Yeah uh... Mike Trout is pretty good too.  Haven't seen any of his at-bats but clearly he's the REAL next big thing...Fantasy Gold and even more talented and better than Bryce.  I do have my suspicions though

BRYCE HARPER: BETTER THAN ADVERTISED

It's May 27 in the early morning.  I've watched this kid hit now for about a month, and each time I see a new AB for Bryce Harper I think I am watching greatness.  HOW CAN THAT BE?!?!?!  THIS KID IS 19!!!  How can a nineteen-year-old dominate in the major leagues?  He hits like Tony Gwynn.  Harper sprays the ball to all fields like a seasoned veteran.  He hit a home-run in Atlanta to the opposite field alley on a line last night.  Atlanta's power alleys are 390 feet, he hit a low line drive over that fence.  I don't know if I'm watching a reincarnate of Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, or a left handed throwing and hitting version of Willie Mays?  But this guy Harper is the real deal for sure.

Right now he's only hitting .278, but it's the greatest .278 I've ever seen.  I guarantee you Tony Gwynn watches this guy hit and just smiles and says, "WOW."  His at-bats are unlike any other 19 year old you've ever seen in the Big's.  If you watched Barry Bonds hit during his prime HGH years, that is how good Bryce Harper's approach is.  He takes pitches that are inches (or maybe quarter-inches) off the strike-zone.  I swear for the first month that I've watched him play, I've watched in complete disbelief.  Like, "How is this possible?"

A month ago I was gushing at how good Matt Kemp is.  Now I'm watching Bryce Harper in his first year in the Major's at 19 and I'm saying there is no ceiling for this kid.  He already stole home on Cole Hamels after Hamels hit him on purpose in the first inning on the first pitch.  Hamels admitted he did it on purpose after the game and got suspended 5 games.  Harper stole home on Hamels as if to say, "That's all u got Cole?"

3 HRs, 10 RBIs, a .278 average and a .366 On Base Percentage never ever ever looked so damn good as they do for Bryce Harper's first 26 games in the Major Leagues.  He runs, throws, hits, competes and interacts with the field of play as if he knows he is the best player, not only on the field, but in the entire game itself.  I know this sounds like hype.  I know this article sounds like an over-excited column about a ball-player having a great first month, but no one can deny what we're seeing.  This is not hyperbole, this is reality.  Bryce Harper believes that no one on a baseball field can touch him. 

The numbers right now are not great.  They don't even project into a 'rookie of the year' type of season.  But when you watch Bryce Harper play, when u watch him hit or run the bases or make a throw from the outfield, U CAN SEE IT.  The guy IS better than anyone else on the field.  Ok, his stats probably won't prove him to be that this year...  But next year and the year after, watch out.  Bryce Harper's talent is freakish.  You know Lebron James and how he fills a stat sheet like no other and how LBJ's player efficiency rating is tops by far.  Bryce Harper will fill stat sheets just like that.  The new statistical ratings like player efficiency in basketball and 'Wins Above Replacement' in baseball will prove Harper to be a top 10 player maybe as soon as this year.

Is a slump even possible for a guy with an approach this good?  It's not as if he's tearing the cover off the ball at .278.  I just can't ever remember seeing a hitter hit a baseball better.  Not for power, but for shear hitting ability.  For pure batting skill and swing fluidity.  For a 19-year-old to possess this type of prowess is astounding.  He won't have the best numbers in baseball this year, but for skill level and ability, he just might be the best player in the game, ALREADY.....

MATT KEMP IS THE MAN

Imagine you're 27 years old, playing Major League Baseball in Los Angeles, California for a living.  You're 6'3 225lbs, a five-tool player with as much skill and potential as humanly possible for a baseball player.  If you got hurt and your career as a ball player was over, you'd have a second career as a model where you could travel the world.  I could keep going, but clearly I think I've demonstrated a life which most can admire.

Matt Kemp of the LA Dodgers is the person in this world whom if I could trade places with, trade lives with, (not fantasy baseball but fantasy life) his would be the life I want to live most.  As a man, I know it is an exercise in futility and kind of pathetic to envy another man's life in such a way.  However as a writer it is completely within the bounds of creative thinking and imaginative postulating.

On the baseball side, 2012 will be Matt Kemp's 6th full season in the bigs and he is just beginning to realize his full potential.  Last year he hit .324 with 39 HRs, 126 RBIs, 115 runs scored, leading the National League in RBIs, runs and total bases.  He finished 2nd in the MVP voting to the Brewers' 3B Ryan Braun.  Kemp also stole 40 bases just missing becoming the 5th player ever to eclipse the 40/40 mark.

Clearly Kemp is one of the current best players in the game.  His statistics have improved gradually from year to year showing his maturity and his aptitude for learning the game.  Baseball is afterall the only sport where a 70% failure rate is considered Hall of Fame worthy when it comes to batting average.  Hitters like Kemp start out as aggressive sluggers with a low batting average.  If they learn to be more disciplined and discover how zone hitting is the best approach for increasing batting average, and cutting down the swing with 2 strikes becoming a contact hitter, players with supreme talent such as Kemp can become great.

So I admire Kemp's talent and ability.  Who wouldn't?  Anyone who appreciates baseball and for that matter anyone who appreciates great skills could watch Matt Kemp play the game all day.  I wonder if Rihanna watches him?

Kemp and Rihanna have been spotted in Los Angeles and on vacation together (Ok now u see why I want to be Matt:).  Think about swimming in the cool blue ocean in Hawaii with Rihanna on ur arm.  Laying out on the yacht listening to tunes, drinking tequila, making out with the Barbados beauty.  Rihanna struts when she walks.  Like a woman who knows every man that sees her would die to have a taste, she entices every on-looker with every curve she's got.  She travels the world singing and he hits HR's;)

Yes Matt Kemp is the Man and we better get used to it.  The guy is entering his prime and playing centerfield for the Dodgers is quite the gig.  We'll probably see him on Entertainment Tonight with another Hollywood beauty and maybe Dancing with the Stars come the off season.  I have yet to hear 1 bad thing about the guy too.  Great Ball Player, Great with the Ladies, plays the game the right way; hard, and doesn't come off cocky in the least.  He smiles a huge grin and plays winning baseball 162 games a year.  Someone get this guy a Gatorade commercial already!!!!

last post continued.....

Something has been missing from the Phillies clubhouse. Kind of like the fire just isn't burning the way it was pre-2009. They know they're good enough to win, but they aren't hungry for it like they were before. The Pitchers have the fire, now the Batters need to regain it. Hunter Pence brought some fire back last year and I look for him to do that again this year. I very much like the signing of Jim Thome and Juan Pierre. These guys are two winning, veteran role players that should command significant clubhouse attention and respect. With Howard on the DL and Ibanez gone, these guys and the younger players will have a chance to play early in the season. Once again, I cannot stress enough the small ball factor. Even if the 2012 Phils have a great offensive regular season, chances are come playoff time they will not be able to rely on the 3-run homer like they did in 2008. 3 years in a row have proven that fact. Maybe when Ryan Howard comes back and he has a 1st and 2nd with nobody out, he should be the example for the team and lay down a sacrifice. I WANT TO SEE CHASE UTLEY AND RYAN HOWARD LAY DOWN A F**KING BUNT THIS YEAR.

2012 PHILLIES: WHAT'S BEEN MISSING?

2008 is now 4 years behind the Philadelphia Phillies. The elusive championship that avoided this team since 1980 was achieved and subsequently the city of Philadelphia and it's fans have enjoyed a baseball renaissance. 10 years ago if you were a Phillies fan, you were a glutton for punishment. You were a die-hard, reliable and hopelessly pessimistic (optimism in philly was a rare thing) fan that loved the idea of being in first place on opening day, but you knew that feeling of being on top would pass.... pretty quickly.

Things now are completely different. Being a Phillies fan is COOL!!! We're everywhere. Washington D.C. is Citizens Bank South. People young and old are sporting the "P" cuz it's en vogue. Every home game has been a sell out since 2010. And the opposing sentiment has reached the point where its almost a love-hate relationship a la The New York Yankees. I told some local college kids I was a Philles fan. One said, "Yeah alright man!" The other said, "OMG really? I hate them."

So the team is awesome. The City is beaming with Phillie Red. Yet I still sense some of that old endearing pessimism. I feel it. I've felt it every October since 2009:) Ok 2009, I can rationalize the Yankees being the better team. The Phils had a long 2008-2009 and they just couldn't push over the top because momentum only lasts so long. 2010, the Giants, Cody Ross?! Uh uh, no. No excuse. That was a choke. 2011, the Cardinals. Yeah they won the World Series but were they better than the Philles? Hotter, yeah. Better, NO.

There we go! That's the old feeling again. Now I feel 'Philadelphia' again. Pessimistic to the core. Just Kidding.

Every Phillie fan is happy with the change in the team's persona. It is a winning persona with a supreme confidence. Citizens Bank Park is no longer a home-run hitting ban box, but a beautiful, majestic field where a great team plays and every player and fan wants to experience. But guess what? We want more. 1 isn't enough. 1 championship isn't enough. Bottom Line: After 2008, if you said the Phillies would get Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and keep all the rest of their core players together and they would not win another World Series in the next three years you would say that was crazy. "If we get LEE and HALLADAY on this squad we're talking back-to-back maybe even three-peat."

That's the expectation. The Phillies have gotten better. Each year they've added better players. Each year younger players have emerged making the team even stronger ie Worley, Stutes, Brown, Mayberry.

The Question arises. What is missing? Why can't the Phillies win? Why can't they finish the deal again? If you've watched the team like I have you know the answer. The Offense. They haven't made the adjustment. They can't outslug or out hit their opponents anymore, at least in the post season they can't. The Phillies offense is fundamentally weak. They won't play small ball. It's not that they can't, they WON'T!!!

This year might be different though. Ryan Howard is starting the year on the DL and probably won't be back until June. John Mayberry had a breakout 2011 and will be an everyday starter this year. And the bullpen will not be a question mark this year as Jonathan Pappelbon is the new guy with the golden arm. No more Ryan Madson will be a change we're not used to, but JP should make us forget Madson rather quickly. So once again the question lies with the "O." Will they play small ball. They love being 'dumb sluggers'. It's really easy to do. You just swing hard in case u hit it. Ok they don't need to play small ball all the time. How bout if they don't score at least 3 runs within 5 innings of any game, then they must lay down a bunt. Or if they go into a slump like ZERO runs in 17 innings, then small ball is the only thing they play. If they get shut-out, the next game is ALL SMALL BALL.

My point is the Phillies cannot be a 1-Dimensional Offense. Guys like Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard and especially Charlie Manuel need to speak up and say "WE NEED TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT!!!" PERIOD.

KOBE vs MAGIC

Monday February 6th 2012, Kobe Bryant surpassed Shaquille O'Neal for 5th on the NBA's all time scoring leaders list. The milestone has sparked the conversation and debate over which Laker is the best. From Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson, Shaq and Kobe, the discussion seems to lean toward Jabbar and Magic. Many NBA analysts and writers, like Mike Wilbon of the Washington Post, believe Magic is the best ever Laker. They list his 5 championship rings, historic impact on the game, his all around skill set and Magic's ability to make every player around him better.
I myself grew up watching Magic and showtime in the latter years just before he contracted HIV cutting his hall of fame career short. In looking at the argument objectively, I begin by looking at the statistics. Kareem's stat sheet is incredibly impressive for its consistency and longevity. For 20 consecutive years in the NBA Abdul-Jabbar played in no less than 65 games at 7 f6eet 2 inches, averaging almost 25 points per game, 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He dominated the game offensively and defensively consistently for such a long time that his numbers stack up better than anyone else's for all around game.
First noticeable and noteable thing about Magic's stat sheet is how much smaller it is than Kareem's. There is something to be said for the longevity of a player's career, especially when discussing or making an argument for which player is best. Obviously we know why Magic's career was much shorter. He does not get a pass though for this discussion. It cannot be overlooked the fact that he did not have a long career. Greatness and for that matter All-Time Greatness must be measured with time and numbers. Intangibles and immeasureables do not connote the best players; leave those to the role players. All that considered, Magic did average 19 points, 11 assists and 2 steals in 13 seasons with the Lakers. If you project Magic's stats out for the 6 to 10 probable years he would have played had he not contracted HIV, he would have ended up with around 25,000 points, 18,000 assists and 2700 steals. Clearly Magic is one of the all time greats. But I can't put him above Kareem. Where NBA analysts and fans lose their objectivity with Magic, they refuse to acknowledge character or a character flaw in Magic Johnson. Yes, he was great. Yes he made his teammates better. All great players make their teammates better. But he did not do it for long enough. Period.
Though West and Baylor are certainly noteworthy for the discussion, their numbers and their overall notoriety do not approach that of all time greatness. It is worth noting they did not play in an era where 3 point field goals existed, which would have increased their point totals especially West's. Their part in the argument ends quickly when noting West won 1 championship, Baylor won none.
Which brings me to Kobe Bryant. Winner of 5 championships. Kobe garners comparisons to Michael Jordan which is certainly worth mentioning when talking about the best players of all time. Oh yeah and statistically Kobe mos definitely stacks up. 15 years into what is looking like will be a 20 year career just like Kareem's, Kobe Bryant has 28,600 points and every award from MVP to multiple all defensive team awards. Clearly Kobe excels in scoring. The knock on Bryant may be that he did not make other players around him better until Phil Jackson became his coach and instituted his assistant coach Tex Winter's Triangle Offense. I argue that early on Kobe struggled with sharing the basketball efficiently. With experience Kobe learned to be a better teammate and won 3 rings with Shaq, then two more without Shaq.
At this point the argument comes down to overall ability, numbers, career longevity and championships. Kareem wins the championship tally with 6 and Magic and Kobe have 5. It's clear Magic Johnson can be touted as the best point guard of all time winning 5 titles in only 13 seasons. Kobe and Kareem are the pure scorers of the basketball in this discussion. Kobe and Kareem win for consistency and longevity for their careers. All three players win for their overall abilities. Magic falls short in longevity and numbers. Objectively, I put Magic third on the list. Like I said, I think his lack of longevity must be taken into serious account. Kareem is at the moment, the best Laker of all time. However, I think at the end of Kobe Bryant's career he will come close enough or even surpass Jabbar in scoring giving him the nod to be The Best Laker Ever.
Every great player makes their teammates better. To say Magic Johnson makes his teammates better than Kobe Bryant does isn't fair. Though Magic is probably the best facilitator ever, he comes nowhere close to Kobe's scoring ability. What is more important? Being a great facilitator or great scorer? Magic needs great players around him to truly be at his best. Kobe needs someone to pass him the ball to be great. Kobe and Magic are equal when it comes to defensive prowess, with a slight edge to Kobe for his great athletic ability. When all is said and done I rank Abdul Jabbar 2nd, Kobe Bryant 1st.

PHILADELPHIA'S CINDERELLA

January 16th 2012, Martin Luther King Jr Day and I'm watching the Philadelphia 76ers develop into a team with great potential. They have a 9-3 record early on in this lockout-shortened, extremely compacted, 66 game regular season. NBA analysts have already predicted the Sixers to be a 4 or 5 seed come playoff time. The team has been deemed very solid with a lot of depth, great coaching and a good mixture of leadership and youth. Doug Collins, in his second year with the team, is probably one of the most enthusiastic persons you'll ever know and brings every ounce of that fervor with him every game. He high fives and encourages his players like a teammate during every time-out. And the players respond to him like a teammate or a peer.

The 76ers depth is the main reason during this lockout year that many experts like them. With as many as 5 games being played in a single week for 1 team, this NBA season will be even more harsh and demanding on players bodies. Many NBA teams have 'second-string' lineups which they utilize for rest and motivation for the starters, but the Sixers second team is good enough to be the starting five. Jrue Holliday, Jodie Meeks, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes make up the starters. Evan Turner, Lou Williams, Thad Young, Nikola Vucevic and Tony Battie make up the second team. The Sixers have TWO actual starting lineups. No other NBA team has that luxury or ability.
And so far this season it is showing up in the box scores. The Sixers margin of victory, 12 games in is almost almost 20 points per game. They are not just winning, they are blowing out the competition.
Not only are they really good, but the Sixers are also a joy to watch. They love to get out and run, but they can also play half court basketball. They pass and distribute the ball like an international team that's been together for 10 years. They have a great combination of shooters and slashers. Sixers teams of recent history have been notorious for poor shooting. The current team with Jodie Meeks, Lou Williams, Drue Holliday (and on some nights Andre Iguodala is lights out with the jumper) have great shooting ability.
As they wrap up another victory against the Milwaukee Bucks and the 'hells bells' ring again as they do with every Sixers home win, the 76ers are creating a winning atmosphere they haven't experienced in Philadelphia basketball since Allen Iverson was running the show. This team has been bad for several years and as a result of good player drafting and solid team management, they have built a team that people will root for. They have definitely won me over and now I have another team to cheer on. I plan on purchasing tickets as well, hopefully for the Heat game in March.
Bottom Line: The 76ers are for real. 4 or 5 seed? I say 2 or 3 seed. They are better than the Celtics. The Magic are big and that will test the Sixers, but overall I like the Sixers defense and depth over the Magic and Dwight Howard. Of Course, the Bulls and Heat are the juggernauts of the East, but don't fall asleep on Philadelphia's New Cinderella. They have a chance this year as a team of great interchangeable parts to beat the teams built around a couple super stars.