Randy Johnson Joins the 300 Club

Yesterday evening I had the privilege to see Randy Johnson reach a milestone, as he recorded his 300 win last night against the Washington Nationals. It was an amazing thing to watch, considering only 23 other players ever had reached that plateau. Despite seeing four pitchers this decade (Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Roger Clemens, and Johnson) reach 300 wins, we won't see another for at least 15 more years. The question is who will it be and how do they get there.

I think Keith Law said it best yesterday with his tweet after the win, "Next up: three days of articles on how Randy Johnson will be the last 300 game winner we ever see. My advice is you ignore them." Law hit the nail on the head, as I've already seen half a dozen talking heads, and articles proclaiming that no one else can reach the 300 win mark. People assume that just because baseball is in an era with more high powered offense's that pitchers can't win 300 games. Maddux, Glavine and Johnson pitched in the National League, while McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds were chasing home run records. Clemens pitched almost his entire career in the A.L. East against the Blue Jays in the early 90's, Orioles in the mid 90's and Yankees late 90's. He also faced the Red Sox this decade in his two stints with the Yankees. He was year in year out facing the best offense's in the game, yet still coming away with victories.

People also assume that pitchers will lose too many opportunities, because more games are finished by the bullpen in today's game. While there's some truth to that, it didn't seem to affect any of these four. Only Johnson completed 8 or more games in a single season since 2000. Clemens completed a total of three games since 2000. It is a complete misconception to think that in 'today's game' a pitcher can't have the career to reach 300 wins. All four of the recent members to the club pitched a good part of their careers in 'today's game'. Also its worth mentioning that Mike Mussina retired this season with 270 wins in 18 seasons. He could have easily reached 300 if he wanted it (Johnson had 263 wins after 18 seasons and Glavine sat at 257), but he chose not to pursue it. That's 5 pitchers who pitched a significant portion of their career's in the last two decades. How can one say that pitchers today can't join the club?

The two biggest factors in reaching 300, are pitching longevity and the team around you. All four of these pitchers pitched at least 20 years in the Majors (Maddux did get his 300th in his 19th season). In addition, all four of these pitchers played on winning teams year in and year out. That's not to say that any of these pitchers wouldn't have been great on any team, but rather having a playoff caliber offense and bullpen do make a difference. Some of today's elite pitchers like Roy Halladay or Jake Peavy lose a few wins each season because they don't play for perennial contenders. Even if those pitchers pitch for 20 or more years, they will have a harder time reaching 300.

Its difficult to say in all likelihood who will be the next member of the club, but CC Sabathia and Zack Greinke are two pitchers I'd look to. Sabathia has 113 wins through just 8 seasons so he's already on a good pace. Now that he's a Yankee, he will have the run the support and Mariano Rivera to help him move up the leader board. Though there is a probability of him breaking down because of his number of innings pitched. He's only 28, so he could have 10-12 good years in him. Greinke is the longest of the long shots, but I think he is a special pitcher. He plays for the Kansas City Royals, so he hasn't had the team support yet. Even with an 8-1 record this season he still is below .500 for his career (42-46), but he has an amazing future ahead of him. I think he will be the most dominating pitcher over the next 12 years. Glavine and Johnson didn't breakout until they were 25 and 29 respectively. Keep an eye on Sabathia, Greinke and others. The 300 club has not seen its last member.

Trade Center: MLB

The Deal: The Pittsburgh Pirates send OF Nate McLouth to the Atlanta Braves for CF Gorkys Hernandez (AA), LHP Jeff Locke (High-A), RHP Charlie Morton (AAA).

Braves: Entering June, the Atlanta Braves ranked in the bottom half of the league in every major hitting category. The main reason for the lack of offense in the Atlanta line-up has been the anemic performances by their outfielders. In over 550 AB's, Atlanta's top FOUR outfielders only managed to hit 10 home runs. Nate McLouth comes to the Braves with nine in 168 AB's. None of the Braves three starters had an OPS north of .700, which is unheard of in today's game. McLouth's OPS stands at .819 and was .853 last season when he was an All-Star. Another area where McLouth can help the Braves out is their running game. McLouth has been a perfect 7 for 7 in SB attempts, and is 64 of 69 for his career. McLouth was attractive to Atlanta because he's only 27 years old and is signed for the next three seasons. The Braves did pay a heavy price for  three and a half years of McLouth. They parted with two of their top ten prospects according to Baseball America (subscription required to read the full scouting reports), in Hernandez and Locke. Atlanta also had to give up 25 year old pitcher Charlie Morton, who has gone 12-4 with an ERA under 2.50 over the past two seasons in AAA.

Pirates: Even though it seems that the Pirates traded away a young budding star for no immediate help to their major league team, I think Pittsburgh made the right move here. On the surface McLouth is a reigning All-Star and Gold Glover, but in reality he isn't too likely to attain those accolades again. McLouth's defense has been grossly overrated. He has a nice arm and decent range but his instincts are lacking. Most advanced defensive metrics rated him as a below average to very poor defensive center fielder. While McLouth is a good offensive center fielder, he's unlikely to enter the All-Star break with the numbers he had last season. McLouth was batting .281 with a .899 OPS and 19 home runs when he played in the midsummer classic. Another reason why McLouth was traded, was the emergence of Pittsburgh's top center field prospect Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen, who was the Pirates 1st round pick in 2005, was pushing for a promotion with his performance in AAA. With him on the way, McLouth would have needed to move to a corner outfield spot. While McLouth could have made the move to the corner, his .819 OPS isn't nearly as impressive at that position. Pretty much every team (except the Braves) has at least one corner outfielder with an .800+ OPS. The Pirates did a good job of selling high on McLouth. They got three quality young players in return. Hernandez has a bright future in CF and may one day push McCutchen to a corner spot. Locke has had some minor league struggles but at 21 years old has a bright future. Morton is a great third piece in this deal. He doesn't have the immense upside of the previous two, but he's major league ready. Morton at the very least could be a quality late inning bullpen arm, but will likely end up as a back of the rotation starter.

Winner: Braves are the immediate winner, but I think the Pirates get the long term benefit here. They traded a redundant player at the peak of his value for quantity and quality prospects. Its hard to argue with that. In addition the money that they save will go towards filling holes at positions of need, and acquiring more amateur talent. 

Penguins Make it a Series

Gary Bettman and the NBC director of Sports Programming breathed a big sigh of relief (not to mention millions of Penguin fans) last night when the Pens won 4-2. Pittsburgh's victory gives them new life in a series that they still trail 2-1. Had the Pens lost, the NHL and NBC would have been hurting. 

The NHL desperately needs this series to get interesting since both of the Conference Finals lacked drama. When the playoffs began you saw some great match-ups and upsets. Anahiem knocking off Dallas, Carolina doing the same to the Devils and Bruins, were great for the fans interest. The Anaheim vs Detroit series, which was a match-up of the last two Stanley Cup winners added plenty of drama. Then Pittsburgh's seven game series against Washington, which featured the match-up of Crosby vs Ovechkin, showcased the NHL at its best. Had the Red Wings repeated as Stanley Cup champs, behind a snoozer of a series, all the hype these playoffs had generated would have been forgotten. NBC also needed the Pens to win, because they don't have broadcast rights again until Game 5 on Saturday. Had the Red Wings won, they may not have had a game to show. 

The NHL is still rebuilding their fan base after the messy lockout a couple of seasons ago. So as much drama, and as many games as possible, are positives for the league and ratings (though they are nerve wracking for Detroit fans). I think the good news for the NHL is that the Pens can make this a great series. After last night it wouldn't surprise me at all to see it extended to seven games. Last night Pittsburgh showed that they can play with the Red Wings, and that they aren't intimidated. If the Pens can stay disciplined and play their game they can take this series down to the wire (a little luck going their way wouldn't hurt either). 

Trade Market: Luke Scott vs. Brad Hawpe

With June upon us the MLB Hot Stove is beginning to heat up. I'm going to take a look at some of the names that will be on the market, and compare them. Today we are going to take a look at a pair of outfielders who are widely rumored to be on the trading block, Luke Scott and Brad Hawpe. 

Teams looking for an outfielder: Braves and Giants (there are a few more but these two teams have a serious lack of production from their outfielders).

You know whats amazing? When you look on message boards and blogs, there is so much hype for Hawpe. But when you bring Luke Scott's name into the conversation, Braves and Giants fans don't want him. They are perfectly content to trade away solid prospects for Hawpe, but don't want to give up anything of value for Scott. WHY? That is a very good question, because when you break it down Scott is the better option than Hawpe.

Take a look at the numbers and you can make the case that Scott is easily more valuable than Hawpe. Age is negligible, as Scott is only one year older than Hawpe. The contract situation is distinctly in Scott's favor as well. Hawpe is making $5.5 million this year, $7.5 million next year and has a $10 million club option for 2011. But he can void the option and become a FA if he is traded. Scott is making $2.4 million this year and as a Super Two player is under team control for another 3 seasons.

Fielding is also in Scott's favor by a large margin. Now I know most people will think that since Scott is a DH he can't field. But that is pretty far from the truth. He has posted a positive UZR/150 rating (which is one of the best defensive indicators) every season (yes it is negative this year but he's only played in the field a few times). His career number is at 7.8 for left field, and 4.8 overall. Hawpe on the other hand has been truly awful in the outfield. He has been in the negative column for every year with the exception of 2006. He has a career rating of -20.8. That's a 25.5 swing between the two outfielder, that is insane.

On offense it is widely considered that Hawpe is the bigger threat, but that is not entirely true either. Hawpe's career numbers sit at .287/.378/.502, while Scott has a career line of .272/.358/.512. A .009 difference in OPS is not a significant factor. What's even more surprising is that Scott out hits Hawpe vs. LHP .817-.762, despite usually being considered a platoon player. Both players are off to hot starts this year, but Scott has done his damage in seven less games than Hawpe.

I think Braves and Giants fans should take a real long hard look at Scott, because to me he seems like the perfect fit for their respective outfields. Scott is the more complete, cheaper and more controllable player. If your team needed a power bat in the outfield who would you rather trade for?

** Contract information is from Cot's Baseball Contracts 

Pens Face Early 0-2 Hole, Can They Come Back?

The Detroit Red Wings have taken full advantage of their home ice in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. Behind a pair of 3-1 victories, the Red Wings now hold a commanding 2-0 series lead as the Finals moves to Pittsburgh. The Penguins have already overcome one 2-0 deficit against the Washington Capitals in the Conference Semi-Finals. The question now is, can they do it again?

Most people at this point will tell you that the Pens don't have a chance. Their argument would be that the Red Wings beat the Penguins last year and that Detroit is more talented than Pittsburgh. Those are two perfectly valid statements on paper but that shouldn't mean Pittsburgh fans are without hope. This is a much different Penguins team than the one that lost to the Red Wings last year in the Finals. They brought in veteran players to supplement their young nucleus.  Also Pittsburgh's young stars like Crosby, Malkin and Fluery all gained valuable experience with last year's run. As for the overall talent level, the Penguins match up pretty well with the Red Wings. While Detroit has there share of all-stars, no one is really on the same level as Crosby and Malkin with Datsyuk out. The Wings are the deeper team, and that so far has been the difference. 

Detroit's defense has kept the Penguins stars in check. For the Pens to come back in this series, they need to find some holes in the Red Wings defense. I think if they can get some good looks on goal they can beat Detroit's goalie Chris Osgood. Osgood is still a solid goalie, but he's not the All-star he once was. I feel that Pittsburgh can take advantage of him, but they need to find an answer to get past the defense. I just don't see Detroit shutting down Crosby and Malkin for an entire series. While you have to say the Wings are the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, I don't think we should dismiss the Penguins so easily. 

Lakers Pull Ahead. Now Up 3-2

Last night's Game 5 match-up in the Western Conference Finals was a critical game for both teams. If the Nuggets stole one in L.A., then they could wrap the series up on their home court in Game 6. The Lakers needed to avenge their 19 point loss in Game 4 and retake the momentum of the series. Los Angeles overcame the Nuggets with a big 4th quarter to win 103-94. 

The Lakers performance in the final frame was the difference, because heading into the 4th quarter, the Nuggets and Lakers were tied 76-76. The teams were so evenly matched, that they each put up the same number of points in the first and second quarters as well. This game shouldn't be too surprising as this entire series has been crazy. In five games Denver has trailed only twice entering the 4th quarter. Each of those times the Nuggets were just down a single point. Despite having a good opportunity to win entering the 4th quarter of each game, the Nuggets remain down 3-2 in the series. Overall Denver has outscored the Lakers 520-515, but in the 4th quarter the Lakers are up 147-132. The Lakers have scored almost 29% of their points in that deciding quarter. With the exception of Game 4, Denver has not been able to put the Lakers away when they have them on the ropes. In Games 1 and 3 the Nuggets were in a prime position to win the game in the 4th, but couldn't put the nail in the coffin. If Denver is going to come back and win this series they will need to elevate their play in the 4th quarter to match the Lakers. This one should be decided in seven games but the way this series is going I wouldn't be surprised to see the Lakers win out in Denver.

Big Night in the NBA and NHL Playoffs

Last night we saw two defining games in the NBA and NHL Playoffs. The first was expected, as the Pittsburgh Penguins swept the Carolina Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The second was a big surprise, as the top ranked Cleveland Cavaliers lost in overtime to the Orlando Magic. These two games have defined the Eastern Conferences in each of these sports. 

The Pens cruised past the surging Hurricanes in the Conference Finals and look poised to give the Detroit Red Wings a tough rematch in the Stanley Cup Finals. Going in to the series with the Hurricanes it looked as though it would be a battle. The Pens were just coming off a 7 game slug fest with the Washington Capitals and the Canes had just knocked off the top seeded Boston Bruins. Pittsburgh ran away with the series behind their two stars Crosby and Malkin on the offensive side and Fluery between the pipes. Though the series lacked the excitement and hype of their previous round against the Capitals, the Pens needed this series to prove that they were an elite team. 

As for the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, last night the Orlando Magic proved that they are for real and moved into firm control of this series. The Magic outlasted a late 4th quarter surge to tie the game and a potential game winning shot by LeBron James, to go up 3-1 in the series. While the Cavs have been in three of the four games, the Magic have really set the tone. Dwight Howard has really dominated this series and posted a double double last night. Howard took control in overtime and put the Cavs on the ropes. Even with James, the Cavs really don't seem to have much of a chance to comeback in this series. Right now the Cleveland doesn't have an answer for Howard and hasn't had a consistent second option to go along with James. Balance has been the key for Orlando. They've had two players score 20 or more points and five players in double figures in every game. On defense Orlando has looked to only contain James and not try to shut him down, which has allowed them to shut down the rest of the Cavs. I think Cleveland may win the next game to force a game 6 but I don't think it will go any further than that.

Nuggets Even the Series

The Denver Nuggets were looking at a bleak future heading into last night's Game 4 match-up with the L.A. Lakers. Their star player, Carmelo Anthony, was visibly sick and banged up. They were committing stupid penalties and turnovers that had kept the Lakers in the series. Finally, Denver blew an eight point lead going into the 4th quarter of Game 3, to lose 103-97. It looked as though the Nuggets were finished and the Lakers would be heading back to Los Angeles up 3-1. Denver responded to their naysayers by dominating the Lakers and winning 120-101.

The Nuggets were in control of that game from start to finish, but put up an impressive 43 points (or two less than the Lakers had the entire first half) in the fourth quarter to ensure they didn't collapse like they did in Game 3. The win was even more impressive due to the fact that Anthony had his worst game of the series. The Denver star contributed just 15 points on 3-16 shooting (though he went 9-11 from the line) and added only three rebounds, as he battled a twisted ankle and a stomach virus. Anthony's struggles didn't affect the outcome of the game, as six other Nuggets scored in double figures. Denver was led by guards Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith, who each had 24 points. Smith had been Denver's most effective scorer off the bench during the regular season and the first two rounds. In the first three games the Lakers had kept him in check, holding him to a combined 21 points.  Last night the Lakers couldn't stop Smith, as he scored 12 points in the 4th quarter. Smith hit three big 3-pointers in the last 5 minutes to put the game out of reach for the Lakers. In addition to out shooting the Lakers the Nuggets controlled the tempo of the game with their success on the boards. Denver out-rebounded L.A. 58-40 overall and 20-9 on the offensive glass. Their second chance points were a deciding factor in last night's game. 

Denver now head's back to L.A. with the series tied 2-2. Not many people give them much of a chance to upset the Lakers, but i think it's a very real possibility. Denver has been in every game down to the last minute. In fact, they've led most of the way in every game. The Lakers can't make either claim, as they were blown out in the 4th quarter and have usually entered the last frame playing catch-up. The Nuggets are also getting a better performance out of their bench and their other starters. The Lakers are still too reliant on Kobe Bryant and haven't featured Gasol, Bynum and Odom nearly enough. Last night Odom only managed five points in almost 30 minutes. Until the Lakers can show they are more than a one trick pony I don't see how they overcome the Nuggets. 

LeBron's Last Second Heroics Even the Series

Before it started LeBron James had called Game 2 of the Conference Finals a "must win" for the Cavaliers. With time expiring James made sure Cleveland 'did win', with his game winning 3-pointer. This was an important game for the Cavs, going into Orlando down 0-2 would have pretty much made this series over. Early on it looked like Cleveland was going to run away with the game. They were up by 20 points in the second quarter and led by 12 at halftime. With LeBron James on the floor and the home crowd in the stands, that lead should have equaled a win. But the Magic battled back and tied the game in the fourth. Then in the final seconds forward Hedo Turkoglu hit a jumper to give the Magic the two point advantage with just one second remaining on the clock. That didn't matter to James as he took the inbound pass and drained the game winner from the top of the arc.

Despite tying the series, there is plenty of concern for the Cavaliers. In both games now Cleveland has come out hot and dominated early. They entered halftime in each game with a double digit lead, only to watch it slip away in the 2nd half. If not for LeBron's final shot the Cavs would have blown their home court advantage in series. Cleveland has to find a way to transition their success in the 1st half, into a victory at the end of the game.  Overall I still like the Cavs in the series. The Magic haven't shown they can slow down James, while Cleveland limited Dwight Howard to 10 points in Game 2. Also, the Cavaliers bench hasn't been much of a factor yet in this series. I think the Cavs will still come out on top, but the Magic aren't gonna go away without a fight.

Bad Day in the Windy City

May 21st, 2009 is probably a day that the Chicago White Sox and their fans wish they could have back. Initially the day started out promising, with news coming out of San Diego that the Sox were in negotiations to acquire 2007 Cy Young winner Jake Peavy. The day looked even brighter when details of the trade started coming to light. The White Sox would hang on to their top prospect, SS Gordon Beckham, and center the deal around Aaron Poreda. Poreda, Chicago's 2007 1st round pick, is no slouch of a prospect, but he doesn't really profile as a star either. Any deal that centered around him and fellow pitching prospect Clayton Richard seemed like a win for the White Sox. The day began to take a turn as the White Sox started their afternoon game against the Minnesota Twins.

Chicago took the first two games of the series but couldn't complete the sweep. Instead the Twins embarrassed the White Sox with a 20-1 shellacking. It was by far the White Sox worse loss of the season, and it was the most runs the Sox had given up in almost two years. The Twins chased Chicago's starter Bartolo Colon after two innings. The news got worse for Chicago's starting rotation later in the afternoon. As their potential savior Jake Peavy exercised the no trade clause in his contract, and declined the move to Chicago. 

After today the White Sox are now 6.5 games out of first place in the A.L. Central, and still without their ace. They rank 24th in the league in ERA, and need to add some pitching if they are to contend in the Central. Now Chicago will have to go back to the drawing board to find a deal to add a starter. If the White Sox don't start improving soon they may become sellers rather than buyers at this year's trade deadline.

*Major credit goes to MLB Trade Rumors for their coverage of this potential deal from start to finish.

Magic Upset the Cavs to take Game 1

The Orlando Magic went into Cleveland last night and knocked off the Cavaliers 107-106, with a Rashard Lewis 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining. The Magic were down by 15 at halftime, but battled back to be within four points by the start of the 4th quarter. Orlando overcame their deficit by just out shooting the Cavaliers. Both teams had 43 field goals and 12 free throws, but the Magic had nine 3-pointers to the Cavs eight and that was the difference in the game. Orlando was more efficient with their shooting. Going 55.1-48.9% from the field and 85.7-70.6% from the line. The Cavs had 10 extra shot attempts from the field (including two in the final 15 seconds) and three extra free throws, had they made any one of their FG's or two FT's they would have won the game. The Magic came in and took a crucial game one, and now have put pressure on the Cavaliers.

The Cavs shouldn't be too worried about their performance last night. They dominated the Magic in the first half of the game. It looked as if the Cavs picked up where they had left off in their first two playoff series. Then in the second half Cleveland just came out flat and had a bad third quarter. The Cavs should still be considered the favorite to win this series, one misstep shouldn't be cause for concern. Cleveland is coming off an eight day layoff between series so there was bound to be a little rust last night. Overall the Cavs are the best team and have the best player, and that should win out in the end. 

Playoff Predictions

NHL:

Detroit Redwings vs. Chicago Blackhawks: 

Redwings in 5 games. The Blackhawks are a nice young exciting team but they can't match-up against the Redwings for an entire series. Detroit has too much talent, depth and experience to lose this series. The Redwings are already up 2-0 in this series and should have it wrapped up by next Wednesday when they get back on their home ice. 

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Carolina Hurricanes:

Penguins in 6 games. Carolina has had an amazing postseason run, winning in dramatic fashion two game 7's on the road, but I think their luck has run out. The Penguins are looking to redeem themselves for last season's Stanley Cup loss. They have been pretty good so far this postseason and overcame a 2-0 series deficit to come back to beat the Capitals 4-3. With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh will have the two best skaters in the series and that is usually a recipe for victory.

NBA:

L.A. Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets:

Nuggets in 6 games. The Lakers may have taken game one but I think the Nuggets will take the series. The Lakers played sloppy in their 2nd round series against the Houston Rockets. They have an impressive double digit win one night and then get blown out the next. That is not the mark of a true championship caliber team. I think the Nuggets are playing their best basketball right now and over the series that will come through in the end. The Nuggets have better overall depth and talent inside than the Lakers. They are playing too well as a team to be stopped.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic:

Cavaliers in 5 games. There is a lot to like about the Magic going into this series. Orlando had a great series to knock off the defending champion Celtics in 7 games. The Magic have the best big man in the nation in Dwight Howard. Also Orlando won the season match-up against the Cavs 2-1. Unfortunately I don't think any of that will be able to stop LeBron James and the rest of the Cavaliers. James and company have been playing excellent ball so far this postseason, winning all of their games by double digits. James has dominated the postseason so far and is playing flawless basketball. I don't think the Magic have a true answer for LeBron. The Cavs will face their toughest challenge in Orlando, but should still wrap this series up pretty quickly.

MNF Makes a Trade

Big new from ESPN Monday Night Football. Tony Kornheiser steps down from his seat in the broadcast booth and will be replaced by Jon Gruden. Kornheiser will stay with ESPN as part of PTI with Michael Wilbon but will no longer be calling games. 

Personally I like this while I've enjoyed reading Kornheiser's columns over the years and love him on PTI, I never liked him as part of the Monday Night football team. Kornheiser would too often try and add a comedic element to the booth but would come up short. If MNF wanted comedy they should have just stuck with Dennis Miller, he's at least funny. The other issue with Kornheiser is he wouldn't always let the game dictate his comments, which I always found frustrating. A good broadcaster needs to respond to whats going on in the game and not what they want to talk about. Now I don't know Gruden will be an upgrade or not I do think he has the potential and personality to help make MNF more enjoyable.

NBA Playoffs: Lakers Outlast the Rockets

L.A. Lakers over the Houston Rockets: (89-70) The Lakers were widely favored going into the series and many thought they'd win it in no more than 5 games, but Houston forced them to game 7. The Rockets did it without their two star players, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. McGrady has been out since February and Ming got injured in Game 3 of the series. Undersized and undermanned the Rockets came up with two big wins in Games 4 and 6 to even the series up. Through the first six games the Rockets had exposed a serious weakness of the Lakers. They showed that if L.A. doesn't play like a team and you force tough shots then the Lakers can fall apart. Too often L.A. relies on Kobe and they live and die with his jump shot. 

Game 7 was a different story though. The Lakers won the game in large part because they had a balanced offense and used their size advantage. Kobe Bryant had an unspectacular game, but Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza all picked up their game. Kobe was more of a decoy and only hit 33% of his shots, but his threat on the outside allowed the big men to dominate the paint. Gasol led the team in points (21) and rebounds (18) and set the tone for the entire game. He caused all sorts of match-up problems for Houston and controlled the defensive glass. Bynum added 14 points and 6 boards in only 22 minutes. The Rockets were noticeably missing Yao Ming in the middle, as they allowed to many easy shots inside and had no presence on the glass. The Lakers allowed the Rockets only five offensive boards and 33 total all game compared to their 55. The Lakers will now face a tough match-up against the Denver Nuggets. They will have to continue playing like a team, instead of a collection of stars to advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight year.

Quick thoughts on hockey game 7 match-ups

Detroit Red Wings over the Anaheim Ducks (4-3): You have to give major credit for what the Ducks have done this postseason. They knocked off the top seeded San Jose Sharks in the first round in six games. Then came up against the defending champion Red Wings. Despite being significant underdogs the Ducks played the Red Wings tough all series forcing a game 7 match-up. Then in game 7 after going down 2-0 early the Ducks battled back to tie the game 3-3. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, as Detroit's Dan Cleary broke the tie with three minutes remaining to advance the Red Wings to the next round. 

The Red Wings showed why they are the defending Champs in this series. The Wings always find a way to win and did so in this series as well. Down 2-1 in the series with game 4 at Anaheim, time to panic? Not for the Red Wings they go out and win 6-3 on the road. Detroit then comes home and goes 3-2 in the series with a 4-1 victory. The Red Wings were never out of it as all three of their losses were by only one goal. Detroit should be the favorite in the Conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Carolina Hurricanes over the Boston Bruins (3-2 in OT): The Bruins dominated the Eastern Conference all season. Boston then swept the Montreal Canadians in the first round, but came up against a hot Hurricanes team in the second round. Boston will be back though as they have a lot of young talent entering the prime of their careers. Regardless of the future the Bruins have to be wondering what happened in this series. Five games this series were decided by two or more goals and didn't offer much in the way of suspense. The two games that came down to a single goal had the same result; a 3-2 overtime victory for the Hurricanes. 

The Hurricanes so far this postseason have been playing like a team of destiny. No one gave Carolina much consideration for beating the New Jersey Devils in the first round, much less winning the Eastern Conference, but they are now four wins away from that goal. The Hurricanes will now have to face the defending Eastern Conference champs the Pittsburgh Penguins. If the Penguins can take anything from the Hurricanes first two series, is that you can never count them out. Carolina won their first round by scoring two goals on the road in the final 10 seconds to knock off the Devils in game 7. They then scored in the final two minutes of the first overtime to win a second game 7 on the road. 

Pens beat the Caps in Game 7

No playoff series was more highly anticipated than the Penguins vs. the Capitals and the match-up of the NHL's two best players Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin. Crosby and Ovechkin combined for 27 points in the series. Through the first six games the series lived up to the hype, with four games decided in overtime and each team stealing one win on the road. In game seven though the Pittsburgh Penguins went into Washington and showed why they were in the Stanley Cup Finals last season, trouncing the Caps with a 6-2 win.

The Pens got on the scoreboard early and often in the game scoring five of their six goals in the first two periods. The Pens took advantage of a power play mid-way through the first period to get on the board with a Crosby rebound. Eight seconds later Craig Adams put the Pens up 2-0. As the second period began the Caps were still very much in the game. They had gotten early pressure in the 1st period and could get back in the game with a quick score to start the second period. Two goals were scored in the first three minutes of the second period, unfortunately for the Caps they were both for the Pens. The Capitals had to replace their rookie sensation Goalie Simeon Varlamov, who was a big reason why they had advanced as far as they had in the playoffs, for the veteran Jose Theodore. 

Varlamov only managed to stop 14-18 shots and didn't have the magic he had earlier in the post season. Though the blame shouldn't fall on him too much. The Caps defense, which had been spotty all series, fell apart in game 7. Also in hindsight one might want to question the coaching decision of having Varlamov start in 13 straight playoff games. Normally its not a huge deal for one goalie to play throughout the playoffs, but Varlamov only played in 6 games scattered throughout the regular season. He wasn't helped by the fact that the Caps defenders let the Penguins out shoot Washington all series. Now you had to start Varlamov in games 6 and 7 with the Caps facing elimination, but the Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau should have considered giving Varlamov a night off. Game 4 would have been the perfect time to rest him, the Caps were up 2-1 in the series and had a home game the next night.  

Overall I think the best team won the series. The Penguins dominated the series in terms of shots and tempo. They were consistently putting pressure on the Capitals, and were only put in the situation of a 7th game due too the stellar performances of Ovechkin and Varlamov. I think the experience of the Penguins was a big difference in this series. They were never out of any game and never showed signs of pressing. Pittsburgh now advances to the Conference Finals to take on the winner of the Boston vs. Carolina. Overall the Capitals should feel good about their playoff performance. They proved that they were among the best teams in the NHL and found their goalie of the future in Varlamov. They will be back and will likely have a chance for a rematch again in the postseason.

L.A. Lakers can they win it?

With the Lakers 118-78 point win last night to give them a 3-2 lead on the Rockets in the series, L.A. is back in control. The Lakers were the favorite by many throughout the season and going into the playoffs were widely considered the team to beat. Right now I question whether the Lakers are really as good as everyone thinks they are. I am skeptical that they can even make the NBA Finals at this point.

I will admit there is a lot to like about this Lakers team. They have the best coach in the league in Phil Jackson. They have one of the league's best players in Kobe Bryant. They have a budding young star in center Andrew Bynum. They have two other second-tier stars in Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom and a solid point guard in Derek Fisher. The Lakers also have a fairly strong bench of solid role players. L.A. had the NBA's second best record and was tops in the tougher Western Conference. The Lakers have plenty of experience, losing in the Finals last year and Kobe and Fisher have won championships in the past. Despite all of that I don't think this is a championship caliber team. For one major reason they don't always play like a team.

I think they will fall to the Nuggets in the Conference Finals for that reason. To often the L.A. Lakers become the Kobe show and he takes over the game. I just don't think that mentality will work against a Denver team that has been playing the best basketball they've ever played. With the addition of Chauncey Billups the Nuggets have been playing together as a team and have been leaving their opponents in the rear-view mirror. I think the same thing could happen during a 7 game series. The Lakers can be taken out of their element if you stop Kobe. And right now Kobe is pressing more than usual because of deficiencies in their interior game. Bynum hasn't been the same since coming back from his injury and that has made the Lakers a bit soft inside. The Rockets exploited this weakness and the team's reliance on Kobe in game 4 by handing L.A. an embarrassing loss. They did this without their two star players Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Houston did it by playing with a team first mentality and it showed a weak spot in the Lakers game plan. I think that the Nuggets style will expand on that weakness and knock the Lakers out of the playoffs. The Lakers are a great team and fun to watch, but I don't think they have what it takes to win the title.

Cavaliers team to beat in the NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now 8-0 in the playoffs and are well on their way to redeeming themselves for getting swept in the Finals two years ago. Cleveland has won each of their games by double digits, with an average of 16.75 points. The Cavs haven't even had a team give them a run so far in the post-season Its no surprise that Cleveland is in the Conference Finals, after they led the NBA with a 66-16 record.  The Cavs are led by the league's MVP and the deepest bench in the league.

LeBron James right now is the best player in the NBA, and not just because he was named the league's Most Valuable Player this season. He does everything for the Cavaliers, leading them in points, rebounds and assists.  LeBron's greatest asset to the Cavs might be how he helps the rest of his team. If you compare Cleveland's roster to that of the other playoff teams, you'll see that just about every other team has a better lineup on paper. On the court though is a different story as the Cav's performance has shown who truly has the best lineup. They might not have the name recognition but Cleveland has a tremendous blance of offense and defense. They can score from the perimeter and inside with equal ability. Guards Mo Williams and Delonte West give the Cav's and LeBron options on the perimeter. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and forward Anderson Varejao help out inside and are quality rebounders. Off the bench guard Daniel Gibson, guard/forward Wally Szczerbiak, forward Joe Smith, and center Ben Wallace give the Cavs quality minutes. While none are great players many of them would be starting on plenty of other teams in the league. Smith and Wallace are both veterans that help the Cavs off the court as much as they do on it. Combined this group is the perfect compliment to LeBron and he is to them as well. The Cav's play together as a team and that is the true key to their success. While LeBron may be the poster boy he has built up the players around them and turned them into the best team in the league. 

I don't think they'll go undefeated on this playoff run but I think they will be NBA champions when its all said and done. They are too dominate at home and play too well together that they will overcome whatever teams they face in the Conference and NBA Finals.

My thoughts on Manny

With the stunning news that Manny Ramirez had tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and was subsequently suspended for 50 games, it left me to wonder what exactly are these players thinking? I don't care if a doctor prescribed the drug or not I have no sympathy for Ramirez's failed test. It has to be Manny's responsibility to know what he's doing, his intentions are secondary to his responsibility to the game of baseball. Also it should be the doctor's responsibility as well, its not as though Manny is some unknown minor league player, the doctor should ask questions and be careful about what he's prescribing. 

Now I'm not going say Manny Ramirez is flat out lying and trying to cheat the game. Maybe he was legitimately prescribed the drug and there is no conspiracy here, but in the end the intention doesn't matter. This wouldn't be the first case of a player being suspended because of something a doctor prescribes or because of an over the counter. Manny can't claim ignorance that he didn't know that this could happen. Also its not like he didn't have the resources at his disposal, he could have gone to the team or the league and checked to see if the drug was banned or not. He could have probably even gone to Scott Boras and asked him to check out the drug. Or Manny could have just gone to a doctor approved by the team or the league that would know what could trigger a positive test. 

I also have to wonder what exactly Manny was thinking, he's been tested multiple times over the years, he has to know and understand the process by now. Ramirez will lose over $7 million so I will have to imagine that it will go down in history as one of the most expensive doctor bills of all time. He spent the entire winter holding out for a better contract and this is how he rewards the Dodgers? They had the best record in baseball going in to May 7th, and now every loss will be met with the first question being about a player who wasn't even in the park. The Dodgers will now have this issue chasing them throughout the season. I think the domino's could still be falling with this situation I wouldn't be surprised if L.A. feels the need to make a trade to add a bat to help replace the production of their best hitter. I also think this could open up the N.L. West for a team like the Diamondbacks or Giants to make a serious run. Unfortunately this will keep performance enhancers in the news and renew scrutiny of the games top sluggers. Finally, I think this allowed 29 other teams to breathe a collective sigh of relief that they didn't jump into the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes this off season.

NHL Conference Semifinals Three Games In

We are now three games into each of the four Conference Semifinal series and there are more than a few surprises. Both the Penguins and Red Wings (last year's Finals teams) are down two games to one. The top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins, also face a 2-1 deficit. Now all three of these teams must win three out of their next four games or be eliminated. Lets take a look in on each of these series and see their chances for survival. 

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3) Washington Capitals:

Pittsburgh is the only one of these bubble teams that isn't the higher seed so while they don't have the home ice advantage in the series they do for game four where they look to even it at 2-2. The Penguins do have to out last an extremely talented Washington team. All year we've known that the Capitals had a prolific offense, led by Alexander Ovechkin and helped by Semin, Backstrom, Green and company. Now though Washington has erected their own "Iron Curtain" in net, in rookie goalie sensation Simeon Varlamov. Varlamov has been terrific throughout the playoffs and played an amazing game last night in the overtime loss. He stopped 39 of 42 shots and stymied a number of high percentage chances by Pittsburgh. For the Penguins to have any shot of coming back in this series they must find a way to overcome Varlamov. 

Chance of advancing: 40%, The Pens have the home ice in their must win game four, but still need to contend with Ovechkin and Varlamov.

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (1) Boston Bruins:

The Hurricanes have had their share of heroics this postseason. First by scoring two goals with less than a minute remaining against the Devils in game 7 of their first round match up and now last night's overtime 3-2 victory. The upstart Hurricanes seem to be in control of this series despite losing the regular season match up 3-1. Early on it looked like Boston was going to run away with the Eastern Conference. They swept the Canadians 4-0 in round one and won the first game against the Hurricanes 4-1. The Bruins had scored at least four goals in each of their first five playoff games but have only managed a total of two in the last two games. The Hurricanes' Eric Staal has been on fire this post season and paces the team with seven goals and ten points. Boston faces a must win on the road in game 4, as they don't want to go down 3-1 in the series.

Chances of advancing: 25%, I think Boston is in real trouble here. Carolina dominated the last two games and they have the momentum with them at home. 

(8) Anaheim Ducks vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings:

The stars seemed to be aligning for the Red Wings in the playoffs: They were the defending Stanley Cup Champs; they have the most experienced and talented group of skaters in the playoffs; they swept the Blue Jackets and outscored them 18-7 in the first round; the Ducks knocked off the (1) San Jose Sharks; and the Red Wings won the season match up with the Ducks 3-1. On paper it looked like the Red Wings would be defending their title in the Finals. On the ice though Anaheim has been the more dominate team and looks to upset another top seed in the playoffs. Though an (8) seed the Ducks are a dangerous team with plenty of talent and experience of their own. They won the Cup in 2007 and have out hustled and played the Red Wings so far. Detroit will need to win game 4 on the road and slow down Anaheim's momentum and tie the series up. 

Chances of advancing: 50%, These teams are very evenly matched so it would be no surprise to see Anaheim knock off the champs. I still say that the Red Wings have more star talent than the Ducks and that will be the key to the series.