As the mid-summer classic draws closer and the polls have closed for fans to cast their ballots, it’s time to look at the best players from the first half of the season. In this fantasy lineup, I chose players from both leagues to create my super team.
The first part of this story is found here.
Next it was on to our nation’s capital, and the newest addition to the Major League Baseball landscape, the Washington Expos/Nationals, who are inexplicably in first place in a division that also includes the annual NL East champs (Atlanta), the Boston Red Sox old-timers team (Mets), the 2003 World Series champs (Florida), and the perennial underachieving Phillies. Somehow, Curley and I landed a penthouse hotel room at the Alexandria Hilton with a panoramic view of D.C. that reminded me of the view from the Jedi Council room on Coruscant. Or if that image doesn’t work for you, think of Ferris Bueller leaning on the window on the top floor of the Sears Tower, only not quite as high. Either way, we had a fantastic view.
Free Agency has begun and players will soon have some new addresses. General Mangers are recruiting these players hard and trying to wow them to sign with their team. But they can’t start officially signing until July the 22nd. Some things that you’ll have to know are that the teams that are over the salary cap have an exception called the Mid Level Exception (MLE) and the MLE is worth around 5 million dollars for the first year.
[Editor’s Note: SportsPickle.com always seems to nail issues right on the head. We have a healthy contingent of Boston and NY fans on this site so, of course, this story is perfect. The sad part is that this article is satire, yet could just as easily be a real story.]
According to a study set to be released today by the Center for Sports Research, a whopping 96-percent of Boston sports fans have no idea how unbelievably annoying they are to those who are not supporters of the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins.
LAS VEGAS- Gerald Green had an auspicious professional debut and the Reebok Vegas Summer League, but after getting rid of some early jitters, he found time to wow the crowd time and again.
Green first entered the game with 3:34 left in the first quarter and quickly gobbled up a defensive rebound. Without noticing Erwin Dudley of the Clippers lurking nearby, he put the ball on the floor where it was snatched away by Dudley. He then fouled Dudley immediately to stop him from getting an easy 2.. It was certainly not the start Green wanted, but with the help of some pretty aerial moves and a couple of ferocious dunks, his slow start would soon be erased from people’s minds.
We sung for Live Aid, celebrated like high school kids on a Friday night when we won the Olympic bid, and now we’re praying after the London blast that will forever remain for us at 7/7….
I know, I know who cares about the New York Mets. Better yet, who cares what I would do if I were the General Manager for the New York Mets? Really, I can’t answer that all I can say is that my wit and dry humor rivals that of a Dennis Miller (of course without the awful historical references).
We all have thought about being a GM. That’s why fantasy sports is a multibillion dollar industry. But I am going to live that dream right now, because I am that ignorant to not know the difference between my imagination and real life.
So Sports and Politics shouldn’t mix. Well really, they do. And we have a quick word for Politicians too.
By Paul Culin
Much like Marsha Brady’s envious sister Jan, many IRL drivers are struggling for their fair share of attention. Case in point: Andretti Racing’s Dan Wheldon. Wheldon captured his third checkered flag of the season by winning the Indy 500. In years past, marketing and media opportunities would abound for the winner of the most prolific event in international motor sports. Especially for a winner that is young, handsome, and arguably the best driver in the series. Wheldon should have been a lock for the cover of Sports Illustrated, as well as several TV gigs. And let’s not forget the Wheaties boxes. Not this year.
When you pick up the newspaper, you won’t see the Oakland A’s anywhere near the top of their division, let alone the American League. This leaves many people stunned. How could the “Moneyball” approach not be working this year? Has icon Billy Beane lost the magic, or is there more going on then meets the eye? Obviously Beane’s squad is in the midst of a rebuilding year, but why haven’t the Braves had to have a rebuilding year in over a decade?
Bill Shanks book Scout’s Honor has been proclaimed the “Anti-Moneyball” book. In reading both, there are obviously many differences. Emphasis is placed on stats over appearance for the A’s, and “makeup” over numbers for the Braves. However, the two franchises don’t have as much as contradicting ideas as either side would like to admit. The importance might be placed different, but both teams take the others main points into consideration.