 7 with 2 of the most unlikely teams, and they have created one of the all time great world series. Normally I would make a prediction at this time, but I just can't right now. But I can tell you one thing...if the Rangers can't hold on to leads, they wont be winning it all. Check back in the next couple days for some in depth analysis on game 7. Lets hope it will be as amazing as the rest of this series. 

Postseason 5772 Preview - NLDS

September 28, 2011 - The greatest night in baseball history. 

     So many things went into making this night so special. First off, there were 2 ties for the wild card in each league. But what made that even more amazing is that each division had an underdog beating a historic collapse. The Red Sox and Braves collapses are 2 of the greatest ever. The Rays lost 2 elite players (Carl Crawford and Rafeal Soriano) to teams in their division, and beat Crawford and the Sox. The reason for that is Joe Maddon, the best manager of the generation. With 2 outs and 2 strikes, .108 hitter Dan Johnson tied up the game to send it into extra innings. Not to mention the Rays were down 7-0 to the 2nd best team in the majors. Then, the man who his a 3-run HR in the 8th hit a frozen rope walk off. Meanhwile, the Red Sox lost in a tight walk off game to the Orioles. To the NL. The Cardinals destroyed the Astros, and the Braves lost an intense nail biter. Elite rookie closer Kimbrel blew the save on the Phillies. 


Brewers vs D-Backs - Brewers (3-2)
2 MVP's vs the Diamondbacks. The Brewers should prevail, but it won't be that easy.
Phillies vs Cardinals - Phillies (3-1)
They're the Phillies.


Tigers vs Yankees - Yankees (3-2)
The Tigers are a great young team, but the dollars of the Yankees will overcome. 


Rays vs Rangers - Rays (3-0)
MOMENTUM. The Rays have momentum and an amazing manager. Rays sweep this rematch of the 2010 ALDS.


Shana Tova!

It's All Up to the Players

About a week ago, the Florida Marlins played a home game which had a very low attendance, and I mean VERY low. The unofficial number of fans at the Marlins-Reds game last week was 347. As you can see by the picture, there are actually only 347 people at a MLB game. Now, there are a couple factors that make this a little less embarassing. 
1. Neither the Marlins or Reds are in a playoff race.
2. The Marlins stadium is terrible, and many fans are saving $$$ for tickets in the new stadium next year.
3. Hurricane Irene was coming in the next day, and the game was rescheduled.


But those aren't great excuses for THAT low of an attendance.  MLB games should draw at least 10,000, usually more. The smallest market team in baseball, the Brewers, has had a 30,000+ average attendance for 5 straight years, and since moving into Miller Park 11 years ago, have only had 2 seasons with their average attendance under 25,000. Why is this? In my opinion, its all about the fans wanting to see their favorite players.


The Brewers have arguably the most exciting, fun, loved (by their fans) players in baseball. Tony Plush is a crazy, talented, hilarious speedster who is a fan favorite. Ryan Braun gets standing ovations almost every time he comes to the plate. Prince Fielder often complements "amazing" fans in interviews, and crushes 450 ft HRs what seems like every day. The Marlins...well, their most exciting player is Greg Dobbs. Ramirez is injured, and even when he's not hurt, he's not exciting and fans don't like him because they don't know him personally. I, a Brewers fan, feel like I know half the players on my team. Here's how the players can fill up the stadium, instead of just complaining about the owners. You don't just have to be good. Be on TV, be in interviews. Have a fun walk-up song, or a signature walk. Have a fun inside joke with the fans (all Brewers fans laugh when they see T.Plush's "AHHHHHHHHHHHH"), or have a Facebook with positive statuses. If the team isn't doing well, be the one that picks up the fans. Any team in baseball is more exciting than the Marlins. Even the Cubs have fun routines, like 3 error plays and losing seasons! Bottom line, winning attracts fans, and promotions do too, but players are the biggest reason fans come to games, even if we don't realize it. 

Year of the Underrated NL Pitcher

If you asked most baseball fans who the best pitcher in the NL is right now, you would probably get a lot of mixed answers, because there isn't really an apparent best. Reading this, your probably thinking of a couple people who it could be. Are you thinking of Jeff Karstens? Clayton Kershaw? Johny Cueto? Ryansong Probably not. You probably hadn't even heard of Karstens or Vogelsong. Karstens, who started his first game of the year on April 17, has started ever since, going 8-5 with an ERA of 2.28. Clayton Kershaw, who has been (in my opinion) the most underrated baseball player of the past 3 years, has a higher but still impressive ERA of 2.72, and is leading the majors with already 167 strikeouts. To add, he has a WHIP of 1.02, 6 games of 10+ K, and 6 games of 8+ innings. Johnny Cueto, who has been consistently good (never Cy Young good) has an ERA of 1.98 and a WHIP of 1.00. He started his season on May 8 b/c of injuries, but he's having a stellar year and is another unsung pitching hero of the NL this year. Ryan Vogelsong is a Giants rookie who got his first start April 28, has an ERA of 2.02. He's given up only 8 HR in 98 innings. His WHIP is a little higher at 1.19, because he has a rather high amount of walks/innings, but he's still a great underrated pitcher. That's not it for the Cy Young canditates that most people, or you, didn't know about. Those are just the ones I chose to write about. But I think I'm not the only one who found this list shocking - did you? 

Why MLB Should NOT Add 2 Wild Card Spots

    Bud Selig and MLB have announced that they are looking to add 2 wild card spots (1 per league) in 2012, which would expand the number of teams in the playoffs from 8 to 10. This is a terrible idea, and I hope that they do not imply this rule. 
    All of the 4 major sports (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA) have the division winners go to the playoffs, and  there are the others. In MLB, it's 2 wild card spots. In NFL, it's 4 wild card spots. In the NBA and NHL, it's 10. If you look at the percentages of teams that make the playoffs, MLB has by far the lowest, and NBA and NHL the highest:


MLB: 26.27%
NFL: 31.25%
NBA: 53.3%
NHL: 53.3%


Making the playoffs is a big deal, because once your in the playoffs, no matter how bad your team is, you have a shot at winning it all. A medicore team should not be in the playoffs, and a bad team certainly shouldn't be. Because there are 5 wild cards, the Indiana Pacers made the NBA playoffs this year. The Pacers were 37-45, with a .451 winning %. Because they play half as many games as MLB, that would mean a 16 below .500 team would make the playoffs. Based on last years MLB standings, all but 7 teams had a better winning % than the Pacers.  This means teams like the Cubs, Astros, Mets, and other rotten teams would be in the playoffs. I know that MLB adding 2 wild card sports is not nearly as many as the NBA or NHL, and the teams would still probably be over .500, but teams play so hard to make the playoffs right now in MLB that baseball should not make it easier to get to the playoffs. 

The 3 Camels + Hamels (JSS-Philly)

The 2k11 Philadelphia Phillies are known to many as the greats pitching rotation ever assembled. This assortment includes the four aces; Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, and Lee. Along with the four aces is the highly mediocre Joe Blanton.
Career Summary:
Halladay was the ace on the Toronto Blue Jays from 1998-2009. His Blue Jays competed in the highly competitive AL East as the consistent 3rd place team after the Red Sox and (yawn) Yankees. Despite having an average to sub-par team throughout his tenure, Halladay compiled an impressive 3.43 ERA and 49 complete games. Halladay won 22 games and had a 3.25 ERA in his 2003 Cy Young season. He was traded to the Phillies in 2010 and won 21 games and collected his 2nd Cy Young. The trade included the Phillies relinquishing their prized prospect Kyle Drabek who is someone to keep an eye on. He is the most consistent pitcher in the rotation and is known to be the best of the four.
Cliff Lee was a very good pitcher for the Cleveland Indians from 2002- (half) 2009. Lee had a 4.01 ERA during his tribe tenure and collected the 2008 AL Cy Young award. Lee was traded to the Phils in 2009, and helped them in their run to the 2009 World Series where they subsequently lost to the Yankees. The trade included the Indians giving away current Philadelphia outfielder Ben Francisco, and Cleveland receiving catcher Lou Marson and other minor prospects were exchanged. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in the offseason, but was later traded again to the Texas Rangers midway through the 2010 season. He was instrumental in the Rangers’ run to the 2010 World Series. Lee signed with Philadelphia in the winter of 2010-2011. 
Roy Oswalt was the rock of the Houston Astros pitching staff from 2001-2010. The “Wizard of Os” had an impressive 3.24 ERA with Houston and was impressive during their 2005 World Series appearance. Oswalt played horrible in the first half of the 2010 season, compiling a 6-12 record. He was traded to Philly for J.A Happ (who is performing quite well) and two minor league prospects. The second half Oswalt was great, and helped them to their playoff run to the National
League Championship where they lost to eventual champion San Francisco Giants.
This brings us to Cole Hamels, who is known as one of the greatest pitching products of the Phillies minor league system. Hamels came up to the Phillies in 2006. He was 7-0 in the 2008 Championship run and recorded a sub-2.00 era in total. Hamels is the youngest of the four and may have not reached his full potential.
Opinionated Analysis:
Roy “Doc” Halladay has been superb and has been considered possibly the best pitcher currently. Halladay’s arsenal and consistency are unmatched in today’s game. Cliff Lee has been the centerpiece of two teams that have lost in the World Series. Despite this, he was the reason for both of the teams getting there. Oswalt is by far the least consistent pitcher. He is, of course getting older, but his stuff is still there, and would be the #1 pitcher on most teams’ roster. Cole Hamels has the 3rd best consistency in the NL behind Doc and Tim Lincecum, and holds the best changeup in the Majors. Hamels doesn’t have an overwhelming fastball or curve, but he has this aura of confidence and may be the best athlete on the team.
Bottomline: 
When it is all said and done, Halladay will be the only one in the hall of fame. Nevertheless, Oswalt and Lee have had solid careers that will be remembered by Houston Astros and Texas Rangers (Adam Genecov) for a long time. Hamels will and has always been a key member of the organization for a while and is loved and hated by Philadelphia. Hamels has encountered speed bumps, but could one day reach superstardom and receive the credit he deserves.



Michael Berg is the Philly Correspondent of Jake Stein Sports and may continue to make posts, usually about Philadelphia sports. He plays basketball and lacrosse, and is a camp friend of Jake Stein. Michael currently resides in Philadelphia, though he grew up in Arizona. 

"Prince Fielder" and Other Short Stories/Opinions from MLB 2011

Miller Park PA Announcer: Ok Steve, here are your 2 clues to guess the MYSTERY BREWER!

Steve: I'm ready!

PA Guy: 1. He was picked 6th overall by Kansas City in 2002, and he led the American League with a 2.16 ERA in 2009.

FREEZE: It's obvious to everyone in the stadium who it is. It's obviously Zack Grienke, and this nutjob wins $100 if he answers it right. In front of a sellout crowd at Miller, he unleashes his answer.

Steve: It's Prince Fielder! (smiles at his wife, who hugs him)

At that moment, the sellout crowd of 43,000 in a 42,000 cap. stadium goes crazy. Prince Fielder was not a Royal, did not have an ERA, and did not lead the AL with that ERA! After 5 minutes of booing, jeering, even some trash on the field, the game resumes. Kind of like the Brewers hot streak.

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It's not the 2nd year of the pitcher, for 2 reasons. First of all, last year was the 2nd year of the pitcher, 1968 was the first. 2nd, there have been 2 no-hitters, and the game is evolving more into a pitchers game. But 2 no-hitters, 0 perfect games, and nobody really dominating is not the 2nd year of the pitcher.

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What's up with the White Sox? They have no consistency, which is why I think they should fire Ozzie Guillen. I love Ozzie Guillen, and I think he's been a great manager (even though he's rather infamous). But when a team with the Sox's talent is doing so poorly, they need a new manager.

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Jonathan Lucroy - possibly my favorite Brewer, and no mention of him on this blog. The young catcher is hitting .325 with 5 HR and is second in the NL among catchers in RBI. The catch is, he was out half the year. With a fielding % of .993 and universal praise among coaches and pitchers, Lucroy is on his way to becoming an elite catcher. Oh, and another thing - you have to be good to lay down a perfect bunt in the 9th inning in a suicide squeeze.

Flukes and the Real Deal - April Edition

The Red Sox Slow Start - FLUKE
The Red Sox started the year as one of the top WS candidates, but went 0-6. Now, at 5-10, the Sox are finally starting to win, but are still way behind the Stankees. With a good rotation and great hitting, they should snap out of it. After all, Crawford hitting .127 wont last.
The Colorado Rockies Hot Start - THE REAL DEAL
I predicted the Rox to not even make the playoffs, but they could rival the Giants and the Wild Card. They have Tulo-Cargo, which is as good if not better than any 3-4 in the game. Good fielding and average pitching means they could go far.
Placido Polanco's Hot Start - THE REAL DEAL
Placido has always been a solid ballplayer, especially known for stellar defense. He hit .298 last year which is not bad at all, but he's on an even hotter start this year. I think Placido will keep on hitting well, and finish the year around .315.
Cleveland Indians Hot Start - FLUKE
The Indians are 12-4 and are not slowing down. They are shocking everyone, using sub-par players and rocking. But they are the Indians. Sorry Cleveland.
Sam Fuld's Hot Start - THE REAL DEAL
Curse of the Cubs. Just like Casey McGehee, he was a crappy minor leaguer on the Iowa Cubs and they released him. Now, he's leading the AL in batting and stealing a ton of bases. 
The Brewers Offense - FLUKE
The Brewers have always been an offensive team, and became contenders when they picked up pitching on top of that. The pitching has been great, anchored by sophomore Chris Narveson who has given up just 3 runs in 19 innings, and when Grienke returns the pitching staff will get even better. But the offense has been just bad. Besides Braun, Fielder, and a now ice-cold Weeks, the team struggles to get hits. Luckily, Lucroy is hitting .368 since he came back, and Nyjer Morgan will be starting for the horrible Carlos Gomez one of these days.


A shoutout to my friend Michael from Philly, which may increase my slim blog viewer ship from 6 to 7. Kind of like the Vikings win total.

A New MLB?

Major League Baseball has gotten a lot a critisism for being..."boring". It is without a doubt less popular than the NFL, and there seems to be people going away from the game more than going to it. I have a few ways MLB could spice up their games. Some of these coulden't really happen because they would completly change the game, but, here are some ideas for a "new" MLB.

• 4 Outs per Inning, 7 Innings could add a lot more action. That's 28 outs compared to 27 in the normal game, which is not much of a difference. But adding an extra out would definitely increase scoring.
• Larger Field would make more of those hard foul balls fair, and could also make for some awesome catches. Not deeper, just wider.
• On field performances at the "4th inning stretch" when the game moves to 7 innings and 4 outs. A performance by a band, singer, acrobats, comedian, or anything besides the local girls dance academy (I already saw them at a Bucks game) would be great and fun.
• No more NL and AL would let more teams play each other, and less frequently. Every team plays every team at least once. There are still divisions that play more often, and the division winners play in the playoffs until there are 2 left. That's the World Series. The four best second place teams become wild cards, and the two best have a first-round bye.

• NHL Style All-Star Game is really fun. Two captains (voted by fans) pick a team and the teams are managed by the leading managers. Each team will have a skills contest Friday, a concert by a famous band followed by the HR Derby on Saturday, and the real game on Sunday. Teams will get points for how well they do on each, and the team that wins the game will get a large bonus. Home field advantage in the World Series will be given to the team with a better record.

Most of these ideas are totally unrealistic, but what if...?

Scenes From a Brewers-Cubs Game at Miller Park

• A Cubs fan on the new Miller Park scoreboard, "y'know, at Wrigly we prefer older technology.
•  Kerry Wood being Kerry Wood
• A shirtless old guy with a cubs logo on his pants dancing to Justin Bieber.
• A Cub fan teaching his daughter to yell, "BREWERS SUCK!!!!" 
• A little girl refusing to say Cubbies and only saying "Cubs".
• A Cub fan all in red who was yelling to his girlfriend how, "It was your idea to wear red, and everyone else wore blue!"
• A hopeless franchise.
• A 6-5 Brewers victory.
• Go Brewers, Go Sox.
  Publish Post

2011 MLB Prieview Playoffs and Awards

NLDS - Brewers vs Reds 
Winner - Brewers (3-1)
A solid rotation can come up big in the playoffs, and the Reds wont be able to handle the Crew in just 4 games.


NLDS - Phillies vs Giants
 Winner - Phillies (3-0)
Halladay > Lincecum, Cliff > Cain, Oswalt > Bumgarner (at least in the playoffs)

ALDS - Red Sox vs Blue Jays 
Winner - Red Sox (3-0)
The Sox will easily overpower the Jays with an extremely good offense.

ALDS - Rangers vs White Sox
Winner - Rangers (3-2)
The experience and talent of the Rangers will beat the W.Sox in a close one.

NLCS - Brewers vs Phillies
Winner - Phillies (4-1)
The Brewers lineup gets to guys like Oswalt, but the experience and dominance of the Phillies can beat the young Brewers.


ALCS - Red Sox vs Rangers
 Winner - Red Sox (4-2)
In a hitter's ballpark for all the games, the Red Sox have a good edge.


2011 WS - Phillies vs Red Sox
Winner - Phillies (4-2)
The Phillies will win their 2nd WS title in 4 years. With arguably the best rotation ever, not even the Red Sox can consistently pound these guys. A solid lineup on the Phillies side is going to average out the Sox dominance at bat a little bit, too.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES 2011 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

Awards

NL MVP - Ryan Braun is one of the best hitters in the game and will have a big year (I'm thinking .330, 30 HR, 15 Steals) in 2011.

AL MVP - Adrian Gonzalez is a great hitter coming to a park that is great for left field hitters. Expect 45 HR from him.

NL Cy Young - Clayton Kershaw is 23 and has had and ERA below 3 the past 2 years. Its going to be very low this year, and he could reach the 20 win plateau.

AL Cy Young - John Lester is getting better, and better, and better, and he will win the AL Cy Young because he keeps on getting better.

Thank you for reading this, and any other sections of my 7 part preview you have read. I will continue posts once the season starts. Once again, thanks. If you have questions about MLB, fantasy, the blog, or anything else, comment or email me. Thanks, and go Brewers!

 

MLB Preview Part 5 and 6 - NL East and West Preview

Well, I got a little messed up on the timing. I had an NL East, West, Playoffs, and awards post planned, but opening day is on Thursday. Here's an abbreviated article on each division.

The NL East is the best division in the NL. The Phillies have arguably the best rotation ever, and a great offense. They should win the division with ease. The Braves won the Wild Card last year, and with the addition of power hitting 2B Dan Uggla, they could make the playoffs. The Marlins have a young team, and pure power hitter Mike Stanton could be a franchise player for the Marlins in years to come. The Nationals have a new ballpark and 2 of the biggest prospects in years, but there is a great chance neither will play this year. The Mets have David Wright as a solid 3B, but a weak team otherwise.

The NL West is lead by defending WS Champions the Giants. With a great young rotation and an average offense, they could repeat as NL West Champs. The Dodgers have ace Clayton Kershaw who is improving every year, and a solid offense makes them a 2011 sleeper. The Rockies have elite OF Car-go, but a weak rotation (besides Jiminez) could hold them back. The Padres lost star 1B Gonzalez, and it is going to show at Petco Park this year, not for good reasons.

2011 MLB Preview Part 4 - NL Central

As we switch leagues, the division by division preview continues.

1. Milwaukee Brewers - 94-68

No bias here - the Brewers are ready to rock. With a completely re-amped rotation, a great new coach, and another solid offense, they are definite pennant contenders. In December the crew picked up durable righty Shaun Marcum, who had an ERA of 3.64 in the toughest division in baseball. Now, as he matures and switches to a somewhat weak NL Central, he should rack up innings and have a low ERA. The Brewers got rid of their top prospect in Brett Lawrie in that trade, but Weeks is already a great 2B to take his space.  

    Macha was gone and Marcum was here, and the crew was having an impressive offseason. Not to mention the pickup of solid SU Takashi Saito which greatly improves any bullpen. The next trade would completely alter the team, though. Zack Grienke and Yuniesky Betancourt for Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odiorzi, and Jermey Jeffress. The last 2 names don't really matter, but Cain and Escobar were both top notch prospects. but an ace is worth it, and now that's 2 aces for the crew, along with Gallardo. Sure, he's injured, but he will rebound and have a solid year.

     Yuniesky Betancourt is arguably the worst defensive player in the bigs. "In 200 years, kids will sit around the campfire and sing about how bad Yuniesky Betancourt was" (SI). That about describes it. He'll hit .240 at best, and his defense is a liability, along with Weeks and fielder. The infield is the weakest defensively in the bigs, which is a problem, but can the offense overdo the problems of the D? 

     Braun-Fielder-McGehee is one of the best 3-4-5 punches in baseball, and Weeks is a solid 20-20 leadoff. Their offense shouldn't be much of a problem. With a great rotation and offense, the Brewers should make the playoffs.

2. Cincinati Reds - 92-70 (NL Wild Card)

A new star emerged in Joey Votto last year, and the Reds had a great year. After a series of aggressive fights with the Cardinals, they easily clinched the division in walk-off fashion. This year, they are just as good, if not better. Aroldis Chapman is a phenomenal relief pitcher, Votto, Bruce, Stubs, and Phillips make a solid lineup. Rookie star Travis Wood is great when he beats injuries, and Cueto and Arroyo make a solid rotation with him. They do have a lot of holes, though, like a 3rd outfield spot with pretty much no one good to fill, and an rotten bullpen (besides Chapman). Also, if Wood is hurt, the Rotation is not-so-great. The Reds are solid, but not as good as the Crew. A solid NL Wild card.

3. St. Louis Cardinals - 83-81

Wainwright's gone, ouch. He's a stud, one of the most valuable players in the NL. Pujols is good, and when Carpenter is healthy he is also. Jamie Garcia could have a good sophomore year, and Yadier Molina is one of the best fielding catchers of all time. The problems for the Cardinals are really bad though, and I will be following them closely. LaRusa's team has dreadful chemistry, and Wainwrights leadership will be missed. Last year's fight with the Reds was brutal, and there have been several bench clearing brawls in this Spring Training already. Plus, the team has a rough bullpen, and a tough division above (but not bellow, as you are about to see).

4. Pittsburgh Pirates - 72-90

You are seeing it right, and I'm not doing this to bash the Cubs. The Pirates aren't the total laughing stock anymore. Tabata is in the bigs, and lots of high draft picks emerging. McCutchen could start in the All-Star game. They are not good, not at all, but they are much better than last year. Work on the rotation, Clint, and you COULD have a decent team in a couple of years.

5. Houston Astros - 69-93

NO OFFENSE. Let me repeat it, this time without the caps - no offense. Besides inconsistent Pence, and washed up Carlos Lee, offense is not existent in Houston. Bourn can steal, and the rotation is also half-way decent, but no offense besides the little bit, I guess.

Wait, am I missing a team? I am looking at championships but I'm having trouble finding another team in the NL Central. Then again, I'm looking in the past 102 years. 

6. Chicago Cubs - 60-102

Okay, so I was kidding. The Cubs with their current team would be more like low 70's in wins, with an average offseason (like Garza, hate Pena). They are having in-team fights (probably frustrated from having to endure the pain of being a cub). I think Zambrano will be great, but the lineup is really rotten. Marmol is ok, but the rest of the bullpen is not. Also, the Cubs have underperformed for 103 years. So, it's a safe bet the Cubbies will avoid the playoffs yet another year. The boo-birds and the Bleacher Bums will cry at dirty Wrigly field yet another year.

2011 MLB Preview Part 3 - AL East

1. Boston Red Sox - 97-65
The Red Sox had the best offseason in the AL, picking up 2 elite players. Carl Crawford easily hits .300 with 30+ steals every year, and his defense is stellar. Adrian Gonzalez is a 40 homer guy, and bringing him to Fenway boosts him over 50. The Division is more balenced than usual, and there is not another dominant team to challenge them each series.

2. Toronto Blue Jays - 90-72 (AL Wild Card)
A shocker! The team from Canada who has done nothing in a long time makes the playoffs? Let me explain. The Blue Jays were not bad at all last year. In fact, they were good. 85-77 in the first year removed from the Halladay era. Now the prospects from that trade can break in. Jose Bautista is a solid player now, and dealing Marcum to the Brewers was a win-win, for the Jays got solid 2B prospect Brett Lawrie.

3. Tampa Bay Devil Rays - 84-78
Solid staff. Terrible offense. Great farm. Those are words that the Milwaukee  Brewers don't know. But the Rays sure know them. Crawford is gone but the prospects are high. Manager Joe Maddon is, in my opinion, the best of the best, and he will be able to raise them well. Look for the Rays to be fantastic - next year.

4. New York Yankees - 78-84
The simple explanation for this is that the Yankees just aren't that good. They have a very good offense, but their staff is not good at all. C.C. and Hughes, studs. Burnett? Not so much. That's it. The Yankees don't have a 4 or 5 pitcher, so they may have to use washed up veterans like Bartolo Colon, or failed prospects like Ivan Nova. In a tough division, you can't have Ivan Nova.

5. Baltimore Orioles - 70-92
Great offseason - I mean really great. They picked up veteran Vlad Guererro, who adds leadership and a fine bat. J.J. Hardy can't hurt when your the Orioles. Derek Lee adds even more leadership. Mark Reynolds adds 40 HR. That's not a bad offseason, but they need to do something about their pitching. Maybe, just maybe, Buck Showalter can make the Orioles great again.

2011 MLB Preview Part 2 - AL West

AL West Preview -

1. Texas Rangers - 95-67
 In most other divisions, they would have less wins, but the AL west is a weak division (cough cough MARINERS). This year, the defending AL Champions will have a little more competition. MVP Josh Hamilton returns, and Cliff Lee does not. Still, the addition of Adrian Beltre adds some elite defense to 3rd base in a hitters park. Expect another great year from the Rangers, but they probably aren't good enough to beat the Red Sox.

2. Oakland Athletics - 82-80 (Sleeper Alert)

Trevor Cahill and the A's are AL West sleepers.

With a 1-2 punch of Anderson-Cahill, the A's are a great young team poised to make a playoff run sooner or later. Both Anderson and Cahill had ERA's of under 3, and 2 legit closers (Fuentes and Baily) make a strong staff. The problem is offense, with few noticeable players in the starting lineup.

3. Los Angeles Angels - 74-88
The Angels aren't that great of a team anymore. Besides Dan Haren, they have a sub-par rotation and with no closer or SU,an atrocious bullpen. They don't really have a catcher, which can't help them with raising leadership, command, and knowledge of prospects. Things are starting to look bleak for Anaheim, but not all hope is lost. All-Star 1st baseman Kendry Morales returns from missing most of '10 and will provide power, average, and fielding. Their outfield adds Vernon Wells, which adds to the teams offense and makes their outfield arguably the best fielding in a long time. Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, and Bobby Abreu are all gold glovers. But, pitching and batting are much more important than fielding any day. Especially in a division already heavy on pitching.

4. Seattle Mariners - (60-102)
It seems as if the roof's always closed at beautiful Saefco Field. Ichiro - perhaps the best hitter in baseball. Felix Hernandez - perhaps the best pitcher in baseball. Rest of Seattle Mariners - nothing. The Seattle Mariners have 2 elite players and nothing else. Cliff Lee and R.A. Dickey left. Chone Figgens disappointed. That's the story of last year, and don't be surprised if Seatle gets a high pick in the draft next year.

2011 MLB Preview Part 1 - AL Central

     Seeing that pitchers and catchers report in 2 days, I decided to make the awaited preview right now. I'll start off by saying that this offseason has been really interesting. The Phillies added ace Cliff Lee to a super-rotation. The Red Sox added 2 major bats into a hitters park. The Nationals added Jason Werth to a lineup that may feature Bryce Harper. The Yankees added a second closer for $35 Million. The Brewers added an ace and a legit starter, and White Sox added slugger Adam Dunn. Here we go - the 2011 Preview. In the next few weeks I will be posting previews for each division.

American League!

Central Division

The AL Central, as it always is, will be a fun division. Nobody in this division is really good, but there are 3 legitimate teams. 

1. Chicago White Sox - 90-72

The White Sox are going to have a really good year. First, they added Adam Dunn who will really help drive in some runs on a team that had the 10th best OBP in MLB. Peavy-Buehrle is either a big hit or a big miss, but even if it is a miss, prospect Dan Hudson can provide depth to a deep rotation. Alexi Ramirez is destined to really break out, and this could be his year.

2. Minnesota Twins - 87-75

The Twins are also a serious contender for the division. With a decent rotation and...MAUER, it won't be a shock to see them over .500. They added IF Nishioka, who hit .346 in Japan. Great move, for you never know when the next Ichiro is just an ocean away. The concern for the Twins is defense. They had the 4th worst field % in the bigs, and that does not help a semi-inconsistent rotation.

3. Detroit Tigers - 79-83

Ahhhh, the Tigers. They are won of the hardest teams to predict in baseball, for their starters always under perform and their bench warmers the contrary.Verlander is a great starter, Austin Jackson and Brenden Bosch are good young players, and that's all I can say.

4. Clevland Indians - 70-92

Its kind of sad that the city with the Cavaliers also has the Indians, because they both stink. The best thing about the Indians is Shin-Soo Choo. Sure he has the greatest name ever, but he is also a .300 hitter 2 years in a row, who had 22 homer and 22 steals last year. Plus, he is only getting better. They don't have a second baseman, and their best candidate is Jayson Nix. At catcher, Santana has tons of potential but you can't base a franchise off a prospect unless you're the Nationals. Grady Sizemore is too injury prone to be called great.

5. The Kansas City Royals - 59-103 (Worst Team in AL 2011!!!)

Oy Vey.

Star Pitcher - Gone

Weak Prospects from Milwaukee - In Kansas City!

I think 59 Wins may be generous. The Royals are so bad, they make the 2006 Cubs look...less bad. Their star closer is also gone, and they have few recognizable players. Billy Butler's OK. Ned Yost is their manager...fun.Go look at their roster. It's not impressive. 

That's all for today. Please email me questions for me to answer in posts.

Champions.

The NFL's first team. The NFL's smallest market team. The NFL's only community-owned team. The NFL's most successful team. The NFL's champion.

The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV last Sunday and they deserved it. QB Aaron Rodgers, the best in the NFL, won the MVP. Even without Woodson in the 2nd half, arguably the most important defensive player in the NFL, they still pulled it off. The season had many lows and ups. They had 6 opening starters out at the Super Bowl, including solid running back Ryan Grant and elite TE Jermichael Finley. Then again, the magical postseason and Matthews insane sacks led them all the way. Lets break it down.

MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Because he's a leader and had an ELITE season.

Defensive MVP: Clay Matthews
He has become one of the best linebackers  in football, and a terrifying figure on D.
Breakout Star: James Starks
He had a great postseason after filling in for under performing Brandon Jackson. He averaged over 4.0 yards and over 4.5 in the Superbowl.

Packers - 4
Bears - 1

Packers - 13                              
Bears - 9
LOMBARDI IS BACK!!!!!!!!!
 

5 Things We Learned From the NFC Championship

1. Caleb Hanie is the future

After Cutler was knocked out with a sprained MCL (as far as we know), the bears put in Todd Collins, and after seeing that fail, they put in Hanie. Hanie, undrafted out of Colorado State, didn't have the best stats, but threw pretty well. Excluding the 2 picks (B.J. Raji = the freezer), his passes were accurate and fast, hitting his spots and escaping blitzes. The bears haven't seen that in a while.

2. Greg Jennings is an Elite Receiver

After racking up 130 yards, Jennings has really come together. Sure he has had his bad moments, like fumbles and dropping a sure catch that lost us the game against the Lions, but he is really playing at a top level.

3. The Refs are Hypocrites
 Julius Peppers had a 15 yard penalty for a head-head hit on rodgers. I am sorry for not mentioning this in the last post, Peppers is excellent, but this hit should have gotten him ejected, like the refs and NFL said they would do to those hits. 


4. Tim Mathsay is a Great Punter
He pinned so many people inside the 10 yard line. He kept Hester to a 2.5 yard return average. People don't love him but he was great.


5. The Packers are Much Better than the Bears Historical and Today


'nuff said.

2011 NFC Championship Preview - Who has the edge?

It is one of the most intense rivalries of all time, in any sport.  The best team in Football history, the GREEN BAY PACKERS!!!!!!!! is playing their rival the Chicago Bears. Here is the first edition of JakeSteinSports: Who Has the Edge?

Offense:

I'm going to try not to be biased, but the Green Bay Packers offense is undoubtedly the best in the NFL. Starks has been fantastic in his last two games, and Rodgers has become one of the (or in my opinion THE) best quarterback in the NFL. His QB rating in the playoffs is currently 130. The Bears have Matt Forte, who after a down 2009 has really come together to form a solid back. Jay Cutler is very, very inconsistent. We could expect 5 INT or 3 TD. But all we know is that it won't be as good as rodgers.

EDGE: Packers

Defense:

These are two great defenses, but only one is elite. Jay Cutler know which one that is. You could make a case that Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews are the 2 best defensive players in the league. Tramon Williams had 2 picks vs Atlanta, and Desmond Bishop has been one of many filling in for 9 injured defense players very well. The bears have Urlacher, who is not nearly as good as Clay, Tillman, who is not nearly as good as williams or Woodson, and really no other big players.

Edge: Packers

Special Teams:

Oy. This may not be as fun to blog about. Why, because the Pack has a weak kick return coverage team, and Devin Hester is one of the best returners ever. Though Masthay has become a semi-decent punter, he must punt it out of bounds. Robbie Gould is about as good of a kicker as Crosby, and he has no Packers returners to fear.

Edge: Bears

OVERALL EDGE: PACKERS

"It's going to be a good game" says various sources, but they are wrong. The Packers are a far better team as I have talked about above. Home field and cold don't matter when you're Aaron Rodgers.

The Pick:

Packers: 31

Bears:17

2011 MLB Early Pretictions

As I ride to Milwaukee, home of the future 2011 NL Central champs, I got an idea - an early prediction blog. Not the big long one that I will post during spring training, but just some early predictions.
 

1. Big Teams

In my opinion there are 2 baseball superpowers right now, and the Yankees are not one. The Boston Red Sox have a legit rotation, but the hitting is what we need to look out for. The Red Sox had one of the best offenses in the bigs, and after adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, they have the best lineup in the league. Adrian Gonzalez is a 40-Homer hitter, and he played in Petco Park (pitchers park). He generally hits to left, so I expect him to add at least 10 homers to his total, for fenway is shallow in left. The other major superpower is the Phillies. They have arguably the best rotation EVER and a very good offense. The Braves are their only threat in the NL East, and the Braves aren't that good. Halladay is the best pitcher alive (there, I said it), Cliff Lee is a superstar, Hamels is a young ace, and Oswalt is old but still a legit pitcher. It doesn't really matter who pitches #5, because the 2011 phillies could be one of the best teams of all time. The Yankees are a very good team, but they gave me another reason to dislike them a couple days ago. They spent 35 million on a reliever! That's pretty much the Florida Marlins payroll. Expect them to be a wild card threat. The Brewers now have one of the best offenses and rotations in the bigs. Grienke is an ace, and Marcum is a 3.40 ERA pitcher in the AL east, so he should also be very good.

2. Busts

The Rays. Goodbye playoffs. Goodbye over .500 record. The Rays are going to be one of the worst teams in Baseball, for they have lost Carl Crawford and Rafeal Soriano to teams in their division. Maybe Joe Madden could save them, but probably not.

Stay tuned for the official preview coming in March

 

Welcome to Jake Stein Sports.

• There is no more jgecko61
• There is no more GeckoBaseballBlog
• I am no longer gecko dude.
• I am a man.
• Geckos are gone. Real sports is here.

Welcome to Jake Stein Sports. My name is Jacob. After coming home from the holy land and now that I am a man, I have decided to phase geckos out. The adress is jakesteinsports.blogspot.com and this will be where my posts will be made for now on. Thanks to the passionate six blog viewers I have.