Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Mark McGwire and the Hall of Fame

For the fifth season, Mark McGwire's name appears on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. In the previous four years, he has received between 21.9 and 23.7% of the vote. In order to gain induction, one needs 75%, so McGwire has been significantly below that threshold for the entirety of his candidacy.

On the surface, it would appear that the reason for his lack of support is due to his being linked to steroids. His pathetic performance in front of Congress when he stated that he was 'not there to talk about the past' certainly did not help his case. In an effort to attempt to help his chances for enshrinement, he apologized for 'mistakes' he made during his playing days, and has returned to baseball in the form of a hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. In doing so, he became reunited with his biggest enabler, Tony LaRussa.

However, there is more to McGwire not being inducted than just the steroid issue. Quite simply, when looking at his statistics, he does not deserve to be enshrined. McGwire did one thing well, and that was hit home runs. In fact, his 583 home runs currently ranks tenth all time. Over his career, he hit a home run for every 10.6 at bats, which is the top rate of all time. Solid numbers, yes.

Yet, McGwire only had a grand total of 1626 hits over his 16 year career, which ranks 463rd all time. He is behind such notable names as Mark Kotsay, Shannon Stewart, Alfredo Griffin, and Tony Taylor. His batting average stands at a very underwhelming .263. While he was relatively valuable with the bat, mainly for his power numbers, his fielding at a fairly critical position was lacking. His defensive wins about replacement over his career was a -3.6. The last full season that he played where he was not a liability in the field was in 1992.

Furthering the argument against McGwire, http://www.baseballreference.com/ provides a list of the top ten players who McGwire compares favorably to. Only two are Hall of Famers, Harmon Killebrew and Willie McCovey. The list is as follows: 1. Jose Canseco (ironic), 2. Jason Giambi, 3. Killebrew, 4. Carlos Delgado, 5. McCovey, 6. Jim Thome, 7. Norm Cash, 8. Jaun Gonzalez, 9. Dave Kingman, and 10. Gil Hodges. Of the eight not presently in the hall, a case can be made only for Thome. Also, three of the top ten have been linked to steroids in Canseco (who broke the story), Giambi, and Gonzalez.

McGwire was simply a player who could hit for tremendous power, but was essentially useless otherwise. Steroids or not, he simply does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame - not in 2010 or any other year.

Monday, December 27, 2010

What the Shanahan - Part 2

The biggest moves of the Washington Redskins offseason was to hire Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen as the head coach and general manager, respectively. Shanahan was given the ultimate authority to make football decisions in terms of what players he wanted on the Redskins roster. In theory, having a two time Super Bowl winning coach come over to run a team gives instant credibility. However, a closer examination of Mike Shanahan is truly in order.

Shanahan was originally the coach of the Oakland Raiders, where over a combined twenty games, he went 8-12. Keep in mind that these were not the Raiders of current times, but back in 1988 and 1989, when the team had Bo Jackson, legitimate talent on both sides of the ball, and Al Davis wasn't quite a vampire yet. In fact, in 1990, they went 12-4 and made the playoffs. Shanahan then resurfaced in 1995 with the Denver Broncos, going 8-8 in his first season before winning back to back Super Bowls with John Elway under center. After 1997 and winning his second Super Bowl, Shanahan only made the post season a total of four times, winning only one more playoff game. Following the 2008 season, after he went a combined 24-24 over the past three season, he was fired by the Broncos.

Once in Washington, Shanahan's moves have been interesting. He brought in Donovan McNabb, a player that has a history of choking in the playoffs, and casting away a solid, and respected in the locker room, player in Jason Campbell. He completely changed the alignment of the defense while ignoring the personnel assembled on the team, eschewing the 4-3 in favor of his beloved 3-4. This, despite the fact that the Redskins defense was actually decent last season, ranking 10th in total yards in 2009. This year, they rank 19th in total yards. He has publicly feuded with arguably the best defensive lineman on his team in Albert Haynesworth, forcing him to run a pointless conditioning exercise over and over again as a means of humiliating him. Eventually, Haynesworth was forced off the team and suspended for the remainder of the year.

The roster was constructed using older, veteran players that did not have anything left in the tank. Until recently, Joey Galloway was serving as the number two receiver for the Redskins. This, despite them having two second round picks from 2008 in camp. However, Shanahan, in yet another power trip, demoted both to third string, then subsequently released one and placed the other on IR. Larry Johnson and Willie Parker were brought in, and expected to serve as the backup and third string running backs. Both are no longer with the team. McNabb was given a five year extension, then demoted to backup quarterback, and now, third string. He will be released in the offseason, after Shanahan traded a second round draft choice in 2010 and a fourth round selection in 2011 for him.

The roster is filled with players more interested in padding their statistics than in winning a football game. In the loss to Dallas last week, DeAngelo Hall made an ill advised attempt at an interception, badly misplaying the football. As a result, Jason Witten was able to walk into the endzone untouched. However, had he covered Witten and stayed in position, the Witten would have been stopped at around the ten yard line. Haynesworth wanted no part of the 3-4, in part because his statistics would suffer. On long scoring plays, barely anyone on the Redskins defense attempts to chase down the ball carrier, as most times there are not any maroon jerseys within twenty yards.

Just like the overrated players on this team, Shanahan is also completely overrated. He got his Super Bowl rings riding the coattails of John Elway, and when Elway retired, the true capabilities (or lack thereof) of Shanahan came to light. This is yet another million dollar, flashy mistake by Dan Snyder, who should be kept away from the football team for the Redskins well being.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

If a Tree Falls in a Forest....

We all know the ancient question - if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound. Well, there is a new question for modern times - if a women's college basketball team wins 89 games in a row, does anyone care? While we may never truly be able to say what the answer to the first question is, the answer to the second question is a definite and resounding NO!

Now, this is a solid streak. Winning anything 89 times in a row is impressive. However, this is not a streak on par with the UCLA winning streak in the 1970s. This is not a streak that compares with the LA Lakers winning 33 games from November 5, 1971 until January 7, 1972. Why is that? Because, despite sharing the same name, these are two completely different sports.

Take the U-Conn women's basketball team and put them in the Division One Men's side, and they get destroyed. Not only do these Clydesdales with a ball simply not have the athletic prowess that men do, but they also do not have anything near the talent of even a mediocre program. Watching women's basketball is the sports equivalent of watching paint dry. No one can hit a shot. Games are routinely in the 50's. The only thing it is good for is to have something on in the background when taking a nap if you happen to be one of those people that cannot sleep without a television on.

What could change this? Maybe lowering the hoops in women's basketball by a foot. Maybe the games would be more interesting if they had token 'basketball players' who were nothing more than hot chicks dressed up in the team's uniforms. This has proven to be a strategy that works; after all, how many people paid any attention to women's professional tennis before Anna Kournikova put on the mini skirt and 'played'? Or, maybe the mainstream media should recognize women's sports as what they are - a niche sport that perhaps four people in total care about. And this estimate may be high.

There are the arguments that these programs help to boost the self-esteem and mental toughness of females. These are valid points. Having women's sports can keep impressionable females from getting pregnant, ending up on a pole in some seedy club, or having a career on a street corner. Of course, this is not exactly something that any of the women on the U-Conn team have to worry about, but it is nice that these options do exist to keep people from following these paths. Just don't expect anyone to care about this 'accomplishment'. After all, this isn't even a real sport.

Friday, December 17, 2010

What the Shanahan?

Continuing a season in which he has made a number of, and this is being charitable, questionable moves within the organization, Mike Shanahan has stated that Donovan McNabb is being benched for the rest of the season in favor of Rex Grossman. To further the questionable nature of this move, after this weekend's game, McNabb is going to be demoted down to the third string option in favor of John Beck. Who? Exactly.

Now, this is not to say that McNabb is an elite option at quarterback any longer. In fact, this season he quite the roller coaster under center, having thrown a career high 15 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 77.1. Yes, this has been a bad season for him. However, McNabb over his career has a rating of 85.7, which ranks 23rd all time, ahead of such players as Roger Staubach, Len Dawson, and Troy Aikman. He has 230 touchdowns over his career, as opposed to 115 interceptions. Meanwhile, Rex Grossman has a career rating of 69.6, which is tied for 152 all time, with Steve Grogan and Pat Haden. In fact, Grossman's best rating was in his rookie season when he played in three games and produced a rating of 74.8. His career touchdowns and interceptions? 33 and 36, respectively. John Beck is even worse, with a rating of 62. He hasn't even been on the field since 2007 for the Miami Dolphins, in the season where they went 1-15.

Yes, McNabb has been overrated through his career. However, he is leagues better than either Grossman or Beck. Also, McNabb was just signed to a contract extension this season. What is going on in Washington? Did Shanahan completely lose his mind since being fired by Denver? What is he trying to prove here?

This could be overlooked, perhaps, if this was the first time he benched McNabb. Yet, in their loss to Detroit in Week 8 of the season, stating that Rex Grossman had a better grasp of the two-minute offense, that McNabb did not have the 'cardiovascular endurance' to run the offense, and that Grossman was a better option. He has surrounded McNabb with a terrible offensive line and a supporting cast of aging and decrepit supporting cast at receiver and running back. And let us not forget the entire feud with Albert Haynesworth from the moment he was named head coach. It sort of makes one think if the issues were truly the fault of Haynesworth, or if Shanahan was more to blame that thought.

In the end, this is just another sideshow in the circus that the Washington Redskins have become since Dan Snyder purchased the team. McNabb will probably be released at the end of the year, and will be picked up by a team that could desperately use a quarterback (like, maybe Minnesota or Arizona?) He deserves better than the insult of being benched for a collection of never-were's.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

A Reflection on Bob Feller

Last night, Bob Feller died at 9:15 of acute leukemia at the age of 92. He had recently been hospitalized with pneumonia, and had been released into hospice care earlier in the month. Despite his deteriorating health, Feller still went to Indians games late in the 2010 season, made himself available for interviews, and saying what he thought - even if it wasn't the politically correct thing to do.

Over a career that started when he was 17, Feller won 266 games, struck out 2,581 batters, threw three no-hitters (including the only no-hitter thrown on Opening Day in 1940), and twelve one-hitters. All this, despite missing almost four full seasons of his prime due to enlisting in World War 2 in the United States Navy.

The thing was, he didn't have to go to war then. He had a deferment - he was caring for his sick father. However, neither that nor the fact that he had, at the time, one of the richest contracts in baseball, would stop him from doing what he felt was right. When asked about this decision in an interview, he screamed into the phone, "We were losing a war, a big war, we were losing big in the Pacific … any red-blooded American with a gut in his body would have gotten busy." The former anti-aircraft gunner screamed again: "We took back the Pacific. I can look anyone in the eye and say, 'I was there.'" His service aboard the USS Alabama earned him eight battle stars.

He never had any regrets about enlisting and missing those prime years of his career. Despite the fact that it kept him from 300 wins and 3000 strikeouts, he said "I've never once thought about all the prime years that I missed. I did what I had to do for my country. We won that war. I'm as proud of serving as anything I've ever done in my life."

Feller was also notoriously dismissive of the accomplishments of modern day baseball players. For example, when asked about Stephen Strasburg after he defeated the Indians earlier this season, he said "Check back with me when he's won 100 games." It doesn't matter that the writer was looking for a basic complimentary quote - this was Bob Feller he was speaking to, and he would hear what Bob Feller thought.

Feller also loved his legacy and his place in history, and would not let you forget who he was. He used to tour the country putting on pitching exhibitions in minor league ballparks. He was in his 60s and still pitching, usually against media members that covered the local minor league teams. Those that batted against Feller received a certificate that acknowledged stating, in large print at the bottom of the certificate, was: "The aforementioned slugger realized that if he had faced Mr. Feller in his prime, the results would have been different," as if a writer that batted against him in 1980 actually thought he would have had any chance against him in 1940. It didn't matter what they thought, he wanted everyone to realize that he was one of the greats. And if you did step up to the plate against him, he would come after you with whatever he had. The fire competitive fires he had as a rocket armed youngster still burned even in his 80's.

Bob Feller was a true original, a great ambassador for baseball, and a living memory of what the game and players were like in the bygone days of the 1930's, 40's and 50's. His legacy, both as a baseball player and as a person, was perhaps even greater than he realized. He took time to speak with the fans, to support his team, and to do and say what he felt was right up until the end. And that, the passing of someone with such a different perspective of life, is the biggest loss of all.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Cliff Lee's Decision

Up until last night, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Cliff Lee would either end up on the Texas Rangers or on the New York Yankees. Both teams had met with him multiple times, and extended contract offers that were lucritive in both length and dollar amount. Both teams had made it known to him that he was the focal point of their offseasons. It appeared that Lee was destined to either remain in the heart of Texas or to be wearing pinstripes.

Early in the day on Monday, rumors began to swirl that there was a third team that had offered a contract, a mystery team that had bid upon his services. Most pundits dismissed this notion as a negotiating ploy intended to drive up Lee's price on the market. Both the Rangers and Yankees held firm on their offers, secure in their belief that it would be down to those two. Then, late Monday night, Cliff Lee signed. Turns out, there really was a mystery team all along - the Philadelphia Phillies, who had just traded him to Seattle in the past offseason in a three team deal which garnered them Roy Halladay.

The rotation that Philadelhia is going to be sending out now has a top four of Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. This is, quite simply, the best starting rotation in baseball going into 2011. The only team that is even close is the San Fransisco Giants, who they lost to in the NLCS just about a month and a half ago. The Phillies have four bona fide aces that will go out and pitch for eighty percent of their games. Oh, and their number five starter, Joe Blanton? He's gotten 25 wins in the two and a half seasons he's been in Philadelphia, and would slot as a solid number three on a lot of teams.

Speaking of the last NLCS, it appears that the Phillies are taking their defeat to heart. After watching that pitching staff shut down their offense and the offense of the Texas Rangers, they went out and built an even better rotation than the one they faced. Yes, their offense may be slightly worse than it was last season with the departure of Jayson Werth, but he was deemed expendable due to the presence of Dominic Brown, their top prospect. If Brown can produce even a fraction of what Werth gave them, then the trade off is worth it.

As it stands, the road to the World Series in the national League now runs through Philadelphia. Barring injury, no other team can boast the rotation and nucleus the Phillies have. And they are set up to rule the National League for years to come.

Monday, December 13, 2010

The end of an era

Today, Brett Favre's consecutive start streak ended at 297 games when he was listed as inactive with a sprained SC joint. Thus far through the 2010 season, he had played with a broken foot and severe elbow tendinitis. He has taken shot after shot after shot behind an offensive line that essentially best resembled a turnstile this season. There were points in time when Favre could barely walk, yet still rose up each time. Now, some of this may have been an overdramatization, since he very much enjoys being the center of attention, yet somehow these hits may have hurt more than even he let on.

Watching the Vikings struggle this season, one has to wonder how often Favre questioned his decision to return for one final year. He did not get along with his coach, the now deposed Brad Childress. His primary option at receiver had a severe hip injury, and was not even on the field for most of the season. He seemed a step slower, and never got in sync with the players around him. The receiving corps was a bit of a revolving door, with Sidney Rice hurt, Greg Camarillo being brought in right at the end of training camp, Randy Moss being there for a month, and Percy Harvin's ongoing migraine issues.

If this is truly the end for Favre and he does not play any further this season (as of now, there is talk of placing him on the injured reserve list), what will his legacy be? Some will remember him as the Ol' Gunslinger, who was out there firing the football around and having fun with his friends like it was an afternoon pick up game. Others will remember the narcissistic soap opera that was his waffling between being retired or being unretired, which stretched over four offseasons. Still others will recall how he is the main reason as to why two head coaches (Childress and Eric Mangini) got fired from their jobs.

When looking at Favre's legacy, it is important to remember all of this about him. It is also important to recognize his accomplishments, both positively (most touchdowns in a career, most career passing yards, the multiple MVP's) and negatively (most career interceptions, most career turnovers). Yes, Favre accomplished a lot of milestones and some achieved some potentially unbreakable records. Yet, how many of them are seemingly out of reach due to his ability to avoid injury (or his ego forcing him to continue playing) and the sheer length of time that he did play? To draw a parallel, Nolan Ryan has a lot of the same going for him. A lot of positive milestones (most strikeouts in a season and all-time, 300+ wins, seven no-hitters) and negative milestones (most career walks, never won a Cy Young award). Yes, both were great, but both played for a long time and managed to compile statistics just from the volume of games played.

In the end, Favre's last pass (fittingly intercepted) may have been thrown, and he is now set to limp off into the sunset, until the point in time when he arrives in Canton to wear the mustard yellow blazer signifying his due place in the NFL Hall of Fame. When recalling his remarkable career, don't just focus on the positive, but keep in mind the full portrait of this unique player who seemed incapable of receiving criticism from the pundits. Perhaps that is his greatest legacy of all.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Two storylines from the Pats-Jets game last night

In a much anticipated Monday Night Football game last night, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets squared off in what promised to be one of the best games of the 2010 season. Instead, this game was over by the end of the first quarter, as the New England Patriots pummeled the New York Jets as though they were Mike Tyson in his prime against Michael Spinks. Even France put up more of a resistance to Germany during both World Wars than the Jets defense did to Tom Brady and the Patriots offense.

However, during this drubbing, two things occurred. First, this game marked the complete derailing of the Sanchize Bandwagon. Mark Sanchez is now being criticized as not being a franchise quarterback, being incapable of playing in a big game, and essentially being a waste of the number five pick last season. Now, there are several things to remember here. Sanchez is only 23 years old. This is his second year in the league. Young quarterbacks do make mistakes, especially when facing a great defensive coach such as Bill Belichick. Even experienced quarterbacks make mistakes. Brett Favre has made an entire career out of making mistakes and being bailed out by his receiving corps.

The argument that Sanchez cannot win in a pressure situation also does not apply here. Last season, as a rookie, he won two playoff games and brought the Jets to the AFC Championship game. Yes, he had more of a game manager role, but the fact of the matter is that he still twice led them to road playoff victories. While Sanchez may never reach the levels of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees, not too many quarterbacks ever will. There is nothing wrong with having a solid quarterback who can play within a system and will only improve in time. The Jets are 9-3, not 3-9. There is no reason to panic and throw the quarterback under the proverbial bus.

The second interesting occurrence may have been missed by majority of the viewers. Late in the fourth quarter, with the game far out of reach, the Patriots brought out Fred Taylor to finish the game. While Taylor has been injured for much of this season, this was a peculiar time to put him on the field. Majority of the rushes during the game were given to Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, the former was on the bubble in terms of roster cuts during training camp and the latter of which wasn't even with the Patriots until week two. It would appear that there should have been an opportunity for Taylor to get a couple of plays when the conclusion of the game was still in question.

So, at this stage of his career, is Taylor the Patriots human victory cigar - an aging veteran who no longer is capable of performing on the field but is great in the locker room? Has he taken over the role that Junior Seau had the past couple of years when in New England? If so, this is a sad ending to Taylor's vastly underrated career. Despite the injuries he has accumulated over the years, he has still managed to gain 11,647 rushing yards, good for second amongst active players and fifteenth all-time. He is a Hall of Fame caliber player, even if he toiled in the obscurity of Jacksonville for most of his career. Yet, Taylor only made it to one Pro Bowl, signifying the lack of respect he has received over his career. If this is truly the end of the line, then the best thing for Taylor would be for him to go onto the IR, and allow him to become an unofficial coach and mentor for the young runningbacks on the team. Watching him limp onto the field and take a handoff in the waning moments of a blowout is not how this underappreciated player should be remembered.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

What is the true problem with the Colts?

With today's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Indianapolis Colts have dropped to 6-6 on the season. Over the past three games, all losses, Peyton manning has been uncharacteristically sloppy with the football, throwing for eleven interceptions. To put this streak into context, the last time Manning threw three interceptions in back to back games was during the first two games of his rookie season. Presently, he is in uncharted territory for him, and things do not appear to be getting any better any time soon.

So, what is the cause of this sudden and shocking inability to protect the football and win games? Is it a defense that cannot stop anyone from running the ball? Would all the injuries to key personnel on offense have anything to do with this? The embarrassing lack of anything resembling a running game, so the play action passes are completely ineffective? Perhaps, but Manning has dealt with terrible defenses, no running game, and injuries on offense before. He has always found a way to win football games, regardless of who he has on the field.

As such, the focus must fall upon the coaching staff, in particular Jim Caldwell. He is roughly as animated as a cardboard cutout on the sidelines. He doesn't speak during the games, doesn't make adjustments at halftime, and seems entirely clueless about what it takes to be the head coach of a football team. Yes, I realize that this was Tony Dungy's hand-picked successor, but that doesn't mean that Caldwell has the same lack of reaction as would be expected from someone trying out for the lead for Weekend At Bernie's 4 - Coaching In The NFL.

Prior to Caldwell taking the reins, the Colts had won twelve or more games for six consecutive years. Last season, they managed a 14-2 record, in spite of a coach that may as well be listening to Barry Manilow through his headset. This season, Caldwell has reached a level of incompetence matched only by Edward Smith, who was the captain of the Titanic. Why make adjustments when we can stay the course? What's the worst that can happen?

This season, the Colts ship has struck the iceberg and is sinking fast. This team is too talented, even while missing a number of key players on both side of the ball, to miss the playoffs and lose the AFC South to Jacksonville. Manning is too good of a quarterback, and is capable of willing this team to victory, as he has a number of times before during the regular season.

After the San Diego game, members of the defense said that they were able to call out the plays as Manning was barking signals at the line. There is no movement on offense. Sets do not change, and the plays run out of them remain the same. Adjustments must be made to the offense, and this falls upon the coaching staff. Based on what has been seen thus far this season, don't expect that to happen. Sometimes talented teams are let down by egos, by injuries, or by an inability to get on the same page. In this case, the Colts are being let down by their coaching staff.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Hypothesis on Jon Gruden's future

There is a lot of speculation about Jon Gruden going to the University of Miami to become the next head coach of their program. At this time, however, it seems as though there is a lot more interest from Miami in Gruden than from Gruden in joining them. Despite an alleged offer of over $4 million per year and the ability to bring his brother in as part of the coaching staff, Gruden remains a member of the ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast.

It strikes me that Gruden is not the type that would have a lot of interest in building a college program and recruiting. Based off of what I gather from his present situation, he is looking for a place that he can go into and win within a couple of years. The University of Miami does not fit that profile. They are losing Florida high school football recruits to other schools, the program is simply not that good, and they really do not have a lot of impact players. Of course, landing a coach with the resume of a Jon Gruden would provide a significant boost to recruiting, but it would be a few seasons for his program to take shape. And Gruden is not exactly the most patient of people.

So, where could Gruden end up where he has a legitimate chance of winning soon? There will be the inevitable rumors of Dallas and Minnesota, but those are teams with significant flaws. He will avoid places like that as if the cities were overrun with plague carrying rodents. The team that I think he ends up with, in what may be a shock, would be the Cleveland Browns.

I realize that at first glance this would seem to be an extreme stab in the dark. However, the Browns are a team that deserve a much deeper look. First, Mike Holmgren gave Gruden his first shot in the NFL in 1990 while Holmgren was in San Fransisco. When he left to become the head coach in Green Bay, Holmgren brought Gruden with him, making him the wide receivers coach for the Packers. Also, Mangini is not a Holmgren guy - he inherited him when assuming the titles of President and General Manager. So, there is a definite link there.

Second, Cleveland has a solid core of players on offense. Gruden loves Peyton Hillis, who he regards as a Mike Alstott clone. Colt McCoy has shown that he can develop into a solid NFL quarterback, and keep in mind, Gruden turned Rich Gannon into a Pro Bowler. Also, Cleveland's defense and special teams are solid. On defense, Cleveland is only giving up 20.8 points per game, which is actually thirteenth in the NFL. Josh Cribbs, when healthy, is an absolutely dynamic returner and a potential game changer on kickoff and punt returns.

Also, Cleveland has all of it's draft choices next year. As of this point in time, the Browns would be drafting in the top ten, which would allow them to either draft the stud receiver or a pass rushing outside linebacker that they need. Given Homgren's track record on draft day, the Browns could end up being a surprise team next season with the right coach.

If Mangini gets fired, don't be surprised to see Gruden don the brown and orange.