NFL week 4 picks

Great week last week, for me at least I went 5-1 opening up a 2 game lead on Loren. I’m sitting at 11-7 while Loren is at 9-9. On to the picks!

San Francisco at NY Jets
Loren - San Francisco. The Jets actually look pretty decent so far this year. They do have one glaring weakness, though; run defense. I see SF keeping the ball in Gore's hands and playing it safe. If the Jets cheat up, Smith has enough weapons and confidence to make a couple of big plays thought the air.
Derek – San Francisco. Normally I don’t like taking teams traveling across the country but I think the 49ers will be on the lookout for revenge. I’d be surprised if NY can score more than 2 field goals all game. Their O is terrible. Smith has a solid day and 49ers win by double digits.

Minnesota at Detroit
Loren - Detroit. I'm picking Detroit simply because they're the home team. I don't know what to expect from either Minnesota or Detroit. Neither has played consistently and they both have plenty of holes. I think Detroit will concentrate on shutting down AP and let Ponder have his chances. At this point in his career, I'm not betting on Ponder to carry his team.
Derek – Detroit. The Lions have the better team here. They should be able to score more easily than they have in recent weeks. Can the D stop Peterson? We’ll find out, they should load the box and tell Ponder he’s the one that’ll have to beat them. I don’t think he can.

New England at Buffalo
Loren - Buffalo. This one will probably come back to bite me, but I like the matchup for Buffalo. I know this means betting on NE to lose three in a row, but I can't shake the feeling that Buffalo has the right team to beat the Pats. They lost Spiller but have Fred Jackson back (fantasy backstabber)., and their defense has been much better after their opening game against the Jets. I think we get to see Fitzpatrick really open up against NE's terrible secondary.
Derek – New England. I don’t see this Pats team losing 3 in a row. They played poorly versus Arizona and lost to a good team in Baltimore at the last second. Brady will come out and use the short quick passing game to negate the Bills pass rush. I think the Pats D is a bit better than it has been in previous years and I think they’ll handle what the Bills have to offer.

New Orleans at Green Bay
Loren - Green Bay. With both of these teams throwing out stink bombs, I'm just going to play safe and take the team that's won a game and is playing at home. On the plus side, we may get to see 1400 yards of total offense!
Derek – Green Bay. The Packers have had a rough go of it this year, but not as rough as the Saints. If the Packers are looking to get back on track on the offensive side of the ball they couldn’t have picked a better team to play. Saints score in the 20’s lose by a bunch.

NY Giants at Philadelphia
Loren - NY Giants. Okay, I learned my lesson last week. Yes, the Eagles are better than the Panthers, primarily due to speed at several key positions. It will be harder for NY to stop McCoy and Jackson, but I like the attitude the Giants are bringing. They have renewed intensity and I expect their defense to put Vick on the run, something he hasn't dealt with well this year.
Derek – NY Giants. I’ve been picking them every week. Why stop now? Well ok I did pick the Eagles to win the division but man they don’t look so hot on the offensive side of the ball. How good is Nick Foles? Just kidding, well not entirely. Vick has been getting knocked around and I think the G-men have a good pass rush right? Right?

Chicago at Dallas
Loren - Dallas. Tell me how Chicago is going to win the NFC North after they beat a divisional opponent, or any decent team. Their wins have come over the Rams and Colts, while the Packers handled them fairly easily. I don't see them going into Dallas and playing defense the way Seattle did, taking away the Romo's weapons.
Derek – Chicago. I went back and forth on this one. It came down to this. The Cowboys have looked terrible on offense this year. I think the Bears D can keep that trend going. I expect a close 13-10 game or thereabouts.

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NFL week 3 picks

After two weeks Loren and I are tied with 6-6 records. I know the definition of mediocrity. On to week 3!

New York Giants at Carolina
Loren – Carolina. This is the point in the season where every Giants fan starts hyperventilating and contemplates jumping on the third rail. They needed a miracle last week to win and their vaunted D hasn’t been able to slow anyone down. The Giants need to hit rock bottom before they pull out of it and make the push that gets them into the post-season. Personally, I think they do it just so they can see how red Coughlin’s face can get. It might bypass the visible spectrum entirely this year and go right into infrared.
Derek – New York Giants. I think you need a line like the Giants have in order to beat Cam Newton. Without Nicks in the game NY will rely on their running game more than usual and that’ll be a good thing. Watch for this to be a lower scoring than everyone expects.

Philadelphia at Arizona
Loren – Philadelphia. Well, with the parity through the first two weeks in the season, we just had to pick this battle of undefeated teams. CARDINALS DYNASTY! Ok, seriously, the Cards are overmatched in a second straight week (some would argue they were overmatched against the Seahawks, too). Philly has tons of weapons and no inclination to actually use them. However, whatever luck the Cardinals have has to run out soon.
Derek – Arizona. I know the Cards are a bad team but if they can get to Brady they can get to Vick. The cards strength lives in their defensive backfield and this will help negate the Eagles big plays. Don’t forget the cross country trip.

Cincinnati at Washington
Loren – Washington. RGIII has become required viewing, just like Cam Newton. There is nothing better in football than a dynamic QB who can slice you up on the ground and through the air. I appreciate the skills Luck has, and no one knows who will end up with the better career or stats. Who do I want to watch play the game, Luck or RGIII? It’s not even close. I don’t have a personal stake in the Redskins other than a communal hatred of Dan Snyder, but their relevancy means less attention on the damn Cowboys, and that’s a victory for everyone.
Derek – Washington. Until someone slows the Redskins down it’ll be hard to go against them. Their offense is working well right now and I don’t think the Bengals will keep up.

Atlanta at San Diego
Loren – Atlanta. I’m a believer. Yeah, the Falcons are traveling across the country blah blah. This team can handle it. The Broncos are a solid team and Manning is still one of the best at managing scoring drives (1st quarter the obvious exception), but the Falcons pretty much owned that game. If they had put the pedal down when they had the chance, the game probably wouldn’t have been as close as it was. It should frighten other teams to know that the Falcons haven’t even figured out their best offense yet. Once Michael Turner gets really involved and they use more play-action to keep defenses honest, you could see scoring a la 2011/12 Green Bay, but with a legitimate running game. Yikes.
Derek – Atlanta. San Diego is waaaay past due for their beginning of the season slump. Plus, you know, the dirty birds are pretty good. They seem to play well on D and their passing game is clicking right now. I don’t expect Jones to drop passes like he did last week. Did I mention I picked them to be in the Super Bowl?

New England at Baltimore
Loren – Baltimore. I really didn’t know which way to go on this. After week 1, I would have gone with Baltimore without reservation. Their meltdown, though, against Philly leaves me with lots of questions about the identity of that team. New England, for all their holes, usually know how to expertly exploit a team’s deficiencies. I hope the Ravens get back to consistent running and limit Flacco’s long throws. They shouldn’t have to worry about the Pat’s running game, so they can launch a barrage at Brady and keep him off balance the whole game.
Derek – Baltimore. I keep thinking back to last year’s AFC Championship game, how did Baltimore not win that one? The Ravens fourth quarter last week aside I think they’ll play a full 60 mins this week and with the virtual absence of Welker a lot of the Pats big play potential is gone.

Houston at Denver
Loren – Houston. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. I’ve said from the beginning, though, that the Bronco’s schedule is tough. They should be happy to get to their week 7 bye with at 3-3 record. I just don’t see this being one of their victories. The Texans should run the ball 50 times. Foster and Tate can reel off 5, 6, 7 yards at a time, dominate possession, and literally run the Broncos off the field. Denver’s best shot is to hope for a reversal of last week’s game; Houston gets pass happy and makes mistakes the Broncos capitalize on. I think Kubiak is smarter than that.
Derek – Houston. Maybe the best team in the league so far and they look like they can run, pass and play D. If it wasn’t for a punt return for TD I’d say their special teams are playing well too. I’m going to waffle on Manning until I see more spirals and less wounded ducks.

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NFL picks week 2

OK week 2 of our NFL picks. We sucked it up last week but Loren sucked a little less than me. He's up by 1 with a stellar record of 3-3.

Chicago at Green Bay
Loren – Green Bay. I’m not buying the hype about Chicago. Forte still has to stay healthy all season and both Cutler and Marshall have to not be boneheads. Something bad is going to happen, like Marshall choking a coach or Cutler just plain choking. Regardless, Green Bay will be out to prove they’re still deadly and they should show up in a big way for a divisional game.
Derek - Green Bay. The Packets losing two in a row? At home? Come on...no really that can't happen can it?

Denver at Atlanta
Loren – Denver. This should be an even tougher test for the Broncos than last week’s win over Pittsburgh. However, the Falcons aren’t running the ball like they should, and a pass heavy attack plays right into Denver’s hands. By which I mean Denver is less likely to get obliterated by a passing attack than they are by a decent ground game. Plus, Manning with another week of gelling with his offense. Me likey.
Derek - Atlanta. I think the Falcons take it in a shoot out. If this was in Denver I'd go the other way.

New Orleans at Carolina
Loren – New Orleans. It’s entirely possible (and I’m hoping so for fantasy purposes) that Newton throws over 400 yards and 4 TD and runs another couple in, and the Panthers still lose. I don’t trust either of these teams from week to week, but the Saints have more experience and weapons.
Derek - New Orleans. I don't think the Saints are as good as I thought they were, sure it was only one game but they didn't have their "stuff" together. But I think they can take down a one man team in the Panthers.

Baltimore at Philadelphia
Loren – Baltimore. The Ravens D is going to eat Philly alive. And I will enjoy watching every minute of it.
Derek - Baltimore. I'll ride the Ravens all year. Will Vick make it out of this game? I'm not so sure.

Detroit at San Francisco
Loren – San Francisco. I’m officially on the 49ers bandwagon. They have a perfect game plan, aren’t afraid of anyone, have the craziest and arguably most intimidating coach, and they have home field advantage in this game.
Derek - San Francisco. Home game out west, that should be enough for me to pick them. Plus you know the 49ers are pretty good and everything. Man they could walk into the playoffs win only one or two loses. Dare I say zero? But Stafford will throw for over 350 yards again.

NY Jets at Pittsburgh
Loren – Pittsburgh. Sanchez is no Manning. When the Jets are down 20 at halftime, how loud will the chanting be for Tebow? Not as loud as it will be for Sanchez once they see Tebow in action.
Derek - Pittsburgh. The Jets come back to earth day. Yeah, I still don't they they're good and I won't be surprised if they score less than 20 for the next 5 games.

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NFL picks week 1

We're back for another year of NFL 6 pack of picks. Personally I'd go with a 6 pack of Rogue Ales – Hazelnut Brown Nectar...anyway on to our picks.

Dallas at NY Giants

Loren - Giants. The Giants have had slow starts the last couple of seasons, so I make this pick with some trepidation. They are the defending champs, though, and they're playing at home. Dallas, as usual, seems poised for either a complete train wreck or a 13 win season. I hoping for train wreck, and I'm taking the Giants.

Derek – Giants. Early game but this will play a pivotal role in who gets to the playoffs. One of these teams will be in and one will be out. I’m taking the Giants, they just seem to be all business and don’t forget the home field.

Buffalo at NY Jets

Loren - Buffalo. Whatever the Jets trot out on offense to start the season, it won't be half as good as their defense. With all the drama and questions, it's nice to be able to pick a sold, workmanlike Buffalo team. These guys run the ball, throw when they have to, and bolstered their D in the off season. Also, they'll have at least one game with Fred Jackson healthy.

Derek – Buffalo. I would like to take the Jets here but their offense is so offensive, in a bad way, I can’t until I see them well you know score an actual touchdown. Man they look terrible.

San Francisco at Green Bay

Loren - San Francisco. I changed my pick on this, which is probably a bad sign. Like a test in high school, you should usually stick with your first answer. Since I've taken the 49ers, though, I should probably have some concrete reason, some stats to back it up, some insightful commentary. Yeah, I've got none of that. I will say this, has any "great" team ever won as many games by as few points as the Packers did in 2011? That defense didn't get any better, and San Francisco is more dangerous than their 2011 version.

Derek – Green Bay. I’ve never agreed and disagreed with what one person has wrote in one paragraph before. Loren’s right, there’s not stats to back up a 49ers pick here. Agreed. The Packers D will be better than last year for the simple fact that it can’t be worse. Also San Fran will not be as good as they were last year especially on D and special teams. They’re a good team and I’ll pick them to win plenty but not against the best team in the NFC who’s playing at home.

Pittsburgh at Denver

Loren - Denver. At least the Broncos get a home game to open the league's toughest schedule. I'm banking on some tired Steelers playing in thin air to help the Broncos here. I also like the outside rush to harass Rapelisburger who looks like he's walking on broken glass every time he has to scramble. If the Broncos don't commit turnovers, they should be victorious in this match up.

Derek – Denver. I’d like to pick the Steelers, but I’m trying to think of who they are and not who they used to be.

Cincinnati at Baltimore

Loren - Baltimore. Cincy was a nice surprise last year and they look built for continued success, save for one glaring hole. Their defense is solid against both the pass and run, they have a decent O-line and a success story at QB, and one of the most exciting receivers in the league. The putrid mess at running back, though, is the team's Achilles heal. Bernard Scott and BJGE aren't going to help them win games, especially against defenses as good as Baltimore's.

Derek – Baltimore. The Bengals will not be as good this year as last year. Sorry, Cinny fans. Baltimore will be as good as they were last year and should win the division. Rice will have a big game.

San Diego at Oakland

Loren - Oakland. Here's my surprise pick for week 1. I don't believe that Ryan Matthews is fully healthy. I don't believe in the Chargers' receiving corps, and I don't believe in Philipp Rivers period. Nobody wants to play with him, and he can't with the important games. Sure, he'll throw for 300 yards and 2 TDs, but he'll also make bad reads, get picked a couple times, and blame everything on his teammates. The Raiders poached Denver's defensive coordinator, who needed less than a season to turn a bottom of the table defense into middle of the pack, and installed him as head coach. We should see a serious improvement in Oakland's D this season, McFadden will be a monster, and they'll have just enough pieces to have a moderately surprising season, starting with a week one Monday night win.

Derek – Oakland. This could be a tossup game, but I believe in the Raiders a bit more than I have in the past. I also believe that the Charges will thud out of the gate as usual. We do remember what Rivers was like the last time he didn’t have Vincent Jackson for a year right?

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PERFECTO! King Felix hurls franchise's first Perfect Game!

Felix Hernandez has thrown the first Mariner perfect game today, in a 1-0 triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Mariners needed only the RBI single in the 3rd Inning to take the game and two of three in the series from the Rays.  Felix was absolutely filthy, striking out 12 and was given some timely defensive support, especially from Shortstop Brendan Ryan and Right Fielder Eric Thames.  The Mariners offense managed only five hits of of Rays' starter Jeremy Hellickson, who pitched a great game as well. 

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Mariners Update: 8/12/02

Just thought I'd check in with a quick update on the Mariners' season.  The past few weeks were pretty wild.  They finished up July with a winning record for the month, something that they hadn't accomplished for a while.  A few moves were made, but nothing earth-shattering.  Eric Thames looks like he might be helpful in the OF mix.  We also picked up some young pitching talent and a promising young Outfielder.  This team is just a hair's breadth away from being a serious contender.  The recent 7-game winning streak at home has unfortunately been followed by a 2-6 road trip through New York, Baltimore and Anaheim.  We have one more game to hopefully take the series against the Angels, with Vargas on the mound against Jered Weaver.  Weaver is 15-1 on the season, and is probably one of the top three pitchers in the league.  Jason Vargas took a hard-luck loss against Baltimore, but has been outstanding, posting a 12-8 record and 3.71 ERA on the year.  With the departures of Ichiro and Brandon League, the Mariners have cleared up enough salary space to make a serious run at the one or two veteran bats we need to get us over the hump into contention.  Our pitching staff is strong.  Once we get a veteran presence in the middle of our order, who can produce consistently, the sky is the limit.

One football note:  Anyone else think Matt Flynn was completely outplayed by Russell Wilson?  The guy looks great!  Good win over a talented Titans team, also!  I know it's only preseason, but a win is a win!

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Iwakuma sets Mariner's Rookie record for K's while Mariners trade two pitchers.

     What a night for Hishashi Iwakuma!  He set the Mariner's rookie record, striking out 13 Blue Jays in 8 innings, getting his first Major League win as a starter.  Iwakuma gave up a leadoff home run to Rajai Davis (after a nice 2-2 Sinker was called ball three) but went on to scatter only four hits and three walks on 109 pitches.  He baffled the Jays by using all five of his pitches effectively and keeping them guessing--and missing--all night.  Josh Kinney and Lucas Leutge came on in the 9th to close out the 4-1 win. 
     After the game was over, the Mariners announced that they had completed two trades.  Reliever Steve Delabar was sent across the diamond to the Blue Jays for left-handed hitting OF Eric Thames.  Thames has hit .243 with the Jays, with 3 HR and 11 RBI in limited action this season.  Also traded was relief pitcher Brandon League, who was sent to the Dodgers in exchange for two prospects.  The Mariners acquired Leon Landry, a speedy slugger who has a Minor League-leading 15 Triples, to go along with a .328 BA, 8 HR and 51 RBI's for the Dodgers High Class A Rancho Cucamonga club.  The other player received is AA reliever Logan Bawcom, who sports a 4-4 record on the season with 20 Saves.  He has been lights-out since June 26th, with a 1-0 record along with 6 saves and an 0.60 ERA for Chattanooga.

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The end of an era, or start of something better?

First, it was the Bone Yard for many years.  Jay Buhner patrolled Right Field with dignity, if not flair; and was one of the greatest home run threats the Mariners ever got in trade.  A trade so lopsided in the Mariners favor, it was immortalized in the TV show "Seinfeld."  Ken Phelps!  Ken Phelps! 

After "Bone" retired, Right Field became Area 51.  The place where sure doubles turned into outs, and no runner dared run on Ichiro Suzuki.  A player so confident and cocky, that only his first name was printed on his jersey.  A player who would win the A.L. MVP award and Rookie of the Year in his first Major League season.  Ichiro was fast, flashy and an incredible talent.  For ten years, that is.  Last year, he hit a pedestrian .271; which would be fine by most big league hitters.  Not, however, for an aging leadoff man.  His On Base Percentage was only slightly higher than his average.  This season, a combination of age, pitchers' adjustments and just plain bad plate discipline had him hitting .261 with an OBP around .290.  Fortunately for the Mariners, he is now a headache for the New York Yankees.  The trade, completed today and confirmed on www.seattlemariners.com; sent Ichiro to the Bronx Bombers for two AAA pitching prospects, right handers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar. 

Mitchell is a starter, who compiled a 3.86 ERA in 4 games when called up earlier this year by the Yankees.  His AAA ERA is less than stellar, at 5.04.  Farquhar is a relief pitcher, who has posted a combined 3.33 ERA over the season at AA and AAA.  These guys are decent arms with good stuff, but pitching is not really what the Mariners need.  We need a veteran, middle-of-the-order bat.  Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders have provided some pop for the M's, and Justin Smoak has 13 HR's, but is struggling to hit over .200!  Our offense continues to struggle, especially at home.

What this trade does accomplish, is to create a permanent spot for Casper Wells, who has been hitting the cover off lately.  He's a guy who could turn into a 25+ HR bat, hit for average and drive in lots of runs.  He can hit nearly anywhere in the order and has good speed.  He also, like Ichiro, has a cannon arm and excellent glove.  What was once The Bone Yard and Area 51 may now be dubbed "The Well" or "The Lair of the Friendly Ghost."

Edit:  I watched the webcast of Ichiro's farewell press conference.  He makes it clear that he requested the trade.  It was not the team's decision.  To paraphrase, he said that being on a team made up with mostly players in their early-20's was difficult for him.  He did not want to come back to that next season.  He wanted to go somewhere else for a new challenge (read: chance to win this season) and let the Mariners rebuild for the future.  Good for you, Ichiro.  I might even shed a tear when you're booed out of New York for your lack of production.  You're still going to the Hall of Fame, even though your ten year run of dominance was punctuated by hundreds of infield hits.  If you take those away, he's a gold-glove fielder with a great arm and very little stick.  Pretty much what he is today.  Some may think I'm harsh, but it's past time to see him move on.  I was surprised when he re-signed the first time.  The years of revolving-door players and managers has taken its toll on everyone.  I, for one, know that Lou Pinella wouldn't have put up with his attitude or his lack of production.  He wouldn't have been coddled as a superstar.  He would have put up numbers, or taken a seat.  If he didn't like it, he would have been on the next plane back to Japan or wherever.  What this team needs is a manager like Lou...or Lou himself.  Maybe he'll come out of retirement next season and save this sinking ship again.  We can only hope, because Wedge sure isn't doing enough.

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2012 NBA Mock Draft

Yesterday we completed a mock draft of all 14 lotto picks. We completed three trades prior to the draft.

Trade 1:

Milwaukee - receives Jimmer Fredette and the #5 pick.

Sacramento - receives Brandon Jennings and Tobias Harris.

Trade 2:

Toronto - receives David Lee and 7th pick.

Golden State - receives Jose Calderon, James Johnson, and the 8th pick.

Trade 3: (completed before the actual Ben Gordon trade)

Detroit – receives Kevin Martin

Houston – Receives Ben Gordon and the #44 pick.

On to the draft.

#1 New Orleans (Anthony)

                Anthony Davis

            No surprise.

#2 Charlotte (John)

                Austin Rivers

Austin Rivers of Duke! I wanted to keep with the MJ madness and pick someone way too early! I figured I’d try to replicate the bust pick of the draft by Jordan.

#3 Washington (Carlos)

                Harrison Barnes

[David Stern Voice: ON] - With the third pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select:

Harrison Barnes, from the University of North Carolina. [David Stern Voice: OFF]

[Crowd Noise: ON]

[Jay Bilas Voice: ON] - Although not as smart a pick as my fellow Blue Devil Austin Rivers, the Wizards are making a good move in addressing some needs by looking down Tobacco Road.  Although he hasn't quite lived up to the expectations we had of him his freshman year, he's still a smooth, smart kid with a great wingspan and tremendous upside.  There are some questions about his ability to create his own shot, and he probably needs to bulk up a bit if he wants to compete with the other 3's in the league, but he should jump right into an exciting starting lineup to watch when teamed with John Wall and Jordan Crawford.  Sorry, Jan Vesely, but I'm sure you can find solace in the arms of your smoking hot girlfriend. [Jay Bilas Voice: OFF]

#4 Washington (Adam)

                Bradley Beal

             Shooter to team with Wall.

#5 Milwaukee (Derek)

                Thomas Robinson

             I made this trade to target a big man, Drummond but I was very pleased to see T Rob sitting there.

#6 Portland (Chris)

                Andrea Drummond

             Fingers crossed big man of the future.

#7 Toronto (Philipp)

                Michael Kidd-Gilchrest

             Wow, unexpected that he's still available but Toronto takes Kidd-Gilchrist

               

#8 Golden State (Loren)

                John Henson

I know you were expecting to take Austin Rivers at 7, Philipp, but that's the way it goes. GSW takes John Henson with the 8th pick.

#9 Detroit (Bob)

                Perry Jones III

I'm drafting potential baby,  and am picking Perry Jones the III out of Baylor.  If nothing else that annoying announcer the pistons have will have fund saying his name. 

#10 New Orleans (Anthony)

                Kendall Marshall

Hey Derek this is Anthony. For the #10 pick New Orleans select Kendall Marshall from UNC

Ok, we're on pick 8, if he's still there I'll make it for you.

Ok. Is Damian Lillard still available? If Marshall isn't available I would like Lillard.

Yes, one pick to go.

Nice

You're up both are available.

Dang tempting. I will take Kendall Marshall from UNC with the #10 pick please. Did anyone select Austin Rivers?

Yes

Haha

#11 Portland (Chris)

                Damian Lillard

            Fingers crossed for the PG of the future.

#12 Milwaukee (Derek)

                Jeremy Lamb

            I was hoping for 1 of the PGs, but I think Scott Skiles will be happy with the D that Lamb brings.

#13 Phoenix (Cliff)

                Terrance Ross

                Mobile three who can shoot.

#14 Houston

                Moe Harkless

                SF out of St. Johns or is it Joes? It’s Johns I’m sure of it.

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Ben Golliver from Blazersedge.com stops by to talk Blazers draft.

On 06.20.12 Ben Golliver stopped by to talk about the upcoming Blazer draft.

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Mariners Update, End of May

Ok, I have to be honest.  I really wanted to do a weekly blog on the Mariners' season, but I think that was over-ambitious.  I just had to comment on a few things, in light of the 21-8 thrashing the M's dropped on the Texas Rangers today.  This, following yesterday's 10-3 drubbing of the same Rangers.  You know, the ones that were in the World Series last year?   The same Rangers who were one out away from glory and blew it in game 6 to an over-matched, over-achieving Cardinals team?  Oh, and the over-matched, over-achieving Giants the year before? 

What has become clear over the past two months of Mariners' baseball is that this team is very streaky.  Win four, lose six.  Win five, lose seven.  For most of the season, the offense has veered between a joke and a disaster, with manager Eric Wedge treating the roster like his personal fantasy team.  He tinkers with a different lineup every night, regularly sitting hot players in favor of guys hitting below .200.    The only consistent thing about the Mariners has been their inconsistency.  Hopefully, this 31 Run, 32 hit barrage over the past two games sparks some life into the otherwise anemic offense.  Then again, they may play as bad as they did against the Angels, racking up strikeouts and losing close games because they can't hit with runners in scoring position. 

Here are a few things that need to happen sooner, rather than later. 

1. Chris Chambliss, the Mariners "hitting" coach, needs to be replaced.  A guy off the street couldn't do much worse, but I'd suggest getting Edgar Martinez to fill the void--or yawning chasm--at this point.
2. The Mariners piled up 21 runs on 22 hits tonight WITHOUT Ichiro in the lineup.  I said they should have traded him last year.  He's hitting .271, isn't going to hit .300 again, isn't going to come close to 200 hits again, and has no plate discipline.  Trade him now!
3. Designate Chone Figgins for assignment.  Eat the remainder of his contract.  A desperate team might pick him up on waivers and offer a pair of used game socks and a couple of dollars.  Take the deal!
4. John Jaso should be the starting catcher against RHP, and Montero against LHP.  Miguel Olivo should be next on the waiver wire after Figgins.  Every time I say to get rid of him, he manages to get a couple of hits.  Big deal.  He's still hitting well below .200!
5. Use the roster space freed up by getting rid of these three to bring Casper Wells back, bring up Carlos Peguero (currently hitting .385 with 10 HR at AAA) and SS Nick Franklin.  
6. As a matter of fact, get rid of Franklin Gutierrez as well.  The guy is a Gold-Glove CF when he's healthy, but he hasn't been healthy since 2009.  Michael Saunders and/or Wells can continue to play CF, or bring up Trayvon Robinson if Saunders tanks.
7. Just as a classy move, claim Jamie Moyer off waivers from the Colorado Rockies, and let him retire as a Mariner.  Hell, he's probably capable of pitching a few more games out of the bullpen, too!

Well, that's about it.  The M's record stands at 23-30, but could be much better if the offense becomes more consistent, and the bullpen stops blowing leads.

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NBA Playoff Round 1 predictions

Philadelphia vs Chicago

Most would think this is your standard 1 vs 8 seed match-up. However the Bulls are an intriguing team, they’ve played well with and without Derrick Rose all season. I can’t remember a team winning the #1 seed after having their star player out for so long.

Now none of that changes things and the Bulls should make quick work of the 76ers.

Bulls in 5.

New York vs Miami

Players might have changed but a New York/Miami playoff series still draws me in. Talk about star power you have 3 of the top 10 players in the league and 5 of the top 30. This is what you expect to see in the playoffs, just not normally in round 1.

The Knicks can pull out some games in the series but they’ll have to get great shooting performances from J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. Melo will do his thing but Amar’e needs to step it up and put on a consistent show each and every game. Even then it’s tough to envision the Knicks winning a series against the Heat.

Heat in 6.

Orlando vs Indiana

Hmm well, I don’t think there’s much to say here. The Pacers are the strange team that you don’t think can win in the playoffs since their best player is Danny Granger, but they got themselves the best possible match-up.

The Magic are a deep shooting team based off Dwight Howard’s play, of course Howard isn’t playing so…not sure what they're going to do.

Pacers in 5.

Boston vs Atlanta

Do the old/experienced, depending on your preference, Celtics continue their late season surge and move past the first round? Or do the surprisingly consistent Hawks, even without Harford, beat the vets?

I can see this going either way, but I think Pierce, Allen and Mr. tough guy want to show everyone that they’re not done yet.

Celtics in 6.

Dallas vs Oklahoma City

A rematch of last years Western Conference Finals in team name only. The Thunder all seem to be there assuming Harden’s brain isn’t broken. The Mavs on the other hand are year older not as good defensive team and not as good at knocking down threes. But then again they seem to know what their doing in the playoffs. But, yes there’s a lot of buts, can you rely on Vince Carter? No you can’t.

Thunder in 6.

Utah vs San Antonio

Ooooo, this could be a good one. The Spurs surprised everyone, not that anyone should’ve been surprised, with taking the 1 seed. They had the 1 seed last year but lost to the front line heavy Grizz. The Jazz well…have a great front line too. I like the Jazz, they have 4 real front line players, that’s 4 more than some teams.

The Spurs on the other hand, aren’t dumb and don’t tend to make the same mistakes more than once. I think they’ll learn from last year and won’t want to lose in the first round as a 1 seed two years in a row.

Spurs in 7.

Denver vs Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are too old and they complain too much and they have a crappy coach and have an impact player out for the next six games. Denver is young and plucky and can score and can defend. Sounds like a miss match to me. Buuuuuuuutttt then again this are the Lakers with a huge front line and one of the most clutch players in history who despite playing what seems like 48 mins a game everyday for the last 10 years is playing like he found the fountain of youth.

Lakers in 6.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Memphis

What? The Clippers in the playoffs? Oh yeah sorry that was my thought process the last 30 years of my life. Sure they went out and got Chris Paul and it paid off. They made the playoffs, too bad their going to get clobbered in the first round.

Memphis surprised a lot of people last year in the playoffs, but they were built for a slowdown playoff series. The difference between now and then, they added Rudy Gay back into the mix, giving them flexibility to play big or small or fast or slow.

Oh yeah, who’s Blake Griffin going to guard and not foul out?

Grizzles in 5.

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2012 Seattle Mariners, Week 3

I'm a bit late writing this week's blog on the S.S. Mariner, probably because I had to figure out how to not include several profanities.  Actually, the whole Mariners week was a profanity.  So...good, bad, ugly?

The Good:  Nothing.  Alright, they did manage to not blow one game during the 1-5 week...by a hair...against Cleveland.  Felix was light's out for 8 innings of one-run ball with 12 K's and got a no-decision  (League lost in the 9th).  I suppose it is good that it is over.

The Bad:  Everyone not named Hernandez, Beavan, Seager, Montero or Ichiro.

The Ugly:  See The Bad.  Millwood:  13 ER in two starts.  Noesi:  1-1/3 innings of batting practice against the White Sox giving up 6 ER.  No one can hit with runners in scoring position.  Olivo and Figgins just plain can't hit, and Ryan isn't doing much better.  The Mariners had leads in most of these games, except for the game Saturday when Humber of the White Sox (a pitcher I had never heard of) threw a perfect game against them.  The bullpen blew at least three games, including spoiling King Felix's gem.  The good news is, it is still early and the M's stand at 7-10.  Eventually, Wedge will pull his head out and start Jaso against RHP, designate Figgins and Olivo for assignment, play Kawasaki against RHP instead of Ryan and bring up Carlos Peguero and another infielder.  The Mariners start a 10 game road trip in Detroit on Tuesday.  Let's hope for some better pitching and *some* offense.

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Brandon Roy One Year Ago

It seems strange to be talking about game 4 of a playoff series right now, but the NBA lockout has caused the 2012 regular season to bleed into what would normally be the middle of round 1. But that doesn't matter, what matters is today April 23, 2012 is the one year anniversary of the last great Trail Blazer moment and what would turn out to be the last great performance of one of Portland's all time greats.

After a January knee surgery, Brandon Roy was regulated to minimal minuets and a bench role. The one time savior of the franchise was held scoreless in a game two defeat and was not shy about expressing his displeasure over his role. While game three showed us SOME vintage Roy the forth quarter of game four showed us what we all missed.

Thanks to Pinwheel Empire for the video.



I listened to excerpts of Brian Wheelers call today and couldn't help but get chills. This happens sometimes to sports fans, whether it's a timely Kirk Gibson homerun or a Miracle on Ice. After that euphoric feeling I thought "Wait, that was only a year ago?" That seemed strange to me. Think about what has happened since then. Roy only played in two more games for the Blazers then retired another proposed pillar of the franchise, Greg Oden, had his umpteenth knee surgery and was cut from the team to find room for trade-away castoffs. And the Nate McMillan was fire mid season.

Not only has the team changed dramatically in one year more upheaval is on the way. It may be a long time before Blazer fans have something like Brandon Roy and and his fourth quarter again. Thanks Brandon.

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2012 Mariners, week 2

The second week of the Mariners 2012 season is complete, and some things are clearing up while others aren't so clear.  I think I'll stick with the good, bad and ugly theme I started last week.  Overall, the M's stand at 6-5 on the year, dropping 3 of 4 in Texas and winning 2 of 3 against Oakland at home.

THE GOOD:  Starting pitching has been as good as advertised, if you throw out Hector Noesi's disastrous first start against Texas.  They've been keeping the team in the game and pitching consistently into the 6th or 7th inning.  That's all you can ask from a starting staff.  Speaking of Noesi, he followed that awful game in Texas with a gem against Oakland at home, pitching 7 innings in a 4-0 shutout.  Blake Beavan followed up his hard-luck 1-0 loss in Texas with another outstanding effort on Sunday in the Mariners 5-3 win.  The offense continues to be sparked by Kyle Seager, newcomer Jesus Montero and Ichiro.  Chone Figgins' fast start seems to have cooled off, but he's still getting on base and playing well in the outfield.  In other good news, Mike Carp is off the DL, and will be back in the lineup soon.  That means Casper Wells is likely to be sent down to Tacoma, as Alex Liddi is more versatile and is actually hitting.  Despite losing three of four to Texas, the Mariners kept battling in every game and did not roll over.  This should send a message to the Rangers and Angels that they are going to have to earn every win against them this year.  With a consistent offense, we would have had at least a split in that series.  In the bullpen, Rule-5 pickup Luetge and Brandon League have both been outstanding so far.

THE BAD:  The offense was inconsistent at best last week.  They jumped out to a 5-2 lead against Yu Darvish and the Rangers after two innings, but were unable to put anything else on the board in an 11-5 thumping.  They were also shut down by the A's Bartolo Colon for the second time in three tries against him this season.  Mariners bats were quiet all week for the most part.  Justin Smoak may lead the team with 2 HR's at this point, but he's being overly aggressive and not taking pitches when it matters.  In the game against the Rangers' Derek Holland, he had runners on with 2 out and a 2-0 count.  Holland threw a great Change-up on the black at 86 mph.  A professional hitter should know to take that pitch, tip his cap and look for a fastball to drive on 2-1.  Smoak took a wild hack and hit a weak tapper back to the mound.  Casper Wells has been ineffective in limited AB's and needs to be sent down for some consistent playing time to work on timing and his confidence, in my opinion.  Another issue is the number of times the guys are striking out looking, especially on fastballs on the inner-half.  Those should be mistakes to turn on.  You can't be up there guessing.  See it and hit it!

THE UGLY:  Steve Delabar.  Three HR's in 3 appearances.  George Sherrill is on the 15-day DL with elbow problems.  Franklin Gutierrez is still weeks away from returning from his pectoral injury.  The ugliest thing?  Miguel Olivo's batting average.  This guy barely hit over .200 last year, but was kept for his "defense."  This season, he's struggling to keep that BA over .100.  You can't have that in the middle of the lineup from an almost everyday player.  Let Montero catch on the days they are facing a lefty and let's see what the left-handed hitting Jaso can do against righties.  He can't do any worse!  Are you listening, Mr. Wedge, oh-he-of-the-ever-changing lineups?  Could any part of the offensive inconsistency *possibly* be because the batting order and lineup changes on a daily basis?  Yes some tinkering is necessary, but this went on all of last season and has continued this season.

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Mariners News-Week 1 In Review

Hi baseball fans!  It was a good week for the Mariners, taking 3 out of 4 from the A's in both Tokyo and Oakland.  We've hopefully seen a preview of the season to come, so I will breakdown some things that were good, bad and ugly from the action so far.

THE GOOD:  The offense was stellar, especially in Oakland.   Both teams struggled in the Tokyo series but there were moments, such as Ackley's clutch HR in the 11th inning of the opener.  In the two games in Oakland, the Mariners piled up 15 runs on 26 hits.  Every Seattle starter had at least one hit in Saturday's game.  Chone Figgins seems at home in the leadoff role, with back-to-back three hit games.  If he continues to produce like that, it will make the past two seasons worth of awful play a distant memory.  Dustin Ackley, Saunders and Seager continue to look good at the plate and Ichiro is looking like Ichiro again!  From a pitching standpoint, Vargas was incredible in both starts.  I hope he can sustain that after the All-Star Break, because he seemed to run out of gas late last season.

THE BAD:  In the first two games in Tokyo, the Mariners were awful with runners in scoring position, and it seemed like a reprise of last season.  Bartolo Colon limited them to three hits in the 4-1 loss in game two of the series.  The bullpen has been disappointing so far, with only League seeming solid at this point.  Felix Hernandez pitched very well in the opener in Japan, but lost focus after the 4th Inning on Saturday, nearly blowing a 7-0 lead.  Without the Saunders HR in the top of the 7th, this is one that could have gotten away.  Hernandez was charged with 6 earned runs in 6-1/3 innings, but two of those six scored on the Cespedes 3-run HR off of Delabar in relief.

THE UGLY:  The Mariners gave up three HR's to Cuban rookie sensation Orlando Cespedes that went over 1300 combined feet.  Jason Vargas was lit up twice (one a 462-foot moon shot) while Steve Delabar served up the other.  Felix Hernandez currently owns a 1-0 record but an ERA of 8.63.

DEBUT TIME:  Rookie LHP Lucas Leutge (pronounced LOOT-gee) made his debut Saturday, striking out the only batter he faced.  Japanese rookie Munenori Kawasaki also made his ML debut on Saturday, going 1-4 with an RBI single and scored a run in the M's 6-run 4th inning.  Rookie RHP Hector Noesi makes his Mariners debut in Texas tonight, hoping to spoil the Major League debut of Japanese league star Hu Darvish.

NOTE:  I will likely post a weekly review on Mondays during the season.  I would welcome any feedback on my posts or what you would like to hear concerning the Seattle Mariners.

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How About Those Mariners?

     Barry here, and the new M's season has gotten underway, in case you missed it.  This season will answer a lot of questions for the Mariners, and I believe there will be surprises in store!  Cactus League play has wrapped up, with the M's at 14-9-1.  They've played very well during the spring.  The Mariners have set their final 25-Man roster.  A few surprises there, already.  Rule 5 draft pick Lucas Luetge and rookie LHP Erasmo Ramirez have made the team as lefties out of the pen.  Charlie Furbush, a starter late last year, was sent down despite posting an 0.87 ERA over 11 2/3 spring innings.  The starting rotation is headed by Felix Hernandez, followed by Jason Vargas, Hector Noesi, Kevin Millwood and Blake Beavan.  They opened the season in Tokyo last week, and did not play particularly well, dropping both exhibition games to the Hansin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants before the opening split with the A's.  Hernandez took a no decision in the Mariners 3-1 Extra Inning victory over the A's in the opener, with Vargas pitching very well (also a no-decision) in the 4-1 loss the next day, with the bullpen serving three HR's in the late innings to break a 1-0 Mariners lead. 
     On the offensive side of the ball, the injury bug has bitten the M's early once again.  Mike Carp (LF/DH) and Franklin Gutierrez (CF) both open the season on the 15-day DL.  In case you haven't heard, Ichiro has been moved to the #3 spot in the order; a move that I'd been calling for for the past four seasons.    The lineup will be as follows, to start the season:  Figgins (LF), Ackley (2B), Ichiro (RF), Smoak (1B), Montero (DH/C), Olivo (C), Seager (3B), Saunders (CF), Ryan (SS).  As usual, manager Eric Wedge will be using a lot of different lineups and bench players.  Casper Wells will see a lot of playing time in the OF and newcomer Munenori Kawasaki will fill in at SS and 2B.  Also making the team is Alex Liddi, who will see time at 3B, 1B and DH.  Joining Olivo behind the plate are off-season acquisition Jon Jaso and the aforementioned Montero.  Once Carp and Gutierrez return from the DL, I think the lineup gets a whole lot better.  One of the other big questions is how long Wedge sticks with Chone Figgins, who has been a bitter disappointment since coming over from the Angels.  He's back in his familiar spot in the leadoff role, but will that be enough to spark him at the plate?
     The Mariners season will live or die with the offense.  If they can average over 4 runs per game, they have a shot to challenge even the mighty Rangers and Angels.  With the addition of Jesus Montero in the middle of the order, and the re-vamped lineup, this is a group than can do some damage.  If they struggle again to hit with runners in scoring position, it will be another 90 loss season.

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NFL Super Bowl picks

It's Super Bowl time. Well it our last pick of the season. Who do you think is gonna win?

New York Giants vs New England Patriots
Derek - New England. I've gone back and forth with this pick. I had the G-Men out fo the gate but the more I thought about it and the more I looked at things I've decided to flip. I feel I'm undervaluing a 13-3 teams that's won 9 in a row. Some folks will look at their D and say they're no good. Sure they've give up points but a lot of those were in the 4th quarter of blowout wins. I just see Brady coming out there focused and ready to more the Pats down the field every drive. I see the final as 31-24.

Loren - NY Giants. One thing you can say for the Giants, they won't be intimidated. Eli has been there and lead his team victory before, and the Giants have had to beat tougher playoff competition this year than the Pats. It feels like the Giants are peaking at the right time while the Pats still have questions. You know what they say, defense wins championships. I don't always buy into that, but I think it will hold true this time. Giants win 30-24.

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NFL Playoff week 3 picks

Three games left in this NFL season. Kinda makes me sad.

Baltimore at New England
Derek - New England. I know the Raven D will slow the Pats down a bit but it won't be enough. The Ravens D will HAVE to have big plays from Flacco and can't solely rely on Rice. I don't see it happening enough to make a difference.
Loren - Baltimore. The Ravens should be able to put pressure on Brady and that's the recipe for beating the Pats. Averaging out the defense and offense of the two teams, Baltimore comes out ahead with their ability to run. Defense has been winning in the playoffs, I expect that trend to continue.

New York Giants at San Francisco
Derek - San Francisco. The Giants look like one heck of a team and obviously know what they're doing in the playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if they won, but the 49ers have things clicking right now and don't think the Giants are going to score like the Saints did last week. Again we're talking about a team traveling across country here, we'll see what kind of effect that has.
Loren - San Francisco. I can definitely see this game going either way, and a defensive grinder or an offensive explosion is equally possible. Playing at home gives the 49ers the edge, and the Giants luck is going to run out.

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NFL Playoff week 2 picks

Well after a 3-1 week from me last week I locked up this years NFL 6-pack pick Championship between Loren and I. I'm up 10 with 7 games left. On to the picks.

New Orleans at San Francisco
Derek – San Francisco. I keeping going back and forth on this pick. Brees is obviously playing at the top of his game, but the 49ers have a good D. For me it comes back to the home field advantage not just the field conditions but the west coast travel for the Saints, least we forget last years game with Seattle. Also don't underestimate how good a QB can be if his line gives him time and he's passing against one on one coverage. I think Smith will be able to play mistake free.
Loren – New Orleans. Okay, so the picks don’t really matter anymore. I’m back to picking who I really think will win the games (note the exception below). This boils down to the Saint’s O being better than the 49er’s D. The Saints will be able to score and the Niners won’t be able to keep pace. San Francisco might make it interesting, but they just won’t be able to hang in there with Drew Brees all game.

Denver at New England
Derek – New England. Repeat of the last game between these two. The Broncos can't hang with the Pats on the offensive side of the ball. You can't guard both TEs and Welker.
Loren – Denver. Do I think the Broncos have a legitimate shot against New England? No. Did I think they had a legitimate shot against Pittsburgh? No. Maybe, just maybe, the Broncos D will be good enough to knock New England slightly off pace. Maybe the Broncos won’t kill themselves with turnovers like they did in their last game against the Pats. And maybe the same strategy (lure the defensive backs and linebackers up with run packages and send receivers out in unorthodox patterns) that was successful against Pittsburgh will work against a much leakier defense. Logic doesn’t much matter when your team is fighting for the right to play in the AFC championship game. Hooray for homerism!

Houston at Baltimore
Derek – Baltimore. The Texans have done a great job juggling the season with all the injuries. But they're going to walking to a hailstorm.
Loren – Baltimore. This could get ugly. I actually fear for TJ Yates’ life right now. Seriously, Baltimore is going to send so many blind side blitzes against this kid that the Texans may have to keep blocking TEs and FBs in at all times. Unless Foster goes all superman and gets miraculous blocking up front from the Texans’ O-line, Yates is going to have to pass his team back into the game. He may break the record for most consecutive one-step drops in a row by a QB.

NY Giants at Green Bay
Derek – Green Bay. I wouldn't be surprised if the G-Men pull the upset here, just something about them this year. But I'm not going to pick against Rodgers with Gennings back in the lineup.
Loren – Green Bay. I’m not betting against that offense. I’m not betting against Rogers. Would you?

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