What could we expect this upcoming baseball season?

Finally Baseball Season is back !!!!


What has been a brutal winter this year in the northeast along with other parts of the country they finally have something to look forward to. Baseball Season is finally here, and we can look forward to spring coming very soon.  This offseason many teams made significant moves to their ballclubs to help provide the spark, or become a better team to help them get over the hump in winning a championship. Many people are picking one team to win it all just because of the one move they made to make their ballclub a deeper threat overall as a team. What is great about baseball is that you never know what could happen. These past couple of seasons many teams had a mediocre season but when they got into the playoffs they made a deep run and eventually won the world series or lost in the division championship game. If your team get hot at the right moment it could take them a long way into the playoffs. One wrong move can change a whole game it can be a walk, error, or wildpitch that's what makes it great about the game. You can never count yourself out of some game you just got to keep on competing.

Many teams look to improve or play like the way the Kansas City Royals did in making it all the way to the World Series. Last year Kansas City was the Cinderella team for how young they were and how confident they were as a team. They didn't have the big name all star player like most ball clubs do. The Royals had the speed and pitching depth that took them very far. The Royals will look to use that momentum this season and try to get back to the fall classic. It will a very a tough task because the central division improved a lot this offseason. The Royals are going to have a tough task in keeping up  with the other teams in the divison since they had some departures this offseason James Shields, along with Billy Butler. These two players were big parts in the success last season. Butler was a key part of their infield handling the corner at third. Shields was a big pitcher for them last year in the big games they needed to win. The ballclub will be able to fill that whole at the top of the rotation with the young arms they have on that team.

The Indians, White Soxs, Tigers, and Twins and Royals, were busy this offseason in improving each of their teams. The Indians improved this offseason by improving their bullpen along with depth in their batting order which were two big problems this past season. They had many injury problems last year which had them fall back deep early on in the year. As the season went on and they got healthy they won many games to where they competed for a wild card but were to far back to catch anyone ahead of them. This season with many of their young players coming up from the minors along with the players they have on the ball club now I think they will be a wildcard team. I think Michael  Brantley will have a big year for the ball club as he keeps improving his numbers these past two seasons. The White Soxs improved a lot this offseason by bulking up their bullpen with the addition of David Robertson, along with a starter Jeff Samardzija these two help in big ways. They brought in two very good bats as well in Melky Cabrera, and Adam Laroche these two are big bats in the lineup that they can help surround their biggest bat which is Jose Abreu.

The way the Tigers improved this past season was by adding to their bullpen which has been a huge weakness these past few seasons. They have to step up big now since they had lost two key starters in starting rotation. The offense will still be a huge threat because of how deep their lineup is but they will need to stay healthy because they aren't as deep as they were a few seasons back. The Twins have a new manager this season in Paul Monitor one of there former players. The twins brought back one of their former players in Tori Hunter who is at the end of his career. The Twins have a lot of wholes to fill but with their talented farm system they should have success in a few years. I think this season will be a cold one for the Minnesota fans.

The next divison I think that people will focus on is the AL West. The Angels have always been the team that people picked. I think it will change this year, and we will have a new leader it will be the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners had a successful season last year with competing for the wild card last season. One of the key reasons for the success was having the veteran presence of Robinson Cano. This offseason they had another big splash in the free agency when they added Nelson Cruz who had a great season last year for the Orioles. With Cruz's presence in the lineup to help out Cano with the other pieces on the team their offense will be more of a problem than what it was last season. With their pitching staff if they can get the help out of their third and fourth starters they could compete for the division this season. The Angels have plenty of power in the offense were they will stay in plenty of games this season. I believe Pujols along with Hamilton will need to have big games to help produce runs besides Trout. The Rangers and Athletics along with the Astros will have a rebuilding year because of them trading numerous players that have been with the ball club the past few seasons.

The AL East is something that is up for grabs but I think the favorite team to win it is the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles will have a huge target on their back after this offseason when there division rivals the Rays, Red Sox's, and Yankees improved there teams to be able to get back on top of the division.  The Yankees improved this offseason by bringing a lot of young arms to help the bullpen along with signing Andrew Miller who was a big free agent that many teams wanted. The Yankees didn't do much on the offensive side so that will be the big question mark if they can stay healthy, and be a threat.  The Red Sox's became dangerous again because of them signing two big free agents Pablo Sandoval, and Hanley Ramirez who will make them scary along with David Ortiz these three in the lineup will give a huge headache for opposing teams. With the addition of  Rick Porcello who the red sox's got in an offseason trade have improved there starting rotation.

The Rays will be a huge question mark this year because of the team looking totally different from all the offseason moves they made. I don't know why they would trade Will Meyers this offseason who is an amazing outfielder. The farm system players will now have a chance to show what they have this season. The Blue Jays will have a huge question mark as well with the players they lost in free agency or traded away. The two big question marks will be if Jose Batista and Jose Reyes staying healthy. The Orioles will be interesting in seeing how if they can handle the pressure of winning the division again. Out of all the divisions in baseball this one I really cant make a decision in who will win until maybe midseason.

The NL East will be a two team competition it will be the Mets, and Nationals. These two teams have really good pitching staffs that are both in the top 10. I think the edge will have to go the Nationals because of the offense the Nationals have along with the pitching staff. With them signing Max Scherzer it will put them over the edge they have been needing these past few years. The one team that will be a surprise pick is the Miami Marlins who have something special being built. I think within the next year or so they will be the team to beat. The Braves on the other hand will be struggling after trading and releasing half of their team from last season. The Phillies I think will be one of the worst teams this season for how old they are and still have the same team that didn't do much last season.

 In the Central Divison I think we will have a new Champion it will be the Chicago Cubs because of the new look they have. The signings of Joe Madden as there manager it will bring a certain attitude to the team that has been missing for a long time. Also the big signing of John Lester will bring some buzz to the team. There rotation will be a big question but if you look at there numbers it seems like they will be pretty good. The offense will be the big question because of the many new faces they have coming up from the minors. The Cardinals I will think be dangerous as well but it will be hard to see because of the trades they made in their back part of there rotation. One question I have is if Jayson Hayward can become the player he once was with the Atlanta Braves. I think the Brewers aren't far away from the division title. The Pirates I am still unsure of just because of the team and how will they adjust to one another again in finding that spark they had these past two seasons. The Reds I think will have to wait a few years because they have no real starter and not enough hitters in the lineup besides Todd Frazier and Brandon Phillips along with Joe Votto.

The West I think is between the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. These two teams are real deep in offense along with pitching as well. The new additions for the Padres of Meyers, Upton, and Matt Kemp they will be able to have a better production of scoring more runs. The last few years they were on the bottom of the league in runs scored. The Giants will be hurting in the beginning because the rotation not being fully healthy and they will look into finding the replacement for Pablo Sandoval. The Dodgers I think will still be competitive but how far will they get with they have for this season. The Diamondbacks are still far away from being competitive this season just because of them not having much in pitching and offense.

Overall, this season will be interesting because of how many teams improved over the offseason. I think the winners in the division will be the Mariners in the AL WEST, Tigers in the AL Central, Orioles in the AL East. The National League winners will be the Nationals in the East, Cubs in the Central, Padres or Giants in the West. The Wild Card winners will be the Yankees or Red Soxs, and the Angels in the American League, and the National League will be the Mets, Cardinals. The two I think that will meet in the World Series is the Nationals representing the National league and  in the
 American league it will be the Tigers. The MLB champs this year will be the Washington Nationals winning it all in seven games. Lets hope this season will be exciting to what they are making it out to be. Lets get through this winter and count down the days until opening day and the spring. Lets see what happens and maybe my prediction will be right.

The Dunk Contest was brought back from the dead

        

Zach Lavine and Victor Oladipo bring the Dunk Contest back for one night!!!!!

When you think of the history of the Dunk Contest during the NBA all star weekend you think of the high flying dunks that the fans will never forget. Well this past Saturday night just did that in adding more memories for the incredible dunks the contestants did. The two players that stood out on Saturday were Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic, and Zach Lavine of the Minnesota Timberwolves. From the first dunk to their last one they had the crowd in a frenzy for the incredible performance. Victor Oladipo had the disadvantage in this competition for being the smallest amongst all the other contestants were twice his size. In his first dunk attempt he called it the New York, New York, which many were wondering including myself what he was going to do. He was to complete a 540 dunk which was incredible. The fans along with the NBA All stars along with legends in attendance were excited, and wanted more. He had gotten a perfect score, and wanted to make a statement to make sure people knew he meant business.


    Then the next contestant was the young phenom from the Timberwolves Zach Lavine who many had picked to win this contest. Many people thought he was a incredible dunker from the videos that had been circulating from his college games he was in, along with random dunks people recorded of him doing. When he came out to do his dunk he called it the Space Jam which he said he dedicated it to his past child years of watching the movie. He also idolized Michael Jordan who was a former contestant of this competition and a legend. When he did the dunk the Barclay center went absolutely crazy. When you saw the judges reaction along with the NBA all stars you knew he won the people over. What was interesting also that had people amazed was how high he jumped and how close he almost hit his head. When they showed the facial reaction of Victor Oladipo it looked like he saw a ghost knowing he had his hands full. Lavine seemed very calm, and collective in how confident he was in competing and completing these dunks.

When both competitors advanced to the finals, Oladipo couldn't compete with Lavine in the creativity the young phenom had come up with. Oladipo was able to complete a dunk from behind the backboard pass from his teammates help Elfrid Payton. It was a very difficult dunk which he got a high score for but it was not enough. Lavine' s next dunk was a bounce pass to himself and caught the pass and around the back for the dunk. With completing that second dunk he basically sealed the deal in winning the competition. The Barclay center again went into a frenzy, and Oladipo was sitting their with a facial reaction in looking like he was saying it was unfair. Oladipo knew it was not going to be easy but he knew it was over after that dunk. Oladipo gave a great effort, and performance in attempting to win this contest.

The Dunk Contest really was brought alive this year from the performance the competitors had given to fans. Unlike most Dunk contests this one had no props being used. When you think of the past winners from the Dunk Contests the winners did not use props at all, or as much. These past two years the competition had made people not interested in watching it, or even know it was on. In the early 90's compeititors tried to do the dunks without making it all fancy. These players that competed over the weekend no one really knew of but now after this one more people will become fans. I think most fans will disagree with me about the dunk competition. Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions but they have to remember this particular contest was holding on by a thread in being kept alive.

Overall, this competition was brought back alive for other competitors to possibly join in next year's competition. Who ever decides to compete in next years Dunk Contest will have to bring there A+ performance to knock off Zach Lavine for the jumping ability he has, and creativity. From the view of things fans and players along with legends of the game got excited once again because of the creativity the players brought. Don't get me wrong the previous Dunk Contest has some memorable moments but they didn't match to what was done this past Saturday night. They went back to the original way a dunk contest should be done. It is cool that we got to see a dunk over a car, or dunks being done over a few people but it gets old after awhile and people start to loose interest. This years competitors paid respects in how dunking is suppose to be from the all time greats did it. Lavine and Oladipo put their name in the history book along with other greats such as Michael Jordan, Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, Spud Webb and many more. Hopefully next year we will be able to continue to talk about how the Dunk Contest was an exciting contest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NBA All Star Weekend returns to the Mecca

NBA'S best of the best return to New York

The stars will be out this weekend in New York not for any music, or movie awards they will be out just to play basketball. The fans will be able to enjoy various events, the celebrity charity games, the dunk contest, the 3 point shootout and much more. Fans will get  an up close and personal experience in seeing the best players in the NBA on one court. Throughout the year fans vote in whom they want to see in the All Star game because they are fans of the players or of the team. Many people think this is a joke because of it being a three day event. This is a time for the players to acknowledge the fans for the appreciation of voting them in to this game. The only thing that is not happening at the mecca is the New York Knicks. This is the first time in league history that players will have a seven day break. This break allows players from teams who didn't get chosen to take a break, and rest up for the second half of the season.  No regular season games ever occur during the All Star weekend event. What makes this interesting about this all star weekend is it being held in two different arena's the BarClay Center home of the Brooklyn Nets, and Madison Square Garden home of the New York Knicks.

The First two days of the events players are doing media days in talking about their charities and what it means to be at the all star game. Also if they are a superstar in the league they are a spokesperson for their shoe company and usually host an event for the new shoes coming out. They also are being involved in helping the local communities. For the players that have been selected for the first time they should enjoy every moment of the event being in New York. This allows the players to realize the fans appreciate the hard work and dedication they have put into the season so far. The Rising Stars game is a chance for fans to get to see future players who may make an impact in future few years. This year they are having the players from the different countries team up to play against the players from the United States.

The events leading up to tomorrow are what fans usually look forward to because of the dunk contest and three point shoot out. Usually the Dunk Contest is the favorite event but tomorrows event that everyone is looking forward to is the Three Point Shootout.  The Dunk Contest has not been exciting over the years because of the people they have signed up. I think the last time they were excited about the Dunk Contest was when Nate Robinson won the event twice. The Three Point shootout will have real excitement for the players that will be involved. The contestants for the shootout are Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Warriors, Kyle Kover of the Hawks, Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers, Wesley Matthews of the Blazers, and Marco Belinelli of the  Spurs, and J.J. Reddick of the Clippers, and James Harden of the Rockets they are calling this the best three point shootout in a long time. Many of these players have a great chance of winning this event they are all considered the sharpshooters from behind the arc. I think it will be difficult to pick a winner because of how good they shoot from the 3 point line. If I had to choose in who I would think would win the event it will be Klay Thompson from the Warriors. I believe he is a stronger competitor and has a higher percentage from behind the arch. He has grown a lot in his game over the past couple of years playing in the league. I think he grew up even more when he played for Team USA in the World Basketball Tournament this past summer. Many players believed he grew up just because he was away from the team that surrounded him in Golden State. He has the better overall idea in what it takes to win a championship and that winning mentality.

 The two events that will occur on Saturday night I think will be interesting is the Dunk Contest and Skills Challenge. In the Dunk Contest I think the winner will be Zack Lavine from the Timberwolves  who is a high flyer that has had some incredible dunk highlights. In the Skills Challenge I would pick John Wall to win the event. The Skills Challenge is an event that displays the best point guards in the league that go head to head to see who has the better ball handling skills. The Skills Challenge I am curious in what plays out because these players are very good in their ball handling and are very carful in controlling their possession. It should be a good event to see in the younger stars beginning to shine now that more people are noticing them.

The All Star Game will be special because of the best players being on one court going up against one another. The West   every year has been stacked from top to bottom but the East has plenty of good players. It will be hard to see if the East can stick with them in how talented the West is. These past couple of years the West has been the dominating conference in how competitive they are throughout the year. The two players I will be watching to see if they can shine is Kyrie Irving from the East and Demarcus Cousins from the West. Even though everyone knows who Kyrie is I think he needs to shine and win back to back MVP's in the All Star game. Demarcus Cousins has a real good chance this weekend to show how good he is. The only thing I believe that is holding back Cousins is his immature attitude in how he plays the game. Kyrie seems like he is growing into his own player that many enjoy watching. The overall winner of the game is the Western Conference because of how deep they are and the East not having a deep bench to keep up the speed and size as well.

Overall, this weekends NBA All Star events is something special for both the fans and players in seeing the best in the game. If you aren't able to attend the All Star game fans have the chance to attend the events occurring all over the city. Another reason for this weekends All Star game being special is because of the history the NBA has had in New York and what basketball means to the state as well. Anytime you go to New York you can find people playing basketball but what is special is that it isn't anyone playing with a million dollar contract it is people playing because they love it. You see people playing hard from beginning to end, and no one complaining because they had gotten hurt. These people take complete pride in the game they love very much. New York fans will tell you the truth in how they feel you are playing. This weekend if you are a fan of basketball I would check it out even though it is not meaningful. With the history of basketball in New York and with all the professionals being apart of this weekend something special is in front of us . Good luck to all the competitors this weekend in the events and to the players competing in the All Star game this weekend.

Farewell to Mr. Smith!!

College Basketball Loses a Living Legend

When it comes to college basketball you think of Duke , Michigan State, Michigan, Syracuse, Indiana, but the one school everyone is aware of is North Carolina. This past weekend the University of North Carolina's men's basketball program, and the college basketball world lost a legend in former head coach Dean Smith who passed away at the age of 83. He passed away peacefully at his home. He was having some health issues which made him to decide to lay low and try to take care of himself. Everyone in the coaching world along with Basketball hall of famers called coach Smith a coaching legend. He had coached for many years at North Carolina from 1961 to 1997 and retired with a total of 879 total victories which at the time was the most for a Divison 1 coach. He was the head coach for the Tar Heels for thirty six years. He had the ninth highest winning percentage which was 77.6% throughout his career. During his coaching career at North Carolina he had won two national championships, and appeared in eleven final fours. Unlike most programs in the country he had ran a very clean program in making sure people acted the correct way. What is also impressive is he had one of the highest graduating rates at 96.6% for his athletes receiving their degrees.

While growing up in Kansas Dean Smith went to Topeka High School where he lettered in two sports basketball, and football and played catcher for his schools team. After graduating high school he attended the University of Kansas and participated on the football, baseball, and basketball teams. What was interesting to find out was he wasn't there on a athletic scholarship but was on a academic scholarship. When he played on the basketball team he was coached by living legend James Naismith. After graduating from Kansas he served as the assistant head coach from the 1953-1954 season. Which I thought was interesting is that he served a short stint in the United Sates Air Force in Germany, he later than served as the head coach at the Air Force Academy for the baseball and golf program. He joined the Tar Heels in 1958 and became the assistant to Frank McGuire of the basketball program. Smith served as the assistant to McGuire until 1961 when McGuire was involved in a recruiting scandal that forced to step down as head coach and that's where Dean Smiths legacy began.

His success began in the late 1960's seasons when his teams won two consecutive regular- season and conference championships, and went to three straight final fours. When they had this success it was occurring when the UCLA mens basketball team won ten national titles in twelve years. In the 1968 season John Wooden and Dean Smith meet for the National title and Wooden would win the title that season. It took seven trips to the Final Four before he won his first national title. It took him nine more years, and two more trips to win his second national title.  When he won his first national title in 1982 he had a team that was filled with future NBA hall of famers  they were Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Sam Perkins. That season the Tar Heels finished with a record of 32-2. That type of record is very hard to come by because of the season and how many games they play in the tournament.

Along the way when they won there second title they had a squad that featured Eric Montross, Brian Reese, Donald Williams, and Derrick Phelps. There title game was a see-saw battle but it is remembered for the Chris Weber timeout which his team had none left. They played Michigan that game it cost the Michigan Wolverines the game for him doing that. It was a revenge game for the Tar Heels who were defeated by them a year before. When you mention this game everyone remembers that particular play.

In 1997 Dean Smith retired from the game which caught many people off guard because they didn't expect this announcement. He quoted by saying that if he ever felt he couldn't give his team the same enthusiasm he had given it for years, he would retire. While retired he had a huge impact on the North Carolina program. In 2003 Dean Smith talked to Roy Williams who was the coach at Kansas at the time about whether or not to replace a struggling Matt Doherty as coach. Williams was once offered the position but declined the position when Bill Guthridge retired. Roy Williams along with a few others were mentored by Dean Smith and went onto become successful coaches, or associated in a way with basketball.

Smiths coaching style was all depending on the type of players he had available. The system mainly featured a fast break style, a half court offense which emphasized a passing game. his defense was a aggressive trap game that produced many turnovers and easy baskets. Until he retired his teams produced a shooting percentage of over 50 percent in all but four years. What was also interesting and cool fact he would start all his seniors at the last home game of the season as a way of honoring them. He would play all four corners of the game. When he had a lead he would use a stalling tatics to keep the lead.

Overall, Dean Smith was an incredible coach on the court that many people to this day are thankful for. He was a great mentor on and off the court in having players being successful and stay on the right track. Many people are hurt and sad that he has passed because of the person he was. North Carolina did an incredible gesture in his honor by renaming the court in his honor which to this day will never be forgotten. He developed many people that to this day have become very successful two names to mention are Larry Brown and Roy Williams. From all college basketball fans Coach Dean Smith we would like to say thank you and we all will miss you. I am sure this season North Carolina will try to play even harder and make this a special one in Coach Dean Smith's honor. You wont be able to find anything wrong people have said about him.

Who will be the better the New York baseball team this upcoming season?

 

 

Who Will be the Kings of New York?

Now that football season is over, we can turn our attention to baseball and look forward to the local teams gear up for an exciting season. The New York Yankees and New York Mets have been struggling in producing winning seasons these past few years. Both teams this year look alittle different with pitching and position players. The Mets are looking to gear up for a playoff contention season with adding a few bats this offseason in free agency along the young arms they have that can carry them. The Yankees are going  to look a lot different now that all of the core four have gone onto retire. The Yankees lost some key additions over the years to free agency but this team still has the talent to do some damage in the season especially in there division. The bullpen for the Yankees has a serious eighth and ninth inning pitching staff. What the Yankees did to fill in the shortstop position was trade for a very young talented player from the Arizona Diamondbacks team his name is Didi  gregorius. He is a very talented defensive player the only downside to him is his bat which his average is in the low 200's which is not good. Unlike the Yankees, the Mets never addressed the situation and will go into the season with using Wilmer Flores as there everyday Shortstop. Most Mets fans don't want that to happen but they don't have a player developed enough or don't want to spend the money in free agency,

The New York Mets fan base is getting anxious for something exciting to happen with this baseball team. These past few years have been rough in having losing seasons which can cause fans to not come to games or have them not interested in the ball club.  This year seems like it will be different with the young arms they have in the starting rotation that have people in baseball making them one of the best rotations in the entire league. Leading the way will be Matt Harvey who is coming off Tommy John surgery which is very difficult to come back from. It will be interesting to see if he has the heat on his fastball along with the movement he had on his off speed pitches. After seeing this next person first hand I think Jacob DeGrom is going to be a very special pitcher. He reminds me of a Tim Lincecum and Justin Verlander in how his command is. Even though he was called up late in the year last season he was a well round pitcher who was adjusting to the big show very well. Most pitchers cant handle being on the big stage but DeGrom handled himself very well. He was the only third mets player in team history to win Rookie of the year as a pitcher. He is one person who is going to have a strong career if he is able to stay healthy.

The back end of the Mets rotation Zach Wheeler, Jonathan Niese, Dillon Gee is the back bone of the staff who will be key in the Mets Success this season. The one problem they have with Niese and Gee is the contracts that are big which is holding the Mets from signing big names to bring to the team. Wheeler is coming off a injury play season that could affect his future. The rotation needs to pick each other up in order to be successful. The bullpen is going to be a question mark going into the season because of them not having the key setup man along with having no closer. It will be hard if they don't have a sturdy bullpen to just rely on the starting rotation. If any of the starting pitchers aren't working they can move onto another plan by bringing up players who are supposedly ready to be in the big show. We will have to wait and see in what the Mets do in handling the situation.

The Mets offense will have some new additions with Michael Cuddyer, and John Mayberry Jr. who will help in the outfield and infield. Mayberry has killed the Mets over the years with his speed along with his bat. Since 2011 his career has been up and down but he is a very good bench player who can give opponent's problems which will be a big plus. Cuddyer has had a steady career with his production offensively and defensively. His addition will give them Mets options in either putting him the infield or the outfield. It will depend on who the pitcher is on that day of the game but this allows the Mets Manager Terry Collins to play around with his options in who has been hitting and who needs to have a day off. The one person who will need to have  a productive year is the face of the franchise, and team captain David Wright. David Wright is coming off a injury plagued season and the Mets are hoping this season he will be healthy and be the old player he once was. The offense seems like it will have alittle more depth they just have to be set in different spots on the order. If David Wright can stay healthy he can be a big problem.

Two other people who need to be productive are Curtis Granderson , and Lucas Duda these players will have a bigger role this season. Granderson is coming off one of his worst seasons in his career he had problems from the start of the season till the end. At times Curtis looked like he would break out of the slump but then he would go back to his old ways. If Granderson is able to settle down, and figure out his swing he will prove many mets fans that he was the right person to sign.   Duda needs to have the same production he had last season and bring in it again this season. Last Season Duda stepped up big when  they needed the power or a big hit. The Mets will have a lot of speed this season as well with their young players.

The New York Yankees begin a new era without their star captain Derek Jeter who retired this past season. Now the Yankees begin a new season with a new look without any former players who came from the organization. It will be interesting in how the big name Superstars produce in giving them a big hit or key defensive play. The one person who I think everyone is anxious to see is Alex Rodriguez who is coming off a year long suspension for using steroids.  No one expects him to do much because of him being out for the year as well as being a year older. I don't think he will be a big addition at all back in the lineup I think he will cause problems among the team.

 I think Chase Headly will be a good cornerman at 3rd base. Headly has been a strong player defensively wise at his position. His bat has been a huge question mark but his average has been a very steady one. The infield will always miss having Jeter and Cano who were strong defenders. I think though with Gregorius, Ryan, and Drew they will be good enough to cause havoic in making the plays when there pitching staff needs it. The defense in the infield will be a work in progress lucky enough Spring training will give them enough time to work it out. Mark Teixeira will be something to watch because of how will he produce still coming off the wrist injury.  Yankees fans are hoping he can be productive in some way if he cant then they will try to play Brian McCain there since he played there last season.

The Outfield I think will have a better year in how much production they will get in stealing bases as well as producing Runs Batting In. Last Year Jacoby Ellsbury seemed like he adjusted to his new home very well. He along with Gardner need to get on base alittle more than they did last season to cause problems with there speed on the bases. When both players are on the bases they have pitchers on the edge because of what they can do. Chris Young is a good addition who seemed more relaxed after he joined the Yankees after being released from the Mets the year before. Young has good speed also has a good arm which can give manager Joe Giradi help when needing to switch the lineup. Ramon Flores is getting the possible chance this season to be on the Major League roster who has pop in his bat. One Person who I am interested in seeing if he makes the big league roster is Austin Judge who many think he is ready to become a huge superstar.

The Pitching Staff for the Yankees is going to be what people will watch for this season. If Sabathia, Nova, Pineda, and Tanaka can come back from injury and be strong pitchers the Bronx bombers wont have much to worry about. All of these four pitchers are coming off major injuries that are hard to come back from that needs time to adjust to again. With their rival the Boston Red Sox's boosting their lineup in signing to big bats this offseason the Yankees will need to bring their best in order to beat them. Ivan Nova will need to step up big to help the back end of the rotation. The Fifth starter will be a big question mark in who will be placed there Kuroda went back to Japan to play back home. The Bullpen for the Yankees is much better than it was last year which caused them many games last year by blowing the lead. With the addition of Andrew Miller the lefty from the Baltimore Orioles will give the Yankees a key inning person. He will allow the Yankees to able to use him for multiple innings. The one person I think who will be a great closer is the Young All star Dellin Betances who has a powerful fastball, and his offspeed is getting better. With the new Additions from the Marlins and Braves I am also interested in how they are used it will be fun to see.

Overall, this season I don't expect a World Series Championship from either team but I think they will be very competitive. I think the Mets will be a team the National League that many will have problems with. I think the Mets will be close in winning their division if not they will compete for one of the Wild Cards. The total of wins I believe will be around the low 80's which would improve from last season. The Yankees will be competing in a tougher East Division with what the Red Sox's did along with the Orioles. It will be tough because the Yankees are a older team but are going to struggle if they cant stay healthy.  The pitching staff is the biggest objective the team will be concentrating on. They will be in contention with the Wild Card but it will come down to the end of the season I believe. I think the overall wins the Yankees will have is about mid 80's which will give them the edge but by not that much. Its going to be very interesting this year in baseball but lets see what happens. Lets get this crazy winter season over with and lets get baseball season started already.

What type of coach will Todd Bowles be?

 

 

New Jersey native heading home to become head football coach of the New York Jets

 

The New York Jets have been struggling with the consistency in having a successful head football coaches the latest victim is Rex Ryan. Rex Ryan was successful his first two years by reaching the American Football Conference Championship game. After those first two years everything went downhill for this franchise. This year the team finished with one of their worst records in franchise history with a four and twelve record. This lead to coach Rex Ryan's firing along with the rest of his staff. The franchise had felt it was a time for a change and needed someone who was young and someone who is new. Owner Woody Johnson hired two former general managers by the name of Ron Wolf and Charley Casserly as consultants to help find the correct the coach to make the team successful. After going through a few weeks of interviews with certain candidates the New York Jets selected Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

 

Todd Bowles wasn't a shocker as being selected as the next head coach because of the history he has in being in the NFL. Most players that he has coached really had nothing bad to mention about him which is very impressive in my eyes. Coach Bowles, was on many teams lists in looking for a head coach. Bowles reminds you of Rex Ryan because of him having the defense coordinator position as his previous position. Many wonder why the jets would do the same thing as hiring the same type of coach. They said his presence during the interview was very impressive in how knowledgeable he was and what vision he had in turning around the team. When I listened to his press conference I was very impressed in how confident he was in talking about things that are good, and bad. Bowles didn't guarantee or make smart comments in which people will make fun of him. He made comments to loosen up the audience. He has a lot of areas on this team that needs to be filled in which people want to see winning now.

 

 

It will be interesting when he plays the former Jets Coach twice a year now that he is new the football coach for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are going to make sure they play even harder for when they play the Jets . Bowles seems like he is not afraid because of how he doesn't get phased by the coverage or talk about the game. Unlike coach Rex Ryan Bowles will be hands on with the offensive coordinator along with the defensive coordinator. He said he will make sure he will get the last word with what calls are made. Even though Rex Ryan had been in the league since his father was a coach Bowles actually played the game.

 

What could make this special is that he is a homegrown kid coming from Elizabeth, NJ. When he was asked about being back home and coaching one of the two teams he replied " It is a dream come true and he has been waiting for this chance for a very long time". He also mentioned how he is here to built a winning franchise and go after the Patriots who have been the kings of the division for almost over a decade now. Coach Bowles wanted to make sure people knew they have a battle in front of them and that he isn't going to back down from getting there to be on the top. He says that from being on multiple coaching staffs that he learned a lot from how he will need to control situations in wanting to become a divison winner along with being a Superbowl Champion. One question that was asked was how will you handle the New York/ New Jersey media? His response was " The media in NY/NJ will eat you up in making you look like the bad guy, or will praise you  and make you look like the king". He also mentioned that he wasn't worried about the media. He was worried about making this franchise a better one and to become a winner. The media could say whatever they want I am here to focus on the team and how we can improve. He can express his wisdom and develop these players into a winning franchise.

 

Overall, Bowles seems like he is going to be a great fit for the franchise in changing their attitude towards playing the game. He seems like he is a very smart person who knows the game very well and that could be a huge plus. I think being a hometown kid will make this even a bigger story if he is able to be successful. They need to be very aggressive and go out there and bring in the right people to make this team dominant on both sides of the ball. Bowles should ask for certain suggestions from other coaches he knows. Bowles was a successor which could be a huge plus because of how  he related to players since he played in the league. I think the overall outcome of this team is they will be successful and will change this franchise around to be a success. As a Jets fan I wish nothing but the best for coach Bowles and hope he can change this team around

The Play Call that can never be taken back

Miracle Catch overshadowed by Stupid Play Calling.


What was turning out to be an incredible game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks became a huge shock in what occurred at the end of the game. With less than two minutes left in the game Seattle had the possession down by four points, and had three timeouts remaining. What looked liked a incredible drive by Seattle turnout to be a head scratcher and every football fan would say why.Through out the whole game Seattle had very good play calls in mixing it up to confuse the defense of the New England Patriots. The Play calling especially in the second half was called very well until the end. The Seahawks were able to move down the field and were able to score points when needed with the exception of the first quarter.  We have to give credit though to the New England Patriots defense for stepping up in making stops to stay in tonight's game after falling behind in the second half.

I am sure like everyone else was saying that when the Seahawks were on the two yard line in the red zone to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch. Well that didn't happen Coach Pete Carroll and his offensive coordinator decided to throw the ball which was intercepted by the Patriots Malcolm Butler to seal the victory for the Patriots. In the red zone most football fans know by throwing the ball in the goal line area to not to try to force the ball. The Seahawks Russell Wilson did that by throwing the ball in between two defenders. The fans want to know why would you make that play call when your running back was helping you move the ball and was having a big running game. In the first half when the Seahawks scored there first Touchdown they were almost in the same area of which the interception occurred at the end of the game. Marshawn Lynch has the right to be very upset because of not getting the ball when it meant the most. One huge highlight that many football fans will be talking about for years now will be the Jermaine Kearse catch while on his back which he was able to keep as a live ball. When he caught it I thought it was incomplete because of the camera angle. After they showed the replay myself along with other football fans were in complete shock in how he was able to keep the ball in the play. That has to be considered one of the best catches every made in Superbowl history.

Pete Carroll has a lot of explaining to do because no one would pass the ball and have a chance to loose the game. Marshawn Lynch made huge plays but especially in the last drive by catching a pass for about twenty or more yards. Most people don't expect to see Lynch catch a pass. It seemed to catch the Patriots off guard which was good. What was confusing was why didn't Seattle go back to wide receiver Chris Matthews who was a big problem for the Patriots in the first half. All the Seahawks needed to do was attack the line and punch the ball in and drained the clock down. Everyone will want to know why a pass play was called rather than a run play. When you have the opponent on the ropes you need to take advantage and the Seahawks didn't do that. Russell Wilson is a very smart Quarterback who has grown as a player over these three years. He needs to work on how to control himself from making these crucial throws. He is the leader and he should of took control and made a audible on the play and changed the play call. He is a very strong leader but I think the pressure of the moment got to him. I always thought if you have plays that you have ran during the game you would stick to but it looked like they went a different way in making offensive play calls.

Overall, this years Superbowl was a great game in which kept everyone on the edge of there seats and to know what will the outcome be. There were many great or crucial moments which many of us will remember and talk about down the road. Everyone's perception of what should of happened at the end of game will be different but that's all we can do. Kearse's catch will be overshadowed by the interception that made at the end of the game which is very unfortunate. The coaching staff I believe especially the offensive coordinator needs to be let go because he has been very bad these past few games. Many fans will continue to shake their heads in wondering why they chose that play call and why they felt so confident with that particular play. At the end this Superbowl was a great game from defense to offense everyone playing key roles.