Oct 2009
Jeff Sagarin is an Idiot
10/14/09 10:15 Filed in: College
Basketball
The self-appointed guru of college sports, Jeff
Sagarin, has come out with his list of the all-time
college basketball programs, and it's the biggest
pile of crap since both my dogs had diarrhea on the
same day.
Quierie - Which program has won, by far, the most NCAA Champtionships? UCLA of course. Where does he rank UCLA? Why number 2. Why? Becasue they were not a top program in the 1940s! The 1940s?
Who, you ask, is number one? Why Kentucky of course, the same Kentucky that has won 60% as many titles as the Bruins, and which has not sniffed the title in this milleniium.
He also rankes teams by decades, and in the current decade, he ranks Duke and Kansas as one and two, with Florida, winner of two straight titles number four, behind North Carolina, who has also won two titles in this decade, while UCLA, Final Four participants three straight years, getting knocked out by Florida in their two championship years, is ranked TWENTIETH!
Having totally screwed up the top rankings, he has some other schools ranked in places that are so totally absurd, it would appear he formulated his rankings by picking the schools out of a hat. He actually has the dysfunctional brain surgeons, who have never won a title, and who had only a few really top seasons (all decades ago under Bob Boyd) without violating NCAA rules, at number 25! Absolute lunacy. Even worse than perrennial loser Northwestern ranked number 77.
Happy 99th birthday to John Wooden.
Quierie - Which program has won, by far, the most NCAA Champtionships? UCLA of course. Where does he rank UCLA? Why number 2. Why? Becasue they were not a top program in the 1940s! The 1940s?
Who, you ask, is number one? Why Kentucky of course, the same Kentucky that has won 60% as many titles as the Bruins, and which has not sniffed the title in this milleniium.
He also rankes teams by decades, and in the current decade, he ranks Duke and Kansas as one and two, with Florida, winner of two straight titles number four, behind North Carolina, who has also won two titles in this decade, while UCLA, Final Four participants three straight years, getting knocked out by Florida in their two championship years, is ranked TWENTIETH!
Having totally screwed up the top rankings, he has some other schools ranked in places that are so totally absurd, it would appear he formulated his rankings by picking the schools out of a hat. He actually has the dysfunctional brain surgeons, who have never won a title, and who had only a few really top seasons (all decades ago under Bob Boyd) without violating NCAA rules, at number 25! Absolute lunacy. Even worse than perrennial loser Northwestern ranked number 77.
Happy 99th birthday to John Wooden.
theHoundDawg
|
|
|
Angels Survive Starters' Injuries, Finally Beat Boston
10/12/09 11:12 Filed in: Baseball
The Angels began the season with a makeshift starting
staff as 4/5 of the rotation were injured. I always
felt they could still win the West, if for no other
reason than there was little real competition in the
division. Little did I realize that the re-built
Rangers were for real, and would not go away.
But, behind baseball's first half MVP Torri Hunter, the team withstood the injury plague, stayed close to Texas, and as the starters began to filter back, they re-took first place and never really faltered in their quest to meet the Red Sox once again in the playoffs. Despite the total absence of Kelvim Escobar, by the end of the season, the starting staff, bolstered by the acquisition of Scott Kazmir, had once again become baseball's best, as the BoSox saw over the past few days.
With healthy starters, a resurgent Vlad, the streaking Kendry Morales, the solid play of Figgins, Isturis, and Aybar, and a bullpen hopefully just good enough, bring on the scumstripes!
But, behind baseball's first half MVP Torri Hunter, the team withstood the injury plague, stayed close to Texas, and as the starters began to filter back, they re-took first place and never really faltered in their quest to meet the Red Sox once again in the playoffs. Despite the total absence of Kelvim Escobar, by the end of the season, the starting staff, bolstered by the acquisition of Scott Kazmir, had once again become baseball's best, as the BoSox saw over the past few days.
With healthy starters, a resurgent Vlad, the streaking Kendry Morales, the solid play of Figgins, Isturis, and Aybar, and a bullpen hopefully just good enough, bring on the scumstripes!
|
theHoundDawg
|
|
Why is This Year Not Like Last Year?
10/11/09 09:26 Filed in: Baseball
In last year's Division Series, the Dodgers looked
invincible against the Cubs, but then went down in
flames in the Championship Series against the
Phillies. Why will this year be different? There are
many reasons, but one sticks out.
The first few all revolve around the Dodgers. The starting staff is similar to last year's, but it doesn't matter this year. A Randy Wolf, a Clayton Kershaw (not to minimize the development of Kershaw and the fact that he can dominate a game), a Vicente Padilla, who can provide five good innings is all they need, with the solid bullpen they now have. The return to health of Hong-Chih Kuo and the acquisition of George Sherrill combining with Ronald Belisario and the now more experienced Jonathan Broxton is a powerful component they did not enjoy last season. The additional year of experience that Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have gained cannot be over-emphasized. These guys are now full-fledged major league stars, producing stellar defense, key hits, and those little intangibles, game after game. And take a look at second base. Last season, the soon-to-be-retired Jeff Kent was injured through the end of the season and missed the playoffs, replaced by the likes of the displaced Brad DeWitt, Angel Barroa, and Pable Ozuna. Today, the Dodgers' lineup features the all-star play of Orlando Hudson and the late-season heroics of veteran Ronnie Belliard. All of these reasons foretell a better outcome for the Dodgers in the Championship Series.
But what else?
Easy. This year they won't be facing the total dominance of Brad Lidge. Lidge was THE reason the Phillies knocked off the Dodgers and went on to the title. Whether it is the Phillies again or the Rockies, neither team has at this time, a closer who can compare to what Lidge used to be - neither Ryan Madson nor Lidge himself with the Phillies, nor Houston Street with Colorado.
I'll take the Dodgers' chances to make it to the World Series for the first time since 1988. And there is a real chance that there could be a Freeway Series, with the Dodgers facing the Angels.
The first few all revolve around the Dodgers. The starting staff is similar to last year's, but it doesn't matter this year. A Randy Wolf, a Clayton Kershaw (not to minimize the development of Kershaw and the fact that he can dominate a game), a Vicente Padilla, who can provide five good innings is all they need, with the solid bullpen they now have. The return to health of Hong-Chih Kuo and the acquisition of George Sherrill combining with Ronald Belisario and the now more experienced Jonathan Broxton is a powerful component they did not enjoy last season. The additional year of experience that Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have gained cannot be over-emphasized. These guys are now full-fledged major league stars, producing stellar defense, key hits, and those little intangibles, game after game. And take a look at second base. Last season, the soon-to-be-retired Jeff Kent was injured through the end of the season and missed the playoffs, replaced by the likes of the displaced Brad DeWitt, Angel Barroa, and Pable Ozuna. Today, the Dodgers' lineup features the all-star play of Orlando Hudson and the late-season heroics of veteran Ronnie Belliard. All of these reasons foretell a better outcome for the Dodgers in the Championship Series.
But what else?
Easy. This year they won't be facing the total dominance of Brad Lidge. Lidge was THE reason the Phillies knocked off the Dodgers and went on to the title. Whether it is the Phillies again or the Rockies, neither team has at this time, a closer who can compare to what Lidge used to be - neither Ryan Madson nor Lidge himself with the Phillies, nor Houston Street with Colorado.
I'll take the Dodgers' chances to make it to the World Series for the first time since 1988. And there is a real chance that there could be a Freeway Series, with the Dodgers facing the Angels.
|
theHoundDawg
|
|
Stats, Cy, and More
10/07/09 19:13 Filed in: Baseball
A few things stick out when perusing the final 2009
stats:
NO pitcher in either league won 20 games. Three American Leaguers won 19, Sabathia, Verlander, and the hottest pitcher down the stretch, though that is tempered by the fact hat he was not in a pennant race, Felix Hernandez. To me, the AL Cy Young award would be a toss-up between Hernandez and Zack Greinke. In the National League, Adam Wainwright was start to finish a model of consistency, leading the league with his 19 wins, two more than any other NL hurler. But, his teammate Chris Carpenter, coming back from yet another carer-threatening injury, and missing the start of the season, deserves the NL award, with his 17-4 record and league-leading 2.24 ERA.
For much of the year, the experts were saying the Albert Pujois had the triple crown locked up. Well, the rest of us fans waited for the season to end before anointing him, and he barely won one-third of a triple crown, hanging on to the home run title by one, over a charging Prince Fielder, and just behind him one more back, Ryan Howard. Those two tied for the RBI title with 141 each, six more than Prince Albert, who also finished third in the batting race.
The best season-long batting fete goes to Joe Mauer, who missed the first month of the season, and then never stopped hitting from his day one, ending with a league-leading .365 average with 28 HR and 96 RBI. Mauer is setting offensive records for a catcher at a greater pace than even Mike Pizza did, now becoming the first catcher ever to lead a league in batting three times. His stats overshadowed the continued sensational numbers that Ichiro continues to put up. Ichiro was second in the batting race at .352, and collected a MLB high 225 hits. In his nine years in the majors, his lowest hit total in a season was 208, and he raised his lifetime .331 B.A. Also in the AL, Carlos Pena missed the last month of the season, but his then-total of 39 home runs was never surpassed, and he ended in a tie for the AL lead with that rich guy from ny.
A striking non-stat is the fact that NO National League pitcher had as many as FIVE complete games.
NO pitcher in either league won 20 games. Three American Leaguers won 19, Sabathia, Verlander, and the hottest pitcher down the stretch, though that is tempered by the fact hat he was not in a pennant race, Felix Hernandez. To me, the AL Cy Young award would be a toss-up between Hernandez and Zack Greinke. In the National League, Adam Wainwright was start to finish a model of consistency, leading the league with his 19 wins, two more than any other NL hurler. But, his teammate Chris Carpenter, coming back from yet another carer-threatening injury, and missing the start of the season, deserves the NL award, with his 17-4 record and league-leading 2.24 ERA.
For much of the year, the experts were saying the Albert Pujois had the triple crown locked up. Well, the rest of us fans waited for the season to end before anointing him, and he barely won one-third of a triple crown, hanging on to the home run title by one, over a charging Prince Fielder, and just behind him one more back, Ryan Howard. Those two tied for the RBI title with 141 each, six more than Prince Albert, who also finished third in the batting race.
The best season-long batting fete goes to Joe Mauer, who missed the first month of the season, and then never stopped hitting from his day one, ending with a league-leading .365 average with 28 HR and 96 RBI. Mauer is setting offensive records for a catcher at a greater pace than even Mike Pizza did, now becoming the first catcher ever to lead a league in batting three times. His stats overshadowed the continued sensational numbers that Ichiro continues to put up. Ichiro was second in the batting race at .352, and collected a MLB high 225 hits. In his nine years in the majors, his lowest hit total in a season was 208, and he raised his lifetime .331 B.A. Also in the AL, Carlos Pena missed the last month of the season, but his then-total of 39 home runs was never surpassed, and he ended in a tie for the AL lead with that rich guy from ny.
A striking non-stat is the fact that NO National League pitcher had as many as FIVE complete games.
|
theHoundDawg
|
|
Dodgers, Angels, Tigers, and all That
10/07/09 09:11 Filed in: Baseball
Any sane person would have to pick the scumspripes
and Cards to get to the World Series, but I think
there will be more surprises along the Division and
Championship Series route. No expert gives the
floundering Dodgers a chance against the dominant St.
Louis pitching, but that series will decide the NL
title, as the Phillies cannot make it without a
closer and the Rockies will not see a repeat of
history. In the AL, right now the Angles have the
dominant starting staff and a hot-and-cold closer to
compliment their great offense and stellar defense.
The charging Twins may or may not have enough
pitching to continue their run, but that will be an
interesting series. If only Justin Morneau could
play, and where is Francisco Liriano?
I loved the over-rated Tigers' collapse, which came a few weeks later than I anticipated.
Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda will have a lot to say about who moves on in the NL.
I loved the over-rated Tigers' collapse, which came a few weeks later than I anticipated.
Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda will have a lot to say about who moves on in the NL.
|
theHoundDawg
|
|