I have left this small-time stuff behind me. I feel like the blogging version of Carlos Beltran, going from a small-market franchise to the Big Apple in less than six months. When I last blogged I was an unemployed schmuck fresh out of college, albeit with a job awaiting me, but jobless nonetheless. On present day I am a sports editor/writer for the Christian County Headliner in Ozark, Mo. and most recently have signed on with the boys over at Kings of Kauffman of the Fansided blogging network.
However, I could not have done it without the use of BC on KC and more specifically, without the abominable Kyle Davies occupying a Royals roster spot. My defiling of him and the Royals landed me the gig with Kings of Kauffman. I will still be blogging about the Royals obviously, it will just be in a more organized and repetitive fashion with a much larger audience to listen to my rants. And since I am a multi-sports writer/blogger I will continue to use BC on KC as a format to discuss the Chiefs and most things involving the Missouri Tigers.
Which brings me to the purpose of this blog—other than announcing my promotion to the big leagues.
I'll be referring to the college athletes in this piece in the first person (lots of your, you's, etc.)
There has been a lot of attention garnered by the national media about pay for play in college athletics, college football in particular. My stance on this issue has always been, you're getting paid by getting a FREE EDUCATION that the majority of your peers aren't receiving. You've earned a free education with your athletic prowess, just as someone else earns his or her scholarship with their academic prowess. And many of the athletes in the two money-making sports that are fueling this debate, football and basketball, would not have even gotten into the universities in which they are attending for FREE.
**I won't expand on the last point, but would LOVE to have that discussion with anyone who disagrees.**
Now before you get all fussy on me, I get it athletes, you make tons of money for the universities in which you play for, that is if you're in the BCS conferences—sorry San Jose State athlete, you don't bring anything to the table, shed a few tenths off your forty and you'll be in this discussion—thus you deserve some sort of monetary compensation for you service.
It's a tough debate, however, me being a compromising and understanding young man, and a bit of an academic myself, I see no reason why we can't come to an agreement on this issue. Thus, I have come up with a magical formula that should dissolve this dispute once in for all. What if I were to tell you university presidents, network affiliates, and athletes that I could make you all richer with this scenario, is that something you might be interested in?
That's what I thought, so here's the whole shebang. Athletes will receive monetary compensation, contracts in a sense, if they are a scholarship player on the roster. They will receive pay grades based on how valuable they are to their team, this will be decided upon by the university in which they play for. Thus, the university will in a sense be a professional organization. Here's the kicker, (you'll like this, suits) since they will be paying players they are a professional organization, thus the player will have contracts which allow them to be viewed as employees that can be released, traded, and also not allowed to quit or transfer without forfeiting their contracts.
Think of all of this as if it is Major League Baseball. However, with no draft in a free market, players are paid based off of performance. The best part of this whole scenario though, is that since the players are now employed by the university—athletic directors and head coaches now become general managers in a sense and can trade and acquire players from other universities. See, in baseball if your team is struggling and is not in contention to make the playoffs, you traditionally trade your most valuable assets that can help a team in contention and in return receive prospects that will help build your organization down the road. The same scenario would apply in my version of college football.
Their would be a trade deadline just as their is in professional baseball and it would similarly take place around the halfway point of the season. We will place it temporarily at Nov. 1.
For instance, last season in the Big 12, Missouri's struggling run defense could have traded for Baylor's Phil Taylor before its meeting with Nebraska on Oct. 30. With the injury to defensive tackle, Dominique Hamilton, this move would have immediately impacted Missouri and given them a boost and much better chance to knock off Nebraska, thus a better shot to win the Big 12 North and get to a BCS bowl. However, just like in MLB, the deal would require Missouri to give up a couple promising prospects. In the college football trading arena it would be promising freshmen who have 3-4 years ahead of them.
Taylor would have fetched a heavy price, seeing as though he is a first round draft pick and one of the best nose tackles in the country. Just for fun, lets say Missouri made the deal and acquired Taylor for freshmen WR Marcus Lucas, DE Kony Ealy, and CB Tristen Holt. All were four-star recruits, according to rivals.com and are three recruits that Baylor would not have otherwise gotten. They are three valuable pieces that would help Baylor in building a program for the next three seasons and they only had to give up a player who had 6 games left in his college career.
The deal would be completely worth it for Missouri if: Taylor comes in and plugs holes that were as wide as the Mississippi River against Nebraska—preventing Roy Helu Jr. from three long TD runs—and Missouri wins the game and moves to 8-0 on the season and 4-0 in conference, essentially clinching the Big 12 North with a two-game lead and tiebreaker over Nebraska. Missouri loses three prized recruits that they spent countless hours persuading to come to the university, however, if Taylor helps them win a Big 12 championship and play for a national championship, then it was completely worth it. Just as it was for the Brewers to acquire C.C. Sabathia at the deadline two seasons ago.
You could apply this scenario to any contending team in conferences all over the country. For instance, the game is already dirty in the SEC, why not throw in deadline trades that bolster Alabama's roster before the Iron Bowl? Can you imagine how much better the SEC season would have been if Bama or Florida traded for Jake Locker midway through the season? Oh yeah, I forgot to throw in that inter-conference trading would be allowed.
Some of you might be wondering, "What about the players? That wouldn't be fair for them to have to switch schools midway through the semester and travel across the country! They're just kids!" Hate to break it to you, but they're now paid athletes. They're paid employees of the NCAA and they have no say—unless they have a no-trade clause in their contract, but those can be worked around. It's part of the business of the new and improved college football world. Besides, what would Locker or Taylor care? They're now getting PAID to go play for a WINNER. Locker would have been able to leave behind his cement-shoed offensive line and no play-makers to go play behind SEC hog-mollies, hand off to Mark Ingram, and throw to Julio Jones with a real shot to play for a national championship. And Taylor would be able to leave behind his cellar-dwelling Bears in the south for the first-placed Tigers in the north and would get a chance to beat-up the Oklahoma Sooners, but this time in a winning effort.
It's an utterly spectacular plan that would generate even more interest in the NCAA, because people would no longer wonder if their team was paying its players, because everyone would be doing it....legally. ESPN and other networks could use players—paid employees of the NCAA—to promote games and they would have analysts breakdown potential trade rumors and deadline deals that need to be made. The interest in the game would skyrocket even higher than it already is and no one would feel guilty about it, because the players are "getting theirs." There would have to be an agreed on salary cap, however, and it would be equal for all 120 FBCS programs. Small programs wouldn't be able to afford it, but they can't say that they don't have an equal opportunity to compete and it certainly gives them leverage if they could offer recruits a guaranteed salary.
The BCS would dissolve and the NCAA would implement the playoff system that all fans have been dying to see. The playoffs would be setup like March Madness, but have it's own illustrious nickname (The Holiday Classic, anyone?) that would make the Mike Tiricos and other schmucks of the world to yearn for a simpler time when it was good ol' Notre Dame vs. Michigan for all the marbles, while 10 other equally good teams watched on television. I would suggest 16 teams, but would allow the NCAA and its detractors to argue over the best setup. This would be much better than arguing which is better between the BCS/Bowl system vs. playoff system, no?
Some of you reading this are probably thinking how ridiculous it is to expect a player to move halfway through a semester to go play at another university—potentially thousands of miles away—and leave his teammates, friends and the coaches and program he chose to play at, without any say. Just for added revenue and more money for universities and large media corporations. And you're probably the same people who think that these mistreated athletes deserve to get paid in the first place. Well, here you go. I've just painted a professional reality mixed into the college game. Still think college athletes should be paid?
Friday, July 22, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back
With the Royals headed into the tank at a rapid pace, I find it necessary to deflect my attention from the play on the field. Lets face it, the Royals are an extremely young team, in fact, the youngest in the majors. Couple that with abysmal starting pitching and, well, you get the product that you are currently viewing.
There will be ups and there will be downs, with the latter occurring more frequently. Anyone who had thoughts of the Royals competing for anything significant this season just wasn't looking closely enough. When you tout Luke Hochevar as your "opening day starter" and throw out Kyle Davies every five starts, unless your other three are Cliff Lee, Justin Verlander, and Tim Lincecum--you're probably not going to be very good.
I'm OK with that and most reasonable fans should be, considering what waits in the wings. Dayton Moore has told us for years to "trust the process," and for most of us, that meant we shouldn't realistically expect the Royals to compete until 2012. That has been my train of thought for the past three seasons. Sure, Moore has confused some people with big acquisitions, such as Jose Guillen and Gil Meche--which enhanced the expectation time table--but in reality were nothing more than flare to hold the interest until "the process" came to fruition. (I believe Meche was meant for the future and was ruined by Trey Hillman, but that topic is for a different day.)
We as fans waited for the likes of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy and others to make their way to Kansas City and begin the youth movement. I fully expected this year's product to be bad, given the opening day roster. But I knew what was coming later in the year, so I didn't mind the prospects of watching a 100-loss team, as long as they were infused with young talent by the end of the year. So far, the season that I envisioned has began to take shape, as top prospects like Crow, Hosmer, Duffy, and Moustakas are all on the roster. And I fully expect more to be up before the season is over.
However, I stumbled across a disturbing tweet from Royals beat writer, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, who alluded that the Royals planned to recall Kyle Davies after a rehab start in AA and send Duffy back down to AAA. If this transaction does in fact come to fruition then Dayton Moore is less competent then I give him credit for.
This move would be ignorant on so many different levels that it would be nearly impossible to dissect, but I will attempt to do so nonetheless. For starters--something that Davies is not at the big league level (badaboom)--Davies has the highest ERA of any major league pitcher with at least 120 starts, ever. That's right, no pitcher in the history of baseball has amassed over 120 starts with an ERA as bad as Davies' 5.60 in 140 career starts. You know why? Because nobody with that bad of an ERA is allowed to make that many starts. They are either moved to the bullpen, demoted, or released.
In Davies case, it took an injury to do what Moore so obliviously could not. And after the Royals were given this beautiful gift, they appear likely to throw it away. Not only that, they plan to take away invaluable experience from the club's only promising young pitcher at the moment, in favor of the guy I just outlined. How much more evidence do you need to realize that Kyle Davies is not--and never will be--a major league starter?
Danny Duffy is as much apart of this team's future as Hosmer, Crow, and Moustakas are. Yet, it doesn't appear that he is being treated that way even though, as a starting pitcher, he resides at the team's most critical position. It would make more sense to keep Moustakas down in AAA while Wilson Betemit performs adequately at third base in an attempt to showcase him before the trade deadline. You know why? Because Betemit actually has trade value. Sure, there will be a team that might take a chance on Davies, but they sure as hell won't give up any prospects for him. Thus, he is a non-commodity. I would have no problem if Moustakas was held down for a few more weeks while Betemit hit .300 and continued to boost his trade value. Instead, Moose is playing everyday at third base, while Betemit's rear remains firmly planted on the bench.
IF the Royals are serious about competing in 2012 then they will need Duffy to have as many innings under his belt as possible. He must learn how to get through 6 innings without throwing 100 pitches, or better yet, learn how to get through 4 innings doing the same. His stuff is ready, but his command and mound presence needs work. The only way he will get the proper work needed is if he stays in the majors. Unfortunately, Moore seems content to sacrifice all this in order to get a few more starts out of his 27-year-old Atlanta Braves project that has proven nothing.
Note: On June 27 the Royals announced that they would move to a six-man rotation in order to keep Duffy in rotation, while still bringing Davies up. Not ideal, but I suppose Moore met me and other sane Royals fans halfway.
This move prompted the sad, but accurate tweet from national baseball writer, Joe Sheehan: The #Royals are going to a six-man rotation just to make room for one of the worst SPs in MLB history. The most Royals move ever.
Moore's lovefest with Davies reminds me of that dude in college whose girlfriend is cheating on him and everyone, including him deep down, knows it. And when his friends tell him about it he makes an even bigger ass of himself by insisting that she can change, so he continues to date her--and she continues to cheat.
Moore continues to believe in Davies and he continues to suck.
The biggest concern to me and perhaps the more important matter at hand is the big picture implications that a move like this would have. If Moore is willing to supplant a definite part of the clubs' future rotation for a guy that has no future in any rotation, then I simply cannot take his claims of competing in 2012 serious. It is mind boggling to me how Moore can be so committed to the future, almost to a fault, at one juncture, then completely ignore it soon after.
The move has not yet taken place, but if it does, then I think it signals a serious concern that most educated Royals fans really don't want to face. That is, their GM is contradicting his own youth movement. If you're going to blow up the system then blow it up. Don't say you're going skinny dipping and then leave your boxers on. My digressing analogies are merely trying to illustrate the pull-out move that Moore appears prepared to make.
I'm not saying, turn over the roster and bring up every prospect the club has. I'm simply suggesting that if you're going to deem a prospect major-league ready, then don't send him down after he performs adequately in order to feature a piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit.
It has been well documented how committed Moore is to his Atlanta guys, but it borders on ridiculous when his loyalty interferes with his own plan for the Royals' future.
There will be ups and there will be downs, with the latter occurring more frequently. Anyone who had thoughts of the Royals competing for anything significant this season just wasn't looking closely enough. When you tout Luke Hochevar as your "opening day starter" and throw out Kyle Davies every five starts, unless your other three are Cliff Lee, Justin Verlander, and Tim Lincecum--you're probably not going to be very good.
I'm OK with that and most reasonable fans should be, considering what waits in the wings. Dayton Moore has told us for years to "trust the process," and for most of us, that meant we shouldn't realistically expect the Royals to compete until 2012. That has been my train of thought for the past three seasons. Sure, Moore has confused some people with big acquisitions, such as Jose Guillen and Gil Meche--which enhanced the expectation time table--but in reality were nothing more than flare to hold the interest until "the process" came to fruition. (I believe Meche was meant for the future and was ruined by Trey Hillman, but that topic is for a different day.)
We as fans waited for the likes of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy and others to make their way to Kansas City and begin the youth movement. I fully expected this year's product to be bad, given the opening day roster. But I knew what was coming later in the year, so I didn't mind the prospects of watching a 100-loss team, as long as they were infused with young talent by the end of the year. So far, the season that I envisioned has began to take shape, as top prospects like Crow, Hosmer, Duffy, and Moustakas are all on the roster. And I fully expect more to be up before the season is over.
However, I stumbled across a disturbing tweet from Royals beat writer, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, who alluded that the Royals planned to recall Kyle Davies after a rehab start in AA and send Duffy back down to AAA. If this transaction does in fact come to fruition then Dayton Moore is less competent then I give him credit for.
This move would be ignorant on so many different levels that it would be nearly impossible to dissect, but I will attempt to do so nonetheless. For starters--something that Davies is not at the big league level (badaboom)--Davies has the highest ERA of any major league pitcher with at least 120 starts, ever. That's right, no pitcher in the history of baseball has amassed over 120 starts with an ERA as bad as Davies' 5.60 in 140 career starts. You know why? Because nobody with that bad of an ERA is allowed to make that many starts. They are either moved to the bullpen, demoted, or released.
In Davies case, it took an injury to do what Moore so obliviously could not. And after the Royals were given this beautiful gift, they appear likely to throw it away. Not only that, they plan to take away invaluable experience from the club's only promising young pitcher at the moment, in favor of the guy I just outlined. How much more evidence do you need to realize that Kyle Davies is not--and never will be--a major league starter?
Danny Duffy is as much apart of this team's future as Hosmer, Crow, and Moustakas are. Yet, it doesn't appear that he is being treated that way even though, as a starting pitcher, he resides at the team's most critical position. It would make more sense to keep Moustakas down in AAA while Wilson Betemit performs adequately at third base in an attempt to showcase him before the trade deadline. You know why? Because Betemit actually has trade value. Sure, there will be a team that might take a chance on Davies, but they sure as hell won't give up any prospects for him. Thus, he is a non-commodity. I would have no problem if Moustakas was held down for a few more weeks while Betemit hit .300 and continued to boost his trade value. Instead, Moose is playing everyday at third base, while Betemit's rear remains firmly planted on the bench.
IF the Royals are serious about competing in 2012 then they will need Duffy to have as many innings under his belt as possible. He must learn how to get through 6 innings without throwing 100 pitches, or better yet, learn how to get through 4 innings doing the same. His stuff is ready, but his command and mound presence needs work. The only way he will get the proper work needed is if he stays in the majors. Unfortunately, Moore seems content to sacrifice all this in order to get a few more starts out of his 27-year-old Atlanta Braves project that has proven nothing.
Note: On June 27 the Royals announced that they would move to a six-man rotation in order to keep Duffy in rotation, while still bringing Davies up. Not ideal, but I suppose Moore met me and other sane Royals fans halfway.
This move prompted the sad, but accurate tweet from national baseball writer, Joe Sheehan: The #Royals are going to a six-man rotation just to make room for one of the worst SPs in MLB history. The most Royals move ever.
Moore's lovefest with Davies reminds me of that dude in college whose girlfriend is cheating on him and everyone, including him deep down, knows it. And when his friends tell him about it he makes an even bigger ass of himself by insisting that she can change, so he continues to date her--and she continues to cheat.
Moore continues to believe in Davies and he continues to suck.
The biggest concern to me and perhaps the more important matter at hand is the big picture implications that a move like this would have. If Moore is willing to supplant a definite part of the clubs' future rotation for a guy that has no future in any rotation, then I simply cannot take his claims of competing in 2012 serious. It is mind boggling to me how Moore can be so committed to the future, almost to a fault, at one juncture, then completely ignore it soon after.
The move has not yet taken place, but if it does, then I think it signals a serious concern that most educated Royals fans really don't want to face. That is, their GM is contradicting his own youth movement. If you're going to blow up the system then blow it up. Don't say you're going skinny dipping and then leave your boxers on. My digressing analogies are merely trying to illustrate the pull-out move that Moore appears prepared to make.
I'm not saying, turn over the roster and bring up every prospect the club has. I'm simply suggesting that if you're going to deem a prospect major-league ready, then don't send him down after he performs adequately in order to feature a piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit.
It has been well documented how committed Moore is to his Atlanta guys, but it borders on ridiculous when his loyalty interferes with his own plan for the Royals' future.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Alcides Freaking Escobar
In just over two weeks Alcides Escobar has gone from quite possibly the worst hitting everyday player to a legitimate threat every time he steps in the batters box. For the season Escobar is now hitting .255/.289/.322, but in his last 12 games, Escobar is hitting .512/.543/.744. And amazingly, he's actually getting hotter, as in his previous six games he is hitting .545/.583/.864 and that included his first home run of the season in Sunday's game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.
"I'm feeling real comfortable right now," Escobar said. "I've been working with (hitting coach Kevin) Seitzer, and it's really paying off." (Via Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton)
The first part of this post will involve some brief guy love toward hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, but the majority of the hubbub will deservedly go toward Escobar. Look, we have all seen the valiant work of Seitzer pay off in the seemingly rejuvenated career of Alex Gordon.
Some of that is in part due to his move to left field, but the majority of it goes to Seitzer for getting Gordon to change his approach at the plate and his swing mechanics. Thus, making Gordon more than simply a power threat, but rather a guy that can hit to all fields--with his power being to pull--and someone who can also draw a walk.
It seems as though Seitzer has applied similar tactics, to some degree, in fixing Escobar's Tony-Pena-Jr.-like approach at the plate. I can't emphasize enough how completely taken back I am with Escobar's sudden transformation from a guy that quite simply could not hit, to Nomar Garciapara in his prime. Seriously, if this keeps up Seitzer should run away with the Hitting Coach of the Year Award, if such an award existed.
Granted 12 games is an extremely small sample size and Escobar's overall numbers are still, .255/.289/.322. And I think it's a little ridiculous to expect anything eerily close to what Escobar has churned out these past couple weeks for the rest of the season. But I don't think it's out of the question for him to find a happy medium between his first 60 games and the past 12.
Escobar doesn't need to hit .300 to be an effective big league player. His defense is so goldgloveingly (yes, I made that up) exceptional that hitting between .250-.260 will be more than enough, especially in baseball's current post-steroid environment. I'm not afraid to go out on a limb and say that he's the best defensive shortstop this franchise has ever seen. To be honest, given the history of this franchise's success with at the position, it really isn't much of a stretch.
The Royals are 5-7 during Escobar's reign of terror on all things resembling pitching. This stretch has placed them into last place in the AL Central after losing in walk-off fashion on Sunday to the Cardinals while their Scandinavian division-mates simultaneously defeated the Padres in walk-off fashion as well.
Side story: I attended the Royals' first game of the four-game series against the Twins earlier this month. The Royals lost and later in the night at a watering hole in Wesport I spout off to some Twins fans who had made the trip down to lovely Kansas City. I pampered them with remarks about how their team's reign in the AL Central was over and that the Royals would take over as the supreme small-market contender. The Twins proceeded to sweep the four game series between the two clubs and are 14-2 since I made those comments. Suffice to say, I feel old lady karma is being a bit of a harsh bitch at this point in time.
I believe my comments will ultimately prove to be true and the Royals and Indians will in fact be battling it out for the AL Central for the next 5-10 years. However, at the moment I look like a bumbling drunken fool to the avid and foulmouthed Twins fans that were conned into a baseball conversation with me on that Thursday evening.
Back to Escobar, it's difficult for me, as I am not a scout, to truly evaluate what he is doing differently that has brought on this sudden surge of swing. But in my non-expert opinion it appears as though he is simply getting his hands through zone more quickly than before. This has allowed a bit of a power boost, as he is now hitting the ball on a line to all fields and has appeared to elevate the ball more frequently.
Now, this all sounds profound and good to me when I think about it and see it written in front of me, however, our boys at Fangraphs challenge my notions. The numbers don't back up my claim that he is hitting more line drives and elevating the ball with more frequency. In fact, he is doing it less.
A quick look at Escobar's splits support the obvious fact that he is hitting for more power and a higher average, but it challenges the notion that he is doing anything drastically different. In the month of June--when Escobar began his streak--16.4% of his balls have been line drives. Comparatively, he hit 21.9% line drive balls in May, a month in which he batted .209/.258/.244. Yes, he actually had a higher on base percentage than slugging percentage in 86 at bats in the month of May. Those kind of number are unheard of, and not in a good way.
For reference, Escobar's average thus far in the month of June is .369--one-hundred and sixty points higher than the previous month. Escobar has hit 60% of his balls on the ground in June compared to 50% in May. Lastly, he has hit 23.6% fly balls in June, while he hit 27.4% fly balls in May.
Please forgive me, as those are a lot of nerdy numbers to digest and I'm hardly a sabermetric magician myself. But, I think those numbers bring up a more interesting discussion when it comes to Escobar's brief, but sudden surge at the plate. Maybe, as is sometimes the case in baseball, he is just getting lucky. That's not to say that his numbers aren't attributed to whatever new adjustments he has made, but simply an extension on the thought that he might have been extremely unlucky in April and May.
The numbers at Fangraphs support the fact that he is not driving the ball or elevating it any more than he was when he was hitting below the Mendoza Line. In fact, he is doing it less than he was during those dreadful months. All of these factors when stacked up next to each other lend credit to the notion that the real Escobar is likely somewhere in between the nadir that paralleled Angel Berroa's fallout of baseball and his current Justin Beiber-like peak. (Seriously, when that kid hits puberty the jig had better be up or I will have lost all faith in mankind.)
When Escobar's hot streak subsides and all evaluations are completed on the subject, one thing will remain and that will be a batting average that sits in a respectable echelon of Major League Baseball. I think it is as safe to say that Escobar wasn't as bad as his .204 average suggested as it is to say that he is not as good as this current hot streak. What lies in between those two extremes is a valuable everyday shortstop who is exceptional with the glove and viable at the plate.
I think all Royals fans would be OK with that, I know I am.
Although it is too early to become infatuated with Escobar's sudden revival at the plate, It is never too early to be excited about the sensational glimpses that the 24-year-old big smiling Venezuelan kid displays. Couple that with an explosive swing from a 21-year-old hot shot at first base and many other talented sub 25-year-olds that have this Royals blogger believing he will have the last laugh in the dispute with his Twins counterparts on June 2, 2011.
"I'm feeling real comfortable right now," Escobar said. "I've been working with (hitting coach Kevin) Seitzer, and it's really paying off." (Via Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton)
The first part of this post will involve some brief guy love toward hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, but the majority of the hubbub will deservedly go toward Escobar. Look, we have all seen the valiant work of Seitzer pay off in the seemingly rejuvenated career of Alex Gordon.
Some of that is in part due to his move to left field, but the majority of it goes to Seitzer for getting Gordon to change his approach at the plate and his swing mechanics. Thus, making Gordon more than simply a power threat, but rather a guy that can hit to all fields--with his power being to pull--and someone who can also draw a walk.
It seems as though Seitzer has applied similar tactics, to some degree, in fixing Escobar's Tony-Pena-Jr.-like approach at the plate. I can't emphasize enough how completely taken back I am with Escobar's sudden transformation from a guy that quite simply could not hit, to Nomar Garciapara in his prime. Seriously, if this keeps up Seitzer should run away with the Hitting Coach of the Year Award, if such an award existed.
Granted 12 games is an extremely small sample size and Escobar's overall numbers are still, .255/.289/.322. And I think it's a little ridiculous to expect anything eerily close to what Escobar has churned out these past couple weeks for the rest of the season. But I don't think it's out of the question for him to find a happy medium between his first 60 games and the past 12.
Escobar doesn't need to hit .300 to be an effective big league player. His defense is so goldgloveingly (yes, I made that up) exceptional that hitting between .250-.260 will be more than enough, especially in baseball's current post-steroid environment. I'm not afraid to go out on a limb and say that he's the best defensive shortstop this franchise has ever seen. To be honest, given the history of this franchise's success with at the position, it really isn't much of a stretch.
The Royals are 5-7 during Escobar's reign of terror on all things resembling pitching. This stretch has placed them into last place in the AL Central after losing in walk-off fashion on Sunday to the Cardinals while their Scandinavian division-mates simultaneously defeated the Padres in walk-off fashion as well.
Side story: I attended the Royals' first game of the four-game series against the Twins earlier this month. The Royals lost and later in the night at a watering hole in Wesport I spout off to some Twins fans who had made the trip down to lovely Kansas City. I pampered them with remarks about how their team's reign in the AL Central was over and that the Royals would take over as the supreme small-market contender. The Twins proceeded to sweep the four game series between the two clubs and are 14-2 since I made those comments. Suffice to say, I feel old lady karma is being a bit of a harsh bitch at this point in time.
I believe my comments will ultimately prove to be true and the Royals and Indians will in fact be battling it out for the AL Central for the next 5-10 years. However, at the moment I look like a bumbling drunken fool to the avid and foulmouthed Twins fans that were conned into a baseball conversation with me on that Thursday evening.
Back to Escobar, it's difficult for me, as I am not a scout, to truly evaluate what he is doing differently that has brought on this sudden surge of swing. But in my non-expert opinion it appears as though he is simply getting his hands through zone more quickly than before. This has allowed a bit of a power boost, as he is now hitting the ball on a line to all fields and has appeared to elevate the ball more frequently.
Now, this all sounds profound and good to me when I think about it and see it written in front of me, however, our boys at Fangraphs challenge my notions. The numbers don't back up my claim that he is hitting more line drives and elevating the ball with more frequency. In fact, he is doing it less.
A quick look at Escobar's splits support the obvious fact that he is hitting for more power and a higher average, but it challenges the notion that he is doing anything drastically different. In the month of June--when Escobar began his streak--16.4% of his balls have been line drives. Comparatively, he hit 21.9% line drive balls in May, a month in which he batted .209/.258/.244. Yes, he actually had a higher on base percentage than slugging percentage in 86 at bats in the month of May. Those kind of number are unheard of, and not in a good way.
For reference, Escobar's average thus far in the month of June is .369--one-hundred and sixty points higher than the previous month. Escobar has hit 60% of his balls on the ground in June compared to 50% in May. Lastly, he has hit 23.6% fly balls in June, while he hit 27.4% fly balls in May.
Please forgive me, as those are a lot of nerdy numbers to digest and I'm hardly a sabermetric magician myself. But, I think those numbers bring up a more interesting discussion when it comes to Escobar's brief, but sudden surge at the plate. Maybe, as is sometimes the case in baseball, he is just getting lucky. That's not to say that his numbers aren't attributed to whatever new adjustments he has made, but simply an extension on the thought that he might have been extremely unlucky in April and May.
The numbers at Fangraphs support the fact that he is not driving the ball or elevating it any more than he was when he was hitting below the Mendoza Line. In fact, he is doing it less than he was during those dreadful months. All of these factors when stacked up next to each other lend credit to the notion that the real Escobar is likely somewhere in between the nadir that paralleled Angel Berroa's fallout of baseball and his current Justin Beiber-like peak. (Seriously, when that kid hits puberty the jig had better be up or I will have lost all faith in mankind.)
When Escobar's hot streak subsides and all evaluations are completed on the subject, one thing will remain and that will be a batting average that sits in a respectable echelon of Major League Baseball. I think it is as safe to say that Escobar wasn't as bad as his .204 average suggested as it is to say that he is not as good as this current hot streak. What lies in between those two extremes is a valuable everyday shortstop who is exceptional with the glove and viable at the plate.
I think all Royals fans would be OK with that, I know I am.
Although it is too early to become infatuated with Escobar's sudden revival at the plate, It is never too early to be excited about the sensational glimpses that the 24-year-old big smiling Venezuelan kid displays. Couple that with an explosive swing from a 21-year-old hot shot at first base and many other talented sub 25-year-olds that have this Royals blogger believing he will have the last laugh in the dispute with his Twins counterparts on June 2, 2011.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Did someone order moose tacos?
The Royals called up Mike Moustakas from Omaha and optioned Mike Aviles just in time for the weekend road series against the Los Angeles Angels. The move not only demoted Aviles, but will also diminish the playing time of Wilson Betemit, who had been serving as the teams third baseman. It is most likely that Betemit will be dealt sometime before the July 15 trade deadline. With Moustakas taking over as the everyday third baseman the Royals now have a pair stationed in the hot corners who are not yet old enough to rent a car.
Thus, the future is here, at least in the infield.
The early returns from Moustakas have been positive, as he's not only shown the ability to hit for power, but also great plate discipline--drawing a walk in each of his first four games. According to Rany Jazayerli he's the first Royal to do that since, well, ever. With Moustakas hitting in the 6-hole, the Royals actually have a middle of the order that is viable. This is something that has been missing, among other things, with this franchise since the late 90s/early 2000s.
(3-Hosmer, 4-Butler, 5-Francouer, 6-Moustakas)
The average age of that group is a shade under 24. Take away Francouer, who figures to not fit into the team's long term plans, and the average age of the remaining three is 22.6. All three are under contract through 2016. That gives the Royals a minimum of five seasons to build around this core middle of the order. It is yet to be determined whether or not any are capable of hitting 30 home runs, but it is expected that Hosmer and Moustakas will.
I am not convinced that Alex Gordon will be the long term solution as the leadoff hitter, however, in 25 games he has hit .280/.361/.449 with 12 runs scored--more than adequate in that role. I still feel that he is hitting there out of necessity this season and has the type of power that you would like to see a little later in the order. But until an another option presents itself, you could do a lot worse than batting Gordon leadoff.
The arrival of Moustakas and Hosmer this season and their immediate impact signals the start of a very exciting youth movement that all of us Royals fans have been waiting for. However, it also signals the disparity, at this point, in big-league ready talent between position players and pitchers. Sure there is an abundance of pitching prowess in the minor leagues, but none of the arms, besides Duffy and possibly Mike Montgomery are close to ready. And there are tons of young arms already on the major league roster, but none, besides Duffy, are starting pitchers.
This is the most difficult part of building a winner. The Royals bullpen and bats are good enough right now to win the AL Central, but their starting pitching isn't even close. When Luke Hochevar is your opening day starter then the season is over before it begins. No offense to Hochevar, he is by all accounts a good guy who has some good stuff, but he is not and never will be one of the three best starting pitchers on a playoff roster.
Mike Montgomery appears to be the crown jewel of all the arms in the farm system and just so happens to be the most ready of all of them as well. He might be the ace of the staff in the future. But then again, he might not. Arms such as Jake Odorizzi and John Lamb figure to factor into the rotation as well at some point.
With Moustakas and Hosmer arriving and other young budding hitters like Wil Myers on the way-- paired with a revived Gordon and established Butler--the Royals offensive foundation is in place and will only improve. However, starting pitching will be the key and the Royals don't appear to have it.
Most point to the young arms in the farm system that I alluded to earlier. But might I divulge a different channel of thinking? The Royals will need to trade a combination of big league talent and top level prospects to acquire an established ace pitcher. The Rangers did so to get Cliff Lee. The Brewers did so to get C.C. Sabathia. The Royals will have to do so as well. (King Felix anyone?)
I believe Montgomery will be exceptional. But there's better than a chance that he's not Cole Hamels or Tim Lincecum. Very few top pitching prospects are. Acquiring a proven talent is and will be necessary for this Royals team to make it to where it ultimately wants to be.
There is much to be excited about with the arrival of Moose and the tremendous talent that Hosmer and Duffy have already displayed. So lets enjoy the ride for now, but starting next year the pressure will be on Dayton Moore to produce a quality big-league product. He will do so by using his homegrown talent, but he would be wise to use it for multiple purposes.
Thus, the future is here, at least in the infield.
The early returns from Moustakas have been positive, as he's not only shown the ability to hit for power, but also great plate discipline--drawing a walk in each of his first four games. According to Rany Jazayerli he's the first Royal to do that since, well, ever. With Moustakas hitting in the 6-hole, the Royals actually have a middle of the order that is viable. This is something that has been missing, among other things, with this franchise since the late 90s/early 2000s.
(3-Hosmer, 4-Butler, 5-Francouer, 6-Moustakas)
The average age of that group is a shade under 24. Take away Francouer, who figures to not fit into the team's long term plans, and the average age of the remaining three is 22.6. All three are under contract through 2016. That gives the Royals a minimum of five seasons to build around this core middle of the order. It is yet to be determined whether or not any are capable of hitting 30 home runs, but it is expected that Hosmer and Moustakas will.
I am not convinced that Alex Gordon will be the long term solution as the leadoff hitter, however, in 25 games he has hit .280/.361/.449 with 12 runs scored--more than adequate in that role. I still feel that he is hitting there out of necessity this season and has the type of power that you would like to see a little later in the order. But until an another option presents itself, you could do a lot worse than batting Gordon leadoff.
The arrival of Moustakas and Hosmer this season and their immediate impact signals the start of a very exciting youth movement that all of us Royals fans have been waiting for. However, it also signals the disparity, at this point, in big-league ready talent between position players and pitchers. Sure there is an abundance of pitching prowess in the minor leagues, but none of the arms, besides Duffy and possibly Mike Montgomery are close to ready. And there are tons of young arms already on the major league roster, but none, besides Duffy, are starting pitchers.
This is the most difficult part of building a winner. The Royals bullpen and bats are good enough right now to win the AL Central, but their starting pitching isn't even close. When Luke Hochevar is your opening day starter then the season is over before it begins. No offense to Hochevar, he is by all accounts a good guy who has some good stuff, but he is not and never will be one of the three best starting pitchers on a playoff roster.
Mike Montgomery appears to be the crown jewel of all the arms in the farm system and just so happens to be the most ready of all of them as well. He might be the ace of the staff in the future. But then again, he might not. Arms such as Jake Odorizzi and John Lamb figure to factor into the rotation as well at some point.
With Moustakas and Hosmer arriving and other young budding hitters like Wil Myers on the way-- paired with a revived Gordon and established Butler--the Royals offensive foundation is in place and will only improve. However, starting pitching will be the key and the Royals don't appear to have it.
Most point to the young arms in the farm system that I alluded to earlier. But might I divulge a different channel of thinking? The Royals will need to trade a combination of big league talent and top level prospects to acquire an established ace pitcher. The Rangers did so to get Cliff Lee. The Brewers did so to get C.C. Sabathia. The Royals will have to do so as well. (King Felix anyone?)
I believe Montgomery will be exceptional. But there's better than a chance that he's not Cole Hamels or Tim Lincecum. Very few top pitching prospects are. Acquiring a proven talent is and will be necessary for this Royals team to make it to where it ultimately wants to be.
There is much to be excited about with the arrival of Moose and the tremendous talent that Hosmer and Duffy have already displayed. So lets enjoy the ride for now, but starting next year the pressure will be on Dayton Moore to produce a quality big-league product. He will do so by using his homegrown talent, but he would be wise to use it for multiple purposes.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Time for Dayton is Coming
I spent the last post singing the praises of Eric Hosmer--possibly the cream of the loaded crop of Royals prospects. Hosmer exemplifies the impressive ability that the Dayton Moore administration has shown in scouting and developing "homegrown" talent.
He undoubtedly has once piece of the General Manager puzzle down pat, however there are serious flaws in the other areas of his approach. Making trades and free agent signings both factor into what it takes to be a good general manager. No team has ever been able to win with homegrown talent alone. Because, more times than not, some of the talent doesn't end up panning out at the big league level. Thus, holes are left to be filled on the roster. It is the GM's job to identify these holes and address them in free agency and trades.
Thus far under Moore's watch the Royals have not been in a position for trades and free agency acquisitions to make much of a difference in terms of making the postseason. That is about to change. With all the talent that we know is coming and for that matter, has already come in the Royals farm system, it is important that Moore does well in these two areas. However, if recent history is any indication of future endeavors by Moore, then the results could be vastly underwhelming.
The most glaring examples of Sean O'Sullivan and Vin Mazarro are an unfriendly reminder of just how bad Moore has done in trades. Both trades were ridiculed when made and rightfully so, but I remained optimistic over the Alberto Callaspo trade that brought O'Sullivan. However, when all you have to show for a productive infielder in Callaspo and arguably the Royals' best player in 2010, David Dejesus is--what look to be--two ineffective starters that don't figure to be in the team's long term plans, then they weren't good moves.
I'm not suggesting that the Royals should have held onto Callaspo and Dejesus, because they obviously didn't fit into the long term plans either. But that doesn't mean you HAVE to trade them. Royals blogger Rany Jazayerli says that the Royals might have traded Dejesus as part of a salary dump in order to get rid of his $6 million salary for 2011. And if that were the case, rather than trading him, they should have declined his option and since he was a Type B player they would have picked up a supplemental first-round draft pick this year.
Based on how deep this year's draft is and how well the Moore administration is at scouting and drafting talent, I think we all would prefer that over a player who produced the worst relief appearance IN MAJOR-LEAGUE HISTORY.
The O'Sullivan and Mazzaro examples are the most recent, but the list goes on with trades such as the Leo Nunez for Mike Jacobs trade that had seemingly every baseball pundit shaking their head. Nunez, by the way, leads the league in saves with 19 for the Marlins. Jacobs, last I heard, was terrorizing minor-league pitching by crushing the occasional home run and throwing in lower-lippers that can be seen from outer space.
The reason this is all relevant is to demonstrate the faults of the Dayton Moore regime in making decisions outside of scouting and drafting at a time where he will need to be at his best if the Royals are to seriously contend for a championship. Every baseball expert has the Royals pegged as the team to beat in the AL Central for the coming years due to all of the talent that is expected to arrive. However, as with anything in baseball, nothing is certain.
We know Eric Hosmer is going to produce and we know Danny Duffy looks like a quality starter, but are the bats of Hosmer and Moustakas going to be enough to offset the small sticks of Esbobar and Christian Colon up the middle? And, better yet, is Colon even the answer at second base-- at age 22, in just over 175 AB's in AA, Colon is hitting .239/.308/.318.? Also, who will play catcher and will he be able to handle such a presumably young rotation? Salvador Perez figures to be the answer there, but he doesn't figure to be with the Royals until the 2013 season unless he takes significant strides at AA Northwest Arkansas.
These are all questions that will arise and will have to be addressed and there are likely others that will pop up in the outfield as well. If the Royals are competing for a division title they will have to address these needs in free agency, but they will also have to do so through trades. Part of having a loaded farm system with prospects all over the place, is using them as trade pieces to add established and proven big-league talent. This is something we have not yet seen from Moore, because the Royals aren't competing and there is no need to trade a Mike Montgomery and Wil Myers to grab a bat at second or a frontline rotation guy like Felix Hernandez. (Completely hypothetical and it would take more than that to get King Felix)
But if the Royals are going to be as good as everyone thinks they will be then moves similar to these will have to be made. Which means Moore will have to part with his talent, not Allard Baird's. And more importantly, he'll have to make wise decisions about what certain proven players are worth in terms of minor-league prospects. His track record in swapping major-league players is abysmal from what we've seen, but it will be his ability to trade prospects for proven talent coupled with wise free-agency acquisitions that will ultimately determine the Royals future championship hopes.
I'm not suggesting that the Royals should have held onto Callaspo and Dejesus, because they obviously didn't fit into the long term plans either. But that doesn't mean you HAVE to trade them. Royals blogger Rany Jazayerli says that the Royals might have traded Dejesus as part of a salary dump in order to get rid of his $6 million salary for 2011. And if that were the case, rather than trading him, they should have declined his option and since he was a Type B player they would have picked up a supplemental first-round draft pick this year.
Based on how deep this year's draft is and how well the Moore administration is at scouting and drafting talent, I think we all would prefer that over a player who produced the worst relief appearance IN MAJOR-LEAGUE HISTORY.
The O'Sullivan and Mazzaro examples are the most recent, but the list goes on with trades such as the Leo Nunez for Mike Jacobs trade that had seemingly every baseball pundit shaking their head. Nunez, by the way, leads the league in saves with 19 for the Marlins. Jacobs, last I heard, was terrorizing minor-league pitching by crushing the occasional home run and throwing in lower-lippers that can be seen from outer space.
The reason this is all relevant is to demonstrate the faults of the Dayton Moore regime in making decisions outside of scouting and drafting at a time where he will need to be at his best if the Royals are to seriously contend for a championship. Every baseball expert has the Royals pegged as the team to beat in the AL Central for the coming years due to all of the talent that is expected to arrive. However, as with anything in baseball, nothing is certain.
We know Eric Hosmer is going to produce and we know Danny Duffy looks like a quality starter, but are the bats of Hosmer and Moustakas going to be enough to offset the small sticks of Esbobar and Christian Colon up the middle? And, better yet, is Colon even the answer at second base-- at age 22, in just over 175 AB's in AA, Colon is hitting .239/.308/.318.? Also, who will play catcher and will he be able to handle such a presumably young rotation? Salvador Perez figures to be the answer there, but he doesn't figure to be with the Royals until the 2013 season unless he takes significant strides at AA Northwest Arkansas.
These are all questions that will arise and will have to be addressed and there are likely others that will pop up in the outfield as well. If the Royals are competing for a division title they will have to address these needs in free agency, but they will also have to do so through trades. Part of having a loaded farm system with prospects all over the place, is using them as trade pieces to add established and proven big-league talent. This is something we have not yet seen from Moore, because the Royals aren't competing and there is no need to trade a Mike Montgomery and Wil Myers to grab a bat at second or a frontline rotation guy like Felix Hernandez. (Completely hypothetical and it would take more than that to get King Felix)
But if the Royals are going to be as good as everyone thinks they will be then moves similar to these will have to be made. Which means Moore will have to part with his talent, not Allard Baird's. And more importantly, he'll have to make wise decisions about what certain proven players are worth in terms of minor-league prospects. His track record in swapping major-league players is abysmal from what we've seen, but it will be his ability to trade prospects for proven talent coupled with wise free-agency acquisitions that will ultimately determine the Royals future championship hopes.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Wizard of Hos
A goal I have now set for myself is to reach a high enough level as a sports writer to have the privilege of being in attendance when Eric Hosmer delivers his Hall of Fame speech. Thank you for the inspiration, Eric.
Anointing Hosmer a future Hall-of-Famer in just over a hundred major league at bats might be premature, but that's how good the 21-year-old has been in his short stint with the Royals. I'm hardly the first one to have this notion concerning Hosmer. National pundit Joe Sheehan shared similar feelings on Hosmer on his podcast with Royals blogger, Rany Jazayerli. It's not just Hosmer's .291/.327/.515 line that impresses, but it's the timely hitting-- he seems so comfortable with runners in scoring position as evidenced by his 17 RBIs-- as well as the flurry of spectacular defensive plays that will surely challenge Mark Teixeira's gold glove status in the coming years.
In roughly a month I believe Hosmer has established himself as the best player on the Royals. He has immediately upgraded the defense and at the same time has become a staple in the lineup--quickly asserting himself as the clubs' number three hitter. And make no mistake Hosmer becoming the number three hitter is a big deal seeing as though the Dayton Moore Royals have had little to no success with hitters positioned in that spot. Generally you would like your best overall hitter to be in the three hole and it helps if he has some power, as Hosmer does.
Butler hit in the three spot the past couple seasons, while Jose Guillen was horrendously occupying the cleanup position, and did an admirable job in doing so. However, Butler's tendency to hit the ball on the ground coupled with his not so fleet of foot provided double plays at a league high pace. Butler also lacks elite power thus far in his career and you would like to have the kind that Hosmer will can provide in that position. To be fair to Butler he never had a leadoff guy in front of him that came close to adequately working counts or having a high OBP--something that escaped a lot of hitters under Trey Hillman. Although, it's hard to develop as a leadoff hitter when you know there's a good chance you could be hitting second, third, or even sixth depending on the day--David Dejesus anyone?
It's the general belief that the Royals brought up Hosmer before the Super Two deadline because they saw a chance to compete in a weak AL Central this season. The Royals trailed only the Indians who had and still do have the best record in the American League--but they most likely did not anticipate them to keep up their hot start. It is clear the Royals won't compete for anything this season, but bringing up Hosmer was not a mistake by any means. He was putting up video-game numbers in AAA-- actually I'm not even sure I could put up those numbers in a video game--and was obviously ready to be challenged by big league pitching.
Hosmer hasn't disappointed and has been as good as advertised, which is a rare thing for me to say as a Royals fan who is use to seeing hot-shot prospects flounder at the big league level for at least a season. The Royals are no doubt a better ball club with Hosmer on the roster and having him up for 3/4 of this season will make him all the better when they figure to compete for the division next season.
So far the Royals have been rewarded when calling up prospects from the greatest farm system ever. They have seen immediate results from not only Hosmer, but the likes of Aaron Crow, Tim Collins and most recently, Danny Duffy. Hosmer and Duffy represent the beginning of their loaded respective groups. It is expected that AAA teammate and fellow corner mate, Mike Moustakas will join Hosmer and the Royals at some point before the trading deadline. And, although Mike Montgomery has struggled this season in AAA, he is the crown jewel of the young minor league arms and is also expected to be up at some point before the season is over.
It will be a small sample of what awaits the Royals the next several years, but if they yield results anything close to what Hosmer, Crow and Duffy have already provided, then Royals baseball is about to get exciting for the first time in my life--it only took 22 years.
Anointing Hosmer a future Hall-of-Famer in just over a hundred major league at bats might be premature, but that's how good the 21-year-old has been in his short stint with the Royals. I'm hardly the first one to have this notion concerning Hosmer. National pundit Joe Sheehan shared similar feelings on Hosmer on his podcast with Royals blogger, Rany Jazayerli. It's not just Hosmer's .291/.327/.515 line that impresses, but it's the timely hitting-- he seems so comfortable with runners in scoring position as evidenced by his 17 RBIs-- as well as the flurry of spectacular defensive plays that will surely challenge Mark Teixeira's gold glove status in the coming years.
In roughly a month I believe Hosmer has established himself as the best player on the Royals. He has immediately upgraded the defense and at the same time has become a staple in the lineup--quickly asserting himself as the clubs' number three hitter. And make no mistake Hosmer becoming the number three hitter is a big deal seeing as though the Dayton Moore Royals have had little to no success with hitters positioned in that spot. Generally you would like your best overall hitter to be in the three hole and it helps if he has some power, as Hosmer does.
Butler hit in the three spot the past couple seasons, while Jose Guillen was horrendously occupying the cleanup position, and did an admirable job in doing so. However, Butler's tendency to hit the ball on the ground coupled with his not so fleet of foot provided double plays at a league high pace. Butler also lacks elite power thus far in his career and you would like to have the kind that Hosmer will can provide in that position. To be fair to Butler he never had a leadoff guy in front of him that came close to adequately working counts or having a high OBP--something that escaped a lot of hitters under Trey Hillman. Although, it's hard to develop as a leadoff hitter when you know there's a good chance you could be hitting second, third, or even sixth depending on the day--David Dejesus anyone?
It's the general belief that the Royals brought up Hosmer before the Super Two deadline because they saw a chance to compete in a weak AL Central this season. The Royals trailed only the Indians who had and still do have the best record in the American League--but they most likely did not anticipate them to keep up their hot start. It is clear the Royals won't compete for anything this season, but bringing up Hosmer was not a mistake by any means. He was putting up video-game numbers in AAA-- actually I'm not even sure I could put up those numbers in a video game--and was obviously ready to be challenged by big league pitching.
Hosmer hasn't disappointed and has been as good as advertised, which is a rare thing for me to say as a Royals fan who is use to seeing hot-shot prospects flounder at the big league level for at least a season. The Royals are no doubt a better ball club with Hosmer on the roster and having him up for 3/4 of this season will make him all the better when they figure to compete for the division next season.
So far the Royals have been rewarded when calling up prospects from the greatest farm system ever. They have seen immediate results from not only Hosmer, but the likes of Aaron Crow, Tim Collins and most recently, Danny Duffy. Hosmer and Duffy represent the beginning of their loaded respective groups. It is expected that AAA teammate and fellow corner mate, Mike Moustakas will join Hosmer and the Royals at some point before the trading deadline. And, although Mike Montgomery has struggled this season in AAA, he is the crown jewel of the young minor league arms and is also expected to be up at some point before the season is over.
It will be a small sample of what awaits the Royals the next several years, but if they yield results anything close to what Hosmer, Crow and Duffy have already provided, then Royals baseball is about to get exciting for the first time in my life--it only took 22 years.
Monday, March 14, 2011
My Experience in Bolivar
My trip in Bolivar has come to a close. I wrote a couple stories and even did one video story on a boys basketball game that can be viewed here: My video story about the Dadeville boys Class 1 quarterfinal game. My last assignment from the managing editor, Charlotte Marsch, was to write a reflection column on my experience in Bolivar. So, here it is.
I began my journey to Bolivar from Columbia on a cold and muggy Thursday morning in hopes of warmer weather and an enjoyable five-day stay. After three hours of narrow and bumpy roads, a couple wrong turns, and a roadblock causing a 20-minute detour, I had arrived. I was unsure about a lot of the specifics that would go into me working for the Bolivar-Herald Free Press, but it involved some writing so I knew I would enjoy it.
Upon arrival, Publisher Dave Berry took me on a tour around town. During the tour I noticed the friendliness of the town; nearly every person waved and smiled as we drove by. This might not be news to any of you, but coming from a significantly larger town in Saint Joseph, Mo., and spending the last several years in Columbia, Mo., it was something that I was not use to. I felt that this simple gesture set the tone for the rest of my experience in Bolivar.
My first assignment was to attend the Board of Aldermen meeting and do a story on the new Alliance Football League team coming to town, the Southwest Missouri Venom. I’m a sports guy that is use to press conferences, so the Aldermen meeting was the first city meeting of any kind that I had been to. It was interesting to see the format and how the town deals with different issues. One issue of particular interest was a highly disputed airplane hangar lease agreement that a couple citizens in attendance were not fond of. Part of the issue was resolved, but the hostility leading up to the verbal agreement between the two parties was enough to make me interested in the topic; and I could not have told you what an airplane hangar was before the meeting.
On my second day in Bolivar I was able to do an interview for a story about a young head chef at Southwest Baptist University, whose passion for her field was truly inspiring to this young journalist. Afterward I was hungry, naturally, so I headed over to the local Sonic for a bite to eat and was blown away by the hospitality and amazing service, so much so that I went back two more times during my stay.
On Saturday I road tripped with sports editor, Bill Breshears, to Clinton to watch the Dadeville boys clinch their second straight trip to the state semi-finals. I shot video of the game and spent my Selection Sunday putting it together to be viewed on the newspaper’s website.
There is much more to tell about my short-lived stay in Bolivar and it is mostly all good, I promise. But I only had so much space, which is a good thing for you, reader, because I tend to ramble. I witnessed my first town meeting. I met a young and inspiring chef and witnessed the best fast food service that I can recall. I saw a town of less than 200 come together to celebrate the excellence of its boy’s basketball team. I learned the interests of a friendly golf course manager on a cold rainy day. I also learned how a community newspaper runs along the way, which I guess was the point of my trip here, but I know I’ll take much more than that with me. Thanks Bolivar, I enjoyed it.
I began my journey to Bolivar from Columbia on a cold and muggy Thursday morning in hopes of warmer weather and an enjoyable five-day stay. After three hours of narrow and bumpy roads, a couple wrong turns, and a roadblock causing a 20-minute detour, I had arrived. I was unsure about a lot of the specifics that would go into me working for the Bolivar-Herald Free Press, but it involved some writing so I knew I would enjoy it.
Upon arrival, Publisher Dave Berry took me on a tour around town. During the tour I noticed the friendliness of the town; nearly every person waved and smiled as we drove by. This might not be news to any of you, but coming from a significantly larger town in Saint Joseph, Mo., and spending the last several years in Columbia, Mo., it was something that I was not use to. I felt that this simple gesture set the tone for the rest of my experience in Bolivar.
My first assignment was to attend the Board of Aldermen meeting and do a story on the new Alliance Football League team coming to town, the Southwest Missouri Venom. I’m a sports guy that is use to press conferences, so the Aldermen meeting was the first city meeting of any kind that I had been to. It was interesting to see the format and how the town deals with different issues. One issue of particular interest was a highly disputed airplane hangar lease agreement that a couple citizens in attendance were not fond of. Part of the issue was resolved, but the hostility leading up to the verbal agreement between the two parties was enough to make me interested in the topic; and I could not have told you what an airplane hangar was before the meeting.
On my second day in Bolivar I was able to do an interview for a story about a young head chef at Southwest Baptist University, whose passion for her field was truly inspiring to this young journalist. Afterward I was hungry, naturally, so I headed over to the local Sonic for a bite to eat and was blown away by the hospitality and amazing service, so much so that I went back two more times during my stay.
On Saturday I road tripped with sports editor, Bill Breshears, to Clinton to watch the Dadeville boys clinch their second straight trip to the state semi-finals. I shot video of the game and spent my Selection Sunday putting it together to be viewed on the newspaper’s website.
There is much more to tell about my short-lived stay in Bolivar and it is mostly all good, I promise. But I only had so much space, which is a good thing for you, reader, because I tend to ramble. I witnessed my first town meeting. I met a young and inspiring chef and witnessed the best fast food service that I can recall. I saw a town of less than 200 come together to celebrate the excellence of its boy’s basketball team. I learned the interests of a friendly golf course manager on a cold rainy day. I also learned how a community newspaper runs along the way, which I guess was the point of my trip here, but I know I’ll take much more than that with me. Thanks Bolivar, I enjoyed it.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
An Extended Weekend in Bolivar
**I am taking a break from the Big 12 blogging (I know during the peak of the season--Big 12 tournament), as I have been busy with exams and will be in Bolivar, MO during the tournament.**
I left Columbia on a cold muggy Thursday around 11 a.m. to begin by two-and-a-half hour drive to Bolivar, Missouri. I will be in Bolivar on a somewhat mini-internship with the Bolivar Herald-Free Press until Tuesday, when I head home.
The roads on the way to southwest Missouri aren't in the best condition to put it kindly. But then again, what roads in Missouri are in good condition? I made the trip without any problems, up until 8 miles outside of Bolivar where there was a mysterious road block in position, which forced an extra 20 mile detour. I arrived in lovely Bolivar--after some assistance from the Managing Editor/Owner, Dave Berry--around 2 p.m.
I was put straight to work upon arrival and given several assignments that, surprisingly, didn't seem overwhelming and was actually refreshing that I was going to be busy during my stay. Berry showed me around the newsroom and then took me out to show me around Bolivar. It is definitely a small town and has the trademark "drag" that every small town seems to have, but it has a safe, homey feeling to it.
I have been assigned to do a story on a lady who grew up in Bolivar and began cooking at Southwest Baptist University when she was 16--went to Culinary School--and is now back as a chef for the University. I will have an interview with her tomorrow at 1 p.m. I am also assigned to do a feature for the sports section called, "15 Questions," with the local golf pro at Bolivar Golf Club. That interview will also be tomorrow.
Lastly, tonight I went to the Bolivar city council meeting in the interest of doing a story on a semi-pro football team that is coming to town; the Southwest Missouri Venom. I will be meeting with the city administrator as well as interviewing the head coach of the club--date TBD.
In closing I had an eventful first day in Bolivar and it is a little surreal and different to be in an unfamiliar town all by myself. And even more surreal, I have to get up to go to work in the morning. However, anything to take my mind off of the Missouri Tigers basketball team right now sounds heavenly.
Until next time.
I left Columbia on a cold muggy Thursday around 11 a.m. to begin by two-and-a-half hour drive to Bolivar, Missouri. I will be in Bolivar on a somewhat mini-internship with the Bolivar Herald-Free Press until Tuesday, when I head home.
The roads on the way to southwest Missouri aren't in the best condition to put it kindly. But then again, what roads in Missouri are in good condition? I made the trip without any problems, up until 8 miles outside of Bolivar where there was a mysterious road block in position, which forced an extra 20 mile detour. I arrived in lovely Bolivar--after some assistance from the Managing Editor/Owner, Dave Berry--around 2 p.m.
I was put straight to work upon arrival and given several assignments that, surprisingly, didn't seem overwhelming and was actually refreshing that I was going to be busy during my stay. Berry showed me around the newsroom and then took me out to show me around Bolivar. It is definitely a small town and has the trademark "drag" that every small town seems to have, but it has a safe, homey feeling to it.
I have been assigned to do a story on a lady who grew up in Bolivar and began cooking at Southwest Baptist University when she was 16--went to Culinary School--and is now back as a chef for the University. I will have an interview with her tomorrow at 1 p.m. I am also assigned to do a feature for the sports section called, "15 Questions," with the local golf pro at Bolivar Golf Club. That interview will also be tomorrow.
Lastly, tonight I went to the Bolivar city council meeting in the interest of doing a story on a semi-pro football team that is coming to town; the Southwest Missouri Venom. I will be meeting with the city administrator as well as interviewing the head coach of the club--date TBD.
In closing I had an eventful first day in Bolivar and it is a little surreal and different to be in an unfamiliar town all by myself. And even more surreal, I have to get up to go to work in the morning. However, anything to take my mind off of the Missouri Tigers basketball team right now sounds heavenly.
Until next time.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Big 12 Weekend Rewind
What did we learn:
- The Big 12 will have at least five teams in the NCAA tournament.
- That's what the Missouri win over Baylor on Wednesday and the Kansas State win over Missouri on Saturday ensured. With Texas, Kansas and Texas A&M presumably in "lock status," Missouri and Kansas State appear to have joined them with their work this week. Missouri was already fairly secure in its bid, but with its final three including road games vs. Kansas State (which they lost) and Nebraska and a home finale against #2 Kansas, a win over Baylor was the final luster on the resume that the Tigers needed in order to assure a record no worse than 8-8 in conference--which would be good enough to get them in the tournament.
- Jacob Pullen and Kansas State appear to have completed the turnaround after its season looked like a major disappointment only a couple weeks ago. The Wildcats, (20-9, 8-6) with an RPI of 25 and SOS of 5, should safely be in the NCAA tournament, but they better take care of business in the season finale at home vs. Iowa State to be safe.
- Colorado has reentered the bubble conversation.
- With its impressive come-from-behind victory at home vs. #5 Texas, the Buffaloes have all of the sudden become a serious player in the at-large conversation. I watched the game after the fact on ESPN3 and I have never seen a game change so much from one half to the next. Colorado, which trailed 48-33 at halftime and by as much as 22 points in the first half, came all the way back to actually lead by 11 and hold on for a 91-89 victory. Alec Burks scored 24 of his 33 in the second half and 11 of them came in a stretch where the Buffaloes outscored the Longhorns 14-0. If Colorado can knock off Iowa State in Ames and Nebraska at home, the Buffaloes will be in great position for an NCAA tournament at-large bid and Burks will garner serious consideration for player of the year in the Big 12.
- On the flip-side, the loss by Texas was its second in three games-- both to unranked opponents on the road. The biggest concern for the Longhorns, however, should be the amount of points it has given up in both contests. The 70 to Nebraska was the most it had given up to a conference opponent all-season, but the 91 points surrendered to Colorado on Saturday is the most Texas has given up all season. Defense has been the staple of the Longhorn's success and the latter part of the season is not the time to waver from that formula. Texas is now tied atop the Big 12 with Kansas at 12-2, but it does hold the tie-breaker due to beating the Jayhawks earlier this season in Lawrence. If the Longhorns are able to defeat Kansas State on big Monday and Baylor in Waco, however, it should be in a good position for a #1 seed in the Big 12 and NCAA tournament.
- Baylor is still on the bubble, but in better shape than it was a week ago.
- Baylor was pummeled by Missouri in Columbia on Wednesday night, as expected, but rebounded nicely with a "that's more like it" effort in a home victory over #17 Texas A&M to complete the season sweep of the Aggies. Baylor held Texas A&M to 35% shooting and just 22% from three-point land. And the Bears finally took my advice and fed their stud big man, Perry Jones, who responded nicely with an efficient 7-13 from the field and 16 points in 35 minutes of play. Baylor still has work to do with an RPI of 69 and SOS of 47, but Saturday was a step in the right direction. If the Bears can knock off Oklahoma State in Stillwater and #7 Texas at home then it would most likely move to at-large status. If not, then the Bears will have to make some noise in the Big 12 tournament, which they are fully capable of doing.
- Kansas (12-2)
- Texas (12-2)
- Texas A&M (9-5)
- Missouri (8-6)
- Kansas State (8-6)
- Colorado (7-7)
- Baylor (7-7)
- Nebraska (6-8)
- Oklahoma State (5-9)
- Oklahoma (4-10)
- Texas Tech (4-10)
- Iowa State (2-12)
- Kansas State @ #7 Texas: This Big Monday matchup could determine a lot about how things turn out in the Big 12 standings. A win by Texas won't change much, but if Kansas State is able to go into Austin and steal one, then the Wildcats would be the favorite to get the fourth seed and all important bye in the Big 12 tournament. On the flip side, a loss by Texas would most likely give Kansas a share of the Big 12 title and an outright title if it is able to take care of Texas A&M at home and Missouri in Columbia. Texas hasn't lost a home conference game and its only home loss of the season came at the hands of a hot-shooting Kemba Walker and UCONN. Kansas State has won four straight, three of which were in Manhattan and the one road win came in a nail biter at Nebraska. This is an interesting game, as Kansas State is playing its best basketball of the season, while Texas has struggled of late. With that being said, Texas has not struggled at home and the Wildcats, even with their late season push, are still 2-5 on the road in conference. I think Pullen and company keep it close with the Longhorns, but I don't think they have enough fire-power to get the job done in Austin--if this one is in Manhattan it might be a different story. Jordan Hamilton bounces back after his dismal performance against Colorado and Texas wins the way it has all season, with defense, 72-59.
- #24 Missouri @ Nebraska: For Missouri this game is as must-win as any game has been all season. A loss here by the Tigers would drop them to 8-7 in conference with #2 Kansas coming to Columbia on Saturday and could be staring at a 6 seed in the Big 12 tournament--a far cry from preseason expectations. Nebraska came back to earth after shocking the country in its upset victory over Texas, by losing at home to Kansas State and saw its bubble completely burst Saturday in a devastating loss to Iowa State. Missouri is the more talented team here and has much more at stake, as noted earlier. It has been as tough to pick against the Huskers at home as it has been to predict a road win for the Tigers. I think the Tigers realize how big of a game this is and come together for a huge road win, 64-58.
- Baylor @ Oklahoma State: Like Missouri, Baylor needs this game, but for different reasons. Baylor needs to win this game to keep themselves in contention for an at-large berth. If the Bears lose they will be facing, what is essentially, a must-win against Texas to finish the season. It hasn't been easy to win in Stillwater this season, even though the Cowboys are fairly average and Baylor has been up-and-down this year. So logic tells me the smart move is to pick the Cowboys. I'll oblige, Cowboys win 82-74.
- Colorado @ Iowa State: As mentioned earlier, Colorado needs to win out in order to attain an at-large berth. Colorado is the better team and has shown it is capable of winning on the road this season. I never like to pick against NBA talent in big game situations and I wont start here. Burks takes over in a must-win game for the Buffaloes, 74-62.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Big 12 Weekend Rewind/Separation Week
What did we learn:
- Texas is not invincible and the Huskers are nails in Cornland.
- I posted after the Texas victory at Texas A&M that I thought the Longhorns would be able to get through the conference slate undefeated; having put the tough portion of its schedule in the rearview. I was wrong. Nebraska continued its impressive play at the Devaney Center, improving to 16-1 at home this season. (More on this later)
- Texas is statistically the best defensive team in the Big 12, holding opponents to just under 56 ppg. This is how Texas has been winning games, adding credibility to the old adage that defense wins championships. Texas, however, had not faced a team that had equally impressive defensive statistics, (defense as whole in the Big 12 is fairly poor) until Saturday in Lincoln. Nebraska had been holding opponents to just a tick under 60 ppg. and seemingly beat the Longhorns at their own game--and until the final two minutes of regulation--were fairly dominant in doing so. The Huskers slowed down the pace and worked the shot clock on offense, while holding the Longhorns to 36% shooting on defense.
- The win by the Huskers securely moved them into the bubble conversation with its second impressive RPI top 50 victory. At 18-8 (6-6) with and RPI of 61 and home contests against Kansas State and Missouri still remaining, Nebraska has a real shot to play its way into the NCAA tournament.
- Jacob Pullen wasn't kidding about not playing in the NIT.
- At least he played that way this past week in wins over rival Kansas and Oklahoma. Pullen dropped 38 points and looked every bit like the preseason All-American he was voted, in a dominating win over #1 Kansas. He then followed it up with 27 points in a victory over the Sooners on Saturday. Those are Pullen's two highest-scoring performances of the season and they couldn't have come at a better time, with Kansas State firmly on the bubble and on the outside looking in.
- Missouri CAN win on the road!
- The Tigers entered Saturday's contest vs. Iowa State in desperate need of a road win, not only for its psyche, but to show the selection committee that it is actually capable of doing so. The Tigers were able to hold on, 76-70, in, what was for the most part, a very competitive game. It wasn't pretty, but the Tigers got it done and can finally stop answering questions about winning on the road.
- Baylor, meet bubble. Bubble, meet Baylor. You two are going to get cozy with each other for the next couple weeks.
- After watching Baylor play Texas to its most competitive conference game--to that point--I thought the Bears were finally putting things together. Then they pulled a head-scratcher on Saturday and lost at home to Texas Tech. I didn't watch the game, but I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the score go across the ESPN timeline. Baylor gave up 78 points to the Red Raiders on 51% shooting, at home--not good. But the most concerning statistic was that the Bears went 22% from behind the arc on 18 attempts, while dominant big man, Perry Jones, attempted just four field goals and scored only 10 points. That is sheer injustice to the institution of offense (OK, a little dramatic), but when you have one of the most gifted low-post players in the country on your team, there shouldn't be a game where he attempts fewer than 10 field goals, let alone, five.
- The loss by Baylor, as I alluded to earlier, places them firmly on the bubble and they might be on the outside looking in as it stands right now. You simply can't have the average resume the Bears do and weather a loss at home to a sub-.500 Texas Tech team. Baylor is going to have to go 3-1 in its remaining four games, which include road games vs. #21 Missouri and Oklahoma State and home games vs. #5 Texas and #17 Texas A&M, in order to get back into the good graces of the selection committee--good luck with that.
- Texas
- Kansas
- Texas A&M
- Missouri
- Kansas State
- Nebraska
- Baylor
- Colorado
- Texas Tech
- Oklahoma State
- Oklahoma
- Iowa State
- Baylor @ #21 Missouri: This is a must-win for both teams. More so for Missouri since it is at home, but Baylor desperately needs to recover from its embarrassing home loss to Texas Tech. Both teams face a treacherous three game stretch to finish the season. Missouri must go on the road to face Kansas State and Nebraska and then finishes at home against #2 Kansas. Meanwhile Baylor has #17 Texas A&M and #5 Texas at home and a tough road test against Oklahoma State. A win by Missouri pushes them closer to securing a first round bye in the Big 12 tournament and officially eliminates Baylor from catching them due to a two game lead and the tie-breaker. Missouri has literally been unbeatable at home this season and I expect that to continue as Baylor's soft zone defense and sloppy offense plays right into the hands of the Tigers frenetic style of play. Tigers win 84-70.
- Kansas State @ Nebraska: Can Nebraska come off the emotional high of beating #2 Texas and position themselves nicely for a first round bye in the Big 12 tournament? (Can't believe I just typed that) Or will Kansas State continue to ride the Pullen Express to a third straight victory? This is a very interesting matchup that would put the winner in a much better position to making the NCAA tournament. It would do much more for Nebraska, however, than it would Kansas State, as the Wildcats did themselves a huge favor already by knocking off Kansas and have a very solid RPI of 30. To be honest I haven't an inkling of who I think will win this game. Kansas State blew out Nebraska in Manhattan only a few weeks ago, but the Huskers are a much different team at home. Kansas State has had its troubles on the road and as much it pains me to say this, I think the Huskers are for real, at home at least. Nebraska wins a close one, 58-54.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Big 12 Weekend Rewind/Border War
What did we learn:
My quick thoughts to this matchup:
If the Tigers want to win this game it must get Ricardo Ratliffe involved early and often. Good things tend to happen when the big-fellow is involved and it could go a long way in containing Marcus Morris on the offensive end if he has to work hard defensively.
Secondly, Missouri HAS to get Marcus Denmon involved early. He is the Tigers' most gifted scorer and they are a tough team to beat when he is playing well. Mike Anderson looked like he had this sentiment in Colorado game, as many offensive sets looked to be predicated on getting Denmon the ball, off lots of screens and curls to the basket. Anderson would be wise to use this same game-plan against the Jayhawks and hope that Denmon can deliver, because if not, it could be a long night.
The last thing I'm very interested to see is how Missouri employs its up-tempo style in this game. Missouri's motto is "The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball," however this game does not seem to phase the Jayhawks, especially in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas plays a fairly up-tempo style themselves and has no problem going up and down the court all night and have never seemed to be too effected by the defensive pressure. So, does Mike Anderson try and mix up the game-plan a little and apply the full-court pressure, but switch back into zone occasionally? It will be interesting to see, but honestly I don't see that happening.
This game could be more interesting with the injury of star freshman guard, Josh Selby, who will sit out this game for the Jayhawks. However, Kansas is still very deep and has shooters all over the court against a Missouri team that just doesn't play great half-court defense. I think Kansas will get the Morris twins involved, especially Marcus, early on and if Missouri doesn't come out hot it will be a long night. However, if the Tigers do come out and shoot well early on, get Ratliffe and Denmon involved, and are able to apply effective pressure, then they have a real shot in this game. I don't see them doing all of the above, which is necessary to win. Kansas wins 86-72.
- That Missouri is really, really bad on the road and really, really good at home.
- Not exactly new information, but I was shocked the Tigers were unable to get a victory at Stillwater against a very average Oklahoma State team. Even more surprising, just as it were in Austin, the Tigers never once had the lead against the Cowboys. Let me sum that up for you: MISSOURI TRAILED IN ALL 80 MINUTES IT PLAYED ON THE ROAD TRIP.
- On the flip side, the Tigers were once again very impressive in its 89-73 payback victory over Colorado on Saturday. I saw posted on espn.com's college basketball weekend recap, something to the effect of, "At what point do the Tigers' road woes become concerning to fans?" In my opinion it is already at that point. You can understand the losses to Texas and Texas A&M, and I'll even give them Colorado, but losing to Oklahoma State is inexcusable. It won't get any easier this week for the Tigers with a Big Monday date in Lawrence.
- Baylor might be starting to fulfill its pre-season hype.
- There is a reason the Bears were picked preseason top 15 and a contender to win the Big 12. It's a team loaded with size, length, and most importantly, talent. All of that was on full display Saturday in College Station when the Bears escaped with a victory over the Texas A&M Aggies. Baylor got out to a big lead early and although it was taken to overtime, was able to hang on to a precious conference road victory. Perry Jones was a man amongst boys on the offensive side of the court, scoring 27 points. Showing that when the Bears get him involved and don't jack up ill-advised shots, (talking to you Lacedarius Dunn) then this can be a dangerous team, because there is simply no answer for him inside. He is a match-up problem for any defender, due to his ability to score with his back to the basket and his ability to face-up and knock down 15 foot jump-shots if you force away from the basket.
My quick thoughts to this matchup:
- The Tigers simply have no answer for the Morris Twins inside. Ricardo Ratliffe is very good inside, but he can't guard both Morris Twins and he's going to have his hands full with the better one, Marcus.
- The Tigers are playing god-awful on the road this season and Allen Fieldhouse has never been kind to them. It has been 11 years since the Tigers last won there and no one on the current Missouri roster has come within single-digits of Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse.
- If Missouri wants to win it can't come out shooting poorly. The common ingredient in the last several match ups between these two at Allen Fieldhouse has been Kansas starting hot and Missouri starting, well, not. Seems obvious, but it is crucial that the Tigers get off to a good start shooting the basketball. The Phog can begin to wear on you mentally if you start off the game ice cold.
If the Tigers want to win this game it must get Ricardo Ratliffe involved early and often. Good things tend to happen when the big-fellow is involved and it could go a long way in containing Marcus Morris on the offensive end if he has to work hard defensively.
Secondly, Missouri HAS to get Marcus Denmon involved early. He is the Tigers' most gifted scorer and they are a tough team to beat when he is playing well. Mike Anderson looked like he had this sentiment in Colorado game, as many offensive sets looked to be predicated on getting Denmon the ball, off lots of screens and curls to the basket. Anderson would be wise to use this same game-plan against the Jayhawks and hope that Denmon can deliver, because if not, it could be a long night.
The last thing I'm very interested to see is how Missouri employs its up-tempo style in this game. Missouri's motto is "The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball," however this game does not seem to phase the Jayhawks, especially in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas plays a fairly up-tempo style themselves and has no problem going up and down the court all night and have never seemed to be too effected by the defensive pressure. So, does Mike Anderson try and mix up the game-plan a little and apply the full-court pressure, but switch back into zone occasionally? It will be interesting to see, but honestly I don't see that happening.
This game could be more interesting with the injury of star freshman guard, Josh Selby, who will sit out this game for the Jayhawks. However, Kansas is still very deep and has shooters all over the court against a Missouri team that just doesn't play great half-court defense. I think Kansas will get the Morris twins involved, especially Marcus, early on and if Missouri doesn't come out hot it will be a long night. However, if the Tigers do come out and shoot well early on, get Ratliffe and Denmon involved, and are able to apply effective pressure, then they have a real shot in this game. I don't see them doing all of the above, which is necessary to win. Kansas wins 86-72.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Big 12 Weekend Rewind
What did we learn:
- That Texas is the toast of the Big 12 (pun intended).
- I was going to lead off by saying that Texas is really good after its victory against Missouri on Saturday. Then the Longhorns decided to put a historic beat down on their rival's home court. After beating #16 Texas A&M, 69-49, to improve to 7-0 in conference, I think it's time to look at the Longhorns as a legitimate national championship contender. I don't see the Horns losing any of its remaining games with the toughest one being its last, at Baylor. That would put the Horns at 28-3 (16-0) heading into the Big 12 tournament and a legitimate #1 seed come NCAA tournament time.
- That it is really hard to win on the road in the Big 12, unless you're Texas or Kansas.
- Before getting punked on its home court, the Aggies were held to two field goals in the final ten minutes in Lincoln, falling to Nebraska, 57-48. Baylor also held serve at home, 70-66, after falling behind by as much as 17 against Colorado to hand the Buffs their fourth straight conference loss after starting off 3-0. Missouri remained winless on the road in conference after losing to the Longhorns in Austin, although no one will fault it for that, and Kansas State was absolutely walloped in Lawrence, 90-66. Lastly, Texas Tech held serve at home as well in an overtime thriller against Oklahoma State; making home teams 5-1 on the weekend with Oklahoma being the lone road team to get a victory in another overtime game at Iowa State.
- That Texas Tech and Oklahoma are not as bad as I thought they were coming into conference play.
- When Mike Singletary isn't coaching the 49ers he is actually a fairly decent basketball player who makes the Red Raiders a tough team to beat. In all seriousness, before conference play began I really thought the Red Raiders were the worst team in the Big 12 and four games in they didn't do anything to change that opinion. But after a three game winning streak in which Singletary has averaged 24 points, I'm starting to think that getting a win in Lubbock won't be all that easy, unless you're Texas or Kansas of course. Oklahoma is also not as bad as I thought it was after winning its last three as well. The common component between the Red Raiders and Sooners, however, is that both have merely held on at home and the one road victory in the 3 game streak has been at measly Iowa State.
- Texas
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Texas A&M
- Baylor
- Colorado
- Kansas State
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State
- Texas Tech
- Iowa State
- #3 Texas @ #16 Texas A&M: Obviously, I'm a day late on this one, but I thought if the Longhorns could go into College Station and beat A&M then I would label them the favorite to win the conference. Texas did not only win, it flat out dominated the Aggies and seem to me to be the clear favorite to win the league and are a legitimate national title contender after passing its last big test of the conference season.
- #2 Kansas @ Texas Tech: I type this minutes before these two face off in Lubbock. I'm very interested to see if the Red Raiders are for real, and they don't have to win to prove that to me. If Tech can avoid being blown out by the Jayhawks then I will be impressed. It is going to take huge games from Singletary and John Roberson for them to even have a chance. I don't see it happening. Jayhawks win going away, 82-63.
- #15 Missouri @ Oklahoma State: Pending Missouri is able to arrive in time to play this Wednesday night showdown, this will be a huge game for the Tigers. Missouri is 0-3 on the road in conference and its only real road win of the year came against a lousy Oregon team, and the Tigers barely held on in that one. Missouri is the better team in this matchup and if it wants to be considered a legitimate contender it has to start winning road games like this one. Oklahoma State's Marshall Moses poses the biggest threat to the Tigers and is a double-double machine, but if Ricardo Ratliffe can get involved early and often then the Tigers should have no problems in this game. Lose this one and any thoughts of a top four league finish might go out the window and the Tigers will start to become apart of a conversation they don't want to be involved in; Bubble Watch. I think the Tigers avoid that and win comfortably, 76-64.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Big 12 Weekend Hoops Preview: Contender or Pretender?
With every team at least a fourth of the way through it's Big 12 schedule, contenders and pretenders are coming to fruition. However this weekend will be gigantic in further distinguishing which is which. College Gameday might be in Lawrence this weekend for the Kansas v. Kansas State game, but the biggest game of the weekend, and possibly the season, resides in Austin, Texas, and that is where I will start my Jan. 29 Big 12 weekend preview.
#13 Missouri vs. #8 Texas:
The Tigers come into this game 3-2 in the Big 12 and their only two losses have come on the road, which would appear to not bode well for them in this matchup. However, recently, the Tigers have found success against the Longhorns, winning three straight, including one in Austin.
The Erwin Special Events Center is not historically a difficult place to play, so I don't see that being much of a factor in this matchup. What will be huge is the low-post play of Ricardo Ratliffe for Missouri. Texas' bigs were impressive, to put it mildly, against the Jayhawks in its 74-63 road victory. The Morris twins were effectively turned into jump shooters in that game, which is something I've honestly never seen before.
The Horns' simply out-toughed Kansas' big men and that was the difference in the game. Tristan Thompson has been as good as advertised for the Longhorns, but he is merely the focal point of one of the best front courts in America. Gary Johnson plays an inside-out game, but is relentless in crashing the boards, as is the Horns' Jordan Hamilton, both averaging 6.9 and 7.4 RPG, respectively. It does not stop there for the Longhorns, though, Matt Hill provides a large 6'10 frame that comes off the bench to bang and wear down the opposing big man when Thomspon is getting a breather. It will be essential for Ratliffe to get going early in this game and establish himself in the low-post in order to get Thompson and others in foul trouble early.
Ratliffe's supporting cast could help out immensely by imposing its up-tempo brand of basketball and creating havoc in the backcourt, forcing the Texas' bigs to exert more effort than they would like to. Thompson isn't Dexter Pitmann, but he also isn't Marcus Morris and the up-tempo play will wear him down and cause him to spend much more time on the pine then the Horns' would like.
To be honest the Tigers probably are not going to stop or even come close to slowing down Jordan Hamilton, they just aren't. The Tigers don't have a defender on their team capable of doing so, and quite frankly not many teams in the country do. Hamilton is going to get his 20 points, but the key for the Tigers will be to make sure he does not get his backcourt mates, Cory Joseph and J'Covan Brown involved. If you can limit the impact of Brown and Joseph then you have a real shot at beating the Horns.
Prediction: I really like Mike Anderson's style up against a Rick Barnes' coached team. Anderson has won three straight in this matchup and to be honest, with much less talent than Barnes had. These two teams are very equal in talent and I like the Tigers to impose their up-tempo style and spring the mini-upset in Austin, 74-68.
Kansas State vs. #6 Kansas:
This matchup was THE matchup that all of the national and Big 12 pundits were looking forward to before the season began. How quickly things can change. Kansas State is not a legitimate Big 12 title contender at this point and never really was in my opinion. (People seemed to forget that the Cats lost the engine that ran last years Elite Eight squad in Dennis Clemente). Kansas, however, is still very much in contention and if my thinking is right about the above game, they would increase their odds tremendously if they were able to hold serve at home against the Wildcats.
Kansas is the more talented team and received a bit of a wake-up call after its second-half meltdown against Texas. Kansas State matches up fairly evenly with Kansas in the post with Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels. But the big difference in this game will be the disparity in talent between the Wildcats and Jayhawks on the perimeter.
Jacob Pullen is an incredible player, no doubt about that. But after that there is just not much else to help him out. Spradling is nice player and a good outside shooter, but nothing more. Even though the Wildcats insist on having him handle the ball, no matter how lost he seemingly is every time he is under defensive pressure. The Jayhawks have a wealth of talent on the perimeter starting with Josh Selby, who is an impressive young scorer. Sprinkle in Tyshawn Taylor, Tyrel Reed, and Brady Morningstar and the talent disparity will be all-too apparent for Wildcat fans.
Prediction: I see this game starting much like the Kansas-Texas game did, but without the Jayhawks nearly being doubled-up in the second half. Kansas, despite the Texas game, is still very difficult to beat at home and the Wildcats just don't bring enough ammo to change that. Kansas in a rout, 86-64.
Colorado vs. Baylor:
This matchup is almost more intriguing to me than the KU/KSU game, because of what both these teams represent is so opposite from one another. Colorado, the early surprise team in the conference, has come back to reality after their 3-0 start with three straight losses. Tad Boyles' club, however, is such a well-coached team that plays to its strengths and does well to hide its weaknesses. The Buffalos strengths, future lottery pick, Alec Burks, and Cory Higgins, completely hide the fact that they have no low-post game whatsoever. The Buffs have played way above their actual talent-level to put it bluntly.
On the other hand, Baylor is one of the worst-coached ball-clubs in the country. So much talent all over the court, yet it's as if Scott Drew tells his boys, "Take your defender one-on-one any chance you get and if that doesn't work stand around the perimeter until something opens up." Seriously, have you ever seen a more intimidating looking team during warm-ups that looks so average during the actual game? No ball movement on offense and a defense that should really scare you with their length, but doesn't close out on shooters and plays very soft on the inside.
With all that said, both these teams stand 3-3 in the Big 12 and neither are a contender for the league title, but to me this game is still big because it is essentially an elimination game for the NCAA tournament. Baylor lacks a quality victory and a win against Colorado might not impress the selection committee, but a winning record in this league would help its chances greatly and they certainly do not want to fall to 3-4 with road games vs. Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M, and OK-State still awaiting them.
Despite my criticism of the Bears, I still really like what they bring to the table talent-wise. Perry Jones is the potential 2011 NBA #1 overall pick and he certainly fits the bill as far as athleticism and touch around the basket. Lacedarius Dunn is as good of scorer as their is in the Big 12, and does really well to create his own shot. The key ingredient missing from the Bears this year is their will to defend and a dominant defensive big-man like they had in Epe Udoh the previous season.
Colorado has several above-average shooters in Alec Burks, Corey Higgins, and Levi Knutson who will give the Baylor zone fits if they fail to close out. However, with no adequate big-man down low Perry Jones is going to have a field day offensively, which could prove to be the difference.
Prediction:
I really liked what Colorado had done before this past week, but road losses at Nebraska and Oklahoma just isn't going to cut it. A loss here by the Buffalos would be understandable, but would really sink their NCAA tournament hopes due to virtually no impressive out-of-conference victories and would send me jumping off their bandwagon. I think Burks and company exploit the weak Baylor zone and get out on the Bears early and hold Jones down just enough to eek out a big-time victory, 84-80.
#11 Texas A&M vs. Nebraska:
This is the only other matchup this weekend that I am looking forward to. Nebraska challenges Texas for the best defensive team in the conference and can really give a team like A&M fits. The Aggies are great when playing in College Station, but haven't impressed me on the road. (The blowout in Austin is still fresh in my mind)
Nebraska is going to want this game in the 50s or 60s, and if they do so, I think they win. A&M is a very good shooting team, led by sophomore Khris Middleton, but he and the rest of the Aggies are going to have to work for nearly every shot they take. According to Ken Pomeroy, Nebraska is #11 in the nation in defensive efficiency and are #4 in the country in giving up offensive rebounds, which means they severely limit any second-chance opportunities.
I think this game is a statement game for both teams. If the Aggies can go into Lincoln and grind out a victory then it will go a long way in establishing themselves as a legitimate Big 12 title contender. On the flip side, a victory by Nebraska would bolster their tournament resume and would serve as notice to the rest of the league that a victory in Lincoln will be hard to come by this season.
Prediction: I've been very impressed with Nebraska this year, especially at home. I think their deficiencies on the road will ultimately prevent them from being a tournament team, but they are a gritty defensive team that can frustrate the heck out of an opponent. I think they impose their style much more easily at home and take care of the Aggies in a close game, 60-54.
Honestly, these next two games are really not that intriguing and provide essentially no impact on the Big 12 race. All are bottom feeders, with the possible exception of Oklahoma St. So I will just give a prediction and leave it at that.
Oklahoma St. vs Texas Tech: I think Texas Tech is really, really bad, however I don't think Oklahoma St. is all that good either. If Mike Singletary shows up I think the Red Raiders could grab their third straight victory. I'll give the nod to the home team, Red Raiders in a close game, 80-76.
Oklahoma vs. Iowa St: I don't think the Cyclones are as bad as they've been the last two games vs. Missouri and Texas Tech, seriously I think the Cyclones were STILL tired from the MU game against Tech, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that game. Oklahoma has played well in their last two, which have been at home, but have been dreadful on the road all season. I think the Cyclones bounce back in a big way at home, 78-62.
#13 Missouri vs. #8 Texas:
The Tigers come into this game 3-2 in the Big 12 and their only two losses have come on the road, which would appear to not bode well for them in this matchup. However, recently, the Tigers have found success against the Longhorns, winning three straight, including one in Austin.
The Erwin Special Events Center is not historically a difficult place to play, so I don't see that being much of a factor in this matchup. What will be huge is the low-post play of Ricardo Ratliffe for Missouri. Texas' bigs were impressive, to put it mildly, against the Jayhawks in its 74-63 road victory. The Morris twins were effectively turned into jump shooters in that game, which is something I've honestly never seen before.
The Horns' simply out-toughed Kansas' big men and that was the difference in the game. Tristan Thompson has been as good as advertised for the Longhorns, but he is merely the focal point of one of the best front courts in America. Gary Johnson plays an inside-out game, but is relentless in crashing the boards, as is the Horns' Jordan Hamilton, both averaging 6.9 and 7.4 RPG, respectively. It does not stop there for the Longhorns, though, Matt Hill provides a large 6'10 frame that comes off the bench to bang and wear down the opposing big man when Thomspon is getting a breather. It will be essential for Ratliffe to get going early in this game and establish himself in the low-post in order to get Thompson and others in foul trouble early.
Ratliffe's supporting cast could help out immensely by imposing its up-tempo brand of basketball and creating havoc in the backcourt, forcing the Texas' bigs to exert more effort than they would like to. Thompson isn't Dexter Pitmann, but he also isn't Marcus Morris and the up-tempo play will wear him down and cause him to spend much more time on the pine then the Horns' would like.
To be honest the Tigers probably are not going to stop or even come close to slowing down Jordan Hamilton, they just aren't. The Tigers don't have a defender on their team capable of doing so, and quite frankly not many teams in the country do. Hamilton is going to get his 20 points, but the key for the Tigers will be to make sure he does not get his backcourt mates, Cory Joseph and J'Covan Brown involved. If you can limit the impact of Brown and Joseph then you have a real shot at beating the Horns.
Prediction: I really like Mike Anderson's style up against a Rick Barnes' coached team. Anderson has won three straight in this matchup and to be honest, with much less talent than Barnes had. These two teams are very equal in talent and I like the Tigers to impose their up-tempo style and spring the mini-upset in Austin, 74-68.
Kansas State vs. #6 Kansas:
This matchup was THE matchup that all of the national and Big 12 pundits were looking forward to before the season began. How quickly things can change. Kansas State is not a legitimate Big 12 title contender at this point and never really was in my opinion. (People seemed to forget that the Cats lost the engine that ran last years Elite Eight squad in Dennis Clemente). Kansas, however, is still very much in contention and if my thinking is right about the above game, they would increase their odds tremendously if they were able to hold serve at home against the Wildcats.
Kansas is the more talented team and received a bit of a wake-up call after its second-half meltdown against Texas. Kansas State matches up fairly evenly with Kansas in the post with Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels. But the big difference in this game will be the disparity in talent between the Wildcats and Jayhawks on the perimeter.
Jacob Pullen is an incredible player, no doubt about that. But after that there is just not much else to help him out. Spradling is nice player and a good outside shooter, but nothing more. Even though the Wildcats insist on having him handle the ball, no matter how lost he seemingly is every time he is under defensive pressure. The Jayhawks have a wealth of talent on the perimeter starting with Josh Selby, who is an impressive young scorer. Sprinkle in Tyshawn Taylor, Tyrel Reed, and Brady Morningstar and the talent disparity will be all-too apparent for Wildcat fans.
Prediction: I see this game starting much like the Kansas-Texas game did, but without the Jayhawks nearly being doubled-up in the second half. Kansas, despite the Texas game, is still very difficult to beat at home and the Wildcats just don't bring enough ammo to change that. Kansas in a rout, 86-64.
Colorado vs. Baylor:
This matchup is almost more intriguing to me than the KU/KSU game, because of what both these teams represent is so opposite from one another. Colorado, the early surprise team in the conference, has come back to reality after their 3-0 start with three straight losses. Tad Boyles' club, however, is such a well-coached team that plays to its strengths and does well to hide its weaknesses. The Buffalos strengths, future lottery pick, Alec Burks, and Cory Higgins, completely hide the fact that they have no low-post game whatsoever. The Buffs have played way above their actual talent-level to put it bluntly.
On the other hand, Baylor is one of the worst-coached ball-clubs in the country. So much talent all over the court, yet it's as if Scott Drew tells his boys, "Take your defender one-on-one any chance you get and if that doesn't work stand around the perimeter until something opens up." Seriously, have you ever seen a more intimidating looking team during warm-ups that looks so average during the actual game? No ball movement on offense and a defense that should really scare you with their length, but doesn't close out on shooters and plays very soft on the inside.
With all that said, both these teams stand 3-3 in the Big 12 and neither are a contender for the league title, but to me this game is still big because it is essentially an elimination game for the NCAA tournament. Baylor lacks a quality victory and a win against Colorado might not impress the selection committee, but a winning record in this league would help its chances greatly and they certainly do not want to fall to 3-4 with road games vs. Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M, and OK-State still awaiting them.
Despite my criticism of the Bears, I still really like what they bring to the table talent-wise. Perry Jones is the potential 2011 NBA #1 overall pick and he certainly fits the bill as far as athleticism and touch around the basket. Lacedarius Dunn is as good of scorer as their is in the Big 12, and does really well to create his own shot. The key ingredient missing from the Bears this year is their will to defend and a dominant defensive big-man like they had in Epe Udoh the previous season.
Colorado has several above-average shooters in Alec Burks, Corey Higgins, and Levi Knutson who will give the Baylor zone fits if they fail to close out. However, with no adequate big-man down low Perry Jones is going to have a field day offensively, which could prove to be the difference.
Prediction:
I really liked what Colorado had done before this past week, but road losses at Nebraska and Oklahoma just isn't going to cut it. A loss here by the Buffalos would be understandable, but would really sink their NCAA tournament hopes due to virtually no impressive out-of-conference victories and would send me jumping off their bandwagon. I think Burks and company exploit the weak Baylor zone and get out on the Bears early and hold Jones down just enough to eek out a big-time victory, 84-80.
#11 Texas A&M vs. Nebraska:
This is the only other matchup this weekend that I am looking forward to. Nebraska challenges Texas for the best defensive team in the conference and can really give a team like A&M fits. The Aggies are great when playing in College Station, but haven't impressed me on the road. (The blowout in Austin is still fresh in my mind)
Nebraska is going to want this game in the 50s or 60s, and if they do so, I think they win. A&M is a very good shooting team, led by sophomore Khris Middleton, but he and the rest of the Aggies are going to have to work for nearly every shot they take. According to Ken Pomeroy, Nebraska is #11 in the nation in defensive efficiency and are #4 in the country in giving up offensive rebounds, which means they severely limit any second-chance opportunities.
I think this game is a statement game for both teams. If the Aggies can go into Lincoln and grind out a victory then it will go a long way in establishing themselves as a legitimate Big 12 title contender. On the flip side, a victory by Nebraska would bolster their tournament resume and would serve as notice to the rest of the league that a victory in Lincoln will be hard to come by this season.
Prediction: I've been very impressed with Nebraska this year, especially at home. I think their deficiencies on the road will ultimately prevent them from being a tournament team, but they are a gritty defensive team that can frustrate the heck out of an opponent. I think they impose their style much more easily at home and take care of the Aggies in a close game, 60-54.
Honestly, these next two games are really not that intriguing and provide essentially no impact on the Big 12 race. All are bottom feeders, with the possible exception of Oklahoma St. So I will just give a prediction and leave it at that.
Oklahoma St. vs Texas Tech: I think Texas Tech is really, really bad, however I don't think Oklahoma St. is all that good either. If Mike Singletary shows up I think the Red Raiders could grab their third straight victory. I'll give the nod to the home team, Red Raiders in a close game, 80-76.
Oklahoma vs. Iowa St: I don't think the Cyclones are as bad as they've been the last two games vs. Missouri and Texas Tech, seriously I think the Cyclones were STILL tired from the MU game against Tech, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that game. Oklahoma has played well in their last two, which have been at home, but have been dreadful on the road all season. I think the Cyclones bounce back in a big way at home, 78-62.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The 21st Century Athlete
I'm a few days late on this, but something hit me on Monday night, several hours after Blaine Gabbert had declared his intentions to enter into the 2011 NFL Draft. No, not the fact that Gabbert had decided to forego his senior year at the University of Missouri, or the fact that he was more than likely going to be the first Missouri QB since the late 60's to be a first round draft pick. It was something that happened just a day earlier in the Twitter world. Gabbert was berated endlessly by, what can only be concluded from his comments, a low-life Mizzou fan who not only criticized his play, but his personal life as well.
Gabbert probably gave the anonymous tweeter exactly what his low-self esteemed ego was yearning for by linking his profile in one of his tweets. Tweeting sarcastically, "Classy tweet of the week. Everyone look at (the aforementioned person's) tweets." (I refuse to give the actual profile name of the person, because he doesn't deserve the recognition and is merely a small, pathetic portion of my bigger overall point.)
Predictably, many of Gabbert's more than 8,000 followers tried to give the poster a bit of his own medicine, to which he gladly welcomed and threw an insult back, seemingly all referring to race or assumed sexuality. (He called guys fags and told them they like anal sex and called girls whores, etc.) I was not at all surprised by this and my own personal sexuality came into question by this "dude" when I retweeted Gabbert's post and called it "utterly pathetic," to which he responded to by insinuating that I liked anal sex. (I think due to the fact that I am wearing a pink Ralph Lauren button-down shirt that my girlfriend, excuse me, "boyfriend" bought me.)
Anyway, this whole situation got me thinking, not about my sexuality, (not that there's anything wrong with that) but rather, the "21st century athlete" that has become much more accessible to fans through the power of social networking. Even as recent as the early 2000's athletes personal lives were much more hidden and their only accessibility to fans was three-dimensionally. Nowadays nearly every athlete, college or pro, has a Twitter page to which fans can tell these athletes exactly what they think of them. This opens up the type of comments that were directed toward Gabbert, because they are much easier to make when hiding behind a computer screen, instead of in person.
In my personal opinion, Gabbert went about this the wrong way and should have just ignored the ass-hole. But then again, he's a 21-year-old college kid and some "dude" was saying some disturbing and derogatory things about his girlfriend. It's not easy for any guy, especially at that age, to ignore that kind of thing. Some people and many coaches frown upon college athletes, such as Gabbert, having a Twitter account, for exactly the situation discussed above. But guess what? They're in college and all of their friends and peers have one and like them, they probably started their Facebook or Twitter account in high school, before they became the highlight of other people's lives, sadly.
Technology and innovation has brought about a change in the way people communicate and how they are able to interact with the athletes they follow. Unfortunately, I don't think this has been a good thing, because for every 100 decent people that tweet Gabbert a compliment, there are 10 others that attack him and his personal life. I think all of us, if put in the same situation, could tell you which one effects them more.
Gabbert probably gave the anonymous tweeter exactly what his low-self esteemed ego was yearning for by linking his profile in one of his tweets. Tweeting sarcastically, "Classy tweet of the week. Everyone look at (the aforementioned person's) tweets." (I refuse to give the actual profile name of the person, because he doesn't deserve the recognition and is merely a small, pathetic portion of my bigger overall point.)
Predictably, many of Gabbert's more than 8,000 followers tried to give the poster a bit of his own medicine, to which he gladly welcomed and threw an insult back, seemingly all referring to race or assumed sexuality. (He called guys fags and told them they like anal sex and called girls whores, etc.) I was not at all surprised by this and my own personal sexuality came into question by this "dude" when I retweeted Gabbert's post and called it "utterly pathetic," to which he responded to by insinuating that I liked anal sex. (I think due to the fact that I am wearing a pink Ralph Lauren button-down shirt that my girlfriend, excuse me, "boyfriend" bought me.)
Anyway, this whole situation got me thinking, not about my sexuality, (not that there's anything wrong with that) but rather, the "21st century athlete" that has become much more accessible to fans through the power of social networking. Even as recent as the early 2000's athletes personal lives were much more hidden and their only accessibility to fans was three-dimensionally. Nowadays nearly every athlete, college or pro, has a Twitter page to which fans can tell these athletes exactly what they think of them. This opens up the type of comments that were directed toward Gabbert, because they are much easier to make when hiding behind a computer screen, instead of in person.
In my personal opinion, Gabbert went about this the wrong way and should have just ignored the ass-hole. But then again, he's a 21-year-old college kid and some "dude" was saying some disturbing and derogatory things about his girlfriend. It's not easy for any guy, especially at that age, to ignore that kind of thing. Some people and many coaches frown upon college athletes, such as Gabbert, having a Twitter account, for exactly the situation discussed above. But guess what? They're in college and all of their friends and peers have one and like them, they probably started their Facebook or Twitter account in high school, before they became the highlight of other people's lives, sadly.
Technology and innovation has brought about a change in the way people communicate and how they are able to interact with the athletes they follow. Unfortunately, I don't think this has been a good thing, because for every 100 decent people that tweet Gabbert a compliment, there are 10 others that attack him and his personal life. I think all of us, if put in the same situation, could tell you which one effects them more.
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