Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Otovic

With Tom Brady Back, New England Pats Kings of AFC East Again

Andrew Otovic — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:32:57 -0400

Not sure how the rest of you feel, but I am full of excitement and have had September 14 marked on my calendar for a long time. For those unaware, it is opening night for the Patriots as well as the soon to be basement dweller Buffalo Bills.

Tom "Terrific" Brady is healthy which is only good things for Randy Moss and Wes Welker and absolutely terrifying for opposing defenses. A 90 percen healthy Tom Brady is still a top 10 quarterback and boy does he have his share of weapons.

Besides the two mentioned above, he has Joey Galloway, who may still have a few "go routs" left in the tank. If Galloway can become a valuable third option, question becomes, who do you cover?

Do you cover Moss going deep? Do you cover Welker over the middle? Do you cover Galloway also going deep? What about Ben Watson? Hopefully he who was on the verge of being cut will keep a little fire burning under him and become a red zone target.

That is only the beginning of what the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills have to worry about.

Looking at the division, I can honestly say that I am not very scared. Last year I didn't think the Miami Dolphins were going to win the division but then again, I didn't think Matt Cassel was going to be the starting QB.

Don't get me wrong, the Jets have a very good running game and a above average D, however Mark Sanchez is NOT a Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco remake. He only started one year at USC and is going to struggle with the speed of the game and checking all his reads.

I DO believe Sanchez will be a good quarterback but it's not going to be this year. It is really too to bad for the Jets figuring since after 11 games a year ago, they were 8-3 and were looking like a force in the AFC. Then Brett Favre choked and the rest as they say is history.

I see the Jets going 9-7 based on how their defense plays and how Thomas Jones and Leon Washington running the ball.

The Jets will surely miss Laveranues Coles at wide out and will pray that someone out of the David Clowney, Chansi Stuckey, Wallace Wright mix will develop into a solid target. I like Dustin Keller at TE and he should be a safety blanket when Sanchez learns everyone outside of Jericho Cotchery will not be able to get open.

Lastly, I really really like the trade of Lito Sheppard. Sheppard, along with third year pro Darrelle Revis, makes them a top five pair of CB in all of football.

Last year in South Florida must have been very promising and very fun. Ronny Brown was healthy, Ricky stopped smoking pot (that we know of), Chad Pennington showed that you can win with a noodle arm, and Joey Porter led an inspired and well played defense from a 1-15 record in 2007 to an 11-5 record, and the AFC East crown.

This year, also some exciting news coming to the Dolphins. Legend and fan favorite Jason Taylor is back from a year in DC and "Dancing With The Stars", Pat White was drafted to make the WildCat offense even more dangerous and to be an exciting playmaker, and Ricky is still apparently not smoking pot.

All in all, I like the Dolphins I just don't feel as though they are ready. They have the right coach for that team in Tony Sparano. They have a very good talent in Ted Ginn Jr. and good defensive backs in Gibril Wilson and Will Allen. The loss of Vonnie Holliday will hurt as he was one of their leaders in sacks and an overall locker room guy and defensive captain.

I see the 'Fins finishing with a disappointing 6-10 record.

The fourth and final team the Pats must play twice is the Buffalo Bills. This team is in pure shambles. Let the record show, Dick Jauron might be the worst coach or at least the most overrated coach in football. He is in the Norv Turner category. Guy had one winning season and because of this and the fact he is an above average coordinator, automatically give him a head coaching job every five years it seems.

Anyways, Buffalo seemed like it was moving in the right direction with a 7-9 record in 2008, the Bills saw Trent Edwards grow and develop right in front of their eyes. Along with Edwards, Marshawn Lynch, and explosive wide receiver Lee Evans had very good years and FINALLY the Bills had a formidable offense.

Problems with the offensive line and inconsistent play from Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish turned what was a promising offense into one that just showed flashes of brilliancy.

Even though Buffalo signed T.O., he is not going to make them any better, which is really a shame. The Bills fired their offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and the reason he gave is because Jauron said Schonert's offense was too too tough to learn and that Jauron likes and wants a "pop warner" type of play.

If this is the case, Buffalo is going no where until Jauron gets his pink slip which I think he will regardless of how he does this season. I see the Bills finishing at 4-12, a T.O. comedy type meltdown on the sidelines and a complete staff overhaul in the the offseason. Might as well throw in a snow storm in October to make this a truly awful season.

Where Buffalo can give the Pats problems is with their speed on offense. No one is going to catch Lee Evans. Buffalo with their tough defensive line of Marcus Stroud and Aaron Schobel and Aaron Maybin could push the likes of Matt Light and Logan Mankins to the ground and have them sucking wind with their power and speed (for Maying anyways).

The Patriots should run away with this division and easily win 13 games. Another undefeated season is not out of reach, especially with this weak division schedule. Going to Buffalo in mid December could be a little tough, especially if the Gaile winds are coming and possibly the Sunday Night game on Dec. 6 in Miami.

The Pats always struggle there even when they win, and last time the Pats played there for a night game, they got smoked.

The team of the decade will add yet another piece of hardware to their collection with the AFC East crown and who knows, maybe the Vince Lombardi trophy as well.

Calling Clay Buchholz: Here's the Chance to Shine...Again

Andrew Otovic — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:44:27 -0400

With the recent news of All-Star and fan favorite 42 year-old Tim Wakefield going on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his lower back, Clay Buchholz is once again back in the big leagues.

In Clay's first start of the 2009 campaign on Friday in Toronto, he showed that he is still that sexy blue chip prospect that the Red Sox deemed untouchable. Unless of course the Cardinals come calling with an offer for Albert Pujols, or the Twins come calling with an offer for Joe Mauer. Other than that, Clay has once again regained his spotlight in the Red Sox organization.

He pitched only 5.2 innings, allowing only 4 hits and striking out 3. It was more than just the numbers, trust me. Clay pitched with confidence, was location his pitches, and had the swagger he had in 2007 when he pitched a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in only his second Major League Start.

Last month, Clay was asked his attitude and feelings toward dominating Pawtucket and still not getting his chance. He was frustrated and did his very best to say the right things. It almost sounded as though he wanted a trade out of here but also made it clear that his top priority was to help out the Boston Red Sox.

Point in all of this being, he has at least three starts to tell the Red Sox that he has matured, grown up, and developed into a top of the line starter. He has accomplished the feat once with his performance last Friday, now his second audition is tomorrow night in Arlington against a very strong offensive team in the Texas Rangers.

If he has another strong outing, Clay only adds more pressure to Theo Epstein and company as to what needs to be done at the trade deadline. If Clay pitches well in his next start, which is more than likely next Tuesday against the Oakland A's at Fenway Park, Theo would have to strongly consider trading Brad Penny or moving the struggling John Smoltz into the bullpen.

Theo has had plenty of trade offers for Buchholz over the last three years. Some of the trade rumors involved Johan Santana, Roy Halladay, Matt Holiday, Victor Martinez, Hanley Ramirez, etc. However, Theo has held onto Clay for the very sake that the potential is there for him to be an ace like Josh Beckett and soon to be ace Jon Lester.

Imagine a four game series where the pitchers are Beckett, Lester, Dice-K (if healthy), and Clay? That sounds unreal, and lets not forget Grandpa Wake. That would easily be the best rotation in baseball and would make you think, which team has three top line starters let alone four (and a half including Wake)?

This is a big two week time frame for the soon to be 25-year-old. He believes he belongs, I have long believed he belongs, and now it's time to prove it to Theo, John Farrell, and Tito.

The player T number 61 Buchholz t-shirt that I own has been proudly worn for two years now (I was easily one of the first people to buy his player shirt). Clay, it is now your time to become the next young star for all of Sox Nation to embrace. Get 'er done.

MLB '09 The Show: Toronto Blue Jays Style

Andrew Otovic — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:27:31 -0400

This is probably the first of its kind ever on this site. After all, this is a blog, and we as authors, are free to write about whatever it is we please.

I figured to mix things up from my usual predictions, banter, and analysis and try something new. (The NL 2009 preview WILL be done before this week is up!).

Anyways, I have played this game a good amount recently and one thing has always been the same. I have enjoyed making decent to awful teams good by playing GM and acquiring players I like that can put together a winning ball club for years to come.

For the record, fair trades ARE ON so this will not be the best 25 players in baseball all on the same team. Also, I do work with a budget, so I am not the NY Yankees and can just outbid everyone.

I have always enjoyed this and have done so ever since good old Play Station days. I always do a season/franchise with my home town Sox, and after that I usually look for a team that has a decent budget and a little talent that can be made into a winner, maybe even the year I take over.

If you're asking, YES I have MLB Front Office Manager. For someone who envisions being Theo Epstein, I mess around with budgets and payroll and look at saber-metrics more than I do my own homework.

The team I have picked is the Toronto Blue Jays. This team is probably a 70-75 win team, which fits the criteria of "decent team."

Also, the Jays have a pretty good budget since they have All Stars such as Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, and Roy Halladay. Also, with young guys such as Dustin McGowan, Adam Lind, and Travis Synder, this team had some potential.

However, there was also a good amount of players I simply did not want on my roster. I made three or four trades and made three or four signings in Free Agency, and all of a sudden my team is a force to be messed with in the AL East.

Before I get to the transactions, my plan is to provide an update with how this team does during a weeks worth of games. I will try to write a new column a week, but that will not always be possible. Consider this a preview to MLB '09 The Show's preview of the Blue Jays.

First off, this team lacked a big time slugger. Yeah, Vernon Wells isn't bad and same with Alex Rios but there really is not a lot of fear from opposing pitchers. Also, since my lineup is predominately right handed, it could use a left handed power bat.

To solve this, I acquired Adam Dunn. He was a FA when the game started because he signed so late. He has a ton of power and a high OBP, I can live with the strikeouts.

Secondly, and no offense to the player, but I have never liked Scott Rolen. He just seems to pack it in too early and just doesn't feel like playing hurt. To remove him, I traded for Garrett Atkins.

Atkins makes a lot less money in this game, plus he is years younger than Rolen. Atkins does play hurt, and he can produce better numbers than Rolen can.

Next, shortstop was just an ugly combination. Instead of having automatic outs with the John McDonald/Marco Scutaro combination, I sent McDonald and his overpaid salary, as well as a prospect, to KC for fellow shortstop Mike Aviles and a low rookie who will probably never see the light of day on the active roster.

Aviles, 27, is 3MM less than McDonald and is still on the upside of his career. He could be a stud, again, easy call.

That pretty much sums up the offensive acquisitions. I beefed up the farm system by going through the FA's and looking for those no name young players who have very good potential. If you play MLB '09 The Show, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. To conclude the offense, I will leave you with my lineup against RHP and LHP, both with the DH.

RHP/LHP

Aviles SS

Rios RF

Dunn DH

Wells CF

Overbay 1B

Atkins 3B

A. Lind/ T. Synder RF (both platoon against RHP and LHP)

Hill 2B

Barajas C

The big changes on this team came from the pitching aspect. No kidding, about half of the players on the 40-man roster were either unknowns (and I know a lot more than the average person does about baseball), or simply should be stuck in Triple-A.

Everyone knows about Brandon League, B. J. Ryan, and Roy Halladay. After that, one word comes to mind...EWWWWW.

To fix this problem I had to sit down and think. Since Dunn had a high price tag, finding young talent as well as low price tags was top priority. Besides Halladay and Dustin McGowan (love how everyone is healthy in video games to start off), the starting rotation needed work.

To help with this, lefty Oliver Perez was signed to a multi-year deal. He can be a very good number two and is also very young, only 26. Now that he was a big $$ signing, it was time to find a young guy who will be here for a long time.

To fit that mold, I sent off a couple players, one being Jesse Litsch, to Arizona for the young and explosive Max Scherzer. He’s a very young player, throws gas, and will be cheap for a few years. Now I have a rotation of Halladay, Perez, McGowan, David Purcey, and finally Scherzer.

So far, so good.

Now for the bullpen. I pretty much blew up and completely started over. I kept Brandon League, because he is young and throws flames. Sold. That is what I wanted to do. Have young flame throwers who have experience.

First off, I acquired Juan Cruz. A former D-Back who also was a FA. I signed him to a two year deal and he will immediately make the 'pen better.

Also a FA and young stud, but injury prone, was Chad Cordero. Remember him? He was willing to play for peanuts or some giga bites (video game humor...). He was signed to be the set-up man to B.J. Ryan. I like this because in case Ryan stinks or gets injured, there is another reliever who has closing experience.

Also, this could be a great move if he pitches well.

I also made two minor acquisitions. Ryan Madson and Manny Corpas. I have always liked Corpas and personally think the Rockies are stupid for having Huston Street close. This guy is young, has playoff experience, and throws gas. Awesome. Madson is a very good set up man and could probably close if needed.

On this team, him and Corpas will be middle relief. Last man in the 'pen is lefty Scott Downs. Every team needs a lefty, eh?

The rotation and 'pen shape out like this:

Starters

Roy Halladay

Oliver Perez

Dustin McGowan

David Purcey

Max Scherzer

Relievers

Ryan Madson

Manny Corpas

Scott Downs

Juan Cruz

Brandon League

Chad Cordero (SU)

B. J. Ryan (CL)

Call me a nerd, but I like this team. I like the way this team is for not just this year, but 2010, 2011, and 2012. Again, I figured I'd share this for the lone fact that I have yet to see one of these, and figured for all you gamers out there, it would be something new to read.

I look forward to hearing feedback as well as what you gamers do out there. No need to call me a GEEK, because I already know I am, as my lovely girlfriend calls me one all the time.

At Last—Major League Baseball Is Back: 2009 AL Season Predictions

Andrew Otovic — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:57:40 -0400

It's the most wonderful time of the year. No I'm not talking about Christmas, the last day of school, or a personal favorite, the beginning of March Madness. I'm talking about Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season.

Baseball kicks off tonight when the Atlanta Braves face off against the reigning World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies at 8 p.m. tonight on ESPN. That's all great and what not, but the REAL Opening Day is tomorrow when there is non-stop baseball for twelve hours, from 1p.m. until 1 a.m.

Whether you watch from your team's local network or the quadruple-header on ESPN and ESPN 2, baseball owns TV tomorrow.

Since this is my favorite sport, my favorite to write about, and overall, the best sport known to man, it is time for some season predictions. I will give you my division winners from all 6 divisions, give you the winner for October, and my picks for the award winners. I will also look forward to hearing peoples' comments and opinions about what I write.

First off, I will start in the Jr. Circuit and give the three American League division winners.

AL East—Red Sox. I say this for a number of reasons. Nothing is more important than pitching, and the Sox's pitching staff is loaded from top to bottom. With a healthy Beckett, an improving Jon Lester, and a motivated Brad Penny, the Sox have one of the best, if not the best, rotations in baseball. I didn't even mention Dice-K, who won 18 games last year. Also, you can't forget about that Wake geezer too; everyone loves him. Also, every game is over after five innings with this bullpen. With Ramirez, Delcarmen, Saito, Masterson, and Jonathan Papelbon, this staff can carry the Sox straight to the series.

Key to Success—Offensive Health. If David Ortiz and Mike Lowell are healthy, or even at 90 percent, the Sox offense will be saying "Manny who?" Let's not forget that this team was very unhealthy when they lost in game 7 of the ALCS.

AL Central—Indians. This one was actually a tough call. The AL Central is one of the weaker divisions and could be won by any of the five teams. Yes, that includes the Royals. However, I think Travis Haefner is motivated and ready to rake along with Victor Martinez. This on top of an excellent MVP candidate in Grady Sizemore and an improving Shin Soo Choo, the offense should be good enough in a weak division.

Key to Success—Back of rotation/end of game. I'm not worried about Cliff Lee or Fausto Carmona. If Carl Pavano (remember when the Red Sox said was untouchable?) and either Scott Lewis or Anthony Reyes can win more than 10 games, 90 wins is a possibility. A healthy Kerry Wood would also make them contenders in October too.

AL West—Angels. Really? When can the AL West step up and become dangerous? Not this year, but the Angels' window of owning this division is closing. However, the Halos have their three best pitchers in John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Kelvim Escobar all out for at least the first two to three weeks of the season. Dustin Moseley, Nick Adenhart, and Shane Loux will have to step up to get off to a good start. Only if the Rangers could pitch to match that offense, we could be talking about one of the best teams in baseball.

Key to Success—Fundamentals. As long as Moseley, Adenhart, and Loux stick to what type of pitcher they are and not try to be Lackey, Escobar, and Santana, they should be ok. Also, a healthy Chone Figgins, Vladimir Guerrero, and Juan Rivera will make this offense good enough to be similar to the team that won 100 games in 2008. Brian Fuentes also needs to step up, or else the Angels will start missing K-Rod.

AL Wildcard—Rays. Apologies to be handed out to: Yankees, Twins, and White Sox. The Rays are a lot younger, a lot more matured, and also a lot more seasoned than the other three teams. The Rays are a young team with an immense amount of talent. C.C. Sabathia was a great signing and he'll be fine, but I have never trusted A.J. Burnett pitching, and 2009 will be no different. He has guaranteed money for five years and he's never had back-to-back good seasons. The Yanks lack a solid bullpen, while the Rays have a very good one. The White Sox's rotation is getting older, while the Rays have no starter even close to 30. The Rays have speed, power, youth, and defense while the Twins only have power and defense. The Rays are here to stay.

Key to Success—9+9=8 or some other witty Joe Madden motivational thought.

Awards time...yay! (Hold round of applause until November)

AL MVP—Grady Sizemore. This is a very tough decision as well. Please let me send my apologies to: Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, Evan Longorhia, and Josh Hamiliton. Sizemore will steal over 40 bases, will push for 30 HR's, and will easily score 100 runs. He also plays every single day with Gold Glove caliber defense. What else can I say about the guy? Since no one hits 50 HR's or wins 25 games, this is a slam dunk pick.

AL Cy Young Award—Roy Halladay. This is a very tough decision, probably the hardest one. Sorry to: Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, C.C. Sabathia, and Francisco Liriano. No one throws more CG or innings than Doc does. He has a really low WHIP, gets the job done with SO, and has a really good beard. He also throws the least amount of pitches for complete games too. He's a lock for 35 starts, 220 IN, and 23 wins.

AL Rookie of the Year—Elvis Andres. A completely surprise pick. I say this for a few reasons: he is younger than me, truth, and he is too stubborn and stupid to realize what's going on. He also plays in Texas, so he will hit. His glove is well above what it should be for a young kid and will overall be a pleasant surprise.

AL Champs—Red Sox. See above. With superstars at multiple positions and a strong pitching staff, they are the American League's best team.

This is part one of two with NL Predictions coming later tonight. If you cannot wait to see them, check out Facebook. So the jury's out; whatcha think?

Besides A-Roid, Who Else Might Have Failed a Test?

Andrew Otovic — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:29:41 -0500

With the I guess somewhat shocking news that A-Roid err A-Rod tested positive and used a banned substance between the years of 2001-2003, that got me thinking. Which other current MLB players have used steroids recently and could be one of the other 103 players? Besides A-Roid, I have a few names here who can/could fit the bill. Some of them obvious (Miguel Tejada), some of them not so much (Jason Schmidt). Again this is all speculation, and I'm sure after reading this, some of this will make sense and some of this will certainly raise some eyebrows.

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How the Allen Iverson Trade Saved the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony

Andrew Otovic — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:01:08 -0500

We are now a good two months removed from one of the bigger trades in recent NBA history, and clearly this trade has favored the Denver Nuggets. In this trade, the Nuggets acquired Chauncey Billups and gave up Allen Iverson.

This was a trade of two All Star guards, two very well established NBA players. This was also a trade of Billups, who put the Detroit Pistons back on the map with five straight conference finals and an NBA Championship.

On the other end of this trade, Iverson has been a league scoring champ on multiple occasions, has won a league MVP, and brought the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals way back in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Iverson has been one of the best scoring guards, not just of our era but of all time.

However, the best day in Nuggets history was on Nov. 3, 2008 when the disgruntled superstar was traded to Detroit for the homegrown kid, Billups. As great of a player as Iverson was, he is now past his prime, when he was averaging over 30 points per game.

The Denver team and franchise is all about Carmelo Anthony. AI was simply brought in to be the No. 2 option and a mentor to young players like ‘Melo, JR Smith, Linas Kleiza, and others. That was the case for a while as when AI first got there the Nuggets had some swagger. After a while, the old AI came back.

This trade has a lot more positives than negatives. For example, AI may be the same height as a point guard, but he is a shooting guard who is vertically challenged. Billups is a true point guard who knows how to run a team and can hit any big shot on command, it seems.

One of the first things Billups did when he got here was to make sure Nene got his share of shots. He is the lone relatively good big man Denver has and Chauncey wanted to establish the inside presence. AI wanted nothing to do with Nene. Nene was a distant third, maybe fourth option.

Billups has put himself before the team, and because of that Denver has gone an insane 24-10 and is one of the top teams, not just in the Western Conference but in the entire NBA. One of those 24 victories includes a road victory over the NBA champs, the Boston Celtics. The Nuggets have also beaten the Spurs (in San Antonio), the Rockets, and the New Orleans Hornets.

If the Nuggets still had AI, they would probably be a few games over .500. They would be a team that should be a lot better than their record shows but stink because of awful team chemistry. Getting rid of AI and bringing in a character guy like Billups really did wonders.

The lone negative here is the fact that AI was very popular with his teammates. He was seen as someone who helped mature Melo and JR Smith said AI helped him with many things.

Going back to the positives, now that Anthony is out three to four weeks with a fractured hand, this will really show what the Nuggets are made of. I believe that with Billups, this team will be fine. He has been in every possible situation and knows exactly what to do. He might need to step up his scoring, but at the same time players like Smith and Kleiza will develop.

I feel as though under AI, everyone not named Carmelo Anthony was just sitting around and gazing because they knew AI wasn’t going to give them the ball.

Now with Chauncey, everyone is involved and everyone gets treated as if they are the franchise player. Billups is back home, where he is loved and has turned this team that was full of stars into a team with a superstar, a star, and a bunch of quality players that very well can win the West.

Watch out, NBA. Denver is poised to go deep and this is all because of Chauncey BU-BU-BU-BU BILLUPS.

All-NBA Team from UCONN...All Under 6'10"

Andrew Otovic — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:55:27 -0500

By reading the title, you're probably thinking, "Oh yeah sure, that's easy to do."

But if you sit down and think about it, UCONN has had both good guards AND good big men. Before looking at this list, consider Emeka Okafor, Jake Voskuhl, Hilton Armstrong, Clifford Robinson, Josh Boone, Charlie Vilenueva, and Bruce Kuczenski.

In that list, there is the best big man in UCONN history (Okafor), a bunch of All-Americans, First Team All Big East, and ALL NBA draft picks.

With all of them gone, I really had to think about a team that could be the second coming of Mike D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns. A team that can run, run, and run.

Only difference is my team will play defense. My team is focused on what will have very good chemistry and is not all about the ball. These players are all team players, and I will put this team up against any team in the NBA and this team could make a serious run in the playoffs. I'm not sure how far exactly, but definitely Conference Finals material.

My starting five is as follows. First will be PG and the last will be C.

Marcus Williams- He is my point guard, no questions asked. He knows how to run a team, looks for other peoples shots and has very good court vision. I like him to run my team.

Ray Allen- He is my go to guy on this team. If I need a big shot, or just a three in general, I want Allen taking the shot. He is also the captain of my team because he has outstanding leadership.

Caron Butler- What can you say about this guy? He is just a flat out beast. He is big, strong, can handle the ball, and knows how to play the game. You all see how he is doing as a second option to "Agent Zero" and that's exactly what he is on my team. Since Allen will be double teamed, Butler will have a lot of shots.

Rudy Gay- Athletic, a high riser, a very good passer, and can play in the post. Since he can dribble and is very athletic, he will be a serious mismatch problem at the 4 (PF) for any team. Oh yeah, did I say the guy can rebound, too?

Donyell Marshall- He is the tallest player on my team at 6'9". At the five spot since I am a run 'n' gun team, I do not expect much from him. Just play somewhat good defense and hit an occasional three pointer. I have four much better other options and that's all I need.

Bench- My bench will only be four maybe five deep.

Sixth man

Richard Hamiliton- Are you serious right now? I have an NBA All Star and World Champion coming off the bench? Yeah on this team I do. He will be the sub for Marshall. When this happens, Hamiliton plays the 3 while Butler and Gay move to the 4 and 5. All Hamiliton does for me is add another sweet J and damn good defense.

Seventh man

Ben Gordon- Seriously? Where does this stacked team end? Gordon is my backup guard, too, but will mostly be playing point. He is not much of a dribbler but he is my scoring threat off the bench that can drop 30 whenever needed. He is quick and can play D. Do you see why I said I'm the Phoenix Suns only my team plays D?

Eightth man

Scott Burrell- Remember him? He hasn't been in the league for a while but he was a solid role player back in the day. He is the Bruce Bowen to my team and during crunch time, he will be on the other teams best player. I do not need any sort of scoring from him. All I need is defense and hustle and he can definitely bring both of those.

Ninth man

Corny Thompson- I do need another banger on the team, in case Rudy, Donyell, or Caron get in trouble. He is an old school player who I need for rebounds if I play a big team or get in foul trouble. At 6'8" and 225, he can do the job for me. I like to think of him as a Danny Fortson type. Big body, tough to move.

So this is my team. I can get away with these nine. Especially with all the athleticism, slashing, scoring, and defending I have, I will be tough to beat.

Chauncey Billups: Mr. Big Shot Does it His Way

Andrew Otovic — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:49:10 -0500

Congrats. Hooray. Glad it's over.

Denver has beaten the Dallas Mavericks tonight by a score of 108-105 in Chauncey Billups' first game in his second go round with the Denver Nuggets.

Chauncey started at point, and played about 30 minutes. He managed to score 15 points, but struggled from the field, shooting only 5-17. However, he did make a big three-pointer in the second half that really got the crowd going.

Before the game, Billups spoke to the crowd to let them know he is fully committed to this team, and will help make them serious playoff contenders. You could see it right there: He's happy to be home. He won 2 state titles, was an All- American in High School, and now he is back as the general of the NBA team in his city.

When he was here before, the team was bad. He was bad. Everything was bad. Now, he has blossomed into an All-Star point guard, who has also been an NBA champion. He is now running the Melo-JR-Kleiza-Nene show. That is a show I would be very happy to direct, especially with them being very young...very experienced.

For at least one night, Denver can sleep happily. Billups kept the offense together, made Nene look like he was the next coming of Shaq. He also knew what type of game Carmelo Anthony played, which made it easier to get Melo his shots.

As the season goes on, the Nuggets are going to be very fun to watch. With Mr. Big Shot at the helm, Denver will be very dangerous the entire season.

Red Sox's Offseason Outlook (Part Two): Calling 2004 Pitching Staff

Andrew Otovic — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:54:02 -0500

After speaking about the offensive side of the ball, it is now time to focus on the pitching side of the ball.

In the championship year of 2007 the pitching was outstanding. The team was first in the American League with a 3.87 ERA. On top of that, the Sox were first in runs allowed or last depending on which way is easier to understand.

For the 2007 Boston Red Sox team, if the starter could give you six innings, the game was over. The seventh was for Manny Delcarmen, the eight was for Hideki Okajima, and the ninth was for Jonathan Papelbon.

This year though, completely different story. The ERA was at 4.01, which still isn't bad. The problem though, was those three who were so reliable in 2007, were not consistent in 2008.

With the exception of Papelbon, Okajima saw his ERA rise a half a run. Not to mention a lose in confidence from manager Terry Francona. In '07, Oki could be used anytime and he was guaranteed to get the job done, '08 was hit and miss.

Same story with Manny Delcarmen. His ERA was a RUN higher in '08 than it was in '07. He was supposed to be the secondary closer when Pap needed a rest. All he turned out to be was a 5th inning maybe 6th inning guy. He definitely took a step back.

The starting rotation was overall pretty good. Josh Beckett had a down year. Right from the get go in Spring Training he seemed to be out of shape and never really got into gear. He was on the DL to start the season and then once again during the year with tingling in his elbow.

As if his year was non-Ace like already, he suffered an oblique problem during his last start during the year and had to be more finesse as opposed to power during the postseason. He was more gutsy than anything this year.

Jon Lester was simply excellent and there is no other way to say it. He was the Ace, the work horse, Mr. Reliable, and anything else you could say. He threw a no hitter, won 16 games, and became a dominant lefty in a very tough American League East. The development of him makes the 2009 staff right now VERY VERY scary.

In his second season here in America, Daisuke Matsuzaka also made strides. He won 18 games with a stunning 2.90 ERA. Problem with him is he needs to throw more strikes and last longer in games. The bullpen was very taxed this year and he did not help them out. He was the opposite of Lester.

Alas, the No. 4 spot. For the last decade plus, Tim Wakefield has done the same thing every year. Pitch a lot of innings, give up 2-4 runs and keep the team in the ballgame. This year was nothing different.

Even though he only won 10 games, his ERA was 4.01. He easily could have had 4-6 more wins had either the bullpen kept the lead or had the offense done some scoring for him.

Now the No. 5 spot is very interesting. The Sox have a ton of prospects that are on the verge of being big time major league starters. These include Clay Buccholz, Michael Bowdon, and Justin Masterson.

Masterson's role is the set up man going forward unless the Sox trade for a big time bullpen guy. Buccholz had way to high of expectations and I think he just tried way to hard. Since he tried to hard, he was in way over his head.

When this happened, the Sox tried to mess with his mechanics and this really set him back. I hope they leave him alone because his stuff is that good. He will figure it out with experience and will eventually be the Ace of the staff.

Bowdon made his major league debut last year and wasn't bad. However, he is not ready and was only used because of the injuries the Sox had. He too has a future, but according to my last article, he is going to be traded for Jarrod Saltamacchia.

I think the Red Sox need to sign a few veteran guys like they did last year and see what happens. This is going to come as a big surprise, but BRING BACK PEDRO. This does sound funny and near impossible but think about it.

Pedro Martinez is only good for about 15-20 starts, 25 if you're lucky. If you give him a 1 year deal for $7m. Theo can get creative and add 3-5m additional in incentives. If I'm the Red Sox and I wound up giving Pedro all of that, I would be pretty happy with myself.

Not to mention, he would bring some more swagger back to the club. He helped put the Sox back on the map. Not to mention, who was the last player to rock number 45? It was Pedro.

By doing a signing like this with Pedro, or maybe even Mark Prior, Curt Schilling, or Kris Benson puts the Red Sox in a good spot. Anna Benson would look so hot in Sox red huh? Oh uh anyways.

The No. 5 starter is supposed to be average, nothing outstanding. Best case for the Sox would be someone like Pedro. You can use him the 15-20 times and not rush Buccholz. Buccholz and Pedro as the No. 5 starters would more than do the job.

Not to mention, Pedro loves the Boston media, has no problem speaking what he thinks and is a very good friend to Big Papi.

The bullpen does also need some work, however, there is not much out there. All of the good ones are going to be way to much money. Maybe the Sox try to sign Keith Foulke or the hot head but flame thrower Kyle Farnsworth.

I firmly believe that Mike Timlin's spot in the bullpen is going to go to rookie Daniel Bard. He throws close to 100 MPH and after struggling earlier on in his minor league career has developed into a pretty good reliever. He was a starter his entire life, including at UNC, with current major leaguer Andrew Miller.

By bringing up Bard, you can work him in slowly so he gets used to the big show, and maybe by the All-Star Break, he is ready for big time innings.

That's really all there is to do. The Sox have the pitchers to be an outstanding bullpen. Delcarmen was dominant following the All-Star break and that's what the Sox need him as. Justin Masterson is the bridge to Papelbon. Of course, Pap shuts the door. So the eighth and ninth are set.

If Oki can handle the 7th, now we're back to starters only needing six innings. That should not be a problem.

Trading an MVP and Soon-To-Be Hall Of Famer Was The Right Move

Andrew Otovic — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:34:14 -0500

In case you have not heard the big news, All Star and future Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson has been traded away from Denver to the Detroit Pistons for another All Star guard in Chauncey Billups (BU BU BU BILLUPS anyone?).

At first word, my thought process was, why would Denver do such a thing? They had arguably one of the best one two punches in all of basketball. The other player in this duo being Carmelo Anthony. But if you really look at it, trading away Iverson was the first step in making Denver into a top team in the Western Conference.

Iverson is the size of a point guard, being just over six feet tall, but his style of play is unorthodox for someone so small. He is third all time and the leader among active players in points per game at 27.9. He has been a 30+ point per game scorer for six seasons. The man can score, problem is he is not the type of player you want to build a team around.

Allen Iverson has been to the finals only once and that was during the 2000-2001 season. He is one of the best players but for his size he should be distributing the ball and letting players like Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Nene take over the games. Iverson has always been a favorite of mine to watch, but once he was traded to the Nuggets, the team was screwed.

The Nuggets used to have a real point guard in Andre Miller. He knew of his role which was to handle the ball and give it to Melo and K-Mart and get out of the way. He excelled in this role. The Miller led Nuggets made the playoffs all three years he was there. Coincidence? I think not.

Even though Melo and AI both scored close to 30 a game, fact remains that Melo is the franchise player and not AI. He was supposed to be the other star and he couldn't handle that anymore. When this year started, he was dogging it in games and also dogging it in practice (PRACTICE? We talking about PRACTICE). He was fun to watch as a player but the team no longer was.

Chauncey Billups being here is going to pay ends. You all know that Billups is going to have that extra motivation because he was traded. In Billups' six years in Mo Town, he was in the playoffs every single year. In all six of those years, his team reached the Conference Finals, including back to back trips to the NBA Finals. Billups' team won the 2004 NBA title too, as a little side note.

Trading away Marcus Camby is going to hurt this team when it comes to playoff time. But don't kid yourself, this is going to be a different team now that Billups is here. He can control the game, work the offense and actually take good shots when he's open. He is called Mr. Big Shot don't forget. Billups is what every team wants in a point guard.

Usually NBA teams are built around big guys. If you cannot find a franchise big guy, it is very very important to have an elite point guard. Billups may not be at that elite level anymore but he is still a top three point guard in the league.

AI puts fans in the stands and Billups wins basketball games. Plain and simple Nuggets are the winners of the trade and Nuggets fans will see that when the spring comes around.

Boston Red Sox's Offseason Outlook (Part One): Offensive Needs

Andrew Otovic — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:56:12 -0500

It has now been just a little over two weeks since the Sox's season came to an end in St. Pete, and as soon as the season came to an end, it was time to look towards the 2009 season.

The 2008 team simply was not good enough. Right from the get go, their ace, Josh Beckett, was not himself. RBI machine and clubhouse cancer Manny Ramirez was traded. David Ortiz missed two months with a bum wrist and never really had his swing down.

2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell was on the DL in April and then eventually with a hip injury that made him all but useless for the last six weeks of the season (including the postseason). This is just the beginning.

The captain, Jason Varitek, had his worst offensive season of his career. Now true, he is not expected to hit, but an average in the .220 area is not going to cut it. Future Sox phenom Clay Buchholz struggled early and often, finishing with a 2-9 record with an ERA close to seven.

Playoff ace Curt Schilling never even threw a pitch because he had a bum shoulder. Now, with all of this, the 2008 Boston Red Sox still managed to win 95 games and clinch a wild-card berth.

The positives from the year were the emergence of some young guys. Kevin "YOOOOOOOUK" Youkilis emerged as an elite first baseman by hitting .312 with 29 HR's and 115 RBI. Dustin Pedroia made a huge jump from his Rookie of the Year campaign and hit .326 with 17 HRs 83 RBI and a league-leading 118 runs scored. He even batted cleanup a few times this year after Manny was traded and Lowell and or J.D. Drew were hurt.

Even though Jacoby Ellsbury had a nasty slump that led to him being benched in the playoffs, he managed to swipe 50 bases and score 98 runs while playing Gold Glove defense in center field. Also, Jed Lowrie, took over for Julio Lugo (thank God) halfway through the season and made only one error. He proved he is ready for the big club.

No one made a bigger jump this year than Jon Lester, however. In his first full season since recovering from anaplastic large cell lymphoma, Lester made 33 starts, with a very impressive 16 wins and a nifty 3.21 ERA. Oh yeah, let's not forget, this guy threw a no hitter against the KC Royals on May 19 at Fenway Park (I was lucky enough to be there for that).

Another jump that was made on the mound was the emergence of Justin Masterson. He had been a starter all his life, making his major-league debut in April against the Angels (I too, was there for that...getting the picture?).

When the bullpen was in shambles around July, Masterson was in the minors, prepping for a bullpen role upon his return to the club. He excelled in that role, to the point where he was the set up man for Jonathan Papelbon.

Last but not least, there is Jason Bay. He had some very big shoes to fill when he was acquired for, more or less, Manny Ramirez. Bay received multiple standing O's while he was here, and he very much deserved it. Everyone thought he couldn't play here because of where he played before (Pittsburgh). In 49 games here, he had 37 RBI while supporting a near .300 BA. Bay quickly became a fan favorite.

The 2008 season was very exciting, seeing all of the young players that GM Theo Epstein refused to trade over the years blossom in front of our eyes. HOWEVER, it is time to see what the 2009 Red Sox team can bring. So here it is, position by position, on how I see the '09 Sox breaking down.

Catcher

This is a glaring weakness and also a very tough call on what to do. Varitek, the Captain, is breaking down offensively and something has to be done. I say the Sox do as follows:

Varitek- Re-sign for one year at $8M, with a team option for 2010 at $8M

Trade: Red Sox Trade prospect RHP Michael Bowdon to the Texas Rangers for C Jarrod "Salty" Saltalamacchia.

As much as it hurts me to trade Bowdon, the Sox have a surplus of pitching prospects, and the Sox really need a young catcher who can be tutored under V-Tek and eventually take over for V-Tek. Some other minor prospects might be throw in the deal, but Bowdon and Salty are the main points here.

First Base

As a baseball fan, you probably think, the Red Sox have Kevin Youkilis, they are all set, right? Wrong. Fact remains, Big Papi isn't as dangerous unless there is another huge power bat hitting behind him. No offense to J.D. Drew, Youk, Mike Lowell, or Jason (Hey J-Bay) Bay, they all just cannot cut it.

Maybe Youk can, but that's it. Either way, the Sox make a splash. They will make an inquiry on Prince Fielder, but in the end, they go to the free-agent market. Cash will not be an issue for the Sox, now that Manny's salary is off the books.

Sign: Mark Teixeira 5/$80 with a club option for 2014 at $18M

The Sox don't like long-term commitments (Man-Ram anyone?), but Teix is a different player. He bats for average, power, plays defense, is only 28, has a high OBP, and is a great clubhouse guy. Overall, there is not a better "Red Sox" type player out there.

Second Base

Nothing is changing here. Dustin Pedroia has the position on lock down and is only getting better as he gets more experience. Look for the Sox to at least begin talks of an extension.

Third Base

Well, as much as this kills me to say it, Mike Lowell is done here in Bean Town. He was great while he was here, played awesome defense and even had some pop in that bat. Fact remains that he is going to be 35 when next year starts, and he is coming off of hip surgery.

Theo would probably like to take this re-signing back, at least a little. With the signing of Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis will be back at third and the corners will be younger and quicker.

Trade: Mike Lowell traded to the Cleveland Indians for LHP Zack Jackson

Jackson is a young guy with some upside but nothing major. He will get a crack to win the job out of Spring Training but is probably a September call-up. The Sox will probably have to eat some of Lowell's contract. Lowell will also give the Indians a clubhouse leader and, if healthy, can help them contend for a playoff spot in a very tough A.L. Central. Overall, not a major move, but a possible quality move.

Shortstop

Ugh. This gives me a headache just talking about it. Jed Lowrie is the guy for now, but he clearly was exposed in the playoffs, batting left-handed. He can handle the glove and right now can be an everyday player. Look for the Sox to re-sign a reliable backup, a la Alex Cora, just in case Lowrie struggles. Oh right, I almost forgot, Julio Lugo will be the highest paid backup in MLB. His days as a starter are over.

Left Field

I think Jason Bay proved that he can play in Boston and also play left field with the Monster. Had he played a full season in Boston, he would have had 30+ HR and over 110 RBI. That is more than enough for a No. 6 hitter. Those numbers are definitely in site, especially with Papi, Tex, and Youk in front of you. At $7M for next year, one of the best bargains in baseball. Look for the Sox to try to extend him as well.

Center Field

Jacoby Ellsbury, end of story. Coco Crisp played well at the end of the season and very well in the postseason. But at times this year, when Jacoby struggled, it was a good thing the Sox kept him around. The only way Coco is traded is if he is used to upgrade at catcher.

Other than that, expect No. 10 back as a key bench player. Back to Ellsbury. He is fast, as in lighting fast. He is very exciting to watch, and sure, he struggled at certain points. Fact remains, he was still a rookie. Jacoby is the real deal, plus he plays Tori Hunter like defense in center.

Right Field

J.D. Drew. He had a very good month of June when Big Papi was out. He stepped right into the No. 3 hole and hit .337 with 12 HR. FINALLY, this was the $15M J.D. Drew...not so much.

He later had a buldging disk in his back and missed significant time. When healthy, he will be a great No. 7 hitter on the Sox, still, look for the Sox to resign Mark Kotsay or a player of his type.

This is part one of two for the offseason outlook. The second part will be on the pitching staff. I digress, with the only major moves of signing Tex and trading Lowell, both of these moves can easily be done. The Sox have a lot of money and know where to spend it.

Calling Out All Red Sox Fans

Andrew Otovic — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:51:46 -0400

As an avid Red Sox fan and a disgruntled Fenway Park employee, I have one thing to say. I have never ever been more embarrassed to be a Red Sox fan than I was last night.

Starting at 2:30 pm when the gates opened the park to the fans last night, there was absolutely no energy from anyone. The fans seemed like they didn't want to be there, and could really care less about the game. The crowd last night had the "I'm a rich bastard who goes to a country club so I'm only here because I have the money to do so" attitude.

Working at "The Fens" for four years now, I can tell crowds, good or bad. I can sense excitement in the park, and more importantly I can tell what exactly goes on during the game without actually seeing the game because of volume level.

Last night, though, was a different story.

Last night was despicable. It was lousy, top to bottom. The team is home from a tough game two and what the Sox needed was a boost from the home crowd. What did the crowd do? Nothing.

There was no loud thunderous cheer when the lineups were announced. There was no ovation for Jon Lester as he was warming up. Even fan favorite and Red Sox icon David Ortiz's introduction was minimal.

It's time for Red Sox fans to wake up. This is not a regular season game against the Mariners or the Baltimore Orioles. This is the American League Championship Series and the Sox are three wins away from going back to the World Series.

They're playing against a division rival, and even after all those reasons to cheer, the crowd still made a funeral seem more exciting than Fenway Park last night.

I know Boston loves its Sox, I know Boston is stoked that the Sox are back in the ALCS for the fourth time in six years. However, they call it home field advantage for a reason. It looked like the fans at the game last night were at a tennis match, or even worse, in a library.

This is a baseball game. This is where drunks can scream whatever they want. This is where you talk as loudly as you want, and you get yelled at if you don't.

This is not a Bruins hockey game. This is baseball and this is what defines New England.

The Sox got down early and nobody in the stands tried to pick up the local nine.

Every player and coach and baseball executive talks about how Boston is a special place to play and how much of a thrill it is to play in front of the best fans in baseball night after night.

Well, guess what, Boston? Step up the volume, step up the excitement, and actually be the best fans in baseball.

The way the Fenway crowd was last night, I would have said "I didn't know I worked at PNC Park."

If Boston doesn't step up the crowd level, you'll have six months before the local nine are back again. And it can be a long and cold winter.

Randy Moss: Inconsistent, Not Motivated, Or Just Bad Situation

Andrew Otovic — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:50:04 -0400

The fall in New England is good for only a few things: no school isn't one of them.

Here in New England, the fall brings on the Boston Red Sox in the postseason as well as the start of the NFL season. And around this area, there is a lot of excitement because of the fact that we have (had?) the best team in the NFL.

After last year, starting the year 18-0 and then losing to the Giants, we were ready for this year to start and see our Patriots use that loss as motivation and win another Super Bowl. Of course, all of this was ruined when our franchise player, reigning MVP, and the BEST player in football, Tom Brady was hit on his knee by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard.

But this is Tom Terrific, the Golden Boy, Mr. Perfect, he can't get hurt. Every time he has been hit, he gets right back up. Not this time. This means no Super Bowl, no perfect season, no 50+ touchdowns, and more importantly, no Randy Moss making defenses look stupid and him being the Minnesota Vikings freak of nature Moss.

Yes this is right. I know it is easy to pick on Moss because he has been called a quitter, a bad teammate, and more importantly, selfish. However, in this case, Moss is a New England Patriot because one he knows this team is the best in football year after year.

Secondly, Tom Brady is the best QB in the league and will make Randy a top reciever in the game again. Sure it is easy to say Moss quits on his team, especially when things go wrong. In Minnesota, yes this was true. In Oakland, this was definitely true. Oakland though, he knew going in it was going to be a miserable experience.

Seriously, who in their right mind would think that playing with Andrew Walter as their QB is a good idea? But that was all in the past. Randy Moss is more mature than ever, even to the point where he is one of the offensive captains of the team.

Point I'm making here is this: Randy Moss is not quiting on the Patriots, he would be screwed if he even tried to. Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, Teddy Bruschi, and Bill Belichick would NEVER allow that to happen. This is all on the shoulders of Matt Cassel.

Matt Cassel is not experienced enough and to put this in simple terms: he's not even close to Tom Brady. Drew Hensen is closer to Tom Brady and that's because he was QB in front of Tom at Michigan. See my point?

Cassel doesn't know how to throw the deep ball, which Moss excels in. Moss needs the open field and more importantly, the ball thrown in his direction for him to catch it. Cassel actually under-threw Moss. How the hell do you do that? He burns everybody by ten yards so all you got to do is throw it as far as you can and he'll catch it. Moss only has 11 catches through three games. Or, more or less, on pace for 60 catches which is 30+ less than what he had last year.

Moss demands the ball because he is a playmaker. I once told my buddies that Brady is the most important player to his team. He has won with nobody and he has won with Pro Bowlers. Peyton Manning can't say that and neither can Tony Romo, Eli "the sissy girl" Manning, or Brett Favre.

And with this injury to Tom, this has exactly proven my point. Nobody is the same without him on the field. The running backs can't run because defenses are stacking the box with 9 guys. They are doing this because MATT CASSEL cannot pass the ball. I know it is unfair to bash on Cassel, it is not his fault, but with the team he has, he should only be looking Moss' way. These 5 yard passes won't cut it.

The Pats are a Super Bowl contender and maybe a lock to make it there year in and year out with Brady. With Cassel, they are maybe 9-7. He makes that big of a difference.

All Moss wants to do is win and he knows he is not going to win this year with Cassel as his QB. It is not about the numbers anymore, he is already a Hall Of Fame lock. He wants to win and this year it is not happening. Tom not only runs the offense, he runs the team. That is how important he is to the team.

It is not Moss being lazy and on the verge of being a cancer to the team, it is Brady being injured that has ruined another possible undefeated season and a Super Bowl trip. It just so happened that Moss was the most affected.