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      Nats to select Strasburg with #1 pick in June’s MLB draft

      May 3, 2009 /


      Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman is reporting that the Washington Nationals will select San Diego State University pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the #1 overall pick in next month’s MLB amateur draft.

      The feeling in baseball was that the Nationals might be scared off by the set negotiation price of $50-million-plus from Strasburg’s adviser Scott Boras to secure the youngster’s signature on a contract. But that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore within the organization.

      Acting Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo wouldn’t guarantee who he’s taking, but said regarding Strasburg when reached by phone, “It’s fair to say, going into it, he’s the No. 1 player on our board. We can say it. There’s not anybody who can jump ahead of us.” Rizzo added. “He’s an outstanding talent. He’s got all the tools to be a great player.”
      Rizzo wouldn’t absolutely commit since the draft is a month away. But he did say, “As of now, he’s the top guy.”

      The Nats remain one of the worst teams in baseball, and recently brought up young pitchers Shairon Martis and Jordan Zimmerman to gain major league experience in their starting rotation. Their hope for Strasburg is to join their rotation by July; scouts project him to be major-league ready coming out of college. Strasburg is 10-0 with 147 strikeouts and 15 walks for SDSU this season.

      MLB

      Canseco to headline a MMA card in Japan

      May 3, 2009 /

      Let’s take a look at Jose Canseco’s checklist of things to do in your life:

      1) Become a MVP winner in Major League Baseball. Check, as he won the 1988 American League MVP Award with the Oakland A’s.
      2) Become a star on a television reality show. Check, as he became a cast member in Season five of the Surreal Life on VH-1.
      3) Write a tell-all book on the steroid era in baseball. Check, as he wrote the book entitled Juiced.

      And now you can add headlining a mixed martial art event to his list, as Canseco will fight 7-foot-2 and 330 pound Hong-Man Choi on May 26 in Japan.

      Canseco vs. Choi is one of four matches in DREAM’s “Super Hulk Tournament” organized to boost television ratings. Here is the entire card:
      Super Hulk Tournament (Open-Weight)
      – Jose Canseco vs. Hong-Man Choi
      – Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt
      – Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa vs. Bob Sapp
      – Jan “The Giant” Nortje vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

      Despite a 1-2 record, Choi is a dangerous MMA fighter due to his size and sheer strength. This is a definite step up from Canseco’s last opponent inside the ring, actor Danny Bonaduce. They boxed to a draw in an exhibition bout last January, and Canseco was also knocked out in a boxing match against former NFL player Vai Sikahema last summer.

      Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, MLB

      Super recruit Renardo Sidney picks Mississippi State

      May 3, 2009 /

      Renardo Sidney

      One of the nation’s last remaining big-time recruits is off the market, as Renardo Sidney of California has decided to attend Mississippi State University. His decision was a bit of a surprise, reports Andy Katz for ESPN Rise, because Sidney was recently committed to attend USC.

      Sidney, the No. 7 player in the Class of 2009 as ranked by ESPN’s Scouts, Inc., was one of two in the top 10 who had not signed. A 6-foot-9 forward from Jackson, Miss., Sideny spent the past two seasons at Fairfax High in Los Angeles. He originally committed to USC, but the school decided to stop recruiting him last week.

      Stansbury said he didn’t know why USC fell through. He said Sidney called Mississippi State last week and told them that he had a change of heart and wanted to come home. Stansbury said the Bulldogs had recruited Sidney last fall.

      The other remaining unsigned top 10 player is No. 5 John Wall, a point guard from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C.

      Who knows why it is that USC decided to stop recruiting Sidney (it seems unlike the Trojans to back off a player as talented as Sidney), but the freshman could have an immediate impact in the SEC. The league was down significantly last year, in part because many of its highly-rated freshman failed to live up to expectations. With Sidney joining the Bulldogs and Coach John Calipari bringing highly-rated big man DeMarcus Cousins with him to Kentucky, there could be some serious post battles going on in the Southeastern Conference next season.

      Some have claimed that a feature on Sidney from New York Times’ Play Magazine in which the high school senior came off as having a big ego affected the way some schools viewed him. To read the feature, click here.

      College Basketball

      Revisiting the 2006 NBA Draft class

      May 3, 2009 /

      Tyrus Thomas

      On the heels of what many are labeling the greatest first round NBA series of all-time, there’s already been a lot of talk about how good the recently exited Chicago Bulls can be next year. And with good reason: Derrick Rose is already on his way to becoming one of the game’s best point guards, Ben Gordon (despite the fact that he plays worse defense than the 2008 Detroit Lions) is a lights-out scorer, and Joakim Noah can do it all from a defensive and rebounding perspective.

      But perhaps the most intriguing player in this year’s Celtics-Bulls classis series was Tyrus Thomas. His play was a bit of a revelation in the series, as he consistently knocked down the 18-foot jump shot NBA 4s need to make, and his athleticism continues to be off the charts. He’s got the potential to be an all-star.

      There is a saying in the NFL that it takes three years to truly evaluate a draft class, and to a lesser extent this is true in the NBA as well. Since Thomas and Boston’s stud PG Rajon Rondo are both from the 2006 NBA Draft class, how about we take a look at who the top 10 picks were, and who the revised top 5 should be?

      2006 Draft (the actual top 10)

      1. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors

      2. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers

      3. Adam Morrison, Charlotte Bobcats

      4. Tyrus Thomas, Chicago Bulls

      5. Shelden Williams, Atlanta Hawks

      6. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers

      7. Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves

      8. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies

      9. Patrick O’Bryant, Golden State Warriors

      10. Saer Sene, Seattle SuperSonics

      2006 Draft (the should-have-been top 5)

      1. Brandon Roy

      2. Rajon Rondo

      3. LaMarcus Aldridge

      4. Rudy Gay

      5. Tyrus Thomas

      The ’06 class has hardly set the world on fire in its first three years, with its only redeeming value being that they’ve featured second-round gems like Utah’s Paul Millsap, Cleveland’s Daniel Gibson and Boston’s Leon Powe. But in terms of potential star power, don’t stick a fork in 2006 yet – all 5 of my revised top picks could end up as all-stars.

      If the teams could do it over, who do you think they’d take?

      NBA, NBA Draft

      Reaction to the Pacquiao/Hatton fight

      May 3, 2009 /

      Manny Pacquiao disposed of Ricky Hatton in two rounds, cementing his place as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter as well as establishing himself as one of the all-time greats.

      Fanhouse’s Kevin Blackistone: Pacquiao The Destroyer Rules Ring

      Yahoo! Sports’ Martin Rodgers: Manny Pacquiao Cements Legacy With Win

      Boxing Scene’s Jake Donovan: Pacquiao proves he’s the best

      L.A. Times’ Bill Dwyre: Manny Pacquiao’s fists are loaded

      Boxing

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