Author: Christopher Glotfelty (Page 58 of 67)

      Galaxy get a makeover

      January 23, 2009 /

      arenaThink the Yankees were bad? Over the past few months, new Los Angeles Galaxy coach and GM Bruce Arena has cut 11 players, only to bring in 10 new ones.

      The Galaxy has failed to make the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, so Arena is stocking the Home Depot Center with a new cast of characters.

      “I already see that we have a better infusion of talent than we had last year,” Arena said, the Day 1 huffing and puffing of his far-from-fully-fit players notwithstanding.

      For (Tony) Sanneh, a World Cup starter for the U.S. in 2002, it is a comeback attempt of sorts. He is 37 and last played professionally in 2007.

      On the first day, the standing part was simple. The running was not.

      “It’s just a matter of age. We’ll see if I can do it. Some guys can and some guys can’t. Preki [now the Chivas USA coach] was MVP at 41.”

      It is not just a matter of changing personnel that will restore the Galaxy’s fortunes, there are intangibles too.

      Forward Jovan Kirovski, who played on the Galaxy’s 2005 MLS championship-winning team before being traded to the Colorado Rapids, is back and sees a difference in the players’ mood.

      “It’s a totally different attitude,” he said. “Just stepping into the locker room, it’s totally different.”

      Kirovski, who was acquired in November, can play as a forward or in midfield.

      “I actually tried to get this move,” he said. “My family is here. I wanted to come back to L.A. I know Bruce from before [with the U.S. national team] and he knows me. I think I can help the team. It worked out. Hopefully, we can turn this thing around and get back to the playoffs every year. With the talent we have, we should be.”

      I love how the article fails to mention the dollar amount of any of these transactions. Whereas the deals of CC Sabathia and Mark Teixiera were highly publicized, the salaries of most MLS players never make headlines. Unless your last name is Beckham or Donovan, these new players, though talented, will be making less than $200,000. I know that’s more than most of us make, but when compared to the heavyweights over in the MLB, the MLS players are below the poverty line.

      Fact is, the big markets need to win to attract an audience. I’m referring to the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls. When teams like the Columbus Crew win the MLS Cup, that achievement can only spread so far in terms of sales. When the Galaxy or Red Bulls win, more people care, because their audience is larger. When the MLS reaches the fan base of the NHL, then will it be safer for a smaller market team to win.

      These changes are good. After failing to make the playoffs with Beckham, the Galaxy needed to re-tool. When the Galaxy does well, so does the MLS.

      Soccer

      Jeff Kent retires

      January 21, 2009 /

      kentAfter 17 seasons, Jeff Kent has decided to hang it up. Kent is a potential Hall of Famer who holds a record 351 home runs for a second baseman. Despite his slugging ability, Kent’s intense desire to win and no-nonsense approach to the game often alienated him from teammates, most notably Barry Bonds.

      He will retire with a .290 career batting average, 377 home runs, 1,518 RBIs and a .500 slugging percentage. His 351 home runs hit as a second baseman are 74 more than the next closest second baseman, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

      The 2000 National League MVP, Kent was a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger. He drove in more than 100 runs eight times (a record at the position), scored at least 100 runs three times and had at least 20 home runs 12 times. In 2008, he passed Ralph Kiner, Gil Hodges and Carlton Fisk on the all-time home-run list and passed Billy Williams, Dave Parker and Mickey Mantle on the all-time RBIs list. He’s tied with Eddie Murray for 20th on the all-time doubles list with 560

      Following the 2008 season, Kent was eligible for free agency and Dodgers management, anticipating his retirement, moved Blake DeWitt to second base after re-signing Casey Blake. DeWitt had replaced Kent at the position after the surgery.

      Early in his career, Kent developed a reputation for his work ethic and no-nonsense commitment to winning, although he received at least as much media attention for his intolerance of teammates who didn’t share his intense approach. He had run-ins with Bonds, as well as Dodgers teammate Milton Bradley.

      In 2007, he aired his frustration to reporters after the Dodgers had fallen out of the division race and the resulting dust-up fueled stories about a clubhouse divide between old and young players that hastened the departure of manager Grady Little.

      In recent years, Kent has been critical of players who used performance-enhancing drugs, while advocating more widespread testing to ensure a level playing field.

      Say what you will about Jeff Kent, the guy always had one of the best swings in the league. Up at the plate, he exercised the type of fail-safe mechanics you learn in little league. Growing up as a Dodger fan, I hated facing him on the Giants. I never thought he would strike out. He and (archrival and teammate) Barry Bonds were a pair of Dodger killers. When the Dodgers signed him in 2005, Los Angeles breathed a sign of relief. He continued to be productive until last year, when a knee injury rendered him practically unusable during the postseason.

      His persona was somewhat confusing. One could never tell if he sought to emit a positive or negative energy. During Dodger games, he would just sit on his end of the bench and speak to nobody, transfixed on the game in front of him. Nevertheless, the guy always worked a good count and gave everything he had at his position. The fact that he criticized younger players for not trying hard enough and voiced disgust for individuals who used performance enhancing drugs proved his passion for the game. However, the way he addressed his views always came off bitter and uninspiring. No one ever took Kent’s side, not that he cared.

      Still, Jeff Kent set the precedent for the power-hitting second baseman. Out of all active players at that position, Chase Utley is the only one likely to break any of Kent’s records. Like Greg Maddux, Kent is retiring before his career could become embarrassing. The way things are looking, he’ll make the Hall of Fame before Barry Bonds, and that has to make him smile.

      MLB

      L.A. Galaxy to overhaul team at MLS Draft

      January 15, 2009 /

      draftWhile baseball fans eagerly hang on to every miniscule transaction during the offseason, the MLS Draft is the real place where significant headway is made. Whereas drafts from the other major professional sports pull players out of their respective collegiate pool, the MLS Draft contains players from all over the world as well as the NCAA. Even though the league is in its fourteenth season, it is still struggling to find its identity. That’s why teams like the L.A. Galaxy will be looking to revamp the bulk of their team during today’s draft, which is happening right now on ESPN2.

      Assuming that David Beckham returns from AC Milan and Landon Donovan comes back from Bayern Munich, Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena needs to find nine other starters to make the team competitive in 2009.

      Already, Arena has found one — Jamaican national team goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who was signed in December.

      One move the Galaxy made Wednesday was to acquire New York Red Bulls’ midfielder/forward Mike Magee, a 2003 first-round draft pick who played for Arena in New York. Magee, 24, was a starter on the Red Bulls team that reached the MLS Cup final last season. The Galaxy gave up a second-round pick in the 2010 draft for Magee.

      Arena is there, along with Galaxy assistant coach Cobi Jones and Tom Payne, the team’s president of business operations. The Galaxy has five picks in the draft, but only the first-round pick — and the third pick overall — is worth anything.

      Because of the Galaxy’s salary-cap issue — with Beckham and Donovan accounting for a significant share — Arena could also be tempted by one of the 2009 Generation Adidas players (nine young players identified by MLS as likely future stars and who do not count against cap).

      In that case, University of Akron forward Steve Zakuani, who led the nation in goals in 2008, could be the target. But Zakuani is projected as the likely No. 1 draft pick and, if so, would be gone by the time the Galaxy makes it first selection.

      Zakuani, already targeted by English clubs, reportedly has been guaranteed a contract worth between $150,000 and $200,000 by MLS.

      Generation Adidas Players? Looks the MLS is wising up and has realized that a $2.8 million salary cap is ludicrous if you want to draw established (i.e. foreign) talent into the league. In other news, due to David Beckham’s popularity, teams can now have up to four designated players that total up to $20 million in salary. So, these are your A-Rods, Sabathias, and Mannys. However, if the franchise elects for this option, the remaining members of the team will then have a cap of $100,000. What?

      Sounds like the MLS is still severely confused. They’re split between trying to run a league that cultivates young players into stars on the cheap and attempting to become an instant success with expensive European talent.

      Just drop the cap. If anything, try to land a blue chip European talent on every team. Then continue paying the young players and mid-level stars the same wages they’ve always been paid, which is next to nothing compared to other sports.

      Soccer

      The Rise of Andy Murray

      January 14, 2009 /

      murrayWhen the ATP Tour quietly started earlier this year, many expected Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to come out with a bang. The two superstars will battle all year to maintain the #1 rank. However, at an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi, fourth-ranked Andy Murray defeated Nadal. His exceptional play continued when, at the Tour’s first high-stakes tournament in Doha, Qatar, Andy Murray defeated both Federer and Andy Roddick to claim the prize. Neil Harman of Deuce has examined Murray’s potential dark horse run.

      “Obviously, experience can help a lot,” he said. “You know, when I played Wimbledon for the first time, I had never played four sets in my life, never mind five. I think it’s understandable to be a bit tired, if you’re not used to doing something before. Then you understand that you need to work on things, but for me, I did start to work hard after that. But you have to respect your body as well. And I was still doing a lot of growing. You can’t push yourself too hard. It’s not good for your body. Now I’m starting to grow up, and finish growing and I can do more weights and train harder. It’s much easier to do all that stuff now. When you’re sort of 17 and 18, I think it’s tough on the body to push so hard.

      A measure of his progress into the top four in the world is that no-one is the least surprised that it has happened; but there are those who did not think it would happen quite this quickly. From the very first, he and those who spent time assisting in his development asked us not to expect him to reach full maturity in both playing and physical terms until he was 23 or 24 and we are some way from that.

      He chose, somewhat controversially, to write a book entitled Andy Murray, Hitting Back. I thought it was a poor choice of title because of the assumption that he had something, or someone, to hit back at, which made one feel slightly uncomfortable for a 21 year old to be bearing so much negative force. Having read the tome, it was more compelling than I had suspected, and offers a vivid insight into the young man and what drives him.

      I like Andy Murray. I like Andy Murray because, when I watch him play, I think, that could be me. He looks like a wet rag out there — this tall and lanky 21 year-old dripping with sweat while clumsily bouncing around the court. Still, the kid has amazing placement and wins matches by tiring out his opponents after sending them every which way across the court. But this strategy does not win tournaments when your opponent figures out your style. Murray skillfully beat Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open, but Roger Federer returned every difficult shot Murray delivered. Murray has been known to tire after three sets. With Federer in the lead going into the fourth, he made easy work of the young Murray.

      This proclivity for early fatigue has kept Murray down. As the article points out, he has gone to great lengths with a new set of trainers to increase his stamina and improve his physique. In Qatar, he beat Federer in straight sets. While this is quite a feat, we’ve yet to see if Murray can go the distance against the top-ranked players. He’s capable of putting them away early, but when the match is neck and neck going in the final sets, Murray tends to waiver. As Federer and Nadal get more and more fed up with the Scotsman, they’ll have to adapt to Murray’s style rather than beating him with their own. This means matching him shot for shot with the hope that he will soon tire out by the fourth set. We’ll just have to wait and see if Murray’s rigorous fitness training has paid off.

      Last year, we saw the emergence of Rafael Nadal as the best player in the game. This could be Murray’s year to make his mark, but he’s going to have to win a Grand Slam first. He has his chance at the Australian Open, which kicks off on January 19th.

      Tennis

      Should Trevor Hoffman sign with the Dodgers?

      January 8, 2009 /

      hoffmanSince Brian Fuentes signed with the Los Angeles Angels, the market for a successful closer has significantly tightened. Last December, the Los Angeles Dodgers released closer Takashi Saito, citing his age and recent elbow injury as deciding factors. The Dodgers have struggled to fill this role all winter, on the fence as to whether young hurler Jonathan Broxton has the consistency that is needed. Now the organization is looking to all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman.

      As the San Francisco Giants consider trumping the Dodgers’ offer to Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers have offered all-time save leader Trevor Hoffman a one-year contract to be their closer.

      The Milwaukee Brewers also are in pursuit of Hoffman, who is expected to make his decision this week. It is uncertain whether the Brewers have offered a two-year guarantee to combat their geographical disadvantage, since Hoffman lives in northern San Diego county.

      Hoffman made $7.5 million last season with the San Diego Padres, who withdrew a $4-million offer to him in November. The Dodgers’ offer exceeds $4 million.

      He went 3-6 with a 3.77 earned-run average last season, including a 1.59 ERA after the All-Star break. He converted 30 of 34 saves but gave up one home run every 5.7 innings, the second-worst ratio of his career.

      By signing Hoffman, the Dodgers would return Jonathan Broxton to a setup role and add a veteran arm to a bullpen that has lost Takashi Saito, Joe Beimel and Chan Ho Park.

      At first glance, I’m not sure what to make of all this. The Dodgers are supposedly offering Hoffman at least $4 million, which is more than what Takashi Saito was asking. The two are both older players, with Hoffman at 41 and Saito at 39. Where talent is concerned, Saito was easily the best closer in the National League in ’06 and ’07. Hoffman, however, is the most consistent closer of all time. His all-time record of 554 saves is incredible, considering Mariano Rivera trails behind him at 500.

      What it comes down to is past injuries. It’s remarkable that Hoffman has pitched so long without ever seriously hurting himself. Case in point, he’s still got it. He even managed to convert 30 of his 34 save opportunities last year with the support of a pathetic Padres offense. Saito, while dominant when he’s healthy, had career-altering Tommy John surgery last year and was unable to pitch in the NLCS.

      The Dodgers and Hoffman are a good fit. He’s just the guy to mentor the young and wild Jonathan Broxton. After Broxton sets up Hoffman in the 8th inning, he can take notes while watching the saves leader in action.

      MLB

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