Category Archives: sports

2018 MLB Season Preview: Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs couldn’t repeat as World Series champions last year, but they still had a very good year. They ran into a better Dodgers team in the NLCS and were eliminated in five games.

This Cubs didn’t stand pat this offseason. They made some moves and cut some of the fat by deciding to not re-sign a few starters and let a few bullpen arms walk. They spent wisely by signing starter Yu Darvish to a pretty team-friendly contract. The Cubs did spend $126 million, but many thought Darvish could command a contract near $200 million at the start of the offseason.

 

Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are perennial MVP candidates for the Cubs. Kyle Schwarber could be a guy on their level, but he has a rough year at the plate. He focused on his fitness this offseason and dropped weight. Will his power still be there?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Chicago Cubs.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Boston Red Sox

The AL East is always a marathon. A team will need to stay healthy and be consistent over the course of the entire season. Also, the division winner will need to be willing to give up prospects at the trade deadline to acquire talent.

The Boston Red Sox definitely ‘went for it’ by giving up a lot of prospects for starter Chris Sale and it paid off last year. He picked up the slack when other former elite starters Rick Porcello and David Price were replacement-level starters for the Red Sox. Can he strikeout 300+ batters again this season?

Boston is once again in an arms race with the New York Yankees. The Sox had to make a big splash and signed slugger J.D. Martinez after the Yankees added Giancarlo Stanton. The AL East looks to be a two-team race again after the Orioles and Blue Jays took a step back last season.

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Boston Red Sox.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Baltimore Orioles

Over the last decade, the AL East is one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. The Baltimore Orioles have been right up there with the Yankees and Red Sox in recent memory, but they took a step back last year.

Baltimore didn’t make many moves this offseason. They let some guys walk and didn’t make any big money deals. They could benefit from adding a free agent starter before the season, but they haven’t been tied to any of them.

Baltimore had a disappointing season in 2017 by only winning 75 games. Some young talent made huge strides, but at the same time, some of their high-priced talent didn’t live up to their paychecks. Can they compete for the division with their current roster?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Baltimore Orioles.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have been marking time until their young talent matures enough to compete in the Majors. They haven’t been competitive for a few seasons, but they should start to see their win total increase over the next few seasons.

Atlanta’s rebuild has been going well, but the wheels nearly came off when their former general manager John Coppolella was caught up in a international signing scandal. MLB made an example of him and banned him for life. Former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos stepped in this offseason.

Anthopoulos is known to have an itchy trading finger. Will this detail their long-term rebuilding plans?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Atlanta Braves.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks

Rookie manager Torey Lovullo oversaw a 29-win improvement over the 2016 season. They made the postseason and won the Wild Card game to advance to the NLDS. They did not fare well there as they were swept by the Dodgers.

The Arizona Diamondbacks had one of the most dynamic starting rotations in the Majors. They had a team ERA of 3.66, which was second in the National League. Robbie Ray and Zack Greinke were one of the best 1-2 combos in baseball.

The Diamondbacks lost power hitter J.D. Martinez this offseason. Did they add enough offense to their starting lineup to make up for such a huge loss?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 75 Relief Pitchers

We finish up our fantasy baseball rankings by ranking the 75 best relief pitchers.

The top of the relief pitcher rankings are loaded with closers with secure jobs. There are also some sleepers on the list since a ton of closers start out the season on shaky ground or in a committee role.

The Yankeess demoted Aroldis Chapman late last season. He starts the season as closer, but does Dellin Betances find his way back into the role this season?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

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Toy Crazy: Mattel’s WWE Elite Series 58

I’m a self-confessed vintage toy nerd. I collect vintage wrestling action figures from the 80’s & 90’s. I started purchasing some vintage toys out of nostalgia. Well, WWE and Mattel sucked me into their new stuff. I now buy a few figures a month. You can view photos of my collection on my Instagram account.

The lineup for WWE Elite series 58 has been known for awhile, but they have yet to be released. We’ve already seen up-close pictures as they were on display at a few toy shows this Winter.

The WWE Superstars included in Elite 58 are Matt Hardy, Mickie James, Braun Strowman, Dean Ambrose and The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro).

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The Great Outdoors: Get Fit With Mother Nature

When the sun is shining and the weather is warm, who wants to be working out in a sweaty, fusty gym? The great outdoors gives you plenty of opportunities to work out and use your body, you get to see the sights, soak up some sun and chances are you’ll have a lot more fun too. With spring and summer around the corner, here are some of the outdoor activities you can do to get fit!

Water Sports

If you live near a beach, why not make the most of the ocean? You could go surfing, paddleboarding, swimming, even scuba diving! If you don’t have your own equipment, lots of beaches have hire shops and it’s something fun and exciting you could do every now and again. You’ll be using your whole body swimming underwater, but be having so much fun taking in the spectacular sights and creatures that it won’t even feel like exercise. If being in the water isn’t your thing, running on sand is very challenging or you could play something like beach volleyball.

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2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 150 Starting Pitchers

We tackle the starting pitching position in our fantasy baseball rankings.

There are plenty elite arms to go around this season. Starting pitching is deep due to the Majors having so many guys who who are strikeout-prone. There is a premium on Wins and ERA, so those guys will go higher in most drafts.

How will Yu Darvish perform in his first season in Chicago?

Are there any young prospects out there worth a late draft pick?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

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2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 150 Outfielders

We couldn’t figure out the right total of outfields to rank for our fantasy baseball coverage is year. We decided that 150 was the right (and lofty) total.

There have been some top-ranked outfielders join new teams this offseason. The Yankees added Giancarlo Stanton, the Cardinals added Marcell Ozuna while the Red Sox paid big bucks for J.D. Martinez.

Which of these new faces make the biggest impact?

Which late-round sleepers have the best odds of success?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

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The Art of Sleeping Well In The Great Outdoors

Even though camping is a really cheap vacation option, relatively few people decide to do it because they associate it with all its disadvantage. Bad weather, uncomfy tents, and poorly equipped campsites sure are enough to put anyone off camping for life! But, believe me, there are ways you can get a good night’s sleep in your tent. You just need to follow all of these great tips!

Research Campsites

There are some campsites out there that are a lot worse than others. They will have hardly any facilities and might not attract the best campers, and both of these factors could disrupt your night’s sleep. So, research all of the sites in the area you want to stay and find out which are highly rated by your fellow campers. It’s worth going on review websites such as Tripadvisor. If possible, get some word-of-mouth recommendations from your friends.

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Serious Sports: Taking Your Passion Up A Notch

For those that love sports, there isn’t much in life which can take the place of going outside and getting yourself into a sweaty mess. Whatever the activity you enjoy, there will always be a large element of it which you enjoy, or you wouldn’t be likely to take part in it at all. Over time, though, things can start to get a little boring. Without growth or change in your sporting life, it will feel as if the work you’re doing is pointless. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best ways to bring some passion back to your play, while also helping you to make it into something more serious in the process.

Taking Part In Group Events

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