A Thursday For The Ages!!

January 26, 2018January 26, 2018 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

Sports is the gift that keeps on giving.

Just 24 hours ago, headlines remained quiet, still, virtually unchanged. Then Thursday happened.

Who Doesn’t Love A Reboot??

The XFL is making a comeback. Yes, you read that right. Vince McMahon, WWE Founder, says a drama free, gimmick free, criminal free XFL is making a comeback. In 2020, Vince McMahon will re-launch an 8-team league, designed to play a 10-week schedule. McMahon is looking into a combination of large and medium-sized markets.

McMahon is individually funding this project and will have complete control over the league and all 8 teams. Initial funding is estimated at $100 million dollars. Coincidentally, McMahon just sold $100 million in WWE stock….

While McMahon clearly stated there will be no criminals in his league, he’s taking a hard stance on many hot-button issues. No personal or political stances will be tolerated in the XFL. Ratings magnets will no longer get the nod over other players. The best players will be put on the field, and they will be paid more when they win. And McMahon plans to run faster games. A 2-hour limit is McMahon’s plan.

Essentially, he’s trying to capitalize on every shortcoming of the NFL.

I give it 2 years this time….

“I’ll Take KD!!”

Thursday, All-Star Captains, Lebron James and Stephen Curry, “secretly” selected their teams. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the order players were picked, so for the love of God, put this thing on TV next year!!!!

Here’s how it probably went down:

Team Lebron Team Curry

1st pick: Kevin Durant 2nd pick: James Harden

3rd pick: Anthony Davis 4th pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo

5th pick: Demarcus Cousins 6th pick: Joel Embiid

7th pick: Kyrie Irving 8th pick: Karl Anthony-Towns

9th pick: Russell Westbrook 10th pick: DeMar DeRozan

11th pick: John Wall 12th pick: Jimmy Butler

13th pick: Kristaps Porzingis 14th pick: Klay Thompson

15th pick: LaMarcus Aldridge 16th pick: Al Horford

17th pick: Kevin Love 18th pick: Damian Lillard

19th pick: Victor Oladipo 20th pick: Draymond Green

21st pick: Bradley Beal 22nd pick: Kyle Lowry

Lebron clearly won the draft. Once you get past the 5th pick, you have to wonder what was going through Stephen Curry’s mind. Picking either Towns, Embiid, Butler, or DeRozan over Cousins, Westbrook, or Irving makes my head spin in a way that feels fairly dangerous. Despite only having 5 Western All-Stars, expect Team Lebron to win 189-179.

Father Time Is Still Waiting

Roger Federer may or may not be human. His accomplishments, at 36, on a tennis court, are nothing short of astonishing. After defeating Hyeon Chung (6-1, 5-2, ret.), Federer has reached his 7th Australian Open Final. Once again, he has NOT dropped a single set en route to the finals. THAT IS INSANE!!

While mere mortals retire due to injury, and potential heat stroke, Federer dabs single beads of sweat from his brow and moves to the next point. His mental game is unparalleled, and his physical talent is 2nd to none. Federer will try to take down #6 ranked, Marin Cilic, in the finals for his 6th Australian Open.

Words simply can not explain the unprecedented nature Federer continues to succeed at the advanced age of 36. It’s like ‘Dog Years’. 36 in ‘Tennis Years’ is 66 in ‘Basketball Years’.

Brewers Are Busy Little Beavers

The Milwaukee Brewers were very busy on Thursday. They made a trade. And they signed the biggest free agent contract of the offseason — so far. Both put the Brewers in the conversation for best outfield in MLB.

The Trade

Brewers Get: OF Christian Yelich

Marlins Get: OF Lewis Brinson, INF Isan Diaz, OF Monte Harrison, and P Jordan Yamamoto

The Signing

They signed OF Lorenzo Cain, to a 5-year, $80 million contract. Until JD Martinez signs on the dotted-line, Cain stands as the highest paid free agent of the offseason.

The Brewers now have a surplus of outfielders, so expect either Domingo Santana, Keon Broxton, or Brett Phillips to be on the move.

Wow Thursday. You didn’t exactly leave room for improvement for Friday….

What was the biggest story from Thursday?? Will you watch the XFL?? Spill it in the comment section below.

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What Do You Mean ‘Double Check’ My Sources?!

January 12, 2018 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

The world has been waiting….

Waiting for the dominoes to start falling in Major League Baseball. Who knew that first domino would be a fake report?! Wednesday morning, multiple sources reported Gerrit Cole had been traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Houston Astros. By Wednesday afternoon, we had learned this report was as make believe as the Easter Bunny. Sorry parents. Apparently, some journalists prefer being 1st and wrong over being 2nd and right.

See, this is a fun time for MLB; the offseason. The time when rumors fly, money gets tossed around, and players potentially relocate. Until Wednesday, this offseason had been notoriously slow. Just 30 of the 160 potential free agents had signed with their respective teams. Over the past 2 days, free agency has built up speed. It turns out, all it needed was a little nudge from a fake report.

These new deals are 1-year contracts in order to avoid arbitration:

Cody Allen – $10.575 Million (Indians)
Khris Davis – $10.5 Million (Athletics)
Patrick Corbin – $7.5 Million (Diamondbacks)
Miguel Gonzalez – $4.75 Million (White Sox)
Mike Zunino – $2.975 Million (Mariners)
Randal Grichuk – $2.6 Million (Cardinals)
Zach McAllister – $2.45 Million (Indians)
Jake Marisnick – $1.9 Million (Astros)
Tommy Kahnle – $1.3125 Million (Yankees)

Arbitration is a legal process used when a player (prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent) and team can’t come to terms on a 1-year contract. Both the player and team submit their proposed salary contracts to a 3rd-party, neutral arbitrator. The arbitrator then determines a fair salary based on the player’s statistics. Despite retaining the rights to said player, arbitration isn’t generally the 1st step in a long-term, healthy relationship.

While everyone’s attention turned to 1-year contracts, and a fake report, the New York Mets swooped in and ACTUALLY signed a contract paying out more than $12 per year. On Wednesday, the Mets came to terms with Jay Bruce on a 3-year, $39 million contract. While Bruce isn’t a hop on my back and ride to the playoffs type of guy, he’s a solid offensive outfielder. On a team (as cheap as the Mets) lacking offense, I like this deal for the Mets.

Only 2 bigger contracts have been signed, so far, than Bruce; Carlos Santana and Wade Davis. Santana signed a 3-year, $60 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on December 20th. This makes the Bruce deal look even better. As for Davis, his 3-year, $52 million contract with the Colorado Rockies makes him the highest paid relief pitcher (per year) of all-time. We’ll see how he enjoys the “comfort” of pitching in Coors Field.

With just over a month until pitchers and catchers report, expect an avalanche of dominoes to fall in the near future. Here are the biggest, unsigned names:

J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, and Yu Darvish.

MLB Free Agency, a time when wildly overpaying players has become America’s new pastime.

What do you think of the Jay Bruce contract?? Does Wade Davis deserve to be the highest paid reliever of all-time?? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

Who Needs Football When You Have The Cleveland Indians?!

September 15, 2017 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

indians

Baseball vs. Football. It’s usually a lopsided battle, and doesn’t often carry as much drama as Batman vs. Superman. Football is the most popular sport in the country, and the proof is in the ratings. However, last night, I chose to watch a baseball game rather than a football game. If the matchups on Thursday Night Football continue to be this crappy (they will), I’ll soon be choosing basketball over football.

Thursday Night Football was played on NFL Network. We had the displeasure of watching the Houston Texans take on the Cincinnati Bengals. I can moan and groan about the game for hours, but I think the score tells enough of the story. 13-9. After posting just 3 lowly field goals, the Bengals are still searching for their 1st touchdown of the season. For those who watched, I feel sorry for you.

The play of the game WAS a 49-yard TD run by rookie quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Since you missed it, click here to watch the replay. That was literally the only exciting play of the game. You would have been better off slamming your head against a wall for 3 hours, rather than watch the rest of the game.

If you were like me, you only watched paint dry, I mean the football game, on commercial breaks from the baseball game.

The MUST WATCH baseball game was the Cleveland Indians vs. the Kansas City Royals. The Indians were attempting to win their 22nd consecutive game. Coincidentally, 22 was the total number of points scored in the football game (just sayin). After going down 1-0 in the 2nd inning, the Indians quickly tied the game in the 3rd inning. They would find themselves trailing again (2-1), this time in the bottom of the 9th inning. Down to their final strike, Francisco Lindor drove a ball off the left field wall, driving in Erik Gonzalez from 1st base. The crowd erupted in a way normally reserved for walk-off home runs in Game 7 of the World Series.

To extra innings we go….

Jose Ramirez, Indians 3rd baseman, led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a double. Ramirez stretched a single into a double when he saw Royals’ center fielder, Lorenzo Cain lazily collect the ball. I love when guys hustle like this!! Edwin Encarnacion then walked, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. And with the game tied 2-2, former Mets’ slugger, Jay Bruce came up with the walk-off double, ripping the ball down the right field line. Let the celebration begin!!

The Cleveland Indians have now won a record breaking, 22 consecutive games. With 2 more games against the Royals (and their shoddy pitching staff), the Indians could extend this streak through the weekend. Game #23 will be played tonight @ 7:10 P.M. EST. Jason Vargas and Trevor Bauer will climb the bump in this one.

My money is on the Indians. A prediction only a genius could make, right??

What did you watch last night?? Crappy football, or entertaining baseball?? Tell me in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!

American League Central Predictions

March 6, 2013March 6, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Today, we will take a look at our first American League Division; the American League Central. I will preview each team and give you my bold predictions for the upcoming season. Here is a quick look at how each team finished last season:

2012 American League Central Final Standings:

W L

Detriot Tigers: 88-74

Chicago White Sox: 85-77

Kansas City Royals: 72-90

Cleveland Indians: 68-94

Minnesota Twins: 66-96

Ah, the 2012 Minnesota Twins. What a major disappointment they were huh? No one was crowning them World Series champions prior to the 2012 season, but I think we all expected them to be above .500. The Twins started out with a horrid record, and as the season continued it only got worse. They finished dead last in the American League Central, a horrible 30 games under .500. There is good news for 2013. I don’t think it is physically possible to be as bad as they were last year. That means there is only one way to go; up. The Twins lost speedy outfielders Denard Span and Ben Revere, and they are hoping Darin Mastroianni can be their starting center fielder of the future, their leadoff hitter, and can blossom into a star. I think he is a nice little player, but his strikeout rate is too high and his batting average is too low for me to say he’ll be a difference maker in Minnesota. They also added Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey to their starting rotation. Mike Pelfrey after one solid year for the Mets in 2010, has underachieved beyond belief (if only I were 6’7″). I don’t see the change of scenery being the difference for Pelfrey, and I see him struggling mightily this season. As for Worley, after bursting on to the scene in 2011, his 2012 was very pedestrian (where he sported a 4.20 era and only won 6 games). The Twins offense does have a chance to put up some runs, but that all depends on the health of their two former ‘superstars’; Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Josh Willingham should have another nice season at the plate, but if Mauer and Morneau can stay healthy they could make a run at that elusive .500 record (hahaha). That’s how good I think they will be this season, their ceiling is a .500 record. When it’s all said and done I do think they improve upon their record from last season, but not by much. They will be a stellar 70-92.

Last season the Cleveland Indians showed that they can compete in the American League Central. They held a record of 44-41 at the All-Star break. Then the Indians went on to have a disastrous 2nd half, going 24-53 to close out the season. This forced the Indians owner to fire their manager Manny Acta. Over the offseason, the Indians hired former Red Sox manager Terry Francona. They believe that the combination of Francona and their new acquisitions this offseason gives them a chance to compete for the division title. They added former Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher, home-run hitting Mark Reynolds, speedy centerfielder Michael Bourn, and the power/speed threat of Drew Stubbs (if only Stubbs didn’t strike out a million times he’d have the potential to be GREAT). Between Reynolds and Stubbs their batting average will plummet while their strikeout rate soars through the roof, but they have the potential to be a very good team. If Ubaldo Jimenez can return to All-Star form, watch out for the Cleveland Indians! I think that they will be the most improved team from last season but will just miss out on the playoffs. I believe they will finish with a record of 85-77.

The Kansas City Royals have been a model of inconsistency over the years, and that’s exactly what they were last season. I do believe that they are heading in the right direction though and might actually surprise some folks this season. The Royals have a good young team with a mountain of potential. They also added James Shields, Ervin Santana, and Wade Davis to their starting rotation this offseason. I believe this will vastly improve this team, and they will finish with a winning record for the first time since 2003. The Royals have a lineup with a rare combination of speed and power. Between Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jarrod Dyson, and Alex Gordon the Royals should swipe a lot of bases this season. They also have a lot of pop in their bats, with Mike Moustakas, Eris Hosmer, and Billy Butler anchoring the lineup. Expect the Royals to be improved from last year, finishing with a record of 82-80.

Outside of Chris Sale, the Chicago White Sox rotation hovered around .500 in terms of wins and losses last season. I believe that is what we will see from this team in 2013. They did not make much noise this past offseason. The only real addition they made was bringing in Jeff Keppinger to play 3rd base. He should help with their batting average but not much more. They do have nice players in their lineup in Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, and Alejandro De Aza, but that won’t be enough to compete in this division. This will be the most improved division in baseball, and the White Sox will finish in 4th place in the division this season. I don’t think their pitching is good enough and it will ultimately be their downfall. I see the White Sox having a disappointing season, finishing with an 80-82 record.

This is the Detroit Tigers division to lose. With Justin Verlander heading up a rotation that includes Max Scherzer and Doug Fister, the Tigers rotation should continue to mow batters down. Add that to a lineup that features Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, and I think it’s safe to say that the Tigers will win the American League Central again this season. The Tigers do have a big question mark this season though, that could throw a big curveball into their plans. They don’t have a closer right now. They don’t seem to be interested in re-signing Jose Valverde. Now, I dislike Valverde more than anyone in the world. Watching him pitch makes me want to stab myself in the eyes with a pencil. However, sometimes the scarcity at a position should dictate how you put your team together. Valverde did implode in the postseason last year, but he is by far the best option at closer for the Detroit Tigers (at least right now). Come playoff time, are you really going to feel comfortable handing the ball to a rookie in the 9th inning?? I highly doubt it. I foresee the Tigers holding off the Indians to win the division, but I don’t think they’re going to make it look easy. Their record should be similar to that of last year at 89-73. They will narrowly win the American League Central.

2013 American League Central Projected Final Standings:

W L

Detroit Tigers: 89-73

Cleveland Indians: 85-77

Kansas CIty Royals: 82-80

Chicago White Sox: 80-82

Minnesota Twins: 70-92

Projected American League Central Winner: Detroit Tigers

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