Philadelphia's Christmas in July

Well, July 29th was a day to forget for fans of Philly rivals, including myself, but undeniably a day to rejoice in the City of Brotherly Love.  As most people around here know, and many others, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired right fielder Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros in exchange for their top pitching and hitting prospects, Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton, respectively, and two other minor leaguers.  However, this was after news broke that the Philadelphia Eagles had come out of nowhere to sign highly-coveted free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, formerly of the Oakland Raiders.  Philadelphia virtually dominated Twitter from the early evening onward on Friday.

Now it's time to break down each move.

This pretty much sums up Philly's emotions on Friday.

We start with Asomugha.  Many Jet fans, and some Cowboy fans as well, now sit in the corner with their arms crossed and a frown painted across their faces after losing the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes.  With one signing, Friday belonged to the Birds.  Already having acquired a cornerback on Thursday in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie via a trade with Arizona that sent Kevin Kolb to Phoenix, the Eagles were widely considered set at the cornerback position.  Most thought the Eagles would look to aid the linebacking corp, which still remains a big question mark, or even bolster the safety position after acquiring DRC.  Wrong.  The Eagles added Asomugha, making their corners virtually unstoppable on paper.  

Now before Eagle fans start crowning themselves Super Bowl champs, there are some concerns, although maybe minute.  With 10% of their allotted salary under the new cap now devoted to Asomugha, it remains to be seen if they keep Asante Samuel, who was the only real cornerback they had coming into this offseason.  Will they want to deal him, which would still leave a great CB tandem, to have more available cash to address their other needs? Early reports indicated the Eagles intending to keep the Pro Bowl corner, but we shall see.  

Another thing to watch is the consistency of newly-acquired Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.  He is a guy who can make a spectacular play one down, as noted by the fact that he returned three of his four interceptions last year for TDs, and get totally torched on the next.  Having said that, he is a young player and still has a lot of room to grow, and learn to utilize his blazing speed to keep up with any receiver in the game.  The addition of Asomugha does, however, make DRC the best nickel back in the league, and a great luxury to have in such packages.

Now to the Alpha of the bunch.  Nnamdi Asomugha, who only had 33 passes thrown his way in 2010, and a mere 27 thrown his way in 2009.  To put it in perspective, this is about half the amount of the next-least.  Let's face it, the guy is good, real good.  But how much stock should we put in this stat?  Sure he's good and opposing QB's don't like to throw his way, but we should note that he only plays one side of the field, the defensive right side.  This is the blind side of right-handed QBs, which dominate the NFL, which allows Nnamdi to make a play on the receiver without the QB being so alert to it.  This is no knock on Asomugha since he makes these plays because he's good.  But we need to realize that since this is the QBs blind side, more often than not the team's #1 receiver lines up to his right, or defensive left.  This means Asomugha is usually left covering the team's #2.  In such a situation, why would you want to throw Asomugha's way if he is on a number 2?  There is usually a mismatch on the other side.  However, I mean no disrespect to Asomugha and his abilities, but this is rather to show that there may indeed be some chinks in this guy's armor.

The expectations have been set.

If the Eagles do indeed keep Samuel, they will undoubtedly have the best corners in the NFL.  I am reluctant to say the best secondary because they are young and unproven at safety.  They have promise at free safety in the young Nate Allen, but strong safety remains shaky as right now's starter could be rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett.  Had they had an established set of safeties they would blow away teams like the Packers and Saints who have complete DB corps, albeit not nearly as good overall at corner.  No matter how good your team seems, the parity in the NFL always leaves the door wide open for an array of teams to win; they still have to play the game.  Having said all of this, if the Eagles corners perform like what they are fully capable of doing, no team will be comfortable passing against them, or should have much success.  Paired with an explosive offense lead by Michael Vick, Desean Jackson, and Lesean McCoy, this should be a defense that will cause major headaches for opposing quarterbacks.  They now should jump into the conversation for the NFC's best team alongside Green Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta, and maybe Chicago.

As for the Philadephia Phillies, offense was their main concern moving toward the trade deadline.  Their pitching has been dominant behind Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee (even the young Vance Worley), although they have limited their opponents to the least amount of runs of any team in baseball.  Saying their pitching is good wouldn't begin to do them justice.  Philadelphia fans though worried that their offense may not be good enough to stand up to opposing pitching come October.  Well, in addition to their recent successes at the plate, they added another weapon in Hunter Pence, formerly of the Houston Astros.  Pence is batting .308 with 11 home runs and 62 RBIs thus far this season.  He is that right-handed bat that adds depth to the Phillies' lineup alongside guys like Utley, Howard, Rollins, and Victorino.

It honestly doesn't get any better than Roy Halladay.

Really, even as a Mets fan, there's really nothing negative that can be said about this team now.  They were already the best team in the National Legaue prior to this trade.  The only thing, maybe, is that they gave up their best hitting and pitching prospects.  But really, who cares? They were able to keep the young Domonic Brown AND Vance Worley, who could be a viable starter in this league.  When you can get a young, proven talent like Pence, while all but assuring yourself as the NL representative in the World Series, you do what you can to get him.  Who cares if you trade some of your future to get him if that means winning now?  Trust me, I am not a Phillies fan and don't plan on converting any time soon, but you can't help but like what their organization is doing to put the best possible product on the field.  This is not a good team, but a great team.  Whoever faces them in the World Series, whether it be the Yankees or Red Sox or whoever, should any of them get there, better come prepared because this team is for real.  If they weren't the favorites before, they are now I'd argue.

Pence is the answer.

Congrats on your day Philly.  You sure did work.  Now it's time to collect some hardware because anything short of a ring, especially out on the diamond, will be considered a grave disappointment.  Especially in that crazy city.  I can tell you one thing though, Eagles, my Saints will be ready.  Hotlanta will be ready.  And that team in Green Bay, the defending champs, isn't going anywhere anytime soon.  You have your work cut out for you.  Do your darnedest.

-TA

"Football is Back"

For those of you who may be living under a rock, which thanks to that Geico commercial we now know is possible, the NFL and the NFL Players Association have reached an agreement on a new 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).  10 years.  This is what I believe is the most underrated aspect of the entire deal.  This means that we will not have to endure another grueling lockout like this one for at least another 10 years, and hopefully longer.  To get it out of the way, thank the dear 8 lb 6 oz infant Baby Jesus, sitting there in his little golden diapers and don't even know a word, or the Jesus in a tuxedo t-shirt, for those of you who wish to be formal, yet like to party.

For those of you who didn't quite get the reference, and then some. (Some adult language)

This week will be a frenzy of trades and signings, whether they be of free agents, draft picks, or undrafted players, but one thing is for sure, it will be a hot stove, and entertaining at that.  In addition to Sunday's MLB Trade Deadline, this weekend can really be Christmas in July for sports fans.  I can almost assure you that SportsCenter, and ESPN in general, will probably be the most exciting things to watch this week, regardless of the what MLB games are being played.

While I watched ESPN today and listened to callers on ESPN Radio, I can tell that I am not the only one overjoyed by today's news.  This, more than anything else, has, in my opinion, solidified that even though baseball may be America's pastime, football is America's here and now.  At work today nothing could bring me down off of the high I was on because, no matter what I had to do, I knew that come August and September, there will be football, and that was more than enough for me.  I also think it is safe for me to say that much of America shared my elation today, as news broke that there would be, without a shadow of a doubt, an NFL season.

Kind of what was going on inside of many of our heads.  Well, maybe not to this degree, but you get the point.

Another positive to note is that it seems increased crime will have to wait at least another ten years to rear its head.  In an interview with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio back in May, Baltimore Ravens' linebacker Ray Lewis claimed that evil would arise if there weren't a season this year.  He said that crime would increase if they took away their game.  Really, Ray? Really? So you're telling me that those people who would tend to commit crimes refrain from doing so because they have football to watch on Sundays?  Oh, maybe he meant that the NFL players without jobs would turn to crime!  No, wait that is equally as ridiculous.  Sorry, Ray, no matter how you spin it, you're statements are ludicrous.  For a guy who is widely respected amongst NFL players, and who most would consider at least a semi-intelligent human being, that was something that should have been caught in the filter between his brain and mouth.  I wonder how his foot tastes right about now, I'm sure he knows.

You can fast-forward to about the 2:25 point.

Unlike the NHL, which lost many fans during its season-long lockout in 2004-05, I would venture to say that this lockout may have helped the NFL.  While that may sound absurd due to the frustration that the two sides have caused throughout the entire process, think about it for a second.  No games were lost other than the Hall of Fame Game, which is merely exhibition.  Very few preseason games are even televised on cable, let alone watched.  Sure it is the first true game of the season, but who is going to boycott any football because the Hall of Fame Game was cancelled?  The fact of the matter is that since so many people were upset at the notion that the lockout would affect the regular season, seeing that the entire schedule will remain largely intact will ease the troubled mind.  This is a simple example of "you don't know what you have until it's gone".  I think that logic in and of itself is why the NFL will be back and better than ever.

My title here, "Football is Back", seems to be the common phrase being echoed across the sports stratosphere today.  However, for something to be back, I argue that it had to have left in the first place, which is why I put it in quotation marks.  I ask you, dear reader, did football ever leave in the first place?  Here we are on July 25th, with a new CBA in place, about to begin free agency and training camp.  But, let's think back to last year on July 25th, where were we?  Only the Cowboys had reported to camp (on the 24th), along with only the rookies from Cleveland, New England, and San Diego (on the 25th), with the rest of the league reporting on the last couple days of July.  So, basically, we're right on track minus the free agent and rookie signings, which will be taken care of throughout this week. 

While players weren't participating in OTAs (Organized Team Activities) during the summer and getting treatment from team trainers and doctors, let's not forget that these players are professionals.  They know that it falls on themselves if they do not show up in shape when the lockout is lifted.  Folks, they've been working out, and let us remember that day after the judge's ruling that temporarily lifted the lockout, players were allowed to report and they received their playbooks.  The only difference is that they've been wearing their own sweats throughout the summer instead of sponsored team apparel.  

The media buzz during this lockout was so immense that some people grew tired of hearing about it because there was so much false hope and so many rumors that it began to teeter on obsession.  However, regardless of how crazy the coverage got, we listened.  The reason we got upset was because we didn't want to get excited without proper reason.  But despite all of the headaches the lockout brought, the NFL was always there, in our hearts and in our minds.  And due to that fact alone, it never left.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I have one final question for you.  Are you ready for some football?

I'm getting goosebumps.

-TA

...ps look at this goal scored by the beautiful Alex Morgan yesterday.  

Isn's she just wonderful?

Why The US Women Didn't Choke

After having a day to gather my thoughts and let my emotions settle down from yesterday's World Cup loss to Japan, I have come to a consensus that seems to differ from the mainstream media and angry callers on ESPN Radio.  The more I think back to the actual way the game was played, the more I can strengthen my belief that our women did not choke.

Wambach (left), the Silver Ball winner for 2nd best player, and Solo (right), the Golden Glove winner for best goalkeeper, have no reason to hang their heads.

We start in the first half.  From the first minute the US was out for blood, they led the attack when Lauren Cheney decided to shoot rather than pass to a wide open Abby Wambach in front of the net.  These chances were plentiful in the first forty-five minutes, but the US failed to cash in on these opportunities.  However, it was evident that the United States was the much better team, that much is certain.  Despite the failed attempts in the first half, and the beginning of the second for that matter, the US struck first blood when Megan Rapinoe launched a perfect ball up to the beautiful Alex Morgan, who rifled a shot past the goalkeeper into the right side of the net. It seemed then like the US was well on its way to its first World Cup since 1999.

However, destiny had other plans.  They simply ran into a team that was playing for much more than themselves in the Japanese.  A land ravaged by earthquakes and tsunamis, a few players on the Japanese team weren't even sure they'd be able to compete due to the amount of work that they had to take care of on the home front.  With an entire nation's prayers and emotions on their back the Japanese were able to do just enough to win.  They capitalized on a couple of US defensive miscues when it mattered the most.  Much like my beloved New Orleans Saints two Super Bowls ago, they played for the people back home, and they needed it.

They were able to tie it at one on a botched clearing attempt by the US back line.  When the gorgeous Alex Morgan found Abby Wambach's golden head in extra time, it seemed that yet again destiny was on their side, but she proved fickle.  The Japanese were able to score off a corner kick, which wound up deflecting off of a US defender, buckling goalie Hope Solo, as she had no play to make.  Solo did her part the entire game, as she was hung out to dry by her defense on two instances that resulted in goals.

Then, the game came down to penalty kicks.  Now, I have a problem with penalty kicks for one reason.  That reason is that penalty kicks do not tell us who is better.  If you were to play out the penalty kicks ten times, each team would probably win five times.  It comes down to a guessing game.  When the shooter runs up to the ball, the goalie has to make a decision on which way to dive, and if he or she guesses wrong then there is no time to recover; the ball has already found its home in the back of the net (or missed the net completely in the case of Carli Lloyd, the US midfielder who shot high over the net on the second shot).  Yes, penalty kicks are compelling and yes, they increase ratings, but no real skills are involved.  The best goalies, and teams for that matter, don't always win, as was the case on Sunday.  That's why I think they should either go back to the old "Golden Goal", sudden death style in their extra time, such is the case in hockey's overtime and in the NFL, where the first score wins.  Such is the case in the hockey playoffs in which shootouts are left out, I feel the overtimes should continue in soccer until the first goal is scored in major tournaments like the World Cup and Olympics.

The Japanese goalie guessed right more than Hope Solo in those situations, which doesn't mean they deserved to win that game.  The US still to this minute have not trailed the Japanese, and controlled the vast majority of the game.  This is why our women didn't choke.  They weren't outplayed.  They were the victims of a tiebreaker that didn't reflect their play or skill; they were victims of destiny.

Something tells me Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan will ensure a different result next year in the Olympics in London.

-TA

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Care About the US Women's Soccer Team

Now that our women's soccer team has made it to the World Cup Final, in search of its 3rd World Cup victory (this is only the 6th competition ever), here are the top 5 reasons that you should care and/or watch the Championship Game on Sunday at 2:45 PM ET:

5. This is the World Cup


The biggest stage of all.  And probably a caveat to #5 should be that we're also competitive.  Unlike the mens team, which we've sort of gotten used to seeing fall short rather early, despite them continuing to get better, the women's team is competing for yet another World Cup title.  You see, winning is fun; we like winning.  Now, in front of the entire world, the United States gets to show that soccer is not (entirely) a joke here, even though not too many people (including myself) care about it outside of the World Cup.  But either way, OUR team is 90 minutes (and however many minutes of stoppage time the referee arbitrarily decides to take on) away from becoming World Champions.

PS... this time "World Champions" actually means "World Champions" despite the fact that we call Super Bowl winners and the likes "World Champions" when they're really just "American Champions".

PS #2... After writing "American Champions", I now know why they say "World Champions" here.

4. We are Americans


You may not have noticed, but we are also Americans.  They play on our behalf.  Unlike when fans talk about their favorite teams here in the professional US leagues and say "we", as in "yeah, we just signed Player X" when they have no direct correlation to the team other than being a fan, this team actually is ours; we can say "we" and not be a tool.  In all seriousness though, this team plays for us and our country and it's time to give them the recognition they have more than earned.  That and it's fun to see us whoop other countries' asses and get to rub it in their faces.

We got Swag.

3. There is Magic in This Team


This team's adventure through this World Cup perfectly captures our spirit as Americans; we never give up.  The Quarterfinals against Brazil had plenty of examples of this.  Up 1-0, we were called for a questionable foul inside the box, giving Brazil a penalty kick... oh, and we got a bogus red card for it so we had to finish out the game with 10 players.  Brazil's Cristiane takes the kick only to have it blocked by goalie Hope Solo, who made a spectacular dive to preserve the lead.  Only wait, it has to be retaken because a player on our team may have crept into the box a tad early.  Sure, it may have technically been the right call, but in a game and play of that magnitude to make such a close call is a little distasteful.  Then, with the game now in extra time (the equivalent of our overtime, just not sudden death), Brazil scores to take the lead despite a player being offside, more controversy.  Then, in the last minute of stoppage time in extra time, the US nods the game at 2 on a miraculous header by Abby Wambach.  We then went on to win in penalty kicks.  The announcers had already pronounced us dead, but at no point did the team gets down and give up, no matter how easy it would have been to blame the referees and take our ball and go home.  Even against France in the Semis, when tied 1-1 and the French were outplaying us and had all the momentum, we persevered and scored twice more in the last 12 minutes to seal the game.  There's something special about this team. They do not quit. Period.


2.  Football is Still in a Lockout


I know it's close to being over, or so they say, but there is still no football.  Trust me, it hurts nobody more than me to see the football season not being underway with OTAs, rookie camps, free agency, and fantasy football talk, but it's not here yet.  So why not tune in to see our girls kick some Japanese ass on Sunday?  Just do it.  If you do tune in and it's your first time watching this team, then the #1 reason will be a pleasant surprise and treat.

And now the top reason why you should care about this team and watch the game on Sunday...

1. Forward Alex Morgan and Goalkeeper Hope Solo are total BABES


If nothing else I said can entice you into watching on Sunday, this should do it.  In addition to other attractive girls like Ali Krieger and Lauren Cheney (kinda), Alex "Don't Call Me Katie" Morgan and (I) Hope (She's) Solo are sexy.  Morgan still has that cute element because she's younger, but looks mature enough at 23 to be labeled as hot or sexy.  That and the fact that she just is.  And Hope Solo just has those eyes that make her look extra sexy; she's just hot.  If you watch this one, notice both of them, and don't rewind it (if you have DVR) or make a point to look for them from there on out, then only one conclusion can be drawn: you are either gay (surprise!) or a straight woman (which may be an even bigger surprise for some...)

Babe #1: Alex Morgan.  Told you.

Babe #2: Hope Solo.  Told you again.

-TA

Thank You, Mike Trout

Today was a big day for baseball in South Jersey.  For those of you who may have missed it today, baseball's top prospect and former Millville High School star Mike Trout was called up to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim today from Double-A Arkansas.  The Angels' first-round selection (25th overall) in 2009 was hitting .338 this year in Double-A with 11 triples, 9 home runs, 69 runs scored, and 8 stolen bases.  These stats, and the fact that he can pretty much do anything on the field short of making the ball move with his mind, have earned the 19 year-old the title of baseball's top prospect to most, depending on whether or not you like Nationals' prospect and young phenom Bryce Harper more.

I can't believe I'm almost a full year older than this kid.

Trout has developed a squeaky-clean personality through his interviews and kind personality both on and off the field, something that can only help your reputation (that, and the the fact he's from South Jersey... just sayin).  Today he has done what few prospects ever do, especially ones drafted out of high school, he has been called up to the big leagues in a mere 2 years after being drafted.  One thing is inarguable, the kid can flat-out play.  He can hit for power and average, he can run, he can play the field, and he has an arm; a true five-tool player.

However, what he does for his team from here on out and how many All-Star games he is selected to is just icing on the cake.  What he has done for this area, and what he is doing for baseball is what should really be appreciated.  Granted it is really cool seeing a player from our area be selected in the first round of the draft and making it to the big leagues (and hopefully succeeding) is really cool, especially for some of my friends from high school who had the honor of playing against this kid (he played for Millville High School, who plays in the same conference as my alma mater, Absegami).  But what he really did for the area was make little kids believe.  He gave local kids a glimpse of hope and showed them that kids from anywhere can make it with hard work and determination.  Although he was blessed with great athleticism and skill, he harnessed his abilities and was able to make good on them.

Even more than this, he has shown those kids who have been, or should be, inspired by him the right way to do it all.  In a world of unnecessary, flashy plays and cocky attitudes, Mike Trout has made it to the big league with class and a big smile.  He has shown us that you don't need to be outspoken and controversial to succeed, that you can do it quietly while making your presence felt on the field.  I have never seen an interview with him where he has given an arrogant response or a snide remark; the kid says the right thing.

So, Mike Trout, I wish you all the best in your hopefully-lengthy and prosperous major league career, because you truly deserve any success you obtain.  From myself, and South Jersey, I thank you. Thank you for giving kids a reason to believe, and thank you for reminding us what baseball is all about.

-TA

MLB: The First Half in Review

Despite it being roughly 6 games past the technical 81 game halfway point for most teams, we'll just say it's close enough and take a look at some of the highs and lows of both the NL and AL thus far.

First let's look at the better league, the one where the pitchers actually man-up and hit:

Most Surprising Team:


With all due respect to my beloved Mets, and them not being utterly terrible as many expected (and some hoped), the most surprising first half NL team has got to be the Pittsburgh Pirates, led by the young and talented Andrew McCutchen, who is an absolute stud and five-tool player.  Pittsburgh is currently sitting in second place in the wide-open NL Central at 45-41, a mere 1.5 games back of the leader, the St. Louis Cardinals, who had a pretty good first half themselves despite being without their ace, Adam Wainwright, whom they lost in spring training to Tommy John surgery.  But Pittsburgh just won't quit.  The Pirates, who before the season were 200 to 1 underdogs to win the World Series (the worst odds in all of baseball, even worse than the Royals), according to Bodog.com, are performing so well despite a miniscule $46 million payroll, the 4th lowest in the league and 22.8% of the Yankees'.

Good for you, Pirates, good for you.

Most Disappointing Team:


Part of me wants to say the Marlins, who currently sit 10 games under .500 after the way they started and began to look like contenders in the NL East, but it has got to be the Colorado Rockies.  Colorado, who some, including myself, picked to represent the NL in the World Series, currently sits at 41-45, good for third in the NL West, 6.5 games behind the leading San Francisco Giants and 5 behind the surprise second-place team, the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Colorado has got to step up their pitching behind the suddenly bad, was-last-year-a-fluke Ubaldo Jimenez, who has quite simply just not cut it, especially for a supposed ace.  Jimenez is a paltry 3-8 with a 4.39 ERA in 96.1 innings.  After a Cy Young caliber 2010, Ubaldo, man, step it up.

Tsk tsk tsk.

First Half MVP:

Despite the obvious bias, there is no arguing this one.  The first-half NL MVP is Jose Reyes.  The guy has been downright filthy.  I don't want to begin to imagine where the Mets would be without him at this point, but probably beginning a fire sale of the team, I would presume.  Reyes currently leads the NL in batting average (.354), hits (124), triples (15), runs (65), at-bats-per-strikeout (13.5), and multi-hit games (41), while standing second in total bases (185) and stolen bases (30).  The numbers speak for themselves, and nobody means more to their team right now than Jose Reyes, and the Mets need him now more than ever.

The man, the myth, the legend.

NL Cy Young:

With all due respect to Hamels and Halladay over in Philly, the first half Cy Young goes to another NL East pitcher, and one you would expect.  That would be Jair Jurrjens of Atlanta.  The man has been an animal, despite his short stint on the disabled list.  Jurrjens currently sits at 11-3 with a 1.89 ERA, the lone pitcher with an ERA under 2.40.  He is tied for the lead in wins with Halladay but his ERA is .55 lower.  His strikeout numbers aren't as high as the Philadelphia duo, he only has 63 in 104.2 innings, but his stuff has been electric and other teams just simply can't score off him right now. Jurrjens has kept the Braves in the lead for the Wild Card, and in contention in the NL East, and he is my first-half NL Cy Young.

How awesome of a name is Jair Jurrjens?

Now over to the American League:

Most Surprising Team:

A few weeks ago it seemed as though this team was going to pull a Marlins and start tanking, but the Cleveland Indians still maintain a 1 game lead over the Tigers in the AL Central at 45-39.  Before the season began, the Indians had the 2nd-worst odds to win the World Series behind our NL surprise Pirates.  Cleveland was going off at 120 to 1, also according to bodog.com, and now sits atop the division, who woulda thunken?  Cleveland ranks just ahead of Pittsburgh as far as payroll goes at $49.2 million, the fifth-lowest in the majors.  Much of their success can be attributed to breakout years from shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, another awesome name, and pitcher Justin Masterson.  Gotta love the small market teams succeeding!

Look at him, you can tell he knows his name is awesome.  He's like yeah you know you wish your name was Asdrubal.

Most Disappointing Team:

About fifteen games into the season it looked as though this title would belong to the Red Sox, but after they woke up and caught fire they are more than okay.  But the biggest disappointment through the first half has been the Minnesota Twins.  The team most picked to win the Central, including myself, currently sits at 38-47, 7.5 games behind the leading Indians.  Joe Mauer, their all-star catcher has been a hige disappointment when he's managed to be on the field batting only .223 in his 94 at-bats, which I know is a relatively small sample size, but is horrendous for a career .324 hitter.  The Twins can only hope the Indians are a fluke and the Tigers don't run away with the division otherwise, come September, they'll be playing for nothing but bragging rights, which isn't exactly the greatest motivation.

AL MVP:

The one that I actually have right so far from my preseason picks (for complete list see first blog: 'Opening Day').  A guy who many worried would take a while adjusting to the American League and getting back in the swing of baseball activities in general after offseason shoulder surgery is Adrian Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is absolutely raking for Boston hitting .348 (1st) with 16 HR, 59 runs scored (4th), 203 total bases (1st), 28 doubles (1st), 121 hits (1st),  75 RBIs (1st) a .405 On-Base % (3rd) and .583 Slugging % (3rd).  He's basically doing to the AL what Jose Reyes is doing to the NL, obliterating it and  each pitcher who stands in his way.  If this is an adjustment to the AL, I don't want to see him at the top of his game, nor do Yankee fans.

Maybe Buddy the Elf was on to something with this smiling nonsense.  See: Reyes, Jose.

AL Cy Young:

Now, this is where the hardest decision lies.  If you go with Verlander, I won't fault you at all, but I think you have to go Jered Weaver right now.  Weaver stands at 10-4 with a 1.92 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 131.1 innings.  Verlander is 11-4 with a 2.24 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 143.1 innings.  Opponents hit only .194 against Weaver, and .187 against Verlander.  The tiebreaker for me right now is ERA, considering Jered's is .32 lower, but by the end of the year these guys will probably be even closer, as they both have demonstrated how dominate they really are so far in the first half.  So give me Weaver... for now.

While trying to find a picture that had both Weaver and Verlander in it, this came up as a result.  You're welcome.

So, in a nutshell those are our first-half superlatives.  It's been a interesting first half of baseball and I'm anxious to see the second, with whatever developing story-lines emerge.  And while baseball is great and all, PLEASE end this freakin lockout, NFL, you're killing me.  Don't plan on seeing much of me if there is no football (which I know seems unlikely but I won't be comfortable until a deal is signed and in black and white), and if nobody hears from me after 2 weeks from when the season was supposed to start, please notify the police, just make sure it doesn't take 31 days, Casey Anthony (too soon?).

-TA