Thursday, February 23, 2012
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.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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.
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.
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