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      Is time really the only thing keeping MLB from expanding instant replay?

      June 4, 2010 /

      If time is the only reason why baseball won’t use instant replay for close calls like the one Jim Joyce regrettably got wrong on Wednesday night, then Bud Selig should be embarrassed. (He should be embarrassed for a lot of things actually, but let’s just stick with this instant replay topic.)

      Think about it: the biggest argument against expanding instant replay to calls around the base paths is that the game would be slower than it already is. But that can’t be a genuine argument, can it? If Joyce and the rest of the umpire crew had another 30 seconds to check a video monitor underneath Comerica Park, then Armando Galarraga would have a perfect game on his resume.

      Thirty seconds. One minute – whatever. It doesn’t take long for umpires to use instant replay to figure out if a home run was actually a home run and it wouldn’t take long for them to determine whether or not a runner was safe on one of the base paths. The league (and some fans for that matter) is so concerned that a game would take too much time to complete that it’s willing to live with a wrong call like the one Joyce made.

      That’s almost laughable when you think about it. If it takes three hours and forty-five minutes to finish a game with instant replay and three hours and thirty minutes without it, does the extra 15 minutes matter? Would an extra 30 minutes matter? If it does, then whom would it matter to? The fans? It’s not like they’re being strapped to an electric chair and held at gunpoint to stay for an entire game. If they want to leave, they can leave. If they want to turn to another channel, they can turn to another channel. It shouldn’t really affect them in the end.

      Getting the calls right should be the only thing that Selig and baseball should care about. And if time is the one thing that is holding MLB back from expanding instant replay, then the league is in luck because time just happens to be endless.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      NBA Draft Measurements & Overall Athleticism

      June 4, 2010 /

      The NBA Draft combine is over, and all of the measurements have been released. The NBA stopped ranking players in overall athleticism, so I thought I’d take a stab at it.

      In short, I looked at three categories — jumping (max vertical leap), lateral quickness (lane agility drill) and straight ahead speed (3/4 court sprint) — to come up with an overall athletic factor for each player within his position, be it guard, wing or big. The player’s performance in each athletic test was compared to the group’s average.

      For example. John Wall’s max vertical (39 inches) was divided by the group’s average (33.2 inches) to calculate his Max Vertical Jump factor (1.174). After calculating the factors for Lane Agility and 3/4 Court Sprint, the three factors are averaged to determine the player’s overall athleticism. I then sorted the players by position and by their overall Athletic Factor.

      Let’s start with the guards. These are players that are projected to be point guards or combo guards in the NBA.

      Table 1: Guards

      The Big Winner? Terrico White’s vertical leap of 40 inches is quite impressive, but his lateral quickness is a little worrisome. One could argue that leaping ability is not as important as speed or agility for guards. John Wall didn’t disappoint and by this method proved that he was the best overall athlete in the draft.

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      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft

      Orioles fire manager Dave Trembley

      June 4, 2010 /

      Following the club’s 6-3 loss to the Yankees on Thursday night, the Orioles fired manager Dave Trembley. The O’s currently sit in last place in the AL East with a 15-39 record. They’re off to the worst start in club history since the 1988 team began the year 0-21.

      From the Baltimore Sun:

      “I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Peter Angelos and Andy MacPhail for the opportunity to serve as manager for the Baltimore Orioles for the past three years. The results on the field were not what any of us would have hoped for, and I understand that the organization felt the time was right to move in a different direction. While I am disappointed at the outcome, I feel it was a privilege to wear the Orioles uniform each day and I thank all the fans for their tremendous support. I hope the team will soon return to the winning tradition they enjoyed for so many years.”

      Trembley, who took over as Orioles manager on an interim basis on June 19, 2007, after Sam Perlozzo was fired, compiled a 187-283 record guiding the club. The .398 winning percentage is second-worst of any manager in Orioles history, better only than Jimmy Dykes (.351 in 1954).

      The fans and media often criticized Trembley for the way he didn’t hold his players accountable for their poor play. His handling of the bullpen has also come under criticism.

      It’s easy to see that Tremebly couldn’t motivate his players. For as young as the Orioles are, they’re not improving and that’s a problem. Angelos and MacPhail would be best served finding a young, energetic coach that the players will play for.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      LeBron is going to milk this for all it’s worth

      June 4, 2010 /

      Some disturbing news via FanHouse…

      James, according to the source, is in discussions with Nike to create a new shoe for every visit along his free agent path starting July 1. The shoes would have the date of the visit printed, with James already having scripted his itinerary for the Free Agency Tour 2010.

      The source insists that he’ll head for New York first to visit with the Knicks, and then spend time with the Nets. Chicago will be next, with the Bulls hoping he wants to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan and become the Windy City’s beloved star. Depending on the level of sustained public interest and the discussions with the teams in the respective cities, James will decide at that point whether to continue on to Miami and possibly Los Angeles to see the Clippers.

      Remember, this is coming from a source, but if it’s true — as Charlie Brown would say…good grief!

      First, the fact that he’s planning to hawk shoes for all these different cities seems a little shady, especially since he’ll be saying “no” to every team but one. On top of that, depending on “the level of sustained public interest,” he may go to Miami and Los Angeles as well. In other words, he doesn’t plan to sign with either team, but if the public is interested in his free agent courtship, he’ll go to those cities to hold a media event or two and hawk more sneakers.

      Not only is this plan ridiculously egotistical, but it will effectively hold the free agency process hostage until he’s done selling shoes and basking in the collective love from fans around the country.

      However, by creating such a spectacle, he definitely runs the risk of alienating fans of those teams he rejects, and if he’s not careful, he could become one of the most reviled players in the league. LeBron would be wise to realize that his reputation is not bulletproof.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      The Finals: Lakers look sharp in Game 1

      June 4, 2010 /

      You know it’s not much of a game when Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy are talking about Scrabble with 4:45 to play in the fourth quarter, and that’s exactly what happened on Thursday night.

      If there were any lingering concerns about the Lakers’ toughness or focus, they were answered (at least for now) in Game 1. LA outrebounded Boston, 42-31, and looked every bit as determined as the Celtics an a decisive 102-89 win to open the series.

      Kobe Bryant was brilliant (30-7-6, 10-of-22 from the field) and Pau Gasol (23-14, 8-of-14) was the second best player on the floor. When those two guys are really going, the Lakers are tough to beat. Ron Artest (15-4) and Andrew Bynum (10-6) were the other Lakers to finish in double figures.

      Paul Pierce (24-9-4) finished with a good line, but did a lot of damage in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. Ray Allen (12 points) was saddled with foul trouble the entire game — he has enough trouble guarding Kobe without the refs calling ticky-tack fouls like they did Thursday night — and he could never get into rhythm. Rajon Rondo (13-6-8) played pretty well, but he needs to control the game if the C’s are going to have a chance in the series.

      Lastly, the lack of lift in Kevin Garnett’s knees was very noticeable tonight. There were a couple of plays in the third and fourth quarters when the Celtics were trying to make a run where he missed a couple of bunnies right at the rim. Boston wouldn’t have its defense set, so the Lakers would go down and score, essentially making it a four-point swing. Two or three of those and you’re talking 8-12 points, the difference in the game. KG has played well in these playoffs, but he’s going to need a spring in his step if he’s going to get over the length of the Lakers down low.

      Game 2 will tell us whether or not the Celtics will make this a series. I mentioned in my Finals preview that the C’s needed to win one of the first two games to have a realistic shot at winning the series and they didn’t look very good on Thursday night after plenty of rest. They won’t play again until Sunday, so fatigue shouldn’t be a concern, but the two-day-plus-travel turnarounds between Game 2 and Game 3 and between Game 5 and Game 6 are going to take their toll on the Celtics’ old bones.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

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