The Gold Glove Case for Nolan Arenado

I've been told that no rookie third baseman has ever won a Gold Glove. But I don't really care. Nolan Arenado deserves it.

I know, he's not a household name. Yet. And perhaps it will take more than a .267 batting average for him to get there. But fortunately for him the Gold Glove has nothing to do with offense. It's an award handed to the best defensive player at each position in each league. And a quick glance at the defensive statistics suggests that Arenado should get a long, hard look at being handed the award.

All it takes is a superficial study of the MLB and National League standings in any given defensive statistical category to realize that he is at or near the top in just about everything. The following standings include all third baseman who played more than 500 innings during the 2013 season. First up, the raw statistic of fielding percentage, a simple comparison of opportunities versus errors.

MLB Fielding Percentage Standings

1. Placido Polanco, MIA - .990
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - .983
3. Martin Prado, ARI - .978
4. Nolan Arenado, COL - .973
5. Manny Machado, BAL - .973

NL Fielding Percentage Standings

1. Placido Polanco, MIA - .990
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - .983
3. Martin Prado, ARI - .978
4. Nolan Arenado, COL - .973
5. David Wright, NYM - .973

It is interesting that four of the top five fielding percentages are National Leaguers, and three of those are from the NL West. I don't really know why it's interesting, but it is.

More than anything I find it interesting that Arenado, ranks fourth in the big leagues in fielding percentage. In his first year in the league he placed himself in the top five of all third baseman. That is very respectable, but I admit that in and of itself that would not justify voting the rookie a Gold Glove. That's why we need advanced metrics; because fielding percentages don't evaluate plays like this:

Advanced metrics can tell us the value of a play like that. There are a great many statistics that are surfacing that can more powerfully explain the value of defense.

First, consider Ultimate Zone Rating, or UZR. It has to be one of the most complicated statistics out there, but the short version is that it is a measure of how many balls hit into a players zone turn into outs. For a more complete explanation of UZR, click here.

Notice not only where Nolan falls on the list, but the ridiculous gap after him, especially in the National League.

MLB UZR Standings

1. Manny Machado, BAL - 31.2
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - 24.0
3. Nolan Arenado, COL - 20.7
4. Evan Longoria, TB - 14.6
5. Josh Donaldson, OAK - 9.9

NL UZR Standings

1. Juan Uribe, LAD - 24.0
2. Nolan Arenado, COL - 20.7
3. Todd Frazier, CIN - 9.7
4. Chase Headley, SD - 7.0
5. David Wright, NYM - 3.7 

Looking at these numbers alone, the NL third base Gold Glove award is a two man race between Juan Uribe and Nolan Arenado. Uribe's lead over Arenado in UZR is certainly not insignificant, but it sure seems that way when you consider the third highest NL UZR is 11 points below those two.

So Juan Uribe commits less errors per opportunity and turns more balls in his zone into outs than Arenado, and although they are both by slim margins, that means the award should go to Uribe, right? I don't think so. As I've mentioned fielding percentage is raw and insufficient, and baseball stat gurus tend to look at a three year average for UZR. So while I don't think I'll necessarily be offended and start throwing things if the award goes to the veteran in Los Angeles, I still think the rookie in Colorado might be the better defender at the hot corner.

It occurs to me that the purpose of playing baseball is to win games, and the way you win games is by scoring more runs than the other team. That's why these next two statistics seem more meaningful to me, and they make it seem like there are only two decent third baseman in all of baseball: Manny Machado and Nolan Arenado.

Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) is far more intuitive than UZR and measures how many runs a player saves, or gives up if the number is negative, with his defense. As you might expect, Manny Machado leads the Majors, but look at what happens after that, especially in the National League:

MLB DRS Standings

1. Manny Machado, BAL - 35
2. Nolan Arenado, COL - 30
3. Juan Uribe, LAD - 15
4. Evan Longoria, TB - 12
5. Josh Donaldson, OAK - 12

NL DRS Standings

1. Nolan Arenado, COL - 30
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - 15
3. Todd Frazier, CIN - 5
4. Chase Headley, SD - 5
5. David Wright, NYM - 5

Not only does Arenado lead the National League, he doubles up the second place Juan Uribe. If you ignore Machado and Arenado, 15 DRS would be a very respectable number, but behind those two all other third basemen look mediocre when it comes to keeping opponents from crossing the plate.

WAR (Wins Above Replacement) has become a widely used and respected sabermetric across baseball. Simply put, it is a measure of how many more wins a player gives his team over an average replacement player. Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR) specifically shows how many wins a player's defense brings to his team above an average replacement player. The results here are equally as remarkable as the above mentioned DRS.

MLB dWAR Standings

1. Manny Machado, BAL - 4.4
2. Nolan Arenado, COL - 3.6
3. Josh Donaldson, OAK - 1.8
4. Juan Uribe, LAD - 1.8
5. Evan Longoria, TB - 1.7

NL dWAR Standings

1. Nolan Arenado, COL - 3.6
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - 1.8
3. Chase Headley, SD - 0.7
4. David Wright, NYM - 0.7
5. Todd Frazier, CIN - 0.7

In yet another category Arenado doubles Uribe's metrics. Obviously, Manny Machado is the best third baseman in baseball, especially if we were to factor in offensive performance. But I think Arenado is the best in the NL, and I don't think it's all that close. Uribe has a slightly better batting average (.278) and he's been in the league longer, but the Gold Glove is given to the best defensive player at each position, in each league, even if he's a rookie.

When it comes to National League third basemen, I believe that is Nolan Arenado.

**********

Additional Links:

UZR Explained

DRS Explained

3B Advanced Metrics Standings

3B Fielding Percentage and dWAR Standings

The Power of the ROC

Almost three years ago, November 6, 2010, I discovered that the Brigham Young University student section was not as awesome as I thought it was. I had started to realize it earlier in the season, but it didn't fully hit me until a buddy of mine from Colorado joined me for that year's game against UNLV.

He had attended BYU as a student, and he was a little disappointed with the decline of the student section. Sure, it was against an awful opponent and ended in a 55-7 rout, but still, why did the stands feel so empty? Attendance for that game is listed as almost 2,500 below capacity and at least from where I was standing it felt like a whole lot more than that were missing. And I was standing in the student section.

Well, I was standing in one of the student sections.

You all remember the old student "section." It had some of the students in the south end zone, some scattered throughout the east sideline, and some in the south end zone. That sure is a lot of sections for the singular student section.

That old student section was the cause of another interesting issue my friend and I observed that day: we repeatedly sang one of the worst renditions of BYU's fight song imaginable. And it didn't just happen that one game, it was a problem I noticed time and again. We were unbearably out of sync with each other. The way it sounded to me was that the older folks had the fight song down, and us students were scattered and unintentionally trying to sing it in a round. It was awful. Being on three different sides of the stadium certainly did not help our cause to be unified.

But rest assured, it's been fixed.

Beginning with men's basketball during the 2012-2013 season the student section experienced a major overhaul. The two major changes were the name and the location, and both, in my opinion, were long overdue.

Branding of the Student Section


Duke has its Cameron Crazies, Pitt has the Zoo, Texas A&M has the 12th Man, San Diego State has the Show, Michigan State has my personal favorite, the Izzone.

And now BYU has the Roar of Cougars, or ROC.

I'll admit, it took some getting used to. I thought there could have been some better options out there. But now I'm convinced, the ROC is the best name for the student section at Brigham Young University.

First of all, the video introducing students to the ROC starts off with Sean Connery saying "Welcome to the ROC," and that is awesome.

It also gives us an identity. We belong to something, and we are a part of the game itself. Our presence bothers opponents. They are afraid to face the ROC. We intimidate them almost as much as facing Kyle Van Noy or Tyler Haws intimidates them. Why do you think BYU has a hard time getting big schools to play us in Provo? It's because of us. It's because we ROC.

We no longer have an All Sport Pass. That was lame. Now we have a ROC pass. That is cool. And not only does it sound cooler, the ROC passes look sweet, too.

And you know what? The ROC isn't just for football and basketball. It's for every sport. Naming the student section didn't just unify the students. It unified every BYU team by unifying the student section with something as simple, yet powerful, as a name.

We have an identity, we have a name, and we are part of something great. We are the ROC.

Unity and Movement of the ROC

The culture at BYU is one that pushes back against change. I get it. We liked our sideline seats at basketball games. We You liked that we you could show up five minutes before after kickoff. Well guess what? It was awful for everyone else.

Okay, so for basketball it wasn't awful, it just wasn't as good as it could be. Think about it. We have a chance to influence games to a greater degree than ever before.

Can you imagine shooting a free throw with that
in your field of vision?

Imagine a scenario with two seconds left in the second half. BYU has a one point lead. Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos goes up for the go ahead layup and gets hacked by Nate Austin just before time expires. The whistle blows  and Pangos goes to the line for two free throws and a chance win the game. Behind the backboard the ROC goes wild. Pangos looks up at the backboard and tries to focus, but sees the Dick Vitale signs up in the crowd just as he's about. He thinks, "What on earth does Dicky V have to do with BYU?" Clank. Right off the front of the rim. (And for the record, Dicky V has everything to do with every college basketball team. He's Dicky V!) Then it all comes down to his second shot and a chance to force overtime. Of course, between the pressure and the noise from the ROC, the poor kid doesn't stand a chance. BYU wins the game, and it was because of us!

Will that scenario ever happen? Who knows. But we can be a factor in free throw shooting and a team's communication and a myriad of other things to affect the outcome of the game in that crucial second half.

And now to football. I don't think the moving and unifying is so much where the complaints have been, although there certainly have been some who didn't like that either. I mean students will no longer have seats at the 50 yard line, but let's be honest, when we got 50 yard line seats before they were nosebleeders, so it's not like it was spectacular anyway.

The biggest complaints I have heard have been from the people who like to show up to games right around the time of kickoff and usually end up missing kickoff. They like to show up late and still enjoy their seats on the fifth row that they landed for the big game against that school up north. And now you have to show up to the game early or at least before kickoff in order to get anything even remotely "decent."

Exactly.

Now we reward the loudest and craziest and most dedicated fans. Seems fair to me!

Now we fill the stands before game time. Do you know how much that means to the team? A lot! And if you've ever played in front of a crowd you know the incredible feeling of looking up in the stands and seeing it feel up before the game.

Students now line the tunnel as the team comes out of the locker room and that gets the noise level and energy up in the stadium as the team runs onto the field. Sure it was loud before. But were you there against Texas? It was unreal.

The ROC showed up early and greeted the team as they arrived at the stadium. Then the gates opened for the game and everyone rushed to get the best seats. Then a monsoon happened, and so did something really special.

The ROC stood still.


The harder it rained, the louder the students got. It was electrifying. The PA announcer told everyone to head under the bleachers. But nobody in the ROC could hear because everyone was there in their shorts and t-shirts screaming their heads off. Eventually the message was put up on the video board and everyone realized how bad of a storm it was so they took cover. But the energy didn't die down. Nearly everyone stayed, and under the student section bleachers it got loud with the fight song breaking out along with the occasional Seven Nation Army chant. It was fantastic.

Look at the ROC. That's amazing.

That would not have happened a year ago. People would have been at home, and by the time kickoff rolled around there would have been as many Texas fans as BYU students. Instead, the ROC supplied some serious energy to the team in a 40-21 domination of the 15th ranked Longhorns.

The ROC is a part of the team. And they showed up big time two weeks ago. We need to do the same again this Saturday.

We're playing that school up north, and we need to show up in a big way. The players are wearing royal, and we should be, too. If you don't want to spend the 25 bucks on the sweet Nike "Royal Strong & True" shirts at the BYU Bookstore, that's fine. Wear any royal shirt you have, even if it doesn't have a BYU logo or anything on it. And if you don't have a royal shirt, go to Macey's and buy a cheap shirt for something like four dollars. Be a part of the team. It's going to be awesome. And if you can't handle that, at least wear blue. No green, white, yellow, or pink shirts. And never, under any conditions, show up in red.

BYU Football Preview and Picks

One the eve of the always anticipated college football season, it's time to take a look at the new look, "Go Fast Go Hard," BYU Cougars. There are areas we know we'll see success (like Cody Hoffman and Kyle Van Noy) and there are areas Cougar Nation is concerned about. We'll take a look at those, my game by game predictions, and a brief look at the national scene and who has a legitimate shot at a championship.

The Certainties

So we never know for sure, but these three groups are a pretty safe bet. We know we'll see positive production from them and there should be little to no concern, primarily because each position is led by a potential NFL caliber talent.

Wide Receivers

Cody Hoffman will likely be considered one of the
greatest receivers in BYU history.

Led by Cody Hoffman, this group will be the most productive unit on the team, provided Taysom Hill has enough time to throw to them. Hoffman will very likely end the season as the school's all time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, as well as a shot at the total yards record. Skyler Ridley has turned some heads in both spring and fall camps and found himself listed as a starter heading into this weekend's game at Virginia. Ross Apo, while listed second in the depth charts behind Ridley, seems primed for a breakout year after some injury concerns derailed him a bit his first two seasons. It will also benefit him to have some consistency at the quarterback position. JD Falslev will continue to be an important and reliable option for Hill to turn to coming out of the slot position. He won't demand the defensive attention of Hoffman will be a surehanded target especially crucial on third downs.

Even deeper than these top four, this group will provide plenty of options for Taysom Hill and could wreak havoc on defensive game plans. If Apo or Ridley can have a break out year it will make it that much more difficult for teams to center their defensive game plans around Cody Hoffman.

The Front Seven

Sure the defensive line lost Ziggy Ansah, a top five NFL draft pick, and Romney Fuga, an undrafted free agent currently with the Denver Broncos, but the defensive line will still be a dominant force. Returning to action is Ethan Manumaleuna, which is particularly significant because it was his injury that caused Ziggy to be thrust into the starting role and consequently the NFL. Not a bad guy to have back on the line. After a promising freshman campaign, Bronson Kaufusi will now be a full time starter, and his knack for getting into the backfield and roughing up quarterbacks will potentially demand double teams by season's end. Remington Peck and Marques Johnson should also be solid options to round out a productive defensive line.

Van Noy may just be one of the best players in the country.

Two NFL prospects lead the line backer corps. Kyle Van Noy is one of the best college football players in the country and every offense BYU faces will be sure to know exactly where he is at all times. He has notched at least one statistic in every possible category each of the past two years and he will probably wreak havoc on every team the Cougars face this year, regardless of the final score. Because of Van Noy's dominance, Spencer Hadley's success has been largely unnoticed, but he is also drawing the attention of NFL scouts. While he doesn't find himself in the backfield as often as Van Noy, he just may well lead the team in tackles this year and he will be key in stopping the run this year. I think he's up to the task. While Uani Unga and Alani Fua are less experienced, they are athletic and have good size. It doesn't look like this unit will let up from their dominance last year, even with the losses of Brandon Ogletree and Uona Kaveinga.

Safeties

I really think Daniel Sorensen has NFL potential. He has size and he is faster than most of BYU's corners have been the past few years. We have seen his play making abilities through interceptions, tough tackles, and goal line stands. Perhaps he won't ever take over a game like Van Noy in the Poinsettia Bowl, but he is a solid player, and his running mate Craig Bills is no slacker either. They may not turn in the most dominant performances this year, and Sorensen may never play in the NFL, but they should be a unit that performs well and won't cause any concern for Bronco Mendenhall's defense.

The Question Marks

Running Backs

Let's be clear. I don't think the running backs themselves are question marks. I think the fact that the offensive line is a major concern (see below) makes me question how productive the running backs will be. I hope I'm wrong, and I hope they run roughshod over everybody this year, but I don't know if anyone in this group, talented as they are, can turn in many 100 yard performances if the O-line doesn't open some holes for them. If the offensive line can keep the defense out of the backfield, we could see some great things from the running backs.

Jamaal Williams is fast and never shies away from contact. If over the next three years he stays healthy and averages 69 yards per game he can become the school's all time leading rusher. That may be looking a little far ahead, but it's a credit to his productive freshman season as a 17 year old. He's back, and he's ready to be the guy from the beginning. Michael Alisa should be ready to go after multiple surgeries to fix his broken arm. He won't reclaim his full time starter role from Williams, but his size and power will make him a weapon in BYU's new H-back position. Paul Lasike will be a force on short yardage situations because everybody has a hard time bringing him down. As Bronco has previously pointed out, pads are a luxury to the rugby star, and he punishes anyone who steps in his way. Adam Hine is also poised for a breakout season and could see his playing time increase if he performs well in the early going. The fast paced offense will likely call for each of these guys to see significant playing time, and if the O-line helps them out they could be one of the best backfields in the country. But that's a really big if.

Much of BYU's success is up to Taysom Hill.

Quarterback

Again, this is in large part because of the offensive line, but I also have my questions about Taysom Hill at this point. We haven't seen a whole lot of him, and what we have seen was mostly positive. Having said that, what we saw from Jake Heaps was mostly positive his freshman year, and we ran him out of town the next season (which I still think we were wrong about, but that's not the point of this article). He will easily be a step up from Riley Nelson because he can throw a spiral and he's not likely to miss a wide open Cody Hoffman behind Notre Dame's defense for a game winning touchdown, but we don't know if he can be consistently accurate. We don't know if he can progress through his reads. We don't know if he can be a pass first, run second QB. When he does run, we don't know if he's as fast as he was before his knee injury. We don't know if he can stay healthy. That's a lot of things we don't know.

We do know that he has the potential to be great. We do know he is an incredible leader, as evidenced by his summer practice sessions with his receivers. We also know he led the only scoring drive against Boise State and almost won that game.

He could be Jake Heaps, he could be Steve Young, or he could be something in between.

Special Teams

I'm not worried about the return game, but I do have my questions about the kicking game. Justin Sorensen, the highly recruited kicker from Bingham High, has failed to live up to expectations in large part due to injury problems. Reports are that he has now fully recovered and is looking good and could be the impact player we all expected him to be, but we just won't know until we see him in action.

At punter, Scott Arellano is looking to replace the second team all-American Riley Stephenson. He was an all-conference punter at Foothill College last season, but that's still a long way to go before all-American. Hopefully he can fill those big shoes and team with Daniel Sorensen to down the ball inside the five on a regular basis.

The Concerns

Offensive Line

If the O-line doesn't hold up, Jamaal Williams may never
reach his full potential.

In my mind there is no greater concern than the offensive line. Sure the kicker may end up being worse or the corners may get torched on a regular basis, but if the O-line can't hold, BYU's solid running backs won't get out of the backfield, and Taysom Hill may never have time to get the ball to Cody Hoffman and company. This offensive line is inexperienced and possibly a little underweight (Michael Yeck is 6'8" and 292 pounds). Hopefully they're more powerful than that weight would indicate, but we'll see the results of that on gameday.

The other thing that concerns me is the plan for a constant rotation amongst the linemen. Ten different guys are traveling with the team to Virginia and the plan is to play them all. Will they all work together cohesively? Will it disrupt any of them from getting into a groove? Again, these things will be answered Saturday.

Corner Backs

Everyone is well aware of the injury and depth concerns at corner. Can they be overcome? Yes. But it's still a little nerve wracking that one of the second string guys started fall camp as a receiver. And both the second string guys are freshman. And neither of the starters have ever started a D-I game. And one has never played a D-I game.

No depth, no experience. The first decent quarterback/receiver combination we see (Texas, week two) just might light us up for 500 yards and 40+ points.

Game Predictions

This list could very well change from week to week based on what we see from BYU and each of their opponents, but here are my predictions for each of the Cougars matchups this year.

Remember this? 2009 was the last time BYU beat Utah.

• @ Virginia - WIN - I don't think it will be pretty as BYU adapts to their new offense and a lot of new personnel, but Virginia is young and inexperienced and won't matchup well against pretty much anyone from BYU, except maybe the corners.
• vs. Texas - LOSS -  I would really love to be proven wrong here, but Texas is one of the few Big 12 teams with a reliable quarterback in David Ash and they could very well pick us apart in the secondary.
• vs. Utah - WIN - Utah is still terrible, and BYU will finally play a decent game against them. Travis Wilson will have a rough time against a really solid Cougar front seven, and defensively they don't have a big presence to disrupt the up tempo rhythm BYU will look to get into.
• vs. Middle Tennessee - WIN - If BYU doesn't win this game it's because everyone forgot about it.
• @ Utah State - WIN - Led by Chuckie Keeton, I'm betting Utah State will turn this game into a shootout. Maybe it's because I can't bring myself to pick a loss here, but I think the Cougars pull it out.
• vs. Georgia Tech - WIN - It's the same bad team that BYU beat up on last year, and I expect more of the same.
• @ Houston - WIN - They no longer have Case Keenum and he is the reason they were a dominant team two years ago. Without him last year they were 5-7 in a bad conference. So while we like to remember Houston as a good team, they really aren't anymore.
• vs. Boise State - LOSS - Here is where things get interesting. Last year Boise State pulled out a 7-6 win against BYU in a defensive players paradise. Had Taysom Hill started that game, or at least come in a quarter sooner, BYU may have pulled it out. Now BYU will be a lot better, and Boise State will be about the same. Also, this year's contest is in Provo. But I still just don't know if BYU can pull it out.
• @ Wisconsin - LOSS - I'm betting this will be BYU's most lopsided loss of the season. Wisconsin's new head coach, Gary Anderson, beat or stayed within three points of BYU each of the last three seasons while at Utah State. Now he'll have significantly more talent around him and I don't think it will be pretty for the Cougars.
• vs. Idaho State - WIN - This game will be a welcome reprieve to the tough teams faced in the weeks leading up to the game. It will be a nice time to regroup before hitting the road again to face dangerous teams, too.
• @ Notre Dame - LOSS - Maybe BYU should have won this game last season, but I don't think they're going to be given the chance again. BYU's defense may keep them close for the first half, but I don't think our offensive line can hold up against what looks to be another tough Irish defense.
• @ Nevada - WIN - Nevada may present a challenge, especially if BYU limps into this game with little to no confidence left. But ultimately the Cougars should be the better team and should pull out the win.

I think BYU can win any of these games, but in my mind the best case scenario they go 10-2, worst case 5-7. I think they'll end up on the positive side of things, finishing 8-4 and headed for the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

National Title Contenders

Naturally, anyone could end up playing for the BCS National Championship in January. We've seen teams go from being unranked to claiming the title, so we never really know what will happen. That's part of the beauty of college football. But here are the five teams I think have the best chance at taking home the crystal ball this year.

• Alabama - This team is in the middle of one of the most dominating college football dynasties in history. They've been there before so they can handle the pressure of sitting at the top. Frankly, if Alabama doesn't win I'll be shocked.

  

  The title seems to be Alabama's to lose.

• Ohio State - Last year's undefeated campaign was impressive, but they literally had nothing to lose so they could play loose. Can they do it again this year? They have the personnel for it, and they have the coach for it, but going undefeated two years in a row is a really difficult thing to do in college football.
• South Carolina - Jadeveon Clowney could carry this team on his back. I think they'll end up as a one or two loss team, and I don't think they'll make it to the title game, but on the other hand it wouldn't surprise me.
• Oregon - With or without Chip Kelly at the helm, Oregon is still dang good. I'm not going to be surprised at all if Oregon winds up undefeated and Marcus Mariota wins the Heisman. They got a tough draw for their conference schedule, but they have the firepower to get through it.
• Texas A&M - If Johnny Manziel doesn't get suspended and if  the team doesn't get distracted by the drama he brings and if Manziel doesn't suffer a sophomore slump, then this team could be pretty darn good.

My Pick: Alabama. There just isn't a team out there as all around good as the Tide. AJ McCarron isn't flashy, but he's as steady a quarterback as there is in the country. While it will pain me to see them, and the SEC, bring home yet another title, I just don't see it happening any other way.

A Mediocre Mailbag

No, it's not the questions that are mediocre. In fact, you'll soon see these are some of the most well thought out questions in the history of my blog. The mediocrity comes from the answers. You see, I'm not much of an NBA guy. I follow it a little bit, mostly the Jazz and the postseason (not to be confused with the Jazz in the postseason, because that's not a real frequent occurrence), but I just don't feel as adequate to answer these questions as a lot of other people. In fact, these questions are so well thought out that I actually wondered if J Money, the reader who asked the NBA questions in this mailbag, even needs me. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that he doesn't. Just to illustrate, let me show you just how little I care about the NBA. Below is a list of my top five favorite sports to follow, meaning watch, read about, learn about, and keep up to date on. Keep in mind it would be different if it was my overall favorite sports, including sports I like to play, because basketball would certainly top that list.

Have you ever watched the Little League World Series?
It's actually a ton of fun, and the kids are really good.

1. Baseball - I mean, I even make it a point to watch as much of the Little League World Series as I can every year. This year hasn't been as kind to me in that regard, but top to bottom I love watching and going to baseball games, no matter the age and skill level.
2. Basketball - There is simply nothing more beautiful than the month of March my wife. But second to my wife is the month of March. I lose focus on everything to watch college basketball. But college is really the only level of basketball I consistently follow. Ever since John Stockton retired and Karl Malone sold out and became a Laker, the NBA just hasn't been the same for me. If it weren't for the NBA though, basketball would hands down be my favorite sport.
3. Football - I really do love football, and I definitely enjoy the NFL more than the NBA when it comes to watching professional sports. I definitely don't consider myself an expert on the NFL, but I enjoy it. Bowl Week is a beautiful thing, and with the BCS era coming to a close, the college game is going to get that much more interesting. A few things still need to change, but we're getting closer to the solution.
4. Tennis - Okay, sure. The scoring system was created by a drunk person. And people think it's boring. But as a tennis player, I just love watching these athletes compete and I appreciate the difficulty of the game. During my playing career (which admittedly was nothing special whatsoever) I followed tennis much more religiously, in fact tennis likely would have topped this list. Since the rapid decline of American tennis I have to admit I've fallen off a bit, but I still love watching the Grand Slams.
5. Soccer - I definitely don't follow Major League Soccer here in America, and barely follow the Premiere League in England, but it's an international classic, and when it comes to international competitions, I really get into it. That's especially true of Euro Cup, World Cup, and the Olympics.

But now to the Mailbag. These questions came from my good friend J Money and Prince Michael, and I appreciate the challenge they presented to me. As you will know by the time you've finished reading this, the NBA and the NFL are areas I'm not quite as knowledgeable in. I also appreciate that it gave me something to do at work. And if my boss is reading this, by work I really mean at home.

I enjoy reading your blog and I was wondering if you could look into something for me good sir. Why are you wearing an O's shirt in one picture and a Rockies shirt in another and then displaying them on your Facebook two inches away from each other? -J Money

Tulo has a great bat and a knack for the spectacular.

Simple, really. I'm a die-hard Rockies fan, and nothing can ever change that. But before the Rockies were born in 1993, the same year my family moved to Colorado, I was an Orioles fan living in Maryland. And so, while I will always cheer for the Rockies, even if they're out of the playoff race and the Orioles are still in it and they're playing against each other, like last weekend for example, I'm upset if the O's were to beat the Rox 2-1 in that series.Which they did.

I've lived a lot of places in my life, and as a result I'm actually a fan of a lot of teams. And while I'm in the mood of making lists, here's the order I place all 30 teams in baseball. The top two are completely locked, as are the bottom two, but from day to day they may be some movement in the middle, but I think it's mostly how I feel.

1. Colorado Rockies - I moved to Colorado the year they were formed, when I was three almost four. Pretty crucial time in your life to pick a team, and we went to quite a few games. Those Blake Street Bombers were fun to watch, especially pre-Humidor.
2. Baltimore Orioles - My first team. Cal Ripken Jr. Plus Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a really cool stadium.

   

   Chris Davis has been remarkable to watch for the O's.

3. Washington Nationals - My family moved back to Maryland and sent me a Nats hat. Plus I thought they were going to be really good so I started cheering for them. Kidding, but Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg are fun to watch.
4. St. Louis Cardinals - I used to play for the Cardinals back in Little League, and I really liked Ozzie Smith. I like to think of him as my uncle. We're both Smiths after all.
5. Seattle Mariners - I lived in Washington back in the days of Ken Griffey Jr. (the first time) and A-Rod (when he was cool) and Randy Johnson (who was really only uncool during his two year stint in pinstripes) and Ichiro (who is somehow still relatively cool in pinstripes). And I'm realizing Junior is the only one of those never to play for the Yankees. What a stud. I also lived there when Junior, Pay-Rod, and The Big Unit all left, Ichiro arrived and suddenly the M's were good and won 116 games.
6. Atlanta Braves - When I was a kid I loved the Braves. Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux... They were loaded.
7. Tampa Bay Rays - Something about the Rays is fun to watch. I read an article on Grantland last year that made me realize those guys are just having a blast. That's how professional athletes should be. I mean, they're getting paid to play the game they love. Have fun!
8. Los Angeles Angels - I'll admit it. They made it this high because of Angels in the Outfield. Plus, the Rally Monkey.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks - When the Diamondbacks debuted I got a hat and cheered for them. I don't know why, but I did.
10. Cincinnati Reds - Okay, Dad. I'll put your team in my top ten. I suppose the Big Red Machine was pretty cool back in the day. I'm sad I missed it.
11. Miami Marlins - Back when they were the Florida Marlins they pulled off a huge upset and beat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series. Consequently, I like them.
12. San Francisco Giants - I had a roommate who was the biggest Giants fan in the world. We were roommates when they won the World Series in 2010 and that was actually pretty fun.
13. Philadelphia Phillies - Likewise I had a good friend on my LDS mission who was a die-hard Phillies fan and I was around him when they won the Series in 2008. So since I like him, I'll sort of like the Phillies.
14. Kansas City Royals - I don't know why, but I've never really liked the Royals. But lately they've been growing on me. Their success this year is kind of inspiring. 
15. Chicago Cubs - I'm almost completely indifferent with the Cubs. I mean, Wrigley Field is cool and all, but I really only put them this high because I feel bad for them. I mean, when else are they going to be ranked in the top half?
16. San Diego Padres - I don't particularly like the Padres. But wasn't Tony Gwynn awesome?
17. New York Mets - They're okay I guess.
18. Los Angeles Dodgers - I don't like the Dodgers. But we had season tickets to their Single A affiliate in Washington. Until that team became the Single A affiliate of the Diamondbacks instead.
19. Oakland A's - Moneyball.
20. Houston Astros - Craig Biggio was one of my favorite players of the 1990s. But the Astros have never done anything worth cheering for. And don't even bother to mention that the Rockies haven't either. The Rockies are awesome.
21. Minnesota Twins - I like Little Big League.
22. Toronto Blue Jays - It just dawned on me yesterday how smart it is to have an indoor stadium in Canada.
23. Detroit Tigers - I've cheered for them on rare occasions, but I try not to make it a habit.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates - Sure it's cool to watch them finally have a good season. But I really don't like the Pirates. Though I have no idea why.
25. Texas Rangers - They turned A-Rod into Pay-Rod.
26. Cleveland Indians - The Rockies should have beat the Indians in the 2007 World Series. But instead the Indians had to blow a 3-0 lead against the Red Sox in the ALCS, causing the red-hot Rox to go cold as ice and get swept in their one and only chance at glory.
27. Milwaukee Brewers - Ryan Braun is really starting to tick me off.
28. Chicago White Sox - I think it stems from the big, ugly, tobacco spitting dude on the White Sox in Angels in the Outfield, but I really don't like the White Sox.
29. Boston Red Sox - I only cheer for the Red Sox 18 times a year. That's how many times they play the Yankees, right?
30. New York Yankees - If we were talking about the historic Yankees with players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle, I would have placed them significantly higher. But we're not. We're talking about the Steinbrenner Yankees. And I hate them with my whole heart.

I named my car CarGo. Seriously.

That was actually a lot harder than I thought. Ask me tomorrow and numbers 8-27 could all be different. A couple things I know for sure: I love the Rockies, I hate the Yankees, and I think the National League is cooler than the American League.

Well, now that I've spent a ton of time answering the question J Money was apparently "kidding" about, I should probably take a crack at his real questions.

All kidding aside, what are your thoughts on this: The Pistons recently traded for Josh Smith making a crowded frontcourt the most crowded frontcourt of all time with him, Andre Drummond, and Greg Monroe. Spacing is going to be terrible especially since Monroe and Smith are essentially the same player offensively (decent inside-out game [emphasis on decent] and great passers for being big men). For starters what are your thoughts on this little experiment of Joe Dumars? -J Money

If it doesn't work it will doubtless be Monroe that leaves.

If we've learned anything from the Lakers the past couple years it's that big men occasionally have a hard time co-existing. Having said that I think this experiment is fine for a couple of different reasons. First, the Pistons are really, really bad and they need to try something. Second, while Monroe and Smith are similar, Smith can stretch the floor more. He's not a great three point shooter, but he's at least a threat from deep.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out though because the Pistons will be putting a ridiculous amount of size on the floor. Smith will need to focus on his perimeter game because there will simply not be enough room for him to come inside with regularity. As all three of these guys do like to play above the rim they will need some major help from the perimeter. The three point shooters will need to step up for Detroit because if defenses can crowd the paint at all this big man experiment will fail.

Second, let's look at the scenario if it doesn't work. In a recent interview with Grantland, Dumars was excited about Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith coming to town and excited about the development of Drummond but seemed indifferent to Monroe, citing his defensive shortcomings. It can probably be assumed that if this fails then Monroe, who will be a free agent next summer, will be allowed to walk. If this is the case, how do you like him with the Wizards?

Here's why I think it would work:

1. DC for some reason beyond me is not attractive to free agents. They do have a solid core of young guys who have a shot of being as high as the six seed in the East this year (if you don't believe me tell me who is going to be better in the East). They are up and coming and will be solid, barring injuries, for at least the entire time John Wall is there. 
2. Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor are coming off the books next season. That's over 21 million available for next season. A big chunk is going to Wall but there is still some left over for another max, or near max, contract if DC entered a bidding war for Monroe. 
3. Though regarded as a defensive liability, DC I believe was ninth defensively in the league. Not great I know, but my point is he has help. Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin are defensively minded backups and working with Nene in the starting lineup will offer some added rim protection. He's no Okafor defensively but is it worth it to sacrifice Okafor's defensive production for Monroe's offensive production?
4. The organization has made it clear that they believe Brad Beal will be a major contributor in the rebuilding process. When his free agency comes up, Nene will be coming off the books so there isn't a worry of him not getting paid because Monroe is there. Also with Monroe, defenses will have to crowd the paint to deal with Monroe, Nene, and the potential of a Wall drive, thus creating tons of space for Beal and Martell Webster to get open looks on the perimeter, or the likes of Otto Porter Jr. for easy mid-range jumpers.

I think it would work, but tell me your thoughts. -J Money

Sounds good to me! See what I mean about well thought out questions?

If Emeka Okafor walks when his contract is up after the 2013-2014 season the Wizards will be in the market for a big man, and Monroe feels like a good fit for all the reasons you outlined. It might be worth it for the Wizards to let Okafor go if they can bring in Monroe, defensive liability or not. Right now there are no legitimate scoring threats in the post and Wall needs someone in the paint to dish to, and a guy like Monroe might be the best player they can attract.

John Wall and the Wizards could really use
a scoring presence in the post.

From Monroe's standpoint it would make sense to go to Washington if for no other reason than he would have more room to operate. Rather than three bigs they would have a true small forward in Otto Porter. The lane won't be as crowded, and if somehow it is you have a legitimate deep threat in Beal to kick the ball to.

Also, I agree with you, the Wizards have a shot at the playoffs if for no other reason than the East is horrendous overall. I mean, the eighth seed had a losing record and the seventh seed barely cleared .500. So the fact that the Wizards have a chance to make the playoffs ought to make Washington a relatively appealing stop for Monroe if this experiment in Detroit fails. If it's a success and the Pistons make the postseason this year, Washington will be harder to sell.

The guard line in Washington, while perhaps not yet elite, is solid. Wall and Beal should make a good combination for years to come and they certainly have the potential to become the amazing backcourt the Wizards are expecting. In order for that to happen though, they need a scoring post presence. Adding a guy like Monroe seems to make a lot of sense from the Washington perspective, and should make sense to Monroe as well.

This wasn't as intelligent an answer as I would have liked, but hopefully it at least sort of answers the questions. I'll study up on the NBA for next time.

Who's going to the Super Bowl this year? People in Denver are going nuts about the Broncos, but they lost Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller is suspended so I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. Still, no one else in the AFC is that good, are they? -Prince Michael

And on go my blue and orange goggles. Be warned, this question is answered with an extreme amount of bias.

I agree with you. With Dumervil gone, Miller out for the first six games, and Champ Bailey getting old Denver isn't going to be unbeatable. Having said that, the rest of the AFC, and the NFL for that matter, doesn't exactly look dangerous. And the offensive side of the ball looks to be pretty good with Peyton Manning now teaming up with Wes Welker.

Manning to Welker. Oh, it's going to be awesome.

Looking at those first six games that Von Miller will be suspended for I think the worst case scenario is that the Broncos make it out 4-2, best case 5-1. Sure the defense will give up some extra yardage and it may cost them, but it's a pretty weak top half of the schedule. The only two games I think Denver may drop, barring any surprise teams, are the first two against the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. The Giants should be a solid team this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if Denver drops that game. But the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens aren't looking like they'll be as good this year with the loss of Ray Lewis and a few injury concerns. The next four games are against lower tier opponents: Oakland Raider, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

I'm going to bet the Broncos finish around 12-4, give or take one game either direction. They'll win their division and probably meet either New England or Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship. While those are dangerous opponents, I'm going to give the edge to the Broncos.

I think the NFC will come down to Green Bay, Atlanta, and Seattle, and as much as I would love to see the Broncos beat the Packers or Falcons in the Super Bowl again, I think Seattle will be playing Denver on Super Bowl Sunday.

And the Denver Broncos are going to win.

Come on. You had to see that coming.

America's Pastime and the Need for a Hero

Baseball has meant more to this country than any other sport. The game has had its hands in healing and comforting America through a myriad of adversities. It has given hope to countless Americans when they needed it most. In times of war, depression, oppression, and scandal, baseball, either the game itself or a player within the game, has come to the rescue time and again. Over the past century and a half America's Pastime has produced the occasional hero to carry us through the rough times. If history tells us anything it may just be time for another legend to come our way.

Healing a Country Divided

An artist's depiction of baseball in a Civil War camp

The origins of baseball are pretty hazy, but its development is an incredible story. Northeasterners, particularly New Yorkers, became passionate about the game prior to the Civil War. Surprisingly the war caused this new and unknown game to flourish and become a nationwide phenomenon. As morale in the North's camps dwindled, baseball became more and more important. New Yorkers introduced the game to their fellow soldiers and when officers realized it was great for health and morale they wrote to other camps and encouraged baseball to be played by their men. It became such a popular game even the Confederate soldiers who were prisoners in the Union's camps picked it up and played, sometimes among themselves and sometimes against the North. I'll bet those interleague match-ups got pretty interesting.

Following the war the country needed healing in every aspect, and just as it had raised morale during the war, baseball helped to mend a country split in two. The Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team in 1869 and the game soon became a distinct part of America's identity.

WWI and the Black Sox

The United States had been involved in several wars since the Civil War, perhaps most notably the Spanish-American War, but none of those would compare to World War I. Thankfully that war ended in 1918, four years after it began, and it was nowhere near as tragic as the Civil War had been for the US. That being said, it was still a war and the country still needed to be healed.

But baseball, instead of working to heal America, nearly destroyed its trust in the game just a few decades after it began.

Shoeless Joe Jackson of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox

The 1919 Chicago White Sox were one of the best teams ever to play baseball to that point. They were led by Shoeless Joe Jackson and a long list of other stars with virtually no holes in their lineup. They came into the World Series as the heavy favorites over the Cincinnati Reds, but little did the general public know, first baseman "Chick" Gandil had organized a fix. The Sox lost the Series 5-3, but ended up losing so much more. Eventually eight players from that team were found guilty of fixing the Series by betting against themselves and throwing games. Those eight were banned from the game for life. The scandal earned that team a new nickname, the Black Sox, and the integrity of the game had been greatly compromised for the first time.

But I suppose the legacy the Sox left behind isn't all bad. After all, the hero of that era, and the greatest player ever to lift a bat, actually patterned his swing after Shoeless Joe. (And by the way, I still think Jackson was innocent in terms of the fix, but that's a story for another day).

Just when baseball was losing America's trust, and just when baseball needed a hero, America was introduced to the greatest baseball player of all time: Babe Ruth.

Never before or since has there been a player as dominant as the Great Bambino. He was a good pitcher even before he became a legendary hitter. He set records, left curses, built stadiums, called shots, and almost a hundred years later we still consider him the greatest ball player of all time. Baseball fans of that era had a player they could cheer for, and it helped heal the hurt of war and scandal. Babe Ruth was the perfect cure for baseball and for America.

WWII

You want heroes? How about the 500 big league baseball players who left the game to serve our country in World War II? In the same year that saw the last .400 hitter in Ted Williams and one of the most untouchable baseball records in Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, we also saw players drafted and voluntarily signing up for service in the military.

And it wasn't just backups or role players, there were superstars of the game who left fame and glory to defend America's freedom. Williams and Joltin' Joe both interrupted their legendary careers, as well as other future Hall of Famers such as Bob Feller, who rushed to enlist as soon as he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Many were critical that baseball was continuing on during the war. Some believed that these able bodied ball players should be serving their country and that baseball should not continue. However, one soldier, Private Clifford Mansfield, was quoted as saying "Baseball is part of the American way of life. Remove it and you remove something from the lives of American citizens, soldiers, and sailors. For the morale of the soldier and the morale of America itself, 'keep 'em playing'."

Baseball helped keep America's spirits high during the war, and the heroes who served our country with honor returned and gave the country even greater cause to cheer for them.

A Hero for Change

Jackie Robinson stole home in Game 1
of the 1955 World Series

But in the aftermath of World War II there was still a significant problem in baseball: it was still a white man's game. There were no black players to be found in the Major Leagues but rather had to play in the Negro Leagues, which did well in their own right with players such as Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, and of course, Jackie Robinson.

The hero the African American community needed arrived on the big league scene in 1947 and took it by storm. In spite of intense persecution and abuse, Robinson became the Rookie of the Year hitting .297 with 12 home runs and a league leading 29 stolen bases. He went on to have a fantastic career with All Star appearances in six of his ten season. He won the MVP award and batting title in 1949.

More importantly he broke the color barrier that would change the game of baseball forever. Major League Baseball was no longer white, it was on its way to being fully integrated and a true representation of the best America had to offer. It was now truly a national pastime, minorities included.

And by the way, if you haven't seen "42," change that. Now.

The Strike

The 1994 and 1995 Major League Baseball seasons were marred by a player's strike that left baseball fans everywhere frustrated and outraged. The 1994 playoffs and World Series were cancelled, the pinnacle of the worst work stoppage in professional sports history.

Tony Gwynn, Larry Walker, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell were among the many players who helped heal us in the '90s after we lost a little trust and faith in the game. But in my mind there are two players that really stood above the rest in making the game important to us again, and for two entirely different reasons: Cal Ripken Jr. and Ken Griffey Jr.

Cal Ripken Jr. was known as "Iron Man" for his ability to consistently stay in the lineup. He fought off several injury scares and managed stay in the lineup for 16 consecutive years. Along that road he managed to break one of those unbreakable records: Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.

Ripken rounding the bases after homering in the
fourth inning the day he broke Lou Gehrig's record

Ripken's streak was actually threatened by the strike when owner's were threatening to use replacement players to complete the season. Perhaps recognizing the importance of The Streak to the game of baseball, Orioles owner Peter Angelos made it clear he would rather forfeit the remainder of the season than see Ripken's streak come to an end, and fortunately it never came to that. What made Cal Ripken Jr., and baseball for that matter, special was watching him shatter Lou Gehrig's record. He surpassed the record in 1996, the first complete season after the strike, and finally took himself out of the lineup after 2,632 consecutive games in 1998. Ripken was a Hall of Fame player regardless of The Streak, but this legendary record cemented his legacy and helped ignite baseball passion around the country.

What made Ken Griffey Jr. a hero? Quite simply he was the best baseball player America had seen in a really, really long time. The Kid was the epitome of a five tool ball player. He could throw, field, run, hit, and most of all he could hit with power. He was a 13 time All Star, won a Gold Glove in every year of the 1990s, and earned seven Silver Slugger awards. He is the only three-time winner of the Home Run Derby and hit over 40 home runs on seven different occasions, hitting 56 in 1997 and 1998. Junior finished his career with 630 dingers, good for fourth all time (if you exclude Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, which I do).

Junior watching one of his many long balls

It amazes me that in spite of all those statistics he only earned one MVP award in his career. Regardless of that he earned enough honors and was so dominant during the '90s he is arguably the greatest player of this generation. With probably the prettiest swing in the history of the game, an incredible amount of talent, and a personality that told us all he was just having fun out there, he was virtually everyone's favorite player of the 1990s. Having a superstar like Griffey made us miss baseball during the player's strike and excited us when it came back. Junior was the kind of hero baseball deserves in every generation.

**********

And now here we are, hopefully on the tail end of the steroid era. Fans are losing a lot of interest in baseball, particularly the younger generation (more women 50 or older watched last year's World Series than men under 50). Part of the problem may be the slower pace of the game or the feeling we get that baseball is stuck in tradition with an unwillingness to change and progress, which has valid arguments on both sides. But one of the largest reasons is that people have lost faith in the players. Sacred records have been broken by cheaters leaving us confused as to who the true home run kings are. Is Roger Maris the single season home run leader with 61, or are juiced up Sammy Sosa (66), Mark McGwire (70), and Barry Bonds (73) all ahead of him in the record books? Does Hammerin' Hank Aaron own the career mark with 755, or is Bonds the Home Run King with 762?

We could use another baseball legend like the
greatest legend of all time: Babe Ruth

Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez... The list goes on and on and on, filled with superstars who violated our trust by using performance enhancing drugs. At first we thought they were legends in the making. Now their names are forever tainted for lying to us and violating the sacredness of baseball. The game has lost a lot of fans, some we have no hope of recovering, but if baseball has any hope of continuing on as the American Pastime we need a Babe Ruth or a Ken Griffey Jr. We need someone to make a run at a sacred and unbreakable record (DiMaggio's hit streak?). We need someone who takes the game by storm. We may even need a whole army of them.

Sure we have Miguel Cabrera, last year's Triple Crown winner, the first since 1967. Sure we have Chris Davis, who hit home runs in the first half of the season at an alarming rate, though he's slowed considerably since the All-Star break. Sure we have Yasiel Puig, who broke onto the big league scene with some major noise back in June.

But none of them are the legend we need. At least not yet.

Maybe he's in the League already, maybe he isn't. But hopefully we find him, or them soon. Who will it be? Cabrera? Davis? Puig? Mike Trout? Bryce Harper? Stephen Strasburg?

We need to step into another golden age of baseball, and we need our heroes to be clean beyond a shadow of a doubt. I don't know what it's going to take, but we need a legendary player, or players, that we can trust. Maybe then our faith in the players and love of the game will be restored. 

Didn't See That Coming

One of my favorite things about my current job is that I spend a decent amount of time every day in the car listening to ESPN radio. I enjoy hearing the breaking news as soon as it happens, but the other day it was a good thing I was alone on a particular stretch of road as I heard some of the most stunning news ever: Brad Stevens had been named the new head coach of the Boston Celtics.

Will Brad Stevens succeed in the NBA? I'll bet so.

I literally started screaming because I was so shocked. I wasn't screaming anything in particular or at anyone specifically, I was just genuinely stunned at the news. My favorite college basketball coach in the country was no longer a college basketball coach.

My logical mind was trying to convince my heart that this is a good thing. It still hasn't worked.

It's just that I never expected something like this. Brad Stevens is everything you'd ever want in a college coach. He teaches and lives by The Butler Way, which I've mentioned before is something I buy into. He's smart. He works hard. He turns overlooked players into superstars. And even though he never said it, we all thought he was going to stay at Butler forever.

Even though I'm shocked and perhaps even a little dismayed at it, I think it's a smart move for both parties. The Celtics are rebuilding, so why spend money on a big name and veteran NBA coach? And it can't hurt Brad Stevens' career to go to the NBA. If he flops, he'll still be a great college coach. But he is incredibly smart so I think he might make it. In fact, I'm betting he will. It'll be a slow start because the Celtics are going to be absolutely awful the next year or two, but that means the expectations are low so it could give him time to adjust.

The biggest question I have is whether or not he will be able to get the respect of Rajon Rondo, who is really the only star left on the roster. Rondo's had some authority problems before, so will he respect a coach who's only a few years older than him and has no NBA experience whatsoever? If he can get Rondo to buy in and get the team to rally around Stevens, Boston's rebuilding will go a little smoother. If not, they just may ship Rondo out somewhere else. They're clearly not afraid of rebuilding and risks.

A Rockin' Suprise - Can It Last?

Troy Tulowitzki and the Colorado Rockies are off to a hot start. Can they sustain it throughout the season?

Statistics, injuries, and observations are all as of the morning of  April 27.

For the time being, the Colorado Rockies are sitting atop the National League West. For a brief moment they even had the best record in baseball. The pitchers have been doing their job and pitching like a somewhat reliable staff, something they've never been. The bats have been on fire, though they've cooled slightly the past few games. And if I had written this last week like I meant to, there would have been no significant injuries to worry about.

In order for the Rockies to succeed this season and make a run at postseason play they need the bats to stay hot, the pitching staff to be consistent and solid, and key players to stay injury free. I apologize for my pessimism, but I have been a Rockies fan for far too long to believe that all of these things are a possibility, especially if the past couple of years are any indication.

Dexter Fowler is hitting with more power
than we are used to seeing.

The Bats Are Hot

Rockies fans are used to this. The Blake Street Bombers are tops in the big leagues in batting average (.279) and slugging percentage (.463) and on base percentage (.344), and second in runs scored (123) . None of this should surprise anyone. Two of the games most dangerous hitters, Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, anchor the Rockies offense, but it doesn't stop there. Most of the lineup -- Dexter Fowler, Josh Rutledge, CarGo, Tulo, Michael Cuddyer, and Wilin Rosario -- are downright dangerous.

The numbers and MLB rankings aren't surprising. What is surprising is who leads the team in some of the offensive categories. Dex is first on the team in slugging percentage (.610) and home runs, with seven dingers through 23 games; his career best is 13 in a season. Cuddy tops the charts with a .325 batting average and .393 on base percentage. Will they stay at the top? I doubt it, but if the Rockies are to be considered postseason contenders by the end of the year they will need to still be impact players and threats to put the ball in play and drive in runs.

Improved Pitching Staff

The Rockies pitchers currently have a 3.90 ERA, and while that is good for only 17th in baseball, it is one of the most promising starts we have seen from the Rox staff for as long as I can recall.

Obviously if the bats don't stay hot, the Rockies have no hope, but if the pitchers can stay healthy and consistent all year long and hover somewhere around a 4.00 ERA collectively, this team could suddenly become very, very good. Pitching has been Colorado's Achilles heel for years and remains a difficult riddle to solve, but prospects are looking up.

Injury Concerns

Injuries are always a concern, but last year they completely derailed the Rockies season. That's not to say the Rox were destined for the playoffs by any means, but it turned into the worst season in Rockies history and was a little demoralizing.

If Jhoulys Chacin and the Rox staff can stay healthy and
consistent, the Rockies could be competitive.

Troy Tulowitzki went down with a groin injury and missed most of the year. Durability is a bit of a question for Tulo as he has only played over 140 games three times in his career. Carlos Gonzalez has only played over 140 games once in his career. As the two best players in the Rockies organization, their health and durability are essential to the Rockies success.

Last season the pitching staff struggled to stay healthy and it seemed as though the entire starting rotation went out with an injury for an extended amount of time. This pitching staff is off to a hot start and cannot afford to see guys out on the DL, but it has already begun with Jhoulys Chacin on the 15-day DL beginning April 20 with a lower back strain. Here's to hoping he recovers quickly and the pitching staff, or any of the rest of the Rockies, suffer any long-term injuries the rest of the year.

If all the key players can stay healthy, the pitching staff stays at least average, and the bats stay hot, this team could make a postseason run. But I've been following Rockies baseball for too long to have full faith in the possibility after just 23 games have been played. Ah, well. Here's to hoping for a baseball miracle!

Ziggy

The story of Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah has been extremely well documented, so I don't want to bore you with the whole story again, but if somehow you missed it take the time and read the full story from Sports Illustrated. And this recent article by ESPN is worth a read and will make you laugh, guaranteed.

And in case you don't want to read all that, here's a recap, which also serves as the general framework of Ziggy's version of The Blindside:

• Ezekiel Ansah, a Ghana native, has dreams of coming to the United States and playing in the NBA.
• He comes to BYU for school and to pursue a basketball career.
• Never making the cut for basketball, he runs track.
• Barely being able to fit in the track lane, he is taken to Coach Mendenhall about playing football.
• After being taught how to put on his pads, he walks onto the football team.
• For the first couple of years, he is a really nice story and fan favorite.
• Suddenly, in the middle of his senior year, he becomes a dominant force on the football field.



Ziggy always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
That's a gift.

• Now he is projected to be a top ten pick in the NFL draft.

I sure wish that would happen for me. Your dreams of playing in the NBA didn't work out? I'm sorry, but here is a nice consolation prize of playing in the NFL!

Somehow he skyrocket from being brand new to the gridiron to a guaranteed first round draft pick. More than that, he has been projected to go as high as second in the draft, and it is suddenly almost unheard of to see him listed outside the top ten.

So what is it about Ziggy that has caused this meteoric rise? I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a football expert. I don't know how to study football film or the intricacies of the game that will make any player great, but especially a defensive end. I'm pretty clueless.

But I have some ideas based on my research and observations, and in spite of my limited knowledge of the game of football, I think I have a pretty good handle on why Ziggy is turning heads.

Freakish Athleticism

If you have watched him play at all, you know Ziggy has some unbelievable physical gifts. The dude is 6'6" and 273 pounds. When I hear that I picture a huge man, but I don't necessarily picture a guy who is pure muscle and scary fast like Ziggy. He's big, strong, fast (4.56 40 time), and can jump (34.5 inch vertical, and a BYU trainer says he's seen him do better). His closing speed surprises people, and that strength of his leads to some pretty big hits, especially evidenced by the research done by ESPN's Sports Science. You can get a feel for that speed and athleticism in the highlight reel from his senior year.

Unlimited Potential

As a result of the unreal amounts of athletic ability he possesses, nobody really knows where his ceiling is. He's only been playing football for a couple of years, and if he continues to improve at the rate he has thus far, he could end up being one of the best. More realistically he'll end up being a productive NFL player who makes it to a Pro Bowl or two before he retires, but with the raw talent he has you just never know.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Born to Haitian immigrants, Jason Pierre-Paul didn't begin playing football until his junior year of high school. Basketball had been his focus until that point. After a couple of years of junior college football, he transferred to South Florida where he had a dominating junior year before bolting to the NFL.

Comparisons to Jason Pierre-Paul are intriguing.

In summary, JPP left his love of basketball to play football where he excelled because of his size, speed, and natural athletic ability. He caught NFL scouts off guard, but went in the first round of the NFL draft. In his first three seasons he hasn't just lived up to expectations, he's exceeded them.

The similarities on and off the field are striking and it seems that NFL execs are ready to see if Ziggy really is the next JPP.

High Level of Intelligence

He's majoring in Actuarial Science. Do I need to say anything more than that?

His football intelligence is growing. He went from being absolutely lost on a football field to being able to play special teams, lineman, and linebacker. Ziggy is learning the nuances of the game at an incredibly fast rate. This quote from Coach Bronco Mendenhall, BYU's head coach, says a lot about Ansah's football IQ:

"Remember that first time on special teams? Fast-forward to our last game of 2012, the Poinsettia Bowl against San Diego State. We were calling a defense that had Ziggy as the screen defender. He popped off the line and drew the block from the tackle. When the tackle released, Ziggy turned, got in his hip pocket and made the play. This was a guy who understood the nuances of the game. He was basically fake rushing, inviting the screen so he could make a play on it. That's where we are no, just a couple dozen games removed from 'Go hit the guy with the ball.'"

Winning MVP honors in the Senior Bowl caused
Ziggy's draft stock to soar. 

He went from "Go hit the guy with the ball" to Senior Bowl MVP and projected top ten draft pick in three seasons, with limited playing time in the first two seasons especially. It takes a lot of intelligence to move up that quickly.

Hard Work

Ezekiel Ansah is a great example of someone who pursues his dreams and never gives up. He came to America and BYU to pursue a career in basketball. He got cut after tryouts, but he came back to try again. He got cut a second time, but still found a way to use his athletic talents. Perhaps he doesn't have a firm grasp on what the NFL is or what his potential is, but he was once pursuing a professional basketball career, so he knows how to chase a dream. If his impressive learning curve on the gridiron is any indication, he's caught hold of the NFL vision and is willing to work hard to make it happen and reach his full potential. And if he ever does reach that potential, he is going to be scary good.

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Think about it: he was a walk-on project that had never even seen a football game a mere three years ago. He didn't start a game until part way into his senior year, then he finished the year by winning MVP honors at the Senior Bowl. Now he's generally considered the best defensive end prospect in the draft, a first round lock, and a probably top ten pick.

I think he's worth taking a chance on, don't you?