30 for 30 Short: Alex Rodriguez to the Red Sox

One of the great "What Ifs" of all-time.  This is well done, if you have 20 minutes, give this a watch.  You may remember most of it, but there are a couple of gems in there. 

MLB All-Roids Team

It has to be players that tested positive, were on the Mitchell report, Balco, Biogensis or the like.  Even though you can assume everyone was/is on it we're only going with the "real" PED guys.

P- Roger Clemens
C- Benito Santiago
1B- Mark McGwire
2B- Chuck Knoblauch
3B- Ken Caminiti
SS- Alex Rodriguez
OF- Barry Bonds
OF- Gary Sheffield
OF- Manny Ramirez
DH- David Ortiz

Lineup:
1. Chuck Knoblauch
2. Alex Rodriguez
3. Barry Bonds
4. Manny Ramirez
5. David Ortiz
6. Gary Sheffield
7. Mark McGwire
8. Ken Caminiti
9. Benito Santiago

Bench:
OF- Ryan Braun
OF- Jose Canseco
OF- Sammy Sosa
OF- Juan Gonzalez
1B- Rafael Palmeiro
1B- Jason Giambi
2B- Brian Roberts
SS- Miguel Tejada
3B- Matt Williams

Rotation/Bullpen
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Bartolo Colon
Gio Gonzalez
Kevin Brown
Denny Neagle
Kent Merker
Eric Gagne
Ryan Franklin

I'm sure I forgot guys too, but that's a heck of a squad!

Straight Cash Homey

The Pats have moved on from the 2nd best WR in the history of football. Randy Moss is in the final year of his 3yr/$27 million deal, and the trade between New England and Minnesota is all but complete. The Patriots will receive a 3rd round pick in 2011.

Career Touchdowns:

Moss: 151

Welker, Tate, Edelman, Hernandez, Gronkowski, Slater combined: 22

What? Great.

This is similar, but different, to when the Red Sox dealt Manny Ramirez. Sure the locker room might be better (I'm not convinced Moss was a huge disruption), but your on-field talent is comically weaken.

I had the Pats winning the AFC East with Moss. Now? They will be lucky to win the Wild Card. The defense sucks and the offense is now barely above average.

Celtics and Bruins coming right up!

-Keefe

BJal's Lock du Jour - Wednesday, October 7

You know it's funny, when BJal texted me the other day about doing this lock du jour, his original text told me he was taking Troy (-6). I knew nothing about either one of the teams, but one thing I did know is that you never bet against Brad Pitt. So I was a little stunned when he texted me back claiming he misspoke (or mistexted) and that he wanted MTSU (+6). Perhaps that was actually the mistext, or maybe he thought MTSU was getting 60 points and forgot the zero, I dunno. But regardless, Troy ran for 264 and at one point led 24-0 in the 3rd quarter on its way to an embarrassing 31-7 romp. Woops.

So after watching an incredible game between the Twins and Tigers last night, BJal will try and redeem himself and get back on the right track. Personally, my lock of the century is the Yankees absolutely cremating the Twins. In New York. Today. After the Twins ripped through their bullpen in a 12-inning game. Last night. And partied. Celebrating clinching the division. Hangovers.

But that's just me. Instead, he's taking NH native Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals over Randy Wolf and the LA Dodgers. Fair enough. And by the way, this should actually be a great series. Two of the top managers in the league in Tony Larussa and Joe Torre squaring off. Manny and Pujols. The Matts, Kemp and Holliday. Adam Wainright, Ryan Franklin's goatee. So much to enjoy about this series.

BJal's Lock du Jour: Cardinals over Dodgers
Overall record: 0-1

-Bess

Manny & Ortiz Busted for Roids; Who Knew?

Well it shouldn't come as a major shock but Manny and Ortiz have surfaced on that "confindential" list of roughly 100 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs back in 2003. With all of the "leaks" and a pair of players coming clean, we've got I believe 7 players from that list. They are...

1. Alex Rodriguez

2. Jason Grimsley

3. David Segui

4. Sammy Sosa

5. Barry Bonds

6. Manny Ramirez

7. David Ortiz

I'm not going to try and finger point and predict the rest of the group. Although that could be entertaining. Rather just take a look at the rosters from the 2003 All-Star Game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game

What a crew!

-Keefe

The Worst and Most Insulting Trade Offer Ever

Today I received a trade offer in one of my ESPN Fantasy Leagues. A GM represnting "An Entire Army of Jew Robots" offered to send me and our team ("Kenny Fuckin Powers") Alex Rios and Scott Baker in exchange for our star OF Manny Ramirez. Talk about living up to your team name. I was so embarrassed and insulted by this trade offer, that not only did I sent him a long, detailed response breaking down my assessment of the trade and why I would not accept it, but I also posted the e-mail on the league page to give the rest of the league an idea as to how stupid, moronic and incompetent this man is as the GM of a fantasy baseball team. To quote Ashley Schaeffer, Ashley Schaeffer BMW, "You'd have to be damn straight retarded" to accept this deal. My e-mail to this moron is below:


I'm actually insulted by this trade offer. To the point where I'm not even sure I want to consider a counter offer. You're asking for a perennial .300/30/100 guy in exchange for the following:
Rios: A) never driven in 100 runs; B) hit over 20 HR once (24 in 2007); C) hit over .300 once (.302 in 2006). I recognize the steals are a nice asset, but I'd be remiss to ignore the fact that he's hitting .206 with ZERO homeruns and one stolen base to go with 7 RBI so far in 2009. This is while batting in the middle of an offense that is currently ranked 3rd in average, 1st in RBI, 3rd in runs and 3rd in homeruns in ALL of Major League Baseball.
Baker: First start of the season - 4.0 IP, 6 ER; Second start of the season (Today) - 4.2 IP, 6 ER. In fact, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't even start Baker today against Boston. Shows how confident you are in his ability as a pitcher.
You offered Brett Myers or Armando Gallaraga instead of Baker. Myers has an ERA over 5 right now, a career ERA in the mid 4's and his ERA has gone up every year since 2005. Galarraga isn't bad, but after everything I said about Rios, those two won't do it together. In fact if you even wanted a chance at this trade, it would've been LESS insulting to offer up Galarraga up front. At least the dude is pitching well right now and has some upside. That's a guy you sell high. As far as Rios and the rest of the garbage you came at me with, those are guys that I'll buy low...buying low does not pertain to Manny Ramirez. Especially when he's hitting .340 with 3 bombs and 10 RBI, including an 8 for 16 run in his last 4 games with all three of those bombs coming over that span.
Bottom line: I can't help but feel you think I'm some sort of asshole. That being said, I'd like to decline your offer...courteously, of course.

2009 MLB Pre-season Predictions

Keefe’s picks

AL East
1. Rays
2. Red Sox
3. Yankees
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles

AL Central
1. Twins
2. Indians
3. Royals
4. White Sox
5. Tigers

AL West
1. Angels
2. A’s
3. Mariners
4. Rangers

NL East
1. Mets
2. Phillies
3. Marlins
4. Braves
5. Nationals

NL Central
1. Cubs
2. Brewers
3. Astros
4. Cardinals
5. Reds
6. Pirates

NL West
1. Dodgers
2. D-Backs
3. Rockies
4. Giants
5. Padres

Playoffs

AL:
Rays over Twins
Red Sox over Angels

Rays over Red Sox

NL:
Cubs over D-Backs
Dodgers over Mets

Dodgers over Cubs

RAYS over Dodgers in World Series

AWARDS:

AL MVP: Grady Sizemore, Indians
NL MVP: Manny Ramirez, Dodgers or David Wright, Mets

AL Cy Young: Jon Lester, Red Sox
NL Cy Young: Dan Haren, D-Backs

AL ROY: Travis Snider, Blue Jays
NL ROY: Cameron Maybin, Marlins

AL Manager: Trey Hillman, Royals
NL Manager: Joe Torre, Dodgers

Besse’s picks

AL East
1. Red Sox
2. Rays
3. Yankees
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles

AL Central
1. Indians
2. Twins
3. Royals
4. Tigers
5. White Sox

AL West
1. Angels
2. Rangers
3. A’s
4. Mariners

NL East
1. Phillies
2. Mets
3. Marlins
4. Braves
5. Nationals

NL Central
1. Cubs
2. Cardinals
3. Astros
4. Reds
5. Brewers
6. Pirates

NL West
1. Dodgers
2. D-Backs
3. Giants
4. Rockies
5. Padres

Playoffs

AL:

Red Sox over Indians
Rays over Angels

Red Sox over Rays

NL:
Mets over Dodgers
Cubs over Phillies

Mets over Cubs

RED SOX over Mets in World Series

AWARDS:

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
NL MVP: Manny Ramirez, Dodgers

AL Cy Young: Josh Beckett, Red Sox
NL Cy Young: Ricky Nolasco, Marlins

AL ROY: Matt Wieters, Orioles
NL ROY: Tommy Hanson, Braves

AL Manager: Eric Wedge, Indians
NL Manager: Jerry Manuel, Mets

There you have it. The 2009 picks from Keefe and Besse at The Sports Brief. What do you think? Although we do have some picks that are similar, I like that we both have different World Series matchups and, for the most part, different award winners. I believe Manny as NL MVP is the only pick that's the same for us. Should be interesting to see how it all unfolds. The AL East is going to be brutal, but fun to watch. Enjoy the season!

-Bess

It's all good in Mannywood

Unless you've been living under the proverbial rock for the last few weeks, then you know about the ongoing saga and theatrics that was the contract negotiation between Manny Ramirez and the LA Dodgers. Well again, unless you failed to remove yourself from said rock, then you also know that Manny finally agreed to a 2yr/$45M deal. The terms of the deal are fairly straight forward in principle but a tad complicated in how it will be paid out. Essentially the Dodgers have exclusive rights to Ramirez's services in 2009. He'll earn $10M outright and the remaining $15M will be paid out over time with no interest. One plan has the Dodgers paying $5M per year from 2010-2012. What happens after 2009 was the sticking point for Ramirez and the team, and I think this is where people are underestimating the overall value of this deal for both parties. Ramirez will have a player option in 2010 worth $20M that he can either accept or decline. If he chooses not to exercise that option, he'll once again become a free agent, and the Dodgers in turn would likely receive compensation in the June 2010 draft. I think it's safe to assume that Ramirez would register as a Type A free agent thus giving the Dodgers maximum benefit in terms of compensation. However, if Ramirez does accept the option, he'll then receive $10M each year from 2010-2012 and then additional installments of $8.33M from 2011-2013.

I've been listening to sports talk radio, particularly WEEI in Boston over the past week or so and heard a lot about what people think of this deal. First thing is first: fans and radio personalities, writers, etc. still hold a lot of resentment towards Ramirez and I think that has been shining through in their opinions towards this deal. The same people that suddenly turned on Ramirez and called for him to leave Boston and have since rooted for his professional demise are arguing that the Dodgers overpaid for a malcontent, selfish and unprofessional ballplayer who will do nothing but disrupt a clubhouse and is nowhere near the value their paying. I completely disagree.

Look at what Ramirez did in his four months or so with LA in 2008. He hit .396 with 17 homeruns and 53 runs batted in over just 53 games. In the playoffs, he batted .520 with four homers, 10 RBIs, nine runs and 11 walks in eight games. Those are god-like numbers, and the results were indicative of that. The Dodgers blitzed past Arizona to claim the NL West crown, swept the NL-favorite Cubs in the NLDS series and then lost in 5 games to the eventual World Series champion Phillies. Although they failed to reach the World Series, it was quite a turnaround for a team that had not done anything significant in the postseason since 1988 when they stunned the Oaklan Athletics in 5 games. In fact the series win over Chicago was the first postseason series win since that '88 season. Manny reinvigorated a franchise that was in need of such, and he did in a situation that was perfect for both parties. LA essentially received Ramirez on a loan from the Red Sox, and Manny basically played out the final four months in a "contract year" type situation. He was playing for a free agent deal in the off season, so the onus was on him to produce at a high level. In turn, the Dodgers gave him a safehaven to do that, away from the media frenzy of Boston and basically providing Manny with a clean slate.

Based on his numbers and the subsequent results, it was safe to assume that both parties had and would make out on this temporary partnership. However, the market never really gained any interest or momentum for Ramirez. The pool of teams was limited and the Dodgers were garnered as the favorite from the onset. Ramirez essentially priced himself out everywhere except LA. This is where my opinion differs from most, particularly media personalities in the Boston area. The opposition argue that LA held the bargaining chip here. The team was not involved in a bidding war with any other teams because there were none. LA could make an offer it was comfortable with, and if Ramirez declined, he was poised to sit out 2009 unless another team swooped in and overpaid or he finally succumbed to the notion that he'd have to compromise and accept the fact he wasn't getting his 4yr/$100M deal. Those same people will go on to argue that Frank McCourt and Ned Colletti mishandled the situation by admitting publicly they really wanted Manny in LA, thus affording him the upper hand in negotiations by making it known they'd do everything in their power to sign the free agent slugger. In turn, agent Scott Boras was able to employ his sit tight and wait game, which lures teams into uncomfortable waters, afraid they'll miss out on a good thing when Boras and his player decline an offer and refuse to present a rebuttal. And that is what happened here. Feeling a sense of urgency, and weary of starting 2009 with Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Juan Pierre in the outfield, the Dodgers finally "cracked" and appeased Ramirez with this latest deal.

My opinion, however, is that the Dodgers made a good decision here and both parties will again make out. They get Ramirez for $25M in 2009 but the salary cap will only take a $10M hit in '09 and $5M for each of the next 3 seasons. Meanwhile, Ramirez is essentially playing another contract year. He has everything to play for in '09. If he explodes and continues his torrid production from the 2nd half of 2008 then the Dodgers will be a scary, scary team. Ethier and Kemp are still developing and poised to build off solid campaigns last season. The Dodgers also bring back James Loney, Casey Blake and Russel Martin and the addition of Orlando Hudson at 2nd base should not be overlooked. Hudson hit .305 last season for Arizona and allows Blake Dewitt and Mark Loretta to come off the bench. This lineup will be potent, and with Adam Dunn having left the Diamondbacks you have to feel confident about the Dodgers outlasting their NL West foe en route to a 2nd consecutive division title. Although the Diamondbacks will rely on the one-two tandem of Brandon Webb and Dan Haren, the Dodgers have a couple young rising stars in Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw, while Jason Schmidt returns and could shore up the back end of that rotation.

Meanwhile, if Ramirez chooses to opt out of his deal at the end of 2009, the Dodgers will either have to resign him, or let him go to greener pastures and receive the draft compensation as a result. What it will do, however, is save the team $20M over four seasons. However, if Ramirez doesn't quite have the year he'd hoped for, the market/economy hasn't fully recovered, or he just decides to play out his final year and consider his career options thereafter, LA will get the future Hall-of-Famer at a "discounted" $20M. And if Ramirez determines he'll play beyond 2010, he'll again find himself in a contract year. Bottom line is the Dodgers could potentially have Manny in LA for all or parts of three consecutive seasons, each of which were contract years. And if last year is any indication as to how Manny will produce in a contract year, the Dodgers are poised for an exciting 2009 and, with any luck, more of the same in 2010. If the latter doesn't happen, I still think LA will be in good shape. Young stars like Ethier, Kemp, Loney and Dewitt will have another year of development at the MLB level under their belts, and with Manny's contract off the table, the Dodgers could be major players in the free agent market in 2010. Here are some top outfielders that may be available:

Matt Holliday
Jason Bay
Xavier Nady
Vladimir Guerrero
Magglio Ordonez
Carl Crawford

But there will be other position players and pitchers available, as well. While the list of players is huge, check out some highlights below:

John Lackey (SP)
Rich Harden (SP)
Brandon Webb (SP)
Josh Beckett (SP)
Cliff Lee (SP)
Erik Bedard (SP)
Chipper Jones (3B)
Melvin Mora (3B)
Brian Roberts (2B)

Not bad. I will confess I have Ramirez in an ESPN keeper league, so I'm hoping he just goes off in 2009. That being said, if he's not in Dodger blue come 2010 that means I may have won my league. But what do you think? Did the Dodgers give up too much to get Ramirez? Or do you think giving him the player option for $20M will motivate him to have another great season? Let us know.

-Bess

Goodluck with all that... 2.0

Back by popular demand... well at least back, everyone's favorite, "Goodluck with all that," a sarcastic look at some of the major story lines in sports. If you're new to it, I'm sure you'll pick it up real quick. On to the encouragement.

To Josh McDaniels and the Broncos. Your Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler is "shocked" that he was in trade talks. McDaniels tried bringing in Matt Cassel, and now will have to convince Cutler that he can work with him after all. The guy is shaken and still thinks he's on the trade block. And to make matters even easier for the 1st year head coach, their All-Pro stud WR Brandon Marshall got arrested, again, and could face another suspension. Goodluck with all that...

To Steve Kerr for convincing people he is a viable NBA GM. When Kerr took over, the Phoenix Suns were a top 2 seed in the Western Conference. In year 1 he traded Shawn Marion away for Shaq and made sure his team got out of the top 4 so they could lose in the 1st Round of the playoffs on the road. This year? Despite a rejuvinated Shaq, the Suns are in the 9th spot in the West. They openly tried trading both Amare Stoudemire and Shaq to no avail. Also, in less than 2 full seasons Kerr has employed 3 head coaches. Nice. Goodluck with all that...

To Alex Rodriguez for putting the steroid issue behind him. Great start for A-Rod as he still has his shady lookin cousin hanging out with him the 2nd week of spring training. Whether this guy is hitting .350 or .250 questions will surround him all year long. Goodluck with all that...

In a related note; to Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmeiro on making Baseball's Hall of Fame. This is nothing new, but goodluck with all that...

To Thales Leites on fighting Anderson Silva at UFC 97 on April 18th. Silva had been completely dominant since joining the UFC, but in the Spider's last fight against Patrick Cote he looked lack luster. He's been hearing it ever since. He will use Leites to prove he hasn't lost a step. This may be the last we ever see of Thales Leites. Goodluck with all that...

To anyone trying to get 27 in a row in ESPN's Streak for the Cash. I mean come on. Besse peaked out at 10, I've only gone as high as 5. And talk about frustrating/ addicting. Cripes. But keep trying, it's $1,000,000. Goodluck with all that...

To the World Baseball Classic on being a success. I like the idea, but it can't work. You got top of the line guys pulling out of this thing left and right. Everyone is still in spring training mode. You got pitchers going 2.0 innings deep, etc. Look, I love Olympic basketball, and this is as close as we got to Olympic baseball, with a majority of stars from the around the world, but it just doesn't get me going. Goodluck with all that...

To the team that wins the Big East tournament this year. MSG will be the site for all 16 teams this year for the 1st time. By my count 5 are absolute lock, another 6 are still very much alive, and the conference as a whole only has 3 terrible teams. Let's say for example that Syracuse wins the tourny. In a 4 day span they would have to beat (as the bracket looks right now), Notre Dame, Louisville, Pitt, and UConn. Good lord. I don't like the Orange's chances. Whoever wins, they earned it, goodluck with all that.

To the LA Dodgers signing Manny Ramirez. Goodluck with all that...

To Manny Ramirez signing with the LA Dodgers. Goodluck with all that...

To Scott Boras on making this happen. Goodluck with all that...


What else ya got? Leave a comment.

-Keefe

The Sports Brief's Week 6 NFL picks

Was anyone else sickened by Tim McCarver and Joe Buck ranting about Manny Ramirez's turbelent end in Boston everytime he was relevant during last night's game? It was borderline ridiculous. In the first inning, he did something he's always done. Crushed a ball to the deepest part of the park and admired it along with everyone else in the stadium who thought that ball was way out of there. I can't blame the game for having it hit off a chain link fence that sits on top of the wall in dead center at the 409 mark. Sure, he trotted down the line, but he does that all the time. And he drove in the run with an RBI double. Could he have been on second? Sure, he might have made it. But McCarver and Buck just couldn't let it go. Then when he came up in the 5th, they made it a point to discuss how he gave up on Boston in the final weeks of July, opting out of games against Seattle and New York, going for the MRI on his knees, shoving the traveling secretary to the ground, etc. etc. etc. I don't know about them, but I heard about all of that stuff a few months ago when it happened. Two and a half months of major league baseball have expired since then, and what he's done for the Dodgers has been remarkable. Yet they're still caught up on that. Following McCarver's comments the other day about Ramirez's final days being "despicable" and a "disgrace", I couldn't help but feel he had an agenda going into that broadcast. And I thought his blatant efforts to continue the Manny bashing was an absolute disgrace in itself.

Did anyone else catch that episode of "The Office" last night? If so, you'll appreciate the following clip:



Onto this week's NFL games. Some interesting matchup as Week 6 proves to be critical for several teams across the league. The Chargers were pre-season Super Bowl favorites but have stumbled to a pedestrian 2-3 record. They host the Patriots in a game that seems more winnable now that Matt Cassel is the quarterback and not Tom Brady. But it will be intriguing to see how Bill Belicheck neutralizes the ground game with LT, especially seeing how Miami torched the Pats on the ground in Week 3. Meanwhile, the Colts struggling offense comes off a dramatic win over the lowly Texans and faces a defensive stalwart in the Ravens. And what are the odds we see Brady Quinn on Monday Night Football? Could the Giants improve to 6-0?

For Random Rob, it's darts galore once again. I couldn't find a quarter. Oh well. Once again let's go Mike Goldberg for the official introduction:

"And HERE...WE...GO!"

Besse's picks:
Last week: 11-3; 43-31

Bears -2.5 over Falcons
The Bears defense is tenacious, and I think Matt Ryan has one of those stumbling block weeks here. The Bears will contain Turner and Norwood and force Ryan to open things up. Look for Orton to have another steady game. This could very well be decided by a field goal, but nonetheless, Bears cover.

Panthers +2.5 over Bucs
I'm a big Panthers fan. This could be a real grinder of a game, but Jake Delhomme has a lot of weapons on offense now, and the Panthers run defense has been solid. Look for that to continue here.

Redskins -13.5 over Rams
This could potentially be a shootout. Clinton Portis should had a tremendous game and Jason Campbell throws for a pair of TD's. Rams will punch in a couple, but they'll get outworked in every phase of the game.

Texans -3.5 over Dolphins
Let's hope Matt Schaub protects the ball better than his backup did last week. I see a lot of gamblers overlooking the Texans this week and pushing Miami. Let's not forget, was it not for Rosenfels and his lack of awareness (I wonder what his rating is on Madden '09) the Texans would have had an impressive 27-17 win.

Ravens +4.5 over Colts
Colts win by a FG. McGahee and McClain could have career days on the ground, but I think the Colts manage to pull this out on a late FG by Adam Vinateri.

Vikings -13.5 over Lions
I'd like to see how St. Paul's fares against the Lions. They've only scored one TD in three ISL games this fall, but the Lions suck. Frerotte could be the top fantasy QB in Week 6. Yea that's right. Gus Frerotte.

Saints -7.5 over Raiders
I love the Saints and that offense. And I can't wait till Marques Colston gets back. In the meantime, as long as Henderson, Meachem and Moore can actually catch the balls that Brees throws to them, they should light up the Raiders.

Bengals +5.5 over Jets
I see this as an old fashioned, gun slinging shootout between Brett Favre and Carson Palmer. I think the Bengals get their first win this week in a minor upset.

Jaguars +3.5 over Broncos
Another high scoring affair that ends in close fashion. Both offenses should look impressive against each other's pedestrian defenses. I think the Jags keep it close.

Cardinals +5.5 over Cowboys
I actually believe Arizona could win this outright. And if Anquan Boldin is ready to play, that will affirm my belief even more. Cowboys are thin in the secondary and I think the Cardinals passing game will outduel that of Dallas. The best bet for the Boys is to run the ball and control the clock; keep Warner with his hat on for a while.

49ers +5.5 over Eagles
San Fran hosts another East Coast team this week, and I think they actually cover this time.

Packers +2.5 over Seahawks
Seattle's offense isn't there yet, and the Packers offense could duplicate that of the Giants in week 5.

Patriots -6.5 over Chargers
I just don't feel like rooting for the Chargers.

Browns +7.5 over Giants
Something tells me the Browns are going to hang tough in this one. I'm not calling an upset, but I think the Giants win by a score and fail to cover.

Keefe's picks:
Last week: 5-9; Overall 36-38

Falcons +2.5 over Bears
Michael Turner leads the league in rushing after the first 5 weeks. He has a tough match up but I like the surprise Falcons to roll.

Panthers +2.5 over Buccaneers
Sneaky good NFC battle in Tampa. I’ll take Steve Smith and the runningback tandem in Carolina, even though Jeff Garcia is a “winner.”

Redskins -13.5 over Rams
Rams are the worst team in football, Skins are playing like one of the best. Enough said.

Dolphins +3.5 over Texans
I think the Texans get their first W, but it will be by less than 4. Matt Schaub back in there after Sage literally gave away the game last Sunday.

Ravens +4.5 over Colts
Colts are down this year, Ravens D can overcome the offense… at least to cover.

Vikings -13.5 over Lions
Wait are the Rams the worst team, or the Lions? They both loss by 2 TDs.

Saints -7.5 over Raiders
Who’s coaching the raiders again? Saints get it figured out this week, Coleston and Shockey could be back.

Jets -5.5 over Bengals
Bengals remain winless, as the Jets keep pace in the suddenly ultra competitive AFC East.

Broncos -3.5 over Jaguars
I’ve been anti Jags all season, and maybe its reflected in my miserable picks the past couple weeks, but I’m going to keep it up.

Cardinals +5.5 over Cowboys
Will Pacman play? As of right now he will, but that could be a huge loss with Terrence Newman already sidelined against a great passing attack in Arizona.

Eagles -5.5 over 49ers
Philly is 2-3, they need this win, and they’ll get it.

Packers +2.5 over Seahawks
How are the Seahawks favored? I know they’re home, but come on. I’ll take the Pack.

Patriots -6.5 over Chargers
I’m not convinced the Patriots will win the game, but even if they don’t it will be pretty close thanks to a very banged up LT.

Giants -7.5 over Browns
And I thought the Browns would be in the playoff picture. They look bad, and may look even worse Monday Night against maybe the top team in the league.

Random Rob
Last week: 7-7; Overall: 44-30

Bears
Bucs
Rams
Dolphins
Colts
Lions
Raiders
Bengals
Broncos
Cardinals
Eagles
Packers
Pats
Browns

-Bess

Some Beef from The Brief

Brewers missed one trade deadline move

Getting rid of Ned Yost.

Watching last night’s ESPN2 game between the Brewers and Astros, I couldn’t help but think two things:

1) CC Sabathia is pitching like a beast right now
2) Ned Yost will be the reason the Brewers tank at the end and miss the playoffs AGAIN

I think the first point is indisputable. Just look at CC’s numbers since coming over from Cleveland. He’s 8-0 with a 1.60 ERA and the Brewers are 8-1 in his nine starts. He’s flooding the strike zone with his entire arsenal, and when you’re talking about a low to mid 90’s fastball on both sides of the plate mixed in with a plus curve and changeup, any offense will have its hands full. That being said, if CC keeps this up can he make his way into the Cy Young discussion? I understand everyone is foaming at the mouth over the trio of Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum and Edinson Volquez, but it’s just so hard to overlook what Sabathia is doing to the National League thus far. Volquez has looked human as of late, and if Webb and/or Lincecum hit a rough patch, I think CC could steal a few votes. It’ll be hard to overcome him only playing half a season, though.
Regarding Ned Yost... For anyone watching last night’s game, was it me or was Steve Phillips nailing it right on the head? There was NO reason to trot out Sabathia in the bottom of that ninth inning. He was already at 111 pitches, right around his season average, and you could see him clearly laboring, especially after allowing a couple guys to reach and one run to score. Look, Ned, any dimwit paying attention saw that you were leading 9-2 and while I realize you’re at home and want to give the fans something to go nuts about – such as CC’s 5 th complete game with Milwaukee – that 9 th inning was the perfect opportunity to trot Keefe or I out there to get in some work. If we load em up or surrender a run or two, you could get Mota and Torres warming, which you did, and bring either or both of them in to shut the door. Even Gagne would have been a safe choice in that situation. And not only did ole’ Neddy not recognize that, but he let CC labor through the last couple batters of that inning, including the at-bat to Tejada in which every fastball was up at his eyes. I realize you’re trying to maximize your value with the guy, but it’s the middle of August and he’s probably going to make another six or seven starts. If, miraculously, you do make the postseason, let’s try and make sure he’s got enough in the tank to avoid a tumultuous flop like last year. He hit a career high 241 innings and was clearly showing signs of being taxed in his three postseason starts. During that three game stretch he surrendered 21 hits in 15.1 innings and had a K/BB ratio of 14/13. Ugh.

Manny (or CC) for MVP

Again, I know it’s hard to make the argument given these two will have only played half a season for their respective ballclubs. But I can’t help but think that if either, god forbid both of these teams, makes the playoffs, it will clearly be because of Manny and CC’s contributions in the 2 nd half. I already pointed out CC’s numbers in Milwaukee thus far, and Manny’s, from an offensive standpoint, are just as gaudy. He’s hitting .421 with six homeruns and 21 RBI in 16 games. He’s got eight multi-hit games and has been held hitless only twice. Not only that, but look at what he’s done for a guy like Jeff Kent. While Kent is clearly too arrogant – he tried to fight Barry Bonds, who would’ve crushed him – to admit it, Ramirez’ presence in that lineup has brought him more pitches to hit, and he’s responded to the tune of .421 in the month of August.
Let’s face it, the Utley for MVP train has de-railed, the Pujols will lose votes to Ludwick, the Cubs are getting production from everyone, and the Diamondbacks’ offense sucks. David Wright was my sleeper at the midway mark and I think he’s starting to turn into a real contender with his 95 RBI and .322 clip after the break. But in my opinion this award should go to a guy who’s had the most impact and a direct correlation to a team’s success. Both Manny and CC, to this point, exemplify those qualities and they have some filthy numbers to back it up. We’ll see how it plays out, but if this keeps up, I think it needs to be considered.

Jason Bay is an idiot that can hit

I’ll preface this by saying that the Red Sox did not replace Manny Ramirez with Jason Bay. They merely acquired the most value available at the time.

But Bay has been a welcome addition to that lineup, and his .348/3/16 line with the Sox so far is impressive. Coming off last night’s 2-homer game in which he also stole a base, it looks like Bay could be a nice catalyst and solid player down the stretch. But he’s not a cleanup guy, and the Sox will need Youkilis or a healthy Mike Lowell ready to deliver when David Ortiz starts getting walked every time up.

The reason Bay is an idiot is because of his comments to alleged mistress to the captain in a post-game interview. When Heidi Watney asked Bay to comment on Jon Lester’s performance, he said he was impressed and that not many people knew about the guy outside of the AL East.

Are you kidding me?

The guy beat cancer and was back pitching in the majors a year after his diagnosis.

He won Game 4 of the 2007 World Series. Were you watching? Or do you literally shut it down after game 162?

He threw a no-hitter against the Royals back in May.

He’s 12-4 with a 3.17 ERA this season.

I’m pretty sure people know about the guy.

What people may not know is that he’s a legitimate Cy Young candidate in a non-Cliff Lee season. Lee more or less has a stranglehold on the honor with his 17-2 record and 2.43 ERA. It’ll take a Brian Bannister v. Yankees type bombing, on more than one occasion, or a season ending injury right now in order for Lee to lose it. But if it weren’t for him, Lester would be and still should be right up there in the discussion along with teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka. He’s got 16 quality starts in ’08 and the Sox are 18-8 in games which he has started; not to mention Boston is 11-2 in Lester’s last 13 starts. Pretty filthy. To compare, Lee has 18 quality starts in two less starts and the Indians are 18-6 in those 24 games. Hey, if he gets lit up to the tune of 10 runs in one inning ala Bannister in his next two starts, he’d be 17-4 with a 3.44 ERA when the dust settles. Improbable? Yes. Impossible? Yes.

Oh and don’t forget about Roy Halladay, either. I tried trading for him with Shark for fantasy, offering up Chris Volstad and David Price in our keeper league. He threw me John Lackey instead, which is fine, but Halladay is a monster. Eight complete games, a 14-9 record and 2.64 ERA. The Jays have lost 11 games in which Halladay started, but they’ve only scored 19 runs in those contests, being shutout three times and scoring three runs or less in nine of them. Tough deal.

Tom Brady injured?

In my NBA MVP debate, I mentioned that Lebron James should be given the Lebron James MVP award every season based purely on the fact that his team would absolutely suck without him. We’re starting to see that perhaps Tom Brady falls into that category, as well. No only are Matt Cassell, Matt Gutierrez and Kevin O’Connell not the answer, but the defense is porous and won’t carry this team at all in ’08. If Brady isn’t healthy, not only will the Pats struggle to finish 8-8, but Moss won’t catch 80 balls and he’ll end up bitch slapping someone on the sideline. Peyton Manning probably falls into this category, as well, but there’s much less concern here for the Colts.

And I apologize if I spelled any of the names wrong for those three backup QB’s, but they’re so bad I didn’t care enough to look it up.

Classic commercial

For anyone that hasn’t seen it yet, check out the new Nike commercial with LT and Kimbo Slice. Pure comedy at its finest. If you can’t ignore and work past the clear cut stereotypes here for the terrific humor involved, then you’re an idiot. This is absolute gold. Check out the part where Kimbo tosses open the freezer door. That might have sealed it for me.

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That’s all for now. Thanks for reading.

-Bess

Sox Gave Away Manny

Why do teams make trades? To get better. In the case of a contender, they do it to solidify a playoff birth or, in the Angels case, make a serious run at a title. For a struggling team you trade in order to get better in the future, take a shot at some young guys. (Indians getting Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips for Bartolo Colon comes to mind.) These are why teams make moves at the deadline. (Note: NBA and NFL teams often make moves to dump salary; last time I checked there wasn’t a salary cap in MLB.) This is what frustrates me most about the Manny trade. The Red Sox did not get better, in fact they got worse.

Manny Ramirez has been a huge headache for this team the past few weeks, maybe longer. I understand some of his actions have been inexcusable, but that’s exactly how I would describe this trade. The Red Sox essentially traded Manny Ramirez, Brandon Moss, and Craig Hansen for Jason Bay. You serious!? There were a total of 6 players involved in the 3 team deal between the Sox, Dodgers, and Pirates. How did Boston manage to give up the best player AND 2 prospects? Unbelievable. They got relief help right? Nope. Same bullpen (minus Hansen, which isn’t a bad thing) and now you got Jason Bay in LF with no Manny. Before getting into how Bay will replace Ramirez I want to look more at the deal itself. Just when you thought what the Sox gave up was bad enough, how about this… they’re paying the rest of Manny’s deal too. Wow. Why not throw Jon Lester or Dustin Pedroia in the trade too.

Calling this a “trade” is unfair. The Sox simply “got rid” of Ramirez. A trade implies both teams (or all three teams) giving something up to get something. The Dodgers traded a 3B who doesn’t play and a AA pitcher for Ramirez. The Pirates traded Jason Bay for two young pitchers, a young 3B, and a young OF. The Sox panicked. They wanted to get rid of Manny, and made that abundantly clear, which doesn’t exactly help the value. Everyone knew Boston was looking to get rid of Manny any way they could. So why offer them anything, or better yet, why not ask for a couple prospects to boot. Done and done.

Part of this “deal” was having the two club options for Manny at $20 million a pop be waived. Ok, so he is playing 2 months for a playoff run/ his next contract. Why does he have to do that in LA? I’d take Manny’s crap for 2 more, hopefully 3 more months with a legitimate shot at winning back-to-back World Series. People say how do you know he would play for them? The guy wants $100 million over 4 years, how is he going to do that sitting on the bench. Is he not trying now? Really? In July, Manny is hitting .347 (the highest month of the season for him) with 4 HR and 16 RBI. Those numbers are better than J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell’s. Are those guys tanking it? Let me guess Lowell is giving up on the team. Come on. Pedroia is the hottest hitter in the planet and he’s only hitting .003 points higher than Manny in July.

Jason Bay now finds himself in the same spot as Omer Epps did when he signed on for Major League II, replacing Wesley Snipes as Willie Mayes Hayes. Bay is a nice player, don’t get me wrong, but the Sox are asking a ton from him. Here’s a guy who plays in front of family and friends for the worst team in the N.L. Central. The Pittsburgh Pirates could not be further from the Boston Red Sox. Bay has a grand total of 0 post season at-bats. Manny has 24 post season home runs. That’s a record. Hey Jason Bay, no pressure, but you need to replace a 12-time All-Star, 500 Home Run Club member, World Series MVP, and future Hall of Famer with 2 months to go in a pennant race in the most baseball crazy city in the world. At least the Sox helped their bullpen and got a couple prospects back… I forgot, they didn’t.

In the end I feel like the Red Sox got caught with their pants down, and went from a team with World Series aspirations to a team that’s really hoping they can get in the playoffs. A lot has changed. How can the front office honestly turn down a Mark Teixeira for Kevin Youkilis and Craig Hansen deal, yet sign off on a Jason Bay for Manny Ramirez, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss. I can’t describe it. They see the Angels getting much better, the Yankees making moves to improve themselves, even the White Sox reaching out for some help. Theo and the crew were so caught up in throwing Manny away that they forgot to actually help the team. Sure they don’t have to see what the new quote from ESPNDeportes is today and the team can now have picnics together and go to water parks, but they’ll feel it on the field. You think David Ortiz won’t get intentionally walked every chance they get? These guys are supposed to be pros. It’s not the ideal situation, but it was their best chance to win.

I hope I’m wrong here, but I don’t see the Red Sox making the post season this year. Even with the Rays not making a move, they didn’t get worse like the Sox. Tampa and New York will take the division in the final 2 months of the season with one of them squaring off with the Angels in the ALCS, while the new Sox have sleep overs together watching the games on TV.

-Keefe

How the Red Sox should handle Ramirez

After watching the Manny Ramirez saga unfold over the past week, I can’t help but think the solution is so simple, people are simply overlooking it. Essentially, there are three options on the table. The Red Sox can trade him, pick up his option or let him walk after the season. To me, the easiest, and most beneficial solution, would be to tell Ramirez now that the team will let him become a free agent after the season and here’s why:

First off, a trade will be much too difficult for the Red Sox right now. According to Ken Rosenthal in his latest article on FoxSports.com, there’s been speculation regarding the Mets and Phillies as showing interest. Regardless of which team is involved, there’s no way the Red Sox will trade Ramirez in a deal straight up and get a player in return that fills the void left behind. Not happening. Manny is a 10 and 5 guy, and he’ll want to be dealt to a contending team. That being said, any contender will not ship out an integral piece of the offense in exchange for Ramirez. If that team is looking to win a World Series, it’s looking to add Ramirez, not use him to replace someone. The only way a deal could be made straight up is if a team like the Rockies decided they were sellers, Ramirez waived his no-trade clause and both teams agreed on a Holliday for Ramirez deal. The odds of that are slim.

So that being said, another possibility would be the inclusion of a third or even fourth team, much like what occurred in the deal involving Nomar Garciaparra back in 2004. The Red Sox, Cubs, Twins and Expos were all a part of the deal, and there were a lot of moving parts to that deal. By including additional teams, Boston (Team A) could ship Ramirez to a team like the Phillies (Team B) in exchange for top prospects in the system. Those prospects, in turn, would never even begin their journey to Boston, instead heading to the third team involved (Team C), who accepted said prospects from Team B while sending a star player to Team A. Team C, however, would need to be a seller, such as the Reds and slugger Austin Kearns. Deals like this become extremely complicated, and with only a few days left until the deadline, it’s hard to say if it could happen in time. Again, the issue would be Ramirez and his no-trade clause. If he chooses to wave it, things might be easier, regardless of the number of teams involved.

The next option for Boston is to pick up Manny’s option now and satisfy his financial worries. The genesis of the issue at hand is that Ramirez is uneasy with his dubious future in Boston and Major League Baseball. It can easily be said that he’s no Barry Bonds. While mercurial, he does not alienate teammates nor cast a black shadow over the sport. His talent is second to none, and despite going on 36 now, he’s still one of the premier hitters in the game. Ramirez will play somewhere next year, there’s no question about that, but he’d rather know now where that will be. Therefore, if Theo and Co. can tolerate the stupid “Manny Being Manny” phenomenon that sweeps through Boston every year, then pick up the option and reap the benefits of a .300/30/100 season hitting behind David Ortiz next year.

My problem with this option is that I don’t necessarily think that Manny is worth the $20 million he’d be getting. He’s a known commodity and has had a much better season in 2008 than I think most people credit him for. Let’s not forget that Ortiz was out 45 games. Not having him in the lineup, no matter how well JD Drew, Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell are hitting, affects Manny in a negative way. I think he can put up the same numbers next year and most likely the year after. This guy will be a great hitter into his 40’s. But at $20 million a pop? I’m not sure about that. And if you pick up the first option, you might as well pick up the second option or else you’re going to experience the same media frenzy next year, because it will just end up being another contract season and ambiguous situation for Ramirez yet again.

That brings me to the third option for Boston, and the one that I think is so clear-cut people are just overlooking it. It’s like searching frantically for your watch for an hour before realizing it’s on your wrist. It’s right there in front of you, yet you refuse to consider that as even an option.

What I think Boston should do is sit down with Ramirez and tell the slugger it is not in the team’s best interest to trade him or pick up his options at the end of the season. He’s contributed a lot to this organization, given them two World Series titles and helped turn this into one of the biggest sports franchises on the globe. However, the team is going to move in another direction and allow Ramirez to seek greener pastures elsewhere after the season is over. He’s earned that right and should have ample opportunity to secure his financial future elsewhere.

Here’s why I think this is best for the Red Sox. By declining to trade him or pick up the options, it truly does make this an urgent contract situation for Ramirez. He’ll now be faced with the grim reality that his numbers at the conclusion of 2008 will ultimately determine the girth of the contract he signs prior to 2009. So far, he’s having a terrific season offensively. But there are many pundits who criticize the drop in average, power and production over the last couple seasons as a sign – trend, even – that he is slowing down and fading into the twilight of his career. These next two months would be the perfect opportunity for Ramirez to prove those critics wrong and showcase his still prevalent skills. We could see Ramirez turn into a beast down the stretch, running out ground balls, driving the ball the other way, hitting homeruns, producing runs and hustling on the basepaths night in and night out. Look at last night’s game against the Yankees as a microcosm of what could potentially occur down the stretch. That way, when he leaves Boston and begins acquiring interest from other teams, his 2008 resume would command the massive deal he is looking for.

As far as the Red Sox, a pair of compensation draft picks would likely come as a result. And we all know how well the team has drafted over the last several years. Those picks could even be used as trade bait, packaged with a minor leaguer or two, to acquire a power hitting corner outfielder from a team looking to rebuild.

What do you think the Red Sox should do?

-Bess