OFF THE TOP OF MY BALD HEAD
Barry Warner: Enough with the prelims; it's time for Rockets-Warriors
May 8, 2018, 5:15 am
By 9:30 tonight, the heavily favored Rockets will put the JV team from Utah out of their misery. Even with a healthy Ricky Rubio, the Jazz simply cannot score with the Rockets.
Clint Capela has turned Rudy Gobert into a bench player during crunch time. The Swiss born center will become a very rich man this summer as a free agent. It would not shock me if he got between $16-18 million per year. With his ability to set pick and rolls for the guards, plus defend the rim and get double digit rebounds, he will be highly sought after.
Golden State and the long awaited Western Conference Finals are next. When it starts is anyone’s guess, since it’s up to the TV networks.
There is no sense getting into a Michael vs LeBron debate as to who is the greatest.
Different times and conditions for each new generation in all of sports makes these arguments far more difficult.
Then there was Kareem, who like LeBron a high school All American. But James did not go the collegiate route, where Mr. Sky Hook was three-time Player of the Year and an 18-time all-star.
The greatest winner of all-time, with 11 rings, was Celtic legend Bill Russell. And it’s certainly understandable if most do not even remember this shot blocker and rebounder. He starred in the late 50’s and 60’s, when Boston dominated the NBA.
David Fizdale latest in the long line of Knicks coaches to work for James Dolan, who is a member of the lucky sperm club. The controversial owner of the Knicks, Rangers, Madison Square Garden and cable network inherited these assets from his late father.
Dolan rarely meets with the media, as he spends more time jetting across the country with his rock and roll band. For those keeping score, Fiz is the 11th coach in the last 14 seasons for the once proud Knicks.
His rift with Marc Gasol was the big reason Memphis fired the former Heat assistant.
"I get it, you want Gregg Popovich, and I want LeBron James," the coach told his star player, according to a source.
Gerrit Cole’s 77 strikeouts in the first seven starts with a new club are the most by a player in Major League history. This year’s Astro team is getting phenomenal pitching, but the hitting sucks.
Every starter except 2-5 Dallas Kuchel has been tremendous. But the bullpen leaves so much to be desired. What has happened to normally reliable Will Harris? Joe Smith has been a big disappointment, while Brad Peacock’s slider is flat.
Besides Chris Devenski, the most reliable reliever has been former starter Colin Mc Hugh
Leadoff hitter and last year’s World Series MVP, George Springer seems to be addicted to swinging from his heels, while last year’s MVP, Jose Altuve would not be among the top 10 in the MVP voting, based upon the sample size of 2018.
The popular second baseman looks like a wanna be home run hitter with every swing.
Through 35 games thus far, Carlos Correa appears to be leaving too many pitches in the zone.
Evan Gattis has now struck out 29 times in 95 at bats, has one homer and just 8 RBI’s.
Marwin Gonzales is a mere shadow of himself, while Alex Bregman has failed to take the next step.
Clutch hitting is simply not there and the bottom third of the order is a joke. It is both too early to panic and way too early to bring up minor league star Kyle Tucker who is still trying to figure out Triple A pitchers.
JD Davis, who made the opening day roster, would be brought up first.
I’m not panicking, just merely concerned about a pattern that does not look like the way they were winning in last season’s magical moments.
One of the truly great people, as well as a major league star, 18-year veteran Albert Pujols got his 3000th hit in Seattle. In the process, he joins Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and A-Rod the cheater as the only men to have 600 career home runs in addition to the cherished 3000 hits.
How many years has Albert Pujols struck out 100 times in a season? Yep. Zero. You won’t find a single 100-whiff season on his baseball-reference page. And how many other members of the 3,000-Hit/600-Homer Club (or even the 3,000/500 Club) can say that? Only one: Mr. Henry Aaron, the elegant Hall of Famer.
Safety first? The kickoff rule reccomendation is yet another example of where the NFL hides behind “player safety.” It is a violent sport, played by semi violet men, making millions for themselves and the owners, who do not want any more lawsuits.
It is part of the wussification of the game. From the last collective bargaining agreement about two-a-days, the number of practices where contact was allowed, the longer off season away from coaches...the game is not the same.
Faded star: Colorful former Dallas star Dez Bryant turned down a three year $27-million-dollar deal from the Ravens, figuring he was worth more.
The diva is still waiting by his phone for a deal.
Still out of work: The Raiders singed former UT and Kansas City star linebacker Derrick Johnson. That was bad news for ex-Texans star Brian “The Cheater” Cushing. It was Cushing’s first reported meeting with a team since he visited with the Seahawks in early March.
Big deal: Matt Ryan sets the bar for quarterbacks, signing a five year $150 million-dollar deal with Atlanta. Gee, I can hardly wait to see a bunch of guys running around in t-shirts and shorts.
Chirp!
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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