Phil Jackson: A Study in Over-ratedness

Overrate – to rate, estimate, or value too highly

Phil Jackson is the most overrated coach in NBA history. I am sick and tired of hearing about Phil Jackson being the greatest coach of all time. Phil Jackson is probably a good poker player...he knows when he has a good hand, and he knows when to fold. I also find him to be a certifiable quack. Here's the thing, name me one time, ONE TIME, in the playoffs where you watched a Bulls or Lakers Jackson-coached team and felt like Jackson outcoached the other coach. I certainly can't think of one. Jackson coaches the Spurs in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007 and he maybe makes it out of the West and wins two titles. Popovich won four. Let's go back and figure out where this "Jackson is the Zen-master/greatest coach ever!!” stuff started.

Summer 1984 - the Bulls select Michael Jordan. Obviously, 95% of basketball people feel Jordan is the best ever. Jordan probably, at current time (ask me again when LeBron has three rings), is the greatest basketball player ever. It pains me to say that, because I personally have no love for Jordan. I think he is a competition-addicted jerk who happened to have been put on this earth to be a dick to people and play basketball. He did both incredibly well. So, Jordan is a Bull and starts his assault on the record books. It shouldn't have been a surprise he was so good, so soon He was coming off being the Naismith Player of the Year at North Carolina. (Note to Larry Bird: Not all UNC players that won player of the year should be a lottery pick, especially if they are white, slow, and undersized).

Before the 87-88 season, the Bulls got Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen. I’ve always felt Pippen is one of the most underrated players ever. Jordan got the pub, Pippen got the steals and boards. Many people argue that Pippen was nothing without Jordan. Remember when Jordan "retired"? Look at Pippen's stat line that year (22.0 pts, 8.7 reb, 5.6 ast, 2.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game, while shooting 49.1% from the field and a career-best 32% from threes, First team All-NBA, finished 3rd in MVP voting), and don’t forget he averaged 12,6,5, and 1.5 steals for the 1999 Portland team that should have went to the finals.

Back to the Bulls. 1987-1988 they got 50 wins and went to the Eastern Conference Semis. 88-89 they get Cartwright, win 47 games and lose 4-2 in the Eastern Conference finals to Detroit. Then, Boom. Coaching change. Phil is the man at the helm. Anybody who tells me Doug Collins couldn’t have taken this CONTINUALLY IMPROVING team to the finals is drunk. Anyway, Phil comes in; they get Stacey King and BJ Armstrong and lose to Detroit in the Eastern Finals again. Everybody knows what happened in the 89-90 season. Jordan won MVP, his 5th scoring title and his first NBA championship. The “triangle offense”, designed by Tex Winter, NOT Phil Jackson was in full effect. I’m sure many of AAU coaches used a form of this offense first, but they called it, “let’s have out best player do most of the ball handling and shooting and let him go one-on-one a lot”. Is it smart to run with Jordan? Yes. Smart with Kobe? Yes. A brilliant basketball scheme? Hardly.

So Phil and the Bulls win three straight rings, Jordan leaves, Pippen is the man. Scottie played great these years, as shown by the stats I presented earlier, but they couldn’t get past the Eastern Conference Semis running the genius Triangle offense without Jordan. The great Phil has seemingly lost control of his team a little bit. Pippen didn’t even want to take the game-winning shot which led to the infamous Kukoch incident. Here is a mystery of Phil I’ve always wondered…he is considered great for having great relationships with his players, what the hell happened when Jordan left? A lot of whining and bitching happened in Chicago. That’s what happened.

Jordan comes back at the end of the 94-95 season, and is in tip-top playing shape by the time the 95-96 season rolled around. The Bulls also acquired the four-time defending rebound champion and first-team All-NBA defensive player Dennis Rodman. Many people praise Jackson for his handling of Rodman. I feel everybody forgets that Rodman won championships with Detroit, had almost a father-son relationship with coach Chuck Daily, and was the FOUR TIME DEFENDING REBOUNDING CHAMPION! People act like Phil inherited a outcast delinquent, crazy-haired idiot who couldn’t play a lick of basketball or get along with anybody. That is false. Rodman had won before pretty much everywhere he went, even though San Antonio didn’t win a title with him, and I have found this strange relationship between winning, and notorious head-cases being well-behaved. Jordan scoring 30 a game and winning titles held Rodman in check, not Phil Jackson.

So Jordan is back, Rodman and Pippen are happy because they are winning, Chicago has the deepest bench in the league led by Toni Kukoch, and they win three straight titles again. This is about as shocking as LeBron’s high school team winning the state title. Any homeless person off the street could have coached those teams to a title. (I say homeless person, because Jim O’Brian has a home somewhere in the Indianapolis suburbs I assume, so that counts him out.) Jordan and Pippen were two of the best 10 players in the league, with Jordan head and shoulders above anybody else.

Jordan leaves after the 97-98 season, and here is a surprise…so does Phil. This is like the college coach (Calapari) who leaves the school with recruiting penalties and an empty cupboard. Better not try and take a non-championship team and build a winner. We’ll leave that for other people. In that same 97-98 season, the Los Angeles Lakers won 61 games and went to the Western Conference finals with Shaq leading the way and becoming the most dominant force in basketball.

That 98-99 season was shortened by a lockout, but the Lakers were coming into their own with Shaq being the best player in basketball and Kobe quietly becoming the new MJ. The Lakers were no doubt on their way to being the elite NBA team….Seems like a good time for Phil to swoop in. I imagine the call went something like this…”Is Kobe the best swingman in the NBA yet? So the triangle offense works with him? Nobody can stop Shaq? Can I sleep during games and still win them? Ok, you got yourself a deal!” Phil Jackson is a Laker.

2000, 2001, 2002 the Lakers are NBA champions. Phil has won nine rings now. All rings he won was with the best player in the NBA, whether it be Jordan, or the Shaq/Kobe teams, which really, either could be considered the best in the game. 2003 saw some tensions coming to the surface in L.A. Tensions bubbled up between Kobe and Shaq and between Kobe and Phil. The Lakers did not reach the finals, losing the San Antonio. The 2003-2004 team was supposed to be the greatest team in NBA history when the Lakers acquired Karl Malone and Gary Payton. This didn’t really work out for Phil and the Lakers as they coasted to the finals, only to be physically dominated by the better coached Detroit Pistons team led by Larry Brown. This loss was apparently too much, and Phil called it quits. He likely knew Shaq was going to be shipped out of town, which he was to Miami.

Jackson took a year off to regroup and returned to the Lakers in the 2005-06 season, only to lose in the first round of the playoffs. In 2006-07 they did the same, losing in the first round. By the 2007-08 season, the Lakers had retooled and were once again loaded with talent. They eventually won the West, but lost in the finals to Boston where Phil was outcoached by Doc Rivers. Congratulations Phil, you were the first coach to ever be outcoached by Doc Rivers, and that includes Vinny Del Negro.

2008-09 was when the Lakers got sick of losing and got Odom and Kobe on the same page. Kobe had a chip on his shoulder averaging 25, 5 and 4.6 for the season. The emergence of Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum, and Sasha Vujacic helped fuel the Lakers through the playoffs. Derek Fisher also ran a tight ship at the point guard, and the mid-season acquisition of Pau Gasol put the Lakers in a league of their own in regards to team talent. The Lakers did in fact capture the NBA title last year beating Orlando 4-1 in the finals, although many felt Orlando outplayed the Lakers in three of the first four games, just didn’t make the shots when it mattered, even though they had them. DO NOT tell me this is a sign of good coaching that the Lakers won these games while being outplayed. The Magic had the plays drawn up to beat the Lakers, just missed some timely shots. That’s luck, not coaching.

So here we are again in 2010 with the Lakers as the favorites to win the title. Phil is going for his 11th title. Impressive number, but not so impressive when you think of how he won those titles. The front offices of Chicago and Los Angeles deserve a lot of the credit, and the parents of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaq deserve most of it by giving their sons super-human basketball skills. Phil will go down as one of the greatest coaches of all time. His resume says this is true, however, a true basketball fan should recognize him for what he is: an overrated coach who was in the right place at the right time, coaching teams that 98% of NBA coaches would have won the title with.

The Lakers will likely win this series against Oklahoma City either tomorrow night in OKC or Sunday in L.A., but these young Thunder and Scotty Brooks have given him more than he can handle. It is a shame because the Thunder have taken me on a wild ride this last week or two. I haven’t enjoyed a series this much in a long time. ESPN writer Bill Simmons made a good point when he asked why it took Phil five games to figure out Russell Westbrook had been running Fisher ragged and he needed to have Kobe guard him. If L.A. people say he did this to save Kobe’s legs the first few games, then why didn’t he do it right away, sweep the series, and save his legs for a week while waiting for their second round opponent? Popovich would have.
Rumors are placing Phil Jackson in New York or Chicago next season, depending on where LeBron, Wade, and Bosh end up. Is it a surprise that Jackson is trying to cut and run from L.A. with Kobe starting to show his age, and the best player in the world (LeBron) coming into the prime of his career? Absolutely not.

I don’t mean to say Phil is a bad coach. I personally think he is nothing special, but he has won 10 titles. If this means his greatest attribute is that he is smart enough to not try and micro-manage people like Kobe, Jordan and Shaq, then so be it. He isn’t horrible. He is, however, overrated. To say Phil Jackson is a better coach than people like Popovich, Larry Brown, or Jerry Sloan is blasphemy. Phil Jackson needs to inherit a team like the 2010 Kings and take them to the promise land before I will be convinced he is anything but a good businessman who gets himself in situations where he has to do little work and just give the ball to the greatest player in the NBA. Zen is for monks and hippies, not basketball players.

Spring Preview/Review

It is that special time of year that sees each major sport (sorry, I'm excluding hockey, and if you want to talk NASCAR...shoot yourself) in a critical part of the year. The NFL draft is going on. The MLB season is about 15 games deep and teams are starting to make impressions. The NBA playoffs are underway, or as the Pacers call it "the offseason". And college football teams are having spring games and basketball teams are figuring out who they are losing to the NBA, or in Iowa's case, to MVC schools. With all that action going on, it is time for me to give my thoughts on only my teams. I plan on doing a full MLB early impressions column soon, and I'm going to hold off a couple weeks on the Iowa football and basketball previews because I want to see what Fran McCaffery does with recruiting this spring.


Vikings -

The Vikings draft has been real confusing to me. I understand the trade of the first round pick to Detroit, it has financial benefits to the Vikes, but I was under the impression we were going to try and take someone like Jimmy Claussen or Taylor Mays. Both were available. Claussen may be a douche, but at least he has potential to be a franchise quarterback. I don't like Claussen, but you have to see he has more promise than Tarvaris Jackson. I'm sorry, but I'm not a Tarvaris fan. I know lots of people, including Brad Childress is, but I'm not feeling him.

Anyway, we picked Chris Cook from Virginia, then traded up to get Toby Gerhart from Stanford. I like the Gerhart pick better than the Cook pick. Cook is a safety that the Vikings are planning to convert to cornerback. I could actually see Gerhart being Jim Kleinsasser 2.0.

In other Vikings news: does anybody actually think Bret Favre is not returning? I mean the guy has a great receiving core with Rice, Harvin and Berrian, along with Shiancoe at tight end. He has possibly the best running back in the NFL in Adrian Peterson, when he holds on to the ball that is. Good offensive line, good defense, creepy coach that would gladly give him sexual favors if he wanted. Favre has it made. Also, if there was any doubt in the organization, don't you think they would have taken Claussen?

The main questions the Vikes still need to address involve cornerbacks, quarterbacks and runningbacks. The cornerback position is solid if healthy. If Cedric Griffin is unhealthy, this Chris Cook pick could have to prove itself real quick. The quarterback question is solved real quick also with a simple "I'm coming back" from the Silver Fox. The running back position is more dicey. AP is a man. That is no secret. It is also no secret that Chester Taylor was a great insurance policy. AP has his fumbling problems and (God forbid) a history of injury in college. He runs hard. Guys that run that hard have a tendency to get hurt. Let's all pray that doesn't happen, but if it does, we need a backup, and I don't mean Toby Gerhart. That Tomlinson rumor had us all excited but didn't happen. Let's get Brian Westbrook and see how he fares being the backup. I think his playmaking and pass catching out the backfield would be ideal.

Finally, what the fuck is going on with the Vikings opening up in New Orleans? You're telling me we have to go down there, get fisted by the officials in that overtime when Greenway stopped that fourth down, then go back down for our very next meaningful game and see the fucking Saints receive their Super Bowl Championship ring that has eluded our franchise forever?!? Fuck you NFL.

Indians -

Ah my beloved Indians. These guys have had a roller coaster 15 games so far. The book on the Tribe this year is terrible starting pitching but good lineup. That could not be less true. The starters have been great. Carmona looks dirty again, both his pitches and him in general. Westbrook looks healthier every start. Justin Masterson needs to cut down his walks, but has looked like he has good stuff. David Huff has looked like 2007 Jeremy Sowers reincarnate, but with better stuff and a better ERA. Mitch Talbot has been the real bright spot. He looked a little overmactched in his first start at Detroit, but came back strong at home against Chicago and then looked great at Target Field in Minnesota.

The lineup looks shitty. I do like the Cabrera lead-off strategy with Grady hitting second. The problem with this is, with the exception of Big League Choo's monster week, he hasn't been great, Hafner is still living off his No County For Old Men fame, Russell Branyan has only played three games, Jhonny Peralta is my mortal enemy, and Valbuena is not a great hitter. We hit into a ton of double plays. We don't hit well with runners in scoring position, and the power has not been there all year from top to bottom. Gotta get them bats going to give this staff some run support.
Back to my "Peralta sucks" theory, how could you watch the Indians yesterday in Minnesota and not feel a little more excited seeing Andy Marte come to the plate instead of Jhonny? Marte has been a big bust compared to the hype that surrounded him, but I still like him better than Peralta.

The Austin Kearns and Russell Branyan pickups have been alright so far. Kearns has provided some steadiness to the lineup and even though we haven't seen much of him yet, having Branyan in the lineup makes it a little more scary.

Chris Perez has been alright as the closer except for the epic collapse in Detroit in the first week of the season. My only wish for Perez is this: If Perez is an effective enough closer that the front office decides to trade Kerry Wood, please get something for him other than a bag of shit. The Lee and Sabathia trades have not looked too good so far have they? Matt LaPorta still is young and could be great, but he has been slow in developing. Michael Brantly was sent back down to AAA and needs a lot of work. Zach Jackson sucked. As far as the Lee trade, the only thing we see for him so far is Lou Marson who is a disaster behind the plate. I actually feel better with Mike Redmond catching. Mike fucking Redmond!? Really guys? Why don't we just call up Carlos Santana? Don't give me the "rushing him" argument. The Orioles did it with Matt Wieters and he looks just fine. And while we are on the subject, how the hell did we get Carlos Santana and Mitch Talbot for Casey Blake and Kelly Shoppach respectively, but got the Bad News Bears rejects for Cliff Lee? Come on guys.

Finally, how great does Franklin Gutierrez look in Seattle? Wow. Way to go Indians. But, of course, I stay positive and hope we can finish .500 this year. I get mad at the Tribe, but I do it out of love and just want us to be beating the drum in October again.

Pacers -

The Indians are a pretty messed up franchise. They just saw their lowest attendance in the history of JACOBS Field. They were the first team ever to trade reigning Cy Young winners in consecutive years, and the fan base is very down on them. They have some excuses though. The team was losing and had to cut payroll. Fans in Cleveland have Cavs fever right now, and who can blame them with the possibility of LeBron leaving town in a matter of months. The economy in Cleveland is not great. Still sounds like a pretty F'd up franchise doesn't it? They don't hold a candle to my Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers are becoming the Pirates of the NBA. Seriously, I just said that. I know we have about 15 more losing seasons to go to match the bar set so low by Pittsburgh, but with the hard-headiness of the front office and the inability of the team to improve until the last two weeks of the season, they show little signs of moving in the right direction. Two years ago I was very happy with their draft picks: Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert. Rush has the drive of Rasheed Wallace and Hibbert is too prone to foul trouble. I still like Rush, but I would not be surprised if he played his last game as a Pacer. Last year's draft was a disaster in some ways and a success in some others. I don't want to say "I told you so", but I did when I told everybody I knew that the second round pick, A.J. Price, would turn out to be better than the first rounder, Tyler Hansbrough. Price quickly earned the love of the fans this year, but dumbass Jim O'Brien wanted to stick with Earl Watson and T.J. Ford for reasons that don't make sense.

The Pacers were in prime position to get a top 5 pick this year. They haven't had one since Rik Smits. So what do they do? Go 11-5 down the stretch, winning meaningless games in front of a crowd of about 27 people.

This brings me to my first improvement that needs to be made: Fire Jim O'Brien. For the love of God, why does this man have a job? I'm not one of those fans who hates the coach no matter who is in charge. I liked Larry Brown and I loved Rick Carlisle. Maybe if Larry Bird didn't make bonehead picks like Shawne Williams, Carlisle might have won some more games, like he is doing in Dallas. O'Brien missed a prime opportunity to tank without tanking by playing all the young guys (See: Price, A.J. and McRoberts, Josh.) to end the season instead of people like T.J. Ford and Troy Murphy all the time.

So O'Brien fucked up. Doesn't matter to Bird. O'Brien is back. So my next suggestion is this: pick someone with some potential, who preferably is not white, and not a shoe-in for jail time. It is looking like a pick between 9-12 for the Pacers, so take someone like Greg Monroe or Xavier Henry instead of a Cole Aldridch or Gordon Hayward. Both could be good players, of course, but I want some athleticism to play alongside Danny Granger. I understand Bird's insistence on drafting someone with high character so we don't have another team with Captain Jack, Tinsley and Artest, but studies have shown, and any idiot knows, the best way to bring fans in is to WIN BASKETBALL GAMES!

The next issue then becomes: when is this rebuilding really going to begin? Is it after the 2010-2011 season when the Pacers will be clearing some contracts? Hopefully. Want to know the best way to rebuild? Either do something this offseason to get a point guard such as Darren Collison, or play all the young guys and Danny Granger next season and if you lose, you lose. Get a high draft pick for once. If these young guys like Rush, Hibbert, Price, McRoberts and Jones grow along with Danny, then great. Win some games, clear the contracts and get another piece of the puzzle. Just please do something. Either become a playoff team to get some excitement inside Conseco Fieldhouse or lose, lose, lose and get a good young player.

AL Central Preview

Minnesota Twins – Bret the Hitman Hart

Why Bret Hart? – The Twins are baseball’s “Excellence of Execution”. The Twins never have the top payroll, or the most hyped players at any position (except of course for Joe Mauer), and they are usually not picked to win the AL Central, but yet, somehow they always do. Bret Hart used intelligence, confidence, scrappiness and heart (no pun intended) to become one of the best wrestlers to ever step into the squared circle. Then he used that same intelligence to write a phenomenal book about his life in wrestling, which I’d suggest any wrestling fan read. The Twins under always underrated coach Ron Gardenhire are classic overachievers. They have the pieces in place this year to possibly make a run at the playoffs and perhaps even a pennant. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to an October baseball game in the lovely Minnesota fall weather? If I know Minnesota fans, I don’t think they would mind one bit.

What I like – I am a fan of the 2010 Twins. Joe Mauer is the best catcher in all of baseball, hands down. He hit .365 last year on his way to the AL MVP. Justin Morneau is still an elite first baseman, and if he stays healthy all year, benefits from hitting behind Mauer. Denard Span and J.J. Hardy will have to get on base a lot in front of Mauer and Morneau to produce runs. Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel both had good seasons last year combining for 60 HR’s between them. They have another DH waiting on the bench in the form of Big Jim Thome. Also, I love the Orlando Hudson pick up, and I think he will see a lot of playing time at second base.
The pitchers all look good too. Scott Baker had 15 wins last year. Nick Blackburn had 11 and Kevin Slowey had 10. Francisco Liriano has looked great in the spring, and if he puts it together along with Carl Pavano coming off a good injury-free year, watch out for this staff.

Questions – How much will losing Joe Nathan hurt? Honestly, it will hurt a bit, but, I think national “experts” are more worried about it than Twins fans. If you remember back to last October all the Twins fans were saying “I told you so” after Nathan blew a save against the Yankees. It remains to be seen how the other bullpen pitchers fare as the closer, but I don’t think it will be as big of deal as it is being made out to be. Were the Twins smart to extend Joe Mauer’s contract for so long? Absolutley. There are fears of his knees giving out, as there is with any lifetime catcher, however, the Twins are riding a high after their playoff run last year and the opening of new Target Field, and signing the hometown hero was a must.

2009 Record – 87-76
2010 Prediction – 87-75

Chicago White Sox – Stone Cold Steve Austin

Why Austin? – This one is simple. Ozzie Guillen is to baseball what Stone Cold was to the WWE powers that be. McMahon always played the role of trying to silence Stone Cold’s antics even though he knew it was good for ratings, and I truly believe deep down the MLB knows Ozzie is too. I mean let’s be honest, when Ozzie goes on his rants, do you have any idea what the fuck he is talking about? No, me neither, but they are still hilarious. The White Sox also wear the same colors as the Texas Rattlesnake, and they have the bad boy reputation (as compared to the cross-town Cubs) like Austin. Look, I’m an Indians fan, therefore I do not like the White Sox. They are a rival. However, if I were to be asked if I would take Ozzie Guillen as the Tribe’s manager I would say “yes” in a heartbeat. And that’s the bottom line…cause Stone Cold said so!

What I like – I like the pitching staff a lot. Jake Peavy looks healthy and when he is, he is still an elite pitcher. He went 3-0 with the Sox last year with a 1.35 ERA. Not only is he a great pitcher, but he is apparently a great clubhouse guy, who will help Mark Burhrle mentor youngsters John Danks and Gavin Floyd. Those four pitchers could be a deadly rotation. I think the bullpen should hold up OK, but I have some doubts about Bobby Jenks. He will benefit from having J.J. Putz and Matt Thornton setting him up, but both of them need to lower their ERA’s from last year drastically.
The lineup leaves something to be desired. The Juan Pierre pickup could be smart. He played great for L.A. last year when Manny was suspended. Gordon Beckham is a player I like along with Alexi Ramirez. I know a lot of people felt Alexi had a big drop off last year, but he still hit .277 with 15 HR. That isn’t too bad for a ninth hitting shortstop. I think adding Omar Vizquel could do wonders for Ramirez as far as learning the game a little better. The big questions for the Sox comes in the heart of the lineup: Carlos Quentin, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios. These three need to have good years for this team to score enough runs behind that pitching staff to be a contender. Konerko is aging, and Quentin and Rios are coming off less than stellar years. Everybody is talking about Andrew Jones and his comeback year he had with Texas last year. He only hit .214! Add that to Quentin’s .236 and Rios’s .199 and they could have trouble hitting in runs.

Questions – Can the lineup win them games when the pitchers don’t? I have my doubts about this lineup. It has some pop, but I think they will miss Jermaine Dye’s bat. It falls on the veterans to carry this lineup. Is the pitching as good as anybody in the majors? I think with the exception of maybe the Yankees and Red Sox, this could be the best pitching staff in the majors one through five. Well, maybe one through four, Freddy Garcia should not be starting anymore.

2009 Record – 79-83
2010 Prediction – 87-75

Detroit Tigers – Mankind

Why Mankind? – The Tigers are Mankind because I sometimes wonder if they have idea what they are doing or if they are just committing slow suicide much like Mankind. A couple years ago they were a very veteran team, and faltered after their pennant winning season. Now their 1-2 hitters and CF and 2B are rookies. Identity crisis anyone? If the old Tigers are Cactus Jack, last year was Mankind and this year is Dude Love.

What I like – The first two pitchers in the rotation, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello will be really good. The AL Central has become a pitching division. The Tigers loss of Edwin Jackson will hurt this rotation after Verlander and Porcello. The lineup is a mystery to me. I know Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez will produce. The rookies are a big question mark. I also hate the bottom three of the order: Ryan Raburn, Gerald Laird, Adam Everett.

Questions – Will the rookies be good enough to play 2B and CF and hit 1-2 and compete in the Central? I honestly do not know. I haven’t seen either Austin Jackson or Scott Sizemore play so I can’t say. Is the rotation any good after Verlander and Porcello? I don’t think it is very good. Armando Galarraga, Jeremy Bonderman and Max Scherzer do not impress me, and I think they will struggle when Verlander or Procello is not on the mind.

2009 Record – 86-77
2010 Record – 79-83

Cleveland Indians – Shawn Michaels

Why Shawn? – Ok, I admit this is an obvious bias decision. My favorite team probably has no business being represented by The Heartbreak Kid, but bear with me. The 2007 Indians were one win away from the World Series, which was like Shawn’s time with the Rockers. Never quite was the elite team. Then the last two years they have shed some baggage (Marty Janetty) and started over. They now have a new manager (Sensational Sherri) and are on their way to turn things around. The Indians are actually generating some excitement from fans that they have a little something to watch this year and in a couple years might be awfully good. The 2010 season is like when Shawn started his singles career, and the 2011 and 2012 seasons will equate to Shawn’s rise to stardom. Also, who better to be compared with the Heartbreak Kid than Grady Sizemore. You saw the pictures.

What I like – I think the lineup will be good this year. I like new manager Manny Acta moving Asdrubal Cabrera to the leadoff spot. He played great last year, and he is good defensively. Sizemore was never really healthy last year and it seems like a lot of people wrote him off. Don’t forget that in 2009 Grady won the Gold Glove Award AND the Silver Slugger Award. He can be THE elite centerfielder in the majors is he puts it all together. Shin-Soo Choo is an all-star caliber right fielder. He hit .300 last year with 20 HR and 21 steals. Now we just need to keep him out of the military. Travis Hafner and Jhonny Peralta look healthy and swinging better this spring, but I have my doubts about both of them. Hafner is bound to get injured and Peralta is bound to go into a couple extended slumps. The young guys will be exciting to watch. Luis Valbuena has the second base job, but he needs to hit better than the .250 he did last season. Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley have a lot of hype surrounding them, and rightly so since they were the centerpieces of the C.C. Sabathia deal. The catching spot is very deep. Lou Marson is likely to start the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see top prospect Carlos Santana behind the plate at some point this summer.
The pitching staff is full of questions. Jake Westbrook hasn’t pitched in a year and a half, Fausto Carmona can’t throw strikes, Justin Masterson is extremely unproven and has a lot of pressure on him from Indians fans because he is the centerpiece of the Victor Martinez deal. Mitch Talbot and David Huff are both young arms who have potential, but could also self-destruct at any time. The bullpen is better than it is getting credit for I think. Kerry Wood is out for 6-8 weeks, but fill-in closer Chris Perez is the closer of the future anyway, so why not start now? Wood will likely be traded mid-season anyway. I know many are not, but I am still a fan of left-hander Rafael Perez. He was lights out in 2007 setting up for Betencourt and I think he could regain that confidence.

Questions – Will the Indians finish behind the Royals for last place? I do not think so. I think they have talent. Maybe I’m blinded by my fandom, but I think the pitchers will do well enough to get some wins behind this lineup to not finish in last place. Will the pitchers be surprisingly good or terrible? I think Carmona is set for a comeback year. His walks are way down this spring and that is really his downfall. Even when he has control problems, he is tough to hit because his sinker moves so much. Westbrook is steady when healthy. I expect him to have a slow start, but pitch well by the start of the summer. The youngsters are my concern but better seeing them than signing a washed up veteran like Ben Sheets to pitch. I’ll be back in a week or so to give my opening week thoughts on the Indians so look forward to that.

2009 Record – 65-97
2010 Prediction – 73-89

Kansas City Royals – Jerry the Kind Lawler

Why Lawler? – The obvious connection is the royalty aspect. Jerry the King could be the Royals mascot. The other connection is timeline. Both were powerhouses in the 80’s. Jerry the King was a big deal, as was George Brett, Bret Saberhagen, Bo Jackson and the Royals. Then, in the 90’s and early 2000’s they were pretty much turds. Lawler was entertaining as an announcer, I admit, but he was no Bobby Heenan. Now, Lawler is trying to reinvent himself as a straight announcer instead of the villain announcer, much like the Royals are trying to reinvent themselves with Zack Greinke and Billy Butler.

What I like – I think the Royals arms are good. Zack Greinke is coming off a tremendous season where he was near unhittable. Gil Meche, Kyle Davies and Luke Hochevar are all capable of winning some games. Brian Bannister also have potential. The lineup is not good. This will be the pitchers downfall: lack of run support. Billy Butler is a star on the rise, but Jose Guillen and Alex Gordon have been un-spectacular, Mike Aviles had a down year in 2009, Jason Kendall is old as balls, and Mitch Maier only hit .243 in center last year. With the exception of Greinke, Joakim Soria may be the team’s biggest star.

Questions – Will the lineup score any runs? As I said, I do not like the lineup. There is too many washed up veterans and youngsters with low upside. Will Greinke repeat as Cy Young winner? – I don’t think so. I think he will have a very good year, but 2009 was a great year and I don’t see that happening back-to-back seasons.

2009 Record – 65-97
2010 Record – 67-95

AL West Preview

The Angels – Triple H

Why Triple H? – The Angels and Triple H have something in common: both continue to perform at a high level without getting much attention. The Angels are always picked to either quietly win the West, or be overtaken by a young upstart team; however they have continued to quietly win the West year after year without being overtaken. Triple H has continued to do the same. The attention is usually on someone else (Undertaker, Shawn, Cena, Batista, etc.) but Triple H continues to entertain and win titles. He sort of flies under the radar as the strong, veteran wrestler who has been there before and can very likely do it again, much like that pesky team known as The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, which is the stupidest fucking order of names ever. I want to now be known as The Iowa Geoff Estes of Davenport.

What I like – I actually like the Hideki Matsui addition. Looking at the stats, Matsui is not much of a drop off from Vlad Guerrero, and he has a better history of clutch hits than Vlad. Kendry Morales had a monster year last year hitting .306 with 108 RBI. Juan Rivera and Torii Hunter also had huge years, with Hunter knocking in 90 runs in just 119 games. I like the Angels lineup to still be producing this year, even though they have aged. Eric Aybar and Bobby Abreu should both be around .300 hitters at the top of the order and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Howie Kendrick hitting around .300 lower in the order.
The pitching staff will have some questions surrounding it, but there is tons of talent on the staff. Jered Weaver is an ace. Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir and Ervin Santana are all capable of winning 15 games. The big downfall of the Angels in my opinion, especially come playoff time, is the closer, Brian Fuentes, who I am certainly no fan of.

Questions – Will the pitching staff be good or show how much they miss John Lackey? I answered this already, and I think this is a great staff starters 1-4. They are unproven for the most part, with the exception of Scott Kazmir’s years in Tampa and Jered Weaver winning 16 games last year, but I expect big things out of that staff. How much will they miss Vlad, Chone Figgins and John Lackey? I don’t see them missing Vlad and Lackey much at all. I think losing Figgins could hurt a bit, but I trust Mike Scioscia to get them playing good ball, and I’d expect them to be in first place by July 13th when the All-Star game rolls into town.

2009 Record – 97-65
2010 Prediction – 94-68

Seattle Mariners - Repo Man

Why Repo Man? – I couldn’t think of a wrestler to fully encapsulate the 2010 Mariners, so I did the next best thing, I found one who represented their offseason. I think the Mariners committed robbery this offseason by getting Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley, and Cliff Lee. I would say on paper, they Mariners may be the best team that didn’t make the playoffs in 2009 to make a run at them this year (with the exception of the Rays who have the disadvantage of playing in the Al East). Not only did they add those two players, but they stole Franklin Gutierrez two years ago from Cleveland, and Jack Wilson and Ian Snell last year from Pittsburgh.

What I like – If Cliff Lee is healthy enough to make at least 25 starts watch out for King Felix Hernandez and Clifton Lee at the top of the rotation. Lee is coming off two magnificent years, one in which he was the Cy Young winner, and many people feel King Felix is set to win his first in 2010. Ian Snell also pitched real good after he came to Seattle last year, and if they get anything out of Ryan Rowland-Smith, that should be a great rotation. The lineup should be pretty good, but not great. Ichiro will do his thing at the top, and now he has Figgins hitting behind him. The real questions surrounding the Mariners include the 3-7 spots of the order which include Jose Lopez, Ken Griffey Jr., Milton Bradley, and Franklin Gutierrez.

Questions – Will Cliff Lee be healthy? Lee is looking at starting the year on the DL with an abdominal strain, but I think he will still make over 20 starts. He should be just fine by May I’d guess, but I’m no injury expert. Will the additions help? Yes, I think they will. I mentioned Lee and Figgins, but I also think Bradley will shake a bad 2009 and return to being a good hitter and a certifiably crazy man.

2009 Record – 85-77
2010 Prediction – 90-72

Texas Rangers – Legion of Doom

Why L.O.D.? – The Rangers resemble Hawk and Animal because they are all power and little finesse. They are a cool team to like right now. With the colorful players they have like Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler, they are a trendy bandwagon pick. The L.O.D. were all offense, power, and muscle, much like the Rangers.

What I like – The lineup is scary good. With rising star Julio Borbon leading off, followed by Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz, they will score a lot of runs. Also, don’t forget that Vlad Guerrero will be somewhere in there along with David Murphy. If shortstop Elvis Andrus hits somewhere over .275, this lineup could be potent as anybody in the majors. The pitching staff is nothing to write home about however. Rich Harden has great stuff, but is always hurt.

Questions – If Josh Hamilton is not healthy, will they collapse? I think this is possible. He is really the heart of this team, especially with Ian Kinsler suspected to start the year on the DL. Is the pitching good enough to get them to the playoffs? That’s a big N-O from me. This rotation will have run support, but will give up a ton of runs also.

2009 Record – 87-75
2010 Record – 86-76

Oakland A’s – Kevin Nash

Why Nash? – Originaly I had the A’s as being represented by C.M. Punk, and I think I had good reason for this, but I couldn’t remember what the fuck that reason was, so I went with Nash and here is why. Nash did something in WCW that was great for his career: he started the NWO with Hall and Hogan and then the NWO Wolfpack. He had this revolutionary idea and it caught on. He was huge for a while. Then, things started to go south. When the WWE bought WCW, Nash was an odd man out. Now, he is still trying to regain that swagger in TNA, even though he is gray and looks more like Gandolf than Diesel. The A’s had a revolutionary idea called Moneyball, and it worked. Then everybody caught on to Billy’s ideas, and now the A’s and trying to rebuild the team while trying to get a new stadium in the process.

What I like – I’m happy they picked up Coco Crisp as their full-time center fielder because I like Coco, but he just isn’t that good of starting center fielder as he used to be. Eric Chavez has a lot to prove this year coming back from a couple injury plagued seasons. The pitchers are fairly unknown. I do like youngster Rajai Davis in left field.

Questions – Can Dallas Braden and Brett Anderson be an effective #1 and #2 starters? I highly doubt it. I think the staff has some promise, but this is not the year they put it all together. Does the lineup have a chance of keeping them in the AL West race early in the year? Again, I don’t think so. They have Cubs reject Jake Fox slated as their fifth hitter and that does not bode well for the A’s.

2009 Record – 75-87
2010 Prediction – 71 – 91

AL East Preview

New York Yankees – Hulk Hogan

Why Hogan? – This is an easy one. The Yankees are the most storied franchise in all of sports. They are the big bully spending money to win titles. If you are not a hardcore Yankees fan, odds are you despise them. Many think the Yankees suck the fun out of baseball at times with their financial purchases. Flip this around on Hogan and there are a lot of similarities. Hogan was loved by millions, but despised by millions. He always seemed to be there at the end of every Wrestlemania (Just watch Wrestlemanias 1-9, its sickening). Many thought Hogan had no business being the main-event because he really was not a very exciting wrestler. The Hulkster is a legend though, no denying that, and the Yankees are a legendary franchise, no denying that either. I think both get to a point though, where they are pretty fucking boring.

What I like – Obviously there is a lot of like about the 2010 defending champions. Jeter will still be Jeter at the top of the order. Mark Teixeira was a monster last year hitting in front of Alex Rodriguez, and A-Rod is always good for a great season. Robinson Cano is on the verge of being the premier second baseman in the majors, along with Utley and Ben Zobrist. Cano hit .320 with 25 HR last year. That is ridiculous. Especially when you consider they might have him hitting eighth. Jorge Posada continues to hit just under .300 which is good for any catcher not named Mauer. The question involves their offseason pickups of Nick Johnson and Curtis Granderson, and the left field role of Brett Gardner. One thing can be counted on, Granderson and Gardner have speed and will steal some bases.
The Yankees pitching is also near the top in the majors. C.C. Sabathia continues to be a horse, Andy Pettite still got 14 quiet wins last year, A.J. Burnett has great stuff, and Javier Vasquez won 15 games for Atlanta last year. They also have the talent of either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlin in the bullpen along with the best closer in the game, the man who never ages…Richard Alpert of Lost Island…actually, Mariano Rivera.

Questions – Will the additions of Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson pay off or backfire? I like the Granderson addition. With Granderson in center and Gardner in left it will be hard to find a hole in the outfield. I have my doubts about Johnson. He is defiantly a different player than he was in his first go-round in New York, but I still doubt he hits better than .275. Who will be at the end of the rotation? Does it matter? The Yankees problems are great problems to have. Chamberlin or Hughes? Who cares?!? Either one will get you 10-15 wins. The question is if they stay healthy can they be caught in the AL East? My answer is no.

2009 Record – 103-59
2010 Record – 100-62

Boston Red Sox – Ultimate Warrior

Why the Warrior? – The Sox are the Warrior because, while it has changed a bit post-2004, the Red Sox still have this reputation as the David to the Yankees Goliath. People sometimes think of the Red Sox as the beloved good guys. Red Sox Nation! Sure they have the history of Fenway, and the breaking of the curse, and Buckner and all that, but they are really the Yankees 2.0. The Warrior was thought of as fucking awesome by all of us when we were kids. I had an Ultimate Warrior birthday cake for God’s sake. (Also, I am still considering being the warrior for Halloween 2010 but don’t tell anybody). But, and this is a big but, the Warrior was not a skilled wrestler. Other wrestlers did not really want to get in the ring with him for fear of being injured. Also, people in the business thought he was a douche. And after hearing Jim Helwig (The Warrior) interviews, yeah, he is a douche. His aura preceded him outside the business, but those in the business knew he was really a phony. Much like the Red Sox.

What I like – You know, I think I like the Red Sox lineup better than the Yankees lineup. Its strange to say that with J.D. Drew hitting fifth and David Ortiz hitting sixth, because I am not a fan of either. However, with Jacoby Ellsbury leading off, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and my main man Victor Martinez hitting cleanup, that is potent. Then the bottom three of the order are Adrian Beltre, who I think will have a big year, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro. Not only can these guys all hit, but most are phenomenal defensive players also. Victor Martinez hit .336 in 56 games with Boston last year and should continue to be a dangerous hitter for them.
The Boston pitching staff is also tremendous. Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey are all potential all-stars, although I have strong doubts about Lackey. I am also a fan of Clay Buchholz, but I think because of the money they are wasting on Dice-K Matsuzaka, if Tim Wakefield throws well and Buchholz struggles at all that Wakefield will move into the rotation. Also, I hate to say it, but Jonathan Papplbon is a reliable closer. I think Papplebon and Lackey might be fast friends because of the douchiness that oozes out of both of them.

Questions – How will the older Red Sox hold up? This means David Ortiz, Mike Cameron and Scutaro. Keep in mind, Mike Lowell is still around in case Adrian Beltre doesn’t produce, which I think he will. Will Lackey and Dice-K be all-star caliber or will they be more reminiscent of the Dice-K of 2009? I think Lackey will be alright. I don’t think he will be a Cy Young candidate, but I think he could still win 13-16 games. Dice-K sucks.

2009 Record – 95-67
2010 Record – 98-64

Tampa Bay Rays – Edge

Why Edge? – the Rays are like Edge because they were hyped for a couple years as being that new, cool, up-and-comer with talent who could challenge the big boys, then they did in 2008 and it was awesome, but then injuries and other things sidelined them in 2009. Will they return in 2010 like the Rated-R Superstar to win the Royal Rumble (The AL East) and be a contender again? I think they should use Edge’s music when they take the field at the Trop. You think you know me…..On this day…I see clearly!

What I like – The Rays and D-Backs came into the League the same year, and although it took them a little longer, the Rays took a page from the D-Backs and learned how to foster young talent. The cream of that crop is third baseman Evan Longoria. I think Longoria is maybe two years away from being the best third baseman in baseball. This will happen when he either improves more than A-Rod, or A-Rod starts to see his post-steroid drop off and comes back to the pack to allow Longoria to overtake him. Long story short, I love Evan Longoria. I’m also a big fan of the always underrated Carl Crawford and his 50+ stolen bases. Ben Zobrist also emerged last year with his .297 average, 27 HR, 17 steals and ability to play every position. The downfall of the Rays lineup comes with B.J. Upton who is coming off of a sub-par year, Pat Burrell who is coming off a fucking terrible year, Gabe Kapler who is often confused with the Welcome Back Kotter guy, and catcher Kelly Shoppach who came over from Cleveland. I’ve seen Shoppach play a lot in the last few years, especially last year after the Indians traded Martinez, and I don’t think he is going to be any better than a .250 hitter with a lot of strikeouts.
The pitching staff should be better than last year headed up by James Shields, Matt Garza and exciting lefty David Price. I also love the Rafael Soriano pickup. I think he will fit in nicely with Mariano Rivera and Papplebon as an AL East premier closer.

Questions – Is the bottom of the order good enough to compete in the AL East. I think there is enough talent there, but Upton and Burrell need to produce. If they both play shitty like last year, they are done for. Is the pitching staff good enough to compete? I think the pitching is pretty good, although I have my doubts about Jeff Niemann equaling his success of last year.

2009 Record – 84-78
2010 Prediction – 92-70

Baltimore Orioles – Randy Orton

Why Orton? - The Orioles come from a rich recent history. Cal Ripken Jr. and Co. got a premier ballpark built at Camden Yards, and were a fixture in the playoffs for a few years until the whole Jeter home run grabbed by that fan Jeffrey something-or-other. They had their push, but then sort of dropped from the spot light for a while, but this young outfield could have them back in the spotlight soon. Orton is much like that. Came from a rich family history, had a push, then fell out of main-event status for a while, while doing his Legacy thing. Now, it appears the Viper is back to stardom and he even has the fans behind him.

What I like – Believe it or not, the Orioles really have one of the best outfields in the majors and they are young to boot. Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and Nolan Reimold could solidify themselves as a premier outfield this year and get the O’s some much needed publicity and wins. Also in that O’s lineup is catcher of the future Matt Wieters. Wieters hit .288 last year in 96 games and I wouldn’t expect anything less from him this year. They need Garrett Atkins to step up his .226 average he brought over from Colorado, otherwise that move will backfire. It will also be interesting to see how veterans Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts play together again. I am also a fan of the Kevin Milwood pick up. He had 13 wins last year, and probably pitched well enough to have more.

Questions – Will the young outfield and veteran infield produce enough runs to win with a questionable pitching staff? This will be the question asked all season of the O’s. After Millwood comes Jeremy Guthrie who had a 5.04 ERA and a 10-17 record last year. Is the bullpen going to be any good? I don’t like the pen much. Mike Gonzalez is slated to be the closer, but he came over from Atlanta where he was stuck behind Rafael Soriano, so full-time closing will be somewhat new to him.

2009 Record – 64-98
2010 Record – 69-93

Toronto Blue Jays – Owen Hart

Why Owen? –

They are the little brothers in the AL East to mega powers New York and Boston. They are in the little brother country, Canada, home of Owen Hart. Even when they won the back to back titles in the 90's they still seemed underappreciated, much like Owen. And now they are pretty much irrelevant, much like Owen. For the record, I love Owen Hart and think he needs to be in the WWE Hall of Fame, like right now.

What I like – Not a lot. Adam Lind is a really good hitter, but after that I’m not crazy about anybody in the lineup, that includes Vernon Wells. I would like to see third baseman Brett Wallace called up to see what he can do. I have his bobblehead so I’m hoping he gets some publicity so the value goes up. Seriously. The young arms are not bad, but losing Halliday hurts immensely. Ricky Romero, Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum should be exciting to watch pitch, but I wouldn’t expect much run support if I were them.

Questions – Is this lineup the worst in the majors? I don’t think they are the worst, but they are not good. They will struggle to score runs, and the pitching staff is young so it will be interesting to see how they react to low run support.

2009 Record – 75-87
2010 Prediction – 64- 98