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      10 Burning MLB Offseason Questions

      November 11, 2008 /

      FOX Sports.com has 10 burning questions for baseball’s offseason.

      5 Can Milwaukee hang on to CC Sabathia?
      The Brewers are already facing the loss of Ben Sheets, so they’ll probably need to bring Sabathia back if they hope to win the tough NL Central. Obviously, the Brewers don’t have the resources to hang with the Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, and Red Sox should those teams enter the bidding. But Sabathia loves hitting, and he enjoyed his time in Milwaukee…

      Manny Ramirez4 Where will Manny Ramirez wind up?
      This past season, Manny Ramirez hit .332 AVG/.430 OBP/.601 SLG with 37 bombs. Obviously, that’s an elite level of production. On the other hand, Manny is 36 and an ongoing disaster in the outfield. He’s going to command a big contract, but it’s not certain how big and with whom. Ramirez’s agent, Scott Boras, is angling for a five- or six-year deal, but that’s probably not going to happen. The Dodgers will certainly push to bring him back, and the Blue Jays may be a surprise bidder…

      3 How will the Yankees spend those dollars?
      The Yankees’ 14-year playoff run came to an end, and that likely means a frantic winter in the Bronx. They’ve got a good bit of money coming off the payroll, and of course they’ll be moving into a palatial new ballpark next season. So expect them to spend with impunity. They’ll likely pass on their option on Jason Giambi, which means they could be in the mix for Mark Teixeira. They’ll certainly be angling for CC Sabathia, and they’ve also got decisions to make on Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte…

      1 Who will be the Phillies’ GM next season?
      Fresh off the third World Series title of his career, Phillies GM Pat Gillick may be bound for retirement (and, eventually, the Hall of Fame). If he goes, then in all likelihood the job will fall to either Ruben Amaro Jr. or Mike Arbuckle, two longtime Philly lieutenants. Or will Gillick have a change of heart and come back to defend his championship?…

      I’ll go ahead and answer the above questions for FOX:

      CC Sabathia to the Yankees.

      Manny Ramirez to the Yankees.

      Yankees will overspend the Yankees dollars.

      The Yankees will be the Phillies’ GM next season.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Tribune writer rips Charlie Weis

      November 11, 2008 /

      Charlie WeisMike Downey of the Chicago Tribune ripped Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis in one of his recent articles.

      In 2007 and 2008 alone, here is what the Frightening Irish of Charlie Weis have done:

      •Lost 13 of their last 21games. •Been shut out three times.

      •Took the worst beating in a season opener in 120 years of Notre Dame football.

      •Had a nine-loss season for the first time.

      •Were defeated by Navy, which it had sunk 43 times in a row.

      Accordingly, there are some who believe that Saturday’s game in Baltimore against the Midshipmen could be sink-or-swim time for ND’s coach. One more unfathomable defeat could turn out to be the last straw—No More Mr. Weis Guy.

      How desperate is this situation? SOS. Weis is dropping hints that he will become more actively involved in the Irish’s X’s and O’s, particularly in the wake of a pathetic play-calling effort at Boston College that resulted in another big fat “0” on the scoreboard.

      Pick your poison:

      Of his five successes this season, four have come against San Diego State (1-9), Washington (0-9), Michigan (3-7) and Purdue (3-7). The only three opponents Weis defeated last season were lowly Duke, four-win Stanford and a UCLA team that was missing its two top quarterbacks.

      The Irish are just 1-16 against ranked opponents under Weis. That’s brutal. And I know Weis and ND used the win over Michigan this year as a stepping stone for good things to come, but with how bad the Wolverines are this season, that win looks more trivial by the week.

      College Football

      Geovany Soto, Evan Longoria win Rookie of the Year Awards

      November 11, 2008 /

      Chicago Cubs’ catcher Geovany Soto and Tampa Bay Rays’ third baseman Evan Longoria won the 2008 NL and AL Rookie of the Year Awards, respectively.

      Evan LongoriaFollowing a season of breakthroughs for the AL champion Rays, Longoria became the first Tampa Bay player to win a national award from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The power-hitting third baseman received all 28 first-place votes, becoming the AL’s first unanimous rookie winner since Nomar Garciaparra in 1997.

      Soto, the steady catcher who helped the Cubs win the NL Central title, got 31 of 32 first-place votes. The other went to Cincinnati’s Joey Votto.

      Called up from the minors in April, Longoria batted .272 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs despite missing five weeks after breaking his right wrist Aug. 7. Confident at the plate and splendid on defense, he was a big reason for the Rays’ stunning surge to the World Series after 10 straight losing seasons.
      Chicago White Sox second baseman Alexei Ramirez was the runner-up after receiving 18 second-place votes. Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury finished third.

      Soto hit .285 with 23 homers, 35 doubles and 86 RBIs. He became the first catcher to win Rookie of the Year in either league since Mike Piazza of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993.

      It was amazing to watch Soto play this year because he really became the backbone of the Cubs’ lineup. And without Longoria’s breakthrough season, the Rays never make it to the Fall Classic. It’s nice to finally see a high draft pick like Longoria finally do something. It seems that top 10 picks in baseball fizzle more than top 10 picks in any other sport, which obviously makes sense considering players are sent to the minors and have to work their way up to the big stage, instead of just starting off in the pros right off the bat.

      MLB

      Not the same old Cardinals?

      November 11, 2008 /

      In the wake of the their 29-24 win over the 49ers on Monday night, Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic writes that these aren’t the same old Cardinals.

      Arizona CardinalsThe Same Old Cardinals wouldn’t have displayed fourth-quarter poise despite stretches of erratic defensive play. And then just like that, linebacker Karlos Dansby kept the Cardinals alive with an interception that gave his team the ball at the 49ers’ 5-yard line with 5:06 remaining.

      Are you kidding me?

      The Same Old Cardinals wouldn’t have scored two plays later, on a 4-yard pass to Anquan Boldin.
      Don’t dismiss this victory because the 49ers came into the game with a 2-6 record. They have shortcomings, but they also have taken on the personality of their high-energy coach, Mike Singletary. They’re nothing if not gritty. Their quarterback change, from J.T. O’Sullivan to Shaun Hill, too, has served them well.

      I wouldn’t go as far as to dismiss the victory and I get Boivin’s point, but the 49ers essentially handed the Cards a win. Hill’s underhand throw to Adrian Wilson was boneheaded and the decision to rush a handoff at the goal line instead of spiking the ball with four seconds remaining was ridiculous. Hill should have downed the ball and got a better play call in because he had time.

      San Fran gave ‘Zona a win by turning the ball over and mishandling the goal line situation at the end. Yes the Cardinals can score, but I don’t see them getting out of the first round of the playoffs with that defense. Not only that, but they won’t be prepared to face the best of the NFC East or South by beating up on the lousy teams in their division all year.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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