The Locker

Throughout the 90′s and into the 2000′s the Atlanta Braves perched atop the National League East (and the old National West) was as common as the sequence of months on the calendar.

Spring is upon us and that means baseball. The Locker will be bringing periodic articles and notes from the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues until the start of the 2012 baseball season. 

I'm one of the biggest Major League Baseball fans around and I have to tell you this expanded playoff format doesn't make me happy. You have a 162-game schedule and if that isn't grueling enough the winners of the three divisions in each league now have to worry about not one wildcard, but two. That means a third place team from a division could make the playoffs without truly deserving to be there. 

Spare me your lectures. I've got reasons for my displeasure. 

Some will argue that those third place teams are just as capable of winning the world series as anyone else. Okay, do you want to just scrap all 162-games, drop it to about 45 and then have an NCAA basketball style tourney to determine who plays 4-of-7 for the World Series? No? Didn't think so. If they were "just as capable as any other team" they would have done it between the months of April and September. That Argument is ridiculous and without merit.

I will give you a scenario of why. In 2010, the new format would have put the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees for a one game playoff. Most in television would have loved this match-up to determine who goes on to the division series. Most except that New York Yankees team who played 162 games for the right to play in the division series because they outlasted that Red Sox team in the regular season. Even worse, how would it have looked had the Yankees with 95 wins that year lost to an 89 win Red Sox squad they had already outpaced in the regular season. On top of that, what kind of situation would the Yankees have been faced with having to use their ace on a team they beat in the regular season just to get into the next round? This would have been true in any other year as well.

Are you getting my point here?

While most are enamored with the drama of a one-game playoff (a game seven if you will) I say let baseball be the way it is. Seventh games in a playoff series are special for a reason; you have to play well to get to them and it determines who the best of the best is after a long regular season and postseason series. Diluting the system (i.e. every season) with them is something I am vehemently opposed to. 

Of course, being the sucker I am for baseball, I will watch. That doesn't, however, mean I have to be happy about it. 

Yu Darvish start was nothing to write home about:  Yu Darvish made his first start for the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. He threw two scoreless innings in his debut while striking out three. I take this with a grain of salt. Watching his first start he had decent control of his breaking pitches (particularly his change-up) and his fastball was a little flat causing a lot of balls to be hit hard. It is too early to go one way or the other on Darvish. Excitement will be tempered until we get later in the month and start seeing him go between five and six innings against with his full repertoire.

Johan Santana, Stephen Strasburg sighting: There was an familiar yet unfamiliar face on the mound Wednesday. New York Mets ace Johan Santana faced big league competition for the first time since 2010 and looked pretty good. Fastball was down a few miles per hour but he got a lot of ground ball outs and looked good moving around on the mound. A welcome sight for New York Met (and baseball) fans. 

As many have heard by now Peyton Manning is no longer an Indianapolis Colt. Let that first line sink in for a moment.

Good? Lets continue.

Now that the inevitable has happened the question, naturally, is who are the major players in the Manning sweepstakes. The usual suspects come to mind and for obvious reasons, most assume he will end up in Miami, Washington, Kansas City or New York because those teams currently have vacancies (in the Jets case we will consider it more question mark than vacancy) at quarterback and they have money to spend on one of Manning's ilk. 

That being said there are a lot more factors in play now that Manning, who has donned the blue horseshoe on his helmet since being drafted out of Tennessee in 1998, is a free agent. Starting in a place many haven't even truly considered important.

St. Louis.

Before news broke of Manning being released many of the teams being floated as possible landing spots for Manning were looking to deal for the number two pick in this years draft currently held by the Rams. This is key for a number of reasons, one of which is the value of return on that pick should they still decide to trade it away. Do the Redskins, who were rumored to be the most bullish on that number two pick, now turn their attention and considerable resources to Manning? Do they pass up on Robert Griffin as a future starter for present gain? It would seem the perfect Dan Snyder move in bringing in Manning, but would it make sense? This question is critical because it is no secret the Redskins need a quarterback and should they lose out on Manning the price just got steeper for the rights to "RGIII." 

Then there's Miami who, since Dan Marino retired, have watched one quarterback after the other try and fail to succeed on a consistent basis. If the Redskins sign Manning are the Dolphins the best match for a deal with St. Louis? Or, do they make their own run at Manning, and pair him with Brandon Marshall? While it may seem like a WR/QB combo made in heaven this would be the first time Manning would have to deal with a receiver that has a "diva" mentality in his career. Not so sure how that would go in South Beach. 

Kansas City seems to make logical sense because they, in my view, have the pieces in place to make Manning an instant winner. Particularly in a division that was won by an (8-8) Broncos squad last year. Being able to immediately take pressure off of Manning with a running back tandem of Jamal Charles and Dexter McCluster is a bonus, and the recently franchised Dwayne Bowe would give Manning a true number one target. We all know Manning wants to win at any stage of his career, but putting him in a situation with young established pieces such as Kansas City seems the real ideal fit. 

So with Manning sure to coax a bidding war where does that leave Cleveland? Does Cleveland jump in on Manning or do they continue to be suitors for the number two pick by giving up two first-rounders of their own? Not to mention there are teams in Arizona and Seattle who have their own issues at quarterback and would love a crack at Manning. I see those two clubs as outside chance/long shot scenarios. Cleveland would have to pay a steep price to get the pick it covets and I'm not sure that Mike Holmgren (yep, he's the guy calling those shots) would be willing to fully invest.

So that brings everything back to St. Louis. They could be the forgotten belle of the ball by no fault of their own. Of course Manning is now the top prize and whoever doesn't land him will come knocking again. But what does that do for Jeff Fisher and his preparations to move forward on rebuilding this franchise behind Sam Bradford?

    Derrick Rose stated he would never forget how the Pacers celebrated after their last match-up. Apparently the young superstar needs to work on his revenge tactic just a bit. 

Rose and the Bulls avenged their loss by throttling the Pacers 92-72 on Monday night. in a game largely hyped as the "revenge game" for the Pacers being a bit too exuberant following their 95-90 victory in January. While many were expecting a performance of epic proportions Rose, the youngest player ever to be crowned MVP, ultimately came up flat.

While on the surface he had the type of game you might expect from your point guard with 13 points and nine assists, he shot just 5-16 from the field and didn't get to the free throw line much. Even when he did, he missed both attempts. On the other hand performances by Joakim Noah (17 rebounds, 9 points, 3 assists) and a bench that contributed 35 points on 15-of-28 shooting paced the Bulls on a night when most were focused on what was going to possibly transpire between Rose and the Pacers. 

I'm a big fan of Derrick Rose, I rank him as the second best point guard in the game today (Chris Paul holds the number one spot). But his field goal percentage is scaring me just a bit as it has declined the last couple years since he entered the league. His increase in shot taking could be attributed to the news that Rip Hamilton went down with an injured shoulder. Once they redistribute I'm sure Deng will pick up some of the looks reserved for Hamilton with Ronnie Brewer getting a chance at the starting spot as well. 

Shaka Smart knows how to get a team to perform. 

Last season, the VCU Rams made an improbable run to the NCAA Final Four before losing to Butler (another team seemingly out of nowhere). This year the Rams should shock no one because they are a solid basketball team with a very scary component now on their side. 

Experience.

As for Wichita State, I'm on the bus. I might even be the bus driver because I will not let a team this good deter me from bracket glory this year. I've been burned year after year picking the heavyweights only to have them let me down time and time again. 

A quick tale of the tape shows a VCU squad with three players averaging at least ten points per game (two of which adding five rebounds per) and five players with a steal a game and one more with two per. Defense like that goes a long way tournament time. If they can't score on you it makes games a lot easier. 

On the other side, Wichita State is throwing up the 19th most points in the country (77.1) and doing so behind fundamentals on offense. Placing in the top-25 in Free Throw percentage and top-30 in rebounds they are getting it done on both ends of the floor and capitalizing on their opportunities.

These teams aren't without flaws of course. VCU has to generate more offense than it has because their defense is bailing them out primarily. Wichita State is the exact opposite needing to make stops on defense and force more turnovers to maximize the effort on the offensive side of the floor. 

I like these teams in the tournament because they both have the makeup of teams that can wreak havoc on a bracket. I won't be caught off guard this year. lets just hope they don't let me down. 

Others potential Cinderella's to watch:

Murray State

Temple

Harvard

Creighton

Kobe knows how to put on a show.

The biggest reason for Bryant's frustration in the All-Star game was that he wanted to give the fans something to talk about. When LeBron deferred (as he so often does in those moments) Kobe was noticeably upset.  Part of our fascination with sports comes from talking about match ups between two giants of the sport. Its the reason in 2008 we were so intrigued by the Patriots and Giants, and four years later we were drawn in all over again. When the Braves used traveled to San Diego between 1993 and 2001 it was fun to watch the best pure hitter (Tony Gwynn) face the most cerebral pitcher many in our lifetime will see (Greg Maddux). 

Then we have Sunday's showdown between the Heat and the Lakers. Kobe, came into the game battered and bruised from a hard (and unnecessary) foul from Dwayne Wade in the All-Star game. He came into this contest feeling disrespected because of questions surrounding his age and frustrated due to uncertainty surrounding the state of his teams roster. So, decided he would put on a show in the place where stars are supposed to shine.

What a show it was.

Even though 18 of his 33 points came in the first quarter, the message was clear: Kobe sets the pace, Kobe finishes the game. While most were up in arms over comments made by Bryant saying he had no rivals during his career keep in mind that in a sport of winners all he's done is win. I won't go as far as saying Bryant is the best player I've ever seen (that title will remain with one Michael Jeffrey Jordan), but I can, without a doubt, say he is the best all-around basketball player in the game today. Period. 

The proof came when Bryant didn't go after Wade by means of a foul or war of words in the media. Instead Bryant went old school, putting up 33 points on 14-of-23 shooting in the Staples Center on national television, and beating the team with the best record in the NBA. Even overshadowing a stellar performance by LeBron James (25 points, 13 rebounds).

How did Wade do? 16 points, five turnovers, and he watched the last five minutes from the bench after fouling out.

That is the way revenge is done. 

There are countless arguments regarding who the best basketball player in the NBA is today and Bryant should feel confident that it starts and ends with him. The five-time NBA champion knows how to finish, and regardless of how you break it down you need only look at his fist full of rings to know the end result. 

Indianapolis isn't the only team with major contract issues involving a superstar quarterback.

In New Orleans, contract negotiations with franchise saving quarterback Drew Brees are ongoing, and with the recent news that the two sides aren't close (NFL.com) in the yearly figures for the first three years, coupled with already chippy verbiage (SI.com blog) coming from the Saints general manager its looking like a potentially ugly situation. 

The Saints, who are wanting an annual salary in the range of $18 million per year for Brees, are $5 million off from what the Brees camp are said to be seeking. Both sides are basing their numbers off different parameters that could make matters more complicated. 

The assumption is that Brees, who has led the Saints to their most successful run in franchise history, is looking for a deal similar to the one Manning received before the start of this past season. At $23 million per year annually, his argument seems to be that of similar accomplishments to this point in his career. He has led the Saints to three division titles, a conference championship, and a Super Bowl victory in which he was named MVP. 

Saints, while trying to make Brees one of the better compensated quarterbacks in league history, are also trying to operate in such a way that would allow them to focus on signing other free agents that would allow them to be successful as a team. Most notably Brees' favorite target Marques Colston, who himself will be looking to cash in on a career that has seen him go over 1,000 yards receiving in five of his first six seasons (note: the one he didn't he missed time due to a broken hand and still managed 760 yards in 12 games). 

The biggest concern here is the lapse in time; you don't want your franchise quarterback to feel slighted by a franchise tag. You also don't want to hinder the teams success by limiting your resources in one player, even if he is Drew Brees. Brees certainly is the key in the Saints run since he came over from the Chargers in 2006, and the argument can be made that the other players are made better by Brees the same way Tom Brady and Peyton Manning make those around them better. You do have to take caution because, as the Colts are finding out, injuries happen, and if that were the case you have to look at where you will be on the other side. 

Hines Ward will go down as one of the most decorated players in Pittsburgh Steelers history. If, however, he is true to his word on playing 2012 he will not go down as a career Steeler. 

The Steelers announced that Ward, the franchise leader in every major receiving category, would be released. This would follow in the path of other great receivers such as Jerry Rice and Tim Brown in not finishing their storied paths with the franchise they are most synonymous with.

To be fair, this wasn't a malicious move on the part of the Steelers, Ward simply just didn't fit in the offense with the emergence of Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. They are also looking towards others in free agency to fill the spot of third receiver. That left Ward, who was set to collect $4 million dollars had he returned, the odd man out at fourth receiver. That wasn't fiscally possible despite efforts by Ward to restructure his contract to retire with the only organization he's known.

Since being drafted by the Steelers with the 92nd pick out of the University of Georgia back in 1998 Ward has become one of the most prolific and beloved figures in Pittsburgh Steelers history. He is a four-time Pro Bowler (2001-2004) and was selected second team All-Pro three times (2002-2004). He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XL. He is holds franchise records in receptions, touchdowns, and receiving yards.

Looking down the list of pitchers for the Colorado Rockies you see the new norm in Major League Baseball. Dozens of pitchers file into Spring Training looking to capitalize on an offseason of work as they prepared their young bodies for the rigors of a 162-game baseball season, most of them born between 1975 and 1989. There is one exception on those back fields of Arizona amongst the mass of players convened to fight for a major league spot.

Jamie Moyer. Born November 18, 1962.

Moyer, who made his major league debut in 1986, is one of the many who are in Rockies camp fighting for a job. His, though, is an unusually uphill battle. You see unlike most of the pitchers in camp he is fighting to change perception. Can a man who made his debut for the Cubs and faced Mike Schmidt and the Phillies actually make the team coming off Tommy John Surgery? Think about that for a second. A surgery meant to give new life to pitchers is now giving new life to a man who has exhausted the others already.

You see Moyer was on his way out of baseball in 1991 at the age of 28 (to put this in perspective, I was 7 in 1991 and, ironically, turned 28 today). His career labeled "fledgling" after sub-par performances in Chicago, Texas, and St. Louis. Something then clicked in Baltimore while on a staff with Mike Mussina, Rick Sutcliffe, and the recovering Fernando Valenzuela he put together a decent season. Three years later he was in Seattle where that perception of Moyer as middle of the road fourth starter changed. The perception of him changed as well. In Seattle he went (126-87), had two 20-win seasons, and started the All-Star game in 2003. He finished in the top-7 of Cy Young award voting three times.  

Then he was sent to Philadelphia where he continued to be a solid pitcher and even winning a World Series title with the Phillies in 2008. That season he went (16-7) with a 3.71 ERA at age 45. Over the next two seasons he bounced between the rotation and the bullpen. Even had it ended there it would have been an astonishing career for a man who was finished in baseball 17 years earlier. But here is Jamie Moyer at age 49, coming off of major elbow surgery, and playing for a team whose stadium isn't known for keeping the ball in the park.

Not many understand why he does it. At almost 50 and, presumably, set financially why would he come back two years after throwing his last pitch? There are cliches to be spoken here. His love of the game, his competitive spirit, his will to prove people wrong. I for one am under the impression that the answer, apart from those things, is very simple. Jamie Moyer is pitching because he can.

That's it.

I won't bet against the man or put him down for going out and trying to pitch again in 2012. Not many of us in society have the opportunity to go out and do something we love for the simple reason of we have the ability to do so. For Moyer, some will call it a redemption story to prove the masses wrong. I say lets just look at it as what it is, an individual continuing his passion because he is allowed to do so. In the end that will be his greatest feat. Changing the perception on why individuals, athletes included, do the things we do.

I have a question for you before you enter that war room Coach Shanahan. 

Please, just hear me out. 

I understand you're heavily considering trading up to get the number two pick in the draft and I just wanted to run something by you before you make anymore mistakes with this franchise. 

You see, this is a critical off-season in Washington because the Redskins, yes the Washington Redskins, have a chance to take a huge step forward next season if they don't, for lack of the better phrase, go about business as usual. To be fair, someone in that organization sees the light. They have a very good group of young players, particularly on defense, in Brian Orakpo, LaRon Landry, London Fletcher and others. I think it is time you paid close attention to the offense because you need quite a bit. 

I want to, of course, start with the quarterback because there is no questions the law firm of Grossman and Beck won't cut it for you on Sundays. Let me show you a comparison first:

Quarterback A:  11,720 Yards, 109 Touchdowns, 1421 Rushing Yards, 23 Rushing Touchdowns, 60.9 Completion%

Quarterback B: (two years) 7,794 Rushing Yards, 59 touchdowns, 1,334 Rushing Yards, 18 Rushing Touchdowns, 69.5 Completion%

I know what you're thinking coach. You're thinking over the course of four years Quarterback "B" would blow "A's" numbers out of the water. I'll give you that victory.

Look closer. 

Quarterback "A" is former Wisconson Badger by way of N.C. State Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson. He has shown consistent, high level play across BCS conferences and even made the Wolfpack relevant for the first time in a very long time. In fact when looking at Wilson's numbers against the top teams in both conferences over the four years you will see where his worth is. He's as accurate as the come and although slight in height, I liken him to a slightly more athletic Drew Brees. 

The guy is a winner, and while he didn't achieve BCS glory, he was able to take two programs to great heights. His work in Raleigh was legendary, and as a former resident of the city, I couldn't go anywhere between the months of July and January without hearing of the Saturday football exploits of Russell Wilson. I just had to be careful not to mention his name in Chapel Hill. 

Quarterback "B" is the uber-talented Robert Griffin III. While his selection wouldn't be a bad one, I believe the smarter play is to try and build your team as much as possible through the draft and those picks you would give up are critical. Especially considering Wilson will be available for the taking later in the draft. 

That being said I hope coach Shanahan and Dan Snyder realize the enormity of this situation. You have a chance to change the culture in DC for the better.