The Colorado Rockies All-Time Starting Nine

As I’m sure is the case with most of you, the offseason is hard for me. Especially in the weeks leading up to Spring Training when the dust has settled from Winter Meetings and little tends to happen in the free agent market -- particularly in Colorado. Well pitchers and catchers have finally reported, but I’ve spent the past two weeks reflecting on the past. It all started with a box of cards.

Perhaps to clean out his basement or perhaps to pass the time before the season starts (I do know he bought a few just to give to me, so thanks Dad!), my dad recently sent me a box full of baseball cards. He does this from time-to-time and I always enjoy going through a new batch of cards and finding some hidden gems. My wife's reaction is always the same: "Why?" 

Because it's awesome. But I’m probably preaching to the choir here.

As with many children I'm sure, I was frequently told it was time to go clean my room. My poor mother, though. She faced the impossible task of convincing me that reorganizing my baseball cards did not actually qualify as cleaning. In my defense, I did occasionally reorganize my bookshelf too! But that also involved my precious baseball cards as I tried to find the perfect place to shelve the binders that housed them.

I loved following the players' statistics. As a kid I would lay out the cards on the floor and piece together the team I would field if I was manager of the Rockies. In fact, some of my Rockies cards have a number written on them, one through nine, to signify the spot in the batting order I would place them if they were my team. Don't worry though (because I’m sure you care about my card collection), it wasn't the nice cards I did that to!

With this recent batch of cards -- which included a few packs from the Rockies -- I got to thinking: “If I were to assemble an All-Rockies lineup from the franchise’s history, what would that lineup look like?”

So here it is. In my opinion, the greatest all-time Colorado Rockies that could create a starting nine. (I didn’t look at relievers because finding a worthy starting pitcher is hard enough, so I didn’t want to touch the bullpen.) We’re going to keep this light, with highlight videos, some of my favorite memories of these players, and very few statistics. Enjoy, and then leave your thoughts on who belongs among the all-time greatest Colorado Rockies.

Pitcher: Ubaldo Jimenez

So Jimenez was probably the best starter in Colorado history, or at least had the best season, but I’m still mad at him for beaning Tulo in Spring Training a couple years back, so let’s not talk about him today.

Honorable Mention: Mike Hampton

Why? Because he hit TEN home runs in two season with the Rockies. TEN. With seven coming in 2001. HE’S A PITCHER! And it was fun to watch.

Catcher: Yorvit Torrealba

If there’s one position for the Rockies that has been as problematic as the pitching, it’s the catching. Yorvit Torrealba gets the nod for primarily one reason: 2007. He provided some leadership and timely hitting on that remarkable run to the World Series, most memorably this 3-run jack that would prove the game winner in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Diamondbacks:

Honorable Mention: Joe Girardi

He was a leader in those early years, but wasn’t anything beyond an “okay” hitter.

First Base: Todd Helton

Was there any question? Five time All Star, four time Silver Slugger, three time Gold Glover and face of the Colorado Rockies for well over a decade Todd Helton may well be the best player in franchise history.

But where do I even begin with Todd Helton highlights? Helton was sitting at 2,499 career hits when I took my wife to her first ever Rockies game. The eight hour drive is always worth it when we can make it happen, but it was going to be extra special to be there for hit number 2,500, right? Nope. He went 0-4 with 3 Ks and flew out to the warning track. I’m glad my wife got to see Helton play before he retired, but hit 2,500 will not be one of my personal favorite Todd Helton memories, though it was certainly a special moment. I had a difficult time narrowing the list, so I chose two: one that’s fun and one that’s highlight reel worthy. 

The first one is just classic, clever Toddfather. I laugh every time:

This next highlight will give you chills.

September 18, 2007. Sitting 6.5 games out of first and 4.5 games out of the Wild Card race (fourth place in both), Colorado’s playoff chances were bleak as just 12 games remained. Two nights prior they blasted the Marlins 13-0 and they had begun the day with a 3-1 win against the Dodgers. The second game of the double header with Los Angeles was a higher scoring affair with Colorado trailing 8-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth. One on, two out, Todd Helton down 1-2 in the count. Then suddenly, this:

Over seven years later and I can still feel the emotion. We didn’t know where it would lead just yet, but we could feel something magic in the air. It was the third game in a streak that would see Colorado win 21 of 22 en route to a National League Championship and the franchise’s first World Series appearance. It was still a long shot, but after that walk off blast there was hope, and the Rockies went on a tear to complete the most memorable season in team history.

Honorable Mention: Andres Galarraga

The Big Cat deserves an honorable mention and video here as well. You just can’t ignore the guy who won the NL batting title in Colorado’s inaugural year. So here’s a monster grand slam. It even comes with a bat flip:

Second Base: Eric Young Sr.

While second has been a struggle at times for the Rockies, EY started the Rockies off right (and not just because he hit a solo dinger in the Rockies’ first ever plate appearance). In 1995 he hit .317, only to follow it up with a .324 average the following year, leading him to his first and only All Star appearance and Silver Slugger award.

But speaking of that leadoff at bat in 1993, let’s watch it:

Honorable Mention: DJ LeMahieu

He’s still young, and with time he may eclipse EY, but in the mean time I’ll give Colorado’s first Gold Glove second baseman a nice honorable mention.

Third Base: Vinny Castilla

Aside from the struggles of finding a pitcher and catcher good enough for this list, third base was the toughest decision to make. I give the two-time All Star, three-time Silver Slugger the ever-so-slight edge over Nolan Arenado, but give it one more solid season and this spot will go to Nolan. Castilla was a tremendous hitter, and while he wasn’t nearly the defender that Arenado is, he was adequate.

Now there aren’t a whole lot of Vinny Castilla videos readily available, but MLB.com documents his pinch hit single in the final game and final at bat of his career, so feel free to go and watch that special moment.

Honorable Mention: Nolan Arenado

Like I said, give him one more season anywhere close to the quality of his first two and I’ll place him ahead of Castilla. Arenado is a Web Gem waiting to happen and there are some brilliant highlights, but what I love most about Nolan is that he makes plays like this look totally routine:

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki

In similar no-brainer fashion to Todd Helton, Tulo is the clear choice at shortstop. While he’s no Cal Ripken in the durability department, the injury concerns are overblown and he is the best shortstop in baseball and one of the best players in the game at any position. Already a five-time All Star, two-time Gold Glover, and two-time Silver Slugger, Tulowitzki is as well-rounded and complete a player as you will ever find. Here’s to a healthy 2015!

As for highlights, there are way too many. So I just picked two: one defense, one offense.

Watch Tulo field back-to-back grounders up the middle and make other-worldly plays for a pair of outs:

And here’s a Tulo home run, but in this one the real highlight is the guy who catches it while holding a baby:

Honorable Mention: Walt Weiss

You know what I remember about Walt Weiss? I remember that he had a knack for turning over the order from the eighth spot in the lineup. I also remember that my mom stood behind him in line at the grocery store once.

Outfield: Matt Holliday, Dante Bichette, Larry Walker

Matt Holliday

Did you know that in five years in Colorado Holliday hit under .300 just once: his 2004 rookie campaign where he hit .290. That’s not bad. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m going back to 2007 again. But the most memorable play in Matt Holliday’s time in Colorado had to be against San Diego in the bottom of the 13th inning of the one game playoff for the NL Wild Card spot.

(Technology has bested me on this one, so you'll have to watch it here.)

The announcer may not agree with me, but I have to back the umpire here: Matt Holliday was safe!

Dante Bichette

Every time Bichette stepped up to the plate there was a chance for something special. Like Holliday he spent every season in Colorado above .300 except one and never hit fewer than 21 homers in a season, including 1995 when he led the National League with 40. He epitomized the Blake Street Bombers, especially in the Rockies first game at Coors Field.

Bottom of the 14th and Bichette was thinking walkoff or bust:

You don’t get to see it in that video, but he took a couple hacks in the preceding pitches and he wasn’t swinging for a single. When he connected it was simply beautiful!

Larry Walker

Well, DUH. One of the better arms I’ve ever seen in the game, and a tremendous bat on top of it, Larry Walker is second to only Todd Helton on this entire list, at least in my opinion. I’m such a big Walker fan I’m going to write less words and share more videos!

I’m resisting the urge to share the video of Walker tossing the ball into the stands thinking he’s made out number three as he was with Montreal at the time, but here he is robbing Mark McGwire of an RBI sac-fly:

And here he is swinging the lumber and going deep three times against his former team:

Aside from the All Star Game I attended at Coors Field in 1998, this is my favorite memory of the Midsummer Classic:

Oh, Larry. Always entertaining!

Honorable Mention: Carlos Gonzalez, Ellis Burks

Burks had some incredible seasons during his time in Colorado, and Gonzalez is one of the most talented guys in the game and a tough omission, but with Walker, Holliday, and Bichette to compete with that will be a tough list to crack for anyone going forward.

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So there you have it: my starting nine comprised of the all-time greatest to don a Rockies uniform. Agree? Disagree? Ideas on the best relievers? What do you think?

God and Sports: Jeremy Guthrie

This post introduces a series of posts (we'll see how many I actually write) that relate two of the most important aspects of my life: God and sports. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon, but these posts should be applicable to those from other faiths. Some will contain my own ideas, but this one comes from my notes and thoughts surrounding a message delivered by Jeremy Guthrie, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, and his wife, Jenny.

Any inaccuracies in the stories below are the fault of my poor note taking ability and weak memory. But the messages and lessons remain the same regardless.

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If you were offered a million dollars to play professional baseball for the team of your childhood, but you would have to give up a spiritual goal and opportunity to serve people in a foreign country that you had never met for two years, what would you do? Perhaps that would be an easier decision if you clearly understood who you are and what your purpose is.

Jenny Guthrie, wife of Kansas City Royals pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie, related a story about her husband when he was a minor league ball player in the Cleveland Indians farm system. Jeremy was at winter meetings with other prospects and one of the motivational speakers went around the room asking each prospect the question, "Who are you?"

"Brandon Phillips," came one response. The speaker challenge him, "I didn't ask what your name is." "I'm on a quest to the Major Leagues," another athlete declared. "I didn't ask where you are going." Jeremy Guthrie gave the simple and sincere answer, "I am a child of God." No sarcastic remark came in response. 

For one thing, it is very difficult for someone to challenge a testimony. When Guthrie stated the simple truth of his divine heritage, I have no doubt that the Spirit of God was in that room. It must have touched the heart of all those present to hear the conviction of one who knows exactly who he is. And knowing that Jeremy Guthrie is the kind of man who can share his spiritual knowledge in front of all his peers, and without fear of consequence, helped me to understand the experiences that he related next.

A few years prior to those Cleveland Indians winter meetings Guthrie could have been drafted as high as the third round, but he made it clear that he intended to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a result he slipped to be the 15th round choice of the New York Mets, who happened to be the team he grew up rooting for. Talk about a dream come true! Most boys grow up closing their eyes, envisioning themselves in uniform for their favorite team one day. But very, very few ever come close to making that a reality.

Yet somehow Jeremy Guthrie was still suggesting to Mets executives that he would turn down the chance to play for his favorite team in order to stop playing baseball for two full years. He said that he still has no idea if it was a rhetorical question or a legitimate offer when he was asked "If we gave you one million dollars, would you still turn down the opportunity to play for the Mets and go on a church mission?"

He didn't hesitate. He chose to risk his entire future in baseball to serve a mission in Spain. He didn't pick up a baseball for two consecutive years, something most would view as a career-killing move, and he did it willingly.

Why? Guthrie's top priority isn't the game he loves, but rather the God he loves. When our primary focus is Heavenly Father, everything else falls into place. While his message was delivered specifically to LDS youth, the lesson is applicable to all of us. Speaking to those youth he said, "The Lord will not take away what he has planned for you if you choose to serve a mission. That is my promise to you."

To apply that to all of us I would like to make a minor change to that quote: "The Lord will not take away what he has planned for you if you choose to serve Him. That is my promise to you."

You are a child of God. Place God first and life will work out exactly how He intends it. That is a message and a promise from a man who seems uniquely qualified to give it. A man who walked away from baseball to serve his Father. A man who is about to take the mound in Game 3 of the World Series for his Kansas City Royals.

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UPDATE: Guthrie went 5.0 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs while earning the win in his first ever World Series appearance, giving Kansas City a 2-1 series lead. In the deciding Game 7, Guthrie outlasted Giants starter Tim Hudson by going 3.1 innings, but was handed the loss after giving up 4 hits and 3 runs. Still a remarkable postseason for Jeremy Guthrie and the Royals!

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.

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Additional Links:

UZR Explained

DRS Explained

3B Advanced Metrics Standings

3B Fielding Percentage and dWAR Standings

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.