TGIF!!! Some games have already started today with some grande playoff implications. The Red Sox are looking to hold off the Angels, as Clay Buchholz made a very solid debut for Boston. The Cubs and Cardinals have started what has become an impact series in the NL Central race. The Redbirds are making a serious late run in the division of morbid mediocrity. The Cubs are really pleased now that they've resigned Carlos Zambrano to a 5 year, 90 million dollar contract extension. This takes the premier starting pitcher off of the free agent market, and gives the Cubs and Z a big sense of security.
Thursday Recap
A walkoff 3 run jack by Kurt Suzuki in the 10th lifted Oakland past the White Sox 8-5. Mike Piazza homered and drove in 2 for the A's. Detroit got a Carlos Guillen grand slam in the first off of Mike Mussina and cruised to an 8-5 win. Matsui and Abreu each drove in 2 for the Yankees. Kelvim Escobar pitched really well against his former team as the Angels edged Toronto 4-3. John Buck drove in 3 as the Royals roasted the Rangers 6-2. St Louis got a dominating performance from Adam Wainwright, and Yadier Molina and David Eckstein each drove in 3 as the Cards blasted the Brewers 8-0 to complete a 3 game sweep. Mark DeRosa went 5-5 with 4 RBI's as the Cubs killed the Reds 12-4. Carlos Ruiz drove in 2 as Cole Hamels led the Phillies past the Nationals 4-2. Pittsburgh scored 7 unanswered runs to beat the Mets 10-7. Jason Bay drove in 3 for the Bucs. Arizona edged Florida 5-4, and Bengie Molina drove in 4 as the Giants jolted the Braves 9-3. Mike Cameron drove in 3 as the Padres bested the Rockies 11-9. Furcal and Kent each drove in 2 as the Dodgers beat the Astros 6-2.
Transactions
Boston brought up Clay Buchholz for today's game. Detroit brought up one of the best prospects out there, Cameron Maybin. Ramon Santiago came up, Omar Infante went down, and Craig Monroe was designated for assignment. The Red Sox finally got rid of Wily Mo Pena, giving him along with cash to his former GM Jim Bowden in Washington for a player to be named later.
Weekend Preview
Friday
Robertson and Pettitte duel in The Bronx, Ervin Santana comes back for the Angels against Josh Beckett, and Burnett faces the Orioles. Byrd goes in Tampa, and Contreras faces Batista in Seattle. Glavine goes to Washington, Durbin faces Gorzelanny, Zito goes in Miami, Webb pitches in Atlanta, and Peavy faces the Astros.
Saturday
Clemens faces Detroit and Marshall faces the Cards at 4pm on FOX. Weaver faces Schiiling in Boston, Bonser faces the Rangers, Westbrook faces the Rays, and Danks faces Weaver (10pm FOX). Vargas faces the Reds, Owings battles Carlyle in Atlanta, and Perez goes in Washington. Moyer pitches in Pittsburgh, Oswalt faces Germano, and Billingsley faces the Rockies.
Sunday
Bonderman battles Wang, Halladay goes against Baltimore, Sabathia faces Shields, and Saunders battles Wakefield. Santana faces Texas, and Garland faces King Felix. Smoltz battles the Snakes, Lowry-Willis in Florida, Hernandez against the Nats, and Lohse-Snell. Harang battles the Brewers. Maddux faces the Astros, Francis-Tomko in LA, and Zambrano faces St Louis with a new contract (8pm ESPN).
Stubhub
Friday, August 17, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Hot Topic Hooptalk
Tim Donaghy plead guilty to betting on basketball and supplying inside information to a pair of gamblers. The former N.B.A. ref could face as much as 25 years in prison, and could cast a doubt and a cloud of suspicion whenever a questionable call is made. Don Imus just settled for a lot of money from CBS, and is already getting a job offer from WABC to return to the airwaves. Given what he said about the Rutgers Woman's basketball team, does he deserve another shot? Did the ref that made that questionable call in a crucial game had a vesting monetary interest in that game? David Thorpe is an analyst for ESPN and is the executive director of the Pro Training Center at the IMG Academies, he'll be giving his take on these issues along with everyone's favorite SportsCenter Anchor, Stuart Scott.
David Thorpe doesn't know how long Donaghy will be in prison for, but believes that he'll be in a relocation program.
"Not a legal expert," Scott said. "I've heard up to 25 (years) but I have no expertise in the field."
Do people want to go after him? I'm wondering whether inmates will go after him for single-handedly tarnishing the integrity of the game. But will conspiracy theorists have a field day when a questionable decides the outcome of a matchup?
"Suspicions will be heightened for a time." Thorpe said. How long will this time be? Will these worries and doubts just go away after a time, or will they linger deeper into next season and beyond? Stuart Scott may not like the idea of people thinking twice when a call is made, but he knows that it will probably happen.
"Unfortunately and unfairly....I think a questionable call some might stop and think."
Scott said that he has to believe what David Stern said, that Donaghy is an isolated rouge criminal.
"If it's as Stern says, one bad apple, there's no realistic reason to question calls."
The SportsCenter anchor expanded this logic to the Michael Vick case.
"No reason to think every QB is going to be charged with a crime because one has been charged. And that doesn't mean he did it."
What does the panel have to say about Don Imus? David Thorpe didn't even know that Imus was gone, but still remembers Imus' terrible comments.
"I didn't know that he was gone." Thorpe said. "But his comments were beyond disgraceful."
Stuart Scott couldn't care less about anything to do with Don Imus.
"To be honest I could care less. I don't wonder if he deserves another shot. If someone wants to give him another shot I'm not losing sleep. If he's blackballed from radio I'm not losing sleep. I don't care to wonder about his future."
While Scott may not care to wonder, millions of Americans care. I know that many people loved Imus in the New York area, including my parents. They're happy that the I-Man will be coming back on the airwaves, but they know that Imus and his cronies should think before they speak. Imus will be on such a short leash, that he'll be canned for anything close to an outlandish or inflammatory statement. The return of Imus and the ongoing referee scandal is just stirring the pot of hot topics and controversy. Only time will tell if the local sports talk radio station will wonder aloud whether there was foul play when their NBA team got hosed, and everyone will be waiting for Imus' next slip-up to jump all over him. This is the era we live in and sports. This is SprungOnSports, just stirring the pot.
David Thorpe doesn't know how long Donaghy will be in prison for, but believes that he'll be in a relocation program.
"Not a legal expert," Scott said. "I've heard up to 25 (years) but I have no expertise in the field."
Do people want to go after him? I'm wondering whether inmates will go after him for single-handedly tarnishing the integrity of the game. But will conspiracy theorists have a field day when a questionable decides the outcome of a matchup?
"Suspicions will be heightened for a time." Thorpe said. How long will this time be? Will these worries and doubts just go away after a time, or will they linger deeper into next season and beyond? Stuart Scott may not like the idea of people thinking twice when a call is made, but he knows that it will probably happen.
"Unfortunately and unfairly....I think a questionable call some might stop and think."
Scott said that he has to believe what David Stern said, that Donaghy is an isolated rouge criminal.
"If it's as Stern says, one bad apple, there's no realistic reason to question calls."
The SportsCenter anchor expanded this logic to the Michael Vick case.
"No reason to think every QB is going to be charged with a crime because one has been charged. And that doesn't mean he did it."
What does the panel have to say about Don Imus? David Thorpe didn't even know that Imus was gone, but still remembers Imus' terrible comments.
"I didn't know that he was gone." Thorpe said. "But his comments were beyond disgraceful."
Stuart Scott couldn't care less about anything to do with Don Imus.
"To be honest I could care less. I don't wonder if he deserves another shot. If someone wants to give him another shot I'm not losing sleep. If he's blackballed from radio I'm not losing sleep. I don't care to wonder about his future."
While Scott may not care to wonder, millions of Americans care. I know that many people loved Imus in the New York area, including my parents. They're happy that the I-Man will be coming back on the airwaves, but they know that Imus and his cronies should think before they speak. Imus will be on such a short leash, that he'll be canned for anything close to an outlandish or inflammatory statement. The return of Imus and the ongoing referee scandal is just stirring the pot of hot topics and controversy. Only time will tell if the local sports talk radio station will wonder aloud whether there was foul play when their NBA team got hosed, and everyone will be waiting for Imus' next slip-up to jump all over him. This is the era we live in and sports. This is SprungOnSports, just stirring the pot.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Around The Majors- Wednesday
Evening edition going down today, I'll update the race in the AL East, tell you what's on tap for tonight, go through some news and notes, and discuss some topics along with some guest analysts.
M.L.B. Update
Rookie Andy Sonnanstine outdueled Dice-K Matsuzaka as the Devil Rays defeated the Red Sox 6-5 at Fenway. Carlos Pena drove in 3 in the win. Shelly Duncan hit a 3 run bomb off of Jaime Walker to tie it in the 9th and waste a stellar outing from Erik Bedard- again, but Mariano Rivera had another bad outing and gave up 3 in the 10th as Baltimore outlasted the Yankees 6-3. Aubrey Huff had a 2 run homer in the 3 run extra frame. Boston still leads New York by 5 in the AL East.
On Tap
Detroit is in a heated series against Cleveland, and they'll send rookie prospect Jair Jurrjens to the mound against Indians ace Fausto Carmona (7pm ESPN). The Angels look to hold off Seattle in the AL West, they send Dustin Moesley against rising star Shawn Marcum in Toronto. Meche and Padailla pitch in Texas, and Buehrle faces Blanton in a good duel in Oakland. Philadelphia wants to stay in their division race, they'll send promising rookie Kyle Kendrick to the mound against Tim Redding of the Nationals. John Maine faces Matt Morris in a quality matchup as the Mets go to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. The hot Diamondbacks travel to Miami to meet with the Marlins, Doug Davis goes against the surprising Sergio Mitre. Atlanta hosts the Giants as Tim Hudson goes against Russ Ortiz. St Louis has a golden opportunity to get back into the playoff race, they send Joel Piniero against rookie Yovani Gallardo of the Brewers. The Cubs also want the NL Central, they send Ted Lilly against the Reds' Phil Dumatrait. In a battle of NL West contenders, Colorado sends rookie prospect Ubaldo Jimenez against Padres star Chris Young, who's still trying to get back to form off of the DL. Los Angeles sends out ace Brad Penny to break their funk against Jason Jennings of the Astros.
Standings
The Yankees have won 7 of 10 but are still 5 games back of Boston in the AL East. Cleveland and Minnesota have both dropped 7 of 10, the Indians have lost 4 in a row and is 1 game back of Detroit in the AL Central, the Twins are 7 out. The Angels lead Seattle by 3 in the AL West. The Mets lead Philadelphia by 3 games and Atlanta by 3.5 in the NL East. The Cubs have lost 3 straight and 7 of 10 to go 1.5 back of Milwaukee in the NL Central. St Louis is only 4.5 out right now. Arizona have won 7 of 10 and leads San Diego by 2 games in the NL West. Colorado is 5 out, and the Dodgers are 6.5 games out.
News and Notes
- On the deadline to sign draft picks, there has been a flurry of activity among teams today. Tampa Bay has inked top overall selection David Price to a 6 year deal worth 8.5 million guaranteed. There are a total of 5 first round picks who haven't signed yet including 2nd overall pick Mike Moustakas for the Royals, 3rd overall pick Cubs IF Josh Vitters, and the 5th overall pick Baltimore's C Matt Wieters.
- Prince Fielder was suspended 3 games by MLB for inappropriate and aggressive conduct in an altercation on Sunday with home plate umpire Wally Bell.
- Former major leaguer Jose Offerman went primal on two players in an independent Atlantic League game between the Long Island Ducks and the Bridgeport Bluefish. He was arrested and charged with 2 counts of 2nd degree assault. He homered in the 1st inning and was hit in his next at bat against former Phillie Matt Beech. Offerman charged the mound with his bat, and broke Beech's right middle finger and hit Catcher John Nathan in the head, causing a concussion. Offerman has posted $10,000 bond, and has been suspended from the league indefinitely and could be banned for life.
- Congrats to Bobby Cox, he was tossed from last night's game against the Giants, breaking John McGraw's record for the most ejections of all time. There will be no asterisk here.
- Arizona did some roster reshuffling today, placing Chad Tracy on the DL and designating BK Kim and Joe Kennedy for assignment.
- Alex Gonzalez went on the bereavement list for the Reds as they brought up Mark Bellhorn. Detroit signed their first round pick Rick Porcello, and the Giants inked their 1st rounders Madison Bumgarner and Wendell Fairley. The Brewers designated Chris Spurling for assignment, and Vincente Padilla was activated from the DL as Brandon McCarthy went on the shelf. Adam Eaton went on the DL as well.
Hot Topics
The Playoffs are approaching in most fantasy leagues, and that begs the question of who the MVP of fantasy baseball is this year thus far. I asked ESPN expert Nate Ravitz, and his answer may surprise you.
"In terms of the straight up best fantasy player of the year, right now it's Hanley Ramirez by a nose over A-Rod." Ravitz said. In the league I run with my points system on ESPN.com, Ramirez is 11th and A-Rod is 2nd to Jake Peavy. But I'll agree that Hanley's all around stats for this year are certainly remarkable and worthy of most valuable status.
"Hanley is on pace for almost 30 homers, 50 steals, and hitting .340. Can't beat that." It's hard to argue with statistics like that. Hanley has been overhsadowed by his NL East SS conterparts Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes, but the people in the know are recognizing that Ramirez has improved so much that he could be a first round pick in most mock drafts next season. In terms if value MVP's, Ravitz is going with a young Brewer and an experienced Tiger.
"In terms of most bang for the buck It's probably Magglio (Ordonez) or, depending on what you had to pay, Ryan Braun."
In most leagues, Braun was probably picked up off of waivers, and did he sure pay dividends for the team that acquired him. Braun doesn't even rank in the top 100 players in my system, but he wasn't up the first 2 months. Imagine where he'd be if his stats were pro-rated. Ordonez is 10th on my SOS rankings, and was definitely overlooked at the drafts.
I've never been accused of having East Coast bias, but many people are forgetting about the races in the AL and NL West. Though Arizona has been scorching as of late, ESPN analyst Steve Phillips told me that the division winner won't be wearing red.
"I think the Padres will end up winning the West, passing Arizona." Phillips told SprungOnSports. "The Padres pitching will be tough to face in the playoffs, but they score so few runs that it makes it a little easier for opponents in close games."
Though the Friars are far from being an offensive juggarnaut, their pitching is quite supberb. A playoff rotation of Peavy, Young, and Greg Maddux will be hard to stop, and Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman make for a dangerous bullpen duo. In the Junior Circuit, Phillips thinks that the Angels are a team primed for a postseason run.
"The Angels are an interesting team, they have pitching depth and the unique ability to manufacture runs better than almost anyone in baseball, and that bodes well for playoff games, which tend to be close and hard faught."
Chone Figgins, Gary Matthews, and Reggie Willits set the table really well for big boppers Vlad Guerrero and Orlando Cabrera, and almost everyone in their order is a threat to steal. The continued success of John Lackey is now paired atop the rotation with surprise stud Kelvim Escobar. And with Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez anchoring the bullpen, the Angels could be tough to tame in the playoffs. But will the Halos even get there over the Seattle Mariners?
"The Angels are hearing footsteps from the Mariners, bit I think they will hold them off."
Needless to say, the wild wild west has returned in full force in the major leagues.
M.L.B. Update
Rookie Andy Sonnanstine outdueled Dice-K Matsuzaka as the Devil Rays defeated the Red Sox 6-5 at Fenway. Carlos Pena drove in 3 in the win. Shelly Duncan hit a 3 run bomb off of Jaime Walker to tie it in the 9th and waste a stellar outing from Erik Bedard- again, but Mariano Rivera had another bad outing and gave up 3 in the 10th as Baltimore outlasted the Yankees 6-3. Aubrey Huff had a 2 run homer in the 3 run extra frame. Boston still leads New York by 5 in the AL East.
On Tap
Detroit is in a heated series against Cleveland, and they'll send rookie prospect Jair Jurrjens to the mound against Indians ace Fausto Carmona (7pm ESPN). The Angels look to hold off Seattle in the AL West, they send Dustin Moesley against rising star Shawn Marcum in Toronto. Meche and Padailla pitch in Texas, and Buehrle faces Blanton in a good duel in Oakland. Philadelphia wants to stay in their division race, they'll send promising rookie Kyle Kendrick to the mound against Tim Redding of the Nationals. John Maine faces Matt Morris in a quality matchup as the Mets go to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. The hot Diamondbacks travel to Miami to meet with the Marlins, Doug Davis goes against the surprising Sergio Mitre. Atlanta hosts the Giants as Tim Hudson goes against Russ Ortiz. St Louis has a golden opportunity to get back into the playoff race, they send Joel Piniero against rookie Yovani Gallardo of the Brewers. The Cubs also want the NL Central, they send Ted Lilly against the Reds' Phil Dumatrait. In a battle of NL West contenders, Colorado sends rookie prospect Ubaldo Jimenez against Padres star Chris Young, who's still trying to get back to form off of the DL. Los Angeles sends out ace Brad Penny to break their funk against Jason Jennings of the Astros.
Standings
The Yankees have won 7 of 10 but are still 5 games back of Boston in the AL East. Cleveland and Minnesota have both dropped 7 of 10, the Indians have lost 4 in a row and is 1 game back of Detroit in the AL Central, the Twins are 7 out. The Angels lead Seattle by 3 in the AL West. The Mets lead Philadelphia by 3 games and Atlanta by 3.5 in the NL East. The Cubs have lost 3 straight and 7 of 10 to go 1.5 back of Milwaukee in the NL Central. St Louis is only 4.5 out right now. Arizona have won 7 of 10 and leads San Diego by 2 games in the NL West. Colorado is 5 out, and the Dodgers are 6.5 games out.
News and Notes
- On the deadline to sign draft picks, there has been a flurry of activity among teams today. Tampa Bay has inked top overall selection David Price to a 6 year deal worth 8.5 million guaranteed. There are a total of 5 first round picks who haven't signed yet including 2nd overall pick Mike Moustakas for the Royals, 3rd overall pick Cubs IF Josh Vitters, and the 5th overall pick Baltimore's C Matt Wieters.
- Prince Fielder was suspended 3 games by MLB for inappropriate and aggressive conduct in an altercation on Sunday with home plate umpire Wally Bell.
- Former major leaguer Jose Offerman went primal on two players in an independent Atlantic League game between the Long Island Ducks and the Bridgeport Bluefish. He was arrested and charged with 2 counts of 2nd degree assault. He homered in the 1st inning and was hit in his next at bat against former Phillie Matt Beech. Offerman charged the mound with his bat, and broke Beech's right middle finger and hit Catcher John Nathan in the head, causing a concussion. Offerman has posted $10,000 bond, and has been suspended from the league indefinitely and could be banned for life.
- Congrats to Bobby Cox, he was tossed from last night's game against the Giants, breaking John McGraw's record for the most ejections of all time. There will be no asterisk here.
- Arizona did some roster reshuffling today, placing Chad Tracy on the DL and designating BK Kim and Joe Kennedy for assignment.
- Alex Gonzalez went on the bereavement list for the Reds as they brought up Mark Bellhorn. Detroit signed their first round pick Rick Porcello, and the Giants inked their 1st rounders Madison Bumgarner and Wendell Fairley. The Brewers designated Chris Spurling for assignment, and Vincente Padilla was activated from the DL as Brandon McCarthy went on the shelf. Adam Eaton went on the DL as well.
Hot Topics
The Playoffs are approaching in most fantasy leagues, and that begs the question of who the MVP of fantasy baseball is this year thus far. I asked ESPN expert Nate Ravitz, and his answer may surprise you.
"In terms of the straight up best fantasy player of the year, right now it's Hanley Ramirez by a nose over A-Rod." Ravitz said. In the league I run with my points system on ESPN.com, Ramirez is 11th and A-Rod is 2nd to Jake Peavy. But I'll agree that Hanley's all around stats for this year are certainly remarkable and worthy of most valuable status.
"Hanley is on pace for almost 30 homers, 50 steals, and hitting .340. Can't beat that." It's hard to argue with statistics like that. Hanley has been overhsadowed by his NL East SS conterparts Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes, but the people in the know are recognizing that Ramirez has improved so much that he could be a first round pick in most mock drafts next season. In terms if value MVP's, Ravitz is going with a young Brewer and an experienced Tiger.
"In terms of most bang for the buck It's probably Magglio (Ordonez) or, depending on what you had to pay, Ryan Braun."
In most leagues, Braun was probably picked up off of waivers, and did he sure pay dividends for the team that acquired him. Braun doesn't even rank in the top 100 players in my system, but he wasn't up the first 2 months. Imagine where he'd be if his stats were pro-rated. Ordonez is 10th on my SOS rankings, and was definitely overlooked at the drafts.
I've never been accused of having East Coast bias, but many people are forgetting about the races in the AL and NL West. Though Arizona has been scorching as of late, ESPN analyst Steve Phillips told me that the division winner won't be wearing red.
"I think the Padres will end up winning the West, passing Arizona." Phillips told SprungOnSports. "The Padres pitching will be tough to face in the playoffs, but they score so few runs that it makes it a little easier for opponents in close games."
Though the Friars are far from being an offensive juggarnaut, their pitching is quite supberb. A playoff rotation of Peavy, Young, and Greg Maddux will be hard to stop, and Heath Bell and Trevor Hoffman make for a dangerous bullpen duo. In the Junior Circuit, Phillips thinks that the Angels are a team primed for a postseason run.
"The Angels are an interesting team, they have pitching depth and the unique ability to manufacture runs better than almost anyone in baseball, and that bodes well for playoff games, which tend to be close and hard faught."
Chone Figgins, Gary Matthews, and Reggie Willits set the table really well for big boppers Vlad Guerrero and Orlando Cabrera, and almost everyone in their order is a threat to steal. The continued success of John Lackey is now paired atop the rotation with surprise stud Kelvim Escobar. And with Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez anchoring the bullpen, the Angels could be tough to tame in the playoffs. But will the Halos even get there over the Seattle Mariners?
"The Angels are hearing footsteps from the Mariners, bit I think they will hold them off."
Needless to say, the wild wild west has returned in full force in the major leagues.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Tuesday Football Frenzy
I'll first recap the first week of the preseason, look at the latest news, and discuss some pressing topics on and off the field.
Week 1 Preseason Recap
The Bengals blew a 26-10 lead as Detroit edged Cincy 27-26. Dan Orlovsky threw 2 late TD's for the win. Dallas pulled away from Indianapolis 23-10. Keith Davis returned a pick for a score that put the game out of reach. Kellen Clemens threw for 3 TD's as the Jets thrashed Atlanta 31-16. Matt Bryant's 32 yard FG as time expired lifted Tampa Bay past New England 13-10. St Louis beat Minnesota by the same score. Buffalo beat New Orleans, also 13-10. Chris Barclay returned a kick 88 yards for the game winning score with 1:36 left as Cleveland knocked off the Chiefs 16-12. Patrick Cobbs had a 3 yard TD run to get within 1, and then ran the 2 point conversion to win it as Miami bested Jacksonville 18-17. Green Bay scored 10 unanswered points in the 3rd as the Packers stifled the Steelers 13-9. Washington scored 2 TD's in 30 seconds late in the 4th as the Redskins beat the VY-less Titans 14-6. Taye Biddle caught 2 TD passes as Carolina nipped the Giants 24-21. Chicago scored 13 straight points in the 4th quarter as the Bears edged the Texans 20-19. Oakland beat Arizona 27-23, Seattle charged San Diego 24-16, Baltimore crushed Philadelphia 29-3, and Denver defeated the 49ers 17-13.
Latest News
- Raiders coach Lane Kiffin missed another practice as he's recovering in the hospital from a viral infection.
- The Jets are closing in on a deal with first round pick Darrelle Revis. JaMarcus Russell on the other hand, is pretty far away according to John Clayton.
- Plaxico Burress hasn't practiced since August 2nd with a sprained ankle, and is in no rush to get back.
- Jason Glenn retired from the Vikings.
- Eagles backup RB Ryan Moats broke his ankle and will likely miss the entire season.
SprungOnSports Question of the Week
Should Michael Vick plead guilty to dogfighting charges??
- Avi from Brooklyn, New York said, "Yes, because (there would be) less time in jail."
There could be 7 witnesses to testify against Vick if he decides to take the case to a jury. Keep reading the blog for more feedback on the question of the week.
One major story during the preseason has been the emergence of the Bears offense. Rex Grossman is showing a lot of improvement, and Devin Hester is making a lot of noise in his first year as a wide reciever. Hester will definitely be someone to watch, but Matt Sohn of Pro Football Weekly knows that Cedric Benson will be the key to the Chicago offense:
"I can't wait to see Hester take the field on offense." Sohn said. "He should've been doing this since his college days at Miami. The key for the Bears offense will be whether Benson can revert to being the workhorse he was at Texas. He's had a good camp thus far, but still has a lot of people skeptical about his desire with his abrupt exit from the Super Bowl." If Benson didn't have the fire on the biggest stage on earth, how will he be able to sustain a starting role through an entire grueling season? Sohn also mentioned that rookie Greg Olson will be heavily featured in the offensive attack. It's yet to be seen whether Chicago made a wise choice in dealing Thomas Jones to the Jets.
Week 1 Preseason Recap
The Bengals blew a 26-10 lead as Detroit edged Cincy 27-26. Dan Orlovsky threw 2 late TD's for the win. Dallas pulled away from Indianapolis 23-10. Keith Davis returned a pick for a score that put the game out of reach. Kellen Clemens threw for 3 TD's as the Jets thrashed Atlanta 31-16. Matt Bryant's 32 yard FG as time expired lifted Tampa Bay past New England 13-10. St Louis beat Minnesota by the same score. Buffalo beat New Orleans, also 13-10. Chris Barclay returned a kick 88 yards for the game winning score with 1:36 left as Cleveland knocked off the Chiefs 16-12. Patrick Cobbs had a 3 yard TD run to get within 1, and then ran the 2 point conversion to win it as Miami bested Jacksonville 18-17. Green Bay scored 10 unanswered points in the 3rd as the Packers stifled the Steelers 13-9. Washington scored 2 TD's in 30 seconds late in the 4th as the Redskins beat the VY-less Titans 14-6. Taye Biddle caught 2 TD passes as Carolina nipped the Giants 24-21. Chicago scored 13 straight points in the 4th quarter as the Bears edged the Texans 20-19. Oakland beat Arizona 27-23, Seattle charged San Diego 24-16, Baltimore crushed Philadelphia 29-3, and Denver defeated the 49ers 17-13.
Latest News
- Raiders coach Lane Kiffin missed another practice as he's recovering in the hospital from a viral infection.
- The Jets are closing in on a deal with first round pick Darrelle Revis. JaMarcus Russell on the other hand, is pretty far away according to John Clayton.
- Plaxico Burress hasn't practiced since August 2nd with a sprained ankle, and is in no rush to get back.
- Jason Glenn retired from the Vikings.
- Eagles backup RB Ryan Moats broke his ankle and will likely miss the entire season.
SprungOnSports Question of the Week
Should Michael Vick plead guilty to dogfighting charges??
- Avi from Brooklyn, New York said, "Yes, because (there would be) less time in jail."
There could be 7 witnesses to testify against Vick if he decides to take the case to a jury. Keep reading the blog for more feedback on the question of the week.
One major story during the preseason has been the emergence of the Bears offense. Rex Grossman is showing a lot of improvement, and Devin Hester is making a lot of noise in his first year as a wide reciever. Hester will definitely be someone to watch, but Matt Sohn of Pro Football Weekly knows that Cedric Benson will be the key to the Chicago offense:
"I can't wait to see Hester take the field on offense." Sohn said. "He should've been doing this since his college days at Miami. The key for the Bears offense will be whether Benson can revert to being the workhorse he was at Texas. He's had a good camp thus far, but still has a lot of people skeptical about his desire with his abrupt exit from the Super Bowl." If Benson didn't have the fire on the biggest stage on earth, how will he be able to sustain a starting role through an entire grueling season? Sohn also mentioned that rookie Greg Olson will be heavily featured in the offensive attack. It's yet to be seen whether Chicago made a wise choice in dealing Thomas Jones to the Jets.
Breaking Baseball News
The Yankees have confirmed that Phil Rizzuto has passed away. More on this later on the blog.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Rumor Road
- This week many rumors have been put out there that could effect your home team and your fantasy teams. Even though the trade deadline has passed, the waiver wire is hot in the MLB with many possible trades.
-We start in St. Louis where Juan Encarnacion wants out. He spoke to his agent and he seems to want to go anywhere that needs outfield help. The stellar play of comeback kid Rick Ankiel is likely one of the reasons that Encarnacion has hard feelings against his current team. I think he'll stay, but look for him to possibly be s adistraction down the road if he doesn't get what he wants.
- Next we go to everyone's favorite subject, Barry Bonds. He says he wants to become a DH after this season and there are teams interested. Over the weekend the Angels and A's were brought up and it has been made clear that Jack Cust will remain the DH in Oakland next year. Look for Bonds to go where the money and wins are which would make LA a good fit. I could see him being a solid fantasy steal next season because he'll be playing to hit the long ball.
-Dontrelle Willis may be moved to avoid arbitration which would come out to at least 7 millions dollars. The move would mean that those who own him, may get better production if he goes to a better hitting team. The Marlins said that they need to get pitching in return for this deal to happen because even with Willis, the '08 staff does not look to good with injuries to Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez.
-Shannon Stewart was reportedly claimed off of waivers by the Cubs. If true, the Cubs will have a chance to trade for him. This will give the Cubs another option and a fill-in for the injured Soriano. If you are in a loaded league, pick him up for his speed and average. He'll be a solid option for the rest of the season.
- Two big name outfielders in the news this week. Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter are being targeted by the Chicago White Sox as they look to reload and bring in a lot of power. The Texas Rangers are also looking at Hunter who they say is a perfect fit. Both players will make inpacts wherever they go and it will be interesting to see who goes where.
- Some players who may still be available in your leagues to consider picking up:
Rick Ankiel- 3 HRs, 6 RBIS in four games.
Matt Garza- 1.70 ERA and 35 K's in his first 5 starts
Brian Giles- Came back from injury and hit 3 HRs very quickly
Joba Chamberlin- Outstanding relief pitcher from the Yankees farm system
-Thats it for me, till next time, eat, drink and sleep sports!
-We start in St. Louis where Juan Encarnacion wants out. He spoke to his agent and he seems to want to go anywhere that needs outfield help. The stellar play of comeback kid Rick Ankiel is likely one of the reasons that Encarnacion has hard feelings against his current team. I think he'll stay, but look for him to possibly be s adistraction down the road if he doesn't get what he wants.
- Next we go to everyone's favorite subject, Barry Bonds. He says he wants to become a DH after this season and there are teams interested. Over the weekend the Angels and A's were brought up and it has been made clear that Jack Cust will remain the DH in Oakland next year. Look for Bonds to go where the money and wins are which would make LA a good fit. I could see him being a solid fantasy steal next season because he'll be playing to hit the long ball.
-Dontrelle Willis may be moved to avoid arbitration which would come out to at least 7 millions dollars. The move would mean that those who own him, may get better production if he goes to a better hitting team. The Marlins said that they need to get pitching in return for this deal to happen because even with Willis, the '08 staff does not look to good with injuries to Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez.
-Shannon Stewart was reportedly claimed off of waivers by the Cubs. If true, the Cubs will have a chance to trade for him. This will give the Cubs another option and a fill-in for the injured Soriano. If you are in a loaded league, pick him up for his speed and average. He'll be a solid option for the rest of the season.
- Two big name outfielders in the news this week. Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter are being targeted by the Chicago White Sox as they look to reload and bring in a lot of power. The Texas Rangers are also looking at Hunter who they say is a perfect fit. Both players will make inpacts wherever they go and it will be interesting to see who goes where.
- Some players who may still be available in your leagues to consider picking up:
Rick Ankiel- 3 HRs, 6 RBIS in four games.
Matt Garza- 1.70 ERA and 35 K's in his first 5 starts
Brian Giles- Came back from injury and hit 3 HRs very quickly
Joba Chamberlin- Outstanding relief pitcher from the Yankees farm system
-Thats it for me, till next time, eat, drink and sleep sports!
Around The Majors- Monday
My extended summer vacation is over, and it's time to get back to last night's scores, standings, news and notes, and what's on tap today around the majors.
Sunday Recap
Andy Pettitte pitched wonderfully as the Yankees completed a sweep of Cleveland 5-3. Jason Giambi homered and drove in 2 in the win. Magglio Ordonez homered twice in an 8 run 2nd inning as Detroit pummeled Oakland 11-6. Ordonez drove in 4, Marco Scutaro homered and drove in 4 for the A's. Miguel Tejada hit a 2 run homer off of Eric Gagne in the 8th tied it, and a 3 run homer by Kevin Millar won it in the 9th as Baltimore shocked Boston 6-3. Manny Ramirez drove in 2 in the loss. Jeff Weaver pitched a 5 hit shutout as the red hot Mariners shut out the White Sox 6-0. Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless 9th, and he's now retired 41 consecutive hitters which ties an all time major league record. Adrian Beltre homered and drove in 3 for the M's. The Angels completed a sweep of the Twins with a 6-2 win on Sunday. Jered Weaver pitched a solid game, and Chone Figgins drove in 2 for Los Angeles. Jason Bartlett drove in 2 in the loss. AJ Burnett got the win in his first start back as Toronto beat Kansas City 4-1. Lyle Overbay drove in 2 in the win. Texas trounced Tampa Bay 9-1 as Ian Kinsler and Marlon Byrd each drove in 2 runs. Kason Gabbard left in the 2nd inning with an injury.
A pregame ceremony celebrated Tom Glavine's 300th victory, and the Mets scored 5 in the 8th to maul the Marlins 10-4. Moises Alou homered twice and drove in 4, and Carlos Delgado and Lastings Milledge each drove in 2 for the Mets. Brian Giles homered twice as the Padres ripped the Reds 10-4. Khalil Greene drove in 3 for the Friars. Houston scored 4 in the 8th to defeat Milwaukee 6-4. The woes of the Dodgers continue as they were pounded by St Louis 12-2. Ryan Ludwick homered and drove in 4 for the Cards. Tom Gorzelanny pitched a 5 hit shutout as Josh Phelps homered and drove in 4 for the Pirates. Colorado beat the Cubs 6-3 as Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in 3 for the Rox. Washington scored 4 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to best the white hot D-Backs 7-6. Ryan Church and Jesus Flores each drove in 2 for the Nats. Ryan Howard's 3 run homer in the 5th lifted the Phillies past the Braves 5-3 as Jaime Moyer earned his 11th win.
Standings
The Yankees have won 3 in a row and 8 of 10 to get within 4 games of Boston in the AL East. Cleveland has lost 3 straight and are now a half game behind Detroit in the AL Central. Minnesota has lost 4 in a row and 7 of 10 to go 7 games back. The Angels have won 3 in a row and 7 of 10 to keep their 3.5 game lead over Seattle in the AL West. The Mariners have also won 7 of 10. Texas has lost 7 of 10. The Mets lead the Phillies by 3 and the Braves by 3.5 games in the NL East. The Cubs have lost 7 of 10 and are 1.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. St Louis is 5.5 back. Arizona has won 7 of 10 and has a 3 game lead over San Diego in the NL West. Colorado is 5 back, the Dodgers are 6 games behind the Snakes. Seattle is a percentage point ahead of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card. Cleveland is 1.5 back, Toronto is 6.5 back. The Padres lead the Phillies by a game for the NL Wild Card, Atlanta by 1.5, Colorado by 2, and the Cubs and Dodgers by 3 games.
News and Notes
- Paul Lo Duca went on the DL yesterday, and his backup Ramon Castro left yesterday's game with back discomfort.
- Jay Gibbons will have season ending surgery for his torn labrum.
- Cliff Floyd went on bereavement leave, Daryle Ward was activated from the DL.
- Josh Hamilton was activated from the DL, Mark Bellhorn was designated for assignment. Adam Kennedy and Brandon League were both placed on the DL.
- On tap for today, the Giants and Pirates play a twinbill at 5 and 8:30. Cain and Lowry go for the Giants. The Astros and Dodgers play tonight at 10 on ESPN2, Oswalt and Billingley are the starters. Wakefield goes for Boston against Tampa Bay, Oakland faces Detroit, and Guthrie faces Wang in New York. Johan Santana and King Felix go in Seattle in a dazzling pitching matchup.
Sunday Recap
Andy Pettitte pitched wonderfully as the Yankees completed a sweep of Cleveland 5-3. Jason Giambi homered and drove in 2 in the win. Magglio Ordonez homered twice in an 8 run 2nd inning as Detroit pummeled Oakland 11-6. Ordonez drove in 4, Marco Scutaro homered and drove in 4 for the A's. Miguel Tejada hit a 2 run homer off of Eric Gagne in the 8th tied it, and a 3 run homer by Kevin Millar won it in the 9th as Baltimore shocked Boston 6-3. Manny Ramirez drove in 2 in the loss. Jeff Weaver pitched a 5 hit shutout as the red hot Mariners shut out the White Sox 6-0. Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless 9th, and he's now retired 41 consecutive hitters which ties an all time major league record. Adrian Beltre homered and drove in 3 for the M's. The Angels completed a sweep of the Twins with a 6-2 win on Sunday. Jered Weaver pitched a solid game, and Chone Figgins drove in 2 for Los Angeles. Jason Bartlett drove in 2 in the loss. AJ Burnett got the win in his first start back as Toronto beat Kansas City 4-1. Lyle Overbay drove in 2 in the win. Texas trounced Tampa Bay 9-1 as Ian Kinsler and Marlon Byrd each drove in 2 runs. Kason Gabbard left in the 2nd inning with an injury.
A pregame ceremony celebrated Tom Glavine's 300th victory, and the Mets scored 5 in the 8th to maul the Marlins 10-4. Moises Alou homered twice and drove in 4, and Carlos Delgado and Lastings Milledge each drove in 2 for the Mets. Brian Giles homered twice as the Padres ripped the Reds 10-4. Khalil Greene drove in 3 for the Friars. Houston scored 4 in the 8th to defeat Milwaukee 6-4. The woes of the Dodgers continue as they were pounded by St Louis 12-2. Ryan Ludwick homered and drove in 4 for the Cards. Tom Gorzelanny pitched a 5 hit shutout as Josh Phelps homered and drove in 4 for the Pirates. Colorado beat the Cubs 6-3 as Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in 3 for the Rox. Washington scored 4 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to best the white hot D-Backs 7-6. Ryan Church and Jesus Flores each drove in 2 for the Nats. Ryan Howard's 3 run homer in the 5th lifted the Phillies past the Braves 5-3 as Jaime Moyer earned his 11th win.
Standings
The Yankees have won 3 in a row and 8 of 10 to get within 4 games of Boston in the AL East. Cleveland has lost 3 straight and are now a half game behind Detroit in the AL Central. Minnesota has lost 4 in a row and 7 of 10 to go 7 games back. The Angels have won 3 in a row and 7 of 10 to keep their 3.5 game lead over Seattle in the AL West. The Mariners have also won 7 of 10. Texas has lost 7 of 10. The Mets lead the Phillies by 3 and the Braves by 3.5 games in the NL East. The Cubs have lost 7 of 10 and are 1.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. St Louis is 5.5 back. Arizona has won 7 of 10 and has a 3 game lead over San Diego in the NL West. Colorado is 5 back, the Dodgers are 6 games behind the Snakes. Seattle is a percentage point ahead of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card. Cleveland is 1.5 back, Toronto is 6.5 back. The Padres lead the Phillies by a game for the NL Wild Card, Atlanta by 1.5, Colorado by 2, and the Cubs and Dodgers by 3 games.
News and Notes
- Paul Lo Duca went on the DL yesterday, and his backup Ramon Castro left yesterday's game with back discomfort.
- Jay Gibbons will have season ending surgery for his torn labrum.
- Cliff Floyd went on bereavement leave, Daryle Ward was activated from the DL.
- Josh Hamilton was activated from the DL, Mark Bellhorn was designated for assignment. Adam Kennedy and Brandon League were both placed on the DL.
- On tap for today, the Giants and Pirates play a twinbill at 5 and 8:30. Cain and Lowry go for the Giants. The Astros and Dodgers play tonight at 10 on ESPN2, Oswalt and Billingley are the starters. Wakefield goes for Boston against Tampa Bay, Oakland faces Detroit, and Guthrie faces Wang in New York. Johan Santana and King Felix go in Seattle in a dazzling pitching matchup.
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