Draft Update – Week 9

It’s the Tuesday draft update (preempted by Sammy Sosa).  The Rams didn’t play and the Bucs got into the win column.  Did that shake things up in the draft order?  Let’s find out.

Click here to see how things have changed since last week.

So How Are You Doing, Sammy Sosa?

Some of you may have seen this already, but I just thought it was hysterical.

Back in 1998 the entire country was mesmerized by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, myself included.  I loved the home run chase as much as anyone.  I was partial to McGwire because he was a part of the hometown St. Louis Cardinals and he could hit balls into the stratosphere.  Sosa, however, had his own charm.  He gave great press conferences and just seemed to enjoy every second of what was happening.

Later we would find out that the home run chase was steroid fueled and it took a Congressional hearing to find out that McGwire wouldn’t talk about the past and that Sosa couldn’t speak English.  But whatever, that’s not what this post is about.  Mr. Sosa is back in the news.

Friday 5 – Switch Hitters

After last week’s time off, I’m back with today’s Friday 5.  Since baseball season just ended and I’m not ready for it to be over, I’m dedicating today’s list to switch hitters.

During my brief and generally forgettable baseball career, I toyed with the idea of switch hitting.  It lasted for a practice before I got tired of striking out.   Since then, I’ve always been enamored with the idea of it.  So let’s take a look at the Top 5 switch hitters in the game today starting with:

5. Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Can one season make you one of the top five switch hitters in the game?  Sure it can.  Morales was given the full-time starting job for the first time this season and he didn’t disappoint.  The 26 year-old put up .306 batting average, 34 long balls, and 108 RBIs.  For years we heard of his potential and it finally came to fruition.  Morales hits for right around the same average from both sides of the plate, but he has markedly more power from the left side where he hit 30 homers.  If Morales can do this for a few more years he’ll become one of the premier switch hitters in the game.

The Yankees Win the World Series. Oh Goody.

As I watched the Yankees close out one of the most ant-climatic Major League Baseball playoffs in recent history, I was reminded of all the reasons why I despise the Yankees.  When I was younger, I hated the Yankees.  I mean HATED them.  Luis Gonzalez’s bloop hit in the 2001 World Series is still one of my favorite sports memories of all time.

Then the the Yanks went eight years without winning a World Series including last year where they missed the playoffs completely.  Gosh, that was fun.  My hatred waned.  The Mets became my most hated team.  They suddenly started competing with my Braves for the NL East Crown, something that was unthinkable five years before.  It made sense.

But as I watched last night, it struck me.  The main reason that I hate the Yankees is that they make baseball boring.

Back From Hiatus

You may have noticed our absence around here last week.  We were out of town attending our grandfather’s funeral.  Needless to say, WaB was not the first thing on our mind.  Nevertheless, we are back now.  Or, I am back now.  Weller is planning another cross country road trip.

I didn’t get to watch many sporting events over the last week.  I saw one World Series game and attended the Tennessee Vols-South Carolina Gamecocks game at Neyland Stadium.  It was my first Vols game in over a decade and it was just as great as I remember it.  My voice was almost gone less than four minutes into the game after they came out in the black jerseys, created two turnovers and scored two touchdowns.

In fact, that whole night was just too awesome for words, so I won’t try.  Neyland Stadium is amazing.

I don’t have much else to say.  There was only basketball on tonight and that excites me about as much as watching paint dry.  Though Syracuse did lose to LeMoyne.  How embarrassing.

Draft Update – Week 8

Rams win! Rams win!  Season over.  Call it all off.  Unbelievable.

I’m speechless.

Click here to see how things changed from last week (like the Rams no longer having the first pick!)

Mr. Wright’s Week 8 Bettor’s Guide

NFL Week 8 Bettor’s Guide
M.D. Wright
10.29.09

 

Great rivalry games coming up this week. A couple of teams could disappear from playoff contention with losses this week. The NFC East lead is at stake also. The Colts look to go 7-0 and the Rams and Lions play in the Stink Bowl. Let’s get to the picks.

Mr. Wright’s Week 8 Power Rankings

NFL Week 8 Power Rankings
M.D. Wright
10.27.09

 

More shaking at the top, but hey, that’s the NFL for ya. The best teams belong at the top, the worst at the bottom, and those with various different holes in their squads move around the most. That’s the deal.

Draft Update – Week 7

Weller and I actually drove to St. Louis and scalped tickets for the Rams-Colts clash on Sunday.  On the way, I predicted a 41-3 finish.  I wasn’t too far off when it ended 42-6.  I should have had more faith in Josh Brown.  We devised a new scoring system as well.  For every touchdown the Colts scored, they received one point.  The scoring for the Rams remained the same.  With this new, more fair scoring system, the game was actually tied 6-6.

Let’s check the draft order:

Mr. Wright’s Week 7 Bettor’s Guide

NFL Week 7 Bettor’s Guide
M.D. Wright
10.22.09

This will be a Hit ‘n’ Run version of the picks with College Football, NBA, MLB World Series and Midnight Madness NCAA Basketball upon us at the same time. My head’s about to bust.

Let’s get right to the picks.