Wednesday, November 30, 2016

We've Got a Deal

It came down to almost the 11th hour, but Major League Baseball has a new CBA.  We won't see the first baseball work stoppage since the 1994-95 strike, and this unprecedented period of labor peace will reach 26 years (it's still my belief that both sides learned their lesson from the strike and we'll never see another one in Major League Baseball again).

I highly doubt that anyone actually thought either side would be stupid enough to let a lockout happen.  This isn't the NHL, where the owners (and commissioner) view lockouts as a negotiating ploy rather than the last-resort nuclear option.  The sticking points, while not trivial, certainly weren't anything that was worth having a lockout over.  Especially not with billions of dollars at stake, and especially not coming off the highest-rated World Series in years.

For their part, both sides were acting as if everything was (and would continue to be) business as usual.  After all, Spring Training doesn't start until February, and there was no doubt a deal would've been in place by then.  But a lockout, however brief, would've put things like free agency, and even possibly next week's Winter Meetings, on hold.  Those things are just as important as Spring Training and the 162 games.

There are still a lot of details that we don't know, but, on the surface, this labor deal looks really similar to the one that was about to expire.  The stuff we do know is gradually trickling in, and there are a few significant changes worth mentioning.

Perhaps the two biggest things to come out of this new CBA are major wins for the players.  The first is that there won't be an international draft.  The owners really wanted that.  The players, especially those from Latin America, were vehemently opposed.  Instead, each team will have a hard cap on roster bonuses it can give to international free agents.  This won't stop teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers being able to throw as much money as they want at top international players.  But it does limit their spending power, which gives the smaller-market clubs an opportunity to sign them, as well.

Another big win for the players is that the "free" part has been put back in free agency.  Teams will no longer receive a first-round draft pick as compensation for losing a premium free agent.  Frankly, the old process didn't make much sense anyway.  The whole point of free agency is that the player gets to choose what team he plays for.  But because of the first-round pick attached, the old system (which will still be in place this offseason sense since free agency has already started and the ink isn't dry yet, which does make sense) limited the market on certain players.  Now that's not a worry.  There are still draft picks attached to free agents.  But they aren't first-round picks.  If you're under the luxury tax threshold, you lose a third-rounder.  If you're over, you lose two picks, a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder.

Speaking of the luxury tax, it's going up.  From $189 million to $195 million, then gradually to $210 million by the end of the deal.  If you go over, you pay similar tax rates to what you already did.  But if you go way over (cough, Dodgers, cough), that rate could be as high as 90 percent.  So, basically, there's nothing different on that front.  The Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers were over last season, and they still would be using this new math.  The only thing that's different is the amount they have to give everybody else.

The players didn't get everything they wanted, though.  Rosters are staying at 25 instead of increasing to 26.  They'll still expand to 40 in September, and it's not clear whether or not teams will have to declare a 25-man active roster for each game after they do, which is something a lot of people have been pushing for for years.  Likewise, there are probably changes to the domestic violence and joint drug policies, which would lead you to believe means tougher penalties.

What's also unclear, although it was discussed (likely at length) is whether or not the season will start earlier.  Playing 162 games in 183 days is a grind.  Especially when you're flying cross country, then playing that night.  At the very least, the players wanted more day games on getaway days so that they're not getting into a city at 3-4:00 in the morning, only to turn around and play a few hours later.

So, don't be surprised if they add a few days on the front end of the season so that the players get a few more off days built in.  (The weather in April in a lot of cities is usually so bad anyway that giving teams more options for makeups doesn't seem like a terrible idea, either.)  Starting a full week earlier might be a little much, but adding an extra weekend in front of that traditional first Monday in April Opening Day doesn't seem unrealistic.  Obviously they can't change it for the upcoming season, but I'm curious to see if it'll be there on the 2018 schedule.

We'll get more details once the CBA is ratified by both the union and the owners.  But we're not going to have to worry about when the deal will be signed.  Instead, we'll move on to the Winter Meetings and Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic and, finally, the 2017 season knowing that we're not gonna have to worry about this again for another five years.  Which makes baseball fans the biggest winners here.

Monday, November 28, 2016

NFL Coaches On the Hot Seat

There's a month left in the NFL season.  That means some teams are positioning themselves for what they hope will be deep playoff runs.  Others are hoping to put themselves in a position to keep playing into January.  And still others are just playing out the string in a lost season.  Some coaches are coaching for their jobs, while others will inevitably be fired.  While some have warmer seats than others, there are a number of coaches that can't exactly feel comfortable about their standing with five games remaining.

Marvin Lewis, Bengals-I feel bad putting Marvin Lewis in this category.  Because he's not on the hot seat.  Everyone, probably including Marvin Lewis, knows he's going to get fired.  He's probably already started cleaning out his office.  Lewis was most likely gone unless Cincinnati managed to actually win a playoff game.  Well, they're not even going to make the playoffs.  His fate is sealed.  Although, don't feel to bad for him.  This might be a situation similar to the one with Andy Reid, where it was just time for him to move on from the Eagles, only to land in Kansas City days later.  There will probably be plenty of openings, so Marvin Lewis likely won't be out of a head coaching job for very long.

Gus Bradley, Jaguars-Jacksonville actually showed signs that they were on their way to being competitive towards the end of last season.  They even looked somewhat competitive early in this season.  And, don't get me wrong, things in Jacksonville aren't as much of a lost cause as they were a year or two ago.  But they've still got a long way to go.  Bradley got a vote of confidence last year, and he very well may again.  They're not making any progress, though.  If I were making the decision, I'd head in another direction and start another rebuild.

Hue Jackson, Browns-To be clear, NOTHING that has happened in Cleveland this year is Hue Jackson's fault.  The team just isn't any good.  And they haven't given up, either.  I watched most of the game yesterday, and they played their butts off.  But Jackson might end up being collateral damage if the Browns do manage to pull off the second 0-16 season in NFL history.

John Fox, Bears-John Fox got fired in Denver because he didn't win the Super Bowl, only to see the Broncos win the year after he left.  He immediately latched on in Chicago, where he reunited with Jay Cutler and was going to bring the Bears out of their recent doldrums.  Well, it hasn't happened.  Instead, it seems like they've regressed.  I wouldn't be shocked if they gave Fox one more year, but I wouldn't be surprised if they cut him loose, either.

Chip Kelly, 49ers-His system didn't work in Philadelphia.  It hasn't worked yet in San Francisco, but they're not gonna give up on it after one year.  I think it's more likely the 49ers will do a complete personnel overhaul.  Because, let's face it, the team isn't good.  Not only are all of their best defensive players hurt, it's been an uphill battle all season because of that Kaepernick national anthem nonsense during the preseason.  Once they release Kaepernick and Kelly gets the QB he wants we'll really get to see if he can cut it in the NFL or he's just a really good college coach.

Todd Bowles, Jets-The seemingly annual discussion of the job status of the New York Jets' head coach.  Like many of these other coaches, Bowles isn't the Jets' problem.  Except he might not be the solution either, which makes his situation one of the most interesting.  I can easily see Woody Johnson blaming Bowles for the team's struggles, even though the roster he has to work with isn't the best.  I can also easily see Woody keeping him around for another season.  This one's really a toss-up.

Jeff Fisher, Rams-Relocating a team isn't an easy thing to do.  This is the second time Jeff Fisher has done it.  The Oilers struggled their first couple years in Tennessee after moving from Houston, but it wasn't too much later that Fisher had them in the Super Bowl.  The Rams know that.  That's why they made sure to keep Fisher around when they moved from St. Louis to LA.  They've got a bright future with Jared Goff and that gorgeous new stadium in America's second-largest city.  The Rams will be closer to contending in the NFC West with Jeff Fisher as coach than without, and they know that.  He's not going anywhere.

Mike McCarthy, Packers-One bad season is not going to cost Mike McCarthy his job.  Not with an organization like the Packers.  Especially with the amount of success he's had in Green Bay.  They've made the playoffs each of the last seven seasons.  Yes, they haven't lived up to expectations (a lot of people had them in the Super Bowl).  But this seems like it's more of a one-year glitch than an indication of bigger problems.

If I had to guess, I'd say Bradley, Jackson and Fox are in the most jeopardy.  Again, Lewis doesn't count.  He's getting fired.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

2016 NFL Week 12

It's Thanksgiving.  As Cris Collinsworth says, this is when the NFL season really starts.  And this year, even the Thanksgiving games are good.  Lions-Vikings for first place, then the best team in football against their archrivals, and finally Colts vs. Steelers, two teams that need a win if they're going to have any playoff hopes in December.  That's just the start of a great Week 12, which also includes the Grey Cup, where I see Calgary concluding its dominant season with a victory over Ottawa.

Vikings (6-4) at Lions (6-4): Detroit-Jim Caldwell is 2-0 on Thanksgiving as Lions coach.  He's clearly a big fan of being regulars on the holiday.  And this year, it's not just the token "Why are the Lions on?" appearance.  This is actually a really good matchup.  One of the best of the week.  The Lions are on a roll, too.  I think they keep their Thanksgiving winning streak alive and take sole possession of first place.

Redskins (6-3-1) at Cowboys (9-1): Dallas-The Cowboys are the best team in the league.  They continue to prove it.  Nine in a row, and they've looked more impressive by the week.  Now they head into their annual Thanksgiving showcase against the rival Redskins, who would love nothing more than to snap Dallas' winning streak.  Don't expect it to happen, though.

Steelers (5-5) at Colts (5-5): Indianapolis-Finally AFC teams are allowed to play on Thanksgiving again!  Ever since they started allowing CBS to show NFC vs. NFC games, they've had both the Lions and Cowboys play a division game while the AFC got left out in the cold.  Well, this year, the AFC is back on Thanksgiving, with the Steelers taking on the Colts in the night game.  Pittsburgh finally got a win last week, but it was against Cleveland, so does it really count?

Cardinals (4-5-1) at Falcons (6-4): Atlanta-Atlanta's been off seemingly forever.  In fact, the Falcons have played just once in the last three weeks, going Thursday night, Sunday, bye.  And in that one game they did play, they were brought down to earth a little bit by the Eagles.  That game, however, was in Philadelphia.  They're a much better team at home.  And the Cardinals have struggled on the road all season.  Give me the Falcons to hang on to first place in the NFC South.

Jaguars (2-8) at Bills (5-5): Buffalo-Buffalo is trying to stay in the playoff conversation.  The Bills are a team nobody wants to face.  But they're also one that you have no idea what you're going to get from them.  One thing is certain, though.  If they want to stay relevant, they can't lose at home to the Jaguars.  Especially with a trip to Oakland on tap next week.

Titans (5-6) at Bears (2-8): Tennessee-Much like the Bills, the Texans are desperate to show that they're relevant in the AFC.  What happens after they get that huge win over the Packers, though?  They go and lose at Indianapolis.  Tennessee's record is a product of the teams they've played.  Yes, they've beaten Detroit and Miami, but their other two wins are over Cleveland and Jacksonville.  It does mean they take care of business when they're supposed to, though.  And the Bears are one of those teams they should take care of business against.

Giants (7-3) at Browns (0-11): Giants-Last season, the Giants lost all of their close games.  This season they've won them all.  As a result, they sit at 7-3 and holding the top wild card spot in the NFC.  They've also won five in a row since losing three straight.  What's the best way to make it six?  Playing the Browns.  I do think Cleveland will beat somebody.  It just won't be the Giants.

49ers (1-9) at Dolphins (6-4): Miami-If not for the Browns, we'd all be talking about how bad the 49ers are.  Nine straight San Francisco has lost since winning on the opening Monday night.  Now they head cross country for a matchup with a Dolphins team that's suddenly in the heart of the AFC wild card race.  Miami has won five in a row since starting 1-4.  And they've got a lot of home games left.  Look out for the Dolphins down the stretch.

Rams (4-6) at Saints (4-6): New Orleans-LA and New Orleans have the same record, but they're vastly different 4-6's.  The Saints have dropped a couple close ones in the last two weeks (although they were down big at Carolina before scoring a couple late touchdowns to make it look respectable).  The Rams, meanwhile, have had all kinds of trouble scoring, especially on the road.  It doesn't seem likely that'll change this week.

Bengals (3-6-1) at Ravens (5-5): Baltimore-Any doubts that Marvin Lewis' days as Bengals coach are numbered were put to rest last week when Cincinnati lost at home to Buffalo.  Now they head to Baltimore to face the first-place Ravens.  It's not inconceivable that we could end up seeing Cincinnati in the playoffs, it's just highly unlikely.

Chargers (4-6) at Texans (6-4): Houston-For some reason, San Diego is favored in this game.  I have no idea why.  The Chargers aren't going to beat the Texans in Houston.  They'll probably have the lead in the fourth quarter, but I think this game ends the same way most Chargers games this season have.

Seahawks (7-2-1) at Buccaneers (5-5): Seattle-What's the best NFC team not based in Texas?  That's an easy one.  The Seahawks resemble the team that made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances more and more every week.  They might be the only NFC team even remotely on the same level as Dallas right now.  This week, they make one of the longest road trips possible in the NFL (only Seattle to Miami is longer) to face their 1976 expansion brethren.  The Bucs have been playing some good football, too, and got that win in Kansas City last week.  Expect them to keep it competitive, but the Seahawks do what they usually do and find a way to pull it out.

Panthers (4-6) at Raiders (8-2): Oakland-People are still questioning whether or not Oakland is for real.  That's completely ridiculous.  The Raiders have the best record in the AFC and are right up there with the Cowboys and Patriots as the best teams in the NFL.  Yes, Oakland is for real.  Carolina is showing signs of life, but will everyone believe in the Raiders after they beat the defending NFC champs?

Patriots (8-2) at Jets (3-7): New England-Ladies and gentlemen, the Jets have done the impossible.  They got Tom Brady flexed OUT of prime time.  Last season, of course, we saw that overtime Jets win in Week 16 that cost the Patriots the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  This year, they moved the game from Christmas weekend to Thanksgiving weekend.  The last time the Jets hosted the Patriots on Thanksgiving weekend?  Butt fumble!

Chiefs (7-3) at Broncos (7-3): Denver-NBC flexed Jets-Patriots OUT so that they could flex this one IN.  They'll actually have both Broncos-Chiefs games on Sunday Night Football this season (the rematch is on Christmas night).  Kansas City lost last week, which dropped them out of a tie for first place in the ultra-competitive AFC West.  They're both holding down wild card places, but the winner will have a better shot at staying with the Raiders.

Packers (4-6) at Eagles (5-5): Green Bay-Philadelphia is 5-5.  That would be good for second place in four of the NFL's eight divisions.  But in the NFC East, it's got them in last.  The Packers, meanwhile, I still have no idea what's wrong with them.  They got smacked in Washington and are a shell of the team they're supposed to be.  For some reason, I'm picking Green Bay to finally snap its losing streak, though.

Last Week: 9-5
Season: 100-59-2

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Auf Wiedersehen Jurgen

When Jurgen Klinsmann was hired as the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team five years ago, it was the right move by USA Soccer.  Firing him was also the right move.  Because for all the great moments that have come with Klinsmann at the helm, there have been too many bad moments to count recently.

Last week's embarrassment in Costa Rica was certainly the last straw.  At that point, a change was inevitable.  Everyone (the players, the fans, the Federation) had lost all confidence in Klinsmann.  From his unusual lineup selections to his questionable in-game adjustments, the USMNT became a shell of its former self.  We're supposed to have the best, most feared national team in the region.  A team that shouldn't be losing to Guatemala or getting blown out by Costa Rica (as good as the Ticos might be).

Klinsmann's greatest moment, of course, was somehow navigating the Group of Death in the 2014 World Cup, which saw the U.S. advance out of a group that included the current World Cup (Germany) and European (Portugal) champions.  There was also that 12-game winning streak in 2013 and the influx of young talent that has invigorated the National Team, as well as his convincing of those players that are based abroad or have dual citizenship to suit up in red, white and blue.

But there was also his very public feud with Landon Donovan that led to the most-capped and highest-scoring player in American history basically being forced into an early retirement from the National Team.  That dispute got the most play, but he also stripped Clint Dempsey of the captaincy and forced a number of respected veterans out because of his penchant for younger players.  Some of those moves worked, while some others were only successful at alienating many.

After that early run of success, the results began to taper off.  In dramatic fashion.  Let's start in 2015.  The only goal for the U.S. during the 2015 season was to qualify for the 2017 Confederations Cup.  There were two opportunities to do this.  The easiest way was to win the Gold Cup.  Instead, the U.S. finished fourth, losing its last two games to Jamaica and Panama, part of a four-game home losing streak to CONCACAF teams.  Because the U.S. didn't win the 2015 Gold Cup, it set up a one-game playoff against Mexico for the Confederations Cup berth...which Mexico won.

The goal for 2015 wasn't achieved.  I was among those calling for Klinsmann's job after that, but he stayed on with the National Team in 2016.  So far, 2016 has seen the Under-23 team (which Klinsmann didn't coach, but did have some players from the senior team on it) fail to qualify for the Olympics and the senior National Team send everyone into panic mode after a loss at Guatemala in the previous round of World Cup qualifying.

Of course, the biggest event for the USMNT in 2016 was the Copa America Centenario on home soil.  In the opening game of the biggest soccer tournament on U.S. soil since the 1994 World Cup, the Americans were embarrassed by Colombia.  They recovered to win group and reach the semifinals, so many would consider the Copa America to be a success, but it ended the same way it started...with a loss to Colombia.  Then the Hex started in the worst possible way.  Suddenly, the U.S. looks vulnerable, something which should not happen in a region where the only real rival is Mexico.

Now it looks like USA Soccer will be handing the reins back to Bruce Arena, who presided over Team USA's emergence as a player in major international tournaments.  It was Arena that took the USA to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002.  Sure, there was also the disappointment of 2006 (when Klinsmann led host Germany to a third-place finish), but Arena is still the only man to lead the USA into two World Cups, and he's won more games with the national team than anybody.

And with the Hex not resuming until March, Arena will have five months to prepare the team for the final eight games of qualifying.  Yes, the U.S. is 0-2 and has a -5 goal differential, but there's still plenty of time to qualify, and I don't think there's a single person out there who doesn't think the United States will at least finish in the top three and claim a World Cup spot (at the very worst, fourth place gets a playoff spot, which is what Mexico had to do in 2014).  Two of the three hardest games are already out of the way, too.

Most importantly, bringing Bruce Arena back (which is still unofficial) will hopefully revive faith in the U.S. Men's National Team.  It was Arena that first brought the USA to those great heights and establish that standard that Klinsmann was able to maintain (and even enhance).  And ultimately, that was what did Klinsmann in.

People expect the U.S. to be a contender.  Those increased expectations are a wonderful thing.  It means the United States is relevant in world soccer.  Who would've ever expected that?  But in the quest to remain relevant, Jurgen Klinsmann was collateral damage.  It was a necessary move.  Because for all the great things he did in his five-plus-year tenure, it was most certainly time for a change.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

2016 NFL Week 11

When the NFL season hits Thanksgiving, we generally have a pretty good idea of who's going to be in the playoffs.  Well, Thanksgiving's next week, and outside of a handful of teams, we still have no idea.  Mainly because a lot of teams that were supposed to be good aren't.  I still think they can turn it around and we might see a team like Pittsburgh or Green Bay in the playoffs.

Bills (4-5) at Bengals (3-5-1): Cincinnati-We might be seeing the final seven games in Marvin Lewis' tenure as the Bengals' head coach.  It seemed likely he was going to get fired unless Cincinnati finally won a playoff game this season.  Well, now it looks like the Bengals aren't even going to make the playoffs.  So, yeah, Cincinnati really needs to win this game if they want to have any shot at a wild card.  The good news is the AFC North still seems winnable.

Steelers (4-5) at Browns (0-10): Pittsburgh-Man, that was a great game last week between the Steelers and Cowboys!  Steelers fans don't care how good the game was, though, because it was another loss, and it dipped them below .500 on the year.  They should be better than this.  Enter the Browns and a chance to right the ship before that Thanksgiving night matchup with Indianapolis.

Ravens (5-4) at Cowboys (8-1): Dallas-The Cowboys are the best team in football.  There's no doubt about that after last week's amazing game against the Steelers.  During that game, the point was made up--and I think it's a valid one--that forget Rookie of the Year, people should be talking about Ezekiel Elliott as MVP.  You've even had Tony Romo officially admit that he's officially been Bledsoed by Dak Prescott.  At least that's been cleared up.  They'll head into Thanksgiving on a nine-game winning streak.

Jaguars (2-7) at Lions (5-4): Detroit-Thanks to the Packers' and Vikings' sheer inability to win, the Lions have moved into first place in the NFC North.  Minnesota's their Thanksgiving opponent this year, and that game is actually going to have relevance.  Especially because the Lions will be 6-4 and no worse than tied for first place after they beat Jacksonville at home.

Titans (5-5) at Colts (4-5): Tennessee-Are the Tennessee Titans actually good?  Because that's what it seems like.  Especially after last week's humiliation of the Packers.  The Colts are also coming off a win over Green Bay, but they're just 4-5 on the year (by the way, it's utterly ridiculous that the Titans haven't had their bye yet).  I guess we'll see this week, but I've got a good feeling about the Titans in this one.

Buccaneers (4-5) at Chiefs (7-2): Kansas City-How come no one is talking about the Kansas City Chiefs?  It's all Dallas, New England, Seattle, even Oakland.  But what about the Chiefs?  They were a playoff team last year and, oh yeah, they're 7-2, which is tied with the Raiders and Patriots for the best record in the AFC.  Make that 8-2 heading into that Sunday night game in Denver next week.

Cardinals (4-4-1) at Vikings (5-4): Minnesota-Remember when everyone thought the Vikings were a lock for the Super Bowl after they started off 5-0?  Well, their bye came at the most inopportune time.  Because they haven't won since having Week 6 off.  Arizona's got a lot of road games left (five of their last seven).  They'll need to win a few of them if they want to get back to the playoffs, let alone the NFC Championship Game.  The Vikings also need to win this one if they want to have any shot at getting back to the playoffs.

Bears (2-7) at Giants (6-3): Giants-After that little hiccup earlier in the season, the Giants have gotten back on track with four straight wins.  They're actually sitting in the NFC's top wild card spot right now (and don't forget, they're the only team to beat the Cowboys this season).  The Bears, meanwhile, aren't good, wins over the Lions and Vikings aside.  They've struggled to score on the road all season, and I don't think that'll change here.

Dolphins (5-4) at Rams (4-5): Los Angeles-Two teams heading in vastly different directions face off in this one.  Miami has won four in a row, including last week's triumph over the Chargers.  Well, they've spent a whole week in Southern California, and now they take on the Rams before heading from one beautiful coast to the other.  The Rams, meanwhile, badly need a win.  They've had trouble scoring all season (they've won two! games this season where they've scored exactly nine points).  Now they turn to No. 1 pick Jared Goff.  For some reason, I see him leading LA to victory.

Patriots (7-2) at 49ers (1-8): New England-New England's aura of invincibility wore off last week against Seattle.  Now they head cross country to face a not-very-good 49ers team.  Even without Gronkowski, I think the Patriots will have a field day in Santa Clara.

Eagles (5-4) at Seahawks (6-2-1): Seattle-It sounds ridiculous to call the Eagles the best last-place team in football, mainly because they're better than half the teams in the NFC.  Unfortunately, Seattle isn't one of them.  The Seahawks confirmed their status as one of the NFC favorites when they went into Foxboro and beat the Patriots.  Now they're back at home, where they're always tough.

Packers (4-5) at Redskins (5-3-1): Washington-What is up with the Green Bay Packers?  They aren't this bad, so why can't they win?  It's been three straight, including getting smacked by the Titans last week.  While they should, in theory, beat the Redskins just like they did in the playoffs, I have absolutely no confidence in that team right now.  Which is why I'm picking Washington.

Texans (6-3) vs. Raiders (7-2): Oakland-Who would've thought that when the NFL scheduled the Texans-Raiders game in Mexico City that it would end up being the best game of the week?  They really ended up hitting a home run with this battle of first place teams.  They also lucked out by scheduling the Mexico game before the wall goes up.  Oakland has already proven that they're for real.  I think they win another one and stay atop the AFC West.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-4
Overall: 91-55-2

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Awards Season: The MVPs

Last season, Bryce Harper became the first unanimous MVP in National League history.  This season we might see the second.  Because Kris Bryant was so far-and-away the best player for the best team in the NL that it'll be a shock if he doesn't follow up his Rookie of the Year season with an MVP award.  How good was Bryant?  Well, he led the Cubs in home runs, runs and hits while anchoring that lineup and playing a stellar third base (along with three other positions).

Bryant wasn't the runaway NL MVP all season, though.  At the All-Star Break, I had the Nationals' Daniel Murphy as the clubhouse leader.  Bryant surpassed Murphy over the second half of the season, but that doesn't make Murphy's debut season in D.C. any less spectacular.  The Nationals got a steal when they signed him away from the rival Mets, and Murphy proved to be worth every penny.

Corey Seager, meanwhile, has already taken home some hardware this week.  The NL Rookie of the Year also earned a top-three finish in the MVP voting.  He didn't win.  He likely finished third.  But Seager's the type you can easily see following in the Harper/Bryant mold and winning an MVP not too long after being named Rookie of the Year.

But they have to vote 10 deep, so who else in the NL is likely to at least be in the MVP conversation?  Well, first and foremost there's Anthony Rizzo, Bryant's partner in crime in the middle of the World Champion Cubs' lineup.  Then there's Nolan Arenado, who'll be the Team USA third baseman in the World Baseball Classic, and his Colorado teammate D.J. LeMahieu, who led the National League in hitting.  There's also Freddie Freeman, who put up ridiculously crazy numbers for a terrible Braves team.  Same thing with Joey Votto.  Starling Marte of the Pirates quietly had a great year, too.  And you've also got the pitchers.  Your Madison Bumgarners and Max Scherzers and Clayton Kershaws of the world.

My remaining ballot in the National League behind Bryant looks like this: 2. Murphy, 3. Rizzo, 4. Marte, 5. Seager, 6. LeMahieu, 7. Votto, 8. Jean Segura, 9. Arenado, 10. Scherzer.

Meanwhile, in the American League, it's a wide-open MVP race.  I think Mookie Betts is the clear favorite, but it's going to be nowhere near the runaway margin that Bryant's going to enjoy.  Betts did everything for the Red Sox this season.  He won a Gold Glove, led the Majors in total bases, and was among the AL leaders in batting average, runs, hits and total bases.  Betts perhaps flew under the radar a little, mainly because this was the season of the David Ortiz Retirement Tour.

Speaking of Ortiz, he didn't finish in the top three, but you've gotta think he collected a number of MVP votes himself.  His was, by far, the best season by a retiring player in baseball history.  The incredible thing is that even with his MVP-like numbers, Ortiz was only the second-best player on his team this season.  Mark Trumbo also deserves to be in the discussion.  Yes, it seemed like all he did was hit homers.  But his presence in the lineup was the biggest difference between the 2015 Orioles, who didn't make the playoffs, and the 2016 Orioles, who did.

We know it won't be Ortiz or Trumbo who hears his name called on MLB Network, though.  If it's not Betts, it'll be either Mike Trout or Jose Altuve.  

Many people don't know this but it's actually an American League rule that Mike Trout must finish among the top two in MVP voting.  In his first four seasons, he's been named MVP once and finished second the other three times (rightfully so each time).  Now it looks like he'll be making it four second-place MVP finishes.  Trout put up his traditional ridiculous numbers and the Angels once again missed the playoffs.  But that's what happens when your entire team consists of one guy.

You could argue that Altuve is a one-man team, too.  And the Astros were a slightly better one-man team than the Angels in 2016.  Their diminutive leader, who's quickly developing a reputation as one of the best overall players in baseball, had his typical year.  In Altuve's case that means winning a batting title and leading the Majors in hits while playing in 161 games.  The days of a player appearing in all 162 games is long gone, so that 161 number really stands out.  Oh, and did I mention that Altuve won the second base Silver Slugger?  Houston didn't make the playoffs, which might hurt him.  But then again, the Angels didn't make the playoffs, either.  Another point that works in Betts' favor.

This one was much harder than the NL, but here's how my AL MVP ballot would look: 1. Betts, 2. Altuve, 3. Trout, 4. David Ortiz, 5. Mark Trumbo, 6. Carlos Beltran, 7. Miguel Cabrera, 8. Zach Britton, 9. Edwin Encarnacion, 10. Robinson Cano.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Awards Season: The Pitchers

Of all eight major awards being handed out this week, the two Cy Youngs are definitely the hardest to call.  I really have no idea who's going to win.  Especially since the best pitcher in each league--Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale--isn't one of the top three finishers on either side.  With Kershaw you kinda saw it coming, seeing as he missed two months, while Sale was also likely knocked out of contention by the fact that the White Sox simply weren't a very good team.

In the AL, things are made even harder by the fact that Zach Britton isn't even a finalist, which is totally absurd.  I get it.  It takes a lot for a closer to win the Cy Young.  Mariano Rivera never won one.  Neither did Trevor Hoffman.  Dennis Eckersley won both Cy Young and MVP in the same year way back when, but the last reliever to actually earn Cy Young honors was Eric Gagne of the Dodgers in 2003, when he went perfect in save opportunities all year.

Well, guess who went perfect in save chances this season?  That's right.  Zach Britton.  He was absolutely one of the three best pitchers in the American League this season.  That ridiculous bullpen is one of the primary reasons why Baltimore made the playoffs, and Buck Showalter got it from all angles when he decided not to use Britton in the Wild Card Game, which the Orioles ultimately lost to the Blue Jays.  It's possible Britton will be the highest pitcher in AL MVP voting.  I know it's different voters for each award, but how was he not among the top three for Cy Young?

I think it's pretty clear where my "vote" would've gone.  But Britton obviously didn't win.  Either Corey Kluber, Rick Porcello or Justin Verlander did.  Of the three, Porcello probably has the best numbers.  I'm not going to say his 22-4 record is the result of piling up wins against a bunch of No. 3 starters.  That would discredit his other incredible numbers.  A 3.15 ERA (in the AL East) and a WHIP of just over one.

We all saw in the postseason how valuable Corey Kluber is to the Cleveland Indians.  But that wasn't the first time we've seen it.  He won the Cy Young (somewhat surprisingly) in 2014, then was injured for most of 2015, and Cleveland struggled as a result.  He was back to full health in 2016 and went 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA before that monster postseason.  Old reliable Justin Verlander is the third finalist.  I don't think Verlander is going to win, but it was great to see him get back to being Justin Verlander after a rough couple years where people thought he might be done.

My gut tells me Porcello is the winner.  That unexpectedly shiny 22-4 record for a division winner may be too much to ignore.  However, my "vote" wouldn't look like that at all.  They go five deep for the Cy Young, so my hypothetical ballot is: 1. Britton, 2. Porcello, 3. Kluber, 4. Verlander, 5. JA Happ.

On the National League side, the winner is likely a member of the World Champion Chicago Cubs.  They had the winner last year in Jake Arrieta, and this year they've got both Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester as finalists.  Those three guys started the last three games of the World Series.  With starting pitching that good, did it surprise anybody that the Cubs were able to come back and win the title?

Anyway, I've been saying for about two months now that I think Hendricks was the best pitcher in the National League this season.  Which should translate into a Cy Young Award.  He led the NL in ERA by more than 30 points (Lester, by the way, was second) and didn't allow more than four runs in any of his 30 starts.  Hendricks ended up 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA.  He also had a WHIP under 1.00.  Lester, meanwhile, wasn't too shabby, either.  He went 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA and struck out 197 in 202 innings.  Lester's WHIP was 1.02, and opponents hit just .211 against him.

If he hadn't missed two months, we'd likely be seeing Clayton Kershaw's name here like it normally is (he's the Mike Trout of NL pitchers).  He's still the most dominant and feared starter out there, and the fact that he's still going to draw a handful of votes speaks volumes.  But I'm fine with Kershaw's name being absent from the list of Cy Young finalists.  There were so many solid pitchers in the National League this season that it's not really a surprise, either.  The writers had plenty of guys to choose from,

One of those guys they had to choose from was Washington ace Max Scherzer.  Team USA's starter for the World Baseball Classic opener against Colombia in March, Scherzer continued to prove he's worth every penny the Nationals are paying him.  The best non-Cubs starter out there, he went 20-7 with an ERA under 3.00 while leading Washington to a division title.  Scherzer also had that 20-strikeout game and crushed the rest of the league in that category.  And, for good measure, his batting average against was .199, and his WHIP was sub-1.00.

Taking nothing away from Scherzer, the Cubs probably finished 1-2 in the voting, as they should've.  They were the best team in baseball, and they won the World Series for a reason.  My top five look like this: 1. Hendricks, 2. Lester, 3. Scherzer, 4. Johnny Cueto, 5. Jose Fernandez.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Awards Season: The Managers

Unlike the NL Rookie of the Year, which Corey Seager won in a unanimous vote, the Manager of the Year tallies figure to be much closer.  Manager of the Year is traditionally one of the more hotly-contested MLB award races, and this year figures to be no different.  I really have no idea who's going to win in either league.  And I can envision each of the six winning.

Last year's winners--Joe Maddon of the Cubs and Jeff Banister of the Rangers--are both finalists again, as they look to join Hall of Famer Bobby Cox as the only repeat winners in the award's history.  If Maddon wins, it will be record-setting for two reasons.  It would be his fourth career win, tying the all-time record.  Dusty Baker and Buck Showalter also have a chance to win for the fourth time.  In fact, five of the six finalists have previously won this award at least one, and the only one who hasn't--Dave Roberts--is a rookie manager!

Let's start with Roberts.  I've gotta consider him the favorite for the NL award.  He took over a Dodgers team that got rid of Don Mattingly under the weight of huge expectations.  They handed the reins over to a rookie manager, but the expectations were still just as high.  Then the Dodgers had injury after injury to deal with, including losing Clayton Kershaw for two months right after the All-Star break.  Yet they somehow managed to hold off the rival Giants.  The vote was conducted at the end of the regular season, so the playoffs don't count, but it's still worth noting that the Dodgers finally got over the Division Series hump this season (despite the fact that they were a much better team for the past few years).

The team the Dodgers beat in the Division Series was Washington, which achieved what it was supposed to do last year in Dusty Baker's first season at the helm.  Matt Williams was Manager of the Year in 2014, then got fired after a disappointing 2015.  So the Nationals turned to Baker, who made Washington the fourth different National League team he's taken to the playoffs.

Then there's Joe Maddon.  He won last year after leading the Cubs to the playoffs a year ahead of schedule.  This year, there was no question they were the best team in baseball.  They won 103 games during the regular season, then did something none of us thought we'd ever see--they won the World Series.

Everyone knew the Cubs were going to be good, though.  I'm not saying that should disqualify Maddon for Manager of the Year (they did 103 games after all), and I remember Joe Torre winning Manager of the Year with those record-setting 1998 Yankees.  But is an established manager doing what he was supposed to do with a really good team really mean he did the best managing job that season?  In this case, I say the answer is "No!"  Not when you had a rookie manager overcoming a ton of injuries to win a competitive division.

Dave Roberts' playing career is perhaps best remembered for one stolen base.  In Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.  The one that sparked Boston's comeback from 3-0 down against the Yankees and sparked the Red Sox' run to their curse-breaking title.  Who was the manager of that team?  Terry Francona.  The same Terry Francona who was the AL Manager of the Year two years ago when he took Cleveland to the playoffs.  This year the Indians did one better.  They won the AL Central going away, then took it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.

I'd say Francona's gotta be the favorite on the AL side, especially considering he lost 40 percent of his starting rotation in September.  But he faces some stiff competition from Buck Showalter.  No one expected Baltimore to be a factor in a division that included Boston and Toronto.  Yet the Orioles led the AL East for nearly three months and ended up with one of the wild card berths.

Baltimore sure can hit.  So can Texas.  Last year, the Rangers' success took everyone a little bit by surprise.  This year it didn't.  Texas dominated the AL West with one of the best lineups in baseball, and this time they had the pitching to back it up.  In fact, the Rangers ended up with the best record in the American League this season.  And, again, the playoffs don't count, so that sweep by the Blue Jays won't cost Banister.

Just like I said about Maddon, though, Texas didn't take anyone by surprise this season.  That might be why it's so hard to win Manager of the Year back-to-back.  I don't even have Banister in my AL top three, actually.  Because the work Scott Servais did in Seattle can't be ignored.  I'm going to make a bold prediction right now--the Mariners win the AL West in 2017.

My NL top three is Roberts, Baker, Maddon.  Meanwhile, in the AL, my vote goes to Terry Francona for that remarkable job he did in Cleveland this season.  Showalter and Servais round out my American League selections.  Those aren't predictions.  That's just who I would've picked.  Like Michigan, these races are too close to make a call.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Awards Season: The Rookies

MLB Awards season is here.  We get it started with the rookies, although there isn't much suspense in one of the races.  Considering Corey Seager is a finalist for NL MVP, it's safe to say he'll be the Rookie of the Year winner.  In fact, I'd be highly surprised if it's not unanimous.

Since there will likely be little surprise in the NL Rookie of the Year race, that's where we'll start.  Seager will be the runaway winner.  The Dodgers called him up last September, and he was so good that he was starting in the playoffs.  Everyone knew he was going to be the early front runner for NL Rookie of the Year honors, and he did nothing to disprove that notion.

Seager's official rookie year wasn't quite as good as the one Kris Bryant put together last season.  But it will likely lead to the same result--a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection.  He hit .308 with 26 homers and 72 RBIs while playing phenomenal defense at short.  I don't know why or how the Dodgers have had so many Rookie of the Year winners in franchise history (the freakin' award is named after Jackie Robinson!), but they're going to add another to that list.

The Dodgers actually have a 66.7 percent chance of securing their 17th Rookie of the Year selection.  Because Kenta Maeda is one of the other finalists.  Maeda had the unenviable task of stepping into the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Clayton Kershaw, and he more than held his own to the tune of a 16-11 record and 3.48 ERA with 175 strikeouts.  This was Maeda's first season in the Majors after several years in Japan, which once again brings up that whole discussion about whether or not he should be eligible for Rookie of the Year.  Well, he's technically a rookie, so, yes, he should be eligible.  And he's not going to win.  Seager is.  So, in this case, it's really a moot point.

On the highly unlikely chance the NL Rookie of the Year award ends up somewhere other than Southern California, it'll go to the team that the Dodgers vanquished in the Division Series.  Trea Turner stepped in as the Nationals' center fielder and proved to be just as valuable an addition as MVP finalist Daniel Murphy.  He hit .342 with 13 homers in just 307 at-bats and also stole 33 bases.  I bet Turner likely broke up the two Dodgers and finished second in this race behind Seager.

Over in the American League, that's where things get interesting.  Michael Fulmer is probably the favorite, but Gary Sanchez is the real story.  The fact that he's a finalist despite playing just 53 games really is remarkable.  Sanchez is the real deal.  If he'd been with the Yankees all season, there's very little doubt he'd be as unanimous as Seager.  As it is though, I think his two months, as great as they were, don't warrant being Rookie of the Year over someone who was in the Majors all season.

This actually reminds me of two recent Rookie of the Year races in the National League.  In the first, the late Jose Fernandez edged out his countryman Yasiel Puig, mainly for that reason.  Fernandez was in the Major Leagues all season, while Puig wasn't called up until June.  Then the opposite happened with Jacob de Grom and Billy Hamilton, Jr.  That time the Rookie of the Year went to de Grom, even though he only joined the Mets in June and Hamilton was the Reds' starting center fielder on Opening Day.

Sanchez's short time in the Majors obviously didn't disqualify him.  And the fact that he's a finalist really does say a lot about how much the writers respect what he did over the span of two months.  The season is six months long, though, which would be a disservice to the other two finalists.  Which is why my vote would go to Michael Fulmer.

Fulmer was my midseason choice, and I really thought he should've been on the AL All-Star team.  He faded down the stretch, but still finished with an 11-7 record and 3.06 ERA, which would've been third in the American League if he'd thrown enough innings to qualify (he ended up three short).  Fulmer also had that ridiculous scoreless innings streak in May.  In a nutshell, he was a remarkably consistent and reliable starter all season long for a Tigers team that, while it didn't make the playoffs, was in contention pretty much all year.

Detroit, of course, came up short in an AL Central race that was ultimately won by an Indians team that went all the way to the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series.  Tyler Naquin is one of the reasons why they lost Game 6, but he's also one of the reasons they got as far as they did.  He was platooning in center field in the postseason, but did play 116 regular season games and hit .296 (he also had a walk-off inside-the-park homer, which is just cool).  Naquin pales in comparison to Fulmer and Sanchez, though.

So the real question is really whether or not Sanchez's remarkable two months trump Fulmer's great five (he was called up on April 29).  My gut tells me no (which is the way I would've voted).  I'm sure some voters did put Sanchez No. 1, which will probably make it close.  But I think Michael Fulmer joins Justin Verlander as members of the Tigers rotation who've been Rookies of the Year.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

2016 NFL Week 10

I had originally planned on doing midseason NFL power rankings during the week this week, then Donald Trump was elected President and things changed.  Then I started thinking that since I already do weekly NFL picks anyway, I could just attach my power rankings to this weeks picks.  So that's what I'm gonna do.

First, here are the power rankings for the four teams that have their bye this week or played in the Thursday night game: Raiders (3), Ravens (9), Lions (15), Bills (17), Colts (21), Browns (32)

#12 Packers (4-4) at #22 Titans (4-5): Green Bay-Green Bay should be in the top 10...except the Packers keep losing to teams they should beat.  That's why a popular preseason Super Bowl pick is only 4-4 at the midway point.  In fact, these two teams enter this game with the same number of wins.  So why are the Packers so much higher?  Because the Titans haven't exactly beaten the Patriots and Cowboys.  That's why I'm sticking with the better team and making the Packers the pick.

#7 Broncos (6-3) at #19 Saints (4-4): Denver-This is one of the most evenly-matched showdowns on this week's schedule.  Denver's loss last Sunday night really said more about the Raiders than it did about them.  Oakland is legitimately good.  The Saints still have that incredibly fun offense to watch, but they don't go up against defenses like Denver's very often.  The Broncos bounce back and stay in contention in the loaded AFC West.

#28 Rams (3-5) at #25 Jets (3-6): Jets-Remember when the Rams were really good at the start of the season?  What happened?  They've been playing some solid defense, but they can't score.  The Jets, meanwhile, are starting to figure things out after a miserable start, last week's result notwithstanding.  If they don't win this one, they're staring at 6-10 or 5-11 at best.

#4 Falcons (6-3) at #16 Eagles (4-4): Philadelphia-Yes, I have Atlanta rated as the second-best team in the NFC behind Dallas.  That's because every time you think the Falcons are going to lose, they pull out the victory.  It's impressive to see how much they up their game for the good teams.  The Eagles are better than their record.  They're the best last-place team in football.  Something tells me they'll up their game this week.

#30 Bears (2-6) at #26 Buccaneers (3-5): Tampa Bay-It's the Lovie Smith Bowl!  Chicago is actually coming off a win--that Monday night upset over the Vikings, while Tampa Bay has lost two straight.  Those games were against the Raiders and Falcons, though.  Back against a team in their same league, the Bucs should end their three-game homestand with a victory.

#8 Vikings (5-3) at #14 Redskins (4-3-1): Washington-Minnesota was the last undefeated team, and the Vikings looked to be one of the best teams in the league.  What a difference a month makes!  The Vikings had five wins at their bye.  They still have five wins.  Now they head to Washington for a matchup with a Redskins team that will beat you if you let them stick around.  This game could be another perfect example of that.  That's why I'm going with the Redskins.

#5 Chiefs (6-2) at #27 Panthers (3-5): Kansas City-Last season, Kansas City made the playoffs after getting off to a horrendous start.  The defending NFC champion Panthers would like to see the exacts same thing happen to them this season.  Except the teams the Chiefs lost to at the start of last season were much better than the slate Carolina has been losing to this year.  And Kansas City is one of the top five teams in the NFL.

#11 Texans (5-3) at #29 Jaguars (2-6): Houston-There were a number of people, myself included, who thought Jacksonville would be a sleeper team this season.  Well, the AFC South sleeper has turned out to be the Titans.  Jacksonville is definitely more competitive.  The wins just haven't come.  Don't expect one to come against the best team in the division, either.

#20 Dolphins (4-4) at #23 Chargers (4-5): San Diego-Among the various local ballot measures that people voted on this week was the Chargers' request for public funding towards a new stadium.  As expected, the measure failed.  What this means for the future of the Chargers in San Diego, I don't know.  But if they want to stay, they have to find some way to pay for the stadium.  The Dolphins have moved to 4-4 on the strength of a three-game winning streak.  They're playing on the road for the first time in more than a month, though, so I think that streak comes to an end.

#31 49ers (1-7) at #24 Cardinals (3-4-1): Arizona-Everyone's favorite social activist didn't even bother to vote on Tuesday.  That guy is such a joke, it's not even funny.  Oh yeah, and San Francisco hasn't won since its opening game.  Why should that change this week on the road against a Cardinals team that has admittedly been incredibly underwhelming so far this year.

#2 Cowboys (7-1) at #13 Steelers (4-4): Dallas-Pittsburgh continues to be one of the most confusing teams in football.  The Steelers should be better than 4-4.  But they simply can't stay out of their own way.  Dallas, meanwhile, finally had to make that difficult Prescott-Romo decision.  And they're making the right one.  You've won seven straight games.  Don't mess with what's working.  Especially since Tony Romo hasn't played all season.

#6 Seahawks (5-2-1) at #1 Patriots (7-1): New England-These two meet for the first time since their Super Bowl encounter two years ago.  So of course the showdown is scheduled for Sunday Night Football on the same network that aired Super Bowl XLIX.  Seattle has seized control of the NFC West and is right up there with Atlanta as the best team in the NFC not based in Texas.  New England is unanimously viewed as the best team overall, though.  There's even talk of Tom Brady as MVP despite the fact he was suspended for a month.  This one could be really telling, but I think the cross-country trip on a short week against the best team in the league should be too much for even a team like the Seahawks to handle.

#18 Bengals (3-4-1) at #10 Giants (5-3): Giants-Cincinnati makes its second trip to Met Life Stadium this season.  The first was a one-point win over the Jets in Week 1.  It's been a tough go for them so far, and it doesn't go any easier against New York's other team.  The Giants overcame a major mental hurdle and finally beat the Eagles at home to get a three-game homestand started off right.  The Bengals need a win on Monday night more than the Giants do, but the Giants can't really afford a loss, either.  It's a coin toss, but give me the Giants at home (which is the only reason I'm picking them).

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 6-7
Overall: 82-50-2

Friday, November 11, 2016

Celebrity Apprentice For the Cabinet

Within the span of a week, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series and Donald Trump was elected President.  The world as we knew it is most definitely over.

It's going to take a while for the image of President Trump to sink in, but seeing as he's going to have the job for at least four years, I'm sure it eventually will (I'm putting it at sometime in mid-2019).  For a little while at least, I'm still gonna see Donald Trump as the guy who sued the NFL and the guy from The Apprentice first.

But seeing as he's going to become President in two months, he's going to have a Cabinet to fill (New Jersey, you should be happy, because he's gonna take Chris Christie off your hands).  And since President-Elect Trump will still be known for his reality show even after he moves into the White House, I think it would be fun if they had a special season of The Celebrity Apprentice (which I'm sure NBC will cancel after the bound-to-suck Arnold Schwarzenegger season) to fill one of those Cabinet positions.  For lack of a better term, we'll call it the Minister of Sport.

Fortunately, there's been plenty of seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice, so filling out our list of candidates for Minister of Sport should be pretty easy.  The Apprentice usually has a cast of 14, so here are the seven male and seven female athletes (all of whom have or will appear on the show) up for the position.  Thirteen will hear him say, "You're fired!," while the 14th will be the Minister of Sport:

Women
Natalie Gulbis: She was on the season won by the late, great Joan Rivers.  Gulbis made it like halfway before she got fired on a task that involved selling Ivanka's jewelry line.

Summer Sanders: In what might've been the best season of The Celebrity Apprentice (and my favorite one), she was one of the stronger competitors (and she played for "Right to Play," which is a great charity).  President Trump liked her, but Summer got fired a few episodes before Bret Michaels won the show.

Jamie Anderson: Things didn't go great for Jamie Anderson on the most recent season of The Celebrity Apprentice (which, believe it or not, aired in January 2015).  She got fired pretty early, which made me sad.  I'm giving her a second chance to work for the President.

Shawn Johnson: Shawn Johnson did much better on Dancing with the Stars than she did on The Celebrity Apprentice.  Jamie Anderson's partner in crime, she didn't last much longer than her buddy.

Angela Ruggeiro: Yes, I'm cheating a little here.  Ruggeiro appeared on a non-celebrity version of The Apprentice when they had a gimmicky tie-in with the Torino Olympics.  I had to include her, though, because the Harvard-educated Ruggeiro has moved pretty high up the ranks in the IOC, where she's the head of the Athletes' Commission.  If this were a real Cabinet position, she'd be the most qualified of these 14 candidates by far.

Laila Ali: You won't find Laila Ali on a list of The Celebrity Apprentice alumni.  That's because she hasn't been on the show yet.  She's on the upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger season.  I just have a feeling she's going to do really well, though.

Jennie Finch: Throwing it all the way back to season one (technically season eight of the Apprentice franchise).  Her team wasn't very good, and she almost got fired a couple times before she finally did.  Then she started playing in the Celebrity Softball Game at the All-Star Game every year.

Men
Dennis Rodman: He wasn't very good at The Celebrity Apprentice, but he sure was entertaining, which is why President Trump brought him back for the the All-Star edition.  It would be the same thing here.  Entertainment value.  Although, since he's good buddies with Kim Jong-Un, he might actually have a good shot at being named the real Ambassador to North Korea.

Darryl Strawberry: Another one from the outstanding Bret Michaels season.  Darryl basically fired himself in the third episode.  He was really good on the task before that, though, when he wore a Mets jersey and posed for pictures during his team's event.

Terrell Owens: Last season (which, again, was two years ago!) was all about Geraldo, who was only good at the fundraising tasks, yet somehow made it all the way to the finale.  In one of those tasks, TO was on the losing team, and, since he raised the least money, he had to go.

Scott Hamilton: Obviously he's got much bigger things on his plate right now (we all certainly wish him the best as he battles cancer).  But he's another one who got cut early and you generally like, so you wouldn't mind seeing him get another chance, especially after everything he's been through.

Michael Johnson: I went back and forth on Michael Johnson.  He wasn't actually fired.  He just decided to up and leave Trump Tower in the middle of the show.  But since he wasn't technically fired, let's see how he'd do if he stayed the whole time.

Johnny Damon: If any of these other candidates were to give Angela Ruggeiro a run for her money, Johnny Damon would probably be the guy.  He was doing great until Ian Ziering basically got their entire team fired towards the end.

Tito Ortiz: Lennox Lewis was really the best male athlete on season one.  But since he's British, he's out and Tito Ortiz is in.  Tito, who I'll admit I'd never heard of before The Celebrity Apprentice, has had a pretty successful business career since his UFC days came to an end.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Free Agent Landing Places

Now that the World Series is over and the Cubs are the champions for the first time in 108 years, it's time to start thinking about how we're going to get our baseball fix over the next four months until pitchers & catchers report.  Fortunately there's this wonderful thing called the Hot Stove league.

There were already a number of marquee names that we knew were going to be free agents, and today plenty more were added when they weren't granted a qualifying offer by their current team.  We've also had a few trades already, but those won't really heat up until the Winter Meetings in December.

While we're still weeks away from finding out where most of the free agents are going (it's also worth pointing out that the CBA expires on December 1, so negotiating the new one will likely take up much of the owners' and the union's time until then).  But that doesn't mean we can't speculate.  And unlike last year, there are a lot of big names that are likely going to be wearing new uniforms next season.

Jose Bautista: It's unlikely that Bautista's going to return to Toronto.  So where does he go?  I have a hunch he'll stay in the AL where he can DH.  Texas is a really interesting option for him.  Since they're unlikely to keep Carlos Beltran, the Rangers could use a DH.  But considering Bautista's history with Texas, I don't think the Rangers (or their fans) would welcome him with open arms.  Rather, I think it's more likely he stays in the AL East and ends up in Boston.

Mike Napoli: I've gotta admit, I was surprised the Indians didn't make a qualifying offer to Napoli, if only to get the draft pick compensation.  Now he's free to go anywhere and the Indians will get nothing in return (I'm assuming their plan is to have Santana play first).  That puts Napoli back on the open market, where he'll draw plenty of interest from AL teams.  I think Toronto will give him a serious look as a cheaper option than Bautista/Encarnacion.  A reunion with the Rangers isn't out of the question, either.

Dexter Fowler: This might be the most interesting name on the free agent market.  Fowler came back to Chicago on a one-year deal this season, and the Cubs don't win the World Series without him.  He's an incredibly valuable member of that team, but I don't think they have a place to put him.  Schwarber, Zobrist and Baez all have to play, and the only way that happens is if they let Fowler leave and move Heyward to center.  If that happens, Fowler will have plenty of suitors.  He probably stays in the National League.  He'd be a really good fit in San Francisco.

Edwin Encarnacion: Encarnacion re-signing with Toronto isn't completely out of the question.  It's really a matter of whether or not the Blue Jays want to pay him the amount he's going to command from other teams.  He's an interesting one because he can easily be either a first baseman or a DH, which means he can go pretty much anywhere.  Should the Blue Jays go for the cheaper option of Napoli, I can easily see Encarnacion in Texas.

Yoenis Cespedes: A lot of people have asked me where I think Cespedes is going to end up.  I was actually surprised by the question.  Because I think it's highly unlikely Cespedes leaves the Mets.  Yes, he opted out of his four-year deal after one season.  I'm not reading too much into that, though.  If he wanted to leave, he would've done it last year when he had more value.

Matt Wieters: He can still catch, but probably can't everyday, so he's gonna need to go to an AL team where he can DH sometimes.  I actually think Cleveland could be an option here.  Or the Tigers, but they're looking to shed salary rather than add it, so I'd be really surprised to see Detroit make a big free agent run at anybody.

Carlos Beltran: We're past the point where Carlos Beltran has any value as an outfielder.  That limits his value.  But he can still hit, so the DH market will be all over him.  The Angels gave Albert plenty of time at DH last year.  Does he move back to first full-time to make room for Beltran at DH?  If not the Angels, there are plenty of remaining options.  Like Toronto, Kansas City and the White Sox.

Angel Pagan: Where others end up could dictate where Pagan goes.  He'll probably carry a slightly smaller price tag than Fowler, which likely gives him more options.  Pagan's the type of guy Detroit might make a run at, but I doubt it.  I've got it narrowed down to two: staying with the Giants or, how's this one for out of left field?, Seattle.

Justin Turner: Perhaps the most interesting guy in the free agent market.  Turner had a career-year as the Dodgers' starting third baseman, but he can play pretty much anywhere.  He's got free agent bust written all over him, but you know somebody's going to give him a ridiculous amount of money.  Will he head north to the Dodgers' archrivals?  Or will he end up in the American League with a team like the White Sox?

Kendrys Morales: Morales is a DH.  That's all he can do at this point.  So he'll have to go to an American League team.  And there are a number of American League teams that won't be interested in the type of contract he'll command.  One that might is the defending AL champion Indians, who'll have to replace Napoli's bat in the middle of the lineup somehow.

Ian Desmond: Desmond really took a risk when he took a one-year, $8 million deal from the Rangers last year.  And it paid off big time.  He went from a middle infielder to one of the best center fielders in the game.  And he's going to make him a lot of money this offseason.  In fact, he's so valuable to the Rangers, that I think Texas shells out that money to keep him right where he is.

Neil Walker: After Daniel Murphy left for Washington (and finished second in the MVP vote), the Mets made a great move by trading for Neil Walker.  Now Walker is a free agent, and it'll be interesting to see what the Mets decide to do.  My guess is they won't bring back both Walker and Cespedes, and, if they have to choose, they'll likely do what they did last year and prioritize Cespedes.  Which makes Walker available to all teams in the market for a second baseman.  Teams like the St. Louis Cardinals.

Aroldis Chapman: Only two places are realistic landing spots for Aroldis Chapman.  And he played for both teams last season.  When the Yankees traded him, it was always in the back of their minds that they could re-sign him as a free agent this offseason.  They need a reliever, and they'll definitely be willing to shell out and reunite two-thirds of No Runs DMC.  But the Cubs brought him in to win them a ring (which he did) and also fully believe they can re-sign him.  Which they can.  They're both deep-pocketed large market clubs, so it'll likely be a bidding war.

Kenley Jansen: If there's one main culprit that ended the Giants' even-year mojo, it was the bullpen.  San Francisco didn't have a closer and it showed.  Big time.  So they're going to shell out a lot of money to improve that bullpen.  As the second-best closer on the market behind Chapman, Jansen will get several big-money offers, and he'll really have his pick of teams.  I think the Giants will outbid the rest of them, though.

Mark Melancon: Melancon will be the consolation prize to whoever doesn't get Chapman or Jansen.  He's nowhere on the level of those two, but somebody who needs a closer will overpay for him.  And I'd be willing to bet that will be a mid-market team that's desperate to play with the big boys.  Like Arizona.  Or San Diego (who I think is probably going to bring Fernando Rodney back instead).

So there you have it.  That's 15 of the top free agents (you'll notice there aren't any worthwhile starting pitchers on the market, which is where trades are going to come in).  Of course, I could be way off.  But once that first domino falls, the others won't be too far behind.  That's what makes Hot Stove baseball so much fun.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

2016 NFL Week 9

Whenever the Redskins win their final game before a Presidential election, the incumbent party wins.  Whenever they lose, the White House changes hands.  But what about when the election comes right after their bye week?  And what if their final game before the bye is a tie?  How are we supposed to know whether Trump or Hillary is going to be our next President come Tuesday night?!

Washington's tie last week is actually going to affect the season a lot more than the Seahawks-Cardinals tie will.  Seattle is probably going to win the NFC West, and Arizona doesn't look like they'll be in the mix for a wild card.  But that half-game in the NFC East/wild card standings could determine who's in and who's out.  Remember a few years ago when Donovan McNabb didn't know the rules and the Eagles ended up with a tie, that's what got them into the playoffs...because they ended up 10-5-1 and out of all the 10-6 tiebreakers, which they would've lost.

And, it's gotta be said.  After back-to-back weeks with a tie, hopefully those are done for the 2016 season.  Maybe we're done with the Sunday Night game going to overtime, too.  Although, with an outstanding Broncos-Raiders matchup, I can easily see that trend continuing.

Cowboys (6-1) at Browns (0-8): Dallas-Finally Jerry Jones came out and said that he wants Dak Prescott to remain the starter after Romo comes back.  That's the right move.  Because Dallas is the second-best team in football right now, and there's no reason to mess with what's working.  Cleveland, on the other hand, is the worst team in football.  This is the biggest mismatch of the week.

Jaguars (2-5) at Chiefs (5-2): Kansas City-Kansas City is the one of only seven teams in the NFL with one or two losses, yet they're only in third place in their own division!  So is the plight of being in the AFC West this season.  Andy Reid's club has continued to be the quiet killers, though.  They just go out there week after week and win.  Playing at home against Jacksonville, this week should be no different.

Jets (3-5) at Dolphins (3-4): Jets-Last year's Dolphins "home" game against the Jets was in London.  (Sidebar, I'm not sure how many people noticed this in the press release last week in the announcement that they're playing the Saints in London next year, but Miami was required to host one in its Super Bowl contract.  So, the NFL is basically forcing them to give up a home game.)  Miami is playing its fourth! consecutive home game and has won the last two.  The Jets are also looking for their third straight win.  The winner here brings their record back to respectability at the midway point.

Lions (4-4) at Vikings (5-2): Minnesota-I think people have figured out the Minnesota Vikings.  After that 5-0 start where they looked unbeatable, they had their bye and haven't won since.  Last week's loss in Chicago was inexcusable, and they only stayed in first place thanks to the Falcons' last-minute touchdown against the Packers.  Detroit finally played a road game last week and had its three-game winning streak snapped.  They're on the road again this week, so I'll say the Vikings get back on track.

Eagles (4-3) at Giants (4-3): Philadelphia-Why are the Giants and Jets playing at the same time?  The NFL only started doing that a couple years ago, and I hate it when they do.  Because it's completely unnecessary.  Anyway, this is a big game for both the Eagles and the Giants.  The winner moves into second and is still within striking distance of Dallas.  The loser, despite being 4-4, will be in last place in the ultra-competitive NFC East.  So, yeah, it's a big game for both.  Philly seems to have the Giants' number, though, so I'm going with the Eagles.

Steelers (4-3) at Ravens (3-4): Pittsburgh-There's nothing like a good rivalry game to get the blood pumping.  We'll get to see what the Steelers are really made of over the next couple weeks while they don't have Ben Roethlisberger.  But we've seen Houston hold its own without J.J. Watt, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Pittsburgh do the same.  That's why I'm calling what would technically be an "upset" and a Steelers victory.

Panthers (2-5) at Rams (3-4): Los Angeles-Carolina finally got a win!  That's a feeling the Rams haven't had in a month.  After starting 3-1, they've lost three straight.  They haven't played at the LA Coliseum since Week 5, though.  We'll see if the comforts of home make a difference.  Fun fact: this is Carolina's first-ever trip to Los Angeles.  The Rams' first year in St. Louis was the Panthers' first in the league.

Saints (3-4) at 49ers (1-6): New Orleans-The battle of the gold helmets!  San Francisco's not a good team.  I think we can all agree on that.  The 49ers won on the opening Monday night, but have lost six straight since then.  During the Thursday night game, they threw up a graphic about the scoring in the NFC South.  Cris Collinsworth accurately said that all the scoring makes for a fun division to watch, but the lack of defense could be a reason why.  Well, the 49ers don't have a defense or an offense, so New Orleans should leave the Bay Area with a win.

Colts (3-5) at Packers (4-3): Green Bay-Green Bay is one of those teams that you just can't put your finger on.  Are the Packers elite or not?  You think they are, then they go allow a last-minute touchdown to lose to the Falcons and drop to 4-3.  I really am confused by this team.  I do think Aaron Rodgers will have a field day against the Colts defense, though, which should give Green Bay the edge, especially at Lambeau.

Titans (4-4) at Chargers (3-5): San Diego-Both of these teams, Tennessee especially, have surprised this season.  The Titans, in fact, are only one game out of first in the AFC South.  In fairness, though, all four of Tennessee's wins have come against teams you wouldn't exactly call "elite."  That's not their fault, of course.  They're just playing the teams on the schedule.  One of the teams on that schedule is San Diego.  You know this about the Chargers: they'll be in the game and probably have the lead in the fourth quarter.  Will they finish the job this time?

Broncos (6-2) at Raiders (6-2): Denver-How often does a Sunday night matchup look great on paper at the start of the season, then end up not even being the best game that week?  Well, that's not the case this week.  This is perhaps the best Sunday Night matchup of the season, and it's the first Sunday night game in Oakland in God knows how long.  They're both 6-2, tied for first place.  I don't think they need to prove to anyone that they're for real, but this the Raiders' chance to make a real statement.  Denver wants to make a statement of its own, though.  This is the Broncos' division until somebody takes it from them.  They'll want to remind everybody of that.

Bills (4-4) at Seahawks (4-2-1): Seattle-None of the four teams that has a tie is playing on Sunday.  Three are on their bye (of which we again have six this week), while the Seahawks host the Bills on Monday night.  An interesting Monday night selection to say the least, considering there's no history between these teams and the Bills are flying cross-country for an interconference game.  We all know how tough Seattle is at home and Buffalo tends to not play its best in primetime.  As a result, I'd be very surprised to see the Seahawks lose this one.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 7-5-1
Season: 76-43-2

Friday, November 4, 2016

Another Great Game 7

When we ended up with a Cubs-Indians World Series, we knew we were in store for a treat.  And they certainly delivered.  A seven-game classic that had a little bit of everything and ended with Chicago's first championship in 108 years.

This was the highest-rated World Series in years.  The initial numbers on Game 7 indicate that more than 40 million people watched the game.  And it was a fitting climax to a tremendous series.  From the leadoff home run to the Indians comeback to the rain delay, which of course came in the top of the 10th inning.  It was a great World Series, and it's only fitting that it went the distance.

Game 7 was a worthy finale.  One that will be remembered for a long time, and not just by those on the North Side of Chicago.  But where does it rank all-time among World Series Game 7's?  It's not at the top, but it's definitely in the top 10.

10. Giants-Royals (2014): Two words--Madison Bumgarner.  He completely owned the 2014 Postseason, so was it any surprise that he pitched five innings of scoreless relief in the clincher?  As soon as you saw him warming up, you knew he was coming in.  And as soon as he came in, you knew it was over.

9. Mets-Red Sox (1986): Does Game 7 remotely compare to Game 6, one of the all-time classic games in baseball history?  Absolutely not!  But Game 7 was a fitting conclusion to an incredible series.  Boston led 3-0 after five, and the Mets only had one hit off Bruce Hurst.  Then they scored three in the bottom of the sixth to tie it...before putting up another three-spot in the seventh.  After Boston pulled within 6-5, the Mets scored twice more in the bottom of the eighth before Jesse Orosco threw his glove up in the air in celebration after getting the final out.

8. Cardinals-Red Sox (1946): Enos Slaughter's "Mad Dash" will always be remembered as one of the most famous plays in World Series history.  Boston tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the eighth, only to see Slaughter score from first on a single to center in the bottom half of the inning.  It would end up being the series-winning run, as the Cardinals took both the game and the series 4-3.

7. Cubs-Indians (2016): Immediacy always results in the most-recent games ending up ranked highly in all-time lists, even if hindsight finds them moved down eventually.  But I think this year's finale will remain up there for a while.  First you had the historical significance of the Cubs finally winning after more than a century.  But it was also how they won it.  Up 5-1 in the fifth and 6-3 after six, only to see the Indians put up a three-spot in the eighth.  Then there was a rain delay right before extra innings, after which Chicago scored twice.  Cleveland got one back in the bottom of the 10th, but the tying run was left stranded at first when Michael Martinez grounded to Kris Bryant, sending Cubs fans everywhere into delirium.

6. Marlins-Indians (1997): Cleveland hasn't had the best of luck in World Series Game 7's.  Nineteen years ago, they played one against an upstart Marlins team.  Cleveland led 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth with its closer Jose Mesa on the mound, but Moises Alou scored on Craig Counsell's sac fly to tie the game.  Two innings later, Counsell scored on Edgar Renteria's walk-off single up the middle and the Marlins were World Champions.

5. Senators-Giants (1924): Playing in his first World Series, Washington's legendary Walter Johnson, one of the greatest pitchers in history, lost his first two starts.  The Senators battled back to force a Game 7, though, giving Johnson a chance to redeem himself.  It was 3-1 Giants in the eighth when Washington scored two to tie it.  Johnson entered in relief in the ninth and pitched four scoreless innings.  Finally, in the bottom of the 12th, Freddie Lindstrom and the infamous "ball off the pebble" resulted in the series-winning run scoring, giving Johnson and the Senators their first (and only) championship.

4. Dodgers-Yankees (1955): Yes, some might consider this ranking be a bit high.  But the historical significance of this game is why I've got it up there.  It was the fifth Yankees-Dodgers matchup in 10 years, and this is the only time Brooklyn came out on top.  Johnny Podres threw a shutout to earn MVP honors, as the Dodgers won 2-0 for their first World Series title (and their only one before relocating to California).

3. Pirates-Yankees (1960): It's one of two World Series to end on a walk-off home run, and the only one where that series-clincher came in a Game 7.  Bill Mazeroski's home run is by far the most famous in World Series history.  But this game was so much more than just that homer.  It was 4-0 Pirates after two, 7-4 Yankees in the middle of the eighth, 9-7 Pittsburgh after eight, and tied going into the bottom of the ninth, when Mazeroski etched his place in World Series history.

2. Diamondbacks-Yankees (2001): After Alfonso Soriano homered in the top of the eighth, it looked like the Yankees were well on their way to a fourth straight title.  Then the unthinkable happened.  The Diamondbacks got to Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth.  First there was the throwing error that led to the tying run, then Luis Gonzalez hit the bloop single heard around the world and, suddenly, the Yankees dynasty was over.

1. Twins-Braves (1991): In my opinion (and that of many others), this is the greatest World Series of all-time.  And the epic Game 7 only added to that mystique.  This game is the primary reason why I think Jack Morris belongs in the Hall of Fame.  If it was still going on, he'd still be mowing down the Braves one batter after another.  Finally, in the bottom of the 10th, Gene Larkin hit a walk-off single to give Minnesota the title.