News. Sports. Arts & Entertainment. Politics
It’s still “early” in baseball terms, but Josh Hamilton and Matt Kemp have done nothing but put on shows. Their superb play has gotten more attention than Philip Humber’s perfect game. Hamilton and Kemp are going for the Triple Crown in their respective leagues. The Triple Crown is revered, by many, to be the greatest single-season accomplishment in all of baseball.
Follow paulmbanks
Before leaving Dallas and the Winter Meetings on Thursday, Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and General Manager Jed Hoyer did manage to make one move. No, it wasn’t signing Albert Pujols or CJ Wilson (both of whom signed with the Angels), but instead it was a trade, acquiring third baseman Ian Stewart from the Colorado Rockies. They also acquired minor league pitcher Casey Weathers in the deal.
In exchange, the Cubs sent outfielder Tyler Colvin and infielder DJ LeMahieu to Denver.
Follow paulmbanks
On a sports day that had been dominated by news of Albert Pujols leaving the St. Louis Cardinals to head to Anaheim and the Angels, one could have reasonably expected a good night’s rest and relaxation. Instead, sports writers had to put on the coffee and gear up for another huge story, because the New Orleans Hornets stunned the basketball world and dealt star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The deal would have involved the Houston Rockets as well, and would have sent Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, Houston’s 2012 1st Round pick (acquired from the Knicks) and Lamar Odom to the Hornets. The Rockets would have acquired Pau Gasol as part of the trade, but the Lakers obviously would have made out like bandits by both keeping Andrew Bynum and acquiring Paul.
As you surely noticed, there are a lot of “would have’s” in that paragraph. And that’s because the NBA stepped in and nullified the trade.
Follow paulmbanks
‘Whenever older sports fans are goaded into talking about the good old days, certain things will inevitably come up in the conversation. Whether it be something along the lines of “players used to play for the competition and the love of the game, not the money,” or “Dick Butkus killed a guy, and that’s real football”, these old school fans of the games we love have a certain moral ethic that they adhere to when it comes to their teams, and they expect their favorite players to follow suit.
Follow paulmbanks
Jake Peavy is back, at least for a little while. The 2007 NL Cy-Young award-winner lasted six innings against the LA Angels Wednesday night, giving up seven hits and four runs while striking out four in his first start since detaching his latissimus dorsi muscle last July against the Angels. It’s been a difficult road for Peavy, however. He’s overcome multiple setbacks before returning to the rotation, and there’s the possibility he will encounter more as the season continues.
Follow paulmbanks
While the first 16 picks mostly feature teams with much work to be done, the second half of the 2010 MLB draft is where the 2009 playoff organizations just add on to their success.
For picks 1-16 of the 2010 MLB mock draft, click here.
By Jake McCormick [Read more…]
Follow paulmbanks
By Jake McCormick
A wrench named Johnny Damon’s Indecision has been thrown into my series on each team’s offseason, so I’ve postponed its continuation for at least a couple days. Instead, with pitchers and catchers reporting this week, it’s only appropriate to make a can’t miss, Vegas busting, no hassle-guaranteed prediction for each team. [Read more…]
Follow paulmbanks