Brian Tallet: World Class Duster

Urban Dictionary defines a duster as - "unfortunate souls who usually only step on the ice with 14 seconds to go when your team was initially down 4-2 but gave up an empty netter to make it 5-2. The coach finally calls the "dusters" number and does so in a way that the duster feels like he is finally getting an opportunity to showcase the talent he doesn't really possess. Why the term duster? Cause this plug has been sitting on the bench the entire game.............Collecting dust. Always the worst player on team."

Nobody better embodies what it means to be a duster than Brian Tallet of the Toronto Blue Jays.
 

Anybody that watches Blue Jays games regularly knows that if Brian Tallet is brought in to the game then the game is lost.  Even if the Jays are ahead by 4 or 5 runs Tallet will find a way to make sure that they lose.  Tallet is the human victory cigar and does his very best to be absolutely terrible every time he takes the mound for the Jays.

The other night I was driving to my buddies place and remembered the Jays game was on so I turned it over to the play by play and heard this, "Brian Tallet has just entered the game."  Station immediately switched.  The game was over so why bother listening at that point?

Yet for some reason Cito Gaston insists on continually putting this massive duster in games. In fact Tallet is 5th amongst Blue Jays pitchers in innings pitched with 64 1/3 trailing only the 4 regular starters on the team (Romero, Cecil, Morrow and Marcum).  That stat really speaks more to the Jays being behind by multiple runs in numerous games than it does to the talent of Brian Tallet.  Cito knows that if the game is lost he better bring in Tallet to save the arms of the quality guys in the bullpen. 

But how in good conscience can Gaston bring in a guy with these numbers?  As of tonight Tallets's record is 2-5 and he has an embarrassing  ERA of 6.44 and a WHIP of 1.54.  Opponents are batting .262 off Tallet and he has allowed 18 home runs this season (2nd most behind only Shaun Marcum who has pitched almost 100 more innings than Tallet).  He does however have more strikeouts then walks (42-33) but when that is your only decent stat you know you're a duster.

Here are some baffling numbers that Tallet has posted over his last 10 games:

19 Innings pitched

20 hits

17 runs

15 earned runs

5 home runs

7 walks

In those 10 appearances Tallet failed to have a single 1-2-3 inning.  Not once could he get 3 straight outs.  In 19 tries he couldn't do it once.  I feel like you have to purposely try to be that dusty.  He also gave up at least 1 run in 8 of his last 10 games, and gave up at least 1 hit in every inning he pitched over his last 10 games.  The guy is a joke and is statistically guaranteed to give up a run if he enters the game.

Plus he looks like a complete jackass.  I think he was going for the Hugh Jackman as Wolverine look but ended up looking like a cholo on Easter.  Maybe if he didn't have the lamest sideburns/facial hair combo in history it wouldn't be so bad but the whole package just makes him even dustier.  I mean its one thing to suck ass at your position but to also be incredibly ugly?  That's just disrespectful to the fans watching in HD at home.

In fairness to Tallet he hasn't always been a duster.  Back in 2006 he put together a 3 year stretch where he put up some decent numbers and wasn't an embarrassment.  He was a solid pitcher out of the bullpen and had a sub 4 ERA and kept his opponents batting average below .250.

Then last year the Jays tried to make him a starter and everything went downhill.  He pitched 160 innings last year and had an ERA of 5.32 while going 7-9.  Opponents hit .268 off him and he had 72 walks and only 120 strikeouts.  He was a passable 5th starter but was merely a stop gap and not a long term solution.  Basically if he was pitching it meant the Jays needed to score 5 or 6 runs to even have a shot at winning the game.

Now Tallet is back in the bullpen and pissing off Jays fans with every inning he pitches.  Even Tallet knows he sucks telling the Globe and Mail recently, "There’s no doubt about it, I haven’t been myself, I haven’t really been able to help the team out a lot.  And that’s pretty disappointing as far as I’m concerned."  That's putting it mildly.

Not only is Tallet not helping the team by being dusty as all hell but he in fact hurting them by giving up runs at an incredible pace.  If he keeps up his current play he very well might finish the year with an ERA of 7 or 8 which would put him in the running alongside Josh Towers as the worst Blue Jay pitcher ever.
 

Don't expect Tallet to be going anywhere anytime soon though as Brandon Morrow has been shut down for the year as he has reached his innings count so it looks like we will be seeing even more Brian Tallet in the upcoming weeks.

Ladies and Gentle get your Swiffers ready.

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Antonio Bryant Gets Paid to Leave

Today the Cincinnati Bengals released wide out Antonio Bryant.  This was a move that every one saw coming as going in to camp the Bengals were stacked as wide receiver having guys like Chad Ochocinco and Andre Caldwell on the roster and signing free agents Terrell Owens and Matt Jones this off-season.  They also picked Jordan Shipley in the draft giving them tonnes of depth at the position.  There was simply no room for Bryant who was coming off of major knee surgery and had been lackluster in training camp thus far.

There is a silver lining for Bryant though as the 4-year $28 million contract he signed with the Bengals back in March guaranteed him $8 million no matter what.  So basically the Bengals paid Bryant $8 million to show up for a few weeks of training camp and then go home.  He was a Cincinnati Bengal for exactly 172 days.  Talk about easy money.

But wait it gets better.  

Back in 2008 Bryant signed a league minimum contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and went on to have a breakout season catching 83 passes for 1248 yards and 7 touchdowns.  At the end of the 2008 season the Bucs put the franchise tag on Bryant meaning he would be paid a salary in line with the top players at his position in the league.  In 2009 the price to franchise tag a wide receiver was $9.84 million.

In 2009 Bryant caught only 39 passes for 600 yards and 4 touchdowns while getting paid $9.84 million. So in the last 12 months Bryant has made $17.84 million to play in 13 games and catch 39 passes for 600 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Broken down that works out to:

$457,435 per catch

$29,733 per yard

$4,460,000 per touchdown

Not a bad pay day if you ask me.  But this incident speaks to a larger issue, mainly the ineptitude of the Cincinnati Bengals.  This is a team that has never won a SuperBowl and probably never will based on the way their going.

Everyone is entitled to a screw up here and there, maybe a bad draft or a bad free agent signing but giving someone a big contract with big time guaranteed money and then not having that player make it through training camp.  Someone definitely got fired for this one.

It's just business as usual for the Bengals though as this team routinely screws up draft picks and free agent signings often getting guys with poor track records or guys that just bust the second they put on the uniform, just look at last years draft.

The Bengals had the #6 overall pick and were in desperate need of a franchise left tackle.  Waiting for them at #6 was Michael Oher the best lineman in college football and a high character guy out of Ole Miss.  Oher would have been a perfect fit for the Bengals but they passed on him and chose Andre Smith from Alabama. Smith is a headcase and had a pathetic combine which was highlighted by his milkshake bringing all the boys to the yard. This of course merited a $42 million contract, that was only signed after a holdout.  In his first practice Smith hurt himself and missed most of the season.

Smith is just the most recent example however as the Bengals have also drafted such historic busts as David Pollack, Chris Perry, Peter Warrick, Akili Smith, Reinard Wilson and Ki-Jana Carter.  The Bengals have found some gems in the draft, Leon Hall and Jonothan Joseph, but for the most part the guys they take don't work out.

This is a team that has made the playoffs twice in the past 20 year seasons and its because they make awful personal moves like the Antonio Bryant deal.  Who gives a wide receiver coming off of major knee surgery a contract worth $28 million?  It blows my mind.

You can;t blame Bryant though, he was just trying to get paid.  His comeback season with the Bucs in 2008 was one of the feel good stories in the league and by all accounts he is a great guy.  He just got injured and was lucky enough to have the Bengals come calling for his services.  Thankfully he has some money to live off for awhile or at least until he can get back on his feet.

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UFC 118 Predictions

"The Prodigy" BJ Penn (15-6-1) vs Frankie Edgar (12-1-0) 

I don't even consider this the main event but more of a desert after the main course.  I love BJ Penn and I really want him to kill Frankie Edgar as no man named Frankie should ever be champion of anything.  The last fight was indecisive and was more about Edgar running away then actually fighting.

In all of his interviews BJ seemed real pissed off and was talking his usual smack but his heart just didn't seem into it.  The guy has been fighting for most of his life and I don't know if he wants to do it anymore.  His recent book has caused friction between himself and the UFC and if he loses a 2nd fight to Edgar will he really want to climb the ladder to become champion again?  I hope that isn't the case but you never know BJ has been known to throw in the towel before, HIYOOO

If BJ loses the lightweight division could become like the light heavyweight division with a revolving door of champions.  Frankie might get by BJ but Gray Maynard, if he wins, poses a whole new problem and let's say Florian wins I could see Kenny beating Frankie no problem.

Just like going into the last fight I see no way in which BJ loses.  He is far superior on the ground and his stand up is better.  Edgar may be faster but BJ will be more prepared for him this time, I hope.  Look for BJ to try an take him to the ground at some point and not just stand in the middle of the Octagon spinning in place as Edgar circles him like a vulture over a dead animal.

Prediction: Penn via TKO

James "Lights Out" Toney vs Randy "The Natural" Couture (18-10-0) 

Oh baby.  This is the fight I have been waiting for.  James Toney makes his MMA debut against a 47 year old that has made a career out of beating the crap out of people that were supposed to kill him.  It's boxing vs MMA, white vs black, wrestler vs striker, senior citizen vs pretty much senior citizen, classy vs trash talking degenerate.  Its a match-up for the ages.

Randy Couture has 0 chance in this fight and I will tell you why.  James Toney is a two sport athlete that trains with his dad and King Mo Mousasi.  Seriously though people need to not sleep on Toney.  This guy is a phenomenal athlete that has looked better and better in every piece of footage I've seen him in.  He looks to be in great shape and all it takes is 1 punch and the fights over.

Couture likes to dirty box and try and push people up against the cage but if he does that against Toney he could be in trouble.  Josh Acheson's thoughts on Couture's dirty boxing, "man if he tries that shit Toney will hit him with 1 mean uppercut and it's over."  The longer this fight goes the more Toney has a chance to pull off the victory.

Having said that Couture might just bull rush Toney and put him on his back and pound him out in 45 seconds.  But he seems to want to hurt Toney and has said he plans to leg kick him,  Not a smart move.  I am pulling for Toney only because I wanna hear his victory speech.

Prediction: Toney via KO

Demian Maia (12-2-0) vs Mario Miranda (12-1-0) 

This was supposed to be Maia versus Alan Belcher but Belcher suffered an injury to his retina and was forced to pull out.  Enter Mario Miranda aka Ensign Ricky.  This guy is going to be get tapped so violently and beautifully that he might thank Maia afterward for allowing him to be a part of the whole ordeal.

Seriously though this Miranda guy is a nobody.  he is 12-1 but has never beaten anyone of note and his strength just happens to be ju-jitsu which also happens to be the strength of Maia.  Too bad for Miranda Damien Maia is the best ju-jitsu practitioner in MMA. 

Maiai hasn't fought since that embarrassing display he put up against Anderson Silva back in April so no doubt he will be looking to come out and impress.  He doesn't want to become another Thales Laites.  As long as he does what he always does and gets this fight to the ground he will be good.  Maybe he will pull off the armbar/triangle submission that I have dubbed the "Double Rainbow."

If Maia doesn't come home with Miranda's arm in his suitcase then consider this a loss.

Prediction:  Maia via Submission

Kenny "Ken-Flo" Florian (14-4-0) vs Gray "The Bully" Maynard (10-0-1) 

This fight is fascinating for the following reasons:

1) Kenny Floiran destroys everyone that isn't a title holder.  Since joining the UFC (I am excluding the finale of the Ultimate Fighter Season 1) he has lost only twice.  Once to Sean Sherk, for the lightweight title, and once to BJ Penn, also for the lightweight title. 

He has wins over guys like Roger Huerta, Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson and Takanori Gomi but he has never faced a wrestler like Gray Maynard.  Yeah Joe Stevenson has a wrestling background but he isn't on the same level as Maynard.

2) Florian's future in the UFC could very well come down to this fight.  He is already 34 and if he loses to Maynard he will have to win at least 2 or 3 more fights before getting another title shot and at that point he may be too old.  Florian has always been the second banana in the lightweight division and his career hangs in the balance tonight.

3) Can Florian finish Maynard?  So far in his 10 career fights Maynard has gone to the judges score cards 7 times including 6 fights in a row.  He always talk trash about how he has big punches but he never finishes anybody.

Conversely all Kenny Florian does is finish fights.  He has gone to the score cards only 3 rimes in his 18 fight career and whether he wins or loses the guy puts on an entertaining fight.

I have always been a huge Florian fan and I think he is one of, if not, the smartest fighters in all of Mixed Martial Arts.  He always has a great gameplan and he has been training with GSP lately to improve his wrestling so I think he will pull this out.  Maynard won't finish him so Kenny doesn't have to worry about that and he showed in the Gomi fight that his stand up has greatly improved.  I wanna see Kenny uses those elbows to smash up Gray and then rip on him for having a tramp stamp.

The fact that the fight will be in Boston aka Florian's home town should also give him an advantage as the crowd will surely be on his side.

Prediction:  Florian via TKO

Nate Diaz (12-5-0) vs Marcus 'The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis (17-1-2) 

How did we end up here?  Both these guys were once promising fighters but have run into a string of losses that have pushed them far down the pecking order in the UFC.

After starting his UFC career with 5 straight wins Nate Diaz ran into some tough competition and has gone 2-3 in his last 5 fights and is no longer fighting at lightweight but has stepped up to 170lbs.  In his last fight against Rory Markham he looked impressive as he imposed his will on the feet and hit Markham about 678 times in the span of 3 minutes.  If Diaz can bring the same swarming striking style to this fight he might be alright.

Remember when people thought Marcus Davis might be a contender for the welterweight title?  I do.  Then Dan Hardy worked him over and Ben Saunders (no longer with the UFC) kneed him into irrelevancy.  Davis has lost 2 of his last 3 fights and looks to be made of glass.  He hasn't evolved with the sport as other fighters have and he's also a "fake Irishman" so that's working against him too.  

Nate has a great reach advantage and a better ground game.  Davis still possesses knockout out power but his T-rex arms will make it hard to land any punches.

Prediction:  Diaz via Decision

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Who Ya Got? - Votto or Pujols

The last man to win the Triple Crown in baseball (that means to lead your respective league in Batting Average, Home Runs and Runs Batted In) was Carl Yastrzemski back in 1967 when he played for the Boston Red Sox.  Every year it seems as though someone is going to come close but they usually tail off at the end of the season or another guy in the league gets hot and beats them out in 1 of the 3 categories.

This year it's not just one guy trying to join "Yaz" in the exclusive club, it's two.  Both Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals and Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds have a legit chance of winning the triple crown and accomplishing one of the rarest feats in baseball. 

Here are their stats as of today:

Pujols  .319   -   33 Home Runs   -   92 RBI

Votto   .326   -   31 Home Runs   -   90 RBI

To make the chase for history between these two more exciting just add in the fact that Votto's Reds currently have a 3.5 game lead over Pujols' Cardinals in the NL Central.  So going down the stretch the play of these two All-Star first basemen will be even more important.

So the question now is Who Ya Got?

Votto

Home vs Road

For some players hitting at home is much easier than hitting on the road.  The fans are behind them and they know the ballpark.  For Joey Votto this is a non issue.  In fact his numbers on the road are just slightly higher than his numbers at home.

  

Home -  .306/15/43 

Road  -  .345/16/47.  

16 of the Reds last 32 games are on the road so it seems like Votto is covered in that sense.

Competition

Of the Reds last 32 games 22 are against the Pirates, Astros, Cubs and Diamondbacks all of which are in the bottom 1/3 of the league in team ERA and Runs Allowed.  The other games come against much stiffer competition in the form of the Padres, Rockies and Cardinals.  

Career September Numbers

Some players tend to slow down in September as the long season gets to them and they become tired and weak.  This is not the case for Votto as his career numbers in September are just as impressive as his numbers the rest of the year.  

In 118 career September games Votto is hitting .326 with 31 Home Runs and 90 Runs Batted In.  So down the stretch run he should be able to maintain his level of play.  

Other Factors

One of the things that really worries me about Joey Votto is the latest cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.  Why you might ask does this worry me?  Because of the SI cover jynx.  Anytime anyone is put on the cover of that magazine they suffer some sort of defeat/injury/downward spiral right afterward.

I remember during the NFL playoffs last year the Jets were cruising and looked to be on the verge of beating Indy when they found a way to blow it.  Next day my issue of SI shows up and sure enough on the cover is the New York Jets and Mark Sanchez.  That's only one example but there are more.  The SI Cover Jynx even has its own Wikipedia page.

I think Votto made a huge mistake by doing that cover and it could end up costing him the Triple Crown.

Pujols

Home vs Road

Much like Votto Pujols doesn't have a problem hitting on the road.  His average is much lower but in terms of the production it's just about equal. 

Home - .352/17/48

Road - .286/16/44

Of the Cardinals last 34 games 20 of them are on the road.  That doesn't bode well for Pujols as his average suffers significantly when he isn't at Busch Stadium and seeing as the only category he trails Votto in is average this could spell the end of Pujols' chase for the Triple Crown.

Competition

Of the Cardinals last 34 games 18 will be against the Cubs, Astros, Pirates, and Brewers which as I stated previously are among the worst pitching teams in baseball.  The Pirates have the 2nd lowest team ERA in all of baseball at 5.04 and the Cardinals play them 6 times before the end of the season.

The Cardinals also have to play some tough teams though as they have 4 games against the Atlanta Braves #4 in team ERA and 4 games against the San Diego Padres who are the best pitching team in the league.

Career September Numbers

Much like Votto Pujols does not fade late in the season.  In 123 career September games he is batting .319 with 33 Home Runs and 92 Runs Batted In.  This isn't surprising though as ever since he first came into the league Pujols has been one of the games best hitters.  The guy is a monster and is probably the best pure hitter of this generation.

Other Factors

All season Albert Pujols has been going along at a steady pace.  That was until August started.  So far this month has 9 Home Runs and 20 RBI and his OPS is a ridiculous 1.353.  When Pujols gets hot there isn't a better hitter in the game and right now Pujols is hot.  If he keeps up this pace he should pass Votton in Batting Average by the end of the month and from then on its over.

Interesting fact:  if Pujols wins the Triple Crown this year he will have done so while not putting up his best season, statistically of course.  Last year he hit .327 with 47 home runs and 135 RBI.  If he finished with those numbers this year the Triple Crown would be a lock.

I personally want Votto to win simply because like myself he is Canadian.  Also he went through some pretty serious depression a year ago after the death of his father and this would be a nice rebound for him.  He has the whole underdog thing going for him as well as he plays for a small market team in Cincinnati and Pujols is such an established player where as Votto is still not a household name.  Votto has all the talent in the world and with the pennant race coming down to the wire he has ample distractions to stop him from dwelling on winning the Triple Crown.

Having said that I think Albert Pujols is just too damn good.  The guy is an absolute freak when it comes to hitting and I think a Triple Crown would really cement him as one of the best ever.  Since he first entered the league he seemed like he had Triple Crown potential and now this year the stars might finally align and allow him to finally put together that dream season.

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MMA vs Boxing

Saturday night is UFC 118 and although the main event is listed as the Lightweight Championship fight between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar the real main event will be the fight right before that when Randy 'The Natural' Couture and James 'Lights Out' Toney meet to finally put an end to the debate: which is better boxing or MMA?  

Ever since the UFC first became mainstream fans of boxing have been criticizing it saying that 'the striking is a joke' and 'these guys are just street fighters with pathetic striking technique.'  Practitioners of MMA have responded by saying 'MMA fighters need to be well rounded and not just good at one thing' and 'boxing is a dead sport no one cares about anymore like horse racing.'

The UFC has been promoting the hell out of this fight and in every interview Dana White and Joe Rogan have been making it seem like the fate of combat sports hangs in the balance and its up to Randy Couture to defend the honor of MMA against James Toney.

I personally could care less about all of that.  All I know is that James Toney is hilarious and I want him to give Randy Couture the beating of a lifetime.  I hope Couture shoots on Toney and can't take him to the ground.  I hope Toney catches him with a ferocious combination that just floors him and leaves him begging for mercy like when Forrest Griffin fought Anderson Silva.  But most importantly I hope the fight is entertaining.

The whole MMA vs boxing angle is just a way for the UFC to sell more pay per views.  I am a huge MMA fan but in no way do I see a James Toney victory as an blemish on the sport.  This whole debate doesn't affect me in any way.  None of my friends watch boxing and its not like I am going to get a bunch of texts or emails from people ripping me if Couture loses.  For me this is just another fight.

I mean does under the age of 35 even watch boxing anymore?  I feel like the only people that watch boxing are old guys and the dudes on Entourage and that's only to help promote the fact that boxing is on HBO sometimes.  MMA is infinitely more popular than boxing and is one of the most popular sports in the world right now while boxing is under constant criticism and is struggling to remain relevant.

Plus how exactly is a boxer competing in MMA supposed to be considered MMA vs Boxing?  Its not as if James Toney is going to enter the cage with boxing gloves on and will only be allowed to throw punches while Randy Couture will be allowed to do whatever he wants.  This is a mixed martial arts fight with MMA rules and boxing has little to do with it.

I mean if this was really a fight to determine which sport was best don't you think the UFC would have picked a better fighter than Randy Couture?  If Dana White actually cared about making an example out of James Toney he would let Brock Lesnar fight him.  

Randy Couture is a 78 year old man who hasn't beaten anyone good since he beat Vitor Belfort back in 2006 (and don't try and say Brandon Vera, Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga are good fighters because they aren't). He was picked for one reason and one reason only: whether he wins or loses the UFC saves face.

If Randy Couture goes out there on Saturday and beats the piss out of James Toney then Dana White can say, 'look a 48 year old man beat one of the best boxers of this generation like it was nothing, MMA is better than boxing.'  But if Couture happens to lose to Toney then White can hide behind the excuse of 'well Randy Couture is 48 and isn't one of our best fighters so this proves nothing.'  Either way he is good.

But if Brock Lesnar fought James Toney and lost then the UFC would look bad because that's their Heavyweight Champion that just lost to this boxer with no experience whatsoever.  I personally would rather have seen that fight I understand why Dana picked Couture to fight Toney.

No matter what the outcome the whole debate will continue.  Boxing fans, and even boxers, will continue to trash MMA and MMA fighters and fans will continue to believe their sport is superior.  Its like Isreal vs Palestine it's not ending anytime soon.  As long as both sides continue to exist there will be a conflict to talk about.

Like I said before I prefer James Toney to win but as long as the fight is entertaining I will be happy.  It's not Boxing vs MMA its 47 year wrestler vs a 42 year old boxer.  It's just a fight.

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Trash Journalism

Today the Toronto Star published a column by Damien Cox entitled Gotta At Least Ask the Question.  In the column Cox asks the question, "When it comes to Jose Bautista, how is it exactly that at the age of 29 he's suddenly become the most dangerous power hitter in baseball?"  Is this fair or foul?  Should every athlete that has a career year, especially in baseball, be put under the microscope and accused of cheating with absolutely no proof?


As someone who wants to get into sports journalism I am appalled at columns such as this.  How is this journalism?  What Damien Cox wrote today shouldn't be found under the 'Sports' section of a major newspaper like the Toronto Star.  This kind of crap belongs on TMZ or some other shitty gossip site.  I mean he doesn't even ask the question.  All he does is try and raise suspicions of Baustista and he doesn't ven have the balls to call him out.  Pathetic. 


How does smearing someone like Jose Bautista with articles like this count as journalism?  In the article Cox does everything except blatantly accuse Baustista.  He writes things like, "Anyone reading about the Roger Clemens perjury case this week should at least be willing to wonder about Bautista's sudden transformation into the dinger king" and "these numbers will surely net him an enormous increase on his current $2.4 million salary when his contract expires. That would motivate any player to find a way to improve his stats."


So according to Damien Cox Jose Baustista is a cheater, a liar and a thief.  Baustista is using steroids to achieve better stats so he can take the Blue Jays money in the off-season and then he can quit juicing after his big pay day.  That's what I take from it at least.


He also makes reference to Brady Anderson who's breakout season in 1996 is constantly used as an example of how steroids can make any player a superstar for one season.  Basically the whole article is a smear job on a guy that has been nothing but great for the Blue Jays this season, not only with his numbers but also with his attitude in the clubhouse.  Is this the way Toronto treats its loyal players?

If you watch Jays games on televsion then you see Bautista in the dugout after his at bats, or at bats of his teammates, talking to guys and giving them tips.  Since Yunel Escobar came over in the trade with the Braves he and Bautista have been attached at the hip and it has been great for both guys.  Escobar has dropped his "slacker" label and has been a solid addition to the Jays.  Baustista is a great Blue Jay and doesn't deserve this type of crap from a C- columnist like Damien Cox.


This of course became the major source of debate today on Toronto's major sports radio station The Fan 590.  People called in all day and had opinions ranging from 'he is definitely juicing and I demand a urine sample' to 'give the guy a break and don't just jump to conclusions.'  In this case I tend to agree more with the second group of people and not the guy who went out of his way to say at least 16 times that he wants a cup of Bautista's piss on his desk to test himself.


I am not one of these baseball fans who has become so cynical that I automatically assume that every player having a great year is cheating.  I prefer to look at the history of the player and form an opinion based on some of the extenuating circumstances.  For instance many people seem to forget that in September of last year Baustista hit double digit home runs which coincidentally was when Jays hitting coach Dwayne Murphy was hired.  A new hitting coach can have a huge impact on the players and could be a major contributor to Bombtista's new found power.


You also have to look at Baustista's physical appearance.  Unlike other power hitters accused of taking steroids such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi and David Ortiz Baustista has not really put on any real size.  He looks the exact same as last year and has maintained the same body shape since he first entered the league back in 2004.

But when it comes down to it I just don't like the way people accuse these athletes of cheating simply because they are having a career year.  Last year Raul Ibanez had a ridiculous season hitting 34 HRs with 94 RBI and a .272 average.  He was accused of taking steroids even though that wasn't even a career year for him.  This year his numbers have gone back down to his career averages and no one is saying a word. People have become so jaded thanks to the "Steroids Era" and refuse to believe that guys can just get hot.


This raises another point though.  How come its only home run hitters who are accused of taking steroids? Udalbo Jimenez is having an amazing season and everyone just credits his "maturity" and "stuff."  No one has accused him of taking anything.  Angel Pagan has 30 stolen bases already this year and his previous career high was 14.  No accusations of steroids against him.  Home run hitters get the brunt of the speculation and it really is unfair because we have already learned that most of the players that admittedly took steroids were pitchers and guys who didn't hit for power.


Sports fans need to realise that sometimes guys have breakout seasons.  Every year there are going to be a few guys who emerge as legit stars.  It happens in MLB (Bautista and Jimenez), the NFL (Cedric Benson and Elvis Dumervill), NHL (Henrik Sedin and Tomas Plekanec) and the NBA (Zach Randolph and Gerald Wallace).  You don't see guys in the NHL get accused of juicing when they put up career numbers.  Their new found skills are always credited to work ethic and dedication in the weight room in the off-season.  Yes these leagues haven't had the problem with steroids that MLB has but should they not also be treated the same in terms of scrutiny?


Back to the Damien Cox article.  Cox is known around Toronto as a guy that likes to stir up trouble and try and make mountains out of mole hills.  During the Stanley Cup Finals he wrote an article saying the Chicago Blackhawks should change their logo and name because it was offensive.  The guy is just a moron and with this pathetic excuse for "news" he has also shown himself to be a trashy and unprofessional journalist.

Bautista was asked about what Cox wrote by USA today and responded, "I haven't heard it once. Nobody's said anything to me."  If you're going to publish an article accusing someone of cheating and taking steroids at least be man enough to ask the guy first.  Sure even if he is taking stuff he is flat out deny the charges but at least you had the sack to ask him rather than just dragging his name through the mud.


I'm sure when Cox finally comments on this ordeal his response will probably go like this, 'I didn't accuse him I simply brought up the topic and let people make their own conclusions.'  If this is how sports journalism works I better start practicing:


Gotta Ask the Question:  Is Damien Cox the Biggest Hack in Sports Journalism?


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Blood Sucking Pirates

Today the Pittsburgh Pirates got thumped 10-2 by the St. Louis Cardinals to drop their record to an MLB worst 41-84.  This is nothing new for Pirates fan though as after 18 straight years of sub .500 baseball they have come to expect a terrible product and an October filled with baseball games that do not include the Pirates.  What Pittsburgh fans might not expect however is that their team, while awful, is making a profit and a sizable one at that.

Earlier this week the Associated Press reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates made nearly $30 million profit in 2007 and 2008 combined.  This information was contained within a 40 page document that the Pirates submitted to Major League Baseball last year and was subsequently leaked to the media.  Now Pirates ownership is scrambling to try and control the damage as fans are outraged at these recent findings.

But just how are the Pirates turning a profit with such a terrible on-field product?  Here is a breakdown for 2008:
   
Gate receipts                     $32,129,368    
Revenue sharing                $39,046,312    
Total club-gen. income      $76,017,669    
MLB revenue                    $69,975,768    
Total income                     $145,993,437    
Player salaries                   $51,040,233    
Total expend.                    $124,203,035    
Profit (after taxes)             $14,408,249

Basically the Pirates try and maintain the lowest payroll in the league and simply pocket all the money they make from revenue sharing and TV contracts.  Or in even simpler terms, they aren't trying to win baseball games.  One has only to look at the list of players they have either released or traded over the past few seasons to see that the Pirates have absolutely zero interest in putting a competitive team on the field.

All-Stars Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Nate McLouth and Jack Wilson were all traded away for pretty much nothing. Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny, John Grabow, Xavier Nady, Adam LaRoche, Dimaso Marte, Nyjer Morgan, Ronny Paulino and Sean Burnett left via free agency. Jose Bautista, who tonight hit his 40th home run of the season was traded for a back up catcher and Matt Capps was released for asking for a raise of $500,000.

Fans have been pointing out the cheapness of Pirates owner Bob Nutting for years claiming that the team only cares about the bottom line and not about winning.  Team officials of course deny this by saying the club is in a rebuilding state and is trying to improve through the draft and the development of its prospects.  They also point to their brand new $5 million baseball academy in the Dominican Republic and a state of the art computer system designed for evaluating players. 

I would have an easier time believing that was the philosophy of the team if the club hadn't been so terrible for 18 years.  It doesn't take 18 seasons to rebuild a baseball team and make it even semi-competitive.  In fact in an 18 year span a team could go through a rebuilding phase, then a winning phase and then another rebuilding phase.  The idea that anyone could defend the financial management of this team with a straight face is ridiculous.

Obviously there are teams in MLB that win despite having a smaller payroll.  The San Diego Padres are currently leading their division and have the 3rd best record in baseball with a payroll in the bottom 1/3 of the league.  The Tampa Bay Rays went to the World Series two years ago with one of the smaller payrolls in baseball.  And of course there are the Minnesota Twins who are perpetually involved in the playoffs despite consistently having one of the smallest payrolls in the league.

What makes the Pirates so different is their prolonged awfulness.  This is a team that has won 5 World Series titles and won 9 division titles from 1969-1992.  This is a team that used to be relevant and not just the punchline of every baseball joke out there.  When you think of the Pirates you're supposed to think of guys like Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner and Willie Stargell.  How could a team with such a proud history possibly be this terrible?

After the documents were leaked MLB was quick to defend Bob Nutting and the Pirates.  Rob Manfred, MLBs executive director for labor relations told the AP in an email that, "The Pirates have fully complied with the Basic Agreement requirements for the use of revenue-sharing proceeds."

But that's the problem right there.  The Pirates do the 'minimum' to make sure they aren't breaking any rules.  They take revenue from the other teams in the league, revenue that is supposed to help fix the competitive balance, and instead of investing it in the club they pocket it.

People like Bob Nutting shouldn't be allowed to own a sports franchise.  What he and the Pittsburgh Pirates organization is doing is robbery plain and simple.  The money they take from revenue sharing is money other teams, like the Yankees and Red Sox, have earned and are forced to share with lesser teams around the league.  The fact that the Pirates simply take that money and use it to support other businesses and pay partners is criminal.

Lost in all of this financial talk are the fans.  The people of Pittsburgh love the Pirates and have been forced to watch these embarrassing teams for too long.  When PNC park was built in 2001 it was the tax payers who were left with much of the bill and what do they get in return for their money?  A team whose only All-Star representative was their closer, Evan Meek, a guy who will more than likely be traded or released by the start of next year.

The fans now have proof of what the have been suspecting for quite some time now.  They have evidence that Bob Nutting is a lying douchebag who has been taking money out of their pockets and putting it into his own.

David Berri of the North American Association of Sports Economists told ESPN, "the numbers indicate why people are suspecting they're taking money from baseball and keeping it -- they don't spend it on the players.  Teams have a choice. They can seek to maximize winning, what the Yankees do, or you can be the Pirates and make as much money as you can in your market. The Pirates aren't trying to win."

This is a story more people need to be aware of.  Instead of running 24/7 Brett Favre watch and constant updates on Tiger Woods' divorce why not shed more light on the travesty that is occurring in Pittsburgh.

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Talent MIA for USA

The 2010 FIBA World Championship is set to begin in Turkey this week and as of right now there is no clear favorite to win it all.  You would think that Team USA would be a lock but then you would take a look at their roster and realize they may be doomed.  Here is their roster:

Rajon Rondo

Rudy Gay

Lamar Odom

Chauncey Billups

Tyson Chandler

Stephen Curry

Kevin Durant

Eric Gordon

Danny Granger

Andre Iguodala

Brook Lopez

Kevin Love

Derrick Rose

Russell Westbrook

What about that roster surprises you?  Well first you might ask yourself why the team has 5 point guards (Billups, Rose, Rondo, Westbrook and Curry). But I think the first thing you will notice is that the list doesn't contain the names Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard or Carmelo Anthony.  Aside from Durant and Rondo this team doesn't have anyone else that can takeover a game.

The fact that all of these guys are skipping this tournament is brutal.  The results of the FIBA Championship directly relate to the 2012 Olympics in London.  If the USA fail to win this tournament then they will be forced to qualify for the Olympics rather than getting an automatic spot.  Then you have to wonder what will happen if this team does end up winning it all because that creates a problem for the 2012 Olympics as the 2008 team will want to defend its gold medal while this team will want to play in the tournament it earned a spot in.

Drama could ensure should this team be victorious.  But since this team was constructed by someone who has clearly never watched a basketball game there will be no problems.  Aside from the fact that there are 5 point guards there is also a lack of quality down low as Love is semi-hurt, Tyson Chandler is as Charles Barkley would say "turrible," Lamar Odom is inconsistent and Brook Lopez is unproven and has never won anything in his life.  Also who of those 4 guys is going to guard Pau Gasol?

I mean Tyson Chandler?  Are you serious?

But back to the no shows.  Of the 6 guys I listed 3 have legit reasons not to be there.  Kobe Bryant has played in about 476 basketball games over the past 2 seasons as he went to back to back NBA Finals, played in almost every regular season game and played in the Olympics.  The guy has earned some time off.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have both established themselves as dominant players in the league with championship pedigree.  They don't need the experience that a tournament like this provides, plus they both have showed this off-season that all they care about is themselves so obviously they are too buys taking their talents to South Beach to go play for their country.

Carmelo would probably play but he just got married in July and his marriage might have been over by September if he had gone to Turkey and left his new wife behind.  So he gets a pass on this one.  Plus in the playoffs last year he averaged 30.1 points per game and finally showed everyone that he has gone to that next level.

That leaves Bosh and Howard.  The fact that these 2 are skipping this tournament is ridiculous and points to their biggest weakpoint as players, they lack that Alpha Dog status and don't want to work to get it. Both of these guys could use the big game experience they would get from this tournament but they are all too busy to go and get it.  Both played for the 2008 Olympics team but none of them played a major role as they just sat back and watched Kobe and LeBron do everything.  They are missing a great opportunity here but I doubt they even care.

Here is a breakdown of why each of these guys should have played in this tournament:

Chris Bosh - Here is a guy who is playing for a 'super team' next year that is expecting to win a NBA Championship, in fact anything less than that will be viewed as failure.  Sure he won't be expected to be the Alpha Dog but what is Wade or LeBron get hurt?  What if both guys are struggling in a playoff game?  Bosh has played in 2 playoff series in seven years and he never made it deep .n the NCAA tournament when he was at Georgia Tech.  The guy has never played in a meaningful game in his entire career.

There is also the exposure wrinkle.  When he played with the Raptors no one outside of Toronto knew who he was.  They saw him on All-Star teams a couple of times but he never really got any big exposure.  Now he plays for the Heat and his name was all over the place this summer.  Why not parlay that exposure with a big run at the FIBA Championship and establish yourself as a world-wide superstar?

Instead Bosh has been busy ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and other such productive activities.  If I was one of the 9 Miami Heat fans I would be worried about his lack of participation in this event but since I am a Raptors fan I know he has no heart and is selfish so really this move isn't surprising.

Dwight Howard - This tournament was made for Dwight Howard.  Instead of going up against all the big centers in the NBA he would have gotten to play against a bunch of European centers who are nowhere near as physical as he is.  He could have dominated this tournament like Kane dominates every Royal Rumble.  He would have imposed his will on these Euros and put up a 20-15 every game.

Here is a guy with unlimited potential but he never seems to put it all together.  Last year in the playoffs he was a non-factor because teams just got him to foul out all the time and he would play into their hands by getting too emotional and becoming less effective.  That part of his game needs to develop if the Magic ever want to win a championship and what better place for that to happen then at the FIBA Championships? 

Looking at the way Dwight Howard's career has progressed over the past few years it is very reminiscent of Vince Carter's.  Right now Dwight's biggest accomplishment is winning the Slam Dunk contest.  When he first came into the league everyone was comparing him to Shaq and saying that he was going to dominate for a long time.  What happened there?  His manager should be telling him to get over to Turkey and show the world that Dwight Howard is a top 5 player in the NBA and a force to be reckoned with.

Both Bosh and Howard should have been on this team.  It would have helped both their careers and their skills.  It would have won them fans, both in the United States and around the world, and won them a gold medal and a spot in the 2012 Olympics.  Instead they both opted to stay home and relax.  They decided that what they are doing is working for them so why mess with it.

Oh well, Howard and Bosh's loss is Kevin Durant's gain.  Now the team belongs to Kevin Durant and whether they win or lose he wins.  If Team USA ends up winning the whole thing then Durant will get all the credit and people will say, "he won it all without Kobe, LeBron or Wade."  And if Team USA loses people will say, "oh well what do you expect with no Kobe, LeBron or Wade."  

So its a win/win for Kevin Durant.

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