National League Preview - NL East

The major league baseball season is just a week away and to get you prepared here is the shallowest preview and predictions you will find. The third and final (thankfully) installment on the National League.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies – The prohibitive favourite from the National League and now the SI pick for World Series champs, the Phillies have what it takes to get back to the show. Led by the newly acquired Roy Halladay who is set to dominate the NL, and backed-up by a formidable pitching staff that includes Cole Hamels (who will no doubt benefit from learning from Halladay), Joe Blanton, JA Happ and the ageless Jamie Moyer. Although, they got rid of Cliff Lee those five can compete with any teams rotation. The bullpen is just as solid with the anchor being closer Brad Lidge, especially if he can get back to 2008 form. The batting order will be a “murder’s row” for the opposition. Whether you want to hit around Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley, someone will always be behind them to pick up the slack. The one player that has made a splash this spring is Jayson Werth who showed up to training camp with a caveman beard. Fun times for fans in Philly who normally just like to whine and throw batteries at Santa Claus.

NY Mets – Mets fans want to win so badly and this team will take them to brink, but can they break through. A lot will depend if star players can stay healthy and happy. The Mets signed the highest profile free agent of the winter in Jason Bay. He makes his return to the NL, where he had more success than in Boston (although he wasn’t a slouch by any means). He was under intense media pressure in Boston and that won’t change in NY with the tabloids. Backing up Bay will be other superstars that need to produce so the Mets can have a chance at October. Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran all need big seasons for CitiBank Place to stay afloat.

Atlanta Braves – OH MY GAWD its Jason Heyward! If you need to know one name in the National League this season it is Jason Heyward. After quickly progressing through the Braves minor league system the young slugger has done enough in spring training that manager Bobby Cox said he would be stupid if he left Heyward out of the opening day line-up. The Braves look good on paper behind Heyward, but they are getting long in the tooth with Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus minding the corners. Other young stars that need to continue to produce are catcher Brian McCann and CF Nate McClouth. The pitching staff is led by second year man Tommy Hanson, if he can avoid the sophomore slump, he should finish close to 20 wins. Closing games for the Braves will be Billy Wagner, at least until his arm falls off mid-June. The Braves are a trendy pick to challenge for the wild card, but they need some more depth to challenge the top of the division.

Florida Marlins – Only if the owners could keep the team together for more than a season they could challenge for a World Series trophy year after year with the talent that has gone through Miami. This year they are led by NL MVP runner-up Hanley Ramirez. With power, speed and ability to get on base not normally demonstrated by shortstops, Ramirez will be the key to the Marlins. Another player to watch for is centrefielder Cameron Maybin. Coming off surgery, he will have a chance to prove he can play and produce. The pitching staff needs to be consistent this season for the club to avoid a 90 loss season. Jason Johnson and Ricky Nolasco will spearhead the staff and Leo Nunez will reprise his role as the closer for the teal and black. Don’t expect big things from the Marlins this season, but three years from now when their youngsters develop…look out.

Washington Nationals – Remember in the NL Central preview we talked about how the Pirates are the team that nobody recognizes. Say hello to the team that finished second in the ESPN poll – the Washington Nationals. The Nationals have tried to sign free agents the last couple of winters, but unfortunately they haven’t had many takers. The offense is led by first baseman Adam Dunn and aging catcher Ivan Rodriguez. The pitching staff has Jason Marquis as the ace and youngster John Lannan as the number two. Lannan in particular has turned heads and will look to stay on the right side of .500 this season. Meantime, the best pitcher/player, Stephen Strasburg, has been sent down to Double A. Strasburg, the top pick last year had a great spring, but no one is surprised that he is starting his career in the minors, the big question is when he gets the call up. No matter when Strasburg shows up, the odds for the Nationals to win the division (+10000) say all you need to know about their chances this season.

National League Preview - NL Central

The major league baseball season is just a week away and to get you prepared we continue the shallowest preview and predictions you will find.

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals – The class of the NL Central and a good bet to be playing in October, they have one giant cog that makes them tick – Albert Pujols. The slugging first baseman is the most feared hitter in baseball. He makes pitchers make mistakes and those that stay away from him will have to face the other deadly hitters in the Cards lineup, namely Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick. The pitching staff is no slouch either. At the top of the rotation is Cy Young candidates Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. They are supported by Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny, a very formidable 4 man rotation. Ryan Franklin will be the teams closer again after finishing with 38 saves last year. The Cardinals are the favorites and if they can avoid injury to their stars, look for at least 100 win season from them.

Chicago Cubs – The lovable losers are back in contention! Although, they might not win the division they will do their best to be in the Wild Card hunt come September. The Cubbies have assembled some decent talent, but the question remains can manager Lou Pinella put it all together to win under the intense pressure that comes in Chicago. The Cubs will be led by those holding down the corners – Aramis Ramirez at third and Derek Lee at first. The outfield is solid with Soriano, Byrd and Fukodome and will get on base and score runs. The pitching staff has had some injury concerns, including those to Ted Lilly. Look for closer Carlos Marmol and ace Carlos Zambrano to anchor the Cubs this season and allow them to contend.

Milwaukee Brewers – These guys are not shy to hit the cover off the ball. I think the Brewers ownership built the team to hit home runs so they could keep Bernie Brewer employed and going down the HR Slide. With the likes of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun you are likely to see some fireworks when the Brewers play. Those fireworks unfortunately, just won’t be coming from the Brewer bats. An inexperienced pitching staff will keep the Brewers short of the playoffs, no matter how much future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman will keep the 9th inning clean.

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds have some youngsters that they will be counting on heavily this season. Namely, Canadian first baseman Joey Votto. Votto battled depression last season but not even that could keep him from finishing in the NL Top 5 in batting average (.322), OBP (.414) and slugging percentage (.567) in '09. The other bat they will be counting on is LF Jay Bruce. Bruce will have to up his production slightly for the Reds to a chance to move up in the standings. The pitching staff has some “names”, but some of those pitchers are a little passed their best seasons. The Reds will have a tough time finishing near the top of the Central.

Houston Astros – The Astros have long counted on their veterans to produce, all the way back to the Biggio and Bagwell days. This season, they will look to the last remaining ‘B’, Lance Berkman to lead the way. With veterans Cliff Leff, infielder Kaz Matsui and up and coming RF Hunter Pence filling in the rest of the day to day, it will be tough sledding for the Astros this year. The pitching staff is light, with the sole bright spot being Roy Oswalt. Oswalt is fighting injury to start the season, but will be the ace of the staff. The Astros are a good distance from contending in the NL Central.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Memorize these names – Ryan Doumit, Jeff Clement, Akinori Iwamura, Ronny Cedeno, Adam LaRoche, Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutcheon, and Lastings Milledge. If you know these guys you are better than most general managers. The Pirates are the least regonizable franchise according to an ESPN survey and there is a 95% chance that all of these guys will be dealt by September. The ace of the pitching staff is Zach Duke and it will be tough for him to take the hill every 5 days knowing his team doesn’t have much chance of winning. Good luck Bucs fans…

National League Preview - The NL West

Although the National League has taken a backseat to the American League for the last couple seasons, and many people refer to it as “AAAA” baseball, they have taken giant steps forward this season.

With the Phillies trading for the arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Roy Halladay, the Mets signing prized free agent Jason Bay and boasting the elite power hitters in the game, Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder, the NL should definitely be considered stiff opposition during the All-Star Game and the World Series.

The major league baseball season is just a week away and to get you prepared here is the shallowest preview and predictions you will find. First up –

National League West

LA Dodgers – The class of the NL West and they will battle for the NL Pennant when all is said and done. The player that will get the most press will once again be Manny Ramirez, but it will be for his off-field activities rather than his on field actions. The player to watch is center fielder Matt Kemp. Kemp finished among the Top 10 outfielders in runs (97), steals (34) and RBIs (101) in '09. They are solid up the middle with Canadian Russell Martin behind the plate controlling the young pitching staff. Watch for Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley both to come close to 20 wins and Jonathan Broxton is solid as the closer. Enjoy the season Dodger fans!

Colorado Rockies – First baseman and perennial .300 hitter Todd Helton anchor The Rockies. He will get great support around the infield from one of the game’s best shortstops Troy Tulowitzki and the U.S.A catcher from the last World Championship Chris Iannetta. The outfield and offence will lean on Brad Hawpe, who will have lots of chances to drive in runs with the speedy Dextor Fowler taking over full-time in centerfield. The pitching staff is led by the unheralded Ubaldo Jimenez who had 15 wins last season and looks to continue to make a name for himself as a elite pitcher, even if he has to work at Coors Field. Behind Jimenez in the rotation is Aaron Cook and shutting the door at the end of the game is former Oakland closer Huston Street. Street can be shaky but should match his 35 saves from last season. The Rockies have the pieces to make some noise in the NL West but must get all-star seasons from key players to have a chance at the playoffs.

SF Giants – Barry Bonds still hasn’t retired and they could probably use his power (HGH or not). There strength lies with the pitching staff, with ace and reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum at the top of the rotation. Lincecum is followed in the rotation by Barry Zito, who is solid but, will never live up to the huge free agent contract he signed. All-Star catcher Pablo Sandoval has been moved from behind the plate to third base because of the signing of Benji Molina. Three time All-Star Freddy Sanchez escapes from Pittsburgh and will try to continue his fine form in the Bay Area. The Giants need to prey on the weak opponents for a chance to catch the Dodgers/Rockies or claim the Wild Card.

Arizona Diamondbacks – After getting career season from Mark Reynolds, the Dbacks need to hope he can duplicate his form and those around him can step up to contribute. Besides 3B Reynolds, Arizona needs a big season from youngsters Justin Upton (RF) and shortstop Stephen Drew. After playing for teams last season, Adam LaRoche hopes he found a home in the desert and will get lots of opportunity at first base to succeed. The pitching staff is strong and will keep the Dbacks in games. The top of the rotation features Cy Young candidate Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. They are solid in the bullpen with closer Chad Qualls who will continue to get the ball in ninth inning. Not far behind the Rockies and Giants, but will need great seasons from their All-Stars to contend.

SD Padres – In a constant rebuilding mode, the Padres and their fans (are there any?) will be in for a long season. The one bright spot is power first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Unfortunately, it is likely he will be gone before the end of the season to a contender that can pay (Yankees/Red Sox). Another bright spot is young outfielder Will Venable and the return of Tony Gwynn (yes, it is his son) to San Diego. The pitching staff doesn’t have a full-fledged ace, but if they ever have a lead going into the ninth, look for Heath Bell to be the closer and the face of the franchise for the year.

The Cost Of Being A Fan

Yesterday, Team Marketing Report unveiled their yearly report on how expensive it is to be a fan. They listed the top 15 most expensive (on average) tickets in sports. Predictably, NFL teams take most of the top 15 spots because they only have 8-10 home games to get revenue, while baseball, hockey and basketball have many more so the average cost goes down (or so you would think) over 40 or 80 home games.

The winners (or losers);

15. (just for the heck of it) NY Yankees - $72.97

5. NY Giants - $88.63

4. LA Lakers - $93.25

3. Toronto Maple Leafs - $114.10

2. NE Patriots - $117.84

1. Dallas Cowboys - $159.65


You might notice one team on that list that kind of sticks out. It may be the one that hasn't won a championship in four decades. Just maybe.

I know that being a fan can get expensive, but I enjoy going to live sporting events. No matter what Bill Simmons thinks about the age of HD, going to a game brings you close to the athletes, other fans and there is an energy you can't get while watching on your couch.

How much am I willing to pay to go see a game though...that depends I guess. My hometown team versus an arch rival or my favourite team versus a superstar (LeBron, Kobe or Manning) I might be willing to pay $75-$160 for tickets but I don't know about paying that for EVERY game.

How much are you willing to spend on a ticket...keep in mind this isn't the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup finals were talking about.

If I Were A Free Agent

Being a free agent in the regular world is kind of crappy. It basically means you are unemployed and looking for work. In the sports world it is usually the best thing to happen to an athlete.

A pro athlete looks forward to free agency because it is normally the time that they are at the peak of their careers and can demand the most money. Being a free agent also means there are no restrictions on how much they can make, unlike when they are a rookie or when a team exercises an option.

Free agency is all the talk right now. NFL free agency started on Friday and there have already been a few big signings. Some top players have moved teams including Julius Peppers who goes from Carolina to Chicago, Kyle Vanden Bosch goes from Tennessee to Detroit and Karlos Dansby goes from Arizona to Miami. These are just the tip of the iceberg and there are many more player moves to come.

In about four months, NBA free agency will be the talk everywhere with perhaps the biggest free agent class ever. It includes many of the marquee names in the NBA right now, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Also, some supporting stars are going to be looking for new homes Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer. Depending on where these players sign, it could change the fate of franchises (just look at Toronto without Bosh for the past week 0-4).

If you were a free agent what factors would you look for when trying to decide where to go. Here is my list;

1. Money - Don't kid yourself - the biggest factor is the benjamins. This will be the main reason that LeBron, Wade and Bosh stay put. They can get the most money from the teams they are currently with.

2. Location - Do I want to play in a cold city like Toronto or Detroit? Nope...I would rather spend my off days in Miami or LA thank you very much. This section also includes other amenities like shopping, restaurants and nightlife. You are young with a high income, give me something good to do on days off or in the off-season.

3. Friends - Who do I know on the team? Did I play with any guys at University or on a summer league team? Is someone on the team that I can create my own hand shake with? Who will I go out to dinner with on the road 50 times a year?

4. Winning - Does the franchise have a chance to win or a history of winning? All players want a championship ring. Also, awards like MVP and all-star nominations come easier to players on winning teams.

5. Fans - Are the fans passionate? Will they show up to the arena every night or only when the team wins?


Those would be my big five...what would you guys look for when signing a free agent deal?

The Envelope Please...

On Sunday night the motion picture academy will once again have their lavish ceremony to pick the best of the best. This year was so good in movies that they nominated 10 movies for best picture. Kidding...the MPAA just went back to their 1920's ways and instead of nominating 5 they now nominate 10 movies for best picture. Some deserving, others not so much. Things that make you go ummm? Do you think Something About Mary would have one if they had 10 nominees back in 1998?

To check out the full list of nominees click here.

Here are uneducated guesses, because for the most part, I haven't seen these movies. You know it costs as much as a steak dinner now to go see movie? Just get me the bootleg...

Best Picture: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air
and the winner is...The Hurt Locker. A war movie wins every couple of years and people want a women director to win best picture.

Actor in a Leading Role: Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Colin Firth, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Renner
and the winner is...George Clooney. Bridges got his Golden Globe, but the Oscar voters are more mainstream, let the Globes honour the art house films.

Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock, Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe, Meryl Streep
and the winner is... Sandra Bullock. She is the hottest.

Directing: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Up in the Air, Precious
and the winner is...Kathryn Bigelow for Hurt Locker. Once again, showing up the men. Bigelow gets the chocolate statue.

Best Animated Film: Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells, Up.
and the winner is...Up. If you were the only animated feature up for best picture, you should be shocked if you don't go home with this award.

Costume Design: Bright Star, Coco before Chanel, The Imagenarium of Dr. Puss, Nine, The Young Victoria
and the winner is...Coco before Chanel. If your film is about one of the fashion industries best known labels and doesn't win for costume design, are you really wearing Chanel?

Visual Effects: Avatar, District 9, Star Trek
and the winner is...Avatar. If you have gone somewhere where no man has gone before you deserve the Oscar. Although Star basically invented visual effects so they might get the sentimental vote.

Who To Cheer For This Weekend

This weekend is the calm before the storm. It is like the rogue wave hitting the cruise ship, not the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that lets loose the tsunami.

This weekend you again have a few choices of what to cheer for...you can go for the Oscars. When cheering for the Oscars you have sub-categories of what to cheer for. Best dressed, best speech (shortest or funniest), most drunk and dumbest comment to the ETalk! reporter are all good things to cheer for.

Check back tomorrow to get my picks for Oscar night.

Other stuff you can cheer for this weekend - small conference NCAA basketball championship games. These small conferences teams all fight for the one automatic bid into the March Madness tournament. They all fight till the death for the 13 to 16 seed only to be eliminated on Thursday by 3pm. Still fun to watch them celebrate and not sweat it out like Louisville, Notre Dame or Florida.

If basketball isn't your thing, you can always cheer for Spring Training baseball! Most of the country is experiencing unseasonably high temperatures this weekend (which means it is 5 degrees) so pretend it is April not March and watch some players you will never see in a Major League uniform again. Also,make sure you boo the new spring training hats - what were you thinking New Era?

Fan Protest - A How To Guide

Toronto was never the city of champions - Edmonton got that crown a long time ago, but the big city mentality has always been that Toronto should win major sports championships.

Toronto is never called a "small market team", the owners of the cities franchises have lots of cash, players (especially hockey) like playing in the city, the fans are knowledgeable and loud and players generally seem to enjoy the city while they are here. Unfortunately, winning championships though, is still not something that happens regularly in Toronto and lately even being a competitive team has been a struggle.

Check out the resume;
Toronto Maple Leafs - No Stanley Cup titles since....not even gonna mention the year
Toronto Blue Jays - Last title was 1993, haven't been competitive since the strike in 1994
Toronto Argos - Last Grey Cup 2004, been through a couple of owners recently and were a miserable 3-15 last year
Toronto Raptors - Haven't won a championship in 15 years. 5 playoff appearances, and only one playoff series win
Toronto FC - No playoff appearances in the 3 years and 3 coaches in the same length of time

What are fans to do when losing is unbearable and no one is fixing any of the problems? Fans in other cities have protested owners and franchises, but Toronto fans are too loyal. Leafs and Raps fans have been selling out the ACC (and the Gardens before that) no matter how many loses the team compiles. The Jays and Argos have there die hard fans and get about the same attendance year after year now. TFC is still new enough that fans flock to the BMO Field.

Although, not going to the games isn't really an option (people like going too much) and the walk-out has never worked really well, but I think the soccer firms (fan clubs) in England have the protest down to a science. When Manchester United and Liverpool fans unite, wear different colours but can still support their teams, that is how a fan protest should work.

So Toronto...who is ready to arrange a protest for the last Leafs game of the season. Everyone can wear green and white like the St. Pats. It would be a great night for all and might send a statement...

Someone start the Facebook Fan page, haha...

Update: United hopes to get 1 million protesters- and you thought Leafs fans were die hard.

My NFL Combine

The National Football League is now a 12 month a year endeavor. Fans get the pre-season, regular season, and the play-offs that culminate in the Super Bowl. After the Super Bowl you would think you get a break until August. Not the case anymore. We now have the NFL Combine, the NFL Draft, optional team workouts (which aren't that optional) and before you know it, we are back to training camp and the pre-season.

The details of the off-season, once reserved for the NFL insider and media are now free to follow for anyone with the NFL network or the internet. One of the most entertaining parts of the off-season is the NFL Combine. This is where we get to watch the future of the NFL participate in drills to prove their future worth. Now, this is all televised of course.

I figured what better way to get involved then to participate in the NFL Combine myself. Since the NFL didn't offer me an invitation to test my skills, I thought I would do this on my own and document for you.

Here are my NFL Combine details.

Name: Benjamin Trattner
School: Acadia University (Nova Scotia, Canada)
Height: 6 feet 1.5 inch
Weight: 261 lbs

Overview:
Benjamin arrived at Acadia as a versatile lineman. Able to play on both the offensive and defensive line in High School. He joined the Axeman defensive line where he progressed slowly his freshman year. Week 6 of his freshman season, he injured his knee in practice. After rehab alone was not successful, arthroscopic surgery repaired meniscus damage. An MRI later that year revealed a tear of the ACL and he had reconstruction surgery in July before his sophomore season. This ended the dream of being a lineman, but not before two more surgeries to repair damage to the knee, re-injured in comeback attempts. Benjamin became the the kicker and punter at Acadia during his junior and senior seasons. Retiring from competitive football in 2001.

Analysis:
Strengths - A strong leg, evidenced by his career long field goal of 57 yards. High football IQ. Tremendous upside potential.

Weaknesses - Slow footed. One scout described being able to time him "with a sun dial". Needs more focus when lining up for short to middle distance field goal attempts.

Test Results

40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is the marquee event at the combine. These athletes are timed at 10, 20 and 40-yard intervals. What the scouts are looking for is an explosion from a static start.

40yd - not applicable
10yd - 1.91 seconds

Bench press
The bench press is a test of strength -- 225 pounds, as many reps as the athlete can get. What the NFL scouts are also looking for is endurance.

225 lbs for 5 repetitions

Vertical
The vertical jump is all about lower-body explosion and power. The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach.

Attempt 1 - 12.25 inches
Attempt 2 - 13.25 inches


Broad jump
The broad jump is like being in gym class back in junior high school. The athlete starts out with a stance balanced and then he explodes out as far as he can.

Attempt 1 - 73.25 inches
Attempt 2 - 77.25 inches

Well Rich Eisen, am I at least a day 3 prospect?