Category: Bullz-Eye Sports Channel (Page 30 of 38)

      Top 10 Active MLB Windmills

      August 23, 2008 /

      Many power hitters in baseball also have a penchant for swinging and missing. While batters have evolved over the years into more complete players, and Dave Kingman types aren’t the norm anymore, there are quite a few that we can classify as “windmills.” Here is a list of the Top 10 active players in strikeouts in baseball today.

      1. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (2155)—Even though Mr. High Socks has a career batting average of .280, his 533 home runs are tempered by the air created when he swings and misses. Thome has struck out 2155 times in his 17-plus seasons, or roughly 30 % of his at-bats. Yikes.

      2. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (1701)—Sitting comfortably behind Thome is Mets’ first baseman Carlos Delgado, who is a cool 454 strikeouts behind Jimmy. Delgado has clubbed 457 home runs, but he has now struck out 100 or more times for the thirteenth straight season.

      3. Ken Griffey Jr, Chicago White Sox (1669)—Around the time Griffey was tearing up the American League in the late ‘90’s with 209 home runs over four seasons, he also tallied 454 strikeouts. And with 1669 career windmills, Griffey strikes out about as often as he smiles.

      4. Jim Edmonds, Chicago Cubs (1656)—Edmonds has quietly amassed 378 career homers, and has also compiled 1656 career strikeouts. But he’s currently in one of the two places (other than Colorado) where his power more than makes up for his K’s.

      5. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (1643)—Will someone tell me how a career .313 hitter averages 102 strikeouts per season? Wait, let me guess — Manny being Manny?

      6. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (1614)–$22 million for a guy that fans 107 times per season and doesn’t produce in the postseason? Am I missing something?

      7. Mike Cameron, Milwaukee Brewers (1605)—Mike Cameron is a six-tool player—speed, average, power, glove, arm, and a penchant for missing the ball with his bat. That’s a very odd combination.

      8. Jeff Kent, Los Angeles Dodgers (1515)—Ripping on Vin Scully? In Los Angeles, that’s like the priest ripping on the pope. Yeah, Jeff….you are 40, and even though Manny Ramirez now hits behind you, you still have almost as many career K’s on the scorecard as he does.

      9. Andruw Jones, Los Angeles Dodgers (1468)—Seriously, now…..three of the current top ten windmills play for the L.A. Dodgers. No wonder this team can’t seem to catch the Diamondbacks.

      10. Frank Thomas, Oakland Athletics (1394)—Mr. Thomas has 521 career homers, and though he’s only struck out more than 100 times three times in his career, he has landed here mainly because of his longevity (currently in his 19th season).

      Source: Baseball Reference

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Bullz-Eye baseball prediction from 2007 looking eerily prophetic

      August 21, 2008 /

      When we assembled our annual piece on the year in sports for Bullz-Eye, the piece was coming along really well, but something seemed a tad off to me. It was too…serious. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. John and Anthony dissect sports as well as anyone. But one section of our year-in-review piece is dedicated to predicting what we think will happen. For me, that is a golden opportunity to let loose with the craziest idea you can think of, have a laugh, go all Onion on everyone.

      After hearing that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were changing their name, this is what I thought of.

      God anoints the ‘Devil’-free Tampa Bay Rays His new favorites; team wins World Series

      No song with the word “Devil” in the title has ever made it to Number One on the pop charts, and the Almighty has the same rules when it comes to baseball. (This mandate clearly does not apply to hockey, though that makes sense now that we think about it.) When pitchers and catchers report for spring training, God will hold a press conference, admitting that He had been punishing Tampa Bay for their transgression. “I really like that Crawford kid, and the way they stole Kazmir from the Mets…that was sweet,” God will be quoted as saying. “It actually bothered me to give them the smackdown year after year, but now that they’ve cleared their name, as it were, I see big things for this team.” The Rays will win the Series in a thrilling Game 7 comeback against the Chicago Cubs, who will have a 3-2 lead with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth, then proceed to walk in the tying and winning runs.

      It is now late-August, and with the Cubs’ win today, they have the best record in baseball. The Rays are a game behind them in the win column. Incredibly, this World Series match-up still has a chance of happening. Indeed, my joke prediction has come closer to fruition than some of our more right-minded declarations (see: “The Detroit Tigers will win the Al Central”). That scream you just heard, by the way, was Cubs Nation telling me to shut the hell up for jinxing their team. Anyone who saw Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS knows that my ‘walking in the winning run’ scenario is not that outrageous.

      Anyone wanting to know what tomorrow’s lottery numbers will be, give me a call. I’m feeling lucky.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Derek Anderson vs. Brady Quinn

      August 5, 2008 /

      Coming off a surprising 10-6 season, the Cleveland Browns have one of the more interesting quarterback situations in the NFL, with Derek Anderson returning as the starter and first-rounder Brady Quinn acting as the back-up for another season. Despite Anderson’s trip to the Pro Bowl last season, some Browns fans think Quinn is the better long-term option, while others believe Anderson is better suited to the vertical passing game that made the Browns a force on offense last season.

      The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto is one of the best columnists in the business, and he offers an interesting assessment of both quarterbacks after watching them in camp.

      The moment I put the names Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson in the same sentence, that’s enough for some fans to immediately start up their emails with some serious opinions and huge expectations, especially for Quinn. Well, I’ve watched three different practices, and I can assure you that the Browns have two very different QBs in Anderson and Quinn.

      Browns quarterbacks Derek Anderson (3) and Brady Quinn (10) have contrasting skills at the position, which makes analyzing their games more complicated. Let’s start with this: Overall, Anderson has looked better. Part of it is due to Anderson usually working with the first team. It’s more fun to throw to Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards and Donte Stallworth than to Travis Wilson, Paul Hubbard, Martin Rucker and Kevin Kasper. And yes, Rucker and Kasper have made some nice catches and show promise, but they are not Winslow and Edwards. Hubbard dropped 20-yard pass from Quinn, and a few other passes were dropped. I do like how Rucker (6-foot-4, 260) is a big target with good hands and should see some playing time.

      Let’s remember this: Anderson has a much stronger arm, and a slightly quicker release. He threw a 50-yard pass to Stallworth seemingly with a flip of the wrist. Stallworth beat A.J. Davis badly on the pattern. When Anderson plays, the Browns have a more vertical offense. The ball goes downfield. The receivers know it and love it. The defensive backs, especially safeties, worry about it — and play off the line of scrimmage. Running backs also love his strong arm because it means linebackers and safeties are farther from the line of scrimmage, giving them more room to run.

      Let’s also understand this: Anderson is a gambler. He threw one pass at a receiver surrounded by four defenders. It wasn’t picked off because a couple of the defenders collided. I watched part of the practice with ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. We go back to the early 1980s when he covered the Braves for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and I was the PD’s baseball writer. Mortensen watched that throw by Anderson and mentioned that Tom Brady and Brett Favre both told him that they’d sometimes try ridiculous passes in practice just to see if they could do it. What you want the QB to do is not to try them in the games, especially when it’s close.

      Let’s not forget: Anderson is 25, has started only 18 games and usually it takes a starting QB three seasons to reach his peak. He can learn, and he can get better. Quinn has thrown a grand total of eight NFL passes. He never even played in the first half of a preseason game — that has to change this August. When Quinn plays, there are shorter passes, more sprint-outs, more throws of 5-to-15 yards. He is pretty crisp and confident. He also has developed a chemistry with Wilson, who has made some nice catches near the sideline on down-and-out patterns.

      Let’s see: Quinn has not thrown that many passes downfield. It is not his comfort zone, just as some of the in-between throws that Quinn does well seem awkward for Anderson. My point is the two QBs will require two types of game plans. The good thing is watching them, you don’t wonder, “Why would any team draft these guys?” They both have to look of a starting NFL quarterback.

      The Browns are in a great position. Anderson looks like he can be a star if he can control the interceptions and not fade again at the end of the season. Quinn brings a different skill set, and he might not be the best fit for this Browns offense, but so far he looks like a player who can succeed in the NFL. The Browns might have a tough choice at the end of the season regarding the future of this position, but many teams around the league would love to have this problem.

      Right now, my money is on Anderson. He has a great line, and punishing back and excellent receivers. With a year of experience under his belt, he just might tear up the league this season.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, NFL

      Top 10 Active Yards Per Game Leaders

      August 2, 2008 /

      You fantasy geeks have got to be salivating right about now, with some drafts and many mock drafts underway, and with the NFL season only a few weeks from now. So I figured I’d offer you a bit of assistance in the form of a Top 10 active rushing yards-per-game leaders. Though it doesn’t take touchdowns or receiving statistics into consideration, this is still a great tool to show who consistently produces the most ground yardage. My source did not include 2007 rookies, but I’ve added the two guys who made this list based on last year’s numbers alone. Good luck!

      1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers (95.9)—Likely to go number one in just about everyone’s fantasy draft, LT is just LT—consistently puttting up huge numbers in every category. If you think about it, 95.9 yards per game in 111 career contests is just sick. Also, LT is already third on the career rushing TD list with 115, and should eventually shatter Emmitt Smith’s leading mark of 164.

      2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (95.8)—AP was an injury risk coming out of college, but if you’re like me and took a chance on him in your draft, you reaped the rewards of an incredible rookie season. Peterson’s average is no doubt helped by the fact that he rushed for an NFL record 296 yards against LT’s Chargers in week 9. If he stays healthy, we expect another big year.

      3. Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins (91.8)—Now that Portis has been away from Mike Shanahan’s offensive scheme for four full seasons, the truth has emerged that he’s pretty dependable, and scores a fair amount of TDs as well.

      4. Edgerrin James, Arizona Cardinals (90.7)—Okay, well here is where we start using the term “trending down.” James averaged 97.0 yards per game in his seven seasons in Indianapolis, and 74.4 the last two years with Arizona.

      5. Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns (85.9)—Maybe he won’t rush for 2000 yards again like he did in 2003 with the Ravens, but Jamal Lewis is a bull and on the front side of the age curve at 29.

      6. Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills (85.8)—In just thirteen games last season, Lynch rushed for 1115 yards and 7 TDs in his rookie season with Buffalo. Not too shabby, and we all expect him to continue to improve.

      7. Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs (85.1)—Injuries and a crumbling offensive line in 2007 caused LJ’s numbers to drop from 111.8 yards per game in 2006 to 69.9 in 2007. Who really knows what to expect in 2008?

      8. Fred Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars (84.4)—Okay, so maybe Taylor won’t reach 107.6 yards per game like he did in 2000, but despite sharing carries with Maurice Jones-Drew, Taylor was still very effective at age 31 in 2007. There’s no reason to doubt that he can still get it done.

      9. Shaun Alexander, free agent (79.2)—Alexander peaked in 2005 and then injuries took their toll the last two seasons. He’s currently without a team and even if he lands somewhere, you have to believe he won’t come close to matching his average yards per game again.

      10. Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers (77.7)—In 2006, Parker scored 14 touchdowns, since “The Bus” was no longer a factor in Pittsburgh. He also has been very steady when healthy with his 77.7 yards per game average. But now with rookie Rashard Mendenhall in the mix, you can expect that number to start dropping.

      Source: Pro Football Reference

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Top 10 Active Players Who Can’t Get Out of the Way

      July 26, 2008 /

      Some baseball players have a penchant for getting hit by pitches. Either they stand too close to the plate and can’t avoid it, or they like pain. No player was hit by more pitches than Hugh Jennings, who began his career with the Louisville Cardinals in 1891. Ol’ Hugh was hit by 287 pitches, and holds the record for a single season with 51 in 1896 while playing for the Orioles. Ouch. But there are a few active players who don’t mind a little pain now and then, and here is a list of the active Top 10 in the hit-by-pitch category:

      1. Jason Kendall, Milwaukee Brewers (229)—Jason Kendall is a catcher, and those guys can pretty much endure pain more than any other position player. But Kendall is also scrappy as hell, even today at the age of 34. And with 229 times that a pitch has nailed his body, Kendall ranks first in that category for active players by a mile. He was hit a career high 31 times each in 1997 and 1998, and he’s on pace for 19 times in 2008.

      2. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (166)—At 6’3” and 220 lbs., Carlos Delgado is just a big dude who can’t help but get in the way of pitches sometimes. He’s had double digits in the category from 1998 through 2007.

      3. Jason Giambi, New York Yankees (149)—Between 1995 and 2001 with Oakland, Mr. Giambi was hit by 48 pitches. From 2002 until now with the Yankees, he’s been hit 101 times. Either ‘roids have made this guy’s body stick out over the plate more, or opposing pitchers just don’t like Giambi or the Yankees.

      4. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees (136)—Teammates and opposing players may respect him, but he’s still the captain of the Yankees. If you don’t know what I mean, read what I just wrote about Jason Giambi again.

      5. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (132)—A-Rod was hit by 31 pitches while playing for Seattle for seven seasons, and has already been hit 50 times while wearing pinstripes since 2004. Damn, pitchers really do hate the Yankees.

      6. Gary Sheffield, Detroit Tigers (131)—With an average of nine hit-by-pitches per season, this one is more about longevity than anything. But Sheffield did play for the Yankees for two-plus seasons.

      7. Damion Easley, New York Mets (129)—Here’s an interesting statistic. Of Easley’s 129 times of being hit by a pitch, 87 of those were while playing with Detroit from 1996 to 2002. That’s 2/3 of his total in 1/3 of his career.

      8. David Eckstein, Toronto Blue Jays (124)—This guy got a late start in the majors (at the age of 26 in 2001), otherwise he would be challenging Jason Kendall and maybe even ol’ Hugh Jennings. Eckstein has been hit 124 times, or 3 percent of every time he comes to the plate. Yikes.

      8. Jeff Kent, Los Angeles Dodgers (124)—In seventeen seasons as a scrappy second baseman, 124 times is sort of inevitable.

      10. Jose Guillen, Kansas City Royals (119)—Yes, he’s been hit 119 times. Bud oddly, Jose Guillen was hit 60 times in a four-year stretch between 2004 and 2007. I guess sometimes you have to just stick your body out there to get on base.

      Source: Baseball Reference

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Baseball, MLB

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