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With the weather becoming warmer the easy going
nature of the first two months of the season
has all but evaporated. The early dismay, which was once easily shrugged off with a simple ‘it’s early’, is now beginning to fester itself into a big ball of anxiety. A few clubs are going to have to take an honest look at their fortunes and decide whether or not they have what it takes to make a go ...
I don’t know what I’m more excited about,
the fact that the Steinbrenner era is back in
New York or that Joba Chamberlain is on his way to the rotation. Oh, sure they’re just talking right now, but if Hank is anything like his dad, Joba will be knocking someone out of the rotation within the next few weeks. In case you have been sleeping the last 24 hours, Steinbrenner dropped a ...
Awkward, uncomfortable, nervous, uneasy. Each of these words
hold equal precedence while describing Francisco Liriano’s first major
league start in exactly 19 months. Many expected him to show up throwing 97 mph darts like he used to, but it’s clear that he isn’t the same pitcher that he once was, and he may never be again. One thing was clear. He is no longer immortal, not like he once was.
There’s snow on the ground and it’s below
the freezing point in most East Coast cities, so
that can mean only one thing: Spring Training is here! With the games getting underway it’s time to start taking a look at what’s to come. Who’s going to win it all, who will win the Cy Young, what team is everyone sleeping on? We answer these questions and more in our American League ...
It’s not going to be easy for Seattle,
but outside of New York, you know, the city
where nothing else exists, all eyes are on the Mariners. How can we not be intrigued? All of the sudden they have forced themselves into the public’s consciousness for the first time since A-Rod and Junior Griffey left them with little more than a farewell nod and a thank you. After a Starbucks fueled ...
IWS would like to welcome the newest member
to our team, Anthony Gibbons. Gibbons will be documenting
his journey back from Tommy John Surgery. This is his introduction. In 1986 we watched Nasa’s Challenger explode on its was through the atmosphere, we celebrated MLK day for the first time ever, we witnessed Argentina win the World Cup In Mexico, and we cringed at Bill ...
Last year it was understandable, it made sense,
I even commended them for having the patience and
dedication to stick to the plan. Far too often we see promising careers go down the tubes due to overeager franchises that want to rush young pitchers along before they are ready. But, when is a pitcher ready? Is it possible to allow them to start games without over using him? Apparently not...
As predicted, the Mitchell Report was basically a
dud. The information was old, 53 of the 88
players named are already out of the league. It did more damage than good. We didn’t need Senator Mitchell to tell us that steroids are bad, the game has a problem, or that the testing policy needs to be strengthened. It was boring, long, and drawn out. In other words, it caused irrevocable damage tha
Durant is the current king of freshmen. Can
Beasley take the throne?
Has any franchise fallen faster and harder than
the Saint Louis Cardinals? The 2003 Marlins come to
mind but they have an excuse, it’s hard to retain players when high schools in Texas routinely draw bigger crowds for their football games every Friday. What’s the Cardinals defense? They’re loaded but instead of spending money, they’re hoarding it. Instead of trying to bring in talent...
I never saw this coming. We’ve all heard
the rumors that Florida was desperately shopping Miguel Cabrera
and Donrelle Willis around the league, but I had serious doubts about their motivation to get a deal done. There were no expiring contracts, no one was asking for a trade, and besides, every year around this time reports would leak out of their camp about how they wanted to move their ace...
Don’t get too comfortable LSU fans. If anything
I would be even more nervous. That impromptu press
conference that Les Miles held earlier today really means nothing at all. The fact that the University felt the need to address the rumors means that there was some truth behind them. As we all know where there’s smoke, there’s usually a fire. People don’t generally jump off the handle when the
Wow, wow, wow. Stop the presses. I never
even considered the possibility that Dan Haren’s name would
be getting shopped around this off-season. Like everyone else I figured these talks were a year away, but it looks like Billy Beane is ready to cash in his chips while the iron’s hot. This changes everything. All of the sudden Johan Santana might not be the most attractive option on the...
24-Year Pro Bowl Safety Sean Taylor died early
Tuesday Morning after being shot by an intruder… How
will this affect the Redskins future plans?” We lost a human life here folks. In the world of sports media I understand there are responsibilities and demands that must be fulfilled to their audience. Understandably Taylor the player and Taylor the man are one in the same, but we aren’t...
I’m usually as intrigued by the wheeling and
dealing that goes on during the offseason as I
am by the games on the field. Just like everyone I else I like to break down the deals, analyze what the implications, and make up theoretical line-ups. Unfortunately the free-agent market has been without the fireworks. The two big names that could have caused a total upheaval, Alex Rodriguez and Mike..
Maybe more so than any other person, I
opined for Jimmy Rollins to be named the National
League MVP. I set up my virtual campaign head quarters and made it my personal mission to sway the masses. There was reluctance, but alas I find myself victorious in my conquest. This should be a moral victory for me, but now that it has happened I’m not so sure I was backing the right guy...
Kevin Garnett forever changed the history of college
ball by never stepping on an NCAA court. Many
players before him made the jump from preps to pros, but he made it a trend. It’s impossible to know what these players would have done in the collegiate ranks, some never succeeded in the pros, but the landscape of the game has certainly been altered because of it. When Carmello Anthony carried..
More so that any other sport baseball is
known for its history. Fathers and sons have bonded
for centuries over the trivialities of the game. Many-of-afternoons I sat and listened as my grandfather told folktales about the great Stan Musial, while my father argued that Bob Gibson would have owned him. Being a curious kid I thumbed through my Baseball Almanac and realized how good ...
thought for sure that Alex Rodriguez was going
to be the biggest prize on the open market
this offseason, but I’m not so sure now that Marlins put Miguel Cabrera up for auction. It would preposterous to say that Cabrera is a better player than Rodriguez, but the fact that he is eight years younger than the quarter billion dollar man makes him a lot more attractive. He’s not going to be..
It’s no secret that baseball’s economic system has
failed. To succeed in this sport you only need
one element and one basic philosophy, get money and buy players, the rest takes care of itself. Money buys good players, good players win games, winning games attracts fans, fans buy tickets, tickets generate more money. It’s that simple, but the problem is generating the start up cash...














Will Holliday and Sabathia be Dealt?