Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Kill Me Now: The Atlanta Braves are going after Josh Willingham or Ryan Ludwick
Three days away from the trade deadline and the big move Atlanta Braves GM Frank Wren has made so far to improve a dreadful offense is trade for the great Wil Nieves for a $1. There is no question to anybody with half a brain that the Braves desperately need an outfielder with a right handed bat with some pop. They don't need Nieves even with All-Star catcher Brian McCann on the DL.
So instead of going big and getting a Carlos Beltran or a Adam Jones or even a BJ Upton or settling for a Carlos Quentin the Braves are going to get either a Josh Willingham or Ryan Ludwick. So instead of getting filet mignon Wren is going to settle for a McDonalds burger. Look I'm not necessarily trying to shit all over Willingham and Ludwick because they are good players. But they aren't players who are going to push the Braves over the top and win them a World Series in October.
If I had a preference I would take Willingham because I think he is the better player right now. Before this season in Oakland he was a high on base guy who has about 20 HR a season pop. This season his numbers are down because he hits in a pitchers park and he's an aging 32 years old. But honestly I don't want either of Willingham or Ludwick. They do nothing for me as a Braves fan.
If the Braves want to go big they need to be willing to deal one of their young arms in Mike Minor, Randall Delgado, or Arodys Vizcaino. Julio Teheran is untouchable and I don't blame Wren for making him that unless the Dodgers call and offer Matt Kemp. Then you can say bye-bye to Teheran and not think twice about it. But that isn't going to happen. If I'm Wren I call the Orioles and ask about Adam Jones. I call the Dbacks and ask about Justin Upton. I call the Rays and ask about BJ Upton. If it takes trading one or even two of Minor, Delgado or Vizcaino to get a young, gold glove ability right handed hitter with pop then I make the deal. The Braves have a ton of young pitching and with the way they scout and develop they will continue to stockpile arms. The problem is they don't have any young hitters in their minor league system who will make an impact the next 2-3 seasons.
Wren is known to keep things close to the vest and not reveal much if anything to the media. I have no problem with that. But don't tell me in September that your team is much better after adding a Rick Ankiel-type or a Derrek Lee-type when you could have gone big. It's about winning the World Series and not just making the playoffs.
UPDATED: The Braves are "hot" for Carlos Quentin and the White Sox want one of the Braves young arms according to Ken Rosenthal. Quentin would be a huge improvement over what the Braves already have in left field but they would still be missing a centerfielder. Quentin is salary arbitration eligible next year and a free agent in 2013.
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8:59 AM
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The Albert Haynesworth Era in D.C is Over
Lay Lady, Lay. Yeah I don't think the Redskins are going to miss Albert Haynesworth. Now watch him go to the New England Patriots and turn out a Pro Bowl season next to Vince Wilfork. That fat drunk fuck will probably dominate for Bill Belichick.
Honestly I haven't thought much of Haynesworth since he left the Titans. The guy I think who will make a huge impact next season is Osi Umenyiora. He's going to hold out of Giants camp and the cash-strapped Giants won't have enough money to resign him and stay under the cap. Umenyiora had 11.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles last season. He would look great in an Atlanta Falcons uniform. With that being said he will probably wind up with the Jets. It just seems like the Jets are going to get every defensive stud available.
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8:45 AM
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Andrew Luck: Get a Hair Cut and a Shave Hippie!
Serious question for anyone that can grow a beard: Does facial hair help with the ladies?
Because I'm 32 years old and I still can't grow one.
I've got the Civil War thing going on. Full hair on the left but thin as shit on the right side of my face. I ask this because future #1 NFL Draft Pick and current Stanford QB as well as the clear cut leader for the Heisman Trophy grew out the beard this summer. I would think it would diminish your ability to score ass if you look like a nerdy hillbilly with pubs glued to your face.
Just a heads up Andrew Luck since I know you read SportsCrack. Cut it man. Cut it all off.
Via TheBigLead
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Matt Fairchild (matt@sportscrack.com)
at
2:06 PM
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Butch Davis Officially Fired by North Carolina
It sounds like North Carolina head coach Butch Davis might be looking for a job pretty soon. According to InsideCarolina.com an "UNC official would not confirm or deny whether Butch Davis has been fired today." If Butch's job is safe in Chapel Hill then it would seem someone within the Tar Heels football program would come out and defend him. So far it has not happened.
Davis and the Tar Heels program have been under a microscope since last year's ACC Kickoff when several reports surfaced about potential NCAA infractions with some of their football players involved. Players like Marvin Austin, Greg Little, and Robert Quinn were suspended for the 2011 season when word got out they had received impermissible academic assistance as well as extra benefits in airfare and parties attended. Also records revealed 395 parking citations for 11 football players totaling more than $13,000 in fines. The UNC football program is the next in line for the NCAA's Committee of Infractions in Indianapolis to rule on what punishment the football program will receive.
If UNC jumped the gun and fired Davis today then it probably means the Tar Heels will receive a punishment similar to what Ohio State received. Which is basically nothing besides losing your head coach. Davis has compiled a 28-23 record with a 1-2 bowl record at North Carolina.
UPDATED at 5:40 PM EST: Davis has been told in meetings with chancellor and athletic director that the process of termination has begun according to Joe Schad at ESPN.com
So now the question is who will be the next head coach at North Carolina? Does anybody really care?
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1:47 PM
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Nation's Top QB Gunner Kiel picks...Indiana?
For months the speculation surrounding the nation's top QB prospect in Gunner Kiel revolved around whether he would go to one of either Alabama, Illinois or Oklahoma. But today the 6'4 220 lb QB with the big arm from Columbus, IN decided to stay in-state and pick the Indiana Hoosiers.
The biggest factor was Indiana's new head coach Kevin Wilson, who was recently Oklahoma's offensive coordinator, formed a great bond with Kiel and persuaded Kiel to come to Bloomington so he could play with his older brother Dusty.
Kiel of course will be given an immediate chance to start in 2012. It's still 6 months to signing day but this has the same feel of Tim Couch or Brian Brohm deciding to stay in-state back in the day. Congratulations to the Hoosiers. Now they can get 45,000 people to attend instead of the usual 35,000.
Via LostLettermen
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12:53 PM
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Giants Agree To Trade Zach Wheeler for Carlos Beltran
The San Francisco Giants have agreed to deal top pitching prospect Zach Wheeler plus cash to the New York Mets for Carlos Beltran according to Joel Sherman. The deal is finalized it's just needs Beltran's approval because of his 10 and 5 rights to refuse a trade. The chances of him refusing a trade to the defending champions Giants is about 0%.
This is a huge move for the Giants. They need hitting and Beltran will fit in perfectly in San Francisco. Beltran can be their #2 or #3 hitter and is a proven playoff hitter once the Giants get there.
For the Mets this trade makes a lot of sense too. They get a young arm in Wheeler who they can develop as a starter who should eventually make the big league club in 2012. They were going to lose Beltran to free agency and to acquire a live arm with Wheeler's makeup and get some cash is a win-win for the Mets.
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12:03 PM
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Finally a Baseball Trade: Blue Jays trade Edwin Jackson to Cardinals for Colby Rasmus
The trade deadline is 4 days away and yet nothing worth mentioning has happened until today. Earlier today the White Sox traded starter Edwin Jackson (very underrated starter IMO) and 3b Mark Teahan (salary dump) to Toronto for reliever Jason Frasor and prospect SP/RP Zach Stewart according to Ken Rosenthal. It looks like the White Sox are in full force dump salary mode as they have also put starters John Danks and Gavin Floyd (hello Orioles make a call and bring the hometown boy back) on the trade market.
Now Toronto is sending Jackson to St. Louis for young centerfielder Colby Rasmus according to Rosenthal. Rasmus is an excellent prospect with 5 tool talent but he doesn't get along with the Cardinals organization and more importantly Tony Larussa. The Cardinals need pitching and will put Jon Jay in center to replace Rasmus. This will be the second malcontent on the Jays with Rasmus joining SS Yunel Escobar who was discarded by the Braves last year.
Initial reaction: The Cardinals got a starter they needed in Jackson but didn't get enough for Colby Rasmus. Rasmus still has the ability to turn into a superstar and maybe a change of country will do him good.
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8:58 AM
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Jerry Meals Blows Call in 19th Inning
He looked out right? I've looked at every single replay possible and he still looked out by a long shot. I fell asleep last night in the 18th inning so I am not as outraged as I would have been if I saw it live but I kind of figured umpire Jerry Meals would blow a call to decide the game. I just thought it would have gone the other way in favor of the Pirates.
Meals was picking fights all night with the Braves. He threw out Nate McLouth for disagreeing with a called 2nd strike in the 9th. He then tossed manager Fredi Gonzalez for coming out of the dugout to protect McLouth. They were both bullshit ejections in my opinion. Meals was trying to make a point that he is a jackass. Then in the 14th or15th shit I can't remember what inning it was he flipped out when Braves reliever Christian Martinez got mad at a ball call on an outside pitch. He came in front of catcher David Ross, pulled off his mask, and started yelling shit at Martinez while kicking homeplate. Completely unprofessional and enforcing his status as a jackass. So I guess it's no surprise he would botch such an easy call in the 19th inning and call the great Julio Lugo safe at home.
Pirates fans just got flashbacks of Sid Bream. But all is not lost for the Pirates. At least people are talking about you. And that hasn't happened since 1992.
The Braves lost their MVP in Brian McCann to a strained oblique. He goes on the DL today and luckily the Braves have the best backup catcher in the Show in Ross. But the Braves were already struggling to score runs with McCann in the lineup. They need to add a righthanded bat. They needed to add it about 2 months ago. The outfield trio of Nate McLouth, Jordan Schafer, and Jason Heyward has been atrocious in terms of offensive production. It's time to go out and get either a Hunter Pence, Adam Jones, Matt Kemp, or a Carlos Beltran if the Braves are serious about winning a World Series this year. It's not just about making the playoffs Frank Wren. It's about winning the whole fucking thing.
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8:14 AM
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
NFL Win Totals Released by MGM SportsBook
Covers.com has the hot, fresh out of the oven, NFL win totals for the 2011 season from the MGM Mirage Sportsbook. It's interesting that it would come out now considering the massive amount of turnover in player personnel which is about to happen in the next week or so. But fuck it right? I want to gamble on football and it's my right to do whatever the hell I want to do with my dirty whore money.
Here are the odds courtesy of the MGM Mirage via Covers.com:
NFC
South
New Orleans Saints 10 (Over +105, Under -125)
Atlanta Falcons 10.5 (Over -105, Under -115)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8.5
Carolina Panthers 4.5
North
Green Bay Packers 11.5
Chicago Bears 9.5
Detroit Lions 7.5 (Over flat, Under -120)
Minnesota Vikings6.5 (Over -120, Under flat)
East
New York Giants 9.5 (Over -105, Under -115)
Dallas Cowboys 9 (Over flat, Under -120)
Philadelphia Eagles 10 (Over -120, Under flat)
Washington Redskins 6.5 (Over -120, Under flat)
West
Seattle Seahawks 7 (Over flat, Under -120)
St. Louis Rams 7 (Over -120, Under flat)
San Francisco 49ers 8 (Over -120, Under flat)
Arizona Cardinals 6 (Over -120, Under flat)
AFC
South
Indianapolis Colts 10 (Over flat, Under -120)
Houston Texans 8 (Over -115, Under -105)
Jacksonville Jaguars 6
Tennessee Titans 6.5 (Over -115, Under -105)
North
Pittsburgh Steelers 11 (Over flat, Under -120)
Baltimore Ravens 11
Cleveland Browns 6.5
Cincinnati Bengals 7.5 (Over -120, Under flat)
East
New York Jets 10 (Over flat, Under -120)
New England Patriots 11.5 (Over flat, Under -120)
Buffalo Bills 5 (Over -130, Under +110)
Miami Dolphins 8 (Over -105, Under -115)
West
Denver Broncos 6 (Over flat, Under -120)
San Diego Chargers 10
Oakland Raiders 7
Kansas City Chiefs 8 (Over flat, Under -120)
Right now I think I would take the OVER on Tampa Bay (8.5) because I think the Bucanneers defense is going to be much improved and Josh Freeman is a future star QB who will have a huge 2011 season. I see Tampa Bay getting 10-11 wins this season despite playing in the NFC South with the Saints and Falcons.
Also I think you gotta like the direction the Detroit Lions are headed. With a healthy Matthew Stafford and a defense led by dynamic tackles Suh and Fairley I don't see enough reasons why they can't have at least a .500 season. 8-10 wins seems doable for the young Lions.
The Jets will win more than 10 games. They won 11 last year despite having a giant target on their back because of Hard Knocks. Mark Sanchez is entering his 3rd season. Their defense is too good and despite having to replace some key free agents I think Rex Ryan has them in the playoffs with a possible division title at 11-13 wins.
The 3 UNDERS I would take are the 49ers (8), Titans (6.5), and the Bengals (7.5). All 3 of these franchises are on a downward spiral.
The 49ers have a new coach in Jim Harbaugh and play in a horrible division but who the hell is going to be their QB? Matt Hasselbeck? Alex Smith? The Seahawks, Rams, and the Cardinals (if they get Kevin Kolb) are all better on paper than San Francisco. It's way too much to ask them to finish .500 or better.
The Titans only won 6 games last year. They have a completely new coaching staff. They also will have Jake Locker behind center. Let that soak in for a bit. JAKE LOCKER. The Titans are going to be awful in 2011. They will be lucky to win 4 games let alone 7.
The Bengals are a fucking mess of an organization. Shitty ownership who won't trade Carson Palmer like he requested. They got old players at key positions. And they play in the same division as the Steelers and Ravens. Shit the Browns are better than the Bengals now. There is absolutely no way they win 8 games this year despite getting one of the easier out of division schedules in the league.
Posted by
Matt Fairchild (matt@sportscrack.com)
at
1:56 PM
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The NFL Is Back
Fantasy football geeks can breathe a sigh of relief now that the NFL Lockout has officially ended. Today marks the first day of NFL free agency. It's suppose to be mass hysteria as teams scramble to fill needs while staying under the salary cap. Top players such as Nnamdi Asomugha, Sidney Rice, DeAngelo Williams, Mathias Kiwanuka, and Charles Johnson will be playing for new clubs and report to camp just one day or the same day they sign a contract. It's going to be crazy and already the Baltimore Ravens have released veterans such as Todd Heap, Willis McGahee, and Derrick Mason just to create salary cap room. The first preseason game is less than two weeks away and yet 25% of team's rosters are totally up in the air. Will Reggie Bush still be a Saint? Will the Falcons get a pass rusher they so desperately need? Is Peyton Manning going to be ready for the start of the season? Who is the next Pittsburgh Steeler to get arrested?
Too many questions to be answered and the great part is we should find out by the end of the week where every team stands in player personnel. The NFL is back! Murders and DUI's will be avoided.
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Monday, July 25, 2011
2011 College Football Win Totals Over/Under
If you were to ask me what two things do you enjoy about the fall season the automatic replies would be college football and Vegas. Both are essential once the hot summer has gone and you can no longer feel the sweat dripping off your taint. Now when you combine college football with Vegas odds on win totals you get me really excited. Yesterday The Hilton posted win totals for 35 college football teams that have national interest. The max bet you can make it $1,000 and as far as I have looked it's the only sportsbook taking bets for 2011 college football win totals.
Let's take a look at some via Covers.com.
Alabama 10 -120-Over. Bama won 10 games last season and it was considered a huge disappointment. This year I expect Bama to be more hungry and ready to prove 2010 was a fluke. I would bet $1000 on Bama without even thinking twice because the only team I think can beat them is LSU.
Oklahoma 10 -Over. The Sooners are loaded and Texas is still down. Unless Landry Jones gets injured I can't see the Sooners winning at least 12 games this year.
Boise St. 10.5 –120-Over. The Broncos aren't going to lose a game this season. They will beat Georgia and TCU.
LSU 9.5 -160-Over. LSU lost two close games last season and were oh so close to an undefeated season. This year offensively they will be much better and I think they got a 12 win season in them.
Stanford 9 -150-Push. Even with Andrew Luck and an athletic defense back the Cardinal would have to have a lot of things go right in order to reach 10 wins. I think 9-3 is a realistic season for Stanford.
S. Carolina 9 -150-Under. I still can't get the bad taste out of my mouth the way South Carolina finished the season with blowout losses to Auburn and FSU. Plus I think Stephen Garcia gets caught shitfaced again hopped up on painkillers.
Arkansas 8.5-Over. Knile Davis will get them 9 wins. Barely.
Texas A&M 8.5 -120-Over. The Aggies will have a much better defense this season under Tim DeRuyter. I think the Aggies could win 10 games easily.
Georgia 8.5 -160-Under. I'm not convinced Georgia is any better then last season when they only won 6 games. Aaron Murray could have a sophomore slump and he no longer has A.J. Green or Kris Durham to throw to and they lost their top 2 tailbacks. It could be another long season in Athens.
Oklahoma State 8.5-Over. They won 11 games last season and most of their key guys are back. But for some reason this has to be a trap number. Just a feeling.
Nebraska 9.5 -140-Over. The Huskers could win the Big Ten. No reason to think they can't win 10 games especially with their schedule.
Florida State 9.5 -130-Over. I see 9 definite wins on their schedule so all they have to do is win one of the Oklahoma, Florida, and Miami games.
Virginia Tech 10-Push. Despite their easy schedule I'm not convince the Hokies are going to be any better than they were last season.
Wisconsin 9.5 -120-Over. They got two badass runningbacks in Montee Ball and James White plus Russell Wilson at the QB position should be huge.
Arizona St. 8 -120-Under. Vontaze Burfict is a monster but I'm not convinced the Sun Devils are anything more than a middle road Pac-12 team.
West Virginia 9.5 -140-Over. The Mountaineers are a dark horse National Title contender in a weak conference.
Florida 7.5 -130-Under. I just got this feeling Florida is going to be terrible this season.
USC 7.5 -130-Over. Matt Barkley is too good of a QB to not win 8 games for the Trojans. But then again Lane Kiffin and his dad Monte have totally changed their defense. It used to be good now it looks like shit.
Notre Dame 8.5 -130-Over. The Fighting Irish have a ton of experience and depth back and should win at least 9 games this season. Their defense led by Manti Te'o should be one of the nation's best too.
Texas 8-Push. They have talent but the coaching staff has been completely overhauled and they turn over the ball way too much. 8 wins seems just about right.
Miss State 7.5 -130-Under. The SEC West is the toughest division in all of college football. The Bulldogs will take a step back this season.
Miami 8 -120-Under. I think Al Golden is the right coach for the Hurricanes and will get them back to playing respectable but it's going to be a tough first season.
Oregon St. 6.5 -130-Under. They lost two great college players in Jacquizz Rodgers and Stephen Paea and are coming off a 5 win season. Yeah I don't see them doing much.
TCU 9 -130-Push. You can't help but root for the Horned Frogs who continue to win despite all the naysayers but they lost a lot of players from last season. I could see them winning 10 games this year with a pretty easy schedule but I could see them losing to Air Force, BYU, and Boise State.
BYU 8.5 -150-Under. The September schedule is too brutal and with a slow start the Cougars could have a losing season.
Missouri 7.5 -120-Over. Gary Pinkel runs a good program in Columbia and they have won at least 10 games in 3 of the previous 4 seasons. I think 9 wins is realistic.
Michigan State 7.5 -120-Over. This seems way too low for the Spartans. Who's coffee did they piss in at the Hilton to get this win total?
Auburn 6 -155-Over. Has a defending national champion ever had a losing season following? Seriously I can't ever remember one and even without Cam and Nick Fairley the Tigers should be able to win 7 games.
Tennessee 6.5 -120-Under. I can't really look at this objectively because I've always hated Tennessee. I hate their colors. I hate their fucking terrible fight song. And I hate some of their stupid inbred fans who think Tennessee football is relevant to anybody outside of their shitty state.
Penn St 7.5 -155-Under. They are 7 win team max. This has to be JoePa's last season.
North Carolina 8 -130-Push. They seem like a 7 to 8 win team. It's kinda baffling that they have a higher win total over Michigan State, Auburn, and Penn State.
Michigan 7 -130-Push. It will be interesting to see what new head coach Brady Hoke does with Denard Robinson. He was dynamic in Rich Rod's offense but now they are scrapping it and going more pro-style. As much as I don't like Michigan though I can see them winning 8 games this year.
Utah 7.5 -120-Under. Their defense just isn't good enough to win 8 games in their first season in the Pac-12.
Nevada 8 -125-Under. Losing Colin Kaepernick and brutal road games at Oregon, Texas Tech, and Boise State will be too tough for the Wolfpack to come anywhere close to the 13 wins they posted last year.
UNLV 2.5 -130-Over. They were god awful last year and still won 2 games. I think they can get to 3 this season under 2nd year head coach Bob Hauck.
Oregon and Ohio State were not listed because of "too much uncertainty." Since I'm a betting man I would think the Ducks would be at 10 wins and Ohio State would be 9.5. Right now if I had to take 3 locks to cover their win totals it would be Bama, Notre Dame, and Michigan State.
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10:29 AM
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Friday, July 22, 2011
Can't. Stop. Laughing. Nerds.
I mean are you fucking kidding me with this shit? This can't be serious. I've been laughing hysterically for the past 10 minutes looking at these fucking assclowns playing "Quidditch" which is apparently a broomstick game from one of the Harry Potter movies. I mean seriously look at these fucking nerds. They are grabbing each others broomsticks. Holy shit what has society become? I swear to God if my daughter grows up and starts doing this kind of stuff I will immediately shun her. I'd rather her work the pole for cash and have some self respect than be some god damn dipshit running around with a broomstick in between her legs. I feel embarrassed for these kid's parents.
By the way if they start giving scholarships for this kind of shit you can bet I will be the first person pushing my daughter to run around with a kitchen broomstick while megaphoning in her ear: I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN ATHLETE!!!!
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1:13 PM
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Troy Polamalu Gets His Million Dollar Hair Buzzed Off
Was that James Harrison laughing like a hyena? Troy has been growing out his hair for over 8 years now. He has said his long hair is a tribute to his Samoan heritage. The hair has become his calling card just like Kate Upton's breasts. I don't think I would even recognize Troy without the locks. Only because all Samoans look the same to me. It's not racist. It's true. Just like I wouldn't recognize Upton without her enormous knockers.
I'm thinking this video is fake. Probably some viral commercial for Norelco or Gillette or some other shit.
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12:19 PM
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Thursday, July 21, 2011
Stephen Drew's Ankle Is Not Suppose To Bend That Way
I hate seeing injuries like this happen to players but I can't help but watch them over and over. I know it's a sickness. Poor Stephen Drew. His ankle is broken. His season more than likely done. By the way Buster Posey approves of this slide.
Via SportsGrid
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Braves close to acquiring a RH Bat, Heyward to the Minors?
The Major League baseball trade deadline is 11 days away and if you have been following the Atlanta Braves at all you know they need offense. Most notably in the outfield where the trio of Jason Heyward, Nate McLouth, and Jordan Schafer has been one of the worst in the majors in terms of production. Also all three of those guys hit left handed and the Braves are looking for more right handed power production.
The first bomb of a potential deal came from David O'Brien's Twitter Feed:
Sounds as if the #Braves could be close to making a deal for a RH bat
If it's strictly a RH bat then that eliminates the Met's Carlos Beltran. Yes he is a switch hitter but he doesn't hit lefties well and most of his power comes from the left side. Possibilities could be Hunter Pence, Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Quentin, Josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer and wait for it....wait for it...my personal favorite...Matt Kemp.
Kemp is a dream acquisition for myself and the Braves organization. He would fit in perfectly and could play centerfield for the next 5 seasons. He's a potential 40/40 guy and he is a superstar. But right now he plays on a franchise that is in financial shambles and if the Braves were going to get him they would have to give up Heyward, a top prospect pitcher (Minor, Teheran, Delgado, or Vizcaino) as well as a B prospect. Probably not going to happen with the rumors floating from Brave's Mark Bowman that opposing scouts have concerns about Heyward's swing and that he should probably be sent down to Gwinnett to work on it. Right now he is working with his personal hitting coach. Some guy named C.J. Stewart. You may have heard of him. Tonight he will be batting 5th in Denver. That seems appropriate considering how well he has been hitting the ball lately.
Ok enough of the sarcasm.
Heyward's trade value is considerably low right now even with his young age. He sits out too many games with various injuries and has even pulled himself out of the lineup which has sent off major red flags within the Braves organization. If the Braves could pull off a Heyward/Minor/and a B level prospect for Kemp then you have to do it. The problem is the Dodgers would probably not do it. They would want Teheran or a Beachy and the Braves aren't going to trade either one in my opinion.
So the Kemp trade is a pipe dream. But what about for Pence? Hunter is the most awkward looking outfielder I have ever seen play in the majors but you can't argue with his production and his hustle. He's a fan favorite in Houston and it would probably take a good haul to get him away from the Astros. I would trade Minor and some other prospect not named Teheran for him but I'm not willing to give up Heyward for Pence by any means.
I would definitely be open to getting Quentin. I'm not sure what the White Sox would want for him but I think you could get him for less than what the Astros would want for Pence. I'm not a huge fan of Ludwick, Willingham, or Cuddyer because I don't think they would bring considerable more production than what Heyward or McClouth bring right now.
So in conclusion if the Braves do make a trade which sounds imminent for a right handed bat the #1 guy would be Matt Kemp followed by Pence, Quentin, Ludwick, Willingham, and Cuddyer.
What do you think? Should the Braves still try to get Beltran and send Heyward down to work on his swing? Or should they shoot for the stars and get a Kemp or a Pence?
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2:04 PM
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This guy at the Mike Leach Book Signing has to be a SportsCrack Fan
College football fan: check
Hasn't showered in weeks: check
Laughs at himself: check
Wears a Mike Leach Pirate shirt while waiting in line to get multiple autographs of his book which are mostly for himself: check
Yeah this guy is definitely our core target market here at SportsCrack.com. The only thing he is missing is the Natty and some urine stains on his shorts.
Via Dr. Saturday
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Matt Fairchild (matt@sportscrack.com)
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9:04 AM
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Hope Solo Song by Huey Mack
Seriously where is the Alex Morgan love? If you are Hope Solo you embrace this song by Huey Mack. Because make no mistake the US Women's Soccer Teams 15 minutes of fame runs out this weekend. I mean I've pretty much avoided talking about them and the way they choked against Japan in the Final. So now you got to use what God gave you Hope Solo. Nobody is going to be making songs for Abby Wambach even though she was the real star of the World Cup.
Next career move for Solo? Date a famous person. Then you know what's next: sex tape. It's Celebrity 101.
BTW there is no way I get this song out of my head all day.
I kind of like this Huey Mack kid. Any guy who will admit he enjoys the Natty Light is ok in my books...
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8:43 AM
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