MLB Preview: American Leage

AL East
1. New York (99 wins)
I keep thinking age is going to catch up to the Yankees, but I'm always wrong. I think this has the potential to be a great team, especially if Phil Hughes becomes as good as I think he'll be. Even without him, that's a great starting rotation. And the lineup only has one hole: Nick Johnson at DH. I put the over/under on games played at 100, and I'm taking the under.

2. Boston (93)
The Red Sox are going to be good and make the playoffs, but not quite as good as the Yanks. The starting rotation is awesome 1-3, but there's big questions after that, and not enough depth beyond that. The hitting and the defense will be very good, and if the starting pitching is better than I think, this could be a 100-win team.

3. Tampa Bay (90)
The Rays scare me as a Sox fan. Evan Longoria is one of the best players in baseball. The pitching is good and young. And they are athletic all over the field. If Tampa won 100 games, I wouldn't be shocked.

4. Baltimore (75)
The Orioles were last above .500 in 1997 when Davey Johnson's team won 98 games and advanced to the ALCS for the second year in a row. In the 12 seasons since, they've never finished better than 3rd in the AL East, and they've been last the past two seasons. Well, I don't think they'll finish last.

5. Toronto (70)
From 2005 to 2008, I thought the Blue Jays were becoming what the Rays have become -- a legitimate third player in the AL East. Injuries, bad luck, and some questionable front office moves have put that at the bottom of the AL East pile. And as I look at that lineup and the pitching, I think the 70 wins might be generous.

AL Central
1. Minnesota (89)
I know everyone is jumping off the Twins bandwagon due to the Joe Nathan injury. I don't think it will mean a lot; even the best closers are overrated. I like the defense, I like the pitching, and though I'm not really high on Minnesota, I just like the Twins better than the other AL Central teams.

2. Chicago (87)
I really like Chicago's pitching, with Peavy and Buerhle leading the way, and a good bullpen. The offense is a little weak (any lineup with Juan Pierre is), but I really like the potential of Beckham and a rebound by Rios. The rest of the offense will be good enough.

3. Detroit (81)
The Tigers are a team that I have a hard time getting my head around. They could win 90 games; they could win 75. The top 3 starters (Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer) might be very good. The offense is anchored by stud Miguel Cabrera, but is old and weak at a lot of positions. The defense will likely be bad, and the bullpen might be as well.

4. Cleveland (72)
My love affair with the Indians is over. The offense will be decent, with a slick outfield in Sizemore, LaPorta and Choo. But besides A. Cabrera at SS, I don't like the infield, and the starting pitching could be brutal. The Indians will be good again, but not in 2010.

5. Kansas City (66)
Do you realize that the last time the Royals were really relevant was 1989? They won 92 games and Bret Saberhagen won the AL Cy Young. Twenty years have passed, with only mediocrity and down right brutality to show for it. And the way this team is still being run, it may be another 20 years before they're any good.

AL West
1. Seattle (89)
I'm all in on the Mariners. The defense is good, the offense is good enough (though a healthy, non-crazy season from Milton Bradley could elevate it substantially). The pitching should be good. And I don't like the rest of the AL West.

2. Oakland (82)
Not sure why some are so down on Oakland. I think, with a few breaks, they could win the AL West. The outfield defense might be the best I've ever seen. The starting pitching could be anywhere from good to great, especially if Sheets stays healthy. The bullpen will be awesome. But they will struggle to score runs again, and this will keep them out of the postseason.

3. Los Angeles (81)
The starting pitching should be OK. But Abreu, Matsui, Hunter and Rivera are all old and declining, and the outfield defense will be bad. There are some good, young hitters in the infield. The bullpen will be brutal. This looks like a very average team to me. But I thought that last year too.

4. Texas (77)
I just don't see an above-average, complete team. The pitching has question-marks all over it, and the offense has about as many. Could they win 85 if the young pitchers develop and Hamilton stays healthy (and away from the manager's drug stash)? Sure, but I wouldn't put any money on it.

ALDS
Yankees over Twins
Mariners over Red Sox

ALCS
Mariners over Yankees

MLB Preview Part 1: Looking back

To start my MLB preview, I want to look back at my 2009 National League and American League previews. Let's just say I missed a little, since my World Series prediction was the Cubs and Indians. So here is my +/- with a few notes.

AL East - I was close on this division, just missed the order of the Yanks and Sox.
New York +7
Boston -2
Tampa Bay -4
Toronto -6
Baltimore -9

AL Central - Yeah, I couldn't have had Indians more wrong, and Detroit was a lot better than I thought they would be.
Minnesota +2
Detroit +15
Cleveland -26
Kansas City -10

AL West - I totally underestimated this division. I always think the Angels are destined to fall. Someday I'll be right.
Los Angeles +13
Texas +18
Seattle +23
Oakland -7

NL East - Yeah, that's right, I picked the Mets. The big story was really the young Marlins returning to relevance a year early.
Philadelphia +3
Florida +12
Atlanta +5
New York -24
Washington -8

NL Central - Yes, the Cubs weren't very good, but I did guess the Brewers exactly right. Even a blind squirrel can find a nut sometimes.
St. Louis +7
Chicago -16
Milwaukee E
Cincinnati +11
Houston +4
Pittsburgh -10

NL West - Similar to the AL, I underestimated the west, especially the Rockies. Call it my Midwest bias.
Los Angeles +7
Colorado +16
San Francisco +8
San Diego +6
Arizona -7

Mauer signing good for baseball

I've read and listened to a lot of things about Joe Mauer's megadeal with the Twins. Here's my take.

Good for baseball
This may seem strange coming from the keyboard of a Red Sox fan, but this signing is great for baseball. I know some Minnesota fans who basically thought it was a given that Mauer would eventually be playing in Fenway or donning pinstripes. It's good to see a smaller revenue team use it's new funds (thank you, tax payers of Minnesota) to hold onto a homegrown talent. This deal will likely help the Twins remain competitive for the next several years, and will give hope to smaller revenue teams. I would also point to the deals of Evan Longoria and others as further evidence of this.

Bad for the Twins
Most Twinkie fans will probably see this as sacrilege, but this deal is too long. Eight years? Locking up a catcher until his mid-30s? Seems a little crazy to me. Now I realize Mauer is a singular talent, and it's difficult for anyone to project what kind of player Mauer will be six years from now. But catcher is one of the toughest positions in professional sports, and it takes a toll on the body. Yes, I realize he could slip over to 1B or DH during these eight years, but if his bat slips, if he gets hurt, this deal will be an albatross for the Twins, even if they felt like they 'had' to do it at the time.

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

Word of advice to husbands of pregnant women: Do not call an audible while your wife is in the bathroom to a 3-D movie without asking.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I really enjoyed Tim Burton's latest weird flick 'Alice in Wonderland', and yes I saw it in all of its 3-D glory. Was it as good as 'Avatar'? No, but it's the early leader for my favorite movie of 2010 (which, of course, is likely to be taken by 'Tron: Legacy' based on the trailer I saw in 3-D last night).

What Worked
The effects and the imagery. Much like 'Avatar', 'Alice' is a work of art. Burton and his team went to painstaking efforts to create a spectacular Wonderland. The acting performances (besides Anne Hathaway as the White Queen) were great, and the voices were awesome. Helena Bohnam Carter, Johnny Depp, and relative newcomer Mia Wasikowska (Alice) lead a great cast. The story was also very engaging and kept moving swiftly.

What Didn't Work
I'm not an Anne Hathaway hater or anything, but she wasn't very good in this. Maybe it was just bad casting, but every time she came on screen, I wanted the movie to move on. The ending was also a little abrupt (after Alice returns to the 'read world').

Who Would Like This
Fans of Burton; fans of the story; anyone who loves visually impressive movies; fans of classic fantasy literature.

Who Wouldn't Like This
It is dark and weird, and if you absolutely hate Burton, this probably isn't you movie. This also is not a kid's movie at all (though there were quite a few little kids in the theater last night).

Closing Credits
Really fun movie, came out of it wanting to see it again. Great story, great acting, great effects. I highly recommend it.

March Madness Thoughts

I don't watch a lot of college basketball anymore. Beginning 2005, I started watching more NBA. I was intrigued by the new generation of players: LeBron, Carmelo, Wade. NBA basketball was fun again, and the playoffs were intriguing. This waxing of the NBA led to a waning of NCAA basketball.

Don't get me wrong. I still devoured March Madness, the best tournament in sports (closely followed by the NHL playoffs). But I watched a lot fewer games. And my two teams (BYU and Purdue) weren't nationally relevant at the time.

This all crested with the Celtics winning the 2008 NBA title. My favorite team was relevant again (if only for two seasons), and the playoffs were awesome. My NBA time investment was paying off.

This year has been different. I can hardly watch the Celtics; Rasheed Wallace is a disgrace, and watching KG is almost painful now. And the team is irrelevant again, an aging former champ who no longer has the power to play with the big boys, an old team that's falling quickly.

And my college teams were good. Purdue has become a nationally relevant team, and BYU is a fun mid-conference team. So I followed both teams this season, but I didn't watch a lot besides that. So my thoughts on the tournament are going to be confined to my two teams.

Purdue
Before Hummel went down with his gruesome knee injury, I gave the Boilermakers a decent shot at making the Final Four. They were a complete team, with three players that could fill up the basket in different ways. And their defense was solid.

Now they're mediocre, and will likely not make the Sweet 16. That is a big shame. Maybe their terrible showing in the Big Ten tournament against Minnesota will galvanize the team and make them stronger. I think it just showed that they are not the same team without Hummel. Tournament prediction: Loss to Texas A&M in round of 32.

BYU
Early in the season, I had higher hopes for the Cougars. A good showing outside of conference, and a solid rotation with an electric scorer. Though two loses to New Mexico made them conference second class going into the tournament. Still, going into the tourney, they had a shot at a 4-seed, especially if they beat New Mexico in the championship.

But a loss to UNLV on the a 'nuetral' Las Vegas court ended that. A 7-seed means a second-round match-up against Kansas State, instead of squaring off against a Butler, Purdue, Texas A&M -- a team they could have a good shot at beating and making a Sweat 16 run. So despite one of the best BYU teams of the past 20 years, it looks like another tournament disappointment. Tournament prediction: Loss to Kansas State in round of 32.

Big Papi or Lowell

In a recent post, Tony Massarotti at the Boston Globe intimated that Mike Lowell might be a better solution at DH than David Ortiz. Here's the money quote:

"...but remember that Lowell finishing 2009 with a better batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage than David Ortiz. And even if Lowell has range at third base, he still has Hall of Fame hands that make him a better and more versatile defensive option than Ortiz."

So is Mazz correct? Is Lowell a better roster option than Big Papi? Well, his last point about defensive flexibility is a good one. If Lowell is healthy, he'd be a good back-up at third, and I would guess he'd be a good defensively at first (again assuming he's healthy). Ortiz is a defensive liability at first each time he takes the field (usually only in some interleague games).

But as a hitter? According to fangraphs.com (and in addition the comments made by Mazz), in 2009, Lowell was a superior bat to Ortiz (using Park Adjusted Runs Above Replacement as the metric): 5.3 to 3.5. Not a huge difference. Overall on Wins Above Replacement, Lowell was a little better: 1.2 to 0.8

But in 2008, the gap was even wider (WAR: 3.2 to 2.0 for Lowell). Lowell had a terrific year with the glove, but Ortiz was more valuable with the bat, though not by a huge margin. Of course, if you go back to 06-07, Ortiz was clearly more valuable, and substantially with the bat.

But this isn't 2007, and though Big Papi turned it on after those first few miserable months, he is not the basher of old. Depending on how the roster positions fall out, it might be better for the Sox to carry Lowell as the DH and let Ortiz go.

I hate to say it, but Mazz might be right.

My favorite movies of the 90s, Part 2

Please check out part 1 of the my favorite movies of the 90s for a full breakdown of my year-by-year favorites.

I inadvertantly left off one of my all-time favorites, The Shawshank Redemption (1994). I orginally created my list using boxofficemojo.com's top grossing movies by year lists. I forgot what a commercial failure Shawshank was. So I appologize for the egregious error. Now, on with the show.

20. The Saint (1997) – Not sure why this movie doesn’t get more love. Val Kilmer is awesome, and Elisabeth Shue is at her hottest. Hypothermia scene anyone?

19. Mission: Impossible (1996) – This was the second movie I saw after my Mormon mission. It and The Saint are the best spy movies of the 90s.

18. Life is Beautiful (1998) – Can a holocaust movie be uplifting? Roberto Benigni manages to do it.


17. Toy Story 2 (1999) – Not as good as the original, but still a great story, great animation and great voices.

16. Braveheart (1995) – Maybe Mel Gibson’s most inspired performance. Fantastic epic.

15. Forrest Gump (1994) – Tom Hanks’ ultimate performance, but I realize this iconic movie isn’t as high as most people would have it. I guess it’s not as rewatcheable as some of the movies above it on this list. Can’t explain it.

14. Apollo 13 (1995) – Just thinking about this movie gets me excited. Ed Harris is the MVP of this one, and starting with an inspiring true story doesn’t hurt.

13. The Sixth Sense (1999) – Best ending ever. This is by far M. Night Shyamalan’s best film, and the career performance of Bruce Willis. It was haunting, depressing, uplifting and terrifying. Quite a range of emotions.

12. Groundhog Day (1993) – My favorite comedy. I could watch it over and over. (I’ll be here all week.) And though it is a comedy, it’s really more than that, and Bill Murray is so awesome that, if I was ranking 1990s acting performances, his could be the top.

11. Toy Story (1995) – Revolutionary film that ushered in the modern era of animation. Great story, great voices, and intriguing characters. Next to The Incredibles, it’s Pixar’s greatest work.

10. Patriot Games (1992) – I know, I have a big man-crush on Harrison Ford, but he is the action hero of my adolescence. Adapted from a tremendous Tom Clancy novel of the same name, this movie delivers the goods for an action drama: Action, suspense, characters you cheer on, and hateable villains (thank you, Sean Bean).

9. Good Will Hunting (1997) – Maybe because I grew up in Boston, this is a nostalgic movie for me. I think it is very well done (though Robin Williams’ Boston accent is brutal). It’s just a really good drama, one that I like to re-watch with memorable performances (Damon, Afleck, Williams, Driver).

8. A Few Good Men (1992) – I always stop when this movie is playing on cable, especially if it’s in the last 45 minutes. This has one of the most suspenseful endings of all time. For a non-action flick, after you watch it, you feel like you’ve been watching an action flick, it winds you up so much. Tom Cruise was never better.

7. In the Line of Fire (1993) – What makes this movie so great is the tension-filled dance between the main characters, played by Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich. They wind you up to a dramatic crescendo, and then deliver with great ending.

6. Beauty and the Beast (1991) – There is something incredibly beautiful about this film. The animation is great, the music is the best Disney ever did, and the story is compelling. It is incredibly re-watchable, and delivers so much more than 99% of kids movies.

5. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) – Yes, I am a Star Wars fanatic. Yes, you could put the name Star Wars on a toilet, and I might say it’s the best toilet I’ve ever seen. But go back and watch this film. It’s very, very good. Liam Neeson is awesome, there are very good supporting performances, and the action and effects are awesome.

4. The Matrix (1999) – When this movie came out, it completely blew me away. Could Keanu Reeves really be in one of the greatest movies of all time? Yes, despite him, it’s one awesome film. The effects were revolutionary, the characters were interesting, and the story was extremely compelling. I could watch this movie 6-10 times a year and not get bored. Just wishing they had done a better job on the sequels.

3. Aladdin (1992) – My favorite Disney movie of all time. There’s something about this story that touched my 16-year-old romantic heart. I’ll stop there so I don’t lose my man card. Robin Williams delivers the best animation voice-acting of all time.

2. The Shawshank Redpemtion (1994) – Maybe the most powerful fiction story of all time, penned by none other than Stephen King. Though dark, the story is one of hope. And Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman turn in one of the best partnership performances of all time.

1. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Because of its violent and haunting nature, this is not a film I re-watch frequently (though I own it). It’s so deep, so dark, so emotionally draining, that I can’t visit this world too frequently. But what a terrific film. Every single note in the movie is expertly done by Stephen Spielberg, and Tom Hanks anchors a great cast. It may not be the most re-watchable film of the 90s, but it is its best.

The rest:

21. Independence Day (1996)
22. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
23. Jerry Maguire (1996)
24. Jurassic Park (1993)
25. A League of Their Own (1992)
26. The Fifth Element (1997)
27. The Fugitive (1993)
28. What About Bob? (1991)
29. Stargate (1994)
30. Clear and Present Danger (1994)
31. Father of the Bride (1991)
32. Meet Joe Black (1998)
33. Mulan (1998)
34. Hercules (1997)
35. Dances With Wolves (1990)
36. Enemy of the State (1998)
37. Happy Gilmore (1996)
38. The Lion King (1994)
39. The Cutting Edge (1992)
40. The Wedding Singer (1998)
41. Home Alone (1990)

I will miss Nomar

Nomar Garciaparra is my favorite baseball player of all time.

Here are my favorite players (an incomplete list, to be sure): Nomar, Josh Gibson (I’ve read a lot about him), Kirby Puckett, Will Clark, Roger Clemens (until he went psycho), Barry Bonds, Orel Hershieser, Mo Vaughn, Dwight Evans, and David Ortiz. You could probably add Joe Mauer and Kevin Youkilis to the list.

Nomar stormed onto the scene in 1997 as a ROY, and didn’t slow down for four seasons. In 98, 99 and 2000, he was one of the best offensive players in the game. The argument seems a little silly now, but Nomar was the best AL shortstop at the time. No really. Check this out:

Name OPS+ MVP Finish
1998
Nomar 140 2nd
ARod 136 9th
Jeter 127 3rd
1999
Nomar 153 7th
ARod 134 15th
Jeter 153 6th
2000
Nomar 155 9th
ARod 162 3rd
Jeter 128 10th

I highlighted who I believe was the best shortstop each season, with Nomar winning twice. None of the three were elite defenders, but during the time period Nomar edged ARod, with Jeter being one of the most overrated fielders of my lifetime.

But after the 2000 season, Nomar dropped off dramatically due to injuries. His OPS+ for his next two full seasons (02 and 03): 127, 121. He was still a great SS, and an All-Star both of those seasons. But he was no longer an elite player like her had been for his 3-season peak.

And then came 2004. Dan Shaughnessy shamelessly trashes Nomar in the Boston Globe, remembering Nomar’s divorce from the Sox with great aplomb. Shaughnessy always disliked Nomar, because Nomar didn’t like the press. Luckily Bob Ryan redeems the Globe’s coverage with a much more realistic piece.

Regardless, 2004 tainted Nomar’s legacy in Boston. Was he really hurt? Only he can be sure. Would Boston have won the World Series without trading him? Impossible to know. But as a huge Nomar fan, it was bittersweet to win the title in 2004 without Nomar, who had performed well in three postseasons (98-00).

I don’t believe Nomar will ever sniff the Hall of Fame; his rate numbers are some of the best ever put out there in the modern era by a shortstop, but his counting stats are low. I could make an argument that he still belongs, but I’m too much of a homer for any of you to take me seriously.

Regardless, he will always be one of my favorite players. The way he intensely played the field. The way he swung at bad pitches, and racked out doubles. His timely ability to get a steal when the team needed it.

So in honor of Nomar, I will be wearing my Nomar shirt on Opening Day, proud to have witnessed out of the great runs of any player to put on a Red Sox (or any other) uniform.

My Favorite Movies of the 90s, Part 1

This is part 1 of 2 of my favorite movies of the 90s. This is a follow-up to my part 1 and part 2 of my favorite movies of the 2000s. A couple of things to think about before you read this:

• I graduated from high school in 1994. This means I was an idiot until 1994 (and possible beyond).
• I was on a Mormon mission from 1995 t0 1997. So I may have missed some good movies.
• Even if some of these are no longer watchable for me, I kept them in because they made an impact for me at the time.

1990
Home Along - A little dated now, but a classic at the time
Dances with Wolves - Great cinematography and good story
Honorable mentions: The Hunt for Red October, Darkman

1991
Terminator 2: Judgement Day - Awesome action, revolutionary effects
Beauty and the Beast - Awesome film, best of the year (sorry, Silence of the Lambs)
Father of the Bride - Love it, and now that I have two daughters, I think I may relive it
What About Bob? - I can watch this one over and over; supreme comedic performances
Honorable mentions: None

1992
Alladin - My favorite Disney move of all-time, pre-Pixar
A Few Good Men - The ultimate Tom Cruise performance
A League of Their Own - 'There's no crying in baseball!'
Patriot Games - Harrison Ford was the man
The Cutting Edge - I realize I'll catch grief for this one, but I love it. There, I said it
Honorable mentions: Batman Returns, Unforgiven, Sneakers, The Muppet Christmas Carol

1993
Jurassic Park - Revolutionary effects. Dinosaurs. On. Screen. Awesome.
The Fugitive - Did I mention that Harrison Ford is the man?
In the Line of Fire - Best movie of 1993, hands down
Groundhog Day - Greatest comedy of my lifetime
Honorable mentions: The Firm, Tombstone, The Sandlot

1994
Forrest Gump - 'Run, Forrest, run!'
The Lion King - Not the best Disney, but a great film
Clear and Present Danger - Harrison Ford is the man! He could take on Jack Bauer, Chuck Norris, Jason Bourne and your mom, all at the same time!
Stargate - Totally underrated sci-fi film.
Honorable mentions: The Mask, Maverick, Legends of the Fall, The Crow

1995
Toy Story - Revolutionary computer graphics, great voices, great story
Apollo 13 - 'Not on my watch!'
Braveheart - 'But they can't take away our freedom!'
Honorable mentions: Goldeneye, Clueless

1996
Independence Day - Will Smith at his best, blasting aliens
Mission: Impossible - Great popcorn flick
Jerry Macguire - I know, it's really a chick flick, but it's awesome
Happy Gilmore - 'The price is wrong, &%$^!'
Honorable mentions: The Rock, Dragonheart, The Preacher's Wife, One Fine Day

1997
Good Will Hunting - 'How you like them apples!'
Hercules - Totally underrated Disney film
The Fifth Element - Awesome sci-fi movie with Bruce Willis
The Saint - A great spy flick in an era of bad spy flicks
Honorable mentions: Men in Black, Air Force One, As Good as it Gets, Anastasia, The Rainmaker, Amistad

1998
Saving Private Ryan - One of the greatest movie of all time
Mulan - One of my favorite Disney films
Enemy of the State - Will Smith at it again, being chased by the man
The Wedding Singer - The 80s in the 90s
Life is Beautiful - Touching and haunting
Meet Joe Black - I know most people think this movie is boring, but you're wrong
Honorable mentions: The Waterboy, Rush Hour, The Mask of Zorro, Blade

1999
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Better movie than you think. Really.
The Sixth Sense - Best. Ending. Ever.
Toy Story 2 - Just a slightly lesser version of the first one.
The Matrix - I saw this six times in theater. Enough said.
Honorable mentions: The Mummy, Runaway Bride

Changing the Game: MLB

I love sports. I watch a ton of MLB, NFL, NBA, college football, college basketball, tennis and some of the NHL, MLS, PGA and college baseball. And though I love these sports, there’s always things I think could make these games I love better. This is the first of (potentially) a series, starting with baseball because: 1) The season is about to start, so it’s timely; 2) Baseball is my favorite sport.

The No-Brainer: Make games shorter
MLB games are too long. Late season games between patient hitting teams like the Red Sox and Yankees seem to last 12 hours. So can we cut it down? Here are some solutions:
· Call the strike zone correctly. According the MLB rulebook, the strike zone is defined as: “The STRIKE ZONE is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.” Though this has improved, the ‘high strike’ should be called more often.
· Create a shot clock. Pitchers should only have so long to deliver the ball. If they don’t, the pitch should be called a ball. The only way to stop this: a catcher or coach visit to the mound.
· Keep the batter’s in the box. No more dancing outside of the box. Keeping in mind the suggestion above the shot clock; once the clock starts, the batter should be in the box. He could call one timeout per plate appearance. If he steps out, it’s a strike.

These should help shave 15-20 minutes off a each game (according to my brief calculations.

Not Likely to Happen: Shorten the regular season, and expand the playoffs
The impetus is to lengthen the wild card round of the playoffs. A 5-game series is kind of ridiculous. But if we added more playoff games, it would extend the season into December, so that doesn’t work.

The first potential solution to that is reducing the season to 154 games. But no team owner is going to agree to that without an extra round of playoffs, therefore increasing the big TV package revenue.

The other option is playing more double headers. I love this idea; double headers are great, and would mean more day games, which to me is a good thing. But I think the players union and the owners would balk at this one. So I don’t think this one is going to happen.

Revolutionary Thought: Solve the Revenue Gap
There are three classes in baseball in my mind, defined below. The 2009 team salary data is taken from CBSSports.com.
· The Yankees. It’s a very exclusive club, with a payroll north of $200 million. No one else comes close.
· The Big Boys ($113-135 million). Mets, Cubs, Boston, Detroit, Angels, Philadelphia. These teams may not be the Yankees, but they will spend big bucks.
· The Wanna-Bees ($88-102 million). Houston, Dodgers, Seattle, Atlanta, White Sox, St. Louis. Big markets, and will spend to win.
· The Mid-Tear ($67-82 million). San Francisco, Cleveland, Toronto, Milwaukee, Colorado, Arizona, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Texas, Baltimore, Minnesota. This group, due to market conditions, revenue streams, or ownership dynamics, spends a lot let less the above group. That being said, several of them put competitive teams on the field (Minnesota, Milwaukee, Colorado and Arizona).
· The Bottom of the Barrel ($36-65 million). Tampa Bay, Oakland, Washington, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Florida. Interesting mix of teams. Some pretty good markets (Washington, Oakland, Miami), but lots of financial restrictions for each team.

One way to solve this payroll disparity is to do it through a salary cap and revenue sharing. That has been successful in the NFL, not as much in the NBA. I think relocation of existing franchises could have a similar effect. So which markets could absorb more teams? Here’s a list:
· New York. I think this area could absorb two more teams, one in Brooklyn and one in New Jersey.
· Boston.
· Los Angeles. Seems crazy, but I think you could have three teams there.

So imagine the following:
· AL East. Yankees, Boston, Baltimore, Brooklyn (Tampa Bay), Toronto
· AL Central. Same
· AL West. Same
· NL East. Mets, Philadelphia, Washington, New Jersey (Florida), Boston (Pittsburgh)
· NL Central. Atlanta, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cubs, Houston
· NL West. Dodgers, Seattle, San Francisco, Colorado, Arizona, LA 3 (San Diego).

That would eliminate some of the revenue disparity problems, splitting up big markets even further.

Let’s try this again. What if you re-did each league each year based on salaries, first the AL.
· AL Big Boys. Yankees, Boston, Detroit, Angels
· AL Mid-Tier. Seattle, White Sox, Cleveland, Toronto, Kansas City
· AL Budget. Texas, Baltimore, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Oakland

Some thoughts on the AL: Detroit and the Angels would get killed in the Big Boys division. Tampa Bay would have a much better shot. The Mid-Tear division would be a blast to watch. And Tampa would runaway with the Budget division.

Now, for the NL.
· NL Big Budgets. Mets, Cubs, Philadelphia, Dodgers, Houston.
· NL Mid-Tier. Atlanta, St. Louis, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Colorado, Arizona,
· NL Budget. Cincinnati, Washington, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Florida
I like the Phillies in the Big Budget division. St. Louis would be the favorite in the Mid-Tier. And I like Florida in the Budget.

Now I realize that both of these proposals are far-fetched and difficult to implement, but if a salary cap isn’t going to happen, then something more revolutionary could be in order.

Dear American Idol

Dear American Idol,

This is very hard for me to do. We’ve been together for seven years, spending hours each week from January through April. Besides my wife and my children, I may have spent more time with you than anyone else. OK, that’s a lie; I’ve spent more time with the NFL and MLB, but you’re close behind.

But I’m afraid it’s over.

Please don’t misunderstand. We’ve had great times. We cried, we laughed, we critiqued. We wondered if Paula was drunk or stoned. We wondered if Simon was a cynical genius, or just a jerk. We wondered if Randy had only 45 words in his vocabulary. And we cheered for our favorites: Kim Locke (Season 2), LaToya London (Season 3), Carrie Underwood (Season 4), Chris Daughtry (Season 5), Phil Stacey (Season 6), David Cook (Season 7), and Kris Allen (Season 8).

We rooted against some that inexplicably marched too far in the competition: Kim Caldwell (Season 2), Fantasia (Season 3), Taylor Hicks (Season 5), Kristy Lee Cook (Season 7).

But it just isn’t working anymore. I wish I could soften the blow with the “It’s not you, it’s me routine”, but it’s definitely you. I know this is cold, but here’s the list of why I’m leaving:
· I’m sick of Randy Jackson. “Pitchy.” “I’m not feelin’ it, dog.” Please stop.
· The Season 8 talent is the worst group since Season 2.
· Ellen is not funny on this show.
· Simon is more bitter than normal. And that’s saying something.
· Ryan Seacrest started annoying me in Season 4; it’s only gotten worse since then.
· It’s just too big of a time commitment.

So I’m really sorry, but I’m joining the millions who’ve already left you. I know you probably won’t even notice, but I’m not coming back.

Adam