Sports Blog

It was a very busy weekend full of fireworks all over the sports world.  We’ll start with tennis: Roger Federer and American Andy Roddick played one of the best matches in the history of Wimbledon.  Tied at 2 sets apiece going into the final set, both players played an epic 5th set that was the longest in Wimbledon history.  It was back and forth all the way until Federer finally got the win in the set 16-14.  With this win Federer became the greatest champion in tennis history as he passed Pete Sampras for first all-time Grand Slam victories at 15.  Even Pete, who was on hand to watch, had to give him props saying,” I have to give it to him. He’s won all the majors.  He’s won 15 now.  He’s going to win a few more here.  So in my book he is (the greatest).”  I would have to agree.  On the women’s side Serena made quick work of her sister Venus.  The win gave her three of the four major tournament wins this year.  Even with that she was still disappointed that she couldn’t win them all saying, “I’m really disappointed because I think this is the year I could have done it.  And I didn’t.”

In baseball, He’s BACK!!!!  Manny Ramirez returned to the Dodgers to a cores of both cheers and boos.  Though he was quiet for most of his at-bats, he did go deep in one bringing the crowd up to make noise.  It’s safe to say that its going to be a circus every time he comes up for the rest of the season, especially on the road.  Also the All-Star team rosters were announced on Sunday with the fans getting the starters right for the most part.  I don’t see how Josh Hamilton was an all-star this season, I’m sure fans voted for him based on his Homerun Derby performance last year.  Even he didn’t agree with the selection saying, “I don’t feel I personally deserve to go, but at the same time the fans voted me in so I’m more than happy about that.”  Overall that was the only questionable starter so that was good and it should be an excellent game.  Notably Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, caught up in steroid stories, were not among the selected.  For more on the rosters go here.

In the NBA, free agents were on the move.  With Friday being the first day to meet with teams.  The biggest splash so far is by the Lakers as they picked up Ron Artest.  Some thing that both sides have wanted for a while.  This move and keeping Lamar Odom will make the Lakers a heavy favorite to repeat.  While gaining Artest they did have to part ways with a very key contributor Trevor Ariza.  Ariza’s agent tried to play hardball with the Lakers to get more money and it back fired.  He ended up taking the same deal with Rockets, trading places with Artest, that the Lakers offered to him.  I have a feeling he will be kicking himself for years after this.  Other free agents will be making their choices this week so keep watch.

Image Source: AP Photo

These guys will be hitting lights out for one month, then are completely worthless in another.  They drive owners absolutely crazy!  The key is to start them when their hot and bench them when their not.  The only problem is knowing when they are on a hot streak.  Here are 10 guys that have been inconsistent this season.

Andre Ethier, OF, Dodgers:
I guess it has nothing to do with Manny Ramirez.  He is just a streaky hitter.  Just look at his past nine months of baseball: he has hit for an AVG between .225 and .300 in just three of those months.  In the other six, he has been better than .300 or below .225.  It’s a roller coaster ride.  His cold steaks usually happen when he faces a lot of lefties.  So, plan accordingly.

Nick Swisher, OF, Yankees:
This guy hit .312 in April, .150 in May and is hitting .306 in June.  He had the same hot and cold months last year so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise.  The only thing you can do is just wait till he heats up and ride the streak till he cools off.

Adam Lind, OF, Blue Jays:
Talk about inconsistency for a guy is hitting .303.  He went hitless in nearly a third of his games (he’s a combined 0-for-75 in 21 of his 64 games).  But when he’s hot, he’s money.  He has had a six-RBI game, a five-RBI game and two four-RBI games this season.  That means he has accounted for 19 of his 46 RBIs in just 3 of his 64 games.  That’s crazy when you think about it.

Ian Stewart, 3B, Rockies:
In 9 select games through this season, a total of 34 at-bats, Stewart had 10 homers and 28 RBIs.  In the other 51 games he has only two homers and six RBIs.  It’s been frustrating waiting for him to do good because his good games come at unpredictable random times.  It’s been a crap shoot for owners.

Pedro Feliz, 3B, Phillies:
He has long been known for going quiet for weeks at a time, then having a hot week.  Like Stewart he’ll frustrate you because you don’t know when his hot week will come.  Because of this I wouldn’t recommended owning him unless you absolutely have to.

Hunter Pence, OF, Astros:
His month-by-month averages for 2008: .260-.346-.200-.294-.223.-302.  His month-by-month averages in 2009: .282-.388-.229.  See any pattern forming?  He is money when he is on though.

Dan Uggla, 2B, Marlins:
When Uggla is in a slump it tends to drag on and on almost to the point of giving up hope.  Then he’ll break out and have an awesome week.  Stick with him cause his numbers always seem to be there in the end.

Jack Cust, DH/OF, A’s:
From May 24 to June 13 this season, Jack went 9-for-61.  You’re thinking “drop him.”  Well, he also hit .333 in the first half of May and had a similar line the year before.  But I think if you own Cust, you know average isn’t his forte; it’s his power.  And, that has been surprisingly consistent: he has hit his 11 homers in eight different fantasy weeks.  Cash money if you need power.

Bengie Molina, C, Giants:
He already has had a .329 April and a .200 May and now he’s back over .300 for June.  Same story as last year so don’t be surprised.  Just wait it out cause his numbers will come in the end.

Jason Kubel, OF, Twins:
The batting average has remained some what consistent, but the home runs come and go. He hit just one in May and has hit six already this month.  Also, like many other people on the list, 14 of his 37 RBIs this season have come in just 3 games.  When he’s on, he’s on so ride him till he’s not.

The flurry of steroids related drama surrounding Major League Baseball has been pretty high this season.

First it was leaked that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for performance enhancing drugs while he played for the New York Rangers.  He was able to avoid a lengthy suspension because the test was given in anonymity before the current drug rules were instituted, but the hit to his character and the game of baseball were still large.

Adding to the already dark cloud of A-Rod’s failed test is the fact that over 100 other MLB players tested positive during the same time period.  The tests are sealed so people are naturally starting to question a lot of players from the last 10-20 years.  Anyone who starts to slump, like Boston’s David Ortiz, makes baseball fans wonder if their former greatness can be attributed largely to the juice.

Then there are cases like Manny Ramirez, where it has yet to be proven he took steroids but the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming.  All of these unpleasant stories make this weeks fantasy impact player even more impressive.  He has never been linked to any type of performance enhancing drug and is one of the brightest young stars in the game today.

This weeks fantasy impact player is New York Mets‘ third baseman David Wright, who started off the season a bit on the slow side but has turned it on in the past couple weeks.  Currently riding a respectable 11-game hit streak, Wright leads all third basemen in batting average with a monstrous .362, good for eighth overall among all players with at least 100 at bats.

For the past seven days he is the second highest rated player on ESPN’s fantasy player rater and is first for third basemen.  During that same time span he is 14 for 22 at the plate for a whopping .636 batting average.  He also has 10 walks to only three strike outs, which explains his high on-base percentage (.750) and OPS (1.568).  It is true his power numbers are down, but considering he has hit at least 25 home runs in each of the last four years it is only a matter of time before his power catches up to the rest of his impressive numbers.

Toss in the fact that he trails only Chone Figgins in steals among third basemen and you can see just how dominate Wright is in the world of fantasy.  It isn’t reasonable to expect him to continue hitting .362, but his final regular season stats could easily be a .315 batting average, 28 home runs, 115 RBI and 30 stolen bases.

And what fantasy owner wouldn’t be ecstatic for those numbers?

Image Source:Hawk Fantasy Sports

When word got out that Manny Ramirez was going to be suspended for 50 games there were a lot of different reactions from different people. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt was pissed, teammates were disappointed, and fans were largely a mix of both.

Then there were fantasy owners who were not so much angry at his alleged misconduct but by the fact that one of their top draft picks (his average draft position was 23.7) was going to be useless until early July.  Just as it is going to be impossible for the Dodgers to straight up replace his production in their line up, you aren’t going to find a player on the waiver wire that will match or exceed his production.

However, there are a few quality steals out there that will help you ride the ship until Ramirez’s return.  So whether you lost Manny, are ready to drop a disappointing outfielder (B.J. Upton!), or are simply looking to add some depth, here are five fantasy impact outfielders that could help your team.  All five are currently in ESPN’s top 50 outfielders and are owned in less than 50 percent of leagues.

Michael Bourn, Houston Astros:  The 20th ranked outfielder and owned in only a third of leagues, the most tantalizing aspect of Bourn is his ability to swipe bags (tied for third among outfielders).  He isn’t going to give you any power, but his solid batting average (.317) and stolen bases (13) makes up for it.

Denard Span, Minnesota Twins:  Span’s production is similar to Bourn.  He isn’t going to hit many home runs, which is typically what you look for in your outfielders, but his average (.299) and steals (8) are only slightly lower than Bourn and he has almost twice as many RBI (18).

Jack Cust, Oakland Athletics:  Owned in just over a quarter of leagues, Cust is capable of giving you decent power numbers.  With five home runs and 21 RBI already, it isn’t out of the question for him to put up 25 and 80 by seasons end.

Jason Kubel, Minnesota Twins:  The second Twin on this list is the exact opposite of the first.  Kubel isn’t going to be swift on the bases, but runs and RBI are similar to Span and he hits for a higher average (.333).  Before you pick him up make sure he qualifies in your league as an outfielder because he spends a lot of time as the DH.

Elijah Dukes, Washington Nationals:  One of the few bright spots on the Nationals, Dukes is currently the 49th ranked outfielder and is proficient in almost every category.  His average (.280), runs (12), home runs (4), RBI (23) and stolen bases (2) are all very respectable and he probably has more upside than anyone else on this list.

And so another one bites the dust.

In case you have been living under a rock for the last 24 hours and/or haven’t had any human contact, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez has tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, a female fertility drug and banned substance of Major League Baseball.

Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games and will lose more than $7 million dollars in salary after deciding to drop his appeal of the ruling.

Sadly, for those who root for the Dodgers, the savior of their team has joined the likes of other home run hitting heroes who have fallen under the dark cloud of the steroids era.  While Ramirez hasn’t tested positive for steroids — he said he has passed about 15 drug tests over the last five seasons — the tarnish to his image may be too much for even him to overcome.

hCG is, after all, a drug commonly used by steroid users to get their bodies to naturally reproduce testosterone after a steroids cycle.  At best he is guilty of gross negligence when it comes to monitoring drugs he puts into his body.  At worst he is a cheater a la Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, etc., etc.

We aren’t supposed to be surprised any more when a new name pops up on the list of substance (ab)users, but regardless of whether or not you are a fan of Ramirez it is likely you were at least a bit shocked when you heard the news.  Manny is a lot of things, but until yesterday a cheater wasn’t thought to be one of them.  Ugly exit from Boston aside, Ramirez has been the goofy, eccentric, fan-friendly player that Bonds never was.  For all his shortcomings, Ramirez was the carefree-to-a-fault, clean power hitter baseball desperately needed.

Or so we all thought.

Manny being Manny used to be a nice way of saying Ramirez is a bit of knucklehead.   Now it just feels like the butt of a bad late night joke, the easy way of saying Ramirez’s deception can only be described as Ramirez-like.

McGwire taught us all that chicks dig the long ball, but nobody told him and the players that followed that drug induced potency didn’t count.  Now Ramirez has taught us all a lesson we hopefully won’t soon forget.

Looks can be deceiving. Just because a player doesn’t show the typical signs of steroid use (Bond’s enormous head) doesn’t mean he is above suspicion.  Just because a player is engaging and charismatic doesn’t mean he is beyond doubt.  Just because a man can lift a city doesn’t mean he can evade punishment.

And, apparently, just because you aren’t supposed to be surprised any more doesn’t mean you can’t be.

Image Source: Wbz.com

This week in sports blogs and news:

• Brad Pitt and Steven Soderbergh to make “Moneyball” movie on Billy Beane - Variety
• USA Swimming Suspends Michael Phelps for 3 months - ESPN
• Patriots put the franchise tag on Matt Cassell: $14.65 million -Fox Sports
• Top high school prospect may choose CFL over NCAA - SportsByBrooks
• Anquan Boldin wants out of Arizona - Larry Brown Sports
  

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “Champions” 
• Santonio Holmes Catch Makes the Steelers Champions
• Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers: No Thanks
• Kevin Costner to Bring Baseball to Illinois Suburbs
• Prank Gone Bad: Peyton’s Joke on Cutler Backfires
  

What’s the logical thing to do when offered a multi-million dollar contract, when there are no other offers on the table?

Turn it down.

That’s exactly what Manny Ramirez did when the Los Angeles Dodgers offered him a one-year deal worth about $25 million. That would have made him the highest paid outfielder in baseball history. And we all know, money is all that Manny wants, so I don’t get why he’s rejecting the offer.

This one-year deal would still allow him to be a free-agent next year and seek that multi-year deal he’s been hoping for. But in Manny and Scott Boras’ dream world, they think they’ll get that four year deal at $20 million or more in today’s economy.

Have fun twisted your dreads in boredom this offseason Manny.

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This week in sports blogs and news:

• Michael Phelps will have a challenger in 2012: 13-year-old Dwayne Benjamin Didon - Yahoo Sports
• Charles Barkley to get a reality TV show? - SportsByBrooks
• Tom Coughlin Survives Extortion Attempt - The Big Lead
  
• Get your Yankees news from the Yankees Chick - Yankees Chick
• The Spectrum: By the Numbers - The Sports Hernia
• Top 7: Gigantic NBA Players - Joe Sports Fan
• Manny Ramirez finall gets a haircut - Deadspin
• Stephon Marbury going to Italy? - NY Post

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “I’m not going in there!”
• Aaron Rodgers Gets Hurt When Kids Curse at Him
• Madden 2009 is Finally Here!
• Stuart Scott Shows Off His Vocals, Karaoke Style
• Bruce Springsteen to Perform at Next Year’s Super Bowl
• NBC’s Andrea Joyce Makes Alicia Sacramone Cry

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This week in sports blogs and news:

• Paul Pierce says he’s the “best player in the world - Larry Brown Sports
• Ron Artest is still claims to be “ghetto” - Deadspin
• Top 7: WWF/WWE Tag Teams - Joe Sports Fan
• Manny Ramirez traded to Dodgers, Jason Bay to Beantown - Fox Sports
  
• Play fill the Aaron Rogers fill in the blank game - The Sports Hernia
• Get your Yankees news- Yankees Chick
• Brett Favre just might take Packers bribe - Milwaukee Journal
• Kate Hudson dumps Lance Armstrong for Eric Lindros? - Sports by Brooks

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “I wonder if she can tell I’m staring”
• Orel Hershiser Brings the Pain to Announcing
• Kwame Brown’s Dead Weight Heads to Detroit
• Houston Rockets Trade Forward/Wrestler Ron Artest

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