2011 World Series Preview & Prediction

Texas Rangers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Lineup – When you have the ALCS MVP batting seventh in your lineup then you definitely get the edge in this category. Nelson Cruz has been hotter than the sun lately, while Michael Young, David Murphy, and Mike Napoli have supplied the consistency. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to have Kinsler, Hamilton, and Andrus at the top of the lineup too.

2011 ALCS/NLCS Preview & Predictions

American League Championship Series

Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers

Lineup – The overwhelming power from top to bottom throughout the Rangers lineup give them the edge. The Rangers ranked in the top 5 in all of baseball in the four major batting statistics, including 1st overall in batting average (.283), 2nd overall in slugging percentage (.460), 3rd overall in runs scored (855), and 5th overall in on base percentage (.340).

Rotation – I’ll give the Tigers’ Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Doug Fister the slight edge over the Rangers’ C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, and Matt Harrison in this one. Verlander is no doubt the Cy Young winner while Scherzer and Fister both have Cy Young-type stuff when their on.

2011 ALDS/NLDS Preview & Predictions

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers

I think Verlander will out-duel Sabathia as the Tigers steal game 1. The Yanks will come back with a win in game 2 with Ivan Nova on the mound and eventually take the series in 5 games as this should be a very close and competitive series.

Why the Arizona Diamondbacks Can Win the World Series

1. Ian Kennedy

• 20-game winner and counting (2nd in all of baseball/tied for 1st in the NL)
• 2.88 ERA
• .833 win-loss percentage, best in baseball
• 1.083 WHIP
• 194 strikeouts in 216 innings pitched
• Legitimate N.L. Cy Young Candidate

Some Notable Miami Hurricanes Alumni

As Hurricane Irene continues its path of destruction along the Carolinas and upper east coast, the University of Miami is in the midst of a “Hurricane” of their own. I thought it would be nice to shift away from the bleak forecast ahead (pun intended) for both situations and instead relive some of the Miami Hurricanes’ glory days by admiring their long history of producing exceptional athletes, uh, I mean STUDENT-athletes (unnecesarry shot, I know, but it was just too easy). Here are some notable Hurricanes alumni and who I think are the best to ever don a professional uniform in each sport.

Putting Together the Craziest, Quirkiest, Most Rowdy, Fun Loving MLB Team

If you watch baseball then you can’t help but notice the wacky and unorthodox attitudes, wind-ups, and facial hair of quite a few players. We all love guys like Brian Wilson, Nyjer Morgan, and Nick Swisher. Why? Not because their stars, but because they play the game with a child-like exuberance and happy-go-lucky attitude we can all relate to and appreciate. This team will be made up of the players that make my jaw drop in awe, unconsciously smile, and uncontrollably laugh each and every time I watch them play. A team made up of all the misfits and nut-jobs. The guys with the craziest deliveries and quirkiest habits. And of course, some of the best facial hair. Well then, let’s get started.

Yanks Quiet as Trade Deadline Passes

As the 4pm trade deadline crept closer and closer, most Yankees fans probably felt like it was just a matter of time before news broke on a trade that would help them increase their chances of a long postseason run. But 4pm came and went, and the Yankees stood pat.

There were some late rumblings revolving around the Yankees and

Carlos Beltran on the Move?

It’s not official yet but multiple reports from a variety of sources, including Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman, Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, and Pro Football Talk’s Greg Calcaterra are being informed that the New York Mets are very, very close to trading away outfielder Carlos Beltran. The Mets and

NFL Lockout Close to an End; MLB Trade Deadline Near

Reports have surfaced claiming the NFL lockout could come to an end as early as today, while others say a deal is still a week or two away. NFL owners, players, and the media are gathering in Atlanta today for meetings starting at 10 a.m. Whether a deal is reached today or in the coming weeks isn’t really a huge concern as a deal will get done eventually and regular season games will not be missed. Right now it looks like only the Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams on August 7 is in jeopardy.

The All-Time Mets Team

The New York Mets’ inaugural season was in 1962. After some early struggles, they quickly rebounded to capture their first of two World Series Championships in 1969. The Mets won the World Series again in 1986. The Metropolitans’ history isn’t that of other more historic MLB teams, but that doesn’t mean the Mets don’t have some historic players. I compiled who I think is the best player at each position in the entire 49-year history of the New York Mets. You would think the short history would make this team easier to create, but that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. I wrestled with Wright over HoJo as well as with selecting the outfielders not named Strawberry. The hardest part was definitely having to pick only one starting pitcher from the pool of great Mets pitchers. No doubt Seaver is number one, but not even mentioning guys like Doc Gooden and Jerry Koosman is hard to swallow. Anyway, I finally completed the team. Let the debate begin.

The All-Time Yankees Team

Whether you love them, or hate them, there’s simply no denying the legacy and sheer greatness of the New York Yankees. Their 27 World Series Championships are the most among any team in any professional sport. They’ve won 40 American League Pennants, and have had 5 CY Young Award winners to go along with 12 different MVPs (20 total) and countless Hall of Famers. The Yankee pinstripes have been worn by legends and remain the symbol of professionalism and excellence. Assembling an all-time Yankees team is not an easy task considering the number of historic players to choose from, but I did my best and here’s what I came up with.

Mets Trade Francisco Rodriguez to Brewers; Yanks Said No

The New York Mets parted ways with closer Frankie Rodriguez late last night after the conclusion of the 2011 All-Star game. The Mets traded K-Rod along with $5 million to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named later. The deal saved the Mets from potentially owing Rodriguez another $17-plus million in the event he finished 55 games this season. The trade also sets up the Mets for future trades of

Mo Hurt, Yanks Need Arms

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was unavailable to pitch Monday due to what he called “soreness” in his right triceps. Rivera said he felt the soreness during the Yanks loss against the Mets on Sunday, a game Rivera failed to close out. When asked about the injury, Rivera said “it’s improving, hopefully Tuesday I’ll be ready to pitch…I’m not concerned about it.” Yankees fans have to feel somewhat optimistic that Mo can bounce back quickly because it’s a muscle injury and not an elbow injury. The latter being much more serious, requiring thorough examination. Rivera is 41 years old and

MLB Midseason Awards (National League)

  

As the All-Star break rapidly approaches, I thought it was time for some midseason awards. I’ll go over my picks for the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year awards in the National League.

MLB Midseason Awards (American League)

  

As the All-Star break rapidly approaches, I thought it was time for some midseason awards. I’ll go over my picks for the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year awards in the American League.