This post is going to be strictly sports talk from my point of view, so prepare yourself....
Lets talk baseball. I want to start out with the Roy Halliday trade scenario that will unfold in the next week. It's pretty clear Halliday wants out, and the Blue Jays want prospects. The Blue Jays reportedly told the Phillies that they wanted their top two prospects plus another good prospect. I'm pretending to be the Phillies General Manager ......
How bad do you want Halliday? Me: We don't just want him, we need him, and we will almost do anything to get him. As an organization, we understand that someone of his caliber is going to come with a very hefty asking price. Our goal as an organization is to be the best. Not just the best in our division, which we currently are.... not just the best in our league, which we are making strides toward, but our ultimate goal is to be the best in the majors! We just signed Pedro Martinez I know, but I'm telling you, we need Roy. The Blue Jays want our top two pitching prospects. I can't do it. I'll give them one, but what happens if one of starters now gets hurt next year or the year after? That's why I can't do it, but I'll tell what I will do, I'll give you two young good players, with one of our top two pitching prospects. We need Roy, badly, but I can't give you all of our minor league talent.
Blue Jays GM: Look, Roy is our best player, and arguably the best pitcher to put on a Blue Jays jersey. I can't give you him for cheap. We need to also protect ourselves. Look at it from my point of view, when Roy leaves, our fans will also. I need talent coming in as he exits to give some sort of hope for our fans. So here is what I'm thinking. You give me a good player, a player who will be a great role player, and your BEST pitching prospect, and that's the lowest I'm going to ask for, and if you don't like it, then Roy is staying with us.
Phillies GM: I understand where you're coming from, and we need Roy for the next 3 years. We won the world series last year, with him, we're going to win it this year, and the next two years after that we will still be loaded, and will win it again. I'm thinking dynasty. We are the Phillies and we will do anything to win!
The Cardinals have been on a mission to add some depth and to protect Albert Pujols. It's obvious Pujols is the best player in the majors, and sooner or later other teams aren't going to pitch to him. Well problem solved.... I'm the Cards GM...
Cards GM: We need to protect him, he needs to be pitched to 4 times per game, he's the best....we need help. The one guy that will fit the mold of protecting Pujols is Matt Holliday. He's our guy, he will solve our problem! We are on a quest for greatness, we know we're good right now, but adding Holliday will make us the team to beat. We feel we are better than the Phillies, even with Halliday. But when we add Holliday, we will definitely the one to beat.
The day of getting traded, Matt Holliday played for his new team, the Cardinals. He had a stolen base, 4 hits, and 1 rbi. Looks like the Cards are the team to beat as of now in the National League. The Cards definitely now the team to beat in the NL Central. All 6 teams are within 9 games of first place. The pirates are in last, exactly 9 games back. The reds are 5th, 7 games back. The milwaukee brewers are only 3 games back of the cards, and that's good enough for 4th place at the moment. The Houston Astros are only 2 games, back and in 3rd place. The cubs are a game and a half out of first place, which puts them in 2nd. So, here is the question to every GM in the NL Central. What does your team have to do keep up with the Cardinals after they just upgraded in a trade?
I'll start from the back of the pack and work towards the contenders as I pretend to be each GM in the NL Central...so here we go...
I'm the Pittsburgh Pirates GM: To answer your question about keeping up with the Cardinals, for us it's impossible. We don't have the talent to even try. This is the second time in the past 6 or 7 years we are trading away our good players to gain prospects. The first time we did it, it seemed to work out, we have still with us from the past rebuilding session...Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Zack Duke, Andy LaRoche, and a few more pitchers. We have traded this year, Nyjer Morgan, Ryan Doumit, Adam LaRoche, and a couple more solid players. Look, I would like to admit to a mistake, normally the people who are out of their divisions tend to be sellers every year. This was the one year that we were in our race, and I blew it. I started selling off all our good players to other teams for their average prospects in hopes of rebuilding. Now we are out of our race, and I'm taking full resposibility for the lack of competition in Pittsburgh. Let's be honest, we aren't the Steelers, we struggle every year, and year after year we find ourselves saying maybe next year. The difference this year is we are saying maybe in 6-7 years stemming from realizing that our shortstop and second baseman aren't going to re-sign with us after their contracts are up after the season. Sorry Pittsburgh, at least you have the Steelers right?
Now I will be the Reds GM:
Well, to be completely honest, we don't have any plans for the next few days. If a deal were to go down, it won't happen till the night before or the day of the trade deadline. The reason? We haven't exactly decided if we are in this race or out. We stood steady at 4 to 5 games out of first for at least a month, but have recently been slipping. It's obvious that we're hurting a bit due to injuries. Jay is out for a long time with a broken list. Volquez is still injured, and we are just bruised and beaten up. Our pitchers are under-performing, as usual, and Homer Bailey still hasn't shown us that he deserves to be here in the majors. My gut tells me to sell sell sell, but the fan inside me says to buy buy buy. We have been trying to find a big right handed hitter. In earlier discussions, we had talked about acquiring Matt Holliday, or Mark DeRosa. Neither deal went through as the first place Cardinals snatched both of those players away from us. If we decide to sell, we need to unload to get some good prospects if at all possible. Aaron Harang is and has been under-performing for about a year and a half now, and Bronson Arroyo is too inconsistent and too expensive. Both him and Harang are getting about 12 million each and they are breaking our bank for the lack of productivity they are giving us. Don't be surprised if one or both players are moved, depending on the deals offered obviously. Also, Francisco Cordero is lights out, but if we are out of the race, obviously winning isn't going to come often, therefore we don't need our closer and the $25 million he is taking from us. Surely someone could use him, as long as we get our prospects in return. I also think Arthur Rhodes will be moved if the right deal comes about. Teams always need left-handed pitching, so with a prospect or two, could go one of our few lefties. One more person could surprisingly go at the deadline. Ramon Hernandez is a possibility to be moved. He's a gamer and has given nothing short of his best as a Red, but it's pretty clear that Ryan Hannigan is ready to be a starter in the majors. Maybe Ramon could help us out some more by giving us prospects as he walks out of the clubhouse doors after saying see you later Cincinnati, "Maybe next year." Hmmm, sounds an awful lot like the Pirates...
Now I'm the Milwaukee Brewers GM: We are 3 games out, and we need pitching. Manny Parra is beginning to become a bit more healthy, and better, day after day. He seems to have gotten his swag back and he could be our answer. We have one week to decide if he will be the answer to catching the Cards or if we need to go out and get someone. If he isn't the answer, look for us to get a pitcher from the Oakland A's. His name is Justin Duscherer, or something like that. We have been scouting him and we like what we see! Check back in a week to see what we do with our team.
I'm the Houston Astros GM: We are broke. We are in the race, but in 1 month we won't be contenders anymore. What we have to work with is mediocre pitching and that is never good. We assumed signing Ivan Rodriquez in the offseason would be our answer, but with recent developments coming from the Cards, it's clearly not the answer we need right now. So, for now, until next year, we play ball and hope we win the race.
I'm the Chicago Cubs GM: We are right where we need to be...we have come this far without a solid left handed pitcher. When we add one before the trade deadline has passed, we will be an even stronger team. One person we are looking to get is Arthur Rhodes from the Reds, we know it'll cost a prospect or two, but getting a player we need is well worth the prospects. I mean hey, we're the Cubs, it's been over a hundred years since we last won the world series. How much worse can it get. Maybe this is the year that dreaded streak ends, only if we find a lefty though...
I'm the Cardinals GM: There is no doubt in my mind that we will win our division race. We have done some things that none of the other teams can come close to doing anything we did. To us, it's already hello playoffs!
Now to the NBA...
I think it's a good thing the Cavs got Shaq, it gives them one year to win the Championship before they bring in Chris Bosh to win multiple Champioships, or so I thought. Shaq is good, Anderson Varajeo, not so much. The Cavs spent $50 million on Varajeo, which I'm afraid is going to restrict them getting Chris Bosh. Everyone knows the Cavs want/need him, which is why I'm not sure what Danny Ferry is doing. I wander exactly how much money he has saved up to go after Bosh, because if Varajeo is worth 50 million, it's scary to think of how much Bosh will ask for...
I'm not sure what is wrong with the Lakers. Last week they withdrew their offer to Lamar Odom. Hello, you won't win another championship without him. Your lineup is much better with him, than without him. If you let him go to Dwayne Wade and the heat, you're in trouble. So you added Artest, nice pickup, but you need Odom, because Bynum is too tall for his body, hence the reason why he gets hurt every other day.
Trail Blazers, you missed your shot, you needed help for Brandon Roy in the backcourt. Recent rumors have said that you might be looking to add Kirk Hinrich, which would be the pickup you need. Only to find out today that you signed Andre Miller to a 3 year deal, which essentially doesn't help Brandon Roy. Look, Miller is decent, but he isn't a Kirk Hinrich. I mean let's be honest, anyone other than Steve Blake will make you a better team, I just expected more from you!
Dear Miami Heat, if you don't make noise soon, you won't have your best player even sooner. There are issues with your team, Flash needs help. Specifically from Lamar Odom and Carlos Boozer. Boozer isn't going to be in a Jazz uniform for much longer, and you need this to be true more than any other team in the NBA. With those two, you won't win any titles, but it will give hope to Flash and your fans, showing them that you are trying to win.
The Pistons are going to be good this year. Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince, along with Richard Hamilton and Charlie Villanueva. That's a solid starting 4 and hopefully their point guard is a very good facilitator!
Allen Iverson, you need to accept a bench role. You need to play behind a young point gaurd and be his mentor, and show him the ropes of the league. It's obvious you won't, but you should. Memphis would be a good fit for you, because if you suck there, no one will care because no one watches Memphis.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will most likely become the first team ever in the history of the NBA to complete a whole season without a head coach. It's obvious something in the organization is wrong. No one wants to play there, no one wants to coach there, the only person that actually wants to be there, is the sports guy Bill Simmons. You need to consider hiring him as your GM because he has some good ideas, like never drafting 3 point guards in the same draft. Ricky Rubio will not be good in the NBA, mark my words! You won't be good this year again, sorry fans.
The Celtics found a way to somehow get better again this offseason. Now instead of the the big 3, there is the big 4. I wonder what their new nickname will be after ESPN makes another commercial with them.
Lets talk Orlando Magic. HELLOOOO, what in the world is wrong with you? I agree Rafer Alston had to go, but Cortney Lee? No way, he was a rookie and he gave your team so much more than you'll get from JJ Redick, even though it pains me to say that. You lose Hedo Turkoglu to the Toronto Raptors, and you get Vince Carter? NO WAY!! In NBA years, Vince Carter is an old man only 2 years away from dying. He's past his prime and is simply not good anymore. The only reason why he is still well-known, is because what he did 1o years ago in all those dunk contests.
I want to give props to the Houston Rockets for getting Trevor Ariza. They needed him. If only Yao Ming wasn't out for the year... With Yao, they have a good shot to win the title, without Yao, Trevor is waking up every day extremely angry that he's stuck with the one, the only, selfish, can't get his team out of the first round of the playoffs, give me the ball, always hurt, Tracy McGrady... at least a former Blue Devil is there to run the show when the cameras aren't on, and that's why we love you Shane Battier!
Now to soccer.... yep, America still hates it...
Training camp starts soon, and the Bengals will be filming for their new series on HBO called Hard Knocks.
T.O. has his own reality show, guess what it's called....
The T.O. Show....Have fun Buffalo!!
"You worry about yours, let them worry about theirs, cause I got mine."--Lil Wayne
