InClement Weather: Saturday Night Live (Thoughts)

1) Horseracing won't matter until a Triple Crown winner can be found.

2) Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are as solid a bet in Game 7 of their Western Conference Semi-Final matchup against the Houston Rockets as the North Carolina Tar Heels were over Michigan State.

3) David Ortiz has dodged steroid speculation solely on the basis of being on the Red Sox roster.

4) John Lackey was ejected after 2 pitches. Mike Scioscia will explain to us why he's smarter than all of us as a result.

5) Wayman Tisdale was Blake Griffin before Blake Griffin. I know I'm not the first, nor the last, to say it.

6) If LeBron James wins a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, he's going to re-ink with his homestate team this offseason.

7) Manchester United won their third straight Premeir Title. It doesn't take a genius to realize that this team does exactly what the Yankees don't do: pay big and win bigger.

8) Manny Ramirez apologized to his team. How cute. No, check that. How sweet.

9) The Brett Favre saga continues. Honestly, he might have 2 or 3 more offseasons like this to go. Sit tight...

10) People are barking at Carson Palmer for being overconfident on the 2009 season outlook for his Bengals. Exactly how do you want your franchise, $100+-million quarterback sounding? "Realistically, we're a 5-win team. But maybe we can get lucky and push it to .500." Some people are far too stupid to be potentially procreating.

11) Pau Gasol is also the most hollow "star" player in the NBA. Zero defense, zero heart, and zero ability to step up and show any muscle in a tight game. Hollow stats and trivial chest pumps after and-1s against shooting guards. That is why this guy couldn't win a game in the playoffs, A GAME, before Kobe Bryant. You rule Pau!

12) Bye bye Syracuse's hopes in 2009! Addition by subtraction perhaps with Harris and Devendorf NBA (I mean, Europe) bound and the additional of Iowa State-transfer Wesley Johnson...or so I thought. As for Mr. Flynn signing with an agent, well DAMN!!!

I suppose post-Final Four pre-season rankings leave you with that "just fell short" feeling. Don't they???

Down the Stretch they Come…

No, this isn't a horse racing post. Sorry stable boys.

Come on Clement, give us a better picture than THIS to start this post off!
That's better...
Credit: New York Times

Instead of MORE Big Brown talk (then again, did that ever start at PHSports?), I’m STILL wondering about the divisional and wild-card races in both the American and National Leagues...in early August.

In fact, let’s see if I can’t raise a little H-E-…you know the rest!

Which question, unanswered, will haunt each of these teams more?

Um, if you could just give me a second or two to get my thoughts together...

Okay, I'm ready now! Wait, what? We already started?

American League

Tampa Bay Rays

Question #1: Who is the veteran that this team clings to down the stretch?

Question #2: Is Troy Percival stable enough to anchor this team’s bullpen?

Boston Red Sox

Question #1: Can Jason Bay be Manny-like come playoff time?

Question #2: Was the lack of acquiring arms for their pen the biggest mistake of the Boston front office come trade deadline time?

New York Yankees

Question #1: How many injuries (seriously) can this lineup and rotation withstand before wilting?

Question #2: Will this team get anything of value from Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Carl Pavano (shudder)?

Chicago White Sox

Question #1: Is Paul Konerko officially washed up?

Question #2: What will be the impact, positive or negative, of the Griffey deal behind the plate and in the outfield?

Okay, so we're PROBABLY not going to see this Griffey ever again.
Credit: FullCountPitch

Minnesota Twins

Question #1: Will the future of Francisco Liriano be jeopardized by a post-season run in ’08?

Question #2: Does this team have the starting pitching to win crucial series come late September?

Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim, I know)

Question #1: Will K-Rod flame out after torching Thigpen’s single-season saves record?

Question #2: Slated, as of now, to take on the Red Sox come playoff time…can their pitchers be rested in September for this crucial series?

Whew, I need a break!

That's better!

National League

Philadelphia Phillies

Question #1: Is Joe Blanton the answer down the stretch to put this team over the top?

Question #2: Will the bottom of the lineup provide enough pop to give the middle of the order baserunners to knock in?

New York Mets

Question #1: Pedro Pedro Pedro?

Question #2: Ryan Church: are you ever coming back to normality this season?

Florida Marlins

Question #1: Josh Johnson: what do you have left in your arm for ’08?

Question #2: Can a team who only mashes the ball really make it to the playoffs on a $22-million payroll?

Chicago Cubs

Question #1: Do you still believe in curses?

Question #2: Rich Harden…can you stay healthy?

Dang! Wrong Bartman...
Credit: Fecot

Milwaukee Brewers

Question #1: Will manager Ned Yost again lose his team come September?

Question #2: Ryan Braun for MVP???

St. Louis Cardinals

Question #1: Carpenter/Wainwright: can 1 of the 2 return to prime form?

Question #2: Carptenter/Wainwright: can both of the 2 return to prime form?

Arizona Diamondbacks

Question #1: Forget

Webb & Haren, what does RJ have left in the tank?

Question #2: Can they score any runs for their pitching?

Los Angeles Dodgers (of ManRam)

Question #1: Is ManRam going through a faze or a changed man in LA?

Question #2: Seriously Andruw Jones. You gonna stink like this from now on?

The drum BOTH of these outfielders march to is pivotal for Hollywoodland.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Unfortunately, in all cases like this, time is the ultimate answer.

Time, you ain't no friend of mine!
Credit: Rolling Stone

Until next time…

National League’s "August Rush" alongside Trade Deadline Gripes

It’s no secret that it’s ridiculously brutal to predict just which player is going where, especially when your rough draft of a post is being formulated less than 8 hours from the trade deadline. Despite the incredible work done by the likes of Buster Olney, Jason Stark, Ken Rosenthal, CNNSI.com, and the creative team at Yahoo! Sports (yes, I’m propping up the four-letter network first and foremost at what they do best: baseball coverage)…how on Earth can anyone expect to analyze the stretch run in the National League properly? (The AL was only slightly easier as it was BEFORE the trade-deadline). Well???

THIS is the man you go to for smart, yet savvy baseball analysis.
Credit: MartialArts.com

Especially when Man-Ram appeared to be Florida bound, Fuentes could’ve gone or stayed at any moment around midnight, the Astros (for some reason or another) continued to baffle me with deadline rumors abound, and Greg Maddux wanted to stay on the West Coast somehow (oh who cares!).

(Wednesday evening’s Pudge deal def axed any Jose Molina-talk from yesterday’s post. Thanks Cashman!)

Of course, that doesn’t even touch on what the D-Backs, Dodgers, Mets, Cardinals, Cubs, and Brew Crew might’ve done. Sadly, the Pirates were involved more than ever with Jason Bay’s name floating around more in rumors than Britney Spears. They also traded guys named Nady and Marte, in case you were buried in a hole this weekend and didn’t hear about it, for little to nothing it appeared.

By the way…there won’t be a mentioning, not even one, of waiver-wire deals as well.

As far as I’m concerned, they won’t happen or matter. (Sure…)

Back to NL analysis and prognosticating…via the relatively forgotten – yet incredibly vital – role player(s) down the stretch for each squad.

Random note: anybody else REALLY miss Harold Reynolds on national television these days? I DO!!!
Credit: NYDailyNews

NL East

Things in New York are going to be brutal for both those in the Bronx, Queens, and all over the legendary boroughs. Duh. While Pedro’s attempted return will get more than stale QUICK, the papers will likely target the more than well known fact that the Mets are DIDN’T make any last ditch attempts or two to add arms to both the starting rotation and the bullpen. In the meantime, I’m still baffled Mike Pelfrey has 9 wins and an ERA hovering around 3.60. While the press is all over the wildly inconsistent Oliver Perez (especially away from Shea), I’m watching Pelfrey slowly become one of the more reliable arms in the Met rotation.

I still have nightmares about this.

The Phillies can bash it with the best; however, even in as friendly a park as theirs…will it be enough? I could drone on day after day about countless overachieving short relievers or the newly acquired Joe Blanton. Instead, I’m targeting an oft-injured, highly-erratic 4-9 pitcher named Brett Myers. Why the fascination? After 7 strong innings giving up only one run on four hits (even if against the Nats), Myers YET AGAIN gets to be the hit-0r-miss pitcher for the Phils postseason run.

The Marlins without Manny Ramirez. It would’ve been so much fun seeing the $20-million man on the $22-million roster. Counting them out, even sans-analysis, would be a MISTAKE.

NL Central

The Cubs had a feel-good first half from the man they call Fukudome; yet the honeymoon might already be over (even with a solid 2-4, 2 RBI day Thursday afternoon). His hitting has gone stone cold for stretches this summer and the thrill may in fact be gone. Despite controlling a brutally important series in Milwaukee (SWEEP!!!), the Cubs need as much pop as they can get from their Japanese import in the next couple months. Especially since runs are tough, if not impossible, to come by when you see some of the 1-2 combos in the NL (Hamel/Blanton, Santana/Maine, Webb/Haren, Sheets/Sabathia, Carpenter/Loshe, etc.). Much luck Kosuke!

The Brew Crew need Ricky Weeks to do two things: stop booting balls in the infield and stop hitting as inconsistently as a drunkard on a batting tee. Simple enough?

Tony LaRussa and the Cards overcame a sweep on the hands of the aforementioned Crew to stay lurking in the shadows of both the NL Central and NL Wild Card race. I could try and peg a name or pretend I’m an expert on this year’s edition of St. Louis’s best. Instead, I’m going with my heart (Chris Carpenter returning from any injury stemming all the way back in April 2007) AND my head (Adam Wainwright returning from the DL to either his previous closing role or as a starter again).

NL West

I’m not talking about this division. I’m sorry, but it’s putrid. Sadly though, I have to admit, seeing Brandon Webb and Dan Haren in a five-game series might be brutal…for anyone. And I suppose a deal for the ManRam-guy is just a little intriguing. A little.

Hey Brit! Drop the zero and get a HERO!!!
Credit: WizBangBlog

Oh yeah, attention DBacks front office: Connor Jackson better be an All-Star…or Arizona will rue the day they held on so tightly to their #1-prospect.

As for the “fourth playoff spot in the NL”, when you’re talking wild-card in the National League, you probably could throw a dart in the general direction of the NL East’s runner-up…but only after the runner-up of the Central. Mark that down as not a prediction, but a fact.

Until next time…and next waiver-deal (rumor).

PHSports Staff MLB Predictions & Forecast: A Month Too Late???

What do you know, it’s MLB time! No matter where or when “opening day, night, or afternoon” was…baseball is back! While most of us don’t really care about the national pastime until post-NBA Draft time, there are plenty of fans who are still salivating for their team to be playing in late-October (now more than ever for far too many).

Who else would you trust to preview what the season will look like come late October???

Without further adieu, let’s roll!

Okay, we know we’re a bit late; however, the hangover from March Madness (what a ride!) left us putting this material on the back-burner.

If anything, it makes our work all the more skeptical.

Pay

If not now Lou...then when???
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

NL East Champs: New York Mets
NL Central Champs: Chicago Cubs
NL West Champs: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Arizona Diamondbacks
AL East Champs: Boston Red Saux
AL Central Champs: Cleveland Indians
AL West Champs: Los Angeles Angels
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees

Cy Young Award Winners: Carlos Zambrano [NL], John Lackey [AL]
MVPs: Derek Lee [NL], Alex Rodriguez [AL]
Rookies of the Year: Kosuke Fukudome [NL], Jacoby Ellsbury [AL]

World Series Matchup: Chicago Cubs vs. Boston Red Saux
Word Series Champs: Chicago Cubs (if not now, then when?)

Armin

Could Man-Ram pull off a Kobe-like MVP run this season?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

NL East Champs: New York Mets
NL Central Champs: Chicago Cubs
NL West Champs: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies
AL East Champs: Boston Red Sox
AL Central Champs: Detroit Tigers
AL West Champs: Los Angeles Angels
AL Wild Card: Cleveland Indiana

Cy Young Award Winners: Johan Santana [NL], Justin Verlander [AL]
MVPs: Chase Utley [NL], Manny Ramirez [AL]
Rookies of the Year: Kosuke Fukudome [NL], Evan Longoria [AL] (What a name!)

World Series Matchup: New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox
World Series Champs: Boston Red Sox

Clement

8-0 Brandon Webb sure is making Clement look good.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

NL East Champs: Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central Champs: Chicago Cubs
NL West Champs: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles Dodgers
AL East Champs: Boston Red SOOOOX [aka ESPN’s Man-Crush]
AL Central Champs: Cleveland Indiana
AL West Champs: Seattle Mariners [sleeper!]
AL Wild Card: Detroit Tigers

Cy Young Award Winners: Brandon Webb [NL], Josh Beckett [AL]
MVPs: Ryan Howard [NL], Manny Ramirez [AL]
Rookies of the Year: Johnny Cueto [NL], Jeff Clement [AL] (Come on!!!!]

World Series Matchup: Cleveland Indians & Chicago Cubs
World Series Champs: Cleveland Indians [Take THAT 1945!]

There you have it! Predictions that weren’t doctored mid-way through the season. Instead, only a month-or-so in.

See you throughout the season!

All 6 months…