Players Uninterested in Home Run Derby?

The people heading the Home Run Derby this year may have hit a small snag.

They can't get AL players to agree to go out and swing a baseball bat 100 times as hard as they can trying to hit as many homeruns as possible just to mess up there swing for the rest of the season.

As of right now all four possessions for the NL hitters have been filled by Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez and just recently two AL players have accepted (how reluctantly we may never know) to enter the competition: Joe Mauer and Brandon Inge.

It's not that amazing that some of these AL players may be reluctant to destroy there swing to win an event that is supposed to be for fun and for fan enjoyment. I'm not trying to denounce the MLB for having the Home Run Derby but it's not good practice for professional baseball players to try to swing for the fences for several minutes at a time. This lack of willingness from AL players to enter this competition shows that they realize that even though they have already made it to the Major League Baseball level that there is still a possibility for them to develop bad habits in there swing during the derby.

I know that the All-Star break is supposed to be fun for the fans and a break for the players but if a player is in both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star game they effectively only have a one day break. This can give those players who don't participate an unfair advantage which is why I'm glad that the Home Run Derby is optional and players don't have to take part. This is probably the reason only two American League players have agreed to take part so far. I don't believe the Home Run Derby should be fixed but at least there are some players who know their body well enough to decline the invitation to the event.

2009 All-Star Roster

MLB.com has recently released the full list of All-Stars from both the American League and the National League.


American League

Starters
Pos Player B/T
C Joe Mauer, MIN L/R
1B Mark Teixeira, NYY S/R
2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS R/R
SS Derek Jeter, NYY R/R
3B Evan Longoria, TB R/R
OF Jason Bay, BOS R/R
OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA L/R
OF Josh Hamilton, TEX L/L

Pitchers
Pos Player B/T
P Andrew Bailey, OAK R/R
P Josh Beckett, BOS R/R
P Mark Buehrle, CWS L/L
P Brian Fuentes, LAA L/L
P Zack Greinke, KC R/R
P Roy Halladay, TOR R/R
P Felix Hernandez, SEA R/R
P Edwin Jackson, DET R/R
P Joe Nathan, MIN R/R
P Jonathan Papelbon, BOS R/R
P Mariano Rivera, NYY R/R
P Justin Verlander, DET R/R
P Tim Wakefield, BOS R/R

Reserves
Pos Player B/T
C Victor Martinez, CLE S/R
1B Justin Morneau, MIN L/R
1B Kevin Youkilis, BOS R/R
2B Aaron Hill, TOR R/R
SS Jason Bartlett, TB R/R
3B Michael Young, TEX R/R
OF Carl Crawford, TB L/L
OF Curtis Granderson, DET L/R
OF Torii Hunter, LAA R/R
OF Adam Jones, BAL R/R
OF Ben Zobrist, TB S/R


National League National League

Starters
Pos Player B/T
C Yadier Molina, STL R/R
1B Albert Pujols, STL R/R
2B Chase Utley, PHI L/R
SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA R/R
3B David Wright, NYM R/R
OF Carlos Beltran, NYM S/R
OF Ryan Braun, MIL R/R
OF Raul Ibanez, PHI L/R

Pitchers
Pos Player B/T
P Heath Bell, SD R/R
P Chad Billingsley, LAD R/R
P Jonathan Broxton, LAD R/R
P Matt Cain, SF R/R
P Francisco Cordero, CIN R/R
P Ryan Franklin, STL R/R
P Dan Haren, ARI R/R
P Josh Johnson, FLA L/R
P Ted Lilly, CHC L/L
P Tim Lincecum, SF L/R
P Jason Marquis, COL L/R
P Francisco Rodriguez,NYM R/R
P Johan Santana, NYM L/L

Reserves
Pos Player B/T
C Brian McCann, ATL L/R
1B Prince Fielder, MIL L/R
1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD L/L
1B Ryan Howard, PHI L/L
2B Orlando Hudson, LAD S/R
2B Freddy Sanchez, PIT R/R
SS Miguel Tejada, HOU R/R
3B Ryan Zimmerman, WSH R/R
OF Brad Hawpe, COL L/L
OF Hunter Pence, HOU R/R
OF Justin Upton, ARI R/R

"Ball-Less" Baseball Promotion

According to UPI.com a minor league in Hudson Valley New York has seen recent complaints for its promotion for a game this week. Their "Ball-Less" promotion was for the "celebration of femininity and independence," and men would not be allowed in until the fifth inning.

The Promo said that the men would be entertained outside with a parking-lot tailgating party and so they wouldn't miss the game it would be broadcast on big-screen T.V.'s. The county, who owns the stadium, says that the promotion was in "poor taste" and said it might also violate human right laws.

The team did say in their defense that "men will be allowed in if they want and boys will be let in with their mothers." The team also said that the promotion's "'ball-less' title, which critics see as a reference to women not having testicles, was a baseball reference and any sexual connotation was 'fortunately or unfortunately coincidental.'"

Manny Back to Baseball with a Bang

In Manny Ramirez's second game back to Major League Baseball after his 50 game suspension he showed the LA Dodgers' fans what they had been missing. In his first at bat of the night Manny hit a monster home run. The fact that it was a high change up should not detract from the fact that his first hit back in the MLB was a home run. Although it should be noted that it is only hit since returning from suspension. Manny is one for six with a walk, since returning to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even though the game was played at the San Diego Padres you would never know it; a majority of the people at the park were LA Dodgers' fans who cheered Manny Ramirez at his every at bat but were ecstatic when he launched the home run in the first inning. As a fan of baseball, I can only hope Manny can keep this up.

Rome Braves Manager Rant

This is the Rome Braves (a minor league baseball team of the Atlanta Braves) Manager, Randy Ingle, arguing a call made against his team. Now it may seem a bit extravagant but he did have good reason.

It was the top of the tenth inning and the Braves catcher, Matt Kennelly, had just hit the baseball out of the park for a three-run home run which would have given the braves the lead. The Braves dugout was cleared and they were all already celebrating as Kennelly was rounding first when the home plate umpire called foul ball. This threw Randy Ingle over the edge, and he let the umpire know what he thought of the call, even going as far as to move third base to about where the shortstop would stand and mockingly motion for a foul ball.

This is not something new within the braves organization as you may remember the legendary tirade by Phillip Wellman, manager of the the Mississippi Braves, which became a viral hit. But it can be said that it all comes from the top at the major league baseball level, where Bobby Cox has the all time record for ejections with over 140. It seems to me that the Braves organization is alright with its managers being ejected because they see it has a purpose whether it's influencing the umpires, pumping up the players, or becoming a viral hit. I guess it's like they say there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Rays Looking for New Place to Play

Even though they are the Tampa Bay Rays (formerly Devil Rays), they have always played in St. Petersburg which is across the bay from Tampa. There, they have played in the only domed field in in the MLB for the last decade which has had several complaints about the catwalks which sometimes change the direction of hit a baseball. But since 2007 the newly named Rays have been searching for a new place to call home. They are searching throughout the bay area and want to find an area near the major population of the city. This with the state-of-the-art retractable roof design the stadium will hopefully draw a larger crowd to the games. That is the ultimate goal of this project which is predicted to be completed as early as opening day 2012.

After their MLB world Series appearance last some think the fans deserve a new stadium to watch the local team compete at the highest level. And with the new unique sail like design of the retractable roof Major League Baseball had no problem approving the design. Currently the team has found three possible locations for the new baseball field each with it's own advantages but there has been no word yet which one will be the sight of the new Tampa Bay Rays stadium.

Doctor Connected to Manny Ramirez Steroids Under Investigation

Manny Ramirez being one of baseball's biggest stars has had almost constant coverage since being suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's substance abuse policy. He has so much attention and so much crowd pull that he has sold out the triple-A stadium in Albuquerque and ESPN has shown his at-bats live even though he currently is 0-3 with strikeout and a walk. Since Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers the obsession with him has grown almost to the point of being one of the most recognizable names in the league. This was all well and good until early in the season he was suspended the fifty games for violating the drug policy.

Most people just accepted the penalty because Manny Ramirez himself did not fight the suspension. While there was heavy discussion about the penalty and whether or not Ramirez should even be allowed to play baseball until his suspension ends no one really gave much thought to where he got the illegal substance from. As reported by ESPN the DEA is investigating Miami Doctor Pedro Bosch and his son for their involvement with and possible supplying of steroids to Manny Ramirez. While the investigation has been announced most details have not yet been released.

LSU Wins The NCAA College World Series

Well just like I said the LSU fans at Rosenblatt Stadium were just to much for Texas. This is LSU's 6th College World Series Title, which ties them with none other than Texas for the second-most Titles in college baseball. The game itself was exciting for all of college baseball with LSU starting off fast with a three-run home run, Texas coming back to tie it, and then LSU taking control in the top of the sixth. With a final score of 11-4 LSU goes home happy and victorious. Although Texas fought back valiantly and even tied it in the bottom of the fifth this night and this College World Series goes to LSU.

I have to say congratulations to all of the LSU players and good luck to those of you who will be moving on to play Major League Baseball. I must also thank you for the win because it has boosted my baseball predictions record to 18-5.

College World Series Split, Who Will Win it All

Game two of the NCAA college world series goes to Texas just as I had said but LSU didn't fight back like I had thought. Texas came out firing and once they got the lead they never turned back. Even with their aluminum baseball bats the two teams only combined to score 6 runs all of which coming in the first three innings making this a very low scoring college baseball game. Texas's win does however bring my baseball predictions up to a record of 17-5.

Now both LSU and Texas have a chance at winning their sixth and seventh College World Series title, respectively, and each team definitely has the skill with several players that will likely play Major League Baseball. Both teams have outstanding power and outstanding pitching, and both teams have had seasons deserving of a College Baseball World Series title. But only one team can win and who it is will come down to three things: pitching, hitting, and motivation. LSU and Texas are pretty even when it comes to the pitching and hitting so I think the true factor determining who wins tonight is motivation, who wants to win it more. I believe that LSU will want it more for a couple of reasons. They are just coming off a loss where they were all but completely shutdown by one pitcher who pitched a complete game and they will want redemption tonight and will be looking to swing the baseball bats early and often. They also have so many fans in Rosenblatt Stadium it's almost like they are playing a home game. If the crowd can get into it early I have no doubt that LSU can win. Remember you heard it here first that LSU will win this years NCAA College World Series.

LSU gets the First Game of the NCAA World Series

The first game of the final round of the College World Series went just the way I said it would. It was a close game that went all the way to the 11th inning with the game ending backwards of the trend seen so far in this years World Series. The trend being Texas trailing at the end of the game and having an incredible comeback and also LSU absolutely dominating the entire game with a multi-run lead. Not this game however, Texas found themselves leading most of the game including a two run lead as late as the top of the 9th inning and LSU was the one needing an incredible comeback at the end of the game. The comeback consisted of two runs in the ninth to knot it up at six and a run in the 11th to put them ahead to win the game.

Not only did picking that game correctly bump my record up to 16-5 for all baseball games but I also said that it would be a close game with moderate scoring. Now some may say thirteen runs in a baseball game isn't moderate scoring but at the college level with aluminum bats and the way the ball has been flying out of Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha this could almost be considered a low scoring game when you take into account that 7 homeruns were hit and the two teams only scored 13 runs combined.

As for tonight I think Texas feels like they got hit in the mouth and they decided they don't like the taste of their own blood. I look for Texas to come out swinging and get an early lead but I think it will be another close game with LSU fighting back. Although, I have to say Texas wins it in the end.

College World Series Finals

Well my predictions for the final two teams were correct with LSU and Texas making it to the College World Series Final. I would also like to mention that my game predictions are now at 15-5 and that I will be picking tonight's game.

After the long road which almost stalled if it were not for a couple of walk off hits, I believe Texas will be emotionally worn out after these close games. While at the same time LSU has what at times almost seemed like an easy road blowing out several of their opponents. With these less stressful, almost easy wins LSU will be more refreshed going into the first game.

For the first game of the three game series, I have LSU winning by a small margin in a low to average scoring game.

Batting Tips: Increase Your Power

Many people think that professional baseball players can hit the ball as far as they do because they have big muscles from either working out or using steroids. While that may be true for a few choice cases most power the pros have, the real power, comes from correct techniques and proper training.

While lifting weights can make you stronger, it's not always a guarantee you will be able to hit the ball harder. In fact, if you become to strong you may lose your full range of motion hindering your swing or even worse lose bat speed which is the most important element of any hitters approach.

To truly gain a good approach and increase your power I suggest Baseball Fit. It is the best organized program I have found yet that increases your power legitimately. Not only does it not just tell you to beef up and add more muscle but it instructs you on how to have a proper swing to add power and gives you techniques and reasoning behind all of it's training.

Sammy Sosa Testing Positive for Steroids

As reported by the New York Times, Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. This is according to "what was supposed to" be an anonymous study in 2003 to see how prevalent steroids were in baseball. The result of the study in which 104 of the players tested, resulted positive for performance enhancing drug(s). This study became widely known after it was reported that A-Rod's name is on the list adding him to the list of players who are known to have used steroids. Even though the study was supposed to have been anonymous, Sammy Sosa has now become the second person reported to be on the list.

Sosa's lawyer denied comment when asked about the report but no one can be sure if Sammy Sosa's name is truly on the list because the list itself has not yet been made public. It is my personal belief that it shouldn't be made public because the players who took the test were told the tests and results would not be made public. I also think that the players' union should personally apologize to both A-rod and Sammy Sosa for not destroying the list themselves.

Although now that it is out there, speculation will take place. A-Rod did admit to using steroids from 2001 to 2003 which was when he trained with Angel Presinal who has been banned from MLB clubhouses and is under investigation for his role with A-Rod. Sammy Sosa also trained with Angel Presinal during these years and often traveled to the Dominican Republic for training sessions. Although no definite conclusions can be made, you can make assumptions from the allegations, which can be just enough to destroy careers or chances of making it into the Hall of Fame.

Manny Ramirez Playing Class A Baseball

According to the Associated Press Manny Ramirez is considering playing class A baseball for the Island Empire 66ers. Even though he is serving a 50 game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's substance abuse policy he is eligible to play low level A baseball to get ready to return to the majors. Joe Torre said that he could begin playing by next Thursday to begin a three-game series at Lake Elsinore. After that the 66ers have a three game home stint against Rancho Cucamonga.

Manny is available for reinstatement for the Dodgers on July 3 when they play at San Diego. "That's still conversational right now. There's nothing been scheduled," Torre said, according to the newspaper. "We've got to get him back on the field first."

This means Torre is most likely waiting to see how Ramirez plays after been away from the team for a while. Although it his decision when Manny returns to the lineup I believe it will be as soon as he is available.

Recap on Baseball Predictions

This is just a recap on all the predictions I have made before today. I said earlier that I was perfect in my NCAA predictions I had made 4 before today so I am 4-0 I'd like to just repost my MLB predictions from the other day and whether I was right.

NY Mets @ Baltimore
winner=Orioles wrong

Milwaukee @ Cleveland
winner=Milwaukee correct

Washington @ NY Yankees
winner=Yankees correct

Toronto @ Philadelphia
winner=Philadelphia wrong

Florida @ Boston
winner=Boston correct

Atlanta @ Cincinnati
winner=Atlanta wrong

Houston @ Texas
winner=Texas correct

Chi White Sox @ Chi Cubs
winner=Cubs ppd.

Arizona @ Kansas City
winner=Kansas City correct

Pittsburgh @ Minnesota
winner=Minnesota correct

Detroit @ St. Louis
winner=St. Louis correct

Tampa Bay @ Colorado
winner=Tampa Bay correct

Seattle @ San Diego
winner=Seattle correct

Oakland @ LA Dodgers
winner=Dodgers correct

LA Angels @ San Francisco
winner=Angels correct

These plus my NCAA results not counting the postponed game brings my Baseball predictions record to 15-3. That's 12 games over .500; I plan on making many more predictions in the future.

NCAA Elimination picks

After my astounding picks yesterday I am now 4-0 when it comes to picking College World Series games.

So to keep up my streak I have decided that for the rest of the tournament I will be picking games two at a time.

Tonight is Arkansas and Virginia. Both are good teams or they wouldn't have gotten this far but I think there will be one dominating factor in deciding this game. It is momentum. I believe because Virginia is coming off a win they will have more confidence and more determination then Arkansas who is coming off a crushing defeat from LSU.

Tomorrow night's game will be Arizona State and North Carolina. I think there will be a similar deciding factor in this game seeing as one is coming from a loss and the other from a win but I think more importantly than that North Carolina is the more experienced team. I believe that after being in a program like North Carolina has prepared the players for a game like this. This is not to say that Arizona St. is not as good of a program or that the the players aren't as experienced but I believe the North Carolina players will have the will and the courage to win tomorrow night's game and avoid elimination.

Rapid Fire MLB Predictions for 6/16

I think I'll try something a little different and do some rapid fire predictions.

NY Mets @ Baltimore
winner=Orioles

Milwaukee @ Cleveland
winner=Milwaukee

Washington @ NY Yankees
winner=Yankees

Toronto @ Philadelphia
winner=Philadelphia

Florida @ Boston
winner=Boston

Atlanta @ Cincinnati
winner=Atlanta

Houston @ Texas
winner=Texas

Chi White Sox @ Chi Cubs
winner=Cubs

Arizona @ Kansas City
winner=Kansas City

Pittsburgh @ Minnesota
winner=Minnesota

Detroit @ St. Louis
winner=St. Louis

Tampa Bay @ Colorado
winner=Tampa Bay

Seattle @ San Diego
winner=Seattle

Oakland @ LA Dodgers
winner=Dodgers

LA Angels @ San Francisco
winner=Angels

Well lets see how this works out if I get a lot right I will consider continuing this type of entry.

College World Series Predictions for 6/16

Well not to toot my own horn but I thought since I got both of my predictions right yesterday I would add a couple more today.

The first game today is North Carolina and Southern Miss. Now I think this will be an interesting game for a couple of reasons. This is an elimination game so the loser goes home this means both teams are going to give it 110%. However more interestingly is probably the comparison of the two teams batting stats. North Carolina's batting average is .309 while Southern Mississippi's average is just .002 lower at .309. And the number of base runners shouldn't be a big difference as both schools have an on-base percentage of .401. The real difference comes in the pitching. North Carolina has a team ERA of 3.61 and 650 strikeouts as a whole while Southern Miss. has an ERA of 5.04 and only 435 strikeouts combined. I think North Carolina has the definite edge and will keep their tournament hopes alive.

In the second game is Arizona St. and Texas. They are both great teams and they both have great stats but in this era of homeruns and aluminum bats this game will be an oddity. Both of these teams have incredible pitching stats Texas with an ERA of 2.86 and Arizona St. with an ERA of 2.76. With these great stats I think it will be a difficult game for both teams but I think Texas will have better poise and more confidence coming into this game so I think they win it in a close game.

Batting Tips: Use a T

This blog, being about everything baseball, I'm going to start giving baseball tips, tricks, and drills. I figured I'd start with something simple but is severely over looked: The use of a batting T.

I think the most popular reason for people to pass on using a T is they think its only for children. They would be mistaken because there are pro's that swear by the T. The T can be used in several drills and with proper use just simply hitting off the T can improve your swing.

Consistent use of the T can help hitters shorten their swing, make better contact with the ball, and gain comfort and confidence in their swing. These can all be gained with simple repetition but, for even more benefits, you can do different drills with the T. The most simple drill is every time you take a swing at the ball move to a different spot of the batters' box to simulate different types of pitches. What I mean by this is in a game the pitcher is not going to throw the same pitch in the same spot every time so why would you practice like that. When you move do not move to where you can't hit the ball comfortably you just want to move far enough for the T to simulate an outside or inside pitch. To get the best results when you swing always try to go with the pitch. If the ball is on the outside part of the plate hit the ball the other way, if it's an inside pitch pull the ball, and if it's down he middle try to hit the ball down the middle.

I hope this helps and remember the T doesn't have to be just for T-ballers.

Today's College World Series Preview

Well there are two games on today from the college World Series both on ESPN2. The first one is CAL STATE FULLERTON (47-15) vs. VIRGINIA(48-14-1). Cal State Fullerton has jumped out to early leads in almost all of it's games this season and look to do the same today. They need to make sure they get a sizable lead early because Virginia's bullpen allowed only 2 runs in the Super Regional. Although they did struggle against LSU giving up 6 in 5 innings. In this Game I like Virginia to bounce back, have a solid outing, and pullout a close win.

In the late game it is LSU (52-16) vs. ARKANSAS (40-22). LSU's Louis Coleman is expected to make his third start against Arkansas on Monday. He almost threw a no-hitter against the Razorbacks in his shutout against them earlier this season. He looks to be dominant again today. Arkansas is looking for it's power hitters to have another strong showing after the 3-4-5 hitters drove in all of there ten runs on Saturday. This being an all SEC game and me being an SEC fan, I'm definitely going to be paying close attention to this one. Going with my earlier predictions I say LSU wins it and they do it with pitching.

Predictions for Chicago Cubs this Season

Well the Chicago Cubs Had the best record in the National League last year but where unable of even getting out of the first round of the playoffs. Many people have blamed their infamous curse of the billy goat but I think it's just mindset. Now I am not saying if you think you can win you will, because that's just stupid. I could believe I'd play in the MLB but it'll never happen. I think they were in the mindset that they couldn't win which led to there downfall.

Now this season the Cubs haven't shown near the dominance they did last year when they finished 33 games over .500. This year they are currently sitting on .500 and are currently sitting 2.5 have games off the lead in a very competitive division. There have been times this year that the cubs have looked like championship contenders but others when they have struggled with the fundamentals. I believe their most glaring weakness is that there power leader with 14 homeruns, Alfonso Soriano is there lead off hitter. They have a solid pitching staff which has a collective ERA of 3.85, which is the 4th best in the MLB.

My prediction for the Cubs is a slight improvement from last year; they make the post season when the first round but lose the NLCS thus continuing the belief of the curse.

Torii Hunter is a Strong Man

Torii Hunter not only showed off his immense strength but also his ability to constantly hit the ball with his three homeruns yesterday. It is an insane feat that is rarely seen even today with the Steroid era and baseballs that seem to fly out of the park. Not only were they homeruns they were solo homeruns which means he was having success off of the pitchers his teammates might have been struggling with. The last time this was accomplished in the MLB was Alfonso Soriano for the Chicago cubs against my Atlanta Braves but that was way back in 2007.

This wasn't an accident though as Torii Hunter has been putting up solid power numbers all year. The three homeruns yesterday were his 14th, 15th, and 16th this year, and he has a great slugging percentage with .627. There's no question about whether or not Hunter still has power at 33 years old but one may still wonder how long he can put up these kinds of numbers.

LSU Powers Past Virginia

The LSU Tigers made good use of the long ball to put Virginia away. They got a three-run homer by Sean Ochinko and a two-run shot by Ryan Schimpf which gave the Tigers the momentum to win 9-5. Being down by 4-3 as late as the fifth, Ochinko catapulted LSU into the lead by crushing a 2-1 offering from Virginia reliever Matt Packer into the left field bleachers.

This all is going according to my predictions LSU's power is going to help lead them to a National Championship.

Are the Blue Jays Out of the Race Already?

The Toronto Star has reported that Roy Halladay has been diagnosed with a mild groin strain and he's considered day-to-day. Even though the team has said he'll will be back in a week he is still considered day-to-day.

This brings an old saying to mind: one man does not make a team. But in Toronto's case it works in the opposite way: one man can break the team. Without Halladay Toronto has no pitching sensation, no player of particular mention, no person to draw fans to games, and with the loss of Halladay Toronto loses any hope they still had of making the playoffs. Now I know the team has said they won't need him to pitch again till next week and that he should be able to play by then but what if he can't. I believe if he gets put on the DL then Toronto should just call it a season then and there. But lets hope it doesn't come to that.

Mets Choke Again

It happened again but I guess we shouldn't be surprised.



The Mets must have some sort of curse. I mean from everything I've seen in the past couple of years they just can't seem to be able to close anything from a couple of seasons to now this game. I do think it's kind of ironic how announcers are calling this an improbable ending when for the last couple of years the Mets have seemed to snag defeat from the depths of victory. I guess though in all fairness it was one error in one game but I can't help but see the symbolism in this game to the Mets franchise of recent years.

NCAA World Series Predictions

Well the NCAA World Series is about to start and sadly my favorite college team, the Alabama Crimson Tide are not in it. The Final 8 teams are Arkansas, Cal St. Fullerton, Virginia, LSU, Arizona St., North Carolina, Southern Miss., and Texas. Now these are all great teams with talented players and experienced coaches. But for me two teams stand above the rest and they are the two teams I think will be playing against each other in the Finals.

They are LSU and Texas. Now I know most people are picking Texas because they are the juggernaut and right now look like the best choice but I think if you really look at the team they are solid from the ground up. They have very tuned-in hitters with the team average over .300 and led by Russ Moldenhauer with a .355 batting average and Kyle Russell with 19 home runs. Offense was definitely there strong suite 524 runs. There pitching on the other hand struggled slightly with a team ERA of 4.48 but are led by Chance Ruffin who has an ERA of 1.96.

Well pitching is definitely one of the LSU Tigers strengths with a team ERA of 3.99 and three different pitchers with individual ERA's under 3.00. But they are not to shabby on the offensive end either with a team batting average of .315. They also have the long ball with 19 homeruns from Ryan Shimpf, 15 from Blake Dean, and 12 from Leon Landry.

With all this said and the mainstream media going with Texas I'm going to have to differ and say that LSU wins it with pitching in 3 games.

NL West Predictions

I move from AL East predictions all the way to the NL West. Now this one is pretty easy for me so I'll add a catch I'm going to predict the exact number of wins and the number of games back by the second place team.

Well I have to first start off with the Dodgers who right now have the best record in baseball with an outstanding 40-21 record. With or without Manny Ramirez they seem to be dominating not only their division but all of baseball. With no small credit going to Juan Pierre, Manny's replacement. While Mannywood may not be as popular without it's star, his absence seems to have not hurt the Dodgers as much as most thought it would. Although I do think when he returns it will only do the Dodgers good.

As for the rest of the division, the Giants, Padres, Rockies, and Diamondbacks have not put up much of a fight in the wake of the Dodger dominance. Although I have to hand it to the San Francisco Giant's pitchers who have a collective ERA of 3.75 which is the second best in the National League. Although sadly pitching just isn't enough for them. While being 3 games over .500 they are still 8 games back of the leading Dodgers.

Now as for my actual predictions I have the Dodgers winning of course but with an outstanding 105 wins. I then have the Giants an amazing 20 games back but still competing for the Wild Card but not getting it.

A-Rod more Steroid Accusations

This was the scene where several thousand Red Sox fans simultaneously accuse Alex Rodriguez of steroid use. Not only do stunts like these add tension to the already tense rivalry between to the two teams it also shows that public opinion (or at least the opinion of Boston fans) has started to really turn against A-Rod after his steroid confession.

Now, I personally believe A-Rod did use steroids like he said. Only while he was at Texas. Now I don't really like A-Rod but I do think he has been clean since he's been with the Yankees.

NCAA College World Series

2009 MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE
Saturday, June 13
Game 1 - 1 p.m. (ESPN HD) (V) Arkansas (39-22) vs. (H) No. 2 Cal St. Fullerton (47-14)
Game 2 - 6 p.m. (ESPN HD) (V) Virginia (48-13-1) vs. (H) No. 3 LSU (51-16)

Sunday, June 14
Game 3 - 1 p.m. (ESPN HD) (V) No. 5 Arizona St. (49-12) vs. (H) No. 4 North Carolina (47-16)
Game 4 - 6 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) (V) Southern Miss. (40-24) vs. (H) No. 1 Texas (46-14-1)

Monday, June 15
Game 5 - 1 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 6 - 6 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Tuesday, June 16
Game 7 - 1 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 8 - 6 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Wednesday, June 17
Game 9 - 6 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6

Thursday, June 18
Game 10 - 6 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8

Friday, June 19
Game 11 - 1 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 12 - 6 p.m. (ESPN2 HD) Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 8

Saturday, June 20
Game 13 - 1 p.m. (ESPN HD) or 6 p.m. (ESPN) Game 13 will be necessary if the winner of Game 9 also wins Game 11. If it is the only game scheduled for that day, the game will start at 6 p.m.

Game 14 - 6 p.m. (ESPN HD) Game 14 will be necessary if the winner of Game 10 also wins Game 12. If it is the only game scheduled for that day, the game will start at 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 21
No games scheduled

MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FINALS
Monday, June 22
Game 1 - 6 p.m. (ESPN HD) Bracket One Winner vs. Bracket Two Winner

Tuesday, June 23
Game 2 - 6 p.m. (ESPN HD) Bracket One Winner vs. Bracket Two Winner

Wednesday, June 24
Game 3 - 6 p.m. (ESPN HD) (if necessary) Bracket One Winner vs. Bracket Two Winner



This is the schedule according to the NCAA.

Predictions of the AL East

Now I have already said that the Braves are my favorite team but the local team that I have to root for is the Tampa Bay Rays. Now I love the Braves but alas I can't go watch them play so I settle for watching the Rays. Now I have to say I'm not just some ban wagon fan after their ALCS run last year. I have been going to Rays since the franchise started. I believe last years success was no fluke but the culmination of hard work and great coaching.

Now to my predictions.

Well right now Boston is leading the division followed by the Yankees, Toronto, Tampa, and Baltimore. I believe that the three major powers of this division are the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays and that Toronto is playing well right now but they do not have roster to stay around. The Rays who are 6 games off the lead are still a pretty young team and I see them finding their groove and catching up to Boston. Now I think Boston is a great team and they have a great roster and coach in Terri Francona but I don't think they can keep it up the way David Ortiz has been playing this year. I just think that his mental struggles will be contagious and the hole team will have difficulties this year. Now as for the Yankees I think that they started slow and are picking up speed with C.C. Sabathia hitting his stride and with A-Rod in the lineup I have them winning this division. But like I said early I see Tampa Bay getting Better and even winning the AL wild card.

Chipper Jones

Chipper Jones is at it again. After flirting with a .400 batting average last year Chipper is finding his stroke during the braves current homestead. He is hitting .379 since the brave have started the homestead and his hitting .471 since leaving the game early on Sunday. This performance like last years is proof of two things. It shows that even at the age of 37 Chipper can still be one of the most dominant hitters in the league. It also shows that switch hitters have a natural advantage over other hitters this is further proved by Mark Teixeira switch hitting dominance in the powerful Yankee lineup.

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Draft

Well the Headline of the draft is Stasburg, the righty out of San Diego State, who was drafted number 1 overall. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals who seem to be following the trend of Drafting a pitcher with the number 1 overall pick for the third time in four years. The Nationals expect him to be an immediate impact on there roster; they even plan on hopefully promoting him to the big leagues this year. Although because of all this hype he is most likely to ask for over $50 million which would be the largest contract for any Major League Draftee in the 45 year history of the draft. If the Nats are willing to sign him it should be just a matter of time to see if the deal was worth it.

More Manny

This just in (even though it was probably to be expected) the L.A. Dodgers have been contacted by Major League Baseball regarding Manny Ramirez and his comments to reporters the other days. According to the rules no suspended player is allowed to have contact with reporters while in the clubhouse or even be in the clubhouse at the same time as reporters. I'm not sure what ramifications this will have but I am sure that some will most likely say this isn't just another case of Manny being Manny.

Manny Ramirez

Now everyone probably knows by now that Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games for using a banned substance. And most everyone also knows that this banned substance was actually a female fertility drug which led to some laughs but because this drug was used by steroid users to restimulate their own testosterone production after relying on on steroids to produce artificial hormones. Manny did not tell anyone in the organization about his use of the fertility drug which helped lead to his suspension.

But I'll tell you that the reason he didn't tell anyone was most likely cause he was embarrassed that he needed to take the female fertility drug in the first place. And that he had a legitimate need to use it not to get pregnant but to produce testosterone like a normal person but not from the use of steroids. I'm saying that maybe he really did need this drug but did not use steroids, but I could just be fooling myself but I know if I got suspended for a female fertility drug I would be so embarrassed that I just wouldn't want to talk about it and take the suspension without saying anything.

But that's just me.

Congratulations Bobby Cox

I know its a little late but I have to say congratulations to Bobby Cox the manager of the Braves on win number 2000. Really though at the time of me writing this post he already has his 2001st win. I believe that Bobby Cox has to be one of the best managers of all time and should be an automatic for the hall of fame.

Intro

This is my first post and I just want to set up what this blog will be about. As you can tell by the title I'm going to be talking a lot about Baseball, the sport I love. Just a little about myself would be my favorite MLB team is the Atlanta Braves. Even though I don't live in Atlanta it was the city I was born in and I can't help but love the team. Up until a few years go they had the longest streak of making it to the post season of any team. And not until recently they were a team to be feared in the NL East but even with their years of dominance lasting over a decade they only earned one world series championship. With in the past few years the Marlins an the Phillies have both won championships, the Phillies winning just last year.

The Braves being my favorite baseball team my favorite player is obviously the best player on the braves: Chipper Jones. Although I do have to say I use to be a big fan of Andru Jones (I even modeled my baseball swing after his) but his trade and subsequent decline led to me not being as big of a fan anymore. While the two Jones boys use to be my favorite position players, my favorite pitchers would have to be the greatest pitching trio of all time: Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine. These three were the main driving force behind the braves historic run. All three more than Hall of Fame worthy but I believe Greg Maddux in particular should be considered the greatest right hand pitcher of this era.