MLB Talk

Can anybody say wow? The MLB just got a little bit more interesting. This week a few players with big names were traded and/or signed. Let's start with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Let's see how they got here; Halladay was on a damaged Blue Jays team where he could have won at least twenty games last year, but sadly, no offense to support him. There were trade talks surrounding him last season, but nothing came of it.
   Cliff Lee on the other hand, was traded mid-season to the National League Champion Phillies, where he made and immeditae impact throwing two shut-outs. Then on to the postseason where he went 4-0 including two wins in the World Series. You could ask yourself...." Why in the world would the Phillies or any team want to trade a guy like that away?" Simple... Halladay has the same and maybe better game and potential. A career record of 148-76. Last year he threw 9 complete games and 4 shutouts and not to mention a 2.79 ERA. And even though his team wasn't the best with the best, he still got 17 wins and kept himself in the Cy Young conversation.Now the Seattle Mariners get a lot better in their rotation with the 1-2 punch of Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. This can be very dangerous for any team if the Mariners manage to make it to the playoffs. Which I think can only be acheived by the Wild Card division. They're still not that good to compete for the division crown.


Now it's John Lackey's turn. Traded to a team he has always wanted to be with, the Red Sox. An 11-8 record is what he got last season; not the best stats you could get, but with the Red Sox all you have to do is throw solid innings and let the offense go to work. Last year, Boston didn't have the best pitchinglast year, yet they still managed to make it to the playoffs, but were eliminated by John Lackey and the Anaheim Angels. Lackey gives the rotation solid innings, relief potential (if needed), playoff pitching and veteran presence (not that they needed more).


World Series MVP Hideki Matsui was signed this week by the same Angels team who were stripped of John Lackey. Another bat added to a dangerous offense with Bobby Abreu, Gary Matthews, Torii Hunter, and surprise of the year Kendry Morales. The Angels can on;y get better from here on out with their batting. If Matsui can remain healthy and be as consistent as he has been throught his career, the team should have little problems on offense. Now pitching....that's another thing.

Penn Vs. Sanchez

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is bigger than it's ever been. Most of it's growth has been credited to the famous Chuck Liddell for being so mainstream. But credit has to go to fighters like the hawiian BJ Penn, who has been a force in UFC and has somehow done it "under the radar". His record at 14-5-1 is one of the best in the UFC and wins against fighters like Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Sean Sherk, Din Thomas and Kenny Florian put him with the elites in the UFC. Yet "The Prodigy" has never really won against big names like George St. Pierre (who he lost to twice). This time he faces an up and coming superstar in the form of  former Ultimate Fighter winner Diego "The Nightmare" Sanchez who has definetly made his mark in the UFC with his awesome duel against Clay Guida. But, he too has never had a big name fight...until now. Both fighters make this an anticipated fight for the history and for the lightweight championship. Let's see how they stack up...

Sanchez 

• Age : 27 
• Height: 5'10 
• Weight: 155 
• Record: 23-2-0  (7-2 after Ultimate Fighter)
  
• Strength: Grappling
  

Penn

• Age: 30 
• Height: 5'10 
• Weight: 155 
• Record: 14-5-1 
• Strength: Submission & Standup 

I see BJ Penn coming out on top simply because of the fact that if Sanchez does use his grappling skills to get Penn on the floor, Penn's jujitsu and submission game will kick in and in the end give him an edge. Also if they fight standup, The Prodigy has an advantage also, but that does not mean that Sanchez will not give him a great run for the title. Also, a lot of people have put BJ Penn's cardio in question because of his other fights where he got winded pretty easily and Sanchez is known for his cardio and resistance but in Penn's own words: “I think people will always bring up my cardio”. “Everybody wants an idea of ‘how can we beat him?’ And they’re not thinking, ‘oh, I‘m gonna submit him’ or ‘I’m gonna knock him out.’ They’re looking for anything they can, so they bring up the cardio issue. These guys got to remember that I fought Sean Sherk and he’s supposed to be a cardio machine. I fought Kenny Florian and he doesn’t get tired. I fought Caol Uno and he doesn’t get tired. I fought so many people over the years, but they just pick that one thing. Nobody wants anybody to be perfect and they want to look for something to talk about. I’m in great shape, but even after this fight, I’m sure the next guy who fights me, that will be his way to beat me too.”

But there is no added pressure for Sanchez as in all his fights he has been put up against elite fighters and his fights have had major hype through the years. Sanchez is stronger and faster. Simply better after hiring coach Steve Maxwell. "Nightmare" has his own gameplan and plans to execute it to perfection tonight.

If Penn does win, he will break the record for Lightweight title defenses (Jens Pulver's record). If Sanchez wins, not only does he get the Lightweight Championship, he gets the reputation and becomes on of the elite and the target for all lightweights. This will make a classic bout.

What's happened so far....

There were so many expectations for this NBA season. Trades, rumors and the search for a dynasty and so far nothing has dissapointed at all. As it normally goes, Kobe leads the league in scoring with 33.6 PPG and second is Carmelo Anthony who is already famous for this:

Dunk Over Milsap

Steve Nash leads the NBA in assists (obviously) with 12.9 APG. Monday night he carried the Suns with 20 points and 21 assists versus the Sixers, who aren't doing so well with a 3-4 record. The Western Conference is as expected with the exception of Pheonix leading the conference with a 7-1, San Antonio with a 3-3 record and New Orleans with a disspointing start and 3-5.

The East gets more intertesting every game. The 2008 champs Boston Celtics lead the way with a 7-1 record (oddly enough, their only defeat was against the 7-1 Suns). Second stands Miami with Dwayne "Flash" Wade scortching the net every night. It seems he is hunting for an MVP honor and another championship.

The start of the NBA season has been great. Great games, players and news. We'll see if Iverson retires from the game he loves, if Blake Griffin can make a healthy return to chase the rookie of the year honors and if the new additions to the teams ( Carter, Wallace, Jefferson, etc.) can really make a difference in their respective teams. It is only the beggining, but the season is already giving us high hopes for a true classic year.

The Spurs

It seems just like yesterday that the Spurs were a complete dynasty. Winning the championship in the 90's and in '05 and '07. But much has changed in the NBA since then. Even though the San Antonio Spurs have many veterans, they always seem to keep up with the younger teams in the NBA. The past season they finished with a 54-28 record, a great record even with the absence of Manu Ginobli in most of the season, but had little success in the playoffs, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round. But don't think that the Spurs are pleased with that. As many have seen, they went and got a little help in the form of a top scorer named Richard Jefferson.
With most of his career in New Jersey, Jefferson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and had a less than pleasant 2008 season. Richard Jefferson must be more than pleased now being in one of the most succesful and fundamental-based teams in the NBA. The Spurs must be pleased to have to have a scorer and a great defensive all-around player like Richard. Maybe a turnover threat to the team, but nevertheless, a great three point shooter with 39% 3PG in the '08 season.
The Spurs now have more than necessary weapons on the perimeter play. Also with arguably the best Power Forward in the history of the NBA in Tim Duncan, who is always a danger to have a great game every night. Also with a former "Sixth Man" coming off the bench and recovered from injury, Manu Ginobli looks to have a major impact this year as he always had. And not to be forgotten, one of the "big three" for the Spurs and a former Finals MVP, Tony Parker. A great PG and always a threat for teams. Also with the signing of Antonio McDyess, there is a different presence in the paint with one more big man that can step back to hit the mid-range jumper.
But they have a big void to fill in the defensive part of the game. With the loss of Bruce Bowen, arguably the best defender in the league, they lost a big chunk of their defensive edge. We'll see if they can get past that and remain a godd defensive team.
The Spurs look for more success this season as a more complete team. If they can stay healthy, they are a great choice to win the NBA championship.

Los Angeles Looks For a Repeat

The Los Angeles Lakers reedemed themselves in the best way. After falling at the hands of the Celtics in the 2008 Finals, they were the ones to have the celebration parade after they won the Championship defeating the Orlando Magic in 5 games. After the championship dust was swept off, there was plenty to deal with for the Lakers organization. Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, key players to their championship run, were still in contract situations. Both looking to renew contracts for a larger salary and a secure future with their team. It seems as if the Lakers were more interested in Lamar Odom than Ariza. After trying to agree with Ariza, they traded him to Houston in return for an offensive-defensive beast in the form of Ron Artest. Lamar, on the other hand, is a big question mark because of what he is looking for in a contract. Something like a 4-year 30 Million dollar offer from the teams. The only team to come up with such an offer, are the Heat which offered Lamar a 5-year, 35 Mil contract. Only time will tell if he agrees, but it does seem that, that is the type of contract he is looking for. If he leaves Los Angeles, the Lakers will have a tough task to find someone to fill that void in the bench.

One thing the Lakers do not need to worry about is getting another Foward. LA signed Ron to a 5-year, 33 Mil contract. A definite yes for Ron Artest as he looks for a championship ring. He brings an all-around game and also an infamous passion for the game as well. Last season he averaged 40% FG, 39% in 3-points, 74% FT, 3.3 RPG and 1.5% SPG. So he brings a lot to the table to mix with all the other weapons that the Lakers already have such as Kobe, Pau and Fisher. What is yet to be seen is how Artest will mix with the Lakers, but he has already stated that he and Kobe both respect eachother, even with their physical enconters in the playoffs.

The Lakers have always been a force to be reckoned with in the NBA, but this year with a new hunger, new player and a new perspective, LA looks to repeat as NBA Champions.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

After making it to the 2007 NBA Finals, The Cavs expected a great year in 2008. And that is exactly what they got. A 66-16 record, including a 39-2 record at home, the best in the league. And playoff success as well, sweeping the Pistons and defeating Atlanta as well. Then they faced a match-up problem nightmare team in Orlando. Even LeBron James' magical buzzer beater in game 2 could not lift the Cavs past the Magic. They had no answers to Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu or Dwight Howard. And that is where the addition of Shaq comes in.

One of the "50 Greatest Players of All Time", Shaquille O'neal brings everything you could ask for in a center to any team, in this case, the Cleveland Cavaliers. With a new hunger, better shape and even a better free-throw percentage, Shaq brings a new presence to the paint and in the locker room. A career 58% field goal percentage and 11.2 RPG and 2.3 BPG, he has the offensive and defensive tools to make the Cavs even better than how they were.

With practically the same team as last year, the Cavs have more experience, a better team moral and more weapons to fight all the way to the top. Let's not forget that " The King James" does not have a ring yet and Shaq would sure like to give him one and give himself the 5th one as well. As James prepares himself and his team for the upcoming season, we as fans can expect the best from the East this year. Cleveland is expected to be one of the great forces in the NBA this year.

The New Boston Celtics

After coming up short last season due to many reasons such as Kevin Garnett's knee injury and the match-up problems that the Magic brought them; The 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics made a blockbuster deal and got in return one of the most defensive-based, definetly passionate, experienced and talented players in the league in Rasheed Wallace. The Celtics hope that with his addition to the team, it will bring a stronger defensive and rebounding frontcourt, also more experience and not forgetting the match-up problems that Wallace brings in the perimeter game when he steps back for a 3-pointer after a pick.

Proven in Detroit, Wallace is an all-around player, bringing offense and defense. A 41% field goal percentage and 35% in 3 pointers. Also 7.4 RPG to go along with 1.3 BPG. With an already great team in the Celtics, Rasheed can bring a new type of vibe in the locker room. Let's not forget what the addition of Wallace did for the Pistons in '04. The Celtics expect that Rasheed will have the same type of effect on them, bringing passion and even more hunger for another championship.

With a new feeling in the locker room and with their emotional boost in the form of Kevin Garnett coming back, the Celtics feel that this next season will be a very succesful one. Let's see how it all works out in the East with each team getting better, but without a doubt, Boston stays a contender for the crown.