Baseball's Best Pitchers, 2024

As it turns out, Manager of the Year voting wasn't actually that close.  Both Stepen Vogt and Pat Murphy got 27 of the 30 votes.  It wasn't unanimous, but it was close.  The unanimous votes are coming over the next two days for both Cy Youngs and both MVPs.  There's no reason to act like there's any suspense heading into the announcement.  Tarik Skubal will win in the AL and Chris Sale will win in the NL.

Which isn't to say the other four finalists aren't deserving.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  I think they nailed it with the top three in both leagues.  I especially love the fact that Emmanuel Clase's lights-out season was recognized with a well-earned top three finish.  Closers don't often get the Cy Young love.  Mariano Rivera finished second one and third three times, but never came close to winning.  No closer has since Eric Gagne for his exceptional 2003 campaign.  Clase didn't either, but he's the first closer in 16 years to even be a finalist.

Paul Skenes, meanwhile, came close to doing something that hasn't been done since the incomparable Fernando Valenzuela in 1981--win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in the same season.  This guy was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023!  He was in the Majors less than a year later.  And he was one of the best starting pitchers not just in the National League but in the freakin' Majors!  Skenes will win a Cy Young one day, likely fairly soon.

Like Skenes, Zack Wheeler was a workhorse.  He made 32 starts and was one of just four pitchers in the Majors to hit the 200-inning mark.  Wheeler finished 16-7 and was second in the Majors in batting average against (.192), third in WHIP (0.96) and tied for third in strikeouts (224).  In many ways, you could argue that his numbers were better than Sale's.  Plus, the Phillies won the division, with Wheeler pitching like the ace he is.

Seth Lugo is probably the most unlikely of the six names announced as finalists.  That's what happens when you have a career year at age 34.  This is a guy who bounced between the rotation and the bullpen for both the Mets and the Rays.  In Kansas City, he finally got the chance to be a full-time starter, and boy did he deliver!  Lugo went 16-9 and threw more than 200 innings for a playoff team.  He always knew he could be a reliable Major League starter.  And he was right.

Lugo was part of a 1-2 punch for the Royals.  His partner in crime, Cole Ragans, likely appeared on plenty of ballots in the fourth- or fifth-place spots.  Ragans was second in the American League in strikeouts and sixth in batting average against.  He also made the All*Star team and, just as importantly for Kansas City, started 32 games for the Royals.

Last season, the one thing the Orioles knew they needed was an ace.  So, towards the end of Spring Training, they went out and got one.  Corbin Burnes proved to be exactly what they needed.  A front-line starter who'd take his turn every five days and give them effective innings.  He made 32 starts and pitched to a 15-9 record with a 2.92 ERA (fourth in the AL).

There are also three pitchers in the AL West whose names wouldn't shock me if they appeared on some ballots.  Houston's Ronel Blanco threw just 167.1 innings, but he led the AL in batting average against (.190) and was second in ERA (2.80).  His teammate Framber Valdez was third in ERA (2.91) and proved to be one of the only constants in that Astros rotation.  Seattle's Logan Gilbert, meanwhile, went just 9-12, which likely knocked him out of consideration in a lot of voters' minds (I know that I wouldn't vote for somebody whose record is under .500).  If not for that, though, he'd be in the conversation after ranking among the AL leaders in strikeouts, WHIP and batting average against.

In the National League, I wouldn't be surprised if Skenes wasn't the only rookie who got Cy Young votes.  Because Shota Imanaga (who was fourth in Rookie of the Year voting) was sensational in his first season with the Cubs.  He went 15-3 and was third in both ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.02).  Had the Cubs finished higher in the standings, Imanaga would be a much bigger part of the conversation.

When the Yankees and Padres were first discussing the Juan Soto trade, it almost completely blew up because of Michael King.  San Diego really wanted him as the key piece in return.  The Yankees didn't want to give him up.  They eventually realized that it would be stupid to torpedo the deal because of Michael King, so they relented and included the guy the Padres wanted.  He showed why they wanted him so badly.  In his first full season as a Major League starter, King was 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts.  He, Sale and Wheeler were the only National League pitchers with 200 K's and a sub-3.00 ERA this season.

And, I know Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley was First Team All-MLB, but I don't even think he was the best reliever in the National League.  I think the Braves' Raisel Iglesias was.  Iglesias had an ERA of 1.95, a WHIP of 0.74 and a batting average against of 1.95.  He went 6-2 as a closer and had 34 saves.  He was only Atlanta's second-best pitcher, though.

Chris Sale wasn't just the best pitcher on the Braves, he was the best pitcher in the National League.  He was also the NL Comeback Player of the Year after all those lost seasons in Boston.  Believe it or not, even when he had all those great years with the White Sox, he's never won the Cy Young.  That'll change for the 35-year-old, who won a Gold Glove to go along with his pitching Triple Crown.

Whether Sale wins his Cy Young unanimously is really the only question.  For Tarik Skubal, it's not.  It would be shocking if his victory wasn't unanimous.  Skubal was THAT much better than the other pitchers in the American League this season.  The dude was the Tigers' pitching staff!  He led the Majors in strikeouts, tied for the Major League lead in wins, and trailed Sale in ERA by 0.01.  They seriously both could've won the Major League pitching Triple Crown!

So, it's pretty obvious who I'm giving the nod in each league.  It's positions 2-5 where the jockeying starts.  For what it's worth, behind Sale in the National League, I've got: 2. Wheeler, 3. Skenes, 4. King, 5. Imanaga.  And in the American League, behind Skubal it's: 2. Clase, 3. Lugo, 4.  Burnes, 5. Blanco.

Baseball's Best Managers, 2024

When the Manager of the Year finalists were announced, Dodgers fans flipped out that Dave Roberts wasn't among them.  Despite all the Dodgers' success during his tenure, Roberts has only won the Manager of the Year award once.  And, frankly, that shouldn't be surprising.  It was the same thing during the Yankees' dynastic run in the late 90s.  Joe Torre only won Manager of the Year once, and it took the historic 1998 season for him to do it.

The fact of the matter is that it's as tough for Dave Roberts to win now as it was for Joe Torre then.  The Dodgers are good every year.  The Dodgers are supposed to be good every year.  Thus, when they win 98 games, all they did was meet expectations.  And, frankly, the Dodgers measure success by how they do in the postseason, which doesn't count for Manager of the Year voting.

Yes, the Dodgers had a ridiculous amount of injuries this season and managed to lead the Majors with 98 wins despite using about 15 starting pitchers, moving guys all over the field and using the bullpen like it was nobody's business.  But, when you have the most talent and the most resources, you're expected to win a lot of games.  Which is what they did.  They didn't do it the way they thought they would, but they still did.  So, it makes complete sense that Dave Roberts isn't a finalist for NL Manager of the Year.

Same thing with Aaron Boone, who's never won Manager of the Year during his time with the Yankees (not that he's deserved to).  The Yankees had a great year.  They also had Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole.  Their success wasn't exactly a surprise.  And that's generally who the Manger of the Year award goes to.  A team that exceeded expectations either by making the playoffs or getting close.  Like each of this year's finalists.

All three AL Manager of the Year finalists came from the playoff teams in the AL Central.  And that's who the three finalists should be!  Nobody had Detroit or Kansas City making the playoffs in July, let alone before the season, so they definitely qualify as "unexpected."  Cleveland, meanwhile, was led by a first-time manager who only retired as a player two years ago...and was in first place all season!  It really could be any of the three.  There isn't a bad choice.

Let's do this in standings order and start with Stephen Vogt.  The Guardians had a disappointing season in 2023 and had their Hall of Fame manager "retire" (only to resurface with the Reds).  They turned to Vogt, who was a player himself not too long ago, and he proved to be the perfect guy for one of the youngest teams in the Majors.  He proved to be a natural at managing, too.  Everything he did worked.  To the tune of 92 wins and a division title.

Matt Quatraro lost 106 games in his first season as Royals manager.  In his second, he led Kansas City to the playoffs.  They became just the third team to reach the postseason a year after a 100-loss season.  It really was one of the most impressive turnarounds from one season to the next in MLB history, and they very well could be like the Orioles where this was just the start.

Then there's A.J. Hinch.  We already knew he was a good manager after all of his success in Houston, so you knew the Tigers were in good hands when they hired him after his suspension ended.  Even Hinch had to be shocked that Detroit made the playoffs, though!  This team was so far out of it at the trade deadline that they sent their second-best starting pitcher to the Dodgers!  They literally had pitching staff made up of Tarik Skubal and a bunch of guys you've never heard of.  And it's not like there were all these brand names in the lineup, either.  Yet the Tigers, who weren't even a thought in mid-August, went on a 31-11 tear to end the regular season and get into the playoffs, then beat Hinch's old team in the Wild Card Series before extending Cleveland to five in the Division Series.

I've gone back and forth between all three choices.  They've all got a valid case, and I'd literally be fine with any of them winning.  Ever so slightly, I'm going Quatraro, Hinch, Vogt.  That turnaround from one season to the next under the same manager is what sealed it for me.

In the National League, it's three managers who were in their first season with their club.  Carlos Mendoza recovered from a terrible start to take the Mets to the NLCS.  Pat Murphy became a first-time Major League manager at age 65 and led the Brewers to a division title.  And Mike Shildt, the 2019 NL Manager of the Year in St. Louis, took over a Padres team that went from a disappointing 2023 to almost knocking the eventual World Series champions out of the playoffs in the Division Series.

San Diego turned over nearly its entire roster.  Trading Juan Soto to the Yankees was the headline event of their 2023-24 offseason, but they also had an almost entirely new pitching staff (that included several of the pieces acquired for Soto).  They still had the star power and bolstered it with the likes of Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez.  Everyone knew the Padres were a dangerous team, and Shildt brought out the best in them.  San Diego did this season what was expected last season...when they still had Soto and Blake Snell.

Craig Counsell's Brewers contract expired after last season, and he left Milwaukee for the division rival Cubs.  And it was longtime Brewers coach Pat Murphy who was tabbed to replace him.  That turned out to be a great decision, since he just kept the good thing in Milwaukee going.  They're a small market team, yet somehow, they make it work.  They had injuries to key players.  They traded their best pitcher.  And yet they posted 93 wins and won the NL Central going away.

To say the Mets' season was a roller coaster would be an understatement.  They were 11 games under .500 at the end of May.  Those first two really bad months were followed by four exceptional months, with plenty of heart-stopping moments thrown in.  They had that ridiculous scenario with the doubleheader in Atlanta on the extra day at the end of the season to make the playoffs.  Once they got in, they continued that roll all the way to the NLCS.  The postseason doesn't count, but what he did to get the Mets there sure does.

As impressive as the Mets' late run was, though, it wasn't as good as San Diego's.  The Padres were the best team in baseball over the second half.  They weren't bad in April, May or June, either, which is why Mike Shildt gets the nod in the NL.  I've got Shildt 1, Murphy 2 and Mendoza 3 on my "ballot."

Baseball's Best Rookies, 2024

MLB awards season gets underway with the Rookies of the Year, and it really is a fascinating way to start.  Because, unlike the MVPs and Cy Youngs, all four of which could be unanimous, there really is a question of who'll win in both leagues.  And who should.  So, we're getting the only two player awards where there'll actually be any sort of debate right off the bat.

In the AL, we've got two Yankees and the Orioles' Colton Cowser.  The last time two Yankees were Rookie of the Year finalists together, Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres canceled each other out and Shohei Ohtani ended up winning by more than he probably should have (I said this then and I'll say it again now, you can't hold the fact that Ohtani's a freak of nature also pitches against guys who don't).  Will the same thing happen again?  Will Colton Cowser benefit from a split vote between Luis Gil and Austin Wells?

Meanwhile, in the NL, it's two guys named Jackson and Paul Skenes, the Pirates sensation who started the All*Star Game, but also wasn't called up until May.  Will that be held against him?  Or was Skenes' body of work so much better than the two Jacksons that it won't matter?

It was a similar situation in 2014, when it was Jacob deGrom vs. Billy Hamilton.  Back then, it was deGrom who had been called up in May while Hamilton was with the Reds on Opening Day.  My choice would've been Hamilton, and my argument was that the fact he was the Opening Day center fielder and on the roster all season wasn't being considered enough.  The voters felt differently and deGrom ended up winning NL Rookie of the Year that season.

So, with that in mind, you'd think my choice would be Jackson Merrill.  And he's actually got a pretty strong argument.  Merrill was an infielder until the end of Spring Training, when the Padres decided that he'd be their Opening Day center fielder.  He ended up making the All*Star team, and he really was a stabilizing force in that San Diego lineup.  Without Merrill in center field, the Padres may not have been a playoff team, let alone one that nearly beat the Dodgers in the Division Series!

However, what Paul Skenes did this season was historic.  He isn't just a finalist for Rookie of the Year.  He's a finalist for the Cy Young and was First Team All-MLB.  Skenes came in with ridiculously high expectations as the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, was called up to the Majors less than a year after being drafted, and lived up to all the hype!  His starts became must-watch events.  He was the guy.  He was the show.  And, as impressive as his numbers were, just imagine how much better they would've been had he played the entire season!

The third National League finalist is the Brewers' Jackson Chourio.  His third-place finish in this race is well-deserved.  Chourio's second half was especially spectacular.  It's also crazy to think that this guy is only 20 years old.  He was the youngest player in the Majors this season.  He sure didn't look like it!  Chourio, in fact, became the youngest player ever with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.

This is a two-horse race between Skenes and Merrill, though.  In any other year, it wouldn't be close.  They'd both win going away.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), this year we've got two Rookie of the Year-caliber performances in the National League.  You really couldn't go wrong with either one.  I give the slight edge to Skenes, though.  How can a rookie season that was so talked about not be recognized with the Rookie of the Year award?  So, I'm going: 1. Skenes, 2. Merrill, 3. Chourio.

For a while, it looked like Skenes wouldn't be the only rookie pitcher starting the All*Star Game.  Because Luis Gil's first half was incredible!  And the craziest thing about it is that he was sent down during Spring Training!  He only made the team as the fifth starter because of Gerrit Cole's injury.  Once he was in the rotation, they couldn't take him out!  Gil ended up being the Yankees' most reliable starter behind Cole, and he capped it off with a World Series start.

Let's not forget how important Austin Wells was to the Yankees' success, either.  For most of the second half, he was hitting in the cleanup spot behind Soto and Judge.  They had a rookie catcher batting behind the 1-2 punch who are both MVP finalists.  And they kept him there because he was the guy producing in that spot.  He started the season in a platoon with Jose Trevino.  It didn't take long for Wells to become the primary catcher.  As a rookie.  While also hitting cleanup.  On a team that made the World Series.

We could easily see the Yankees go 1-2 here, but I think it's more likely the Rookie of the Year voting will mirror the MVP voting and the Yankees will finish 1-3.  Because Colton Cowser's rookie season can't be discounted.  He hit 24 home runs and was a Gold Glove finalist in left field.  Just add Cowser's name to that list of talented young Orioles regulars.

And, while he's not a finalist, there's a fourth AL East rookie who very could've been.  Boston's Ceddanne Rafaela was literally everywhere!  He started games at five different positions, playing mainly center field and shortstop.  He also hit in six different lineup spots, although he mostly batted ninth.  Rafaela ended up driving in 75 runs, the most by AL rookies.  I have no issue with the three finalists who finished above him in the voting.  Rafaela had quite a rookie year, though!

Ultimately, though, I think Gil's body of work and consistency give him the edge.  He made 29 starts, finished 15-7, held opponents to a .189 average and struck out 171 hitters in 151.2 innings.  Gil becomes the first Yankee to win Rookie of the Year honors since Aaron Judge in 2017.  I've got Cowser at No. 2 and, while this may be surprising, Rafaela gets my third-place vote over Wells.  (I also gave A's closer Mason Miller some serious consideration.)

A pitcher hasn't won Rookie of the Year since Devin Williams in 2020.  A starter hasn't won it since Detroit's Michael Fulmer in 2016.  Expect both of those stats to change.  We could even see pitchers sweep Rookie of the Year honors for the first time since 2011.  And when's the last time two starting pitchers were the Rookies of the Year in the same season, you ask?  You have to go back to the last time the Dodgers played the Yankees in the World Series.  Dave Righetti and the late Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.

NFL 2024 (Week 11)

You know there's a big game when they make it nationally exclusive and even the pregame show makes a road trip.  That's certainly the case this week with Bills-Chiefs.  CBS actually hit the jackpot this week.  They've also got Ravens-Steelers.  That's quite a doubleheader!  Although, I'm kinda shocked that Baltimore-Pittsburgh didn't get flexed into Sunday night (I'm sure CBS protected Buffalo-Kansas City, so that likely wasn't even a flexing option).

I'm also kinda shocked that Jets-Colts actually got flexed out!  Have they finally realized that America doesn't deserve to be subjected to the New York Jets every week?  (Only those of us in New York get that pleasure.  But, hey, at least the Jets and Giants can't both lose this week!)  In place of Jets-Colts, it's Chargers-Bengals, which still isn't great, but is much better than the original Sunday night choice.

Thursday Night: Philadelphia (Win)

Packers (6-3) at Bears (4-5): Green Bay-Believe it or not, this is the Bears' first division game of the season.  Which means their record is likely about to come back to Earth after that hot start.  I hope you had fun while it lasted, Bears fans.  While I do think they'll likely beat one of their division foes at some point this season, I don't think it'll be this week.  The Packers win and keep up with the Lions and Vikings heading into a big one with San Francisco next week.

Jaguars (2-8) at Lions (8-1): Detroit-Just when it looked like the game was lost, the Lions got two miracle field goals to stunningly knock off the Texans last week.  If this isn't the best team in the NFL, they're sure up there!  This week, they're back at home to face a Jacksonville team that actually gave Minnesota a game last week.  Can they do the same on the road against the Lions?

Vikings (7-2) at Titans (2-7): Minnesota-While I still think the Vikings are only the third-best team in the NFC North, they keep making their case for the playoffs.  They were 5-0.  Then they lost two straight.  Now they've won two straight, and neither one was exactly pretty.  With the NFC North playing the whole AFC South this season, the NFC North teams need to be their three non-Texans AFC South opponents.  Especially with how close the division race is playing out.

Raiders (2-7) at Dolphins (3-6): Miami-The Dolphins going into SoFi and beating the Rams was perhaps the most surprising result last week.  If they can follow it up with a win over the Raiders, a second half run to a wild card spot might not be too crazy a thought after all.  With their remaining schedule, it certainly looks possible.  If they lose to Las Vegas, though, that chance becomes even slimmer.

Rams (4-5) at Patriots (3-7): New England-Last week was, without a doubt, the Patriots' best game of the season.  They went into Chicago and beat the Bears from start to finish.  The Rams, meanwhile, suffered a bad loss to the Dolphins last week, which dropped them to the bottom of the NFC West standings.  I still don't really know what to make of them.  On paper, the Rams should beat the Patriots no problem.  In reality, I think a New England victory is very realistic.

Browns (2-7) at Saints (3-7): New Orleans-Can the Saints do what the Raiders did last season and turn their season around under an interim head coach?  Because they looked like an entirely different team last week!  And they beat Atlanta, who's actually good.  Now they get Cleveland, who isn't.  Look for the Saints to make it two in a row.

Colts (4-6) at Jets (3-7): Indianapolis-Both of these teams are badly in need of a win.  The Colts have dropped three straight.  The Jets are the Jets.  A lot has gone wrong this season that even a coaching change couldn't fix.  Yes, they upset the Texans two weeks ago.  Then they went to Arizona and got slaughtered 31-6.  If the Colts have any chance of getting back into the playoff race, they need to not fall into the same trap as Houston.  You can't lose to the Jets when you have games against the Bills and Lions on either side of them.

Ravens (7-3) at Steelers (7-2): Pittsburgh-Whenever Pittsburgh and Baltimore meet, you know it's gonna be a grind-it-out battle.  That's especially true when first place is on the line.  They're both in good shape to make the playoffs, and they're both coming off a crazy one-point win.  It sure looks like we're gonna get another classic chapter in this epic rivalry.  I can see them splitting the season series, with the home team winning both games.  And, since this one's in Pittsburgh, the Steelers take the first game.

Falcons (6-4) at Broncos (5-5): Denver-Sean Payton deserves a ton of credit for that turnaround in Denver.  All he needed was to get the right personnel in, and now we're seeing the fruits of his labor.  Of course, playing in the same division as the Chiefs means a wild card is probably the best they can hope for.  And we saw them almost beat Kansas City last week!  They're still in wild card position, but need this one to avoid dropping below .500.  More importantly, they need this one to stop a two-game losing streak and prove they can beat a good team.

Seahawks (4-5) at 49ers (5-4): San Francisco-With the first-place Cardinals on their bye week, this game presents an important opportunity for both teams.  Either the 49ers, who haven't played well this season at all, will be tied for first or the Seahawks will be right back in the race.  It's quite a difference from the first meeting between these two, when the 49ers won in Seattle on a Thursday night.  Seattle is 1-4 since starting 3-0.  San Francisco is has won two straight since starting 3-4.  Clearly these two teams are headed in opposite directions.

Chiefs (9-0) at Bills (8-2): Buffalo-Kansas City has found every possible way to win a game this season.  Last week, it was a blocked field goal on the last play of the game.  The Chiefs' luck has to be running out, though.  They've been very public about wanting to go undefeated, but you've gotta think a loss is coming eventually.  And this might be the week.  The Bills are probably the team most equipped to beat them, especially in Buffalo.  And you know they want to avenge last season's playoff defeat!  The winner here will obviously have the head-to-head tiebreaker, too, just in case the importance of this game hasn't already been stressed enough.

Bengals (4-6) at Chargers (6-3): Chargers-Jim Harbaugh's Chargers get the Sunday night treatment for the first time against Joe Burrow and the Bengals.  I'm not gonna sugarcoat it.  Cincinnati's loss to Baltimore was bad.  Not just because of the penalties that weren't called.  Because they were already behind the 8-ball in the playoff race.  They can jump right back in it with a win here, but the Chargers are a good team that's well coached and looks poised to be headed towards a wild card.

Texans (6-4) at Cowboys (3-6): Houston-That loss to the Lions wasn't just devastating emotionally, it really damaged the Texans' playoff standing.  They still have a comfortable lead in the AFC South, but losses in three of their last four have dropped them to the 4-seed.  So, they need to straighten things out if they want to move up.  Speaking of needing to straighten things out, may I present the Dallas Cowboys?  Simply put, they're a mess.  They're 0-4 at home and have been outscored 81-15 in their last two at Jerry's World.

*GREY CUP-Argonauts (10-8) vs Blue Bombers (11-7): Winnipeg-As per usual, I'm making a special bonus pick with the Grey Cup.  Last season, Toronto had the best record in the CFL, but got upset by Montreal in the Eastern Division Final.  This season, it was the reverse.  Montreal had the best record and lost to Toronto.  In the Grey Cup, the Argonauts face a Winnipeg team they beat in both regular season matchups.  It's tough to beat a team three times in a season.  Which is why the Blue Bombers are the pick.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 8-6
Overall: 90-63 

Down Under Football: Would It Work?

At his press conference before the NFL concluded its International Series by subjecting the unsuspecting German fans to Giants-Panthers, Roger Goodell teased some of the upcoming international locales the NFL is thinking about.  So far, there's been games in Canada, Mexico and Germany, along with London, where they've set up a semi-permanent presence.  This year marked the first time the NFL played in Brazil, and Munich is already on the docket for next season.

Goodell indicated that Dublin, which has hosted a number of college games already, is a likely addition that will happen pretty soon.  There's also interest in Berlin, which has the 70,000-seat Olympiastadion and was the home of an NFL Europe team.  It would be the third different city in Germany to host an NFL regular season game, along with Munich and Frankfurt (which also both had NFL Europe teams).

Several other European markets will probably be in the mix for future games, as well.  It also seems like a good bet that the NFL will return to Brazil, but this time in Rio de Janeiro.  And I'm sure the NFL would like to further expand its international presence by tapping into other areas of the world.  Places like Australia, which is something they've already been thinking about.

I'll admit that was the most surprising thing to come out of Goodell's press conference.  I get why the NFL is interested in Australia, but was shocked to hear that there have already been preliminary talks, which is an indication that they're serious about it.  Although, there are some big logistical hurdles that would have to be overcome in order to make playing a game in Australia a reality.

One of the things about the European games that works so well is the favorable time zone.  The European games are able to be showcased since they all have that exclusive 9:30 AM Eastern TV window.  And games in Mexico or Brazil are easy since they're in the same time zone as the U.S.  Mexico City games are usually put on Monday night, while that Eagles-Packers game in Sao Paulo was on that special Friday night.

The time difference between the United States and Australia isn't convenient for anybody, though.  Depending on the time of year, Australia is either 14 or 16 hours ahead of the East Coast.  The West Coast is almost an entire day behind Australia!  So, the times that would work best for Americans are either in the middle of the night or early morning in Australia and vice versa.  (The Super Bowl kicks off at 10:30 AM Monday in Australia.)  That's obviously not ideal for either side, especially since the whole point is to expand the NFL's reach and expose the game to new fans.

With those time concerns in mind, that really limits the NFL's options for when it could schedule a game in Australia.  The 9:30 AM kickoff used for the European games is out since that's 1:30 AM in Australia.  Although, playing in one of the primetime slots certainly could work.  Sunday Night Football starts at 12:30 on Monday afternoon in Australia, while the Monday night game is at noon on Tuesday.  (Ditto with the Thursday night game on Friday afternoon.)

Those really seem like the only two options.  Except how convenient would it be for the game to start at noon on Monday or Tuesday?  Would they still go?  Sure!  Is it ideal?  No!  And the far more convenient options (a Friday night/Saturday afternoon or Saturday night/Sunday afternoon game) are really pretty much non-starters.

It was only because of a loophole in the NFL's antitrust exemption that they were able to schedule the Eagles-Packers game in Sao Paulo on a Friday night.  There were five Fridays in September this year and the provision in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 specifies that the NFL can't broadcast a game starting with the second Friday in September.  That'll also be the case next year (when there won't be a game in Australia), but the next opportunity after that won't be until 2029.  Would the league really want to wait five years before its first Australia game?  (They're obviously not playing on a Saturday night during college football season.)

So, that pretty much leaves playing a Sunday night/Monday afternoon or Monday night/Tuesday afternoon game.  I guess they could theoretically schedule a Thursday night/Friday afternoon game in Australia, but you're not making teams fly that far on a short week.  Which brings me to my next point.  When do you schedule a game in Australia so as not to cause a major disruption for the two teams playing?

There were concerns about the distance leading into the Eagles-Packers game in Sao Paulo, which is one of the reasons why they settled on Week 1.  Australia is nearly twice as far as Brazil!  So, following their own lead and scheduling the game for Week 1 would make sense...until you consider they'd immediately fly 10,000 miles back and play again in Week 2.  You can't do that.  They'd have to have their bye week after.  I'd imagine the NFLPA (and likely both teams) would insist on that.  Which means later in the season.  How late, though?

Later in the season would also work better for whichever stadium in Australia is selected since the Australian Football League and National Rugby League seasons both conclude in October.  So, what I can realistically see is a game in Sydney or Melbourne (or maybe even Brisbane since they're hosting the 2032 Olympics and the NFL would love to see flag football included in those Games) on a Sunday night/Monday afternoon at the end of October/beginning of November.  Realistically, that's the only thing that makes sense.

Although, another option that's been floated and is intriguing would be to hold the Pro Bowl Games Down Under.  That, frankly, I think is the best idea of them all.  Let the players have fun hanging out in Australia for a week (no need to worry about guys opting out with phantom "injuries"), and there's the freedom to schedule it basically whenever the NFL wants.  There's nothing going on in the week between the Conference Championships and Super Bowl, so they could easily do Saturday night/Sunday afternoon.

Regardless, it looks like an NFL game in Australia is a done deal.  It's only a matter of when.  These logistics will be figured out and they'll choose between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for the location.  Or maybe it'll be two of them.  Maybe all three.  Because once the NFL goes to Australia for the first time, you know there's no way they won't go back again!

My All-MLB Selections

It's almost award season in Major League Baseball.  The Gold Gloves were announced last week, and the finalists for the major awards have all been unveiled.  Those will all be awarded next week, while the All-MLB Team and some of the smaller awards will be presented this week in Las Vegas.

They didn't even have an All-MLB Team until 2019, but it was a long overdue honor.  Every other major league sport had an all-league team, but Baseball only had its individual awards, which left so many players unrecognized despite having a terrific season.  The All-MLB Team rectified that.  And, it's still pretty prestigious to be voted the best player in all of Major League Baseball at your position for that season.  So, even though this is just the fifth season an All-MLB Team has been chosen, it's already one of the biggest honors a player can receive.

Especially since picking the All-MLB Team isn't exactly easy.  At certain positions, it is.  But, there are also plenty of great seasons that can't be recognized simply because they're the second-best at that player's position during the season.  Good thing there's a Second Team All-MLB.  But even that's not enough at some positions.

Only one player at each infield position, catcher and DH is selected.  There's also three outfielders, regardless of position.  Starting rotations include five pitchers, so it makes sense that five starting pitchers get the nod along with two relievers.  There's no spot for a utility player, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's added in the future.  With all that in mind, here are the 16 guys I'd select for the First Team:

Catcher: William Contreras, Brewers-I went back and forth on this one before finally settling on William Contreras over Salvador Perez.  The fact that Salvy Perez played 158 games primarily as a catcher at age 34 and still put up the offensive numbers he did truly is remarkable.  But the numbers Contreras put up for the NL Central-winning Brewers were just a tick better.  Perez had more homers (27-23) and more RBIs (104-92), but Contreras held the edge in everything else.

1st Base: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Blue Jays-Don't tell Vladito that the Blue Jays had a down year.  Because he sure didn't.  He had 199 hits, 44 doubles, 98 runs scored, and a .323 average, all of which led MLB first basemen.  His 103 RBIs were second and his 30 home runs were third.  Most importantly, he stayed healthy, playing 159 games.  Bryce Harper, Josh Naylor, Pete Alonso and Matt Olson all had great years, as well.  But Guerrero gets the nod.

2nd Base: Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks-Ketel Marte had a great postseason last year and carried it into 2024.  He only played in 136 games, yet still led all Major League second basemen in both homers and RBIs by a wide margin.  Marte also had the highest slugging percentage and on-base percentage among second basemen while hitting .292.  Without him at the top of the lineup, the Diamondbacks don't come anywhere close to the playoffs.

Shortstop: Bobby Witt, Jr., Royals-This is one of the easy ones.  If not for Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. would be the runaway AL MVP.  Witt had the most hits (211) and highest average (.332) in the Majors, and he won a Gold Glove.  He also ranked among the top five in doubles, triples, slugging percentage and OPS.  So, yeah, Bobby Witt Jr. had a good season.  This will likely be the first of many All-MLB selections.

3rd Base: Jose Ramirez, Guardians-Can people please stop calling Jose Ramirez underrated?  Because we all know he isn't just really good at baseball, he's one of the best damn players in the American League!  And he has been for a few years!  He led Major League third basemen in everything by a wide margin while leading Cleveland to a division title and ALCS appearance.

Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees; Juan Soto, Yankees; Teoscar Hernandez, Dodgers-The 1-2 combo of Judge and Soto carried the Yankees to a pennant in what could be (but hopefully isn't) their only year together.  They're both AL MVP finalists, and rightfully so!  The only question is who'll be the third First Team All-MLB outfielder.  I went with Teoscar Hernandez, who finally had that breakout season that's long been expected of him.  Who knew all it took was putting him on the Dodgers?!  

Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers-We all know Ohtani's great.  That's not a surprise.  Yet he somehow still managed to amaze us with what he did in 2024.  He'll cruise to yet another MVP (his first in the National League) after the first 50 HR/50 SB season in Major League history.  Since he didn't pitch this season, he can only be All-MLB once this year.

Starting Pitcher: Chris Sale, Braves; Tarik Skubal, Tigers; Zack Wheeler, Phillies; Seth Lugo, Royals; Paul Skenes, Pirates-Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal both won the pitching Triple Crown and will probably be unanimous Cy Young winners.  So, two of the five First Team All-MLB starters are easy.  All five are, in fact.  Wheeler, Skenes and Lugo are also finalists for the Cy Young, and they'd all have an argument to win that award had Sale and Skubal not been so dominant this season.  Lugo and Wheeler were two of just four starting pitchers to throw 200 innings this season, and Skenes took baseball by storm after getting called up in May.

Relief Pitcher: Emmanuel Clase, Guardians; Kirby Yates, Rangers-His ALCS meltdown aside, Clase had one of the best seasons by a reliever in recent memory this year.  As a result, he's the first reliever to be a Cy Young finalist in 15 years.  So, he's a no-brainer choice.  The second reliver was a bit tricker, but I'm going with the Rangers' Kirby Yates.  He went 7-2 and was 33-for-34 in save opportunities.  Yates' batting average against (.113) and ERA (1.17) were nearly identical.  When they're both that low, that's too good to ignore.

As for my All-MLB Second Team, here it is: C-Salvador Perez (KC); 1B-Bryce Harper (PHI); 2B-Jose Altuve (HOU); SS-Francisco Lindor (NYM); 3B-Manny Machado (SD); OF-Jarren Duran (BOS), Anthony Santander (BAL), Jackson Merrill (SD); DH-Marcell Ozuna (ATL); SP-Shota Imanaga (CHC), Corbin Burnes (BAL), Ronel Blanco (HOU), Dylan Cease (SD), Framber Valdez (HOU); RP-Raisel Iglesias (ATL), Ryan Helsley (STL).  I could easily name a Third Team, as well, but MLB stops at two, so I'll do the same.

NFL 2024 (Week 10)

It gets dark at 5:00 and it's starting to get cold outside.  Which must mean the NFL season is heating up.  Depending on whether teams have already had their bye or not, they either reach the midway point or begin the second half of their schedule this week.  So, there's no more feeling teams out.  We should know who's good and who isn't by this point.  And this week has plenty of matchups featuring both.  There's good vs. good, bad vs. bad and team that needs a win vs. team that needs a win.  Week 10 has it all!

Thursday Night: Baltimore (Win)

Giants (2-7) vs Panthers (2-7): Carolina-London got Patriots-Jaguars.  Munich gets Giants-Panthers.  The NFL's best on full display for the European fans!  I kid, of course, but the trip to Germany will result in a win for one of the NFL's worst teams.  For Carolina, it would actually be a second straight victory after knocking off New Orleans last week (and getting the Saints' coach fired as a result).  It's been a while since they won back-to-back games, but that's exactly what I think will happen.

Patriots (2-7) at Bears (4-4): Chicago-Chicago has fallen a bit back to earth since the bye week, dropping two straight to fall to 4-4.  Those losses were both on the road to first-place teams Washington and Arizona, though.  And they should've beaten the Commanders.  So, there's no reason for them to panic.  Especially since they're coming home to face a not-very-good Patriots team.  They should get back into the win column heading into a stretch where they play three straight division games (six of the Bears' final eight games are against the NFC North).

Bills (7-2) at Colts (4-5): Buffalo-Buffalo hasn't won in Indianapolis since 1998.  Crazy stat, isn't it?  Of course, a lot of that had to do with Peyton Manning and the Bills not being good for a stretch, but still, that's 26 years!  They've got a very good chance of ending that streak here.  During the Bills' four-game winning streak, they haven't always been at their best, but they've found a way.  When they are at their best, like they were two weeks ago in Seattle, look out!  I think that's the Bills team we see this week.

Broncos (5-4) at Chiefs (8-0): Kansas City-The Chiefs are 8-0, yet their scoring margin for the season is just +56.  That means, obviously, they've been winning a lot of close games.  Their luck's gonna run out sometime, and it sure looked like that would be last week.  But, again, they pulled out the victory.  Can they possibly do it one more time and head into that showdown in Buffalo with a 9-0 record?  The Broncos will give them again.  But why would we expect this one to end any differently than the previous eight?

Falcons (6-3) at Saints (2-7): Atlanta-As hard to believe as it is now, New Orleans started the season 2-0 and scored 91 points in those two games.  That was obviously a long time ago.  Now the Saints are the losers of seven straight and playing with an interim head coach.  We'll see if that makes any difference at all over the remainder of the season.  Getting Atlanta right off the bat isn't the easiest way to start.  The Falcons are playing their fifth division game already (and don't play another until Week 18) and are 4-0 against their NFC South rivals.  A win here doesn't lock up the division, but will really put them in the driver's seat.

49ers (4-4) at Buccaneers (4-5): Tampa Bay-This game has taken on added standings importance.  The 49ers aren't running away with the NFC West like everybody thought they would.  Instead, they're involved in a tight division race.  Tampa Bay, meanwhile, can only think about a wild card after getting swept by Atlanta.  They need a win just to get back to .500, while the 49ers will drop below .500 with a loss.  Certainly not where a team with Super Bowl expectations thought they would be at midseason.

Steelers (6-2) at Commanders (7-2): Washington-Both of the Commanders' losses this season have come on the road against playoff teams from last season (Tampa Bay & Baltimore).  This is the first time they'll take on a 2023 playoff team at home.  It's a big one, too, since they head to Philadelphia on Thursday.  It's an important game for the Steelers, as well, since Baltimore already won this week and will take over the division lead if Pittsburgh loses.  So, there's plenty of intrigue and importance on both sides.

Vikings (6-2) at Jaguars (2-7): Minnesota-Trevor Lawrence will not play for Jacksonville.  That likely eliminates whatever slim possibility existed of the Jaguars winning this game.  We've seen enough of both teams to know that neither of their records is a fluke.  And the Vikings know their situation, too.  The NFC North is the best division in football this season.  They can't lose non-division games, especially to teams they know they should beat like the Jaguars.

Titans (2-6) at Chargers (5-3): Chargers-Jim Harbaugh is a pretty good coach!  That's not exactly breaking news.  I mean, he did take the 49ers to a Super Bowl and win a National Championship at Michigan.  But it's still worth pointing out since he's the biggest difference with the Chargers this season.  They haven't exactly played the hardest schedule, but they're winning the games they're supposed, which something they haven't always done in the past.  This is one of those winnable games.

Eagles (6-2) at Cowboys (3-5): Philadelphia-Last season, these two were in a dogfight for the NFC East title until the very end.  This season has obviously gone much differently.  Things haven't exactly been going well in Dallas, and they've just gotten worse now that Dak Prescott will be out for an extended period.  I'm not sure why they haven't put him on IR yet, but it's not like it makes a difference.  The Cowboys are going nowhere fast, and they're in the midst of a brutal stretch (Philadelphia, Houston, Washington).

Jets (3-6) at Cardinals (5-4): Arizona-Just my luck.  America is finally being given a reprieve on the Jets (they got flexed out of Sunday night next week), so, of course, while most of the country gets Eagles-Cowboys, they're playing the other CBS late game and New York is one of the few places stuck with Jets-Cardinals.  Thankfully, that's what Red Zone is for!  The Cardinals have certainly been a surprise, and they currently lead the NFC West.  While I'm not sure if that can continue, they can head into their bye at 6-4 knowing that at the very least they'll be tied for first after their week off.

Lions (7-1) at Texans (6-3): Houston-Two of the NFL's best, most exciting teams get the well-deserved Sunday night spotlight.  It's Houston's first game in 10 days after the Thursday night loss to the Jets.  Meanwhile, in December, they'll play three games in 10 days.  So, hopefully they enjoyed the break.  Or, at least as much as they could after a bad loss.  I do think they'll bounce back here.  Although, the Lions made a big statement in rainy Green Bay, so it wouldn't shock me to see them win this one.  I'm still going with the Texans, however.

Dolphins (2-6) at Rams (4-4): Rams-A few weeks ago, the Rams were 1-4 and being left for dead.  Now they've won three straight and are sitting just a half-game out of first in the NFC West.  Playing Miami at home gives them a great opportunity to make it four straight.  The Dolphins have dropped their last three by a combined 10 points, so they're in every game.  They just haven't found a way to finish it out.  So, we at least know it'll be close.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 10-5
Overall: 82-57