2013 MLB Team Preview: San Francisco Giants

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The San Francisco Giants did the improbably in today’s game. They won two World Series in the last three seasons. They did this one after overcoming Melky Cabrera’s PED scandal and without ace closer Brian Wilson.

Buster Posey had a breakout season in returning from a scary injury that happened during a collision at the plate.

Can the Giants win three out of four?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the San Francisco Giants. Continue reading →

Review: “Closer” by Kevin Neary

Closer+Kevein +Neary+Book+MLB+Brad+LidgeIn baseball, the closer position is still the newest position in baseball. The term didn’t come into the baseball lexicon until the 1970s.

In today’s game, having a good closer has been part of the equation for success. Even though a closer’s role has changed greatly since its inception. Today’s closer only pitch one inning at most. Closers like Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage (both in the Baseball Hall of Fame) often pitched multiple innings.

Closer by Kevin Neary and Leigh A. Tobin chronicles the careers of various closers over the years. They break down closer in three different eras (“The Early Years”, The Transition Years” & “The Modern Day Closer”).

We review Closer and let you know why this book is a must-have for every baseball historian. Continue reading →

2013 MLB Team Preview: San Diego Padres

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The biggest news to come out of San Diego this offseason is the Padres moving in the walls at PETCO Park. I’m not sure if doing that is a good move strategically. The team has been built around pitching since the park opened (13 of their top 20 prospects are pitching). Is this move a not-so-subtle way of increasing attendance?

Chase Headley and Carlos Quentin will benefit from the walls being moved in, but can their pitching hold up?

Can San Diego keep up with the Dodgers and Giants in the NL West?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the San Diego Padres. Continue reading →

NHL Talk: Blue Jackets, Rick DiPietro & Manhood Bets

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Two hockey guys talking hockey.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two die-hard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game, every night (almost).

The guys talk about the Blue Jackets big win, if corn on the cob is underrated, Jovanovski swag and they say goodbye to Rick DiPietro.

After reading yesterday’s NHL Talk, I mixed Apple Cinnamon Cheerios with Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. The concoction was better than I imagined. It could be a cheap go-to when I’m looking to perfect the mixology of breakfast cereals.

This is their email conversation the following morning. Continue reading →

2013 MLB Team Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

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The St. Louis Cardinals did the impossible last season. They lost Albert Pujols to the Angels and their longtime manager Tony LaRussa retired. Most people wrote them off, but they scratched and clawed their way into a Wild Card spot.

The Cardinals didn’t do much this offseason. Was standing pat a poor decision? Can they catch lightning in a bottle for a second year in a row?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the St. Louis Cardinals.

(Yes, that is Nelly wearing some Cardinals gear….excuse me while I go listen to “Air Force Ones”.) Continue reading →

2013 Fantasy Baseball: Top 40 Fantasy Sleepers

MLB: Tampa Bay Rays-Photo Day

My site has been flooded with Google search results from people wanting to know which sleeper they can target in their fantasy baseball drafts this season.

There are some great young candidates emerging (Wil Myers, Jurickson Profar) and some veterans picked to have a bounce back year (Josh Beckett, Heath Bell).

Fantasy baseball is going to be really fun this season. There are so many sleepers that could help you win your league this season.

I made a list of the top 40 best sleepers for the 2013 fantasy baseball season. Continue reading →

What If “Breaking Bad” Debuted in 1995? [Video]

I love when people are creative on YouTube.

The YouTube user GoesToEleven, who earlier released a video of the 1995-style opening credits for “The Walking Dead”,has done it again. This time he uses the television show “Breaking Bad”.

This is the best thing on the internet right now.

NHL Talk: Dziurzynski, Zamboni Rides & Breakfast Cereal

lucky charmsTwo hockey guys talking hockey.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two die-hard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game, every night (almost).

The guys talk about Dziurzynski getting knocked the f*ck out, if certain AHL teams could beat their NHL affiliate, paid zamboni rides, and which breakfast cereal is the all-time best.

My favorite cereal is a mixture of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios & Cinnamon Toast Crunch. If a Cereality store was near me, I’d weigh 400 pounds.

This is their email conversation the following morning. Continue reading →

2013 MLB Team Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

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The last time the Pirates ended the season with a record better than .500 was 1992. I included a picture of Russell Crowe wearing a Pirates jacket, because it he’s had a streak of bad movies to rival the Pirates futility.

I picked Pittsburgh to win more than 81 games last season, but they fell just shy of that. They are headed in the right direction, but they are still a few players away from being on the same level as Cincinnati and St. Louis.

Can Andrew McCutchen repeat his MVP-level 2012 season?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Continue reading →

2013 MLB Team Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

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The Philadelphia Phillies have been perennial World Series contenders since Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley were in their first years in the Majors. The Phillies have spent a king’s ransom on pitching, yet the rest of the lineup have aged poorly. Could Philadelphia become sellers at the trade deadline this season?

Will Philly regret signing Cole Hamels to a superstar contract when he is the team’s third best starter?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Philadelphia Phillies. Continue reading →

The Best Player Nicknames in Baseball History

Goose+Gossage+MLB+Nicknames+HOFAnyone can have a nickname, it’s easy. If you’re name is William or Robert, you can go by Billy or Bobby. You can even have a nickname that goes with your name. An example of that would be “Quick Nick” or “Slow Joe”. See how easy it is?

Well, people have gotten very lazy with nicknames in my generation. Alex Rodriguez is “A-Rod” and Derek Jeter is often referred to as “Jeets.” You see how lame we’ve become?

We scoured the list of players who have ever played in the Majors and we picked the best of all-time.

Here is our baseball player nicknames ‘Hall of Fame”. Continue reading →

Mila Kunis is Amazing!

While doing a press junket for “Oz the Great and Powerful”, a young lad (Chris Stark) from BBC One Radio got his turn to interview Mila Kunis. He asks two questions and then finally just tells her how nervous he is. He then talks about a normal night out with his lads. Kunis pushes him to talk more about his local football club because she’s bored. He then invites her to a wedding in June.

Kunis must have loved this interview, because she has spent the last few hours answering the same questions about the movie. She started asking him questions about everyday British life. A representative asked the young lad to keep asking questions about the movie, so Kunis just goes on a 90 second blitz answering the questions everyone else asks. That moment is at the 4:50 mark.

I love her.