Sparkling Record Part I: MLB Predictions

Winter has went and Spring has sprung and that means it’s time for opening day baseball action. Last season saw the New York teams return to form, both having great seasons. It also had a surprise of sorts in the World Series as the Tigers were lead by their new coach. The Cardinals have a coach who got drunk, and they won it all last year. MLB: I Live For This?

So here are the division predictions…

National League

East
1. Mets
2. Atlanta
3. Phila
4. Marlins
5. Washington

The Mets are too strong and now that they have added Chan Ho Park, well, maybe I’m wrong here now that I notice that. Atlanta lost the division for the first time in 13 years last season, it’s not like they all forgot how to play down there, and the Phillies look to grow behind their big bats so expect this to be close.

Central
1. St. Louis
2. Houston
3. Cincinnati
4. Chicago
5. Milwaukee
6. Pittsburgh

Is there any team in history to ever have TWO pitchers look like the future of the league only to be plagued by injuries all their careers? And why does it feel like if Prior or Wood went to the Yanks or the Sox they would suddenly be injury free and get 20 wins? Either way, it’s St. Louis or Houston, maybe the Reds since they brought this guy back.

West
1. San Francisco
2. Arizona
3. San Diego
4. Los Angeles

Okay, I’m a Giants fan, so here goes… WE GOT ZITO AND HE’S GOING TO WIN 20 GAMES. OH AND HERE IS THE STATS FOR BONDS IN SPRING… 5 HR, 10 RBI, .297 AVG. Okay that’s in 37 at bats. He’s probably only playing in 130 games this season, so if we use that as a “pace” for the season bonds is going to have… 49 HR and 98 RBI. Not bad for a guy pushing 43. We are winning this.

American League

East
1. Toronto
2. New York
3. Boston
4. Tampa Bay
5. Baltimore

Toronto had the second best home record in baseball last season. They had more wins than the Red Sox or the Cardinals. Look this stuff up. And Baltimore stinks, they gave up 900 runs last year, that’s over 5 per game. Yikes.

Central
1. Minnesota
2. Chicago
3. Detroit
4. Cleveland
5. Kansas City

Minnesota has a Cy Young winner and MVP on it’s team, that doesn’t mean they will win every game, but it sure can’t hurt.

West
1. Oakland
2. Texas
3. LAA of A
4. Seattle

Oakland will be in 2nd place all season until the last month where they go on a 10 game winning streak. Always happens that way. The home team, the Rangers, look good, and as usual I think they have the best infeld in baseball. Teixeira, Young, and Blalock rival any infeld in baseball. The Angels are too old and the M’s are too young except for Ichiro who is the most exciting player to watch in all of baseball.

So there ya go, place your bets! Only three things in life are guaranteed, death, taxes, and my sparkling record! Moment of zen…

Wednesday Night

Too tired to write anything worthy. So I won’t. I will leave you with this…

ENZOWNED!!

My favorite part is the guy on his cell phone, he doesn’t move.

Your Wrong, I’m Right

The best team in the NBA isn’t the Mavericks, Pistons, Suns, Lakers, or Jazz. It’s the Spurs. No team is playing better basketball. Look at the STATS.

In the last 4 games the scores were 90-72, 90-89, 120-79, 126-89 for an average of 106.4 scored and only 82.25 allowed. In fact since the All-Star break the Spurs have allowed 100 points or more only once. They also have the best defense in the league, and are the only team that is averaging less than 90 points allowed per game, giving them the best points difference average at +9.1.

Here is the part where Dallas and Phoenix should be scared… The Spurs are leaving the 3rd and 4th quarter for the back-up players. The Spurs BENCH has Ginobili and Finley. Plus James White is getting playing time at this point. It’s nuts. Pops is getting guys in for 15+ minutes and they play the same as the starters, Manu is barely playing over 20 minutes per game and will be rested, as is Parker and Duncan. The Mavericks constantly push Dirk, Jason Terry, Devin Harris, and Josh Howard to 30 minutes, as the Spurs rarely have anyone over 30.

Fear them come June.

NBA MVP Power Rankings

Okay so I’m questioned, “Who is the best player in the NBA?” by my friend Ramon. That’s a tough one, I have to wonder if he means the best skilled player or who will win the MVP. Answering either question would garner a different result.

For the best skilled player there is a group of guys in the NBA that are a head over anyone else. Guys like Raja Bell are good, but he is far from a franchise player. Looking at best skilled player there are 4 guys that play better than anyone else in the league.

1. Kobe Bryant – I don’t much like Kobe, and I really don’t like the Lakers, but you would think once a team knows he is on a hot streak they might watch some film and come up with a way to stop him, say double team or something. That would be bad enough, but teams ARE double teaming him and he still drops 50+. One month ago if ESPN ran the article here they would have gotten phone calls, emails, and mocked. But then Kobe puts up 65, 50, 60, 50, 43. Nothing like getting the Blazers, T-Wolves, Grizz, Hornets, and Warriors in a row.

2. Tim Duncan – 20 Points per game, 10.8 rebonds per game. Duncan is the elite big man in the NBA. Watching the young guys of Oden, Noah, and Durrant come into the league will be fun just to see Duncan post them up.

3. Steve Nash – There is no conest for MVP at this point. When Nash hit the shot to beat the Mavericks that won the MVP award (and took it from Dirk). Nash, more than anyone else in the NBA, makes his team better. At this point, the Suns could take Nash to Atlanta for their next 5 first round picks and Atlanta would be stealing him and would go on a playoff run. I’m not kidding, Nash in Atlanta would instantly put them as a contender, in the East anyhow.

4. Gilbert Arenas – Read his blog. Dude talks about gambling with fans that he won’t score 50, how he puts baby powder on donuts, and cut a team member’s dress shoes to look like womans shoes with the top cut off. And still plays basketball at an MVP level.

But the MVP race is…

1. Steve Nash
2. Kobe
3. Dirk
4. James
5. Arenas

Department of Complaints

Today I go get some gas at a local Chevron station. You see the Techron is supposed to be approved by Honda to really work well and keep the Civic running tip top, or something. So when it’s time for a little fuel I try to make it to Chevron. There is something afoul at the local station though, as mass marketing has streched its arm to bug me while I fill up with gas. There is a small speaker at the pump that when you start to pump gas starts playing “IF YOU HAD A TETCO CARD YOU COULD SAVE!!!” Who’s idea was this?! As if the gas station wasn’t a wonderful enough place, now I get to hear them pitch me a reward card while I purchase their gas. They are telling me, “Thanks for your purchase, now listen to an ad as part of our thanks for your patronage!”

Moment of zen…

Hello World!

Hello! I’m here! There will be more later! Enjoy!