The Final MLB Slant for 2010 - Sorry, Champs Only.

[Insert Showcase Music Here]

My friends, we have just ended another regular season in Major League Baseball, any my goodness, was it an all-out brawl in some spots. After a while, only the top two spots in each division had a real chance at the division pennant, and it was a definite fight to the finish in almost each one.
To make things more simpler this time around, we're only going to talk about the top teams that are going to be competing in the postseason and give brief thoughts as to who will walk away as World Champs.
After that, I'll be poking in my thoughts as to who should be awarded the MVP, ROY, and CY honors for each League. Cool enough for you? Good. LET'S GET STARTED!

2010 MLB POSTSEASON

Oh good golly, these matchups are nearly dead even. I don't care about what the Vegas odds are, so I'm not even going by that. These are my thoughts and my opinions. Deal with it.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CONTENDERS

Philadelphia Phillies (97-65) - As the beasts of the East (and the MLB), these guys have high expectations after coming back from being seven games behind the Braves in July. The "H2O" combination of Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt are looking to help the team return to the Fall Classic and take back the title that they had lost last year against the Yankees.

Cincinnati Reds (91-71) - Dusty Baker's crew leads the league in numerous categories such as average, hits, home runs, and RBI. With MVP candidate Joey Votto on their side, they're looking to crush competition. One more thing--their bullpen is quite nice. Can they call upon the prowess the Big Red Machine had in the 1970's to overcome all competition?


San Francisco Giants (92-70) - For the first time since 2003, the men in orange and black have come back to play some October baseball. When you hear the the team "San Fransisco Giants," the first thing that comes to mind is their pitching staff and how it is extremely difficult to figure out. If their hitting decides to step it up and cream the competition, these guys can make a trip back to The Show.

Atlanta Braves [Wild Card] (91-71) - Chop-nation is looking to give Bobby Cox a nice going-away present: a big ring. Almost nearly collapsing at the end of the season, they proved their worth even without Chipper Jones at third base. If the bullpen and hitting staff can work together, the Braves will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.

Postseason Chances:
Phillies/Reds --> Phillies in 4
Braves/Giants --> Braves in 5
(Side Note: Are you serious? I don't want to relive a '93 NLCS between Philadelphia and Atlanta. I don't care if I was only 2 [Soon to be 3 a few days later], that seemed like a brutal series!)

NLCS (If Phillies/Braves) --> Phillies in 6



AMERICAN LEAGUE CONTENDERS

Tampa Bay Rays (96-66) - After senseless arguing over why their attendance amounts were so low, they have no more reason to complain. They're back in October, and their capitalization on errors and walks will make you cry for mercy. With the Tampa Bay Rays, speed is key. Then again, their pitching is too behind the likes of David Price. Why not? Their uncanny ability to get the job done is good enough to get back to the World Series and to win their first title in franchise history.


Minnesota Twins (94-68) - Repeat after me: There will be blood. It's a new year, a new stadium, and a heck of a lot more revenge. Led by ace Francisco Liriano and reigning MVP Joe Mauer, their eyes are set on the prize, and they are willing to brutalize the Yankees (the team that swept them in the ALDS last year) in the process. If they do that, Justin Morneau will be able to play in the ALCS with them. Nice little gift, I would say.

Texas Rangers (90-72) - Go go Texas Rangerrrrs! These southern boys have come a long way from the beginning of the season. Over the course of the year they have acquired powerhouse players and have strengthened longer-tenured players. If you don't believe me, look at their team average stat--they lead the league in that. AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton looks to keep his return from injury a strong one and lead the team to it's first franchise postseason series win ever. Seriously. EVER.
 

New York Yankees [Wild Card] (95-67) - Eh, they've been down this road so many times before. Will this one be any different? Maybe. Their batting order is as strong as ever, but their bullpen might speak differently on their end. Although they're the second best team in the League, they need to abide by the saying "united we stand, divided we fall." Can A-Rod, Jeter, Sabathia and company lead the team to it's second straight World Series title and 28th overall? We'll find out soon enough.

Postseason Chances:
Rays/Rangers --> Rays in 4
Twins/Yankees --> Twins in 5

ALCS (If Rays/Twins) --> Rays in 5

World Series Prediction: [You bet I just predicted a 2008 rematch]
(BIG SIDE NOTE: A brief entry will be written about this when the time comes to see if I'm right.)
If Phillies/Rays --> Rays in 7

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Now that we have that out of the way, let's get a little more personal and talk about the individual awards that will be given after all of the postseason business is said and done.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL MVP - Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds - He earns this without a doubt. A nice burst through postseason would be a nice touch for him too. After overcoming depression and other inner demons, this guy can show you how to hit and how to gun a guy down all the way from deep right field.

NL CY YOUNG - Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies - He made a really nice transition into the National League by leading pitching in several different categories and racking up a franchise-high 21 wins with the Phils. Hey Doc Roy Toy, you're alright with me, dude.

NL ROY - Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants - I like this guy, and I like what he has to offer for the next couple of years. Sure, he didn't start the season in the majors, but did that stop Ryan Howard from getting the ROY title in '06? No. It won't do that either for "Mr. I'm So Versatile and Still a Darn Fine Catcher."

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL MVP - Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers - As a Triple Crown contender and an insane defensive outfielder, he's practically a shoe-in for this title, in my opinion. This would really be something special too, especially with the drug problem that he had a few years ago.

AL CY YOUNG - Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners - It's a shame that his real skill and stat is overshadowed and victimized by the misfortunes of the offense that needs to back him up. In a power-heavy League, his ERA is proof that he deserves some kudos and the award. I'll admit I may be disappointed if this award is given to CC Sabathia.

AL ROY - Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers - Here's a quick guy that hits for average, and shows a lot of versatility in center field. Having Jackson as my pick is a very tough decision, because if he isn't seen as a ROY in professional eyes, this award will go to closer Neftali Feliz.

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And that, my friends, is that. This year was absolutely fun to cover, and I'm already looking forward to early February when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.

--AZ

Return to Philadelphia: Donovan McNabb vs. The City, Players, and Fans

Tomorrow is the day that many football enthusiasts have been waiting for since the announcement of the NFL schedule. This day--is when Donovan McNabb would return to Philadelphia to face his former team of 11 seasons: the Philadelphia Eagles. After a controversial trade and a great amount of bottled hostility and sadness, football fans will truly find out who made the best move in giving away McNabb or receiving him in the trade. In recent history, the quarterback returning home would usually get the win against his former team (Kurt Warner, Steve McNair, Brett Favre, even Michael Vick, etc.). Will this be the same? Is the Eagles crowd going to make a difference?

Sure, they're infamous for being unique and loyal, yet very very. . .brutal.
On Sunday, they could either be:

Or. . .they could be like this:

(courtesy of your friendly neighborhood PAINT)
(in homage to ZWR)

Some say he will be booed, and others are saying he will be welcomed with open arms for his time in green. If this game can be considered a stalemate on paper, consider the fans at Lincoln Financial Field to be the difference in the game. They're going to bring some heat.

Anyway, let's look at the statistics going into the game... [Much love to ESPN.com]

McNabb:
Games: 3
Percentage: 60.8
Yards: 833
Touchdowns: 2
Interceptions: 1
Rating: 89.2

Vick:
Games: 3
Percentage: 60.7
Yards: 750
Touchdowns: 6
Interceptions: 0
Rating: 110.2

Interesting. I didn't even put down their rushing so far for this year--both of which have half decent stats there as well. This is going to really depend on each of the defensive lines on Sunday, and both lines look rather hit-or-miss. I won't even talk about the Eagles' offensive line--many fans know how they have a lack of depth there. Aside from what the teams look like on paper, you have to take a look at the teams that the Redskins and Eagles have faced in the first three weeks of the season. The Redskins let the Cowboys beat themselves on penalties in Week 1 while Kevin Kolb went cold turkey against the Packs and fell behind. In Week 2, the Texans used tricky managing to outsmart the 'Skins, and the Eagles faced the Lions. What, were you expecting me to say something about the Lions? Oh. I have nothing to say about them. They almost got lucky, that's all. Meanwhile, last week, the Redskins had a rough run against a surprisingly ready Rams team, while the Eagles played the Jaguars. Again, I have nothing to say about the Jaguars.

In my view, I'd love to see this as a QB rushing extravaganza between McNabb and Vick just like the NFC Championship was hoping to be in 2005, but I think new management won't let that happen even now, especially with the list of wide receivers on each team. I know that we all have high expectations for this game, and we want to see McNabb have a great outing and work the fans in his favor. Then again, there are some people that want him to get booed out of the city because he "sucks so bad and choked one too many times in 11 years."

As for the results of this game, McNabb having a successful return could most definitely happen. However and I mean however. . .do you think a big sports city like Philadelphia is going to let that happen? Nah, man, they can move and motivate much more than Bluto from Animal House would with a frat party.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I call the Eagles to go to 3-1 after tomorrow afternoon.

--AZ

AZ's Slant on Sunday - Women in Sports

I'll admit, this is a rather tough topic to talk about, especially since: A - I am a woman; B - It's tough to be "fair and balanced" about this area of conversation (Just like FOX News! ...wait.); and C - I don't want to sound like an overzealous sexist about it. Now do you see why this can be such a great topic to talk about? It's edgy, right?

Now let's get started with AZ's Slant on Sunday! Music for this week, please...

"I am woman, hear me roar!"
Since when did we roar? Last time I checked I don't have a furry mane.
But at any rate, women have been striving to make a mark in the world. Although that Helen Reddy song is a very, VERY poor example of what the movement for women's rights is all about, we as women have many more examples as to how far we've made it. Since this is a blog about sports, I'll be talking about the advancements that have been made in the world of sports. Even though many people can't really tell that anything has happened, they're there for you. Depending on when you were born, you might have experienced or have heard about:

The Battle of the Sexes with Billie Jean King

 

The All American Girls Professional Baseball League from the WWII/Baby Boom Era

 

And maybe, the FIFA Women's World Cup that began in 1991.

These three events, along with many others along the way, have shaped the face of women's sports around the world. However, appreciation from women's sports come in short bursts, it seems. 

For example, the 1999 Women's World Cup started a huge uprising in girls' soccer organizations around the United States, and even began the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). However, this was short lived, as the WUSA only existed for three years. However, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing revived the hope of women's professional soccer after a US gold medal win. In 2007, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was founded, and began play in 2009. Although there are very few teams in the league, this remains a sport for the preteen girl audience and is very popular among them.

There is another example, albeit a small (very small) one. Because of the popularity of the Women's College World Series and the [now inactive] Olympic sport, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league has seen much better days. Starting in 2004, college graduates and Olympians would duke it out on the softball field. However, this league is incredibly small and only has four teams. Over the past few years or so, many have folded due to money issues (which we'll talk about very shortly). Due to the IOC cutting softball from the 2012 London games, what will be the future of women's softball nationwide?

An exception to this rule may be this: the rise of popularity of NCAA Women's Basketball in the 1990's was a major contributor to one of the most successful women's sports organizations, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Since 1997, young girls and older fans alike attend games in droves to support their favorite teams. With the latest contract extension in play, we'll be seeing these ladies making their jump shots for many years to come.

Why is there a lack of success in the sports organizations?

The main reason why many of the women's sports organizations either fall or fail to see the light of day is because of promotions and revenue. Men's sports may have been around much longer, but very few have folded due to contracts and loss in revenue (the NHL counts here). Women's sports are considered a small fish in the ocean because of the promotional hardships that come from keeping fans and sponsors. This begins a chain reaction, as lack of sponsors means lack of teams, and lack of teams leads to lack of overall interest of the league itself. Have you ever thought about the salaries of the players in these leagues? Many women have to work second jobs because the money earned from each game isn't enough to live on during the offseason. Sponsorship and team revenue is often abysmal depending on the area and the forms of advertisement, and it usually leads to the (not purposely) overpayment of teams and officials and puts a league in massive debt. The WUSA unfortunately suffered that fate.

A question you have to ask about women's professional sports is: "Do the young girls of this generation really care enough about the leagues?" I was nine when the Women's US National Soccer Team won the Cup, and to me it was a pretty big deal, considering that I played soccer and it was an inspiration for me to maybe one day play at that level. Ten years later, I can't say that I have that same interest, but I'm rather glad that women's soccer is holding it's own and attempting to make a name for themselves. I understand fully that it's hard to market a women's sport to a male audience, but where there's a will, there's a way. Maybe the men from Mars are the real key to our success. Eww. I don't know.

You have to admit--we really did come a long way now, didn't we?

--AZ

Ray Hudson: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

For those of you who don't know who Ray Hudson, he does a lot of color commentary for GOLTV and he also managed teams in MLS in the early 2000's. He's known for his colorful (not in that way) language and his rather hilarious mannerisms.

For example:


"I’m telling you man, this kid could be the best thing on two legs since Sophia Loren."
"This man is braver than a matador in high heels and a pink tutu!"
"Plays like he's got Woody Woodpecker down his shorts all the time, Lionel Messi."




That--now that is gold. You don't hear very many commentators as witty as this guy. I'm telling you right now. Watch this video here, and indulge in the hilarity. Meanwhile, here is my short but telling tribute to the boisterous Brit.

Ray Hudson: Hater of Celebrity Gossip

You grunt and you groan, and you love all things on the pitch--unless if it's sloppy play.

You cherish your beer, and you often emphasize chicken eggs weighing more than the hens themselves
Kathy Bates's sledgehammer from Misery is your weapon of choice in pounding your knowledge and opinions into the skulls of simpletons.

If you could get away with marrying every man on the Argentinian football team, you would do it and nobody would care.

Nobody knows where your harebrained analogies come from, but for all we know, they could be coming from God Himself. That is how unique you are.

Mr. Hudson, your lack of a mental filter is the proof of your numerous odysseys in the football world.

You stare at "Freedom of the Press" in the eye and tell them that stopping you is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. Who ever said you had to be a solid journalist?

...you're the man.

The End

Many of you are probably asking why I wrote this and why I sound like a babbling doofus. Here is your answer: the man is brilliant in his own way. He takes the concept of commentary and pretty much knocks it around the room like he's hitting it with a sledgehammer. I would love to incorporate that into a future that I wish to accomplish. By the way, he never ceases to make me laugh when a futbol game turns into a stalemate match. Is that enough proof? I hope so.

--AZ

La Kurt-aracha

Tonight's the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars.

 Who is getting my vote?

THIS MAN.

MR. KURTIS EUGENE WARNER.

But it's completely understandable if you watch Monday Night Football instead of this. I don't feel like watching Michael Bolton and Bristol Palin anyway.

--AZ

AZ's Slant on Sunday - Sibling Rivalry: Manning vs. Manning

(In my best Don LaFontaine voice)
IN A WORLD...where the gridiron settles the score, TWO BROTHERS will take the stand.... And only one will survive.

Ladies and gentlemen, AnimaniacZero, the National Football League, and OREO Cookies are proud to present:
SLANT ON SUNDAY: SIBLING RIVALRY

We only get this match in legitimate fashion once every few years or so. Tonight, things just got real. These two QB's have a huge history in this sport, coming from two powerhouse teams, a football family (their own dad was a quarterback too), and both have a Super Bowl Championship under their belts. After much excitement and hype about both teams and their capabilities this year, we're finally going to get a clash of the titans on the gridiron tonight.

Let's look at the Tale of the Tape: [Stats from ESPN.com]

Peyton:

YEAR

TEAM

G

CMP

ATT

PCT

YDS

AVG

TD

LNG

INT

FUM

RAT

2007	IND	16	337	515	65.4	4040	7.8	31	73	14	6	98.0
2008	IND	16	371	555	66.8	4002	7.2	27	75	12	0	95.0
2009	IND	16	393	571	68.8	4500	7.9	33	80	16	1	99.9
2010	IND	1	40	57	70.2	433	7.6	3	73	0	0	109.8

Eli:

YEAR

TEAM

G

CMP

ATT

PCT

YDS

AVG

TD

LNG

INT

FUM

RAT

2007	NYG	16	297	529	56.1	3336	6.3	23	60	20	9	73.9
2008	NYG	16	289	479	60.3	3238	6.8	21	48	10	5	86.4
2009	NYG	16	317	509	62.3	4021	7.9	27	74	14	9	93.1
2010	NYG	1	20	30	66.7	263	8.8	3	31	3	0	87.9

Let's look at literal terms. For those of you who are most familiar with the playing styles of each team, the Giants have always been a mixer team, combining their running and passing, where for Indy, it's more of a passing-oriented kind of play with a run thrown in here and there. You can tell what is most relied on with each team when looking at the passer ratings and the artillery of running backs and wide receivers on each side. Peyton is seen to be the stronger quarterback--although if I showed his stats pre-2004, you wouldn't really think that. At his age, Eli looks about similar to what Peyton was doing at that age as well. Does that mean good things for little Manning? Let's just hope he has the receivers to prove that he has some "mad skill."

Speaking of, let's take a look at the other men helping the Manning tykes out tonight. Both teams have a stellar amount of big names and beefy power to boost their morale and make their fans much more proud of calling them "my boys." After watching their games last week, I really liked what I saw coming from both sides.

For example:
The Giants have an excellent defensive line and loads of blockage. They might not have Jeff Feagles anymore (Side note: I laughed when the fans started chanting "We Want Feagles"), but they have the ability to play the small ball and make productive drives. Last week gave us a good view of how everything was ruling out on the team, as they dished out some decent plays and pain. The only thing that worries me about them is their ability to protect Manning and run their routes. They can and will get burned if they aren't careful. Three interceptions last week isn't a great sign for Mr. Eli and his receivers.

The Colts had an excellent passing game last week, but the defense...not so much. The Texans brought it last week and scared the crap out of everybody on the Colts' coaching staff. I'm currently on the fence about how the offensive line is going to handle a Giants defense that is riding on a good omen from last week. If they've learned their lesson, tonight won't be tough to watch for the Indy fans. One thing I'm worried about is the consistency of the special teams department. They were letting some easy runs through last week, and we wouldn't want to see that again this week, now would we?

Tonight, both teams will be riding on pride and bragging rights. Who will come out on top?
My Pick: This is tough, but I'm going to go with the Colts. I'm thinking that there's going to be some vengeance tonight. Yay for the older siblings? Okay.

--AZ

Getting to Know You: Superstars on Twitter

How fortunate are most people today?
Incredibly.
How "creepy" are most people today?
Incredibly.
How dependent on the media are most people today?
Incredibly.

At first, I avoided Twitter like the plague, but in today's world, it's almost 100% necessary for beat writers and other media enthusiasts to get quick information through this micro-blogging tool. Over the past ten years, we younger folk have been most fortunate in having breakthrough media such as the Internet to give us what we need when we need it. Now, many fans and athletes are capable to gain this information as well as give their opinions on what they think--not to mention what they're doing as they "tweet" their respective opinion. It's gotten so bad that athletes have been fined over this privilege, going to the point where they are "tweeting" during playtime.

(For example - A Main Offender: Who else but Chad Ochocinco?)



...Don't you give me that look. I'll slap you silly, you dancing queen.



But there is one thing I've noticed and have concluded over the past several months: What did sports writers and fans do "back then" when the Internet didn't even exist? Do we realize how lucky we are to find out the things we're able to find out now? I bet if you could use a time machine to go back to the disco days, you'd want to get out of there within a few hours because you wanted to check the Yankees/Rays score or find out the status of Packers' RB Ryan Grant. The only way you could find out stuff like that back in the 1970's were either through the television, radio, or [a real dinosaur medium] the newspaper. Oh, I just got shivers even typing that. How did they live!! Easy. They didn't submit their souls to this kind of luxury. This doesn't mean that we're soulless people today because of social networking like Twitter, but it seems like we've lost that boundary of personal issues and the true skill of hunting for news about your favorite team or player that exists across the country.

For example, I've been a die-hard Phillies fan since I was really little [Haters, just hate, okay?] and I love to read about their farm system and the numerous stats the big league guys have compared to the other teams in the league. Without the Internet and the wonderful guys on Twitter like Jayson Stark, I would be in the dark about all of that stuff. If the Internet (or social networking) didn't exist, I'd be paying about a dollar or two each day to read the newspaper articles on my team and watch the game highlights and interviews on TV. I would have a massive barrier between the "big guys" and myself. Today, I would be able to search stats on websites, message writers like Stark on Twitter (maybe get a response! ha ha) about an opinion that I have, and I can even watch cable-televised games on my purple Dell laptop. Could I have done that 40 years ago? Absolutely not. This is the kind of stuff that Walt Disney imagined in his Carousel of Progress and could never really experience himself.

Another point I wanted to bring up was how easy it is nowadays to contact professional athletes and other assorted figures in a sport. Today, it's easy to ask Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon what his favorite side dish is at dinnertime. Twenty years ago...maybe not. But to be honest, he might think you're a freak if you really did ask him that whether it was face-to-face or on Twitter. I'll admit, I would get really giddy if someone of such a high caliber ever got back to me on a question I asked him or her, but if something like that ever happens, you actually get to see how "human" the person is. Many years ago, you never really knew what kind of person the athlete or official was like unless if you saw a televised interview or read something that they said in the newspaper. Today, even though what they say is in writing [where you might have a hard time establishing any emotion], you get a sneak peek of the type of person they are or how they live.

We are so much closer than ever to our idols and our inspirations than we really think. They love us enough that they're talking about their lives for all of us to see. Sure, it could be a bit much at times, but they still want us to know about what they think and how you will react to it. It's something scary. We're all being interconnected, and the ones we see as being Superman aren't exactly so "super" anymore.
In case if you were wondering, I'm not going to break out into the Barney song about how we're all one big family and what have you. That would just be sad.

--AZ