Ben's SportsBlog

David Stern and the 2002 Western Conference finals

2011-06-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

As I was browsing around the web recently, I happened to find a series of videos saying that the 2002 Western Conference finals (WCF) were fixed in favor of the Lakers. Who accused the NBA of such wrongdoing? It was Tim Donaghy, the ref who is most famous for being convicted of fixing games that he worked. Stern has refered to Donaghy as a "felon" and despite the fact that Donaghy alleges that Game 6 of the 2002 WCF was fixed to get a Game 7, David Stern has done nothing for 3 years. Donaghy alleges that 2 refs working that series conspired to rig Game 6 in order to force a Game 7 because it was in "the best intrest of the leauge" and to call bogus fouls on team B in order for team A to win and force a game 7. First, a bit of background on the Kings and Lakers.

The Kings didn't really do a whole lot untill 1998-1999, when they made the playoffs as a 6 and took the Jazz to limit befoe losing. The next year, the Lakers were taken to the limit by the Kings. Then the Lakers swept the Kings in the second round. That Kings team in 2002 featured Mike Bibby, who (as now) could shoot and was tough as nails, Peja Stojakovic, who could shoot 3's all day, Bobby Jackson coming off the bench, and Vlad Divac, the wily old center. Most of all, the reason those Kings were good was because they had Chris Webber, who was a great passer at the 4. The Kings were a 1, and had home court in the WCF

The Lakers were the 2-time defending champions in 2002. The Lakers were coached by the now retired Phil Jackson, who may be the greatest coach of all time. The Lakers that year were a 3 seed. The Lakers were led by Shaq and Kobe, who were at the height of thier powers and had Rob "Big Shot Bob" Horry, the most clutch player of my generation, and Rick Fox and Derek Fisher.

Why would the NBA want to rig an important series? The answer is very simple. At that time, the NBA was looking for a replacement to Jordan, and he needed to be playing in a large market. Ever notice that people like to compare Kobe to Mike? That's because the league needed a star and someone to be the sidekick. Apply this to the 2001-2002 season, the only team this would work for would be the Lakers, with the Big Aristotle (Shaq) and Kobe, which were a cash cow to the league. Why not hype Sacramento? They had good players, like Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, and guys that had certain roles, like Peja Stojackovic, who could shoot threes, and Scot Pollard who could defend Shaq pretty well. Remember what I just told you about Scot Pollard, it will come back soon.

That year the Nets made the Finals. The Nets aren't a large market, so the NBA needed to get a large market team in to make some money. Sacramento had a population of 407,018 in 2000, according to the census data. That's not a large market team, so in a Nets-Kings series, the pot would be less. LA had a population of 3,694,820 according to the same census. As we can all agree, LA is a large market and they love the Lakers and would have more supporters watching and buying gear. Stern realized that the NBA would make a killing with a Lakers-Nets final, so he and/or the refs rigged the series in the Lakers favor.

Now to the series itself. The Lakers win game 1 on the road, but the Kings win the next two. Game 4 the Lakers storm back from 24 points down and Rob Horry hits the game winning shot. Game 5 the Kings get a game winner right back with a three by Mike Bibby.

Game 6 is the proof you need to see that the game and the series was rigged. Click on the link to see for yourself what I'm transcribing. At 1:26, Kings center Scot Pollard entered the game with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter to give Vlade a rest, because Vlade has 4 fouls at this point. Pollard was known for his hair and his great defense. At 2:04, Pollard gets called for a foul on Kobe? I didn't see any foul, and the announcers said "where's that foul?". At 2:34-2:38, Pollard picks up his 5th foul on an illegal screen. I've played basketball in the past and have set screens. Pollard did not move his feet, so I don't see anything illegal about that. At 2:33, Pollard fouls out. I don't see anything wrong, maybe too soon with the hands. Pollard, who is known for his defense, fouls out in ten minutes? When I played, I took a lot of pride in my defense, and I did not let my man score a lot. Good defense is knownig not to foul. Pollard, who was a great defender would have to know this, should not have fouled out to soon. Now Vlade has to come back in with 4 fouls and he has to be careful. At 4:24, Phil Jackson is quoted as saying he will keep feeding Shaq down low. That's a smart strategy because the refs will make sure there is a game 7. At 4:32, Vlade gets his 5th foul? In basketball, you can not touch the shooter's hand in the act of shooting. The ball is clearly out of Shaq's hand, and Vlade only has a pinky on the arm of the Big Aristotle. That is not a foul! At 4:57-5:00, Webber picks up his 5th foul on an offensive foul? Webber had him all the way, that also was a flop by Horry, who is a flopper. That bit of acting won the Lakers the ball, the Academy has decided, and is worthy of something that soccer players do all the time. Vlade fouls out, so the Kings have to send out Lawrence Funderburke to deal with Shaq. It's perfectly clear that the refs were trying to foul out the Kings centers, because Shaq could and would quite often go to town down low, meaning that the Lakers would win. At 6:08, notice how Shaq is a 53% free throw shooter. He goes 13-17 that game. Using his percentage, an average Shaq would have made 9 foul shots. Now, Shaq would not have made 9 every time, because sometimes you shoot better than others. Was Shaq having a good day from the line, or was there something else. Also notice that Shaq steps over the line before the ball was in the basket or hit the rim/backboard. That's not playing by the rules. In fact, he does it every time he goes to the line. In basketball, the closer the shot, the more probable the ball's going in if the shot isn't contested. Free throws are not contested, therefore because Shaq steps closer, he will make more shots. At 7:10, Shaq takes down Lawrence Funderburke hard. A flagrant would have given the Kings the ball after the foul shots, giving the Kings a great chance to take the lead, and put the Lakers in trouble of going to the golf courses. No hard foul for the Kings. At 7:57, it looks like Mike Bibby and Kobe are hugging! No, Kobe than tackles Bibby to the ground and no foul is called with the Kings down 1 and 12 seconds left. Lakers win and go on to win game 7 and win the title.

That title never should be the Lakers. Through a conspiracy between the refs with the blessing of David Stern, the Kings got robbed of a title and have never recovered. That team got screwed because David Stern wanted more money in his big series. David Stern doesn't fear me, he will say I'm wrong, and thinks he's above the scandal. I may be called Bob Woodward, or an idoit. You may think I'm wrong, you may think I'm right. I don't care. I want you to understand that 9 years ago, a team got screwed because the NBA wanted more money. Ben out!

I live for this!

2010-03-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hey, it's baseball season! I'm ready to talk 'bout some thoughts on some things to keep an eye out for. I think that the Twins are going to do some good things this year, after they added Orlando ( Keith Smart) Hudson at 2nd and J.J ( Dean Garret) Hardy. Joe Mauer might do his best Bobby Thompson act which will cause a Russ Hodges moment. One thing that I want to harp on is the issue of drugs. Mr D. wants to reduce the numbers by 20-30 percent. I have a different idea, though. I advocate wiping all rigged homers dropped from the record books. Barry Bonds may have a head the size of a bowling ball, but he is not the greatest slugger of all time. That title belongs to Babe Ruth. I can hear Hank Aaron coming to get me now. I don't think that the New York Mongols will repeat. The champs this year will be the Bo-Sox over the Phils in 6.

Back,Back,Back Here!

2010-02-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I'm back after a self -imposed break to get my stuff in order. I am here to talk about some non-sports stuff today. As you know people are donating money to help Haiti clean up after the big earthquake. Go to the hyperlink and help donate money. On a lighter side I've been into a fun little show called Liberty's Kids. It is an animated show about the founding of our nation. Some of the charaters are not real, but there is a lot of truth. I'll pull a couple episodes that I like and let's see where it goes. The first one is in NYC where Washington manages to escape a Redcoat trap. Next, the year is 1777 and Messers Gates and Bourgoyne battle at Saratoga and Bendict (Brett Farve) Arnold school the Brunswickers (inside joke). Enjoy!

Rodgers v. Fav-ray: Who is better?

2009-11-25T08:02:00.001-08:00

I'm here today to underscore some comparisons between Aaron "A-Rodg" Rodgers and Brett "Brent" Fav-ray since Week 1 of 2008. I am a Packer fan and I think that Fav-ray was the best player I saw on a regular basis. A-Rodg is a solid Quarterback who can be very good. Here are some stats I retrived from NFL.com about '08.

Rodgers completed 63.6% of his passes for 4,038 yards and threw for 28 touchdowns and rushed for 4 extra scores, and was picked 13 times. These are good numbers,as anyone can see.

Farve completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,472 yards and scored 23 total times and was picked 22 times. Not bad,but high pick numbers as you can see.

The differnce is not very much, but Rodgers has a slight edge. Let's show the records for the season.

Jets: 9-7
Packers: 6-10

Okay, so what happened here? Rodgers has the slight edge but there was a 4 game swing? Let's compare games in 08 and we might get somewhere. that will come in the next part of the comparuisn

Downfall

2009-01-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

The picture is an SI cover from 1989 when Oklahoma had a lawless football program. That person is Charles Thompson, Oklahoma quarterback. Thompson was a redshirt freshman when he was handed the O for Game of the Century 2 in 1987. (It was between Oklahoma and Texas). Thompson was told by Barry Switzer that "you will shock the world." He did and had a normal 1988 season. In 1989 when Thompson sold cocaine to an undercover FBI agent.

It takes two

2008-11-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

You know that individual glory is the norm today. Sorry T.O. go have a Big Mac or Quarter pounder. I present the Team awards.

Funniest Basketball Paring: Marvin and Fly

made the Spirits of St. Louis a wild ride. Hey where's my car.

Best Football Pairings

Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson are as scary as 9/11.

Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison Are like beasts

stay tuned for more

C.C. with the Brew Crew?

2008-07-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, these men may have a shot at the playoffs. Last time the Brewers were in the playoffs they were in the AL, there was no interleauge play, County Stadium was still up and so was the Kingdome. Japanese players were not allowed in the majors and Ned Yost was the backup catcher and he had a much easier job than Prince Fielder who wasn't even born. They lost in seven games and the won 1 game 10-0 and that sucked. Right now there are races of people dresses up as meat and cha-cha bowls. The Brewers are being stupid with closers and have a guy who has a good start and blows it up. Then you bring in a sucky roid user who sucks. Stay tuned for part 2.

Great games that never happened part 1: Astros-sox 1986

2008-04-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have a new idea on my blog. How it works is I have come up with a new idea to match up great teams that never played each other in a new twist. You will vote and I will post the winners on more posts. You will also get a chance to guess the mystery player I have posted. Today we will kick things off with a question. If the Mets were not in the world series would Bill Buckner not be given a bad name. They would have played the Astros in a good set of games. You viewers will vote on the winner and MVP.

Play Ball!

2008-03-31T13:44:00.001-07:00

That's right, it's time to see why I put him up. I think that the Red Sox have the chance to be very good because they have just too many weapons to deal with. See you next time

Breaking the brackets

2008-03-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I think that I have something to say about the brackets. I think that the top seed looks very strong, but there is some questions about this brackets. Why did the Badgers get a 3? They beat Texas on the road, not a very easy task to accomplish. The only teams they lost to where Purdue, Duke, and Mark Miller's favorite Marquette. Those teams are in the tournament, there is no shame in losing to them. I think that there was a huge snub. All because of the Big 10 not being very good this year. Texas is good, but they didn't win the Big 12. Bucky won the regular-season and tournament titles. Texas only got a share of the former in the Big 12. So readers the choice is yours. Who was more deserving, cattle or cheese and beer. The toughest road is in the South where Memphis will be lucky to get into the Sweet 16. So my picks for the final four are Bucky, UNC, Texas, and UCLA

George, I can't deny

2007-12-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well, in the holiday time I can't think of a holiday killer more evil then George Mitchell. On Thursday of this week he unleashed a report so surprising he will be known as a baseball uncovered of drugs than as a former Senate member. The 404 page report is imposing as the baseball world found out that Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite were abusive about using steroids and so did Jose Canseco a few years back in his now-famous book. So the jury is out on many stars like Canseco, Paul Byrd, and Rick Ankiel.

The MLB has to respond to stuff like the underground networks led by former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski and Yankees strength coach Brain McNamee who said he saw Clemens and Pettite both use steroids in the clubhouse around the turn of the century. Well,there is a way to stop this madness. George Mitchell should join forces with World Anti-Doping Association chief Dick Pound to come up with a drug test that all players have to do every single year that can detect HGH, which is the drug of choice for players because it doesn't show on current tests. The first offense is a 10 game suspension, the second step is a 5 year ban, the third and worst one is a lifetime ban. That is your way to close the door on this dark year. That is your plan, George. Use it for good.

Pay Day

2007-10-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

To all of us who remember my dad and his picks, I will do one pick tonight, here it is;

Dallas 56, Vikes 0

Here is a funny talk;

1 . '' Hey, ya here about the Vikes, they beat da bums''
2.'' Let's put 9 guys in the box and use Romo.''

Buy or Sell - Joe Torre

2007-10-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the title - I must have watched too much "Around the Horn" and think that I'm an 11 year old Woody Paige. Anyway, let's talk about Joe Torre. Buy or sell?

I'm saying sell, because he gets paid like $10M per year to deliver World Series titles, but he hasn't had one since 2000. I think that Steinbrenner should just get rid of this guy, or better yet, Torre should retire while he still can. And, by the way, just to make a sense of time, the last time the Yankees reigned on top of the baseball world, Bill Clinton was still president, terrorists hadn't bombed the World Trade Center and none of these family blogs even existed. In fact, Maria didn't even know how to walk yet. And if you want Maria's point of view, check out her blog - www.aboutmaria.blogspot.com

If you want my dad's point of view, for some of you hardened readers who listened to him guest blog on my last entry, visit www.mrdilettante.blogspot.com

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends

2007-09-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

I honestly don't know why I just came up with that title - must have seen a Dr. Pepper commercial recently. Well, obviously, in the Comedy Central division, the dashing, young and beautiful Cubs take on the ugly, old, and stinky Brewers. I honestly think that the Brewers are complete fools and I wonder why Ned Yost even bothers managing.

Some of these guys couldn't even make a five year old's t-ball team! So I bet Prince Fielder could beg for a job in a diner, getting one cent a hour. He would be overpaid at that rate.

Second of all, I think that Ned Yost should be sitting at home, watching "The Office" on DVD, seasons 1, 2 and 3. It would be better than trying to manage a ball club of crying two-year olds who aren't even toilet trained.

I think that Bill Hall should be sitting around watching Britney Spears get arrested for the 4,000th time, rather than trying to play on a team filled with incompetents.

Now, to the Cubs. The dashing, young and some would say hot Alfonso Soriano is so much better than Prince Fielder, even if Prince Fielder used steroids. By the looks of Prince Fielder, it looks like he's using Purina Horse Chow instead, though.

Carlos Zambrano is so much better than Ben Sheets that he would definitely help the Brewers win the World Series if he were on the Brewers' pitching staff. Zambrano has one key advantage - he actually pitches, unlike Sheets, who ends up on the disabled list every time the wind changes direction. He's on the DL as often as Britney Spears gets divorced.

So, come back next time to the ranting that never ends. Now, for an opposing viewpoint, meet my guest blogger, my dad, also known as Mr. Dilettante.

*****

Where to begin, Ben? Some good rips - I'll give you that much. But you might want to consider something else. Stubborn things called facts.

First, the Brewers aren't old at all; in fact, they are one of the youngest teams in baseball; only the eternally rebuilding Tampa Bay Devil Rays are younger. And their players are talented, despite your uncharitable reading of their market value. This young Brewers team compares favorably, talent wise, to the glory years "Harvey's Wallbangers" squads of the early 80s. They don't have anyone who has established himself as a future Hall of Famer, but there's potential galore at every position.

The problem, which seems eternal in Milwaukee, has been the inconsistent pitching. You are right about Sheets, I think - he's fragile to the point of being unreliable. I like what little I've seen of Yovani Gallardo, but the rest of the starting staff is problematic. They need at least one more mid-level starter next season.

They may win it yet - while the Cubs have the advantage now, the Brewers are still in it. But in the long term, I sure like the Brewers' chances. They look like they have the makings of the best team in the National League, and potentially for a while. That is if the ownership is willing to spend the money to keep the team together. If Ryan Braun is playing 3rd base for the Red Sox in 2011, you'll know the answer to that question.

To cheat or not to cheat

2007-08-08T11:57:00.001-07:00

Well, Barry has hit 756, but there is one question still unanswered: is Barry a cheater? Yes, he is! First of all, everybody knows that when he played with the Pirates, he was not that big. Then, when he hit 73 home runs in one season, he was this freak. So, how can it happen so quickly? One word says it all: BALCO.

His personal trainer is in jail. He has been clouded by questions and in my mind the right thing to do is: give Aaron back his record. It's his record, you fools!

Bonds is a cheater; what's the matter with you people - are you blind?

Thank you, baseball gods

2007-07-06T12:48:00.001-07:00

Oh baseball gods, I praise you! You injured Bill Hall yesterday in Pittsburgh. You have granted my wish that all the Brewers will start to slump; pretty soon they'll need to call up even more bums from AAA. And then the AAA bums will get hurt. Pretty soon, the Brewers will need to get some Brewers from my ball club - maybe Tony could suit up!

Man, I love trashing the Brewers. Let's see how you Brewer fans like this stuff, you crazed maniacs! And don't worry, I have plenty more trashing to do as the Brewers sink to the bottom of the NL Central. In fact, this isn't even my worst comment ever said about those bums in Milwaukee. Just wait.

Ye olde bet

2007-06-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

As I'm sitting here typing this post, Bert Blyleven is probably ruing his bet with Johan Santana. The stupid color commentator on FSN North made a bet with Johan that he couldn't pitch a complete game shutout against the Mets. Well, Johan did. And he personally shaved off Bert's hair. So, as we can conclude from this, Bert Blyleven is probably feeling like the dumbest person on the face of the earth right now. And in the words of Twins fans, Circle Me, Bert!

Man, those pitchers stink today

2007-06-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

In my blogging absence, lots of things have happened with the Twins. Ramon Ortiz was ineffective and Sidney Ponson was as bad as Ben Sheets. Well, what can we learn from that?

Sidney Ponson is a drinker and Ramon Ortiz is a stinker. Also, Terry Ryan was as low as Ground Zero when he picked up these two pitchers, who stink as much as the Brewers. (I mean the Milwaukee Brewers, not my team.)

Also, I wonder what Sidney Ponson is going to do now. Blow up the Marriott? Or have another horrible outing for some other team?

As for Ramon, he was actually good in April, but then in May he was like a little crying baby. He couldn't find the strike zone with the most advanced tools known to man. So what will he do next? Maybe he'll take an example from Sidney and get drunk and then pick a fight with Terry Ryan?

As of this writing, Sidney is likely blowing it in retirement. And Ramon is in the bullpen, where he'll be worse than in the starting rotation.

Bring up the kids - is that too much to ask?

Spring Training

2007-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, woe is me! What is to become of the Twins' starting rotation? Liriano is gone, Silva is ineffective and everybody but Johan is young and inexperienced! I think that the rotation should be Johan, Carlos Silva, Boof Bonser, Ramon Ortiz and Matt Garza. I predict that the Twins will not be effective, due to the weakness in their rotation.

C'mon, Twins, what's the matter with your pitching rotation? It's even worse than the smoking remains of Ground Zero! Even so, I predict it will better than the sorry Brewers.

What happened to Black Friday?

2006-11-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

Stores have turned Black Friday into all of these early bird sales. It seems that they want to get more money, because the holidays are coming up. But if they do that, what will be fun about Black Friday? I think they should just leave Black Friday to being all blackish. But I think there should be an end to all of these early bird sales. Just leave Black Friday to what it is, and wait until December.

Ben

1 vs. 2

2006-11-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

As Ohio State faces off against Michigan today to decide the Big Ten title, a spot in the National Championship Game and who is number one, as the game looms, here are some ugly comments about some players.

Ted Ginn, Jr. couldn't even get to the end zone if he tried. He needs GPS. Good thing, too, because he'll fall down after receiving the kick.

Troy Smith couldn't even throw a centimeter. He needs a pair of binoculars. Why he's in the Heisman race, I have no idea.

I'll be real shocked if Maurice Clarett comes into the game. I thought he was in the NFL, but I guess he's in jail.

I've decided not to rip Michigan. Go Blue!

Who's gonna win?

2006-10-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

That is the question that baseball fans are going to be asking right now, as the World Series begins tonight. The Detroit Tigers are going to face off with the St. Louis Cardinals and I think the big arms that Detroit has can silence Albert Pujols and company. But if the Cardinals can stop the lineup that Detroit has put together, the AL's World Series winning streak will be over. How will this World Series play out? Well, we can let God do it and just watch helplessly. But Albert Pujols couldn't even lift a bat if he tried. Good thing, too, because he'd strike out every time. And whoever wins this World Series, it will be a great year.

My prediction: Detroit in four. And I'm just kidding about Pujols - he's a great player. And my dad made me say that....

Thoughts from a sports fan

2006-10-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

When I was just a little kid, I saw Mark McGwire set the home run record in 1998 and I was thinking, "well, if he could do it, then I could do it." Then came that great Sunday. Everyone was expecting that the Twins would get in as the wild card and face the Yankees. I got a little nervous when the Tigers jumped out to a 6-0 lead against the Royals, but then I heard that the game was tied and that it was going into the 12th inning. Then the Royals brought out a pitcher named Jimmy Gobble, a guy I'd never heard about in a million years. But then the Royals scored some runs, and Gobble shut out the Tigers in the bottom of the inning, and then on the news I saw the celebration in the Twins clubhouse.

There was this guy in the clubhouse who was reporting and then somebody poured some beer down his suit; the reporter said it was his second ruined suit this week. From McGwire to Gobble, it's been a great run for me watching baseball. Let's hope I see a lot more memorable moments!

An Ode to Victory

2006-09-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

I just creamed my Dad at our bet. Therefore, I am the victor, and Dad is the loser, meaning that Dad has to buy me a root beer float sometime. And if he doesn't, I will chew him out. Dad was destroyed, like a scrap heap.

Help Out Valentine Hills

2006-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

My school is doing a fundraiser for cash for important stuff like school supplies, Science Fair, Family Arts Festival and field trips. We are selling sweets, wrapping paper and other things. If you want more information, go the Geckler website or ask me about it. C'mon and help Valentine Hills for the year!

College Football season opens

2006-09-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

As the college football season opens this weekend, there is a question that people around the country are asking. Who is going to win the national title? While I think Notre Dame has a chance, Ohio State is also in the running because they were the pre-season No. 1. We're all also wondering how the replacements will do for Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Vince Young. I also think that every team is going to play hard this weekend.

Anyway, so let's be outrageous for a minute. Here's some really outrageous ideas that I have (with a little help from my mean ol' Dad)

Brady Quinn can't even throw a football one inch. Good thing too, because if he could, it would be intercepted.
Ted Ginn Jr. can only run 1 mile per hour. If he can even get that far.
We know who the real power is in college football. Macalester. Just watch those Scots!
Then there's Macalester's opponent next week - Principia College. Wow, that one should be a classic, huh?

Twins Take Wild Card Lead

2006-08-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday the Twins took the wild card lead in the American League. I have a feeling that they might win the wild card, or maybe even the division if Detroit continues to melt down. I think it will come down to the series between the Twins and White Sox on the last weekend of the season.

I think that the "piranhas" can continue to get on base, if Torii Hunter continues to be hot, and if Morneau can continue to hit home runs, and if the bottom of the rotation steps up, the Twins will probably get in to the playoffs. That's a lot of ifs, but so far, so good.

Why is everyone picking on my Packer socks?

2006-08-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

I wore my favorite pair of Green Bay Packer socks yesterday at my sister's t-ball practice. Everyone was giving me the boot about it. I heard so much stuff, I thought someone was launching a catapault with a bomb on me! C'mon, they're just socks, for goodness sakes? Give me a break, already!

Is Matt Garza ready?

2006-08-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone is wondering if Matt Garza is ready to join the Twins. He has been soaring up the minor league ranks all year long and should be a dominant pitcher, like Santana and Liriano. He will be a good pitcher, I believe, because if the twins dealt for Soriano, he would have been traded to Washington, but they didn't do that.

Why I love Backyard Baseball

2006-07-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

I love Backyard Baseball because of its intensity, and also because you get to choose your own players. There are no trades, no free agents, so you can keep your stars for a long time. Also, if you get some of the older versions of the game, you get to have some of the older stars, like Mark McGwire or Jose Canseco.

New Kid on the Block

2006-07-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

Francisco Liriano has just been amazing. Nobody knew him at the beginning of the season, but now everybody knows him. The pitches that Liriano has are something else. I expect we'll see him in many more All-Star Games.

Do Twins need more hitting in their system?

2006-07-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the Twins have lots of great pitchers in their farm system, but they need more hitting, especially if Justin Morneau or Joe Mauer gets hurt. My ideas for getting good hitters would be to check out what's available at AAA Rochester, or maybe AA New Britain. Otherwise, they'll need to get some hitters from the entry draft. I haven't seen much of the new guy they signed, Durazo. I think Jason Tyner will be a good addition to the Twins lineup.

As for pitching, maybe the Twins should bring back Boof Bonser if there is an emergency.

Phillies end regular season with a victory

2006-06-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

My team, the Phillies, won their last game Tuesday, 11-0 over the Rockies. Just a few weeks ago, we were blown out huge, but we didn't have Corey then. Now, we have Corey back and we are raring up for the playoffs next week. Continue reading my blog for more developments on what happened during the playoffs, and other stuff in sports.

Bye!

My dad is losing our bet

2006-06-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the baseball season, my Dad and I made a bet. He bet that the Milwaukee Brewers would have a better overall record than the Twins, but I bet that the Twins would have a better record than the Brewers. So far, I am in the lead by 3 1/2 games. When the Twins play the Brewers this weekend, I have a chance to extend my lead, or my lead could drop. What will happen? It all depends on how the games are played.

The juice

2006-06-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

With the publication of "Game of Shadows," the public has to ask this question: Did Barry Bonds use steroids? I say yes, because I read an issue of Sports Illustrated with a long story about Bonds, and the facts were amazing. Other big leaguers may have used the juice, but I think Bud Selig should either suspend Bonds or ban him from the game for life.

The author will be here shortly

2006-05-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ben is the author of this blog. Ben is 10 years old and he knows what he thinks about sports. Watch for Ben soon!