Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Schmidbauer

Alex Rodriguez: The Elephant In the Room

Chris Schmidbauer — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:57:53 -0500

Tuesday afternoon was just another day in the lives of many, but it was not just another day in the saga of Alex Rodriguez. The tainted slugger took questions from the media for the first time since he admitted to using steroids a little over a week ago. A-Rod addressed the situation as best he could, and yet the interview has left many still asking questions.

It is no secret going into the interview that Rodriguez would not be an open book. He was not much of one during last week's softball interview with Peter Gammons. His explanation was that he and a cousin from the Dominican Republic tried a substance, that was supposed to boost one's energy level.

Rodriguez and the cousin, who Rodriguez refused to identify, injected the substance roughly twice per month over the next three years. He stated that he was not even sure that the substance benefited him in any way or that he even injected the substance right.

But the explanation that A-Rod gave, led to only more and more questions.

Why would a self professed "health nut" put something in his body that he did not even know the benefits of injecting?

Why would a guy who thought he was not doing anything wrong, be so secretive about the whole process?

Why would a guy with such natural talent, who had a guaranteed 25 million dollars every year, take something to gain a competitive edge?

Rodriguez used the excuse that he was young and stupid. But it begs the question if that is all that it boils down to. I have no malice towards A-Rod, and I have neither loathed him nor loved him. But after watching both interviews, the reason is pretty evident to me.

Rodriguez can try and play the PR game that athletes like to play, but the problem is a situation that goes far back to the beginning of doping in baseball. Rodriguez, coming off of a $250 million contract signing, was afraid that not only would he be at a competitive disadvantage, but also that he would not be the best in the game.

As silly as that sounds to us, reports into his psyche within the clubhouse show a physically strong but mentally frail player, who needs baseball just as much as baseball needs him.

He was the consummate professional athlete who has nothing without his sport of choice. Many were not surprised the guy was doping, but it still begs the overall question into the problems with this situation and ones similar to it.

A telling answer from the interview was not where, why, and how he used steroids. The more telling answer was a little glimpse into our society. Rodriguez, when asked some of the aforementioned questions, responded with the typical answers but gave some insight into the young and stupid question.

The man under fire wished he would have gone to college.

How sad that the man who has everything, does not have a college education. It was apparent through out the whole interview Tuesday, that A-Rod may someday be in the Hall of Fame and hold the home run crown, but the one thing he will not have is anything else to fall back on, namely a college degree.

The neck injury, with Texas in the spring of 2003 that scared Rodriguez about his future, is a telling sign into the situation within today's athletic world. His fear, one felt by many everyday, has been a demon in the minds of the larger than life athletes. He was afraid of obscurity.

So he did what he did and took what he took. Now we are here today.

The sad truth is A-Rod is not the exception, he is the norm all over the professional sports landscape today. A system so apt on looking for the next superstar, sometimes creates the monsters like Jason Giambi, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez.

Guys who fear nothing more than being considered obsolete, broken down, or finished. They are so fearful, they turn to one of the cardinal sins of the game, doping with performance enhancing drugs.

I am not excusing what he has or the others have done. But maybe the game is just as responsible for these downfalls from grace. This is the game that takes Latino kids at the ages of 14, 15, or 16. This is the game that throws these kids into the limelight at a young age. This is the game that robs them of those valuable life lessons out of the spotlight, instead of learning those lessons in it. Maybe steroids are not just the problem here, but maybe the game has its place too.

Is The Juice Starting To Sour at Illinois?

Chris Schmidbauer — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:30:23 -0500

It probably will not send shock waves through the college football world, but an interesting moment occurred in Saturday's Ohio State-Illinois game. Down only 17 points with 11:55 left in the fourth quarter, Eddie McGee was given the reigns of the Illini offense instead of Isiah "Juice" Williams.

To the casual eye it may not seem like that big of a deal, but to those in Champaign, it appears the love is starting to dissipate for the junior quarterback. All fans of college football remember the magical season Juice led the Illini through last season culminating in an upset win over Ohio State in Columbus and a Rose Bowl berth.

While Illinois had lost a few defensive leaders, it was largely thought that the Illini would be in the upper echelon of the Big Ten in 2008. But after a blow out win against Indiana, the once potent offense has sputtered, mainly because of its star junior at quarterback.

Over his last four games consider this stat line: five TD passes and eight interceptions. Suddenly, the big play star now is struggling to make the big plays. While one can not blame Juice for all of the Illinois troubles, it seems that maybe the player fondly known as Juice is staring to spoil in the minds of Illinois coaches and fans.

The stats are not terrible for Juice this season. He has well then surpassed his career highs in passing yards by more than 1,000 yards. But he has crumbled to an extent down the stretch when Illinois needed his abilities the most.

His three interceptions at Wisconsin, two of which were in Badger territory, cost the Illini a win in what should have been a win against a overrated Badger team.

Even worse were Juice's two interceptions on consecutive possession which helped spur the Western Michigan Broncos onto an upset victory.

Then today, Juice's erratic play squashed a few drives, and a costly fumble inside the Illinois twenty yard line setup Ohio State's first score. The quarterback did not see the field most of the fourth quarter, when coach Ron Zook pulled Williams in favor of Eddie McGee. Williams only saw the field again when McGee was injured.

To Juice's credit he did lead a scoring drive after he came back in, but it came after the game was all but decided. Williams pumped his fist after the score, but many, including this Buckeye fan, wondered where was this play earlier in the game.

ESPN commentator, Andre Ware, made a telling comment late during the analysis of the game. Ware wondered if Juice was still the man under center next weekend.

The Illini need a victory next weekend at Northwestern for Illinois to even be bowl eligible. If they lose, Illinois will become the first team since Michigan in 1965 to go to a Rose Bowl and have a losing season the following year. To think that Williams may not be the best option at quarterback right now is a huge setback for Illinois and Ron Zook.

Ron Zook has defended his team by saying that they were ahead of schedule last season, and that they really won some games that could have just as easily have been a loss.

Whether you disagree with him or not about that statement, one has to realize that this much of a regression is inexcusable. If the Illini are going to finish this 2008 season strong and right the ship for next year, Zook needs No. 7 to play under center like he has shown he has been capable of in the past. Without Juice, Illinois lacks that spark on offense. And with a defense that is struggling, it is more than likely that Illinois will need to outscore the Wildcats next weekend.

Standing at 5-6 with one game to go in the season is where Illinois finds itself. What a difference a year makes. But the Juice may be starting to go sour in Champaign.

Michigan-Toledo: More Growing Pains for the Wolverines

Chris Schmidbauer — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:15:29 -0400

If there was anything to take away from Michigan's loss to Toledo on Saturday, it would be that it cannot get much worse.

The Toledo Rockets pulled off an upset of sorts when it went into the "Big House" and outplayed Michigan. And don't let the final score fool you, fans. While the Wolverines only lost by three, it was not nearly as close as the score indicated.

If anyone thinks that all of us Buckeye fans are taking pleasure in what has occurred in Ann Arbor, you would be wrong. That is at least one Ohio State fan who is not reveling in the Wolverines' latest debacle.

As an outsider, I am even a bit bewildered by what has taken place with that team up north. To say that it is surprise would be an understatement. Anyone who saw the game a few weeks back against Wisconsin realized that there is some talent at Michigan.

Regardless of how bad Wisconsin QB, Allen Evridge, has played, Michigan made a statement. But after getting bested off their home field in consecutive weekends, it leaves one Buckeye fan left scratching his head.

Why does Rich Rodriguez insist on making Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan continue to run his spread offense?

Lloyd Carr never ran the spread or anything close to it. But the only thing that has become evident at Michigan is that no matter how ineffective the Wolverine offense looks, Rodriguez is not going to change his game plan.

Watching the offensive performance on Saturday afternoon, was like watching a high school team. It's not even just Michigan's lack of offensive attack, but the fact that a team like Toledo could shut them down, makes me sit and wonder.

I understand Rodriguez runs the spread option, and that is what he was successful with in West Virginia. But when a coach clearly does not have the athletes to run that system, it kind of makes you think.

I am not saying the Wolverines should abandon the spread completely, but I have always been taught a good coach tailors his game plan to the athletes he has.

I have been able to watch Coach Jim Tressel closely since he started his career in 2001, and he always tries to construct game plans with the type of athletic talent he has. Ohio State has had quarterbacks of different skill sets play since Tressel began with the Buckeyes.

Bellisari, Krenzel, Troy Smith, Boeckman, and now Pryor all have been different athletes who all run different offensive sets. But you rarely saw Craig Krenzel run the option, and you have rarely seen the Buckeyes in the "power I" since Pryor has been named the starter.

Do I think Michigan will be back? Sure, but how long it will take is another story. Rodriguez has tried to find the right combination, but it is clear never of his QB's can run that style of offense.

Even more perplexing is with a lack of experience on this year's squad, why toy with their collective confidence, which is very fragile? Threet and Sheridan are not Pat White. McGuffie and Grady are not Steve Slaton or Noel Devine.

Why would it be hard to line them up in the I formation and hand the ball off? Why can't Michigan come out and let Threet or Sheridan drop back to pass without seven option reads?

I'm amazed Michigan fans are putting up with the lack of adjustments that Rodriguez and company have not made.

After hitting rock bottom Saturday afternoon, it can't get much worse in Ann Arbor. But maybe Rodriguez will swallow his pride this week, and make some adjustments so his team can be competitive.

If he does not. how far will the Wolverines drop? Here's one Buckeye fan, who hopes it is not too much further.

The Epidemic in College Football

Chris Schmidbauer — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:00:10 -0400

It's an epidemic that's been sweeping through college football this season. It has fan bases divided. It makes me ill every time it happens.

Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum-Da-Dum-Dum

Ugh it still makes me sick to my stomach as it plays in my head. Yes, if you have figured it out, it the abuse of the White Stripes' song "Seven Nation Army." You might be one of the lucky ones whose favorite college football teams hasn't become obsessed with the song.

A few weeks ago when the Ohio State Buckeyes faced off against the Youngstown St. Penguins, I was exposed to the infamous bass guitar riff that is an intro to the song before the first Buckeye kick off. I thought, "Hmm...cute." But as the Buckeyes racked up their 45 points, the Stripes blared through out the Shoe at a ridiculous rate.

So imagine my disdain yesterday evening, as I am watching Penn St take on Illinois, and after the initial Nittany Lion first down, the white out starts into a chant mimicking the bass riff from "Seven Nation Army," accompanied by the Nittany Lion Marching Band. But it wasn't after just one first down, but it was after every PSU first down.

It appears as though this is the song for the season. I watched most of the game on mute. I finally had found something during a college football game more annoying than Brent Musberger's inane chatter. It appeared as though Fight On State had been replaced.

I am all for the diversification on music in the stadium, but when you over play a song, it's enough. In 2005, we were beat about the ears by "Zombie Nation." You mean to tell me there isn't just as catchy of a tune lying around in the press box to play before a kick off at Ohio State. Hey, Nittany Lion Marching Band, learn a new song for after first downs. I know the kids like their hip rock music, but it was a white out last night, not a White Stripes Out.

There are some songs that are traditional things after first downs that are annoying, but I can at least respect it as part of the tradition of that team. The Seminoles have their Indian cheer. USC has their little jingle after a first down. But there's no tradition with the White Stripes.

The sad thing is at every college football stadium is starting to fall victim to it. It seemed like the guy who worked the music at Ohio State knew very little about good music. But stand up America. Take back your stadium sound systems. Take back your marching band. Only you can prevent song abuse.

Pete Carroll Is Just a Bit Overrated

Chris Schmidbauer — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:47:33 -0400

Jim Tressel is probably the most marked man in college football these days. Invoke his name in any college football discussion, and you might be laughed right out of the room.

Most fans will point to Tressel's recent record in big games. It's obvious Ohio State could not quite live up to the hype. But since the 35-3 drubbing at the hands of USC, many on this site and in the college football world have called into question Tressel's coaching ability.

The upset in Corvallis is a little over and hour old, and once again USC, the already crowned national champions, have been upset to all but end the talks of a BCS title. The unstoppable USC offense failed to move the ball and score when it counted. The vaunted USC defense could not stop the Beavers and Jacquizz Rodgers, who time and time again ran over, through, and around the middle of the Trojan defense. Pete Carroll's squad lost to another team it was expected to crush.

It seems that there is a pattern emerging in Southern California, much like the one the college football world likes to point out in Columbus. Except while the Buckeyes are criticized for not winning the big games, maybe Pete Carroll should be called out on his record in over looking the little guy.

Since 2005, when the Trojans lost its bid for their third straight national title, Carroll's contenders have looked more like pretenders when it comes to over looking the under dog.

Let's look at the past three seasons. In 2005, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush could not stop Vince Young and Texas, 41-38. In 2006, the Trojans were upset by Oregon St. 33-31 and lost to UCLA 13-9, with a trip to a national title on the line. Last season, the men of Troy lost to Stanford 24-23 at the Coliseum, and they took one on the chin against the Oregon Ducks 24-17. Then of course was tonight's loss again to the Beavers.

But it wasn't just the loss to Oregon State tonight. It was the Trojans very poor play on both sides of the ball. Already mentioned above was the defense's inability to stop Jacquizz Rodgers. But what about that Beaver defense? Joe McKnight ran for ten yards. Sanchez may have thrown three touchdown passes, but his costly interception and poor passing when the Trojans needed him the most, sealed USC's fate.

If the case can be made against Tressel, then one can make this case against Carroll. Both play in what many consider easy conferences. Both have had national title contenders in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Both have not gotten the job done.

Everyone was quick to pile on Jim Tressel two weeks ago, especially those from SoCal. Maybe there is a little sour grapes involved here, but is Pete Carroll in the same boat as Tressel?

To deny this trend, is no different than us Buckeye fans denying Jim Tressel has not looked good in the big games. Each team can probably make up a litany of excuses, but at the end of the day neither team got it done. Trojan fans will point out that they beat Ohio State and beat them soundly. I am not contending that fact. But maybe Pete Carroll's achille's heel is the David's of the Pac 10. In Tressel's defense, he has rarely been upset by the teams the Buckeyes were supposed to crush. But that seems to be the theme among the most recent Trojan teams.

Neither team is definitively out of the BCS picture, but once again people have been quick to point out the flaws of Coach Tressel and his Buckeyes. But it's plausible to consider that things aren't so bright in Los Angeles either.

It's Fitting Chris Osgood Brings Cup Back to Hockeytown

Chris Schmidbauer — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:02:24 -0400

How do you spell redemption? In Detroit, it's O-S-G-O-O-D.

On Wednesday night, the story came full circle. Chris Osgood, against improbable odds, is back on top again after leading the Red Wings to a 3-2 victory over the Penguins in a clinching Game Six of 2008 Stanley Cup. And it happened with the team where he started it all 10 years ago.

Osgood, who led the NHL in wins in the 1995-96 season, again started most of the games in '96-97, but Mike Vernon took over virtually all of the goaltending duties by the playoffs. The results? Detroit winning its first Stanley Cup in 55 years behind an MVP performance by Vernon.

Nonetheless, Detroit GM Ken Holland made a bold move to give the up-and-coming goalie another shot at the limelight. It's not often that a team trades away the Conn Smythe Trophy winner from the previous season, but that is exactly what Holland did by dealing Vernon to San Jose. The job was finally Osgood's.

The results were better than anyone could've imagined. The kid known as "Ozzie" led the Red Wings to back-to-back Stanley Cups. For four seasons, Osgood was the man between the pipes for the Red Wings. During those seasons, Osgood posted a record of 122-78-27 with a 2.43 GAA.

But, after the 2000-01 season, Detroit recognized the writing on the wall. After failing to meet expectations in the playoffs the previous three seasons, the Wings felt they had gone as far as they could with Chris Osgood in net.

The Wings acquired Dominik Hasek and let Osgood go, leaving him to be claimed in the waiver draft by the New York Islanders. He never quite found a home with the Islanders, and he was sent to the St. Louis Blues in a trade during the 2002-03 season. He was immediately named the team's starting goalie. But, unfortunately, Ozzie couldn't lead the Blues past the Western Conference quarterfinals.

The Blues did not renew Osgood's contract before the 2004-05 NHL Lockout. When play resumed the next season, he was signed again by Detroit, as insurance for Manny Legace.

Since his return to the Red Wings, Osgood has been through a variety of injuries. He had a groin tear to start the 2005-06 season, which limited his playing time to just 32 games. When the 2006-07 season rolled around, Osgood was set to split the goal-tending duties with Hasek, to whom Osgood lost his job before the 2001-02 season. He fractured his hand during a practice and he only played in 21 games.

The same duo was supposed to share the net again this season, but after Hasek's slow start and injuries, Osgood assumed the spot of No. 1 goalie. Osgood put up superior numbers. He posted a record of 27-9-4 in 43 games, leading the NHL in GAA (2.09). But when Hasek returned, Ozzie saw himself relegated back to splitting time in goal.

When Hasek struggled in the Red Wings' first-round playoff series against Nashville, Osgood got the nod from Detroit head coach Mike Babcock. Just like he had done all season, he responded. Osgood won his first nine playoff games in a row. He was instrumental in the Wings' ease into the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

During the Finals, Detroit got more of the same performance from the prodigal son. Osgood shut out the powerful Penguins offense in the first two games of the season, stopping 41 shots in both contests. After in early goal in Game Four, Osgood shut down Pittsburgh to give the Red Wings a dominant, 3-1 series lead. Osgood's crucial save of Marian Hossa's rebound shot in the closing seconds on Wednesday sealed the Wings fourth Cup in 11 years.

Osgood, who may have had his best season yet this year, never gave up hope. When asked what drove him this postseason, Osgood told NBC, "I'm doing it for the guys who haven't won one yet. I know what it feels like to be on top of the mountain, and I want those guys to know how it is."

The story speaks for itself. Osgood, the consummate underdog, has done what Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph, and Manny Legace couldn't since 2002: He delivered another piece of hardware to the Red Wings trophy case.

Lord Stanley's Cup is back in Hockeytown for another year, and the kid from Alberta, who wasn't good enough seven years ago, is the one who brought it home. Hollywood couldn't have scripted a better ending.

Cleveland Indians: Sorry Derek Shelton, it's Time for Someone Else

Chris Schmidbauer — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:33:58 -0400

The Indians' front office has to do something. That is clear at this point. It can't keep going this way. The Indians offense isn't getting any better.

Monday night's 4-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox may be just one game out of 162, but it speaks to what has happened this whole season. Cleveland is not hitting. But the real problem is that there is no improvement.

The Tribe's season is officially 45 games old. Outside of a game here and there, the team has been atrocious at the plate. As of this evening, here are the Indians' hitting statistics, as a team, compared to the other 29 teams in baseball:

30th in batting average at .234

22nd in runs with 183

30th in hits with 344

19th in home runs with 36

30th in total bases with 527

22nd in runs batted in with 179

23rd in on-base percentage at .317

27th in slugging percentage at .366

When Jason Michaels was released in favor of Ben Francisco, the Indians' brass finally admitted that the team was in an offensive slump. At the ensuing press conference, Cleveland Indians GM Mark Shapiro admitted that the key to offensive success lies within. Since that time, the Indians are averaging only 3.7 runs and seven hits a game. That is not going to get the job done.

The Indians have been lucky to this point. They havebeen able to stay in contention despite their hitting woes, because of their outstanding starting rotation. Given Cleveland's starting pitching, the Indians should be in first place by several games.

But as the starters start to come back down to earth, the Tribe front office needs to make another change. It's time for Derek Shelton, the Indians hitting coach, to get his walking papers.

Rewind to 2005. The Indians were struggling at the plate. Eddie Murray was ousted after such a drought by the Indians lineup. Yet, for some strange reason, in similar circumstances, the team continues to stick with Shelton.

Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for what Shelton has done, but we are not just talking about one or two hitters. We are talking about seven of the Cleveland Indians' regular starters. Victor Martinez and Francisco are the only two Indians hitting above .300. The team has only four hitters hitting above .240. The statistics speak for themselves.

It's not just this season either. In 2006, we saw a dramatic drop off from Jhonny Peralta. Again, Shelton never got Peralta turned around. Last season, the Indians had only one hitter who batted over .300 for the whole season.

Most importantly, Shelton cannot get the most important hitter, Travis Hafner, straightened out. Since last May, Hafner has been in a slump that is progressively getting worse.

Since putting up career numbers in 2006, Hafner has been anything but spectacular. Most Indians fans know that if the Indians are to have a chance at a World Series title, Hafner is going to need to be hitting like his old self. But in a year, Hafner has just gotten worse.

It’s understandable that teams go through hard times at the plate. But this is becoming more of a trend then an isolated incident. This lineup, on paper, should be one of the most feared lineups in the game. But that is not the case. And let’s not forget the slump this lineup was in through most of May and June last season.

So what is the answer? Michaels was the scapegoat. Michaels went to Pittsburgh and hit .294 over his first nine games. That leads me to believe it's not the hitters, but the hitting coach. This slump has continued, and it’s time to find a new hitting coach.

Firing Shelton is the only way to change some things around. There is no way this team will win the division the way they are hitting now. Maybe this team needs a fresh set of eyes to diagnose the troubles of the Tribe bats.

MLB: Has Interleague Play Lost Its Appeal?

Chris Schmidbauer — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:16:38 -0400

In 1997, the brain trust at Major League Baseball came up with an idea that seemed like a home run—pun intended.

The main goal was to boost interest in baseball, which was still reeling from the 1994 player's strike. With dipping attendance and viewership on television, the suits at the MLB thought that Interleague games may be a sure fire way to bring the fans back to the game.

For the most part it worked, and Interleague Play has become a staple of the regular season in baseball. The original format had teams from rival divisions playing each other. An example of this was the National League Central teams playing against American League Central teams. This was standard until the 2002 season, when the MLB started alternating which divisions played each other.

The schedule makers have tried to generate some in-state rivalries between some American League and National League teams.

There's the "Subway Series," which takes place between the Mets and Yankees.

There is also the "Battle of Ohio," which pits the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians.

But outside of these rivalries, is there a point anymore?

I am an Indians fan, and outside of the Reds series, there isn't really an interesting match up out of the whole bunch of Interleague games.

Cleveland plays Los Angeles, Colorado, San Diego, and San Francisco. None of these series really seem to jump out at me as a fan. Maybe the Dodgers series will be all right, for the simple fact that the Indians are traveling to historic, Dodger Stadium at Chavez Ravine.

The rest of the scheduled games are duds to me.

I am not a baseball purist, but hasn't Interleague Play been overdone? What is the appeal? It did break up the monotony of the grind of the regular season, but now it has become monotonous itself.

Even the in-state rivalries have become unfair.

Is it fair that the Cubs and White Sox beat up on each other for six games, while the Cardinals get to match up with the Royals for six games?

I don't think so.

When division races and Wild Card races are decided by close margins, why is it fair for the competition for teams in the same division to be so skewed?

It also takes away the interest in the World Series. Some of the teams have already matched up against each other in the regular season prior to the World Series.

What about the All Star Game? Rewind to the 1997 All Star Game held at Jacobs Field, now Progressive Field, in Cleveland.

I remember the anticipation that evening of seeing Larry Walker and Randy Johnson face off during Walker's at-bat. It might have been one of the biggest story lines of the game. Had Walker and Johnson already played against each other, there wouldn't have been any interest.

I am not against Interleague Play. I do enjoy some of the match ups from time to time. The problem is that it is being overdone.

Does baseball need two weeks of Interleague Play? Perhaps shorten the amount of games played. Instead of six sets of three-game series against the opposing league, maybe MLB could schedule three series. Instead of doing it every year, maybe do Interleague Play every other year.

Selig and company need to look at the decreasing interest.

What may have been a great idea in 1997 may no longer be the best today. I remember the interest in Interleague Play that first year. It was off the charts. Now it has become common place, and that's a crying shame.

Cleveland Indians: Just Give Kobayashi The Ball

Chris Schmidbauer — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:05:56 -0400

Since Ichiro Suzuki's appearance on the major league scene in 2001, a handful of players have crossed the Pacific to play baseball in the United States. Most of the time, these player's Japanese clubs demanded a large sum of cash to even negotiate with their players.

But since dipping into the talent pool in the Far East has become common place, the Indians may have found a diamond in the rough.

On November 20, 2007, an average sports fan might not have even noticed that the Cleveland Indians even made a move. But that was when the Indians finalized a deal with a little known reliever named Masahide Kobayashi.

Most Tribe fans saw the last name and thought the Indians signed the best competitive eater in the history of competitive eating. But what Indians fans didn't know was this deal might have been the steal of the off season.

Going into spring training, no one quite knew what Kobayashi was capable of. Kobayshi had an impressive track record in the Japanese league. Kobayashi was a nine year veteran, who had tallied 227 saves and garnered a 2.79 ERA over his career. But this was the Major Leagues.

His first spring appearance didn't get off to a great start. Kobayashi gave up two base hits and had a runner safe on a fielder's choice, to load the bases. But he responded by getting two routine fly balls and a strike out for the third out. Since then, he has been lights out.

Take a look at his stats and they will tell you the story. In 19.1 innings this season, Kobayashi has only given up four earned runs, has thirteen strike out, and has gotten two wins and two saves. He has a 1.86 ERA, which is lowest in the bullpen.

But take away the statistics, and Kobayashi has been able to do what Joe Borowski and Rafael Betancourt have not. He has had a short memory. Most of the runs he has given up have been off of solo home runs. But Kobayashi has turned around and finished his innings strong. He has that mind set that club's covet in their closers.

His best appearance by far was on Thursday afternoon's game against Oakland. He came into a bases loaded jam with one out, courtesy of Rafael Betancourt. After a run scoring wild pitch, he struck out Mike Sweeney and Ryan Sweeney to end the game and get his second save.

So if I can give Eric Wedge a piece of advice, just give Kobayashi the ball in the ninth. Stop denying what we all know. He may not have drawn the same circus that Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki, and Daiske Matsuzaka did. But this guy nobody really knew about is for real.

NFL: What Is Roger Goodell Afraid Of?

Chris Schmidbauer — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:58:32 -0400

By now, I'm sure most of the sports world is tired of hearing about it. It has been the hot topic of the NFL off season, and it is the story that just won't die.

Yes, bear with me, but I would like to talk about Spygate.

On Tuesday morning, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with former New England video assistant Matt Walsh to review tapes Walsh had in his possession.

The tapes supposedly showed no new evidence, and unless Senator Arlen Specter get his wish, Spygate is essentially dead. Goodell felt that the Walsh tapes showed no new information that the league didn't already know about, thus putting the issue to bed.

There is no one happier about this than Roger Goodell. The league was never able to find the smoking gun, that rumored tape of the Rams' Super Bowl walk-through from 2001.

But let's be honest here. The league didn't want to find it.

I know that the Boston Herald apologized for its "false" story about the alleged tape this morning. Understand though, the Boston Herald would not have published its story unless it had a very credible source. The Herald did not fabricate the story from thin air.

However, the tape was not found, so it must not be true—according to the NFL and the Patriots. But it make me wonder, what was on those destroyed tapes that Goodell had in his possession?

The league released Walsh's video to the media for review late Tuesday morning, but what I am wondering is: Why the inconsistency?

Why release Walsh's tapes, but destroy the ones confiscated from the Patriots video library? Goodell has tap danced all around this issue, giving various excuses.

What was on those tapes? Goodell said it was similar to the same kinds of things presented on Walsh's tapes. But again, what was so kosher about the Walsh tapes, as opposed to those seized from the Patriots. There had to be something.

I understand that the NFL has already fined and punished the Patriots. But I am all for Specter's call for an independent investigation.

Goodell didn't want any part of this from the start. He had been reluctant to meet with Walsh until recently. His punishment was weak and amounted to nothing more then a slap on the wrist to Bill Belichick and the franchise.

Taking away the first pick was a joke. The Patriots still ended up with one of the most coveted linebackers in the draft. Where is the deterrence for any other team doing or attempting to do something similar?

I know that the cheating may have been only a minimal advantage, but when you know what play is being called, that helps. Plus, it is still cheating.

Goodell doesn't want to deal with this issue because he knows the Patriots are the NFL's cash cow. He knows that if the Patriots dynasty is tainted, then so is the NFL over the past six seasons. He might have to deal with taking away championships, if he dug deeper. He might have to deal with suspensions and more punishment, if he really investigated this.

At the end of the day, nothing more will probably come of this situation. But the commissioner, who has been tough on player conduct, let one of the biggest violations of league conduct go. What is he afraid of?

Cavaliers-Celtics: Supporting Cast Rescues Cavs, LeBron James in Shooting Slump

Chris Schmidbauer — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:07:31 -0400

Despite what Doc Rivers says, LeBron James is in a shooting slump.

James has not shot above 35 percent in any game yet this series against Boston. But something has happened between leaving TD Bank North Garden in Boston and arriving back at the "Q" for Game Three of the series.

You can call it whatever you want. It could be miraculous, or it could just be karma. But despite LeBron's anemic shooting from the field, the Cavaliers find themselves tied 2-2 with Boston in their playoff series.

Granted, the Celtics have not played well on the road. But the Celtics were in the game last night all the way til the end, only to lose at the end.

Saturday, Delonte West picked up the Cavaliers, tying his best point total of the playoffs with twenty one. But it wasn't just West's heroics either. Three other players scored in double figures for Cleveland in Game Three.

Last night, it was Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson each contributing fourteen points to help Cleveland top Boston for the second time in three days. James was the one whose clutch shots finally put away Boston—but if it weren't for the supporting cast, this game would've been lost in the fourth quarter.

Rewind to the end of the regular season. This Cavaliers team limped to the finish of the regular season. The box score was rather predictable each night. LeBron would score his 30-plus points, while the next highest scorer for the Cavs had nine points. Many wondered what chance this team stood in the playoffs with contributions like that.

Cavs GM Danny Ferry made what many consider the most controversial trade of the season, acquiring West, Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, and Ben Wallace in a deadline deal. But he had to gave up some popular players in Donyell Marshall, Larry Hughes, and Drew Gooden in order to make the deal complete.

Ferry drastically changed his lineup and team chemistry to make a run at the NBA championship. The results have been mixed so far, but these past two playoff games show you a glimpse into what these Cavaliers could do.

Only time will tell if this team can beat Boston. You can blame the Celtics' recent woes on any number of things. Maybe it's the lack of scoring from Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Maybe the Celtics are a bad road team.

But the Cavaliers are doing what many said they couldn't after they were down two games to none in this series.

It's not just the heroics of LeBron James that has them back in the driver's seat. It's because he might have just found his supporting cast over the last seventy-two hours. Only Game Five will tell.