It's February 24th, 2011 and I haven't updated this site in more than two months. There's an explanation (well, multiple explanations) for this lag, but going into it (them) would just take you, fair reader, down the rabbit hole of massive, eye fluttering depression. Just know that it's not you, it's me.
Let's recap a few things that have happened in the sports world since last we jawed:
1. The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl
Yeah, I know, there are plenty of folks out there who think that this was a fantastic game. An instant classic. I don't buy it. The referees were a little too one sided and that first half was a little too much of an abomination on the Pittsburgh Steelers' sideline for this to be anything more than a game that was a shit show up until the last five minutes, where it got mildly interesting. Would I be saying the same thing if the Steelers had won? Yes, because I hate the Steelers. I just happen to hate the Packers more.
2. There were a million trades and signings in Major League Baseball
Zack Greinke is now a Brewer, Cliff Lee is a Phillie once again, Adrian Gonzalez is a Red Sock and Carl Crawford is a...well, a Red Sock as well. Those are the big moves that happened this off season, but there were plenty of smaller ones that may have serious impact on this upcoming season. What's the biggest one, you ask? I'm gonna go ahead and say that the White Sox's acquisition of Adam Dunn is going to catapult them into the front runner role in the AL Central. The man was born to be a DH, and as a DH he will no longer be a logjam on the defensive end of things. More on baseball in a minute, but let's finish this recap first.
3. Carmelo Anthony is a New York Knick
Last night 'Melo made his debut for the Knicks and dropped 27 points on 10-25 shooting on the Bucks. Not bad, but not great either. The more important debut was that of his trade partner Chauncey Billups, who's 21 points and 8 assists instantly made Knicks fans forget the name Felton ever existed. I'm of the mind that we won't know the quality of this trade for some time. The Knicks gave up quite a bit of their young core of players (not to mention $3 million) to get Carmelo, and the rumors that Isiah Thomas was the ringmaster behind the deal does not bode well for the franchise's future. However, for at least one evening, the trade paid quality dividends. The Knicks will make the playoffs this year and may escape the first round, but the big ol' elephant-sized question in the room will, for me at least, be whether or not they couldn't have done the same thing without making this trade. My guess: probably.
4. I have become an unabashed Twitter addict
I'm live blogging everything from award shows to random thoughts that come to my head at four in the morning. I cannot be stopped. Yes, the twitter updates will relate to sports on a regular basis, but I've given up the ghost on only tweeting about these things. I'm going to be live blogging the Oscars this Sunday, for Christ's sake. Follow me @Victrola_Cola_1. And yes, I am a total fucking shill.
Okay, Let's roll forward like a fat guy in a potato sack race, shall we?
Baseball is soooo close. Can you feel it? I can feel it. This winter has been brutal in New York City. The sky has shit out more snow than Lindsay Lohan on a Sunday morning and at times it's been so cold that I've been forced to stop my testicles from booking plane tickets to California while I'm asleep more than once. Any decent American will look forward to baseball season just because it's baseball season, but this year there are so many interesting story lines that will keep even the marginal sports fans' attention. Let's name some:
1. The Phillies may have one of the best rotations in MLB history
I'm not gonna mince words, I hate the Phillies. That being said, is there anyone in either league that will be able to beat this rotation? Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt are brutal competition. You're gonna see a lot of analysts pick them to win the World Series this year and I can't rightly blame them. The only thing that can beat the Phillies is themselves at this point. Last year, their offense took a two month vacation in the middle of the season, and that very well may be the case once again this year. The only difference is that they'll have four pitchers in their rotation that can hold a one run lead almost every time out.
2. The Brewers are the most improved team in baseball
The addition of Zack Greinke almost immediately makes the Brew Crew the best team in the NL Central this year. I don't like saying that. I'm a Reds fan, but how can you talk shit about a team that added a bona fide ace to their staff and still retain one of the better offenses in baseball.
3. That being said, the Cincinnati Reds are still something to reckon with
There are always going to be plenty of 'ifs' with this team until they reel off two or three winning seasons in a row. This year the 'ifs' reside in the infield, the starting rotation and the middle relief. Paul Janish may be the starter of the future for the Redlegs, but the organization showed only marginal faith in him when they signed Edgar Renteria to be his back-up. All the Renteria signing should mean to Janish is that if he has a bad first month or two, his starting job will be a thing of the past.
The starting rotation will most likely be Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood and Homer Bailey to start the season, but that could change immediately depending on the joint performances of Volquez and Bailey. Volquez has yet to show consistency since coming back from Tommy John surgery and though receiving the opening day start is quite a vote of confidence, there is no guarantee that his job will remain at the top of the rotation through the All-Star break, especially with Johnny Cueto quickly becoming an ace in his own right. This may be Homer Bailey's last stand with the Reds and one has to assume he knows it. Mike Leake won't be hanging around for long in the minor leagues and Homer has to realize that he's the weakest link thus far.
For better or worse, Francisco Cordero will be the Reds' closer once again this year. For better or worse, Nick Masset will be the 8th inning man, most likely sharing time with Aroldis Chapman. When Masset is being used, Chapman will most likely be the seventh inning man along with a myriad of different guys. In that group you're definitely going to see Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray and Jared Burton. You might also be seeing Dontrelle Willis and Jose Arrendo. It's almost like there are just too many guys to fill a small number of available spots. If there's someone to root for, it's gotta be Willis, who is an amazingly great person who has had such an unbelievably tough time getting back to his All-Star caliber performances of years past.
4. The Red Sox are probably going to destroy everyone
I almost puked after typing that. There's part of me that wishes that Bud Selig would just put the Yankees and Red Sox in their own division and let them hash it out all season long to make it into the playoffs so that we only have to see one of those teams with post season patches on their ball caps. Kind of like a 162-game series play-in-game. Anyways, yeah, the Red Sox got Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford and will most likely smoke everyone else in the AL East without blinking an eye. So be it.
5. But, The Orioles might be an interesting sleeper this year
The additions of Vlad Guerrero, Mark Reynolds and Derrek Lee to a lineup that already includes Nick Markakis Brian Roberts and Matt Wieters will make the O's offense something to reckon with, even if Luke Scott is batshit insane. They're gonna have to score a fuck ton of runs though, because their pitching staff will once again be one of the worst in baseball. Outside of Jeremy Guthrie and Brian Matusz (who should probably be the opening day starter but isn't), the Orioles have a starting rotation that wouldn't even be competitive on most minor league teams.
6. The odds of the San Francisco Giants repeating are actually not too bad
Their amazing pitching staff is intact and for the most part the offense will be pretty much the same. You really can't count them out, especially when you consider they're still going to be coming out of the shithole that is the National League West.
7. Miguel Cabrera's alcoholism will either make the Detroit Tigers better or sink them
And yes, it is alcoholism. The man needs to either take a season off and go to rehab legitimately or retire...and go to rehab. Cabrera shouldn't be punished by Selig, but he should be pushed into a situation where he is forced to get help. So far his teammates have rallied around him, but through a 162-game season, this story is bound to wear on them. Only time will tell how the Tigers will respond to the pressure of being in a negative spotlight because of one player.
8. The Pujols conundrum is only going to get worse
Adam Wainwright's season being done is not only disastrous for this year's St. Louis Cardinals, it will also be disastrous for next year's and the year after that. Any hope the Cards had of bringing Albert Pujols back died with the fraying of Wainwright's ligament. It wasn't looking too hopeful as it was, considering the inexplicable incapability of St. Louis' ownership to make any legitimate effort at a contract extension this off season. How do you not even make an effort? Anyways, Pujols will put up his usual numbers and will be a huge trade name at the deadline while he waits patiently to get a huge paycheck at season's end. I'm not gonna say that I'm gonna enjoy watching the Cardinals fail. But I'm totally gonna enjoy watching the Cardinals fail.
9. Bryce Harper is gonna get called an asshole a whole lot
He may be an outstanding prospect, but Bryce Harper is such an unbelievable asshat that he may make everyone forget that fact. This kid has his head stuck farther up his ass than O.J. Simpson on the trail of the real killers. He may hit the ball a ton, but he's gonna have to learn how to be humble if he's gonna get into the good graces of real baseball fans.
10. I'm moving back to Ohio
So you guys are all gonna get some first hand accounts of what it's like to be at Reds games this season. I'm psyched. You're psyched. We're all psyched.
Okay, that's all I got. Once again, I'll be live blogging the Oscars with my buddy Kevin Elliott over at World of Wumme as well as on my twitter account (@Victrola_Cola_1) this Sunday. Tune in for that. I'll probably make some great sports references and use colorful language to a fault. Fuckers.
Onward
- Terrence Adams
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