Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt Matejcek

The State of the Raiders Address: Part I

Matt Matejcek — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:44:11 -0400

At an extremely bleak 1-4, the historic and once respected Oakland Raiders find themselves once again the laughing stock of the National Football League. Lane Kiffin is out after his back-to-back tough losses to Buffalo and San Diego (two playoff-caliber teams, might I add), and after last Sunday's 34-3 embarrassment at New Orleans, new head coach Tom Cable finds himself off to a bad start.

This Sunday, Oakland welcomes Brett Favre's New York Jets, in what may be the most crucial game of Oakland's young season.

Though Kiffin was 1-3, he was able to do something in three of those four games that Cable didn't do this past Sunday and wasn't very present before the Kiffin era began: the Raiders were actually competitive. Just think about how different this team would be if Buffalo hadn't hit a game-winning FG or if San Diego didn't get that fourth-quarter magic—the team would have headed into New Orleans last Sunday with a 3-1 record and Kiffin still as their coach.

Nevertheless, things have played out differently, and if this past game is any indication of what fans can expect from Oakland this season, then we may very well be hyping the Raiders getting the No. 1 draft pick.

Do I really think this team is bad enough for a 1-15 or 2-14 season? No. There's just too much talent on this team (especially once Justin Fargas rejoins the team), and there will be games that the Raiders' talent will override bad coaching. Despite their defensive laps against New Orleans and San Diego (really only the fourth quarter), Oakland is still a great defensive team.

As for offense, this is JaMarcus Russell's "growing pains" year, and I do see him continuing to improve. He only has two interceptions thrown on the season, both of those coming recently, so it's a great sign to see Russell taking care of the ball.

The running game, though inconsistent, will prove to be the bright spot on the offense, as the combination of Fargas and McFadden is one of the deadliest in the league. Let's not forget about Michael Bush, either.

The Raiders' offense, however, will continue to be lackluster if the wide-receiving corps doesn't improve (Ronald Curry hasn't lived up to potential this year). Despite the coaching issues and disappointing losses, I still see this team worthy of a .500 record if they can continue to improve on both sides of the ball.

That brings me to this week's upcoming game against the New York Jets. The Raiders have home-field advantage, and the Jets, though they're coming off a big win, probably aren't as good as a Brett Favre team would appear to be. This game is certainly winnable, and it's what I believe to be the most crucial game of the Raiders' season thus far.

If Oakland lays another egg and gets embarrassed at home, the fans may very well riot. However, an upset over the New York "Bretts" would be just what this franchise needs in these uneasy times.

If DeAngelo Hall can keep his head on his shoulders and prevent the big play from Favre's arm, the Oakland run-D should be able to prevent scoring opportunities. The Jets' defense isn't too impressive, so a balanced attack of McFadden's legs and Russell's arm (maybe even Janikowski's foot) should lead to an Oakland upset.

Whether you like Al Davis or not, he is and will continue to be the owner of the Oakland Raiders. Whether you agree or disagree with the firing of Lane Kiffin (I particularly disagree), Tom Cable is the coach. These two things about the Raiders' staff may be a "sad, but true" case, but I don't think it'll prevent the team's improvement in the long run.

Let's all just try to be optimistic about this team and hold our panicking until after the result of the Jets game; for a 1-5 start would be tragic to this team and its fans.

-MM

Players Not Named Monta Ellis That Will Get The Warriors To The Playoffs

Matt Matejcek — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:17:34 -0400

This may very well be Don Nelson's final year coaching in the National Basketball Association. With a Hall of Fame coaching career under his belt, Nelson still hasn't won a championship, and if that title is going to come this year, then it's going to rest on the performance of the Warriors' young and exciting talent.

So Monta Ellis is out until the end of December. That sentence alone sends shivers down my spine. Call me optimistic, however, but I'm just not ready to count this team's playoff chances out just yet. Last year, the Warriors got off to an 0-6 start while Captain Jack was serving his suspension, which proved to be critical in Golden State's season as they just barely missed the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

This season, with the basic swap of Baron Davis for Corey Maggette, the Warriors are going to have to at least play mediocre basketball while Ellis is out in order to contend down the road. Hoping they can at least have a .500 record upon his return, Ellis' spark should give a power surge to the team's performance on the court. However, this team alone at full strength may not be enough to get the Warriors past those other tough, competitive Western teams and into the playoffs.

What it will come down to will be the performance of three players: one that is coming into his second year in the league, one coming into his third, and one who will be putting on his Warriors jersey for the first time. Let's start with the third and move our way to the first.

Corey Maggette

This is the most obvious of the three because it's as simple as this: if Maggette doesn't score over 20 points per game, the Warriors will tank without Ellis in their lineup. He was a beast last year for the lifeless Clippers, scoring 22.1 points per game, and having to fill the shoes of Davis' 21.8, Maggette is going to prove that he can still be the scoring threat that he was last season.

Kelenna Azubuike

I don't know about you, but I was almost positive that Azubuike was gone after the Los Angeles Clippers made that offer in the offseason. However, the Warriors wisely matched and Azubuike finds himself still in the Bay Area (thankfully). With Ellis out for the time being, Azubuike, (probably more than any other player on the team,) is going to have to show his guts on the court.

Although he only averaged 8.5 points per game last season, it seemed like every single basket made was timely and key to a Warriors victory. If Kelenna keeps dropping those three-pointers and lives up to his potential this season, he'll easily average double digit points and find himself a crucial part to the Warriors' success.

Marco Belinelli

Don Nelson has never been too fond of playing young and inexperienced players, but trust me, Nelson knows what Belinelli is capable of and he'll let this guy shoot. In the Oct. 11th preseason game against the Thunder (still not used to that name), Belinelli carried the team with 22 points and 6 assists. The guy has ridiculous weapons—look for him to be the No. 1 weapon coming off the bench for Nelson this season.

I'm not predicting a championship. Too many things would have to go right for the Warriors to be that good, that soon. However, if these three players hold their own and Monta Ellis comes back strong for the Warriors, this team will find themselves in the postseason and as all Golden State fans know, anything can happen once you're in the playoffs.

-MM

Looking Ahead to a Giant Offseason

Matt Matejcek — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:09:15 -0400

The 2007-08 offseason for the San Francisco Giants was not flashy by any means whatsoever. With Aaron Rowand as their only notable acquisition, the team seemed to be making it clear to the fans that the upcoming season would be a showcase for their prospects.

Spring training was a harrowing experience to follow - Barry Zito struggled heavily, Noah Lowry walked nine in a game and revealed an arm injury, Kevin Frandsen had a season-ending injury as well, and no one seemed to be swinging the bat very well at all. Even though the Giants finished the 2008 season a meek 72-90, many fans were pleasantly surprised with the competitiveness and heart that the team showed.In their first season without slugger Barry Bonds, the Giants actually improved their record (which was a disappointing 71-91 the year before).

Without a doubt, the "rebuilding year" that was 2008 revealed exciting young players such as Fred Lewis, Emmanuel Burriss, John Bowker, and Pablo Sandoval, thus building a sense of excitement for how good the team could potentially be in 2009. With the National League West seeming to be consistently up for grabs year after year, the Giants are entering one of the most important offseasons in over a decade - buckle up and hold on tight!

Brian Sabean has to have a chip on his shoulder by now. The 2003 Executive of the Year, Sabean recently landed an extension through the 2009 season despite the recent criticism he received for overpaying Barry Zito. Could there be a better opportunity for Sabean to shake things up and show that he still deserves his job? Let's take a look at the areas that need to be covered and what areas should be left untouched:

Pitching:

The Giants are primed to have one of the best starting rotations in the league next year. It depends largely on Noah Lowry's successful return and whether or not Jonathan Sanchez can regain his composure. Picture this rotation: Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, Noah Lowry, and Jonathan Sanchez (I throw Zito before Cain only to mix the righties with the lefties). Brian Wilson surpassed expectations as the closer and cemented his role in that position. As for everything in between, Sabean has his work cut out for himself. Sergio Romo, Keiichi Yabu, and Alex Hinshaw were all bright spots, but lefty-specialist Jack Taschner seemed overpitched and Tyler Walker was just plain terrible. Assuming Romo gets the set-up spot he deserves and Hinshaw takes over the role as the number one lefty in the 'pen, Sabean is going to have to find some long-relief arms that will smoothen out the gap between the starter and the closer. Some potential good moves would be bringing in such free agents as Juan Cruz (who was simply dominant for Arizona) and even former Giant Scott Eyre.

Hitting:

Basically, the Giants didn't hit any homeruns at all this year. Don't get me wrong; I love Bengie Molina, but he should never be the biggest threat in your lineup. But what real holes can be filled without trading away current starters?

Ponder it for a moment: the Giants have their outfield locked up (at least for now) with Rowand, Winn, and Lewis. Burriss should platoon either 2B or SS, Sandoval either 3B or 1B, and Molina catching. If Burriss took over as the full-time 2B, the Giants could pursue the likes of Orlando Cabrera, Rafael Furcal, Edgar Renteria, or David Eckstein. Mark Teixeira is out there as well, and if the Giants were to lock him up for a long-term deal (moving Sandoval to 3B), then they would have bought themselves about 3 or 4 years of division titles.

But maybe Sabean will want to look elsewhere for deals. ESPN's Peter Gammons started the swirling rumors about a Matt Cain for Prince Fielder deal that would certainly shake both teams up, but leave the Giants without a future star pitcher. Personally, I would like to see the Giants cut a deal with Colorado for Matt Holliday. I would give up Jonathan Sanchez, Fred Lewis, and minor league prospects for Holliday, who has the potential to win multiple MVPs in his career (he's hit over .320 each of the last three seasons, hitting .340 in 2007). Either that, or Sabean would have to ship Winn somewhere to make room in that packed outfield. Regardless of the decisions made this upcoming offseason, there are so many different paths to take that could instantly boost what was a lack-luster offense this past season.

Hopefully after reading this, more of you will get excited about what could be an amazing offseason for the Giants. I think Sabean has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and 2009 will be the start of a new era in San Francisco Giants baseball.

-MM

Who SHOULD Win the NL/AL MVP, But Won't

Matt Matejcek — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:46:02 -0400

With the Major League Baseball season coming to a conclusion Sunday night (excluding the Tigers/White Sox makeup game), two things are being talked about amongst the fans and sports writers: playoffs and awards.

Though there's nothing more exciting than playoffs, in my opinion, but I'm going to be taking some time to discuss the latter of the two—more specifically, the Most Valuable Player award.

Much has been debated about the MVP award in the past, like whether or not it should go to the all-around best hitter or the person most valuable to their team's success, and without a doubt, this season in particular has drawn more dissection of the term "Most Valuable Player" than any other.

In my opinion, the award is what its letters stand for: the award for the player whose performance has been the most crucial to his team's success. With that said, I present you the two players who should be awarded the MVP, but will most likely be snubbed.

The National League

In the National League, three players stand out in my mind: the Cardinals' Albert Pujols, the Dodgers' Manny Ramirez, and the Phillies' Ryan Howard.

I'll just simply start out by saying who will probably win the award, and it will be Pujols, based completely on his numbers. Should he win the award though?

The fact of the matter is, the Cardinals couldn't keep up with both the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers (and even the Houston Astros down the stretch), and it goes to show a powerful hitter can only take you so far (i.e. Josh Hamilton and the always disappointing Rangers).

He was a dominating hitter, but whether or not that player's team makes the playoffs should be taken into consideration.

With that said, the Dodgers are in the playoffs, and if you look at Manny's stats since the big three-team deal at the trade deadline, you'll see he's been one of the best, if not the best, in the National League. Look at his team, too—they acquired his bat and ran away with the division.

Is that being valuable? Definitely. Unfortunately for Dodger fans, the one thing that's going to knock Manny out of the MVP race (and rightfully so) is the fact that he only played half a season in the NL.

Much like CC Sabathia won't be winning the National League Cy Young award, Manny will have to wait to play a full year in the league before he can rightfully win the award that his numbers show he deserves.

That leaves one man: Ryan Howard. Howard is the only player to have a combination of what both Pujols and Ramirez have on their side, and it's what makes Howard my pick for the "should be MVP" award.

Though Howard only batted .251 (which would be the lowest batting average of any MVP award winner), Howard led the majors in home runs with 48 (11 more than Pujols), and RBI (30 more than Pujols).

Unlike Pujols, Howard's bat was able to surge his team past the division-leading Mets and make them the odds-on favorite to contend with the Chicago Cubs for that NL pennant.

He wasn't nearly as dominating for his team as Ramirez was for Los Angeles, who also deserves credit for surging his team past the division-leading Diamondbacks, but Howard consistently slugged home runs and drove in RBI throughout the entire MLB season, not just half.

So without a doubt in my mind, the "should be" winner of the NL MVP is Ryan Howard.

The American League

Now, this one is a tad bit more interesting and detailed, as I'm narrowing it down to Red Sox's little-man Dustin Pedroia and Twins' slugger Justin Morneau.

Let's just get right to it and say the player that will end up winning it will most likely be Dustin Pedroia, and trust me, he deserves all the praise he can get for what he did for his team after Manny bolted for Los Angeles.

Should he win the award? Maybe. I only say "maybe" because in this particular case, it all lies on the shoulders of the Chicago White Sox and whether or not they can slip by the Minnesota Twins into the playoffs.

If the Twins do make the playoffs; however, then the award should go to Justin Morneau. Yes, Pedroia just barely missed a batting title. Yes, Pedroia showed great leadership on a team that was searching for its identity.

But whom did the Red Sox really beat out for their playoff spot? The AL East was really a two-team race with the Yankees somehow lowering themselves to Blue Jay-ish standards of winning, and both the Twins and White Sox struggled down the stretch, basically taking themselves out of wild-card contention.

There really wasn't any "we need [insert player's name here] to step up and carry us into the playoffs" feeling in Boston this year, though I will credit him, as well as Youkilis, Lowell, and Ortiz, for keeping the ship afloat after Ramirez left.

What's undeniable though is what Justin Morneau did for his team. Though his .302 batting average doesn't stack up to Pedroia's, Morneau still went deep six more times than him and (most importantly) drove in 129 runs—and for those keeping count, that's a whopping 46 more RBI than Pedroia.

Look at what the Twins did this year, too. They weren't expected by anyone whatsoever to contend in the A.L. Central (sorry again, Detroit fans) and they were still able to catch the White Sox, who had a very sizable lead in the division.

After losing Torii Hunter and Johan Santana in the offseason, and not having Michael Cuddyer healthy, this was a team that had to dig down deep and find a way to get victories.

I know Dustin Pedroia was the "spark plug" for Boston, but so were so many other players on that team. Let's just give him the title of captain of the team for his efforts and just leave it at that.

Pending the Twins' playoff game with the White Sox (and that's why it was a "maybe" earlier), the A.L. MVP should be, but probably won't be, Justin Morneau.

-MM