You would think, of all people, she'd be paying attention.

The link right here tells of an unfortunate incident for the notriously fast Denard Span. As it turns out, Span struck his own mother with a foul ball during an at-bat in a Spring Training game against the Yankees. One would think your eyes would certainly be on the batter when your son is up. I don't know how well struck the foul ball was. Mrs. Span was okay, however. And she did confirm with our beat reported on the scene (that I just fabricated now) that she is also FAST!!!!

Stay tuned as I come up with a name for this fake beat reporter.

-APT

2010 Major League Baseball Predictions

With the beginning of the 2010 season just days away, it is certainly time to unveil our Blogger Predictions for the new year. Things have certainly evolved since the beginning of our trip around the majors, so expect some inconsistencies. Let's see what the bloggers are thinking...



NL East:
1. Phillies
2. Mets
3. Braves
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central:
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Pirates
6. Astros

NL West:
1. Rockies
2. Dodgers
3. Diamondbacks
4. Giants
5. Padres

AL East:
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox
3. Rays
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles

AL Central:
1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians

AL West:
1. Rangers
2. Mariners
3. Angels
4. Athletics


NLDS
Cardinals over Dodgers
Rockies over Phillies

NLCS
Cardinals over Rockies

ALDS
Yankees over White Sox
Rangers over Red Sox

ALCS
Yankees over Rangers

World Series:
Cardinals over Yankees

NL MVP – Albert Pujols, Cardinals
AL MVP – Ian Kinsler, Rangers

NL ROY – Jason Heyward, Braves
AL ROY – Julio Borbon, Rangers

NL Cy Young – Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez, Mariners



NL East:
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central:
1. Cardinals
2. Brewers
3. Reds
4. Cubs
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL West:
1. Giants
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres

AL East:
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

AL Central:
1. Twins
2. Tigers
3. White Sox
4. Indians
5. Royals

AL West:
1. Mariners
2. Rangers
3. Angels
4. Athletics


NLDS
Cardinals over Giants
Phillies over Rockies

NLCS
Cardinals over Phillies

ALDS
Yankees over Twins
Mariners over Red Sox

ALCS
Yankees over Mariners

World Series:
Yankees over Cardinals

NL MVP – Albert Pujols, Cardinals
AL MVP – Alex Rodriguez, Yankees

NL ROY – Ian Desmond, Nationals
AL ROY – Wade Davis, Rays

NL Cy Young – Tim Lincecum, Giants
AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez, Mariners



NL East:
1. Braves
2. Phillies
3. Mets
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central:
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL West:
1. Dodgers
2. Rockies
3. Giants
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres

AL East:
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

AL Central:
1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians

AL West:
1. Angels
2. Rangers
3. Mariners
4. Athletics


NLDS
Cardinals over Phillies
Braves over Dodgers

NLCS
Braves over Cardinals

ALDS
Yankees over White Sox
Red Sox over Angels

ALCS
Yankees over Red Sox

World Series:
Yankees over Braves

NL MVP – Manuel Ramirez, Dodgers
AL MVP – Carlos Quentin, White Sox

NL ROY – Jason Heyward, Braves
AL ROY – Carlos Santana, Indians

NL Cy Young – Johan Santana, Mets
AL Cy Young – John Lester, Red Sox

AN ODE TO RAFF

In case you missed it, the Final Four is less than one week away. While this upcoming weekend is one of the more exciting ones of the year in sports, I always find myself sad at this time because I know that one of sports broadcasting’s most scintillating voices is about to go into hibernation for the next eight months or so. Bill Raftery takes a sport that I already love to watch and somehow makes it even more enjoyable.

Being a product of the great state of New Jersey, I grew up watching New Jersey Nets telecasts. These exhibits of basketball virtuosity were (more often than not) called by the announcing tandem of Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery, so at an early age I was exposed to the greatness that is the Silver Catchphrase Machine. For some reason, I crack a giant smile pretty much anytime he opens his mouth, and on top of that, he is a legitimate expert on the game that often contributes insightful comments to the telecast, which is a much rarer quality than a lot of people realize these days.

I can think of no better way to honor one of my idols than presenting a Top 5 list of my favorite Bill Raftery catchphrases (with YouTube links):

5. “Onions!” (around 0:08)
4. “The big fella!” (around 6:12)
3. “With the smooch!” / ”With the kiss!” (around 0:12, and for good measure he throws in a line about Belgian waffles…brilliant)
2. “[Team on defense] goes man-ta-man!” (around 0:15)
And of course…
1. “Send it in!”

Note: There is a great article I came across on SI.com, by Kevin Armstrong, that does BR much more justice than I can…definitely check it out.

Book it!

-The BOMB

100 Posts.

This marks the 100th post in the history of Lightning in a Bottle, and although I naively suggested I might actively advance readership in the past 50 posts, I, of course, have not done so. I will make the same promise again, but this time give myself far more time to do so. You will not see another celebratory post until 500, and at that time, we hope to have a fairly expansive foundation of readers and to really get this mission off the ground. Perhaps we will recruit additional bloggers and really start covering the sports world like a blanket. Thank you to everyone for continuing to follow our progress. We hope to put forth something to be proud as time wears on.

Thanks,

-APT

Saviour?

It has come to my attention that, in some circles, people are celebrating Duke's victory in the Elite Eight over Baylor, for the reason that it has saved the Final Four. Saved the Final Four? Was the Final Four being held captive in a castle tower by a dragon, and only Kyle Singler in shining armor (or if you watched the game, Lance Thomas) could defeat the beast and save it? I supposed the above can be rationalized by the people who could give a shit about basketball, but happen to work high up at CBS. Perhaps, it could also be rationalized by those in charge of trying to fill an arena for Final Four viewing. But to think that we would not have had a brilliant Final Four without a #1 seed, or a big name team, is ridiculous. In fact, I'm an enormous fan of sport, and I am far more drawn to the early rounds of the tournament, the potential of surprise, the Cinderellas and the slain Giants, and I find myself watching less basketball as the tournament advances.
I have found this to come up in various sporting championships, and it certainly bugs me as a sports fan. The four teams in that make it this far, sure as hell earn the right to be here and be celebrated for doing so. Do I think that Michigan State, Duke, West Virginia and Butler are the four best teams in College Basketball? Of course not. But would I have any other teams here. Hell No. You have to earn your trip here and these four teams did. And looking at the basketball that they've provided for us in the past two weeks, how can we believe that we will be rewarded with anything but great basketball for this final weekend. It would be ridiculous to assume otherwise. Will all three games be decided by a last second sprawling shot? Unlikely. But we should have 3 quality games. What could possibly make people believe that you need specific names or players or what to make a sporting event worthwhile is plain stupid. Good basketball is good basketball, and that's all that should matter to people who don't have money at stake in ratings or ticket sales.
I feel almost silly making this argument, because it is so blatantly obvious to anyone who actually cares about sports themselves, but it was peeving me enough today to write about it. Xavier and Kansas State played the best basketball game of the tournament and the best that I can remember since the second round of I believe in 2003 when the #1 seed in the West, Arizona, edged, I think #9 seed, Gonzaga, after two great overtimes, in what was the most incredibly compelling NCAA tournament game I've ever taken any part in. However if some "fans" saw Xavier-Kansas State as the tournament final, I'm sure you'd get some gripes and wishes for Kansas-Kentucky. I'm sure the same can easily be said about seeing Gonzaga there back in 2003. Especially in college, let's celebrate these kids who have earned everything they've gotten.
All-in-all, I wish everyone good basketball this coming weekend.

-APT

Also, a quick note: ESPN presented PTI with the argument of whether the NCAA should reseed for the Final Four. If this answer it not obvious, it is a heavily resounding NO.

Tom Izzo

It has become glaringly obvious that Tom Izzo is one of the great College Basketball coaches of our time, and possibly in history. Year after year as critics of the Big Ten bellow louder and louder, Michigan State keeps dispelling their claims. MSU has just earned its 6th trip to the Final Four in Tom Izzo's 12 years. They are the only team to repeat from last season's Final Four, one of the only two teams (besides Xavier, who this blog has already propped for their achievements) to make the past 3 Sweet Sixteens. I seem to remember during the emergence of Gonzaga, they were one of two teams to make 3 consecutive Sweet Sixteens. The other, again, was Michigan State. Now, as a very harsh Big Ten critic, who, once again, has been made a fool (and just had a generally terrible year picking games in this tournament), I don't find myself qualified to be his praiser. I will simply apologize once again for my short-sidedness and direct you to this article by Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.

-APT

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS PRE-PREVIEW: BUCK WILD

The general consensus among those that have followed the NBA this season is that the Eastern Conference, much like the past few seasons, is very top heavy. This observation is certainly not without merit; a not-so-trivial 6 1/2 games separates 4th-place Atlanta from 5th-place Milwaukee. By comparison, teams two through eight in the Western Conference are separated by a whopping four games. That should make the East playoffs (or at least the first round) that much easier to predict, right? Sure, however don’t count out a potential first round upset (remember Boston’s tussle with Chicago in the first round last year?). In my mind there is only one team that has a realistic chance to send one of the East’s top four home earlier than planned, the Milwaukee Bucks.
A lot of NBA media types have been getting behind Scott Skiles and Co. in recent weeks, and not without good reason, being they are 16-5 since the All-Star break. This stretch has coincided with the arrival of John Salmons from Chicago in a deal completed right before the trading deadline. Salmons has been good for 19.8 points per game since taking up residence in the Bradley Center, and he has had a similar impact on the Bucks’ offense as he did last season when he was traded to the Bulls at the deadline.
What hasn’t been talked about much (outside of Kevin Pelton at Basketball Prospectus, from what I have seen) is what Salmons brings defensively to the team. The Bucks were already a very good defensive squad before the trade (not surprising, see Skiles, Scott), but with Salmons in the lineup their D has been positively elite, posting the best defensive rating in the league (points per 100 possessions) over that span by a mile. This does come as a bit of a surprise at first as Salmons doesn’t have a great defensive reputation, however judging by some stats from basketballvalue.com, it is apparent that Salmons’ true value actually lies in his defensive contributions. Over the past year, Salmons’ teams have given up 5.76 fewer points per 100 possessions when he is on the court as opposed to when he is riding the pine. That is an impressive number for someone who is almost never mentioned in the same breath as other strong defenders in the league (to give some context, Kobe Bryant’s defensive plus/minus over the same period is -4.67, more than a point less than Salmons’).
It is for this exact reason that the Bucks are dangerous come April. They are an average offensive team, but if they continue to suffocate their opponents on D, that won’t matter. Boston or Atlanta (their most likely first round opponents) could be in trouble in the first round, and Boston in particular may be having nightmares thinking back to what happened last spring (with good reason).

-The BOMB

It's Not Fair

Joey Porter was arrested on suspicion of Drunk Driving IN A TACO BELL PARKING LOT!!! That just doesn't seem fair to me. Every car in that Taco Bell Parking lot, assuming it was after 11pm was under the influence of something.

"That's profiling and profiling is wrong" -Ron White

-APT

That was the ugliest...

...clutch possession of basketball I have ever seen.

Congrats to Butler.

No Preview for Tonight

Doesn't look like I'll time to get a preview done for tonight's games. Last night's games went later into the night than I imagined. I gave you a good idea at how I thought things would go in the mailbag. I'll give you some input as to how things went down on a post tomorrow morning.

Enjoy the basketball!

Text From Last Night

Here is a new fun blog segment to try. A play on the very popular website Text from last night. Here are some fabricated text messages at various moments of sporting events from the night before (in this case during hte Sweet 16 games) to help provide some commentary. Real texts will of course also apply in future segments.


I think Syracuse's Center has the hands of the guy in the Burger King Commercial!
This is of course in reference to Syracuse Forward Rick Jackson. Several times throughout last nights crapfest of a game by Syracuse, Jackson simply couldn't hold onto what were perfectly legitimate entry passes, and the would bounce off his hands and roll out of bounds. (The guy in the BK commercial is the one that likes McDonalds burger because it fits better in his small hands)


Isn't Zeke too old to go to college?
Isiah Thomas Jr. Plays for UDub. I was shocked when the announcers told me he was only 5'8". FIVE-EIGHT!!! Yet, the kid still controlled driving lanes, seeking contact, putting up an impressive performance in a game where Husky star Quincy Pondexter couldn't stay on the floor. NOTE: Zeke Jr. was playing with a BROKEN LEFT HAND!

Half-Nelsons are legal in the basketball?!?!
Late in the game, after Syracuse made their huge run to close the gap, and actually pulled ahead by 4, after a sweet throwdown. (I believe this is chronologically right, but I'm not positive) Butler had the ball in the half court, and the there was a strip that resulted in the ball leaving play, staying with Butler. This was at the top of your screen. At the bottom, you saw two players, one from each team, sprawling to the ground. Upon further review (thanks to DVR), you could see Butler forward Gordon Hayward perform a half-nelson take-down on the Syracuse player that made a strong positional move to box him out. This was not called, and Butler hit a HUGE 3! Absolute game changer!


Boring! Is anybody ever going to score in this....DAMN!!!!!
This is in reference to the beginning of the Xavier-KState game. It took about 2:00 for the first bucket, but when it happened, it was amazing! The Xavier player started at the top right of your TV screen (at the edge of the paint on one side of the basket) and ran a complete 360-deg route, clearing the paint, circling around the arc, picking up a high screen, just as a teammate cleared out a basket-cut, leaving him alone cutting to the basket, and the Xavier guard delivered an effortless 40ft lead-lob perfectly for a nasty ally-oop.


Is this really happening?
probably came as a reaction to Conrell's quick start. It was soon answered with a firm NO, as Kentucky began a series of steal-fastbreak-dunk/lay-ups.


WHY AM I WATCHING THIS GAME?
Anyone who was regionally given the Kentucky-Cornell game was asking this with 5 minutes left in the Xavier-KState game. This was a fantastic basketball game, and for a long stretch we were forced to watch a hideous contest, where Kentucky would render Conrnell's offense completely inept and then run down the floor, and do something dumb to turn it over. If Kentucky played well at all offensively they should have won this game by 40, the way their defense was playing in the second half.

Did he just...
In a very unfortunate event, after a foul was not called just across half-court (which up on DVR review was likely caused by the ref being at a bad angle), Xavier's Terrell Holloway (who had already made himself known with a BINOCULAR deep 3 moments earlier) sensed more contact and got off a shooting motion, causing Denis Clemente foul's to result in 3 game-tying foul shots. Crazy.

................
Obviously, the texter was rendered speechless by Jordan Crawford's game-tying 3 pointer from deep in the parking lot. I personally tackled the ottoman, which was previously holding my feet and then marched around the room in stunned disbelief.

-APT

Mailbag Addendum

First off: I need to apologize for the lies that I've been spreading about this blog. The first post every published on Lightning in a Bottle (which you can view on the Archive to the right), discussing the type of content this blog would included, stated the following:

What not to look for here.

sports stars involved in celebritalia
steroids
pending jail sentences
the babylonian empire
a message board where you can cuss out other posters
negative opinions on facial hair
vegetables
brett favre retiring
things that are stupid
etc.

we talk about sports, actual sports, dudes and dudettes performing actual athletic activity.

For those who read the mailbag from last week, you will note that there was blatant reference to the babylonian empire. It seems I thought that the Babylonian Empire was random enough that I could put it on that list and never have to worry about mentioning it. Turns out, I will reference absolutely anything. I should have known. On that note, I also made reference to vegetables, by using a picture of "The Pirates That Don't Do Anything", recently, so I've failed twice. I hereby amend the blog's mission statement to the following:

What not to look for here.

steroids
negative opinions on facial hair
brett favre retiring
things that are stupid
etc.

we talk about sports, actual sports, dudes and dudettes performing actual athletic activity.

Thank you.

APT


While we're at it, Mo in NY writes: (sho nuff my email isn't cooperating the only time I ever need it, but Mo asked something like.

With everyone's favorite Kansas out of busting the brackets, how do you see the NCAA tournament finishing out?

Definitely a legit question at this point. It's tough to say Mo.

I think a lot of it might have to do with when Onuaku comes back to Syracuse, and how effective he can be coming off the injury. I think Syracuse is able to take care of Butler tonight, but they won't have the same luck against Kansas State without their starting Center. Assuming that if he can't play today, the likelihood he can be effective on Saturday, you have to like Kansas State coming out of that bracket.

I have to personally remove myself from the West Virginia bandwagon that I'd been riding. It is simply to difficult to lose your point guard at this point in the tournament and not be phased. The match-ups are too difficult, and West Virgina has in front of it two the quickest up and down teams in the country, in U-Washington and Kentucky. I think Kentucky will out-run Washington and come out of that bracket.

In the blown-up midwest, you have to like Ohio State. Evan Turner is the best college basketball player in the country, and that goes a long way (ask Carmelo Anthony) and he's not surrounded by chop liver. The Big Ten proves yet again that they are better than we all thing by putting 3 teams (2 that were epically struggling) in the Sweet 16. Look for the Big 10 to take a hit as a limping Michigan State trips up against Northern Iowa, but OSU will come out of the bracket.

The last bracket is probably the only one I'll get right, as I still see Duke coming out. Purdue pulled off quite the feat getting to the Sweet 16 without Robbie Hummel, but their run ends here. Baylor is a good team, but they're in for a fight against the inside-outside attack of St. Mary's, and then they run in to a very hot team in Duke. Duke doesn't beat themselves and can shoot the ball. I think they'll find the final four.

Let's see how I do with that before we get too far into prediction mode. I'll continue to preview individual match-ups for the remainder of the tourney (as I did below for tonight's games). If you asked for my gut right now, I think I'd probably say Ohio State. There is something that bothers me about when I watch Kentucky.

-APT

Spring Training Summary

This is a nice little piece by Tim Kurkjian, a very solid baseball mind.

Sweet Sixteen Preview Part Un

Now that pretty much every bracket is busted (except this one) it's time to simply focus on good basketball. In that light, let's look at the Sweet Sixteen Match Ups for tomorrow night.

Butler vs Syracuse

This game is both more appealing and less appealing with the absence of Arinze Onuaku. As much as you want to see each team at their best come tournament time, a full Syracuse squad might have sucked the life out of this game. As much as Butler has the ability to capitalize on the Syracuse 2-3 zone with their outside shooting, they lack the presence inside to exploit the injury to Onuaku. Without having to worry about their lack in the paint, the Orange will be able to play their typical game. Butler took care of a UTEP team that couldn't hit a shot in the second half and was able to edge an upstart Murray State squad in the closing seconds, but they are just not playing well enough to beat a team with the kind of talent and scoring ability that Syracuse has. Butler hasn't given up 70+ points since a December 8th loss to Georgetown. They have won games with scores as low as 48 points (48-47 over Loyola IL). In the tournament thus far, they have held their two opponents to an average of 55.5 pts/game. They will not be able to win that way against the Orange. Look for Wes Johnson to have his way and Andy Rautins go continue to be a firm leader. Jim Boeheim will have his kids up and ready to play, and hopefully the will have Onuaku back for their Elite 8 contest. Syracuse takes this one: 75-64

Washington vs West Virginia

This game certainly got interesting yesterday when West Virginia lost PG Darryl Bryant. That combined with a hot Huskies team, and it could be a long night for the Mountaineers. Bob Huggins and company certainly can't be counted out. Devin Ebanks, Da'Sean Butler and Kevin Jones will still be in the line-up. If Joe Mazzula can provide consistency at point guard, the rest of the talent on this roster has a chance to compensate for the loss. Washington bring Senior forward Quincy Pondexter and company to Syracuse, coming off two big wins. The Huskies edged a tough Marquette team in the first round before putting a hurting on New Mexico. Washington is going to run up and down the floor, which puts them in position to take advantage of a team missing its field general. The key is going to be for West Virginia to slow the game down. Expect to see multiple Mountaineers bringing the ball up the court early in the game. Butler actually leads the team in assists at 3.3/game. This should be the most fun to watch of the four game slate tomorrow night, and also the only upset foreseen. Expect Washington in a thrilling one: 83-79

Xavier vs Kansas State

Xavier has made a little noise with their (especially coach Chris Mack) disapproval of the mid-major title. As much as these titles don't matter when it counts, you have to agree with them. Xavier is one of 2 teams that have made the last 3 Sweet 16s (Mich State) and has earned NCAA births in 9 of the last 10 seasons. They finished tied for the regular season A-10 title (a legit conference), and their only loss since February 6th was an overtime loss to Richmond in the A-10 tournament. Xavier has everything you need to win in the tournament: great guard-play from Terrell Holloway and Jordan Crawford, a force inside in Jason Love (11.8 pts, 8.5 boards) and a little tournament experience to go with it. However, this is a Kansas State team that comes ready. They have outstanding guard-play from Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen, as well as size and experience. They also have the "experience" of having beaten the Musketeers 71-56 on December 8th. The Wildcats used strong work on the offensive boards, dominating Xavier inside. Despite a poor day from 3 and the FT line, the Wildcats were able to capitalize on weak shooting from the Musketeers and end up with an impressive victory. Jason Love is a quality basketball player, but it simply will not be quite enough inside to compete with the likes of K-State, as Xavier falls 76-70.

Cornell vs Kentucky

In this match-up, we have two of the teams in the tournament that have, surprisingly enough, had the easiest time advancing thus far. Kentucky absolutely torched Wake Forest in the round of 32 after disposing of East Tennessee State. Cornell took care of a very good Temple squad and an equally formidable Wisconsin team by a total of 31 points. The Big Red are led by Forward Ryan Wittman, but with the size of DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson, Kentucky has the ability to neutralize Wittman in the paint, but he should be able to succeed on the perimeter. The issue in this game, however, is going to be the speed of Kentucky. Cornell took on two very methodically run offenses in the first two rounds and were able to stick with them defensively, but the way that Kentucky gets down the floor behind John Wall could be too much athletically for the Big Red. The one thing Cornell has going for them is their refusal to beat themselves. From what I've seen of Kentucky, they are very impressive physically and skill-wise, but they still show their youth at times in their over-zealousness and poor decision-making. Cornell's only chance is to keep it close and hope to capitalize on these errors during crunch-time. However, these kids, despite their youth, seem to find away to eradicate this reckless style when it matters. Credit that to coach John Calipari and credit Kentucky with what will be an Elite 8 birth: 88-71

-APT

BOLT: The Extended Vacation Clause

There's some outcry in the NBA surrounding the trade and re-acquisition of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. And I can't deny them the right to complain. Something certainly seems fishy about this type of activity. It's happened in the past, including with Detroit and Antonio McDyess in the Iverson-Billups deal not long ago. But it is certainly a tough loophole to eliminate.

The current system allows an NBA team to trade a player, then after the team he was traded to buys out his contract, the player waits 30 days and can be acquired by any team, including the team that originally traded him.

Now the two obvious ways to fight this action would be:

1. To disallow the buyout of traded players.
2. To disallow a team from reacquiring a player that it traded.

Neither one of these options seems fair in the grand scheme of things. The NBA trade deadline is commonly used (especially in recent years) to discard salaries for upcoming free agency activity. This is a legitimate practice, and I don't think it would be proper to block the ability of teams to do this. The hope of free agency is what is keeping certain NBA fan-bases (The Knicks) afloat.

It also doesn't seem proper to disallow only one team from acquiring the bought out player, even if that team is the one that traded him in the first place. There is something inherently unfair in making that particular adjustment.

But again, the process as a whole certainly seems like it should be a violation, despite the parts each seeming legal in and of themselves.

Perhaps the solution lies in something paralleling the waiver system in Major League Baseball. This allows the lesser teams a better chance at acquiring players available upon their release. The problem of course would be what to do if the player simply could not agree on a contract with these other teams, because his preference is to go to a team which is contending. There could be something in a waiver system, but it require a complex change in the NBA free agent landscape.

Again, curious about your thoughts on this issue.

-APT

NFL Overtime Rules

The owners passed the new overtime rule today for the NFL playoffs by a 28-4 vote. I for one am impressed that it passes so overwhelmingly. Never before have we voted on a new playoff overtime system, which would lead one to believe that the former system was working just fine. But all of the sudden, not only are we questioning the old system, we are voting in substantial majority to overturn it, on the first attempt (The vote needed 24 owners to change the rule). Was the old system perfect? Certainly not. But it was good enough to last from the beginning of the NFL until now. What happened to render it so obsolete so suddenly?

The statistics have shown trends that the team winning the coin-toss has been winning more overtimes. These trends began when, for the 1994 season, the kick-off was moved back from the 35 yard line to the 30 yard line. Before that, the winner and loser of the coin toss were splitting the games.

If the NFL is really concerned about competition, why wouldn't they change the kick-off spot, and return to a system that they have statistical proof of effectiveness. The NFL thinks they gain more viewers with a more exciting return game, so they will try to adjust other areas to make up for the competition problems it creates.

Now, I am not here to say that this is the worst possible system out there. Perhaps it is better than the current system, considering the changes in results since 1994, as well as the continual rule changes that favor offensive football. It certainly bears more similarity to the college system, which many enjoy. I just don't see what has sparked a such a quick and decisive move for change. Is it possible that the NFL has been looking into the overtime situation for year and finally settled on this? Of course it is. But that is not he vibe that seems to be emanating from this process. I would have thought we would have first seen an increase in team ownership showing disapproval of the current system, then heard about a variety of ideas the NFL was considering to ameliorate the situation, and then finally we would follow the process of the owners picking amongst a few legitimate options that had come to light. This movement simply seems sudden, and somewhat haphazardly gone about from where I sit.

I suppose we should go over the advantages and disadvantages of the new system.

Advantages:

1. No more quick, cheap field goal drives ending a game. The vast majority of overtime games are won by teams settling for field goals once they reach what is considered a highly makeable distance for their kicker. They often times will kick on 3rd down to account for the possibility of a bad snap. This new rule wil force team, IN THE PLAYOFFS, to go for touchdowns on these opening drives, which many of us prefer to see.

2. No one can get beat BY A FG without touching the ball. This is the major reason for the rule. It allows the coin toss loser to get the football, as long as the first team doesn't score a touchdown.

This is really all I can think of as far as positives, but they are significant.

Disadvantages:

1. Teams can still lose without getting the ball. If the first team scores a touchdown, the game is over. Let us not forget that a healthy amount of the time, teams are not being stopped in deep field goals, because of defensive stops. They are simply kicking field goals when they deem it strategically advantageous. So, in a game where offenses are over-powering defenses, there is a certain possibility that the first team will finish the drive, that would have previously voluntarily halted, and score a touchdown.

2. If the first team scores, the second team knows that they can use all 4 downs. Something about this bothers me. I understand that it often comes up at the end of games, but I don't like how it applies in the new overtime. If the first team kicks a FG, the second team has the ablity to drive down the field using all 4 downs and not just tie the game, but possibly score a touchdown to end it. I like that in the original overtime, the teams have to play according to normal football situation, at least until in easy scoring range, where they stop at 3rd down and kick. I know that if I got the ball first and drove using 3 downs per series, working hard for a FG, and the other team drove back on me, a couple times using 4th down to prolong the drive and ended up beating me with a TD, I would be upset with the rule.

3. After each team gets the ball once, it just goes back to the old rule. This will stop the first drive from being a quick decider, but if teams were to trade scores, it would be like starting the old overtime rule. It improves things a little, as it gives the defense a second chance to stop the offense, and that will certainly increase the amount of stops, however it's not fully alleviating the problem of the first team being able to end a game unanswered in an offensive game.

4. If the first team with the ball gives up a defensive touchdown, the games is over. I'm not sure how much of a problem this is, but it was worth mentioning. This would only be a major issue in a game betweeen teams that likely wouldn't be in the playoffs anyway. But say, the Derek Anderson led Cardinals were playing the Brett Favre led Vikings...wouldn't you want both quarterbacks to get a chance to throw the game away, as much as you would want both quarterbacks to get a chance to drive and win it.

5. It only applies to the playoffs. If this systems is thought by a 28-4 vote to be better (not that I'm calling for this situation), then it should be instituted throughout football. The only difference there should ever be between the overtime system of a sport should be the allowance of ties, if the sports sees it fit to award ties. The same goes for a shootout in hockey. If that is the best way to decide games, it should always be.

So looking at the situation, it is certainly a debatable topic. We will have to see how things progress this football season.

I'm very interested to see everyone's opinion on this in the comments, as I've heard many different voices these past few weeks.

-APT

2010 Baseball Fantasy Outlook

I'm not going to go through a list of 1000 players, projecting their fantasy value. That's not what fantasy is about. I don't need to tell you to pick Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez 1-2. I don't need to tell you to stay away from Jason Kendall if you want homeruns, or that Rich Harden and Erik Bedard might be injury risks. Everybody knows that, and if they don't know that, it can be easily discovered with a quick stat check. The key to fantasy is knowing those few things that other people might not know. Those few players that are poised to break out that the everyday fan might not be aware of, and those former studs that just don't have anything left, that fantasy databases still have to rank up high.

Here we have the official Bolt in a Bottle Fantasy Sleepers and Fantasy Boners.

Sleepers

C: Matt Wieters. Wieters came up part of the way into the season for the Orioles. He is a huge prospect in the system and it's looking like his first full season is the year to take advantage. If you can get a catcher that can really produce, it is a major fantasy benefit, as there are only so many available. If he can keep that average in the .280s where it was last season, the power is going to start to arrive this year.

1B: Troy Glaus. Glaus is available with 3rd base eligibility as well. I believe that he is truly healthy. He was healthy enough in his brief stay at the end of the last season to be a surprise inclusion on the Cardinal Post Season roster. He is sitting in a line-up that he doesn't have to carry, but he is still in a prime RBI position, likely to batt clean-up or 5th among Larry Jones and Brian McCann.

1B: Joey Votto. Joey Votto is a great, great hitter. He was troubled last season by injury and that is the only reason he isn't at the top of the 1B list in fantasy. Before going out he was absolutely tearing up NL pitching and he was able to show signs of that player towards the end of the season. The Reds line-up around him is becoming more potent by the second and Votto will be sitting there in an RBI slot ready to clean up.

2B: Dan Uggla. I know what your saying. Dan Uggla should not be a fantasy sleeper, and I agree he shouldn't. But he comes in lost among the fantasy rankings (17th on ESPN among second baseman. Uggla has certainly soured, because he just can't play defense at second base. But he will continue to put up 25 HR, 25 doubles and drive in runs in that spritely Marlin order.

3B: Casey McGeehee. McGeehee did a real nice job in about half a season with the Brewers last year. He comes into 2010 with a starting job at 3rd base and as an afterthought in a line-up with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder back to back. That is exactly where you want him to be. He will sit in the 5 or 6 spot in that order, soaking up the disrespect and sending off the fastballs. You won't have to trade up in the draft to get him either.

SS: Jose Reyes. There is no way in hell Jose Reyes could ever be a fantasy sleeper, UNLESS he were to out with some kind of freak illness that would render him unable to begin the season in the everyday line-up, but not effect his actual ability to play baseball. Well, that's where we're at. Reyes is going to be tough to pick too early, because it's unpredictable when he will return to the Met line-up. However, Reyes came into this spring training ready to show people that he can still be the Jose Reyes of old. This thyroid problem has only got him burning even hotter to get out there and play. In his first healthy season at Citi Field, Reyes has a chance to put up an insane number of triples. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if he approached 30 of them. He will be smoking around the basepaths, as his legs are no longer a problem. If you can get by on a flyer for JJ Hardy or someone like that until Reyes comes back, it'll be worth it.

OF: Julio Borbon: It is going to become tradition that one Rangers outfielder make this list each season. Last year it was Nelson Cruz who found a spot on each of my fantasy teams and made them look good. This year Cruz is an overrated pick and Julio Borbon is who you want to go after. Borbon, in only about 150 at-bats batted .301 for the Rangers and was able to snag 19 bases. He'll find a lot of green lights on the base paths this season. He'll likely lead off, shifting Kinsler and Mike Young to 2 and 3. So look for a lot of steals, some extra bases, and a ton of runs. Maybe he'll even find a little power with extended time.

OF: Carlos Quentin. Quentin is the MVP of the American League. It is indisputable fact...as long as it carries the proper modifier "when he's healthy". Quentin has always mashed the baseball, but he just can't seem to stay on the field. He is the difference in the AL Central this season, and he could be the difference on your fantasy squad. If Quentin can maintain his health in 2010 the number are going to flow. ESPN's player rater has him right now at #90 among OFs (just below Borbon and just above FERNANDO TATIS). Do me a favor, don't pick Fernando Tatis, but make sure you give Quentin a look.

OF: Manny Ramirez. Another one that is going to leave you asking "Sleeper?!?!?!". But yes, Manuel Ramirez has shot down the list of Fantasy OFs. For what reason? Look at the players around him. Ethier, Kemp, Furcal, Loney. He is smack in the middle of a line-up that gets better every season. And need I remind you what Manny did the last time a contract was on the line. And need I remind you what Manny did the last time he was traded mid-season, which he very well may be this year. Manny is still going to "be Manny", and as much as that includes ridiculous sound and video clips, it also includes production.

SP: Josh Beckett. Beckett had some trouble last year. He had some injuries and he had some consistency problems. But he is still a great Major League Pitcher. He is still the ACE in what is one of the top 2 rotations in baseball. Also, Beckett is pitching in a contract year. I think he'll go back to domination. His inconsistent 2009 dropped him far enough in the rankings that you should be ready to jump all over it.

SP: Ervin Santana: I could probably just use the following argument: "Ranked 230 among pitchers on ESPN". Santana has had some injury problems, but he has also shown the ability to be dominant. Why would you not take a flier on a guy who can be dominant. Santana is the Ace of that Angel's staff if he is pitching well. He still has the stuff that scares hitters and right now you could probably get him in the last round of your draft.

SP: Chad Billingley. Chad had a down year last year. That is obvious. But with stuff like he has, it's hard to think that he won't figure it out again. Billingsley was the obvious #1 in 2008 as the Dodgers threatened a World Series appearance. If he can be any kind of consistent, he is once again going to be a force to be reckoned with. He has a curve ball that is to die for, many hitters would likely rather die than have to attempt to swing at it.

RP: Billy Wagner. Wagner has been a consistent closer in this league for a long time. He is coming off a forgotten year, spending most of it on the DL and the rest as a middle inning guy, just trying to get his comfort back. This year he starts as the closer on a team that is ripe to win 85+ games. The Braves are an up and coming team. They are built on a great pitching staff that is going to keep them in every game. There offense is developing but is not quite at the point where they will commonly be mashing teams. This situation sets up perfectly for a guy that knows how to finish. Expect Wagner to clean up in saves.

RP: Leo Nunez. Nunez took the closer job from Matt Lindstrom last season and is holding onto it. The Marlins are another team that isn't going to commonly blow you out. They've got some good young arms that can hold a team down, and an offense that will score enough. The Marlins will find themselves around the .500 mark with plenty of close wins that Nunez can pick up the save in.


Boners:

C: Russell Martin. Martin was a phenom early. His athleticism behind the plate is still impressive. He showed his versatility, putting time at 3rd base last year when it was needed. He can still be that athlete, but baseball seems to be wearing on him. It is evident at the plate. After a .250 season last year, don't expect it to get any better. And a guy that doesn't provide much pop anymore either, he really isn't worth the pick you'd have to spend.

1B: Aubrey Huff. Huff has likely hit the downward slope at the end of his MLB tenure. He got passed around a bit last season, not being too productive, only landing roles on less explosive offenses. This season in San Francisco will be a tough one as he is already flirting with losing his job early on.

2B: Brian Roberts. This pick became easier once it was clear he won't be starting the season in the line-up. But even prior to that, the idea that Roberts is about done was gaining steam. He won't be able to provide you the speed he has in the past, which will kill his stolen bases and take some points off his average, even cost him a few doubles. If his bat slows down a little, all of the sudden you have a bench player.

3B: Aramis Ramirez. I just cant see Ramirez coming back and producing at a level commensurate with where he's ranked. I always thought it was going to Derrek Lee that slowed down in the middle of this line-up, but Lee has been resilient and is still far from a fantasy boner. Ramirez, however, is prime for a major slide, even in a healthy season, as are the Cubs as a whole.

SS: Derek Jeter. I actually feel terrible to describe Derek Jeter as a boner in any aspect. He's seems to be as good a guy as there is in the game, and I respect everything about the way he plays, even as a Met fan. But Jeter has an incredible season last year. Incredible enough to have him the 2nd SS that you are advised to pick in the draft. As much as I love the way Jeter still plays, I ask you not to pick him over Troy Tulowitzki, not to waste that early round pick on a player, who would take your realistic baseball team to the top, but likely won't give you enough benefit in fantasy to justify where you'll have to pick him. You have to be careful to distinguish fantasy players and baseball players. Derek Jeter may be the greatest baseball player the MLB has seen in some time, but I can't see him replicating last season's statistics and I can't see him carrying your fantasy squad.

OF: Johnny Damon. Do not pick Johnny Damon. You are simply going to have to pick him way too high. Damon is coming off a year where every ball he pulled in the air left the ballpark. Damon was nothing near the masher he was at home when he left New Yankee Stadium. Now he enters the vast Comerica Park where his fly balls will land where they belong, in the glove of the Right Fielder. I wouldn't be surprised if Damon ends up a bench player for the Tigers. Without the power he provided in 2009, his inability to find adequacy in the field is going to make him a liability. I don't think he can put up the numbers to justify a DH spot. Don't get me wrong, Damon is not a BAD hitter, but you don't want him on your fantasy squad this season.

OF: Jacoby Ellsbury. Note, this has everything to do with how high he's ranked. Ellsbury will be productive. He will steal a ton of bases, and he will pack some triples if he can find the corner in right center at Fenway. However, he isn't one of the top 3-5 OF you should be putting on your team. Pitchers are going to start to bust him in and he is going to have to prove he can yank them with some heat. If he can't do that, he could have a down year for the Sox. If he struggles a bit early, look at a possible trade for him while his value is down, because he DOES have productivity in him, I just cant recommend Jacoby for draft day.

OF: Raul Ibanez. Ibanez's numbers still look solid from 2009, and they were, but so much of the production was packed in the first couple months. Think back to the beginning of June, no one was talking about a Pujols triple crown. Why? Because Raul Ibanez was owning the NL. Then two things happened. He spent 23 days on the DL and people started to remember him. Ibanez didn't have near the productivity when he rejoined the Phils. He show some spurts in the post season, but with another year around his trunk, and the severe downturn in production last year, Ibanez looks like a pass in this draft.

SP: Randy Wolf. Wolf is ranked way too high (1 above Beckett where I'm looking). He is a solid starter, a consistent starter, has the ability to eat innings. But he's not going to bring your fantasy team any glory. He won't get too many strikeouts, he won't finish any games, and he usually will put up a fair share of losses. There are far better options to take up this high in the draft. You're best off leaving Wolf on the FA list until you face some injury trouble.

SP: Jason Marquis. Marquis is going to run into some trouble this season. For one thing, he'll be pitching for the Nationals, which will instantly decrease his winning percentage. Also, he has jumped to the front of a pitching staff, where he'll commonly be taking on pitchers who are in a whole other league. He did pitch very well for the Rockies last season, and in general, is a nice, cheap addition to a real team. But you should stay away from him in Fantasy.

SP: Joel Pineiro. Pineiro is going to feel two things this season. One of them is not having Dave Duncan around. The other is the memory of American League line-ups. Look out for drafting Pineiro high. He isn't likely to produce at that kind of level. Pineiro solid, but there's a reason he didn't get the money he wanted.

RP: Brain Fuentes. Fuentes certainly ran into some trouble last season, but he had one thing going for him, in that the Angels had no one to replace him. This season however, they bring in Fernando Rodney to pitch the 8th inning. I believe Rodney will be seen more often in the 9th by the end of the year. The Angels will definitely produce safe situations, but Fuentes will not be the one able to take advantage.

RP: Andrew Bailey. I like Andrew Bailey and he certainly showed he can play last season. I don't want to say anything that would make you think that he's not going to be a real Major Leaguer. What I'll give you though, is that his ranking shot way up after last season, and that it takes about a year to figure a player out. I would look out for that possibility. Batters figure pitchers out, and closers seem to be the most vulnerable to it. There is a reason that there are very few consistently dominant closers. These guys go up and down, so expect the same from Bailey. He also sits on a team that is not going to win a whole lot of baseball games.

Good luck on your drafts!

-APT

Pittsburgh Pirates

Well, here we are. Finally, we're at the end of our 6 week trek through Major League Baseball. That means one beautiful thing. Baseball is getting close. A couple more weekends of madness and it's time for opening day. The weather up here in Boston is certainly begging for baseball. In the coming weeks, we will give you a more refined prediction for how this baseball season will go, with opinions from all the bloggers. Until then, enjoy this last serving of delicious baseball projection.

Losses: P Matt Capps, P Jesse Chavez

Gains: P Brendan Donnelly, OF Ryan Church, 2B Akinori Iwamura, P Octavio Dotel, P Javier Lopez, SS Bobby Crosby

With a team like the Pirates doing a mid-season recap of transactions is helpful as well.

Mid-season Losses: 2B Freddie Sanchez, OF Nyjer Morgan, SS Jack Wilson, OF Nate McClouth, OF Eric Hinske, 1B Adam Laroche, P Ian Snell, P Sean Burnett, P John Grabow, P Tom Gorzelanny

Mid-season Gains: IF Ronnie Cedeno, P Kevin Hart, P Joel Hanrahan, OF Lastings Milledge

Analysis: We'll keep our analysis to the off-season, though it was nice to review the complete transformation the Rats went through last trading season. It certainly helps explain this winter's acquisitions. The Pirates bring in a new middle infield. It's a middle infield that certainly has the potential to be better than the Jack Wilson/Freddie Sanchez IF of opening day 09. They won't be better defensively, but if Bobby Crosby can finally stay healthy long enough to regain the form that earned him Rookie of the Year honors, Aki Iwamura is a very solid 2nd basemen and they can be a productive tandem. They also have a little more youth than the former IF. The Pirates also needed to replenish a bullpen they had traded away. They bring in Javier Lopez, who can still get his outs from the left side. Brendan Donnelly has been a good late inning pitcher in the past. And Octavio Dotel has success under his belt in the 9th inning. We are to see if he can regain that success in Pittsburgh. The Pirates also bring in Ryan Church, who will challenge Lastings Milledge for the 3rd outfield spot and definitely fill in for Garrett Jones defensively in the late innings. The Pirates say goodbye to their former 9th inning holder, Matt Capps. You have to like the off-season; it was very positive. However, a lot of that is because they lost so much during the season in 2009.

More moves: Any moves will probably me minor-league type players. Nothing major left from the Pirates.

2010 Thoughts: Well, this depends on how you look at it. Compared to where the were in September 2009, this team can come a long way and win a few games. Compared to where they were in April 2009, they are probably living in a very similar neighborhood. The rotation has its two solid arms in Paul Maholm and Zach Duke. Ross Ohlendorf needs to continue to improve, and Charlie Morton and Kevin Hart will try to earn keep in their 4 and 5 roles. Jeff Karstens has had some great days in the past, so if he can put it together, look for him to challenge for a spot. The bullpen isn't bad, with Karstens as the long man, Brendan Donnelly, the main middle guy, Javy Lopez the left-handed specialist, Joel Hanrahan in the 8th and Octavio Dotel in the 9th. It's a bullpen that can certainly get some outs. If Evan Meek can continue to be effective, it could turn out to be the strong point. The line-up is still a work in progress. They can be pretty active with Andrew McCutchen, Lastings Milledge, Aki Iwamura and Andy Laroche scooting around the bases. McCutchen, Iwamura and Millege will be expected to find their spots on base for a few big-boppers that come out in the middle of the order. Garrett Jones made quite the splash late last season, crushing 21 homeruns and 21 doubles in just half a season. Ryan Doumit also has some pop, and Crosby and Laroche will provide what they can. The line-up is certainly not a force quite yet, but you can see it making some strides.

Prediction: The Pirates will sit in last place again, but hopefully will hang onto some players this year. They can make some mid-season moves with some spare parts: Donnelly, Dotel, Lopez, players like that if they show positive signs. But perhaps the Rats are finally moving up in the world. We'll see.

-APT

Fake Mailbag

Until I have more readers, I know I won't get emails to respond to...SO...I present...FAKE MAIL BAG!!!! These questions are fake, but the answer real.

Wally in Walla Walla writes: "A-TRAIN, I hear JaMarcus Russell has come to camp, slim and trim. Do you think he holds down the starting job for the Raiders this year? Also, do you think he can throw from one endzone all the way to the other endzone?"

My question to you would be, did he all of the sudden decide to start watching film? Has he committed to actually working hard at being a QB? Cause if not, then his new svelteness will no nothing to make him a better QB for the Raiders. As it stands now, Bruce Gradkowski looks like he is the favorite to win the starting job, and it will take some serious work from ya boy JaMarcus to be able to overtake him and become starter again. He needs to start acting like a professional and watch some damn film and learn about opposing defenses, or all his arm strength will do nothing to help him stay a QB in this league. In regards to your second question, I think he coulld. You would need, however, to have a receiver stand on about the 10 yard line, so that way when he gets overthrown by 10 yards, JaMarcus will have hit the end zone. Also, if JaMarcus can't get a job as a starter, he should become the new Vortex spokesman. The new commercial would be that he throws the ball so hard and so far that it spins around the earth backwards, thus going back in time like in Superman 1, hitting Dwight Clark in the endzone as he is making "The Catch".

-THE-A-TRAIN-

Herman Munster from Tombstone, AZ writes: "APT, the Suns dropped 152 on the T-Wolves the other night. How many points do you think the Bolt bloggers could drop on th T-Wolves?"

Well Herman, that's a little unfair, being it'd be 3-5 for 48 minutes. But I'll tell you this much, if you let Steve Nash run the point, you, me, the BOMB and THE-A-TRAIN will drop 3 digits as long as The BOMB has his jump shot working. Give the Wolves a break though. They are still young, and on any given night, the Suns are ripe to drop 130. It's not like they gave up 150 to the Spurs. If they pick up a 3 either in the draft or by trading the rights to Rubio, you never know, maybe they'll be a team some day.

-APT

Ray Smith, resident of the Maryland writes: "NHL is looking at passing some new legislation against blindside hits to the head? Do you think it's necessary, or should these types of things already be taken care of in the rules if they were enforced?"

Personally, I am happy that the NHL is coming out and making new rules against these kind of hits. I like hitting, and it plays an integral part of the game of hockey, but I think that hits to the head, especially from the blindside, are unnecessary. The point of hitting is to get possession of the puck, and trying to knock somebody out is overkill. I just feel like there are too many players headhunting (I'm talking to you Matt Cooke), and good players are being forced to miss large amounts of time due to the douchbaggery of others. These new rules changes will make it so teams best players, like David Booth of the Panthers and Marc Savard of the Bruins, miss months because somebody gave them severe concussions from a hit to the head.

-THE-A-TRAIN-

Richard, from where the sun don't shine writes: "APT, you said your an NIT watcher. How bad did it hurt watching those repetitive hits to the groin on Tuesday night?"

***still wincing in pain***

(groin shots should be penalized in all sports by the code of Hammurabi)

Jenny from the Block writes, "APT, the Jets let ya boy ToJo walk and brought in LDT. What are your thoughts?"

I'll tell you this much: The Jets made a great signing this week that is going to do wonders for their running game. It just happens to not be Ladanian Tomlinson. But the Jets re-signed Tony Richardson this week. He led the way for Jones and Greene last season behind that dominating Offensive Line. With that line and Richardson in front, combined with what I imagine will be a growing vertical threat directed by Mack Sanchez, LDT could run for a G on the ground if the Jets were willing to give him the ball. Will he? Doubt it. Depends on where Leon Washington plays his football this season, if he's healthy and if Shonn Greene can hold onto the football. If Greene holds the ball, he'll supply 1600 yards by himself, and their won't be the carries for LDT to make a huge impact yard-wise. Expect LDT to be entrusted with his fair share of short-yardage and goal-line carries, or when they just need some trustworthy hands at the end of the game. I would say that he would get 3rd down opportunities, but that's only if Leon Washington isn't there. Leon's explosiveness out of the backfield will trump LDT's hands.

-APT

Butch from the Dawg Pound writes, "Hey A-TRAIN, Derek Anderson is finally outta here. Do you think he gives Matt Leinart a run for his money in AZ?"

By run for his money, do you mean take the job from him within the first week of training camp? Matt Leinart, in mop up duty, has shown that he is, at best, a meh QB in the NFL. He has had over three years to learn this offense, and has still been unable to get this offense down. The offense that the Cards run, and the players that the Cards have seem to be tailor made for Anderson. Anderson, in his Pro Bowl season, made his living throwing the deep ball to Braylonius Edwards and hitting K2 down the seem. In Arizona, he will have Steve Breaston being super fast, and Larry who can catch anything. Unlike in Cleveland, he will just have to get the ball anywhere Larry and the ball will get caught. Along with that, he just has to throw the ball past Steve Breaston, and Steve will catch up with it and bring it in. I fully expect Anderson to re-emerge as a starter for the Cards, and for the Cards offense to keep putting up hella points. Good luck to the Dawg Pound with your new addition Jake "I throw more picks than Derek Anderson" Delhomme.

-THE-A-TRAIN-

Rosie from one of the chop shops by Citi Field writes, "So I know y'all are mets fans. What do you think about think about all this Thyroid nonsense. Did you even know Jose Reyes had a thyroid?"

What up Rosie? I had a sneaking suspicion that Jose Reyes might have a thyroid, but never has it been more important than now. I used to make jokes with my family about Bernard Gilkey or Bobby Bonilla breaking a nail and missing games, or jokes with my boys about the crack in the parking lot that pitchers would trip over and end up with hamstring or calf issues (Pedro and El Duque in the 06 playoffs), but now I can't even make jokes like that, because it's all too possible that they'll be some truth to it. I don't know what the Mets did to the world to deserver this reign of injuries, but I don't even know how to react to it anymore. We tried to start fresh this year, but Beltran and Reyes are already missing opening day, and what's worse is Reyes problem is unpredictable. I've had way too much unpredictable. I feel like Reyes spent 5 months of last season listed as day-to-day. But there's no other option for this besides waiting. The good thing is, when he's back, he's back. This shouldn't be a recurring thing. There is no aggravating of the injury to worry about. We should have a 100% healthy Jose Reyes, hopefully by the end of April.

-APT


Feel free to send real emails.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Losses: P Jon Garland, 2B O-Dawg, P Guillermo Mota, P Jeff Weaver, P Will Ohman

Gains: OF Reed Johnson, OF Garret Anderson

Anaylsis: Well, the Dodgers are who we thought they were, if who we thought they were was exactly what they were last season. They bring in some back-up outfield options. Reed Johnson is a solid 4th with some great defense. Garret Anderson is trying on a 1B glove, so we'll see how that goes. They keep Vicente Padilla and ditch Jon Garland among the rental pitchers from last season. They also let Jeff Weaver walk now that Hiroki Kuroda is healthy. Will Ohman and Guillermo Mota also depart after modest contributions.

More moves: Why make moves now? Haven't done it all off season. (or how bout a mid-season Pedro Martinez sighting?)

2010 Thoughts: Despite doing nothing this off season, the Dodgers can still be in good shape. You might ask, "APT, is there an X-Factor?". To which I would answer, of course there's a fucking X-Factor. His name is Chad Billingsley. If he is 2008 Chad "your curveball makes me tingle" Billingsley, then the Dodgers could be in great shape. If he is 2009 Chad "what is pitching" Billingsley, it could be another story. Clayton Kershaw definitely took the ace job away last season. Billingsley is going to have to step up and be number 2. Speaking of curveballs, Vicente Padilla threw my favorite curveball of 2009. He sticks around to provide a solid middle of the rotation with Hiroki Kuroda. James McDonald gets his chance in the fifth spot. The pen is good. Bellisario and Troncoso can be really solid from the right, as are Hong-Chi Kuo and George Sherril from the left. Charlie Haeger will fill the long role. And we all know Big Jon Broxton waits in the ninth inning, with 100mph for you. The line-up is real good. They still have their solid young core with Matt Kemp, James Loney, Andre Ethier, Russell Martin and now officially Blake DeWitt. And they still complement them nicely with skilled, grizzled veterans in Rafa Furcal, Manuel Ramirez and Casey Blake. You have to like that line-up going into a NL season.

Predictions: I see Chad Billingsley having a come back year and helping carry the Artful Dodgers to a division title.

-APT

Detroit Tigers

Losses: OF Curtis Granderson, IF Placido Polanco, P Edwin Jackson, OF Marcus Thames, OF Josh Anderson, 1B Aubrey Huff, C Matt Treanor, P Jarrod Washburn, P Fernando Rodney

Gains: OF Austin Jackson, OF Johnny Damon, P Max Scherzer, P Phil Coke, P Daniel Schlereth, Jose Valverde

Analysis: The Tigers definitely lost some talent this off-season. They are banking on a couple of things. #1 Austin Jackson is ready to perform at a high level in the Major Leagues right now. #2 Max Scherzer outperforms Edwin Jackson. They do bring in Phil Coke in the Granderson deal as well, which is a great pick up. Coke had a real solid season getting lefties out for the Yankees last year. They lose Marcus Thames for Johnny Damon an unofficial trade with the Yankees. Damon is certainly a better offensive player, but will lose 1/3 of his homeruns to the larger park, and can't contribute at all in the vast outfield. Daniel Schlereth came over with Scherzer in the Jackson deal. The Tiger certainly will not have trouble will left-handed hitters in the late innings. They also bring in Jose Valverde to close in Fernando Rodney's stead, which is a solid improvement (though Rodney excelled in save situations). They lose a few rentals in Anderson, Huff and Washburn, and there you have your 2010 Detroit Tigers. Overall, I don't think they end up the kind of team that they want to be quite yet. The Outfield ends up significantly downgraded and the bullpen additions don't make it worth it.

More moves: Maybe. They should look for a fourth outfielder that can play some defense. Perhaps they can be in the market if the Mets want to trade Gary Matthews Jr, maybe take a flier on Rocco Baldelli. I also wouldn't be surprised if they took a look at Khalil Green when he is healthy, maybe shift Adam Everett to Second Base if Scott Sizemore doesn't cut it.

2010 Thoughts: The rotation is full of question marks. Behind Justin Verlander, the Tigers hope that Rick Porcello doesn't hit any kind of sophomore slump. They bring back Jeremy Bonderman, and dream of him returning to form. And they have Nate Robertson bringing it up the rear, another chance to be a major league starter. I expect Porcello to pitch well, not incredibly, and Max Scherzer will have his days, but there's too much hope and not enough guarantee. They do also have Armando Galarraga on the back burner. The bullpen is good if Zumaya can play a whole season (THE-A-TRAIN wouldn't count on it). I mentioned the lefties. They can be solid. They should probably look to put another right hander in the pen, instead of Fu-Te Ni, but it should be alright. The line-up is good enough to win a division if it has pitching. So when Verlander starts, the Tigers have a solid line up. When anyone else starts, we'll just have to see. If Magglio Ordonez can get back to his being productive, maybe they'll have some more room for error.

Prediction: They may end up down in 3rd in the AL Central (could depend on the Minnesota closer situation.

-APT

Florida Marlins

Losses: 1B Nick Johnson, UT Ross Gload, OF Jeremy Hermida, UT Alfredo Amezaga, P Kiko Calero, P Matt Lindstrom, P Brendan Donnelly

Gains: P Mike MacDougal, P Clay Hensly, P Seth McClung, P Derrick Turnbow, P Scott Strickland

Analysis: Well, this was an interesting off season for the Marlins. It seems they decided they were happy with their positions players. They let Nick Johnson go. He is still a solid player, but always a health risk. The Marlins say Gaby Sanchez is ready for a full-time role, so Jorge Cantu shifts back over to 1st base and away we go. The Marlins let 4th OF Jeremy Hermida and super-sub Alfredo Amezaga leave town. Amezaga was really only useful against the Mets (he hits his only homeruns against them). They will use Emilio Bonifacio as the super-sub, after he couldn't merit the starting 3rd base job. Then the Marlins went to work on the bullpen. Kiko Calero is out, coming off injury. Matt Lindstrom is out, coming off losing his closer job and Brendan Donnelly is out, just because. In come an array of arms in MacDougal, Hensly, McClung, Turnbow, Strickland (and a few others). The Marlins have a satisfactory pen even before they bring in this flock of arms, but they could use someone to step up into the 8th inning role, which was formerly Leo Nunez. Look for MacDougal to get a shot at that. Overall, it was really a white bread kind of off season for the Marlins. Tough to grade these moves.

More moves: You don't hear much, but I suppose another option at 4th OF isn't out of the question.

2010 Thoughts: Well, as with most seasons with for the Marlins, we're going to have to see if the kids prove themselves. In most cases, they do so enough to be competitive. This year, it'll mostly be on that same array of young arms to step up. Josh Johnson is the ace. He had proven himself before injury, and was able to come back and be that same dominant starter. Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez have seemed to solidify spots in the rotation. That leaves two spots among Chris Volstad, Rick Vandenhurk, Andrew Miller and formerly Sean West, but he was sent to minor league camp today. Perhaps Clay Hensly will get a peak, but I doubt it. I would give an inside track to Andrew Miller, as he is the lone left-hander with West out of the competition, and the Marlins face a lot of lefty sluggers in the division (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, Bryan McCann, Adam Dunn). I think the Marlins would like Volstad to emerge and take the 5th slot, but he hasn't taken the bull by the horns in camp. The line-up will look very similar to last season. You'll see Gaby Sanchez in their instead of Nick Johnson or Emilio Bonifacio. He will be the lynch pin for the line-up. Chris Coghlan will also be looked on to continue his Rookie of the Year earning performance. If he does, the top of that line-up could be potent, with Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu. The bullpen is solid from the left side with Renyel Pinto and Dan Meyer. Hayden Penn, Cristhian Martinez and Brian Sanches are the righties. Among them, only Sanches could replicate his 2009 and make his coach happy. As mentioned earlier, they need someone to take over the 8th inning. Leo Nunez made the move from 8th to 9th last season, saving 26 and holding 14, with 7 blown saves. If one or two of the right handed ideas they brought in can work out, the pen can certainly be above average.

Prediction: The Marlins need a little more in their line-up. Unless these kids really turn up the heat, they aren't going to have the firepower. I don't think they'll break 4th in the NL East, but the Marlins want us to say that, so they can surprise us again by being right in the thick of it most of the season.

-APT

Doling out the DAP!!!

Gotta spit some love for the Arkansas Pine Bluff Gilded Lions. They somehow were able to coerce the Winthrop boys into shooting 2-21 from outside the arc. For anyone whose ever watched mid or low major conference basketball, you know that you can't play that shit. Combined with some hot second half shooting for the lions, and the eagles were shot out of the sky. Congrats to APB! The Bolt is definitely happy that they get a taste of victory and the real tourney.

BOLT: Play-In Game

No time to break-down the play-in game for you. Troubling as it is, Arkansas-Pine Bluff is going to get screwed out of their first ever tournament bid. The Golden Lions have never been in the NCAA tournament and are stuck in this play-in game. I heard a great idea on sports radio this week. How about we let two bubble-teams play in? This way, schools who AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT will actually get to PLAY IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT. I think it's a wonderful idea.

So for this tournament, I would recommend the following:

Winthrop and Arkansas-PB would be 16 seeds
Vermont would kick up to a 15
North Texas would kick to a 14
Oakland can get a 13 seed
Siena to a 12
Cornell to an 11
AND
Minnesota could play-in against Utah State for an eleven seed in the tournament.

More people would care about/watch the game and all the auotmatic qualifiers would get a real tourament game.

I don't know the likelihood of this happening, so for this season, you'll see:

The Winthrop Eagles handily advance to the tournament and give Duke some early trouble before heading back home.

-APT

BOLT BRACKETS

As promised, here are brackets from your Lightning in a Bottle bloggers, just in time to advise you on your personal bracket. Good luck to all!

(Also, see Lightning in a Bottle's first annual best nickname tournament below. This post got picked down because I started the draft yesterday. Check it out!)

As the rounds continue, look for more in depth analysis of individual match-ups. Analyzing 32 first round games is a lot of blog space. If there are any specific match-ups that are troubling you, feel free to shoot us an email by clicking over on the right, and we can shoot out a quick mailbag tomorrow.

-APT

(click to enlarge)

The BOMB


THE-A-TRAIN


APT

NIT

The NIT starts tomorrow on ESPN, feature games of the night include: Texas Tech at Seton Hall, William & Mary at UNC and NC State at South Florida. For the entire bracket click here. For the very, very few that have their NIT office pools going, expect to see a Final Four of Cincinnati, Memphis, Virginia Tech and Mississippi State, with Cincinnati edging MSU in the final. Also, look out for UNC to put it together as a sleeper.

The NIT is an underrated tournament for those who like good basketball. The games are typically all competitive and the level of play is far from atrocious. It is also scheduled appropriately on days off from the actual tournament play. So if you're looking for something better than NBA regular season during the week, give the NIT guys a shot. The NCAA wants to dissolve the NIT and go to 96 tournament teams. That is an idea, I suppose, but I kind of like the 2 separate tournaments. I also like the rule change that lets all Regular Season Conference Champions (not in the NCAAs) in the NIT. I wonder what they will do with those teams if they go to 96. I imagine they'll put them in.

I will not be predicting the College Basketball Inviational or whatever it's called. I suppose if BC is invited, I will pick them, because I went there.

-APT

Milwaukee Brewers

Losses: IF Felipe Lopez, UT Frank Catalanotto, OF Mike Cameron, C Jason Kendall, 2B Hernan Iribarren, SS J.J. Hardy, C Mike Rivera, P Ben Sheets

Gains: C Greg Zaun, C George Kottaras, P Randy Wolf, P LaTroy Hawkins, OF Carlos Gomez, P Doug Davis, OF Jim Edmonds, P Scott Schoeneweis, UT Joe Inglett

Analysis: A lot of good things coming in for the Brewers this winter. There were some tough losses in Felipe Lopez, Mike Cameron and Ben Sheets (if he's healthy), but a lot of talent was brought in. The Brewers will try to find Mike Cameron's replacement among Carlos Gomez, a possibly resurgent Jim Edmonds and a mid-season pick-up Jody Gerut. They let Lopez go to make room for Super-Prospect Alcides Escobar to move in at Shortstop. They went through a complete remodeling behind the plate, letting Jason Kendall and Mike Rivera go in favor of Greg Zaun and George Kottaras. Neither of those pairings is much to write home about. It's hard to say the Brewers lost Ben Sheets, being he was on the open market last season, so they are really gaining arms in Randy Wolf and Doug Davis. The Brew Crew needed some depth last season behind Yovani Gallardo, and that is exactly what they brought in with Wolf and Davis. They also solidified the bullpen with LaTroy Hawkins in the eighth spot and Scott Schoeneweis potentially as a second left arm in the bullpen.

More moves: I don't believe so.

2010 Thoughts: If Alcides Escobar can come up and be productive for the Brewers, they should be better off than last season. J.J. Hardy gave them next to nothing last season, though Felipe Lopez picked up the slack some. Rickie Weeks is coming off injury yet again. We'll see if he can finally fulfill some potential. The Brewers, however, still carry the 3-4 of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, so their line-up will always be a threat. They could really use one of the CFs to step up. I think Jody Gerut may end up taking that job from trade acquisition Carlos Gomez, but if either can produce, they can both be solid lead-off men for the Brewers. Casey McGehee had a solid 100+ games at 3rd last year, so if he can continue along those lines, the line-up is looking to be improved. The rotation is better in that it is deeper. They Brewers arms still don't scare you, outside of Gallardo, but Randy Wolf, Doug Davis, Manny Parra, Jeff Suppan and I think they still have Dave Bush and Claudio Vargas to go deeper if need be. I really like the bullpen. LaTroy Hawkins is a great addition for the 8th inning, pushing Todd Coffey to a stronger role for him as a middle man. I like the pick-up of Scott Schoeneweis, though he needs a spot in the pen. It's likely to be David Riske's if he doesn't show he can pitch day-in/day-out.
Overall, 2010 should be better than 2009.

Prediction: The Brewers will be in a fight for 3rd in the NL Central. For now we'll have them come up a touch short.

-APT

Best College Basketball Nickname

In preparation for the tournament, The Bolt brings you the 2010 NCAA Nickname Tournament!

We did a bracket of 65 pitting teams against each other for the right to call themselves the best named team in the tournament.

I personally seeded the teams and then handed them off to THE-A-TRAIN to complete the brackets. (My personal Final Four ended up Purdue, Lehigh, Wake Forest, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with Purdue defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the finals)

Purdue was the Number 1 overall seed. Cornell defeated Syracuse in the Play-in game.

Things to consider were:

1. General Awesomeness
2. Intimidation Factor
3. Originality
4. How well it sounds with the school name
5. Sweetness of Logo, Colors, Mascot, etc.

(click to enlarge)





So we have the North Texas Mean Green out of the Midwest.

The San Diego State Aztecs out of the West.

The Old Dominion Monarchs out of the South.

And despite, having to play in the Eastern region, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.

In the Final Four, the Cinderella run of the 6 seeded Mean Green ended as they were taken down by San Diego State. Another story continued though as the 6 seeded Golden Grizzlies advanced to the finals. HOWEVER, tossing aside another glass slipper, the San Diego State Aztecs secured victory in the finals.

Congratulations to the San Diego State Aztecs!

-APT