Offseason Plans-Nationals
The Nationals are, well, the Nationals. Let's see what they will do in the offseason.
NATIONALS OFFSEASON PLANS:
Who they will Bring back?: Felipe Lopez seems doubtful to return. We've mentioned him going to the Orioles. Wily Mo Pena won't, nor shouldn't be back. He's been dreadful. Odalis Perez could be back. He's been somewhat solid.
Who will they get?: They have so many holes its hard to target. Second base, pitching. They might want to move Ronnie Belliard. If Emilio Bonifacio is the long-term answer, the Nats can get a decent prospect for Belliard. I wouldn't have given Cristian Guzman a contract extension: He's having a career year, and some team would overpay for him. They should've taken advantage of that. As for pitching, well, they need a ton of help. I can see cheap starters coming here. Mark Hendrickson, Josh Fogg, Kip Wells.
Projected '09 Rotation:
Perez
Redding
Fogg
Lannan
Bergmann
Projected '09 Lineup
Flores, C
Young/Johnson, 1B (What a mess at first base. Johnson can't stay healthy. Young is having diabetes issues. Hopefully they can return to their former selves. That remains to be seen.)
Bonifacio, 2B
Guzman, SS
Zimmerman, 3B
Dukes,LF
Milledge, CF
Kearns, RF
No other relievers or acquisitions.
I don't really know how to fix this team. They have talent. I just don't know why they stink. Next up: Braves
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Technical Difficulties
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Offseason Plans-Angels
Been a little slow with these, with the election heating up. So, here we go with the first place Angels.
ANGELS OFFSEASON PLANS:
Who will they bring back?: I don't think Mark Texieria will be back. He's there to serve one purpose and that's to help them win he World Series. Besides, they have highly touted Kendry Morales waiting in the wings. Garret Anderson is an interesting decision. If they pick up his option, its for 14 million. He's been a great player for them. Do they want to get younger with Reggie Willits? Do they slide Gary Matthews over to play left daily? Tough call. I really don't know. It'll be interesting to see it play out. I don't think Juan Rivera will be back. Do they pick up Vlad Guerrero's 15 million dollar option? I think they will. Jon Garland might seek greener (more money) pastures. Lackey's option should and will be picked up. He's too valuable. I don't think Darren Oliver will be back, but he is the only lefty reliever on the roster right now. And I'm not sure about K-Rod. They do have Scot Shields and hard throwing Jose Arredondo waiting, but K-Rod is pretty lockdown. He's going to command big time money.
Who will they get?: It all depends on what they do with the guys with the options. It's really a tricky for Mike Scoscia and Co. Do they spend 40 million dollars in options? I really can't predict what they're going to do, since there are too many scenarios and variables to consider. If they do sign all their guys back, they don't need anything. Maybe a starter. But they're so deep in the farm.
Projected '09 Rotation:
Lackey
Saunders
Santana
Weaver
Escobar (If Escobar can't go, it might be Nick Adenhart, a top prospect)
Projected '09 Lineup:
Mathis/Napoli, C
Morales, B
Kendrick, 2B
Aybar, SS
Figgins, 3B
Matthews, LF
Hunter, CF
Guerrero, RF
Anderson, DH (I'm really torn with this one. He's going to be 37 next June. But he can still hit. I really don't know. Do they keep him for sentimental value? He can still really hit. So, I really don't know)
Relievers/Other Acquisitions:
Brian Fuentes, RP
They're such a good team they don't really need that much. Next we move to NL East, and start with the Nationals.
Palin to be VP
So those who read that headline might be confused. Who is Sarah Palin? That was my guess. Well, she's John McCain's pick for VP. The Governor of Alaska for only two years, she is now potentially one heart beat away from being president. Now, readers now I'm a supporter of Obama, and am pretty liberal. That said, I also was interested to see who McCain picked. When I turned on the news I literally went: "What? Who is that?" I was shocked. It's one thing to pick a gun-toting, pro-life, female Republican. But one who was just the mayor of a small town? Who has no foreign experience? Who no one had heard about until today? It's risky. No, it's almost deadly. Democrats have been handed this election. They have so much material to work from. I can see the headline already: "Just more proof that McCain doesn't get it." Or," McCain attacked Obama for being inexperienced. Well Sarah Palin is even more inexperienced." And if they are trying to get Hillary Supporters, picking a pro-life women is not exactly they way to go. Very interesting choice. Really, really, interesting choice.
Obama and Biden
I just finished watching convention coverage. And, one question before I start: Does anyone who says that its wrong that a candidate is praising Obama after they criticized him know that they were just trying to win the nomination? Do they realize that they were trying to make themselves look better? Why are these 'pundits' failing to realize this? Who knows if they actually hate him. And what are they going to do now? Not support him? Go up in front of Democrats and say that Obama shouldn't be the President? Are you kidding me? Of course they're going to support him. My favorite (or least favorite, depending on how you look at it) was when I got a breaking news alert email that read: Sen. Hillary Clinton tells convention delegates: "Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president." What is she going to say? I hate him. No, she's going to support him. It makes no sense that analysts would consider this a major breakthrough. What was she going to do? Say 'I support John McCain' at the DNC? No. And here's a question that I don't know the answer to: Has a Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate ever turned down the nomination? Good research question for someone out there.
Now that I got that out of the way, let's move on to the actual Convention. Michele Obama's speech was captivating. As was Hillary Clinton's. Bill Clinton was in top form, showing why he was one of our greatest Presidents. And Joe Biden's speech was great, touching, moving, inspiring. Here are some clips
I can't find all the clips, but once I do I'll be sure to post them. Remember there is still plenty of time left in the election, and anything can happen. Stay Tuned.
UPDATE: MORE VIDEOS
Offseason Plans-Rangers
I strongly feel that the Rangers are a few pitchers away from contending. Let's see how they will do in the offseason.
RANGERS OFFSEASON PLANS:
Who will they bring back?: I highly doubt that they will bring back Hank Blalock. Milton Bradley should be back, although it will be at a high price. They did spend 252 million on ARod, so the do have the money.
Who will they get?: I think they will be big players in the offseason. And pitching will lead the way. They could be players in the CC Sabathia Sweepstakes. Same with the KROD sweepstakes. They could make a run at Jon Garland, a cheaper, but still solid pitcher. Same with Ryan Dempster. Could Kerry Wood, the native son, come down to Texas? I think they will try to trade Kevin Millwood and/or Vicente Padilla.
Projected '09 Rotation:
Sabathia
Garland
Padilla
Gabbard
McCarthy
Projected '09 Lineup:
Laird/Saltalamacchia, C
Davis, 1B
Kinsler, 2B
Young, SS
Casey Blake, 3B
Murphy, LF
Hamilton, CF
Cruz/Boggs/Byrd, RF
Bradley, DH
Relievers/Other Acquisitions:
KROD, RP
Juan Rincon, RP
This team will be really, really good, especially if they can upgrade their pitching. Next up is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Little League Standards
The craziness continues: Jericho Scott, a nine year old from Connecticut was deemed 'too good' to pitch in his Little League. Talk about a moral issue. The point the league officials made was that Scott threw too hard for the other players to handle. Sure, 40 MPH for a nine year old is a lot to handle. But to punish the kid for having a natural athletic gift? That's wrong. Little League is supposed to be fun, a place where you can learn the game in a stress free environment. Actually, scratch the stress free part. The overbearing parents of these kids, the next 'star athlete' is what makes Little League not fun. Parents shouldn't push their kids to do something that is highly unattainable, especially when they should be pushing them to try new things. Because that's what being a kid is all about. Kids want to explore the world around them, not become a figment of the parents lost dreams. For example, when I was 11, I was sort of a music 'prodigy'. Not Carnegie Hall material, but I was good for my age and in my town. I was playing with adults and in the top bands in my town. But I was 11. And the only reason I picked up the saxophone was because it was offered in my school. So I wanted to try it. But I never really wanted to play. It was just something that all my friends were doing. But when I started to get good, and I outgrew the music parameters of my school, I became uninterested. And sure, I was feeling a little pressure with my parents to keep up with it. But I never had any interest in it. And when I finally stopped playing, I felt better. I felt as if there was a weight lifted off my tiny shoulders. But getting back to Jericho Scott. I remember facing the top pitcher in my Little League. And I remember the feeling getting a hit off him. I also remember getting my first home run. It was against one of the top pitchers. And I remember what that did to my confidence. I wasn't a top player. I was an average player. And it was so empowering for me to know that I could hit the best. And after that season, I started to have my growth spurt, and became a much better player. So how is this relevant? It shouldn't matter how good you are. This isn't the pros. They aren't getting paid to do this. This is supposed to be fun, a place to learn the fundamentals, while learning how to be a good teammate and sportsmanship. But this is sending the wrong message. It's telling the kids that if you can't beat the best, then move on. No, kids should be forced to play against Jericho Scott. Imagine if you got a hit off him. You would feel on top of the world. Kids should learn the challenge of facing the best, and the reward that comes with it. Jericho Scott is being punished for being too good. So, if that's the case, then Albert Pujols should be punished. Wayne Gretzky should've been punished. Michael Jordan was the Jericho Scott of the NBA. And he was celebrated for it. If there is an injury concern with having Scott pitching, then put arm guards on the batters. They should learn how to compete. Jericho Scott is being made an example of the flawed process that adults go through, mostly because they still want to relive their childhood glory. So my advice is this: Let Jericho play. Let him have his moment on the top. Let him relish it. Let him learn from it. Let him become a better person for it. Because you don't want him trying to regain that when his child plays.
LPGA Craziness
Have you guys heard about this? The LPGA is suspending players membership if they don't pass an oral exam showing proficiency in English. And quite frankly, that is pure craziness. Why on earth would the LPGA even test for something like this? I just don't get it. It's almost like the foreign players, who are the best in the world, and make the game what it is, aren't good enough for them. The LPGA is being greedy. And it's unfortunate. Because in a Tiger-Less world, it's time for the LPGA to capitalize. It's time for the LPGA to step out of the shadows, and move into the public eye. Usually bad press isn't the right way to do it. Sure, they're getting press; I can assure you that this is the first time we've covered the LPGA. The WNBA had the brawl, and for a few days they were in the news, but have regressed back to their usual spot. The LPGA can market its top players. But this? This is not the way to do it. No, exploiting athletes who don't speak English is a crime. It's a crime that goes way beyond sports. It's a crime that shows the inferior treatment that foreigners and females continue to receive. Why is this the only sport that does this? In Major League Baseball, where foreign players are among the top players in the league, they get translators. Same with basketball. Same with Hockey. It shouldn't be this way. It shouldn't be acceptable for the LPGA to punish for being different. In fact, this is the opposite of what this nation was built on. We're supposed to accept our difference, not exploit them. So, heed my call, LPGA. Don't do it. Don't set out to make a name for yourself in an inexcusable fashion. It's not right. It's not ethical. And more importantly, it's criminal. You can't cover this PR nightmare. And that's what is. A nightmare. If I was a a foreign female golfer, who did not know English, I wouldn't come here and play. It's that simple. You don't see Tiger Woods being suspended for not knowing Chinese. You don't see Kevin Garnett being suspended for not knowing a different language. It's wrong. It's a violation of the Constitution. Congress gets involved in the Steroids scandal. Want a real scandal for Congress to get involved in? It's this one.
Offseason Plans- A’s
The A's got off to a hot start, only to regress to what was expected. Let's see what they will do in the offseason.
A'S OFFSEASON PLANS:
Who will they bring back?: Mark Ellis will most likely command a big deal on the market, making him a long-shot to resign. Emil Brown won't be back. Frank Thomas is a tough one. He wants to come back, but he is 41, and his skills are declining. We put the odds at 50-50.
Who will they get?: The A's are the toughest team to predict. You never know what Billy Beane will do. Eric Chavez could be replaced, meaning Hank Blalock or Joe Crede. Starting pitching is a need, so look for guys like Braden Looper or maybe Jon Garland. Second base will be a need until Jemile Weeks is ready, so I could see Jamey Carroll or a Ray Durham reunion. With Brad Ziegler pitching so well, Huston Street could be traded.
Projected '09 Rotation:
Duchsherer
Smith
Looper
Gallagher
Eveland/Braden/Gonzalez
Projected '09 Lineup:
Suzuki, C
Barton, 1B
Durham, 2B
Crobsy, SS
Crede, 3B
Cust, LF
Gonzalez, CF
Murton, RF
Thomas, DH
No other acquisitions or relievers
I could be either dead on or completely off here. Next up is the Rangers.
Osi done, are Giants?
Well, as you all know, star DE Osi Umenyoria is done for the year. Quite frankly, this sucks. As a Giant fan, we've had to deal with Strahan retiring, and now Osi hurt. But does this mean that the Giants are done? I don't think so. Sure, pass rushers don't grow on trees. But it's not like there aren't options. Mathias Kiwanuka will move to DE. He's a capable replacement. Now they need some linebackers. Free Agent options are plentiful, but they aren't top of the line. Takeo Spikes is available. Same with Roosevelt Colvin. They're not done, yet. At least I hope not.
