- In a non-surprising mood, Andres Nodl was picked up by Carolina, after being placed on Waivers. It was more than expected that one forward had to be released at some point this season, and Nodl was the odd man out. It's great that he will get plenty of playing time in Carolina, and he is a special player. I wouldn't be surprised if he produced in Carolina...but at this time it was the best move for this Flyers team.
- The consistent injuries to Pronger just show us all that the Flyers need to pick up another defense. If you look back, this was an issue I had since day one with the Flyers of this season. I wish they would have chased defensive help after getting a goalie in the off-season, but at that time i also expected Carter and Richards on our Flyers.
Scott Hartnall is making this process very difficult. At the start of the year, I had no problem trading him....but now with his production...how can you? I dont know if i've seen him play any better in his career. Flyers have plenty of youth players who are more than trade-able. There were plenty of names (HarryZ, Wellwood, etc) who wen't from being our top youth prospects to 2nd tier with the addition of Schenn, Courtier, and Read. Getting rid of two of those guys to a bad team for a defender is certainly plausible, and encouraged by myself.
And this leads to the big news out of England today. Since I know none of you are aware, but Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba of Chelsea FC denied a low-dollar contract extension from the front office at Chelsea. This denial essentially shows that he may become a free agent after this season. With the horrendous season Chelsea is having, there never was much of a chance to see him back in blue next year. Drogba's age and dropping skill leaves him far below what is necessary to play top-level soccer anymore.
This led to what I envisioned and dreamed of before, that our Philadelphia Union pursue Didger Drogba as their superstar signing. MLS has a tag you can place on a player that does not count against your salary cap...something they have not done yet (with Adu). This tag was placed on Beckham when he came to LA and Henry when he came to New York.
Such signing would be perfect for the offense-lacking Union. With his fading skill, he would still be beyond spectacular in the MLS. There is already rumors that the LA Galaxy are chasing Drogba if Beckham leaves after this season...and well, i'd rather see one of my favorite players of all time in Philly.
This is the chance for the Philadelphia Union to get worldwide recognition.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Basketball in America
In light of the NBA lockout being lifted, I see all current problems persisting. The super teams stay super, the mediocre teams enjoy their 5 games-over .500 to get smoked in the first round, and the bad teams stay bad unless they hit that next superstar out of the draft. Something the Sixers missed in Evan Turner with the #2 pick, and it's starting to look like even the Wizards missed in John Wall. Some other teams that missed out with the #1 pick, Trail Blazers (Oden), Raptors (Bargani) and the Bucks (Bogut). None of those teams have even had a chance at success, with those picks turning out horrible.
So is this fixable? Maybe. Do I have a crazy hypothetical way to change this? Absolutely.
Now hear me out, and don't quit reading this after my next words.
The NBA should draft ALL players out of high school.
Yes, I know I am talking about eliminating college basketball as you know it. Yes, I am an avid college hoops fan, but please, stick with me on this one.
I see this as beneficial in a few ways, and am taking away from other sports as a prime example.
The main issue I drew to this conclusion is overall basketball attendance in our country, especially at the professional level. NBA has attendance issues, and there are ZERO other meaningful professional league that draw fans. The NFL also has similar issues, but is such a monster, it's not worth considering changing anything.
Think of how many people in this nation attend a professional baseball game. MLB's 30 teams sold a combined 73,425,667 tickets in 2011. AAA baseball draws in the 15 million range, AA baseball draws in the 10 million range as well. You can throw in all the small leagues, and you just see how many people attend a baseball game.... over 100 million.
NHL drew 20,928,036 ticket sales in 2010-2011. On top of that, the AHL drew 1.5 million, ECHL draws 1,000-3,000 a game, and all the leagues in the great lakes area have small filled arenas. You also can look at the OHL, QJMHL, WHL, FHL and the attendance numbers they draw in Canada and northern America. People go to hockey games.
But what does basketball offer? It offers the NBA, which draws 20 million a year. After that, nothing else that draws meaningful attendance is out there.
Of course college basketball is huge, but that's money that goes to a campus, and not the sport. Also, attendance of non students (who hardly pay to go) is struggling for most teams.
This is where my theory comes in. And that theory is to drastically change the sport and draft players out of high school in an expanded draft.
This would develop NBA players for teams, and give a future to players in America.
Lets face it, I absolutely hate the NBA draft and how it works. Every year, the first round pick is almost secured a spot in the top 9 of any NBA roster. The second round pick fights for the last spot on a team, or ends up being released. Regardless, nearly 10-15% of your team changes based on who you draft alone (2 players, 13-ish man team). While I absolutely agree that most first round picks deserve to be on the court and are at the NBA-level, it's the other players that call me into question.
How great would a minor league basketball team be. This would give those great college players who aren't quite NBA material a place to play in America. What happens currently, is that they go overseas, and basically play their life away outside of America. Only the top 60 players in ALL of college basketball make it to the NBA. And considering there's 450 players in the NBA (on average), the rosters add 13% more players every year. Players get squeezed out of a NBA roster spot, and that leads to retirement, or playing overseas.
If each team had a minor league affiliate, you could send your youth. You would also have a spot for the last player on your bench to improve his game. So many times, that 12th-14th man on a roster ends up being released, and playing their life away in Europe. It would be very interesting and beneficial in my eyes to let these players play in such “minor” league. You could also keep your “back up” players active and in the game, something that the end of the bench doesn’t currently get.
The MLS is my example of this. Most great soccer players are signed by 18 to a team for a fairly inexpensive contract. These players play within development leagues against other teams and their development teams. These players mature, grow, and excel in their game until they are ready for the top level. They get their chance at the top level, and if they excel...they are set. This keeps the young kids playing with their future teammates.
Again, this is very hypothetical, and I could write a lot more about it. I just wanted to get my ideas out and see initial reaction. The number of American players playing overseas troubles me, and I am just as troubled that only 450 basketball players make it in America (30 teams, 15 players). Everyone beyond that goes overseas, and plays great there, get zero attention in America. A minor league system would do so.
Putting a team in Hershey, Baltimore, Trenton, Allentown, etc.. would be very successful in my eyes, in many ways like the AHL is for hockey and minor league baseball nation wide. If the Hershey affiliate for the Sixers had their “Second/Development/AHL/AAA” team playing, would people go? If you answer no...then there is no hope for basketball, because people attend Hockey and Baseball at that level. I think that people would go.
So is this fixable? Maybe. Do I have a crazy hypothetical way to change this? Absolutely.
Now hear me out, and don't quit reading this after my next words.
The NBA should draft ALL players out of high school.
Yes, I know I am talking about eliminating college basketball as you know it. Yes, I am an avid college hoops fan, but please, stick with me on this one.
I see this as beneficial in a few ways, and am taking away from other sports as a prime example.
The main issue I drew to this conclusion is overall basketball attendance in our country, especially at the professional level. NBA has attendance issues, and there are ZERO other meaningful professional league that draw fans. The NFL also has similar issues, but is such a monster, it's not worth considering changing anything.
Think of how many people in this nation attend a professional baseball game. MLB's 30 teams sold a combined 73,425,667 tickets in 2011. AAA baseball draws in the 15 million range, AA baseball draws in the 10 million range as well. You can throw in all the small leagues, and you just see how many people attend a baseball game.... over 100 million.
NHL drew 20,928,036 ticket sales in 2010-2011. On top of that, the AHL drew 1.5 million, ECHL draws 1,000-3,000 a game, and all the leagues in the great lakes area have small filled arenas. You also can look at the OHL, QJMHL, WHL, FHL and the attendance numbers they draw in Canada and northern America. People go to hockey games.
But what does basketball offer? It offers the NBA, which draws 20 million a year. After that, nothing else that draws meaningful attendance is out there.
Of course college basketball is huge, but that's money that goes to a campus, and not the sport. Also, attendance of non students (who hardly pay to go) is struggling for most teams.
This is where my theory comes in. And that theory is to drastically change the sport and draft players out of high school in an expanded draft.
This would develop NBA players for teams, and give a future to players in America.
Lets face it, I absolutely hate the NBA draft and how it works. Every year, the first round pick is almost secured a spot in the top 9 of any NBA roster. The second round pick fights for the last spot on a team, or ends up being released. Regardless, nearly 10-15% of your team changes based on who you draft alone (2 players, 13-ish man team). While I absolutely agree that most first round picks deserve to be on the court and are at the NBA-level, it's the other players that call me into question.
How great would a minor league basketball team be. This would give those great college players who aren't quite NBA material a place to play in America. What happens currently, is that they go overseas, and basically play their life away outside of America. Only the top 60 players in ALL of college basketball make it to the NBA. And considering there's 450 players in the NBA (on average), the rosters add 13% more players every year. Players get squeezed out of a NBA roster spot, and that leads to retirement, or playing overseas.
If each team had a minor league affiliate, you could send your youth. You would also have a spot for the last player on your bench to improve his game. So many times, that 12th-14th man on a roster ends up being released, and playing their life away in Europe. It would be very interesting and beneficial in my eyes to let these players play in such “minor” league. You could also keep your “back up” players active and in the game, something that the end of the bench doesn’t currently get.
The MLS is my example of this. Most great soccer players are signed by 18 to a team for a fairly inexpensive contract. These players play within development leagues against other teams and their development teams. These players mature, grow, and excel in their game until they are ready for the top level. They get their chance at the top level, and if they excel...they are set. This keeps the young kids playing with their future teammates.
Again, this is very hypothetical, and I could write a lot more about it. I just wanted to get my ideas out and see initial reaction. The number of American players playing overseas troubles me, and I am just as troubled that only 450 basketball players make it in America (30 teams, 15 players). Everyone beyond that goes overseas, and plays great there, get zero attention in America. A minor league system would do so.
Putting a team in Hershey, Baltimore, Trenton, Allentown, etc.. would be very successful in my eyes, in many ways like the AHL is for hockey and minor league baseball nation wide. If the Hershey affiliate for the Sixers had their “Second/Development/AHL/AAA” team playing, would people go? If you answer no...then there is no hope for basketball, because people attend Hockey and Baseball at that level. I think that people would go.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
My Answer for College Sports
More news today is about schools changing conferences, and the landscape of college sports than the sport itself. This is a huge mess, and doesn't look to be getting fixed anytime soon. But I have my answer.
What I would love to see, would be for the NCAA to take a page out of European Soccer and implement promotion and regulation.
For those of you who are new to the term, Regulation in European Soccer is when the teams who finish at the bottom of the league are kicked out. Also, those in smaller leagues who win the championship, get a chance at the top level. In the English Premier League, Norwich City F.C. is a great example of a regulated team. Last spring, they finished 2nd in the English Champions League, which is the 2nd highest league of soccer in England (AHL, AAA Baseball). With this finish, they were promoted to the EPL league (highest league, NHL, MLB) of Soccer in England, in which they are competing in right now. In 2005, Norwich City finished in the EPL as one of the 3 worst teams, and they were regulated from the EPL to the Champions league, where they competed for 6 years until regaining a good enough of a season to get promoted to the EPL. As long as they finish outside of the last 3 this year in the EPL, they stay in the league next year as long as they don't finish at the bottom.
The beauty of this is that every game is important, even if it's 2 teams below .500. If you lose, you may lose your status as a team in the top league.
It's hard to envision in American profesional sports since every minor league team is owned by a professional team, but envision it as such. The Hershey Bears win the AHL Calder Cup and are the best team in the AHL. Their reward for this championship, is that they would become an NHL team...this is where the promotion comes from. The worst team in the NHL (Edmonton Oilers) would be placed in the AHL as punishment for finishing dead last.
This works in soccer, since every team owns their players, at all levels. This is why teams like Barcelona sign 12 year old kids to play in their development leagues....so other teams don't have a chance at owning his talent. They have "developement" leagues instead of "minor leagues," and the Champions league isn't just players playing for a spot on a professional roster....it's a TEAM playing for a CHANCE to be at the highest level.
Here's how I would love to see College Sports. And please, hear me out before you jump to conclusion.
The current D1 teams would be divided into say 6-8 "super" and 6-8 "d1" conferences, based on location. North East, Mid Atlantic, SouthEast, NorthCentral, Heartland, MidSouth, NorthWest, SouthWest, etc... And you would have in the north east the "super-confrence" for football be your Penn State, Maryland, Boston College, Pitt, Temple, etc. Then your "d1" conference would be teams like Villanova, Towson, Rugters, etc.
So your looking at a "Super-Conference" and "D1 (slightly inferior)" conference. From here, we would implement regulation. The team who finishes dead last in the "super-conference" would be regulated to the "d1" conference, and the team who wins the "d1" conference would be promoted to the "Super-Conference." The regulated school would then next year compete and try to win the inferior conference to get back into the super-conference, or the program would fall apart and a smaller school could grow.
Lets face it, current athletics amongst school lines are set in stone. If you are a D-1a superpower like Villanova or Appalachian State...it will take decades alone to get back into a reputable conference and have a shot at being a top-tier program. If you are a D2 school, despite how good you are, recognition is next to nothing.
Again, this is a sketch, not a blueprint. I just see this type of program turning out awesome. It could be expanded, and allow smaller D2 schools with outstanding programs (Shippensburg's Field Hockey) have a shot at competing. This also opens up the currently unavailable option of having top tier athletes play at smaller schools and get recognized to play at the next level. If you get regulated up to the D1 status, you would attract more and more recruits (especially local), and could build and form a great program that way.
This is just an idea i've thought about, and thought how cool it would be. I love how it works in soccer and how the credibility of losing is non-existant in a lot of american sports. The worst D1 schools are always given a higher status than a good D2 school. This would give those D2 and D1-A FCS schools a voice.
What I would love to see, would be for the NCAA to take a page out of European Soccer and implement promotion and regulation.
For those of you who are new to the term, Regulation in European Soccer is when the teams who finish at the bottom of the league are kicked out. Also, those in smaller leagues who win the championship, get a chance at the top level. In the English Premier League, Norwich City F.C. is a great example of a regulated team. Last spring, they finished 2nd in the English Champions League, which is the 2nd highest league of soccer in England (AHL, AAA Baseball). With this finish, they were promoted to the EPL league (highest league, NHL, MLB) of Soccer in England, in which they are competing in right now. In 2005, Norwich City finished in the EPL as one of the 3 worst teams, and they were regulated from the EPL to the Champions league, where they competed for 6 years until regaining a good enough of a season to get promoted to the EPL. As long as they finish outside of the last 3 this year in the EPL, they stay in the league next year as long as they don't finish at the bottom.
The beauty of this is that every game is important, even if it's 2 teams below .500. If you lose, you may lose your status as a team in the top league.
It's hard to envision in American profesional sports since every minor league team is owned by a professional team, but envision it as such. The Hershey Bears win the AHL Calder Cup and are the best team in the AHL. Their reward for this championship, is that they would become an NHL team...this is where the promotion comes from. The worst team in the NHL (Edmonton Oilers) would be placed in the AHL as punishment for finishing dead last.
This works in soccer, since every team owns their players, at all levels. This is why teams like Barcelona sign 12 year old kids to play in their development leagues....so other teams don't have a chance at owning his talent. They have "developement" leagues instead of "minor leagues," and the Champions league isn't just players playing for a spot on a professional roster....it's a TEAM playing for a CHANCE to be at the highest level.
Here's how I would love to see College Sports. And please, hear me out before you jump to conclusion.
The current D1 teams would be divided into say 6-8 "super" and 6-8 "d1" conferences, based on location. North East, Mid Atlantic, SouthEast, NorthCentral, Heartland, MidSouth, NorthWest, SouthWest, etc... And you would have in the north east the "super-confrence" for football be your Penn State, Maryland, Boston College, Pitt, Temple, etc. Then your "d1" conference would be teams like Villanova, Towson, Rugters, etc.
So your looking at a "Super-Conference" and "D1 (slightly inferior)" conference. From here, we would implement regulation. The team who finishes dead last in the "super-conference" would be regulated to the "d1" conference, and the team who wins the "d1" conference would be promoted to the "Super-Conference." The regulated school would then next year compete and try to win the inferior conference to get back into the super-conference, or the program would fall apart and a smaller school could grow.
Lets face it, current athletics amongst school lines are set in stone. If you are a D-1a superpower like Villanova or Appalachian State...it will take decades alone to get back into a reputable conference and have a shot at being a top-tier program. If you are a D2 school, despite how good you are, recognition is next to nothing.
Again, this is a sketch, not a blueprint. I just see this type of program turning out awesome. It could be expanded, and allow smaller D2 schools with outstanding programs (Shippensburg's Field Hockey) have a shot at competing. This also opens up the currently unavailable option of having top tier athletes play at smaller schools and get recognized to play at the next level. If you get regulated up to the D1 status, you would attract more and more recruits (especially local), and could build and form a great program that way.
This is just an idea i've thought about, and thought how cool it would be. I love how it works in soccer and how the credibility of losing is non-existant in a lot of american sports. The worst D1 schools are always given a higher status than a good D2 school. This would give those D2 and D1-A FCS schools a voice.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Connection Between the Steve Smith signing and Jermey Maclin's Injury and Desean Jackson's Contract
In what would be a huge signing if the Eagles didn't already pick up a handful of Pro-Bowlers this off season, the Eagles picked up the (still) injured Steve Smith from the Giants.
Now Steve Smith WILL NOT play opening day, baring a miracle in recovery. He isn't up to speed and healthy enough to play. The Eagles are WILLING to guarantee him 2 million this year, with incentives leading up to 4 million dollars. They must believe he is more valuable currently hurt than a healthy Plaxico who brought in 3-4 million, or a guy like Braylon Edwards with all the baggage he brings.
Steve Smith underwent Micro-Fracture Knee Surgery in December, and has yet to go anywhere near 100%. Eagles staff believes with his recovery, he should be ready to go at the latest on Week 4. Smith said in an interview, that he feels like he could practice tomorrow, but he doesn't want to rush anything.
All this put aside, the Eagles didn't need a WR....and they got one....and they didn't get one that was cheap. Desean and Maclin are two of the better 1-2 combo's in the league. Jason Avant was arguably the best 3rd WR in the league. Riley Cooper is the teams future as a tall target in the red zone. The Eagles also have players with experience in camp for the 5th spot, such as Johnny Lee-Higgens, Chad Hall, and Sinocre Moss.
But if Smith is healthy quick...is he your #2 or #3 WR? You know the Eagles could use another LB.....and they just got a WR. Eagles Offense was set as it was with Ronnie Brown who's considered one of the best recieving RB in the game.....And the Eagles just added a Pro-Bowl WR who in 25 games over the last 2 years, had 1700+ yards and 10 TD's.
Here's my interpretation.....
Eagles got Steve Smith because they don't believe Maclin will be healthy for some time. It only makes sense. This signing honestly scares me enough to believe that Jermey Maclin will NOT be playing at all this year....or at-least for a long time. It's a reasonable concern. Maclin still can not figure out why he's sick, and i've heard enough "career threatening" rumors to scare me.
Also,
Both Steve Smith and Desean Jackson will be free agents at the end of the year. While Desean is a must-sign, it might throw a little bit of competition his way. Having Jackson, Maclin, Smith, and Avant as your top 4 is almost too good considering some of the other holes in positions like the O-line and Linebackers.
But, ultimately this is because of Maclin. I honestly believe he will not play this year. Despite how good Avant is, he isn't quite a #2 WR in my eyes. Steve Smith is that guy.
Now Steve Smith WILL NOT play opening day, baring a miracle in recovery. He isn't up to speed and healthy enough to play. The Eagles are WILLING to guarantee him 2 million this year, with incentives leading up to 4 million dollars. They must believe he is more valuable currently hurt than a healthy Plaxico who brought in 3-4 million, or a guy like Braylon Edwards with all the baggage he brings.
Steve Smith underwent Micro-Fracture Knee Surgery in December, and has yet to go anywhere near 100%. Eagles staff believes with his recovery, he should be ready to go at the latest on Week 4. Smith said in an interview, that he feels like he could practice tomorrow, but he doesn't want to rush anything.
All this put aside, the Eagles didn't need a WR....and they got one....and they didn't get one that was cheap. Desean and Maclin are two of the better 1-2 combo's in the league. Jason Avant was arguably the best 3rd WR in the league. Riley Cooper is the teams future as a tall target in the red zone. The Eagles also have players with experience in camp for the 5th spot, such as Johnny Lee-Higgens, Chad Hall, and Sinocre Moss.
But if Smith is healthy quick...is he your #2 or #3 WR? You know the Eagles could use another LB.....and they just got a WR. Eagles Offense was set as it was with Ronnie Brown who's considered one of the best recieving RB in the game.....And the Eagles just added a Pro-Bowl WR who in 25 games over the last 2 years, had 1700+ yards and 10 TD's.
Here's my interpretation.....
Eagles got Steve Smith because they don't believe Maclin will be healthy for some time. It only makes sense. This signing honestly scares me enough to believe that Jermey Maclin will NOT be playing at all this year....or at-least for a long time. It's a reasonable concern. Maclin still can not figure out why he's sick, and i've heard enough "career threatening" rumors to scare me.
Also,
Both Steve Smith and Desean Jackson will be free agents at the end of the year. While Desean is a must-sign, it might throw a little bit of competition his way. Having Jackson, Maclin, Smith, and Avant as your top 4 is almost too good considering some of the other holes in positions like the O-line and Linebackers.
But, ultimately this is because of Maclin. I honestly believe he will not play this year. Despite how good Avant is, he isn't quite a #2 WR in my eyes. Steve Smith is that guy.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
2011 Phillies vs 1998 Yankees. Who's better
Easy answer for all of you, right? Yanks?
This is a new debate, and quite frankly an impossible one to answer until the season is over. I hope to however stray you away from without even being open to the opportunity.
There are 2 huge factors that are nearly impossible to decode. One is the impact of Hunter Pence. Do you just count his 6 games in a Phillies uniform or do you count his work in Houston too. After the signing of Pence, the discussion on who's better got very interesting.
It's fact that the Yankees offense was better, and the Phillies pitching is better. Factual.
But I will look at some random facts to hopefully sway some opinions. FOR ALL STATS, I WILL ONLY INCLUDE HUNTER PENCE AND HIS GAMES IN A PHILLIES UNIFORM. You must account for how much better of a player he is than Dom Brown / Ben Francisco, but the stats will not show that.
ALL PHILLIES STATS AS OF 8/3/2011
Sources are linked, any not came from the ever so reliable Baseball Refrence
Batting Average:
1998 Yankees TEAM batting average : .288
1998 American League AVG batting average : .271 (sc)
2011 Phillies TEAM batting average : .251
2011 National League AVG batting average : .260 (sc)
Again, the Yanks are clearly better. There is one highly ignored fact in baseball, and that is that batting average is almost always 10-15 points higher in the American League. That's due to the AL having a DH. So the averages as a team are much better in the AL.
Home Runs:
1998 Yankees TEAM HR's : 207
1998 Homeruns in MLB : 5,064
% of League : 4.088%
2011 Phillies TEAM HR's : 101
2011 Homeruns in MLB : 2,948
% of League : 3.426%
Again, I wanted to disperse the Steroid Era from the Current "pitchers" Era. Comparing how many homeruns the team hit compared to the league, the Yankees as a team had better home run hitters. However, No one on the Yanks hit 30 home runs, and Ryan Howard is on pace for 35.
Runs Per Game
1998 Yankees Runs / Game : 5.96
2011 Phillies Runs / Game : 4.36
Huge disbursement. Again, the AL always averages more runs per game due to having a DH, and the NL has the pitcher hit 9th. Still a vast difference.
Yankees had a better offense, clearly. But just a few pitching stats can change the tone.
3 of the current starters, Worely, Hallday, and Hamels; have a lower ERA than ANY STARTER on the Yankees roster. If Cliff Lee brings his ERA down .01, than he is lower than any Yankees starter in 1998. In 1998 too, Mariano Rivera had a 1.91 ERA. Just so you are also aware, both Bastardo (1.31) and Madson (1.86) have a lower ERA than Rivera.
Here was the 98 Yankees staff,
Pettitte - 4.24 ERA
Wells - 3.49 ERA
Cone - 3.55 ERA
Irabu - 4.06 ERA
Hernandez - 3.13 ERA
Mendoza - 3.25 ERA
And your 2011 Phillies Staff,
Halladay - 2.44 ERA
Hamels - 2.62 ERA
Lee - 3.14 ERA
Worley - 2.33 ERA
Oswalt - 3.79 ERA
Kendrick - 3.19 ERA
Again tho, you must remember that more runs are scored in the AL than the NL. But how big is the difference.
For me, these stats are fairly white and black. Yankees had a better offense, Phillies have a better set of arms. But when you go from there, you hear the Yanks won more games.
The quick argument is that "Oh the Yankees won 114 Games" Before you go crazy with that, the AL East outside of the Yankees went 322-326, NL East outside of the Phillies are currently 227-215. The Phillies have a tougher division today than the Yankees did then, and the Phils are still on pace for 105 Wins. They are 6-0 since getting Pence in the lineup, and who knows how long that will last
Which is better?
Quite honestly... My answer is that you CAN NOT compare AL and NL teams. The two leagues play a lot different, and they are so hard to compare.
Your thoughts?
This is a new debate, and quite frankly an impossible one to answer until the season is over. I hope to however stray you away from without even being open to the opportunity.
There are 2 huge factors that are nearly impossible to decode. One is the impact of Hunter Pence. Do you just count his 6 games in a Phillies uniform or do you count his work in Houston too. After the signing of Pence, the discussion on who's better got very interesting.
It's fact that the Yankees offense was better, and the Phillies pitching is better. Factual.
But I will look at some random facts to hopefully sway some opinions. FOR ALL STATS, I WILL ONLY INCLUDE HUNTER PENCE AND HIS GAMES IN A PHILLIES UNIFORM. You must account for how much better of a player he is than Dom Brown / Ben Francisco, but the stats will not show that.
ALL PHILLIES STATS AS OF 8/3/2011
Sources are linked, any not came from the ever so reliable Baseball Refrence
Batting Average:
1998 Yankees TEAM batting average : .288
1998 American League AVG batting average : .271 (sc)
2011 Phillies TEAM batting average : .251
2011 National League AVG batting average : .260 (sc)
Again, the Yanks are clearly better. There is one highly ignored fact in baseball, and that is that batting average is almost always 10-15 points higher in the American League. That's due to the AL having a DH. So the averages as a team are much better in the AL.
Home Runs:
1998 Yankees TEAM HR's : 207
1998 Homeruns in MLB : 5,064
% of League : 4.088%
2011 Phillies TEAM HR's : 101
2011 Homeruns in MLB : 2,948
% of League : 3.426%
Again, I wanted to disperse the Steroid Era from the Current "pitchers" Era. Comparing how many homeruns the team hit compared to the league, the Yankees as a team had better home run hitters. However, No one on the Yanks hit 30 home runs, and Ryan Howard is on pace for 35.
Runs Per Game
1998 Yankees Runs / Game : 5.96
2011 Phillies Runs / Game : 4.36
Huge disbursement. Again, the AL always averages more runs per game due to having a DH, and the NL has the pitcher hit 9th. Still a vast difference.
Yankees had a better offense, clearly. But just a few pitching stats can change the tone.
3 of the current starters, Worely, Hallday, and Hamels; have a lower ERA than ANY STARTER on the Yankees roster. If Cliff Lee brings his ERA down .01, than he is lower than any Yankees starter in 1998. In 1998 too, Mariano Rivera had a 1.91 ERA. Just so you are also aware, both Bastardo (1.31) and Madson (1.86) have a lower ERA than Rivera.
Here was the 98 Yankees staff,
Pettitte - 4.24 ERA
Wells - 3.49 ERA
Cone - 3.55 ERA
Irabu - 4.06 ERA
Hernandez - 3.13 ERA
Mendoza - 3.25 ERA
And your 2011 Phillies Staff,
Halladay - 2.44 ERA
Hamels - 2.62 ERA
Lee - 3.14 ERA
Worley - 2.33 ERA
Oswalt - 3.79 ERA
Kendrick - 3.19 ERA
Again tho, you must remember that more runs are scored in the AL than the NL. But how big is the difference.
For me, these stats are fairly white and black. Yankees had a better offense, Phillies have a better set of arms. But when you go from there, you hear the Yanks won more games.
The quick argument is that "Oh the Yankees won 114 Games" Before you go crazy with that, the AL East outside of the Yankees went 322-326, NL East outside of the Phillies are currently 227-215. The Phillies have a tougher division today than the Yankees did then, and the Phils are still on pace for 105 Wins. They are 6-0 since getting Pence in the lineup, and who knows how long that will last
Which is better?
Quite honestly... My answer is that you CAN NOT compare AL and NL teams. The two leagues play a lot different, and they are so hard to compare.
Your thoughts?
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Eagles Depth Chart - Offense
As we try to establish some sanity with the Christmas in July we received from both the Phillies and Eagles, I will take a look position by position at the depth chart and some thoughts. This could be updated by the hour if the Eagles bring in another name or trade Asante, but as of now on 8/2/2011...Here's what to expect.
QB - Vick, Young, Kafka.
It's pretty clear that this team will live or die on the shoulders of #7. It is reassuring having Vince Young as your backup, someone who has experience under the spotlight. Kafka may be groomed into a backup next year assuming Young moves on, or we could very well draft a QB next offseason. Just so you know, here are the last couple QB's the Eagles have picked in the first three rounds; Kevin Kolb ('07), Donovan McNabb ('99), Bobby Hoying ('96), Randall Cunningham ('85). Not a bad history there.
RB - McCoy, Brown, Buckley.
Another clear cut starter in Shady. He had a breakout season last year, and lets hope that continues again. The Eagles made what I believe will be a great backup in Ronnie Brown. Versatile player who was the 2nd pick in a draft not too long ago. The 3rd RB is up for grabs. Buckley is the favorite, but there are a handful of other names in training camp who could earn that spot, including Dion Lewis who was taken in the 5th Rd this year from Pittsburgh. .
FB - Schmitt
Honestly, who doesn't love Owen Schmitt. He can block a LB or DB blitzing, and rumble over people with the ball in his hands. I assume his role will be limited having a backup as versatile as Ronnie Brown. Leonard Weaver is still not healthy, and was a proper release by this team.
WR - Jackson, Maclin, Avant, Cooper, Higgins, Hall
A clear cut 1-2 at WR. The #3 WR can turn into a very interesting battle. Avant is by far the favorite, and still a quality choice. However, Riley Cooper had a very impressive rookie season; and height. His tall stature is great across the middle, and he has good hands. I believe the Eagles brought in Johnny Lee Higgins for special teams purpose, but he can be spread out wide as well.Kevin Curtis I mean Chad Hall may be up for debate if he will make the team as a starter, or will be assigned for the practice squad. I generally believe he will not make the roster, with the addition of Higgins and his value on special teams. Eagles are very deep at WR, also having Sinorice Moss in training camp...you may remember him from being a 2nd round pick for the Giants. They also have Rod Harper who saw some time last year (#83). and there is a handful of rookies in camp this year. With the addition of Higgins needing a spot on this roster, I don't see those guys on your opening day roster.
TE - Celek, Lee, Harbor/Ingram?
Another position loaded with talent for the Eagles. Celek is your main guy, as you are all aware. I believe Donald Lee will be the ONLY other man on the roster. The super bowl champion snuck in under the signing of Nnamdi and Babin, but he was not only a target for Rodgers in Green Bay, but a dominate force who helped out the Packers offensive line as a great blocker. Harbor saw some action last year, and Cornelius Ingram had loads of talent if he could stay healthy. I dont see either of these guys making the roster, but they are great practice squad guys.
OG - Herremans, Watkins.
The Eagles are relying on their first round draft pick Danny Watkins to step in as a starter this year. I think he will be fine, along with Herremans in front of Vick. Eagles brought in a 30 year old in Evan Mathias who has played in a whooping 12 games in his career, along with another rookie. Dallas Reynolds is a name as well who may actually make the roster, or be the first man in if there is any injury.
OT - Peters, Howard/Dunlap/Harris
Jason Peters will once again be the anchor on this offensive line. The newest Eagle Ryan Harris is likely your second starter on the other side. You could see King Dunlap or Austin Howard play a lot as well, both saw time on the field last year. Fenuki Tupou is another name we may see out there on a sunday if injuries occur. The Eagles are fairly deep at OT, but the skill behind Peters is questionable....as with a lot of the offensive line.
C - Jackson, McGlynn
Another guy who the Eagles are looking to step up is Jamal Jackson. He was a great player last year, but the injury set him back a step. Still a position that has a question mark, but realistically the offensive line isn't as important with a guy like Vick behind center as compared to a "traditional" pocket QB. McGlynn is an adequate backup, and two younger centers are in camp as well.
The Eagles could still use Offensive Line help, and Asante Samuel may be trade bait for a good man in front of Vick. I can not argue against this being the deadliest offense in Eagles history. It's going to be fun.
QB - Vick, Young, Kafka.
It's pretty clear that this team will live or die on the shoulders of #7. It is reassuring having Vince Young as your backup, someone who has experience under the spotlight. Kafka may be groomed into a backup next year assuming Young moves on, or we could very well draft a QB next offseason. Just so you know, here are the last couple QB's the Eagles have picked in the first three rounds; Kevin Kolb ('07), Donovan McNabb ('99), Bobby Hoying ('96), Randall Cunningham ('85). Not a bad history there.
RB - McCoy, Brown, Buckley.
Another clear cut starter in Shady. He had a breakout season last year, and lets hope that continues again. The Eagles made what I believe will be a great backup in Ronnie Brown. Versatile player who was the 2nd pick in a draft not too long ago. The 3rd RB is up for grabs. Buckley is the favorite, but there are a handful of other names in training camp who could earn that spot, including Dion Lewis who was taken in the 5th Rd this year from Pittsburgh. .
FB - Schmitt
Honestly, who doesn't love Owen Schmitt. He can block a LB or DB blitzing, and rumble over people with the ball in his hands. I assume his role will be limited having a backup as versatile as Ronnie Brown. Leonard Weaver is still not healthy, and was a proper release by this team.
WR - Jackson, Maclin, Avant, Cooper, Higgins, Hall
A clear cut 1-2 at WR. The #3 WR can turn into a very interesting battle. Avant is by far the favorite, and still a quality choice. However, Riley Cooper had a very impressive rookie season; and height. His tall stature is great across the middle, and he has good hands. I believe the Eagles brought in Johnny Lee Higgins for special teams purpose, but he can be spread out wide as well.
TE - Celek, Lee, Harbor/Ingram?
Another position loaded with talent for the Eagles. Celek is your main guy, as you are all aware. I believe Donald Lee will be the ONLY other man on the roster. The super bowl champion snuck in under the signing of Nnamdi and Babin, but he was not only a target for Rodgers in Green Bay, but a dominate force who helped out the Packers offensive line as a great blocker. Harbor saw some action last year, and Cornelius Ingram had loads of talent if he could stay healthy. I dont see either of these guys making the roster, but they are great practice squad guys.
OG - Herremans, Watkins.
The Eagles are relying on their first round draft pick Danny Watkins to step in as a starter this year. I think he will be fine, along with Herremans in front of Vick. Eagles brought in a 30 year old in Evan Mathias who has played in a whooping 12 games in his career, along with another rookie. Dallas Reynolds is a name as well who may actually make the roster, or be the first man in if there is any injury.
OT - Peters, Howard/Dunlap/Harris
Jason Peters will once again be the anchor on this offensive line. The newest Eagle Ryan Harris is likely your second starter on the other side. You could see King Dunlap or Austin Howard play a lot as well, both saw time on the field last year. Fenuki Tupou is another name we may see out there on a sunday if injuries occur. The Eagles are fairly deep at OT, but the skill behind Peters is questionable....as with a lot of the offensive line.
C - Jackson, McGlynn
Another guy who the Eagles are looking to step up is Jamal Jackson. He was a great player last year, but the injury set him back a step. Still a position that has a question mark, but realistically the offensive line isn't as important with a guy like Vick behind center as compared to a "traditional" pocket QB. McGlynn is an adequate backup, and two younger centers are in camp as well.
The Eagles could still use Offensive Line help, and Asante Samuel may be trade bait for a good man in front of Vick. I can not argue against this being the deadliest offense in Eagles history. It's going to be fun.
Monday, July 25, 2011
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