I’ve never had more fun watching a sports team than the Chicago Cubs this year. When my favorite player and second cousin Jon Lester joined the previously moribund Cubs, the first thing anybody, myself included, thought about was World Series. Lester, a part of the Red Sox organization when they broke the Curse of the … Continue reading The Curse is over! Zobrist’s double lifts Cubs to championship
This should come as no surprise, but the Cubs are really, really good this year. They lead the majors with triple-digit wins and clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs before any other team came close to a playoff berth. The National League infield was composed of four Cubs players and the awards ballot will be … Continue reading Jon Lester for NL Cy Young
Entering the second half of the MLB season, the list of possible contenders for a championship run is shortening every week. Halfway through the season, the list now includes only half the teams in the majors. These fifteen teams have a chance, from likely to remotely, of reaching the World Series. Note: any team that … Continue reading World Series race is down to fifteen teams
NL Ballot Catcher- Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals Buster Posey and Yadier Molina are more recognized, decorated catchers in a competitive National League, but Wilson Ramos is having the season of his life. Ramos is hitting an astounding .340 batting average, trailing only teammate Daniel Murphy among all National League players. Not coincidentally, the Nats are … Continue reading Examining John’s MLB All Star Ballot
Talking about the uniforms of professional sports teams can be a divisive topic. Which make viewers tune into the game just to see the uniforms? Which stick out like a sore thumb? As a proud owner of nearly 20 jerseys from the NBA, NFL, and MLB, this is one of my favorite topics to talk … Continue reading The Best Uniforms in Sports, By Color
Two months into the MLB season, one team is doing exactly as expected. That team is the Chicago Cubs, who are living up to their lofty expectations and playing at a historic pace. The Cubs lead the majors in wins with a 43-18 record through June 12, four games ahead of the Washington Nationals in … Continue reading Three stats that show Cubs’ early dominance
Awards Predictions AL MVP: Mike Trout, Centerfielder, Los Angeles Angels The best player in baseball will take a much-deserved MVP award, finishing in front of Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, and Jose Abreu. NL MVP: Giancarlo Stanton, Rightfielder, Miami Marlins Stanton will lead the MLB in homers in a bounce-back campaign, though it does little to … Continue reading 2016 MLB Awards and Postseason Predictions
Spotlight on the San Francisco Giants There should be a lot of excitement by the Bay, and not only for the Warriors. It’s an even numbered year, which bodes well for San Francisco, which has won 3 of the last 5 World Series championships. The Giants have a strong core around catcher Buster Posey (6.1 … Continue reading 2016 NL West Preview
National League Central Spotlight on the Chicago Cubs Could this be the year? The Cubs took a big step forward last year behind rookies Kris Bryant (.275, 26 homers), Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber (5 postseason homers) with a historic season from Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta (1.77 ERA, 22-6). Chicago exceeded expectations, winning 97 … Continue reading 2016 NL Central Preview
Washington Nationals On paper, the Nationals look like a worse team than last year. Starter Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit), shortstop Ian Desmond (Texas), starter Doug Fister (Houston) and closer Drew Storen (Toronto) are elsewhere, and the Nats, World Series favorites a year ago, don’t look like a powerhouse anymore. New manager Dusty Baker is the answer … Continue reading 2016 NL East Preview
Riker's Block 