Bleacher Report - Articles by Daniel Smith

In Roy Hibbert, We Trust

Daniel Smith — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:52:05 -0400

Standing at 7'2," Roy Hibbert is big, but can he take Indiana to the big game?

Ever since Rik Smits has retired, the Pacers have lost the big man in the post.

Yeah the Pacers had Jermaine O'Neal, but was he a true center? No.

The Pacers have had, Rash Nestrovic, Dale Davis, Jeff Foster and others playing center at one point or another.

But not a solid center like the franchise needs. Hibbert has potential to hit mid range jumpers, rebound and gives us that force again at center.

Being only 22 years old, I still think hibbert is two years away from showing his true potential.

But this year can be a bust-out year to show the Pacers, and their fans, who he really is.

In 70 games last yea,r he averaged 7.1 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game, including 1.1 blocks per game in only 14 minutes.

With more minutes and uninterrupted game play, he can develop a game flow you can see numbers similar to 14-16 points per game, seven-to-eight rebounds and one-to-two blocks per game.

He can be one dangerous, good, and hardworking player, but we'll have to see though.

Josh Thole Could Be Mets' Next Big Thing

Daniel Smith — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:44:59 -0400

Josh Thole is a New York Mets' catcher for the minor league Binghamton Double-A affiliate, and he could be the next big thing for the New York Mets.

Currently Thole is batting .344 with 94 hits and 36 RBI.

Every year since arriving to single-A ball in Savannah in 2007, Josh has raised his average with this year being his breakout year. This is something the Mets should give a careful look at.

The Mets currently have catcher Omir Santos batting .253 and catcher Brian Schneider batting .208, while both are playing admirable at the catching position both lack plate discipline and balance. The Mets should know this season is over, but it's time to let the youngsters get a crack at this and find out if these guys are trade bait or keepers.

I say let Josh come up if he plays well keep him there and you just discovered your catcher for the future. If he doesn't play well after a month or so send him to Triple-A and see what he can do next year because right now he's tearing it up and the Mets full-time catchers are not. Bring Thole, Niese and Figueroa up and let's see what these youngsters can do.

Kellen Could Arrive This Season

Daniel Smith — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:20:24 -0400

The New York Jets come into this year as the unknowns, a team that went 8-3 then fell apart like an old Chevy.

What we do know is most of the team is returning with a great defensive head coach, a new quarterback and some studs on defense. With the arrival of new QB Mark Sanchez, some Jets fans have forgotten who might really be running show this year.

Yes in 2007, Kellen Clemens had a 52% completion rating, yes he had 5 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. but what we have to remember is the Jets team that was on the field that year. In 2007 Thomas Jones ran for 1,119 rushing yards and 1 touchdown.

But what people forget is that Thomas Jones also had a 3.6 yards per carry average—his lowest of his career with over 200 carries and the lowest since 2001—this does not help a quarterback in Clemens who has not played in the NFL. Clemens looked like a deer in the headlights. Jones looked terrible grinding out every yard with the terrible offensive line and Kellen paid the price.

Not to mention the Jets could not stop my grandma running up the middle with Dewayne "Big Bust" Robertson, patroling the middle, getting manhandled and leading the way to double teams for Ellis because they did not respect this team. That put even more pressure to score on Kellen and let's not forget that ball Justin McCareins dropped in the end zone against the Ravens in his first game that could have put some confidence in the young kid.

With this new look Jets team Clemens gets some help this time around. He comes in with a much improved Jets line, which is one of the best in the league now, a defensive head coach who has put fire back into the Jets unit, a more expierenced Darrell Revis, new additions in Alan Faneca, Damien Woody, Kris Jenkins, Bart Scott, Lito Shepard, Jim Leonhard, Dustin Keller, Shon Greene, Tony Richardson and more.

Clemens has a strong arm, can move around the pocket, and has four years under this system. This is not the same Jets team since Clemens last suited up for the regular season. And this may not be the same Clemens. If he is going to step up and show the Jets who he really is, this is the right team and the right time.

Brady And Testaverde Share Same Fate

Daniel Smith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:28:38 -0400

Tom Brady and Vinny Testaverde have a lot in common.

As we watched Tom Brady hit the ground Sunday against the Chiefs

we might have thought it was an optical illusion or a dream.

For the Patriots it was a horror dream, for the rest of the AFC East it was a blessing.

No one wants to see anyone get hurt but at the same time, this gives everyone in that division a chance to win it.

As Jets fans we know all too well about our star QB going down, and that is Vinny Testaverde.

In 1999 the Jets were poised to go to the Super Bowl coming off a 12-4 season and

making it to the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos. Testaverde threw for 3,256 yards 29 td’s and only seven int’s and put the Jets back in the lime light.

The Jets were no longer just the Jets, they were Vinny and the Jets.

They started off well against the Broncos putting up a 10-0 lead at the half but things just fell apart in the 2^ndhalf with Keith Byars fumbling along with Curtis Martin, and because of the lack of running game Testaverde was forced to throw the ball 52 times for 356 yard and two int’s with no touchdowns.

The Jets lost 23-10 and blew a chance at what I thought was a cake Super Bowl playing against the Falcons that we beat 23-3 earlier in the season.

So with John Elway retiring, the Jets No. 1 challenge to the Super Bowl was gone and they were poised like Tom Brady and the Patriots to win the championship.

And like Brady, Testaverde went down early tearing his Achilles tendon dropping back for a pass and there before our eyes the season was lost; we finished 8-8 winning 7 of our last 9 games because of great play out of ray Lucas. But the Super Bowl dreams were lost.

Just like Tom Brady and the Patriots there time is done as well.

And with an aging defense and a quarterback coming off a terrible injury

this might be the end of the Patriots run. And if anyone thinks the Patriots are still going to play well just look at how the Jets and Bills played this past weekend and tell me they can do it without Brady.

Jets-Dolphins: I Went, I Saw, They Won

Daniel Smith — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:50:25 -0400

As I sat down yesterday in Dolphin Stadium, I was amazed. It was my second football game ever, but my first time was in seats so high up I could touch the bottom of an airplane.

This time I was at the 20-yard line, row two—and it was awesome. Everything was so close. I had a great time.

Brett Favre had a hell of a game. In fact, the Jets played a hell of a game. Let's all remember now.

David Harris played his first game as the go-to-guy in the Jets' linebacker corp. Harris had five tackles.

Bryan Thomas stepped up yesterday in a big way. He had three tackles and two sacks. I hope this is just the beginning for him. He had a great season two years ago, and he needs to return to form.

Some of the Jets' new faces on the defensive side of the ball were the most impressive. Kris Jenkins had two tackles, but he was able to free up Shaun Ellis to get four tackles and one sack. Jenkins looked like a monster.

Rookie cornerback Dwight Lowery added four tackles and one assist, but he also had some key knockdowns that saved touchdowns.

New outside linebacker Calvin Pace looked great, with five tackles and one sack. He can really cause some trouble.

Fullback Tony Richardson led the way for Thomas Jones' 22 carries and 101 yards. Jones' 4.6 yards-per-carry average is the kind of output the Jets had in mind when they signed Richardson.

With all the new players, I was worried that it would not come together quickly; but it did.

The Jets looked quick on defense and put a lot of pressure on Pennington early. The defense ended the game with 54 tackles, four sacks, and one interception.

However, what really had me going was Favre, who did something I had not seen Pennington ever do. He threw a bomb to Jerricho Cotchery to give the Jets a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The play-action fake worked beautifully.

I had a good look of it from where I was at, but not a great view.

When the Jets were marching down the field for their second touchdown, it was right in my face. It was 4th-and-13, and Favre escaped a sack. He was mashed, but he had enough arm strength on his back foot to sling it up for Chansi Stuckey.

It felt like the ball was in the air forever, but when it came down, it happened in favor of the Jets.

Quickly becoming a fan favorite for his speed and hands, Stuckey has battled injuries for two years. It was good to see him out there.

Favre ended he game with two touchdowns on 194 yards passing, and a 125.9 passer rating. He would have had more, but the Jets' defense looked sluggish in the fourth quarter. The heat in Miami may have affected their stamina.

I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t imagine how they felt.

The missed a field goal because of Mike Nugent’s injury, which was costly. The team left points on the field, as they also failed on a two-point conversion after the second touchdown.

The game could have been 27-14, but this is football!

Mets-Marlins: Beltran Hits Grand Slam To Drown Fish, 5-4

Daniel Smith — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:33:45 -0400

What a game I missed.

When I went to sleep last night I was upset. The Mets were down one and could not capitalize on anything.

I awoke groggy-eyed and sleepy, doing the same routine as always: getting dressed and watching SportsCenter before I head to work, and to my amazement the Mets won the game!

I did a double take to make sure it was not the Marlins 5, Mets 4, so I took a chance on being late so I could watch the highlights. And I saw bases loaded, two outs, and Beltran took Kevin Gregg deep for a grand slam.

I have been particularly hard on Beltran since the New York Mets signed him to a seven-year, $119-million dollar contract in 2005—which I though was high for a player who has only hit over .300 once in his career.

But the Mets were determined to turn there team around and they thought Beltran could be the cornerstone.

Beltran had some pop, good speed, and gold glove fielding in center. In '05, I hated Beltran. In 151 games he had only 16 homeruns and batted .266 with only 17 stolen bases.

The hatred only started to build, but he bounced back in a big way in 2006, batting .275 with 41 HRs and 116 RBIs.

But, once again, the anger grew in the playoffs for the Mets, as the $119 million player batted .222 in the National League Division Series (NLDS) versus the Los Angeles Dodgers—only managing two hits in three games against LA.

It did get better versus the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). He batted .296 with three HRs and eight hits.

I started to believe in Beltran again, thinking he could bring this Mets team a ring for the first time in 20 years, but right when that happened Beltran crushed me at the end of Game Seven.

Full count, two outs. Beltran stared at a pitch that when right down the middle—right down the middle!. I don’t know if Beltran was fooled, not thinking he would throw a fastball and throw an off speed pitch in the dirt, but he just stared at it didn’t even flinch. I was done with him.

I didn’t hate a Mets player more since Kenny Rogers in 1999 against the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs, when he walked the winning run in against Andrew Jones.

I hated Beltran for not taking himself out last year at times when he clearly had a hamstring problem and watched him pull-up short on balls he would normally catch or dive for. Some people look at this as courage—I don’t.

When you’re hurt to the point where you can’t make plays you normally would, then you’re hurting your team.

And this year, Beltran started off horrible. Only since the Willie firing he has been heating up.

But when I saw Beltran hit that homerun last night in a crucial game in a division chase; ninth inning, two outs and he blasted one.

If the division comes down to a game or two, we might be able to look at this game as one of the deciding games that helped us win it.

Even though I think very few players are worth $119 million—and I don’t think Beltran is—he is worth a starting centerfield position on the Mets and he is worth something to the NY Mets.

Johan Santana: Hidden Cy Young

Daniel Smith — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:07:59 -0400

Johan Santana. Well what can I say? He has been everything a Mets fan has hoped for.

There have been so many haters of this trade right from the beginning. I heard comments like, “there go the Mets spending too much money on another player.” Or, “he will never be the same pitcher he was when he was with the Twins.”

Well this is what I say...HA, HA, HA.

Johan Santana, at this point in the season is 11-7 with a 2.75 ERA along with 148 strikeouts.

The first thing that jumps to my mind is, WOW, great ERA, especially in a game that pitchers can barely keep their ERA under the mid threes. But let’s not forget the Mets are playing like they are supposed to play ever since the firing of Willie Randolph. Before that and even since, Johan has been getting terrible run support.

In Johan’s last 10 starts, he is 6-4, which is good but not great. But when you look at how many runs he gave up in those losses, the real shocker comes in. In his four losses, in order he has given up: 3, 2, 2, 1. Are you kidding me! Your ace is on the mound and you can’t score more than three runs?

If the Mets hit anywhere close to where they're supposed to in those losses he is easily 10-0 in his last 10 games! So, that would make him 15-7 with an ERA around 2.60 to 2.75. But wait were not done...

Let’s count from his first start of the season to his first game of his last 10 starts.

Johan, at that point, was 9-7 once again which is OK, but not great. But let’s check out how many runs he gave up in these losses in order: 1, 4, 3, 1, 0, 4, 1. All I can say is, WOW.

The man only gave up one run in three out of seven losses with a zero in the mix. Bottom line is that Johan should be around 20-5 to 20-6 with an ERA of around 2.50 to 2.75.

That easily puts Johan in the driver’s seat for the NL Cy Young award. Given the fact that he plays in New York and plays in a very competitive division, I think he would be a lock. The problem is the Mets played like paper champions for half the season and now have had to play catch up. So when you see people knocking Johan, tell them what I have told you today.

Tell them to look at his statistics, not just his win-loss total. Then tell me he has not pitched like a Cy Young pitcher. Go Mets.

Doc Gooden Will Forever Be Known As a New York Mets Legend

Daniel Smith — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:20:36 -0400

Dwight Gooden could have gone down as one of the best pitchers in baseball history.

And as a Mets fan—and a baseball fan—in his earlier years, it was hard to imagine he wasn’t going to be an all-time great. Gooden started off his career with 17 wins and nine losses, with a 2.60 ERA and 276 strikeouts, along with the Rookie of the Year award.

In his first 10 years, Gooden had 176 wins and 85 losses, with win totals of 24,19,18, and 17 (twice). In his first 10 years, Gooden had 1,875 strikeouts and on his resume, as well as a Cy Young award and a World Series ring.

Gooden was on his was to a great Hall of Fame career.

But in the mid '80s, he was a young star who made a lot of money and that was the demise of Gooden, who started using drugs. In the '80s, he could fight through the drug use on pure talent, but like any pitcher, when he aged, his talent could no longer support his drug habit, and his numbers declined dramatically.

In his last seven years, his numbers totaled different results. It’s almost night and day.

He only totaled 34 wins in his last seven years, fewer wins than he had amassed in his first two years in the league. He also had 26 losses and ERA numbers up in the high fours and fives. Every once in awhile, you would see flashes of the old Gooden, like his no-hitter with the Yankees.

Gooden was a baseball tragedy. He was a young man who had tremendous talent but turned into a washed-up pitcher with multiple arrest on his record. Gooden, if not on drugs, would have easily eclipsed 3,000 strikeouts. Instead, he finished with 2,293.

He also would have been around the 250 or higher mark in wins. He finished with a 194-112 record.

Baseball fans and analysts would have been talking about Gooden in the same breath as Roger Clemens.

Only Gooden did not need steroids to get where he would have been. Hey, maybe it would have been better that way. Today, Gooden is just a fading memory in the minds of baseball fans.

It’s up to the Mets' fans to keep the second-best pitcher in the Mets' history alive in their minds. If it was not for his fall, he would have been our best.

Aaron Heilman and Company Combine for the New York Mets' Latest Disaster

Daniel Smith — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:49:52 -0400

Aaron Heilman, I'm done with you.

The look on David Wright’s face said it all after Monday night’s disaster against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which put the Mets 2.0 games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East.

The only good thing that happened Monday night was that the Phillies and the Marlins both lost.

Here’s the thing; I am, and always will be, a Notre Dame fan. So I root for Irish players. I root for Brady Quinn to play well for the Cleveland Browns, I root for Jeff Samardzija of the Chicago Cubs, and the list goes on.

But you know what...I'm done with Heilman.

It seems like the guy can't hold a lead to save his life. And right when you're ready to throw him out of your Mets memory bank, he comes up with a good pitching performance.

I'm just not willing to give him that chance anymore. The Mets are the second-worst team in Major League Baseball when it comes to having a four-run-or-better lead, and this directly points at the terrible bullpen.

The Mets should have gone out and picked up another relief pitcher. This bullpen has let this team down time after time. Aaron Heilman is 2-7 with a 5.74 ERA, allowing nine HRs and 64 hits in 64.1 innings pitched!

As a Mets fan and an Irish fan, I'll have to ask very nicely, please let Heilman sit key situations out.

Patrick Willis, Move Over—Here Comes David Harris!

Daniel Smith — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:20:46 -0400

Don’t get me wrong, Patrick Willis is a fine linebacker (174 tackles, 4.0 sacks) and will be a mainstay in the National Football League for years to come. But what is with this lack of attention for David Harris?

Every time I talk with friends or football fans about young defense players in this league, I hear names like Cromartie, Merriman, M. Williams—the list goes on and on.

And especially when I talk about young linebackers, I hear PATRICK WILLIS, PATRICK WILLIS! And I say yes, he had a great season, but what about David Harris? And except for the hardcore football fan most people respond with, "Harris who?"

Let us dig a little further into David Harris to show the world what is coming. David Harris is:

1. a linebacker who in his first year had 127 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles

2. a linebacker who had 17 tackles and one in his first start at linebacker

3. a linebacker who only started nine games last year

4. a linebacker who only started nine games and had 127 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles

5. a linebacker who made Jonathan Vilma expendable

6. a linebacker who had more sacks than any rookie linebacker did last year (in nine games starting)

7. a linebacker who, if he'd been given the opportunity last year to start, probably would have won Rookie of the Year

Look out NFL, here comes a pro bowl linebacker for years to come. Go Jets!