The Kids are Alright

Well, thank you Andre Ethier.. On a night where Manny had three doubles, Matt Kemp an RBI triple, James Loney 2 RBI's, and Chad Billingsley pitched into the eighth inning, Andre Ethier is the star that shines brightest. Andre continued his torrid start on Tuesday night against the Giants with an RBI double in the ninth inning that saved the Dodgers' bullpen. Ethier is rapidly ascending into the upper echelon of hitters in the National League and maybe all of baseball. His at-bat in the ninth was the Ethier prototype. Down 1-2 in the count, Ethier battled and fouled off pitch after pitch, eventually working the count full. Ethier then proceeded to hit a shot over Aaron Rowand's head to untie the game. Typical Andre Ethier. It's hard not to love this guy (huh Jess?) and a look at his stats so far this year show why (Granted this is a small sample size, 77 at-bats, but it's still impressive) :

• a triple slash line of .312/.436/.584
• an OPS of 1.022
• 15 BB to only 12 K's
• 11 extra base hits, including 5 HR's putting him on a pace to hit 39 (again this is a small sample, I'm not expecting him to hit even 30 HR but I'm just pointing out how impressive he has been so far)
• 21 RBI. I'm not a huge fan of RBI since it's so context specific. However, when you're knocking in an average of one run a game, it's very impressive. I think it's reasonable to expect 100 RBI from him this year if he keeps hitting in the 4 hole and Manny continues to post an ungodly OBP (.494 through Tuesday night).

Overall there is alot to like about Andre. As Vin said the other night, his swing is so short and all his power comes from his wrists. I think his power is still developing, and at age 27, he is just entering his prime. It's safe to say he is the Dodgers' second best hitter and, besides Manny, there is not another Dodger I would want up in a big situation. It's about time the man gets some major recognition. If he keeps hitting like this even the guys at ESPN won't be able to avoid it. And that's saying alot..

Big Philly's NFL Mock Draft

Football fans, the big day is almost here. The 2009 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow and the Lions are on the clock. Since Mock NFL Drafts are to sports media outlets as cocaine is to young Hollywood starlets, I felt the need to "legitimize" this blog by having one of my own. I love football, but since I don't follow the NFL offseason like I follow the MLB or NBA offseasons, I decided to look for some help. Pinch-hitting for yours truly today is "The Big Philly", Paul D. Below are the Big Philly's first round predictions for the draft. Keep in mind that this isn't what he thinks the teams should do, but rather what he expects them to do. Take it away Durf:


1. Detroit Lions – Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia
Lions desperately need a quarterback to rejuvenate their franchise, the poor Lions will pay him a boatload of cash so we will see how it goes.

2. St. Louis Rams – Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
With the departure of Orlando Pace, the Rams need a new left tackle to protect Bulger’s blindside, I think Smith has the most upside and could play right away.

3. Kansas City Chiefs – Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
Chiefs need to upgrade their defense in any way possible, and Curry is definitely the best defensive player in the draft and could be a dominate player in the NFL for years to come.

4. Seattle Seahawks – Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
Seahawks need a future replacement for the aging Hasselbeck so this is a possibility, also look for teams like the Browns, Jets, Bucs or Broncos to trade down to land Sanchez.

5. Cleveland Browns – Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
I think Orakpo is a strong possibility here but I think Braylon Edwards and his drops are on the way out of Cleveland and Crabtree would be a great replacement for him.

6. Cincinnati Bengals – Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
The Bengals need to find a way to protect Carson Palmer so they can try to get their passing game going again; Monroe is a great fit because he is the best pass blocker in the draft.

7. Oakland Raiders – Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
I think Maclin is a strong possibility because they have no good WR’s, but Orakpo is a great pass rusher and a huge upgrade over the Raiders current D ends.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars – B.J. Raji, DT, BC
The Jags need to get their defense back on track and adding a run stuffing DT would be great for them to pair with John Henderson.

9. Green Bay Packers – Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
With the Packers switching to a 3-4 defense they need a good defensive end, Tyson Jackson would be good in that role because he is great against the run.

10. San Francisco 49ers – Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State
The 49ers have a strong need for a pass rusher and a guy like Aaron Maybin would fit that mold as one of their outside linebackers in their 3-4 defense.

11. Buffalo Bills – Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
After the Bills traded Jason Peters to the Eagles they need a new left tackle and Smith could step in right away and fill that hole.


12. Denver Broncos – Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
The Broncos definitely need to go defense with their first round pick as we all know how pathetic their defense was last year. Getting a good pass rusher like Brown would be a good start.

13. Washington Redskins – Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
The Redskins are one of the worst teams in the league at getting sacks, and now that Jason Taylor is gone as well defensive end is a strong need for them.

14. New Orleans Saints – Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
I think they have to go defense with their first pick, they have a good middle linebacker in Vilma but their OLB’s just are not very good, Cushing would be a nice uprgrade for them.

15. Houston Texans – Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
Jenkins has the ability to play either safety or corner, and besides Dunta Robinson the Texans could use another playmaker in their secondary whether it would be at safety or corner.

16. San Diego Chargers – Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
The Chargers could use another tackle opposite McNeil and having him team up with Oher would give the Chargers a good pair of young tackles going forward.

17. New York Jets – Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
The Jets really need a QB but Josh Freeman is a serious reach in round 1, I see the Jets trading the pick for another QB, but if they stay at #17 Maclin would be a nice addition.

18. Denver Broncos – Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Having Rey in the middle of their defense would allow D.J. Williams to slide back to outside linebacker and give the Broncos two good, young LB’s to try and revive their defense.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Darrius Heyward- Bey, WR, Maryland
Bey would be a nice complement to Antonio Bryant with his ability to stretch the field; they could also be in play for a QB via trade since that is more of a pressing need for them.

20. Detroit Lions – Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
Lions need to draft best player on the board which could be Pettigrew, the current group of tight ends for the Lions are awful and Pettigrew would give the Lions another weapon.

21. Philadelphia Eagles – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
Westbrook is a great running back but has problems staying healthy; Moreno would be a great complement to Westbrook and also a nice long term replacement. He would also fit in nicely with the Eagles offense with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

22. Minnesota Vikings – Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
Since the Vikings like to run the ball so much they could always use another lineman, Britton would fill in nice on the right side at tackle.


23. New England Patriots – Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
With the loss of Mike Vrabel at OLB, Matthews reminds people of Vrabel and would be a great replacement for him. He is very adept at getting to the QB and will help their pass rush.

24. Atlanta Falcons – Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
The Falcons need help in their secondary; with this pick Davis has all the tools to be a good CB. A rough year last year at Illinois might scare some GM’s away but I think he is too talented and has too much upside for the Falcons to pass him up.

25. Miami Dolphins – Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
The Dolphins need to get younger at cornerback and Smith would be a nice playmaker for them in their secondary, He is only 5’9” but racked up 21 career interceptions in college.

26. Baltimore Ravens – James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State
With the loss of Bart Scott I think the Ravens would be thrilled if Laurinaitis fell to them with the 26th pick, Laurinaitis would fit in nicely at ILB with the Ravens to replace Scott.

27. Indianapolis Colts – Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
Colts need defensive help and adding a DT to the mix would be beneficial, their starting DT’s aren’t good and Jerry would be an upgrade for them and would help their run defense.

28. Buffalo Bills – Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois
Bills need some good pass rushers and I think English would be good value for them here and would team up nicely with Aaron Schobel at the end position.

29. New York Giants – Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
With the loss of Plaxico Burress the Giants need to find a replacement, Britt is tall and would be a good red zone threat for Manning to go to. They also might try to trade for Edwards or Boldin on draft day.

30. Tennessee Titans – Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
The Titans need a serious threat at WR for Kerry Collins and Harvin would thrive in the Titans offense if they can get him in space and would also be a good punt or kick returner. (editor's note: Too bad Travis Henry is no longer on the Titans because I'm sure with their "habits" they would have a good time together)

31. Arizona Cardinals – Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
With Edgerrin James likely on his way out of Arizona their only RB they have is Tim Hightower who can’t carry the load himself. Getting Wells would give the Cardinals 2 good running backs and help out their running game that was terrible last year.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers – Alex Mack, C, California
Steelers are pretty solid all around but their line can be suspect at times. They could use an upgrade at center and Mack is probably the best center in the draft.


Alright there you have. Thanks Paul. The marathon that is the NFL Draft begins tomorrow morning. You can bet that I'll be following along and seeing how many Paul gets right.

American Idol Top 7 Prediction (Take Two)

My bottom three:
1. Anoop Desai
2. Lil Rounds
3. Matt Giraud

Who is getting the boot??
Anoop and Lil, which removes alot of the remaining flavor from Idol..

Oh and does anyone else think that Lil Rounds should be the new spokesperson for the Burger King "square butts" ads?? I swear that girl has a shelf on her bottom.. Just wondering.

Andre Ethier is the N.L. Player of the Week

Well this will sure make Mrs. Ethier happy (Here's to you Jessi). I have been swamped with schoolwork the past few days, and that has stopped me from posting about the great Sunday in LA. But since talking about the Lakers and Dodgers is more fun than writing my paper on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I figured it was time to take a break and talk about the good news.
First off:

• The Lakers cruised in their playoff opener against Utah. Even though the Jazz made a few runs in the second half, I never felt like the game was in doubt. That's a good feeling to have during a playoff game. Trevor Ariza had a great game for the Lakers and Kobe (besides the 6 turnovers) also played well. Pau had his typical good game and Lamar and Shannon "Chris" Brown contributed off the bench. Bynum was constantly in foul trouble, however, I expect a strong performance from him in Game 2 on Tuesday night. The Lakers should be able to control the game and take a 2-0 lead into Salt Lake City on Thursday.
• What a week for the Dodgers. A week that started with the first Dodger cycle in almost 40 years ended with a two homerun performance from Matt Kemp. In between Andre Ethier had two two homerun games, Chad Billingsley picked up two wins, Manny hit his first two homers of the season, Clayton Kershaw struck out 13 Giants, the O-Dog became a fan favorite, Broxton earned a five-out save by striking out 4 Rockies' batters, and Russell Martin started to warm up a bit. Oh and the Dodgers have won eight straight, including a perfect 6-0 on the homestand. Simply awesome. And I am probably missing some other good performances. Will the Dodgers keep this pace up? Obviously not. But can they continue to be one of the best teams in baseball? I think so. The Dodgers have a good staff and a lineup that has shown it can put up a whole bunch of runs on any given night.

Overall, there is plenty to be excited right now in LA. The Lakers just started a two month journey in search of their 15th championship and the Dodgers might be the best team in the National League for the first time since before I was born (I don't count 1988, because even though the Boys in Blue won the World Series that year, there is no way they were better than that loaded Mets team). It's safe to say I am enjoying this run, while also trying to keep perspective. The Dodgers started out 12-2 in 2005, and we all know how that ended. But I don't think these two teams are even in the same league. Only time will tell, but early on this seems to have the makings of a special year in Los Angeles. Now back to Zionism and Palestinian nationalism.. Wish me luck.

It's Just Manny Being Manny

Well, the Dodgers and their fans got a chance to see both sides of Manny Being Manny today. Ramirez homered in his first at-bat off Aaron Cook to end his eleven game homerless streak. Then in the top of the second inning Ramirez dropped a routine fly ball and was bailed out when Chad Billingsley got out of the jam with a strikeout of Troy Tulowitzki and a Yorvit Torrealba fly out. Then in Manny's second at-bat he drilled a line drive over the short fence down the left-field line. Later in the game Ramirez misplayed a Brad Hawpe looper into a triple, momentarily allowing the Rockies back into the game. I guess this is what Red Sox fans were used to seeing during their 7 1/2 year run with Manny. Unfortunately for Chad Billingsley, the defense behind him was less than stellar. A Matt Kemp misplay (put your glasses on Matt!) was the Rockies only hit through the first five innings, yet Kemp's misplay and Manny's error caused Bills to labor in the heat much more than he would have if they made the routine plays. The other ball Manny misplayed (Hawpe's triple) would probably have been caught by just about every other Major League left fielder, and the least Manny could have done was to keep it in front of him. But this is part of Manny Being Manny, and as long as he hits I think every one of us will put up with the little, let's say, intricacies of Manny's game. Andre Ethier continued his impressive start with another two-homer game, including an absolute shot half way up the pavilion in right-center field. The Dodgers stretch their winning streak to seven games and have a chance to go undefeated on the home stand with a win tomorrow over the Rockies. James McDonald gets the opportunity to avenge his first start. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you think he will do) for James, it will probably be in relative anonymity as the Lakers start their playoff run against the Utah Jazz tomorrow afternoon as well. It's safe to say the eyes of Los Angeles will probably be on that game. Anyways, another impressive win for the Dodgers as they prepare to close out the homestand.

One other note since I didn't get to talk about yesterday's game. I just wanted to say that Jon "The Bull" Broxton was incredible last night. He came into the game with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth and was asked to protect a one-run lead. Brox proceeded to strike out Tulo on a heater and then he got Chris Iannetta on a vicious slider to end the inning. In the top of the ninth, Broxton retired the side in order while striking out two more Rockies. For a guy who seems to get no love, Broxton is very good. What he did last night was mighty impressive and I think we are going to continue to see more of it this year. The guy has great stuff and amazing composure, and he showed it on Friday. Bravo Jonathan.

NBA First Round Playoff Preview

With the NBA playoffs beginning this weekend, I think now is the best time to post my preview for the first round:

Western Conference

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Utah Jazz
Lakers in 5

The Lakers should take care of business in their games in LA and I see them splitting the games in Utah which will lead to a 4-1 Lakers’ series win. Utah is much better than their record, but they haven’t been the same all year. The Lakers size inside will punish the Jazz and I expect Carlos Boozer to continue his struggles against the Lakers long front line. Deron Williams is a tough cover for Derek Fisher and he should lead them to at least one win. But overall the Lakers are too talented, too big and too athletic for the Jazz. Utah struggles on the road and the Lakers are good enough on the road to steal one in the hostile environment at Energy Solutions Arena (Which has always been interesting to me. Salt Lake City is predominantly Mormon, yet they are vicious fans. I don't get it). Expect a tough, physical series that ultimately ends in the Lakers being too much for the Jazz to handle.

#2 Denver Nuggets vs. #7 New Orleans Hornets
Nuggets in 6

Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups provide an intriguing match-up in this series. Billups is a big, strong guard who is great at controlling tempo. Chris Paul is smaller, but also strong, and quick and impossible to guard on the pick and roll. Paul gets wherever he wants to go on the floor. However, the Hornets just don’t have the talent around him to beat Denver. Tyson Chandler has battled a nagging ankle problem all year and Peja Stojakovic isn’t the same player he used to be. Denver on the other hand, has a nice lineup with Carmelo Anthony, Nene, Billups, Linas Kleiza, as well as the emerging J.R. Smith and Chris “Birdman” Andersen. Denver is too strong of a team and I expect them to take the series in 6.

#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks
Spurs in 5

This is the best possible match-up for the Spurs. With the Mavs jumping up to the sixth spot, San Antonio avoids tougher match-ups with Utah and New Orleans. Even without Manu Ginobili, the Spurs should control this series. San Antonio should able to hold Dirk Nowitzki in check, and Dallas has no one that can stop either Tim Duncan or Tony Parker. Add sharp shooters Roger Mason and Michael Finley to the equation and I think the Spurs take the series in five. I expect them to win the first two games in San Antonio, and then split in Dallas before finishing them off back home.

#4 Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets
Blazers in 6

Portland is the second best team in the Western Conference. They play in a hostile arena full of passionate fans. They have the most under-the-radar star in the league in Brandon Roy. They have two solid big men in Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden. LaMarcus Aldridge is an impressive young big man, and Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez (my favorite non-Laker in the NBA) lead a good bench. The Blazers are young and exciting and I think they will provide the biggest challenge to the Lakers in the West. Houston is much improved with Ron Artest and a healthy Yao Ming. Von Wafer has become a good rotation player and Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry have solidified the point guard position. However, I think Portland will be too tough for them to beat. I expect Portland to win in six games.

Eastern Conference

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #8 Detroit Pistons
Cavs in 4

I think that some people might see the name “Detroit Pistons” and remember the team that was in six straight Eastern Conference Finals. They would be greatly mistaken if they expect that team to show up in this series. Cleveland will roll through this year’s edition of the Pistons. I really don’t even expect a close game in this series. When Will Bynum, who has been out of the league since 2006, is your first player off the bench, you know your team is in trouble. Detroit has no one that can stop either LeBron James or Mo Williams. Cleveland will destroy Detroit in the paint. It’s going to be one-sided and the only thing that can change that is a LeBron James injury (But when your using Performance Enhancing Drugs is that possible?…Just kidding…Kinda). Cavs sweep in four games.

#2 Boston Celtics vs. #7 Chicago Bulls
Celtics in 6

Well the Kevin Garnett injury news throws a wrench into the Celtics’ title defense. Boston will obviously miss their leader, but they still have enough to beat a late-charging Bulls team. The Bulls have shaped their roster into a nice 9-man rotation They have played very well of late, and the additions of John Salmons and Brad Miller have turned them into a solid team. But it won’t matter against the Celtics. I expect the Bulls to play them tough but at the end of the day the Celts are still the champs (vomit) and I expect them to play that way while disposing Chicago.

#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Philadelphia 76ers
Magic in 6

Orlando is probably the team that benefits the most from the KG injury news. But that story needs to be saved for next round. In this series I expect the Magic to dominate the Sixers inside. The only reason I have Philly winning two games is because they are athletic enough to steal two games in this series. Oh and because my buddy Paul, “The Big Philly”, would kill me if I had them losing in 4 or 5 games. Dwight Howard and the Magic will prove too much for Philly and they will move on to a showdown in the second round with the defending champs.

#4 Atlanta Hawks vs. #5 Miami Heat
Heat in 7

Repeat after me…Dwyane Wade. D-Wade is the sole reason the Heat have a chance in this series. The Heat would be awful without Wade and he has single-handedly carried them this far. Atlanta is the much better team on paper but they seem to lack intensity at times, something Wade doesn’t have a problem with, and they struggle to win on the road. If the Heat can get to a game 7, Wade gives them a great shot of winning this series. Joe Johnson and D-Wade will be a fun match-up to watch, and seeing Wade go “2006 Kobe” this postseason should be fun too. Overall, my head tells me to pick the Hawks but my heart says to pick the Heat. The heart wins in this one as I go with the team with the best superstar.

K is for Kershaw

A game after Chad Billingsley one-upped Randy Wolf's stellar performance, Clayton Kershaw raised the bar higher with an even better start. Clayshaw struck out 13 batters in seven innings while only walking one and giving up one hit, a solo shot to Bengie Molina. That gives Kershaw 19 K's in only 12 innings so far this year. He has surrendered only three hits. I know it's a small sample size against two of the league's worst offenses (San Diego and San Francisco), but it's hard not to get excited about this kid. Kershaw attacked the hitters with his mid-90's fastball while occasionally mixing in his two-plane curve to keep hitters off balance. The Giants looked like they didn't have a chance. That's impressive to see from a young man who just turned 21 years old in March. Over the last two games Dodgers' fans got a glimpse of what is going to be an awesome 1-2 punch in the future; and it's going to be pretty darn sweet in the short term too. If Kershaw can limit the damage from his inevitable walks, he just might be the Dodgers' second best pitcher this season. Even with his random bouts of wildness, he makes it tough on hitters to make good contact and I think that is going to help him out immensely this year when he does struggle. The sky is the limit for the left-hander from Texas and we're just seeing the beginning. Some other thoughts from tonight's game:

• I think Torre went with the hook a little early with Kuo. I understand his logic, but I would have liked to see him get out of the jam on his own. That being said, I'm glad he went to Ronald Belisario instead of another reliever. I know Belisario hung an 0-2 breaking ball to Aaron Rowand, but the guy has filthy stuff and more often than not I think he strikes out Rowand.
• I never thought the Dodgers were going to lose the game. This doesn't happen to me often. I can be cynical and downright pessimistic during games but tonight it just didn't happen. I sent my dad a text telling him we were going to win even after the Rowand bomb, and I wasn't suprised when the Dodgers came back and tied it in the eighth. I think this peaceful feeling bodes well for the team this year since it means that fans are expecting them to win. That's a great feeling. The Dodgers' offense kept getting chances and it was bound to lead to some runs.
• I am very happy with Matt Kemp's at-bat in the eighth. Other Dodgers have great approaches at the plate (virtually everyone hitting 1-6 in the order) and Kemp has made improvements, but he still gives away some at-bats. When he went down 1-2 to Bobby Howry in the eighth with the tying run 90 feet away, I actually lost confidence for a second. However, Kemp laid off a tough pitch to push the count to 2-2 and then shortened his swing and lined a fastball into center to tie the game. If Kemp continues to make those adjustments the Dodgers' lineup will be downright scary.
• Some final random thoughts... I'm loving the O-Dog and it's only a matter of time until every Dodger fan feels the same. It's nice to see Russell Martin coming around; I wasn't worried but he a huge part of this team so it's great to see him produce at the plate. Ethier never gives away an at-bat. It's amazing. The guy just keeps fouling pitches off until he gets something he can handle. Zero hits and 3 RBI's for James Loney. That will make old-school situational hitting lovers happy. Casey Blake is the definition of feast-or-famine so far this year. A .188 average and a team leading three home runs. Can't say I won't take it from the eight hole though.

While it was unfortunate to see the bullpen blow another potential win for Kershaw, it was great to see the offense fight back and steal one from the Hated Ones. Broxton gets the win after mowing down the Giants in order in the ninth. Tomorrow night Eric Stults faces the 126 million dollar man Barry Zito. I'm expecting a high scoring ballgame. But what do I know?

American Idol Top 7 Prediction

My bottom three for tonight in no particular order:
1. Lil Rounds
2. Kris Allen
3. Matt Giraud

Who is Going Home? Lil Rounds

Dodgers Open in Style

The home opener at Dodger Stadium had just about everything a fan of the Dodgers could ask for. Brilliant pitching, good defense, great hitting, a rare feat, and all the pomp and circumstance that makes Opening Day awesome. A few highlights from the day (and one or two lowlights)

• Vin Scully throwing out the first pitch- This was incredible. Scully threw a strike to Dodgers' manager Joe Torre, and then proceeded to announce to the crowd those wonderful words, "It's time for Dodger baseball!". The fly over was amazing too and it was treat to watch a huge plane glide through the air looking as agile as can be. I enjoyed the whole angle of having the players enter through the stands, but introducing the players in numerical order in order to let Manny Ramirez entire as the messiah was too cliche. I really like Manny Ramirez, but it annoys me that he gets all the attention while there are many other Dodgers that are capable of playing at a high level. This was evident when Orlando Hudson acheived his feat later in the game, but I'll get to that in a moment.
• Chad Billingsley was on his game on Monday. The Dodgers' ace went seven innings, while giving up only one run on five hits. Bills struck out eleven Giants and didn't walk a single batter. Unlike the national baseball media, I am not worried about the starting rotation and Chad is a huge reason why. No one outside of Los Angeles besides Keith Law knows it, but Chad Billingsley is one of the best pitchers in baseball. His ERA+ the last two years has been 138 and 135 respectively. I expect him to be even better this season and maybe people will start to pay attention to what he brings to the table. It was really fun to see him mowing down the Giants hitters, and he finished in style after striking out the side in his final inning.
• Andre Ethier hit two home runs on Monday, and both were on the first pitch against lefties. His first was off of Randy Johnson, a shot to left-center, and his second was off of Alex Hinshaw, a 429 foot bomb into the pavilion in right field. Andre has a great approach at the plate, and he continues to show an increase in power as he gets closer to his prime. I expect Ethier to hit around .300 this year and I think it is very possible for him to repeat his 2008 OBP of .375. Ethier is another player that seems to be excelling under the veil of anonymity. He could very well post a .900 OPS this season which would make him one of the better hitters in baseball. If only anyone actually knew that...
• Orlando Hudson became the first LA Dodger to hit for the cycle at Dodger Stadium. After hitting a dribbler in front of the plate in his first at bat, the O-Dog was called safe on a bang-bang play at first. In his next at-bat, Hudson lined a shot down the left-field line which barely got over the wall. Hudson lined a double into left-center in his third at-bat. I immediately realized Hudson was on cycle alert, but Dodger stadium is notoriously difficult to hit a triple in, so I didn't take it too seriously. Then in his fourth at-bat, hitting left-handed for the first time all day, Hudson ripped one into the right-field corner. The O-Dog busted it out of the box, and when the ball caromed off of the wall and away from the defender, he took the opportunity to take third. A good relay throw made the play extremely close, and from my vantage point (albeit in the Top Deck), I thought he was out. But he was called safe in what was one of the more exciting plays I have seen. However, this is where my beef with Manny Mania comes to a head. Hudson becomes the first Dodger to hit for the cycle since Wes Parker did it in 1970, and instead of the crowd giving him a standing ovation, the crowd rises to their feet and starts to chant Manny's name. This really upset me for some reason and it started making me bitter towards Manny even though it's not his fault. I'm glad Manny has galvinized the Dodgers' fan base and interest within the city, but come on, there are other Dodgers doing remarkable things. Yet, many fans seem to be myopic when it comes to Manny. Their inability to see beyond #99 is causing them to miss some exciting moments. The Dodgers as a whole always come first in my eyes, and that just doesn't seem to be the case with some other Dodger fans.
• A random tidbit from my seats in the nosebleeds... While looking to the Northwest from the Top Deck stands, you can see the Hollywood sign way up in the Hollywood Hills. I pointed this out to Adam and Stong, who went in on a 15 game mini-plan with me, and they were less enthused about it than I was. The rest of the game they thought it would be funny to point out the Think Blue sign in the hills beyond Dodger Stadium while mocking my random revelation. I think they are just jealous they didn't spot it first.
• Oh another random rant... The girl who sang God Bless America in the middle of the seventh inning decided it would be fun to stretch the song into a 5 minute rendition. I swear she must have sang the song four times in a row. There were multiple occasions where the crowd started cheering because they thought it was over, only to have her start singing again. And I won't even begin to mention her voice...

Anyways, I couldn't have asked for a better home opener. If the Dodgers' offense continues to display good balance and the pitching stays strong, this is going to be a fun year at Chavez Ravine.

Dodgers Take 2 of 3 from D-Backs

After a tough loss Thursday in San Diego and a blowout loss Friday in the opener of a three game set with Arizona, the Dodgers bounced back with their first two game winning streak of the season. James McDonald struggled Friday night, completely losing control in the decisive third inning. He walked three batters, hit another, and allowed a home run to Chris Young all in the third inning. McDonald doesn't have a history of control problems, so I think the Dodgers can chalk that one up to nerves. He is slated to start again Sunday against Colorado and I expect him to bounce back with a strong outing.

Saturday night the Dodger offense came through with the first breakout performance of the young season. The Dodgers had eleven hits, six for extra bases, as well as five walks. Orlando Hudson led the way with a home run and a double, and Casey Blake (spelled Kasey Blake in my book for his early season propensity to strike out) came through with his second home run of the year as well as a double. But the key to the night was Eric Stults' performance. Filling in for an injured Hiroki Kuroda, Stults gave the Dodgers the strong performance they needed. With the bullpen already on fumes five games into the new year, Stults went 5.1 innings while giving up only one run and striking out five. He gave way to Belisario, who is starting to become a favorite of mine, who proceeded to get the ball to Wade in the eighth. By that time, the outcome was decided and the Dodgers cruised to the victory.

Sunday's game was controlled by Randy Wolf. Wolf, bouncing back from his shaky outing in San Diego, got the Dodgers into the eighth inning before giving up a leadoff single to Chad Tracy. Hong-Chih Kuo, anonymous to all of baseball except Dodger fans, came in and promptly retired the side. Then came Broxton, who shut the door 1-2-3 for his third save. Broxton was much maligned during the offseason, but he is showing what he can do given the opportunity to close. I have been very impressed with him so far, and I expect him to keep it up. The offense scored a run on a bizarre play in the second inning. I'll let the umpire explain that one and save my breath. The Dodgers added a second run on a James Loney single in the third, and then added one for insurance when Matt Kemp extended his hitting streak to seven games with an RBI double in the ninth. All in all, a well pitched game for the Dodgers which led to the victory. If the Dodgers can get these types of performances from Randy Wolf on occasion, the pitching staff will be very good.

Overall, the first week was a decent start to the season for the Dodgers. They should probably be 5-2, as Thursday's loss was a game they should have won, but I think they will take the start. The Dodgers now come home to Los Angeles for their home opener tomorrow against the hated Giants. Chad Billingsley takes on Randy Johnson in what should be an exciting pitching matchup. The home opener is always a fun event, and hopefully the Dodgers can add a victory to the festivities. I'll be there with Stong and Adam taking in a great day at the ballpark. Go Dodgers!

Please Check This Out

Jon Weisman, who runs the blog Dodger Thoughts, wrote a tremendous post last night about an incident he had with a drunk driver. I strongly encourage everyone to check it out. In light of the tragic deaths the other night in Fullerton, I think we need as many reminders as possible about the dangers and irresponsibility of driving under the influence. So please check this out..

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dodgerthoughts/2009/04/adenhart.html

Thank you.

Here Comes the Real Test

The Lakers took care of business against the red-hot Denver Nuggets tonight and ended their eight game winning streak. Andrew Bynum made his triumphant return to the court after missing 32 games with a torn MCL. Bynum looked shaky at first, completely missing the iron on a jump hook. He finished with three points and four boards in the first half. However, in the second half, he seemed to get his timing down and he finished the game with 16 points and 7 rebounds on 7-11 shooting. He played only 21 minutes and I think the Lakers have to say they were happy with the way things turned out. Shannon Brown was the first guard off the Lakers bench and he provided good energy and finished with a +14 on the night. Kobe Bryant looked great as he sliced and diced the Nuggets' defense on his way to 33 points on 11 of 19 shooting. Pau Gasol had a monster of a game with 27 points and 19 boards. I am very pleased with the way the Lakers looked tonight. Their ball movement was sharp, they controlled the boards, and they played solid defense. The common belief is that the Nuggets will be the Lakers biggest challenge in the West, and this game showed just what the Lakers can do when healthy. If Bynum continues to get his timing and footwork down over the next three games and the first round of the playoffs, then the rest of the league needs to look out because the Lakers will be extremely tough to beat.

The Lakers now move on to Portland to take on the upstart Blazers. Portland has been a difficult place for the Lakers to play (last win up there was 2003-2004) and now their chances of obtaining the best record in the NBA hinges on this game. The Lakers are finally at full strength, and they are going to need everyone to play well if they are going to exorcise their Rose Garden demons. The Lakers finish with two games they should win easily (home versus Memphis and Utah) and so a win tomorrow night would go a long way towards helping the Lakers finish the season with the 66 wins that I think will be the magic number to clinch the league's best record. I know the Lakers still need the Cavs to lose a game, but for some reason I can' t shake the feeling that the Cavs will drop another game before the end of the regular season. Boston or Philadelphia will knock them off, putting the Lakers in prime position to gather home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Tomorrow night's game will be a great test with the playoffs starting next weekend. The Lakers will be playing a road game in a playoff atmosphere against a great home team. The crowd will be displaying their typical animosity towards the Lakers. There will be at least one or two Portland runs that put the Lakers on the ropes. However, if the Lakers can pass this test and go on to win the final two regular season games I think they will be starting to peak at the right time. Bynum is healthy and ready to go. Gasol is ready to avenge his poor NBA finals. Kobe wants a title without Shaq. All the pieces of the puzzle are there for the Lakers. They have no excuse not to win this postseason. A win Friday night could help immensely in getting the Lakers to the level they need to get to before the playoffs. I'm ready to see how they respond to the challenge.. Will they stand up and fight against the adversity or will they take the easy way out? We shall see in a matter of hours...

R.I.P Nick Adenhart

A horrific accident took the life of young Angel Nick Adenhart early this morning. Consider this another reminder of the danger of driving under the influence. I just remind people to think of him as a person, not just a baseball player, and to think of this tragedy in that light. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Adenhart family, his friends, and the entire Angels' organization. There is not much more I can say about this tragic event without digressing into an angry tirade over the irresponsibility of driving drunk. What's important is that a young man with a bright future lost his life today..

R.I.P Nick Adenhart

American Idol Top 8 Prediction

My bottom three for tonight:

1. Lil Rounds
2. Anoop Desai
3. Scott MacIntyre

Who is going home? Scott MacIntyre

My Fave Five

After an inquiry to name my five favorite athletes of all-time on facebook, I settled on these five:

1. Nick Van Exel- Nick the Quick was, and will always be, my favorite Laker of all-time. He was the first Laker I identified with, and even though it wasn't a particularly glorious time in Lakers' history, he was my favorite player on my first favorite team. Van Exel had a swagger about him that I loved. When he would get hot and start pulling 25 foot three's in transition, you knew it was over. On my fourth grade traveling team, I experimented with shooting left handed free throws because of Nicky V. I also mimicked some of his mannerisms, including blowing on my hand because it was "hot" if I made a jumper. I was given a Van Exel jersey in fourth grade as a present and I wore that jersey out. My parents would only half-jokingly ask me to take it off so they could wash it. While Van Exel wasn't the greatest Laker (His horrible shot selection and bad attitude come to mind) it makes me sad thinking of the day he was traded. I would have loved to see him holding up the Larry O'Brien trophy while wearing Purple and Gold..
2. Kobe Bryant- This one is a no-brainer to any Laker fan. Kobe symbolizes the new generation of Laker dominance. His ability to take over a game is unmatched. He has a quiet confidence that no one has possessed since MJ. He has been a Laker for 13 years now, and everyone in my age group has basically grown up with Kobe. I named my dog after him in sixth grade and the three championships he has won here have cemented his legacy. If he can win one without Shaq there will be no denying that he is the greatest Laker since Magic and that both his uniform numbers (8 and 24) will hang in the rafters at Staples Center one day..
3. Mike Piazza- Talk about a story that should have ended happily but didn't. If it were not for the dark period in the late 90's and early 00's, Mike Piazza would be wearing a Dodger's cap when he gets elected to Cooperstown. Instead News. Corp and Rupert Murdoch decided to trade Piazza because they didn't want to give him a long-term deal. While Sheffield was an extremely productive player for the Dodgers, he just wasn't Piazza. Mikey put up his best seasons in a Dodger uniform and was part of a string of five consecutive rookies of the year (Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, Nomo, and Hollandsworth) which I grew up loving. The Piazza led Dodgers made the playoffs in '95 and '96 only to be swept in the first round both times. Still, I just have a feeling that if they would have kept that team in tact, we would not be in a 20 year plus world series drought. Since Piazza was my first favorite Dodger, he will always have a soft spot in my heart. (UPDATE: Shout out to Jessi, the biggest Mike Piazza fan of them all)
4. Robert Horry- Game 4, Western Conference Finals, 2002. That should say it all. Kobe drives from the right wing towards the hoop and misses a contested runner. Shaq misses the put-back and Vlade tips it out to Horry. Horry lets it go from behind the arc.. The ball seems to take minutes to come down. Finally, it rips through the net and the Lakers complete their 24 point comeback against the hated Kings. I have never been so thrilled in my life. I tackled my buddy Collin, then proceed to run around my neighborhood in pure ecstacy. Horry will always be a legend in LA, regardless of the fact he ended his career as a Spur.
5. Matt Kemp- I have already raved about Kemp on here before, but his combination of size, speed, and athleticism are unique in a baseball player. The sky is the limit for Kemp and I hope he matches his potential while wearing Dodger Blue. I wanted to have a current Dodger on here and Kemp is my current favorite so I thought it was fitting. I spent 120 bucks on an authentic Kemp jersey two years ago even though there were tons of rumors about the Dodgers trading him. That should tell you something.

Honorable Mention: Pau Gasol, Chad Fonville, Raul Mondesi, Maurice Jones-Drew, Marshall Faulk, Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Chad Billingsley, Delino Deshields (just kidding), Clayton Kershaw, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Eddie Jones, Eric Gagne, Jose Lima, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali

So there you have it.. My favorite five athletes of all-time. I know there are probably some oversights here but my honorable mentions should cover a good majority of my favorite athletes. Let me know what you think and who your favorite athletes are..

Dodgers Win Opener, Bynum sets a return date

Yeah I am going to combine two sports into one post. With Opening Day consuming most of my attention, it was also reported that Andrew Bynum said he plans to play Sunday against the team he hurt his knee against over two months ago, the Memphis Grizzlies. That's great news for the Lakers. This will give Bynum two games to try and get his timing and feel right for the playoffs. If Bynum is able to produce at all going into the playoffs then I think it makes the Lakers the favorites to win it all.
Now onto the Dodgers. Hiroki Kuroda pitched great until the sixth when he seemed to hit the wall. However, Cory Wade came in and got out of the bases loaded mess by retiring Kevin Kouzmanoff on a dribbler back to the mound. Kuroda gets the win, Jake Peavy gets the loss (his first against the Dodgers since 2003), and Jon Broxton got the save. Some thoughts I had while watching the game:

• I know this is arbitrary, but I am glad the O-Dog switched his uniform number from #30 to #13. It just looked better on him. I also can't escape the feeling of terror I get when I see a black Dodger second baseman wearing a double ear-flap batting helmet (It's not Delino's fault he was traded for the best pitcher of his generation but I have been classically conditioned otherwise).
• I love the balance in the order. It's not just that the lineup is deep, it's the fact that everyone brings something different and it just fits together nicely. Furcal and Hudson are switch-hitters at the top who both bring good speed and can get on base at a high clip. Manny is the big power threat but will also hit for average and get on base. Andre Ethier has a great approach at the plate, and brings some power from the left side to help keep the lineup balanced. Russell Martin works the count and takes his fair share of walks. Batting him fifth splits the lineup in half and puts another strong OBP guy in front of the bottom of the lineup. James Loney is a contact hitter with gap power. I just can't imagine him not hitting 20-25 home runs eventually. Matt Kemp is a budding star with an incredible combination of raw power and electrifying speed. He is the most exciting Dodger player, and although he makes some frustrating mistakes, his talent is undeniable. We saw it today with the diving catch in center and then the 418 foot bomb he hit off Peavy. Any Casey Blake brings rare pop to the bottom of the order. I don't think there is another team that can say they have a 20 HR hitter batting that low in the order. Any way you slice it, it looks like this will be a fun lineup to watch.
• Getting back to Kemp for a moment (anyone who knows me knows he is my favorite Dodger so get used to the raving), I am really happy that he was able to hit one off Peavy. The last two years, both Grady Little and Joe Torre used him sparingly against tough right-handed pitchers. Maybe it was for his good at the time, but now with no other option, Kemp will get to face all the opposing aces. It will be fun to see how he does, and while there will be bumps along the way, I think he is going to shine.
• Kuroda was fantastic. He wasn't missing bats as much as I would like to see (only 2 K's in 5.2 innings) but when he is getting ground balls at such a staggering rate, it doesn' t matter. Overall, a fantastic effort from Hiroki.
• I love Cory Wade. My sabermetric side tells me to be ready for a slippage. He was exceptionally lucky last year and his average stuff just doesn't seem like it will result in an outstanding career. However, he has very good control and command of his pitches, and it seems like he always gets out of the jams. He inherited a bases loaded situation today and and was able to battle back from being down in the count 2-o to get a 1-3 putout. The man seems to deliver everytime he is called on and for that I respect him.
• Hong-Chih Kuo and Broxton have special arms. Watching both of these guys throw is a treat. Everyone is worried about our bullpen because they are inexperienced. While that is true, I'll take the electric arms of Kuo and Brox all day long. They both had great seasons last year, and they form one of the best 1-2 combos in any bullpen. They might be unheralded but I like it as it gives me a reason to stay mad at ESPN baseball analysts for being so ignorant about the personnel in the game.
• It felt great to beat Peavy. It seems like anytime the Dodgers face him, I resign myself to the fact that they will lose. And while Peavy was brilliant once he settled down, the Dodgers were able to produce just enough offense to never feel truly threatened in the game today.
  

All in all, it was a fun Opening Day. I am looking forward to watching this team play all year. The balance of youth, prime-aged, and old veterans on the team is nice and I think that if it all comes together this could be a special year for the Boys in Blue. I know it's only been one game, but it was a great way to start the 2009 season.

The Greatest Day of the Year

Ever since I was little, I have loved Opening Day. It starts in Little League with the opening ceremonies and continues all day as teams play their first games of the spring. Baseball, more than any other sport, carries a nostalgia that makes it special. I love basketball and enjoy football and hockey, but nothing really comes close to Opening Day in baseball. My love for this day did not wane when I stopped playing, but rather has intensified as I have grown up. It signifies the first day of a six month (and hopefully longer) journey where I will follow the ups and down of my favorite team. I will make several trips to the majestic Dodger Stadium to watch the Dodgers and hopefully more often than not I will leave with Randy Newman signing in the background. Optimism is prevalent throughout all the parks in Major League Baseball, and the first game always feels way more important than the single game it counts for in the standings. And so today at 4 PM the Dodgers will open their journey in San Diego against the rival Padres and notorious Dodger Killer Jake Peavy. Hiroki Kuroda gets the call from Joe Torre and he has the difficult task of trying to match Peavy's brilliance. I hope the Dodgers win, but it's not the end of the world if they drop the opener. There are 161 more to play after today. I remind myself amidst the excitement of Opening Day to keep this proper perspective. Unfortunately, as a fan, it's not always that easy. Great teams are developed over the long haul, and bumps in the road always occur along the way. It's important to enjoy the marathon that is the Major League Baseball season. I can't wait for it to get started.

MLB Preview Part II: MLB Predictions

With opening night less than 18 hours away, I thought now would be the perfect time to post my 2009 MLB predictions. So without further adieu, I bring to you my predictions for each division as well as my picks for the major awards:

NL West: W- L:
Los Angeles Dodgers 89-73
Arizona Diamondbacks 87-75
San Francisco Giants 80-82
San Diego Padres 71-91
Colorado Rockies 70-92
Summary: The Dodgers lineup will prove to be the difference in the West this year as no other team in the division can match it. The D’Backs have a good young lineup with breakout candidate Justin Upton as a player to watch. The Giants have the best pitching staff in the division with reigning Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, unlucky Matt Cain, as well as Randy Johnson, Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito. The Padres are in payroll slashing mode but having Jake Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez should help the team finish ahead of the rebuilding Rockies.

NL Central: W- L:
Chicago Cubs 94-68
St. Louis Cardinals 85-77
Milwaukee Brewers 84-78
Cincinnati Reds 77-85
Houston Astros 73-89
Pittsburgh Pirates 69-93
Summary: The Cubs are clearly the class of the division with a strong lineup and a very good pitching staff. They resigned Ryan Dempster and their pitching staff goes four deep with Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and injury prone but explosive Rich Harden. Offensively they added switch hitter Milton Bradley who should give their right handed heavy lineup some balance. The Brewers and Cardinals should be competitive but neither team will give the Cubs a real scare. The Reds have a decent staff for once, but their lineup isn’t very good. The Astros have nothing behind Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman, and the Pirates are the Pirates.

NL East: W- L:
Philadelphia Phillies 90-72
New York Mets 90-72
Atlanta Braves 85-77
Florida Marlins 78-84
Washington Nationals 76-86
Summary: The NL East should be a very competitive division which I project ending in a tie. The defending champion Phillies lost Pat Burrell and replaced him with Raul Ibanez. The Mets have decent starting pitching led by perennial Cy Young Award candidate Johan Santana, and they added J.J. Putz and Frankie Rodriguez to stabilize the back end of their bullpen. The Braves added Javier Vasquez and Derek Lowe to their much improved rotation, but their offense just won’t be enough unless Chipper Jones stays healthy and Yunel Escobar has a breakout year offensively. Florida should be better than expected but overall the team is just too young. Washington will be much improved but they have a glut of outfielders and need to figure out that situation and must add a couple of arms before they make it out of the cellar in the East.

AL West: W- L:
Los Angeles Angels 85-77
Oakland Athletics 81-81
Texas Rangers 72-90
Seattle Mariners 71-91
Summary: The Angels outplayed their run differential last season and that should catch up to them this year. The early season losses of John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Kelvim Escobar will hurt too. However, they have the pitching depth to withstand it for the short run. Their offense will miss Mark Teixeira but Bobby Abreu will infuse the lineup with some much needed OBP. The A’s improved this winter with their trade for Matt Holliday, and they also signed Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, and Nomar Garciaparra. However their pitching staff will be reliant on two rookies (Anderson and Cahill) and they will be without Justin Duchscherer for a while, so I don’t think it bodes well for them. Texas is still missing the quality arms at the big league level and Seattle doesn’t know if it’s coming or going so neither team will play a factor in the race out west.

AL Central: W- L:
Cleveland Indians 89-73
Chicago White Sox 86-76
Detroit Tigers 80-82
Minnesota Twins 78-84
Kansas City Royals 70-92
Summary: The Indians might not have a great pitching staff, but Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona are a solid one-two punch. A lineup anchored by Grady Sizemore, and a healthy Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner should score enough runs to win the division and their pickup of Mark DeRosa is an under the radar addition that should help immensely. The White Sox will prove to be their toughest competition, especially if John Danks and Gavin Floyd continue to improve. The Tigers have a good lineup but way too many question marks in their rotation. Minnesota would be higher but the uncertain status of Joe Mauer ruins their chances. If they lose Mauer for an extended time period they can kiss 2009 goodbye. The Royals needed OBP in their lineup and instead they added Mike Jacobs and his .299 OBP. They will remain irrelevant for the time being.

AL East: W- L:
Boston Red Sox 97-65
New York Yankees 96-66
Tampa Bay Rays 89-73
Toronto Blue Jays 70-92
Baltimore Orioles 68-94
Summary: This one was the toughest to call. At the end of the day I think the Red Sox added pitching depth makes the difference. They also have fewer question marks than the Yankees and seem to fit together better. The additions of John Smoltz and Brad Penny were great signings and their rotation as a result is mighty impressive. The Yankees should win 130 games on paper but in real life there will be some obstacles. Can Posada catch everyday? Can they get enough at-bats for Nick Swisher? What’s Hideki Matsui’s role? Will Sabathia hold up after pitching a 1960’s like 515 innings over the past two seasons? Will A-Rod’s hip hold up? Overall, the Yanks have too much talent not to make the postseason. The Rays would probably win any other division in baseball but in the AL East they will finish third. The Blue Jays rotation is decimated with injuries and Matt Wieters can’t save the day for the O’s just yet.


Individual Awards:
NL MVP: Chase Utley
Pujols is always a candidate, but if Utley can shake off his hip surgery over the winter I think he has a good chance with his great offense and good defense at a scarce position.
AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
Sizemore is tremendous. He hits for power, gets on base, and plays amazing defense at an incredibly important position. I think he is underappreciated and this is the year he gets his real publicity.
NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb
Webb was the frontrunner in some circles for the Cy Young last year until his disastrous final month and a half. This year I think he holds off Johan Santana and finishes the deal and wins his second Cy.
AL Cy Young: Jon Lester
Jon Lester posted a tremendous 144 ERA+ last year. I expect him to pick up a good amount of wins (always a requisite for the BBWAA voters), and he should increase his strikeout total. Plus he pitches in Boston and we know how that East Coast bias works…
AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters
Matt Wieters has tremendous potential. My only doubt is whether he will be called up soon enough to accumulate enough counting stats (HR, RBI, etc.) to get the voters’ attention. However, the lack of another obvious alternative makes him the favorite this year.
NL Rookie of the Year: James McDonald
McDonald might not be spectacular but he will probably get close to 30 starts if he stays healthy. If he gets 12-15 wins and posts a sub 4 ERA I think he takes home the hardware.

Playoffs:
NLDS: Dodgers over Phillies
Cubs over Mets

ALDS: Red Sox over Angels
Yankees over Indians

NLCS: Cubs over Dodgers

ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees

World Series: Red Sox over Cubs

So there you have it. My predictions, as always, are likely to be wrong. Please feel free to ridicule my predictions or post your own picks in the comments below. I'm a strong boy, I can take the abuse.

Can the Lakers Catch the Cavs?

After falling in Charlotte on Wednesday night, the faltering Lakers faced a virtually insurmontable three game deficit with eight games to play in their quest for home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Now after two straight Cleveland losses and two straight Laker wins, the deficit is down to a mere game with six to play. A one game lead is still a hefty deficit with such few games left to play, and the Lakers will need to play perfect basketball down the stretch to have a chance. Luckily for the Lakers, they possess the tie-breaker with the Cavs due to their season sweep over them, and therefore only have to tie them in the standings to take home court throughout. Let's take a look at the remaining schedules for both teams:

Cleveland: San Antonio, Washington, @ Philadelphia, Boston, @ Indiana, Philadelphia
Lakers: LA Clippers, @ Sacramento, Denver, @ Portland, Memphis, Utah

Cleveland still has two games remaining against elite teams (San Antonio and Boston) but plays both games at home where they are 36-1 this year. They should take the two games with Philly but I wouldn't be surprised if the Sixers stole one of the games. Washington is finally healthy but it's hard to imagine them winning in Cleveland. And the game at Indiana should be a cakewalk. So all in all, I think it's fair to say the Cavs will go 5-1 down the stretch which puts them at 66-16. That means the Lakers have to run the table to get home court. A look at the schedule shows three games they should win easily (Clippers, Memphis, Sacramento) and two games against good teams who are significantly worse on the road (Denver and Utah). So that leaves one important game: The Portland Trail Blazers and the dreaded Rose Garden. If the Lakers can exorcise their Rip City demons, they have a good shot of running the table and finishing 66-16. If not they will probably be on the outside looking in again this year, forced to start the NBA Finals on the road. Either way, it should be an exciting stretch run for the boys in purple and gold.

MLB Preview Part I: Dodgers season preview

With the Dodgers returning to Los Angeles to take on the Angels in the lone game of the Freeway Series, I decided to put together my predictions for the Dodgers 2009 season. The 25 man roster is subject to change in the next 24-48 hours, but my 25 man roster is what I think the Dodgers will do after final cuts, not what I think they should do. So I bring to you my Dodgers season preview:

25 Man Roster:

C: Russell J. Martin, Brad Ausmus
Martin has been to consecutive All-Star Games and is one of the best catchers in all of baseball. Yet, I feel like he can be better. He posted a strong OBP last year (.385) and his 90 walks are very impressive. However, he experienced a severe dip in Slugging % (.469 in 2007 to .396 in 2008) despite only suffering a modest dip in Batting Average. I expect Martin’s power to jump back up to his 2007 form and if he combines that with his improved OBP, he could easily be the 2009 Dodger MVP. Brad Ausmus is a no-hit backup who will probably only get a handful of at-bats every month. GM Ned Colletti believes Ausmus impact will be more on the pitchers and young players and so if he helps there than I guess he is worth having around.

1B: James Loney, Doug Mientkiewicz
Loney turns 25 early on in what I believe will be a make-or-break season for him as a Dodger. After having an impressive half season in 2007 (.331/.381/.538) with 15 HR’s in only 344 at-bats, James suffered through an equally unimpressive 2008 (.289/.338/.434) including only 13 HR’s in 595 at-bats. Loney will never hit for big power but if he can get to around 20 bombs with gap power and a .800+ OPS I think he could be valuable this year. Mientkiewicz is a Joe Torre favorite who possesses a good glove and can play some 3rd base and the corner OF spots. He isn’t a great hitter and doesn’t have much power (career .405 SLG) but he can post a solid OBP (.360 in his career) and should be a decent option as a pinch hitter.

2B: Orlando Hudson, Mark Loretta
The O-Dog (I can’t wait to hear Vin say that all year) is an above-average offensive 2nd baseman. After his trade to Arizona before the 2006 season, he became a good hitter and can post a good OBP (.367 last year and .376 in 2007) and should hit for average. However, I worry that his wrist injury that ended his season last year (dislocation) will affect his offense this year. I think he might struggle offensively to start the season but as he completely heals I expect another good year from him. Defensively Hudson has above-average range on groundballs and amazing range on pop-ups. He is a complete upgrade from the retired Jeff Kent and should form a good DP combo with Rafael Furcal. Mark Loretta is a good pinch hitting option who will hit for average and should kill lefties (.904 OPS last year) and he will probably play every infield position at least once this year.

SS: Rafael Furcal, Juan Castro
Rafael Furcal should be nicknamed “The Big Question Mark”. Can his back hold up? Can he still be effective over 162 games? Who will replace him if he goes down for an extended period of time? How much rest does he need to stay healthy? All these questions are legitimate concerns. This is what we know: When healthy Furcal is an impact player at a key position. The Dodgers have struggled to replace him in the past and with big time prospect Ivan DeJesus out until at least August, they might have an issue replacing him again. If the Dodgers can get 130 games out of Furcal, they will be fine. Anything less and I think it becomes an issue. Look for Torre to really monitor Raffy’s playing time early on. Juan Castro is just additional shortstop depth, and I don’t expect him to be on the roster all season. He can’t hit (career .599 OPS) and his strong spring is most likely a mirage in the Arizona desert. Look for Chin-Lung Hu to eventually be the backup SS this season.

3B: Casey Blake
Casey Blake is a completely average baseball player. Average bat, average glove, average everything. Some people like to spin his average-ness by saying he is a professional ballplayer, but that is a nice way of saying he is boring, white, and has a beard. His three year deal looked bad initially, and with the economy soon tanking after his signing, it now looks mind-boggling. That being said, if used properly (bat him eighth Joe) Casey can provide pop at the bottom of the order. And that’s nothing to sneeze at.

OF: Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Juan Pierre
We all know what Manny can do. His praises have been sung enough in the past. He will hit 30 HR’s and post a strong OBP (anywhere from .390 to .420) and will drive in 100-plus runs. Matt Kemp is the key to the Dodgers outfield. Kemp posted a .799 OPS last year with 18 HR’s and 38 doubles. I think it’s reasonable to expect Kemp to post a .300/.350/.500 line this year with 20-25 homers and 30 SB’s. He is still a work in progress in the field but possesses a strong throwing arm and great speed. He needs to improve his Stolen Base Percentage (76% last year) and should continue to improve throughout the season. It’s amazing to think this is only his second full season in the big leagues. Andre Ethier is solid if not spectacular. Besides Manny, he was the best Dodger position player last season and he shined as the season went along. He hit 20 HR’s and has an amazing approach at the plate. Look for him to come close to his .305/.375/.510 line as he enters his prime. Juan Pierre is a decent fourth outfielder with a hideous contract. I have been extremely hard on Pierre in the past, but I like him as a fourth outfielder. He can pinch run at the end of the game and he is a better defensive outfielder than Manny (which isn’t saying much). As long as Pierre doesn’t play more than once a week, I am okay with his role.

SP: Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Clayton Kershaw, Randy Wolf, James McDonald
Billingsley was one of the more underrated pitchers in all of baseball last season. He struck out over 200 batters in just over 200 innings and led the staff in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Look for him to have a huge season and finally be recognized as a staff ace by the media. Kuroda really adjusted to pitching in America in the second half of the season. After a three week stint on the DL in June, Kuroda returned and pitched great down the stretch (2.29 ERA in August and 2.96 ERA in September). He gets the opening day start in San Diego and should be good for the Dodgers all year. Clayton Kershaw holds the key to the Dodgers rotation. At the ripe age of 20 last year, Kershaw struck out 100 batters in 107.2 innings. He had an ERA+ of 104 (ERA + is adjusted for league and park, where 100 is the average and a higher number is better). As a 21-year-old this year, I expect him to continue to fan a batter an inning while improving his control and command and bettering his ERA. I think a sub 4 ERA is possible and he should be able to contribute about 180 innings. Randy Wolf had a good second half in 2008 after his trade to Houston. Wolf is an average pitcher who had his first full season last year since 2003. If he can keep the Dodgers in most of the games he pitches this year, the team should be happy. A 4.50 ERA in 175 innings would be good from Randy. James McDonald is a two-time Dodger Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He has an above-average fastball with a good change and good curve. He should be able to stabilize the back-end of the rotation for the Dodgers and should at least be league average. Like Wolf, if McDonald can give the Dodgers 170-180 innings, I think they will be pleased. Unlike Wolf, McDonald has good upside and could have a very good season for the Dodgers.

RP: Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Cory Wade, Guillermo Mota, Jeff Weaver, Brian Mazone, Claudio Vargas
Broxton takes unfair criticism from fans who don’t like the fact that he blows up on occasion. Luckily for Broxton, baseball is played over 162 games and during that time he is tremendous. Last year he struck out 88 batters in 69 innings while posting a 3.13 ERA and 14 saves while only giving up 2 HR’s. He takes over for Takashi Saito and should be able to fill his shoes nicely. Kuo probably is the filthiest pitcher on the Dodgers staff. Unfortunately he also has an elbow that has undergone four operations. If the Dodgers manage his workload, he will be great again. Last year he struck out an amazing 96 batters in 80 innings with a great 1.01 WHIP(Walks + Hits/ Innings Pitched). He can go multiple innings out of the pen but should be monitored closely. Cory Wade was the biggest surprise last year. Unheralded in the minor leagues, Wade had a 2.27 ERA in 71.1 innings and had a WHIP of .93. However, I expect a regression to the mean this year as Wade had a well-below league average BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) and his inability to miss bats should catch up to him this year. Guillermo Mota was a bad signing by the Dodgers as his best days are way behind him. He should struggle this year, but if used properly (6th and 7th innings, and situations that aren’t high-leveraged) he will at least eat innings. Jeff Weaver takes over Chan-Ho Park’s spot as the swingman who can spot start and pitch in long relief. He is trying to reinvent himself to save his career so it will be interesting to see how it works. Brian Mazone has limited big league experience and is only on the Opening Day roster to help keep Will Ohman’s spot warm until he is ready. Claudio Vargas will be used as a long reliever and spot starter who is probably only on the roster because he has a guaranteed contract. Hopefully he will be used sparingly or the Dodgers will be in trouble. I see Vargas as a mid-season DFA candidate (baseball language for being cut)

Waiting in the Wings: LHP Will Ohman, RHP Josh Lindblom, 3B Blake Dewitt, SS Chin-Lung Hu, OF Xavier Paul, RHP Ramon Troncoso, LHP Scott Elbert

Ohman signed late and will be in the big leagues after two weeks. Lindblom jumped onto the Dodgers’ radar this spring, and even though the 2008 draftee has only 34 professional innings, he should be in LA sometime this season as either a starter or reliever. DeWitt was a godsend for the Dodgers last year, but after the Hudson signing, he will begin the season in AAA. He should be up at some point to fill-in for either the injured or the ineffective and although he is primarily a 3rd baseman, he can also play short and 2nd. Chin-Lung Hu has a tremendous glove but has struggled hitting at the big league level. He had his blurred vision problems fixed, and I am curious to see how he does now. He will be up at some point after the Dodgers realize that Juan Castro stinks. Xavier Paul has impressed the Dodger brass this spring and has moved ahead of Jason Repko in the organizational depth chart. If a starting OF gets injured, or the Dodgers find a taker for Juan Pierre, look for Paul to be the guy who gets the call. Ramon Troncoso has a power sinker and can be used as either a starter or reliever. Scott Elbert is a former top prospect who has battled injury problems but still has a ton of upside. The Dodgers will probably try him as a starter in the minors but he can also pitch in relief if needed.

Prediction: 89-73, NL West Champions
MVP: Manny Ramirez
Cy Young: Chad Billingsley
Breakout Position Player: Matt Kemp
Breakout Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw
Minor Leaguer Most Likely to Have an Impact in Los Angeles: Josh Lindblom

What do you guys think? Any glaring errors or omissions. Let me know what you think in the comments below..

Lakers End Road Trip 5-2 After Win in Milwaukee

The Lakers long road trip is finally over after a 104-98 win against the Bucks. The Lakers end up winning 5 out of 7 games on the grueling trip, and now come back to LA where 5 of their last 7 will be at the friendly confines of the Staples Center. It was nice to see Kobe have a good shooting night again as he led the way with 30 points on 10 of 19 shooting. He was a perfect 7 for 7 to start the game and he kept it from getting ugly early on. Lamar had a strong performance with 20 points and 10 boards, and Pau finally woke up in the fourth quarter and he finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Sasha Vujacic, virtually non-existent in the last two months, had a perfect shooting performance off the bench as he scored 14 points on 3 for 3 FG's, 2 for 2 from downtown, and 6 for 6 from the charity stripe. And he added 5 rebounds and 3 assists, leading a much needed strong effort from the "Bench Mob", which one of my friends (Brendon) joked recently should be renamed the "Bench Slobs" for their terrible performances of late.

Overall I am pleased with the win but there are few concerns I have with the playoffs rapidly approaching.
1. The Lakers Apathy- This doesn't concern me too much for the playoffs, but it does frustrate me. They just don't look like they care all that much. The only game on the trip where the Lakers had a strong start and maintained it throughout the entire game was in Detroit. Every other game they either fell behind early or blew an early lead. I like to think that during the playoffs this won't be a problem as they will be more focused, but ideally I would like them to change this "flip the switch" mentality before the playoffs start.
2. Where has the "Bench Mob" gone??- Sasha's strong performance in Milwaukee Wednesday night being the exception, the Lakers' bench has been awful of late. I can't look up the numbers right now (After all, I am a student who has class in a little while) but trust me, it's been pathetic. The starters will obtain an early lead, only to have the bench blow most or all of it. Luke Walton has been playing well, but Jordan Farmar, Sasha, Josh Powell, and DJ Mbenga have all been slumping. I like to think that Bynum's imminent return will increase the bench depth and therefore production will increase also. It's vital that the bench be able to hold leads in the limited minutes they receive in the playoffs.
3. Kobe' s legs- I worry about this the most. Kobe has been in a terrible shooting slump. This happens. The part that worries me is that he is short on most his jumpers and is shooting frozen ropes. I hope fatigue is not an issue after over 100 games last year, the Olympics in Beijing, and now 75 games this season. He has not had much time to rest, and until Wednesday night, he had not been getting to the hoop as much as normal, which was a sign to me that he didn't have his normal explosiveness. I would like to see his minutes monitored the rest of the way, and maybe even have him sit out a game or two to rest his nagging ankle injury, but knowing Kobe there is no way that will happen. Either way, they need him healthy and fresh for the playoffs if they have a chance to win it all.

Overall, a 5-2 trip is good. However, I can't stop thinking that it should have been better. After a 4-0 start, the Lakers had clunkers in both Atlanta and Charlotte. Now with no chance of catching the Cavs, I hope the Lakers take the last seven games as a chance to get rested and healthy for the playoff run.

American Idol Prediction

Yes, this blog is supposed to be about sports. And, no I don't care that this post doesn't hit on sports at all and instead is talking about American Idol. I figured I would give my predictions for the bottom three tonight and then pick who I think is going home. I know most people on here probably don't care but I know of two that do (Cheers Jessi and Brendon). So I bring to you my predictions for tonight:

Bottom 3:
1. Lil Rounds
2. Anoop Desai
3. Scott MacIntyre

Who's Going Home??: Anoop Desai

That's what I think will happen.. Like all predictions on here, it's likely to be wrong. So for those who watch Idol, what do you think?

A Weekend at Camelback Ranch

A good buddy of mine, Adam, took a trip to Glendale, Arizona this past weekend to check out the new state-of-the-art spring training facility that the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox are sharing. In borrowing from the idea of my favorite baseball blog, Dodger Thoughts, I asked Adam to share his weekend experience with us. Take it away Adam:



After years of Dodger Baseball in Vero Beach, the Blue Crew has found a new home in Glendale, Arizona. With its opening this year, Camelback Ranch has officially become the new digs for Dodger Spring ball. While taking in a few games last weekend, I can confidently say that the Dodger buzz extends far beyond the confines of Chavez Ravine.
As a long time Dodger fan (see: ADDICT), I have trouble coping with the loss of baseball in the winter months. By the time March comes around I am so full of anticipation that it’s hard to contain my excitement. Fortunately, spring training is just the “fix” I need to alleviate my preseason anxiety.
Shortly after arriving and seeing Camelback Ranch for the first time, there was no doubt in my mind that this has to be one of the best spring training facilities in the country. Along with the main park, there are more than a half dozen practice fields which are all beautifully maintained. Several hours before afternoon games fans are permitted to walk through the complex to watch their favorite players take BP, throw a bullpen session, or just shag fly balls. Many people brought their gloves to have a catch on the grass, while others just enjoyed the Arizona sun and took in the atmosphere. Throughout the morning several players walk through the complex and into the main stadium, giving ample opportunity for autographs. The stadium is an impressive sight all on its own. Camelback offers a wide range of ticket prices so a game is definitely affordable for anyone. You can spend a little extra on the “home plate club” or enjoy the game from the grass seating behind the outfield fence (similar to PETCO Park). Food/Beverage prices are about the same as your typical Dodger game, so you’ll feel right at home paying $20 for a beer. Besides that there really isn’t much to complain about. (Well maybe the drunk, middle aged guy sitting behind me yelling “Hey Manny” every five minutes. Ill get used to it I guess.)
If you are as crazy about the Dodgers as I am, then Camelback is definitely a place worth checking out next spring. It’s no Dodger Stadium… but honestly, I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend in March.


Thank you Adam.. I must say I am jealous that you got to check out the new facility. As the Dodgers finish their first spring in Arizona, we get ready for the team to move west for the start of the regular season. It feels good to know instead of Cactus League standings we will soon be talking about the National League West standings. The games are about to count and it can't start soon enough. Stay tuned, as later this week I will post a two part baseball preview. Part One will be my personal Dodgers season preview, and part two will be my predictions and thoughts on how the entire MLB season will shake out.