My case in point: During his second game with the Indians, Strasburg had to cover 1st base while Adam Dunn fielded a ground ball. Strasburg did everything as he was tough, like every other pitcher in the bigs. He did make a diving out, he didn’t make a spectacular pick at the bag, he just ran over, caught the easy toss and stepped on the bag. Dennis Eckersley, who was announcing the game, almost had an aneurysm he was so excited about this kid. During this play at first, Eckersley comment this kid not only can pitch, but has a natural athletic ability and even makes routine plays look easy.

Give me a break people! I am not doubting this kid can pitch. I actually believe he will either throw a no hitter, or a 20k game by the end of the season. The ball explodes out of his had, 100+ MPH, curve that completely drops off the table, and one of the nastiest change ups that falls away from lefties and into righties. He is literally near unhittable. And Pudge behind the plate calling the game with only advance him.

But the kid isn’t God. He covered first base like a typical pitcher, par at best. He bats like a typical pitcher. He fields like a typical pitcher. He doesn’t pitch like a typical pitcher. Baseball analysis people need to stop making him out to be some Bo Jackson type phenom who can take on an entire team by himself and win.

Again, I am not knocking the kid’s ability. He is amazing. He can go deep in the game, has crazy stuff, is more level headed than some veterans, and sells tickets. But he isn’t the second coming. The way people talk about him if he makes one fielding error, they are going to rag on him that he didn’t live up to the hype. He is human. Let the kid pitch and enjoy his pitching.

This issue posed a few questions in my head:

1) Should we care about Tiger’s, or any other athletes for that matter, personal life outside of sports? Sports are their job. It is like us getting all pissed about some CEO doing the same thing, right? I don’t think so. I have never heard a kid say “when I grow up, I want to be just like the CEO of Joe Blow company”. Ok, maybe a few kids want to be CEOs, but they don’t look up to and admire them like kids do professional athletes. By Tiger having an affair, in my mind, he is telling all those kids that have dreams and aspirations of being the next big thing thinking “Since I am big and famous, I could neglect my duties as a father and a husband because I am lonely and go cheat”. To me, yes, I think we should care about what Tiger and other athletes do in their personal lives because what they do trickle down to the youth of today, who are the future Tiger Woods of tomorrow.

2)Should Tiger lose his sponsors for this incident? YES. If I have a million dollar product like Gatorade and I have a high level athlete like Tiger sponsoring my product, I am very worried right now. Gatorade is a household name. It is not just for athletes. People of every walks of life walks into a 7-11 or any convenient store and if they are thirsty, Gatorade is a very viable option for them to drink. With that said, there are many people who hold their marriage vows to heart and the idea of cheating is absolutely repulsive (I am one of those people and damn proud of it). So if Gatorade is linked to Tiger, and Tiger is linked to infidelity, gatorade now is getting a bad name for their product.

3) Should Tiger be able to play professional golf again? YES. If you have read this are, 1) thank you and 2) you know my stance on what I think about people that cheat and cheating itself. However, I also firmly believe that people should be given a second chance. Should Tiger go about his business like nothing happened? Absolutely not! Some punishment I believe should be taken, both by the PGA and his sponsors. However, I do think he needs to be given the chance to start over again and prove to people it was a mistake. People are human. Humans make mistakes. Our greed and lust get the best of us sometimes. People need to be given a second chance to redeem themselves. I think Tiger should be given that chance, just like Michael Vick was given a chance.

I know not everyone will agree with me on this post, and as always, I welcome the discussions. Let me know your opinions on the questions about.

Let me ask you this: If you made a wrong choice (and I know you have) and you got caught, and did your time like a good American, wouldn’t you want the chance to prove yourself again in your career field? I know I would.

I am not saying the Vick did was wrong. It was horrific. BUT he did his time and never once tried to Paris Hilton his way out of it. LET HIM PLAY!

Vick as some strict rules on what he can and can’t do during the season per Roger Goodell. I personally, I think 2 years in prison has hindered his ability to play the game. Athletes at that level need to stay sharp all the time. A little drop in performance will make a HUGE difference.  I don’t think he will be the same M. Vick, nor anywhere close. But I like that the Eagles are giving him the chance to prove me, and the rest of the doubters, wrong.

Stay off Vick. Let him play. Let him prove himself. Once he fails, then ridicule his ability to play the game, not for what he did in the past. The past is done, over, el fin. Look forward to him as a football player and start critiquing that. I am not a professional analyst, but I know if I were, talking about his past is NOT MY JOB. Your job as an analysis (talking to you ESPN, ABC sports and MSN) is to ANALYSIS the game and the moves. So please, don’t talk about his past. Or if you don’t think he should play. Or if you agree with PETA. Talk about Vick’s inability to throw a football. Or the fact that he will not be able to outrun Shawn Merriman. But talk about football, PLEASE!

25. Lance Berkman, Astros, $14,500,000 -Ok, the #25 guy on the list might actually be a guy who deserves his pay (although DESERVING 14.5 mil is a reach). A lifetime .302 hitter, he is a consistent player, always around .300 and at 33 years, still has a few good years of baseball.

24. Miguel Tejada, Astros, $14,811,415 -How old is this guy? In an interview, he gets busted! He has also been busted for steroids. At 34 years old and a lifetime .285 hitter, paying him 14.8 mil is a little far fetched.

23. Mariano Rivera, Yankees, $15,000,000 (tie) Fact-Rivera is a great closer. Fact-Rivera is close to 40 years old. Fact-Rivera’s stats have been falling consistently every year. Fact-Rivera is NOT worth 15 mil a year.

22. Derek Lowe, Braves, $15,000,000 (tie)-Ok, D. Lowe is turning 36 this year, but his stats are OK. 3.74 career ERA. He isn’t a bad player, but Atlanta, 4 years for 15 mil each year @ 36? Really?

21. Ryan Howard, Phillies, $15,000,000 (tie) One of the few guys on this list that maybe worth the money. This guy is a workhorse and a threat every time he steps up to the plate. My only concern is he has a high strikeout count. Not a bad pay raise every year though ($355,000 is 2006, $900,000 in 2007, $10 Million in 2008, $15 million in 2009)

20. Vladimir Guerrero, Angels, $15,000,000 -At 34 years old, injuries are going to start plaguing him (started 2009 off with a sore right shoulder). But a great player with a .323 lifetime avg with  a decent OBP and a great Slg percentage.

19. Jason Schmidt, Dodgers, $15,217,401 -Really? Seriously? A 36 year old pitcher who has a lengthy resume of injuries, including season ending surgery in 2007, And LA-you are paying him over 15 million dollars-HE IS NOT EVEN PLAYING RIGHT NOW!

18. CC Sabathia, Yankees, $15,285,714 Sabathia is probably one of the strongest pitchers in the bigs. He is a big guy (6 foot 7, 290 Lbs) that throws a ton of innings every year and gets a ton of strike outs every year. Worth the money? Eh. He is a streaky pitcher that has issues locating fastball sometimes (See opening day start 2009)

17. Tim Hudson, Braves, $15,500,000 -Here is another guy that MAY be worth the money if he stays healthy. Great, explosive stuff and a long game guy.

16. A.J. Burnett, Yankees, $16,500,000 -One of the Yankees inflated salaries. Burnett is on a contract year and is a streaky pitcher. He has fits where he is Cy Young material, then he has fits where he flames out. Not worth the 16.5 mil NY has been feeding him.

15. Todd Helton, Rockies, $16,600,000 This guy is ALMOST worth his money. But at 35 years old and coming off a back surgery, who knows how productive he will be. But anyone with a career .328 average, .428 On base percentage and a .573 slugging percentage is a threat.

14. Aramis Ramirez, Cubs, $16,900,000 Wait-Who? Going through this list, I had no idea who this guy was. Even after googling him, still had NO IDEA about this guy. Apparently he is a big thing in Chi town. It is hard for me to say whether he is worth the money because I don’t know about him. ESPN likes the kid. He is young. SO maybe. I will be watching him this year, so check for the update soon.

13. Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, $17,000,000 – Another guy that MAYBE worth his money. Hits for power, hits for avg, has speed, great defense. But he may have hit his peak (no more 30/30 years) and be gradually slowing down. But still a huge threat in Chicago.

12. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners, $18,000,000 (tie) -Here is another guy worth the money. As long as his legs can stay healthy, he will hit for a high average, get on base, steal a base, and score runs. What any good offense needs.

11. Torii Hunter, Angels, $18,000,000 What makes Torii Hunter a good player is his defense. He is getting older so his offense is slipping a bit. But paying a guy close to 20 mil for defense is outrageous!

10. Barry Zito, Giants, $18,500,000 -NOT WORTH THE MONEY! This guy is all hype. His ERA for his career is high 3′s, he was throwing an 84 MPH fastball last year, and doesn’t look to be improving. It’s like paying a high school pitcher 18 mil to pitch in the bigs. WHY?!

9. Carlos Zambrano, Cubs, $18,750,000 – A streaky pitcher at best, Zambrano has the potential to be worth his money. But his temper and lack of consistent starts (No hitter one game, 7 runs the next?) keeps him from truly being worth his salary. But at 27, if he gets his stuff together, watch out.

8. Johan Santana, Mets, $18,876,139 -Is Johan Santana one of the top pitchers year in and year out? Yes. Is his stuff worth 18.8 million? I am not sure on this one. He is one of the strongest pitchers in the majors, as well as is consistent through the entire year. But 19 mil?? Hmm…Tough One.

7. Magglio Ordonez, Tigers, $18,971,596 -If you can’t tell by know, I am not a fan of teams paying people whose best years are behind them a ton of money. Ordonez is 35 and his power numbers are dropping. But he still is a consistent player, but not 18.9 million consistent.

6. Carlos Lee, Astros, $19,000,000 -Here is another tough one: Is a player’s salary about defense, or offense? Lee’s defense is sub par. He has no range, no arm, and high number of errors a year. But, a career avg of 150 games, .290 batting average, 29 home runs, 102 RBIs, 90 runs scored is nothing to shake a stick at. He is not worth 19 million, but he is worth a good chunk.

5. Carlos Beltran, Mets, $19,243,683 -An underrated player if you ask me. Consistent player, plays everyday, hits for power, runs the bases, great all around player. Worth the 19.2 million? Maybe. We will have to see if he lives up in 2009.

Now we get into the big dogs. The 20 mil guys.

4. Mark Teixeira, Yankees, $20,625,000 -This kid is worth it. He is young, strong, fast and healthy. Offense, defense. He will blow up in the next few years. This was a great grab by the Yankee’s. Finally spending money on decent players. Unlike the next guy..

3. Derek Jeter, Yankees, $21,600,000 -NOT WORTH THE MONEY! He is a pop star. He is the David Beckham of MLB. No game, all sales. True, he puts butts in the seats in New York. But his speed: Gone. His 100+ RBI: GONE. His .350 avg: GONE!  He is 34 years old! And with SS like Ramirez, Reyes and Rollins, his skills now are sub par. But he sells tickets. So for that, I guess he is a good investment for New York?

2. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers, $23,854,494 -I have a tough time with Manny. On one side, he is still at power threat at 36. When he gets locked in, you can’t pitch him anywhere. He has a great eye and killer bat speed. That is, when he gets locked in. There is always that Manny Being Manny deal. But, I think his threat at the plate, just his threat, is enough to make pitchers wary. So good investment in my opinion.

1. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees, $33,000,000 -Ah. Good old Mr. Rodriguez. This is the easiest for me. There is NO WAY he is worth this kind of money. He is going into Jeter status with his star power. Is he still threat at the plate? Yes. Is that a 33 million dollar threat? Absolutely not! He has no defense (he might break a nail). I am baffled that NY pays this guy this much money!

There you have it. That is what I think about the top 25 players in the bigs in 2009. Feel free to let me know what you think-Who I got wrong, who I got right-I know you Yankee fans are going to grill me for Jeter and Rodriguez, but I love to hear. Let me have it!

]]> http://crazyworldofsports.com/2009/04/top-25-money-makers-in-mlb-worth-it/feed/ 0 http://crazyworldofsports.com/2009/04/rip-nick-adenhart/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rip-nick-adenhart http://crazyworldofsports.com/2009/04/rip-nick-adenhart/#comments Fri, 10 Apr 2009 04:33:10 +0000 sports http://crazyworldofsports.com/?p=69 This will be the saddest story in sports this year-and will go down down, at least for me, as one of the saddest stories in baseball that I can remember.

Nick Adenhart started wednesday night’s game for the Angels. After spending most of 2008 working on his stuff, this would be his first big start. He pitched 6 scoreless innings. His hard work and dedications to the game and the sport that he, like so many other kids, have paid off and he made it to the big leagues.

Shortly after that game, Adenhart, along with 3 friends, were in a small car. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit the car, killing 3 people instantly, and eventually taking Adenhart’s life as well. He was 22.

I don’t know what is the worst part of this story for me: The fact that his life was taken at the young age of 22 by a drunk driver who walked away without a scratch, or the fact that his life was full of hard work, dedication and fulfilling a dream to one day play in the bigs was taken away by someone who has no self control, no limits, and no reasoning for making a good decision. How is it that we live in a world where the dedicated perish, and those who truly don’t care live on.

If this story shows you anything, hopefully it is one of these 2 facts:

1. Life is short-There is a time and a place where you will be taken from this world. Live everyday life it is your chance to pitch in the big leagues. Seize the moment, and capture every memory possible.
2. Know your limits. Know when it is time to call it quits. If you cannot control that, make sure you have a way home that DOES NOT involve getting behind the wheel. You may take someones life-and is one night of partying worth a lifetime of pain?

Here is my opinion: What Michael Vick did was in no way right, moral or OK. However, he has served his time-like any other criminal that has caused a crime. He should be allowed to play in the NFL again, purely on the principle. However, I also think IF he gets back in, he will NEVER be the player that he used to be. IN fact, the only reason he will get picked up is because of the press coverage. Not becuase he is Michael Vick-one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

That is my opinion-What is yours? Do you think Vick should play in the NFL? Will he be GOOD enough to play again?

Is anyone else getting sick of hearing about all the doping issues on professional sports? I understand the bigger, faster, stronger principle, but what happened to hard work? Has sports become so competitive that people NEED to take steroid and performance enhancing drugs?

And what is with the witch hunt? Steroids are so bad in sports, sports like the NFL actually have scientists that work on this stuff? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Personally, if you want to fix baseball, cycling, football, hockey, track and field, and every other sport that has ever had doping problems (TABLE TENNIS ANYONE?), instead of suspending those accused of the infraction, why not kick them out of the sport all together? I can almost guarantee you there are athletes that are in great shape in the farm systems that DO NOT dope. They are working hard for a chances, but there are those professional athletes that have the advantage are taking their sport. Kick them out. Make the only way they can get in is after a year (or longer) of living clean, a public apology, community service then a try out. If a system like the above is put into place, you will weed those players out of the sport, and only those who truly just want to play will be in the game.

What do you think? Am I way off on this? Is there really no hope?

Manny is 36 years old. How much baseball does he have left in him? LA can only offer him 2-4 years. 25 mill a year for 4 years is 100 million. CRAZY! If you were manny, would you take the Dodgers money, or would you find a team that can possible compete?

Any sports fan have heard about the whole green bay packers vs. Brett Favre story. Favre retired, but wants to play again, and Green Bay will not release him.

MSN reported this morning that Favre could be in a Tampa Bay uniform as early as this weekend.

There has been numerous editorials about Favre and his retiring/not retiring/retiring/not retiring. Most of the writers are saying that he needs to retire.

I love sports. There is something about sports that show the good in people. It shows heart, determination, and will. A guy like Brett Favre epitomizes what sports is all about. Not just an amazing athlete, but a role model. He gives kids all around the world something to work for. To look up to. To create a dream and a goal for themselves. Now he is giving late 30-somethings the same attitude. I know that my dad sees Farve on sunday, and gets inspired to work out. I know my dad will never become an athlete, but if Brett Favre can be such a great athlete at his age, then my dad knows that the least he can do is to get of the couch and onto the treadmill.

Let Favre play. He loves the game and cannot stay away. Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. Let me know what you think. There are so many opinions running around the world about Farve and his ability to play, I know you have an opinion. Speak Up.
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And just to make sure he has no dignity left, Michael Vick has filed for bankruptcy. He is over 10 million dollars in debt. According to his filing papers, Vick says that “after the conclusion of the bankruptcy case, rebuild his life on a personal and spiritual level, resurrect his image as a public figure, and resolve matters with the NFL such that he can resume his career,”.

Anyone think Michael Vick with play in the NFL again? Anyone want to see him play again? Speak up!

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