Recently I was going through some files on my computer when I came across a story I had started writing. It was me starting to write about my college experience. I think that most people always like to think that their college experience is book or movie worthy, when in fact, it really isn't. However, I still decided to start adding on to it, for my own amusement. I then realized that it would be perfect blog fodder! The first few posts are already written, and I will probably put them up in pretty rapid succession, but it might slow down for a while as many stories still have to be written. I will still be writing about other things as well as I get more ideas or rants.
The proper thing to do is to start a whole new blog for this, but Imight jeopardize losing readership as people aren't sure where to go ever, and why lose any of my 5 readers, haha. It will always be entitled 'My Collegiate Life', so you know when the next part is. I will probably always let people know via facebook or AIM.
I am going to be fairly open on this, as this was my life and what I was thinking, so, maybe some things come out about you! haha. Anyways, this will all start the moment I get a job, which is looking good at this point in time. At that point I will unprivatize my blog for all to read again.
Stay Tuned!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Cy Young
these are going to get shorter and shorter, as I have a short attention span.
American League
Cliff Lee -This guy was amazing this year and completely came out of nowhere. Everyone was expecting that CC Sabathia would repeat, but after early season struggles, the Indians performing poorly and them not coming to terms on a contract, he was traded off. If it was to be another Indian pitcher, it would have been Fausto Carmona, certainly wouldn't have thought Cliff Lee, but, it was, congrats.
National League
Brandon Webb - Late season struggles won't overshadow what he did to start the season. Though Tim Lincecum should get a nod here as well. That is it, my expert analysis.
American League
Cliff Lee -This guy was amazing this year and completely came out of nowhere. Everyone was expecting that CC Sabathia would repeat, but after early season struggles, the Indians performing poorly and them not coming to terms on a contract, he was traded off. If it was to be another Indian pitcher, it would have been Fausto Carmona, certainly wouldn't have thought Cliff Lee, but, it was, congrats.
National League
Brandon Webb - Late season struggles won't overshadow what he did to start the season. Though Tim Lincecum should get a nod here as well. That is it, my expert analysis.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Rookie Of The Year
This years ROY awards, are simple. I think everyone knows who will be winning in both leagues. So, here they are
National League
Geovany Soto - I spoke about him in the last post as a runner up for the silver slugger award. For the ROY, he has little competition. The closest may be Joey Votto of the Reds. What is most impressive about Soto is that he not just hot well, but controlled an amazing pitching staff. As a Brewers fan, I was hoping his ability to call games was lacking, for I knew he could hit. Unfortunately for me, he can call the game just fine.
American League
Evan Longoria - Sort of Ryan Braun effect, comes up in the bigs after a month or so, and just pounds the ball. Unlike Braun, Longoria doesn't have any close competition (Tulowitzki). He was a main part of the Rays reaching the postseason. I think you should keep an eye on this kid, superstar is written all over him
National League
Geovany Soto - I spoke about him in the last post as a runner up for the silver slugger award. For the ROY, he has little competition. The closest may be Joey Votto of the Reds. What is most impressive about Soto is that he not just hot well, but controlled an amazing pitching staff. As a Brewers fan, I was hoping his ability to call games was lacking, for I knew he could hit. Unfortunately for me, he can call the game just fine.
American League
Evan Longoria - Sort of Ryan Braun effect, comes up in the bigs after a month or so, and just pounds the ball. Unlike Braun, Longoria doesn't have any close competition (Tulowitzki). He was a main part of the Rays reaching the postseason. I think you should keep an eye on this kid, superstar is written all over him
Thursday, October 09, 2008
2008 Silver Slugger Awards (NL Only)
First Base
Runners Up:
Ryan Howard - After getting off to a horrid start, things weren't looking good for the superstar who was making a record $10 million arbitration contract. He deserved it though, after winning the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, he was due some coin. However, Howard got things moving after the slump. He led all first basemen with 48 HRs and an 146 RBIs. Helped drive the Phillies into the postseason with a monster September. He whiffed 199 times though.
Lance Berkman - A model of consistency, on BOTH sides of the plate. Berkman is the heart of the Astros team. His numbers were great 106 RBI's with a .312 AVG, that gets you consideration, but someone's #'s were better.
The Winner:
Albert Pujols - While he does have almost 100 ABs less than Howard, Pujol's numbers are, as usual, amazing! He had 116 RBIs, 342 TB, 37 HR, 104 BB, with an astonishing .357 AVG. Should I even have to mention he struck out only 54 times?
Second Base
Runner Up
Dan Uggla - The Marlins were in the playoff hunt for 2/3 of the year before they finally fell back to reality. Uggla helped to give them that chance. He belted 32 HR and had 92 RBIs. Not bad for a middle infielder. He only had 5 SB though, and an ugly 171 Ks with a .260 AVG.
The Winner
Chase Utley - There really was no contest here. Utley, as expected, was the best hitting second baseman in the NL. 33 HRs, 104 RBIs, 292. AVG, and swiped 14 bags. He is a true five tool player!
Third Base
Runners Up
Aramis Ramirez - I hate to say it, but this guy can hit. His lack of hustle of course is something to be worried about if you were a Cub fan, but you can't get too upset with a guy hitting .289 with 27 jacks, and 111 RBIs. Ramirez though, should be able to put up better number than this.
Chipper Jones - This poor guy can't stay healthy. Shame too, in only 439 ABs he hit a remarkable .364 with 22 HRs and 75 RBIs. If he had a full season, this award is his for the taking.
The Winner
David Wright - Once again, there wasn't much contest here. He is easily the leader of the Mets sqaud. And while once again. the Mets managed to have a fatal September collapse, Wright's numbers helped them at least be in it until the end. 115 Rs, 33 HRs, 124 RBIs, 15 SB, 94 BBs, all while batting .302.
Shortstop
Runner Up
Jose Reyes - This is such a tough call, as there are two amazing SS's in the NL. I actually just switched Reyes from the winner to the runner up. Reyes batted a ridiculous 688 times and maintained a .297 AVG. However, if I have to look at those extra 100 ABs, how does he stack up to his main competitor. He has 17 HRs less, 1 more RBI, and 12 less runs scored. His stolen base number is 56, which is jaw dropping, but, that doesn't mean he is the best hitter, just a better runner. I am looking at it this way: in 100 extra plate appearances, he only has 1 more RBI than his closest competitor.
The Winner
Hanley Ramirez - Hanley hit a stupifying 33 HRs for a shortstop. Have you seen how big this guy is? He scored 125 times and finished with a .301 AVG. He was able to work the count often with 92 BBs (Reyes 66).
Left Field
Runners Up
Matt Holliday - I had Matt winning until I noticed one thing, he only had 290 total bases. He hit an amazing .321 over the course of 539 plate appearances. Not to mention 25 HRs and 88 RBIs. I wouldn't be surprised to see Holliday get the award, but, not in my books.
Manny Ramirez - He really stands no chance of winning, as he only played the NL for 1/2 a season. But his numbers the 2nd half, and what he did for the Dodgers are certainly noteworthy!
The Winner
Ryan Braun - I really tried to not be a Homer on this, but the numbers don't lie. I started writing why he didn't win, but I was kidding myself. He led all of MLB outfielders with 338 Total Bases! He hit 37 HR's and had 106 RBIs. While his AVG was much lower than Holliday's at .285, it is still respectable, and he did have more than 70 ABs more than Matt did.
Center Field
Runners Up
Nate McClouth - Not sure what the Pirates would have done had they not had this guy? 26 long balls and 94 RBIs with a .276 AVG. Keep an eye on this kid for the future!
Matt Kemp - Another star in the making. He stands no chance to win, but is someone of note for sure.
The Winner
Carlos Beltran - It is still baffling on how the Mets failed to make the playoffs, well at least with their batting lineup. Beltran had 303 TB , batted .284, hit 27 Homers, and batted in 112 while he himself scored 116 times. He accounted for a lot of Met runs throughout the season!
Right Field
The Winner
Ryan Ludwick - Wow, it is shocking to see how average the National League outfielders are! There is not runner up, the winner straight up goes to Ludwick! Batting .299 he hit 37 long balls and drove in 113. His 318 total bags is impressive as well.
Catcher
Runners Up
Geovany Soto - Lets not kid ourselves, this kid is going to win a few of these awards when he is said and done. He can rake! In his rookie year, he hit .285 with 86 RBIs and 23 dingers!
Russell Marten - Another extremely bright future! Hit .280 with 69 driven in
The Winner
Brian McCann - It used to be, the catcher was just about defense and controlling the pitching staff. The new wave of catchers can also hit, as seen with the two youngsters above as well. McCann hit .301, 23 HRs, 87 RBIs, and had 266 TBs. Not shabby!
Pitcher
Runners Up
Micah Owings - So, I thought he would be the winner going into this part. But apparently I was thinking of his 2007 numbers still. Also, apparently he became a Red during the whole Dunn trade, I missed that. His average for the year was still great for a pitcher well over .300 for the year.
CC Sabathia - Like Manny, stands no chance at winning. But his AVG is respectable and he hits for power, big time! If he stays in the NL, he should get 1 or 2 of these awards. 1 HR with 6 RBIs.
The Winner
Carlos Zambrano - No big shocker here. If you are the Ace of a team, and you bat .337, hit 4 HRs, and drive in 14....as a pitcher with 83 ABs! You pretty much are guaranteed this hardware.
MLB Awards
I have decided that I am going to decide who should get all the major awards in baseball this year. These are not predictions, but who I feel is the most deserving winner. I will likely have the winner and then some runners up with a description of why I chose who I chose or did not choose. I will obviously try to be objective in these awards.
Hopefully this afternoon I will be starting these awards off with the Silver Slugger awards. Then tomorrow the Rookie of the Years. I can't say for certain if I will be writing anything over the weekend, but the order will go after ROY: Cy Young and MVP. I will cover both leagues on all except the silver slugger, as I am far more knowledgeable of the NL than the AL, and breaking down every AL position wouldn't cover anything except stats, and more goes into these than stats in my opinion.
You may wonder why I would cover the Silver Slugger and not the Gold Glove. The answer is simple, there is so much more that goes in to the Gold Glove than just Fielding %, assists, and putouts. Ryan Braun has a 100% fielding percentage...0 errors! That is almost unheard of! However, he should be nowhere near anyone's consideration for Gold Glove as he took many a bad routes to the ball along with other simple things such as missing cut off men, etc. Gold Glovers, while rarely let errors happen, still do. It is their style of defense that gets factored in, and I couldn't possibly break down every fielder in the NL.
So, hopefully this afternoon, you will see the Silver Slugger awards for every NL position!
Hopefully this afternoon I will be starting these awards off with the Silver Slugger awards. Then tomorrow the Rookie of the Years. I can't say for certain if I will be writing anything over the weekend, but the order will go after ROY: Cy Young and MVP. I will cover both leagues on all except the silver slugger, as I am far more knowledgeable of the NL than the AL, and breaking down every AL position wouldn't cover anything except stats, and more goes into these than stats in my opinion.
You may wonder why I would cover the Silver Slugger and not the Gold Glove. The answer is simple, there is so much more that goes in to the Gold Glove than just Fielding %, assists, and putouts. Ryan Braun has a 100% fielding percentage...0 errors! That is almost unheard of! However, he should be nowhere near anyone's consideration for Gold Glove as he took many a bad routes to the ball along with other simple things such as missing cut off men, etc. Gold Glovers, while rarely let errors happen, still do. It is their style of defense that gets factored in, and I couldn't possibly break down every fielder in the NL.
So, hopefully this afternoon, you will see the Silver Slugger awards for every NL position!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
NLDS Game 1 - Brewers @ Phillies
Below is a timeline of the game and my thoughts:
1:45 - Jake and I arrive at a bar near his place called Grainger's. It was a fairly simple looking bar and grill, but had plenty of TVs to make sure no one missed a pitch, so, it would work perfect. There aren't too many people here as of now, but it is Wednesday afternoon and most people have a job (unlike Jake and I).
1:58 - I just remembered I forgot to eat lunch. This is troubling news as I have no job and should not be spending money on food. Jake notices a large wall filled with tequila, neat.
2:00 - We both agree FrankTV is just, not good.
2:07 - First pitch! We are under way.
2:08 - I ponder if Cameron will strike out, we both agree he probably will, Jake thinks looking, I say swinging.
2:09 - Yes, Cameron does strike out, looking, I win!
2:12 - Quick 3 up, 3 down. Hamels looks sharp.
2:16 - Did Rickie Weeks just flash leather? Maybe his defense won't ruin us (ha)
2:19 - Gallardo has a quick inning as well, he too is looking sharp. The bar is sort of dead right now, I think I may have been the only one cheering at this point.
2:25 - Hart still is not good....maybe later (ha)
2:27 - It is raining in Philly, will the game continue? (it does)
2:29 - I can not stand Shane Victorino's two-flapped helmet. I understand he is a switch hitter, but be normal and buy two helmets, you look retarded.
2:32 - I should be a color guy on TV. Jake asked if the rain would help or hinder a pitcher. I say that it would help a curve ball but hinder a fastball. Just a few short moments later they say the exact same thing on TV.
2:36 - The fans that spent $1,000s of dollars to sit directly behind home plate have all left to the confines of dryness. Panzy asses. If I was sitting there, they would have to pry me away after the game.
2:44 - Oh god! What a terrible play. Bill Hall bobbles it to ruin a double play, then Rickie Weeks drops the throw to first for an out. The ball hit his glove, he is absolutely terrible, I hate Rickie Weeks!
2:50 - Cameron just dropped the 3rd out scoring 2 runs.....would have been a tough catch, but it was in his webbing, tough to swallow right now how this all went down. Should have never come to this, Weeks is to blame for sure.
2:58 - Yo just walked in the 3rd run, Weeks is still to blame. In the playoffs, you can't give teams extra outs.
3:04 - We are being no hit through 4....not good
3:07 - I wonder at this point in time if Ned Yost is drunk watching the game at home, I mean smashed drunk! Dale Sveum is being interviewed and I envision a drunk and raged Yost tossing a bottle of beer through his TV. I'm sure he has another set he can watch.
3:13 - I still hate Weeks right now.
3:20 - Hart has just gotten the 1st hit of the game for the Crew...maybe he can keep it up now (ha)
3:22 - Weeks strikes out, I hate him
3:45 - Weeks = shitlist still
4:06 - Sorry for the delay, but the Brewers have nothing going for them, they suck
4:19 - Really, really gay
4:28 - Last chance, oh god
4:36 - Braun hits one down the line, 1 run in! How about a rally against Lidge, he is due for a blown save.
4:42 - Fielder has a good AB, but stikes out on a ridiculous pitch that would have been ball 4.
4:42 - Hardy is walked, WOOHOO
4:46 - Umm, Hart just struck out with two guys in scoring position....ugh he has been terrible. Brewers lose.
10:55 - Until tomorrow folks!
1:45 - Jake and I arrive at a bar near his place called Grainger's. It was a fairly simple looking bar and grill, but had plenty of TVs to make sure no one missed a pitch, so, it would work perfect. There aren't too many people here as of now, but it is Wednesday afternoon and most people have a job (unlike Jake and I).
1:58 - I just remembered I forgot to eat lunch. This is troubling news as I have no job and should not be spending money on food. Jake notices a large wall filled with tequila, neat.
2:00 - We both agree FrankTV is just, not good.
2:07 - First pitch! We are under way.
2:08 - I ponder if Cameron will strike out, we both agree he probably will, Jake thinks looking, I say swinging.
2:09 - Yes, Cameron does strike out, looking, I win!
2:12 - Quick 3 up, 3 down. Hamels looks sharp.
2:16 - Did Rickie Weeks just flash leather? Maybe his defense won't ruin us (ha)
2:19 - Gallardo has a quick inning as well, he too is looking sharp. The bar is sort of dead right now, I think I may have been the only one cheering at this point.
2:25 - Hart still is not good....maybe later (ha)
2:27 - It is raining in Philly, will the game continue? (it does)
2:29 - I can not stand Shane Victorino's two-flapped helmet. I understand he is a switch hitter, but be normal and buy two helmets, you look retarded.
2:32 - I should be a color guy on TV. Jake asked if the rain would help or hinder a pitcher. I say that it would help a curve ball but hinder a fastball. Just a few short moments later they say the exact same thing on TV.
2:36 - The fans that spent $1,000s of dollars to sit directly behind home plate have all left to the confines of dryness. Panzy asses. If I was sitting there, they would have to pry me away after the game.
2:44 - Oh god! What a terrible play. Bill Hall bobbles it to ruin a double play, then Rickie Weeks drops the throw to first for an out. The ball hit his glove, he is absolutely terrible, I hate Rickie Weeks!
2:50 - Cameron just dropped the 3rd out scoring 2 runs.....would have been a tough catch, but it was in his webbing, tough to swallow right now how this all went down. Should have never come to this, Weeks is to blame for sure.
2:58 - Yo just walked in the 3rd run, Weeks is still to blame. In the playoffs, you can't give teams extra outs.
3:04 - We are being no hit through 4....not good
3:07 - I wonder at this point in time if Ned Yost is drunk watching the game at home, I mean smashed drunk! Dale Sveum is being interviewed and I envision a drunk and raged Yost tossing a bottle of beer through his TV. I'm sure he has another set he can watch.
3:13 - I still hate Weeks right now.
3:20 - Hart has just gotten the 1st hit of the game for the Crew...maybe he can keep it up now (ha)
3:22 - Weeks strikes out, I hate him
3:45 - Weeks = shitlist still
4:06 - Sorry for the delay, but the Brewers have nothing going for them, they suck
4:19 - Really, really gay
4:28 - Last chance, oh god
4:36 - Braun hits one down the line, 1 run in! How about a rally against Lidge, he is due for a blown save.
4:42 - Fielder has a good AB, but stikes out on a ridiculous pitch that would have been ball 4.
4:42 - Hardy is walked, WOOHOO
4:46 - Umm, Hart just struck out with two guys in scoring position....ugh he has been terrible. Brewers lose.
10:55 - Until tomorrow folks!
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