WHO WAS AWESOME
1. Ian Kinsler. Tough to keep a guy who hit for the cycle out of here, which Kinsler did last night against Baltimore, overall going 6-6 with five runs scored, four RBI, and a steal. Yeah, that's a pretty good night. Kinsler, who finished fourth in average last year at .319, is now hitting .474/.524/.947 and now leads the league in both doubles and RBI. He's basically Albert Pujols so far, but only if Pujols played a position that is usually a black hole for offense. Obviously he won't stay at those lofty numbers all year, but even a slight increase from last year's .319/.375/.517 and 18 HRs and 71 rbi puts him in the MVP discussion, since those are virtually identical to Pedoria's numbers last year.
2. Clayton Kershaw. Oh Clayton, I love you so. I've mentioned him on here before, calling multiple Cy Youngs and describing him as having "a Barry Zito curveball (when he was good), Randy Johnson fastball, and Johan Santana changeup", so you could probably say I'm a bit high on him. He's living up to it this year though, after a mediocre half a season in the bigs last year. Yesterday he completely destroyed the Giants, giving up just 1 hit and 1 run in seven innings while striking out 13 and walking just one. Total domination. Of course, the Dodgers refused to score enough runs to get him the win, deciding instead to win in the last innings, giving Kershaw his second no decision of the year. Instead of 2-0, Kershaw is at 0-0, but with an ERA of 1.50, WHIP of 0.67, OBA of .081, and 19 strikeouts in 12 innings. I'm not guaranteeing a Cy Young this year, but it wouldn't surprise me.
3. Jason Marquis. It's hard for me to say anything nice about this guy, because I remember in 2006 the Cubs gave him a 3 year/$21 million deal despite him having led the league in losses and home runs and earned runs allowed the previous year, one of the stupidest contracts ever offered. However, when readers talk, I listen, and our friend out in Denver pointed out that he's pitching very well for the Rockies this year, and he's right. Yesterday Marquis shut down the Cubs, going seven innings and allowing just five hits and one run, bringing him to 2-0 and sporting an ERA of 1.93 on the year. Not to mention knocking in two of the Rockies' five runs with a single in second - he's a very good hitter, actually, with a career average of .211 and he won the silver slugger in 2005. Perhaps most impressive is the zero home runs allowed in two starts, especially since they've been at Coors and Wrigley. I also want to mention here that Todd Helton was 2-5 yesterday. Man is that guy good. One of the best hitters in the history of baseball for sure.
WHO SUCKED
1. Alex Gordon. Fine, I'll ask. Is Gordon the next Andy Marte? (note that article is a year old, but this year Marte is in AAA this year the point stands). Well, Gordon isn't to that level and actually had a pretty decent season last year, so he's not actually close at all, but I had to ask the question because dude sucks so far this year. He opened the season well enough with a two-run homer in the opener, but has been on a steady slide since and is still looking for that elusive second extra-base hit on the year and racked up another 0-3 with a strikeout day bringing his season totals to 2-21, a nice, robust .095 batting average. When your team hits a career backup catcher like John Buck fourth and you seventh, you really probably need to get something figured out.
2. Adam Morrison. The NBA season ended yesterday, mercifully, and we can really get a true idea of how big a bust Morrison was by looking at some numbers. He averaged just four points and 1.5 rebounds per game in about 15 minutes per game, which, when extrapolated to 40 minutes, still only gives you twelve points and less than five rebounds. He also couldn't shoot, hitting just 36% of his shots and 33% from three. What do you get when a one-dimensional player can't do his one dimension? One of the worst players in the league.
There's a nerd stat for basketball called PER, which assigns a value to everything that can be quantified and spits out a number representing a Player's Efficiency Rating (PER). I don't know the whole formula, and it's a little different in basketball since it's a team sport, but it can give a pretty good idea of how good a player has been. For example, the top five in the NBA this season were Lebron, Wade, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Tim Duncan. Well, poor mister Morrison ranked 327th, ahead of only Matt Caroll, Bruce Bowen, and Donte Green (nice job leaving college early, ass) amongst players who qualify. He was worse than guys like Brian Cardinal, Marko Jaric, Ricky Davis, Sean Marks, and Aaron Afflalo. Perhaps it's best to leave with this little tidbit from the ESPN.com scouting report on Morrison, ".....has a long, long, long way to go to be a quality player."
3. MLB and the Media. Is it just me, or is this Jackie Robinson thing kind of getting out of hand? I mean, I get it. I understand both baseball history and the history of the United States, so I realize what an incredible impact he had. He's probably one of the five most influential sports figures in US history, but there seems to be a movement amongst the talking heads that he is the only one who could have done it, highlighted by Dick Bremer's, "If Jackie Robinson doesn't break the color barrier, just think about all the great players we would have missed out on."
Look, I have an idea of what he must have faced, and he was obviously an incredibly strong person mentally as well as being a pretty good ball player, but at the same time he had incredible teammates (look up the Pee Wee Reese story) and a GM in Branch Rickey who made the move in the first place. And if not Jackie, it would have been someone else, which is what makes Dick's comment and others like it so stupid. I'm not really taking anything away from Jackie, more pointing out the stupidity of journalism in their deification here.
Everyone wearing number 42 last night wasn't just confusing, it was ridiculously unnecessary. I think every team retiring number 42 a few years ago was the right move. It honored an incredible man in a fitting way. This business last night was overkill, particularly because it was the 62nd anniversary of his breaking the color barrier, not a nice round number. I can see trying to pull this off on the 25th, or the 50th, or even the 42nd, but the 62nd? What's next year, everyone has to play in blackface?
I love the Jackie Robinson story, and he's unquestionably one of the most important figures in sports history, maybe even US history overall. The way the media and the league are handling his legacy, however, is causing me to write things like this, and that's what pisses me off most of all.
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22 comments:
Agreed. It was great a couple years ago when it first started and players ASKED to wear 42 and then when the Dodgers ASKED for the whole team to wear 42. Yeah, those made sense, but forcing everyone to wear the 42 is a bit out of hand. Its funny I read the story about the guy suing the Yankees over being kicked out of old Yankee Stadium because he had to go to the bathroom during God Bless America and then this. Hmmm...I see a bit of a correlation.
WWWWW was the Adam Morrison shot across Bogart's bow? I'm sure you are aware that he is Bogart's main man. Bogart actually wept simultaneously with Morrison when the Zags lost that NCAA game creating the ugliest most embarrassing moment in sports history. You sure know how to pick em' Bogart!
PS Didn't we have a significant wager that Morrison was going to be a mega NBA bust?
You are racist and everyone else that comments on this blog is also racist, when are you going to let someone break the color barrier on this blog you racist white supremist?? All you do is keep non white americans down, you should be ashamed of yourself. You have never once highlighted a black, oriental or mexican sports figure on this blog, you dirty white cracker, I hope you rot in bigot hell.
Ooh, this should spark some interesting follow-up!
What is Bigot Hell like? I feel like all of hell, is kind of the same, not different degrees. I am assuming Douchey Mcdouchedouche was being just that, but if not, oh well. If he was serious, the picture of D.Span under this makes him the darkest white man ever, ever.
good work on Marquis by the way.
Jason Marquis fan - isn't Todd Helton awesome?
Just because the UofM is not a HBCU and we back them doesn't mean we are all racists and biggots. Those that are too stubborn to patiently look before condeming are the ones that ruin the work that men like J. Robinson have done and other continue to do. Fight the stereotype man, you yourself should stop searching blogs for random blurbs about one race or the other. Or better yet, start your own and vent there.
Dawg, I never - never - said Morrison was going to be a good NBA player, no less placed a wager on it. The last NBA bet I recall placing with you was that Jameer Nelson would be a better pro than Kris Humphries. Nice call on that one!
... also W is a racist.
W grew up in Fridley - don't they kick you out of that town if you're not a racist?
To be fair WWWWWW highlighted a Mexican....once. He praised the play of the Tacohawk Western Kentucky. That being said WWWWWW is a racist and a cracker!
Dawger, you are not allowed to comment on anyones eye for talent. You are the undisputed champion of bad talent eyes.
Do be fair Humphries has lead the league 4 years running with most "DNP Coach's Decision". What has the midget Jameer Nelson ever lead the league in?
PS If you never said Morrison was going to be a future NBA great then why do you sport a Morrison shirt? You pulling a Judas on Morrison is worse then when WWWWW pulled the same maneuver on his main man Rico Tucker over on the gopherhole. Flip Flopping son of a bitch!
PPS WWW has had only 2 interactions with black people in his life. The first time he got punched in the face. The 2nd time was at Bogart's wedding. The only thing he talked about on the 2nd interaction was basketball because he didn't think he was capable of talking about anything else. So yes, WWW is a major racist and I too hope he burns in bigot hell.
I guarantee W bumped into the one minority student that attended SLP one time, if there was a minority at SLP before 97'. Also, easy on the Helton stuff, I puked in my mouth when you told me how great he is. This tit has hit a total of 59 homeruns since 2005. In that same time he has earned roughly $80 million fucking dollars. Also because of doucher here, Matt Holliday could not be locked up long term because, this is my favorite, Fuck Faces contract jumps over the next three years to........ and avg of $20 mill. Good work Monforts, good fucking work, not even Pohlad was this crazy in his prime. (Side note, I saw Charlie Monfort on the streets opening day and froze like Bo Ryan in a big game, my wife even mocked me for not yelling shit at him, damn I am pussy) Also, they could have traded him for Lester three years ago. I am sure the Sox are regretting that never panned out. At least he is striking out at the rate of once every 4 at bats, Ryan Howard isn't even that bad yet.
Career average of .328, OBP of .428, SLG of .572 and a career OPS+ of 141. A batting title in 2000 and in the top 10 eight times and in the top 10 in MVP voting three times. More than 37 doubles in every single healthy season he played.
I don't know, sounds like a hall of famer to me.
May be a Hall of famer, but don't give me the top 10 in mvp voting 3 times. That is like taking your cousin to prom. Sure you had a date, but are you really gonna brag about it to your buddies?(Some of these readers may, especially Dawg). But at this point I don't care if he was Kirby Puckett, he sucks and is costing this team(especially now that the Hampton/Neagle deals are off the books) every breath he takes. I mean you might as well pay Punto 21 mill in two years cause he will be putting up bigger numbers than this homo.
Another stat I would like to see on him, how many balls have you hit to the warning track, maybe ol'Toddy boy was hitting the needle with the other cheaters of the early 2000's? Think about it, since those days, mysteriously fagfags numbers dropped like a 5 doller hooker in an alley. A couple of random illnesses?? I'm not saying, but I am.
Speaking of hookers, here is the photo of Denny Neagles hooker that cost him only 19 mill.
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2006/0125/20060125_021334_ol25russell.jpg
nice adams apple dude.
Quit with the meaningless awards and stats For Helton. BA, OBP, OPS+, SLG, batting titles and MVP's??? Why don't you tell us how many times he's been on a wheaties box or won and ESPY, idiot. Next thing you know you will be talking about how many meaningless silver sluggers he's one.
Helton also hates blacks, I see why WWWW smokes his pole.
Todd Helton circa 2005 on = Doug Mientkiewicz every day, except Dougs got himself a ring.
You are kidding about Helton sucking correct? He IS the face of your franchise. Granted he is on the down but who do you have thats better? Thats what I thought. Also, When was the last time the Rockies went out and landed a whale of a free agent? So at least that $20 Million is being spent on a player instead of lining your owners pockets like the cheap pricks in MN.
Also, Pitching your closer at home in the 9th inning of a tie game is actually standard practice. Maybe flip on a game or two before tearing into a manager for a decision that a most would make. Lastly, the word fuck is best used when you are really trying to drive home your feelings about something. Using it in every other sentence makes you look like an uneducated baboon. Now getting back to rubbing yourself raw over losing Cutler.
Most SLP grads are uneducated baboons
A) I am a baboon fuck you.
B) Hate the Broncos, glad they traded him, just wish the vikings didn't have to play him twice a year. Fuck the broncos
C)Thanks for the advice to "flip on a game" every once in a while. Maybe you missed the part where I said I have tickets to the Rockies, now being a baboon makes me forget stuff, but that's okay fucker.
D) Love the "face of the franchise" bit, what does that mean really? The team sucks, so let's keep a 36 year old avg. player around because he used to be good when the rest of the team sucked? At least win me something for god's sake, even in the run to the playoffs, it was the other guys getting work done, not Fuckface.
E) As far as who is better right now then T.Helton, you must be the one kidding? B.Hawpe, G.Atkins, T.Tulowitzki, C.Barmes, I.Stewart, the ball boy, the fat bullpen security guard who sprints back after handing of the jackets and Don Baylor to name a few. That's what I thought(wanted to be douchey and write that like you)
F) Hurdle is terrible, that is a scintific fact, much like women's brains being smaller then men's. Read a book dick. Hurdle is a bum, nothing more. Poor decision after poor decision has led to countless losses, that is just how it is, I have watched it for the past 5 years, so I wasn't going off that one game, it just sums up his inabilities as a human and manager, but again, thanks for the advice.
Hope you are all now dumber for having read this, God I miss MN.
Helton = Hall of Famer = most preposterous statement ever??
Note: I know the difffernce between Blossom and Six. Please notice how Six is the one referenced right before the picture is inserted. I also don't actually think Helton is a HOFer. Nobody does. Rockies' guy is my new favorite guy to get riled up.
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