Jonesin' for A Yankee Budget

Here's my problem with baseball. Here it is. My one problem. When GM's like that one in Milwaukee get all upset at the Yankees for spending too much money. Sure everyone's cool with it when they're sinking buckets of cash into Carl Pavano and Jason Giambi, but when its guys you had on your radar.. surefire superstars like CC and Tex... then we get all upset. Then the Yankees are ruining baseball for the rest of us. Not true. Not true at all, and you're a fool if you think otherwise. Now I hate the Yankees. Hate them. But not because they spend money. I spend money because I have money. So do they, it makes sense. Lets actually look at the numbers and see how the Yankees are saving money this year, really haven't improved that much, and how the rest of the league (coughAtlantacough) needs to step up the aggressiveness to play with the big boys.

Look. As of today, the Yankees have a lower payroll than they did last year. Lower.
2008 Yankees Payroll: $218M Total. Subtract the expiring contracts of Jason Giambi ($23.4M), Bobby Abreu ($16M), Andy Pettitte ($16M), Johnny Damon ($13M), Mike Mussina ($11.1M), Carl Pavano ($11M), and Kyle Farnsworth ($5.9M)... and we're back down to $121.6M. Add back CC Sabathia ($20M), AJ Burnett ($15M) and Mark Teixeira ($22.5M) and we end up at just about $180M. So with all this crazy Yankee spending, they're actually coming in at about $30M under their payroll from last year. So what's that mean? They're gonna spend more? Well it shouldn't shock anyone if Andy Pettitte returns, or if Pat Burrell ends up in left field. Don't start screaming if they do, because the Yankees still have money. Honestly I don't see any huge names landing in the Bronx, but there are still moves to be made for Brian Cashman.

Enough with the money, let's compare their current roster to last year's, which you may remember failed to advance to the playoffs. With Damon and Abreu gone, the Yankees still have a big hole in their outfield (and in their leadoff spot). They traded for Nick Swisher, who will probably play center, and have held onto Melky Cabrera and Xavier Nady who could play the corners. And let's not forget the suspect health of left-fielder Hideki Matsui, who has basically become a DH at this point. So the entire outfield remains a bit of a question mark. However, the infield does not. Tex, Cano, Jeter, A-Rod. That's an incredible infield, besting the Phillies and their lack of a stud at the hot corner.

Okay so their outfield is holey and their infield could start the All-Star game, so what about the starting rotation then? Mussina had a career year in 2008, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA. He was their ace. The new ace, CC Sabathia, went a combined 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA with Cleveland and Milwaukee. Hmm. What about Pettitte: 14-14 with a 4.54. Burnett? 18-10, 4.07. Do some math and you see that the Yankees in fact bought one more win than they had last year with the two veterans. They did get younger, sure, but this is the Yankees. They expect to wake up in the ALCS next season. Not one win better.

Well surely adding Teixeira should propel them into the playoffs right? He'll tack on his 35HR, 130RBI... but remember, again, how much the Yankees lost this offseason:
Damon: 95 R, 71 RBI, 17 HR, .303 AVG
Abreu: 100 R, 100 RBI, 20 HR, .296 AVG
Giambi: 68 R, 96 RBI, 32 HR, .247 AVG
Did anyone else know Abreu had 100 R/100 RBI? Wow. Anyway thats nearly 70 HR, 270 RBI, and 260 R the Yankees have to replace. Hmm.

Look, the Yanks still have some work to do if they want to best their 89 wins from last year, good enough for third in the AL East. They replaced two veteran studs with two young studs. They let Abreu and Giambi walk, and popped in Teixeira. Damon out, Swisher in. Its a different looking team, not sure who will lead off, or who will fill out the back of the rotation, so they're just like any other team.. they have holes! Yes they have money. Yes they're angering other GMs by spending freely and rounding up the richest contracts in baseball history.. but they still have holes. They're still not better than the Sox or the Rays, and they still haven't spent as much as they did last year. Bring it on Yankees. See if you can buy a team again. And see how that's fared for you the last nine years.

Oh right, here's the deal. The Yankees were mad. Very mad. They missed the playoffs for the first time in forever. So they kicked out the old guys, opened the checkbook and are on the path to being in the playoffs in a couple years. The Braves have now spent the last three seasons watching the playoffs at home like the rest of us bums. And what have we done about it? We traded for Tex in the middle of a season, and traded for (read: stole) Jurrjens. And that's the difference between a franchise that just wants to win every single year regardless of the payroll and who's on the roster. If the Braves front office actually wants to get back into playoff contention, don't stalk marginal talents like Burnett and Furcal and think they like you because you talk to them more than anyone. Frank Wren: this is about sealing the deal. This isn't about being friends! Don't do their homework, don't make them mix tapes, just ignore them while all the other boys try and take them home, understand the market, and jump in with the just right.. "yo, here's our offer, but i mean.. i dont really care if you take it or whatever, i mean we dont really need you so whatever its cool" and walk away. Just walk away. Let them come to you.
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Who's Left for the Braves to Pursue?

After pursuing Jake Peavy, AJ Burnett and Rafael Furcal and coming up short on all three, Braves GM Frank Wren has had quite the miserable offseason. So who's left out there for the Braves to get? I think there's a couple of free agents left we should get in on - and close the deal this time. With holes in the outfield and the rotation, I expect Wren to try and address these needs first... but my top guy doesn't pitch and he isn't an outfielder:

1) Orlando Hudson, 2B
After the debacle with Furcal, one thing became clear about the Braves roster: our middle infield is our best shot at trading for a stud pitcher. If we go sign Hudson (and he'll probably cost more than Furcal, think 3 years, $40M), that gives us a Gold Glove winner who can swing the bat, allowing us to actively shop Kelly Johnson. The Cardinals were interesting in Kelly, and would love to unload Rick Ankiel before he hits free agency, and he's a viable option for Atlanta. As is Ryan Ludwick. But if we bring in Hudson, I'm guessing come February Kelly will fill a hole in that San Diego middle infield, and we'll have a new ace at the top of the rotation.
Also look at Orlando Cabrera, a Gold Glove at short who can bat leadoff, though he had some problems dealing with Ozzie Guillen in Chicago, but so did Javy Vazquez.

2) Derek Lowe, SP
He's a proven post-season pitcher, top of the rotation, veteran with insane control. He may be the best sinker-ball pitcher this side of Brandon Webb. The only real issue I think is his age (35), but with his easy-going delivery and lack of power, think of him more like Jamie Moyer than AJ Burnett. This guy could pitch for a long time, and pitch well, in fact his control has actually improved over the last couple of years, barely issuing any walks. Pair him with another sinker-baller in Tim Hudson (in 2010) and you've got half the rotation keeping the ball on the ground, which usually leads to success (especially with Gold Glove-caliber talent in the infield). A three to four year deal would be good, somewhere just shy of what Burnett got from the Yankees.
Another option would have been Randy Wolf, but his agents happen to represent Furcal, so kiss that goodbye. Brad Penny could be a cheap option after a hugely down year, and he's a talented hard-throwing guy a la Vazquez. Ben Sheets would probably get hurt in Spring Training, pass.

3) Pat Burrell, LF
He's right-handed, plays left-field, and is an RBI machine. Say what you will about the former Phillie, he would fit nicely into our lineup. While I would prefer to see us deal for a cheaper option like Ankiel, Ludwick, or Corey Hart, signing Burrell to a 2-3 year deal might be perfect. Right now its all about bridging the gap between our current roster and our roster of the future (starring Tommy Hanson, Jason Heyward and Jordan Schafer), and the way to do that is to bring in guys like Burrell for a couple years. Burrell's value is higher than normal right now, but we have the money. And no matter what you think about Burrell, plugging him into left for two years definitely couldn't hurt.
Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera could also work in left, but Abreu's a lefty, and Rivera is as injury prone as Ben Sheets, though he'd be cheap and does have potential.

Couple of other names to ponder..

• The Astros decided to non-tender Ty Wigginton. Wigginton went on a monster tear last season after LF Carlos Lee went down, replacing him in left. However he's normally an infielder (3B or 2B). He'd be cheap, can put up good (not great) numbers and doesn't require any sort of long-term commitment.
• P Daniel Cabrera was let go by the Orioles, who finally gave up on the right-handed flamethrower after years of never achieving his potential. Should Leo Mazzone still be here, I'd say Cabrera could be signed.. but I'm not sure relcamation projects are really our thing anymore.
• The Braves have been linked to courting Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. He's won the Japanese equivalents of the Cy Young and MVP in 2004, and posted an ERA of only 2.30 in 16 starts last season. The Braves met with Kawakami's agent at the Winter Meetings in Vegas, but there appears to be multiple teams interested in the hurler.
  

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Boston Wins 16th Straight, Hawks Come Up Short Again

Again I'd like to not go into detail about this game, because GRR it makes me so angrrry! But once again the Celtics took our best shot and walked away winners, 88-85. Joe Johnson took over in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough after he missed a game-tying free throw with less than three seconds left. And as much as we all hate Kevin Garnett and his freakishly long arms and endless smack talk, boy can that guy play. Garnett came in midway through the fourth and led the charge as Boston was trailing going into the final period.

Also Josh Smith chipped in with a wacky ten second period of ball: he fouls Kendrick Perkins by giving him a little hug under the basket and allowing the easy lay up (3 point play), then on the other end of the court Josh gets the ball in the paint, loses control, gets it passed back to him, drives on Perkins, and does this...



Sometimes, Josh can be a badass. Of course he missed the ensuing free throw. We missed our first 11 shots of the game. And it was still close. We're just one rowdy emotional speech away from beating the Celtics every single time. Love this rivalry. Read Full Article!

Furcal Signs... with the Dodgers?!

I'll keep this short. Frank Wren and the Braves have proven this offseason that we are no longer the Braves dynasty of old. No longer are we the team that free agents flock to, want to play for, hope to get offers from. Former Braves Rafael Furcal, on the verge of signing a contract with Atlanta, quickly changed his mind after the Dodgers said "Whoa whoa whoa hold on a second, let us get our offer in!" And boom, Furcal remains a Dodger. Now unless we were going to parlay his signing into trading a middle infielder to the Padres for Jake Peavy, I don't think we should have signed Furcal. I'm glad we didn't. I'm glad we didn't get Burnett for that matter. But still, these free agents have made it abundantly clear that despite getting the same or similar offers from Atlanta, it's more appealing to play someplace like New York or Los Angeles. So how does Frank Wren begin to rebuild this ball club when high-profile players who either have roots or friends in Atlanta choose not to play here? That's a good question.

UPDATE: While I'm still upset that the Braves aren't the appealing franchise they once were.. it appears as though Furcal's agent stabbed us in the back. He verbally agreed to a deal with the Braves, Dodgers got a hold of it, and he used our deal to leverage L.A. to getting Furcal a new offer. Guess he was going to land in Los Angeles all along. And Frank Wren is pissed. But oh well, funny how a couple days ago it was Oakland and Toronto who were the frontrunners.
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Roddy and The Burner off to Hawaii

Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White and RB Michael Turner have been named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster as reserves. White is polishing off his second straight 1,000 yard season, the first Falcon to do so in ten years. In fact he has over 1,300 yards, good for second-best in the NFL. Turner, up over 1,400 yards, was the big free-agent acquisition and is paying off completely (his total is good for second in the NFL as well). These two are definitely deserving, and congratulations to both of them.

Now then. Where's John Abraham? Matt Ryan? Are you really going to tell me that Eli Manning is having a better season than Matty Ice?

Sure Manning quarterbacks the best team in the NFC, but the numbers don't add up:

Manning: 2938 yards, 20 td, 10 int, 60.3% comp, 86.4 Rating
Ryan: 3146 yards, 14 td, 9 int, 62.2% comp, 90.0 Rating

Besides touchdowns, Matty leads Manning in all categories. In fact, Eli is ninth in the NFC in quarterback rating, behind other snubs like Donovan McNabb, Aaron Rodgers, Jeff Garcia and the league leader, Tony Romo. (in fact the AFC leaderin QB Rating, Philip Rivers, was left out too...) Its all very sad. But all will be remedied when Matt Ryan walks away the Rookie of the Year and MVP hardware after the season.

Now then, look at the NFC defensive ends. John Abraham is third in the NFL in sacks with 15.5. That's 3.5 more than starter Justin Tuck (NYG). Tuck does blow Abraham's tackle totals out of the water, and even has an interception and touchdown to boot. But seriously, third in the NFL in sacks, and don't make the Pro Bowl. Its a shame, without Abraham our defense would be struggling week after week. But here we are, with 9 wins and actual snubs to complain about. That alone is good enough for me.

Falcons travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings this Sunday. The matchup pits the NFL's top two leading rushers in Adrian Peterson and The Burner himself.
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Showdown at the Highlight Factory

[photo: Jim Davis, Boston Globe]


The Atlanta Hawks. 15-9.
4th in the Eastern Conference.
Won 3 in a row.

The Boston Celtics. 23-2.
1st in the Eastern Conference.
Won 15 in a row.

Tonight the Celtics bring their insane winning streak to Atlanta for a showdown with the Hawks. A rematch from last year's playoffs, the teams' first meeting ended in dramatic fashion. Marvin Williams hits a three from the corner to put the Hawks up by one with five seconds left. Celtics in-bounds to Pierce, who dribbles, shuffles, maneuvers, steps back and fires a jumper. Boston goes up by 1 point with half a second left to play. Boston escaped that night with a win, handing the Hawks their first loss of the season (after a 6-0 start).

Expect an incredible playoff atmosphere tonight at Philips Arena, as Garnett and company return for the first time since Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs (a game I attended). I think its clear that the amazing seven-game showdown with the eventual champs helped teach the Hawks how to play hard, to play all 48 minutes, and how to never back down no matter how great the opponent. Like Pierce said earlier this year, they "created a monster", and I fully expect our monster with a fully healthy roster (we didn't have Josh Smith for the last meeting) to beat the crap out of the Celtics and end one more double-digit winning streak.

Go out and support the Hawks tonight, game should be sold out and loud as hell. Game is on ESPN at 7pm. Shock the world!! Read Full Article!

WTF Braves? Furcal?

[SOURCE MLB.com] [MLB.com]


The Atlanta Braves appear to be on the verge of signing SS Rafael Furcal, the same Furcal who spent six years with us earlier this decade. The 2000 Rookie of the Year would be accepting a 3 year deal with a fourth year option, probably in the range of $11M per year. Cool, we got Furcal back. Great. He plays left field right? No no no he's a starting pitcher! Wait no his arm's good enough to play those positions, but he's a shortstop. A SHORTSTOP. Let's consider the many holes the Braves have in their lineup, excluding pitching. Left field. Center field. Right field (should Francoeur's downward spiral continue). Leadoff hitter. Power hitting righty. What does Furcal fit? Leadoff hitter... and.... aaaand........ well he's a switch hitter at least! Look, Frank, if you're going to sign Furcal in order to make Kelly Johnson or Yunel Escobar a trading chip, can you make the trade first at least? Trade Escobar while we appear reluctant to do so (like, for Peavy?) and then just go sign Furcal cause you were going to anyway. Then we'd have Furcal and Peavy for the next four years. Now we have one too many middle infielders, and sure we could consider moving Kelly back to left field since he's pretty awful defensively at second, but I don't see that happening. I expect to see Kelly traded and Furcal leading off, playing second. But now that teams know we need to trade Kelly, won't we get less value in return than we would have a week ago? Think of it like Fantasy Baseball, you drafted Hanley Ramirez.. five rounds later you draft Rafael Furcal thinking this other team got this pitcher you like, and they don't have a good SS. So you offer Furcal for the pitcher and he says screw you, give me Hanley you can make Furcal ride the bench. No deal is made and you wasted your fifth round pick. Wren better have some kind of brilliant move ready to follow up this signing, or I will continue to be disappointed with his ability as a GM (I almost want to chalk up the Jurrjens trade to Schuerholz setting it up and the Tigers losing their minds).

On another note, the Padres front office has announced that the Peavy talks appear to be over now that no one has stepped in to negotiate after the Cubs dropped out. The Padres appear to be content with keeping the ace. I'll say it again, with Furcal on the roster, can we please just throw the original offer back to the Padres (Yunel, Gorkys and a pitcher like Morton) and try one last time to snag the Cy Young winner? Read Full Article!

The Wild Wild NFC

After throwing two picks, losing a fumble and having a punt blocked, the Falcons somehow emerged victorious over a dominant Tampa Bay defense. With the win Atlanta improved to 1-1 against all three division opponents and helped continue the wacky trend of NFC South teams being undefeated at home against division opponents. Ridiculous. So now Atlanta and Tampa are deadlocked at 9-5 with two games to go. Carolina has clinched at least a share of the division title, and New Orleans appears all but out of the mix for a Wild Card spot. Meanwhile last night the Dallas Cowgirls toppled the New York Giants (now tied with Carolina at 11-3 for the #1 seed), improving their record to 9-5. A win tonight and Philadelphia would be 8-5-1. There's only two playoff spots available... who's gonna take 'em?

Let's take a look at the remaining schedules for the teams in question:

ATLANTA (9-5): at Min, vs Stl
TAMPA (9-5): vs SD, vs Oak
DALLAS (9-5): vs Bal, at PHI
PHILLY (7-5-1): vs. CLE, at WAS, vs DAL
CHICAGO (8-6): vs GB, at HOU

Tampa hosts two AFC West teams, which tends to be two automatic wins. They improve to 11-5, I think they're in easily. Atlanta goes to Minnesota to take on MVP-hopeful Adrian Peterson and the hot Vikings, a winnable game for Atlanta but will be close. They throttle the Rams at home, lets say 10-6. Dallas hosts a very good Baltimore team who's fighting for a playoff spot of their own before heading to Philadelphia for a huge game against McNabb's Eagles. Dallas could easily lose both games, but lets say they take care of Baltimore at home, end at 10-6. Philly takes care of business tonight against the Browns, beats up the fading Redskins and takes care of Dallas at home? Its possible, but they'd still be 10-5-1 and get left out. Chicago could easily lose both of their games, but I'd say they split the two (probably lose at Houston) and end up 9-7, they're out too.

We're left with Tampa at 11-5, Atlanta at 10-6 and Dallas at 10-6. They did not play head-to-head, would both have a conference record of 7-5, and so we'd go to step three of the tie-breaking procedure: "won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four." Dallas played (and beat) Tampa, who Atlanta played twice, going 1-1. Atlanta lost to Philly, who Dallas will have played twice, going 1-1. Both teams beat Green Bay, but Dallas lost to St. Louis.. Atlanta's Week 17 opponent. Assuming I did this right (and I probably didnt).. in games against common opponents, Atlanta will have gone 3-2. Dallas will have gone 3-2. Okay so next is strength of victory (combined winning percentage of teams beaten)! Which Dallas has the advantage on... stupid Lions and Chiefs.

Look. Win and we're in. Beat Minnesota, beat St. Louis and we are all but guaranteed a playoff spot. Dallas is good but not good enough to end the season beating the Giants, Ravens and Eagles in a row. Its December! The real Romo is bound to show up.. then all this tiebreaking math and goofiness wont matter at all... and we'll be doing the dirty bird like its 1999.
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Bradford Wins Heisman, Sets Up Match with Tebow

Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford was awarded the Heisman Trophy tonight, awarded to the NCAA's best college football player. Last year's winner, Florida QB Tim Tebow, finished third behind Texas QB Colt McCoy. This sets up an already intriguing matchup between Bradford and Tebow, who could both bet their Heisman that they'll come away with the crystal football. This is first time we've seen two Heisman winners in the National Championship game since Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart stood on the same sideline against Vince Young's Texas team.. who won. I think McCoy got screwed on this one, having beat Bradford head-to-head, but then again it seems the college football universe has it out for McCoy, who has been getting screwed pretty often these days. Ohio State better watch itself before McCoy drops 70 on them in the Fiesta Bowl.
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Hawks End Cavs' Win Streak at 11

[photo: AP/John Amis]


Well now... Take that, LeBron. Today I heard Stephen A. Smith call the Cleveland Cavaliers a better team today than the Celtics are (who are 22-2 and on a 14-game winning streak). LeBron and Co. had piled up 11 straight wins, building a six game cushion in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. But then they made the trip down to the ATL. The Dirty South, where Mike Bibby and the boys would not be scared by the big bad King James. A back-and-forth affair, the Hawks were able to pull away midway through the fourth quarter- with Bibby leading the charge scoring 24 points. Marvin Williams stepped up too, with 19 points and 7 rebounds, including the final free throws that nailed the coffin shut. The Hawks defense limited a hapless Lebron to only 33 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds, clearly not one of his best performances...........

The Hawks are holding onto the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, improving to 14-9 after tonight's victory. Head down to the Highlight Factory and cheer on our boys, who're kicking ass up and down this league on their way to a second straight playoff run.
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Adios Burnett, Enjoy the Pinstripes

ESPN is reporting that coveted free-agent starter A.J. Burnett has agreed to a contract with... the New York Yankees! Worth over $82M over 5 years, Burnett had been aggressively pursued by the Braves ever since the negotiations to bring in Jake Peavy broke down. Burnett will join CC Sabathia in the new-look Yankees rotation, alongside Chien-Mein Wang, Joba Chamberlain and some combination of Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Word has it that Andy Pettitte is likely to return for one more year, however.

So what's next for the Braves? Derek Lowe certainly looks attractive. A proven ace and postseason performer, Lowe has had great success pitching for the Red Sox and Dodgers. He throws a lot like Tim Hudson, dishing out a lot of sinkers and keeping the ball on the ground. While Turner Field is a pitcher's park, it would be nice to have multiple starters who aren't likely to give up the big fly all too often (we'll let Javy Vazquez take care of that). Ben Sheets is another big name who's available.. but let's just say I'd rather sign Kerry Wood than take a chance on Ben Sheets. Unless its a two-year deal. I remain adamant that we should re-open negotiations with San Diego to trade for Jake Peavy. Now that there's no other trade partners left (barring a push by the Angels), GM Kevin Towers may have no choice but to come crawling back to Frank Wren's doorstep, hat in hand, and willing to accept whatever gruel is tossed at his feet. Yunel Escobar is staying put. Tyler Flowers is already gone. Let's hope we still have the pieces (Morton, Reyes, Hernandez, etc.) to start things up again, because I think so far this offseason no one has taken us seriously.

We offered Burnett essentially the same contract as the Yankees. So it came down to a matter of preference, a matter of where he would rather play, and a matter of which team wanted him more. With Sabathia now on the roster, Burnett would slide right into the role that got him here: as the #2. And despite playing in New York, the pressure won't be quite as intense as he creeps around in the shadow of CC. He's pitched in the AL East for the past three years, and the Yankees are probably in a better position to win a championship sooner than Atlanta (who both play in incredibly difficult divisions). Whatever the ultimate reason, the Braves have not proven to the rest of the league that this is still an attractive place to play. This is somewhere you know you'll have a great manager, a great front office, a great city, and an opportunity to re-ignite the franchise that dominated the National League for fifteen years.

But all in all, I'm not upset we didn't sign Burnett. Throwing that kind of money at him is chump change for the Steinbrenner's, but for the Braves.. it smelled of desperation. Right now our front office appears unable to accept that fact that we are a year or two away from being contenders again. That right now, its the Mets and the Phillies. They have the same needs as us (and the Yankees), they have more money, more talent, and a better chance to win. So I ask you Frank Wren, Bobby Cox and the rest of the staff... let it all play out. Let the young players you regard so highly prove to the fans that they are worth the wait. Let Tommy Hanson start the season in the rotation, let Jordan Schafer patrol center field in April. The sooner we accept that 2009 is a lost cause, and is just a bridge to 2010 when these prospects will no doubt be ready (and Hudson will be healthy), then why not give the young'ns a chance to play. We certainly couldn't do any worse.
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Heisman Preview: Can Tebow Repeat?

Tomorrow night the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner will be crowned. Only three players were invited to the ceremony this year: Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford, Texas QB Colt McCoy, and Florida QB Tim Tebow, who won the award a year ago as a sophomore. Mike Leach's boys at Texas Tech have a legitimate beef with this as QB Graham Harrell amassed more yards than Bradford (and won as many games) and WR Michael Crabtree may be the most talented player in the country (or Percy Harvin, who isn't here either). The NCAA leaders in rushing yards (Donald Brown, UConn, 1822 yards), receiving yards (Austin Collie, BYU, 1419 yards) and passing yards (Case Keenum, Houston, 4,768 yards) are also nowhere to be found.

Also staying at home are both of the highly-touted Georgia Bulldogs who were projected to be in the mix before the season. In fact, Knowshon's 1338 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns both fall short of Michigan State's Javon Ringer, who he'll be facing in the Capitol One Bowl. The three guys that were chosen, however, were the best players in the country this season. But wouldn't it have been nice to have invited a couple more guys? I'm sure its a great feeling to get the call to that ceremony.

Before I give my pick, here's the stats for the Heisman invitees:

Sam Bradford (QB, Oklahoma): 4,464 passing yards, 53 total touchdowns (5 rush), 186.29 rating
Colt McCoy (QB, Texas): 4,021 total yards (576 rush), 42 total touchdowns (10 rush), 179.20 rating
Tim Tebow (QB, Florida): 3,079 total yards (564 rush), 40 total touchdowns (12 rush), 176.74 rating

My pick: Colt McCoy.
Why? He beat Bradford head-to-head. Bradford's out. He has better stats all-around than Tim Tebow (including rushing yards!). And for good measure, Tebow won it last year when he had a better year, so he shouldn't win it again. Call it McCoy's consolation prize for not being given a chance to play for the National Championship.

We'll find out the winner tomorrow night at 8pm. In the meantime, go vote in our poll!

*It should be noted that today Tim Tebow received the Maxwell Award, given to the best all-around player in the country. He won this award last year, and is now only the second player in history to receive the award twice. Could this be foreshadowing tomorrow night's ceremony?
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One Reason to Like Cole Hamels

[SOURCE ESPN]


He's young, tall, attractive, has a girlish voice, and has a World Series ring strapped around one those delicate fingers of his... but he's a Phillie. A dastardly Phillie, and there is no question that he nears the top of my "Most Hated, Want to Kill, But Wouldn't Mind Switching Places With" list. But finally.. we have a reason to like Cole Hamels.

Your words, Mr. Hamels:
"For the past two years [the Mets] have been choke artists... that's kind of what we believed and I think we're always going to believe that until they prove us wrong."

Choke artists! The Mets! Hah! Truer words have never been said! And for the third straight year, the Mets and Phillies are talking smack during the offseason. If the Mets even dare to respond to the World Series Champion and defending back-to-back division winners, they must be losing their damn mind. I'd like to see Carlos Beltran proclaim his team as the 'team to beat'... so that Ryan Howard can put down his delicious Subway sandwich and beat him with a stick.

Let's hope a year from now the Braves can start talking a little smack and make this division interesting again.
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Winter Meetings: Mets Add to Bullpen Again, Nats Pursue Tex

So lets say I'm Omar Minaya, general manager for the New York Mets. I have the largest payroll in the National League, the best pitcher in baseball, and two of the ten best hitters in baseball. Sure I haven't helped get my team to the postseason in two years.. but its the offseason! The winter meetings, I can remedy that right now! I have the money and the prospects to make some noise right here in Vegas! I just signed the best closer in baseball in K-Rod, things are looking up my friends! Let's keep the ball rolling... and trade for JJ Putz!


Wait, JJ Putz? Really? The former Mariners closer who spent nearly all of last season either injured or blowing saves? You want him to come in and be your set up guy.. rather than using Schoeneweis or Feliciano like you had been for a couple years (and its worked). You traded Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Joe Smith and FOUR minor leaguers as part of a three-team, twelve-player deal... FOR JJ PUTZ???

Does this remind anyone of the Red Sox trade for Eric Gagne in '07? When the Mets signed K-Rod, they basically put themselves back into position to be the Mets from opening day last season. Great closer out, new great closer in. Still lots of holes on the roster. And their big follow-up move is to deal two pitchers, a local legend (have you seen this catch?), and prospects for a pitcher on his way down after being incredible for a couple years (well, they did also receive P Sean Green and OF Jeremy Reed in the trade)... as a Braves fan I like it, but as a baseball fan I don't think I quite understand it. Putz is an incredible talent who came into last season one of the best closers in baseball, but he ended the season as a middle reliever who had lost it. It'll be interesting to see if he can return to form, the Mets appear to be banking on it.

Putz's 2008 Stats: 6-5, 3.88ERA, 15/23 in save opportunities, 46IP


More fun news out of Vegas:

• The Cleveland Indians have signed former Cubs closer Kerry Wood to a 2 year deal worth $20 million. The perpetually-injured Wood had a resurgent year in 2008 as a dominant closer for the division-winning Cubs, but did spend a considerable amount of time on the disabled list. Ten million a year is definitely over paying for the amount of innings Wood is likely to give you, but he's still one of the most talented pitchers in baseball. I personally hope, for his sake, that he finds success in Cleveland.
  
  
• The Washington Nationals have made a play for Maryland native and former Brave Mark Teixeira. They've reportedly offered him an 8 year, $160M deal. I know he wasn't in Atlanta very long, but I just don't enjoy the idea of playing against Tex over a dozen times a year for the next decade. But oh well, we've got Kotchman!
  
  
• Also the Yankees appear set to send disappointing outfielder Melky Cabrera to the Brewers for gold glove-winner Mike Cameron. This move should come as no surprise after the Yankees expressed interest in the former Met earlier this offseason, and that Cameron became good friends with newly-signed Yankee CC Sabathia during their time in Milwaukee. Cameron, an Georgia native, missed the first couple of months of last season after being suspended for using a banned substance. A potential outfield of Matsui, Nady, Cameron and Swisher apperas imminent for the Yankees, who seem to be on solid starting pitcher away from contending again.

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Arena Football Taking a Year Off?

It appears that the Arena Football League is set to cancel their 2009 season, due to various financial difficulties (shocker) spawned by the recession. The league had been delaying the release of the 09 schedule, as well as pushing back the draft and beginning of free agency. Though still a rumor, many AFL owners are citing that its near-probable that the 09 season will be canceled while the league works on a new financial plan to keep it afloat.

The Georgia Force are the reigning Southern Division champs, their third division title in the past four years. In 2005 the Force played in Arena Bowl XIX, losing 51-48 to the Colorado Crush. Read Full Article!

Josh Smith: Our Most Important Player?

Before the season there was lot of grumbling in Hawks camp that there was no way we would bring back coach Mike Woodson AND forward Josh Smith. They just butted heads too much. They would get in each other's way. It wouldn't be good for the team. But after resigning them both, the upstart Hawks found themselves as the last undefeated team standing in the Eastern Conference. And then Josh Smith got hurt.


We went 6-6 without Josh Smith- and have gone 6-2 with him. He only averages 13 points per game and 8 rebounds. So why the big impact? Why are we such a different team without him? He's not the point guard, or the center, or the go-to scorer.. but he's the all-around talent. Our best defensive player, he's a quick-footed forward who can block shots, shoot threes and drive head-first into the big men. Sure he's maddeningly frustrating to watch at times, pulling up when he should be posting up, shooting when he should be passing, but when you see a prolific scorer face down J-Smooth in the paint... tossing up a surefire basket only to watch it slapped away into the bleachers... its beautiful. You see it just then, how good this kid can be. He may not be our best player, our flashiest player, or our most likable player.. but he just might be our most important player. And I look forward to seeing Josh block shots and take excessive jumpers in a Hawks uniform for years to come.

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Yankees Land Sabathia, Let the Flood Begin

Reports out of Vegas are that the Yankees and pitcher CC Sabathia have agreed to a contract worth $160M over 7 years (that's over $23M per year for those counting at home). Sabathia, the AL Cy Young Award Winner in 2007, had a rocky (read: terrible) start last season with the Indians before returning to form as a Milwaukee Brewer in the second half. Combined he went 17-10 with a 2.70ERA and 251Ks last season, with a major league leading 10 complete games.

What's this mean for the rest of the league and the Winter Meetings? Now that the market is set for pitchers, both starters and relievers (see K-Rod's 3-year $37M deal with the Mets), expect a flood of offers and signings to occur with the remaining free agent arms. Top of the list is AJ Burnett, who's being heavily courted by the Braves (and Yankees and Orioles, among others). The Braves offered Burnett a 4+ year deal worth about $16M per year. Given that Sabathia is top of the class, at $23M no one will earn more than him, or anything approaching him. A salary in the ballpark of $16-18M now seems about right for a pitcher like Burnett, given the market. The Yankees had claimed they would best any offer that the Braves made, so don't be suprised (even after signing Sabathia) if the Steinbrenner's throw more than $18M a year at AJ.

Now that agents and GM's know the market, expect a lot of names coming out of the pool in coming days. Keep it here for all the updates. Read Full Article!

Mets Sign K-Rod. But Don't Be Scared.

Francisco Rodriguez is coming to the NL East. The New York Mets have reportedly agreed upon a 3 year/$37M contract with the closer, who set a new single-season record with 62 saves last season with the Angels. K-Rod is 26 years old and has 208 saves already in his short career- if you remember he was the set up guy for Troy Percival in 2002 when the Angels won the World Series. The Mets, who lost Billy Wagner last season to Tommy John surgery, faltered late in the season mainly due to a lack of an effective bullpen. And K-Rod's presence sure addresses that, but it doesn't fix the fact that the road to K-Rod is flawed and that this is a Mets team that even with Billy Wagner closing games could not run away with the division (see 07 collapse and the mediocre 08 season). This was clearly a necessary move for the Mets, but its not the only move. If they do not address the rest of the bullpen, the starting rotation, and the outfield, then don't expect the Mets back in the playoffs any time soon. Read Full Article!

Jonesin' for a Fancier Pool

Ahh the free agent pool. There's nothing like it. On a cold winter morning, there's just nothing better than dipping your toes into that warm, frothy free agent pool. Oooh theres CC Sabathia massaging my toes... Manny Ramirez doing my hair... AJ Burnett and Mark Teixeira oiling up my chest... am I dreaming? Does it get any better?

Whoa whoa whoa wait a second.
What the hell is A.J. Burnett doing in my pool?


When exactly did he become an elite pitcher? During his ONE healthy season? In Toronto? With his TEN losses and 4.07 ERA? Is that really worth $16 million to a team, like Atlanta, who's faced way too many injury problems recently? To a team with no outfield production? With questions in the bullpen and in the back end of the rotation (with or without Burnett)??

Look. A.J. Burnett is a hell of a talent. A power pitcher, a bulldog, a strikeout master. He'd be a great addition... to a team WITH a number one. Okay so in 2010 we'll have Hudson, Burnett, Vazquez, Jurrjens. I'll take it. But do we reeeeeeeally need to spend $16M on a #2? With a career filled with arm and shoulder issues? Let's face it, 2009 is a bridge year. As long as we hold up long enough to get to 2010 (when guys like Tommy Hanson, Jordan Schafer, and Jason Heyward may be major league bound), the future can be bright in Atlanta. But we can't just start throwing out money to the best available pitcher (in our price range). We are a desperate team, but we have many needs.. not just starting pitching. And I know Wren wouldn't just throw money at a guy because its the hip thing to do.. I know he's done his homework, research into his health, how he'll hold up for four to five years.. yeah yeah. But what I'm looking at, beyond health, is whether Burnett CAN become an ace. We're paying him to be an ace. We're acquiring him to be an ace. But IS he an ace? Will he ever be? He was Roy Halladay's #2 in Toronto. He was behind Josh Beckett and Brad Penny in Florida. And in 2010 when Hudson returns, he'll be the guy behind him. So I'll say it again, $16 million for a #2? Maybe that's just the market these days. But we have multiple needs - and $16 million buys a lot of RBI's, sac bunts, and holds.

So I leave you with this.. imagine if Mike Hampton hadn't left for Houston. Give him $2 million. One year. Back end of the rotation. Vazquez, Jurrjens, Campillo, Hampton, Morton/Reyes/Hanson. Doesn't look as sexy, sure. But it would've saved us a LOT of money, filled a gaping hole, and acted as a perfect bridge to next season... and we can throw around $16M next December.
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Bowls Announced, UGA Gets Capital One

The bowl schedule was officially announced last night, and the Georgia Bulldogs are set for the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day. While we already figured this would be case, it was more a question of who the opponent would be... and now we know. The Michigan State Spartans out of the Big 10 will take on the Bulldogs at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The 9-3 Spartans finished third in the Big 10, and are led by standout senior running back Javon Ringer who ran for 1,590 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. All eyes will be on Bulldogs stars Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, and whether this will be their last game in a Georgia uniform. Both players are eligible to leave for the NFL Draft after the season.

Georgia Tech will take on the LSU Tigers New Year's Eve in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. LSU finished third in the SEC West, going 3-5 in conference including giving up over 50 points to both Florida and Georgia. They enter the bowl season with a two-game losing streak, having lost to Ole Miss and Arkansas to end their schedule. Expect Georgia Tech to be heavy favorites against another overrated SEC powerhouse.

The BCS Matchups look a little something like this:
Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Utah
BCS Championship Game: Oklahoma vs. Florida
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