Taking stock of the first 1/3 of the season

Memorial Day and the beginning of June take place roughly at the 1/3 mark of the baseball season.

There's still a lot of baseball to be played, but enough games are in the bank that we can start to analyze which teams look like contenders and which players are having really special years.

And we here at Sully Baseball are going to take a look at who the playoff teams are and who are the award winners with 2/3 of the season left to go.

There are some surprise playoff teams and at this writing some startling omissions. And the NL Rookie of the Year vote might change completely if Buster Posey and Stephen Strasburg have anything to say about it.

Let's see where we are.

If the playoffs started today…

AL East Champion Tampa Bay Rays
Would have home field advantage over
AL West Champion Oakland A’s

AL Central Champion Minnesota Twins
Would have home field advantage over
AL Wild Card New York Yankees

Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers would all be 3 games or fewer out of a playoff spot

NL West Champion San Diego Padres
Would have home field advantage over
NL Wild Card Cincinnati Reds

NL Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals
Would have home field advantage over
NL East Champion Atlanta Braves

Cardinals would be the Division Champ on the basis of their head to head record with the Reds.

Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies would all be 3 games or fewer out of a playoff spot.

AL MVP:
MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers
Leads the league with 48 RBI. Also leads the league in slugging. Second in homers and OPS. Third in batting average and on base percentage.

In the running:
JUSTIN MORNEAU, Twins. KEVIN YOUKILIS, Red Sox. ROBINSON CANO, Yankees. EVAN LONGORIA, Rays. VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers.

NL MVP:
ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals
Have you noticed than even with his “slump” he’s 1st in homers, 3rd in OPS, 3rd in on base percentage, 5th in RBI, and 6th in hits? Plus he’s batting .310 in his “disappointing first 2 months.” He’s the MVP until someone proves otherwise.

In the running:
ANDRE ETHIER, Dodgers. JASON HEYWARD, Braves. JOEY VOTTO, Reds.

AL CY YOUNG:
JON LESTER, Red Sox
Lowest batting average against. Second in strikeouts. Sub 3.00 ERA after terrible start. Tied for third in wins, 1 behind the co-leaders.

In the running:
DAVID PRICE, Rays. JEFF NIEMANN, Rays. PHIL HUGHES, Yankees.

NL CY YOUNG:
UBALDO JIMENEZ, Rockies
In a season full of dominating ace performances, his 10-1 record with a 0.78 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP (and a no hitter thrown in for good measure) make Jimenez the winner at the 1/3 mark.

In the running:
ROY HALLADAY, Phillies. TIM LINCECUM, Giants. ADAM WAINWRIGHT, Cardinals.

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
MITCH TALBOT, Indians.
6-3 record for the lowly Tribe. 3.73 ERA and a complete game victory in his second start this season.

In the running:
WADE DAVIS, Rays. AUSTIN JACKSON, Tigers. BRENNAN BOESCH, Tigers.

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
JASON HEYWARD, Braves.
He’s all that he has been hyped up to be. Hits for power, for solid average and has a flair for the dramatic.

In the running:
MIKE LEAKE, Reds. IKE DAVIS, Mets. DAVID FREESE, Cardinals. JAIME GARCIA, Cardinals.

AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR:
JOE MADDON, Rays.
Guiding the young and talented Rays back to the top of the most brutal division in baseball and has the best record in the game.

In the running:
BOB GEREN, Athletics. RON WASHINGTON, Rangers. RON GARDENHIRE, Twins. CITO GASTON, Blue Jays. JOE GIRARDI, Yankees.

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR:
DUSTY BAKER, Reds.
Has the Reds tied for first place going into June and doing so with solid pitching and clutch hitting. Don’t wear out those young arms!!!

In the running:
BUD BLACK, Padres. BOBBY COX, Braves. JOE TORRE, Dodgers. BRUCE BOCHY, Giants.

AL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays
Unwanted and untradeable a year ago, now has a .301 average, a .956 OPS, leads the league in doubles and has 13 homers, 2 shy of his total last year over 158 games!

In the running:
VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers. ALEX RIOS, White Sox. TY WIGGINGTON, Orioles. ERVIN SANTANA, Angels.

NL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
CARLOS SILVA, Cubs
Has given the Cubs a sparkling 7-0 record with a respectable 3.12 ERA… and the Cubs would have taken a can of Sprite for Milton Bradley!

In the running:
BARRY ZITO, Giants. TIM HUDSON, Braves. LIVAN HERNANDEZ, Nationals.

BIGGEST BUST IN THE AL:
JOSH BECKETT, Red Sox
Signs a 5 year contract extension and wins a single game and has an ERA of 7.29 before he lands on the DL.

In the running:
CHONE FIGGINS, Mariners. AARON HILL, Blue Jays. GRADY SIZEMORE, Indians. MILTON BRADLEY, Mariners

BIGGEST BUST IN THE NL:
CARLOS LEE, Astros
Low average. Bad on base percentage. Lackluster power. All for $19 million!

In the running:
MARK DeROSA, Giants. ARAMIS RAMIREZ, Cubs. AKI IWAMURA, Pirates. EDWIN JACKSON, Diamondbacks.


So in less than an hour it will be June in California (as it is already June on the East Coast.)

We'll take stock again at the All Star Break (the unofficial half way mark) and at Labor Day (the home stretch.)

It will be interesting to see if the Phillies, Red Sox, Dodgers and Angels are still on the outside looking in!

Wow... Ubaldo Jimenez is pretty good

Folks... THAT is what you call a statement game.

Jimenez comes into AT&T Park against Lincecum, throws the complete game shutout, goes to 10-1 with a sickening ERA of 0.78.

He's the 15th pitcher to win 10 games before June 1 (Brandon Webb last did it in 2008) and 20 wins seems like a given now.

Could he be the first big league pitcher to win 25 or more since Bob Welch won 27 in 1990 for the A's? No National League pitcher has won 25 since Steve Carlton in 1972... 38 years ago.

4 wins a month for the rest of the season will get him at 26.

5 wins a month? Well that will be 30 wins... but we won't go there.

My friend, the brilliant writer Andres DuBouchet asked me if this was the best start to a season ever.

I can't be 100% sure... Pedro Martinez had a sub 1.00 ERA in June in 2000 during the height of the steroid era. And one of his 2 losses by June was a complete game against Tampa where he let up 1 run and struck out 17.

Fernando Valenzuela started the 1981 season with 8 complete game victories. He was 9-2 on June 1st, all 9 victories complete games with a 1.90 ERA. Pretty damn good.

I say Jimenez is better than both Pedro and Fernando. He calls home Coors Field, which is almost unfair.

One thing IS for certain: He is well on his way to the best regular season in Rockies history!

Here are the Rockies regular season records in pitching categories compared to Jimenez's current numbers:

Best ERA: 2.80 (Marvin Freeman, 1994)
Jimenez: 0.78

Most wins: 17 (Kevin Ritz, 1996, Pedro Astacio, 1999, Jeff Francis, 2007)
Jimenez: 10

Best WHIP: 1.207 (Marvin Freeman, 1994)
Jimenez: 0.90

Most innings pitched: 232 (Pedro Astacio, 1999)
Jimenez: 80 1/3

Most Strikeouts: 210 (Pedro Astacio, 1999)
Jimenez: 70

Most Complete Games: 7 (Pedro Astacio, 1999)
Jimenez: 2

Most Shutouts: 2 (Roger Bailey, 1997, Jason Jennings, 2006)
Jimenez: 2

Fewest Homeruns per 9 innings: 0.498 (Ubaldo Jimenez, 2008)
Jimenez: 0.1

Fewest hits per 9 innings: 7.555 (Ublaldo Jimenez, 2009)
Jimenez: 5.3


You get the point.
He's rewriting his own team's record book and throwing away the qualifier of adjusting his stats for Coors Field.

I am not sure it is the best start ever... but it's damn good.

Why is this man smiling?

It's been almost exactly 3 years since Dave Trembley took over the Orioles in June of 2007.

Then the common thought process was "Hey, there's no way anyone's going to beat the Red Sox nor Yankees... so just keep the seat warm."

Well since then the Rays have shown that a team not in the Northeast can win the division and at this point, even the Blue Jays are contending.

Meanwhile the Orioles are 187-280 under Trembley... almost 100 games UNDER .500 in not quite 3 seasons!

That's an even .400 winning percentage that is falling like a rock with the Orioles in a 5 game tailspin.

Look, nobody was expecting the Orioles to remind anyone of the great Earl Weaver teams this year... but there ARE some talented players on this squad. Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters were supposed to be the nucleus for an exciting team. And veterans like Ty Wigginton, Cesar Izturis and Kevin Millwood were supposed to help the young kids mature.

Instead the Orioles are on pace to go 47-115... which would not only be the worst record in baseball since the 2003 Tigers... but be the worst team in Baltimore Oriole history (yes, worse than the 1988 team that started 0-21 and finished 54-107.)

That would be the most losses in the HISTORY of the franchise dating back to the days of the inept St. Louis Browns.

Dave Trembley could lead the Orioles into its absolute darkest hour.
The franchise that was once the model of consistency and winning ways could hit its low point in 2010 under Trembley's watch.

Why is this man smiling?
Because with the team having an off day, it seemed 60/40 he was going to get fired... and so far he hasn't.

Maybe he'll turn it around.
Maybe they will avoid the worst record in team history.

Keep smiling.

The best pitching match up of the year!

Seriously... THIS is how you end the first 1/3 of the season.
The front front runner for the Cy Young Award, Ubaldo Jimenez, who leads the league in wins, ERA and WHIP... taking on the 2 time defending Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum who isn't far behind Jimenez in most categories and leads the league in strikeouts.

It's such a good match up that I want to stay inside all day and watch it instead of go out on this beautiful Memorial Day in Southern California.

(I will DVR it on MLB Network.)

The Giants have a new weapon for this match up.

Future Hall of Famer Buster Posey is now in the lineup!

How good is he? After 2 games he is on pace to bat .667 with an OPS of 1.556... and drive in 226 runs.

I think he will keep up that pace!

Consider me hooked for this game!

The Red Sox salute the military by dressing like Good Humor Men

Seriously, is there something wrong with having an American Flag patch on the uniform or the side of the hat?

It's bad enough the Sox are wearing the red tops... but they should look like a team trying to get back into a pennant race, not asking "Do you want a chocolate dip cone?"

Where is everyone? I just hit a walk off homer

When I heard that Howie Kendrick hit a walk off homer for the Angels, my first thought was "I hope he's OK."

What are the chances that the Angels would get a walk off homer THE DAY AFTER Kendry Morales got himself elected into the Knucklehead Hall of Fame with his season threatening walk off homer yesterday?

I say 3 to 1.

The Padres camouflage uniforms have GOT to go

AUTHOR UPDATE: MAY 2, 2011

I wrote this post over a year ago. I know that tonight the Padres will wear the camouflage to honor the incredible work done by our men and women in uniform specifically regarding the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. As I wrote last night, I think this victory over Bin Laden is a great day for America and I think that the gesture made by the Padres is a tremendous one.

Please do not think I am trying to pull a John Steigerwald and make waves for attention.

All of that being said, I still think the uniforms are ugly.

Now on to the original post...

Before you write in to me saying how insensitive I am and how unpatriotic I am, YES I realize the Padres wear camouflage uniforms to honor the military.

And I also know they do it several times a year, not just Memorial Day.

And I know San Diego is a military town and the Padres do A LOT for our brave men and women in uniform to whom we ALL owe a debt of gratitude.

I know all of that.

But guess what? Sometimes a nice gesture can still blow.
Ever get a lousy present from an earnest relative that was dreadful?
THESE uniforms are the ugly ties given to dads by sincere kids.

Why not have a military uniform that looks more like Naval attire? After all, San Diego is a big Navy town!

I'll say it... these uniforms suck.

They even suck as camouflage! Yeah, the tops will blend in... but how do the WHITE PANTS help you?

If you are going to do camouflage, take a page from the minor league team The American Defenders of New Hampshire.

Folks, they do camouflage and they go ALL THE WAY.

The potential downside of Roy Halladay's perfect game

Like a badass responding to a challenge, Roy Halladay would look at Ubaldo Jimenez seemingly pulling away in the Cy Young race and say "Not so fast! I se your no hitter and RAISE YOU A PERFECT GAME!"

(It's also his 3rd complete game shutout this season.)

The downside? The temptation of headline writers to come up with a "Halladay Weekend" pun.

I hope they can resist it.
Please try to

Hey Kendry Morales. Sometimes it is good to act like you've been there before

I probably shouldn’t tell players to NOT be emotional. I used to jump up and do a dance when I would a game using my Digital Diamond.

And I never hit a home run in any baseball game at any level save for whiffle ball… so I don’t know the sensation of a walk off extra inning grand slam like the one Kendry Morales hit today in Anaheim.

All I know is if you break a bone celebrating and you will probably miss 1/3 of the season and your team is trying to get back into the race and you are one of their best hitters… then maybe you need to tone down your celebrations.

I’m getting tired of the mass huddle and jumping up and down for a walk off homer. Yeah, celebrate and hug, but shouldn’t the wild celebrations be for pennant stretch homers? Back breaking homers? Post season walk off shots?

This was a match up between two underachieving sub .500 teams in May. This wasn’t Magglio Ordonez sending the Tigers to the World Series.

It’s kind of like the whole Gatorade on the coach in football. Yeah it was cool when the Giants were doing it in the mid 80s, but now it is a strange and tired obligation.

Just celebrate naturally, not in a choreographed way. I think Morales hurt himself doing all the proper steps. Throw the helmet and jump on first base… CRACK! WHOOPS!

Take a look at this celebration of a homer. This is Tommy Henrich being greeted at home plate by Yogi Berra, coach Bill Dickey and a bat boy. Do you know what he just did? He hit a walk off homer in the World Series! The first ever… and a player, a coach and a bat boy are there to greet him.

I’m not saying go to THAT extreme of no celebration… but celebrate according to the sincere moment of the game. There’s no mob at the pitchers mound with the catcher leaping into the closer’s arms after every save.

If Morales had a more sincere celebration, the Angels might have an every day first baseman for the next 2 months!

Just saying

Looking good, Joba

4 runs in a 1/3 of an inning.

3 losses already.

At the approximate 1/3 point of the season with a 5.82 ERA.

I had people write to me, saying I was too harsh in my "trade Joba" post. It won't be cruel when his trade value is less than for the sequel rights to The Love Guru.

Should the Giants get ready to retire #28 as well?

If Buster Posey keeps hitting like this, Posey will be joining Monte Irvin in a number retirement ceremony for the Giants before long.

Now I know that I am not alone in screaming for the Giants to recall this guy!
How many minor league call ups get a standing ovation in their first at bat of the season?

Then he proceeds to drive in 3 runs... or two more than the Giants had against the A's a few weekends ago.

We can't go crazy, because it was against the D'Backs, not exactly a powerhouse. But it COULD mean he is a spark the Giants are looking for without trading away anyone.

Now my dad, as big a Giants fan as you will ever meet, thinks it is a mistake to not play him at catcher. "He's the future and if they move him around, it might screw him up. Either call him up and stick him behind the plate or let him work it out in Fresno."

Well Bochy didn't listen to my dad's advice... but if a 3-4 performance with 3 RBI hits is a screwed up hitter, then Giants fans better hope he never gets help.

Reserve room on the wall for 28!

Alright... buckle up!

Celtics vs. the Lakers.
I wouldn't want it any other way.

Actually that isn't true. I wanted it another way. I was rooting for the Suns tonight. I wanted that series to go seven games.

I wanted the Suns in the Finals.
Why?

Because I am a coward.

But none of that matters now... it is Boston vs. Los Angeles in the Finals. (The Lakers, NOT the Clippers.)

Let's hope the Celtics can party like it is 2008...
and 1984
and 1969
and 1968
and 1966
and 1965
and 1963
and 1962
and for good measure 1959 when the Lakers were in Minneapolis.

(Not so much like 1985 nor 1987.)

How much does Zack Greinke hate Tyler Clippard?

A casual look at Zack Greinke's stats and you'd think he was having a disastrous follow up to his Cy Young season last year.

He dropped to 1-6 losing again to the Red Sox today.

And another quick look at Tyler Clippard's stats, you'd think HE was a Cy Young contender! He's second in the NL with 7 wins against only 3 losses and has a 1.93 ERA.

But Clippard, a reliever for the Nationals, has piled up those wins by blowing leads and being the pitcher of record for Nats comebacks.

And Greinke has pitched really well this year. He's had 6 games where he has gone 7 innings or more, letting up 2 runs or fewer and lost 3 of those games and got a no decision in the other 3.

Those 6 games are reflected in his win loss total with an 0-3 mark.

And today was one of those 6. He lets up an RBI grounder to Mike Lowell and THAT'S YOUR OFFENSE! Drive home safely.

Don't get me wrong, as a Sox fan, I love it.
I just can't help but feel for the guy.

He's trying to earn a win and Tyler Clippard is picking them off of carcasses!

TALLY TIME

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 17

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 15

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)

Back up to +2... and Clay Buchholz is pitching like an All Star.

Lester for the split tomorrow

NAME THAT RED SOX PLAYER!

NAME THAT RED SOX PLAYER

He was a player, not a coach or a manager or bat boy or minor leaguer, but a major leaguer on the active roster for the Boston Red Sox.

He the only person to be a Red Sox teammate with…
Carl Yastrzemski
Jim Rice
Carlton Fisk
Fred Lynn
Dwight Evans
Luis Tiant
Jerry Remy
George “Boomer” Scott
Bernie Carbo
Bill Lee
Bob Stanley
Butch Hobson
Rich Gedman
John Tudor
Bruce Hurst
Tony Perez
Wade Boggs
Marty Barrett
Oil Can Boyd
Tony Armas
Marty Barrett
Roger Clemens
Mo Vaughn
Nomar Garciaparra
Jason Varitek
Trot Nixon
Pedro Martinez
Tim Wakefield
And Derek Lowe

Who am I?

E mail your answers to info@sullybaseball.com

First right one gets a prize

Who should I root for in the Stanley Cup Finals?

I admit I am a casual hockey fan. When I was a single man, I followed hockey much more closely, but I adhere to the theory that when you become a married man with kids you have to make a choice:

1. Follow every sport casually.
2. Follow one sport REALLY closely and check in on the other ones from time to time.

Obviously not only did I pick #2 but I also picked baseball as my sport of choice.

Now I am a San Jose Sharks fan since they were formed I 1991 and drafted Pat Faloon to be the first star of the team. And I’ve cheered for Irbe, Sellane, Ricci, Damphoose and now Marleau, Nabakov and Thornton. I am by no means as crazy as some of my Shark fan friends, like the great comics Kurtis Matthews and Karen Smyth, but I do want them to win the cup.

When it comes to hockey, I am like Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction was to hamburgers. He didn’t have them that often but he does love a good burger.

And I do love a good hockey game.

So today the Stanley Cup Finals begin. My dream match up of a Sharks/Bruins final didn’t come true… and we are stuck with the Blackhawks and the Flyers.

Who should I root for? I have no emotion or loyalty to either team nor really to either city. I like Chicago and I like Philadelphia. I know a lot of people from both cities and I have performed in both cities.

Now I could cop out and say “I just want a 7 game series and each game to go into overtime.” Which is true… I do want that. But what if Game 7 goes into OT? By definition I would have my wish and would want one team to win.

I need to figure this out and I need to do so before the puck drops. And as usual, I will figure it out by writing lists.

5 Reasons to Root for the Blackhawks

1. They are an Original Six team and having the more traditional teams win is good for the game. Plus they get to show black and white clips of old Blackhawk teams and dust off Tony Esposito and Stan Mikita

2. The Blackhawks have the current longest Stanley Cup drought at 49 years. Their fans have suffered enough.

3. They've got a bunch of young stars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook who are all solid. Good young players are good for the league.

4. Neither the Cubs nor the White Sox look like they are going to win anything this year... and Chicago needs a nice title to start the decade off right.

5. The Blackhawks have been the forgotten team in Chicago. Even Cameron Frye didn't wear a Blackhawks jersey in Ferris Beuller's Day Off. It would be cool to see them as the #1 team in the Second City.

5 Reasons to root against the Blackhawks





1. Enough with the Original Six snobbery. I root for an expansion team that plays in California. All the teams get their players from the same pool of Fins, Russians, Czechs, Canadians and dudes from New England and Minnesota.

2. If the Blackhawks win, man it will make the Cubs 102 year drought even lonelier. Then the next longest title drought would be the Super Bowl Shuffle Bears... which wasn't THAT long ago! Cubs fans have gone through enough.

3. Young whipper snappers win the Cup while veterans like Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have to twiddle their thumbs and wait for another year? Sick.

4. Yeah, Chicago fans will be happy... for about an hour. Don't you think most Chicago fans would trade a Blackhawks Stanley Cup for 2 Bears regular season wins against Brett Favre?

5. Is it Black Hawks or Blackhawks? Make up your mind!


5 Reasons to root for the Flyers





1. They are the underdog! A #7 seed makes it all the way to the Finals? Who can't love a Cinderella story?

2. After blowing the 3-0 lead to the Flyers, it might sit better with my Bruin fan friends to see the Flyers win the Cup. That way they can say "Hey, we lost to a team of destiny!"

3. It's good to see Philadelphia become a city of titles after so many years of futility.

4. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was a career minor league who only played a handful of games in the NHL. He took over the team mid season and got them to the Cup Final. A lifelong hockey man like that deserves his name on the Cup!

5. Veteran Ian Laperriere is a 16 year veteran making his first Stanley Cup Finals appearance. He too has earned it.


5 Reasons to root against the Flyers







1. Yeah, they are the Cinderella Story, but the Canadiens did most of the heavy lifting for them! It was the Habs, not the Flyers, who knocked off mighty Washington and Pittsburgh.

2. I know a lot of Bruins fans and I have a feeling they don't want to hear Flyer taunts all off season backed up with knowing those fans got a Cup winner out of it.

3. A Flyers win will basically confirm the regular season is totally meaningless... and the NHL doesn't need more reasons to lose viewers.

4. Did the Flyers push the Phantoms out of town? Sure looks like it to me!

5. Matthew Clemmens, the Philles fan who threw up on that girl, is probably a Flyers fan. He doesn't deserve happiness.



It's a tough call... but the tipping factor is personal loyalty.

George Roy, the director of Curse of the Bambino among others, recently made the wonderful documentary Broad Street Bullies about the 1974 and 1975 Philadelphia Flyers.

A Flyers Cup Title would undoubtedly peak interest in the film and make it a stocking stuffer this Christmas season.

So... I am officially going to be rooting for The Philadelphia Flyers in that Game 7 Overtime.

Sorry Bruins fans.


sullybaseball on Twitter">

Celtic fans... don't buy these sweatshirts

Seriously… I’m not interested in flaunting a “Conference Champion” sweatshirt. They don’t hang Conference Championship banners hanging from the rafters.

Yankee fans don’t wear “Wild Card” hats. Duke fans don’t wear “Elite 8” t-shirts.

I am waiting for the big one.
Number 18.

Seriously, I expect the sales of these sweatshirts to be exactly zero.

Hey get your red hot aces here!

A week ago, I talked about the three aces who should be dealt and give their old teams a needed shot of youth and their new teams hope on October.

Well if these three are indeed going to be dealt, their teams would be smart to pull the trigger NOW!

Based on their last performances, they are bringing their A game.

Johan Santana pitched last night against Milwaukee and gave the Mets 8 shutout innings, 3 hits and got 2 hits himself.

Of course the Mets might be just diluted enough to think they have a shot this season. You don't... replenish the farm.

Roy Oswalt pitched on Wednesday and he also went 8 shutout innings, getting (for him) a rare win.

Last night Lee overcame a sloppy first inning to go 8 innings, 2 earned runs and 10 Ks.

Seriously Mets, Astros and Mariners... pull the trigger now.
You'd hate to see someone get an injury and suddenly you've got no bait.

The season is 1/3 done... time to look towards 2011.

Celtics Magic number is 4

Maybe it was appropriate that Nate Robinson was the hero for the Celtics tonight... a guy I forgot was even on the roster.

He's #4... which is exactly the number of wins I hope the Celtics have left in them to get banner #18.

After the hiccup of the Game 4 overtime and Game 5, they are back to being a team that doesn't look intimidated by anyone. Not Wade's Heat.. Not LeBron's Cavs... Not Howard's Magic...

Why should Kobe's Lakers be any different?

I talked to my friend Kenny Mack, the great writer for the Santa Monica Daily Press, who knows a crap load more than me about basketball, broke down the Celtics chances in the Finals.

"We are 4 wins away not only from raising banner #18 and our second in 3 years... but it will officially put an asterix next to the Lakers title last year. Garnett was hurt, otherwise we'd be talking three-peat."

Kenny began to breakdown the Lakers player by player to me showing why the Celtics have more than a punchers chance to win.

I stopped him. "There is one important thing that the Celtics have that the Lakers don't right now... they've already clinched a spot in the Finals!"

LET'S GO SUNS! LET'S GO SUNS!

Now THAT'S a dumb loss!

Seriously... when you are facing a team that is on pace to lose 90 some odd games and you jump ahead to a 3-0 first inning lead... it should be a blow out.

It should be a massacre.

There should be an infielder pitching late in the game.

And alas it was... FOR THE ROYALS!

Really, Wakes. I'm not saying you need to throw shutout ball... but isn't 5 runs enough?

I really didn't want Bill Hall to be the Red Sox most effective pitcher for the evening.

Now they have to be perfect to SPLIT with the Royals. REALLY? THIS is how you build on the great stretch that got them back INTO this season.

Ugh... Alright... let's update it.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 16

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 15

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)

All the way down to +1?

Let's pick it up, Clay!