I Promise I Won't Bash The BCS Today

Normally, the only college football posts I make are smothered in disdain for the BCS system. That disdain remains, but I'm tabling it for the day, because frankly, you've probably heard enough of it for now. So today, instead, I'm going to talk to you about this college football season. What is it that has warmed my frozen heart? Well, if you must know, my alma mater is doing pretty well.

Yes, this is going to be a post about the Penn State Nittany Lions, comparing their schedule with those of the other six undefeated teams: Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, and Utah, and trying to determine which team(s) are most likely to stay undefeated (and thus, remain eligible for the BCS title game).

First, Penn State. They're ranked third in most polls, behind Texas and Alabama, and that's a fair spot for them. They haven't played any powerhouses yet; Michigan was supposed to be one, but they look like a shell of their former glory. Penn State has beaten everyone they've played by at least two touchdowns, so they're at least roughing up the teams they're supposed to rough up.

This weekend's matchup against Ohio State is obviously the biggest game of the year for the Nittany Lions. The Buckeyes are actually ranked ahead of Penn State in some of the computer polls, and a victory in Columbus would likely earn Penn State some first place votes (or in the case of the USA Today poll, some more first place votes). I'd be surprised if they beat Ohio State and didn't pass Alabama in the BCS rankings.

Unfortunately, I'd also be surprised if they just beat Ohio State. Penn State hasn't beaten Ohio State on the road since joining the Big Ten conference. Ohio State is still supremely talented, and their only loss came against a prolific USC team. I'm hopeful that the Lions can pull it off, but this will be an extremely tough game.

Alabama is the #2 team in the nation, and deservedly so, with two impressive road wins at Clemson and at Georgia. They still have to go to Baton Rouge to play LSU, and assuming they win that game, they'll be playing in the SEC conference championship game against another powerhouse team (probably Florida or a rematch against Georgia). I could see a 1-loss SEC team playing in the national championship game, but not if both Texas and Penn State go undefeated. There's too much power (both on and off the football field) in the Big 12 and Big Ten for an undefeated team from either conference to be excluded from the championship game for a 1-loss team from any other conference, even the powerhouse SEC. Alabama will have to keep winning.

Texas, meanwhile, has back-to-back big victories that helped vault them to the #1 spot. They visited then-#1 Oklahoma and won, then beat Missouri in Texas. This week they continue a brutal stretch of their schedule when they welcome undefeated Oklahoma State. They then go to Texas Tech the following week to face the currently-undefeated Red Raiders. If they manage to go undefeated throughout their regular season schedule and lose their championship game, I still see them holding onto the BCS bid against any 1-loss team, SEC, Big Ten, Pac-10, anybody.

Texas Tech and Oklahoma State both still have yet to play Texas, Oklahoma, and each other on their regular season schedules. It's highly unlikely that either heads into bowl season without at least one loss on the books. I will say this, though. Oklahoma State has got a rushing attack stronger than I've seen in a long time. They play hard and tough, and they could surprise us all. Texas Tech, not so much. They rely too heavily on their receiving corps to not have a let-down at some point.

Which brings us to the lowly Tulsa Golden Hurricane and Utah Utes. Tulsa will finish their regular season schedule without having played a ranked team, and with their strongest opponent being Arkansas, the doormat of the SEC. They could win the rest of their games by 50 points apiece and not sniff the BCS game.

Utah isn't quite so easy to dismiss. They had an early win against Michigan which, while it doesn't look as good now as it did, served its purpose by getting Utah up in the rankings early. They beat Oregon State (something USC can't say), and have two more legitimate in-conference games against currently-ranked opponents: TCU and Brigham Young. I don't think they'd get in over any BCS conference undefeated team, and probably wouldn't leapfrog a 1-loss Texas, Penn State, Oklahoma, USC, or top-tier SEC team like LSU, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. But assuming the Big 12 and SEC beat each other up (a fairly safe assumption), Utah may have a case for playing in the title game. They'll be ignored, of course, but unlike Tulsa, it'll feel bad.

So who's most likely to come out of this season undefeated?

Teams most likely to go undefeated:

1. Tulsa
2. Utah
3. Penn State
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Oklahoma State
7. Texas Tech

Tulsa's got a cakewalk of a schedule and the #1 offense in the country, so they should be able to win out and lock up a good mid-level bowl. I think Alabama and the Big 12 teams just play too many tough games, plus their respective conference championship games. You're probably looking at at least two 1-loss teams from each of those conferences. Utah has the two more tough matchups and doesn't have 5-star talent, so I don't like them to finish undefeated.

Which brings us back to Penn State. This weekend's game is huge. Penn State will have to tackle better than they did early in the Michigan game, because it'll be a lot tougher to storm back against the Buckeyes. But if they can pull off the win, they have their only remaining ranked opponent (#20 Michigan State) at home, and they might just be able to pull it off.

Prediction: Penn State 27, Ohio State 19

Let's Stop Driving.

Enough is enough.

On Tuesday morning as I was getting ready for work, my mom told me about a terrible tragedy. A car accident occurred Monday evening in Damascus that claimed the life of Ryan Didone, and has another teenager fighting for her life. Ryan Didone was the son of Tom Didone, a police officer who worked closely with my father (Joseph A. Mattingly) as members of the underage alcohol program in Montgomery County. Chances are, if you were busted at a drinking party in the late 80's or early 90's, they were among the officers who made your night suck.

As many of you already know, my father was also killed in an automobile accident, back in 2003. But they aren't alone. There are about 45,000 transportation-related fatalities a year in the United States. Not fender-benders, not injuries, deaths; 45,000 of them. Of those 45,000 deaths, approximately 42,000 were a result of motor vehicle collisions. The remaining 3,000 include aviation, boating, heavy/light rail, railroad and railroad trespassers (people standing in the way of trains), and others.

But back to the focus here, 42,000 people die every year while driving on, biking on, or walking near roadways. Cars kill people. And despite dramatic advances in technology and information, they haven't really stopped killing people. Air bags, seatbelt laws, anti-lock brakes, these have all been around for over a decade now, and there has been no noticeable decrease in the number of people getting killed by car accidents. And I use the phrase "getting killed by" rather than "dying in" intentionally. Car accidents deserve the same level of villainy associated with heart disease and bears; not completely unavoidable, but very preventable.

I'll probably be making several posts over the next....well, over the rest of my life, arguing that the United States needs to take the lead in reducing our dependence on motor vehicles, with the intent of eliminating them altogether.

I'm not going to go into the whole discussion right now, but I do want to handle one point right off the bat. I've talked to several people about this viewpoint of mine, and often one of the first arguments against it that comes up is, "People won't want to get rid of their cars." In the past, I've accepted this as a likely hurdle, and one that would be difficult to overcome. Now, however, I'm realizing that it's perhaps the most foolish hurdle of any. People will initially want to keep their cars, yes, that's true. But I think that most people are smart enough that when they think about it, they'd rather be alive and ride a fancy metro system than be dead and own a Mazda Miata. It's a tough sell, but I think I can pull it off.

1996 Royal Rumble Match

The 1996 Royal Rumble was right before the Monday Night Wars truly began, and featured many of the big time stars who would make WCW a factor for the next 5 years. Diesel (Kevin Nash), Razor Ramon (Scott Hall), and the 1-2-3 Kid (Syxx, X-Pac) all make an appearance during the Rumble match (though only two of them are actual participants...you'll have to watch to see what I'm talking about).

Below is the link for the 1996 Royal Rumble match. The star power overall is very good, but towards the end, it becomes pretty clear who's going to win the match (at least, if you're a wrestling historian like myself, it does). It's also fun to see some of the stars of the future in their formative years in the WWF (Stone Cold Steve Austin as "Ringmaster," Triple H as "Hunter Hearst Helmsley: the American Blue Blood").

It'll seem like you've only got part 1 of the match, but when part 1 finishes, the page will automatically refresh itself and load part 2. Enjoy.

Royal Rumble Match: 1996

Redskins Report Card: Week 7 vs. Cleveland Browns

Redskins 14, Browns 11

Offense: B-

Clinton Portis is obviously some sort of ball-carrying cyborg, because there's no way a human could do this. Seriously, he gets better and better every week; I'm expecting a 400-yard game in mid-December. He did, however, have a late fumble that could've turned him into a goat despite his great day, so they get downgraded for that. Even so, a great day for the running game.

I'm still a little annoyed at the passing game, though. The 'Skins haven't been able to put together a strong aerial attack either of these past two games, which were both against defenses that aren't particularly strong. If anything, Washington moved the ball worse through the air against Cleveland than they had against the Rams, but Portis' rushing attack helped us to forget that.

The offense was also able to generally avoid the turnovers that cost them a win last week, and I'm happy to see that. Most importantly, they scored enough points to win.

Defense: B+

The defense had another very nice game, holding the Browns to 236 total yards. They held the Browns to 11 points, another fine accomplishment. But I have two issues with the way they played, and while neither is really cause for concern, they're both factors that contributed to their grade being a B+ rather than an A-.

First, turnovers. They didn't force any. I like that the Redskins play great defense and are able to force punt after punt, holding the opposition's score way down. But the value of turnovers has been evident specifically for this team, when they had the turnover-free 5-game stretch to start the season. Getting a quick momentum shift or giving your offense great field position is extremely valuable. The Redskins defense needs to afford their offense those kinds of luxuries. A couple weeks ago I praised the Skins for being able to keep the Eagles in check without getting any big plays. But you've got to give your offense a spark from time to time, or you'll get run over when you face an offense less anemic than the Browns'.

Second, and this was something that came up in the Eagles game as well, their pass coverage on Braylon Edwards wasn't stellar. It was usually pretty good, and they prevented him from taking over the game, but Edwards was at least as much the reason for that. I didn't keep an official count, but I think he dropped about six hundred passes on Sunday. Alright, maybe not, but he had at least 4 first-down passes in his hands that he dropped. When Washington plays guys like Randy Moss, Hines Ward, and the terrible twosome in Cincinnati, that's not going to happen. There's still work to be done on defense.

Special Teams: C

I like that they got Santana Moss involved in the return game again, but it's obvious he's out of practice. Antwaan Randle El is doing alright at punt returns, but I still think there's got to be someone else you can use there. Rock Cartwright continues to be the team's most valuable special teamer, and deserves his captain distinction.

Statistically, the punts were worse than the past few games, but they just felt better. He also put a pair of punts inside the 20, and I love that. Hopefully Plackemeier only gets better with more practice, and the punting game can be a strength, rather than the weakness that it's been.

Speaking of Plackemeier and practice, it's probably a good idea to force feed the field goal team with tons of reps to get that settled down. I wouldn't have a problem if they wanted to put Collins in there as the holder either, since he's got years of experience at it. It'd also give them a little more firepower on a potential fake, should they ever decide to run one.

Overall: B

It wasn't a well-played game by the Redskins. They had a good defensive performance against a team that seemed to have reverted to its pre-Giants-game self. They still had trouble generating points and generating turnovers, and they need some obvious work on special teams. Still, a win is a win, and I'm always happy with a win, so the grade gets padded just a little bit.

By the way, in case you didn't watch it, this game was a yawn-fest. Eleven first-half punts will do that.

Old Wrestling PPVs

Listen, if you're anything like me (and if you're happy with your life, chances are you're nothing like me), you've got a soft spot in your heart for old wrestling pay-per-views. I'm talking about the classic Royal Rumbles, Summerslams, Survivor Series, and of course, the grand-daddy of them all, Wrestlemania. But you're also interested in some of the classic WCW pay-per-views, like Starrcade, The Great American Bash, and Fall Brawl.

Sometimes I go scouring the Internet for clips of these old wrestling PPVs, and sometimes, I come across the whole entire event, or at the very least, an entire Royal Rumble match. (Those are very good days.) So, I'm going to start posting links to the full wrestling pay-per-views that I find, but only when I can find those full events (or full Royal Rumble matches). If it's just one clip, I'll leave that for another time; maybe I'll put together a "greatest matches" post for a certain wrestler, and include clips of each of those matches.

A heads up, though: These full pay-per-views tend to be split up into multiple clips, so when I post an "event," it'll probably actually be several separate clips. I'll post them in order for you, though, so you can click them one-by-one to go through the event, or open them all at once in new tabs, and then just progress through the tabs with the clips completely buffered. That decision I leave up to you.

I'll have the first event posted later today or tomorrow.

Is Ryan Ludwick a Keeper?

In what may become a semi-regular occurrence here at Joe & Joe Sports, we'll (probably) be taking a look at what we can expect from certain players (who most likely either over or under achieved in 2008) in the 2009 MLB season. Ryan Ludwick certainly overachieved and will be the focus of today's look.

First, some business. I don't play in your league (ok, ok, the only people who read this blog DO play in my league, but let's just pretend for a minute) and I don't know your specific league setting and rules (i.e. Head vs. Head or Roto, Batting Average or OBP, or, probably most important, number of keepers). Since all this stuff comes into play, what we will really try to answer here is "what can I expect from this player in 2009". For those of you that need a definite answer, fine, you win, I'll give you an answer, but it will be for a standard 12 team Yahoo! Roto league with 8 keepers per team, so keep that in mind.

On to Ryan Ludwick. Unless you play in a ridiculously deep MLB league or an NL-only league, Ludwick was not drafted in 2008. Coming into the past season, Ludwick had never played an entire season in the majors and had often been sidelined with injuries. 2007 showed a little promise for Ludwick, smacking 14 homers in only 303 ABs, but a .267 batting average kept anybody from getting too excited leading into 2008. Odds are Ludwick probably got picked up sometime prior to June 1, at which time he had 13 homers, a batting average of .314 and an obscene OPS of 1.060. While Ludwick fell back to earth in June, he had a pretty decent second half of the season, finishing with 37 HR, 113 RBI, 104 Runs and a .299 batting average. And of course, if you are asking if Ludwick is a keeper, you already know all this.

So what can we expect from Ludwick in 2009? First off, Ludwick is a serious injury concern. From 2002 to 2005 Ludwick maxed out at 128 games between his major and minor league service and he only broke 100 games in one other season. It is unlikely that Ludwick gets 500+ at bats in 2009 and that hurts his fantasy value. On the upside, Ludwick has the minor league stats to back up his 2008 season. He regularly slugged over .500 in AAA and had several seasons with very nice batting average and power numbers. Even if Ludwick stays healthy, I doubt he will be able to match the extraordinary numbers he put up this season. I would expect something along the lines of .285, 30 HR, 85 RBI and 80 runs. Those numbers would validate keeping him and, since it's pretty hard to predict injury, I recommend keeping him too.

So I've Been Playing....Smackdown vs. Raw 2007

As you've probably gathered from my post about my Rock Band 2 band, I've got a soft spot for wrestling. Mostly, that gets manifested in watching old pay-per-views and relating stories to other old school wrestling fans. But, from time to time, it also manifests itself in other media. I saw that awful movie Ready 2 Rumble. I've looked around for MIDI files of old wrestling entrance themes. And I like a lot of wrestling video games.

Recently, I realized that it's been a long time since I played one that I really liked. I believe the last one was Wrestlemania 2000 for the Nintendo 64, which, interestingly enough, came out around the year 2000. It was just the right balance of complex and simple. You could create your own wrestlers, and many moves and outfits of former and other-brand (WCW) wrestlers. The gameplay was fun, and this'll sound foolish, but they had the Royal Rumble, and that's more fun than any other match in any wrestling game. Hell, with the old Super Nintendo games (WWF Royal Rumble and WWF Raw), it was the only match we ever played.

Fast forward to 2008, and it's been a while since I got around to playing any wrestling games. So I went into a local Gamestop and said, "I've got an Xbox 360. What wrestling games are out there?" They directed me to the Smackdown vs. Raw franchise, tossing in their compulsory recommendation to pre-order the upcoming game new. But they definitely recommended the older ones as well (I think Gamestop actually make a much greater profit on used games anyways), and I elected to get the 2007 iteration.

The game is solid. The controls are not intuitive, but the game offers a quick rundown of the buttons during the load screen before regular matches. Additionally, when you're in some kind of specialty match (steel cage, ladder, etc), the loading screen tells you what special buttons are used in that match (how to climb the cage, how to move the ladder, etc). With the relative complexity of the controls, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to get comfortable playing.

The season mode is alright, though it's got its share of weaknesses. You tend to feel a little detached from the action, because commentators and other wrestlers only refer to you as "the superstar" or "the champ" or "the contender." I understand that it's part of the limitations that come along with allowing you to select any superstar (including created superstars); I just think it'd be better served by having a more immersive experience, even if it means you can only select a few superstars. (By the way, the upcoming Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 release is following that exact format. It limits you to a few wrestlers, but has a much more personal season experience).

There's another unique feature called GM Mode which I really enjoy, but I'm going to get into that in a future post. It's got enough to it that I don't want to shrink it down to a paragraph.

The create-a-wrestler feature was initially daunting, but after putting some time in to learn the in's and out's, I'm much happier with it than I originally thought. The ways you can adjust the shape of your created wrestler are a little over the top, but when you're trying to get a guy to look exactly like the Honky Tonk Man, it comes in handy.

Overall, I'm not disappointed with the game. It's got enough features and game modes to keep it pretty fresh. And for a guy like me who has an unhealthy interest in unlocking achievements in Xbox 360 games, there are plenty of challenges to take on. It's a fun game, although I don't expect that it'll be as big a part of my social life as WWF Raw was.

By the way, if anyone wants to get together for another Raw party, all I need is a couple more Super Nintendo controllers.

Redskins Report Card: Week 6 vs. St. Louis Rams

Rams 19, Redskins 17

Offense: C-

When it rains, it pours. The offense that had been so stingy with the football, that had run such a smart and efficient game, coughed up the ball three different times in three different ways in the first half of the game. This isn't the kind of offense that can overcome those sorts of mistakes, which is why it was so important that the Redskins maintain their streak of no-turnover games.

The ground game was strong once again, with Clinton Portis running roughshod over the Rams' line. Portis is looking more and more like the guy we were hoping to acquire when we traded Champ Bailey and a 2nd round pick for him a few years ago (a trade that I have lamented since day one). Ladell Betts got into the mix as well, posting a few key runs while spelling Portis.

The passing game was alright, but had some issues. Campbell was still fairly efficient at 18-26 for 208 yards, but didn't get into the end zone. More importantly, the Skins lost two fumbles after completed passes (and the one that got tipped to Kendall was just stupid), and another on a botched snap. Interceptions are tough breaks, but often a result of miscommunication or a bad read. Fumbles are a result of not holding on to the football. They're generally avoidable, and frustrating as hell to fans. Hence, low grade.

Defense: B+

You probably didn't notice it if you watched the game, but the Washington defense actually had another really good game. They gave up a paltry 200 yards to the Rams offense. The most impressive (and, to me, more surprising) part was that they were able to hold Steven Jackson to 79 yards on 22 carries. I've told you over and over that I was worried about how this team would respond when they get run on 20+ times by a premier running back, and they were up to the challenge against Jackson.

Want more information on why the defense wasn't to blame for this loss? They weren't on the field when the only Rams touchdown was scored. They forced five three-and-outs. They allowed only two drives of more than 30 yards. They held fast at every turn, despite being hung out to dry by their offense's sudden inability to hold onto the football. I still feel good about the defense, maybe even better than I have in the past. It's just a shame they proved their merit in a loss.

Special Teams: C-

The Redskins once again had nothing in the punt return game, and it's looking more and more like they need to pull Antwaan Randle El from that role. Even if you have to put Santana Moss back there, you've got to find some way to add that dimension to your team. Rock Cartwright was fine in returning kicks, but he still seems to lack the burst that scares coverage teams. The Skins' own coverage team was fine, but not impressive.

Shaun Suisham still seems like a pretty good kicker, and I'm definitely happy we've got him. But Durant Brooks, the rookie punter, seems to shrink from the spotlight. When Washington needs a big punt from him, he shanks it out of bounds and gives up great field position. That's how you lose games. If you're suspicious of how important a good punting game can be, check out this past Super Bowl. Feagles had four good punts, including one at the 20 and two inside the 20. When your offense isn't great and your defense doesn't score, your game is made or broken on field position. Punting is absolutely crucial for this Redskins team, and looking at a change is not a bad idea for this team.

Overall: C

I'm happy that the defense looked good. I'm happy that Portis is putting together a very nice year. But if we learned anything from this game, it's this: for the Washington Redskins to be successful, they really are going to have to avoid turnovers like the plague. That's a scary situation, because it means that you're asking your offense to play mistake-free football every single game. Obviously you want that regardless, but the ability to overcome mistakes is something I'm not sure this team has. We'll find out, especially in these next two games.

Buy, Sell, Buy, Sell

This is a point in the fantasy football season where a deal can make or break your season. Football is particularly tough to make predictions for, because the game is so violent and so dynamic that many players can lose their jobs due to injury or ineffectiveness. This is particularly true of running backs, which of course are the backbone of most fantasy football teams (and is the reason I recommend investing heavily in your quarterback and wide receivers).

So how do you know what moves you should make, and what moves you shouldn't make? Well, there's no surefire way to tell, and anyone who says they can is lying. It's a lot like poker in that regard. The idea isn't to make one right decision by acquiring one specific player. The way you win is by making as many correct decisions as possible. This includes waiver acquisitions and making trades, but also includes not making trades.

Here are five guys you should buy low/not trade. Following that will be a list of five guys you should sell high/not trade for.

Buy Low/Wait It Out

1. Chad Johnson - You may not like his attitude, but his talent is as good as anyone in the league not named Moss or Owens. Five straight years of 1250+ yards and 7+ TDs says to me that this slump won't hold.
2. Ryan Grant - I don't think he'll be able to get to last year's post-bye-week pace (roughly 100 yards and a TD per game), but he's going to be productive. And as the weather demands more of a ground game, Grant will rise to the occasion.
3. Steven Jackson - Chances are, his owner won't part with him for that much under the pre-season value, but if you can get any kind of discount on Jackson, go get him. He's a no-brainer fantasy stud.
4. Torry Holt - Word is, the first thing new coach Jim Haslett did when he took over the Rams was tell Al Saunders to give Holt the damn ball. Good enough for me.
5. Matt Hasselbeck - When he lost Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson, and Deion Branch early, you knew Hasselbeck was going to have a rough start. But Engram and Branch are getting healthier, and Hasselbeck is too good to be held down for too long. Also, the Seahawks play the Rams and Jets in weeks 15 and 16, not bad playoff matchups.

Sell High/Don't Buy The Hype

1. Brett Favre - It's a nice story, but Favre isn't going to have many more 3 touchdown games, let alone 6 touchdown games. I think he'll still be productive, but if you can find someone who thinks he's an elite level QB, let them pay for him.
2. Reggie Bush - His point totals are bumped by three (count 'em, three) return touchdowns. Teams will stop punting to him, and with Deuce McAllister getting healthier, Bush will turn into just a solid receiver.
3. Kurt Warner - Warner is only a few weeks removed from being uncertain as the starter in Arizona, and only a week removed from a 6-turnover game. If the Cardinals begin to slip and Warner returns to his giveaway ways, I could actually see the team going with Matt Leinart. That means, sell sell sell.
4. Felix Jones - Jones won't get more than 8 carries a game, and some play in the return game. But his scoring right now isn't bad for a flex option or backup RB. Move him now and get someone you can rely on.
5. Laveranues Coles - Coles' season numbers are bumped by the Arizona game, when he had 44% of his receptions, 41% of his yardage, and 75% of his TDs. Make a move while his averages still look impressive.
   

Ambiorix Burgos is a bad guy.

Holy shit. It looks like while all of you were concerned with Terrell Owens having a sit-down with his quarterback, a member of the Mets bullpen was out there killing people. And I do mean all of you, not all of us; I have always supported Owens, despite his selfish tendencies.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-mets-burgos&prov=ap&type=lgns

The guy (allegedly) throws his girlfriend to the ground, then (allegedly) kills two women with his car. And his explanation? He was sitting in the back seat of the truck. He admits to being in the vehicle that killed those women, and obviously admits to not stopping (making it a hit-and-run), but he says he wasn't at the wheel. First off, come on, he did it. Second, he sold his cousin up a river. Third, come on, he did it.

Fourth, and most importantly in my mind, what the fuck is wrong with people? Anyone who has experienced a personal loss knows that death is fuckin' serious. When someone dies, everything else gets pushed to the back burner. When someone dies, you realize how insignificant most of your day-to-day problems are. And when someone dies, they're dead. You run down two people in your truck, you've just ended two lives, but you've also put great strain on dozens more. The loss of even the least-liked and least popular people in the world (such as yours truly) would leave many people in deep mourning. You hit somebody, if it wasn't intentional, you stop the car, call for an ambulance, and face the music. And if it was intentional, then you go to jail, and stay there.

Bad fucking guy.

That Dr. Pepper Song

Some of you know that I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to find the name and artist of a song I heard in a recent Dr. Pepper commercial. It is also often used at sporting events to get the crowd going, and I believe was first used in that manner for the Chicago Bulls teams of the mid-1990s.

Anyways, the song is called Sirius, and it's by Alan Parsons Project. In its original context, it's also used as an introduction to a popular song by the band called Eye In The Sky. Not surprisingly, they're the two highest rated tracks by Alan Parsons Project on Rhapsody. Also, is anyone talking about this site? It's awesome. You can listen to anything they've got on a whim. It's the site I linked to when I wanted you to listen to a song off of a 5-song special release CD from the Dave Matthews Band. I'm gonna do some more research, but best I can tell, this site is just sweet.

Socialism rules!

Yeah, that's gonna bring traffic to this blog, but maybe not the kind of traffic I want...oh, who am I kidding, any traffic is good.

Keeper League: Best Picks (RP)

Relief Pitchers

1. Joe Nathan (keeper) - #3
   
2. J.J. Putz (keeper) - #79
   
3. Francisco Rodriguez (keeper) - #6
   
4. Mariano Rivera (keeper) - #1
   
5. Jonathan Papelbon (keeper) - #4
   
6. Billy Wagner (keeper) - #17
   
7. Takashi Saito, Feisty Mosquitos - #31
   
8. Huston Street, Cleveland Enforcers - #36
   
9. Jose Valverde, Cleveland Enforcers - #9
   
10. Bobby Jenks, Feisty Mosquitos - #20
    
11. Matt Capps, Stewies SexyParties - #29
    
12. Francisco Cordero, Mercer AutoWreckers - #34
    
13. Trevor Hoffman, Dunedain Rangers - #24
    
14. Manny Corpas, DamKnights - #100+
    
15. Brad Lidge, Dunedain Rangers - #8
    
16. Rafael Soriano, The Usual Suspects - #100+
17. Joakim Soria, Riders of Rohan - #2
    
18. Jason Isringhousen, Riders of Rohan - #100+
19. Chad Cordero, Akron Pronks - #100+
20. Carlos Marmol, Cleveland Enforcers - #12
    
21. Todd Jones, Mercer AutoWreckers - #100+
22. Kevin Gregg, Those Guys - #27
    
23. Joe Borowski, Vandelay Industries - #100+
24. B.J. Ryan, Howard’s Heroes - #33
    
25. Eric Gagne, Howard’s Heroes - #100+
26. C.J. Wilson, Stewies SexyParties - #100+
27. Brian Wilson, Feisty Mosquitos - #47
    
28. George Sherrill, Riders of Rohan - #74
    
29. Brandon Lyon, DamKnights - #100+
30. Jonathan Broxton, Feisty Mosquitos - #35
    
31. Troy Percival, Akron Pronks - #51
    
32. Jeremy Accardo, Vandelay Industries - #100+
33. Rafael Betancourt, Those Guys - #100+
34. Tony Pena, Howard’s Heroes - #100+
35. Heath Bell, Akron Pronks - #68
    
36. Kerry Wood, The Usual Suspects - #11
    
37. Bob Howry, Vandelay Industries - #100+
38. Hideki Okajima, Akron Pronks - #48
    
39. Pat Neshek, The Usual Suspects - #100+
40. Joel Zumaya, Cleveland Enforcers - #100+
41. Brian Fuentes, Those Guys - #16
    
42. Henry Owens, DamKnights - #100+
43. Scot Shields, Feisty Mosquitos - #52
    

Analysis

The breakdown on relievers is a little better than starters when it comes to Yahoo's rankings. It still has some legitimate closers listed pretty deep (Brandon Lyon, C.J. Wilson), but it's generally reliable. And it really only gets flaky deep into the system, so the top end guys are well-evaluated.

Undrafted high ranking relievers include Grant Balfour (10), Joey Devine (13), Hong-Chih Kuo (14), and Jose Arredondo (15). Interestingly enough, the Tampa Bay Rays had three guys in the top 25 (Balfour, J.P. Howell, and Dan Wheeler), and none of them was closer Troy Percival. That gives us a little insight into why they're in the American League Championship Series.

The best selection was a Rider, taken #17 overall and finishing #2 among all relievers, but there were a couple other big time payoffs. Kerry Wood was the #36 RP off the board, but finished at #11. And Brad Lidge was taken 15th among relief pitchers, but placed 8th in the final rankings.

Naming RP picks as "worst" selections is a little unfair because of the turnover among closers. Many of the picks that seem disappointing were guys who got hurt and lost the closer spot while they were gone. Additionally, because a lot of undrafted relievers ended up in the top 25, many decent pitchers were bumped lower and lower in the final rankings. So I'm not even going to name bad picks. My apologies to the more bloodthirsty among you.

Next up, I'll post how each team finished, and give some general analysis on how people's drafts helped them (or hurt them) in the final standings. Also, we'll have a suite of NBA basketball preview posts in the near future, so look forward to that.

Redskins Report Card: Week 5 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Redskins 23, Eagles 17

Offense: B

The interesting thing about the offense in this game was that it looked shockingly like the Joe Gibbs offense of the past few years on those rare occasions when the Joe Gibbs offense was able to move the ball. It was a run-heavy offense (44 rushes, 31 passes) and the Skins picked up over 200 yards on the ground. Clinton Portis led the way with 145 yards, and it seems like he's gotten better every week since his disparaging comments about his offensive line. I still think he was out of line, but it seems like the team has responded positively, so maybe he knew what he was doing.

The passing game wasn't as good as it's been in the past few weeks, but seeing this team move the ball while Santana Moss got shut out was both surprising and encouraging. You hope that they'll do a better job of getting Moss involved even if the defense is keying on him, but it's actually more important that you take advantage of the things that open up because of the personnel commitment made to covering Moss. They were able to do that, and Chris Cooley had a big game.

Defense: A-

Initially I had the defense at a "B" as well, but that's really selling short what this defense did on Sunday. After a terrifying first quarter that had all Redskins fans worried about a blowout loss, the Washington defense allowed only 121 total yards and 3 points. The Eagles had 3 possessions in the third quarter, and all three of them were three-and-out. They played the kind of defense you have to play when you go down 14 points early. The pressure was on them all game, and they stood up to it.

What's perhaps even more impressive is that the 'Skins were able to put the clamps down without any turnovers or any sacks. They just played tremendous defense and busted up every play. In fairness, the Eagles wide receivers had some bad drops, but I'm a believer that when a receiver drops a pass, it's because he's worried about what's going to happen if he catches it. And it's not like the Eagles haven't been able to put up points with the same receivers in the past (see week 2 against Dallas).

Special Teams: B

The punt coverage team was made to look foolish by DeSean Jackson on a 68-yard TD, and punter Durant Brooks averaged only 34.5 yards per punt. But those were your lowlights, and there were multiple highlights. Rock Cartwright and Antwaan Randle-El had solid kickoff and punt returns, respectively. Outside of the Jackson disaster, the coverage team did pretty good. But the real treasure was kicker Shaun Suisham. He hit field goals of 41, 48, and 50 yards, and having a kicking game that can hit tough field goals is huge, especially as the weather gets worse. The more field goals you can make, the more it opens up your offense between midfield and your opponent's 20-yard line.

Overall: A-

After the first quarter, I was trying to figure out how I was going to look at a 49-3 loss against the Eagles. How was I going to evaluate the game objectively when I had been so colossally disappointed? Thankfully, I won't have to answer that question...yet. I still think this team has a big loss in their future; if I had to guess, I'd say the Steelers on Monday night in 4 weeks.

But this game was a testament to how things have changed philosophically in Washington since the hiring of Jim Zorn. Over the past five years, if the Redskins had gone down 14-0 that early, the game would've been all but over, and everyone would be thinking about next week. But this team has a justified confidence that kept them composed and focused, and they were able to just continue to play their game, and know that they could overcome it. That's what's more exciting about this team than anything, that they know they can win. I'm not buying Super Bowl tickets yet, but the Redskins sure look like a playoff team.

And that's more than I could've said about them at any other point in the past ten years.

Keeper League: Best Picks (SP)

Starting Pitchers

1. Brandon Webb (keeper) - #12
   
2. Scott Kazmir (keeper) - #32
   
3. Roy Oswalt (keeper) - #19
   
4. Aaron Harang (keeper) - #100+
   
5. Tim Lincecum (keeper) - #4
   
6. CC Sabathia (keeper) - #2
   
7. Jake Peavy (keeper) - #16
   
8. John Smoltz (keeper) - #100+
   
9. Ben Sheets (keeper) - #14
   
10. Cole Hamels (keeper) - #7
    
11. Erik Bedard (keeper) - #67
    
12. Justin Verlander (keeper) - #100+
13. Matt Cain (keeper) - #100+
14. Yovani Gallardo (keeper) - #100+
15. John Lackey (keeper) - #41
    
16. Rich Hill (keeper) - #104
    
17. Josh Beckett (keeper) - #35
    
18. Daisuke Matsuzaka (keeper) - #21
    
19. Felix Hernandez (keeper) - #74
    
20. Brett Myers (keeper) - #100+
21. Johan Santana (keeper) - #5
    
22. Chris Young (keeper) - #69
    
23. Carlos Zambrano (keeper) - #58
    
24. Dan Haren (keeper) - #8
    
25. Roy Halladay (keeper) - #1
    
26. Francisco Liriano, The Usual Suspects - #100+
27. Javier Vazquez, Those Guys - #100+
28. Chad Billingsley, Cleveland Enforcers - #25
    
29. James Shields, Akron Pronks - #20
    
30. Fausto Carmona, Vandelay Industries - #100+
31. A.J. Burnett, Cleveland Enforcers - #50
    
32. John Maine, Mercer AutoWreckers - #100+
33. Jered Weaver, Feisty Mosquitos - #76
    
34. Philip Hughes, Stewies SexyParties - #100+
35. Dustin McGowan, Riders of Rohan - #100+
36. Oliver Perez, The Usual Suspects - #100+
37. Joba Chamberlain, DamKnights - #36
    
38. Clay Buchholz, Feisty Mosquitos - #100+
39. Ian Snell, Mercer AutoWreckers - #100+
40. Pedro Martinez, Stewies SexyParties - #100+
41. Ted Lilly, Cleveland Enforcers - #38
    
42. Adam Wainwright, Vandelay Industries - #31
    
43. Rich Harden, The Usual Suspects - #6
    
44. Chien-Ming Wang, Riders of Rohan - #100+
45. Jeremy Bonderman, Dunedain Rangers - #100+
46. Tim Hudson, The Usual Suspects - #28
    
47. Kelvim Escobar, The Usual Suspects - #100+
48. Brad Penny, Akron Pronks - #100+
49. Randy Johnson, Cleveland Enforcers - #43
    
50. Jeff Francis, Those Guys - #100+
51. Zack Grienke, DamKnights - #34
    
52. Tom Gorzelanny, Stewies SexyParties - #100+
53. Joe Blanton, Riders of Rohan - #100+
54. Derek Lowe, Those Guys - #15
    
55. Chris Carpenter, Riders of Rohan - #100+
56. Jon Lester, Howard’s Heroes - #26
    
57. Mark Prior, Riders of Rohan - #100+
    
58. Homer Bailey, Stewies SexyParties - #100+
59. Gil Meche, Riders of Rohan - #64
    
60. Hiroki Kuroda, Feisty Mosquitos - #51
    
61. Dontrelle Willis, Dunedain Rangers - #100+
    
62. Barry Zito, The Usual Suspects - #100+
63. Mark Beuhrle, Cleveland Enforcers - #77
    
64. Kevin Slowey, DamKnights - #37
    
65. Ian Kennedy, Feisty Mosquitos - #100+
66. Jason Schmidt, Riders of Rohan - #100+
67. Bronson Arroyo, Mercer AutoWreckers - #100+
68. Andy Pettitte, Vandelay Industries - #100+
69. Curt Schilling, Akron Pronks - #100+
70. Matt Garza, Vandelay Industries - #46
    
71. Jeremy Guthrie, Mercer AutoWreckers - #48
    
72. Jake Westbrook, Dunedain Rangers - #100+
73. Boof Bonser, Howard’s Heroes - #100+
74. Ubaldo Jimenez, Stewies SexyParties - #100+
75. Scott Baker, Akron Pronks - #27
    
76. Gio Gonzalez, Vandelay Industries - #100+
77. Andrew Miller, Howard’s Heroes - #100+
78. Bartolo Colon, Stewies SexyParties - #100+
79. David Price, Vandelay Industries - #100+

Analysis:

You probably noticed that a large number of pitchers are listed simply as 100+. My intention was to carry the rankings well into the 200's, since pitcher turnover is so severe. But when I saw Mark Prior was ranked around #110, ahead of solid producers like Matt Cain, Joe Blanton, and John Maine, I realized something was afoot. Yahoo's rankings are unreliable after about 100, which is a damn shame. So, unfortunately, I can't show you exactly how bad my SP picks were, but I assure you; they were bad.

There are some other numbers we can look at to illustrate it, though. Combined numbers for my 5th, 6th, and 8th SPs (Chris Carpenter, Prior, and Jason Schmidt) this season: 15 IP, 7 Ks, 0 wins. By the way, those are identical to the numbers posted by Chris Carpenter alone. Schmidt and Prior didn't throw a single pitch in the majors this season. My second and third picks after Brandon Webb, my lone SP keeper, were Chien-Ming Wang and Dustin McGowan. Both were out with season-ending injuries by the all-star break.

The top 25 club had several undrafted members, headlined by likely AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. Justin Duchscherer, Ervin Santana, Ryan Dempster, Ricky Nolasco, Mike Mussina, and Edinson Volquez all posted top 25 numbers despite not being on teams after our draft. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if more than one of those guys ends up being a keeper going into next season.

The worst picks outside of my own: Vandelay's pick of Fausto Carmona was a big disappointment, but injury contributed to that a little bit. The SexyParties' Phil Hughes and the Mosquitoes' Clay Buchholz didn't take the strides many had expected this year, and both were essentially worthless on a single-season basis.

The best picks are easier to spot. Rich Harden was the 43rd starting pitcher off the board, but ended up as the 6th ranked SP for the champion Suspects. Those Guys' Derek Lowe and Howards Heroes' Jon Lester each showed a 30+ slot improvement over their draft rank this season. And late selection Scott Baker by the Pronks ended up finishing just outside the top 25 starters.

Keeper League: Best Picks (Clarification)

After a few messages from league members, I wanted to clarify something about this exercise. I'm not trying to point out people who made big mistakes in their keeper and draft selections. And if I were, it's easy enough to find some of my own mistakes (most of which will show their faces when we get to the starting pitcher lists).

The idea was just to see which picks turned out, which ones didn't, and to what extent. What I am not saying is that Troy Tulowitzki, Eric Byrnes, and Victor Martinez shouldn't have been keepers. They were all legitimate keepers; in fact, there really wasn't an illegitimate keeper at all this year. Some were better than others, but we didn't have Jacque Jones kept on any teams (zing!).

If nothing else, members of the league can use this analysis as a tool to see where they have trouble evaluating talent (like me with pitching), and where they can feel good about their judgment. Plus it's fun.

Keeper League: Best Picks (OF)

Outfielders

1. Grady Sizemore (keeper) - #7
2. Nick Markakis (keeper) - #13
3. Vladimir Guerrero (keeper) - #20
4. Ryan Braun (keeper) - #8
5. Carlos Beltran (keeper) - #5
6. Eric Byrnes (keeper) - #150+
   
7. Magglio Ordonez (keeper) - #23
8. Bobby Abreu (keeper) - #11
9. Carl Crawford (keeper) - #63
   
10. Hunter Pence (keeper) - #39
    
11. Matt Holliday (keeper) - #3
12. Juan Pierre (keeper) - #82
    
13. B.J. Upton (keeper) - #31
    
14. Chris B. Young (keeper) - #43
    
15. Chone Figgins (keeper) - #74
    
16. Adam Dunn (keeper) - #36
    
17. Lance Berkman (keeper) - #2
18. Alfonso Soriano (keeper) - #28
    
19. Manny Ramirez (keeper) - #1
20. Curtis Granderson (keeper) - #26
    
21. Carlos Lee (keeper) - #27
    
22. Torii Hunter (keeper) - #33
    
23. Corey Hart (keeper) - #34
    
24. Brad Hawpe (keeper) - #40
    
25. Ichiro Suzuki (keeper) - #17
26. Hideki Matsui (keeper) - #102
    
27. Alex Rios (keeper) - #18
28. Delmon Young, Riders of Rohan - #42
    
29. Gary Sheffield, Howard’s Heroes - #97
    
30. Jason Bay, Stewies SexyParties - #9
31. Matt Kemp, Riders of Rohan - #15
32. Nick Swisher, DamKnights - #70
    
33. Vernon Wells, Dunedain Rangers - #46
    
34. Jeff Francoeur, Vandelay Industries - #98
    
35. Shane Victorino, Those Guys - #19
36. Jacoby Ellsbury, Howard’s Heroes - #22
37. Josh Hamilton, Cleveland Enforcers - #4
38. Jermaine Dye, Cleveland Enforcers - #14
39. Kosuke Fukudome, Dunedain Rangers - #71
    
40. Michael Bourn, Riders of Rohan - #96
    
41. Andruw Jones, Cleveland Enforcers - #150+
    
42. Jeremy Hermida, DamKnights - #73
    
43. Willy Taveras, Stewies SexyParties - #58
    
44. Joey Votto, Mercer AutoWreckers - #35
    
45. Johnny Damon, Akron Pronks - #16
46. Michael Cuddyer, Mercer AutoWreckers - #143
    
47. Pat Burrell, Mercer AutoWreckers - #48
    
48. Rocco Baldelli, Dunedain Rangers - #150+
    
49. Billy Butler, Cleveland Enforcers - #99
    
50. Adam Jones, Mercer AutoWreckers - #81
    
51. Rick Ankiel, Vandelay Industries - #62
    
52. Ken Griffy Jr., Cleveland Enforcers - #79
    
53. Justin Upton, Feisty Mosquitos - #106
    
54. Josh Fields, Akron Pronks - #150+
55. Melky Cabrera, Dunedain Rangers - #126
    
56. Aaron Rowand, Howard’s Heroes - #80
    
57. Felix Pie, Dunedain Rangers - #150+
58. Colby Rasmus, Those Guys - #150+
    
59. Jay Bruce, The Usual Suspects - #76
    
60. Conor Jackson, DamKnights - #37
    
61. Cameron Maybin, Stewies SexyParties - #150+
    
62. Chase Headley, Vandelay Industries - #123
    
63. Raul Ibanez, Those Guys - #21
64. Carlos Gomez, DamKnights - #53
    
65. Jose Guillen, Feisty Mosquitos - #56
    
66. Ryan Spilborghs, Vandelay Industries - #105
    
67. Willy Mo Pena, Dunedain Rangers - #150+
    
68. Luke Scott, Howard’s Heroes - #69
    
69. Bill Hall, Akron Pronks - #109
    

Analysis

You may have noticed that some guys are listed as "150+" above. The reality is that there are a lot of damn outfielders, and I wasn't interested in figuring out whether a guy was 164 or 177. Anything past 150 is bad, so we'll just leave it at a general "bad" status.

There was a ton of turnover at the top of the outfielder standings. Ryan Ludwick was undrafted in all but the deepest of leagues and finished as the #6 overall outfielder. Nate McLouth and Carlos Quentin also were not selected and placed in the top 12, and Quentin would be a reasonable selection for the AL MVP (see discussions here and here). Even more surprising (and frustrating for their owners) is that of the 27 kept OFs, 12 finished outside the top 30. That means that between this year and last year, there will be some big changes in who gets kept.

Cleveland's Josh Hamilton selection is the obvious best pick here (finishing 4th overall as the 30th OF off the board), but there were a few other nice surprises. Akron's Johnny Damon was drafted #45, finished #16. Stewie's Jason Bay: drafted 30th, finished 9th. And another Enforcer, Jermaine Dye: drafted #38, finished 14th.

Worst pick is a tough distinction here, but Eric Byrnes and Hideki Matsui are keepers that finished outside the top 100 in the final rankings. Those two guys didn't help their fantasy teams one bit. Andruw Jones seemed like solid value at #41, but he was among the worst hitters in baseball this season. And Luke Scott, the 68th OF off the board, only managed to be the 69th ranked OF. Yes, that was a joke.

Seriously though, Michael Cuddyer lost nearly 100 spots between his draft position and his final ranking. There's your joke.

Keeper League: Best Picks (SS)

Shortstops

1. Jimmy Rollins (keeper) - #4
   
2. Hanley Ramirez (keeper) - #1
   
3. Derek Jeter (keeper) - #7
   
4. Troy Tulowitzki (keeper) - #33
   
5. Carlos Guillen (keeper) - #15
   
6. Michael Young (keeper) - #5
   
7. Jose Reyes (keeper) - #2
   
8. Miguel Tejada (keeper) - #11
   
9. Rafael Furcal, The Usual Suspects - #38
   
10. Edgar Renteria, Howard’s Heroes - #18
    
11. Jhonny Peralta, Mercer AutoWreckers - #3
    
12. J.J. Hardy, Akron Pronks - #8
    
13. Orlando Cabrera, Those Guys - #9
    
14. Khalil Greene, Dunedain Rangers - #56
    
15. Yunel Escobar, Mercer AutoWreckers - #16
    
16. Stephen Drew, Cleveland Enforcers - #6
    
17. Ryan Theriot, Howard’s Heroes - #13
    

Analysis

Only one of the top 10 shortstops was undrafted, #10 Alexei Ramirez. Tulowitzki's precipitous fall-off was one of the toughest things to watch this year, since he was such a hot commodity in drafts. And while Furcal appears to have been a bad pick, a little extra analysis indicates that, if all shortstops were projected out for 162 game seasons, Furcal's pace would put him at the #1 spot, even above Hanley Ramirez. Still, his overall production this year was a disappointment, since only actual numbers count.

The best picks look to be Jhonny Peralta to the AutoWreckers, who drafted a great middle infield between Peralta and Pedroia, and the Enforcers' selection of Stephen Drew, a youngster who finally started to show some of why he was considered a can't-miss prospect not long ago. Khalil Greene stands out as the most disappointing pick, even more so because Drew was still available when Greene was taken. Between Zimmerman, Kendrick, and now Greene, the Rangers had a hard-luck draft.

Keeper League: Best Picks (3B)

Third Basemen

1. Miguel Cabrera (keeper) - #6
   
2. Aramis Ramirez (keeper) - #7
   
3. Ryan Braun (keeper) - #3
   
4. Alex Rodriguez (keeper) - #2
   
5. Alex Gordon (keeper) - #22
   
6. David Wright (keeper) - #1
   
7. Chone Figgins (keeper) - #27
   
8. Chipper Jones (keeper) - #8
   
9. Mike Lowell (keeper) - #23
   
10. Russell Martin (keeper) - #14
    
11. Garrett Atkins (keeper) - #12
    
12. Carlos Guillen (keeper) - #24
    
13. Ryan Zimmerman, Dunedain Rangers - #34
    
14. Adrian Beltre, DamKnights - #17
    
15. Evan Longoria, The Usual Suspects - #15
    
16. Hank Blalock, Feisty Mosquitos - #49
    
17. Kevin Kouzmanoff, Dunedain Rangers - #19
    
18. Yunel Escobar, Mercer AutoWreckers - #25
    
19. Edwin Encarnacion, DamKnights - #20
    
20. Josh Fields, Akron Pronks - #129
    
21. Chase Headley, Vandelay Industries - #58
    
22. Kevin Youkilis, Akron Pronks - #5
    
23. Joe Crede, Howard’s Heroes - #41
    
24. Bill Hall, Akron Pronks - #47
    

Analysis

Interestingly, a lot of good third basemen went undrafted in this league, or at least ones who would end up being good. Aubrey Huff, Jorge Cantu, Mark DeRosa, Melvin Mora, and Mark Reynolds all ended up being in the top 15 3Bs after not being selected.

The best pick at 3B was also the best pick at 1B, Kevin Youkilis, and besides him, nobody really outperformed their draft position.

The biggest disappointments were mostly young players. Ryan Zimmerman, Hank Blalock, Josh Fields, and Chase Headley all came up well short of their draft positions, though none of the four spent the full season in the majors (Zimmerman and Blalock were hurt, Fields and Headley spent time in the minors). I wouldn't be surprised to see those guys drafted again next year.

Keeper League: Best Picks (2B)

Second Basemen

1. Ian Kinsler (keeper) - #3
   
2. Chase Utley (keeper) - #2
   
3. Brian Roberts (keeper) - #4
   
4. Brandon Phillips (keeper) - #9
   
5. Robinson Cano (keeper) - #16
   
6. B.J. Upton (keeper) - #7
   
7. Chone Figgins (keeper) - #20
   
8. Rickie Weeks, The Usual Suspects - #17
   
9. Howie Kendrick, Dunedain Rangers - #33
   
10. Placido Polanco, Those Guys - #11
    
11. Dan Uggla, Vandelay Industries - #6
    
12. Yunel Escobar, Mercer AutoWreckers - #18
    
13. Kelly Johnson, DamKnights - #10
    
14. Dustin Pedroia, MercerAutoWreckers - #1
    
15. Kazuo Matsui, Those Guys - #22
    
16. Jeff Kent, Riders of Rohan - #32
    
17. Ryan Theriot, Howard’s Heroes - #13
    

Analysis

There was actually a decent level of predictability among second basemen, with five of the seven keepers garnering top ten spots. This year also showed the continued development of second base as a legitimate offensive position, as opposed to years past, when it was pretty much a defense-only position.

Mercer had by far the best second baseman draft pick in eventual #1 ranked Dustin Pedroia. He'll pick up MVP votes this season, but he slipped well beyond the starter slots in our draft. Also, kudos to Vandelay for grabbing Dan Uggla, who once again had big power with a low batting average, but enough run production to finish #6.

Worst picks? I hate to say it, but Howie Kendrick was a colossal disappointment, finishing #33 despite being the 9th 2B off the board. Rickie Weeks was also a tough pill to swallow, and less of his low ranking is attributed to injury than Kendrick's.

Keeper League: Best Picks (1B)

First Basemen

1. Prince Fielder (keeper) - #11
   
2. Miguel Cabrera (keeper) - #7
   
3. David Ortiz (keeper) - #22
   
4. Carlos Pena (keeper) - #20
   
5. Justin Morneau (keeper) - #9
   
6. Alex Gordon (keeper) - #30
   
7. Adam Dunn (keeper) - #18
   
8. Ryan Howard (keeper) - #4
   
9. Mark Teixeira (keeper) - #3
   
10. Carlos Guillen (keeper) - #31
    
11. Victor Martinez (keeper) - #60
    
12. Albert Pujols (keeper) - #1
    
13. Lance Berkman (keeper) - #2
    
14. Garret Atkins (keeper) - #15
    
15. Derrek Lee (keeper) - #14
    
16. Travis Hafner (keeper) - #77
    
17. Adrian Gonzalez, Mercer AutoWreckers - #8
    
18. Paul Konerko, Those Guys - #37
    
19. James Loney, Vandelay Industries - #23
    
20. Todd Helton, DamKnights - #52
    
21. Hank Blalock, Feisty Mosquitos - #45
    
22. Joey Votto, Mercer AutoWreckers - #17
    
23. Billy Butler, Cleveland Enforcers - #41
    
24. Jarod Saltalamacchia, Stewies SexyParties - #69
    
25. Ryan Garko, Stewies SexyParties - #27
    
26. Conor Jackson, DamKnights - #19
    
27. Nick Johnson, Feisty Mosquitos - #108
    
28. Kevin Youkilis, Akron Pronks - #6

Analysis

One interesting factoid is that there were actually more first basemen kept than drafted in our league. I guess it shouldn't be surprising, considering the depth of talent at first base. It's long been known to be a hitter's position; this is just another piece of evidence to support that belief.

The highest ranked undrafted 1Bs were Aubrey Huff (5), Carlos Delgado (10), and Jorge Cantu (12).

Best pick? No question, it's got to be Youkilis by the Akron Pronks. He was taken in the second-to-last round, but ended up posting fantastic run production numbers on his way to being the #6 ranked first baseman. The "worst" picks were a couple of keepers that disappointed, most notably Travis Hafner, whose 100-RBI season seems like decades ago. Alex Gordon was another tough pill to swallow, ranking 30th at season's end, despite being inside the 16 kept first basemen.

Keeper League: Best Picks (C)

Catchers (in drafted order)

1. Joe Mauer (keeper) - #1
   
2. Victor Martinez (keeper) - #28
   
3. Russell Martin (keeper) - #3
   
4. Brian McCann, Dunedain Rangers - #2
   
5. Jorge Posada, Akron Pronks - #39
   
6. Kenji Johjima, Feisty Mosquitos - #34
   
7. Jarod Saltalamacchia, Stewies SexyParties - #33
   
8. Geovany Soto, The Usual Suspects - #5
   
9. Bengie Molina, Those Guys - #6
   
10. J.R. Towles, Howard’s Heroes - #139
    
11. Ivan Rodriguez, Stewies SexyParties - #17
    

Analysis

Well, if this proves anything, it's that catchers are certainly the crapshoot that we always expect them to be. The #4 catcher (Ryan Doumit), as well as #7-#10 were all undrafted (Kelly Shoppach, A.J. Pierzynski, Chris Iannetta, Mike Napoli). The SexyParties panicked in the draft when they found out Saltalamacchia was starting in the minors, so they drafted Pudge, who ended up being another merely serviceable option.

The best picks go to The Usual Suspects and Those Guys for drafting Soto and Molina, who finished #5 and #6, respectively. And the worst pick has to go to Howard's Heroes for Towles, who actually finished as the lowest ranked catcher in baseball, because he actually did more damage to your batting average than could be overcome by his paltry run production numbers. Guys who played no games were ranked higher than Towles. Ouch.

Keeper League: Best Picks

As some of you know, I run three fantasy keeper leagues (one each in football, baseball, and basketball). Most seasons (and offseasons), I spend some time working on reviews and predictions, and this year will be no different. So what I wanted to do was take a look back at the draft picks made in our keeper baseball league, and evaluate them based on the final rankings at each position.

For example, Brian McCann was the first catcher drafted, but three catchers were kept (Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, and Russell Martin). So, McCann was the 4th catcher off the board. He finished the season as the second-highest ranked catcher on Yahoo, so that was a good selection.

It's not just a straight numbers-to-numbers game, though. Remember, guys like Alexei Ramirez, Justin Duchscherer, Ricky Nolasco, and Grant Balfour were widely undrafted, but finished in the top 25 at their respective positions. And since the most reliable talent in baseball is all locked up through keepers, it's harder to find high caliber talent in the draft. So keep that in mind when you start to say Paul Konerko was a bad pick.

I'll be giving the entire list of players and in what order they were drafted. But, if you would like to refer to the original draft, it's located here.

I'll be making posts every few hours, starting now, each with a new position. I'll highlight the best and worst picks at each position, and then we'll wrap up at the end with a summary of which teams did the most with their draft. Also, I'll post the final standings so you can compare draft success with league success. It should be fun.

2008 MLB Awards (by the other Joe)

Open for debate? I'm not sure what you are talking about Joe because here are the correct answers (including Manager of the Year, because you, the reader, demand it):

AL MVP - Cliff Lee - My choice of Lee has as much to do with his incredible season as it does with the lack of a offensive front runner. A-Rod, Kevin Youklis and Carlos Quentin put up very similar stats, Josh Hamilton really slowed down in the second half of the season, Miguel Cabrera didn't find his power stroke until July and on top of all of that Milton 'freaking' Bradley led the AL in OPS. Lee, on the other hand, was definitely the best pitcher in AL, leading the league in wins and ERA. Looking at the big picture, the Cleveland Indians finished the year at 81-81, but were 24-7 in games in which Lee pitched. So let me put that another way, the Indians were 57-74 when Cliff Lee wasn't on the mound. Lee single handedly kept 2008 from being a complete disaster for an Indians team that was one game from advancing to the World Series in 2007 and if that isn't the definition of an MVP then I don't know what is.

AL Cy Young - Cliff Lee - See above

AL Rookie of the Year - Evan Longoria - Brad Ziegler had a nice year (making his debut on the last day of May), but didn't have nearly enough innings. Longoria's homer and RBI totals, along with on-base and slugging percentages that are much higher than Alexei Ramirez, make him the AL's best first year player.

AL Manager of the Year - Joe Maddon - Took the Rays from worst to first in the AL East by winning 34 more games in 2008 than in the previous season. Oh yeah, Tampa Bay has the second lowest payroll in the majors.

NL MVP - Albert Pujols - Your choice for NL MVP really comes down to what type of baseball fan you are. If you are a fan of eye-popping numbers, it's Ryan Howard and his 48 HR and 146 RBI. If you are a fan of percentages, it Albert Pujols by a mile. Pujols lead the majors in OPS and slugging percentage and trailed only Chipper Jones in batting average and on-base percentage. While Pujols did not benefit from an explosive offense or a tiny ballpark, he was simply the best hitter in the game. Want more proof that Pujols was the best hitter in the game, the well-traveled Ryan Ludwick raked 37 homers and 113 RBI in the coveted lineup spot behind big Al.

NL Cy Young - Tim Lincecum - Wrong again Joe. A pitcher's job isn't "to win games", it's to put your team in a position to win games. Since pitchers have relatively little impact on the offensive side of the game, all they can do is limit what the opposing hitters do and nobody in the NL did that more consistently than Tim Lincecum in 2007. Lincecum led the league in strikeouts, opponents batting average and winning percentage, while finishing second in ERA and quality starts (at least 6 innings, no more than 3 runs). Brandon Webb had a better offense behind him, but does that make him a better pitcher than Lincecum? My answer is no.

NL Rookie of the Year - Geovany Soto - Good with the stick, good with the glove and good with one of the NL's best pitching staffs.

NL Manager of the Year - Fredi Gonzalez - I'm not going to lie to you, I had no idea who the Marlins manager was and I'm guessing you probably didn't either. Gonzalez, who took over when the Marlins canned Joe Girardi after 2006, led baseball's lowest payroll to a 84 win season, no small feat.

2008 MLB Award Winners (by Big Joe)

Alright folks, the regular seasons have finally come to a close, and just like the AL Central and NL Wild Card, most of the league awards races came down to the wire and are open for debate. Of course, here at Joe & Joe Sports, we don't leave things open for debate; we take a stand and make a pick. So here we go, my picks for each of the three major awards in each league for the 2008 season (I decided not to pick a manager of the year; sue me):

AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez - I'm sure you'd all like this to be someone else, but the numbers are there. And before you go shouting about "They didn't make the playoffs!", tell me who you'd like to give the award to. Among playoff teams, you'd be looking at Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, and I just don't see it in either of them. Josh Hamilton was definitely the 1st half MVP, but the award is for the whole season. A-Rod is my pick.

AL Cy Young - Cliff Lee - This became more of a race at the end than I realized, but I'm still giving the nod to Cliff Lee. Lee led the league in ERA, wins, winning percentage, tied for the lead in shutouts, was second in complete games, and was in the top 10 in Ks. Worth mentioning, though, is Roy Halladay, who had a great season in his own right, notching 20 wins, more Ks than Lee, and placing first in complete games with 9, more than double the second place Lee (4).

AL Rookie of the Year - Evan Longoria - The only real no-brainer in the bunch. Chicago's Alexei Ramirez put together a nice season, but Longoria was perhaps the best hitter on the historic Rays team that's become everybody's darling outside of the northeast corridor.

NL MVP - Albert Pujols - Lance Berkman was the likely winner for the first 4 months of the season, but Pujols climbed steadily into the discussion (as he always does). Then, when Berkman went cold for the last two months, Pujols hit stride and brought his batting average all the way up to .357, finishing second behind Chipper Jones. Pujols led the majors in slugging percentage, and proved once again that he's one of the greatest hitters of our time.

NL Cy Young - Brandon Webb - Listen, Tim Lincecum is a great pitcher. So is Johan Santana, and so is Cole Hamels. But none of them are 20-game winners, and Webb is. In fact, Webb is a 22-game winner, tying him for the major league lead with the aforementioned Lee. Webb also had a solid K rate and a good ERA and WHIP. In terms of Ks, and ERA, and WHIP, all three of those guys were better than Webb. But nobody came close to him in wins, and when you're a starting pitcher, your job is to win games, and Webb did that better than anyone this year.

One final note. If we were naming the fantasy Cy Young, Webb would be behind Lincecum, Lee, Halladay, and C.C Sabathia. But as far as major league pitchers go, the wins are far more important than they are in fantasy. PS: Sabathia had a 1.65 ERA for the Brewers, and pitched seven complete games in 17 starts. He should get 2nd and 3rd place votes; he pitched like a champion.

NL Rookie of the Year - Geovany Soto - The Cubs boast the best record in the NL, and Soto's quick maturity to an everyday productive catcher is a large part of that success. Soto finished right up there in production with the best NL catchers, like Brian McCann and Bengie Molina. Moreover, the Cubs' pitching staff did its best work in years, and some of that credit has to go to Soto. Well done, young buck.

I'm sure BizJoe will have his own dissenting opinions, but until then, I'm the boss, applesauce.

My Rock Band 2 Band Is Made Up Of Former Wrestlers

You would think that the title pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the situation, and you might be right. But I'm going to tell you more.

My band in the original game was a hodgepodge, including Dr. Heimlich (a Southern rock guitarist from Berlin), Sticks McGee (a punk drummer), Dylan (a hillbilly off-the-street singer), and joe2 (a hastily created second guitarist). I also had a female singer, "Chick," created for when girls wanted to join in. That band was fine, and I'm not mad about the way it turned out. But I felt like I was under-utilizing the options the game gives for customizing characters. Then, while visiting the other Joe (from Joe & Joe Sports), he told me his band would be called Donnybrooks, and the members of his band would be assorted trouble-making baseball players.

I liked the idea of having a themed band, and since I've recently been reading about and watching a lot of old wrestlers, I decided it was as valid a theme as any. I was a little worried about how well I'd be able to execute the idea at first, so I started with perhaps the most recognizable face in wrestling history, Hulk Hogan. And I've got to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how well I was able to craft the Hulkster. The key was the bald top/long around the sides hairstyle. I combined that with a chopper mustache, and I'm looking forward to hearing what people think of it when they see him.

Second on the list was "Macho Man" Randy Savage. I used the same haircut for Savage, but a full beard instead, and made it all black. Savage is also shorter and leaner, and when I get some money together from touring, I'll buy him some sunglasses and a hot pink outfit with a hot pink cowboy hat. It's gonna kick ass.

I've added three more band members for now: Ric Flair, Honky Tonk Man, and UltimateWarrior (so named because I didn't have enough characters to put a space in between the words). I've got face paint on the warrior, as well as tattoos that sort of look like the streamers he'd wear around his biceps.

The band name: The Ring Ropes. See you at the show.