Bleacher Report - Articles by Benjamin Turner

Honoring Rickey Henderson and Major Sports' Top 10 Natural Athletes

Benjamin Turner — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:03:52 -0400

I've been an Oakland A's fan for as long as I can remember. In 1992, my dad took me to my first A's game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. And the events that transpired will forever live in Turner family lore. The A's got off to a horrendous start, falling behind 6-0 after Cal RIpken blasted a fourth inning grand slam. But the A's battled back to tie the score 6-6 heading into the ninth. And with two out in the bottom of the ninth, Rickey Henderson began a slow stroll off third base that morphed into full speed haul within two steps. Before half the crowd knew what was going on, Rickey swiped home for the victory. From there I began a life-long appreciation for his one-of-a-kind talent, career and personality. Rickey epitomizes a natural athlete, because he's has the god-given ability to perform at a high-level on multiple sports stages. Plus, his skills combine pure power with the smoothest of ease. During the mid-70s, Rickey owned the Bay Area high school sports scene. At Oakland Tech, he was a baseball and basketball player, plus an All-American running back that received over two dozens football scholarship offers. But he turned them down once the A's drafted him in the fourth round in 1976. Now we all know Rickey as the best lead-off hitter, and one of the greatest players to ever step on the diamond. But he would have been great at any sport. So in honor of my all-time favorite athlete, I would like to present my list of the top natural athletes from the past 30 years. Why 30 years? It's because Rickey began his professional career in 1979, plus there's just too many names to fit on such a short list. So apologies to Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Gordie Howe, Wilt Chamberlain, Pete Maravich and Jim Brown. Also, just remember this list contains professional athletes from the three major sports (baseball, basketball and football). Enjoy!

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Baseball's All-Star Game: Why This Midsummer Classic Was a Dud

Benjamin Turner — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:46:26 -0400

After giving the Midsummer Classic over a week to soak in, I think the game itself has become such a snooze to watch from home, even when it takes place in a city with historic significance like St. Louis.

I absolutely love the pre-game festivities like the Home Run Derby, Futures Game, and Celebrity Softball Game. But once the always great “tip of the cap” player introductions are done, I find myself searching for reasons to stay tuned past the fifth inning of a so-called “exhibition” game.

There should be no debate, baseball’s All-Star Game is superior to the other major sports as a spectator event. So why does it need extra incentive and drama?

Who cares if players leave in the middle of games or show a generally blasé attitude toward the event itself. The players have earned a three-day vacation from work, and if they choose to clock out early, who should tell them “no.”

Ever since Major League Baseball adopted the catchphrase “This Time It Counts,” the star-studded event has turned from a light-hearted display of baseball’s best talents to a more serious, meticulously played game that eventually runs out of superstar power from a position standpoint.

From a social viewpoint, the Midsummer Classic is an opportunity for the game’s elite to take a break from the 162-game grind and mingle on the national stage without acting overly competitive.

Before the unfortunate tie in the 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, managers of both leagues showed more creativity with their lineups and match-ups. And the players followed suit by enjoying it and letting loose for a few days during their long, tiring seasons.

But now the stakes are higher, which means gone are the days of A-Rod switching positions with Cal Ripken Jr. or Larry Walker batting right-handed against Randy Johnson while wearing a backwards helmet.

If this were still the case, don’t you think AL manager Joe Madden would have pitched Boston’s Tim Wakefield?

I mean, the man is making his first All-Star appearance at 42-years-young!

How fun would it have been to see Wakefield’s knuckleball dance around the National League big bats like butterflies?

I tend to agree that Wakefield’s selection was more like a career achievement award, but he deserved to pitch, because he’s a two-time World Champion that plays for one of the most popular teams on the planet.

Since everything comes down to money and ratings, I felt like this move would have peaked viewer interest.

Instead, the audience’s interest was in steady decline after the sixth inning because of lesser-named substitutions, plus the game’s outcome has been trusted to the world’s best closers after six innings of play (ala Joe Nathan, Jonathon Papelbon, and Mariano Rivera).

Nathan, Papelbon and Rivera are three of baseball’s best finishers. But they leave me with little mystique of what might happen for the remainder of the game, because they’re so good at what they do.

While it’s smart baseball since the game has added pressure, this isn’t a strategy that’s going to grasp the majority of the viewing public.

Hence, if you're going to make take a conservative approach, make sure it involves players that are on teams more likely to reach the World Series. This is important, because these are probably the guys that the home-field advantage rule will affect come October 4th. And trust me, it makes a difference.

Home-field advantage in the World Series is a big deal. And it’s something that should be earned throughout the course of the season.

In the six Octobers since 2003 (when the new rule took effect), the home team has a 9-3 record in Games 1 and 2 of the Series. And going back to 1985, the team with home-field advantage has won 18 of 23 championships.

With this being the case and this year’s game tied 3-3 in the eighth inning, why was Heath Bell of the last-place San Diego Padres pitching?

It was a questionable decision on the part of Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel, because he could have used Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman in that spot. Or Manuel could have saved the suddenly-unhittable Ryan Franklin of the hometown Cardinals, who relieved Tim Lincecum in the third inning.

Both these guys were throwing lights-out during the first half of the season, but Manuel didn’t use them in the proper situations considering they’re both on playoff contending teams.

Ultimately, Bell gave up Baltimore’s Adam Jones’ game-winning sacrifice fly, and surprise, surprise, the National League loses another heartbreaking All-Star Game.

Somehow a Padre pitcher has managed to carry home the loss in three of the past four All-Star games. Yet we don’t see them playing deep into October.

Considering it was Bell’s first All-Star game (at any level, little league included), maybe he should have received the Andrew Bailey treatment and chilled in the bullpen with a smile till the game’s conclusion, just happy to get the invite.

But on the other hand, Bell should be an inspiration, because he made an All-Star team after spending the majority of the pre-season playing Nintendo Wii and lost 35 pounds.

Another reason why the Classic‘s flavor has lost some kick recently is because the greatest players often don’t help determine the game’s final score. The benches for either ball club lead the charge from the sixth inning on, which is when a lot of these games are decided.

And though he struck out in front of the hometown fans, Missouri native Ryan Howard came off the bench with a chance to break the 3-3 tie against Papelbon with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth. Now that’s drama for an All-Star Game!

It was one of the few times in recent memory that a former MVP was in a crucial situation that late in the Midsummer Classic. But since he didn’t deliver, we were all left with a sense of being cheated out of a possible all-time great moment.

Instead, we watch as the world’s greatest closer and ultimate professional Rivera was summoned in the ninth and promptly ended the game with an effortless 1-2-3 inning. The three batters Rivera faced were Justin Upton, Brad Hawpe, and Miguel Tejada, who all play for teams that are a long shot to participate in the ‘09 Fall Classic.

An even bigger long shot was the game’s MVP, or Ted Williams award winner, Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford, who became the first position player to win an All-Star MVP award without recording a RBI since Willie Mays did it in 1968.

Also, Crawford is the seventh recipient of the award since it was named honoring “The Splendid Splinter” in 2003. Of the seven MVP winners, six entered the game off the bench (excluding Ichiro in 2007) and six belonged to teams that didn’t reach the postseason (excluding JD Drew in 2008).

That’s why this game’s format change is such a silly, irrational quick fix by the Commissioner’s Office.

If the game was just an exhibition and didn’t have consequences later in the season, I wouldn’t have a problem with seeing the up-and-coming stars from below average teams like Upton, Jones, Texas’ Nelson Cruz, Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman or Houston’s Hunter Pence.

But this isn’t the case.

The modern All-Star Game mindset is a world removed from baseball’s golden days. In the last All-Star Game played in St. Louis, in 1966, the National League won on a Maury Wills’ RBI single in the 10th inning.

Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, and Ron Santo played the entire game for the NL squad, and Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Tony Oliva did the same for the AL team. Only nine pitchers appeared in the contest, and Denny McLain, Sandy Koufax, and Juan Marichal each pitched three scoreless innings.

I know, today’s managers would go insane if they saw their pitching aces pumping heaters and snapping curveballs for three innings after tossing 110 pitches four days prior. But I think it would be great for the country to see small market gems like Dan Haren, Josh Johnson, Zack Grienke and Felix Hernandez each get two innings of work.

All these things considered, it was tough for me to pinpoint why exactly I felt this year’s game was such a dud.

It could have been because deserving players like Pablo Sandoval, Adam Lind, Matt Kemp and Javier Vazquez weren’t selected.

Maybe it was because at one point the parade of AL aces had retired 18 straight hitters, and the first seven of those NL hitters were .300 plus hitters. First time that’s happened since 1937, by the way.

Perhaps it was because I felt that the managers added one too many of their own players (ala Manuel and Jayson Werth).

Possibly it was because AL starting pitcher Roy Halladay forgot to pack a batting helmet in his suitcase. C’mon Roy. You’re killing me!

I even heavily considered Joe Buck and Tim McCarver as the eminent cause for my minor case of loathing. Especially since McCarver goes off on pointless tangents, plus Buck hasn’t realize he’s comedically inept.

Or could it be what bothered me most was the performance of crowd favorite Albert Pujols.

If I was sitting down the third base line at Busch Stadium, my attitude about this so-called “exhibition” game would probably point another direction. Instead I tuned in to FOX, only to select TiVo and go play NCAA Football 10 around the time Pujols booted a routine ground ball.

Even though Albert did have two great defensive plays later in the game, this was supposed to be his big shining moment.

All the stars were in alignment for the eight time All-Star, who‘s been the most consistent big leaguer since the turn of the century.

Since the 2009 All-Star Game was announced to take place in St. Louis, Pujols had waited for his chance for everyone to be focused on his town and success as a member of one of the most storied franchises in the sport.

The two time NL MVP and 2006 World Champion was eager to put on a show for the home crowd, but in the end, he was over aggressive and showed little of his trademark patience and plate discipline (Pujols has 34 home runs to only 38 strikeouts in 2009).

In the end, “The Machine” had little impact on the game’s outcome, but at least he saved President Obama’s “eephus” pitch from bouncing in the dirt.

So now what’s next?

If the game’s superstars don’t come up big on one of the game’s grandest stages, then how do we improve baseball’s ultimate showcase?

First, I propose Bud Selig admit that making the All-Star Game “count” was his worst resolution to a ratings dilemma. Following his apology, he’ll craft a new rule that awards home-field advantage in the World Series to the team with the best winning percentage of that regular and post-season combined.

And because Selig wants this game to matter, why should the Nationals, Royals, Pirates and other perennial losers all have a token representative?

The All-Star Game remains one of the greatest showings of equality in sports, with all 30 clubs assured of representation through a crazy and cool quilt of fan, player, and managerial input.

Some people might think this aspect needs to change, but I think it’s great for the game and its fans.

It’s wonderful because the fans rarely select players undeserving of the honor, plus the starters always try to put on a good show, considering the fans are the people who gave them the opportunity.

And finally, I realized why I was so disappointed in the game.

The player participants, coaches, fans, or the ballgame itself had nothing to do with the watered-down experience. It’s all because of the power suits upstairs in the front offices that forgot what our national pastime was built upon.

Baseball isn’t about money, endorsements, exposure, or even winning.

It’s about fun.

Fun is witnessing John Kruk’s heart skip a few beats when Randy Johnson zooms a fastball over his head.

Fun is seeing Tommy Lasorda coach third base while attempting to dodge broken bats.

Fun is watching the game’s greatest players in a different light than usual: when they are with their families and friends, and not consumed with the dog days left ahead of them.

Turn the All-Star Game from dud to stud again by making it what it really is. A day of enjoyment and memories for all parties involved.

But until Selig returns to the owner‘s box, don’t count on it.

Top 10 Baseball Nicknames of the '90s

Benjamin Turner — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:29:11 -0400

Our national pastime has had bundles of great players with one-of-a-kind nicknames. Now it's just too hard to have a "Top 10 List" of all-time greatest baseball pseudos, especially when there isn't a clear cut favorite on a list that includes "Iron Horse, Sultan of Swat, Say Hey Kid, Shoeless, Splendid Splinter, Mr. October and Charlie Hustle." So I've decided to have some fun with the best alter-egos of the final decade of the century. That's right, the 1990s baby! The 90s was a decade that showcased some of the most awe-inspiring moments in my baseball memory banks, even if I was only born in 1987. Kirby Puckett, Joe Carter, "Slammin" Sammy Sosa and "Ironman" Cal Ripken Jr. all made the 90s memorable for myself and millions of other people, but none of them could crack the countdown for best nicknames. To be eligible for this list, all players had to have played for at least half of the decade. Hence, "The Ryan Express" didn't brand his name onto the list, though if he didn't pound Robin Ventura to a pulp back in '93, Nolan Ryan would definitely be a contender for the top spot. Oh well, I think Ryan has enough career accolades so this won't bum him out too much. But in the spirit of Texas and fastballs, my list begins with another Houston-area native and flamethrower. Can you guess who? Enjoy.

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Forget Protecting Lebron, Shaq's Still One of the NBA's Best Centers

Benjamin Turner — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:02:13 -0400

Great centers along with first-rate nicknames are on the way out once Shaquille O'Neal calls it a career. The Dream, Admiral, Patrick Chewing (just kidding), and Big Diesel are superstar players with Hall-of-Fame pseudos, but with The Big Witness retiring, the torch will be passed to a new breed of big man.

Orlando Magic Superman Dwight Howard is leading the evolutionary change for the center position.

Howard, the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year, is the most physically-freakish center to come into the league since Shaq. At the tender age of 23, he has already been a two-time All-NBA First Team player, Slam Dunk champion, and Olympic gold medalist. Last season Howard led all centers in rebounds (13.8), blocks (2.9), and double-doubles (63).

It's crazy to think that he hasn't even approached his full potential. Once Howard develops a low-post game and starts making his free-throws with more consistency, he could ascend to the level of Olajuwon, Robinson, Ewing, and O'Neal. Although these more recent greats fall a step short of the classics like Russell, Chamberlain, and Abdul-Jabbar.

In 2009, Howard was second in the league in points per game (20.6) and minutes per game (35.7), second only to Minnesota's budding star center Al Jefferson.

Big Al has the potential to be a special player in the Twin Cities for years to come, but after leading NBA centers in minutes (37) and points per game (23.1), he needs a more creative nickname to go with his game.

Also, as the franchise player, Jefferson must remain healthy for the T'Wolves to develop their young, promising talent. Even after suffering a season-ending injury and playing in only 50 games, he still recorded a third straight season with double-digit total averages in points and rebounds.

Barring too many trips to the trainer, Howard and Jefferson are the two best centers when it comes to displaying a combination of consistency and pure athletic ability.

The NBA's second tier of centers isn't as clear cut.

Possible choices include Yao Ming, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, and Shaq.

Last season, Yao was considered one of the most consistent big men in the league. Over his seven year career, he has averaged 19 points and nine rebounds while shooting 83 percent from the foul line. Although, because of his ailing feet, Yao could possibly miss the entire season, so at this moment, his career possibly hangs in the balance.

Okafor heads a rising Charlotte Bobcats franchise as well as being one of the most underrated post players in basketball. Once the second overall selection in 2004 NBA Draft (Howard went first overall), Okafor played in all 82 regular season games last year, while trailing only Howard in double-doubles (39).

After recording double-digit points (10.6) and rebounds (10.1) over the past three seasons, Biedrins has improved by leaps and bounds since entering the league as a 18-year-old project in 2004.

The Latvian has continued to improve his stat line every year, and I predict in February, he'll be playing at Cowboy Stadium for the Western Conference All-Stars.

So that just leaves Shaq, right?

For those that feel Shaq is no longer dominant and can't play a leading role on a championship team, think again.

Even though he has a bright future in the broadcasting business, Shaq is still a star on the hardwood.

The Big Aristotle appeared in 75 games for the Suns last season, which is a figure he hadn't reached since the 1999-2000 campaign with the champion Lakers.

It seems Shaq Fu found his fountain of youth in Phoenix. He had a great bounce-back season that included his 15th All-Star appearance.

Excluding power forward/center types like Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Kevin Garnett, Shaquille has more showings at the All-Star Game than Howard, Yao, Okafor, Jefferson, Mehmet Okur, Marcus Camby, Nene, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas combined.

In 2009, Wilt Chamberneezy recorded a career-best in field goal percentage (60.9%), which led all NBA centers. Plus, he was third in field goals attempted (841) and made (512) behind only Howard and Yao.

The Big Cactus also bagged more double-doubles (30) than Ilgauskas, Chris Kaman, and Erick Dampier combined. His season total ranked fourth among centers with only Howard, Okafor, and Yao putting up better numbers.

On top of that, Shaqovic did his best to combat the infamous "Hack-a-Shaq" rule. From the charity stripe, O'Neal's season percentage (59.2%) was the second-best of his career, trailing only his 2002-2003 season average (62%). That number is seven points higher than his career average.

Lastly, The Big Daddy was fourth among centers in points per game (17.8), behind only Jefferson, Howard, and Yao.

Shaq has all the nicknames in the world to go along with Hall-of-Fame accolades, which include seven First Team selections, four NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, three All-Star Game MVPs, two scoring titles, 2000 NBA MVP, and the 1992-1993 Rookie of the Year award.

Shaq has been one of the game's biggest stars for almost two decades now. But in recent years, he's been surpassed by Dwight Howard and Yao Ming as the league's most dominate big man, with Al Jefferson blooming into a superstar.

With Yao's health a major question mark in Houston, he won't be as effective even if he decides to suit up this season. Since Yao will probably be on the injured reserve list, he's been disqualified for the sake of this argument.

Come the 2009-2010 season, in my mind, that puts Shaq in the discussion as a top three center in the association.

Howard clearly claims the No. 1 spot, followed by Jefferson, who reigns supreme among the trees in the Western Conference. After that, O'Neal is the best choice because he'll be playing for a powerhouse Cavaliers team.

Okafor, Biedrins, and Nene are great options as well, but Shaq will be in the media spotlight game-after-game as the King's bodyguard. With so much face time, O'Neal will look to entertain on national television, while proving to the country he still has the ability to perform great on the biggest stages.

In the end, O'Neal is a nice, fun piece to the championship puzzle but he isn't the deciding factor. After missing out on Rasheed Wallace and Ron Artest, Cleveland still needs a shooting guard or a post player that can step out a sink a jumper.

There's still plenty of time for Cleveland to make another move (Anthony Parker isn't enough though), and there's still time for Shaq to add more accolades to his ever-growing legacy.

Thanks ESPN For Moving To LA, But Where's The West Coast Love?

Benjamin Turner — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:46:42 -0400

The sports media industry, mainly ESPN, needs to realize that they're at fault for instigating a modern-day American Civil War: the blatant bias between the east and west coasts.

Every year, millions of people tune in to watch their favorite rivalries, whether it's the West vs. East, LA vs. NYC, Red Sox vs. Yankees, Lakers vs. Celtics, USC vs. UCLA, Duke vs. North Carolina.

Heck, even Tupac vs. Biggie back in the day.

But why is it that an average-at-best New York Yankees loss is front page news, while Kobe dropping 50 points and carrying the Lakers to a division title can be found on page four?

Tupac, I'm a huge fan of your work, but I'm going to respectfully disagree, because it's no longer raining "California Love."

I'm a NorCal kid, so it's not suprising that I feel slighted by the media (ESPN) because of their insufficent coverage of West Coast (excluding Manny's minor league stint, which isn't news anyways) compared to the overbearing, 24/7 soap opera that engulfs east coast teams and their fans.

Obviously, New York City is "Mecca" when it comes to media coverage. Plus it's scary how passionate east coast fans are about their teams—even though they'll panic and drop their favorite teams like a Manny Ramirez fly ball on the first sign of trouble.

I mean, New York's the center of the world for god's sake, but why should that translate to more hype, preferential treatment, sponsorships, and lucrative contracts.

I guarantee CC Sabathia would be a million times better if he signed with a team in his native California, instead he settled for the dollar signs, the Evil Empire and a likely third place finish in the American League East.

But I'm a firm believer that we can't know where we're going, til we know where we've been. And the media is fueled by the historic sports pasts of cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

Records show that New York (51) and Boston (31) are ranked one and two, respectively, for U.S. cities with the most professional sports titles. Although, in reality, it's an illusion because the left coast never had a major sports franchise till the Los Angeles Rams in 1946, and baseball, the national pastime, didn't have a west coast team till the economic boom of the 50s.

At the beginning of the 1950s, the Yankees had already won 12 World Series.

Unfortunately, Bill Buckner is another example of an eastern bias because media giants are fascinated by a slow ground ball that trickled through his quivering, unreliable legs. Though his error did lose the Red Sox the game, it didn't cost them the series. What cost them the series was the hangover effect that they succumbed to in Game Seven, and they got beat down on by-who else-the New York Mets.

Why isn't that remembered as team collapse instead of an individual flounder.

Plus, it only took two World Championships for the Fenway faithful to forgive someone who should have never been at first base that late in the game to start with. More blame and media coverage needs to be placed on John McNamara, who had one great season with the Sox then became the Dennis Erickson or Doug Collins of Major League Baseball.

Buckner's blunder happened in 1986, a year in the middle of the decade that witnessed Joe Montana win four Super Bowls for the San Francisco 49ers, plus Kirk Gibson's one-legged homerun off Oakland's All-Century closer Dennis Eckersley to win Game One of the '88 Fall Classic.

These are great sports moments that have always gotten buried underneath the painful and devastating ones that have always anchored the main headlines.

Ultimately, I understand that the media will always be east coast orientated. Simply put, all sporting events are televised with the eastern demographic in mind, because people in Danbury, Conn. don't want to stay awake til 1 a.m. to see a classic conference finals between the Kings and Lakers in 2002.

(I know that happened seven years ago, but if you didn't watch it then you missed everything that's wrong with the NBA. Whether it be conspiracies, bad officiating or Robert Horry and his unmatched mix of luck and skill.)

Face it, time zones will forever be the finishing blow in the bout, although the West will never surrender this Civil War.