John Starks and Me

Guess which one is me.

For what it's worth, Starks was a really enjoyable person to talk to. Very down to Earth. I'm a fan.

Thoughts on the Sports World

Been a crazy few weeks (will get into the details in a later post). Sorry for the delay, but here we go again.

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I cannot believe I am writing this, but I actually like what the Pittsburgh Pirates are doing these days. Namely, I love the Freddy Sanchez for Tim Alderson deal. This team is not going to win this year or next, but the only way to win in the future is to plan for the future. I finally think they are doing that. (Full disclosure: I did not like the Nate McLouth deal at all, but once that move was made, the series of moves that have followed make sense.)

In other words, the Pirates are acting just like the Kansas City Royals ... except the exact opposite. Right now, the Royals are a joke of a franchise that seem to repeatedly stumble upon poor decision-makers.

Let this be my first official push for the general managerial post of the Royals.

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Getting back to the Alderson deal, what were the Giants thinking here? I know Sanchez has been an All Star three times, but those appearances should be accompanied with a Barry Bonds-sized asterisk. Every team needs to have at least one All Star each year. If that requirement didn't exist, would Sanchez really have qualified three times?

In this day and age, if you are going to trade one of your organization's top five prospects (especially if that prospect makes his living on the mound), you ABSOLUTELY MUST get a surefire performer in return. I'm not sure Sanchez qualifies.

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In another wise move out of the city of Pittsburgh, the Steelers signed Heath Miller to a six-year extension.

This kills me, more so now than it did in 2005 when I was working for the Mike and Mike Sports Talk Show. If you remember, the New York Jets traded their first round pick (number 26 overall) to the Oakland Raiders for TE Doug Jolley and a second round pick which eventually was used on K Mike Nugent. At the time, I expressed my displeasure on the air calling for the Jets to just draft Miller instead. Jolley and Nugent were busts, and Miller is now the third-highest paid tight end in football.

I'm counting on you Dustin Keller to make us all forget this fiasco.

Side note: If anyone has the archived tapes of the MMSTS, please let me know.

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After stealing, err, dealing for Cliff Lee, I'm almost afraid to type this because I don't want Ruben Amaro to read this (yes, he's a regular around these parts). If they traded Kyle Drabeck, JA Happ and a few other prospects to Toronto for Roy Halladay, wouldn't they be World Series favorites this year and next year?

The only thing worse than seeing the Phils win the WS once would be seeing them win three times in a row.

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If someone is creating a college fantasy football league, please invite me.

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Omar Minaya should be fired.

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Two Deals That Make Sense:

*Marlins trade Mike Stanton to the Indians for Kerry Wood and Victor Martinez. Indians get one of the top five prospects in baseball and payroll relief. Marlins get an offensive beast and bullpen help. The city of Miami gets excited about baseball.... well, let's not get that crazy.

*Blue Jays trade Roy Halladay to the Dodgers for the entire Albuquerque Isotopes roster. The Dodgers are not built to last. They have to make a run now.

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All the talk about Kyle Drabeck has reminded me of Doug Drabeck which reminds me of how ugly Zane Smith was. Six degrees of separation or something like that. Good times all around.

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Hopefully, my next absence will be for a much shorter period of time.

Separated at Birth

The world's best tennis player, Roger Federer and one of the world's leading fund accountants, Drew Garrabrant.

Interesting...

Loyal reader Cowboy Bob Sanzillo sent in these stats:

Through their first 80 games, the Reds were 40-40 overall, 20-20 at home, 20-20 on the road, 36-36 in nine-inning games, 4-4 in extra inning games, 28-28 against right-handed pitchers, and 12-12 against left-handed pitchers.

Chances of making the playoffs: 50-50.

Chances of winning the World Series: 0

2010 NFL Mock Draft - Top 10

A way too early rendering of what next year's Top 10 will look like.

1. Detroit: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska – They found the leader of the offense this year. Suh will anchor the defense.

2. Oakland: Taylor Mays, S, USC – Huge surprise: Al Davis drafts a speed demon. Conveniently, Mays happens to be a ridiculous athlete as well.

3. St. Louis: Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss – Marc Bulger will be begging out of St. Louis by year's end.

4. Kansas City: Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee – Best defensive player in college football.

5. Cincinnati: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma – In a surprise move, the Bengals take a player without any major character issues or past arrests.

6. Tampa Bay: Renaldo McClain, LB, Alabama – Derrick Brooks Part II.

7. Seattle: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma – The 'hawks passed on Mark Sanchez this year but cannot wait any longer to mold their QB of the future.

8. Tennessee: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida – I'm not buying another 13-3 season in Tennessee. Kerry Collins can't last forever and Vince Young's best days are behind him. I love the idea of a three-headed bulldozing backfield: Tebow, Chris Johnson and LenDale White.

9. Denver: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas – They dealt Jay Cutler and need to replace him with another gunslinger. McCoy does a better job of not forcing passes into tight spaces although he does not have Cutler's arm strength,

10. Atlanta: Ciron Black, OT, LSU – The Falcons play a brutal schedule this year. I think they fall back to Earth a bit. Black will protect Ryan for a number of years.

Color me puzzled, but...

...for the life of me, I do not understand why the Blue Jays would release BJ Ryan this week. It makes absolutely no sense. Now, the Blue Jays are stuck eating the remaining $15m on his contract.

On the same day they made this boneheaded move, the Jays announced they would be fielding offers for staff ace Roy Halladay. Wouldn't it make sense to couple the two as a package deal?

Here you go, Philly. You can have Roy, but you have to take Ryan with him and we still want your best prospects.

That would have saved them $15m over the next year and a half. That's $15m they could have spent elsewhere this offseason. In this economy, that can buy a whole lot of talent.

Mind-numbingly absurd.

Separated at Birth?

Toronto Blue Jays LHP Brian Tallet and former Philadelphia Phillies LHP Mitch Williams

Gomp Theory

Gompiness (noun) is a state of being, a way of life. (See also: plump, husky, chunky) People existing in this state possess heavy midsections but normal-sized top halves of the body. Those that are "gompy" are occasionally called "frumpy," but the two are not interchangeable as gompiness requires some athleticism. The term was coined by a number of my college baseball teammates (circa 2004).

Gompiness is best exemplified in the form of baseball players. Allow me to convey my point in a college-type way.

Course Listing

Level 101 Intro to Gomp - Professor Giles: Brian Giles began his career as a relatively speedy outfielder with some pop. He recorded double-digit stolen bases in four of his first six full seasons. Since then however, Giles has devolved into a husky left fielder devoid of any speed with an ever-growing midsection.

Professor Giles

Level 301 Gomponomics - Professor Bell: Heath Bell has taken the Gomp Group by storm this season. As a member of the New York Mets, teammates considered him svelte. Now, only inebriated fans of his would make that mistake.

Professor Bell

Level 305 Anti-Gomp - Professor Upton: When looked at from the side, BJ Upton is practically transparent. His waist is microscopic.

Professor Upton

Level 501 Gomp Theory - Professor Beckett: Josh Beckett dumps like a truck. What, what.

Professor Beckett

Level 901 Group Gomp - Professors Berkman, Lee, and Rodriguez with Guest Lecturer Tejada: The Houston Astros employ the three gompiest Major Leaguers. In fact, one is aptly nicknamed "Pudge."

Professors Berkman, Lee and Rodriguez

Guest Lecturer Tejada

Note: Joe Torre would be considered "gompy" if he were not a robot. Robots cannot have this distinction.

Robot Torre

Thoughts and Observations

**Really John Franco? You are one to question the leadership of the Mets? Really? Sure, you are the Mets' all-time saves leader, but really that's not saying much. In fact, you are also the Mets' all-time blown saves leader with a mind-boggling 101.

You made one All Star team as a member of the Mets (1990-2004) and never led the team to a World Series championship, although the Reds won the World Series the year after you left. Should you really be the one spouting off?


**Khalil Greene was placed on the DL for the second time this season due to anxiety problems. This is ironic because he is a member of the Mennonites, a Christian sect that preaches calmness, tranquility, inner peace, and nonviolence.


**The Yankees have over $95 million committed to players in the year 2013! Only 12 teams have a salary higher than that this season. For what it’s worth, the Nationals have do not have a single dollar committed to any player after next season.


**Blast from the Past: I do not support his actions of the past, but I believe everyone deserves a second chance. I'll be rooting for you, Charles.

NBA Free Agents

Under-the-Radar, Unsigned Free Agents

Everyone knows Lamar Odom, Rasheed Wallace, Andre Miller and Shawn Marion can be had on the open market. However, the following players will cost a lot less and may provide better value.

Brandon Bass (Dallas): A dead-eye shooter from inside 15 feet. He will never be the focus of an offense, but he crashes the boards and knows how to help a team win.

Allen Iverson (Detroit): AI should not be the focus of a team's offense. He won't be too expensive and might thrive as a third fiddle.

Rasho Nesterovic (Inidana): Athletic seven-footers don't grow on trees.

David Lee / Nate Robinson (New York): The Knicks will probably lose these two if any team makes a serious offer so a sign-and-trade with a team like Phoenix could makes sense here. At least the Knicks would recoup something of value even if it's just a draft pick or trade exception.

Matt Barnes (Phoenix): Barnes had a solid if unspectacular season with the Suns. He's an incredible athlete and an ideal sixth man.

Fun with Pythagorean Wins

Pythagorean (or Expected) Wins: (Runs Scored)^2 / ((Runs Scored)^2+(Runs Allowed)^2) * Games Played

**Based on Bill James' Pythagorean Wins, the Mariners (42 actual wins / 38 expected wins) and Marlins (43 / 38) have been extremely lucky. Despite being outscored, both teams are actually playing over .500-baseball. Expect this to change.

**By the same token, the Indians (33 / 37) have been incredibly unlucky. My preseason World Series pick hasn't been as bad as their record would indicate. Although, they have been pretty abysmal.

The Rays have also been unlucky (44 / 48). Loyal reader Matt Scally points out that the Rays have the second best run differential in the Majors, yet another indicator the Raysa re poised for a big second half.

Two Crazy Facts

--Golfer Jim Furyk makes 11 times more per year in endorsement money than CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and Lance Berkman combined.

--44.4% of children in Mississippi are obese. That is unacceptable. Obama- Forget about illegal immigrants working in this country and make this a higher priority.

The Eddy Curry Conundrum

Over the next two days, Eddy Curry has a chance to help the New York Knickerbockers win the NBA title and become one of the most popular players in the team's illustrious history.

Yes, that Eddy Curry.

Are you recovered yet? Didn't think so. I'll give you another minute.

Ok. Here's how.

Curry, who has three years and about $31.5m left on his contract, has what we call in the business an "ETO" (early termination option). If Curry opted out, the remainder of the deal would be voided.

Now, you might ask why Curry would possibly opt out of a deal as outlandish as this. I am hoping/praying that Curry has a heart, err, a soul. (Curry's heart has already been found to be, um, faulty.)

Maybe, his guilty conscience will get the best of him, and he will come to realize that he has done enough damage in the Big Apple.

Here are some of his "gaudy" accomplishments:

-Was traded for two first round (LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah) and two second round picks
-Arrived at mini-camp either out of shape or injured each season in New York
-In his best season as a Knick (2006-7), his team was eight points better per 100 possessions with him on the bench. (More fun with his stats here and here.)
-Never missed a 3-pointer as a Knick (1-1; he's actually 2-2 in his career)
-Shot 100% from the floor in the 20089 season (2-2).

Clearly, Curry opting out is not happening.

But, let's just say it did.

Let's say he played the "I don't deserve the money because I have never contributed to the team in a meaningful way, and my contract is an albatross for a franchise on the up and up, and I do not want to be the person blamed for Lebron not coming to town" card. Would that be the fastest image reinvention of all time? (Kobe turning from icon to sexual predator back to icon was pretty quick.) He would never have to pay for a drink again in New York.

A boy could dream.

2009 NBA Mock Draft – Top 20

It's been said many times, many ways: this draft stinks. In fact, one news source called this the “worst class in 20 years.” However, the situation is not as dire as these pundits will have you believe.

In the "average" draft class, there will be five or six star players and a slew of role players. This draft clearly lacks the surefire talents, but there are a number of players that will contribute for a number of years in the Association. When we look back, it is very likely that this draft will be better than average because of the role players picked. There will be so many role players that I propose calling this the "Tyler Hansbrough Draft" not because of how great he will be, but rather because of what he represents, a hard-nosed, competitor that finds ways to help his team wins.

Top 20

1. Clippers: Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma - Ho hum. This has been a done deal for weeks. The Clippers will try to deal one of their big men (anyone want Zach Randolph? Anyone?) to clear the way for Griffin to dominate from Day One.

2. Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn – With OJ Mayo entrenched as the point guard of the future, Thabeet is the choice over any of the guards. If Thabeet can develop any type of offensive game, the foundation will be built in Memphis (Mayo, Rudy Gay).

3. Thunder: James Harden, SG, Arizona State - Like the Grizzlies, the Thunder already have a point guard of the future (Russell Westbrook). Harden would start from Day One and provide another scoring option along with Kevin Durant. The nucleus of Durant-Westbrook-Jeff Green-Harden would be dynamic for years.

4. Kings: Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain - Four reasons why this is the best case scenario for Sacramento:
--They need a point guard in the worst way. Beno Udrih will not cut it.
--Rubio happens to be the best point guard in the class.
--He’s a marketer’s dream and will help the Kings sell tickets.
-- Rubio has a lot of Jason “White Chocolate” Williams in his game. Williams had his best years in Sactown.

5. T-wolves: Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Davidson - Minnesota now owns four first round picks. (First year GM must be in heaven.) With a nice foundation of Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, you have to think they will lean toward the guards early. Curry is the draft’s best shooter and a younger, cheaper replacement for Mike Miller, one of the two guys traded for this pick.

6. T-Wolves: Tyreke Evans, PG, Memphis - I love the idea of a Curry-Evans backcourt as both can handle the rock and score if needed. A nice combo.

7. Warriors: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona - Since Monta Ellis apparently runs the draft for the Warriors, the team will steer clear of any point guards. If this is the pick, I expect Golden State to make a deal or two to rid their gut of athletic fours.

8. Knicks: Johnny Flynn, PG, Syracuse - The Knicks have been tied to Jrue Holiday, but I just don’t get that thinking. Flynn is a proven commodity while Holiday struggled for much of his only season at UCLA. Flynn also played one of the most impressive games in college basketball history at Madison Square Garden (6-OT thriller in Big East Tournament), home of the Knicks.

9. Raptors: DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC -DeRozan is an athletic freak and a nice replacement for Shawn Marion. His outside shooting has been questioned but he shot over 50% from the floor in his year at USC.

10. Bucks: Jrue Holiday, PG, UCLA - Back-to-back one and done players from the Pac-10. Holiday, as mentioned above, struggled at UCLA but is seen to have incredible upside. If Holiday goes here, do the Bucks re-sign Ramon Sessions?

11. Nets: Terrence Williams, SF, Louisville - Williams was plagued by inconsistency throughout his collegiate career. At times, he dominated, at times he looked awful. At 11, he seems like a worthwhile risk.

12. Bobcats: Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke - Although Larry Brown has no affinity for rookies, he loves good defenders, something for which Henderson is well-known.

13. Pacers: DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh - A beast in the paint that manhandled Hasheem Thabeet to the tune of 20 rebounds, Blair fits in nicely to the four.

14. Suns: Brandon Jennings, PG, Italy – The most polarizing player in the class, Jennings could be the heir apparent to Steve Nash in Phoenix. I will reserve judgment until I see him play in a game.

15. Pistons: Earl Clark, SF, Louisville - Eric Musselman, former NBA head coach, called Clark "a poor man's Tim Thomas." That's about as damning as it gets.

16. Bulls: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest – Johnson, a black belt in karate, brings a toughness that the Bulls crave. A trade up into the top-12 has been rumored here.

17. 76ers: Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina - With Andre Miller a free agent, Philly is doing backflips if Lawson is still available at 17.

18. T-Wolves: BJ Mullens, C, Ohio State - Big men take longer to develop than guards in large part because they are constantly adjusting to a changing body. Mullens, a legit seven footer, has a ton of potential and is a lotto ticket for Minnesota.

19. Hawks: Eric Maynor, PG, VCU - Acie Law has not panned out, and the Hawks can use some solid guard play. Maynor won’t blow you away but he’ll be dependable for a number of years and is more than capable of replacing free agent Mike Bibby.

20. Jazz: Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina - A match made in heaven.

Other Thoughts

**Best Available:
Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest
Patrick Mills, PG, St. Mary's
Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga: Most embarrassing stat I heard this offseason - At one point this season, Daye went six games without an offensive rebound. He played in the (weak ) WCC and stands almost seven feet tall. That’s awful.
Chase Budinger, SG, Arizona
Sam Young, F, Pittsburgh

**The Mavs won’t let Jeff Teague slip by them if he’s still around at 24.

**DeMarre Carroll seems like a cheaper version of Anderson Varejao. He makes a ton of sense in Cleveland.

Separated at Birth?

Heisman Trophy candidate Colt McCoy and OBYJ outfielder Tim Pitta

NBA Trade Rumor (Update)

Just hours after the Banter proposed a Minnesota-Memphis trade, ESPN's Chad Ford had this to say:

While it seems clearer that neither the Grizzlies nor the Thunder will
select Rubio for themselves, the Minnesota Timberwolves are making a strong play to move up in the draft to get Rubio, according to sources. The Wolves have
tried to do it by packaging their three first-round picks (Nos. 6, 18 and 28).

Coincidence? I think not.

Two NBA Trades That Should Happen

These two deals would help all four teams involved, and they all work on the Trade Machine.


Memphis trades the 2nd overall pick to Minnesota in exchange for the 6th and 18th overall picks.

Why would Memphis do this?

1. Memphis doesn't need a point guard or center. The only players worthy of being selected this high happen to play those positions.
2. They could use the 6th pick to take Jordan Hill and the 18th pick to take another contributor (maybe, James Johnson). Hill would be a reach at 2 but a nice value at 6. He averaged a double-double last year (18 and 11).

Why would Minnesota do this?

1. Minnesota could use the pick to select Ricky Rubio, the point guard they covet and need.
2. Their undersized starting five of Rubio-Randy Foye-(the artist formerly known as) Mike Miller-Kevin Love-Al Jefferson could give team fits.
3. They have three first round selections but not enough room to house them all on the roster.


Real winner: Oklahoma City - If this scenario unfolded and Griffin and Rubio were off the board, Hasheem Thabeet would be ripe for the picking.


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The Los Angeles Clippers trade Chris Kaman to Cleveland for Sasha Pavlovic, Daniel Gibson and JJ Hickson.

Why would the Clippers do this?

1. Over the course of the next five years, the Clips would save about $10 million.
2. They clear room in the frontcourt for Blake Griffin.
3. They take a chance on a player with huge upside (Hickson) while adding two solid role players.

Why would the Cavs do this?

1. When healthy, Kaman can be a dominant inside presence.
2. The LeBron window is closing quickly.

Separated at birth?

This has absolutely nothing to do with sports, but Bravo has gone too far this time. They are casting the case person in two of their Housewives series.

Housewife of New Jersey, Danielle Staub and Housewife of New York City, LuAnn "Countess" de Lesseps

Note: I am not proud of this.

Indian Wedding

Just got back from a jam-packed weekend highlighted by an Indian wedding. Blog back Wednesday.

Separated at Birth?

Cleveland Indians C Kelly Shoppach and Boston Red Sox C Jason Varitek. Oddly enough, Shoppach used to be Varitek's backup.

NFL Wins – Over/Under

Last week, Bodog released it’s initial over/under lines.

Here are my five best bets:

Denver Over 7.5: The Broncos start with the Ohio sisters (Bengals and Browns); plus, they get four games against the Raiders and Chiefs. That's six games right there.

Miami Over 7: The Dolphins won 11 games last year. Vegas is expecting them to get four games worse? Why? Also, how can the Browns and Dolphins possibly have the same expected win totals? Makes no sense.

Jets Over 7: Sure, they will probably have a rookie starting under center, but has Vegas seen what Bo Ryan has done to this defense?

Chiefs Under 6: What has this team done to improve itself? Is Matt Cassel worth four wins by himself? I’m not buying.

Vikings Under 9: The team still has no quarterback of note, and I would double down if they sign Brett Favre.

Over / Under

How long before a team tries to pick someone that has already been taken?

The line: 21st Round

Man Crushes

Loyal reader BobbySanz makes a good point:

Last year's man crush, Justin Smoak was drafted 11th overall.
This year's man crush, Tyler Matzek was drafted 11th overall.

Hmmm.

Separated at Birth?

Chicago White Sox SS Alexei Ramirez (estimated weight 140 lbs.) and Gumby

Separated at Birth?

LA Lakers C Pau Gasol and... well, you can figure it out.

Quit your whining, Pau.