ORLANDO or LA?...I don’t know about any other Boston fans out there, but when the Celtics lost I thought I would slowly tune out the rest of the playoffs and get ready for the off season. But, like many others, I caught most of the games and I think somewhere in the back of my mind I was intrigued by the potential Lebron-Kobe showdown. Now although that didn’t happen, we are still going to have one hell of a series and I cannot wait to see how this plays out. But until Thursday this is how I see things...
The Magic and Lakers are both playing their best ball and are coming off arguably their best games in the post season so both teams should feel very confident about their chances. However, overlooking their postseasons I don’t like LA’s series against Houston. They simply didn’t show up for some of those games and if that happens against the Magic they will not win. I also was not impressed with this series over Denver. Denver was a good team, but does anyone remember the KGless Celts going into Denver and blowing them out? When I think of Denver, that game sticks out in my mind.
Now Orlando has shown that home court is not an issue. They beat the Cavs badly in six games and barring a miracle by King James it would’ve been a sweep. The Celts took seven games but the Magic easily could have won that in five had they not fooled around in the fourth quarter. Since that game seven win in Boston “fooling around” in the fourth hasn’t been an issue.
KEYS TO VICTORY:
For the Lakers...
Forget about Dwight Howard, he is going to get his points and rebounds because he is a freak, but what can’t happen is a dunk contest. Keep Dwight somewhat contained. The bigger issue is letting guys like Pietrus, Lewis, Hedo and Rafer get wide open three point shots. This has been a KILLER in the Magics last two series...
Pau, Andrew and Lamar..please show up..Gasol has been playin real well so I shouldn’t bring him down with the likes of these other two clowns Bynum and Lamar...But these guys are going to be guarding Dwight and either Hedo or Lewis, and I am not convinced they are physical enough to stay interested defensively in games.
Kobe do work...Last year the Celts were all over Kobe like Kobe on Colorado hotel employees, and this manifested itself into what Bob Ryan I believe dubbed a “six game sweep.” I don’t think the Magic can play that good of D like the Celts did..Lebron had his share of points in the series, but that is because his supporting cast is terrible...If Kobe can get going early he is capable of winning the series by himself
Lastly, show up, give a shit, play with some attitude...Last year, especially in the last game they did not want to be on the court. They blew a couple big leads, and you can just visibly see them collapsing under adversity...If they play hard and smart basketball for 48 minutes, they are the better team and will win the series
For the Magic...
Control the paint...If you are Dwight Howard or whoever guarding Gasol and Bynum, don’t let them get comfortable..Pau can get in a groove if he gets going..and Bynum looks like he would rather be playing badminton so it doesn’t take much to get him disinterested.
Like Howard, Kobe is going to get his points. But don’t be like the Toronto Raptors and stand there and watch him score 81 points...I wonder if the Magic are going to watch any of last years tape to see how the Celts kept him in check...So harass him as well as you can and make the other guys beat you...
Easy Skip to my Lou...He has been really solid for the Magic, and a matchup with Jeff Fisher he should dominate like Aaron Brooks did with the Rockets..but he can’t get too selfish...he has to remember the scorers on the team and that he is the point guard, not the shooting guard
Keep Making those threes...the 3 pointer has been a tremendous weapon for the Magic..but everyone knows the saying, “live by the three, die by the three.” Get the ball to Dwight, and from there wide open threes should open up
Can they really be playing this well?..Can the Magic keep playing at this level, can Hedo be counted on in the clutch in the NBA finals...Being in the finals might be overwhelming for the Magic, especially Stan Van...I can easily see him losing it over something trivial during the series..
My pick?
Lakers in seven...this is my pick, but there are so many reasons to like Orlando..and if Orlando had home court I would pick Orlando in six..either way, it is going to be a great series...
-The Diesel
Monday, June 1, 2009
Diesel Preview of Finals
Giant Pig Killed By Farmer
"This giant feral pig was shot on a Pilbara, Australia, cattle station after it was spotted eating a dead cow (FoxNews)."
Dude what the fuck is that? That thing is fucking huge. It is like the Jaws of pigs or something. Anyways, I am glad this farmer shot this thing. I don't want to live in a world that has a possible man eating pig running around. Having said that, think of all the bacon that can be made....
Why a 6 Man Rotation is a Bad Idea
It's been an idea floating on sports radio and on blogs. With John Smoltz two rehab starts away, and also with Clay Buchholz flirting with perfect games in AAA Pawtucket, could/should the Sox go with a 6 man rotation?
The answer is No! Nein! Nr! Non! Αριθ! いいえ! Não! Нет!
People who support this notion point to a stretch of games this summer. 19 games in 20 days. But this, to me, would be the worst time to shift to a 6 man rotation. It's true that starters would get additional rest, with older guys like Wakefield and Penny benefiting the most. But using up a roster spot for a starter will take one away from the bullpen. And during this 19 game/20 day stretch, the bullpen will need the most relief (pardon the pun).
A 6 man rotation with Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Penny, Wakefield, and Smoltz will murder a shortened bullpen. Lester has always had trouble pitching more than 6 innings. Matsuzaka passes 100 pitches in the 4th inning. Penny gives 6 innings AT MOST, and Wakefield usually gets figured out by the 5th or 6th. Then there's Smoltz, who should hardly be counted on do go much deeper than 5 innings coming off the DL at his age.
Supporters of this idea also point to the insurance and risk management aspects of keeping 6 starters. If you keep Penny for a few weeks after activating Smoltz, for instance, you protect yourself in case Smoltz doesn't work out.
And that's nice. You can also bring up Buchholz, and if he struggles like he did in '08, you aren't stuck with him.
But at some point, a decision has to be made. It's sort of like football teams that rotate their quarterbacks. If you have 2 QBs, you really have 0 QBs. And if you have 6 starting pitchers, you really don't have 5 good ones.
Daisuke Matsuzaka can't be demoted to AAA, but he can be placed on the DL. And if he continues to struggle, another stint for arm fatigue won't be too heavily scrutinized.
There's also no pressing need to bring up Buchholz ASAP. In fact, a little Lou Merloni style "stuck in Pawtucket" frustration might be a good test of his ability to handle adversity.
And I wouldn't mind trading Buchholz for a big bat like Victor Martinez. Clay's value will never be higher.
There's also Wakefield. He's been roughed up a bit his last two times out. If he continues to struggle, he can be shifted to the bullpen. And I actually think he'd be a decent bullpen guy (again), with his knuckleball contrasting so much with hard throwers like Beckett and Papelbon.
My point is, that all the benefits of a 6 man rotation can be attained via alternative methods. A DL stint for a struggling starter, or a bullpen trip for Wakefield, and so on. But the costs of a 6 man rotation - shallow bullpen, and taking starts away from hot starters like Beckett (and now Lester) - are steep enough to want to stay with 5 starters.
I'm fine with adding Smoltz to the roster for his first start, without removing another starting pitcher. But more than one cycle with a 6 man rotation is one of the dumbest things the Red Sox could do.
-The Commodore
Stanley Cup Roundup: Day 46
DETROIT RED WINGS 3, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 1
(Detroit leads series 2-0)
You're not going to beat Detroit 1-0. It's not going to happen. Evgeni Malkin scored for Pittsburgh late in the 1st, but if that's all you put up, you will lose.
More unlikely heroes for the Wings, as they netted a trio of opportunistic scores. Jonathan Ericsson, Valtteri Filppula, and Justin Abdelkader scored. Marian Hossa had a pair of assists against his former teammates. Former Bruin Hal Gill was -2 for the Penguins, and is -4 for the series.
Things shift to Pittsburgh now. Game 3 is a must win for the Penguins. It's Tuesday night at 8 PM on Versus.
-The Commodore
Washington Ends "Holdout"
"At the beginning of the offseason, the New York Jets had neither of their top two running backs at their voluntary workouts. Now, they have both. Running back Leon Washington, who had been absent from the Jets' workouts for three weeks because he is seeking a new contract, reported on Monday morning, his agent confirmed on Twitter (ESPN)."
Well you can't really call it a holdout since these workouts are voluntary, but obviously Washington was sending a message that he is unhappy with his contract, and if the Jets want him to stick around after this year then they better do something about it. Washington is looking for about $6 million a year, similar to deals that Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew and San Diego's Darren Sproles. As of right now he is only going to make $535,000 this year. Washington led the NFL with 2,337 all-purpose yards last year and scored 9 touchdowns. Even with all this nonsense the Jets have to be happy that Jones (who was also holding out) and Washington are back in camp.
A Joke To Make Monday A Little Better
A 16-year-old girl finally had the opportunity to go to a party by herself. Since she was very good-looking, she was a bit nervous about what to do if boys hit on her. Her mom said, "It's very easy! Whenever a boy starts hitting on you, you ask him, 'What will be the name of our baby?' That'll scare them off." So off she went. After a little while at the party, a boy started dancing with her, and little by little he started kissing her and touching her. She asked him, "What will our baby be called?" The boy found some excuse and disappeared. Some time later, the same thing happened again: a boy started to kiss her neck, her shoulders... She stopped him and asked about the baby's name, and he ran off.
Later on, another boy invited her for a walk. After a few minutes, he started kissing her, and she asked him, "What will our baby be called?" He continued, now slowly taking her clothes off. "What will our baby be called?" she asked once more. He began to have sex with her. "What will our baby be called?!" she asked again. After he was done, he took off his "full" condom, gave it a knot, and said, "If he gets out of this one... David Copperfield!
Rocco Baldelli Injury Update
"The Providence Journal reports that Red Sox DH Rocco Baldelli's knee felt better Sunday and he should be available against Detroit on Tuesday (Sportsline)."
It was really scary when Baldelli slammed into the wall. He was already having hamstring problems, so it is good news that his knee doesn't seem to be a long term problem. Still, I am expecting a DL trip soon, since he just doesn't look right, and he is not hitting very well. In general I have not been impressed by what I have seen from Baldelli this season...
St. Louis Rams Moving To LA?
"St. Louis, Missouri is not normally a hotbed of scandal. Folks have loved their Cardinals baseball and Blues hockey for generations, and have supported the Rams since the franchise arrived from Los Angeles in 1995. Over the weekend, speculation has been rampant linking the Rams with two hot topics: franchise relocation and the NFL's prodigal son, Michael Vick. On Sunday, the St. Louis Post Dispatch's Bernie Miklasz confirmed that the Rams current majority owners, Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez, had retained investment bank Goldman Sachs to solicit bids for sale of the franchise. According to Miklasz, there are no conditions on the sale of the team, and an out-of-town bidder could be the winner (ESPN)."
To be honest I couldn't care less about this, but LA is building a new stadium, so you would think they would bid high to bring a franchise in. There is actually another possibility in which the Rams could move to Toronto. This interests me a lot more. I think a franchise would do really well up there, but it would definitely crush the Canadian Football League. This story will take a long time to unfold, but I really do think the Rams will be in a new city within the next couple of years...
White Sox Want Bedard or Oswalt
"Don't expect Kenny Williams to just sit back and wait for Jake Peavy to change his mind. According to Joe Cowley at the Chicago Sun-Times, the White Sox general manager "is rumored to be smack dab on the trail of the likes of an Erik Bedard or Roy Oswalt (Sportsline)."
The White Sox need more starting pitching. They are having a terrible season, and have already failed in trying to acquire Peavy (he turned it down with his no trade clause). Both of these guys would be big upgrades for the White Sox, but I think Bedard is much more likely. Oswalt has come out and stated (just like Peavy) that he would like to stay in the NL. Bedard i think would play for anyone, and could be easily signed to an extension. The only concern with Bedard is his health, but I think he is worth the risk for the White Sox who could easily get back in the race in such a weak division.
Yankees Getting Rid Of Matsui
"According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post Yankees executives say "there is almost zero chance that Hideki Matsui will be re-signed after the season." Even a strong finish this season wouldn't figure to be enough for the Yankees to bring Matsui back, because they want more roster flexibility. Players like Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez could all benefit from DHing at times, but that's difficult if Matsui can't play in the field regularly. Matsui has said he would like to remain a Yankee and he gives the team a presence in the Japanese market (Sportsline)."
Well this should come as no shocker. Matsui is a decent bat, but he is getting old and seem to be extremely injury prone. The Yankees need to get younger in their lineup, and Matsui just takes away too much flexibility from their lineup. It is really funny yo read this, since some clown in my fantasy baseball league traded Carl Crawford for this ass clown.
John Smoltz Rehab Update
"John Smoltz pitched five innings today with Low-A Greenville against Charleston. He allowed one run on four hits, walking none and striking out six. He threw 73 pitches, 52 of them strikes (Boston.com)."
This was Smoltz best rehab outting to date. If things continue the way they are right now Smoltz will only need 2 more rehab starts to be ready to join the Sox rotation. The good signs were that his command was on point, and his velocity (about 91 MPH) is about where he expects it to be. His next start will be with Triple A Pawtucket, and that is also where is next and final start should be...
Here is the video:
