Tim Tebow : The Legend Continues...

Davey O'Brien, Maxwell & Heisman trophy winner. All SEC First Team, SEC Offensive Player of the year, and number one choice of parents to marry their daughters. This is not a wish list folks; this is the life of Timothy Richard Tebow.

The miracle baby whose parents' chose to go forward with his birth after doctors advised them to have an abortion. Tebow is the All-American boy who wasn't even born in America. Tebow was actually born in the Philippines while his parents were serving as Christian Missionaries. He was heavily recruited out of High-School and didn't even really attend High School. Tebow was homeschooled by his mother Pam. The state of Florida allows homeschooled students to compete in athletic events as long as the school is in the county and district the student resides in.Tebow has even inspired the state of Alabama to allow home schooled athletes to participate in school athletics; "The Tim Tebow" bill is currently pending in Alabama legislature. Tim Tebow is a wonder on and off the field. The question is will his amazing story be one of just another great college player or will he be able to have the success on Sundays that he's currently having on Saturday.

Measuring the success of past Heisman trophy winners, Tebow's future is very hit or miss. The past four QBs who have won the Heisman are Carson Palmer, Jason White, Matt Leinart and Troy Smith. Only Palmer has established himself as a franchise QB. White never made it in the NFL, briefly signing with the Tennessee Titans before quitting due to "bad knees". Leinart has had an up and down career so far. In his 2 seasons he has shown flashes of greatness and flashes of not so greatness before injuring himself this season. Troy Smith started this season as the Ravens 3rd QB and saw some action during Week 14, but he's not considered their QB of the future.

When it comes to his on the field talents many experts and analysts are referring to Tebow as the prototype of "tomorrow's quarterback." He's a big kid,(6-3 235), who can run and throw the ball with equal skill. However, many question whether Tebow is a system quarterback or if his running/throwing style will translate in the NFL. Hawaii Head Coach June Jones even spoke out on ESPN recently that Colt Brennan is a better QB than Tebow because Tebow is more of a "system quarterback". I was recently given some quotes from Michael Tanier, an analyst at Pro Football Prospectus about Tebow. Tanier said "Tebow is the ultimate system quarterback. Unfortunately, the system has nothing to do with NFL football". "Tebow is rarely standing in the pocket, working through a progression of reads, and finding an open receiver, you don't have a lot to base an evaluation on, and we know almost nothing about his play recognition skills." Tanier added.

Tanier also made some interesting comparisons. Most notably to Ben Roethlisberger, who is of the same size(6-5 241) and mold of Tebow. Roethisberger is a linebacker under center who can run and throw very similar to Tebow. Also, coming out of college there were some questions about Roethisberger being a "system quarterback" because his Miami (OH) system was very shotgun friendly. However, Roethisberger's system was a little closer to an NFL system than that of Urban Meyer's spread misdirection based offense. Another name brought up was Alex Smith. I myself like this comparison because Smith played in the Urban Meyer system at Utah. Smith is roughly in the same mold (6-4 212), a little bit lighter than Tebow, but his abilities and playing style are very similar. They have both enjoyed great success in Meyer's offense at college. However, that great play has not translated over to the NFL for Smith. To his credit he has had three different offensive coordinators in three seasons and he's not surrounded by the best talent in San Francisco, but Smith himself has shown little of the potential the Niners thought he had when they selected him number one overall in the 2005 Draft.

Looking forward, the best thing Tebow has going for him is time. He's is heading into his junior season at Florida as a Heisman trophy winner with a national championship ring, something nobody before him has done. He has a least one more season to prove the critics wrong about his pocket passing ability. Conversely he also has at least another year of being exposed as a potential "system quarterback". I recently spoke to ESPN.com's Matt Mosley about Tebow's NFL prospects and he said "insert quote here". Will he be the next Big Ben or will he be Alex Smith? Nobody can say right now, but one thing is for sure, he's fun to watch and I can't wait to see how the rest of this story book career unfolds.

Plus Chuck Norris likes him

"Dear Tim,

I'm sure you are receiving thousands of congratulations, and I'd like to add mine to the list. You are not only an incredible athlete, but from what I have read about you, an incredible person as well. My wife and I want to wish you the very best in your football season next year, which we will be watching, and also in all of your other endeavors.

A friend,

Chuck Norris (signed)"

How can you not like this kid?

The Mitchell Investigation & Possible Names

Various sites and sources are reporting a few players who will be named in the Mitchell Investigation. Some of the bigger names are:


Barry Bonds***SHOCKER***
Roger Clemens
Miguel Tejada
Albert Pujols
Andy Pettitte
Ivan Rodriguez
Mark McGwire
Juan Gonzalez


No big shocks on this list. There are no A-rods or Jeters on this list which is very good for MLB. The interesting one is Roger Clemens. Clemens has been sort of linked in the past, but nobody has outright accused him of steroid use. The interesting thing from here on out is to see how different Clemens is treated than Bonds. Bonds is almost 100% surely not to be a first ballot Hall of Famer because of his alleged steriod use. I highly doubt the media, fans, and writers will have the same view of Clemens.

In addition, Miguel Tejada being on the list in intriguing since the O's basically dumped him to the Astros for what many believe to be less than he's worth. Did they know something before hand?

For more names

For more on Clemens

Vote or You Dead Dawg

Elijah Dukes is in the Elite Eight of deadspin.com's SHOTY(Sports Human Of The Year) Awards. He's the number 4 seed and is up against "Agent Zero" Gilbert Arenas. Go vote for everyone's favorite angry outfielder.

Free Mike Vick?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well I have a few about this one.











Free Mike Vick. Are you serious? "Rowdy" Roddy White must have fallen and bumped his head before this celebration last night. For those who didn't see, Roddy White unveiled a homemade "Free Mike Vick" shirt during a celebration in last night's loss to the Saints.

Free Mike Vick? There is nothing to "Free" Mike Vick from. When you are indicted on a federal crime and you agree to plead guilty as part of a deal you are admitting that you committed a crime. Whether you agree with the sentencing or not Michael Vick committed a crime and he was sentenced by a judge within the sentencing guidelines. Vick is actually lucky that Judge Henry Hudson didn't give him the maximum 5 year sentence. I am not a dog lover. In fact I don't like dogs at all. However, I do agree if you knowingly commit a crime then lie about your involvement and violate your probation, you should face the penalty. I know Vick has friends, family, teammates and even some fans who still support him, but you can't believe for one minute that Mike Vick is being held unlawfully or unjustly. I'm all for giving Vick a second chance once he completes his sentence, but portraying Vick as a victim and supporting a "Free Mike Vick" campaign is ridiculous.

Should Longoria Start At 3B? Two Models The Rays Maybe Looking At

The Rays chose Evan Longoria with the third overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft and he has not disappointed. In his one and half years in the minors he's played his way into being the second ranked prospect by MiLB.COM. Longoria has succeeded at every level he has been at, and with the Rays announcing that Aki will move to second base it seemed obvious that Longoria would be the starter at third base on opening day. What seemed obvious a couple weeks ago is now been a question mark with recent comments made by the Rays and the reporters that cover the Rays.

Most Rays fans believed that when the Rays traded Delmon Young it was ok because his production would be made up by the upgrade of the infield by playing Longoria. Since the trade there have been several articles in the media that have discussed the possibility and probability of Longoria not being the starter at third base. Rays fans are excited by the upgrades that have been made in the off-season by the organization and the evolution of Longoria at third base seems to coincide with that strategy.

While fans look at Longoria as a savior at third base, the Rays organization may be looking at two different models of what to do with franchise third basemen. Last season the top two third base prospects in baseball made their way to the pros. One started the season at third (Alex Gordon), and the other came up after a couple months in AAA(Ryan Braun). Both Gordon and Braun were drafted in the top 5 of the 2005 draft and both spent all of 2006 in the minors. Longoria was drafted in 2006 and spent the rest of 2006 and all of 2007 in the minors. Maybe the Rays looked at the different way Braun and Gordon were handled and have made a decision accordingly.

Alex Gordon

Alex Gordon was the second overall pick in the 2005 draft out of Nebraska and has been one of the top prospects in the game ever since. Royals fans have herald him as the next George Brett and savior of the franchise. He only played one year of minor league ball, and despite the Royals organizations promise that he would not skip AAA ball, he did and made his MLB debut in 2007. While he finished the season with decent numbers, it was a struggle for most of the year.
AA Stats:

486 AB .325/.427/1.015 29 Home Runs
1 K per 4 AB
1 BB per 6.75 AB

MLB Stats

543 AB .247/.314/.725
1 K per 4 AB
1 BB per 13 AB

Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun was picked two spots after Alex Gordon in 2005. Braun, like Gordon, was a college third basemen with a high ceiling. Braun signed early, like Longoria, and was able to play a little bit in 2005. He played all of 2006 in the minor leagues but, unlike Gordon, started the 2007 season in the minors. Braun spent an extra month in AAA and dominated, which forced the Brewers to call him up to the big team. Braun did not disappoint the team after being called up and won the rookie of the year.

AA Stats:

231 AB .303/.367/.956
1 K per 5 AB
1 BB in 11 AB

AAA Stats:

117 AB .342/.418/1.119
1 K per 11 AB
1 BB per 8 AB

MLB Stats:

451 AB .324/.370/1.004
1 K per 4 AB
1 BB per 16 AB

Evan Longoria

The Rays organization have case studies of two players that were almost identical in the draft, but were handled differently by their teams. The Rays have always been careful with their prospects and after comparing Longoria's numbers to these two players they may have made a decision already.

AA Stats:

486 AB .298/.388/.934
1 K pe 5 AB
1 BB per 9 AB

AAA Stats:

104 AB .269/.398/.888
1 K per 4 AB
1 BB per 5 AB

Evan's stats in AA are a little below Gordon's, and his AAA stats are much lower that Braun's. Maybe the Rays noticed the same thing and are hoping that by giving Longoria the extra time next season his season will turn out more like Braun than Gordon. The Rays have made some great moves this season, and fans are ready for the team to compete. Longoria is the future of this team and will hopefully help it competitive for years, but would Rays fans rather have Longoria give them a Gordon type season, or wait a month and give them a Braun performance?

Passing of a legend

Many of you don't know who he is. Many of you probably don't care, but David "Chip" Reese was one of the finest card players to ever grace planet earth. I'm a big fan of poker in general, and being the poker fanboy that I am it makes me sad to report that Mr. Reese died today in his sleep of pnuemonia, he was 56. This is a huge loss for the poker world as a whole.

The Stat Pack 20: Exclusive Interview with Jonah Keri

Welcome to another edition of The Stat Pack 20. Actually this time is more like The Stat Pack 20+ which is a good thing. This edition features an exclusive interview with Jonah Keri. If you don't know who Jonah is then you probably live under a rock and/or don't pay attention to excellent writing.

Jonah Keri is a writer for ESPN.com and a contributor to multiple other publications, including Investor's Business Daily, the New York Times, the New York Sun, YESNetwork.com and Salon.com. He's also the editor and co-author of "Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game Is Wrong". Jonah has also joined Tom Tango, Craig Burley, John Brattain in a blog to spread the word to the media on Tim Raines' worthiness as a HoF candidate. Please visit http://www.raines30.com/ and help the cause.

Recently we had the privilege to sit down with Jonah Keri to talk about The Rays, Wall street, Final four and the MLB in general. Enjoy

TSP: Obviously we are dedicated Rays fans, as an Expos fan you can share our pain. What are your expectations of the Rays in the next couple of years?

JK: If by "couple", you mean "two", I think by the end of 2009, this team should start to resemble a contender. By then you'll have Evan Longoria starting at 3B, Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton hitting the middle of the lineup, and a solid supporting cast. David Price will probably be in the rotation with Matt Garza, James Shields and Jacob McGee (I'm guessing the team will have traded Scott Kazmir by then, or in the 2009-2010 off-season). There's a solid core of talent here, and the next couple years should see the Rays' minor league talent bearing fruit too.

TSP: What are some writers thinking when voting for MVP? Chone Figgans and Frank Thomas received votes in the AL , yet some writers left Carlos Pena completely off the ballot. Where do you think Pena should have finished in the vote?

JK: I'd have put Pena in my top 10 if I had a vote, but not top 5. He had a terrific offensive season, but A-Rod, Magglio Ordonez and David Ortiz did more offensively, and Ichiro, Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson produced more overall value than Pena given the positions they play--you could make a case for Victor Martinez over Pena too, and I say that as a big Pena fan.

TSP: Scott Boras said Carlos Pena is a $15 million dollar a year player. You've followed Pena throughout his career, do you think this season was a fluke?

JK: Scott Boras would call me a $10 million dollar a year player, and I played one year of Little League (poorly) before giving it up for basketball. I don't think Pena's 2007 was a fluke, but I also think it will end up being the best year of his career. There's no shame in that: If he settles in as a .270/.380/.540 player, for what they paid to get him, I'm sure everyone will be very happy.

TSP: Can you see a scenario where a player like Pena can sign a long term deal with the Rays with Boras as his agent? Or will Boras push him out of their market?

JK: I asked Matt Silverman and Andrew Friedman a similar question. They said they weren't too concerned about it for the time being, since Pena is under team control for the next couple seasons regardless. If I were a Rays fan, I'd hope they don't sign him to a big, long-term deal. Pena turns 30 in May, and the list of long-term contracts for slugging first baseman over 30 that backfired is a mile long: Jason Giambi, Jeff Bagwell, Mo Vaughn...the list goes on and on.

TSP: A few of us at The Stat Pack recently read Ben Mezrich's new book, "Rigged", about the NYMEX. Is it really that crazy & hectic? The book makes it sound relatively easy; are guys really making hundreds of thousands a day moving oil without degrees and financial backgrounds?

JK: When I talk to mutual fund managers, many of them are extremely bullish over the exchanges as stock buys: Nasdaq (NDAQ), IntercontinentalExchange (ICE)--NYMEX is the same idea. It doesn't matter if we're in a bull or bear market for stocks or commodities. These guys are just middlemen, so as long as institutions keep placing buy and sell orders, they can reap profits. Whether or not they have degrees with financial backgrounds, I have no idea.

TSP: You made the transition from Wall Street to Sports. Most of the Rays top executives like Stu Sternberg, Matt Silverman and Andy Friedman have made similar moves. How much of an impact, if any, does that have on them when it comes to spending money and deciding to pull the trigger on certain moves?

JK: I actually still write about the stock market--I've been doing both for nearly six years now. As far as Silverman and Friedman are concerned, that's another thing they talked about in our Q&A. The two of them feel they benefit in a way from coming in as outsiders, in that they don't have the same biases and preconceived notions that can come back to bite teams who rely on baseball lifers who lack an open mind.

TSP: Recently we've spoken to you about your views on the Rays plans for a waterfront stadium. You said you're all for it, but at the same time you agree with Rob Neyer's view about the stadium being publicly funded. Given the details that we have about the situation right now do you think a deal will get done? And what would it mean for the franchise if they cannot get the stadium?

JK: It depends entirely on whether the city votes in favor of the redevelopment plans on the Tropicana Field and Al Lang Field sites. If the vote doesn't pass come November, there's no deal, and it's tough to predict public sentiment, especially this far in advance. It's a potentially exciting deal, though. I've been to every big league ballpark but one (Minnesota), and AT&T Park is easily in my top three--the Rays are talking about building a park with a similar setting, but on a smaller footprint, which could be great. If they don't get the deal done this time, they can always go at it from another angle down the road. It took a bunch of different proposals before the Nats finally built their stadium where they did, for instance.

TSP: Andrew Friedman recently said nobody on the Rays is untouchable. What do you think about the recent rumors of the Rays moving Carl Crawford and Scott Kazmir? Isn't it too early to move those players when most people believe the Rays can contend in the next 2-3 years?

JK: The Kazmir rumors were a case of the Rays saying they'd listen to offers, and the New York media construing that to mean he was on his way to the Mets for a box of Ruben Gotay and a box of Cracker Jack. As for Crawford, the team has him signed to a very favorable contract, so I'd be surprised if they dealt him for anything short of a king's ransom. Friedman has said that no one's untouchable, though, and I like that. Sure, in a perfect world you keep Kazmir, Crawford and everyone else for years to come. But if the right offer comes around, you always have to consider it.

TSP: If the Rays were to win the World Series in 2010, do you see a potential Marlin like fire-sale situation where they could move key players like Crawford, Kazmir, etc in order to get younger cheaper players?

JK: Way, way too early to speculate in these terms. I also don't buy the idea that trading expensive players for cheaper players necessarily constitutes a firesale. After the Marlins won the '97 World Series, yes, that was a firesale. But trading free agents-to-be, making eight figures, for talented, young players with 0-3 years of service time can be a great move in the right context, whether you're the Rays or the Yankees.

TSP: You've said before you think a team can be effective with a 4-Man rotation, using a spot starter once in a while. Do you think that can realistically work over a 162 game season?

JK: It can work, but I don't see it ever happening. The best way for it to work would be to find four very good, pitch-efficient pitchers. Of course there are very few teams that can afford four Greg Madduxes in their prime. And those teams would never stake their reputation and all the money they spent on a four-man rotation.

TSP: In the last decade under the "Steroid Era" Baseball has seen an increase in attendance from 62 million a year to nearly 80 million. Revenue is at a record high 6.075 Billion. How is that a bad thing for business?

JK: Baseball players use performance-enhancing drugs--shocker. So do football players, basketball players, and everyone else. I just can't excited about this story, other than to wonder why the Justice Department has to waste its time on Barry Bonds.

TSP: We are pro Barry Bonds here at The Stat Pack. In your opinion should Barry Bonds be in the Hall of Fame? And Will he ever make the Hall of Fame?

JK: Yes, Bonds should be in the Hall. I'd say there's a very strong chance he never gets in.

TSP: With all the record revenue, TV Contracts, merchandise and revenue sharing in Baseball, how can there still be "small market" teams?

JK: There always will be. Sure, the Rays and other lower-revenue teams share a decent slice of the pie. But compare the Yankees' revenue or the Red Sox's revenue with Tampa, Pittsburgh, Kansas City--they're worlds apart. That's why the Rays have to execute so perfectly--they're at a big financial disadvantage in the AL East.

TSP: We know the Players Association wouldn't ever go for it, but does baseball need a real salary cap like the other major sports?

JK: A salary cap is nothing more than a way for owners to put more money in their pockets. You can tweak the revenue sharing system to further level the playing field. Other than that, restricting players' earning power just makes billionaires richer.

TSP: What about having a salary floor like the NHL that prevents owners from just pocketing money?

JK: Teams should be free to spend whatever they want on payroll. Yes, it's a crying shame that someone like Carl Pohlad is one of the richest men in the world, yet gladly pockets tens of millions a year from revenue sharing, instead of investing in his team. But if MLB is truly committed to finding more ambitious owners, they need to do a better job of inducting new members into their club, instead of giving us giant, leeching wastes of space like Jeffrey Loria. As is, I'd say the Commissioner's office cares a lot more about finding owners who'll fall into line with MLB dogma, instead of recruiting outspoken and ambitious Mark Cuban types to take over franchises.

TSP: Joe Girardi has some very valuable young arms in NY. When he was with the Marlins, all five of his starters ranked in the top 115 in total PAP. Do you see that being a problem between Girardi and the NY Brass?

JK: I don't see that being a major problem. I'd also bet that the Yankees bring in a couple of veterans for their rotation, rather than relying on four young guys.

TSP: Over the last 5 years which GMs do you think have done the best job? The worst?

JK: I think it's a little too facile to give all the credit to the GMs, since it's always a team effort. As for organizations, I've been impressed with the jobs done by the Red Sox and Indians, more recently by the Diamondbacks and Rockies, and a bit before that by the Twins, Braves and A's.

TSP: With all the recent shuffling of GMs in baseball, be it firings, retirements etc, what advice would you give a new GM? What kind of skills does it take to maintain your job in this business?

JK: Win games. Seriously, it isn't any more complicated than that. Win games, and don't make the mistake of working in a town where Bill Plaschke and his ilk dump on you because you don't give good quotes. It's a fickle industry, and plenty of good people get fired for iffy reasons. But accountability is still king--teams that win tend to provide job security for the people that run them.

TSP: What do you think of Andrew Friedman's performance as a GM?

JK: Again, you have to assess the entire organization: Silverman, Feinstein, Hunsicker, Click, Bloom--you have to look at everyone involved in the decision-making process. Overall, though, I like what they've done. The Carlos Pena signing worked out great, the team stuck with B.j. Upton and was rewarded, I've liked what they've done in the draft, and I thought the Delmon Young trade was a very gutsy move, one that could really help the Rays (and the Twins too--the classic good trade for both teams).

TSP: Of course it's only almost the beginning of winter, but who do you have in the Final Four come March?

JK: I made my pre-season picks in print for the New York Sun, so I'm stuck with those four, for better or worse. UCLA, North Carolina, Tennessee and Marquette. It's wide open this year, though, I could name another half dozen teams who have a great shot at it. I'm looking forward to covering my first Final Four in San Antonio in April.

TSP: And finally, being the Expos fan you are, who would have won the 1994 World Series?

JK: Anything can happen in the playoffs--as we saw from the Cards in '06, the Marlins in '03, and in other cases, the best teams don't always win. All I know is the Expos would've been in the playoffs, which would have been a huge accomplishment in itself, considering it only happened one time in team history, and with a strike-related asterisk attached to it at that. I actually quit following baseball altogether when they wiped out the World Series, that's how upset I was with the whole thing. It took my then-girlfriend (now wife of 10 years) to convince me to stick with baseball for the long haul. She bought me a Felipe Alou rookie card, and I was hooked again. Too bad I no longer have a favorite team to root for.

The Stat Pack would like to thank Jonah Keri again for sitting down with us. And please support Tim Raines HoF candidacy at http://www.raines30.com/

Also check out this interview with Andrew Friedman and Matt Silverman by Jonah

Keri: Q&A with Matthew Silverman and Andrew Friedman

Neyer shows some Rays love

As you all know, I love Rob Neyer's work. It seems he's normally hard on the Rays, so it was good to see some positive words about the recent trades in his chat today.


David (Atlanta, Ga): What do you think of the Garza-Delmon deal? I think the Rays might finally be onto it with Kazmir, Garza, Price, Davis and McGee together in Tampa soon. I really like what Harris did last year but alot of people seem to be higher on Bartlett than i understand. Whats your take on it?

Rob Neyer: (12:45 PM ET ) Bartlett's slightly more valuable Harris, considering defense and Harris's likely decline with the bat in '08. If you run projections for, say, the next five years, the Twins come out ahead because Young has a better (theoretical) chance of becoming a star than Garza has. But Young's no sure thing, and this is basically an even deal.

Steve (Lowell, MA): Can you remember a first overall pick ever being traded so early in his career? I'm glad that the Rays are finally putting some pitching together, but something about that just feels off.

Rob Neyer: (12:53 PM ET ) I look at it the other way. After years of hoarding outfielders as if they could play five at once, they're finally starting to take decisive actions. Last season was sort of a disaster, but I still say things in St. Pete are getting better all the time.

Elijah Dukes to Nationals

***UPDATE***The PTBNL is Left handed pitching prospect Glenn Gibson.












***UPDATE***Looks like Dukes has been traded to the Nationals for the ever popular PTBNL. One possibility is Kory Casto a left handed 1B/OF prospect. More to come at a 6 pm press conference


***UPDATE***In the Lastest update to the post that'll never end according to sptimes.com The Rays lost utility infielder Josh Wilson on waivers to the Pirates. The Rays must have taken him off the 40-man roster to make room for an expected addition.


***UPDATE***Also we are hearing from numerous sources that a deal between the Mariners and Rays is in the works involving Edwin Jackson and possibly Ben Broussard.


We've been hearing from our sources as well as sptimes.com that Elijah Dukes has been or will be traded to the Washington Nationals. We've been hearing this rumor for quite some time, but apparently our sources say Jim Bowden has been wanting to pull the trigger on one of his relievers, maybe Jon Rauch? Anyway we will keep you updated on the latest.

Odds & Ends from the Weekend in Sports BCS Bowls, NFL, NBA, MLB Hot Stove

My random thoughts for this past weekend in sports:

Hawaii should be playing for the National Title. I don’t care who the 2nd team is but Hawaii should be number one.

Mizzou being left out of the BCS Bowl games is a complete joke. Two of the teams they beat (Illinois and Kansas) received BCS bids, but they did not. Illinois lost three games, including one to Iowa(6-6), and they will get to play USC in the Rose Bowl. Talk about injustice.

Congrats to Sean Payton for the dumbest move of the week. Calling a reverse when you’re trying to run out the clock with a 3 point lead might not be the smoothest move. Better luck next time.

0-16 here they come. Many people thought this week’s game against the Jets was the Dolphins best chance of finally winnign. I guess not… the underdog Jets routed the favored Dolphins by 28 points.

The Magic are for real ladies and gentlemen, like for real for real. Dwight Howard is a monster, averaging almost 24 pts and 15 boards a game. For all those people who laughed at Rashard Lewis getting a max deal it looks like he’s the perfect Robin to Howard’s Batman. One question that I do have about the Magic is would they be this good with Billy Donovan as the head coach?

My adopted team, the Seattle Sonics, are 3-15 but there is so much potential on this team. I know the Sonics are looking for a new home. Tropicana Field will be empty soon. See where I’m going here.

What has happened to Omar Minaya? Is he a graduate of the Isiah Thomas School for ruining a New York franchise? Lastings Milledge has been brought up in almost every single trade the Mets have been rumored in for the past two years. Names like Zito, Haren, Blanton, Santana have all been mentioned with the Mets and Milledge. So who does Minaya get in return? Brian Schneider and Ryan Church, are you serious? Even if Milledge is a head case you don’t trade him for a 4th OF and a below average catcher, especially when you already have two average catchers on the roster. Oh and if that wasn’t enough, Minaya actually paid the Rays to take Brian Stokes off their hands. Talk about career suicide.

Looking at the Johan sweepstakes I think the Yankees have made a stronger offer than the Sox. There isn’t that big off a drop off between Ellsbury over Cabrera, however there is a huge drop off from Phil Hughes and the pitchers the Sox are willing to deal.

I am also expecting the Rays to make one or two semi-major deals during the winter meetings.

And finally be on the lookout for another Stat Pack exclusive interview this week.

Cowboys Defeat Packers to take Control of NFC. Still some people don't believe

Extra! Extra! Read all about it The Cowboys beat The Packers 37-27. So as you’ve probably heard by now or seen the highlights, but just incase you haven’t, the Cowboys clinched a playoff birth and took control of the NFC last night defeating the Green Bay Packers 37-27. Brett Favre left mid-way through the second quarter with an elbow injury on his throwing arm and a separated shoulder on his non throwing arm. As crazy as it sounds that actually benefited the Packers who were down 27-10 at that point. Favre was 5-14 for 56 yards with 2 ints. He seemed to be pressing the ball down field into double and even triple coverage. Aaron Rogers came off the bench to do a great job in his first extended NFL game action. Rogers threw his first NFL TD and let the pack down on another TD drive to make it close late in the 3rd quarter. However, Tony Romo, to many people's surprise(not mine of course), did not spend the entire game staring into Favre’s dreamy eyes. He led the Cowboys to scores on their first five drives. Romo ended up throwing for 309 yards, 4 TDs and 1 int that should have actually been his 5th TD.

So, finally the Cowboys get the respect they deserve and can be called the best team in NFC right?…wrong. There are still haters and doubters who continue to throw salt on the Cowboys game. The Cowboys have beaten every NFC team they have played. They continue to “pass the test”, beating the Giants twice and now the Packers. However, you still have guys like Ray Buchanan making excuses for other teams and trying to dim the Cowboys star.

Last night on ESPNews, Buchanan & Lomas Brown were providing analysis on the Duel in Dallas Part 2. Once the game was over Buchanan went on to make all types of excuses as to why the Packers lost. His main point was the Packers were without Charles Woodson & Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. Ray went as far as saying if Woodson was in the game he “guaranteed” the result would be different. All year I’ve been hearing these types of excuses, not from Cowboys opponents but members of the media trying to discredit the Cowboys 11-1 start.

The funny thing is I haven’t heard anybody mention all the things Dallas has overcome. For starters they have a new head coach, a new defensive coordinator and a new offensive coordinator who is calling games for the first time in his career. For most teams this would be a built in excuse, just see Oakland, Miami, Atlanta, San Diego whom I’ve heard people refer to as “trying to get used to a new system.” The Cowboys have had injury problems of their own, but to the Ray Buchanans of the world that doesn’t matter. After 12 weeks the Cowboys still have not had their top 2 cornerbacks start in the same game. Anthony Henry(Ankle) is still working his way back and has not had a full practice week in over a month. He has been coming off the bench and playing in mostly Nickel situations. Terrance Newman(foot) didn’t play the first few games and has slowly worked his way back into the starting lineup before briefly leaving last nights game after re-aggrivating his injury. The Cowboys lost their starting Nose Tackle Jason Ferguson for the season in the first game. And Did I mention that their second leading Wide Receiver from last year and the teams deep threat, Terry Glenn, hasn’t played in a game or even practiced this year.

Maybe it's good the Cowboys get this type of coverage. Maybe T.O. and Tony Romo feel the exact same way I do. Maybe it adds fuel to their fire. I don’t know if this is true, but what I do know is the Cowboys will be in the playoffs and Ray Buchanan will not. Getcha Popcorn Ready.

Rays get Percival to close the door.

The Hot Stove is burning in Tampa Bay. The Rays will announce the signing of Troy Percival as the teams closer. Terms are 2 years for $8 million dollars with a possible $4 million more in incentives. Percival resurrected his career last year in St. Louis after missing the entire 2006 season.

Percival brings instant credibility and leadership to a bullpen that was historically bad last season. He also brings a great clubhouse presence to a young team searching for leaders. Percival, Dan Wheeler and Al Reyes should give the Rays a solid 1,2,3 punch at the back end of the game.

A Look at the Young for Garza Trade

If the old adage is true that pitching wins championships, the Rays moved in the right direction on Wednesday. The Rays added a very talented pitcher in Matt Garza, who has the potential to be a good number 2 starter in this league, a good stop gap shortstop in Jason Bartlett, and maybe their future closer in Eduardo Morlan. It's always difficult to have to part with a player that posesses the potential that Delmon Young does, but the opportunity to upgrade the team in three different areas was too much to pass up.

There are mixed opinions on exactly how good Matt Garza will really be. Going into 2007, John Sickles had him ranked as the number 1 prospect in the Twins system and gave him an A- grade. In three minor league seasons he had a 2.88 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 10.04 K/9. He has dominated at every level in the minors and there is nothing to show that he won’t continue that trend in the future. He has not yet pitched a full year in the majors and was up and down when he did pitch, but you can see the talent is there. The Rays will also have control of Garza for the next five years. The addition of Garza to the rotation with Scott Kazmir and James Shields gives the Rays a great young starting rotation for years to come.

In Bartlett the Rays got a good stop-gap shortstop to plug into the lineup until Reid Brignac is ready to play in the majors. He has good range at short and is not the offensive liability that Cesar Izturis would have been. Bartlett is a much better option than the Rays currently had on the team, and the double play combination with Aki at second will be a nice help to the young pitchers on the mound.

The Rays were originally supposed to get veteran Juan Rincon in the deal, but when injury concerns came up the Twins offered relief pitcher Eduardo Morlan instead. Morlan was the Twins number 4 rated prospect by John Sickles and has outstanding numbers in the minor leagues. In four seasons he has an ERA of 2.82 and 11.06 K/9. Some Twins fans have compared him to how Joba Chamberlin has played in his bullpen role. He will most likely start the season in AA this year, but could rise very fast as he has the tools. The Rays may have found a closer for the future or at the very least a great set-up man to bolster the pen.

Delmon is a talented player, but maybe not as talented as he was once thought to be. He was heralded as the number 1 prospect in all of baseball, but his lack of plate discipline has stifled his offensive numbers. If Young could ever learn to have more discipline at the plate he could be a Manny or Vlad type player, but right now a better offensive comparison maybe Jeff Francouer. Defensively no one can deny his great arm, but he does lack great range in the outfield and takes some awkward angles.

Part of the reason the Rays were willing to deal Young may be due to his attitude problem with the organization. We all remember the end of last season when he blew up against Toronto and declared himself out for the last game of the season. Delmon also complained about playing center field when the Rays needed him to do so because BJ Upton and Rocco Baldelli were hurt. He went on record as saying he wanted out of Tampa the first chance he got, and it seems the Rays gave him his wish early.

The Rays dealt from a position of strength to address the major weaknesses on their team. They have a couple of different options on who to play in RF, and Rocco Baldelli is not one of them despite what many Rays’ fans think. The Rays have already said that they are “cautiously optimistic that he can be the DH,” which sounds like they have no intentions of him playing in the outfield and risking injury once again. If Elijah Dukes can stay clear of off the field issues he would most likely get the nod come opening day. He is a talented outfielder and given a full season I think he will out hit and out play Delmon Young in the outfield. Justin Ruggiano, who has been compared to Jason Bay, could also push for the spot in right field next year. He had a great season not only in Durham, but also in the AFL and for Team USA.

At the end of the day the Rays were able to address three areas of need with the trade and that fact made the deal to hard to pass up. Who won and lost this trade will depend on Delmon Young and that won’t be known until a couple years from now. Could the Rays have gotten more for Young? Maybe, but I do know that the overall team improved with this trade today.

Land of the Tax Free and Home of the Rays?

The Rays and Owner Stuart Sternberg formally announced plans today for their open-air waterfront stadium. "We’re talking about a major-league downtown," Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. Sternberg also added "No New Taxes." We'll see about that one.

I suggest taking the virtual tour

More from The Stat Pack on the new stadium to come


































To View the Rest

How can you not love Bill Belichick and The Patriots

Say what you want about Belichick, Belicheat, Spygate or whatever you want to call it, the man is a genius. This latest Belichick episode is hilarious. We all know Tom Brady has been listed as probable on the Pats injury report since the beginning of time with an injured right shoulder. Well yesterday the Patriots placed Roosevelt Colvin on the IR list with an apparent arm injury. Trainers were seen working on Colvin's arm but the official Patriot announcement was a foot injury. When questioned about the injury being a foot injury or not Belichick responded with

"It was announced as a foot? Then we'll leave it with that announcement," coach Bill Belichick said Monday, according to the transcript of the news conference released by the team. "Was that what [we] announced? If that's what [we] announced, then we'll stand by that announcement."

He lies, he cheats, and he probably steals...Gotta love him.

R.I.P Sean Taylor & Joe Kennedy

The Stat Pack would like to pass our condolences to the family and friends of Sean Taylor. The former University of Miami and Washington Redskins Safety died this morning as a result of a shooting at his home early Monday.


Sean Taylor
Apr. 1, 1983-Nov. 27, 2007








Also we would like to send our condolences to the family and friends of Joe Kennedy who died on Friday while we were away. Joe was a former Rays prospect who became really our first home grown pitcher to make it in the big leagues.


Joe Kennedy
May 24, 1979-Nov. 23, 2007

Weekly Chats, MLB, NFL, NASCAR, BOXING

Flu, bronchitis, Thanksgiving... pick your choice but we've been away. Have no fear we are back now with a brand new chat wrap. Jonah Keri, Jim Callis, Ryen Russillo, David Newton, Terry Blount, Marcellus Wiley, Jeremy Green, Boxer Champion Floyd Mayweather, Mike Golic & Mike Greenberg from Mike & Mike in the morning are all in this weeks wrap up. Topics ranges from New Stadiums to Grandma Vilma

Some Great Rays talk with Jonah Keri & Jim Callis. Also a quick question about David Wright and the NL MVP award

Tommy(TheStatPack): Baseball saw an increase of almost 18 million fans during the steroid era. How is that a bad thing?

Jonah Keri: (1:16 PM ET ) And revenue just topped $6 billion, meaning baseball just passed football as the #1 sports cash cow. Speaking of football, you know a huge number of NFL players are juicing too, and that sports is more popular than ever. Better quality of product goes a long way toward enhancing fan entertainment. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but from both a fan entertainment and a business standpoint, it's win-win when the BALCOs of the world get involved.

Tommy(TheStatPack): If I'm planning a road trip what 3 stadiums are a must see? and where do I eat in each of the 3 cities?

Jonah Keri: (2:38 PM ET ) I haven't been to PNC yet, but everyone I know raves about it, and many rate it #1. So if you wanted to keep the trip vaguely regional and theoretically drivable, you could start at Wrigley, then PNC, then hoof it to Jacobs Field. Just make sure you sit in the bleachers in Wrigley. First time I went there, I sat in what would normally be great seats, 1st side, 15 rows over the dugout. Game was fun, but not the huge exprience I was expecting. Second time I went to Wrigley, I sat in the LF bleachers, and Gregg Jefferies, at the tail of his career, was the LF. Most fun I've ever had at a ballpark that didn't involve the Expos.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Do you think the Rays waterfront stadium get done?

Jonah Keri: (1:32 PM ET ) I REALLY, REALLY hope so, Tommy. The Rays have an exciting collection of talent, their front office is full of brilliant, young talent...all that's missing is a powerful new revenue source to move them up an income bracket o two. There's enough in house that they wouldn't need to approach the Yankees' and Red sox's revenue levels to be a championship contender. The Brewers' or Tigers' revenue base would be plenty.

Great location for the park proposal too btw. I had a great time last time I went to the Trop Dome, but building an AT&T Park replica could be a franchise changing move.

Tommy(TheStatPack): What are the White Sox asking for Uribe? Would he be a possibility for the Rays as a stop gap for Brignac?

Jim Callis: (2:23 PM ET ) Uribe shouldn't cost much. A B-level prospect would suffice. I've heard that Devil Rays rumor.

Tommy(TheStatPack):Wright should have been the MVP

Ryen Russillo: (2:30 PM ET ) The MVP has become the best player on a playoff team, never have agreed with that, if a guy hits 100 HR and his team doesn't make the playoffs, why is he eliminated?

NASCAR & Seinfeld with 2 of the best best David Newton & Terry Blount

Tommy(TheStatPack): Where have you been? They've been throwing Terry Blount as us twice a week

David Newton: (3:31 PM ET ) I took the weekend of the Texas race off, so they gave me a break then. Last week I had to chase news, so Terry graciously stepped in. Nice to be missed though.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Terry did a good job but I dont think he's a seinfeld fan

David Newton: (3:34 PM ET ) Actually, he is. What are you talking about?

Tommy(TheStatPack):I'll be damned. 2 Questions How come A-Rod gets 275 million dollars for playing baseball & Have you ever been called Schmoopie?

David Newton: (3:37 PM ET ) He can because they are willing to pay and no.

Tommy(TheStatPack): 38 minutes in and not one Danica mention. The chat is not complete if her name isn't mentioned

David Newton: (3:39 PM ET ) OK, not it's been mentioned. Happy?

Tommy(TheStatPack): Could Jimmie Johnson win as Carolina Panthers QB?

David Newton: (3:47 PM ET ) Only if Jimmy Johnson coached him.

Tommy(TheStatPack):Do you think Jimmie Johnson has to pay for stuff when he goes to Lowe's stores?

Terry Blount: (2:18 PM ET ) Not unless he's goes in a Tony Stewart Halloween costume.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Newton mentioned you were a Seinfeld fan. Off the top of your head which is your favorite episode?

Terry Blount: (2:24 PM ET ) The one where a girl's name rhymes with a body part, but they can't remember it.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Wouldn't Danica in Playboy give the IRL better visibility?

Terry Blount: (2:55 PM ET ) In more ways than one.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Your a good man TB. Enjoy your week or two of "offseason" before Daytona talk starts.

Terry Blount: (3:03 PM ET ) Thanks Tommy. I want to say thanks to everyone who participated in the chats this season. It's been an honor for me to banter with you guys. We have some very knowledgeble folks on these chats. We plan to continue to do at least one chat a week in the off season. For now, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and a blessed holiday season. All the best. Peace

NFL & Thanksgiving talk with Marcellus Wiley & Jeremy Green. Marcellus is DAT DUDE

Tommy(TheStatPack): Dat Dude, TO or Randy Moss?

Marcellus Wiley: (2:46 PM ET ) TO is the most dynamic hard working receiver in the game. The toughest to cover play to play. Randy Moss is the most freakish, gift from God at the WR position that's probably ever played. You pick your poison. They're both going to get their 4 TDs, their 150 yards. Randy looks like he's not going to break a sweat doing it. TO is going to give you everything he's got, including popcorn. If I HAD to pick one, it's TO.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Excellent answer. Also T.O. will go over the middle and block making him a more complete WR. Who does the cooking at the Dat Dude Manor on thanksgiving?

Marcellus Wiley: (2:52 PM ET ) My grandma. Grandma Vilma. She probably started cooking right around Easter for Thanksgiving. She's that pumped. I actually won, we used to call it the Turkey Man Award, which is giving to the player who gains the most weight from Thanksgiving. Hugh Douglas won one year and I took his title.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Im trying to beat my father-in law and brother-in law this year in eating. What should I go for first the turkey or the side dishes?

Marcellus Wiley: (2:56 PM ET ) Definitely the side dishes. You start with the side dishes. Then you pile on the ham and turkey at the end. Then you eat the ham next. Follow it up and cover up the turkey with desert. Then you eat the desert. You eat the turkey last, because it's going to make you fall asleep. Tell your dad to eat the turkey. Take your trophy and then win and fall asleep.

Tommy(TheStatPack): The Boys play 3 games in 11 days what will their record in those games be?

Jeremy Green: (4:23 PM ET ) I think they have a very good chance to go 3-0. Offensively, they have a top 3 offense in the NFL. They get better on defense every week. They get Green Bay on a short week is very beneficial to them. Then traveling to Detroit, I think Dallas is the better team. Dallas is a serious threat in the Super Bowl, even if it's the Patriots they play for the second time.

Finally, Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather & Mike and Mike

Tommy(TheStatPack): After you win next month is it Mayweather vs Cotto?

Floyd Mayweather: (3:18 PM ET ) My focus is solely on Ricky Hatton. I'm not thinking of any other fighter other than Ricky Hatton.

Tommy(TheStatPack): Is Rose the best pure PG we've seen since Chris Paul?

Mike Golic: (10:58 AM ET ) It's certainly possible. He's just not looking to shoot the ball. If he was on a team that didn't have a lot of people coming back and was looking for a team to take charge, you could see some great stats out of the guy. But he has veteran players there. He can set the table. It can show up in assists and other things that don't show up in the box score.

Mike Greenberg: (10:59 AM ET ) I look forward to seeing the kid play. I thought the best PG in the country was Mike Conley Jr. last year and he stepped right in.

That's all for the chats this week folks, be sure to tune in next week. Same Stat time, same Stat channel.

And the winner is…..Wrong. David is the Wright answer for MVP.

No doubt Jimmy Rollins is better than David Wright in some ways. He’s better defensively, he’s faster and he talks a better game. I just didn’t know that was the criteria for MVP of the National League. One argument of course will be the Phillies were better than the Mets and they won the NL East. Ok fine the Phillies won the NL East that’s why they are called the NL East Champions. That honor should be enough. The fact that Rollins team won ONE more game than Wright’s team should have no affect on an individual award. The next argument will be the Mets collapsed in September and they didn’t even make the playoffs. When did the MVP award become Most Valuable Playoff Team Player? The Mets collapse had much more to do with their bullpen and manager not David Wright. In the months of September & October Wright sported a .352 Avg. 6 Home Runs 20 RBI and an OPS of 1.034. Call me crazy but that doesn’t see like a player whose production fell off when his team needed him the most. Imagine how much faster the Mets would have fallen without Wright.

My next point is Jimmy Rollins isn’t even the MVP of his team. Chase Utley is a much better player at a position where offense comes at a premium. Rollins, the lead off hitter, also finished 8th on the team in OBP. Yes I said 8th behind Utley(who lead the team), Werth, Burrell, Howard, Rowand, Bourn, Victorino. It’s amazing that Ryan Howard almost struck out 200 times and his OBP was almost 50 points higher then Rollins. Utley also posted higher AVG ,OPS and RBIs numbers in 30 less games. He also almost put up the same amount of home runs.

Finally, Men lie, women lie numbers don’t.


Avg HR RBI SB OPS
.325 30 107 34 .962 Wright

.296 30 94 41 .875 Rollins

Oh wait I forgot. The biggest stat.

Philadelphia 89 73
New York 88 74

I guess Rollins is the MVP. His team got to lose an extra 3 games “when it counted.” Who knows maybe Wright would be MVP if the Mets had made the playoffs and got swept. Oh well maybe next year.

Boras Effect Over??

Scott Boras has made a name for himself by getting his clients the biggest deals and the most money, but has it gone to his head? Boras threatened the Yankees that ARod would opt out of his deal unless they gave him a big raise because in his words ARod was worth 30 million a year at least. Boras was a man of his word and ARod opted out, but he is not going to get 30 million and the only team interested is the Yankees. Further, the Yankees are only interested without Boras being around and ARod has obliged them.

ARod is not Boras’ only problem at the moment either. Kenny Rogers fired Boras recently to negotiate his own contract; much like Andruw Jones did a couple of years ago. Speaking of Jones, he has not gotten as much interest as Boras told him he would and rumors are going around that Jones may dump Boras again and have his dad negotiate a new deal. Those two are not the only ones that have done this to Boras; Rocco Baldelli fired Boras a couple of years ago and decided to represent himself in contract negotiations. Clients are getting angry with Boras because he cannot deliver on what he promised them, and in the meantime has made them look worse in the public eye. It was Boras’ idea for ARod to opt out during game 4 of the World Series, which caused an uproar from many baseball fans.

These clients are not the only ones that have problems with something Boras has done. The Red Sox recently came out and said that they did not get the windfall of advertising and merchandising with Dice K that they were promised by Boras. Boras promised the Sox not only a great player on the field, but certain things off the field that have not come through. Boras still has big time clients and he will tell you that he is not worried about what is going on. It seems that Boras may need to be worried because teams are refusing not only to not talk with Boras clients, but if they talk they want Boras no where around.

Boras was once thought of as a super agent that can get you whatever you wanted. He tried to get the Red Sox to almost double what they paid for Dice K, but they wouldn’t and no one was willing to come close and he had to come down. He overestimated his bargaining power with ARod and may have overestimated the response by owners as well. Fans are getting tired of athletes that try to act bigger than the game and the owners know that. The owners are letting Boras make his clients look bad so that his creditability will go down. So far the owners plans are working, but don’t count Boras out, he is never down for long.

Perjury & Steroids, Barry Bonds should be the commissioner of baseball

Recently Bud Selig reported that baseball earned $6.075 Billion dollars in revenue this past year. Bud went on to say "We started at $1.2 billion, and I can remember waking up in '93 and '94 and '95 and thinking how are we ever going to get to $2 billion?" How about ignoring a huge drug problem, cashing in on it, then acting like the commissioner's office and the owners knew nothing about it. Oh, and don't forget persecuting the players... that's a must. It would work even more efficiently if you had one player nobody really liked and painted him as the villain.

Enter Barry Bonds, who fits that role perfectly. For those who think Barry Bonds took steroids and magically started hitting home runs you are wrong. Barry Bonds has averaged 34.64 homeruns a year for his career. The man he passed this year, Hank Aaron, averaged 32.83 homeruns. Very similar numbers yet nobody questions Hank Aaron. Looking a little more into it, in his 15 seasons before the 2001 73 homerun record breaking season, Barry averaged 33 homeruns per season. The past seven after the record he's averaged 38.29. So even if Barry started juicing like a mad man in 2001 it only gave him an average 5 extra home runs a year. What we cannot equate during that time is how many of the pitchers Bonds faced were juiced or how many were using "dirt" on their hands or "spilling" water on their shirts.

Do I think Barry is clean? Not at all, but I am saying if Bonds is going to take the fall for steroids he also needs to get the credit for leading Baseball into is most prosperous age. In the last decade of the "Steroid Era", baseball's attendance sky-rocketed from 62,899,062 in 1997 to 79,447,312 in 2007. That number is expected to exceed 80 Million in 2008. If you don't think the long ball had a big effect on attendance, then just look at the St. Louis Cardinals. The attendance at Busch Stadium experienced an 831,304 person growth in from 1997 to 1998 (McGwire's 70 homerun season). During those 2 seasons the Cards finished 4th and 3rd respectively, not exactly the kind of success that would generate almost a million more people attending games.

References:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3112210
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/attendance.htm