Explanation of ratings system and other team previews here BOSTON RED SOX Ranks Overall – 89 points (1st MLB, 1st AL) Starting Rotation – 35 points (2nd MLB, 2nd AL) Line-Up – 34 points (T-8th MLB, T-4th AL) Bench/Bullpen/Defense – 19 points (1st MLB, 1st AL) Offseason Addtions – David Aardsma (get excited Boston fans!) Offseason Subtractions – Brendan Donnelly, Eric Gagne, Eric Hinske, Bobby Kielty Biggest Strength- Depth In a 162 game season, players are going to get … [Read more...]
2008 MLB Preview
February 21, 2008 By 32 Comments
OK - so I came up with a little bit of a ridiculous system to do my baseball predictions this season. I wanted to give each team a score from 1-100 by assigning point values to different aspects of the team. The most important was #1 starter (10 points), least important was minor league system (1 point). The entire system went like this: 1st starter - 10 points 2nd starter - 9 points 3rd starter- 8 points 4th starter - 7 points 5th starter - 6 points Closer - 4 points Bullpen - 6 … [Read more...]
It’s Time to Put ‘Sixers’ and ‘Playoffs’ in the Same Sentence
February 21, 2008 By 4 Comments
Playoffs? That was a thought not even in the back of our minds in the beginning of January after the Sixers lost 7 straight. It was clear that much of the talk surrounded the possibility of when, not if, Andre Miller would be traded, essentially conceding the season. What to do with the abundance of cap space Stefanski will have to play with and who the Sixers could get in the upcoming NBA draft. How have things changed. Sitting squarely in the 8th playoff spot, the trade deadline come … [Read more...]
Maurice Cheeks – Well-Deserved Contract Extension
February 20, 2008 By 4 Comments
That's right well-deserved! Maurice Cheeks received a 1-year contract extension, with an option for a 2nd year, that will finally put to bed the speculation he wouldn't be back coaching the Sixers next season. In the final year of his contract, the team playing sub .500 ball, and a new president & GM on board, many believed Cheeks would be on his way out or actively asking for him to be out like this guy. It was thought Ed Stefanski would want to bring in his own coach to lead the … [Read more...]
Sixers All-Star Weekend – Or Lack Thereof
February 16, 2008 By 4 Comments
Forgive me while I show my true "homerism" and rant about my disappointment/anger regarding Philadelphia's non-existent representation in the 2008 All-Star festivities. Rookie/Sophomore Challenge Why the hell was Thaddeus Young not on the All-Star rookie team?!? Can you say BULLSHIT. If you need a refresher on why he should have been playing Friday night check this out. Who would I replace for Young? Jeff Green. He has been nothing short of mediocre considering he plays 24.5 minutes … [Read more...]
Pat Burrell: Man or Machine? And Other Pressing Spring Training Issues
February 15, 2008 By 1 Comment
The Young Guys - I always like to use Spring Training as a time to get a feel for the pitchers that have no chance of making the roster this year, but could have an impact on the future. I'll always remember Spring Training 2004, when a 19-year old Cole Hamels struck-out Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Tony Clark in succession causing Jeter to say that Hamels already had one of the best change-ups in baseball. Now, he's our #1 starter and a potential star. The names to look at this spring are … [Read more...]
Thaddeus Young: The Sixers Overlooked Rookie Standout
February 12, 2008 By 15 Comments
At 19-years-old Thaddeus Young is proving to be a true diamond in the rough for the Sixers. Going into the season most people thought Thaddeus was two or three years away from really contributing. No one really anticipated he would make much of an impact right away for Coach Mo. Except Young of course. As the 12th pick in the 2007 NBA draft with tremendous upside, there were still a few questions marks about Young: Raw - Having played only one college season his game was … [Read more...]
Philly Ramblings
February 11, 2008 By 8 Comments
I've been working diligently on my 7-part baseball preview, so I've been a little lazy of late in terms of posting. But unless I want Dannie to take over the blog entirely - I figured I'd spend my 25th birthday with some quick hits on what's on my mind in the Philly and National sports scene. 1. The Big-5 is in trouble - Since the creation of the NCAA tournament, 1 team from the Big-5 + Drexel has made the tournament every single year. Right now, it looks like our best bet is St. Joes, and they … [Read more...]
Zumoffisms: Top 10 Quotes From the Sixers’ Play-by-Play Man
February 8, 2008 By 19 Comments
One of the best things about watching Philadelphia 76ers games on TV is the enthusiastic call by long-time play-by-play announcer Mark Zumoff. For Sixers fans: Don't you just love it when he goes ballistic everytime one of our players ferociously throws one down or gets a blocked shot in the crucial moments in close games? So without further ado... Here are My Top 10 Mark Zumoffisms 10. "Nothing doing" 9. "Down it goes" 8. "The bump-and-run" 7. "Playing amongst the … [Read more...]
Shaquille O’Neal: The NBA’s Biggest ‘Contract Killer’ for Hire
February 6, 2008 By 20 Comments
The rumored Shaquille O'Neal to Phoenix deal is done. The big question now is what does this trade mean for Shaq, the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat and the rest of the NBA? First let me start by addressing all the critics that say "Phoenix will not be as good (if not considerably worst) having acquired O'Neal." I don't know about you, but whenever you get a guaranteed hall-of-fame center while he can still play at an above-average level (18.16 PER), your team can't get worse. Is this an … [Read more...]
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