Every strikeout brings you closer to a home run

Baseball is the kind of sport you usually don't have to pay that much attention to throughout the season and when it comes time for October baseball you wait and see if the New York Yankees play the Boston Red Sox. However, this year the 2012 MLB season has been one to remember, and the best in any recent memory I have. You may be wondering why this season has been any different from past seasons, but I'm going to tell you why right here, right now. For the record I am not some closet Baltimore Orioles fan coming out now when the time is right.

You don't need much bait for this trout: 
Mike Trout has been an astonishing edition to the Lose Angeles Angels and the future of the American League. He will probably end up finishing second in the AL MVP race and he is only a rookie, that's right a rookie. He's the first player in the history of the game to have 30 Home Runs and 40 Stolen Bases in his first season, he is also an excellent defender and is only 21 years old. Trout is an insane talent and will keep the Angels contenders for many years to come (I give no props to Albert Pujols).

AL/NL MVP Race:
You may be asking "why is the MVP race so important"? I will tell you why. Let's start with the National League where Melky Cabrera was the clear leader to take the MVP and lead the Giants into the postseason until he decided he needed a little juice. The steroids cost him a 50 game suspension, and furthermore we learned how stupid he was when he created his own website to try and make it all seem right. Glad they don't IQ test in the MLB. The best part of this story is that more than likely Cabrera's teammate Buster Posey will win the NL MVP, also help the Giants return to the postseason, while coming off a broken leg injury which caused him to miss pretty much the entire year last year. Oh, and about that 50 game suspension that is up for Cabrera, the Giants have decided to leave him off the postseason roster. That might be best, he can focus on working on his website development skills at home.

Now the AL, for the first time since 1967 we might see a triple crown winner in Miguel Cabrera. It will come right down to the wire as he currently leads in Batting Average and RBI's, and is tied for first in Home Runs with Josh Hamilton. But, nonetheless if he gets the triple crown or doesn't he might have single-handedly led his the Detroit Tigers back into the postseason. Wonder which Cabrera is happier?

Perfect Games/No Hitters: The only thing I have to say about this is there have been 7 Perfect games or No Hitters this year. Wow.

Playoff Races: This is the cream of the crop for sure on a variety of levels. First, let's start with simply the photo finishes. With about two weeks to go a little while ago we had as many as 5-6 teams vying for 2 wild card spots in both the AL & NL. Now with 3 games left, we still do not have a winner in the hardest division in baseball, the AL East. For you fans just tuning into baseball, it is not coming down to the Yankees & Red Sox. This leads me to what I want to talk about next. I'm sure Commissioner Bud Selig was crapping his pants all September long praying the Orioles and Athletics would stay in the hunt. I am glad to tell you Bud that they have, and for the first time in a long time two non traditional baseball market teams will be in the postseason (barring a miracle from Tampa or the Angels). Not only that, if the Orioles manage to win the AL East, Oakland has a chance to beat the Yankees in the 1 game playoff. Thank you Bud Selig for this new playoff format, which is going to be off the hook. A special thank you to both the Baltimore Orioles & Oakland Athletics for sticking it to the lopsided way of baseball and granting the opportunity for every non New York Yankee fan to cheer for a Baltimore or Oakland vs Washington Nationals World Series.

Speaking of the Washington Nationals, another non traditional baseball market. They have been the story of the NL, easily making the playoffs for the first time since well (deep sigh) they were the Montreal Expos (Sorry Expos fans). They have one of the best pitchers in the game and a 19 year old rookie in Bryce Harper who much like Mike Trout was off the charts this year and will make the Nationals a force to be reckoned with in the NL for many many years.

The new playoff format has brought the baseball world thoroughly exciting baseball leading up to October. As many as 3 non powerhouse baseball teams could make the playoffs. I now know why they advertise October baseball so hard because it will be one to remember for sure. This baseball that the MLB has brought us is here to stay folks, so get used to it.

Written By:

Garrett Daly
Follow me @DalyGarrett

Can a SuperSonic come back from a Thunder storm?

During the NBA offseason you might have missed an intriguing story line because you were too distracted on Dwight Howard demanding trades, not demanding trades, wanting to go to Brooklyn, hoping everyone in the world doesn't hate him (poor guy), and then finally ending up with the Lakers. Or you might have been focused on two Olympic dream teams arguing with one another about which one is better (who cares). The story you missed is that Seattle City Council and the Chris Hansen investor group reached an agreement to move forward with a state of the art basketball and hockey stadium.

Why does this matter? This matters in large part because we can assume there will be a pursuit to put both an NHL franchise in Seattle, and restore Seattle with an NBA franchise.

To refresh your memory, the SuperSonics were taken away from a great sports city in Seattle by David Stern & Clay Bennett (owner of the Thunder) and moved to Oklahoma City where they are thriving and winning. Seattle was left to cherish the great memories of Gary Payton. But, the fact remains an extremely underrated sports city in Seattle still mourns the loss of their beloved team and they still cringe whenever they hear the name Bennett or Stern. On a side note even though I don't completely agree with the Seattle side of things, I urge everyone who hasn't seen this video to watch it and form your own opinion on what went down  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Dp20ydm1E).

Anyway, back to the present, if/when this new arena gets built there are still some road blocks to overcome to get an NBA franchise back to the city of Seattle. The first is David Stern, now I don't undervalue what David Stern has done for basketball on the global scale but this guy can really piss me off sometimes. David  Stern and Seattle are comparable to Reggie Miller versus Spike Lee, they hate each other. As we have seen David Stern get his own way on a lot of these matters, most recently the Chris Paul trade that was blocked and then the takeover of the New Orleans Hornets, why should something like this be any different. I don't think David Stern could swallow his pride and actually move an existing franchise to seattle (or start a new one, although highly unlikely). So, if that's the case Seattle would have to wait until Stern retires, which he has stated will be prior to the next CBA talks around 2022.

One of the other issues I have is that it will be hard to move a team to Seattle and have the city completely embrace it as their own. Some teams that come to mind are potentially the Charlotte Bobcats, the Detroit Pistons, or even the Memphis Grizzlies. So, if you did move a team there whenever that may be, would you call it the Seattle Bobcats? or would you change it back to the Seattle SuperSonics? If so, then it wouldn't really be like the old days because that team is now the Oklahoma City Thunder. Being a fan in Seattle could you possibly cheer for a basketball team not called the SuperSonics? These types of questions and answers will be crucial in determining if a pro basketball team can be successful in Seattle again.

I did think of one thing that may be interesting. Say you moved the Memphis Grizzlies, a good on the court team, but financially struggling to the city of Seattle, and immediately you have a rivalry with OKC, you have a team people would consistently go see right away. This all makes for some real juicy stories and NBA action doesn't it.

I'm not sure if or when an NBA team will go back to Seattle, but putting all business matters aside, I would love to see that city get another chance at it as a fan. Real and passionate sports cities are hard to come by these days, but I believe Seattle is one of them.

If a team goes back there, whether it's 2, 5, or 10 years from now, hopefully you remember where you heard it from first when you go buy that Seattle SuperSonics (hopefully team name) jersey.

Written By:

Garrett Daly
Follow me @DalyGarrett

How many pieces does it take to make a perfect puzzle?

Many basketball, and more importantly Toronto Raptor fans know that most basketball people rarely bring up the team and what is going on. Recently, when Melo was asked about the Atlantic Division he talked about the improvements of every team within the division and failed to even mention the Raps. Unfortunately, we also have to endure the analysis of TSN and Sportsnet not only about the Raps but about the NBA in general (I excluded TheScore because their not bad). So, I have taken it upon myself to grade the offseason of the Raps, which some of you will agree with, some of you will disagree with, and some of you need a reality check for. Let us begin.

2012 NBA Entry Draft: I'm going to include Jonas Valanciunas in this category because he hasn't played a game in the league yet, so let's start with him. We have been told quite often that he is doing very well in his own league and is getting more and more NBA ready each week. Many analysts said he would have went #2 in this year's draft. We learned in international play and at the Olympic game this summer that this kid needs some work. He got into foul trouble on a number of occasions and struggled against physical big men. This being said the upside to him is through the roof, but he will be a working progress and a full NBA training camp will be a huge wake up call to him and to the fans. Do I expect him to be a top 3 centre soon? No, but he's going to be better then Aaron Gray and Jamaal Magloire combined, that much I can gurantee.

Terrence Ross: This is the big mystery of the offseason for the Raptors. Not that the team shouldn't have drafted him, but what kind of player he will be in the NBA. Personally, I think he's going to become a very nice role player for years to come. He's got the hops, he can shoot, he can play D if he wants to. The downside is he came from the Pac-12, arguably the weakest big conference in college basketball. Will he transform to an elite player? that's the mystery.

Quincy Acy: You need the muscle and the hustle, call my boy with the beard.

Free Agents: Let's start with Landry Fields. I'm not going to fault him for getting paid like he did and signing a contract that will keep him and his swimsuit model girlfriend happy. We all know what he did in New York. But this is my beef with him, a lot of his points came off spot up 3's and cuts because so much attention was focused on Carmelo. He won't have those same opportunities that will get him easy points. The Raptors don't have that one guy that commands the attention like a Carmelo. He will have to create for himself much more and do different things in order to be effective. Also, I just want to point out that he was the best defender on the New York Knicks, the Knicks, just remember that when you put him on your all NBA defensive team.

John Lucas: This guy falls into my top 3 for the Raps offseason. He is a high energy guy that can come off the bench at any point in the game and contribute to the team in a variety of different ways. But, what do we do with 3 PG's demanding minutes? Yes, the trade Jose Calderon at the trade deadline is good in theory, but what about up until that point. How do you keep all 3 (Calderon, Lowry, Lucas) happy while giving them enough minutes to help the team. This might be Coach Casey's most difficult task on a game to game basis, that and having about 25 big men on the team. As for Dominic McGuire who was recently acquired from Golden State. Good luck getting significant minutes son, I wish you all the best.

Kyle Lowry: My favorite move by BC this offseason. I didn't want Nash in Toronto whatsoever, he is too old and can't guard. Lowry brings a tough nose attitude from Villanova, where we all know they didn't make it to the tourney on their big men play over the years. He fits into Casey's style perfectly and will provide for others. We know what were going to get with Lowry and I really think he is a great addition to the team.

Final Thoughts: Did the Raps get better? Yes, there is no question they will be an improved team. Even if their rookies don't live up to the hype I think the addition of Lowry alone will provide stability for the future. BUT, do we all remember when BC told us to wait until this offseason (2012) where he would make some significant moves for the club. We got better that's for sure, but I must question if he had a plan A at all. It was clear he wanted Nash, but that wouldn't have made us a contender. It seems he had to fall to plan B, C, and D on almost all fronts in the offseason. Must I remind the fans out there the Raptors now have 14 players under contract for the 2012-2013 season (NBA players not d-league). I didn't even mention Aaron Gray or Jamaal Magloire who they invited to camp if I'm not mistaken. To me plan "whatever" foiled and when it did BC hit the panic button and were left with 14-16 odd pieces that are going to be very tough to get production from, put together, and keep happy. You know at the end of all of these offseason analysis they always give a grade like A or B, etc. Well, I hate that because you don't really know do you. So, I'm going to take it way back to elementary school days and give a comment.

Toronto Raptors 2012 offseason: Needs improvement, please seek extra help.

Written By:

Garrett Daly

Follow me @DalyGarrett on Twitter!

Once you get locked out, can you get back in?

Now, being Canadian I endure a lot of hockey talk on every major sport network in Canada. Although, I'm a basketball guy I love hockey, but the constant overdrive of every little thing that mostly doesn't matter is comparable to the amount girls gossip about each other. But, what I want to bring to the surface surrounds the pending NHL lockout and what affect it will have on the hockey world and it's fans. Before you read any further if you think your going to get a rundown on why Gary Bettman is an idiot (which he is) and/or what the owners and players are arguing on a day to day basis, I suggest you go to tsn.ca or nhl.com where they will provide you with some information, but a lot of fluff padded nicely on top.

Out of the big four professional sports leagues in North America it is commonly known that the NHL is last in a lot of money making categories that are needed to be profitable. Although, the NHL dominates in Canada, the U.S is where the money is at and that is why the NFL, NBA, and MLB zero in on it and are as relentless as those creepy guys at the bar that stalk some poor girl, and you know those guys just have the worst game, and usually smell like crap too. But, getting back to the point of the article, the NHL have made solid ground since it's previous lockout in 2004. Just to give you an example, in 2011 individual team values hit an all time high, increasing on average by 5% (notice I didn't say "Canadian team values"). Yes, we all know what has happened in Phoenix, we know teams like Dallas and New Jersey aren't filling the seats. That being said, this past season (2011-2012) 21 out of 30 teams in the NHL filled 96% or higher of the capacity in their arena on average over 41 home games.

The point I am trying to get across is that the NHL has momentum within the space of professional sports in North America, but will they ever get past the NBA or the MLB, the answer to that is probably not. The fact of the matter is that you have the skill level of hockey players the best it has ever been at (that's good), you have them at least seriously attempting addressing head shots and concussions (good PR for the non traditional fan), and you have a team in the Los Angeles Kings that was an 8 seed and won the Stanley Cup in a non traditional hockey market, while making the city go nuts over a sport they have often forgot about (that's very very good).

So here's what your looking at Gary Bettman, the owners, and the players. Although, I understand it's not this simple, you can put on a nice suit and get your ass to the negotiation table to figure this out so you can keep that momentum building, and improve your league on a variety of levels including making money (which is what your fighting about). Or, you can let a lockout happen and lose all that momentum (which I promise you will), and then sink back to the bottom of the barrel in terms of making any money. Oh by the way, that city Lose Angeles which won the cup, and got the city so excited, well they will also go back down to the bottom due to the fact the Los Angeles Lakers got a couple good players over the offseason, and when it comes market share, their momentum in that city will shrink to a Phoenix Coyotes type share.

When it comes down to it, the NHL has to treat it like a college kid writing an essay the night before it's due, it may not turn out perfect but they always get it done and hand it in somewhat on time. Plus, when I sit down to watch sports in the winter please don't make me watch curling because you're still locked out, because I won't watch it, I'd rather stare at the wall.

Written By:

Garrett Daly

All's good if your a superstar in the NBA, right??

This is my first post, so I just want to say a couple of things before I get started.

1) I have a passion for all sports (mainly the big 4 in North America)
2) I am by no means saying anything is final and no one can argue it. This is not science, this is my opinion based on observations.
3) The purpose of these once a week articles are to vocalize my thoughts, data gathering, and observations on something that strikes me as interesting. What I think is unique about them is that they will be shorter then  the long articles that are on such websites as espn or cbssports, etc. Also, I have noone in my ear telling me what I should and should not say. It's just insight
4) By no means am I a qualified writer, so excuse the grammar.
5) Finally, feedback is welcome. My only request is if you want to bash me, back it up. I am not perfect.

All's good if your a superstar in the NBA, right??

I want to first classify the teams in the NBA into three categories which I think you will agree with. Category 1 are the teams with elite superstars that I figure have a shot of winning the title: Heat, Thunder, Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Spurs. Category 2 are teams that might have a superstar and have an outside chance of winning the championship, tier II if you will: Pacers, Celtics, Mavericks, Grizzlies, 76ers (post bynum trade). Category 3 are teams that don't have a shot to win the title: Everyone else.

In recent years, starting with Boston Celtics, the NBA has had a changing of the guard where teams are stock piling superstars in order to make a run at the title. We all know this is happening, we have seen Dwight Howard rumours in the headlines more times then we see our family on a day to day basis (thankfully thats over). It seems that gathering these superstars is the ideal way to win a championship for your team and city, I mean the heat did prove it just this past year, and the celtics have proved it too. But I want to address two things that I think will become relevant as the NBA moves forward with sky rocketing ratings.

The first is, within Category 1 I count 7 out of the 8 teams there with at least two superstars on their teams. The team I am leaving out is the Chicago Bulls (sorry Carlos Boozer). Yes, you might say the Nets? But I think Joe Johnson is a top tier player, so forgive me. Out of those 7 teams, I believe each one of them have attracted 1+ superstars to their teams from other teams with the exception of OKC and San Antonio. That leaves 5 teams (Heat, Lakers, Clippers, Nets, and Knicks) with at least 2 superstars. I didn't even notice until now that 4 of those teams are in two cities.

 But anyway, as we know only one team can win the title each year, so even if a different one of those 5 teams won the title each year, one of those teams would have to wait five years until their team and city won a championships. There is no way that all of these teams with superstars are going to last if their team is not winning year after year, they have egos and the pressure is on all of those teams in category 1 to win a championship NOW. As quickly as it seems we have seen these super teams form, how long will it take before they turn on each other, or jump ship. My point is, there cannot be a fairy tale ending for a number of these so called "super teams" and I fear that as quickly as these guys got all buddy buddy and came together, I think that we might see them unravel. The question then becomes, where do they go from there?

The second thing I want to address is the future of the NBA. Ratings for basketball right now are through the roof. The average for the 2012 NBA Finals were a 10.1 on the scale. To give you an idea of how good that is, the 2012 Stanley cup finals drew about a 3.0 average in the United States. The 2011 World Series was even slightly lower at 10.0 average for the series. Although, everything seems great I fear the future stability of the NBA could possibly be in jeopardy. With the formation of these superstar teams, the smaller market teams (the one's the elite players are leaving) now face extreme obstacles in drawing attendance, selling season seats, selling sponsorship, and the list goes on. Now, I'm not sure how you feel on how much the average attendance should be for each team, but I'm in the ballpark that each team's average attendance for a season should be around 17,000 per game. This past season there were 14 teams below that mark. Out of those 14, not shockingly only 3 made the playoffs. I fear this may only be the beginning, as each of these types of teams must rely on what is now called the "OKC" approach. Now,this may be just a case of if you can't play with the big boys don't play at all, meaning if you can't keep your superstars or attract superstars then we don't feel sorry for you. But heading into the next 5 years, the NBA will need to see balance on various levels to achieve overall success.

To those teams that are in Category 3, and Category 2 for that matter. My message to you is to hire good scouts and draft well because that may be one of your only hopes moving forward.

Written by:

Garrett Daly