Bleacher Report - Articles by Cody Eding

Mark Buehrle's Perfect Game Will Be Last For a While

Cody Eding — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:56:29 -0400

There are not too many ways to better describe a perfect game than, well, perfect.

Given the significance the accomplishment, the words magical, spectacular, or outstanding might also fit the bill.

But one thing is certain. Perfect games do not happen often, and when they do it is a really big deal.

Mark Buehrle's blanking of the Tampa Bay Rays en route to a 5-0 victory for the Chicago White Sox is nothing short of amazing.

With records falling and feats being achieved each and every year, the elusive perfect game has only been completed a handful of times in baseball history. Buehrle's gem is the 17th regular season perfect game to happen in baseball's long and extensive history.

For comparison, consider the all-important home run total. Five-hundred home runs used to be a feat—even Hall of Fame worthy. With the advent of performance-enhancing drugs, 500 home runs is not so noteworthy. There are 25 members in the club; 11 of them have entered since 1990.

A perfect game is a much bigger deal. Think hitting .400 big. And it is only going to get bigger.

As baseball progresses, hitters are going to get even better, bigger, stronger, and faster. Lineups will become more potent.

While pitching will improve, they will still have to cope.

Cope is exactly what Buehrle did, sitting down 27 straight members of the Rays' powerful, star-studded lineup.

B.J. Upton 0-for-3. Carlos Pena 0-for-3. Carl Crawford 0-for-3. Evan Longoria 0-for-3.

And the list goes on.

Of course, all perfect games are never devoid of great defensive plays. In Buehrle's case, credit centerfielder Dewayne Wise's ninth-inning catch that was, simply put, magical.

Buehrle's perfect game is the first since 2004. If history stays its course, it will be a long, long time before we ever see another.

What Joe Dumars Should Have Learned from Brandon Inge

Cody Eding — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:41:09 -0400

Lightning did not strike twice for Joe Dumars.

After the Detroit Pistons' President of Basketball Operations traded fan-favorite Grant Hill away for a couple of no-names in 2000, people questioned his decision.

Four years later, that trade was a driving force behind a Pistons championship team that mopped the Palace floor with the remnants of the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty.

Dumars was a hero.

After coming up short of a championship four years in a row, he pulled off a second questionable move. This time he sent another fan-favorite Chauncey Billups—Detroit's "Mr. Big Shot"—to Denver for the baggage-laden Allen Iverson.

This time Dumars' risk was not rewarded.

Instead, Iverson struggled to fit into an offense that did not feature him, but rather needed ball movement and motion. Now, the former NBA most valuable player has been officially shut down for the remainder of the season, regardless if the fading Pistons can hang on and slide into the playoffs.

Billups, on the other hand, has been the missing link for the 50-win, playoff bound Nuggets.

Trading a fan favorite is risky business, especially when a team is already having success. Just ask the cross town Detroit Tigers.

Less than two years removed from a World Series appearance, Tigers hometown hero Brandon Inge was made expendable by the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins.

There was talk of dealing Inge's inflated salary, and the fans responded. A career .237 hitter created enough uproar to make the Tigers' management reconsider.

Inge returns this year as the Tigers' starting third baseman, partially as a result of Cabrera's inability to field the position. Fan favorite or not, keeping Inge around proved to be a good idea.

Granted, Dumars freed up the remainder of Billups' four-year, $46 million dollar contract and Iverson's salary of nearly $21 million will come off of the books after this season. But, is salary cap space worth risking a once great team not making the playoffs?

No.

The Allen Iverson trade will go down in Pistons history as a complete and utter failure.

Mediocrity: What Detroit Lions Fans Should Expect From Drafted Quarterbacks

Cody Eding — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:48:35 -0500

If there is no other reason for the Detroit Lions to not select a quarterback in this year's draft, they must only look back on their past draft failures. Whether the Lions select Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, or any other quarterback, fans can be guaranteed of one thing—they probably will not be very good as a professional. Since 1979, the Lions have drafted 11 quarterbacks, none of which have gone on to achieve any stardom in the NFL. Some had successful careers as backups elsewhere, but it seems that any quarterback drafted by the Lions is destined to fail in Motown. This list includes first rounders in Chuck Long, Andre Ware and Joey Harrington, but also includes no-names like Jeff Komlo and Mike Machurek. So what exactly does a quarterback drafted by the Lions have to live up to?

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New Coach, Same Old Detroit Lions

Cody Eding — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:32:34 -0500

No matter how it is presented, crap is still crap.

New Head Coach Jim Schwartz could be a step in the right direction for the Detroit Lions, but to expect miracles from him is just plain silly.

Before Lions fans anoint Schwartz as the team's next savior, they must consider the 2009 Lions will return many of the same players from their embarrassing 0-16 campaign this past year.

Coaching staff aside, the 2008 Lions could not even manage a single victory. Over a sixteen-game season, a professional football team should be able to at least squeak out one win.

Why should we expect any different this year?

"Winning is habit," Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi once said.

"Unfortunately," Lombardi added, "so is losing."

The Lions have some bad habits.

Since 2001, they have been the laughingstock of the league, and if Schwartz does nothing else, he must break their past habits.

If he does not, he could join the long list of coaches who quickly found their way out of Detroit.