Overview
There might be a bit of bias here, since this writer is a huge Mets fan. But that’s probably okay, since most of you who buy this DVD set are going to be fans of the blue and orange. There are six DVDs in all, and each of them feature a full game from the history of Shea Stadium, which is in its final season due to the current construction of Citi Field. The games included are Game 4 of the 1969 World Series (Tom Seaver’s 10-inning gem); Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS (Len Dykstra’s game winning homer); Game 6 of the 1986 World Series (Bill Buckner); Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS (Robin Ventura’s grand slam single); the first game in 2001 after 9/11 (Piazza’s game winning homer taking a backseat to the sentiment); and a regular season game against the Yankees from 2006 (David Wright’s game winning hit). The sixth DVD has a slew of special features, including the last out of the 1969 Series, along with other division and series clinching moments, Endy Chavez’ insane catch in the 2006 NLCS, and an interview with Bill Shea, the namesake of the stadium.

What’s Interesting?
1969 wasn’t that long ago, yet it’s truly amazing to see how much times have changed (more…)

Baseball purists will argue all day long about the sad fact that pitchers do not pitch nine innings anymore. Not only has the closer’s role become just as important, if not more important than that of starting pitchers, but there are set-up men and set-up men to the set-up men now. And it’s not necessarily that some guys can’t go nine, it’s just that managers feel the need to save their starters’ arms for a long season and possibly to give them an edge in the postseason.

Well here’s my take. When I see Willie Randolph yanking Johan Santana, one of the game’s best pitchers, after seven innings with a small lead to bring in Aaron Heilman, there is something wrong. And as further proof that times have changed, Cy Young had more complete games than any pitcher in history, with 749 (he completed 217 games in one four-year stretch, and 92% of all of his starts). Meanwhile, the current active leader, Greg Maddux, ranks 355th all-time. That’s more than crazy, it’s simply ridiculous. With that, here is a list of the top 10 active leaders in complete games…..

1. Greg Maddux, San Diego Padres (109)—Even this iron man couldn’t hold a candle to Cy Young, but it’s not his fault he pitches in the era of bullpen specialists. He’s only had one complete game in the last three seasons, but, well, dude is 42 years old. 37 of Maddux’s 109 complete games came from 1992-1995, when he won four straight Cy Young Awards.

2. Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks (98)—It’s hard to believe the Big Unit began his career twenty years ago, and is still blowing hitters away at the age of 44. In 1999, Johnson had a career high 12 complete games, and also struck out 364 batters at the age of 35.

3. Curt Schilling, Boston Red Sox (83)—Here’s another guy who never had more than 12 complete games in a season, but his longevity (20 seasons) has certainly helped his cause.

4. Mike Mussina, New York Yankees (57)—Mussina has only had 12 complete games since joining the Yankees in 2001. Well, when Mariano Rivera is your closer, you’re pretty much going to take a seat in the ninth inning.

5. Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves (56)—In 22 seasons, you’d think a crafty lefthander like Glavine would have more complete games, but he’s still managed to win 305 games.

6. John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves (53)—Surely Smoltz would rank fourth or fifth on this list if he didn’t spend three-plus season as the Braves’ closer. But with 154 saves on his resume, we won’t hold it against him.

7. Pedro Martinez, New York Mets (46)—Pedro hasn’t completed a game since 2005, and with his rash of injuries lately, it’s doubtful that he’ll go nine again anytime soon.

8. Livan Hernandez, Minnesota Twins (44)—Is this Cuban export really only 33 years old?

9. Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays (36)—Halladay is somewhat of a throwback, as he’s had 5 complete games already in 2008 in just 11 starts.

10. (tie with Halladay) Kenny Rogers, Detroit Tigers (36)—Rogers has been a steady pitcher his whole career, and his 36 complete games are a testament to his longevity more than anything else. Rogers’ last complete game came in 2005 while with Texas.

Source: Baseball Reference

If Brian Urlacher chooses to hold out this season, the Bears’ replacement at middle linebacker has just been found.

Now granted he didn’t wrap up, but that hit was magnificent.

Join Anthony Stalter and John Paulsen at 4 PM ET as they discuss the week in sports and look ahead to the action this weekend.

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. thinks it’s already a “foregone conclusion” that his horse, Big Brown, will win horse racing’s Triple Crown this year. Big Brown has to win at the Belmont Stakes on June 7 to capture horseracing’s most prestigious honor.

“I feel that he will do it,” he said Thursday during the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s pre-Belmont conference call. “I feel like it’s actually a foregone conclusion. To me, I just see the horses he’s in with and I see our horse so I expect him to win this race.

“I know that when that day actually does come, and if our horse is in good shape, it will be the most exciting, thrilling moment of my life. So I just … I know that that’s coming, but right now I’m just staying involved with our horse and what we think is best to get him there the right way and it keeps us plenty busy.”

Couple things, Rick:

1. Your horse has a freaking crack in one of his hooves.
2. The last time a horse won the Triple Crown was 1978.
3. Maybe you’ve heard of this horse from China named Casino Drive that’s getting a little attention. Some think he’s smelling upset.

Finally and most importantly:
4. There’s no trash talking in horse racing. It’s just ridiculous.

So let’s just slow down on all the “foregone conclusion” talk shall we? Big Brown is a monster favorite and he should be with the way he absolutely dominated at the Preakness. But nothing is a guarantee.

It’s always interesting to see how top athletes stay in shape – especially baseball players. What kinds of exercises get you through an entire 162-game season?

Mens Fitness.com got a peek at Los Angeles Angels centerfielder Torii Hunter’s workout regime and it’s quite interesting.

Hunter says there isn’t a set rotation of exercises on each day, so the players don’t know what Maresh will have them doing when they show up each morning. The only guarantee is that it will be an intense two to three hours, and that there won’t be much machine work; it’s all “Rocky Balboa stuff,” as Hunter says, with the players often using their own body weight as the tension force. “You might do box jumps, stepups, and pullups,” Hunter says. But the trickiest one has him in pushup position, feet on a physio ball, while using his hands to balance a board over asmall wheel. “At first, the goal is to just balance it,” he says. “I can do pushups now, but it’s real tough. It takes focus.

“The physio ball is definitely my friend,” Hunter says. “It’s a big part in everything I do with my core. I get a 45-pound weight and lay back with my arms out in front of me and crunch it without moving the physio ball. Keep your hips up the whole time. Get stabilization. If you’re strong in the midsection, that means you’re stable; you’re stronger than a guy who just lifts weights.”

As you can see from the photos, Hunter does a ton of core exercises, which is vital for baseball. There isn’t a lot of heavy lifting in his workout routine and almost everything is done on a physio ball (or Swiss ball as it’s sometimes called), which forces more muscle groups to work together at the same time. For more photos click here.

NBA Western Conference Finals Game 5: Lakers 100, Spurs 92

The Lakers domination over the Spurs continues as L.A. downs San Antonio and clinches a spot in the NBA Finals. Here’s Kobe’s take:

MLB Musings:

- Cubs 8, Rockies 4. The Cubs are damn near unbeatable at home. They’ve now won 12 of their last 14 at Wrigley, but they still can’t create any space between them and the Cards in the NL Central.

- Giants 4, Diamondbacks 3. The D-Backs are officially slumping after being swept by the Giants. They wasted a tremendous effort by Randy Johnson, who tied Roger Clemens for second place on the all-time strike out list.

- Mets 8, Dodgers 4. The Mets ruined Joe Torre’s return to New York by absolutely pounding Brad Penny. He’s now lost four of his last five decisions, is 5-6 on the year and his ERA has risen to 5.66. Ouch.

- White Sox 5, Rays 1. How about those White Sox? They’re now winners of seven of their last 10 and more importantly, they’re winning on the road. Having a healthy Joe Crede (ninth home run last night) in the lineup certainly makes a difference, doesn’t it?

Even though GM John Paxson has said that no deal has been reached, a source told the Chicago Sun-Times that a deal bringing Doug Collins to Chicago is imminent.

Collins hasn’t coached since the 2002-03 season when he guided the Washington Wizards in the second of back-to-back 37-45 seasons. He has compiled a career record of 332-287 (.536), which includes two 50+ win seasons - the 1987-88 Bulls and the 1996-97 Pistons.

The Bulls have a good, young roster that features Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. They recently won the draft lottery, which means they have their choice of Kansas State’s Michael Beasley and Memphis’ Derrick Rose. Word on the street is that the Bulls are leaning towards taking Beasley, who would give them the post presence they have been lacking since their boneheaded decision to trade Elton Brand to the Clippers for the draft rights to Tyson Chandler. Obviously, winning the lottery didn’t hurt their chances of coaxing Collins out of retirement.

I wonder if Mike D’Antoni is regretting his decision to choose the Knicks over the Bulls…

In a recent post about Mike D’Antoni’s decision to take the Knicks job, I mentioned that the first order of business is to find a quick guard to push the ball up court and to make good decisions. T.J. Ford, the odd man out in Toronto with the emergence of Jose Calderon, would be a great guy for the Knicks to target. Now that Toronto is actually pursuing a trade, it made me wonder - other than the Knicks, which teams should be interested in Ford?

The answer is all about pace, which is a team’s average number of possessions per game. Ford is a great player in the open court where he can use his incredible speed and wonderful ball handling to make positive plays for his team. When the tempo slows, Ford’s weaknesses - size, lack of a consistent jumper - rise to the surface. His shot is a work in progress, but he is a good on-the-ball defender.

So, besides the Knicks, who should be interested?

Denver Nuggets
If the Nuggets find a taker for Allen Iverson, Ford would be a nice fit with Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith (or Linas Kleiza) on the wings. It might take Smith or Kleiza to get the Raptors to bite, though they might do the deal for the Nuggets #20 pick.

Indiana Pacers
Did you know that Indiana played at the third highest pace this season? It’s a shame that their point guard (Jamaal Tinsley) isn’t suited for an up tempo style. I like the idea of Ford feeding Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger on the wings. The Raptors might have interest in Shawne Williams, who played well in his first season, but the Pacers would have to add some salary to make a deal work. Other than maybe Marquis Daniels, they just don’t have any favorable contracts to move right now.

Miami Heat
I’m sure there are those that are wondering why the Heat are on this list, but we need to get out of the mindset that Miami has to be a grind-it-out team. Shaq is gone and the much more athletic Shawn Marion has taken his place. I’m hearing that the Bulls are going to take Michael Beasley, which would leave Derrick Rose for the Heat, but if it goes the other way, how nice would a core of Ford, Wade, Marion and Beasley look? It might take Dorrell Wright or Daequan Cook to make it happen.

Golden State Warriors
Sure, the Warriors already have two good point guards in Baron Davis and Monta Ellis, but Davis is looking for a big, long-term contract and the Warriors may not bite. If he opts-out of the final year of his deal, then the Warriors could work out a three-way trade involving Davis that would bring in Ford as their main ball handler. A Ford/Ellis backcourt would be small, but devastatingly quick. Who would the Raptors want in return? Brandan Wright seems like a big price to pay, but it might be worth it. Mickael Pietrus or Kelenna Azuibuike are also options.

Phoenix Suns
Nash is getting on in years and the Suns will need someone to take over once he’s gone. Why not acquire Ford to be Nash’s backup? It would allow the former MVP to rest more which should extend his career. This is all fine in theory, but with D’Antoni gone, the team will probably slow its pace, so it won’t need Ford.

Los Angeles Clippers
Apparently, Shaun Livingston is almost ready for contact drills, but the Clippers need stability at the point guard position and Ford would be great insurance if Livingston isn’t ready to go. The main problem with this move is that the Clippers aren’t built for an up tempo style. I’m guessing that Elton Brand will play out his final year to prove to teams that he’s ready to go. Brand and Chris Kaman aren’t built for an up tempo attack.

Atlanta Hawks
I’d love to see the Hawks acquire Ford. Mike Bibby helped them get to the playoffs, but he’s on the decline and is quite pricey for what he brings to the table. Imagine Ford pushing the ball up to Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams (or Josh Childress) and Josh Smith on the wings. That would be scary. The Raptors might be willing to trade Ford for Williams or Childress.

NFL.com ranked the best annual signings in the first 15 years of free agency.

1993: Reggie White, Packers
Former team: Eagles
Position: Defensive end
Reported terms: Four years, $17 million

The first free agent period was ushered in with perhaps the biggest impact signing of all time. The Packers lavished the richest contract for a defensive lineman ever on Reggie White and he proved worth every penny. White amassed 68 ½ sacks in six seasons with Green Bay and led the Packers to their only Super Bowl championship since the Vince Lombardi era. White was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. Honorable mention: RB Marcus Allen (Raiders to Chiefs)

1995: Deion Sanders, Cowboys
Former team: 49ers
Position: Cornerback
Reported terms: Seven years, $25 million

Sanders makes the list twice in a row. After accepting less money and winning a Super Bowl with the 49ers, Sanders decided to end talk that he would retire from football and play baseball exclusively by signing a mega deal with the Cowboys. In his first year he helped lead Dallas to its third championship in four years and went on to have five standout seasons with the Cowboys despite playing part-time in 1995. Honorable mention: G Mark Schlereth (Redskins to Broncos)

2001: Priest Holmes, Chiefs
Former team: Ravens
Position: Running back
Reported terms: Five years, $8 million

Holmes performed well as Jamal Lewis’ backup during the Ravens’ Super Bowl season in 2000, but despite his success, there were not a lot of suitors for Holmes in free agency. The Chiefs signed him for a bargain price and got perhaps the NFL’s best running back over a three-year period. From 2001-2003, Holmes averaged 1,530 rushing yards, 659 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns per season. Honorable mention: LB Mike Vrabel (Steelers to Patriots)

Great list. It’s hard to find a better free agent signing than Reggie White in 1993. More often than not these days, free agents aren’t worth half the contracts they signed. As the write up noted – White was worth every penny.

Man, I love The Onion.

CHICAGO—Just days after beating long odds in the NBA Draft Lottery by winning the 2008 draft’s first pick, the Chicago Bulls shocked the basketball world by announcing that they would trade their prize in on yet more NBA lottery tickets.

“This is pretty good, this No. 1 pick, it’s true,” Bulls general manager John Paxson told reporters while watching pre-draft workouts at the United Center. “We could probably get a pretty good player. But you see, if we cash it in and play the NBA Draft Lottery some more, we have a chance to win, like, the whole draft. Our team can’t afford to pass up a chance like that.”

“I hear these people second-guessing our decision to re-invest the top pick,” team owner Jerry Reinsdorf said Monday, “and it reminds me of 1984, when everyone wanted Hakeem Olajuwon or Sam Bowie and we wound up with a player you might have heard of named Michael Jordan. Well, just think of the entire 2008 Draft as the second coming of Michael Jordan.”

The Bulls front office was immediately inundated with phone calls, letters, and e-mails from fans insisting that the entire 2008 class, though certainly good, was no Michael Jordan.

As long as there have been barstools, there have been men on those barstools debating the most important topics in sports. In this week’s Barstool Debate, Anthony Stalter and John Paulsen discuss the pros and cons of the NBA’s current lottery system and what can be done to fix it.

John: The current NBA lottery system just isn’t working. It was designed to give the worst teams in the league the best draft picks while eliminating (or at least limiting) teams tanking in order to get a better pick. But every March, we start to see teams that are out of the playoff hunt shutting down their “injured” stars while “developing” their younger players. To be fair, these teams aren’t intentionally losing games, but they are intentionally not giving themselves the best chance to win. One way to eliminate this would be to give each lottery team an equal chance at the top (let’s say seven) picks, and go by record after that. Sure, decent teams will occasionally get the top pick (like in 1993, when the 41-41 Orlando Magic landed the #1 pick), but it will eliminate most of the tanking and put a better product on the floor later in the season.

Anthony: I agree that having a system in place that would give all lottery teams a fair shot at the No. 1 pick would eliminate tanking even more, but is it really fair that the fourth- or fifth-worst team gets a shot at the best player in the draft? Look the Spurs the year they drafted Tim Duncan. The only reason they were a lottery team that year was because David Robinson got hurt and missed most of the season. Now they’re a dynasty thanks to that draft. Isn’t there even a better way than giving all lottery teams a shot at the No. 1 pick? I understand that the NBA can’t adopt the NFL’s draft approach and pick just based on win-loss records, but it just doesn’t seem right that a decent team can become great just because they finished in the lottery one year.

John: I guess it depends on whether or not it’s right to reward failure. The idea is for the worst teams to have a shot at the best players so they can improve their teams and increase parity in the league. But look at the lottery this year. The Bulls overcame 1.7% odds to get the overall pick. Chicago was a playoff team two years ago and now it gets to add Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley to its talented roster. Meanwhile, the Heat are picking #2. Of all the teams in the lottery, Miami is the only one with a true superstar to build around and now they get to add whomever the Bulls pass on to a talented core that includes Wade and Shawn Marion. So even without an equal chance, decent teams are still getting the top picks, so why not make all the odds even so that we can at least eliminate tanking at the end of each season? I know that fans that fork out big money for seats want to see the stars play, but if they’re going to a game that features two non-playoff teams in March, chances are they will only get to see the scrubs in action. The most important thing is the product that is put out on the court, and tanking undermines that product.

Anthony: The overall goal in having a lottery is twofold. One, the NBA wants to encourage parity and two, it wants to avoid teams tanking at the end of the year. Unfortunately, it appears that there’s no way to accomplish both. If you want parity, you have to give teams with poor records a shot at the best prospects. But to avoid several teams “resting” their starters at the end of the year in order to get a better pick, you have to have a lottery. And in a lottery, you run the risk of decent teams like the Bulls and Heat coming away with some of the best talent. It seems like a no-win situation.

John: I say that the product that the league puts on the floor should be the priority. Therefore, it is most important to eliminate tanking, so the league should give each team even odds at winning the top seven picks. Then picks #8-#14 should be based on record. That, or devise a win-or-go-home playoff system that would keep some or all of the lottery teams involved until the very end. Maybe seed the top 14 teams in the playoffs and then take the other 16 teams and have a single-elimination tournament that would yield the final two playoff teams. Not only would that be exciting, but it would discourage tanking for most teams as they would still be playing their stars in an attempt to make the playoffs. Whatever the direction, the league should do something. Right now, tanking is running rampant and some good (or at least decent) teams are getting the top picks.

Poll Answers

Rumors and Rants ranked the top 10 announcers in sports movies. No surprise which announcer took the top spot.

1. Harry Doyle (Major League)
What more can be said of Harry Doyle? He’s easily the greatest sports movie broadcaster of all-time. The gap between his performance and any other is so wide that it’s almost not fair to include him on this list. Bob Uecker’s performance as the ultimate homer-announcer is simply fantastic. He’s off the cuff calls and condescending attitude towards his own team are perfect. He even drags his dead weight color guy Monty through the movie, which is both hilarious and true to life. Then when you throw in the insults he hurls at his Indians and their opponents, it makes for one of the best performances in the history of sports movies.

Memorable lines:
“In case you haven’t noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven’t, the Indians have managed to win a few ball games, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.”

Harry Doyle: “That’s all we got, one goddamn hit?”
Assistant: “You can’t say goddamn on the air.”
Harry Doyle: “Don’t worry, nobody is listening.”

“The post-game show is brought to you by … (searches through his papers) … Christ, I can’t find it. To hell with it.”

“Remember fans, Tuesday night is Die Hard Night. Free admission for anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won the pennant.”

(Vaughn throws a pitch to the backstop) “Juuust a bit outside, tried the corner and missed. (Vaughn throws another wild pitch) Ball four. (Vaughn throws another wild pitch) Ball eight. (Vaughn throws another wild pitch) Low and he walks the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. How can these guys lay off pitches that close?”

“Haywood swings and hits one towards South America. Hayes is gonna need a rocket up his ass to catch this one…”

Harry Doyle is announcing, folks.

Clearly what Hank Steinbrenner wants, Hank Steinbrenner gets.

The Senior Vice President and part owner of the New York Yankees made it clear in late April that he wanted promising stud reliever Joba Chamberlain to be a starter. Not even a month later, Yankee manager Joe Girardi began prepping Chamberlain to join the rotation and with an injury to Ian Kennedy, it appears Joba will make his starting debut sooner rather than later.

On the left coast, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a similar situation with one of their young pitching prospects. Well, okay, so the two situations are actually quite different. The Dodgers don’t have an overbearing part-owner meddling in the team’s affairs. But they do have a top pitching prospect in Clayton Kershaw, who made his much-anticipated debut last Sunday against the Cardinals.

The 20-year old held St. Louis to two runs while striking out seven in six innings of work. He earned a no decision, but the outing proved he has loads of potential and his 96 mph fastball is nasty. What was even more promising was that he only gave up one walk since he had battled command issues in the minors.

Chamberlain and Kershaw are just two of baseball’s next generation of talented pitchers. Below is a look at 10 of baseball’s top young guns. To make the list, the pitchers could only be 24 years old or younger. For a look at baseball’s best young guns of 2007, click here.

1. Joba Chamberlain, 22, New York Yankees
Everyone is waiting on pins and needles to see what Chamberlain can do in a starting role. His 0.38 ERA last year as a setup man was ridiculously good and his four-pitch repertoire is filthy. An 83-87 mph slider, an 11 to 5 curve and a solid changeup complement his 94-98 mph fastball. Even though he’s battled some weight issues in the past, at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, he has great size and is durable. Now that the “Baby Boss” has demanded him to be in the rotation, it’s only a matter of time before manager Joe Girardi stretches out Chamberlain’s arm so that he’s ready to start. While ranking Chamberlain No. 1 might be a reach since he has zero starting experience, his work in the bullpen has been proof enough of his vast potential.

2. Cole Hamels, 24, Philadelphia Phillies
Hamels hasn’t looked as dominate this year as he did last season, but he’s been solid nonetheless. He’s currently 5-3 with a 3.18 ERA and a fantastic 1.07 WHIP. More importantly, the Phils are 6-0 in his last six starts and he’s made quality outings, averaging almost 7.0 innings per game. The only issue has been inconsistency and he’s had problems staying healthy over the course of an entire season. Hopefully his last outing (4.0 IP, 6 ER, 0 K) isn’t an indication that he’s suffering from some kind of aliment.

3. Tim Lincecum, 23, San Francisco Giants
“The Franchise” has been absolutely dominating in his first full season in the bigs. (He started 24 games last year after being called up from Triple-A Fresno.) Thus far in 2008, he’s 7-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. At only 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, scouts have always worried that he’ll eventually breakdown. But his unique throwing motion (designed by his father) doesn’t put a ton of strain on his arm and creates less torque when he pushes off the mound. His devastating 93-98 mph fastball has given batters fits this year, but even more damaging has been his changeup – a pitch he worked on during spring training and is starting to perfect.

4. Scott Kazmir, 24, Tampa Bay Rays
If Kazmir could ever stay healthy, he could be one of the more dominant pitchers in the league – especially now that the Rays are winning and scoring runs. After missing all of April with an elbow injury and struggling against the Red Sox in his first outing off the DL, Kaz has been lights out. In his past four starts, he’s 4-0, has only given up two earned runs and has struck out 27 in 26 innings pitched. He’s truly one of the more underrated ace pitchers in the league and once again, if he can stay healthy he’ll win 12-plus games.

5. Fausto Carmona, 24, Cleveland Indians
Carmona recently suffered a left hip strain that landed him on the 15-day DL, but apparently it’s nothing major and he’ll return in a couple weeks. Some were concerned that his 19-8 record in 2007 was a bit of a fluke, but thus far in 2008, Carmona is 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. In his last start before the injury, Carmona was dominant through seven innings, but took the no decision after the Tribe lost to the Reds on a walk off dinger. If he bounces back from the injury, he should have no problem totaling 10-plus wins again.

6. Felix Hernandez, 22, Seattle Mariners
“King” Felix is another young pitcher that just can’t stay healthy. While he’s pitched better than his 2-5 record indicates, it’s clear that the soreness in his calf has bothered him of late. Hernandez has one of the best arms in all of baseball and his power curve is outstanding. But if he can’t stay healthy, then he’ll never reach his full potential. Still, at only 22, he’s got plenty of time to mature and hopefully he’ll be more durable with a refined in-season conditioning program.

7. Clayton Kershaw, 20, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kershaw has only one major league start, but it’s easy to get excited about the youngster’s potential. He has a great fastball that tops off at 96 mph and an outstanding curve. He’ll need to work on his changeup, but once that develops, he’ll have an evil three-pitch repertoire. The Dodgers can’t rush the 20-year old, but he has a good, live arm and there’s always a high demand for lefties so they’ll be tempting to keep him in the majors.

8. Matt Cain, 23, San Francisco Giants
Don’t look at his overall record, because it’s not pretty. If the Giants could ever give him some run support, Cain could easily be a 15-win pitcher every season. He has one of the best live fastballs in the league and he’s incredibly durable. He’s been more inconsistent this year than in his two previous seasons, but his strikeouts are always high and at only 23, he hasn’t even sniffed his potential. It would be interesting to see what he could do on a team that averaged more than three runs per game.

9. Edinson Volquez, 24, Cincinnati Reds
Where did this guy come from? In three seasons with the Rangers, Volquez was 3-11 with an ERA just south of 10.0. Now in his first season with the Reds, he has a major-league best 1.31 ERA and a 7-2 record. He also has 76 strikeouts this year and has only walked 33 batters. Is he a one-year (or even half-season) fluke? Maybe. But the same could have been said about Fausto Carmona this time last year and he looks like the real deal. Maybe a change of scenery and a chance to be a full-time starter has inspired the youngster, either way, Volquez has been one of the best surprises in 2008.

10. Clay Buchholz, 23, Boston Red Sox
Buchholz is off to a rocky start in his first full season as a starter, recording a 2-3 record with a 5.53 ERA, but as evidence from his no-hitter in his major league debut last year, he has excellent stuff. And he arguably has a higher ceiling than teammate Jon Lester, as well as other top prospects Franklin Morales (Rockies) and Homer Bailey (Reds). He’ll go through growing pains, but Buchholz is in a great situation in Boston and will have plenty of opportunity to succeed.

Florida Atlantic announced this week that Mike Jarvis will be their new basketball coach. This is the same Mike Jarvis whose St. John’s program deteriorated to the bottom of the Big East. The same Coach Jarvis whose program was put on NCAA probation for paying players. The same Coach Jarvis whose George Washington program detriorated in his last copuple of years to the bottom of the Atlantic 10.

Not that I don’t believe in second chances, but give me a break. Once again college administrators have proven that if you have a successful record on the court (Jarvis did have good seasons early in his tenure at both schools) then what happens off the court doesn’t matter. After a two-year stint working with Athletes in Action (Christian organization), his image has been rehabilitated. But come on! Isn’t it time that college presidents walk the walk?

Until these college presidents stop hiring coaches who have broken serious NCAA rules, the whole system will remain a sham. Remember the president of Georgia when he hired Jim Harrick after his rules violations at UCLA? He extolled how Harrick had learned his lessons. Obviously, he didn’t learn them well enough because he was part of the biggest scandal in Georgia basketball history.

Now I am not saying that Jarvis has not learned his lessons or doesn’t deserve another chance, but there are too many coaches out there with proven integrity who should be given the same chance. However, there is one thing that Jarvis has proven and that is he can win games. And that is all that matters to most college administrators!

Crazy Coaching Move, Part 2: Kansas State announced today that they have signed Associate Head coach Dalonte Hill to a five-year contract worth $420,000 per year. Are you kidding me? That’s more money than what 90% of the head coaches make in Division I. And for what? He delivered Michael Beasley. The one-year wonder who helped Kansas State make the NCAA tournament, where they won a single game.

His salary is more than the the combined salary of the entire assistant staff at Kansas. And they won a National Championship. And they have reloaded with NBA talent. Meanwhile, K-State is left without a single potential NBA player on their roster or incoming recruit with any buzz of a NBA future. Couple that with an irresponsible DUI charge during the season and it makes you wonder what the new Athletic Director at K-State was thinking. That type of money should be left for proven coaches who are the whole package. For a great cost comparison check out the article by Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star.

NBA Playoffs Game 5: Celtics 106, Pistons 103

John Paulsen has the scoop on this game, but here’s what angry Sheed had to say about the refs:

NHL Stanley Cup Game 3: Penguins 3, Red Wings 2

Welcome to the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, Penguins.

MLB Musings:

- Cubs 2, Dodgers 1. Outside of the Phillies, is there any club playing better than the Cubs right now? And although he’s a circus act in left field, is there any player hotter at the plate than Alfonso Soriano?

- Giants 11, Diamondbacks 3. What is going on with the D-Backs? They’ve lost three in a row, are 3-7 in their last 10, and are on the verge of being swept by the Giants. They can’t lose to Barry Zito on Thursday can they? No, no way.

- Mariners 1, Red Sox 0. Erik Bedard finally arrived in Seattle (7.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 8 K’s). Holding Boston’s lineup to only two hits is damn impressive.

- Phillies 6, Rockies 1. Chase Utley is a man-child. He’s got 17 home runs on the year and it’s only May 29.

Here are some random thoughts from tonight’s Game 5:

- I disagree with those that complain about how the Boston/Detroit series isn’t as compelling as the Lakers/Spurs. On the whole, the crowds are louder and the games are closer.

- It was nice to see Ray Allen break out of his shooting slump. He is one of the all-time best shooters the league has ever seen and it would be a shame if an extended playoff slump late in his career was for what he was most remembered.

- There was a funny play late in the second quarter. Rodney Stuckey was trapped by Kevin Garnett and another player and Stuckey ended up on his butt. They did a close up of Stuckey sitting on the floor, grinning and looking up at Garnett, who did not offer him hand. After a few seconds, Stuckey started to get up and grabbed Garnett’s shorts to give himself some leverage, and as the game went to commercial, you could see Garnett’s arm coming down to slap Stuckey’s hand away. That’s kind of a goofy move by the rookie, but I like it given all of KG’s post-whistle antics (like going up to block any shot that an opponent takes after the whistle). Rajon Rondo has gotten a ton of press this season, but I’d rather have Stuckey. He knocked down five of six free throws and a HUGE three pointer in crunch time.

- I like Kendrick Perkins’ effort and production, but I can do without all of the showboating. On every good play he made, it seemed if he had to give some sort of swagger or extra gesture. Of course, the tech at the end of the game didn’t help, either. Act like you’ve been there before.

- It’s time for Sam Cassell to retire.

- I guess I still want to see a Lakers/Celtics final, but the Pistons are the better team. Sometimes Boston looks like one of those YMCA All-Star pickup teams that happen at random. They don’t have a whole lot of cohesiveness or chemistry, but they manage to will themselves to a few wins in a row. The Pistons are better-coached and they play together. Their only problem is motivation, but I think that Detroit actually has the better chance of beating the Lakers.

Fox Sports is reporting that Larry Johnson injured foot looks completely healed.

From all appearances, L.J. is back.

“It felt good to come out here and still be able to come out and run,” Johnson said after the 90-minute practice on Tuesday. “Body-wise, I’m 100 percent.”

It’s taken a long time for the rough-and-tumble running back to say that. After rushing for more than 1,750 yards in 2005 and 2006, he missed most of training camp in a contract dispute and never regained his stride. But he’d scored two touchdowns on Oct. 4 when a Green Bay linebacker jumped onto his back and rode him to the Arrowhead Stadium turf late in the fourth quarter.

Start moving LJ up your draft board. He has a lot of miles on his odometer, but he’s only 28 and he missed half of the season with the injury, which means his legs should be relatively fresh heading into the season. I can only think of five guys that I’m sure I’d take over LJ if my draft were today - LaDainian Tomlinson, Joseph Addai, Adrian Peterson, Steven Jackson and Brian Westbrook. There are three other candidates - Frank Gore, Marion Barber and Clinton Portis - but a strong preseason might push Johnson ahead of them.

She hasn’t rose above #39 in the WTA rankings, but Ashley Harkleroad will be #1 in the hearts of millions of Playboy readers when her photo spread hits the shelves.

The 23-year-old Harkleroad found herself kicking her heels earlier this year when she was recovering from surgery to remove a cyst from her ovaries.

While others would choose to convalesce on a relaxing vacation or just lounge in front of the television, Harkleroad chose to accept the offer of posing nude for the world’s most famous glamour magazine.

“I was just laying there for three weeks, and, you know, an offer came to me,” the woman from smalltown Georgia told goggle-eyed reporters.

“I thought, well, I’m not really doing anything right now so I thought about it and it was something that I did. I’m proud of my body. I was representing a female athlete’s body.”

How often do you see the words “ovaries,” “cyst” and “Playboy” in the same article?

Here are a few pics of Harkleroad to get you ready.

Let’s see, Miami drafted their franchise-changing player, Dwyane Wade, in 2003, won a title in 2006, traded away their aging, overpaid center for a talented forward that’s in his prime, and now they have the #2 pick in the draft with a chance at another franchise-changing player?

I guess the lesson here is that if you’re going to tank… tank hard.

I’m not saying that the Heat planned all of this. They certainly went into the season hoping to eventually make a run in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, but a poor start and a series of nagging injuries to Wade forced the Heat’s hand. They found a desperate trade partner in the Suns and rid themselves of the overpaid and under motivated Shaquille O’Neal, landing an All-Star caliber forward (Shawn Marion) in the return. Now their consolation prize will likely be either Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley, whomever the Bulls don’t take. How convenient is it that either player should fit nicely alongside Wade and Marion?

Suddenly, the Heat’s short-term prospects are looking pretty good. Who would have said that six months ago?

The Heat have only five players signed past next season: Wade, Mark Blount, Udonis Haslem, Marcus Banks and Daequan Cook, assuming they exercise their option on his rookie contract. Haslem’s contract is very reasonable for what he brings to the table. Banks, who quickly fell out of favor in Phoenix, actually played pretty well for the Heat, averaging 9.5 points and 3.0 assists, while shooting 51.2% from the field and 40.5% from long range. If the team ends up with Beasley, it’s conceivable that a Banks/Wade backcourt could work. If the team drafts Rose, Banks could make a good backup.

The conventional wisdom is that Marion will likely exercise his player option, as he’s not going to be able to get that kind of money ($17.2 million) in the open market. This will allow the Heat to see if the Wade/Marion/rookie-to-be-named-later combo has potential. If it’s a disaster, they may be able to move Marion for a disgruntled or out of favor star before the trade deadline. If it looks like it’s going to work, then they can work out a more reaso