Sports Blog

Edwin Encarncion, 3B, Reds:
After a terrible slow start to the season, it looks like Edwin could be turning it around again.  He is batting .308 in July and .381 since the All-Star Game.  He looks like he’s ready for a monster second half.  Pick him up if you can and ride this streaky hitter in the second half.

Miguel Montero, C, D-backs:
All he needed was a regular starting job!  Since getting that opportunity in July, Montero is hitting .379 and 5 homers.  Before starting he had to platoon behind Chris Snyder, who is hurt now, and couldn’t get regular playing time.  Snyder is due to come back but I think Montero has proved he could hit enough to stay the starter even when he comes back.  Pick him up if you need a power hitting catcher.

Jeff Francoeur, OF, Mets:
One time untouchable hometown player for the Braves played himself out of town.  This could be the best thing that ever happened to him, as sometimes leaving home refocuses players and gives them a fresh start.  He’s already hitting .324 with New York in their injury plagued lineup.  Imagine the production he can put up when every one comes back, Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltarn are currently out.  With the Mets he will be able to just relax and play, unlike how it was in Atlanta.  I see a jump in his numbers for the rest of the season.  Pick him up or trade for him now while you can.

Garrett Jones, OF, Pirates:
Who is this guy?  And where did he come from?  Since being brought up in July he has been absolutely on fire smacking nine home runs and batted .338 in 71 at bats.  Even better he’s stolen 3 bases and scored 15 runs.  Pick him up just to ride his hot wave if nothing else.  He could be moving to first base permanently as the Pirates traded away Adam LaRoche.  This means that he will be in the line up every day so expect the production to continue for the rest of the season.

Erick Aybar, SS, Angels:
Aybar is on fire, as most of the other Angels are right now.  But out of all of them, Aybar has been swinging the hottest bat.  In his past 48 at-bats has an amazing 25 hits (.521 AVG), included in that span are 2 homers, 15 RBI’s, 12 runs, and 2 stolen bases.  Talk about fire that stretch alone raised his batting average 42 points.  He still has to worry about playing time with Maicer Izutris and Howie Kendrick not exactly struggling right now, but with him playing like this he’ll stay in the line up.  Pick him up if you need hits and runs and enjoy the occasional homer and stolen base.

Clay Buchholz, P, Red Sox
With All-Star Tim Wakefield going to the DL and Brad Penny struggling mightily recently, Buchholz should see some extended time in the Majors.  It’s about time for the former no-hitter thrower as a rookie, which seems like ages ago.  He’s been stuck in the minors, but if he can prove his worth right now, he could cement his spot in the starting rotation for the Red Sox.  He’ll have an even better chance if the Red Sox trade away Penny, which could be very likely to happen soon.  Pick him up while you still can and ride him to the finish.  He’s pitched in the Majors before and knows how to handle himself.  He was already tearing up the minors before his call up with (99 IP, 2.36 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 8.09 K/9). Expect similar numbers in the majors.

Image Source: AP Photo

N.L. EAST
1. Philadelphia 48 - 38
2. Florida 46 - 44
3. Atlanta 43 - 45
4. NY Mets 42 - 45
5. Washington 26 - 61

Supposedly, one of the strongest divisions going into the season, the N.L. East has been a big disappointment.  Philadelphia coming off a championship season has had a potent offense but have struggled to find consistent pitching.  Look for them to make a big deal at the trade deadline, possibly Roy Holliday, to further separate themselves from the rest of the division.  The Mets have been loaded with injuries and have been forced to play with many people out of position.  Good news could be on the way, however, because Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado might be back to start the second half of the season.  That will give them a chance to compete for the division in the second half.  Florida has been solid all season but the question is: will management make a move to help them seriously compete for the division?   It doesn’t look like it going to happen.  Atlanta’s close too but I don’t see them staying there in the second half.

Predicted Finish: Philadelphia, NY Mets, Florida, Atlanta, Washington

N.L. CENTRAL
1. St. Louis 49 - 42
2. Milwaukee 45 - 43
3. Chicago 43 - 43
4. Houston 44 - 44
5. Cincinnati 42 - 45
6. Pittsburgh 38 - 50

St. Louis has been the class of the division, with Albert Pujols, for the first half.  Its been sort of a surprise that they have been this good.  They are going to have to keep playing good baseball if they want to stay in first because four other teams are within striking distance to start the second half.  Milwaukee and the disappointing Cubs have the best shot at catching them for the division and could make a big deal to put them ahead in the race.  I think it will be a fun race to watch with the second place team possibly winning the Wild Card.  Houston and Cincinnati are close but a bad start to the second half could make them both sellers at the trade deadline.

Predicted Finish: Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh

N.L. WEST
1. LA Dodgers 56 - 32
2. San Francisco 49 - 39
3. Colorado 47 - 41
4. Arizona 38 - 51
5. San Diego 36 - 52

The Dodgers have been the best team in baseball, with or without Manny Ramirez, for the first half.  Good news is that they will have Manny for the whole second half.  Their pitching has been surprisingly solid so far, as it was looked upon as a weakness to start the season.  If they keep playing the way they are, the second place team in the division can only hope for the Wild Card.  Speaking of the Wild Card, San Francisco and Colorado are first in second in that race at the break.  San Francisco’s pitching has been unbelievable and they are a bat away from becoming a very dangerous team for the playoffs.  Colorado has a solid all around team that is capable of going on long wining streaks.  It will be a fun race till the end.

Predicted Finish: LA Dodgers, San Francisco(Wild Card), Colorado, Arizona, San Diego

Image Source: AP Photo

There was one question on everybody’s mind after the first round of the home run derby – from people who don’t follow baseball to those who only do so casually – just who in the world is Josh Hamilton?

After all, the talk leading up to the home run derby was primarily about the players who chose not to participate in the fan favorite event. New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez was too busy playing prima donna to hit a few home runs on his home field. All-time home run leader Barry Bonds can’t even find a major league team to take him at the veteran’s minimum.

Then, as magically as his dream foretold, Hamilton put on a show that baseball fans will be talking about for a very long time. In the house that Ruth built, in the last year Yankee Stadium will exist in its current form, Hamilton laid the foundation for the post-steroids era.

Let’s face it; this year’s all-star game was supposed to be a game that the casual baseball fan didn’t care about. Baseball was at a crossroads between the stars of the steroids-era-past and the young, talented players that had yet to breach mainstream stardom.

Or so we all thought. Hamilton blasted 28 home runs in the first round of the home run derby, surpassing the Bobby Abreu mark of 24 set back in 2005. The average length of each of his home runs was an astounding 445 feet, with three landing beyond 500 feet.

Hamilton would eventually lose in the finals to Justin Morneau, but as Hamilton would probably agree, sometimes the beauty is in the process. You see, a few years ago Hamilton was banned from Major League Baseball for substance abuse and was an admitted drug addict. The 1999 first overall pick was walking down a dangerous path and slowly wasting away, quite literally at points.

Eventually, however, he would get his life back together. After a vivid dream in which he says Jesus helped him fight off the devil, Hamilton started to get clean. The MLB would eventually reinstate him, and in 2007 the Cincinnati Reds drafted him.

Which brought us to Monday night, when a 27-year-old who two years earlier had a dream of being interviewed at a home run derby at Yankee Stadium, stepped to the plate and had all of us asking just who the heck Josh Hamilton is? He didn’t have the name recognition of previous home run derby notables like Jason Giambi, Sammy Sosa or Mark McGwire, but he left with one of the most remarkable stories you’ll ever hear in sports: the story of a troubled man who struggled in his life and managed to defy the odds.

A man who overcame addiction and literally lived his dream, in the process helping rebuild the tarnished image of baseball in the aftermath of the Barry Bonds’ and Jose Canseco’s of the past. Maybe this year’s all-star festivities weren’t what we expected them to be, but they were better than any of us, with the exception of Hamilton, could have ever dreamt they would be.

Photo Source.

This week in news and sports blogs around the Net:

• Marty Brennaman doesn’t really like Cubs Fans - Sports by Brooks
• Steve McNair Calls it Quits After 13 Seasons - Fox Sports
• Rockies win 22-inning marathon against Padres - Fox Sports
• Spend $76 and watch Joe Buck host a spelling bee! YAY! - Deadspin
• Michael Westbrook can now beat people up for fun. With Jujitsu - Deuce of Davenport
• Top 7 - Worst Baseball Contracts Ever - Joe Sports Fan
• LaTroy Hawkins switches to Clemens’ old number. Fans appreciate him more - The Sports Hernia
• Baseball players are meant to be fat - Larry Brown Sports

And in the Smarter Sports Blog we talked about:

• “If this is our only hope, I’ll take my chances with the asteroid”
  
• Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen engaged
• Kobe’s Car Jump - Take One
• Senators Try to Pump Up the Crowd. Could Use Better Mics
• Trick Shots Video Reminds Me of Old MJ Commercials