With the present-day Pirates heading toward another 100-loss season, fans are left, yet again, thinking about the past or dreaming about the future. Problem is; they need a photographic memory to remember anything worth remembering and closing the eyes is likely going to lead to a nightmare. Sorry folks, I just don't see the longest losing streak in the history of the four major North American sports ending any time soon. I have lost all trust in the not-so dynamic duo of Frank Coonelly and Neil Huntington. Coonelly, the Pirates President, recently admitted, after "deceiving" fans and reporters for months, that the franchise has extended the contracts of Huntington, the General Manager and John Russell, the skipper. Why?
Huntington has so much egg on his face that you could put him on a burner and cook the remaining Pirates die-hard's breakfast. Lets take a look at a few of his moves.
Matt Capps
Pittsburgh let Matt Capps walk this winter because the reliever wanted more money than the franchise was willing to pay. Or so Huntington said. Capps, after an arbitration raise, was likely to make roughly $4.5 million for the 2010 season. Pittsburgh is likely to pay new closer Octavio Dotel (9 years older than Capps) roughly $4 million (with performance bonuses) by the end of 2010. That's a $500,000 difference. Big-time green to me and you, but pocket change for a professional franchise. Washington gobbled up Capps, plugged him in as closer and watched as he spit out some healthy numbers. 26 saves in 30 chances, 2.74ERA and better than a 4:1 K/BB ratio. Oh yeah, he also picked up the win in the All-Star game (NL's 1st since '96) while the Pirates' representative, Evan Meek, picked splinters out of his rear. With Capps' value at an all-time high, the Nats spun him like Gordon Gekko. Yesterday, they dealt the right-hander to Minnesota for Wilson Ramos. Baseball America lists Ramos as the 58th best prospect and scouts say he is the best defensive catcher in the minor leagues. This is the same Ramos guy that Minnesota refused to give up in a potential deal for Cliff Lee last year. Not bad, especially when you consider Capps didn't have a job less than 7 months ago. Not bad, unless your name is Neil Huntington.
Jose Bautista
The Pirates traded utility man Jose Bautista to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later on August 21, 2008. Word on Carson Street is that Huntington and Pittsburgh didn't want to pay Bautista his impending arbitration raise. New one. Bautista leads MLB with 30 home runs, (Pittsburgh is 25th in HR) he has a .366 OBP, .951 OPS and 75 RBI. The player to be named later turned out to be Robinzon Diaz. Diaz is no longer with the Pirates. Ouch!
Akinori Iwamura Trade
In November of '09, Pittsburgh traded reliever Jesse Chavez to Tampa Bay for 2nd baseman Aki Iwamura and his $4.5 million dollar salary. Mistake...big mistake. Iwamura was paid $150,000 for each of his 30 hits with the Pirates this season. Ok, not really, but that is one way of looking at it. He accounts for roughly 1/7 of the teams payroll. Aki hit .182 in 165 AB's. The plus is; he was such a disaster that he was sent to the minors and the club was forced to promote and play youngster Neil Walker. Neil is the real deal.
Jason Bay trade
On July, 31 2008, Pittsburgh dealt its most recognizable face, Jason Bay, to the Red Sox in a 3-team deal. The Pirates received Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen, Andy Laroche and Bryan Morris in return. Moss is no longer on the 40-man roster after hitting .222 in '08, .236 in '09 and smacking just 13 long balls in 601 at-bats with the Pirates. Hansen has been on the shelf with an elbow injury since April of '09, which is probably a good thing for the Buccos. The guy has a 6.35 ERA in 93IP in the big leagues. Laroche is now a seldom used utility guy with less than 20 HR's in more than 800 at-bats with the Pirates. Morris is showing promise with AA-Altoona, but scouts don't see him as a front of the rotation starter.
Xavier Nady trade
Ahhh. Finally a move that Huntington can proudly put on his resume when he looks for a new job. He sent OF/1B Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte to the Bronx and received pitchers Ross Ohlendorf, Daniel McCutchen and outfielder Jose Tabata in return. Nady has amassed just 404 AB's in the 2+ seasons since leaving the 'burgh and doesn't appear to be anything more than a 4th OF/pinch-hitter moving forward. Marte is simply a situational lefty at this point in his career. Ohlendorf is a decent back of the rotation option and McCutchen, although he looks like a classic 4A player, provides the organization with pitching versatility and depth. Tabata has the chance to be an everyday outfielder for a long, long time. He transformed his body over the winter, making him a big time threat on the bases and an above-average left fielder. He is a great contact hitter with good discipline and a solid recognition of the strike zone (just 24 k's, 18 bb's in 172 major league AB's). He has gap power and scouts claim he'll eventually drive more balls out of the park (I have my doubts). I think he can become a consistent .300 hitter for years to come.
Nate McClouth trade
Pittsburgh dealt Nate McClouth to Atlanta for pitchers Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and outfielder Gorkys Hernadez in June of '09. McClouth was a fan favorite and moving him coming off a 20HR-20SB season at the ripe old age of 27 was a bit controversial. Turns out, at least presently, moving him was the right move. McClouth is in the MINORS after hitting just .168 while battling through injuries with the Braves this season. However, Pittsburgh failed to land quality players in return for the outfielder. Morton is 6-18 with a 6.03ERA with the Pirates and the guy appears to lack the mental toughness to fight through the struggles. Hernandez is stuck in AA where he's hit just .276 and 5 HR's in 1016 AB's over the last 2 seasons. He can run, but he has a hard time reading pitchers (36 SB's, caught stealing 19 times in AA). He doesn't draw walks, has poor recognition of the strike zone, can't bunt for base hits and strikes out a lot for a guy without pop. Other than that...he's great. Locke is putting up solid numbers (10-3, 3.22ERA in A-AA), but he doesn't project to be anything more than a bottom of the rotation starter with the big league club.
Other 2009 trades
In July of '09, Pittsburgh sent outfielder Nyjer Morgan and reliever Sean Burnett to Washington for outfielder Lastings Milledge and reliever Joel Hanrahan. This deal looks like a wash. Morgan is hitting .291 with 52 SB's in 569 AB's with the Nats. Milledge is hitting. 279 with 7 HR and 11SB in 516 AB's with the Bucs. Hanrahan is dominating out of the pen for Pittsburgh (3.43ERA, 60k's in 44IP). So too is Burnett (2.78ERA, 33K's in 36IP). The Pirates also sent Adam Laroche, Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny and $3.3 millino (to Mariners) packing last season. Sanchez and Wilson were a solid double play combination, but they made a lot of money (Huntington overpaid Sanchez) and were getting long in the tooth. Moving the guys was a good idea, but once again, it looks like they didn't get enough in return, especially when you consider how desperate teams are around the trade deadline. Pittsburgh picked up; Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio, Tim Alderson, Josh Harrison, Argenis Diaz, Hunter Strickland. The Pirates moved Garret Jones to the outfield and spent the entire spring smacking grounders at Clement, a former catcher, in an effort to turn him into a slugging 1st baseman. We figured his glove wouldn't be major-league worthy, but, it turns out, neither is his bat. He hit .189 with 34 strikeouts in 127 at-bats before being demoted this season. Cedeno is no Ozzie Smith, but he is a steady glove guy at short. However, he makes Ozzie look like Honus Wagner. Cedeno is not a slugger (5hr), but thinks he is ( 69 k's in 286 AB's), he won't take a walk (14BB) and rarely hits the ball hard (.242 career avg.). Hart pitched so poorly over the last few months of last season (6.92ERA, 1.88WHIP in 10 starts with Pittsburgh) that he tore his labrum (out for the rest of this yr.). Ascanio is also sitting out the year with an injury. Tim Alderson, who the Pirates thought they stole from San Francisco for Sanchez, is now slinging batting practice in Single-A (13ER is 5.2IP). He was demoted from AA-Altoona after coughing up more than 5 runs an outing and hitting just the mid-80's on most nights with his fastball. Diaz is turning into a Cedeno clone (.246 career AAA hitter), and Strickland isn't fairing well in A-ball (2-5, 5.53 ERA). Harrison (AA All-Star) is the only youngster showing any promise and he might have a hard time making it as an everyday player because he struggles big-time with the glove.
2010 Free-Agent Signings
The team signed reliever Brendan Donnelly to a 1-yr., $1.35 million dollar deal. Donnelly didn't make it through that one year. The Pirates cut him and his 5.58 ERA last week. Pittsburgh inked outfielder Ryan Church to a 1-yr., $1.5 million dollar contract. Church could join his buddy Donnelly in the coming weeks. He is hitting just .183 with 3 HR's in 169 AB's. Bobby Crosby (1yr., $1 mil, .224 avg), Javier Lopez (1yr., $775,000) and Octavio Dotel have put together respectable seasons, at least by Pirates standards. The 2009 signing and dumping of Ramon Vazquez cost the bucks some green too.
I'm not saying it's time for Neil Huntington to go. The man deserves at least the rest of this season to show he has a vision, even if he can't see it himself. But, I can't think of one reason why the man deserves a contract extension...extension...not a new contract...an extension. Why not wait until his current deal expires at the end of this season to make that type of decision? It's hard to believe in the future of a franchise when it's led by a man who loses on the field and in the boardroom.
About Me
- mfink
- An attempt to inform the masses by spewing noise about sports and society. Ingest and enjoy!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Pedro Turning Potential into Production
Pirates fans were up in arms when Pedro Alvarez started his major league baseball career 0-11. A month later, the faithful followers' arms are up all right, up in celebration. The sweet-swinging slugger hit two home runs last night, his second straight game with two long balls. Pedro has now done something that Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks and Mike Schmidt never did. The question is; will Alvarez end up where those guys already reside? The Hall-of-Fame. Alright, alright - let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Instead, I'll use this blog entry to discuss the similarity I see between Alvarez and Washington Nationals slugger Adam Dunn. I believe Dunn is one of the more underrated offensive players in the game. He could be a devastating force as a designated hitter (hello AL GM's). The man has hit at least 38 homers in the last six seasons and driven in more than 100 runs in four of those six years. Most managers would love that type of production from their cleanup hitter. Dunn is now a first baseman after trying, and mostly failing, as an outfielder. My guess is that Alvarez, especially as he gains weight and age, will eventually slide across the diamond from third to first. He has decent hands and a strong arm, but he is slow to react and his footwork is awkward. Those issues are less of an issue at first base. Both guys have freakish power. Alvarez, at 23, can drive a ball 400 feet to the opposite field. The guy hit several balls out of Blair County Ballpark (a pitchers' park) with a flick of the wrist. Dunn might be the biggest bopper in all of baseball. According to Hit Tracker, his 504 ft. bomb in 2008 is the longest since the company began tracking balls in '05. For a young guy, Alvarez takes a lot of pitches and is pretty disciplined at the plate. He had a solid .373 OBP (on-base percentage) in 800 minor league at-bats. Dunn has a .382 OBP for his career and has registered seven seasons of 100 walks or more. Couple the tendency to take pitches with a long, long swing and high strikeout numbers are inevitable. Pedro has punched out 41 times in 108 major-league at-bats (a pace of roughly 200k's for a full season). Dunn has experienced the walk of shame more than he'd like to admit (seven seasons of 165+ k's). I do think Alvarez is capable of hitting for a much higher average than Dunn (career .251 hitter). The Bucs' youngster has a more level swing, does a better job of using all fields and I believe he'll learn to cut down his swing and put the ball in play. He's got plenty of time to develop into a HOF, but if he doesn't, the Pirates could do worse than an Adam Dunn clone.
What do you think of my comparison? Does Alvarez remind you of a player, past or present? Feel free to comment.
Deep Thoughts on the Diamond
What was he thinking?
With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 7th inning of a 1-1 tie, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel allowed pitcher Joe Blanton to hit. Yes, Blanton, Joe. Yes, he of the .124 career batting average and a whopping two RBI. Shockingly, Blanton, Joe struck out. Almost predictably, the right-hander's first pitch of the bottom of the seventh was hit for a go-ahead homer by Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday. This is what Manuel had to say after the game...
“It’s 1-1, he had a chance to win the game. It didn’t work out. You’ve got to make it one way or another. Is it tough? Hell, no. Nothing tough about it. What you do is what you do.”
I understand what he's talking about when he says it didn't work out. As for the rest of his explanation?...I don't understand any of it. Then again, I can never understand Charlie Manuel, especially when you have to actually listen to what he says (the man sounds like he has dentures, but forget to wear them).
I'm not sure what inspired Manuel's confidence in Mr. Blanton. He's certainly not the second coming of Cy Young. He is 3-6 with a 6.03 ERA this season. That 6.03 ERA is the worst in the entire National League (among starters that qualify). It's not like this is a really down year either. Blanton's career ERA is 4.36. Paul Maholm's is 4.29. Enough said. Holliday, a right-handed hitter, was set to lead off the inning. Right-hander's are hitting .314 against Blanton (34 pts higher than lefties). Maybe Manuel thought Cardinals hitters would be intimidated by that disgusting dirt on his chin (see below pic). Just another poor decision that led to another bad loss and an even bigger deficit in the NL East (Phils trail the Braves by 7 gms).
Second-guessing the Phils starts with Manuel, but it doesn't end with him. Philly GM Ruben Amaro is catching his fair share of flack too and for good reason. The Phillies could and should have Cliff Lee right now. Lee is making roughly $8 million in the final year of his deal this season. Philly signed Joe Blanton to a 3-yr, $24 million dollar deal this off-season (roughly 8 mil a year). Clearly, money wasn't THE reason why Lee isn't in the city of brotherly love. Nor is Roy Halladay. Experts say the Blue Jays were willing to trade Halladay to the Phillies straight up for a package of prospects (Drabek, Brown, Taylor perhaps). Philly decided to move Lee to Seattle for prospects in an effort to avoid depleting its farm system. It looks like Amaro sacrificed the present for the future. Even with the Phillies offensive struggles, one has to think they'd be right with the Braves with a starting rotation of Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Moyer and _____ fill in the blank. Oh yeah, don't forget that Lee went 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts, including two victories in the World Series. Ouch.
Give the Kid Some Love
The man who struck out Joe Blanton with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning of a 1-1 game was Jaime Garcia. Garcia allowed just four hits and one run while striking out six en route to the victory. The Cardinals left-hander continues to fly under the radar. Garcia is now 9-4 with a 2.21 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 90K's in 110.IP. The Cards rook got exactly 5 secs. of air-time for his dominating performance last night. Meanwhile, SportsCenter pimped Stephen Strasburg for eight minutes for his pedestrian outing (5.1IP, 7H, 3ER). Garcia has the better ERA, has 5 wins against winning teams to Strasburg's two and is pitching under the pressure of a pennant race. Just sayin'.
Blackout
If the season ended today, Padres skipper Bud Black would win the NL Manager of the Year award. Don't look now but, San Diego has the best record in the National League. Better than the Cardinals, better than the Braves, Mets, Giants, Dodgers and Phillies. Crazy. How crazy? Consider this. Only one everyday starter in the current Padres lineup has ever made an All-Star team (Adrian Gonzalez). Quick, name one of San Diego's starting pitchers. If you can't, you're not alone. The rotation of Jon Garland, Matt Latos, Kevin Correia, Clayton Richard and Wade LeBlanc is arguably the least heralded group in the league, but worthy of high praise. San Diego ranks 2nd in the MLB, behind St. Louis, in starters ERA.
With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 7th inning of a 1-1 tie, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel allowed pitcher Joe Blanton to hit. Yes, Blanton, Joe. Yes, he of the .124 career batting average and a whopping two RBI. Shockingly, Blanton, Joe struck out. Almost predictably, the right-hander's first pitch of the bottom of the seventh was hit for a go-ahead homer by Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday. This is what Manuel had to say after the game...
“It’s 1-1, he had a chance to win the game. It didn’t work out. You’ve got to make it one way or another. Is it tough? Hell, no. Nothing tough about it. What you do is what you do.”
I understand what he's talking about when he says it didn't work out. As for the rest of his explanation?...I don't understand any of it. Then again, I can never understand Charlie Manuel, especially when you have to actually listen to what he says (the man sounds like he has dentures, but forget to wear them).
I'm not sure what inspired Manuel's confidence in Mr. Blanton. He's certainly not the second coming of Cy Young. He is 3-6 with a 6.03 ERA this season. That 6.03 ERA is the worst in the entire National League (among starters that qualify). It's not like this is a really down year either. Blanton's career ERA is 4.36. Paul Maholm's is 4.29. Enough said. Holliday, a right-handed hitter, was set to lead off the inning. Right-hander's are hitting .314 against Blanton (34 pts higher than lefties). Maybe Manuel thought Cardinals hitters would be intimidated by that disgusting dirt on his chin (see below pic). Just another poor decision that led to another bad loss and an even bigger deficit in the NL East (Phils trail the Braves by 7 gms).
Second-guessing the Phils starts with Manuel, but it doesn't end with him. Philly GM Ruben Amaro is catching his fair share of flack too and for good reason. The Phillies could and should have Cliff Lee right now. Lee is making roughly $8 million in the final year of his deal this season. Philly signed Joe Blanton to a 3-yr, $24 million dollar deal this off-season (roughly 8 mil a year). Clearly, money wasn't THE reason why Lee isn't in the city of brotherly love. Nor is Roy Halladay. Experts say the Blue Jays were willing to trade Halladay to the Phillies straight up for a package of prospects (Drabek, Brown, Taylor perhaps). Philly decided to move Lee to Seattle for prospects in an effort to avoid depleting its farm system. It looks like Amaro sacrificed the present for the future. Even with the Phillies offensive struggles, one has to think they'd be right with the Braves with a starting rotation of Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Moyer and _____ fill in the blank. Oh yeah, don't forget that Lee went 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts, including two victories in the World Series. Ouch.
Give the Kid Some Love
The man who struck out Joe Blanton with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning of a 1-1 game was Jaime Garcia. Garcia allowed just four hits and one run while striking out six en route to the victory. The Cardinals left-hander continues to fly under the radar. Garcia is now 9-4 with a 2.21 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 90K's in 110.IP. The Cards rook got exactly 5 secs. of air-time for his dominating performance last night. Meanwhile, SportsCenter pimped Stephen Strasburg for eight minutes for his pedestrian outing (5.1IP, 7H, 3ER). Garcia has the better ERA, has 5 wins against winning teams to Strasburg's two and is pitching under the pressure of a pennant race. Just sayin'.
Blackout
If the season ended today, Padres skipper Bud Black would win the NL Manager of the Year award. Don't look now but, San Diego has the best record in the National League. Better than the Cardinals, better than the Braves, Mets, Giants, Dodgers and Phillies. Crazy. How crazy? Consider this. Only one everyday starter in the current Padres lineup has ever made an All-Star team (Adrian Gonzalez). Quick, name one of San Diego's starting pitchers. If you can't, you're not alone. The rotation of Jon Garland, Matt Latos, Kevin Correia, Clayton Richard and Wade LeBlanc is arguably the least heralded group in the league, but worthy of high praise. San Diego ranks 2nd in the MLB, behind St. Louis, in starters ERA.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Rat Fink and the Ladies Approve of the Steelers Extending Tomlin's Contract
Fans attend games to watch players, but there are a few coaches that put fans in the stands too. Joe Paterno, Phil Jackson, Mike Tomlin, Bill Parcells, Joe Torre. Wait, what? Mike Tomlin? Yeah, Mike Tomlin. You know, the Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach. He's not a national name, but he certainly has some pretty faithful followers. Log in to facebook and search Mike Tomlin. Bam - 9 pages dedicated to the guy. He's a cult hero. The man has single-handily brought back the pencil-thin beard. He's made aviator sun glasses masculine. He's transformed thousands of women into football fans.
You can find I heart Mike Tomlin gear here: http://shop.cafepress.com/i-heart-mike-tomlin .
You can find a woman ready to leave her husband for the Black and Gold boss here: http://www.lemondrop.com/2009/11/12/mike-tomlin/ .
Heck, you can even hear his name being dropped on an episode of House here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EVDGeEwhxE.
The physical resemblance to Omar Epps is striking (see below), and both opened their careers with a bang. Epps as a lead actor in Juice. Tomlin as the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl (2nd season). The difference is, I don't expect Tomlin to slip to the b-list of coaches. He can land women (sorry ladies, he's married) and he can lead men.
I think the Steelers made the right move by giving Tomlin a 3-year contract extension. Lets start with the tangible facts. In his 3 years as coach, he's won 31of 48 games. He's captured two division titles and a Super Bowl. The Steelers finished with the top defense in the NFL in both '07 and '08. The '08 unit was one of the most dominating in the history of the league. They tied an NFL record by holding 14 straight opponents under 300 yards of total offense that year. Tomlin's specialty just so happens to be defense (dbacks coach in TB, d-coord in MIN).
Let's move on to the intangibles.
The guy is a born leader. He credits the players when the team succeeds and accepts all blame when the team fails (Tomlin during '09 season-ending presser..."I accept responsibility for everything on tape"). There is no excuse for the Steelers inability to convert short-yardage and goal line situations last season. There is no excuse for the appalling kickoff and punt coverage. There is no excuse for losing 5 straight, including games against Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland. There is no excuse for anything that happened in 2009 (not even the absence of Troy). No excuse and Mike Tomlin never tried to fabricate one.
The players love the guy. I've spent many days and nights in locker rooms. High school locker rooms, college locker rooms and professional locker rooms. Rarely do you see a coach hug a player, a coach dish out fist pounds (without awkwardly trying to bridge the gaps of age and social understanding) or a coach engage in lengthy conversations about music...modern music. I've caught Mike Tomlin doing all of the above. The guy can relate to his players. Remember, he makes aviator shades look masculine. Don't believe me? Ask Ryan Clark. The Steelers safety flew to Miami this off-season and was moments away from signing a contract with the Dolphins when Tomlin called his cell. Tomlin simply said, "we're going to fight for you." Clark got back on the plane and re-signed with the Steelers the next day. Enough said.
One bad season doesn't make a bad coach. People seem to forget that Bill Cowher got a contact extension after the '00 season after missing out on the playoffs in 3 straight seasons. 3 straight seasons. I think almost every Black and Gold fan would label Cowher as a good coach. I think Tomlin deserves some time. A Lombardi is usually good for that. While we're busy comparing the two, we might as well point out that Tomlin can be every bit as intimidating as Cowher. Check out the glare. Combine the scowl and the glare and you have a character that can rival Jason Voorheis or Freddy Kruger for whatever title they battle for. Talk about b-list actors.
Finally, and most importanty, at least to us sports journalists...the guys is a sound bite machine. Sound bite machines don't come around very often. How could the Rooney's let this guy go?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Be4X3rLUE
"We will not go gently, we will unleash hell here in December, because we have to. We won't go in the shell, we will go into attack mode, because that is what is required."
In reference to winning his first Lombardi trophy
"I don't view it as something like I won the lottery. I'm proud of the sacrifices and the accomplishments of the men involved, but it was something I thought we were capable of. So the end result doesn't register the response that winning the lottery or something of that nature, where you have to pinch yourself."
Preparing for the 2009 season
"Hungry is a word that I've been analyzing here of late. It's not hunger that drives me, it's not hunger that needs to drive our football team. Hunger and thirst are things that can be quenched. We have to be a driven group, we have to seek greatness."
3 years, 2 Division Championships, 1 Super Bowl, a legendary glare, fantastic aviators, a perfectly manicured beard and the gift of gab. Mike Tomlin deserves to continue to roam the sidelines for the Steelers and the ladies deserve the chance to keep looking at him. Just sayin'
You can find I heart Mike Tomlin gear here: http://shop.cafepress.com/i-heart-mike-tomlin .
You can find a woman ready to leave her husband for the Black and Gold boss here: http://www.lemondrop.com/2009/11/12/mike-tomlin/ .
Heck, you can even hear his name being dropped on an episode of House here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EVDGeEwhxE.
The physical resemblance to Omar Epps is striking (see below), and both opened their careers with a bang. Epps as a lead actor in Juice. Tomlin as the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl (2nd season). The difference is, I don't expect Tomlin to slip to the b-list of coaches. He can land women (sorry ladies, he's married) and he can lead men.
I think the Steelers made the right move by giving Tomlin a 3-year contract extension. Lets start with the tangible facts. In his 3 years as coach, he's won 31of 48 games. He's captured two division titles and a Super Bowl. The Steelers finished with the top defense in the NFL in both '07 and '08. The '08 unit was one of the most dominating in the history of the league. They tied an NFL record by holding 14 straight opponents under 300 yards of total offense that year. Tomlin's specialty just so happens to be defense (dbacks coach in TB, d-coord in MIN).
Let's move on to the intangibles.
The guy is a born leader. He credits the players when the team succeeds and accepts all blame when the team fails (Tomlin during '09 season-ending presser..."I accept responsibility for everything on tape"). There is no excuse for the Steelers inability to convert short-yardage and goal line situations last season. There is no excuse for the appalling kickoff and punt coverage. There is no excuse for losing 5 straight, including games against Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland. There is no excuse for anything that happened in 2009 (not even the absence of Troy). No excuse and Mike Tomlin never tried to fabricate one.
The players love the guy. I've spent many days and nights in locker rooms. High school locker rooms, college locker rooms and professional locker rooms. Rarely do you see a coach hug a player, a coach dish out fist pounds (without awkwardly trying to bridge the gaps of age and social understanding) or a coach engage in lengthy conversations about music...modern music. I've caught Mike Tomlin doing all of the above. The guy can relate to his players. Remember, he makes aviator shades look masculine. Don't believe me? Ask Ryan Clark. The Steelers safety flew to Miami this off-season and was moments away from signing a contract with the Dolphins when Tomlin called his cell. Tomlin simply said, "we're going to fight for you." Clark got back on the plane and re-signed with the Steelers the next day. Enough said.
One bad season doesn't make a bad coach. People seem to forget that Bill Cowher got a contact extension after the '00 season after missing out on the playoffs in 3 straight seasons. 3 straight seasons. I think almost every Black and Gold fan would label Cowher as a good coach. I think Tomlin deserves some time. A Lombardi is usually good for that. While we're busy comparing the two, we might as well point out that Tomlin can be every bit as intimidating as Cowher. Check out the glare. Combine the scowl and the glare and you have a character that can rival Jason Voorheis or Freddy Kruger for whatever title they battle for. Talk about b-list actors.
Finally, and most importanty, at least to us sports journalists...the guys is a sound bite machine. Sound bite machines don't come around very often. How could the Rooney's let this guy go?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Be4X3rLUE
"We will not go gently, we will unleash hell here in December, because we have to. We won't go in the shell, we will go into attack mode, because that is what is required."
In reference to winning his first Lombardi trophy
"I don't view it as something like I won the lottery. I'm proud of the sacrifices and the accomplishments of the men involved, but it was something I thought we were capable of. So the end result doesn't register the response that winning the lottery or something of that nature, where you have to pinch yourself."
Preparing for the 2009 season
"Hungry is a word that I've been analyzing here of late. It's not hunger that drives me, it's not hunger that needs to drive our football team. Hunger and thirst are things that can be quenched. We have to be a driven group, we have to seek greatness."
3 years, 2 Division Championships, 1 Super Bowl, a legendary glare, fantastic aviators, a perfectly manicured beard and the gift of gab. Mike Tomlin deserves to continue to roam the sidelines for the Steelers and the ladies deserve the chance to keep looking at him. Just sayin'
Monday, July 12, 2010
Know-It-All Guy
Yesterday, at roughly 1:30 pm I wrapped up my first set of seated rows. 12 reps down, 36 to go. Get 'er done. That was the mindset...until I caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye. I tried to get up. Too late. I turned my music up. Not loud enough. I closed my eyes. He opened them. Ok, not really, but this guy knows how to do everything else, at least in his own mind. You know a guy just like him. Everybody does. Know-It-All Guy.
This guy should be a contestant on the Biggest Loser, but he thinks he's got the perfect workout plan for Jillian Michaels. He can pick out the perfect exfoliating scrub without ever looking at your face. He never finished 1st grade, yet he can teach you all about American history. He gambles and wins...every. time. He is both a night owl and an early riser. He only drinks scotch. He only watches Scorsese films. He shot free throws with Shaq, sang karaoke with Lindsey Lohan and wrote speeches for George W. Bush. He corrects wikipedia in his free time. He is always right, even if wikipedia says he's wrong. Forget speaking only when spoken to, this guy speaks when there is nobody to speak to. He shouts...over everybody else..from across the room. He answers even if he doesn't hear the question. He is everywhere. The bathroom, the break room, the steam room. He hates awkward silence, yet loves awkward greetings. He knows more about you than you know about yourself...even though he's never heard you complete a sentence. He loves to analyze people and his analysis is spot on. He thinks Lebron James is humble, Mother Teresa was a scumbag and Tom Cruise is ready to take over for the Pope.
I did not escape Know-It-All guy yesterday. He actually opened my eyes by tapping on my shoulder. He then informed me that I needed to lean back a bit more on my seated rows. The man that, on a good day, looks like John Goodman has now taught me how to target my obliques, add 10lbs. to my bench, perfect my treadmill stride, avoid shoulder fatigue and correctly perform seated rows. Maybe the man should write a book. I know one guy who would buy it...Know-It-All Guy. The man that knows everything, except the fact that nobody likes him.
This guy should be a contestant on the Biggest Loser, but he thinks he's got the perfect workout plan for Jillian Michaels. He can pick out the perfect exfoliating scrub without ever looking at your face. He never finished 1st grade, yet he can teach you all about American history. He gambles and wins...every. time. He is both a night owl and an early riser. He only drinks scotch. He only watches Scorsese films. He shot free throws with Shaq, sang karaoke with Lindsey Lohan and wrote speeches for George W. Bush. He corrects wikipedia in his free time. He is always right, even if wikipedia says he's wrong. Forget speaking only when spoken to, this guy speaks when there is nobody to speak to. He shouts...over everybody else..from across the room. He answers even if he doesn't hear the question. He is everywhere. The bathroom, the break room, the steam room. He hates awkward silence, yet loves awkward greetings. He knows more about you than you know about yourself...even though he's never heard you complete a sentence. He loves to analyze people and his analysis is spot on. He thinks Lebron James is humble, Mother Teresa was a scumbag and Tom Cruise is ready to take over for the Pope.
I did not escape Know-It-All guy yesterday. He actually opened my eyes by tapping on my shoulder. He then informed me that I needed to lean back a bit more on my seated rows. The man that, on a good day, looks like John Goodman has now taught me how to target my obliques, add 10lbs. to my bench, perfect my treadmill stride, avoid shoulder fatigue and correctly perform seated rows. Maybe the man should write a book. I know one guy who would buy it...Know-It-All Guy. The man that knows everything, except the fact that nobody likes him.
Lebrooooooo - Cleveland Crushed after King-Sized Decision
Chances are you got sucked into watching "The Decision" on ESPN on Thursday night. The 1-hour special pulled in a 7.3 rating, the third highest of any cable television show this year and the highest rating for an ESPN "news" show ever. ESPN certainly bowed down to King James. The NBA league MVP picked the primetime advertisers and even worse, he picked and paid the interviewer. The King sat in his throne as Jim Gray threw one softball after another. James, however, did not hit any home runs. He rarely smiled, he struggled to show emotion, his answers seemed rehearsed and perhaps worst of all, he failed to show real sympathy for the town he dumped on national television. Think about it -- the man never thanked the fans of Cleveland. The announcement should have taken 10 seconds, instead it took 60 minutes. It wasn't an announcement as much as it was shameless self promotion. You can plug the BP Oil spill with that ego.
I hate the way he made the decision, but I can't argue with the decision itself.
He put the city of Cleveland and the Cavs on the map for 7 years. The Cavs were relevant for 7 years. Think about that -- and then think about the other 33 years of the Cavs existence. Before Lebron there was...Mark Price? The guy who was about as rehearsed and boring as his pre-foul shot routine. Before the 2006-2007 NBA Finals, there was "the shot"? It's never good when a franchise's most recognizable moment is a moment of failure.
People tend to forget that Lebron re-signed with Cleveland in 2006. He wanted to win there. He just needed some help. Management failed. An old Shaq, an overrated Mo Williams and an overpaid Antawn Jamison didn't cut it. Lebron couldn't count on the Cavs getting much better in the coming years. The franchise strapped itself by bringing Jamison and his 2 yr., $28 million dollar deal on board. If James signed a max deal in Cleveland, the Cavs would have to wait until at least 2012 to bring another star in.
The notion that Lebron can't win a title on his own is...correct. Then again, nobdoy can. Think about it. Bird had McHale, Parrish, DJ. Dr. J had Moses. Magic had Kareem and Worthy. Jordan had Pippen. Olajuwon had Clyde. Duncan had Robinson. To win an NBA title you need at least two, and often times, three stars. I challenge you to come up with an NBA player who won a title on his own.
The statement that MJ would never have left Chicago is also ludicrous. First of all, he did. Secondly, we'll never know how Jordan would have dealt with free agency in his prime. He never had to. Before his 3-year rookie contract expired, he signed an 8 yr. $25 million dollar extension. The man never had the chance to leave.
Finally, lets give LBJ some credit for leaving money on the table. $30 million to be exact. This isn't monopoly folks. There aren't many of us that can say, with a straight face, they would be willing to throw away that kind of green.
Hate on Lebron for being an ego-maniac, for caring more about his brand than the people of Cleveland, but don't hate on his decision. The man wants to win and playing with DWade and Chris Bosh certainly beats Anthony Parker and Anderson Varejao. Haven't you ever heard? Nice guys finish last. Lebron is taking a chance, trading in his image for a shot at a title.
I hate the way he made the decision, but I can't argue with the decision itself.
He put the city of Cleveland and the Cavs on the map for 7 years. The Cavs were relevant for 7 years. Think about that -- and then think about the other 33 years of the Cavs existence. Before Lebron there was...Mark Price? The guy who was about as rehearsed and boring as his pre-foul shot routine. Before the 2006-2007 NBA Finals, there was "the shot"? It's never good when a franchise's most recognizable moment is a moment of failure.
People tend to forget that Lebron re-signed with Cleveland in 2006. He wanted to win there. He just needed some help. Management failed. An old Shaq, an overrated Mo Williams and an overpaid Antawn Jamison didn't cut it. Lebron couldn't count on the Cavs getting much better in the coming years. The franchise strapped itself by bringing Jamison and his 2 yr., $28 million dollar deal on board. If James signed a max deal in Cleveland, the Cavs would have to wait until at least 2012 to bring another star in.
The notion that Lebron can't win a title on his own is...correct. Then again, nobdoy can. Think about it. Bird had McHale, Parrish, DJ. Dr. J had Moses. Magic had Kareem and Worthy. Jordan had Pippen. Olajuwon had Clyde. Duncan had Robinson. To win an NBA title you need at least two, and often times, three stars. I challenge you to come up with an NBA player who won a title on his own.
The statement that MJ would never have left Chicago is also ludicrous. First of all, he did. Secondly, we'll never know how Jordan would have dealt with free agency in his prime. He never had to. Before his 3-year rookie contract expired, he signed an 8 yr. $25 million dollar extension. The man never had the chance to leave.
Finally, lets give LBJ some credit for leaving money on the table. $30 million to be exact. This isn't monopoly folks. There aren't many of us that can say, with a straight face, they would be willing to throw away that kind of green.
Hate on Lebron for being an ego-maniac, for caring more about his brand than the people of Cleveland, but don't hate on his decision. The man wants to win and playing with DWade and Chris Bosh certainly beats Anthony Parker and Anderson Varejao. Haven't you ever heard? Nice guys finish last. Lebron is taking a chance, trading in his image for a shot at a title.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Silent Star Leads List of All-Star Snubs
For a week now, we've listened to sports experts debate whether or not Stephen Strasburg should represent the National League in Tuesday's All-Star game. The answer is...NO. Strasburg isn't even the best rookie in the National League. At least, not yet. That award goes to...no, not Atlanta's Jayson Heyward. The top rook in the show is Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia. The southpaw is 8-4 with a 2.17 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, .229 BAA and 80 K's in 99.2IP.
Garcia has a lower ERA than Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson, Yovani Gallardo, the legendary Ubaldo Jimenez and teammate Chris Carpenter. He is the 1st major league pitcher since 1994 to finish the 1st half of the season ranked in the top-5 in ERA and not be selected as an All-Star. Enough said.
Garcia has a lower ERA than Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson, Yovani Gallardo, the legendary Ubaldo Jimenez and teammate Chris Carpenter. He is the 1st major league pitcher since 1994 to finish the 1st half of the season ranked in the top-5 in ERA and not be selected as an All-Star. Enough said.
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