As the baseball season approaches the 10% completion mark, here are some observations from this simple-minded scribe:
- I love the fact that some traditional underdogs/underachievers are off to a great start. Toronto, Seattle and Florida will make their respective division races very interesting if they can continue playing good ball through May. Even the woeful Pirates are making some noise. Way too early for me to revise predictions about the ultimate playoff teams, but I’m excited as a fan that we will have several great races come September.
- As many expected, the Cubs and Cardinals are leading the NL Central. They may indeed be the two best teams in the NL. The Dodgers will have something to say about that … and Manny is just starting to hit.
- At 9-5, the Padres may be the biggest surprise of all, given that most “experts” predicted they would have the worst record in possibly all of baseball.
- Zack Greinke of the Royals is 3-0 and hasn’t given up a run in 20 innings. Here’s your early Cy Young leader in the AL.
- I had some doubts about Carlos Quentin of the ChiSox. Thought maybe his great 2008 season was a flash in the pan, but he’s spanking the baseball again (7 HRs and 13 RBIs) and I’m starting to think he’s here to stay. The WhiteSox REALLY need this guy to play consistently well in order to compete for the division title.
- Maybe the real flash in the pan is Josh Hamilton who hasn’t been the same since last year’s great HR Derby performance.
- Anyone think the Mets are already starting to panic???
- The Angels have been decimated with injuries … don’t write them off. Vlad, Escobar, Santana and Lackey will be back.
Moving on to the NFL draft which begins Saturday … it’s still UNBELIEVABLE to me what a huge event this has become. I guess it’s quite a testament to the incredible popularity of the NFL, but an assist also goes to the popularity of college football. I love listening to Mel Kuiper argue with anyone, cuz as well all know, Mel’s never wrong. Anyway, to me, the draft is a chance to see a trainwreck happen well before we actually know it. We’ll get a few years down the road and look back … often in horror. How did the Steelers of all teams pass up Dan Marino??? Remember how high Tony Mandarich was picked by Green Bay? Little did they know he was totally fueled by ‘roids and would never amount to anything once it was banned. And then there was the Ryan Leaf vs Peyton Manning decision that the Chargers needed to make (doh!). Before that was Drew Bledsoe vs Rick Mirer. Saturday, it will be Mark Sanchez (USC) vs Matthew Stafford (Georgia). Everybody seems to think that Stafford will be the better pro, but I’m not buying it. I just keep asking myself … “If Stafford is so good, then why did Georgia always underwhelm us the past several seasons?” I give the edge to Sanchez and would pick him ahead of Stafford. Well, there’s one thing we know for sure … WHOEVER Detroit picks, it won’t be the right guy 😉
Comments and other musings from the Bench??
Seems like this happens every year. Plenty of unexpected teams atop their respective divisions nobody saw coming. Besides the Rays last year (and now we realize just how talented they are), has any unexpected teams like the Royals upheld this pace in the past few years?
It’s fun watching Griffey play again in Seattle. He seems rejuvinated, like he is actually enjoying the game again. I’m on that bandwagon for the rest of the season.
I agree with you on Sanchez, which now that I say that, Stafford will be Manning and Sanchez will become Ryan Leaf. I don’t think Stafford is to blame for Georgia’s woes though. The Pac 10 isn’t exactly the SEC. “Know’show” Moreno was a major disaapointment in the backfield this year and put a lot more on Stafford. Heck – he threw for 400 yards and 5 TDs against Georgia Tech and they LOST. What more could he have done?
Hasn’t history shown us that drafts in any league are crap shoots anyway? I HATE how Mel Kiper and gang over analyze every pick and player. Unless the Jets are picking, who can really tell how a pick will work out anyway?
SI did a pretty cool piece on the most interesting picks that would be ideal for the Wildcat formation. Most intriguing is Pat White and actually heard that he threw the ball better than most at a recent workout. He might be a steal if he goes third or fourth whether he plays QB or not.
What good is a prediction if you change while the race is being run?
Is the popularity of the NFL draft a testament to the league OR the media outlets who have to figure out some way to justify their inflated sense of self-worth? Anything that gives Mel Kiper that amount of air time has to be questioned. Chas mentioned something about Colin Cowherd being a big bag of wind. Can you imagine Cowherd and Kiper on the same set? Geez!
All this to do about an event where Joe Montana and Tom Brady (to mention a couple) were nothing more than after thoughts.
Let’s hear it for Raphael Nguti and Jason Boltus!!! Maybe they can be this year’s draft after-thoughts.
I wouldn’t be quick to write of Hamilton or even suggest he is a flash in the pan. I think Hamilton started out trying to do too much and I also thinkg it is about who is hitting behind him in the lineup. For the first couple of weeks Nelson Cruz and Chris Davis weren’t exactly showing up on anyone’s radar. Now that Cruz (6 HRs) and Davis (3 HRs) are starting to get picked up – teams are going to be apt to pitch around Hamilton and pitch to both of the youngsters.
Hamilton has hit 2 HRs this week, so I am inclined to say that he certainly coming around. Come mid-July he will be right in the thick of things.
Too bad the Rangers don’t have any pitching, because their offense rivals any offense in the league.
One big suprise is how bad David Ortiz is. I think he is now below .200 and is fouling a lot of pitches he used to crush. I am afraid he may be done. I have to wonder if it is his eyesight. Has he always worn glasses? And not just the granny glasses?
https://www.sportsofboston.com/2008/02/27/red-sox-visit-whitehouse/
With regard to the NFL draft, one thing spoke volumes to this Notre Dame fan … and it was not surprising. Only one Irish player was selected … Safety David Bruton in the 4th round by Denver. This is a testament to how thin ND’s talent was in the senior class … both in quality and in numbers. We can mainly thank Ty Losingham for that, but Charlie Weis and staff certainly must share responsibility for not better developing the players he inherited.
This embarrassment SHOULD change over the next couple of years … but I wonder if we’ll ever again see the type of draft days (as under Holtz) when ND would easily have a dozen players drafted, including a few first rounders. I know … Glory Days … Springsteen is warming up in the background 🙂