Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Bullard

Captain Munnerlyn, Kenny McKinley Lead '08 Carolina Gamecocks

Andrew Bullard — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:10:49 -0400

He's one of the fastest corners in the SEC, has fantastic hands, and quarterbacks fear throwing to his side of the field.

I'm talking of course about Captain Munnerlyn, the All-SEC cornerback for the South Carolina Gamecocks who anchors what promises to be one of the league's top defenses.

Sure, Carolina had a major problem stopping the run last year. Perhaps "major" isn't even the correct word when a team gives up over 500 yards on the ground to Arkansas.

However, with the addition of new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, the defense should improve greatly against the run. His approach will combine nicely with their already nationally ranked pass defense, in which Munnerlyn was a key player.

Joining him in the defensive backfield will be speedy free safety Chris Culliver whose excellent hands and 4.28 40-time will reap a score or two off interceptions this season.

The defensive backfield isn't the only strong suit in Carolina this season. Jasper Brinkley returns at linebacker with Freshman All-SEC defensive end Cliff Matthews anchoring the line.

Brinkley missed most of the 2007 season after tearing his ACL, but progressed well in his rehab, and recorded 21 tackles (15 solo) in his four games played during the 2007 season.

Other notable defensive players to watch are All-SEC linebacker Eric Norwood, linebacker Rodney Paulk, and defensive back Emmanuel Cook. The Lindsey twins also return to the Gamecocks' defensive line.

The real question for the Gamecocks is who will step up at quarterback? While there is never a clear-cut answer with Steve Spurrier, Tommy Beecher wouldn't be a bad idea.

Beecher is more mobile than Chris Smelley, and until the offensive line proves it can gel together and block, the Gamecocks need a good all-around quarterback taking snaps.

The strongest piece to this Carolina offense is the receiver corps. Led by All-SEC wide receiver Kenny McKinley, this group should be catching many scores regardless of who lines up under center.

McKinley's SEC-leading 77 receptions set a school-record, while his nine touchdowns tied for second best in the SEC. His decision to return to Carolina for his senior season gives the Gamecocks a solid go-to-receiver.

Right behind McKinley is sophomore receiver Dion Lecorn, who had 16 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns during the season's final three games. He should haul in well over 500 receiving yards in the upcoming season.

Steve Spurrier doesn't make receiving exclusive to the wide-outs. Tight ends Weslye Saunders and Jared Cook (30 receptions, 421 yards) provide talented big men to look to up the middle.

Other notable receivers to watch for include Larry Freeman, Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, and Freddie Brown.

Finally, running backs Mike Davis and Brian Maddox should power the ground attack much like the Davis-Boyd split, which worked so well in past seasons. Davis carried the ball 114 times for 518 yards and five scores in '07.

Also, look for kicker Ryan Succop to rebound from an off-season to continue his record success at Carolina.

Go Away, Jose! Baseball World Better off without Canesco's Book

Andrew Bullard — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:29:29 -0400

Does anyone else have the urge to just somehow make Jose Canseco disappear from baseball forever?

I sure do.

Yes, Juiced opened the door as Canseco's "tell all" life story, which included his steroid use and that of up to "85 percent of major leaguers."

Perhaps 85 percent did use 'roids, perhaps not.

That question isn't in dispute. Regardless of the number, we know a high amount have used some type of illegal performance enhancement drug.

His famous book led to other publications such as Game of Shadows, and of course the famous (or infamous depending how you look at it) Mitchell Report.

Congress, who should be doing far more important things (such as, I don't know, fixing our faltering economy to start with) even began investigating and getting its dirty hands into baseball as a result of Canseco's Juiced.

There is no doubt it served as a major player in ending the "steroid era" of baseball and in bringing about stiffer penalties for illegal performance enhancement uses.

Would baseball be better off without Juiced, though?

I submit to you that it would.

Maybe some of you wouldn't like the fact baseball would be continuing in its illegal drug spree, but the old saying "what you don't know won't hurt you" might have been good for the game.

Think about it. There would be no "I hate Barry" fan clubs, or "Citizens Against Clemens" followings, or even Mark McGwire's pleading of the fifth before Congress had Juiced not come out.

The game would have just continued as it always had and broken records by future Hall of Famers would have been cherished.

That fantasy of course is completely gone now that the book has been out and we know now that arguably the best hitter and best pitcher of our time juiced up.

Sucks doesn't it?

However, Jose can't just stop at Juiced, and he can't stop at a Congressional committee hearing (which he did when they wouldn't let him in the hearings last year).

No, he has a sequel coming out. A sequel! Why does he need a sequel?

Because the Mitchell Report didn't name enough names.

In this sequel, of all things, Alex Rodriguez is accused of trying to find an illegal performance enhancement consultant (is there really such a person?) and also of hitting on Jose's wife.

It seems to me this whole steroids thing has gotten way out of hand. Does anyone remember the Salem Witch Hunt, by chance?

Canseco had a good career, but is he really spilling the truth or is he leading this hunt to somehow restore his reputation just a little and bank off the book royalties?

85 percent is a high number. I guess in the end only Jose knows if he is completely telling it all or just screwing with the game.

My proposed solution was stated earlier, and I'll state it again.

Jose, please, for the love of the game, just go away.

NCAA Baseball: Aluminum Never Sounded Sweeter

Andrew Bullard — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:48:44 -0400

There is no CRACK. There are no broken bats or even splinters. No multi-million dollar deals, and certainly no steroid juicing.

The crowds are smaller, but tend to have just as much excitement, even more in some cases, at ball games.

The players are younger, full of raw talent. They celebrate every home run as if it were their first.

I'm talking, of course, about college baseball. Less popular among many campuses around the country, but just as exciting at times as watching a Michigan-Ohio State football game.

Sure, the rules are different. Runners can't intentionally break up double plays by sliding into a fielder and they can't railroad catchers in an attempt to reach home safely.

Wooden bats are replaced with aluminum at this level, and the DH is used across the board for every conference.

Maybe this does take a little bit from the game, but for me it's a small subtraction in a college sport which has yielded some of the greatest games I have ever seen.

What other major NCAA sport has the Rice Owls as a national champion? In what other sport is the Big West Conference a national powerhouse?

Players are inclined to give everything they have and then some in an attempt to make the June Draft and sign that six-figure contract. They are not concerned with endorsements or contract extensions, and certainly not with covering up any type of illegal substance use.

You might say these players have a true love for the game seemingly less present in some major leaguers.

"Quit" isn't a word any are used to. It's Omaha or die.

And "bust" is an unsuitable word for players who long to share the same spotlight that Will Clark, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Jeff Brantley did in the College World Series.

What about the College World Series?

It's a double-elimination bracket format with a best-of-three series for the final two teams standing (which my Gamecocks could have taken perhaps with their amazing pitching staff of 2002).

Not quite the MLB format, but just as exciting. Omaha comes alive once a year as teams duke it out, often in extra-inning thrillers, to earn the right to be called "Champion."

So which eight teams have a shot at making it to Omaha this season? Any number of teams really can make it, but here are my eight as we begin to reach the mid-point of the season.

1. Arizona State (22-1)

2. North Carolina (18-4)

3. UC Irvine (16-2)

4. Vanderbilt (14-6)

5. Texas (16-6)

6. South Carolina (15-5)

7. Miami (FL) (17-2)

8. Wichita State (14-3)

These rankings are not based on any type of ability. By season's end they should all have very similar records. All eight are close in ability and could easily make it to Omaha should they avoid the early round upset (i.e. No. 1 Vanderbilt's Regional loss to Michigan last year).

Other teams with a shot to make it to the College World Series include Florida State, Long Beach State, Rice, Kentucky, Arizona, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, California, Florida, and Mississippi.

Atlanta Braves Controversy: How Do John Smoltz, Tom Glavine Factor In?

Andrew Bullard — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:40:14 -0400

Many of you have come across a recent article I published entitled "Atlanta Braves: Elderly Team Needs New, Younger Makeover." This article has been the spark of an interesting debate over Atlanta's current roster makeup.

I feel compelled to provide more clarification in order for my point to be completely understood by those who ardently are opposed to "dead weight."

Since "dead weight" has been the biggest piece of controversy, let's start there. The norm seems to be that this phrase means Braves' veterans, specifically John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, lack talent.

On the contrary. They are very talented players (Smoltz had 197 strikeouts and 14 wins last season).

This phrase is inserted to imply their contracts as the point to this piece is younger, talented players are much more affordable and can provide stability.

Smoltz resigned with Atlanta during last season, which could potentially bring his contract through 2010 and cost $38 million over that period.

Glavine signed a one-year $8 million contract in the offseason.

With Mark Teixeira becoming a free agent at the end of the season (and don't forget his agent is Scott Boras), the Braves could have saved the $8 million and used it for the eventual enormous multi-year deal Boras will be asking.

That's just an example of what could have been done with the $8 million. Obviously, there are other things which could have been addressed.

For instance, signing Corey Patterson instead of trading for the oft-injured Mark Kotsay as your short-term center fielder. Patterson provides more speed and a better bat.

Can Atlanta win a pennant this season with Glavine and Smoltz anchoring their staff? Absolutely.

Is it beneficial in the long run for the Braves to have these players on their roster? I am not so sure.

Atlanta, remember, allowed Maddux and Glavine to both walk away several years earlier because of long-term budget concerns. My point is essentially that.

I would like to see Atlanta re-sign Teixeira with no problem and build its team (more specifically the pitching staff) around a core of young pitchers as the '91 Braves did.

Perhaps that is next year and not this year, however, I would have liked to have seen it in 2008.

So, are Smoltz and Glavine examples of players becoming (a key phrase at the end of the article most missed) dead weight?

My answer is yes. It's not that they have no talent (though Glavine has struggled more over the last few seasons) or they cannot help Atlanta in any way. It is looking at a long-term approach two or three seasons ahead.

Does it allow Atlanta to sign or trade for high caliber younger players?

Does it allow them to develop younger players and get them to the major league level quicker?

I'm not sure it does.

Disagreements are quite fine, and I'm glad the article has sparked so much discussion.

However, before questioning this writer's loyalty and devotion to a team, attempt to understand his perspective.

Perhaps the article was not written well enough for the main point to come across. For that I apologize.

I also apologize if it offended Mr. Glavine or Mr. Smoltz (should they have somehow read it).

If they took it to mean I thought they had no talent or ability left for this season, that was not my intent. My article was pinpointing a long-term approach.

Hope this helps.

Atlanta Braves: Elderly Team Needs New, Younger Makeover

Andrew Bullard — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:11:35 -0400

Whenever I see the word "pitching" I can't help, but think about the Atlanta Braves.

It was their staple for so many seasons during that amazing eleven consecutive division title run. Braves' greats such as Steve Avery, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz anchored one of the best staffs in baseball throughout the 90s.

Atlanta hardly lacked with position players either. Ron Gant, Chipper Jones, Fred McGriff, David Justice, and Andruw Jones helped continue the Braves successful run.

What exactly was the key to this great string of success for Atlanta?

The answer is quite simple—youth.

The Braves became well known for their top-notch farm system under General Manager John Schuerholz (1991-2007). Players weren't thrust to the major league level with raw talent (which happens many times), but rather that talent was harnessed and developed in the minor league system until the prospect was ready. For some it was a few seasons and others it only took one or two to make it to the Big Show.

What resulted was an influx of highly talented young players who would help Atlanta compete for a pennant year after year. Since these players weren't talented veterans, their contracts were cheap and the Braves could ride arms like that of John Smoltz or Andruw Jones' bat for several seasons at a low cost.

Why was this significant?

The lower paying contracts on young and talented players allowed Atlanta to spend the money on the veteran stars such as Gary Sheffield.

All those greats I mentioned earlier (save Maddux and McGriff) were products of Atlanta's farm system. Maddux and McGriff serve as examples of a freed up budget allowing acquisitions of star players. The core of Atlanta's success has clearly been its younger players.

Entering into the 2008 season the Braves are showing signs of similarity with their 1991 team. Jeff Francouer, Brian McCann, Yunel Escobar, Chuck James, and Kelly Johnson are all rising young stars Atlanta is able to ride cheaply on (with the exception of McCann whose contract was restructured). The addition of star Mark Teixeira was made possible in part due to Atlanta's younger player contracts.

However, little talented youth is to be found anywhere else.

John Smoltz, a fan favorite, is obviously an ageless wonder, but at some point in the near future will have to step down.

Tom Glavine may help younger pitchers with his knowledge, but he does little to help Atlanta win a pennant.

Jo-Jo Reyes and Jair Jurrjens aren't ready to be big league starters and Mark Kotsay is hardly a valuable replacement to Andruw Jones. The Braves are burdened with either too much raw talent or too little youth in their pitching staff and reserves to start the season.

Not to say Atlanta can't turn this tide later in the season. Perhaps Reyes and Jurrjens will be ready in the second half of the year and its not out of the realm of possibility that Josh Anderson, Matt Diaz, Anthony Lerew, and Jeff Ridgeway become regulars in the Braves lineup by season's end.

Still, until these younger players harness their raw talent and have significant time at the major league level, Atlanta will still be in a rebuilding process that extends into this year.

The key for a return to NL glory will be the development of these young stars and the departure of what is becoming dead weight.