Twins Spring Training - Filling out the Roster

We are less than 3 weeks away from the sights and sounds of spring training and you can start to feel the buzz in the air. College Football is done and there's just 1 football game left, a little thing known as the Super Bowl. But after that, its basketball, hockey, and very soon baseball. It's fun to start thinking about baseball because the sport has to be played in decent weather, which means there's an end to winter in sight!



As a die-hard Twins fan, I take any opportunity to review the latest info on the Twins and articulate our chances for ultimate glory and or just for another exciting baseball season. The Twins have unveiled their spring training roster and the Courtesy Wave has broken it down for your convenience. Enjoy!

STARTERS
Catcher - JOE MAUER
Duh. The best catcher on the planet returns for his 8th big league and Twins season. A standout from every angle, the Twins are one lucky team to have this guy and of course, the hometown boy angle plays into the hearts of every Twins fan. People think Mauer had a down year last year, well if you consider .327, a gold glove, all-star, and silver slugger award winning season down, then you're standards are pretty high. Mauer's 2009 performance may not be repeated, but I'll take .327 and 75 RBI's every year from the catcher spot. His numbers would almost certainly be higher with Morneau behind him.

First Base - JUSTIN MORNEAU
Next to Joe Nathan, this is the biggest question for Twins fans. Can Morneau return back to the form that has made him a perennial all-star and MVP candidate? Morneau was well on his way to hitting over 30 home runs and bringing in over 100 RBI's. The Twins were able to adjust after his departure thanks to super position player Michael Cuddyer, but there's no way you can justify having Morneau out of the lineup that makes the team better. Over a full season, the Twins will need Morneau, if not for any other reason than he's making way too much money to sit on the bench. However, the brain is fragile and I'm sure the Twins are putting his health before the team's health first, which is important to remember.

Second Base - TSUYOSHI NISHIOKA
Before this season, Nishioka was in the Marines. Not those Marines, the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League. He's a slick fielding speedy youngster with some pop in his bat, not too mention also the ability to switch hit. A career .293 hitter in Japan, he also won 3 gold gloves and a gold medal for Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

Shortstop - ALEXI CASILLA
It's hard to believe, but this will be Casilla's 6th season in the bigs with Minnesota. Every time we think Casilla has been given his last shot, he gets another. Thus is the case again with Alexi as the Twins surprised a few people and brought back Casilla after arbitration for another year.

Third Base - DANNY VALENCIA
There were many fans who thought Valencia's call up in June was a little premature. Well he quickly put to rest any notions that he wasn't ready. By season's end, and with 2 months less than most players, Valencia wound up 3rd in the Rookie of the Year Voting. He also posted these impressive rookie numbers: .311 batting average, .448 slugging percentage, and .799 OPS, which were the highest among AL rookies with 300 or more plate appearances. He came in 3rd among AL rookies in hits (93) and total bases (134). In 65 games after the All Star break, he led AL rookies in batting (.311), RBIs (37) and doubles (16). Oh and he can play the outfield too; Valencia had the 5th-best fielding percentage among AL third basemen (.973). These numbers aren't all worldly, but for a rookie, there good and we should see more of this in 2011.

Left Field - DELMON YOUNG
The 2010 season ended up being Young's best offensive season to date by any measure. Young hit .298 with 21 home runs and 112 RBI, finished tenth in the voting for AL MVP, and was a finalist for a spot on the American League All-Star roster through the online All-Star Final Vote. Young, who was a #1 overall draft pick, continues to have high expectations, but his 2010 season did assure the Twins that the Garza/Bartlett for Young trade may eventually pan out. It's interesting to note that neither Matt Garza or Jason Bartlett play for the Rays anymore. If he posts numbers like he did last year, the Twins may get the last laugh on what was thought to be one of the worst trades in team history.

Center Field - DENARD SPAN
There was no reason to suspect a down year for Span in 2010. His progression from 2008 to 2009 showed an increase in nearly every statistical category, mainly because he was playing more, but he showed that '08 wasn't a fluke with a consistent '09. Now fans are left to wonder if 2010 was more of a fluke year or something to be expected? Span's average dropped from .311 to .264 and his slugging went down to .348 from .415. However, if there's one trait that defines Span, than its speed. He gives the Twins their best base-runner and the best ability to stretch a single into a double and double into a triple. He reminds me of a Christian Guzman type player, good fielder, great speed, with occasional power. His 24 doubles, 10 triples, and 26 stolen bases in 2010 are nothing to be ashamed about.

RIGHT FIELD - MICHAEL CUDDYER (we think)
It is widely known that Cuddyer is the team magician, and in 2010 he had to be a magician in order to play all the positions he was asked to do. Cuddyer spent time in Right Field, Center Field, 1st Base, 2nd Base, and 3rd Base. He actually played more games at 1st than right field, 84 to 66. Cuddyer's numbers from 2009 to 2010 are almost identical with one glaring omission, his power. Cuddy had a team high 32 homers in 2009, but just 14 last year. Yet his batting average took just a slight tumble to .271 (he's a career .270 hitter) and his hits and doubles were slightly up. This will be Cuddyer's 11th season with Minnesota and he's quietly become one of the most versatile and well liked players in the team's history. He's just 4 hits shy of 1,000 and will likely join the Twins top 10 list in Career Home Runs this year.

4TH OUTFIELDER/DH - JASON KUBEL
Another year will begin and Kubel will find he doesn't have a permanent spot, again. With Morneau's injury last year, Kubel slid into right field when Cuddyer moved to first. It worked out perfectly for the Twins last year, but with Morneau expected back, it begs the question where to put Kubel. Kubel needs to play everyday or near that, he's had 3 straight seasons of 20 plus home runs and 75 or more RBI's. However, his .249 batting average was a big red flag last year along with his 116 strikeouts. It's a good problem to have when you've got a guy like Kubel who can step in and replace any of the other outfielders with his bat. His DH time will depend on how much the Twins want to utilize their Hall of Fame-in-waiting Designated Hitter.

DESIGNATED HITTER - JIM THOME
Jim Thome made a lot of Minnesotans happy last year with his bat and his charm. He certainly fit the mold of what the Twins have come to represent. His 25 home runs was more than anyone would have guessed, especially since he did so in just 276 at-bats, a blistering 11.04 AB/HR ratio, which was 2.5 AB's better than his career ratio of 13.6, of which he's 5th all time. Even at age 40, Thome is one of the most revered power hitters in the game today. He's been making pitchers sweat and continues to do so. Thome currently sits at 8th on the all-time home run list, and he's likely to only jump 1 more spot this year, but along the way he'll pass 600 home runs, just 11 short right now. If he does that, he'll join an elite club that includes Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Sammy Sosa. Not too shabby.

Starting Pitcher 1 - FRANCISCO LIRIANO - LHP
Liriano is coming off his best post-surgery season after posting career highs in Wins (14), IP (191.2), and strikeouts (201). Liriano's 2006 season remains his most dominant so far. There are many who say Liriano was as good or better than Johan Santana was that season. That may be a stretch, but it begs the question will we ever see that Liriano again? We can table that question for now and watch Liriano impose his will against hitters.

Starting Pitcher 2 - CARL PAVANO - RHP
Pavano tested the market after 2010 and found that teams weren't ready to shell out the big dollars that his recent play has earned. The biggest reason is health, at 35, Pavano is entering the twilight of his career. Even if it's his best years, most teams couldn't pull off a 3 plus year deal. But the Twins were willing to give Pavano 2 years and $16 million, which isn't too shabby either. So the Stache is coming back to the Twins for a 3rd year and his 13th major league season. Pavano is the workhorse of the Twins staff. A guy you can count on to give you 7 plus innings each start. He threw 221 innings last year while leading the league in complete games (7) and shutouts (2), going 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA. It was his best season since going 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA for the Marlins in 2004, the year that earned him the huge Yankee contract that was plagued with injuries. If he stays healthy, he'll likely put up similar numbers, which the Twins will be very happy with.

Starting Pitcher 3 - BRIAN DUENSING - LHP
Duensing has had a lot of luck on his side when it comes to roster moves and has taken advantage of every opportunity given to him. In 2009 and 2010, Duensing started the year in the bullpen, only to finish in the starting rotation due to injuries or lack of production ahead of him. In just 2 short years, Deunsing has gone 15-5 with a 3.02 ERA in 214.2 innings. Last year's 10-3, 2.62 ERA was just the spark the Twins needed with the Slow-Bake-Burn combo struggling mightily. It's looking like Duensing will have the job from the get-go and as far as I'm concerned should be locked into the #3 spot, unless Baker outperforms in Spring Training.

Starting Pitcher 4 - SCOTT BAKER
It's hard to believe, but Baker will be starting his 8th season with the Twins. I was there the day he was called up, as an Intern working for the Twins, I remember seeing Baker outside of the clubhouse and wondering how this kid got a uniform. He seriously looked like he was 15 and was quite shy at the time. Baker has always been a good pitcher, but he's never been great. His fastball is about average and he's got a slightly above average curve, change and slider. He's won 11 or more games in 3 straight years, going 12-9 last year with a 4.49 ERA. Consistency will be the key for Baker this year, as the Twins have started to put Baker on a shorter leash as far as productivity goes. Last year he was the opening day starter. This year, he'll likely be 4th in the rotation. In which case 12 to 15 wins is acceptable.

Starting Pitcher 5 - KEVIN SLOWEY
I had slated this spot for Blackburn until the Twins announced they had signed Slowey through arbitration to $2.7 million, making me believe they want Slowey in the rotation instead of the bullpen. Although, that's where he finished last year. Slowey has often been compared to long time Twins great Brad Radke because he's a control type pitcher with a low 90's fastball considered to be his best pitch, a good changeup, a good slow curveball, and a tight slider. His 13-6 record last year is a little misleading as he did get a lot of run support, but still he has a 39-21 career record and when healthy has been a fairly consistent pitcher.

Long Reliever - NICK BLACKBURN
Blackburn will be a big mystery for the Twins on what they should do with him. He signed a 4 year contract that's good until 2013, yet he hasn't shown anything more than just average stuff. In his last 3 years, he's gone 32-34, with a 4.44 ERA, an averaged 187 IP. Numbers that are good for a 5th spot in the rotation at best. He'll compete with Slowey and Baker for the back end of the rotation.

Left Hand specialist - GLEN PERKINS
A left handed reliever is not a commodity in this league and because Perkins is a lefty, he's got a lot going for him. Despite his conflicts with upper management, Perkins held the cards after the bullpen departures and the Twins decided they needed to keep him and signed Perkins for the 2011 season. Perkins actually has a decent fastball and an above average curveball. Originally brought up as a starter, he's transitioned to the bullpen as the need for starting dissipated. He missed nearly all of 2010, being held in the minors until a September call-up. He still has a lot to prove and should consider himself lucky to still be with the Twins after a couple tumultuous years on and off the field.

Right Hand specialist - PAT NESHEK
Neshek has a lot in common with Perkins. There both Minnesota natives, both considered bullpen specialists, and both have had their discontents with upper management of the Twins. Last year, Neshek made the team out of Spring Training, but an inflammation to his middle finger placed Neshek on the DL which irritated him and in turn he made a public outcry about how the Twins managed the situation. He then spent almost the entire season at Triple A Rochester, and like Perkins, was called up in September at which point both players said their situations were resolved. Neshek is trying to return to his pre-surgery form where he went 11-4 with a 2.68 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 107 innings. He's only pitched 9 innings in the majors since and has struggled to find the magic that made him a fan favorite. He's definitely a unique character with a funky rotation who chronicles his life through blogging. He'll have to fight to earn this spot for 2011.

Left Hand Set-up - JOSE MIJARES
Mijares returns to the Twins for his 4th season. In 2008 and 2009, Mijares was pretty dominant, going 2-3 with a 2.13 ERA, with 60 strikeouts in 72 innings. He took a little step backwards in 2010, going 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA and pitching just 32.2 innings in an injury riddled season. Since Mijares is a lefty, he holds a lot of power to stay in the bullpen, with the limited options the Twins have, but if his numbers continue their upward trek, the Twins might look to the minors to see what else they have, same goes for Perkins.

Right Hand Set-up - ALEX BURNETT
Burnett made it on the squad last year after spring training, a surprising move by many who thought it was just a short term thing. Burnett, just 22, actually made it all the way until July 19th, when he was sent back down to Triple A, but was recalled in September. His numbers were less than impressive, but he gained valuable experience in throwing 47 innings, going 2-2 with a 5.29 ERA with 37 strikeouts. He'll fight with Manship, Neshek, and Anthony Slama for a righty spot out of the bullpen.

8th inning Set-up - MATT CAPPS
The Mad Capper was an all-star in 2010, just not for the Twins. He came over in a trade right before the deadline when the Twins decided to swap their highly touted catching prospect Wilson Ramos for Capps in a questionable move by many who thought the Twins could get much more in return for Ramos. Capps took over the closer role which had been filled adequately by Jon Rauch, but not well enough that the Twins could trust Rauch in late season and playoff games. Capps played very well but with high expectations, he couldn't please everybody. Still, he went 2-0 with 16 saves and a 2.00 ERA. He possesses a noteworthy slider and a mid nineties fastball, with excellent command of both. Provided Nathan returns to form, they'll be a formidable 1-2 punch, and if Nathan can't return, he's a great insurance option as closer.

Closer - JOE NATHAN
Nathan enters his 11th big league season and 7th with the Twins (not counting last year). Along with Morneau, he's one of the biggest question marks for 2011. What will Joe Nathan be post Tommy John surgery? Will he still be the dominant closer that led the majors in saves for a 6 year period from 2004-2009 with 246 saves, an average of 41 per year? Or will we see the results that so many have suffered post TJ surgery, ala Liriano, Neshek, Joe Mays, etc. There's no one that doubts Nathan can do it, although at 36, there's more restraint from his backers than normal. As an optimist, I'd like to think the 4 time all-star still has a lot left in the tank. We'll see what happens come spring training when he sees live action for the first time. (If the Twins think he's ready).

Utility Infielder - MATT TOLBERT
Goodbye Nick Punto, hello Matt Tolbert. Punto held this title for 7 years with the Twins and despite a lot of flaws at the bat, he'll be hard to replace on the diamond. Tolbert is no stranger to playing multiple positions. In 2010 he spent time at 2nd, 3rd, SS, LF, and RF. A career .986 fielding percentage should calm some fans nerves, but a career .246 batting average wont. Tolbert doesn't have this spot locked up, but the Twins have always had high hopes for Tolbert and its likely he'll start the season with the big league club.

5th Outfielder - JASON REPKO
The Twins are bringing back Repko after he filled in as the back-up outfielder from June on last year. Repko is actually a veteran, at age 30, he was a first round draft pick of the Dodgers and spent 4 years in the big leagues with them before being released and picked up by the Twins in a minor league deal last year. Repko hit .228 in 58 games for the Twins last year, but was mainly used a valuable defensive replacement as he holds a career .979 fielding percentage.

Back-up Catcher - DREW BUTERA
As part of the only father-son combination in Twins history, Butera played the entire 2010 season in the big leagues, surprising many who thought he would never make it the entire year. But for the Twins, he's the perfect back-up solution to Joe Mauer, because they don't see Butera as an every day starting catcher for the future, meaning that they don't need him to play every day like other catching prospects. Butera has enough of a bat to keep him up as the back-up, hitting .197 in 49 games with 6 doubles, 2 home runs and 13 RBI. He's an excellent defensive catcher though, which is really what kept him on the team. A .985 fielding percentage last year, Butera threw out 42% of base runners, which if he qualified, would have been good for 2nd in the AL.

Others who will contend for the 25 Man Big League Roster

Up-the-middle Back-up - TREVOR PLOUFFE
Plouffe will compete with Casilla for extended time at shortstop and will spell any relief for Nishioka at 2nd base. Plouffe is a former 1st round draft pick in 2004 and still has high expectations with the Twins. He made his major league debut last year, playing in 22 games and mustering just a .146 batting average. But Plouffe has proven himself in the minors and the Twins like that he's got some pop in his bat too. He'll have his chance to prove himself a big league starter and should get time behind a the mystery combination of Nishioka/Casilla.

Back-up Outfielder - BEN REVERE
A late first rounder in the 2007 draft, Revere is likable to a Denard Span type player. A 5 tool athlete, he got a cup of coffee with the Twins during last year's September call-ups batting .179 in 13 games. He'll get his chances again this year, just not likely right out of the gate.

Back-up Infielder - LUKE HUGHES
Hughes will always be an answer to a trivia question for as long as he lives when last year he became the 5th Twin ever to homer in his first major league at-bat, and 106th overall. Hughes played in just 2 games in the majors last year, but he made it count with that one swing. The sweet swinging Aussie is just 26 and has time to develop into a contributor and will likely see time again in September this year.

Right Hand Reliever - ANTHONY SLAMA
Slama was highly hyped when he received his call-up in late July last year, but the mustached reliever didn't fare too well, offering up 4 runs and 5 walks in just 4.2 innings, posting a 7.71 ERA. Slama has blazed through the minors as a closer and will need another year of seasoning, but should get a call sometime this year again.

Right Hand Reliever - JEFF MANSHIP
Manship has certainly logged some frequent flyer miles in the past couple years, having multiple short-term call-ups as an injury replacement spot starter and bullpen reliever. His 5.49 ERA over 60.2 innings pitched is a concern, but to be fair, Manship has never had the time to get comfortable when he's called up. He'll be seriously considered for a spot in the bullpen at the start of the season.

Right Hand Starter - KYLE GIBSON
Gibson is one of the top ranked prospects in baseball right now. Just 23, Gibson has flown through each level of the minors with impressive stuff. In 26 minor league games he's 11-6 with a 2.96 ERA including a no-hitter. He could challenge for the 5th spot in the rotation. But not the bullpen, the Twins want him a starter and will keep him in Triple A if needed. If he's called up, he might be the most hyped pitcher since Matt Garza.

Right Hand Reliever - ANTHONY SWARZAK
Swarzak hasn't seen the big leagues since 2009, failing to get the call last year. t was a little surprising considering he got 12 starts in 2009. But after a few decent starts, he finished rocky, and collected a 3-7 record with a 6.25 ERA. He's pretty far down the list and will really have to impress just to get a call-up this year.

Back-up Catcher - DANNY LEHMANN
Lehmann will give Butera some competition at the back-up catcher spot. With New Britain, he batted .243 with three RBIs; with Fort Myers, Lehmann batted .286 and caught nine of twelve would-be base stealers to earn himself a Florida State League All-star selection.

Well I hope this gave you some food for thought to chew over for the next few weeks. We'll check back in when the players hit the field and see how the position battles start to play out. There could be competition from someone not named above too, you just never know what's going to happen with February/March baseball.

Until then, make sure you stock up on your seeds and chewing gum!

Brock from the Block
the Courtesy Wave

Weekend Sports Guide Halloween edition

If you haven't got your costume yet for this weekend, then you're way behind the 8 ball. Halloween weekend is upon us and what was once a predominately kids holliday, has turned into a billion dollar adult consumer binge weekend. According to a couple surveys, the Average American spends $56-$70 on Halloween related things. Well if you want to shutter yourself in the rest of the weekend and save some dough. You can catch a few exciting games from this weekend's edition of the TCW Weekend Sports Guide.



MLB
Games 1 and 2 are in the books and its all Giants so far as San Francisco has claimed a 2-0 lead in the best of 7 series. The National League finally won an all star game and gave the Giants the advantage by opening up at home. All was thought to be lost on that advantage when Cliff Lee took the mound for the Rangers. But the dominant and nearly flawless postseason Lee didn't show up for the World Series and the Giants capitalized taking game 1. Then following the momentum and success of Lincecum, Matt Cain turned in a dazzling game 2 performance, shutting out Texas in an eventual 7-0 route. The Giants can relax a little as they head to Arlington.

WORLD SERIES GAME 3 - LEWIS (TEX) vs. SANCHEZ (SF)
If you're a casual fan, I will understand if you've never heard of Colby Lewis, but if you've been following the postseason, you should definately know who the other C.L. from Texas is. Lewis is having a remarkable postseason, dominating the competition with a 2-0 mark and a 1.45 ERA. Not unprecedented, but utterly shocking coming from a journeyman pitcher who spent the last 2 years in Japan. A 12-13 mark on the season and career 24-28 W/L record, there was no reason to think that Colby Lewis would be a big advantage for Texas, but here we are. He's starting game 3 in the most important game of the series. He pitched them into the World Series, not he has to keep them in it. He's got a tough opponent to do so though in Jonathon Sanchez, a power pitcher who has racked up 24 strikeouts ins 15 plus innings this postseason. He throws a lot of pitches though and tends to walk a lot too. If the Rangers are patient, they can get to Sanchez and knock him out by the 5th. That's going to be tough though, the Rangers bats have been held silent and they are going to come out swinging to prove why they are considered the better team offensively in this matchup.
RANGERS take game 3 and make it an interesting series.


WORLD SERIES GAME 4 - HUNTER (TEX) vs BUMGARNER (SF)
The game 4 starters have been announced as Tommy Hunter versus Madison Bumgarner. However, this has to be listed with caution. If the Rangers win game 3, then the formula will stick and Hunter will start. If they lose game 3, look for the Rangers to start Cliff Lee instead as deperation mode will set in. This would still line up Lee for a Game 7 start if possible. For now, we'll discuss the 2 scheduled starters. 45 years. Thats the collective age of Bumgarner (21) and Hunter (24). Most guys that age are still partying in college or living with their parents. These guys are starting game 4 of the World Series. Hunter is older, but has not pitched in the postseason as much as Bumgarner. He had a decent 13-4 year, but doesn't have dominating stuff and relies heavily on his defense behind him. Bumgarner, the 10th overall pick in the 2007 draft has raw talent and a blazing fastball. However, he's never been on a stage this huge before and at 21 its hard to fathom how he'll be able to control his emotions. Look for Hamilton, Guerrero, Cruz, and Young to take charge offensively in games that could be high scoring.
RANGERS take game 4 and even up the series.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Last night saw another top 25 defeat by an unranked opponent as North Carolina State took advantage of a late fumble to upset 16th ranked Florida State. Which brings me to my next point. Predicting outcomes in College Football is easier said than done! After going 7-1 a couple weeks ago, I've gone 10-13 since, which has not only humbled me, but made me search more in depth on a team's potential. We'll see how I do this week.

TOP 25 FACE OFFS
5 MICHIGAN STATE (8-0) at 18 IOWA (5-2) 2:30p (CST)
The Spartans are in uncharted waters. The last time Michigan State was undefeated this late in the season was in 1966 when the team went 9-0-1 and claimed the National Championship under legendary coach and awesomely named Duffy Daugherty. Surviving a scare from Northwestern last week, Michigan State finds an even tougher road opponent this week in Iowa. Ricky Stanzi and company are coming off a heartbreaking last minute loss to Wisconsin and are in a must-win mode to fight for the Big Ten Championship and stay in Rose Bowl consideration. Iowa has 2 losses, but only 1 Conference loss, meaning taking down the Spartans would even up the standings in the loss column, along with Ohio State, and Purdue. They'll take that motivation with them and send the Spartans home disappointed.
IOWA 28-24

6 MISSOURI (7-0) at 14 NEBRASKA (6-1) 2:30p
The fight for the Victory Bell could not have a more polarizing QB matchup in college football than what will take place this saturday in Lincoln. Taylor Martinez is a run first, pass 2nd QB and Blaine Gabbert from Missouri is the exact opposite. Martinez is 10th in the nation in rushing at 870 yards, Gabbert has rushed for a total of 0 yards. Yep, that's not a typo, there he's netted exactly nothing this year. Gabbert may not be a household name, but his Tigers are ranked in the top 10, whereas the Huskers are not. (for now). Both teams are coming off upset victories over Oklahoma teams (OU for Missou and OK State for Nebraska). The Tigers are stout on defense which has kept their opponents at bay. But even if they shut down Martinez on the run, he may be showing tha he can throw too as evidenced in last week's 5 touchdown, 312 yard performance through the air. A home game for Nebraska, this will be a tough game for Missouri.
NEBRASKA takes it 31-24

RIVALRY GAMES
One of the joys of College is the traditions that each school is rooted in and a lot of those traditions take place on the battlefield between rival universities. Geography, history, symbolism, and former players/coaches all can take into consideration the traditions of a matchup. In many cases a Rivalry game is 2nd to a Conference championship, and it can provide entertainment in those years that desperately need it. Here are a few highlighted Rivalry Games this weekend.

PURDUE (4-3) at ILLINOIS (4-3) 11a - Purdue Cannon
This historic rivalry started back in the early 1900's when a group of Purdue students took a cannon to Champaign in anticipation of firing it to celebrate a Boiler victory. The Boilermakers won, but the Cannon was discovered before the Purdue students could start their booming celebration. The Cannon was moved to a farmhouse near Milford, Ill., where it survived a fire and gathered dust until it was suggested the cannon be used as a trophy in the football series between the two schools when the rivalry was resumed in 1943 after a 12-year lapse. Purdue holds the series edge 30-26-2, winning the last 5 and 8 out of the last 10. Both teams struggle on offense, especially in the passing game, where both teams are in the bottom 15 in the country. They'll rely on the ground game and defense. Where the Illini have the edge. Each team is coming off blowouts, Illinois over Indiana 43-13 and Purdue in a loss to Ohio State 49-0. The Fighting Illini are are home and will use last week as a momentum to grab back the Purdue Cannon after a 5 year hiatus.
ILLINOIS 27-21

FLORIDA (4-3) vs GEORGIA (4-4)in Jacksonville - Okefenokee Oar
Officially the game is titled the Florida vs Georgia Football Classic, but with all the tailgating and other events associated with it, it has also been named the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party". Although this series dates back to 1915, this is only the 2nd year a trophy has been presented to the winner. The Oar was crafted from a 1000-year-old cypress tree that once grew in the Okefenokee Swamp that straddles the Florida-Georgia border. This year's game will feature a rare sight, neither team is ranked at this time. But that will be a moot point as rankings don't mean a thing between these 2 teams. On the field the teams are going in opposite directions. The Bulldogs are gaining steam after starting the year 1-4, they've won their last 3 games, scoring 40 or more points each time against SEC mid-level competition. The Bulldogs have a chance to salvage there season and finish with a trip to a bowl game. They'll take a win over Florida over anything else however. The Gators are heading the other way after losing 3 straight, all to teams that are currently in the top 25 though. If they can right the ship, a win over Georgia sets up a big matchup against SEC West leader South Carolina, the winner of that game could be headed to the SEC championship game. Both teams have a lot at stake, and neither team has a definite advantage.
I'll take GEORGIA in a tough game in Jacksonville 27-24

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (2-4) at FLORIDA ATLANTIC (1-5) 3p - Shula Bowl
The Shula Bowl is named after former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, to whom each school's first head coach has previous ties. FAU's head coach Howard Schnellenberger was an assistant of Shula in the 1970s and FIU's former head coach Don Strock was a player under Shula in the 1970s and 1980s. Consider this game as a best of the worst matchup. As FAU and FIU are consistently 2 of the worst college football teams in the country. The series has been one-sided with Florida Atlantic holding a 7-1 edge. The Golden Panthers of FIU might have the edge though this year, coming of 2 straight wins (albeit against doormats Western Kentucky and North Texas). The Owls of FAU hold a lone victory against UAB, but did lose by just 13 to now #5 Michigan State earlier this year. Despite the 2-4 record, FIU is tied for first with Troy as the only undefeated Sun Belt teams. They have to hold on to the hope that they can sustain this winning streak and put them into contention for FIU's first ever bowl game. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 31-17

UPSET SPECIAL
KANSAS STATE (5-2) vs 17 OKLAHOMA STATE (6-1) 11a
These 2 teams have one big thing in common, Nebraska and not because you have to drive through Kansas to get to Nebraska. Both teams got scored on at will by the Cornhuskers giving up atleast 48 points to them. The CW put a lot of faith in Oklahoma State last week, but was burned by a suprisingly pass efficient Taylor Martinez. This week the 3 headed monster of Weeden, Hunter, and Blackmon is down to 2 after Blackmon's DUI cost him from suiting up this week. That puts a big emphasis on Hunter, who's 3rd in the nation and might rise to the challenge and prove he can handle the load if needed. K-State is coming off a close high scoring loss to Baylor, that vaulted the Bears from Waco into the top 25. The Wildcats have average 51 points in their last 3 games, and up until last week, had shown a very stingy defense. With Blackmon out, K State will rush the box more often and force Weeden to find other receivers. The Wildcats are no slouch on offense either, they'll the 7th best rusher in the country in Daniel Thomas to pull off the upset in Manhattan.
KANSAS STATE 42-28

GOPHER WATCH
It was hard to do, but I found something the Gophers do better than the Buckeyes, other than finding ways to lose games. The Gophers are actually ranked 1 spot higher than the Buckeyes at 41st in the nation in pass yards per game 246 to 244. This edge is likely to keep the Gophers in the game until the Buckeyes get off the bus at TCF Stadium. The Gophers haven't beat Ohio State since the Middle Ages, but in a silver lining, at least theyre not facing the them in the Metrodome, where Ohio State went undefeated against Minnesota. The last time the Gophers beat Ohio State at home, I wasn't even an embryo (1981). After last week's desperate hope post as an upset special vs Penn State, I know much better now.
OHIO STATE 42-21

NFL

GREEN BAY (4-3) at NY JETS (5-1) 12p
The battle of the green jerseys takes place on Sunday at the New Meadowlands stadium. Green Bay takes its show on the road after their big Sunday night win against the Vikings and Brett Favre's last return to Green Bay. At 4-3, the Packers are tied for the best record in the paltry NFC North. Aaron Rodgers is keeping the injured Packers afloat with steady and productive play, but he'll face a tough corner in Darrell Revis this weekend. On the other side, LT is making all the writers and experts rip up their predictions that he was riding into the sunset. He's back to being the man behind the offense, leading a powerful 1-2 punch of Tomlinson and Shonn Greene. With Sanchez offering enough efficiency to get the ball to them, Braylon Edwards, and Dustin Keller, the Jets have a balanced offensive attack. Coming off a bye week, New York is well rested to face a Packers team that played Sunday night and is duct taping their roster together.
JETS take this game. 34-24

MINNESOTA (2-4) at NEW ENGLAND (5-1) 3:15p
The magic that was last year for the Minnesota Vikings has seemingly lost its luster. After another long offseason of will he or wont he, Favre came back to much fanfare in Minnesota, but has yet to deliver anything remotely consistent to last year. The Vikings 2 wins this year come against 1-5 teams, so despite being in the NFC North, where 9-7 could win the division, the panic button should already have been pushed for the Vikings. Add in the fractured ankle that Favre suffered last week, we don't even know if Favre will be playing this week. Either way, I wouldn't bet on the Vikings right now, especially on the road against New England. Trading Randy Moss and Laurence Maroney have only seemed to help the Patriots, despite lacking a true "star" running back or wide receiver. Brady makes up for that though. He's only tossed 4 interceptions all year and consistently hooks up with Welker on 3rd down.
PATRIOTS overcome a Viking invasion in New England 28-21

PITTSBURGH (5-1) at NEW ORLEANS (4-3) 7:20p
The battle of the last 2 superbowl champions takes place Sunday night at the defending champion's home stadium, the Superdome. The Steelers are just a minute's worth of time away from being undefeated on the season, despite playing the first 4 games without all-pro Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers have gotten the job done they way they always do it, by rushing and defense. Mendenhall has been effective enough to offset back-up QB's Batch and Dixon, and the defense is #1 against the run. The Saints have played good but not great and definitely not consistent, trading wins and losses in the last 6 games. They have gotten it done through the air as expected with gunslinger Drew Brees behind center. Injuries to Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush have hurt the running game, a recent surge by Chris Ivory is positive though. I like Pittsburgh on the road, as they seem to be gelling with Roethlisberger and settling in for another deep post-season run.
STEELERS 28-27

Well that's it for now. Have a safe and happy halloween weekend and don't forget to throw out the orange peanuts and never take candy from strangers unless your in a costume.

bsv
the courtesy wave

TCW Weekend Sports Guide Oct 22nd-24th

Checked the forecast and still couldn't believe it, but we're headed for another 70 degree day here in Minnesota. It's been an amazing fall with record temperatures left and right, but as I was checking the 10 day forecast last night, I was a little humbled to see the high of 40 and a chance of snow on Thursday. So I'll enjoy this day, probably the last time we see 70 until April. Onto the previews and predictions!



MLB
For the first time since 2004, both League Championship series will go to a game 6 in the MLB playoffs. Roy Halladay was just good enough, not dominating, to send his Phillies back home to finish the series. And thanks to the Rays for beating the Yankees out in the AL East this year, the Rangers have the home field advantage and will finish up in Arlington for games 6 and 7 if necessary.

NLCS GAME 6 - LEWIS (TX) vs HUGHES (NYY) Friday 7p (all times CST)
Colby Lewis was and still is a relatively unknown pitcher from the national perspective. A journeyman already who's bounced around starting with Rangers, then the Tigers, A's, a stint with Hiroshima Carp of Japan's Central League, then back to Texas this year. He has a chance to become quite memorable though tonight if he can pitch the Rangers into their first ever world series.
Lewis went 0-2 with a 6.89 ERA this year against the Yankees, however, don't count against him now, Lewis has a 1.69 ERA this postseason in 10 plus innings. He won't overpower you, but he's a smart location pitcher. His opponent will overpower you. Phil Hughes, an 18 game winner has nasty stuff when he's on as evidence in his 7 inning shutout vs. the Twins in the ALDS, however he was quite off in Game 2 giving up 7 runs in 4 innings. Which Hughes will we see, probably less of the latter, but still I like Texas at home to end the series and send a fan base to a place they've never been before. I'm sticking with the Rangers if there's a game 7 and Cliff Lee, the most dominant playoff pitcher of the last half century, would start. Not a bad guy to have in your back pocket.
RANGERS take game 6. If not, they definitely take game 7.

NLCS GAME 6 - OSWALT (PHI) vs. SANCHEZ (SFG) Saturday 3:30p
The series heads back to Philadelphia with a swing of momentum for the Phillies. Facing elimination again, the Phillies turn to their mid-season all-star acquisition in Roy Oswalt to try and force a game 7.
Oswalt has the upper hand with the experience and playing at home, but Sanchez has been terrific this postseason, allowing only 4 runs in 13 plus innings. So there's not a huge disparity in the pitching matchup, unless you count Oswalt's 5 all star noms and 1 NLCS MVP award. Oh that might be a little of an edge. The Giants bats have been sparked by youngsters Ross and Posey, they'll need more of that against Oswalt. The Phillies need Howard to step up, and hope that Jayson Werth continues with momentum from his big homer last night.
PHILLIES take game 6. Game 7 would feature Hamels vs Cain. Hamels has been great, allowing only 3 runs in 15 innings this postseason, but Cain has been even better, with 0 runs in 13 plus innings.
If it goes 7, I'll take the GIANTS, propelling them only 4 games from winning their first world series since 1954.

COLLEGE FOOTBALLOregon kicked off week 7 in college football last night with a 60-13 ass-kicking of UCLA. A Bruins team that had beaten 2 ranked teams this year, so no pushover. But the Ducks are flying high right now, 7-0 with the 2nd leading rusher in the country. Oregon is primed for the BCS National Championship game if they win out, and their schedule is favorable for them to do just that.

TOP 25 FACE OFFS
1 OKLAHOMA (6-0) at 11 MISSOURI (6-0) 7p (all games Saturday)
The #1 ranking carousal lies in the hands of the Sooners this week, who are no strangers to this position. In fact, Oklahoma has held the #1 ranked spot in college football more times than any other school. Coming in just ahead of Notre Dame. They've steamrolled their opponents by an average of score of 36-19 this season, and their coming off a 52-0 dismantling of Iowa State. They'll battle Missouri for the Tiger/Sooner Peace pipe, The Tigers will be their highest ranked opponent this year. History says the odds are stacked against the Tigers. Missouri has lost seven straight and 19 of the last 20 in this series and hasn't beaten Oklahoma since 1998. Overall, the Sooners hold a 66-23-5 advantage in the series, including a 31-15 edge in games played in Columbia. Missouri will rely heavily on their 2nd ranked defense to stop the balances offense of Oklahoma. Too much Sooners in this one, but Missou will put up a fight.
OKLAHOMA 31-24

4 AUBURN (7-0) vs 6 LSU (7-0) 2:30p
I'm going to go out on a limb and say with 100% confidence the Tigers will win this game. Ok that was a joke, both teams have Tigers as their mascot, and the game is often referred to as the Tiger Bowl. For a team that's given up 77 points in their last 2 games, it's hard to figure that Auburn won both of those games to keep their season undefeated. Well one of these teams will notch a 1 in the loss column. But it won't be Auburn, they'll ride high-flying Heisman candidate Cam Newton into the end zone a few times again, not as much as last week, but enough to overcome LSU. The Tigers from the Bayou must establish their rushing game behind Stevan Ridley, if he's shut down, the passing game can't get the job done alone.
AUBURN 41-28

13 WISCONSIN (6-1) at 15 IOWA (5-1) 2:30p
Both teams are coming off statement wins. Iowa on the road against Michigan and Wisconsin at home over then #1 Ohio State.
So both teams are riding momentum into this one, which team will continue and which one will have another speed bump towards the Big Ten Title. Iowa is a defensive minded team, where Wisconsin relies on their backs John Clay and James White. Wisconsin's has 50 rushes of 10 or more yards in 2010, but Iowa is tied for second nationally in fewest rushes of 10 or more yards allowed with 11. There's a great QB matchup between Tolzien (WI) and Stanzi (IA), 2 of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation. Benefit of the doubt will go with Iowa at home looking to retain the Heartland Trophy for the 3rd straight year.
IOWA 24-17

14 OKLAHOMA STATE (6-0) vs 16 NEBRASKA (5-1) 2:30p
There are 2 things that are guaranteed certainties in this game. 1) Nebraska will run, and 2) Oklahoma State will pass. Each team is in the top 4 in the nation in those respective categories. Nebraska's Quarterback Taylor Martinez is bringing comparisons of old husker QB Eric Crouch. A QB that thinks run first, run 2nd, then pass 3rd. If you want to shut down Martinez, make him throw, he has little value then and was even replaced in the 2nd half last week because of his inability to rush against Texas. Still Martinez rushed for 126 and is probably the best freshman in the country at this point. The Cowboys have their own Heisman capable player in WR Justin Blackmon, a guy that grabs comparisons to Michael Crabtree and one that QB Brandon Weeden finds early and often. Weeden and Blackmon will face a top 10 defense in Nebraska though and will need RB Kendall Hunter, a top 10 back, to provide a bulk of the offense too. OK State just has too much offense for Nebraska to keep up with, and Martinez will not be effective enough for this one.
OKLAHOMA STATE 42-34

OTHER BIGGIES
5 TCU (7-0) vs AIR FORCE (5-2) 7p
If the Horned Frogs wants to test their #1 defense in the country, then they can look to Air Force, ironically with the best rushing attack in the nation at 347 yards/game. As good as their rushing game is, the Falcons' passing attack is as brutal with the 5th worst yards/game through the air. TCU can't shut down the run, but they can slow it down and make Air Force throw the ball. This one will be close for about a quarter, TCU is bigger, faster, and more offensively balanced with Heisman worthy candidate Andy Dalton behind the center.
TCU 45-28

7 MICHIGAN STATE (7-0) at NORTHWESTERN (5-1) 11a
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you with the Big Ten's only undefeated and best record, Michigan State Spartans. A team that is usually good but hardly ever great. They are basking in their best season in decades with eyes on their first Rose Bowl since 1988.
The Spartans are one of the most offensively balanced teams in the nation led by QB Kirk Cousins, RB Edwin Baker, and WR tandem Mark Dell and BJ Cunningham. The Wildcats offense flows through QB Dan Persa, who also leads the team in rushing, since they lack a viable RB. NW is coming off their first loss of the season to upstart Purdue. This is a huge game at home to determine if the Wildcats are for real this year or just a product of a soft schedule (biggest win at Vanderbilt who is currently 2-4).
MICHIGAN STATE continues its march to Pasadena, 31-17

10 OHIO STATE (6-1) vs PURDUE (4-2) 11a
The Buckeyes got a gut check into reality last weekend after they're upset loss at Wisconsin. I mentioned last weekend how Ohio State hadn't really faced tough competition, and Wisconsin poked holes in their defense all day. Now that Purdue knows Ohio State has weaknesses, tbey can try to push their 2 headed rushing attack of QB Rob Henry and RB Dan Dierking into pay dirt on Saturday. But Ohio State is not going to lay on its back after a demoralizing loss last week, they weren't ranked #1 just on reputation. Look for a lot of Terelle Pryor through the air and on the ground in this one.
OHIO STATE 35-27

20 WEST VIRGINIA (5-1) vs SYRACUSE (4-2) 11a
The battle for the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy, named after former WVU football player and Syracuse head coach Ben Schwartzwalder, who had died in March 1993 and whom is highlighted in the movie, The Express, takes place in Morgantown tomorrow.
It hasn't been much of a rivalry lately as the Mountaineers have taken the last 8 games. Cuse will again be pushed against the wall this weekend on the road, and is coming off a 45-14 whooping by Pittsburgh at home nontheless. West Virginia knows it has a promising schedule ahead to run the table, and will look to put away Syracuse and pile on some numbers to make the victory more satisfying.
WEST VIRGINIA 42-21

GOPHER WATCH & UPSET SPECIAL
MINNESOTA (1-6) vs PENN STATE (3-3) 11a
The battle for the Governor's Victory Bell, awarded annually between these 2 teams since 1993 takes place Saturday. It was first presented to commemorate Penn State's entry into the Big Ten Conference, with their first league game coming against the Golden Gophers. The series has been streaky on both sides. The Nittany Lions took the first 4 from '93-'98, the Gophers then grabbed the Bell for 4 straight from '99-'04, and Penn State has owned it the last 3 games from '05 to '09. So if each team has it for 4 straight victories, then you should put your chips on Penn State. However, the Nittany Lions don't come into Minneapolis with as much swagger as their accustomed to. They have been ranked for 6 of these matchups, but are only 3-3 this year, and like Minnesota, still looking for their 1st Big Ten win.
Don't expect a whole lot of offense in this one, but if there is, it'll be ugly, these 2 teams do not have efficient offenses with neither in the top 50 in passing or rushing. Penn State wants this game, but Minnesota needs it in so many more ways. First and most obviously, it's the Gophers' first game without Tim Brewster, a mid-season firing that came with a lot of support from boosters and fans. The players desperately want to make a statement that they are better than their record. Lost in all the Brewster and head coaching search news this week has been Adam Weber, the Gophers quiet leader. If Weber throws for more than 100 yards, he'll become just the 5th quarterback in Big Ten history to pass for more than 10,000 career yards. The others: Iowa's Chuck Long (10,461), Northwestern's Brett Basanez (10,580), Purdue's Curtis Painter (11,163) and Purdue's Drew Brees (11,792). The Golden Gophers are my upset special this week, taking advantage of an uncharacteristicly weak Penn State team, and riding the emotions from the week that was.
GOPHERS 24-21

NFL

RIVALRY GAME
VIKINGS (2-3) at PACKERS (3-3) 7:20p
Arguably the biggest rivalry in the NFL, and definately the biggest border state rivalry in pro football will take place in primetime on Sunday evening in Green Bay as the Vikings travel east to face the hated Packers (you can switch around that sentence if your a Packers fan). If you happen to be a cheesehead, you've been looking forward to this matchup since the season ended last year, especially when you found out Brett Favre would be back and make another trip to Lambeau. Favre was victorious in both games vs the Packers last year, leaving a bad taste all around Green Bay last year. The team and their fans desperately want to see Favre and the Vikings lose at Lambeau and get a little revenge and redemption from last year and from Favre's move to the dark side (Minnesota).



Adding flavor to a rivalry that already has enough spice, is the fact that Randy Moss will make his first return to Lambeau field since the infamous Moss mooning in the NFC wildcard playoff game on January 9th, 2005. Rest assured, 5 years is not long enough to displace the memory from the fans there. The boo birds will be out in full force Sunday night. On the field, where the fans cant play, each team is desperate for a win even in the soft NFC, neither team wants a losing record at this point, which is just what the loser will find themselves with after the game. The Vikings are coming off a big must-win game against Dallas last week and are in must-win mode again to get back to .500. On the other side, the Packers are reeling from 2 straight OT losses. In fact the Packers have lost each of their 3 games by exactly 3 points. Their 1 win in the last 4 games came against Detroit by just 2 points. So this team has played in pressure packed tight games all season, and won't be afraid if they fall behind early. The Vikings are hoping for a nostalgic Favre and Moss performances to get past their bitter rival. It's a tough call, but I'll go VIKINGS 24-21.

There you have it folks, I try to keep it short, but find it important to write on instinct and without hesitation. Looking to improve on my season predictions after a let down last weekend.

Until next time, remember that to file your tax returns before April 15th.

bsv
the Courtesy Wave

TCW - ALCS/NLCS Games 1 & 2 Preview

Are you ready for some baseball? Whether you're a sports fanatic or just a casual fan, this is the best time of the year for baseball and once again there are plenty of story lines and drama that will unfold over the next few weeks. This post coincides with tomorrow's weekend predictions, but I felt it needed to stand alone because of the importance of the games, therefore the CW will preview and predict the first 2 games of each series.



The ALDS is officially in the books and now it's time for the League Championship Series! The Reds, Braves, Rays, and my beloved Twins were all knocked out this past week setting up the Phillies vs the Giants in the NL, and the Rangers vs the Yankees in the AL. If you want the best 2 teams in the World Series, then you're pulling for a Yankees/Phillies matchup. But if you're like me you want to see the underdogs win for a change and are pulling for a Rangers/Giants world series that would guarantee to relieve a long suffering fan base. TCW predicts this weekend's matchups.

The 2 matchups are almost polar opposites from a pitching to hitting perspective. In the AL, the Rangers/Yankees series is all about offense where both teams are in the top 10 in nearly every offensive team category including the most runs and best on-base percentage (Yankees 589 & .350) and the best team batting average (Rangers .276). In the NL, the Phillies and Giants are both in the top 6 in the league in terms of team ERA, Quality starts, and WHIP (walks & hits per inning pitched), with the Giants posting the lowest team ERA (3.36) and the Phillies with the best WHIP(1.25).

ALCS GAME 1 - WILSON(TX) vs SABATHIA(NY)
Because Cliff Lee had to finish off the Rays in Game 5 of their ALDS series, we won't be seeing arguably the 2 best pitchers in the AL this year. This is a huge advantage for New York. Sabathia has wicked stuff, led the league in wins, is as intimidating as they come with the big frame, and has postseason veteran experience, aka, he's been here before. CJ Wilson is no pushover though. He had a great year at 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA including 3 complete games. He struggled in September, but picked things up nicely in the Division series vs Tampa shutting them out in 6 plus innings. However, given the Rangers first ever LCS game, the jitters will be out there, look for Sabathia to set the tone and if given an early lead, erase all doubt. YANKEES take game 1.

ALCS GAME 2 - LEWIS(TX) vs HUGHES(NY)
The Pitching matchup isn't as lopsided as game 1, but the advantage still lies with New York, sending out their 18 game winner ahead of Andy Petitte to face Colby Lewis who went 12-13 on the year and has a career ERA of 5.27. Like his record, Lewis is hit or miss and don't expect him to go more than 6 innings, he did shutout the Rays last week in 5 innings however, so he's pitching well. Hughes dominating the Twins in the ALDS last week, but the Twins barely showed up to play. The Rangers lineup features power hitters from top to bottom and relies heavily on its offense. Hughes is a fly ball pitcher and the Rangers can only hope some of those fly balls reach the seats in fair territory. New York will be favored, but look for Guerrero, Hamilton, Cruz, Nelson or any other of the hot texas bats to come alive and bring some magic in Arlington. RANGERS take game 2.

NLCS GAME 1 - HALLADAY (PHIL) vs LINCECUM (SF)
If you're a baseball fan and you can only pick 1 game to watch this weekend, this would be it. Last year's CY young (Lincecum) versus this year's CY Young (Halladay, not released yet, but will win in a landslide). Halladay is the best pitcher on the planet right now, coming off his best season in a remarkable career that will eventually end up in the HOF. Oh and he became just the 2nd pitcher EVER to throw a no-hitter in the post-season. His opponent on the mound is no slouch either, Lincecum is arguably coming off a top 10 all-time postseason performance too in his 2 hit, 14 strikeouts, shutout of the Braves last week. He hasn't given up more than 3 runs in a start since August either. Look for a low-scoring, tight battle in what should be an exciting game 1. PHILLIES take it behind the strength of Halladay...but it'll be close.

NLCS GAME 2 - HAMELS (PHIL) vs SANCHEZ (SF)
No 2 pitchers we're more alike this year than Hamels and Sanchez. They're 2010 stats nearly mirrored each other. Hamels went 12-11 with a 3.06 ERA, 211 strikeouts and a 1.18 WHIP. Whereas Sanchez went 13-9 with a 3.07 ERA, 205 strikeouts and a 1.23 WHIP. Furthermore, both pitchers finished the season (September and on) with a 4-1 record and sub 2 ERA's. So where's the edge? Postseason experience. Hamels has been here, Sanchez hasn't. We saw how dominant Hamels can be in the 2008 postseason where he absolutely dominated going 5-0 with a 0.91 ERA. But then last year, he largely disappeared in the postseason, going 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA. But it looks like he's back to the 2008 Cole Hamels after a 5 hit shutout of the Reds last week. Like game 1, this game should be close, but Hamels will be too strong at home, PHILLIES take game 2.

I'll preview games 3 & 4 on Monday and clean up any mistakes and missteps from this post. Until then, don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

bsv
the courtesy wave

TCW - Weekend Sports Guide October 1st-3rd

Billie Joe Armstrong, from Green Day fame, wrote a song called Wake Me Up When September Ends. Well It's time to wake up Billie Joe and you to America, for September is over and October has begun. The 10th month of the year is an exciting one for all sports fans. Major League Baseball finishes up the regular season this weekend and heads for postseason play. The NFL experiences weeks 4 through 8. College Football starts conference play. The NHL begins its regular season on the 7th, followed by the NBA on the 27th. If the world series ends in a sweep its the only month where all 4 major sports are playing. But without further ado, the TCW presents the weekend previews and predictions in the world of sports.

MLB
It the final weekend in baseball and there is little left to be decided. In the American League, all 4 teams have already clinched. Minnesota won the AL central, Texas won the AL West, and New York and Tampa Bay clinched playoff spots but are still battling for the AL East crown. Minnesota can do no worse than the #2 seed and Texas is locked into the #4 seed. After last night's games, Tampa Bay and New York are in a dead heat at 94-65. The Twins are a game back for the overall best record, but since both Tampa Bay and New York hold the tiebreaker, the Twins are essentially 2 games back of the best record with 3 to play. Therefore, let's look at the remaining games this weekend for New York and Tampa Bay in our pivotal AL Series.

Rays at Royals
The Royals already won game 1 and have won 3 of their last 4 and have a shot to catch Cleveland to stay out of the cellar in the AL Central. The Rays have the pitching though and a favorable offense versus the Royals. SERIES PREDICTION Rays 3-1

Yankees at Red Sox
The Yankees play their rivals again for the 2nd time in a week with home-field advantage in the first 2 rounds on the line. Boston has little to play for other than keeping the Yankees from hoisting a division title and avoiding watching a celebration occur on their home-field. Which would rub even more salt in their wounds. SERIES PREDICTION - Yankees 2-1

Over in the NL, 2 of the 4 teams (Philadelphia & Cincinnati) have punched their tickets with the last 2, San Francisco & Atlanta holding all the cards over the Padres. The Phillies have already secured the best record and number 1 seed in the National League. Cincinnati will likely be the 3rd seed but has a chance to overtake San Francisco for the 2nd seed. If you're going to watch baseball this weekend, stick to the National League where 2 pivotal series are taking place.

Phillies at Braves
First the Braves host Philadelphia in a possible NLCS preview series. The Braves have a 2 game lead on San Diego for the Wild card lead, 1 win in this series will probably be enough, but they'll want to take 2 of 3 to be sure and control their own destiny. The Phillies are in rest mode and will not be playing a full "A" squad. Look for the Braves to take advantage and send Bobby Cox to the postseason again in his last year as manager. SERIES PREDICTION Braves 2-1

San Diego at San Francisco
This is what October baseball is all about. In what will essentially be a playoff like series for the 2 Sans baseball teams, the Giants have a 3 game lead on the Padres with 3 games to go all against each other. You do the math, all the Giants need to do is avoid a sweep and they'll be poppin champagne in the NL West. The Padres are playing for a sweep and a chance at a 1 game playoff or even the wild card spot if the Braves slip at home. No rest for the weary here, the Padres will throw everything they got at the Giants. A win in game 1 will make things interesting, but the Giants have too much of an edge. For the sake of interesting baseball I hope the Padres win the first game and make it a series, a loss would make the final 2 games utterly meaningless. SERIES PREDICTION Giants 2-1

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
What a start to week 5 in college football last night as the Cowboys of Oklahoma State won a thriller against Texas A&M in Stillwater 38-35 to maintain their undefeated season. Dan Bailey's 40 yard field goal as time expired marked the first loss for the Aggies and an almost certain Top 25 ranking for the Cowboys next week.

TOP 25 KEY MATCHUPS
#7 Florida at #1 Alabama
The marquee matchup of the weekend. The Crimson Tide have already defeated 2 top 25 teams in their 4 games. Whereas the Gators have faced decent competition and won easily each time. But Alabama in Huntsville will be nothing like they've seen yet this year and for a Gators team that is 90th in passing yards and 48th in Rushing, they'll need a near perfect performance to beat the best, yep, I said the number 1 defense in the country. Alabama is allowing an FBS low 9.8 points per game. PREDICTION Alabama 24-10

#9 Stanford at #4 Oregon
1 word: Offense. You want to see fireworks this weekend, you might want to head over to Eugene, Oregon. That's where you'll find the #1 (Oregon) and #4 (Stanford) scoring teams in the country at 57.8 and 48 points per game respectively. Part of that has to be the competition these 2 teams have faced. The two teams have combined to beat New Mexico State, Portland State (Oregon) and San Jose State (Stanford) 193-17. Although, Stanford did shut out UCLA 35-0, a team that has upset to Top 25 teams in Houston and Texas the following weeks. Oregon's LaMichael James will take his 7.8 yards per rush and be a huge factor in this game, coupled with the 4th best defense in the FBS, Oregon should have the edge to take this game, but it should be an entertaining one non-the-less. PREDICTION Oregon 38-31

#21 Texas at #8 Oklahoma
One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports, the Red River rivalry game (formerly Red River Shootout). This game is always huge from a rivalry standpoint, but also from a national ranking and BCS positioning stance. Since 1945 one or both of the two teams has been ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation coming into the game 60 out of 65 times. Texas leads the all-time series 59–40–5. The game is played in Dallas, which isn't to give Texas an edge, its because Dallas is about halfway between Austin and Norman. The Longhorns are coming off a shocking loss at home vs UCLA. Not a good tune-up against an Oklahoma team that runs the ball very well behind DeMarco Murray, who leads the country in rushing attempts, not too mention passes very well and has the 3rd best receiver in the country in Ryan Broyles. PREDICTION Oklahoma 28-21

#11 Wisconsin at #24 Michigan State
A great test for both teams that check in undefeated after playing mostly inferior competition. A common occurrence with most Big Ten teams who schedule cupcakes to build confidence towards the conference season as the Badgers and Spartans have done with the likes of San Jose State, Austin Peay (WISC), Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic, and Northern Colorado (MSU). Both teams boast top 25 offenses and top 30 defenses, so this should be a typical hard nose fought Big Ten game. Michigan State's head coach Mark D'antonio returns after suffering a mild heart attack earlier in the year, will the Spartans use this game as inspiration and possibly a catapult into the top 20 or 15 in the nation? We will see. PREDICTION Michigan State 24-17

#22 Penn State at #17 Iowa
Although both teams are 3-1 and in the top 25 starting week 5, each team is still looking for that signature win. Of the 6 combined wins between the two, the highest profile win for either team would be Penn State's 22-13 win over Temple last week. Needless to say, whoever wins this game, gets their first signature win, and the other one drops out of the top 25. Both teams sport top 10 defenses, but its Iowa who has the edge on offense behind quarterback Ricky Stanzi's 3rd best passer rating in the country. Look for Iowa to make a statement and show people why they we're right to give this team a top 10 pre-season ranking. PREDICTION Iowa 28-20

OTHER UNDEFEATED GAME
#19 Michigan at Indiana
Yes, that's right, Indiana a) has a football team, and b) is undefeated. However, they probably aren't to keen on letting you know who they've beaten. The Hoosiers are happy at 3-0 after beating heavy hitters (sarcasm) Towson, Western Kentucky, and Akron. Towson is 1-3 in the FCS, Western Kentucky has the longest FBS losing streak, currently at 24 straight losses, and Akron is also winless, narrowly losing to Bowling Green in overtime. So of their 3 victories, the only team their victim's have beaten is Towson's upset of Coastal Carolina 47-45 in 5 OT's. Michigan hasn't faced a top 25 team, but they've at least gone against D1 talent. Add on the fact that they have the best Rusher in the country in Denard Robinson, Michigan walks into this game heavily favored. PREDICTION Michigan 41-24

UPSET SPECIAL
#16 Miami at Clemson
The best chance for an unranked team to upset a top 25 team may be in Clemson, SC, where the Tigers of Clemson host the Tigers of Auburn. Clemson doesn't have a lot to stand on in their 2 wins over North Texas and Presbyterian, but their loss against Auburn is actually the highlight of their season so far. They nearly pulled off the upset on the road last week versus Auburn's Tigers, eventually losing 27-24 in OT. That game should give Clemson the confidence going into this weekend's game versus Miami who coincidentally is also ranked 16th this week. PREDICTION Clemson 27-24 in OT (flip the switch!)

GOPHER WATCH
Northwestern at Minnesota
It's homecoming in Minneapolis for the boys in Maroon and Gold. So people will be smiling and happy right up until the 2nd quarter, when Northwestern and the best passer rating quarterback in the country, Dan Persa, should start to slip away from a team that has loss 3 straight at home, 2 of which to South Dakota and Northern Illinois. Even putrid offenses have walked all over the Gophers this year, who are allowing 31 points per game. The Wildcats haven't beaten anyone impressive, their signature win to date is against Central Michigan, but even a win at Minnesota shouldn't be considered a signature win this year. Northwestern will have to look for that key victory some other week. PREDICTION Northwestern 35-24

NFL
I know its early, but its week 4 in the NFL and only 2 games feature teams that have both have winning record. Also week 4 marks the first BYE week of the year for teams, which means fantasy football owners have to start making tough decisions about who to start. Plus its time for the Griswolds (my fantasy team) at 1-2 to make a move to contenders instead of pretenders.

Ravens at Steelers
The best Sunday matchup pits the 2-1 Ravens and the surprisingly undefeated Steelers. I say surprisingly because Pittsburgh has been without their Pro Bowl Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger for the start of the year, suspended from assault allegations for which he was eventually cleared. The Ravens are often associated with great defenses, however in this game, the role's are reversed. The Steelers the 3rd best defense against the run to Baltimore's 22nd. The keys to winning for the Steelers lie in their defense and their running game which also ranks 3rd in the NFL. If Baltimore can shut down or slow the Steelers run, they'll be forced to pass, which will favor the Ravens because the Steelers are dead last in the league in the passing game and the Ravens sport the league's best pass defense. PREDICTION Ravens 21-17

Patriots at Dolphins (Monday Night)
If you can't get enough sports this weekend, consider Monday night your bonus match-up where the Dolphins and Patriots hook up in a battle of 2-1 teams that will battle for the AFC East crown. The Patriots will bring the offense (top 10 in both passing and rushing), and the Dolphins will provide the defense (Top 10 pass defense). The difference might take place on the ground, where New England's running back by committee (Green-Ellis, Taylor, and Faulk) offers a lot of options and keeps defenses on their toes, and could wreak havoc on a defense that's only 19th against the run. However the Dolphins can look to the passing game, which has talented wideout Brandon Marshall to throw to. If Henne and Marshall get in sync, they can do damage against a Patriots defense that's 7th worst against the pass. PREDICTION Dolphins 28-24

GOLF
Lastly, the Ryder Cup has just started and if you want to whet your fancy watching some golf this is a great opportunity to see the best before the season comes to a close. The Ryder Cup stages the best Americans versus the best European Players in the world every 2 years, alternating "home" courses. This year, the Europeans are at home in Wales and will try to take down the defending champion Americans. The Ryder cup is a 3 day event that uses the following format:
Day 1 (Friday) — 4 four-ball (better ball) matches in a morning session and 4 foursome (alternate shot) matches in an afternoon session
Day 2 (Saturday) — 4 four-ball matches in a morning session and 4 foursome matches in an afternoon session
Day 3 (Sunday) — 12 singles matches.

Tiger Woods is obviously the biggest name and still the best player in the world, however if you really follow golf, every matchup is considered all-star worthy and should provide for some entertainment on the links and your tube this weekend.

Well that's the long of it I guess. I hope you enjoyed the read and enjoy watching some exciting matchups this weekend.

Until then, remember to always signal your lane change.

bsv
the courtesy wave

Weekend Sports Couch Guide

Welcome to Friday's sports previews & predictions edition. The Courtesy Wave takes a look at the upcoming weekend sports games, the must-see match ups, and the Minnesota sports landscape.



MLB
The regular season is winding down and we are entering the next to last weekend of the season before the Playoffs begin. It could be the dullest 2 weeks of baseball in the American league, since all 4 spots are basically claimed save for an apocalyptic collapse. In fact only 2 teams outside of Minnesota, New York, Tampa Bay, and Texas are not mathematically eliminated, the A's and Angels, but each of those teams have a less than 1% chance of making the postseason. There are 2 races left to be decided in the AL although. New York and Tampa Bay are battling it out for the AL East division, with the loser still going to the playoffs where anything can happen. And home-field advantage throughout the ALCS is still up for grabs between Minnesota and the 2 AL East teams. Important yes, but you have to get there first to have home field advantage in the ALCS.

So we look to the National League to provide some do or die games the rest of the way to keep things exciting. The NL east race is over, Philadelphia has that in the bag, damn. The NL Central race is over, Cincinnati, a perennial loser has outdistanced themselves from St. Louis, damn. But alas, we finally have a race or 2 and it involves the NL West and subsequent Wild Card race between the loser of the NL West & the Atlanta Braves. San Diego, at one point in August was on cruise control and punching their ticket into postseason seemed a foregone conclusion. One 10 game losing streak poured water on the flames of that dream. Now the Padres are actually a half game behind the San Francisco Giants AND the Atlanta Braves for the final 2 playoff positions. There is one more team fighting for a playoff spot and they come out of the West too, the Colorado Rockies. At 3.5 back of each the division and wild card, the Rockies still have a chance, but a lot of factors need to come into play and their recent 4 game losing streak certainly hasn't helped.

Key MLB weekend match ups:
Twins at Tigers - As the newest best team in Baseball, the Twins will try to keep the peddle down and hold on to that top spot, securing home field throughout the AL playoffs. SERIES PREDICTION Twins 2-1
Yankees at Red Sox - At this time of the year, these 2 teams would normally garner national headlines and prime time TV spots, however with the Red Sox all but out, their story line turns to spoilers, an unfamiliar and unfavorable role. And with a division title and best record on the line, you can best bet that the Yankees want these game more. SERIES PREDICTION - Yankees 2-1
Seattle at Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay gets the best match up scenario of the weekend, hosting a futile Mariners team that is playing triple A players and evaluating talent. The Rays, still a half game back of the AL East and dying to play the first round at home, will be heavily favored, and should sweep the Mariners out of town. SERIES PREDICTION - Rays 3-0

Giants at Rockies - Easily the biggest match up of the weekend between two teams that are in a dog race for the playoffs. The Rockies have the edge at home in front of their fans, coming off a 2-4 road trip, a little Coors Field action might be just what they need. A sweep puts Colorado in the thick of it, 2 out of three keeps them alive, a Giants sweep would end the Rockies hopes. SERIES PREDICTION - Giants 2-1

Reds at Padres - San Diego gets to play at home this weekend, but against the surprisingly good Cincinnati Reds. They might be catching them at a good time though, the Reds have the Central all but locked up save for a miracle by St. Louis, and at 6 games behind the Phillies, the best record in the NL is out of reach. Look for the Reds to rest a lot of their starters and for the Padres to pounce. SERIES PREDICTION - Padres 2-1

Braves at Nationals - Lastly the Braves are holding down the wild card trying to fight off the NL West. They take on a Nationals team that has the 3rd worst record in the NL. The Nationals (unfortunately) and Braves are in familiar spots. However, the Braves have lost their last 3, where the Nationals have won their last 3. Despite that, the honus is on Atlanta and Washington will try to spoil their dreams. SERIES PREDICTION - Braves 2-1

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
It's week 4 of the college football season, which means its generally the last non-conference weekend of football. This is the time for the big programs to get their last shot at crushing inferior competition and on the flip side, giving lower D-1 programs a shot at proving their worth against perceived superior talent. It's also a time for the super powers to get their cracks at other elite programs and provide fodder for which teams and conferences are more superior.

Top 25 Match ups
Alabama (1) at Arkansas (10) - Both teams are from the SEC and undefeated at 3-0. Alabama hasn't had a problem yet and boasts last year's Heisman winner. The Hogs narrowly defeated Georgia last week and will be charged up at home to beat the #1 team in the land. PREDICTION - Arkansas 24-21
Oregon State (24) at Boise State (3) - America's favorite underdog team, playing their home games on that weird blue turf, Boise State may be the 3rd ranked team in the country, but their high ranking will only hold up in an undefeated season. Not only do they have to win every game to get into a BCS, they have to do so convincingly. The Broncos are America's hope to bust the BCS system this year and make way for a true national playoff that would determine a clear national champion. The Beavers may hold a top 25 ranking, but their numbers don't hold a candle to Boise State who despite playing in the WAC, plays superior talent and beats them too. PREDICTION - Boise State 45-21
South Carolina (12) at Auburn (17) - Another SEC game pitting undefeated teams at 3-0. The Tigers are an extremely tough team to beat at home, and despite the lower ranking by an upstart Gamecocks team, an Auburn loss would come as a surprise to many. PREDICTION - Auburn 28-21
West Virginia (22) at LSU (18) - SEC vs Big East powerhouses clash in the Bayou. It could be an offensive struggle on both sides of the ball as each team comes into this weekend with a top 10 ranked defense. Giving the home edge to LSU. PREDICTION - LSU 21-17

Other Undefeated Game
Kentucky at Florida (9) - The SEC is in full swing this week with several good match ups, another one to keep an eye on is this one where Kentucky has been beating up on inferior competition and Florida has toughed out 3 wins against fairly decent opponents. Gainesville is a wild place to go into and opposing teams usually head home disappointed. Kentucky has scored the 11th most points in college football so far this season and will have to continue that trend to pull off the upset. PREDICTION Florida 35-31

Upset Special
Temple at Penn State (23) - Keep an eye on this game as undefeated Temple goes into Happy Valley to take on a Penn State team still trying to find their identity. Temple sports 3 wins against quality competition and Penn State has 2 easy victories and a bad loss to Alabama (albeit the number 1 team in the country). Plus a chance to beat an in-state adds a little flavor and possible recruiting advantages for teams separated by a 3.5 hr drive. PREDICTION - Temple 38-35

GOPHERS WATCH
Northern Illinois at Minnesota - The Golden Gophers are coming off 2 tough home losses in a row. The first, an ugly and utterly embarrassing loss to FBS (formerly Division 1AA) South Dakota, and a tough gut check loss to USC after a brief 3rd quarter lead. To put it blatantly, a loss to UNI for the Gophers would decimate this team. It can be argued that South Dakota is a better football team than UNI, with the Huskies only win coming against North Dakota this year, combined with a horrid offense that isn't even in the top 100. The Gophers need to show why they belong in the Big Ten and use this game to get some confidence back before what will be a grueling Big Ten season, having 5 of their next 8 games against Top 25 teams. PREDICTION - Minnesota 35-21

NFL
It's week 3 for the NFL and already its panic time for a couple teams. Mainly the Cowboys and Vikings.
Cowboys at Texans - Dallas has been really flat in their first 2 losses to 2 teams that are playing better than expected, the Redskins and Bears. The Cowboys will stay in state this weekend, but not at home as they travel to Houston to face the suddenly best team in Texas, Houston. The two Texas teams have no problem tossing the ball, both teams are in the top 10 in passing yards, but its the rushing game that polarizes the two teams. The Texans have the top rushing offense in the league at 157.5 yards/game, whereas the Cowboys are 28th with just 69.5. PREDICTION - Texans 31-28

Lions at Vikings - Fresh off their devastating NFC Championship loss, the Vikings were primed to be one of the favorites this year, bringing back their elderly, but still Hall of Fame Quarterback, Brett Favre and having nearly everyone back from the squad last year that went 12-4 and who's offense was eclectic. The results so far have been complete opposite of any one's predictions. After a week 1 loss to the Super Bowl Champion Saints, a game many were not surprised or concerned by. A home loss to the Miami Dolphins, an underrated team, but a team that should have been beat at home by the Vikings, has created ulcers for many Vikings fans, players, and coaches. Minnesota gets Detroit at home in what should be a perfect remedy to turn the goose egg into 1 in the win column. The Lions are probably not a playoff ready team, but they should no longer be taken lightly with an emerging quarterback in Matthew Stafford, a budding star running back, Javid Best, and a defensive lineman that puts the fear of god into you in Ndamukong Suh. PREDICTION - Vikings 38-28


Hope you enjoyed Friday's read. Till next time...have a great weekend!

bsv
the courtesy wave