And I Thought D'Brickashaw Was Bad: Worst Names in Sports History

I know there is no way for a parent to look into the future and see that their newborn child will someday become a famous athlete, but that shouldn’t matter. A parent should be first and foremost concerned with the well being of their child. With this in mind they should take great care in naming their baby something that will not get the poor kid picked on for the rest of their life. Children can be so cruel and adults can be even worse. I have put together a list of the worst names in sports history and judging from this group of truly horrible names it is obvious that these people’s parents not only didn’t have a clue, but didn’t give a damn about the potential emotional scars their carelessness would most assuredly inflict.

10. George Shorthose – WR NFL 1985

Before anyone says anything about the bad name being George’s surname and his parents couldn’t do anything about it, I just want to say that his father should have had that name legally changed the day he turned 18 years old. Even if it’s true, you’ve got to get rid of that thing before some team in the NFL sews it across your kid’s back. It seems the only thing shorter than George’s hose was his NFL career as he only returned one kickoff for 11 yards in 1985.

9. Craphonso Thorpe – WR NFL 2005-Present

I don’t care how he says you pronounce it. We all know how you really pronounce it and deep down so does he. This is an example of how a parent can take a completely pedestrian last name like Thorpe and make a complete mockery of it by slapping Craphonso on the front of it. Can you imagine this poor guy’s nickname growing up? His dad’s name is probably Alphonso and his mom’s is something like Crystal and they thought they would do something cute like put their names together to name their kid. Think people. Please think before you name your kid Craphonso.

8. Harry Colon – DB NFL 1991-1997

Really? Really mom and dad? Harry was the best you could come up with to pair with Colon? How about Semi, or anything besides Harry?

7. Pete LaCock – 1B/OF MLB 1972-1980

This name is made infinitely worse by the capitalization of the Cock part. In this case the blame doesn’t lie on the parents. Pete’s dad, Peter Marshall of Hollywood Squares fame had the sense to change his horrible last name to Marshall and his son should have followed suit. Unfortunately, Pete loved LaCock and judging from his .257 career batting average and 27HR in 9 years he sucked it too.

6. Albert Pujols – 1B MLB 2001-Present

At first Albert’s name does not seem to be one of the worst in sports history. On top of that the guy is the most dominate player in the game today so there will be many that are offended by his name being added to my list, but we must look closely to see why he is here. If pronounced correctly using the Spanish pronunciation we see that Pujols is said “poo-holes” and that is very bad on any list. Major props for Albert when it comes to his baseball career, but if they can forge birth certificates in the Dominican Republic that say that Miguel Tejada was born in 1974 then why can’t Pujols change his last name to Perez like everybody else?

5. Misty Hyman – 200 meter butterfly 2000 Olympic gold medalist

Again the last name is really not her parent’s fault unless you blame her mother for taking her father’s last name at marriage, and I do. In a few cases I think that the man should take the woman’s last name upon being married and this is one of these rare cases.

4. Assol Slivets – aerial skier 5th place 2006 Winter Olympics

Sticking with the female athletes Slivets has to take the title of worst female name in sports history over Hyman because Hyman could at least go by Misty growing up whereas Slivets was always an Assol. I don’t care if she was born in Belarus and in whatever crazy language they speak there Assol has a different meaning than it does in English. I have to call a spade a spade and Assol is a horrible name in any language. Though they have the same feel to them, Assol is worse than Pujols, but only slightly.

3. Rusty Kuntz – DH/OF MLB 1979-1985

If Rusty was a girl then this name would have been in first place on my list for sure, but because Rusty was born with a shlong instead of a kuntz he only merits 3rd place. True to his name, Rusty was always rusty, only hitting .236 over his career with 5HR. When they were handing out surnames wherever it was that they did that how did this family end up with Kuntz and another family end up with Smith? It hardly seems fair.

2. Dick Butkus – LB NFL 1965-1973

This is the most prestigious and highly decorated name on our list. Butkus was regarded as the best linebacker of his time and after his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame is certainly in the conversation as to who is the greatest linebacker of all time. I also thought his name was bar none the worst in sports history when I started researching this topic, but alas his is number two. With a last name like Butkus (pronounced butt-kiss for those of you living under a rock) his parents could not have done worse giving him Dick as his first name. I can’t imagine how the conversation went when mom and dad Butkus were discussing the name of their newborn son. “How about James? No, that’s too normal sounding. Joe? No. Frank? Honestly, who would name their child Frank? Wait, wait…I’ve got it. Dick! Oh, that’s perfect. Dick! It just rolls of the tongue, doesn’t it? Dick Butkus!” Good grief.

1. Johnny “Ugly” Dickshot – OF MLB 1936-1945

That’s right, folks. His name was Johnny “Ugly” Dickshot. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. John Dickshot is bad enough, but add to that his unfortunate nickname of “Ugly” and his name goes down in history as the worst name in sports history, no question. I know that in the 1930s the name probably did not have the same bad connotations as it does today, but I’m sure it had to sound really, really bad back then too. For the love of all that is holy, when you come to Ellis Island as an immigrant and they are handing out names don’t let them pressure you into Dickshot. I would have climbed back on the boat and sailed back from whence I came if they had tried that crap with me.

Best of Show: Gregor Fucka – Forward FC Barcelona/Italian National Team

I just couldn’t let this one go. What possible good does a name like Fucka do for anybody? If I were this dude’s dad I would have a shirt printed up for my wife that said “Mother Fucka”, no lie. Why wasn’t Gregor better so that he could have made it to the NBA and we could have been blessed to hear Marv Albert yell, “And Fucka throws one down!” or “Yes, and it counts Fucka from downtown!”

Honorable Mentions:

Ben Gay – RB NFL 2002

Dick Trickle – NASCAR

Miroslav Satan – NHL

Lucious Pusey – Div 1-AA linebacker

Chubby Cox – NBA

Dick Pole - MLB

Random YouTube Video

NFL Week 3 Thoughts

Vinnie Chase and Company Do It Again

Until they lose a game I will continue to lead off these NFL recaps by talking about the Jets. Right now they are 3-0 after their victory over the Titans but they have New Orleans this week who is also 3-0 and will be their biggest test.

It will be a match up of 3-0 teams and will also showcase the best defense in the league against the best offense. It will interesting to see how Rex Ryan shuts down Drew Brees and Pierre Thomas but I am sure he has a way.

Sanchez looked shaky for a long time on Sunday after the 1st quarter and if not for Ryan Moudon making some costly errors the Jets may not have been victorious. Maybe Rex Ryan should send him the game ball for all his hard work out there.

Although Sanchez struggled he is 14 yard touchdown run in the 1st quarter was the stuff legends are made of. If he continues to show that kind of heart and determination he will do great things in the NFL.

How Scary Are the Ravens?

Good lord this is a scary team. The defense is just as dangerous as always and now all of a sudden they have an offense. Joe Flacco looked like Joe Montana on Sunday as he carved up the Browns for 342 yards and 3 TDs.

Now I know this was against Cleveland who looks like they couldn't win games in the CFL but still. The only question I have is can they score points quickly? I know they can score a lot of points but they still seem like the Ravens of old who score through long drives and not huge plays. That may be an issue going forward if they happen to get down early.

Still the Ravens are 3-0 and look to be the team to beat in the AFC. I know I wouldn't want to play them anytime soon.

Role Reversal

Last year the Titans and Panthers won their divisions. Right now they are both 0-3. Last year the Steelers and the Cardinals played in the SuperBowl and right now they are a combined 2-4. What a difference a year makes.

The Titans have had a horrible start to their season going 0-3 but they are by far the best 0-3 team in recent memory. Their losses haven't been catastrophic and they have had a lot of positives. They just need to feed Chris Johnson the ball more and NEVER throw the ball to Nate Washington. By the way Kerry Collins finished the game against the Jets Sunday by throwing 13 straight incompletions.

The Panthers look terrible and Jake Delhomme has seemingly lost any ability to play quarterback. He has thrown 7 interceptions through 3 games and is the reason the Panthers lose. If they want to win they need to do what works for them aka RUN THE BALL.

Love watching the Steelers lose and as for the Cardinals they should do alright this season as long as their O-line can keep the pressure of Kurt Warner.

Damn You Brett Favre

As if that happened on Sunday. Why couldn't he just throw an interception or an incompletion and just lose the game. Now I have to go a whole week hearing about how amazing Brett Favre is and how he has the "magic." Don't get me wrong it was a great drive, great throw, and an unreal catch but still I wish it hadn't happened.

I contend that the 49ers are to blame for this. What was Mike Singletary thinking playing the prevent defense and allowing the Vikings to march down the field like that? I don't understand how a team can go 58 minutes playing a certain defensive style that is clearly working and then all of a sudden change it up and play soft coverage. All the prevent defense does is prevent you from winning. You cannot allow the offense to get chunks of yards like that and get out of bounds.

That is why I have loved watching the Jets this season. Late in the game when it is close they bring pressure and don't let up. Thank God for Rex Ryan. Find it hard to believe a defensive specialist like Singletary would play the prevent.

The Lions Win?

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the Detroit Lions finally won a football game. The win ended a 19 game losing streak that dates back to 2008. Glad that the team finally won and now they can move forward.

Also love that after the win the team met in the locker room for their post game talk and immediately went back onto the field to thank their fans for supporting them through their terrible season. Thought that was a nice touch by Jim Schwartz and the team. Also need to point out that I called this as it seems like the Redskins quit on Jim Zorn at the beginning of the season.

Quick Thoughts

- How ugly were those Seahawk jerseys on Sunday? They looked like they were designed by a blind person who went blind from looking at that bright ass green.

- Remember when Denver wanted to run Josh McDaniels out of town? Now he is 3-0 and looks like a genius. The man is a winner, period.

- Jake Delhomme and Tony Romo both idolized Brett Favre growing up and both are referred to as "gun slingers." That is NFL code for interception machines. If you want to idolize a quarterback pick someone good.

- Terrell Owens career is officially over. I am calling it right now. If he gets 10 touchdowns this season I will donate $500 to charity.

- The 49ers are for real but if Frank Gore is out for an extended period of time they will struggle.

- This one is for Jeff Hamilton: The Bengals look like a potential playoff team as long as Carson Palmer is healthy and Cedric Benson can maintain his current pace. The fact that they play physical defense now doesn't hurt either.

- Michael Vick hates his new role no matter what he says. He was useless out there on Sunday against the Chiefs and will certainly want a larger role going forward, especially if Donovan Mcnabb stays on the injured list.

- Joey Galloway is washed up and is single handily killing the Patriots offense.

___________________________________________________

Random YouTube Video

The Most Underrated Player in Sports

The most underrated player in any professional sport is Ichiro Suzuki.

Simply put he is one of the greatest baseball players of all-time and he gets very little respect from the fans and very little media coverage. Not only are his career statistics mind blowing but he is also a pioneer in the sport and a pretty funny guy.

Since 2001 Ichiro has been playing right field for the Seattle Mariners. He was the first Japanese born everyday position player in MLB history and paved the way for many other Japanese stars like Hideki Matsui of the Nnew York Yankees and Kosuke Fukedome of the Chicago Cubs. In this sense he is a true pioneer and is pretty much a God in Japan.

Ichiro's agent Tony Attanasio once described his client's status in an interview with ESPN: "When you mail Ichiro something from the States, you only have to use that name on the address and he gets it [in Japan]. He's that big."

Despite his godlike status in Japan Ichiro remains relatively ignored in North America despite his phenomenal accomplishments. This is not to say that he hasn't be rewarded for his hard work but the praise he receives is not on par with the numbers he puts up. Here are a list of his accomplishments since moving to MLB in 2001:

• 9× MLB All-Star selection (2001-2009)
• 8× MLB Gold Glove Award winner (2001-2008)
• 2× MLB Silver Slugger Award winner (2001, 2007)
• 2× MLB Batting Champion (2001, 2004)
• 2001 AL MVP
• 2001 AL Rookie of the Year
• 2001 AL Stolen Base Champion
• 2007 MLB All-Star Game MVP
• Single-season MLB record with 262 hits
• 9 consecutive seasons of 200 or more hits (MLB record)

Look very closely at that last record. 9 consecutive seasons with 200 or more hits. 9! That is unreal. What isn't mentioned in that list is that he has also hit at least .300 every year he has been in the league. In his worst year he hit .303 and in his best he hit .372. How is this man not in the discussion for best baseball player alive?

His career numbers are gaudy and are as follows: 2021 Hits, 84 HR, 515 RBI, 341 SB, and a lifetime Batting Average of .333. But before you go and point out that these numbers are impressive but not crazy you must remember that these are his numbers since being in MLB. He also played 9 years in the Japanese league where he compiled over 1,200 hits and had over 100 more steals.

Obviously the Japanese league isn't on par with MLB but it is still a professional league and Ichiro's stats need to be kept in mind. Some people argue that his Japanese numbers should be combined with his MLB numbers but I think that is a stupid idea and they should be separate but still have significance.

Aside from just hitting the ball Ichiro has other talents as well. He is easily one of the fastest players in MLB stealing at least 26 bases in each of his 9 seasons and he is great in the field made obvious by his 9 Gold Glove awards. His great speed allows him to get to balls he has no business catching and he has one of the best arms in all of MLB.

Lastly Ichirco is also a pretty funny guy. In an interview with the New York Times Ichiro had this to say about his low power numbers, "Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me. I think there’s sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I’d rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out.”

So while Ichiro may have the hardware to show that he is appreciated by MLB and his fellow players he still does not get nearly enough credit from fans and the media. His MLB career has been amazing and when it is all over he will hopefully go down as one of the best players of all-time and may even be known as the best hitter of all-time.

One thing is for sure Ichiro Suzuki is by far the most underrated player in sports.

Random YouTube Video

Top 25 Ratings and "Upsets"

Remind me never to bet on college football again. It is so frustrating to see all these ranked teams get beat every week and have analysts say 'I don't know what happened.' Last week USC lost to Washington and ruined my day and this week almost every team I bet on blew it.

What I have learned from this experience is that early on in the college football season rankings means nothing. They are based more on opinion than statistics and upsets are common. Here are the ranked teams that were "upset" this week:

#6 California lost to Oregon 42-3
#4 Mississippi lost to South Carolina 16-10
#18 Florida St. lost to Southern Florida 17-7
#22 North Carolina lost to Georgia Tech 24-7
#9 Miami lost to Virginia Tech 31-7
#5 Penn St. lost to Iowa 21-10
#24 Washington lost to Stanford 34-14

Those are 7 of the top 25 teams in the country that were beaten by unranked opponents (except Miami who lost to Virgina Tech ranked #11). What does this tell us? Some would argue it tells us that a lot of superior teams lost to inferior teams but this is not the case. It tells us that rankings are useless early in the season.

To prove this point look no further than Washington. Going into this week they were 2-1 and coming off of a win over USC. This means that their 1 win over USC put them in the top 25. Now in that game USC played their back up quarterback and played one of the worst offensive games of the past decade yet in the eyes of the rankings a win is a win. So when 2-1 Washington played 2-1 Stanford the teams were actually closer to even than the rankings would indicate yet Washington was the heavy favorite.

How is a 2-1 team beating a 2-1 team an upset? Both teams have the same record and have played almost the same level of competition. The only thing that separates the two is that little 24 that is beside Washington on the scoreboard which was put there based on someones opinion and not stats.

Iowa vs #5 Penn St. is another great example as both teams were undefeated going into Saturday at 3-0. One would assume Penn State would win due to their superior ranking however Iowa is a strong team and beat Penn State last year to end their National Championship title hopes. Iowa ended up winning and the game is called an upset.

Each team that won today is a solid team. There actually wasn't a real "upset" today as all the losing teams lost to solid competition. It would be calling a Houston Texans victory over the New England Patriots an upset. One team is thought to be superior but really they are pretty even if you look at it.

Early in the season the rankings are compiled based on the team record of the previous season, the recruitment class and also number of players retained. Basically what this means is people choose the best teams based on potential and no on performance. Thus this system favors teams with a good reputation and past success.

The system also keeps some teams in the top 25 that have no business being there. Some teams are undefeated and yet are not in the top 25 while other teams who have lost games continue to hold a ranking. For example Auburn is 4-0 and unranked while Mississippi is 2-1 and ranked #4.

In the first few weeks you have to sit back and watch the games and learn about the teams and see who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. This is a lesson I wished I had learned a few weeks ago because then my wallet wouldn't be so empty.

Random YouTube Video

Get Over It

I was reading a baseball rumor website today and saw a post that said the Boston Red Sox were looking into acquiring Felix Hernandez from the Seattle Mariners in the off-season. As a Red Sox fan I was pumped to read this because King Felix is a solid young pitcher who would be an excellent addition to the Red Sox rotation.

As I continued to read the post I saw there was a section where people could leave comments. I started to read the comments and became instantly frustrated as every comment seemed to be along the lines of 'Red Sox and Yankees ruining baseball' and 'small market teams can't compete anymore.'

To everyone who feels this way I have only one response...shove it.

I have so many problems with these people that I don't even know where to being but I guess there is no better place to start than the payroll.

People constantly try and lump the Red Sox in with the Yankees when it comes to spending money. Yes the Red Sox have a high payroll but so do a lot of other teams. Here is the top 10:

Yankees - $201 million

Mets -$149 million

Cubs - $134 million

Red Sox - $121 million

Tigers - $115 million

Angels - $113 million

Phillies - $113 million

Astros - $102 million

Dodgers - $100 million

Mariners - $98 million

The Red Sox are 4th. Not 2nd and they aren't anywhere close to the Yankees so anyone who lumps the two teams together is a moron. The Sox do spend a lot of money on their team but that is because the team generates so much revenue from ticket sales and merchandise.

So basically that means the fans spend money which means the team has more money to spend which in turn leads to success. Therefore if fans want their team do spend more money try GOING TO THE FUCKING GAMES!

I love hearing Jays fans bitch about the Jays need to spend more money yet they don't help their team out at all. They only go to Jays games when it is a Toonie Tuesday game and they don't buy merchandise. The jays have the SkyDome which can hold like 50,000 people yet it is only sold out on opening day and that's it. So stop you're bitching.

I also love to hear Jays fans whine about how they are a small market team and can't compete financially with the Red Sox and Yankees. Are you kidding me? Do you know which company owns your team? The Toronto Blue Jays are owned by the Rogers Corporation which is Canada's largest telecommunications company. The annual net income of Rogers is $1.26 billion. Your team is owned and operated by the richest company in Canada. Just because they choose not to spend the money on the team, probably because no one goes to the games, doesn't make you a small market team. It makes you cheap.

It really boggles my mind when people try and condemn the Sox and Yankees for spending a tonne of money. As if they should approach baseball like the majority of other teams and penny pinch only to wind up 15 games out of the Wild Card every year (Pirates, Nationals, Reds, Royals, and Orioles). The team has money and chooses to spend it. End of story.

Forget about the whole idea of money for a second and just look at the original subject of the post, that being Felix Hernandez. Why wouldn't the Sox go after this kid? He is 16-5 this year with a 2.45 ERA and 196 Ks and he is only 23 years old. Every team in the league should be pursuing him if he is available.

The condemnation of teams that have money and choose to spend it needs to stop. Is the economic system in MLB perfect? Obviously not. Is the system going to change anytime soon? Of course not so teams and fans need to either accept this fact or quit. All I know is fans crying because their team is cheap is not acceptable and needs to stop.

Get over it.

Random YouTube Video

What a Difference A Year Makes

Going into this season many people thought that the Philadelphia Phillies had a great shot at defending their World Series championship. Right now things look good for the Phillies as they are 88-63 and have all but clinched their division. However a few key players are having terrible years which could bring down the whole ship.

Brad Lidge

For about the last 3 weeks every time I go to watch Sportsnet they play a promo where they show all the sports that they cover. In one part of the promo they talk about how they cover the World Series. In this particular clip they show Brad Lidge on his knees in Game 5 of the World Series just after striking out Eric Hinske to win the series for the Philadelphia Phillies.

That moment capped off one of the greatest single seasons for a closer in MLB history. 12 months later Lidge is having one of the worst seasons of his career. He is 0-7 with a 7.24 ERA and 10 blown saves in 41 chances and is 0-2 with 5 saves and a 10.29 ERA in his last nine appearances.

Lidge's fall from grace has been catastrophic. Last year he was brilliant going 2-0 with 41 Saves in 41 opportunities and had a 1.95 ERA becoming the first closer in Phillies history to have a perfect season.

He would continue his amazing success in the playoffs going 7 for 7 in save chances and bringing a World Series title back to Philly for the first time in 28 years.

Lidge was one of the feel good stories of the year as his career had gone off track after falling apart in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS when he gave up that mammoth home run to Albert Pujols but it was not to be. Many thought that he had turned a corner and would once again return to his role as an elite closer in the league.

The Phillies have guaranteed themselves a place in the playoffs and will hope that Lidge can regain his form so they can make another World Series run.

Cole Hamels

Last year Cole Hamels was proving himself to be a true MLB ace and was considered by many to be one of the best pitchers in the NL. This year he has been anything but and has looked ordinary. His pitches lack the movement they had last year and his stats are worse across the board.

2008 - 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 196 Ks

2009 - 10-9 with a 4.07 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and 157 Ks

Not only is Hamels no longer the best pitcher in the NL but he isn't even the best pitcher on his own team. Jamie Moyer leads the team in wins (12), Cliff Lee leads the team in ERA (2.65), and J.A. Happ leads the team in complete games (3).

Like Lidge Hamels was a massive part of the Phillies success in the playoffs last year and will once again be counted on. In 2008 Hamels made 5 starts in the post-season and went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA and was named MVP of the World Series. Don't mean to sound like a broken record but Hamels needs to get better in a hurry.

Jimmy Rollins

Talk about taking a nosedive. Rollins has had one of the biggest drop offs statistically of any player in MLB this year. Here is a list of the statistical categories in which he has seen a decline:

Triples - from 9 down to 4

Walks - from 58 down to 40

Stolen Bases - from 47 down to 30

Batting Average - .277 down to .245

On Base % - from .349 down to .290

Slugging - from .437 down to .411

OPS - from .786 down to .701

He has seen his power numbers increase but at the cost of everything else. It was only 2 years ago that Rollins was named NL MVP and now his numbers are brutal. He has lost a lot of his effectiveness at the plate and has also taken a slip with his defense. J Roll needs to step up his game.

Random YouTube Video

MLB Awards

The MLB season is fast coming to an end and since none of the playoff races are very interesting I am left with nothing to talk about except my picks for the MLB awards. So here are my picks for the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager awards.

AL MVP - Joe Mauer

Easy pick. He leads the AL in batting average, slugging %, and OBP. He has 28 HR and 89 RBI and he is a catcher which means he doesn't play every game. That batting average by the way is a godlike .372. The guy is a great baseball player and has kept the Twins playoff hopes alive almost single handedly.

Runner Up - Mark Teixeira

Best $180 million the Yankees ever spent. Tex has 37 HR and 118 RBI to go along with his .290 batting average and Gold Glove defense. The guy is an amazing baseball player and if it wasn't for Joe Mauer batting like he is playing against the farm team every night then he would have won the award for sure.

NL MVP - Albert Pujols

Best player in baseball hands down. The guy is a phenomenal hitter who is going to break every hitting record there is by the time he is done. He is hitting .330 with 47 HR and 129 RBI and is leading the majors in OBP and slugging %. This will be one of many MVP awards he wins by the time his career is over.

Runner Up - Prince Fielder

The Prince has 41 HR with 129 RBI and a solid .296 batting average. Going to be a lot of 2nd place trophies for this man as long as he plays in the same league as Pujols.

AL Cy Young - Zack Greinke

Now no pitcher has ever won the Cy Young with less than 16 wins and Greinke currently has 15 so he will either need to improve on that. Other than the lack of wins (he plays for the Kansas City Royals remember) Greinke is a statistical beast. He leads the AL in ERA with a 2.08 which is unreal and is 2nd in the AL in strikeouts with 229. He has been a workhorse this year for the Royals pitching 216.1 innings with 6 complete games (only 1 behind Roy Halladay).

Runner Up - Felix Hernandez

King Felix has had a great year posting 16 wins, a 2.45 ERA, and 196 strikeouts. His numbers are real impressive but not as impressive as Greinke's.

NL Cy Young - Adam Wainwright

Wainwright has had an amazing year for the St. Louis Cardinals and along with Chris Carpenter has formed one of the best 1-2 combos in baseball. He leads the NL in wins with 18 and is 3rd in ERA with a 2.59. Now Carpenter has a better ERA and Tim Lincecum has more strikeouts (247 to Wainwright's 193) but Wainwright was a former closer who was made a starter out of neccesity and I think that he deserves it more.

Runner Up - Tim Lincecum

Mitch Kramer (Dazed and Confused reference) has been great this year. He has a solid ERA and has been getting the strikeouts as usual but Wainwright has just been better. Add the fact Lincecum only has 14 of the Giants 81 wins and it makes my choice clearer.

AL Rookie of the Year - Andrew Bailey

25 saves (9th in the AL) and a 1.95 ERA (2nd only to Mariano Rivera) and 1st in strikeouts among closers with 85. The guy came out of nowhere and has been great for the Oakland A's who always seem to have a good closer. No doubt he will be traded while on the podium accepting his award.

Runner Up - Ricky Romero

Not the best record in the world (12-9) and not a great ERA (4.28) but he stepped into the #2 role in the Blue Jays rotation and showed signs of brilliance. If he had a better team behind him he may have done better.

NL Rookie of the Year - J.A. Happ

10-4. 2.77 ERA. 105 strikeouts

Runner Up - Tommy Hanson

10-4. 2.85 ERA. 100 strikeouts. Close but no cigar.

AL Manager of the Year - Ron Washington of the Texas Rangers

Last year the Rangers were 79-83. This year they are 82-68 and challenged for a Wild Card birth. Washington has done a great job with his young pitching staff and even rejuvenated the career of fatass Andruw Jones. If he doesn't win this award then baseball is fixed.

NL Manager of the Year - Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are currently leading the Wild Card race by 5 games and are a lock to make the playoffs. The Rockies are 86-65 right now which is a massive improvement from last year when they finished 74-88. Tracy has done a great job with very little and the Rockies could be dangerous in the playoffs with Jason Marquis and Jorge De La Rosa in the rotation.

Random YouTube Video