Snakes in the Grass

No, this title is not a reference to the very catchy Waka Flocka Flame song, but the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks who seemed to have snuck up on everybody who follows Major League Baseball. They have won 16 of their last 20 games and lead the majors in comeback victories. Their recent success has allowed them to get a taste of first place in the NL West for the first time since the 2008 season.

Manager Kirk Gibson has transformed a losing team to a possible contender with the addition of few new players. One key addition for the 2011 season was closer J.J. Putz. Putz currently allows his opponents to hit only .170 and has 17 saves on the year. An addition from the middle of last year, Joe Saunders, threw 7 shutout innings in a 2-0 win yesterday against the Washington Nationals.

Along with the success of new acquisitions, homegrown players are producing like they did in 2007 when the Diamondbacks were 4 wins away from making the World Series. Shortstop Stephen Drew leads the team in batting average (.286) as well as RBI (33). Young, but inconsistent, outfielder, Justin Upton, is leading the team with 11 homeruns with centerfielder Chris Young, another minor league product, just one behind with 10.

The Diamondbacks have been performing well with their former third baseman Mark Reynolds playing for the Orioles. Reynolds, known for his occasional power, is most known in Arizona for his inconsistency at the plate as well as his frequent strikeouts. Reynolds was replaced by veterans Melvin Mora and utility man Willie Bloomquist. The Diamondbacks have showed continued success with better hitting and consistent pitching with the rebuilt bullpen.

Gibson’s Diamondbacks are tied for the 3rd best record in all of the National League. (See standings) They have the ability to comeback late in the game, or in extra innings. They are 14-7 in one run games and 4-1 in those bonus innings. This team is very exciting to watch since Gibson has made them aggressive in all parts of the game. Can they keep up their success and eventually make the playoffs? Well, in 2008 they were in 1st place for most of the season but they began to falter near seasons end. To avoid another postseason drought they must stay aggressive and play the game the right way.

 

(Stats as of June 5, 2011 5:07 PST. Before end of WSH-ARI game.)

March Madness 2011

March Madness Bracket

March Madness is among us and attached is my bracket, named after Brendan Sherrer, the University of Washington Human Victory Cigar.

2011 Sports Preview

 

Husky forward Mathew-Bryan Amaning looks to bring the Huskies to the Big Dance in March.

2010 was a great year full of sporting events. 2011 is sure to have exciting NFL playoffs, the rest of the NBA season, and the start of the next great MLB season.

 

2011 Winter Classic

Sidney Crosby and the rest of the Penguins will host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the annual Winter Classic, which is to be played outside at Heinz Field. The forecast calls for a high of 50°, which is the same as the forecast in PHOENIX, ARIZONA. Along with unusually warm weather, there is also a chance of rain. Due to the weather threats, the game has changed from 1 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. Crosby recently had his 25-game point streak snapped against the Islanders. The two of the best players in the NHL will go against each other in one of the biggest hockey games (aside from the Stanley Cup Playoffs) in the year.

NFL Playoffs

As the NFL regular season is about to come to an end, one cannot forget what all has happened in 2010. 2011 is sure to not disappoint. The MVP of the season is to be chosen and it is most likely between Tom Brady and Michael Vick, one of the most intriguing athletes of 2010. Those MVP candidates have a chance to lead their teams to the Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas. Along with great teams, there are some disappointments. In the NFC West, also known as the NFL Worst, a 7-9 team could make the playoffs. Also, some high profile teams had some upsetting seasons. The preseason Super Bowl favorite Dallas Cowboys lost their “star” quarterback Tony Romo early in the season leaving the team to only have one win heading to November. The Arizona Cardinals had a disappointing season after their Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner retired. The Cardinals had three different quarterbacks (Derek Anderson, Max Hall, John Skelton) start a game, and two of them were rookies, one being undrafted. The Cardinals finish their season in San Francisco and will most likely receive a 10th overall draft pick and will seek for a franchise quarterback.

2010-11 NBA Season

Many people expected the Miami Heat to have the best regular season record of all time and easily make it to the NBA Finals after they got LeBron James and Chris Bosh in free agency and resigned Dwayne Wade, creating their own Big 3. After a slow start, many people questioned their decisions to take their talents to South Beach, but they quickly got their act together. They have won 15 of their last 16 with the lone loss coming to one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat are currently .5 games behind the Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics. In the West, it seems that the season will be a race between three teams: Spurs (28-4), Mavericks (24-7), and the back-to-back champions Lakers (23-10). However, the young OKC Thunder (Sonics forever!) led by Kevin Durant can be a threat in the playoffs.

2011 MLB Season

The next MLB season does not start for a few months, but it is never too early to talk about baseball. The Giants surprised everyone and one the World Series. They were able to win it all with Cody Ross, a normal outfielder from free agency, and Edgar Renteria along with some of the best pitchers in the MLB. The question is… can they repeat? The LeBron James of baseball this offseason was Cliff Lee, the man everyone wanted. Lee ended up with the Phillies, the team he played with 2 years ago in the World Series against the Yankees. Another star free agent was Jayson Werth, previously with the Phillies, who took $126 million for 7-years with a team who has never had a winning season, the Washington Nationals. The Nationals will also have the 18-year-old star Bryce Harper most likely start in the minor leagues but will probably play in the majors by the end of the season. However, “star” pitcher Steven Strasburg will be out for the season from recovering from surgery. The 2011 baseball season is far from starting and predictions will be made later.

BCS Title Game

On January 10, 2011, Auburn and Oregon will play each other to see who is the best team in college football. Click here for previous coverage of BCS Title game.

Husky Basketball

The Huskies ended 2010 on a high note by beating USC and UCLA in Southern California. They are currently 10-3 (2-0 PAC-10) with 2 of their losses coming from the Maui Invitational against then #9 Kentucky and #2 Michigan State. Though the Huskies are no longer ranked, they are still one of the best teams in the country and the best in the PAC-10. 16 of their next 17 games will come against the other PAC-10 schools and they will play Seattle U. The Huskies should easily make the enlarged NCAA Basketball Tournament and have a chance to be a ranked team by the end of the year. Currently they are 3rd in the country in points per game with 87.9 and are no lower than 26th overall in rebounds per game (40.5), assists per game (18.1), and field goal percentage (.483). Senior forward Mathew Bryan-Amaning has developed into a strong post presence and Junior guard Isaiah Thomas has become one of the best guards in the PAC-10.

Huskies win Holiday Bowl 19-7

Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP Chris Polk

Click here for 2010 Holiday Bowl Preview.

As I sit here on a cold New Year’s Eve in Arizona in my Washington Huskies Holiday Bowl sweatshirt, I am quite happy that the same team (Nebraska) didn’t embarrass the Huskies twice in one season and once in a bowl game. This time, the Huskies flexed their muscles and beat the Cornhuskers 19-7.

Earlier in the season Taylor Martinez and the rest of the Nebraska football team beat the Huskies 56-21. However, that one game did not stop the Huskies in their first bowl game since 2002. Everyone loves a comeback, now especially Husky fans.

Washington sophomore tailback Chris Polk rushed for only 55 yards in the first meeting between these two teams in September. On a cold Thursday night in San Diego, Polk had one of the best games of his short career at Washington with 177 yards rushing with a touchdown and 22 yards receiving. Those stats helped him lock the Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP Award. Quarterback Jake Locker did not have a good outing in September against Nebraska but did not have an outstanding game in the Holiday Bowl but was able to do what he was known for in his early years on Montlake Boulevard, running the ball. Locker rushed for 83 yards and added the other touchdown in the game. Passing was not necessary for this victory.

Along with the offense stepping up, the defense improved tenfold. They recovered one fumble and caught one interception as well as forcing “star” quarterback Taylor Martinez to leave the game. The Washington defense also drew a holding in the end zone against Nebraska to give the Huskies 2 points on the safety. The defense held Nebraska to 189 total yards (98 passing/91 rushing) and had a great game from Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP linebacker Mason Foster. With everything going great for the Huskies, something had to go wrong. Kicker Eric Folk missed two field goals, both to the left with one hitting the goal post.

The Huskies finished this great year with a 7-6 record, much better than their 0-12 record from two years ago. They will hope to have another successful year next year without their star players Locker and Foster. There will also be some competition for the quarterback position between Keith Price, who played against then #1 ranked Oregon and in the Holiday Bowl when Locker got hurt, and Nick Montana, the name explains everything.

Click here for photos from the 2010 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California.

2011 BCS Championship Game

On January 10, 2011, Auburn and Oregon will play in Glendale, AZ to find out who is the best team in the country. The BCS Championship game this year features 2 of the 3 undefeated teams (Oregon, Auburn, TCU) in college football. The game features Heisman winner, the $200,000-man, Cam Newton for Auburn and Heisman candidate LaMichael James who finished 3rd in the voting. The game is sure to be a good one and nobody is quite sure who will win. Vote in the poll below for who you think will win the BCS National Championship Game…

Washington Huskies 2010 Holiday Bowl

Since their season two years ago, people knew the Washington Huskies football team couldn’t get any worse. In 2008, they had the worst record in college football at 0-12 and fired their coach. They got a new coach from USC, Steve Sarkisian, and had a respectable 5-7 record last season. Quarterback Jake Locker had the opportunity to leave college football and be the #1 (or top-5 at least) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Instead, Locker decided to come back to Seattle for his senior season so he could experience something new to him, a bowl game.

At the beginning of the 2010 season, many people had high hopes for Jake Locker and the Huskies. Locker was projected to be a Heisman candidate and lead the Huskies to an unlikely Rose Bowl appearance. In week 1 however, the Huskies lost an easily winnable game to BYU 23-17. Locker’s Heisman hopes were erase after he failed to lead his team to a late victory. The next week the Huskies rebounded to beat Syracuse and looked forward to a good game against Nebraska. The game did not go in the favor of Washington. The then #8 ranked Cornhuskers won 56-21 and limited Jake Locker to completing only 4 of his 20 passes and 2 interceptions. The game was a nail in the proverbial coffin of Locker’s hopes of being one of the best quarterbacks in college football. The Huskies were able to give #18 USC their first loss of the season the next week. The 2-2 Huskies lost 4 of their next 5 games. After their bye week, the Huskies won a nationally televised Thursday night game against UCLA and needed to win their next two games to be bowl eligible. Jake Locker, broken ribs and all, was able to lead his team to victories over California and Washington State, sealing their bowl hopes.

The Huskies clinched a berth in the 2010 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California against… NEBRASKA. The Huskies wish to avoid another terrible loss in their first bowl game since 2002. Since the loss to Nebraska in September, the Huskies have begin to rely less on quarterback Jake Locker and give sophomore running back Chris Polk more opportunities to shine. He finished the year with 1238 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns. For Nebraska, quarterback Taylor Martinez hasn’t been as good as he was against Washington earlier and the season and has been plagued by injuries. Currently, Nebraska is a 14 point favorite to win the game on December 30th. However, Washington is going to give Nebraska a run for their money and try for a win in Jake Locker’s last collegiate game.

2010 MLB Season – At The Half

As the 81st MLB All-Star Game  closed with a NL victory, the second half of this exciting MLB season is about to start.

Four months ago, a naïve 14-year old baseball enthusiast in Arizona (me) decided to pick who he thought would make the playoffs. Boy, what an idiot he (I) is. *facepalm* After thinking about it, I thought I made logical decisions. Now, I kind of look stupid. All of my NL picks to win were um… WRONG. However, I wasn’t too far off since all races are close. It could have been worse if I chose the Diamondbacks (34-55, 17.5 GB) and Pirates (30-58, 18 GB) to make the playoffs. This is quite a surprising year. I mean, the Nationals (39-50, 13.5 GB) aren’t done for the season and they won’t get 3 consecutive #1 overall draft picks (S. Strasburg [2009], B. Harper [2010]). All the teams I selected to win aren’t out of their division’s leaders.

Now comes the American League. 3 of the 4 teams (White Sox, Yankees, Rangers) I picked to win would make the playoffs if they were today. However, I picked the Rangers to win the Wild Card and the Mariners to win the West … no comment. Along with the National League teams, most of the races in the American League is close, too. The White Sox were 8.5 games out of 1st place in the month of June. Now, they are leading the AL Central with the help of dominant pitching and power hitter Paul Konerko. And for once in several years a new team is leading the AL West. The Angels no longer dominate the West. The Rangers with the rejuvenated Vlad Guerrero and Josh Hamilton.

Who Will be Missed:

“Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing.” -George Steinbrenner

Who knows how the death of “The Boss”, George Steinbrenner, will affect the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees. They will be motivated to win another one for the man who always strived for victory.

On the much lighter note of those who will be missed: Ken Griffey, Jr. Despite his low performance earlier this season before his retirement, his leadership and experience (and maybe sleeping) in the clubhouse. Also, I bet the Mariners will miss Cliff Lee after they traded him to the Rangers not the Yankees. They could have used the wins they gave the division leading Rangers.

My predictions:

I believe the division leaders will change. No team is guaranteed to win. But I believe the San Diego Padres- yes, the San Diego Padres- have the best chance of making the playoffs. They have the best bullpen in the Majors and have one of the best hitters in the league in Adrián González.

Hopefully I won’t be regretting this in October.

And on a different note, expect more posts this summer!

2010 MLB Preview

The time has come! It’s Spring Training time! The best part of the sports year, in my opinion. Baseball is back in swing after the Yankees won #27. There was some big trades over the off-season and some new faces could win the division. Here are my picks for the division winners.

• AL WEST: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Seattle Mariners
• AL CENTRAL: Chicago White Sox
• AL EAST: New York Yankees
• AL WILD CARD: Texas Rangers

• NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers
• NL CENTRAL: St. Louis Cardinals
• NL EAST: Philadelphia Phillies
• NL WILD CARD: San Francisco Giants

Tiger Woods To Return

THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A FULL, IN DETAILED ARTICLE

Tiger Woods is set to return to golf soon. Woods will play in the Masters on April 8 after not playing golf after 144 days. It is second longest time away from the sport when he missed 256 days due to knee surgery. He has won the Masters a total of four times and looks to make it five. I believe he will be better at golf because he wants to forget about his personal matters at home and wants to focus on what made him a billionaire, golf.

Super Bowl XLIV

The Super Bowl “Big Game” will be played in Miami for the second time in  four years. The last time the Colts were in the Big Game, it was in Miami also (XLI). This game could have been better if both teams actually tried in the end of the year. The Saints ended the season with a 3-game losing streak and the Colts lost their last two games. This could have easily been the battle of the unbeaten for the Lombardi Trophy.

This game will have another underdog, like the Cardinals of last year, the Giants in XLII, the Bears in XLI, the Seahawks in XL. Let me say this, there have been a lot of likable underdogs playing football in February. Now, let me start talking about the game.

The Colts have the upper hand in most categories.

• Quarterback: Advantage Colts (Manning has experience in the playoffs)
• Receivers: Advantage Colts (Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark, must I say more?)
• Defense: Advantage Colts (Even though the Saints have Darren Sharper and the Colts will not have a healthy Dwight Freeny, the Colts are better)
• Coach: Advantage Saints (The Colts have a new coach, while Sean Payton is a veteran.)
• Experience: Advantage Colts (They’ve won in Miami in the playoffs before)

I think the Colts will win over the Saints, but it will not be easy. People have been saying that Peyton Manning will throw for over 400 yards, which is very unlikely. The Saints have been preparing for the Colts and Peyton Manning for two weeks. If they cannot stop him despite practicing for two weeks for one opponent, the Saints do not deserve to win.

For some reason, this game does not interest me at all. I’ll probably watch parts of the game and the Halftime Show for sure. In the first half, the teams will be conservative and not go for any big plays. Hopefully, the first half of commercials is more entertaining than the first half of low-scoring football.

My Picks: This will not be a low-scoring game. It will be two strong offenses against okay defenses. No one will score more than 35 points this year. I think the Colts will come through in the second half and grab their second victory in four years.