Tagged: Giants

February 8, 2011

Super Aaron

After beating the Steelers and winning Super Bowl 45 Sunday night, Aaron Rodgers is now officially an
elite quarterback. In my opinion, you have to do to things to be an elite
quarterback in the National Football League.

First, you have to be well . . . great. You
have to make other guys better. Do you think Wes Welker would put up the stats
he puts up with Tom Brady if say Colt McCoy was throwing at him?

The second thing is pretty simple, yet
hard to accomplish. You have to win at least one ring. When you win a ring it
means that the quarterback is great and tough. He makes his teammates better,
and he is a leader on and off the field.

For example look at Aaron Rodgers, Drew
Brees, ~~Ben Roethlisberger,~~ Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady
(the quarterbacks of last six Super Bowl champions) and tell me that they
aren’t great, they aren’t though, they don’t make their teammates better, and
they aren’t a leader on and off the field. You can’t.

In the case of Roethlisberger I question
his leadership after his actions that got him a four game suspension from the
NFL. After that, his teammates didn’t even select him as a team captain. I mean
most teams have their quarterback as their captain.

At the end of the day though the Packers
won and will be going to the Whitehouse (they has potential for awkwardness
since Obama is a Bears fan).

Continue reading →

February 24, 2009

Baseball Starts Tomorrow!

That is right baseball fans spring training starts tomorrow and MLB Network will be showing two of the games! In the first game it will be. . .

at the

This game will be on MLB Network at 3:00 P.M. Eastern. This will be a fantastic game. The starting pitchers have not been set yet but it could be Tim Lincecum vs. Cliff Lee. Thats right Cy Young winner against Cy Young winner. Now I just wish this was a regular season game because it is very likely that each will pitch between one and three innings. Both teams have something to prove this season. For the Giants they need to show every one that the signings of Randy Johnson, Edgar Renteria, and Juan Uribe were so that the Giants could compete and not be second to last in the Nation League West yet again. For the Indians they have to show that last year was just a bump in the road. They have plenty of starting depth and young talent. Ever heard of Grady Sizemore? Both projected starting pitchers have something to prove too. For Cliff Lee it is that he will stay the way he is. In 2005 he won eighteen games. In 2007 he won five games and was sent down. Then in 2008 he won twenty-two games. For Tim Lincecum he has to prove that last year was not beginners luck as many people think it is. In his first twenty-four games he went seven and five. In his second set of twenty-four games he went twelve and three. The second game MLB Network will show is the . . .

at the

One of the best things about this game is it is NESN’s coverage at seven P.M. Eastern! In case you do not know NESN stands for New England Sports Network. This game could feature Josh Beckett against Scott Baker. I would not be surprised though if Jon Lester went for the Red Sox though due to Beckett’s injury history. This season the Red Sox and the Twins have something to prove for Boston it is will the low risk high reward signings be able to keep up with the Yankees huge free agent signings and will the shall we say “different” Red Sox offense be able to keep up with the Yankees. I say yes to both. The Yankees signings were out of desperation. They were afraid of the Rays and Red Sox. The line up is different. It does not give an opposing pitcher as much fear without Manny Ramirez. Manny Ramirez could hit one home run all season and pitchers would still be afraid of him. Once you have established yourself as a power hitter your most likely going to stay a power hitter and in Manny’s case it is hard to stop being one with 500 home runs. As for the Twins they need to prove every one wrong again. I think they will finish in a close third with the White Sox, Royals, and Tigers. The Indians will win the division while the White Sox get second by three games, the Twins get third by four, the Royals get fifth by six, and the Tigers get last by ten. As for the starters, Beckett needs to show us he is healthy and in his 2007 form when he won twenty games. Scott Baker must show us that he can be an ace. Last season he was eleven and four with 141 strikeouts. I am sure Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins, and Nick Blackburn could be the ace of this young staff and would like to be the ace of this staff. One of the best things about baseball is that every player has to prove them self, in most cases. This season on the Red Sox look out for Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Dice-K, Mike Lowell, Jason Varitex, Jon Smoltz, Clay Buchholz, Brad Peny, Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Bay, Josh Bard, and David Ortiz who all have something to prove this this year.

************************************************************************************************************

All right congrats to Rohan over at King Yankees for getting the answer to the first Eat, Sleep, Baseball baseball trivia. The question was who played the most games for one major league team and the answer was . . . Carl Yastrzemski aka Yaz. Who would have thought, a Yankee fan getting a Red Sox question right. All right now to today’s question. Who was the first man to bat for the American League in an All-Star game?

Hint- Not Joe Cronin

Good luck!

Photos

1- sanfranciscogiants.com

2- clevelandindians.com

3- www1.whdh.com

4- wikipedia.com

February 21, 2009

Well At Least Crede Isn’t Greedy

Joe Crede signed a one year $2.5 million dollar deal today. He could get an extra $4.5 million dollars if he reaches all of his incentives. In high school Crede was a pitcher. He led Fatima High School to three district championships. Later in 2006 his high school retired his number. Crede was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round in 1996. Crede made his major league debut on September 20, 2000. Five years later he won a World Series. He was five for seventeen with two home runs against the Houston Astros in 2005. Crede has always been inconsistent. In 2004 he hit .252 and in 2007 he hit .216. In 2006 Crede won a Silver Slugger at third base hitting .283 with 94 RBI’s, 30 home runs, and 154 hits. In 2007 Crede missed a lot of time after having back surgery. In the offseason that year he signed a one year $5.15 million dollar deal avoiding arbitration. Then in 2008 Crede made his first all-star game at Yankee Stadium. He was zero for one in the game. In 2008 Crede became a free agent after filling for free agency. It would be the first time in his carer that he would be a free agent. Crede could have gotten between seven and ten million dollars easily in a good economy. But either he wanted to earn his money or the economy just dropped his value. On second thought the economy just dropped his value. Crede’s second choice was the San Francisco Giants. The became official after Crede passed his physical. Crede is not a traitor to the White Sox. He was just looking for a job like thousands of Americans. We do not even know if the White Sox gave Crede an offer. If he had signed earlier then he would have been somewhat of a traitor. Right now no one can really be a traitor to a team unless that team gave him an offer. If Jason Varitex had signed with the Yankees before Boston gave him an offer Red Sox Nation would be mad, sad, and upset but he would have been just looking for a job and did not want to be unemployed. So while I know White Sox Nation (if there is such a thing) is sad but do not be mad. You can be upset but do not hate Crede forever like Red Sox Nation hates Manny and Damon. At least Crede is not greedy like Manny, Damon, the Yankees, and Dodgers.

Well no one is a bigger traitor then this guy . . .

That is right Benedict Arnold. See I pay attention in history class.

Photos

1-midwestsportsfans.com

2- brooks.mlblogs.com

3- arkjournal.com

February 9, 2009

Young Guns- Giants

Before I start I must say a few things, I never said that Adam Dunn would make the Hall of Fame. I said if he wants to make the Hall of Fame he must cut down on his strikeouts. Thanks Mark for putting me on the front of MLBlogs! Now I don’t feel like blogging about A-Rod so enjoy Tiny Tim.

Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum is 24 years old. Lincecum attended Washington State. Lincecum was drafted in the 48th round by the Chicago Cubs. He was the 1,408th pick in the draft. He decided to go to college and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 42nd round, 1,261 overall. He has a carer record of twenty-five and ten with an ERA of 3.16, 415 strikeouts in just two major league seasons. He has never made an error at pitcher but has never won a Golden Glove. In 2006 he won the Golden Spikes Award. In 2007 he went seven and five with an ERA of 4.00 and 150 strikeouts in 24 games. 2008 was the first year he made the all-star game. He did not pitch in the game due to the flu. That season he won the National League Cy Young Award winning 18 games for a team that won just 72. He also lead the majors in strikeouts with 265 and had an ERA of 2.62. Lincecum has yet to pitch in the postseason but some people think the Giants could win the N.L. West. I think the D-Backs will with the Dodgers coming in at second by one or two games. All that could change if the Dodgers got Manny Ramirez though. Even though Tim has only been in the league for two seasons his nicknames consist of The Franchise, The Freak, and Tiny Tim. When Tim was a kid he told his dad he was a freak because he was so good. He got dubbed Tiny Tim for being only 5’11” and weighing only 170 pounds. The same day Lincecum won the Cy Young award he became cover athlete for MLB 2K9 replacing Jose Reyes. Lincecum is the first pitcher to be on the cover of the game. Derek Jeter was on it in 2005 and 2006. One thing is for sure his wind up is pretty weird, funny, cool, and interesting.

Photos

1-championshipblog.wordpress.com

2-wikipedia.com

3-baseballsnatcher.mlblogs.com

4-sjgiants.com

Honorable Mentions

2-Matt Cain

3-Brian Wilson

4-Fred Lewis

5-Jonathan Sanchez

January 31, 2009

Fantasy Baseball Help- Tip 1

I know Cob is starting a fantasy baseball league so I thought for all you first timers I thought I would give you some tips.

Draft Players on Good Teams

When drafting your team try to draft great players on average or great teams. The Mariners lost 101 games in 2008 year. In 2007 years ago they won 88 games. In 2007 Felix Hernandez won 14 games an in 2008 he won nine and lost 14. For pitchers run support is key. A baseball team with great sluggers and average pitchers will do fine. In 2007 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays won 66 games. In 2008 the Rays won 97 games. Every single one of their pitchers did better because of run support. When drafting sluggers you can afford to break this rule for a really good player. Playing on a better team for a slugger means more runs, RBI’s, and a higher on base percentage. You get more runs because people will drive you in more. You get more RBI’s, because more people will be standing at third base. Lastly you will get a higher on base percentage because if a pitcher walks someone they will then have to face a better hitter next. Lets use the Mariners and the Rays again. In 2007 Ichiro hit had 111 runs, 68 RBI’s, and a .396 on base percentage. In 2008 he had 103 runs, 42 RBI’s, and a .361 on base percentage. Akinori Iwamura, of the Rays had 82 runs, 34 RBI’s, and a .359 on base percentage in 2007. In 2008 he had 91 runs, 48 RBI’s, and a .349 on base percentage. Sure his on base percentage dropped by .010 but he had a much better year. When you drafted players on good teams their confidence is higher which means a better year most of the time. So my list of teams I would draft from are the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Twins, White Sox, Indians, Angels, A’s, Rangers, Braves, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Astros, Cubs, Reds, D-Backs, Giants, and Rockies. I don’t plan on drafting any one from the Rays or Yankees though. Also I left the Brewers and Cardinals off for two reasons their pitchers and the fact that their not that heathy.

January 28, 2009

Jon Garland, The Most Overrated Pitcher in Baseball

Today the Arizona Diamondbacks signed right hander, Jon Garland to a one year deal, worth about $7 million dollars. The deal also includes an option for 2010. Garland will replace Randy Johnson who signed with the Giants this offseason. Garland is a sinkerballer, who played last season with the Angels were he went 14-8, with a 4.90 ERA, and 90 strikeouts. The Angels were the A.L. West champions and the only team to win 100 games last season. Now some idiots (no offense) might say, why is Garland overrated then if he was on the Angels? You just answered your own question. Garland won only 14 games for one of the best teams in baseball last year. Imagine what he would have been like if he played for the Mariners, Pirates or even Astros. If he was with the Mariners then maybe seven wins. If he played for the Pirates then ten wins. If he played for the Astros, he would have helped them get the wild-card spot but he would have only won eleven games. Yet, Garland gets treated like he has won 20 games. At least the front offices know he is overrated by not giving him say a $20 million dollar contract. Garland is a good pitcher but not an all-star. He was one in 2005 though with the White Sox when they won the World Series. So I don’t want to have any comments saying the Garland is underrated or that I’m wrong. Garland will most likely be the second or third starter in the D-Backs rotation. Right now it looks like Brandon Webb will be the ace, followed by Dan Haren, then Garland, next is Doug Davis, and in the fifth spot Max Scherzer or Yusmerio Petit. It will most likely be Scherzer though. Garland is 29 years old and has played nine major league seasons with the White Sox and Angels. His first eight years were with the White Sox. His carer stats are 106-89, a 4.47 ERA, and 851 strike outs. He also has one save and a .971 fielding percentage at pitcher. Garland is overrated by the fans but this should be a good move for the Diamondbacks.

January 19, 2009

Random Junk

Okay it is really not junk.

1. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone. I think it is fitting to have Barack Obama go in to office the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I must say I supported John McCain, but we must congratulate Mr. Obama on his historical achievement. We also must support him on being the next president of the U.S.A. So congrats Mr. Obama I hope you do well.

2. The teams for the Super Bowl are set. Yesterday the Arizona Cardinals upset the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25. The Cardinals were 9-7 in the regular season while the Eagles were 9-6-1. My Patriots were 11-5 and didn’t make the playoffs. The other team that got in was the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-14. A while back I said the Steelers would beat the Giants in the Super Bowl. I still think the Steelers will win it all. I can’t wait for the Super Bowl and the commercials!

3. The Chicago Cubs traded outfielder, Felix Pie to the Orioles. In exchange the Cubs got Garrett Olson and prospect Henry Williamson. I think the Orioles got the better of the deal. Last season Pie hit .241, with one home run, ten RBI’s, and stole three bases. Olson had a record of nine-ten, with a 6.65 ERA, and 83 strike outs. Williamson in A ball had a record of zero-one, an ERA of 3.72, with three saves, and 42 strikeouts. Olson could compete with Sean Marshall for the fifth spot in the rotation.

4. The World Baseball Classic Rosters will be announced this evening. Some players who will play for team U.S.A. are Dustin Pedroia, Derek Jeter, Roy Oswalt, Jake Peavy, Brad Hawpe, Grady Sizemore, Ryan Braun, and David Wright. For team Canada Justin Morneau will play. I think Jason Bay will play for team Canada too. For team Dominican Republic Alex Rodriguez will play and David Ortiz will try to play. For team Japan Dice-K and Ichiro will play. The classic looks like a good one. I think team U.S.A. will win though.

5. Today in the NBA America will find out who will be the forth dunker in the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk challenge. For the first time ever America got to vote for who should be the forth dunker, Joe Alexander, Rudy Fernandez, or Russell Westbrook. I voted for Russell Westbrook because I think Alexander needs to work on just being a better player than a better dunker. Fernandez plays on the Portland Trail Blazers and I don’t like the Trail Blazers that much. Another reason I voted for Westbrook is because the team he plays on, the Oklahoma City Thunder, as of January 19th has a record of eight-34. I think it could make the Oklahoma City Thunder feel a lot better. The winner will face off against Rudy Gay, Nate Robinson, and defending dunk champion “Superman” Dwight Howard.

January 16, 2009

Where Will Manny Go???

First- Derek Lowe is officially a Brave.

Second- Not a lot of news today.

Where will Manny Ramirez go! He is one of the best hitters ever and today. Manny wants at least 15 million a year and I think he should get 15 million. Manny may be a bad influence in the clubhouse but thats Manny. Some guys are just going to be like that. He is a great hitter and at 36 Manny still can slug the ball. Yes, he has terrible defense but his is better than Adam Dunn. Manny hasn’t signed for two reasons: the economy and his antics. If Manny had behaved and didn’t “force” the Red Sox to trade him Manny would be with someone. Manny hit 37 home runs, hit .332, and drove in 121 with the Red Sox and Dodgers. Manny has 527 carer home runs, with a .314 batting average, and has driven in 1,725. If Manny hadn’t refused to play, went inside the Green Monster, held up signs about trading him for Brett Favre (as shown) and said Derek Jeter was playing golf (also as shown) then he would probably resigned with Boston. Manny will probably end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. If Scott Boras works his magic the deal will probably give him three years, club option for forth, twelve million dollars a year. If Boras can’t work his magic the deal will be three years ten million dollars. Manny wants to play till he is 40. So for his last year he could end up with the Yankees as a D.H. My baseball trainer Raffi, played minor league ball with Albert Pujols, Bartolo Colon, Willy Taveras, grew up with David Ortiz, and Manny. When I have my lessons guess who is there before me Willy Taveras! Raffi pitches to him and Willy hits. Raffi said that Manny wants to stay in Los Angeles and some other stuff. Click here to see his stats. While the Giants did show interest in Manny that idea kind of fell apart. One thing is will Manny sign before pitchers and catchers report to spring training? Or even before the end of spring training.

Manny Being Manny

Manny gets paid millions of dollars and the best he can do is cardboard!

I was at this game. This was Jason Bay’s third game and I think that is Jason Bay batting.

January 11, 2009

Hall of Fame Winners and Losers- Part 8

Mo Vaughn No, Never

Mo Vaughn is on the ballot for his first time. He hit .293, with 328 home runs, drove in 1,064, scored 861 times, had 1,620 hits, stole 30, and was caught stealing 18 times. Vaughn played twelve season with the Red Sox, Angels, and Mets. In 2001 he did not play. If Vaughn does get elected he will go in as a Red Sox. Big Papi, David Ortiz, is compared to as Mo Vaughn Jr. and other things. Vaughn like Papi was clutch. Vaughn will get 7% of the vote and his best will be 55% of the vote.

Matt Williams, No, Never

Matt Williams is on the ballot for his first time. He hit .268, with 378 RBI’s, 378 home runs, scored 997 times, had 1,878 hits, stole 53, and was caught stealing 35 times. He made 191 errors at shortstop, third base and first base. He has a .964 fielding percentage. Williams played 17 seasons with the Giants, Indians, and D-Backs. In 2001 with the Diamondbacks he won the World Series against the Yankees. Williams is a five time all-star. Williams will get 5% of the vote and at his best 35% of the vote.

Wow eight entries in a day, I’m tired.

I hope you liked Hall of Fame Winners and Losers.

January 7, 2009

Jason Giambi

First- The Dodgers and Brewers offered Trevor Hoffman a deal.

Second- The Giants and Dodgers could back off Manny. So then where would Manny go? I have no clue.

Jason Giambi the big ‘roid user signed with the Oakland A’s today. He inked a one year, $4 million deal, while the A’s have a $6.5 million dollar option for 2010, with a $1.25 million dollar buyout. He can earn up to $500,000 each year in bonuses and $250,000 for 525 and 550 plate appearances. Giambi won the MVP in 2000 while playing for the A’s. Giambi could play first or D.H. If he played first then Daric Barton would be benched. If he played D.H. then Jack Cust, who led the A’s in RBI’s and homers last year, would either be moved to left or sit on the bench. Cust also had 197 strike outs last season. Cust will probably move to left then Travis Buck would be benched. There is the option of trading Cust. Giambi hit 32 home runs, 96 RBI’s, stole two bases,and had a .247 batting average last season for the New York Yankees. Giambi lost a lot of money. Last season he got paid $23,428,571. Giambi has one issue, unlike say Milton Bradley, his lucky, golden, thong. Don’t want to go into detail about that.