With the World Curling tour well underway for the 2015-2016 winter season, although like I was mentioning last time due to playing all the way in early September now, August curling events are surely forthcoming I thought it would be fun to predict which rink I anticipate as each province/territories representative for the 2016 Scotties held this year in the northernly Grande Prairie, Alberta. What I will do is enlist the entry I foresee coming out of each province whilst providing a brief snip it forecasting why I have come to this particular conclusion. At some point shortly as well, I plan to pen a similar entry pertaining to the Brier. Enjoy!
Team Canada-Jennifer Jones
Well, kind of an obvious selection here, no? A lock as this past year's champion, this Manitoba rink and 2014 Sochi Olympic gold medalists will undoubtedly come into the event as the favourite. A repeat winner wouldn't shock anybody.
Alberta-Casey Scheidegger
The short but sweet Val Sweeting reign is over in Alberta. This Scheidegger rink is a small remnant of the former Renee Sonnnenberg rink who fared remarkably in the Roar of the Rings pre-qualifier can rely on third Cary-Anne McTaggart's experience playing a coveted event and ride it all the way winning a ridiculously difficult province.
British Columbia-Sarah Wark
Sarah Wark came awfully close to representing British Columbia in 2015 but a late implosion paved the way for Patti Knezevic to get through in a game I must unfortunately surmise was painful to watch. Retribution is definitely a thing and Wark can use that fire and desire from coming a draw away from qualifying in her last attempt to finally reaching the top of the mountain and representing B.C in a Western Canadian Scotties.
Manitoba-Shannon Birchard
We've seen this song and dance plenty of times before with skips who've just completed successful junior careers in making seamless transitions to the women's game. Rachel Homan is the most obvious example but rinks like the Van Osch foursome a couple of years ago, to a circa 2001 Suzanne Birt(Gaudet) accomplishing these feats. It won't be easy as Manitoba has stiff competition but Birchard's background playing in the big game as she once was a finalist at the Canadian juniors will pay off.
New Brunswick-Sylvie Robichaud
This Moncton based quartet earned valuable experience playing in last years championship as the ladies division is no longer cast under the Andrea Crawford shadow and I expect we'll see Robichaud represent this province once again. They were competitive with both Jennifer Jones and Rachel Homan last go around so I wouldn't expect anything but a aquad who'll give the page playoffs a scare.
Newfoundland and Labrador-Heather Strong
A province that is looking for that curling staple like they have on the men's side with Brad Gushue. Before you go all banana's with my previous statement, I do understand that Strong has been a constant representative of a province I desperately want to visit some day but there's a difference between just being there and obstructing damage on the field. Gushie's been competitive and Newfoundland and Labrador curling has not seen desirable results since the days of Cathy Cunningham. This needs to change.
Northern Ontario-Tracy Fleury
I'm not here to discount the skillset of the Kendra Lilly rink but the Northern Ontario curling scene will be owned by Fleury(formerly Horgan) for quite some time. In fact, I will even not so boldly venture to say that this rink is currently one of the best teams in the world and as a general statement don't have a lot of recognizability within the curling community but that will quickly change as the 2015-2016 continues to evolve.
Nova Scotia-Mary-Anne Arsenault
Mary-Anne Arsenault had a great run at the Moose Jaw Scotties. I was impressed because for the first time since her inclusion on the Colleen Jones dynasty and this is including the reincarnation of that short lived Jones/Arsenault reunion which cultivated into one Scotties appearance, I saw a drive in her and a impression that she wanted this. Curling's not a sport that shells out big dollars and when you have the kind of staggering success that Mary-Anne did, complacency can set in but judging from her work last year those days are comfortably behind her.
Ontario-Rachel Homan
I'd love to pick someone aside from Rachel here with this pick because as you'd already be well aware if you're a loyal reader of this enterprise, I have no issue with being bold but even I can't justify not going with team Homan. The work and commitment all four ladies put in to the on ice training and off ice fitness is unparalleled and essentially on the women's side they're changing the rules for youngens out there that aspire to stay competitive.
Prince Edward Island-Suzanne Birt
If you think I'm giving off the impression that I'm just repeating the 2015 representatives you wouldn't be far off. The brass tacks are that in some of these provinces the depth simply isn't there and this runs particularly true in Prince Edward Island. I like the fact that Birt teamed up with young phenom Meghan Hughes as stockpiling the best curlers from your province on the same team is never a bad idea. Maybe Suzanne will read this and appreciate me buttering her unit up and donate a little of her recent lottery splurge my way? One can hope!
Quebec-Roxanne Perron
A provincial win by Perron may challenge current Pittsburgh Penguins forward as the most popular Canadian athlete with the surname Perron. Perron has a great opportunity as perennial favourite Marie-France Larouche's play has fallen off in recent years and I'm not convinced that Lauren Mann's rink features the consistency to pull off a Quebecois double.
Saskatchewan-Chantelle Eberle
Changes galore took place pertaining to roster movement in Saskatchewan and one of the few rinks that stayed in tact was the Chantelle Eberle foursome. The old adage in sports that it takes teams, particularly newly formed ones in curling a while to mesh as broom placement is 80% of the game and a rink like Eberle who has that familiarity in spades might crack through an opening and take home the 2015 provincial title.
Northwest Territories-Kerry Galusha
Kerry, who is the sister of Kevin and Jamie Koe can use those curling bloodlines to her advantage and has done so many times before. The competition in the Territories is virtually non-existent, I give Kerry Galusha better odds getting back to Grande Prairie then I would the picking the over of 9.5 wins for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Yukon-Sarah Koltun
Conceivably you would think that a bunch of twenty one/twenty two year olds would have no hope entering the event with a myriad of polished veterans. Not quite the case with Koltun. She's been in a million Canadian Junior events which I would imagine raises the confidence level a percentage more each time you play one combined with the fact, similarly to the Northwest Territories there is no feasible foe. Write the Koltun line up card into the Scotties program with ink. An inevitability.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Birden Bomb: Week three
Welcome to this weekly National Football League column named the "Birden Bomb" in reference to my infatuation with the play in the video game Madden '96 which was known as the, as you can probably guess, the "Birden Bomb". I will provide a few thoughts on the week that was. Enjoy!
-The handling of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was heavily scrutinized by football media pendants and a lot of that turmoil fell on then offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The Griffin-Shanahan relationship has been well documented as perceived tension existed between RG3 and Kyle's father, then Head Coach Mike Shanahan. Griffin didn't feel like his skillset which in 2015 refers to trying to hold a clipboard was utilized efficiently and as what usually transpires in your prototypical player-coach conflict, the owner sided with the prima donna star athlete and inevitably the Shanahan's were run out of D.C. After a short stop in Cleveland, Kyle has now landed in Atlanta and has completely reformed a once readable attack. "Matty Ice" better known by people in the deep south of Georgia as Matt Ryan has become a versatile quarterback who has become more committed to a rejuvenated running game. In the first two weeks, it was rookie Tevin Coleman's stage to dance on and he flourished in front of the large audience. In the third week in which the Falcons advanced to a 3-0 mark, Devonta Freeman took over for an injured Coleman and lit up a perplexed Dallas Cowboys defensive line. The joke always was that the Falcons in recent years helplessly threw out running backs on the field who couldn't cut it in a NCAA division two contest such as Jacquizz Rodgers and a criminally overrated Stephen Jackson. Along with perennial superstar Julio Jones, the two headed running attack has now transformed the Falcons offense into a complete identity and the laurels of this transformation rest on Kyle Shanahan who's 2015 may re-engage those potential future NFL head coaching opportunities
-This is a memo meant to for all fantasy owners who decided that picking C.J Anderson in the first round was a wise maneuver. "Dear Mr.Mrs......, it's been determined that after a wide range of analysis that picking C.J Anderson in the first round was an unforgivable faux pas and for the sake of society, never play fantasy sports again." What has C.J Anderson done in his career to justify this Terrell Davis-esque praise? The fact that he can convert on one yard garbage touchdowns? Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball had a case of fumbilitis which opened the door to more increased playing time for this California alumni and some(most) will vehemently disagree but I've come to the conclusion that Anderson will be supplanted by god knows who by the end of this football season and he projects to be the worst active starting running back in the league right now. I haven't seen a 3-0 team more vulnerable then the state Denver is currently in and coach Gary Kubiak would be well advised to re-assess the running back depth charts.
-Both John Michael Montgomery and myself, as you'll be able to clearly ascertain in my pre-season NFL prognostications are "sold" on the Minnesota Vikings. I figured this was a playoff team that was going to be anchored by a suffocating defence and even I didn't think the impact that Adrian Peterson would have in his return to this franchise would be so significant. The narrative in week one in the loss to the San Francisco 49'ers was that Peterson was washed up and wasn't going to help mentor young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Did Peterson not put in the needed effort because he desperately craved a change of scenery? All that banter was quickly put to rest as the narrative completely changed beginning in week two. The new and reformed Peterson is no longer interested in spanking children, spanking opposing defences is now more up his alley. Already at two hundred and ninety one yards, he's well on his way to another thousand yard season and what this has reaffirmed for me is that a Peterson led offence with an already polished defence has playoffs written all over this organization.
-Are the Baltimore Ravens a snake bitten or just a bad football team? As each loss piles on, the harder and harder it has become to consider this team unlucky. Joe Flacco is a Super Bowl champion so his resume speaks for itself but at some point he's got to find that inner fortitude and find a way to win a close football game again. They were competitive with Denver in a week one defensive slugfest, in week two's aerial attack versus Oakland, he fell victim to getting outplayed by Derek Carr and in week three couldn't find a secondary receiving option behind Steve Smith. These Ravens very much lack an identity as for years the Ray Lewis led defence struck fear into quarterbacks but in 2015, this defence strikes fear into nobody as Andy Dalton had a field day with him and A.J Green connecting on virtually everything with Baltimore having no answer. This Steve Smith v A.J Green show was compelling but Green clarified who the boss was by tallying two hundred and twenty seven yards and two touchdowns. Getting back to my point about identity, the player that stands out in a negative way referring back to the Ravens defence is Elvis Dumervil. This a football game that I saw in entirety and it was Dumervil's play that deteriorated completely. The outside linebacker created no pressure towards Dalton and it has led me to the epiphany that maybe, just maybe retirement is something this ten year pro should consider. Just atrocious defense for the second week in a row correlates to a long year in Maryland.
-Jimmy Clausen is not a NFL quarterback. Jimmy Clausen is not a CFL quarterback. Jimmy Clausen, similarly to RG3, isn't worthy of holding a clipboard. I've seen better quarterbacking, to use a reference only us Canadians would understand, if I'm a fan of the Chicago Bears I'd be more comfortable with the great(not so) Akili Smith at the helm. Where do the Bears go from here? For starters, they're contractually obligated to Jay Cutler who missed the trashing at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks due to injury as it will be essentially impossible to move Cutler when you combine putrid play with a consistent injury past. Here's my convoluted theory for how the Bears can right the wrong that is their quarterback situation. There are many quality backup options that would be upgrades for the Bears across the league, Two names I would love to see the Bears focus on are E.J Manuel and Colt McCoy. Manuel, who I'm not implying that he is even remotely available but in a fantasy world and basing this on the presumption that he actually was available for trade I feel as if this would be a tremendous fit because Manuel never had the collection of receivers that the Bears possess led by Alshon Jeffrey. Manuel, who let's be honest never endeared himself to previous head coach in Buffalo Marone and when a new regime controlled by Rex Ryan came in, they opted to go in a different direction deeming the former first rounder as a thing of the past. I think if Manuel were given a second kick at the can his athleticism would shine and be a hit for a city that has reverted back to winning ways by lieu of the Chicago Blackhawks. The second chance phenomenon has helped former quarterbacks thrown to the wolves such as Trent Green and Rich Gannon by propelling them to careers of substance. Manuel is the new school quarterback, combining a rocket arm with running back speed and this type of archetype would be a fresh look for 'da Bears. McCoy, who moreso fits into the mold of the kind of quarterback Coach John Fox has succeeded with is most certainly available as Redskins management has repeatedly stated that they have no intention trading Griffin, who I'm just realizing is a popular tag in this segment. McCoy's a drop back passer who has susceptible speed and in his limited showings with Washington a year ago made it clear that if under the right surroundings could have a serviceable career in this league. #anyonebutCutler.
-
- The third episode in this sixteen episode Indianapolis Colts soap opera is now complete. A must win game for the Colts against the Tennessee Titans was tenuous at times but showed enough resilience to pick up the much needed win, some may even conjure a must win. I've commented on this before but I don't understand the management-coaching dynamic in Indy. As a backstory, the Indianapolis Colts were pinpointed as one of the few true contenders coming into the season out of the AFC but a shaky start compounded by them not electing to offer up Chuck Pagano a contract extension has led to tumultuous beginnings, and we've only just completed in week three. I'm no PR expert but when your coach goes rogue and says he's not sure if he'll be a member of the Colts come 2016, this is an absolutely unnecessary subplot for the players to deal with when they're already webbed in an 0-2 start. The circus off the field could've been damaging to this franchise but credit to Andrew Luck as he displayed his true leadership skills and found a way to upend the Titans late and save the season.
-Is anyone else prepared like myself to after week three hand the New England Patriots the AFC championship? Okay...maybe a slight overreaction from this know-it-all blogger but you can't dispute the MVP type of numbers from a quarterback who was supposedly suspended for the first four weeks. The lack of ability to enforce discipline on commissioner Roger Goodell's part did no favors to the likes of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. Two years ago, the mantra for the Patriots was that Tom Brady would find a way to win games but wouldn't put up eye popping statistics but throughout the last two years that reputation has completely erased as now Tom Brady is throwing for three hundred yards like nobody's business. This year, and once again I'm referring back to my overreaction which opened this paragraph is after they toast another Super Bowl title, I'm guessing that Tom Brady will find the time to partake in the infamous Gronk party cruise.
-The Lambeau Leap is becoming a prominent fixture at Green Bay Packers games of late. Is Aaron Rodgers the most athletic Quarterback in the business? Absolutely not, but what Aaron Rodgers has is a variable that maybe only Tom Brady also lays claim to, and that's the ability to use decoys to create wide open spaces for his lesser weapons. Randall Cobb for example everybody on earth is aware that health wise, Cobb isn't 100% but Rodgers and the offensive coordinator for the Pack map it out so Cobb will run his continual decoy routes to allow the likes of Devante Adams and Quarless to flourish. It's not so much how effective the stud receiver is, and other teams can learn from this, the sheer presence is more than enough and when I see teams like, not to overly bag on teams like the Ravens, but when you stuff the ball down one receivers throat like they do with Steve Smith the defence will begin to salivate over the predictability. This unpredictability is exactly why Mike McCarthy and co are cruising to a 3-0 start and the Kansas City Chiefs are a formidable foe!
-
-
-The handling of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was heavily scrutinized by football media pendants and a lot of that turmoil fell on then offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The Griffin-Shanahan relationship has been well documented as perceived tension existed between RG3 and Kyle's father, then Head Coach Mike Shanahan. Griffin didn't feel like his skillset which in 2015 refers to trying to hold a clipboard was utilized efficiently and as what usually transpires in your prototypical player-coach conflict, the owner sided with the prima donna star athlete and inevitably the Shanahan's were run out of D.C. After a short stop in Cleveland, Kyle has now landed in Atlanta and has completely reformed a once readable attack. "Matty Ice" better known by people in the deep south of Georgia as Matt Ryan has become a versatile quarterback who has become more committed to a rejuvenated running game. In the first two weeks, it was rookie Tevin Coleman's stage to dance on and he flourished in front of the large audience. In the third week in which the Falcons advanced to a 3-0 mark, Devonta Freeman took over for an injured Coleman and lit up a perplexed Dallas Cowboys defensive line. The joke always was that the Falcons in recent years helplessly threw out running backs on the field who couldn't cut it in a NCAA division two contest such as Jacquizz Rodgers and a criminally overrated Stephen Jackson. Along with perennial superstar Julio Jones, the two headed running attack has now transformed the Falcons offense into a complete identity and the laurels of this transformation rest on Kyle Shanahan who's 2015 may re-engage those potential future NFL head coaching opportunities
-This is a memo meant to for all fantasy owners who decided that picking C.J Anderson in the first round was a wise maneuver. "Dear Mr.Mrs......, it's been determined that after a wide range of analysis that picking C.J Anderson in the first round was an unforgivable faux pas and for the sake of society, never play fantasy sports again." What has C.J Anderson done in his career to justify this Terrell Davis-esque praise? The fact that he can convert on one yard garbage touchdowns? Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball had a case of fumbilitis which opened the door to more increased playing time for this California alumni and some(most) will vehemently disagree but I've come to the conclusion that Anderson will be supplanted by god knows who by the end of this football season and he projects to be the worst active starting running back in the league right now. I haven't seen a 3-0 team more vulnerable then the state Denver is currently in and coach Gary Kubiak would be well advised to re-assess the running back depth charts.
-Both John Michael Montgomery and myself, as you'll be able to clearly ascertain in my pre-season NFL prognostications are "sold" on the Minnesota Vikings. I figured this was a playoff team that was going to be anchored by a suffocating defence and even I didn't think the impact that Adrian Peterson would have in his return to this franchise would be so significant. The narrative in week one in the loss to the San Francisco 49'ers was that Peterson was washed up and wasn't going to help mentor young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Did Peterson not put in the needed effort because he desperately craved a change of scenery? All that banter was quickly put to rest as the narrative completely changed beginning in week two. The new and reformed Peterson is no longer interested in spanking children, spanking opposing defences is now more up his alley. Already at two hundred and ninety one yards, he's well on his way to another thousand yard season and what this has reaffirmed for me is that a Peterson led offence with an already polished defence has playoffs written all over this organization.
-Are the Baltimore Ravens a snake bitten or just a bad football team? As each loss piles on, the harder and harder it has become to consider this team unlucky. Joe Flacco is a Super Bowl champion so his resume speaks for itself but at some point he's got to find that inner fortitude and find a way to win a close football game again. They were competitive with Denver in a week one defensive slugfest, in week two's aerial attack versus Oakland, he fell victim to getting outplayed by Derek Carr and in week three couldn't find a secondary receiving option behind Steve Smith. These Ravens very much lack an identity as for years the Ray Lewis led defence struck fear into quarterbacks but in 2015, this defence strikes fear into nobody as Andy Dalton had a field day with him and A.J Green connecting on virtually everything with Baltimore having no answer. This Steve Smith v A.J Green show was compelling but Green clarified who the boss was by tallying two hundred and twenty seven yards and two touchdowns. Getting back to my point about identity, the player that stands out in a negative way referring back to the Ravens defence is Elvis Dumervil. This a football game that I saw in entirety and it was Dumervil's play that deteriorated completely. The outside linebacker created no pressure towards Dalton and it has led me to the epiphany that maybe, just maybe retirement is something this ten year pro should consider. Just atrocious defense for the second week in a row correlates to a long year in Maryland.
-Jimmy Clausen is not a NFL quarterback. Jimmy Clausen is not a CFL quarterback. Jimmy Clausen, similarly to RG3, isn't worthy of holding a clipboard. I've seen better quarterbacking, to use a reference only us Canadians would understand, if I'm a fan of the Chicago Bears I'd be more comfortable with the great(not so) Akili Smith at the helm. Where do the Bears go from here? For starters, they're contractually obligated to Jay Cutler who missed the trashing at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks due to injury as it will be essentially impossible to move Cutler when you combine putrid play with a consistent injury past. Here's my convoluted theory for how the Bears can right the wrong that is their quarterback situation. There are many quality backup options that would be upgrades for the Bears across the league, Two names I would love to see the Bears focus on are E.J Manuel and Colt McCoy. Manuel, who I'm not implying that he is even remotely available but in a fantasy world and basing this on the presumption that he actually was available for trade I feel as if this would be a tremendous fit because Manuel never had the collection of receivers that the Bears possess led by Alshon Jeffrey. Manuel, who let's be honest never endeared himself to previous head coach in Buffalo Marone and when a new regime controlled by Rex Ryan came in, they opted to go in a different direction deeming the former first rounder as a thing of the past. I think if Manuel were given a second kick at the can his athleticism would shine and be a hit for a city that has reverted back to winning ways by lieu of the Chicago Blackhawks. The second chance phenomenon has helped former quarterbacks thrown to the wolves such as Trent Green and Rich Gannon by propelling them to careers of substance. Manuel is the new school quarterback, combining a rocket arm with running back speed and this type of archetype would be a fresh look for 'da Bears. McCoy, who moreso fits into the mold of the kind of quarterback Coach John Fox has succeeded with is most certainly available as Redskins management has repeatedly stated that they have no intention trading Griffin, who I'm just realizing is a popular tag in this segment. McCoy's a drop back passer who has susceptible speed and in his limited showings with Washington a year ago made it clear that if under the right surroundings could have a serviceable career in this league. #anyonebutCutler.
-
- The third episode in this sixteen episode Indianapolis Colts soap opera is now complete. A must win game for the Colts against the Tennessee Titans was tenuous at times but showed enough resilience to pick up the much needed win, some may even conjure a must win. I've commented on this before but I don't understand the management-coaching dynamic in Indy. As a backstory, the Indianapolis Colts were pinpointed as one of the few true contenders coming into the season out of the AFC but a shaky start compounded by them not electing to offer up Chuck Pagano a contract extension has led to tumultuous beginnings, and we've only just completed in week three. I'm no PR expert but when your coach goes rogue and says he's not sure if he'll be a member of the Colts come 2016, this is an absolutely unnecessary subplot for the players to deal with when they're already webbed in an 0-2 start. The circus off the field could've been damaging to this franchise but credit to Andrew Luck as he displayed his true leadership skills and found a way to upend the Titans late and save the season.
-Is anyone else prepared like myself to after week three hand the New England Patriots the AFC championship? Okay...maybe a slight overreaction from this know-it-all blogger but you can't dispute the MVP type of numbers from a quarterback who was supposedly suspended for the first four weeks. The lack of ability to enforce discipline on commissioner Roger Goodell's part did no favors to the likes of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. Two years ago, the mantra for the Patriots was that Tom Brady would find a way to win games but wouldn't put up eye popping statistics but throughout the last two years that reputation has completely erased as now Tom Brady is throwing for three hundred yards like nobody's business. This year, and once again I'm referring back to my overreaction which opened this paragraph is after they toast another Super Bowl title, I'm guessing that Tom Brady will find the time to partake in the infamous Gronk party cruise.
-The Lambeau Leap is becoming a prominent fixture at Green Bay Packers games of late. Is Aaron Rodgers the most athletic Quarterback in the business? Absolutely not, but what Aaron Rodgers has is a variable that maybe only Tom Brady also lays claim to, and that's the ability to use decoys to create wide open spaces for his lesser weapons. Randall Cobb for example everybody on earth is aware that health wise, Cobb isn't 100% but Rodgers and the offensive coordinator for the Pack map it out so Cobb will run his continual decoy routes to allow the likes of Devante Adams and Quarless to flourish. It's not so much how effective the stud receiver is, and other teams can learn from this, the sheer presence is more than enough and when I see teams like, not to overly bag on teams like the Ravens, but when you stuff the ball down one receivers throat like they do with Steve Smith the defence will begin to salivate over the predictability. This unpredictability is exactly why Mike McCarthy and co are cruising to a 3-0 start and the Kansas City Chiefs are a formidable foe!
-
-
Regina Pats Observations Games one and two
The 2015-2016 Western Hockey League campaign commenced this past weekend which is always an exciting time for me as junior hockey is near and dear to my heart. The Regina Pats kicked off this 50th anniversary by partaking in an opening home and home series against their highway # 1 rivals, the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Pats accumulated two out of a possible four points, losing in regulation in the Jaw on opening night and two nights later upending those same Warriors in overtime. I will provide my thoughts on what I've seen from the Regina Pats over these two nights.
-Nikolai Knyzhov, the Russian defenceman who played last year in Arizona is not ready to play contributable minutes in the Western Hockey League. I look back to last year when John Paddock who at the time had a fresh outlook on this franchise elected to send home Maximillian Kammerer, the eighteen year old German who was a deer in the headlights throughout 2013-2014 was sent home in favour of the Regina Pats going in the direction of acquiring your second import via trade which happened to be the consummate fit in Pavel Padakin. I've read in reports, listened to radio interviews over the last several years, most notably from Red Deer Rebels coach and general manager Brent Sutter in which Sutter made the implication that if your import can't play a top six forward role, or top four defensive pairing there is no use for said player. If all your import is accomplishing is playing a bottom, lesser role, a North American who doesn't cost you that spot can fulfill the same role. The Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League at it's core is a developmental league so back to my original premise there is no need for Knyzhov on this team as transitioning from the offensive to defensive zones he is a hot mess. I'm upset that they re-assigned Ryan Krushen because what I saw last year was a young individual who fit in, and would've fit in Knyzhov's role. Ideally, what I would loved to see is the Pats ignore the temptation to bring in Aaron Macklin, who's play I will admit was commendable on opening weekend and thus opening a double spot for Rikard Bukarts(the assumption is that they would then cut ties with Knyzhov) and once Colby Williams an Taylor Cooper are healthy and ready to go you then trade a goaltender who I'm expecting will have decent value in Daniel Wapple.
-Riley Woods played alright in limited action. The expectation that I personally have is that Woods is holding down a roster spot until the aforementioned Cooper comes back and Woods role until that day arrives is a little foggy He's nothing more than a fourth liner when battling through five on five action but if you believe that his tremendous offensive escapades can be carried forward from Midget AAA that saw Woods lead the charge for the Regina Pat Canadians all the way to the Telus Cup to the dub level then time on the second power play unit is somewhere he can thrive. I've said many a times that Austin Wagner may be the Pats most productive player by years end but until Wagner's hands match up with his feet then it makes sense to implement Woods on the power play unit.
-James Hilsendager will be a name that Pat supporters, and observers from the entire league are going to become more familiar with. I was actually shocked that he was passed over in the past summers NHL entry draft because at being listed at 6'1, he's a great skater and is a budding star in the league. Although Connor Hobbs plays stood out in the Pats opener, it was my opinion that Hilsendager was the most reliable as he did nothing that will stand out but was a excellent stop gap to prevent the likes of Dryden Hunt to run silly(although I suppose he did in Regina). The Warriors have oodles of speed in the forward position which stresses the importance of strong back-end attention to detail, something James did masterfully.
-Going into the weekend and for obvious reasons, the biggest question mark was Lane Zablocki and for good reason. Involved in a very controversial trade with the Prince George Cougars that sent Jesse Gabrielle I was desperately hoping to be left in a positive light at games end, which unfortunately I was not. The scouting report coming in was that Zablocki possessed above average offensive instincts but lacked sound skating skills. Both reports after watching him play I can agree with the upmost certainty that these are accurate. However, for a player that was dealt for a future first liner I need to see more! Playing alongside Sam Steel which I'm presuming is the game plan Paddock will employ the rest of the way being as how the purported team philosophy is to throw all the eggs in the 2015-2016 basket and Zablocki's birth year of 1998 plays in Lane's favor as he can be Sam's running mate for a few seasons but will need to see more speed as he was consistently behind the play and by correlation caused Sam to slow down and not utilize his creativity at high speed which he is recognizable for. Goals aren't always the statistic that I clamor over as goals don't signal the players entire ability and though Zablocki scored, a more of a complete presence is required. As a Pats fan, I'm hopeful but would be a misnomer if I classified myself as optimistic.
-Nikolai Knyzhov, the Russian defenceman who played last year in Arizona is not ready to play contributable minutes in the Western Hockey League. I look back to last year when John Paddock who at the time had a fresh outlook on this franchise elected to send home Maximillian Kammerer, the eighteen year old German who was a deer in the headlights throughout 2013-2014 was sent home in favour of the Regina Pats going in the direction of acquiring your second import via trade which happened to be the consummate fit in Pavel Padakin. I've read in reports, listened to radio interviews over the last several years, most notably from Red Deer Rebels coach and general manager Brent Sutter in which Sutter made the implication that if your import can't play a top six forward role, or top four defensive pairing there is no use for said player. If all your import is accomplishing is playing a bottom, lesser role, a North American who doesn't cost you that spot can fulfill the same role. The Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League at it's core is a developmental league so back to my original premise there is no need for Knyzhov on this team as transitioning from the offensive to defensive zones he is a hot mess. I'm upset that they re-assigned Ryan Krushen because what I saw last year was a young individual who fit in, and would've fit in Knyzhov's role. Ideally, what I would loved to see is the Pats ignore the temptation to bring in Aaron Macklin, who's play I will admit was commendable on opening weekend and thus opening a double spot for Rikard Bukarts(the assumption is that they would then cut ties with Knyzhov) and once Colby Williams an Taylor Cooper are healthy and ready to go you then trade a goaltender who I'm expecting will have decent value in Daniel Wapple.
-Riley Woods played alright in limited action. The expectation that I personally have is that Woods is holding down a roster spot until the aforementioned Cooper comes back and Woods role until that day arrives is a little foggy He's nothing more than a fourth liner when battling through five on five action but if you believe that his tremendous offensive escapades can be carried forward from Midget AAA that saw Woods lead the charge for the Regina Pat Canadians all the way to the Telus Cup to the dub level then time on the second power play unit is somewhere he can thrive. I've said many a times that Austin Wagner may be the Pats most productive player by years end but until Wagner's hands match up with his feet then it makes sense to implement Woods on the power play unit.
-James Hilsendager will be a name that Pat supporters, and observers from the entire league are going to become more familiar with. I was actually shocked that he was passed over in the past summers NHL entry draft because at being listed at 6'1, he's a great skater and is a budding star in the league. Although Connor Hobbs plays stood out in the Pats opener, it was my opinion that Hilsendager was the most reliable as he did nothing that will stand out but was a excellent stop gap to prevent the likes of Dryden Hunt to run silly(although I suppose he did in Regina). The Warriors have oodles of speed in the forward position which stresses the importance of strong back-end attention to detail, something James did masterfully.
-Going into the weekend and for obvious reasons, the biggest question mark was Lane Zablocki and for good reason. Involved in a very controversial trade with the Prince George Cougars that sent Jesse Gabrielle I was desperately hoping to be left in a positive light at games end, which unfortunately I was not. The scouting report coming in was that Zablocki possessed above average offensive instincts but lacked sound skating skills. Both reports after watching him play I can agree with the upmost certainty that these are accurate. However, for a player that was dealt for a future first liner I need to see more! Playing alongside Sam Steel which I'm presuming is the game plan Paddock will employ the rest of the way being as how the purported team philosophy is to throw all the eggs in the 2015-2016 basket and Zablocki's birth year of 1998 plays in Lane's favor as he can be Sam's running mate for a few seasons but will need to see more speed as he was consistently behind the play and by correlation caused Sam to slow down and not utilize his creativity at high speed which he is recognizable for. Goals aren't always the statistic that I clamor over as goals don't signal the players entire ability and though Zablocki scored, a more of a complete presence is required. As a Pats fan, I'm hopeful but would be a misnomer if I classified myself as optimistic.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
National Football League picks:Week three
I'm graceless! After what I thought was the lowest of lows compiling a 6-9 mark, I somehow managed to lessen that mark in week two going 5-10 bringing my overall record to 11-20. A more respectable week is in order so in other word, here comes to the 3-12 week! As per always, winners in bold.
Cincinnati @ Baltimore
Buffalo @ Miami
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Denver @ Detroit
Tampa Bay @ Houston
Arizona @ San Francisco
Chicago @ Seattle
New Orleans @ Carolina
Philadelphia @ New York(J)
Jacksonville @ New England
Pittsburgh @ St.Louis
Atlanta @ Dallas
San Diego @ Minnesota
Oakland @ Cleveland
Kansas City @ Green Bay
Cincinnati @ Baltimore
Buffalo @ Miami
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Denver @ Detroit
Tampa Bay @ Houston
Arizona @ San Francisco
Chicago @ Seattle
New Orleans @ Carolina
Philadelphia @ New York(J)
Jacksonville @ New England
Pittsburgh @ St.Louis
Atlanta @ Dallas
San Diego @ Minnesota
Oakland @ Cleveland
Kansas City @ Green Bay
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Torts meant to coach sports?
Safe to say that when writing the memoir on the coaching career of John Tortorella, the story could spin in a multitude amount of directions. In the world of professional sports, they aren't many as intimidating coaches that come to mind when it comes to the sheer presence they impose while instructing the generals as their is with the man they affectionately call "Torts". For a man that really only entered the limelight fifteen or so years ago, he's lived such an iconic journey down a path that is widely perceived to be a unsecure profession. From early successes in the American Hockey League to rejuvenating a Tampa Bay Lightning squad that was smeared with bad publicity into eventual Stanley Cup champions to proceeding to overtake a franchise in a media hotbed, ala New York City to after being thrown to wolves in the Big Apple having his demeanor torn apart by the at times overbearing Western Canadian media coaching the Vancouver Canucks. In between these coaching stints, he sprinkled in some broadcasting working alongside TSN's James Duthie as a member of the NHL on TSN panel in which he would consistently make a mockery of the quiz. It was thought that after less than memorable outings in both New York and Vancouver that he was blacklisted in the coaching fraternity, but to the surprise of most he was chosen as the Head Coach to lead Team U.S.A in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. As stated many times by commissioner Gary Bettman, the premise behind instituting the World Cup was to grow the game, is John Tortorella someone that you want associated with when attempting to complete this very mission?
Controversial. If forced to use one adjective that would be the best descriptor however the complexity of Tortorella goes well beyond such an overused hyperbole. He's witty with a very dry sense of humor something that is not picked up on easily as the national media outlets are enamored and fixated on the reputation he built up in his tense pleasantries with New York post columnist Larry Brooks. Firey coaches are the norm across the world of sports, think back to Lou Piniella, Jeff Van Gundy, Jim Schonefield and the names I just mentioned are seen in a good light so why is it that Tortorella doesn't get the same love and respect? Unlike Piniella and Van Gundy, Tortorella is a champion of his sport that's "controversial"(again overused adjective) methods are unconventional but successful. I give Dean Lombardi major props for not sticking to the script and bucking the trend and supplying Torts a way to get back in the good graces of the National Hockey League. If better restraint with his own players is shown in this international tenure, a route back to the pro's in plausible. One of the more frowned upon moments with John was when he used expletives to describe the behavior of Sean Avery on the TSN panel while unemployed only to make a push to acquire him when he was given the New York Rangers job. These kind of contradictory maneuvers do nothing as what it shows, to me anyways is that he doesn't stick up for what he believes, the ultimate last straw when it comes to that all important player-coach relationship.
Gary Bettman talks about wanting to grow the game, having a colorful personality like Mr.Tortorella on board would be a good start.
Controversial. If forced to use one adjective that would be the best descriptor however the complexity of Tortorella goes well beyond such an overused hyperbole. He's witty with a very dry sense of humor something that is not picked up on easily as the national media outlets are enamored and fixated on the reputation he built up in his tense pleasantries with New York post columnist Larry Brooks. Firey coaches are the norm across the world of sports, think back to Lou Piniella, Jeff Van Gundy, Jim Schonefield and the names I just mentioned are seen in a good light so why is it that Tortorella doesn't get the same love and respect? Unlike Piniella and Van Gundy, Tortorella is a champion of his sport that's "controversial"(again overused adjective) methods are unconventional but successful. I give Dean Lombardi major props for not sticking to the script and bucking the trend and supplying Torts a way to get back in the good graces of the National Hockey League. If better restraint with his own players is shown in this international tenure, a route back to the pro's in plausible. One of the more frowned upon moments with John was when he used expletives to describe the behavior of Sean Avery on the TSN panel while unemployed only to make a push to acquire him when he was given the New York Rangers job. These kind of contradictory maneuvers do nothing as what it shows, to me anyways is that he doesn't stick up for what he believes, the ultimate last straw when it comes to that all important player-coach relationship.
Gary Bettman talks about wanting to grow the game, having a colorful personality like Mr.Tortorella on board would be a good start.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Wheat Kings versus..........
To continue my what I intend to be extensive Western Hockey League coverage, I'm going to prognosticate the Western Hockey League standings for how I see fit and then predict the playoffs based off of my aforementioned standings. Some teams I may rate higher or lower which could contradict some analysis I construed back in July in my league preview but the climate has changed for some teams and my standings will reflect that.
Eastern Division:
1.Brandon Wheat Kings
2.Saskatoon Blades
3.Moose Jaw Warriors
4.Regina Pats(W2)
5.Prince Albert Raiders
6.Swift Current Broncos
Central Division:
1.Red Deer Rebels
2.Calgary Hitmen
3.Edmonton Oil Kings
4.Lethbridge Hurricanes(W1)
5.Medicine Hat Tigers
6.Kootenay Ice
B.C Division:
1.Kelowna Rockets
2.Prince George Cougars
3.Kamloops Blazers
4.Vancouver Giants(W2)
5.Victoria Royals
U.S Division:
1.Seattle Thunderbirds
2.Spokane Chiefs
3.Everett Silvertips
4.Portland Winterhawks(W1)
5.Tri-City Americans
Playoffs:
First round:
Brandon Wheat Kings v (W2) Regina Pats=Brandon in five
Red Deer Rebels (W1) Lethbridge Hurricanes=Lethbridge in seven
Saskatoon Blades v Moose Jaw Warriors=Saskatoon in seven
Calgary Hitmen v Edmonton Oil Kings=Calgary in six
Kelowna Rockets v (W2) Vancouver Giants=Kelowna in four
Seattle Thunderbirds v (W1) Portland Winterhawks=Seattle in five
Prince George Cougars v Kamloops Blazers=Prince George in five
Spokane Chiefs v Everett Silvertips=Everett in seven
Second Round:
Brandon Wheat Kings v Saskatoon Blades=Brandon in four
Calgary Hitmen v Lethbridge Hurricanes=Lethbridge in seven
Kelowna Rockets v Prince George Cougars=Kelowna in six
Seattle Thunderbirds v Everett Silvertips=Seattle in five
Third round:
Brandon Wheat Kings v Lethbridge Hurricanes=Brandon in four
Kelowna Rockets v Seattle Thunderbirds=Kelowna in seven
Western Hockey League final:
Brandon Wheat Kings v Kelowna Rockets=Brandon Wheat Kings win the WHL championship in five games.
Eastern Division:
1.Brandon Wheat Kings
2.Saskatoon Blades
3.Moose Jaw Warriors
4.Regina Pats(W2)
5.Prince Albert Raiders
6.Swift Current Broncos
Central Division:
1.Red Deer Rebels
2.Calgary Hitmen
3.Edmonton Oil Kings
4.Lethbridge Hurricanes(W1)
5.Medicine Hat Tigers
6.Kootenay Ice
B.C Division:
1.Kelowna Rockets
2.Prince George Cougars
3.Kamloops Blazers
4.Vancouver Giants(W2)
5.Victoria Royals
U.S Division:
1.Seattle Thunderbirds
2.Spokane Chiefs
3.Everett Silvertips
4.Portland Winterhawks(W1)
5.Tri-City Americans
Playoffs:
First round:
Brandon Wheat Kings v (W2) Regina Pats=Brandon in five
Red Deer Rebels (W1) Lethbridge Hurricanes=Lethbridge in seven
Saskatoon Blades v Moose Jaw Warriors=Saskatoon in seven
Calgary Hitmen v Edmonton Oil Kings=Calgary in six
Kelowna Rockets v (W2) Vancouver Giants=Kelowna in four
Seattle Thunderbirds v (W1) Portland Winterhawks=Seattle in five
Prince George Cougars v Kamloops Blazers=Prince George in five
Spokane Chiefs v Everett Silvertips=Everett in seven
Second Round:
Brandon Wheat Kings v Saskatoon Blades=Brandon in four
Calgary Hitmen v Lethbridge Hurricanes=Lethbridge in seven
Kelowna Rockets v Prince George Cougars=Kelowna in six
Seattle Thunderbirds v Everett Silvertips=Seattle in five
Third round:
Brandon Wheat Kings v Lethbridge Hurricanes=Brandon in four
Kelowna Rockets v Seattle Thunderbirds=Kelowna in seven
Western Hockey League final:
Brandon Wheat Kings v Kelowna Rockets=Brandon Wheat Kings win the WHL championship in five games.
The Knuckle Ball:Volume six
Welcome to this segment that I call the "Knuckle Ball" where basically I spew off my thoughts on a few items in the world of baseball. On tap for today I will look at the exciting American League rookie of the year race. The second item up for debate will be something that was discussed on the MLB network a little earlier this year and that was their interpretation that Colorado Rockies third basemen Nolan Arenado was one of the top five young baseball players in the game. I obviously disagree and will explain why later on. Lastly, because this will be for all purposes the last regular season edition, I will choose the two teams I see meeting up in this years fall classic and why I have come to this particular conclusion.
The American League Rookie of the Year race is certainly an intriguing one. Before the All-star break, it was a foregone conclusion that Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros had the award on lockdown, some including myself would've considered him a darkhorse M.V.P candidate. Truth be told, the fact that he didn't spend the entire year with the Astros organization was always going to be a hindrance when it came to the writers voting on the award but at the very least he has all but guaranteed himself hardware by being the odds on favourite for R.O.Y right? Not so fast, as two notable contenders have emerged from the woodwork and may have even surpassed Correa on the odds list. These two names happen to be Mark Canha of the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna. Let's first look at the merits of the young Athletic outfielder. The prevailing opinion is that Canha isn't even the Athletics top rookie as most will suggest that mantra belongs to Billy Burns but I'm here to tell you based off of team value, Canha wins out simply when judging versatility. I'll pose it this way, what do the Oakland Athletics lack as a team? if you guessed everything in jest, you're not far off but to go down this route a little more seriously what they truly lack is team power. After deciding to gift wrap the "Bringer of Rain" Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays, they ridded themselves of 1/2 of their home run pop with only Josh Reddick possessing natural slugging abilities. Step on up Mark Canha to aptly reference the hit game show Price is Right. Canha is the only rookie in consideration for the award that has showed consistent power for the award aside from the man who strikes out so much that it makes former Jays catcher J.P Arencibia look like a patient hitter in Steven Souza. Judging solely on the statistical line, Canha's the prototypical multi tooled player as he steals bases(seven on this year thusfar), is walloping the rest of the A.L rookie candidates in RBI's and that's saying something as some nights the Athletics give off a minor ball club vibe even further impressive considering for a large part of the year he was hitting seventh and behind Billy Butler and as all close knit baseball observers know, getting Butler home is no easy task unless a cheeseburger is waiting at home plate. Burns can steal bases, Canha does everything else well which makes him not only the Athletics top rookie but a candidate for the league honours. Roberto Osuna on the other hand has been thrust into the spotlight on a contending baseball team. It's amazing to realize that going into the year, the Jays closer reign was handed to Brett Cecil which quickly shifted to current Colorado Rockie Miguel Castro and eventually to Roberto Osuna. Osuna took the closer role and ran. Seventeen saves in nineteen opportunities is commendable as that type of progress would be satisfactory for a seasoned veteran let alone for a rookie. Osuna's on-field demeanor is nothing like what a rookie generally exudes as he's calm and has an incredibly quick recovery time after allowing a big hit/home run. What may throw Osuna into the front runner category is the role he plays on a team destined for the playoffs and sure Astros Carlos Correa is also entrusted in the pennant race but the role he plays fails in comparison to the nightly pressure put on Osuna. In summary, Carlos Correa will win the award due to name recognition but the contributions of both Canha and Osuna should not be ignored.
So, I was going to make reference of this earlier but it slipped my mind so I thought I would give my two cents on this now. I was watching a program on the MLB Network earlier this summer, and a panel headlined by the great Harold Reynolds was discerning who the top five young players under the age of twenty five were. Mike Trout, obviously, Bryce Harper, he's a MVP candidate in the National League,Kris Bryant may in fact lead the charge and break the curse with the Cubbies so by no doubt is he on this list, Manny Machado is the new Cal Ripken Jr. in Maryland as he's an absolute masher at the age of twenty three. Nolan Arenado? The fifth player in the top five consensus according to the MLB network is a good player, a franchise player would be stretching out his limits and certainly is not one of the best five players under the age of twenty five. If they weren't intending to include pitchers on this list then it's forgivable that they didn't choose to include the likes of Jose Fernandez and Michael Wacha but if pitchers were on the docket then coming to the conclusion that Arenado is more of a franchise player than those two hurlers is laughable. The problem I have with Arenado is, and once again I will preface this by saying that he's a good player is that he doesn't do one thing great. The definition of a great player is that he must do something great courtesy of the dictionary for dummies so I ask, what does Arenado do spectacularly? He's a good season hitting the home run ball but playing in the Colorado altitude as in years past, hacks like Dante Bichette have played in Denver coming out looking like Mark McGwire. The altitude cancels out his home run achievements. Does he run the base paths well? At six career stolen bases, the blog's resident whipping post Mo Vaughn is more of a threat to swipe a bag. Does he field well playing the hot corner? After watching Chase Headley play the hot corner for the New York Yankees against the Toronto Blue Jays the last two nights and when analyzing his twenty seven errors over the last two seasons, I have a hard time differentiating which player I'm least comfortable playing defence. Arenado screams good player but the continued undeserved hype of this individual will quickly transition himself into the overrated category.
It's that time.... which two teams does this blogger foresee meeting up in the 2015 World Series? The playoffs are going to be an absolute epic battle as theirs not one team potentially headed to the dance that I would give zero chance to(okay, maybe the Twins). As a Canadian, my selection of the Toronto Blue Jays will be perceived with a great deal of bias but nonetheless I will begin this by proclaiming that my American League selection is indeed the Toronto Blue Jays. Why the Blue Jays in the AL? Ever since General Manager Alex Anthopoulos made the trades in late July that brought over Troy Tulowitzki, David Price and Ben Revere this organization has kicked into high gear. Defensively, their the most sound team out of all the contenders even with Tulowitzki out with a cracked bone in the shoulder as his short stop replacement Ryan Goins is the best in the game and not many can provide an alternative name to make a valid argument. Starting pitching has been, so steal a catch phrase from great Big Brother Canada season two contestant Paul Jackson "insane bro". David Price's dominance was expected pre arrival and he has done nothing to put any damper in these expectaitions. R. A Dickey, the Blue Jays resident Knuckle baller after a dismal first half of the season has completely turned around his fortunes and has been the second most effective pitcher this club has to offer. Marco Estrada who came over from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Adam Lind has been a god's send as a guy who started this campaign in the bullpen will likely be called upon by John Gibbons to make an important playoff start. The escapades of this offence has been well documented as the trio of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion has been at times unstoppable. The aforementioned three get all the headlines but the offensive prowess of Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins, yes the same Ryan Goins who at one point Sportsnet/Fan 590's Mike Wilner entertained should be batting tenth in the order are providing pivotal contributions. The bullpen is the one sore spot and hopefully won't hinder a hopefully long playoff run. In the last two weeks, relievers Aaron Sanchez and Mark Lowe are battling consistency issues and you start to ponder that in a meaningful October game, would Gibbons show enough comfort in giving Sanchez the ball in the eighth inning or perhaps the safer play would be to employ Brett Cecil in that situation. A healthy conversation that my friend and I immersed in the other day was whether Mark Buehrle could be that set-up guy come playoff time considering he'll likely be that starter that draws the wrong straw pertaining to playoff assignments. Barring significant injuries, this club will be representing the American League in the World Series. In the National League, the team I'm favouring are the New York Mets. The Mets, who surprisingly are getting more play in local papers compared to the Yankees but maybe that shouldn't be totally surprising the drama that has ensued lately, from the "Dark Knight" Matt Harvey employing a sudden innings count, to Wilmer Flores crying on the field after finding out he was traded only to later discover that the trade never happened. The 2015 New York Mets story could be Hollywood worthy and a World Series championship would be the icing on the cake in completing this emmy-esque script. I talked a little while earlier about the Jays starting pitching as being scary good, and I'm not quite sure I can provide an appropriate adjective for how good the Mets starters are and can be. Going into the post-season, they're going to fire out a rotation consisting of Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob DeGrom, and Bartolo Colon. Jeurys Familia has provided stability for the closing role and the acquisition of Addison Reed, who I was praying the Blue Jays would've been after may be that ultimate "Dark Knight" when Terry Collins assesses the bullpen structure. Does Yoenis Cespedes deserve the National League Most Valuable honour after only suiting up with the Mets for the last half of the season after spending the first half with the Detroit Tigers? My answer is no, but that's a conversation for another day. Cespedes arriving in New York has changed the identity of this team as what it's done is it's allowed quasi-juggernauts like Lukas Duda and Wilmer Flores to hit in rolls that they're more comfortable with. After creating his own mess with the Carlos Gomez no trade, General Manager Sandy Alderson must be thanking the heavens as can you imagine a world where the Mets went to battle with Carlos Gomex and not Yoenis Cespedes? It may have been a satisfactory world, but not a world that will ultimately lead to a World Series appearance.
The American League Rookie of the Year race is certainly an intriguing one. Before the All-star break, it was a foregone conclusion that Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros had the award on lockdown, some including myself would've considered him a darkhorse M.V.P candidate. Truth be told, the fact that he didn't spend the entire year with the Astros organization was always going to be a hindrance when it came to the writers voting on the award but at the very least he has all but guaranteed himself hardware by being the odds on favourite for R.O.Y right? Not so fast, as two notable contenders have emerged from the woodwork and may have even surpassed Correa on the odds list. These two names happen to be Mark Canha of the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna. Let's first look at the merits of the young Athletic outfielder. The prevailing opinion is that Canha isn't even the Athletics top rookie as most will suggest that mantra belongs to Billy Burns but I'm here to tell you based off of team value, Canha wins out simply when judging versatility. I'll pose it this way, what do the Oakland Athletics lack as a team? if you guessed everything in jest, you're not far off but to go down this route a little more seriously what they truly lack is team power. After deciding to gift wrap the "Bringer of Rain" Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays, they ridded themselves of 1/2 of their home run pop with only Josh Reddick possessing natural slugging abilities. Step on up Mark Canha to aptly reference the hit game show Price is Right. Canha is the only rookie in consideration for the award that has showed consistent power for the award aside from the man who strikes out so much that it makes former Jays catcher J.P Arencibia look like a patient hitter in Steven Souza. Judging solely on the statistical line, Canha's the prototypical multi tooled player as he steals bases(seven on this year thusfar), is walloping the rest of the A.L rookie candidates in RBI's and that's saying something as some nights the Athletics give off a minor ball club vibe even further impressive considering for a large part of the year he was hitting seventh and behind Billy Butler and as all close knit baseball observers know, getting Butler home is no easy task unless a cheeseburger is waiting at home plate. Burns can steal bases, Canha does everything else well which makes him not only the Athletics top rookie but a candidate for the league honours. Roberto Osuna on the other hand has been thrust into the spotlight on a contending baseball team. It's amazing to realize that going into the year, the Jays closer reign was handed to Brett Cecil which quickly shifted to current Colorado Rockie Miguel Castro and eventually to Roberto Osuna. Osuna took the closer role and ran. Seventeen saves in nineteen opportunities is commendable as that type of progress would be satisfactory for a seasoned veteran let alone for a rookie. Osuna's on-field demeanor is nothing like what a rookie generally exudes as he's calm and has an incredibly quick recovery time after allowing a big hit/home run. What may throw Osuna into the front runner category is the role he plays on a team destined for the playoffs and sure Astros Carlos Correa is also entrusted in the pennant race but the role he plays fails in comparison to the nightly pressure put on Osuna. In summary, Carlos Correa will win the award due to name recognition but the contributions of both Canha and Osuna should not be ignored.
So, I was going to make reference of this earlier but it slipped my mind so I thought I would give my two cents on this now. I was watching a program on the MLB Network earlier this summer, and a panel headlined by the great Harold Reynolds was discerning who the top five young players under the age of twenty five were. Mike Trout, obviously, Bryce Harper, he's a MVP candidate in the National League,Kris Bryant may in fact lead the charge and break the curse with the Cubbies so by no doubt is he on this list, Manny Machado is the new Cal Ripken Jr. in Maryland as he's an absolute masher at the age of twenty three. Nolan Arenado? The fifth player in the top five consensus according to the MLB network is a good player, a franchise player would be stretching out his limits and certainly is not one of the best five players under the age of twenty five. If they weren't intending to include pitchers on this list then it's forgivable that they didn't choose to include the likes of Jose Fernandez and Michael Wacha but if pitchers were on the docket then coming to the conclusion that Arenado is more of a franchise player than those two hurlers is laughable. The problem I have with Arenado is, and once again I will preface this by saying that he's a good player is that he doesn't do one thing great. The definition of a great player is that he must do something great courtesy of the dictionary for dummies so I ask, what does Arenado do spectacularly? He's a good season hitting the home run ball but playing in the Colorado altitude as in years past, hacks like Dante Bichette have played in Denver coming out looking like Mark McGwire. The altitude cancels out his home run achievements. Does he run the base paths well? At six career stolen bases, the blog's resident whipping post Mo Vaughn is more of a threat to swipe a bag. Does he field well playing the hot corner? After watching Chase Headley play the hot corner for the New York Yankees against the Toronto Blue Jays the last two nights and when analyzing his twenty seven errors over the last two seasons, I have a hard time differentiating which player I'm least comfortable playing defence. Arenado screams good player but the continued undeserved hype of this individual will quickly transition himself into the overrated category.
It's that time.... which two teams does this blogger foresee meeting up in the 2015 World Series? The playoffs are going to be an absolute epic battle as theirs not one team potentially headed to the dance that I would give zero chance to(okay, maybe the Twins). As a Canadian, my selection of the Toronto Blue Jays will be perceived with a great deal of bias but nonetheless I will begin this by proclaiming that my American League selection is indeed the Toronto Blue Jays. Why the Blue Jays in the AL? Ever since General Manager Alex Anthopoulos made the trades in late July that brought over Troy Tulowitzki, David Price and Ben Revere this organization has kicked into high gear. Defensively, their the most sound team out of all the contenders even with Tulowitzki out with a cracked bone in the shoulder as his short stop replacement Ryan Goins is the best in the game and not many can provide an alternative name to make a valid argument. Starting pitching has been, so steal a catch phrase from great Big Brother Canada season two contestant Paul Jackson "insane bro". David Price's dominance was expected pre arrival and he has done nothing to put any damper in these expectaitions. R. A Dickey, the Blue Jays resident Knuckle baller after a dismal first half of the season has completely turned around his fortunes and has been the second most effective pitcher this club has to offer. Marco Estrada who came over from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Adam Lind has been a god's send as a guy who started this campaign in the bullpen will likely be called upon by John Gibbons to make an important playoff start. The escapades of this offence has been well documented as the trio of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion has been at times unstoppable. The aforementioned three get all the headlines but the offensive prowess of Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins, yes the same Ryan Goins who at one point Sportsnet/Fan 590's Mike Wilner entertained should be batting tenth in the order are providing pivotal contributions. The bullpen is the one sore spot and hopefully won't hinder a hopefully long playoff run. In the last two weeks, relievers Aaron Sanchez and Mark Lowe are battling consistency issues and you start to ponder that in a meaningful October game, would Gibbons show enough comfort in giving Sanchez the ball in the eighth inning or perhaps the safer play would be to employ Brett Cecil in that situation. A healthy conversation that my friend and I immersed in the other day was whether Mark Buehrle could be that set-up guy come playoff time considering he'll likely be that starter that draws the wrong straw pertaining to playoff assignments. Barring significant injuries, this club will be representing the American League in the World Series. In the National League, the team I'm favouring are the New York Mets. The Mets, who surprisingly are getting more play in local papers compared to the Yankees but maybe that shouldn't be totally surprising the drama that has ensued lately, from the "Dark Knight" Matt Harvey employing a sudden innings count, to Wilmer Flores crying on the field after finding out he was traded only to later discover that the trade never happened. The 2015 New York Mets story could be Hollywood worthy and a World Series championship would be the icing on the cake in completing this emmy-esque script. I talked a little while earlier about the Jays starting pitching as being scary good, and I'm not quite sure I can provide an appropriate adjective for how good the Mets starters are and can be. Going into the post-season, they're going to fire out a rotation consisting of Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob DeGrom, and Bartolo Colon. Jeurys Familia has provided stability for the closing role and the acquisition of Addison Reed, who I was praying the Blue Jays would've been after may be that ultimate "Dark Knight" when Terry Collins assesses the bullpen structure. Does Yoenis Cespedes deserve the National League Most Valuable honour after only suiting up with the Mets for the last half of the season after spending the first half with the Detroit Tigers? My answer is no, but that's a conversation for another day. Cespedes arriving in New York has changed the identity of this team as what it's done is it's allowed quasi-juggernauts like Lukas Duda and Wilmer Flores to hit in rolls that they're more comfortable with. After creating his own mess with the Carlos Gomez no trade, General Manager Sandy Alderson must be thanking the heavens as can you imagine a world where the Mets went to battle with Carlos Gomex and not Yoenis Cespedes? It may have been a satisfactory world, but not a world that will ultimately lead to a World Series appearance.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)