Is everyone getting the itch? With the Mariners reporting for pitchers and catchers this past weekend, spring training is officially underway. I have already begun crunching numbers and messing around with pointless predictions because that is how I cope with the anticipation. That being said - here is how I currently have the 30 MLB teams ranked. Keep in mind I did not do this solely subjectively - rather I took the rosters for each team, looked at the 25-man roster's 2011 WAR, adjusted … [Read more...]
Recapping the Phillies’ off-season, and a 1st crack at the 25-man roster
January 27, 2012 By 16 Comments
Apologies for the severe lack of posts - lots of non-blog related life events going on recently. This is about the time of year I forget about everything that happened to the Phillies in 2011 and start getting really excited for 2012. Since I haven't been able to examine each move individually, I figured I'd do an overview of all the moves they've made now that they are pretty set. I'll rank them by size of commitment. 1. Signed Jonathan Papelbon to 4 year, $50 million deal with vesting … [Read more...]
The Philly Fifty, #29: Billy Cunningham, Sixers
January 20, 2012 By 3 Comments
For the complete list and explanation of criteria and scoring, check out the Philly Fifty page Longevity - 4 Cunningham played 9 years here with two stints with the Sixers. He started off his NBA career with 7 years here, then took a 2 years hiatus to the Carolina Cougars of the ABA, only to return to the Sixers for his final two seasons. Peak - 4 Cunningham made first-team all-NBA 3 times as a Sixer. His best season was probably 1969-70 when he averaged 26.1 points, 13.6 rebounds … [Read more...]
The Philly Fifty, #30: Steve Van Buren, Eagles
January 14, 2012 By 3 Comments
For the complete list and explanation of criteria and scoring, check out the Philly Fifty page Longevity - 3 Played 8 seasons, his entire career, with the Eagles. Was drafted in 1944 out of LSU with the 5th overall pick and played until he was 31. Peak - 4 A top-5 player at any position for much of his career. Led the league in rushing yards and total touchdowns in the same year twice. Popularity - 2 You don't run into a ton of Van Buren jerseys on game day. Team Success - … [Read more...]
The Sixers’ early returns: How players are stacking up
January 5, 2012 By 175 Comments
The Sixers' probably should be 4-1 right now, with a bad loss to a mediocre Jazz team, but I'm not going to complain coming home from an unprecedented 5-game road trip to start the season at 3-2. 5 games isn't enough to make full blown proclamations about players, but it does give you a chance to see how players' games might have changed from the prior year. Let's take a look at the 9-man rotation, sorted by minutes played per game. Jrue Holiday (35.8 min) - Was horrible in the opener … [Read more...]
2011-12 NBA Preview: Atlantic Division and Wrap-Up
December 30, 2011 By 27 Comments
Previous NBA Previews: Central Division Northwest Division Southeast Division Southwest Division Pacific Division 1. Boston Celtics (3rd in East, 7th in NBA) Who is new: Brandon Bass, Keyon Dooling, Chris Wilcox, JaJuan Johnson, E'Tuan Moore Why are they here: Certainly not because of how they played to start the season. With Jeff Green gone for the year and Paul Pierce hurt, the Celts have started 0-3. Most important player: Rajon Rondo. He's going to have to get the most out … [Read more...]
2011-12 NBA Preview: Pacific Division
December 28, 2011 By 2 Comments
Previous NBA Previews: Central Division Northwest Division Southeast Division Southwest Division 1. Los Angeles Clippers (2nd in West, 4th in NBA) Who is new: Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, Trey Thompkins Why are they here: They went from doormat to title contender real fast in the last two years with the breakout rookie year of Blake Griffin followed by the acquisition of Chris Paul. Add in Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler and D'Andre Jordan and they boast … [Read more...]
2011-12 NBA Preview: Southwest Division
December 22, 2011 By 11 Comments
Previous NBA Previews: Central Division Northwest Division Southeast Division 1. Dallas Mavericks (3rd in West, 5th in NBA) Who is new: Lamar Odom, Vince Carter, Delonte West Why are they here: The two things that made them different last from year's past were Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea, both of whom are gone. They replaced two good pieces with one, in Odom, but then made typical previous Mavericks' moves in signing name players (Carter, West) who are likely going to be … [Read more...]
2011-12 NBA Preview: Southeast Division
December 20, 2011 By 12 Comments
Previous NBA Previews: Central Division Northwest Division 1. Miami Heat (1st in East, 1st in NBA) Who is new: Shane Battier, Norris Cole Why are they here: Came within a couple games of a championship despite the fact that Mike Bibby, Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskus all played roles on the team. Most important player: LeBron James. Not sure this needs much of an explanation. Outlook: I think the Heat win the first of two straight titles this season. Last year, they … [Read more...]
2011-12 NBA Preview: Northwest Division
December 19, 2011 By 6 Comments
Previous NBA Previews: Central Division 1. Oklahoma City (1st in West, 2nd in NBA) Who is new: Reggie Jackson Why are they here: They lost to Dallas in the Western Conf. Championship last year and have their full team back, almost all of which is right in the front end of their primes. Most important player: Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder nabbed Perkins last trade deadline and gave him a hefty extension, hoping he would be the last piece of the puzzle. Outlook: Kevin Durant is … [Read more...]
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