Sunday, April 28, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
The Shortcomings of Jim Leyland
I am an avid Tigers fan. I watch quite a bit of baseball between March and October. Jim Leyland is the manager in Detroit and he is well respected amongst those in baseball. I share a lot of the respect, but there are times when I'm ready to give up on the old timer. Today is one of those days.
Just a few minutes ago the Tigers lost a game they should've easily won. A 3-2 lead in the 8th inning and Jim decides this is the perfect time to debut the recently called-up rookie Bruce Rondon. Now, I know the kid has tallent, and I know that he needs to learn to pitch in late inning situations, but first he just needs to become acquainted with the big leagues. Rondon reportedly had to be talked out of quitting baseball after finding out he was not going to start the year in the majors. He has not exactly matured yet. So he gives up a run. Not bad, tie game. We go into extras. Jim sticks with Phil Coke for a second inning. Typically relievers only throw one inning, but when extra innings are looming you tend to stretch them out. But this situation played out just a few days ago and it didn't exactly go well. So you would think you might try someone else this time, but 5 runs later the Tigers have no chance and they drop the 5th of their last 6.
I think Jim Leyland has an enormous knowledge about the game of baseball. I think he does a good job in the clubhouse and keeps his team loose and in order. But he is far too loyal to his players. He is always beyond optimistic in running a struggling guy back out there to blow another opportunity or keep the slump going.
Another annoying facet of Leyland's is his coaching staff. Jim employs his friends. I get that you want guys that you trust, but when there aren't results, when those guys have no business coaching big leaguers you'd think a change would be made. Wrong. You can't blame the coaching staff really, but theres a reason its there and I don't see why Detroit is not interested in having a few better options to help out.
The Tigers have been the best team in the central for nearly half a decade, but there have been few regular seasons that they've actually played that way. A manager isn't everything, but a good one goes a long way (Joe Maddon) in getting the best out of every guy on the roster.
Just a few minutes ago the Tigers lost a game they should've easily won. A 3-2 lead in the 8th inning and Jim decides this is the perfect time to debut the recently called-up rookie Bruce Rondon. Now, I know the kid has tallent, and I know that he needs to learn to pitch in late inning situations, but first he just needs to become acquainted with the big leagues. Rondon reportedly had to be talked out of quitting baseball after finding out he was not going to start the year in the majors. He has not exactly matured yet. So he gives up a run. Not bad, tie game. We go into extras. Jim sticks with Phil Coke for a second inning. Typically relievers only throw one inning, but when extra innings are looming you tend to stretch them out. But this situation played out just a few days ago and it didn't exactly go well. So you would think you might try someone else this time, but 5 runs later the Tigers have no chance and they drop the 5th of their last 6.
I think Jim Leyland has an enormous knowledge about the game of baseball. I think he does a good job in the clubhouse and keeps his team loose and in order. But he is far too loyal to his players. He is always beyond optimistic in running a struggling guy back out there to blow another opportunity or keep the slump going.
Another annoying facet of Leyland's is his coaching staff. Jim employs his friends. I get that you want guys that you trust, but when there aren't results, when those guys have no business coaching big leaguers you'd think a change would be made. Wrong. You can't blame the coaching staff really, but theres a reason its there and I don't see why Detroit is not interested in having a few better options to help out.
The Tigers have been the best team in the central for nearly half a decade, but there have been few regular seasons that they've actually played that way. A manager isn't everything, but a good one goes a long way (Joe Maddon) in getting the best out of every guy on the roster.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Performance Enhancing Drugs in Professional Sports
As an employee of a sports entity and a fan of sports for the majority of my short life, I have an unshakable belief of the rampant usage of performance enhancing drugs throughout the professional sphere of sports and beyond. I, like most around me, take a hard lined, politically correct approach against such widespread cheating. There is a real and immediate advantage coupled with long term consequences.
Baseball is a sport that has been at the center of PED's for a little over the past decade. While there have been strong improvements relative to other professional sports there is still a long way to go. By rough estimations from people I've talked to it would not surprise me if anywhere from 40-75% of players are still using performance enhancers to recover quickly. Whether that is cynical or realistic I cannot say, but I'm inclined to go with the latter.
A while back I read a Bill Simmons article on his take of PED's in professional sports. One point I would like to latch on to is the fact that there is no leading figure among the clean players who is taking a stand against those that are dirty. An example I would like to see is Derek Jeter. Hardly a guy who would be using drugs, which is made more obvious by his lengthy return from injury, he should be the figure head for a campaign against PED's in baseball. If I'm Derek Jeter or anyone like him and I've gotten to the place I have the right way I want to punish those who have cheated to get there or stay there. The problem being that his peers and co-workers would likely ostracize him or anyone else who used their voice to try and clean up the game.
The worst part of it all is that I think a lot of guys coming up through the ranks of professional baseball feel forced to take steroids or other performance enhancers just to keep up. The way the game is now in order to compete you have to be dirty or an unnatural specimen to begin with. Not only is it terrible that one feels he has to cheat to compete, but the things he has to do to his body and the detrimental effects seen later in life, which could be avoided if the game were cleaned up.
I don't know if it can be done, and I admire Bud Selig for trying, but it always seems like the cheaters are a step ahead of the good guys. Unless the veterans, the clean ones, the ones who've done it the right way stand up to stigmatize the behavior and police their own clubhouses it will be a long time before were back to a level playing field.
Baseball is a sport that has been at the center of PED's for a little over the past decade. While there have been strong improvements relative to other professional sports there is still a long way to go. By rough estimations from people I've talked to it would not surprise me if anywhere from 40-75% of players are still using performance enhancers to recover quickly. Whether that is cynical or realistic I cannot say, but I'm inclined to go with the latter.
A while back I read a Bill Simmons article on his take of PED's in professional sports. One point I would like to latch on to is the fact that there is no leading figure among the clean players who is taking a stand against those that are dirty. An example I would like to see is Derek Jeter. Hardly a guy who would be using drugs, which is made more obvious by his lengthy return from injury, he should be the figure head for a campaign against PED's in baseball. If I'm Derek Jeter or anyone like him and I've gotten to the place I have the right way I want to punish those who have cheated to get there or stay there. The problem being that his peers and co-workers would likely ostracize him or anyone else who used their voice to try and clean up the game.
The worst part of it all is that I think a lot of guys coming up through the ranks of professional baseball feel forced to take steroids or other performance enhancers just to keep up. The way the game is now in order to compete you have to be dirty or an unnatural specimen to begin with. Not only is it terrible that one feels he has to cheat to compete, but the things he has to do to his body and the detrimental effects seen later in life, which could be avoided if the game were cleaned up.
I don't know if it can be done, and I admire Bud Selig for trying, but it always seems like the cheaters are a step ahead of the good guys. Unless the veterans, the clean ones, the ones who've done it the right way stand up to stigmatize the behavior and police their own clubhouses it will be a long time before were back to a level playing field.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A True Professional: Mr. Tiger
Today I had the opportunity to eat lunch and have a conversation with one of the greatest Detroit Tigers of all-time: Al Kaline. The hall of famer who now works in the Detroit front office was down in Lakeland to watch Jose Valverde, who is likely to reassume the role of closer for the Tigers next month.
This is the second time I've gotten to sit down with Mr. Kaline and each time he has left the same overwhelming impression on me. For a man of his status and with all his accolades he is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He will have a conversation with anyone around him and treat him in the same manner he would a friend. I don't know if his amiable nature is the product of a bygone era or if he is just a needle in the haystack, but I highly doubt an equivalent superstar in today's game would act similarly.
We talked about a variety of things: the conditions of Detroit, the educational system, how Jose Valverde looked on the mound, but it did not matter what we talked about Al Kaline was engaged and friendly. Its always amazing to watch what some athletes can do physically on the greatest stage, but sometimes its more impressive to meet one and find out he's just like the rest of us.
This is the second time I've gotten to sit down with Mr. Kaline and each time he has left the same overwhelming impression on me. For a man of his status and with all his accolades he is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He will have a conversation with anyone around him and treat him in the same manner he would a friend. I don't know if his amiable nature is the product of a bygone era or if he is just a needle in the haystack, but I highly doubt an equivalent superstar in today's game would act similarly.
We talked about a variety of things: the conditions of Detroit, the educational system, how Jose Valverde looked on the mound, but it did not matter what we talked about Al Kaline was engaged and friendly. Its always amazing to watch what some athletes can do physically on the greatest stage, but sometimes its more impressive to meet one and find out he's just like the rest of us.
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| Al Kaline Statue at Comerica Park |
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
NCAA Profit Distribution: An Unsolvable Problem
Last night was the Men's Division I National Championship in basketball. Louisville won, as I anticipated, and I can't help but believing their run after the Kevin Ware injury and especially their comeback over Wichita State were too good to be true. However, this post is not a reflection of my cynicism of college or professional basketball but instead an argument for paying the players that bring in all the revenue from the most popular college playoff tournament in all the world.
The NCAA opposes the idea because they feel the athletes are being compensated with a "world class education." However, that education does not even begin to match the monetary compensation a star athlete would receive if they were to get a cut of the billions of dollars brought in every year by NCAA sports. The NCAA uses the likeness of a player to make money as well. Jerseys with the names of players are sold and yet not a penny goes back to that player with his name on the back. But if a player turns around and decides to sell his own jersey that could mean huge penalties for the university and the player.
I feel adamantly about paying athletes because they bring in the revenues, but how to do it is incredibly complicated. Do the best players get the biggest cut? Is that determined by seniority or statistics or some other factor? And if it isn't based entirely on play will there need to be a draft instead of just recruiting. If it does go to a draft then who would participate? Just the four major conferences, shutting the door on all smaller schools who are trying to compete?
Regardless of how it works I think it needs to happen. If a star player gets a career ending injury in college he is losing millions upon millions of dollars because he never had the opportunity to play in the pros. And on top of that they could lose their scholarship because they are no longer playing for the university. Compensation needs to be real, players deserve their cut, because without them none of those billionaires who see the greatest share would be seeing anything.
Here is someone who can articulate this argument a lot better than myself theatlantic.com
The NCAA opposes the idea because they feel the athletes are being compensated with a "world class education." However, that education does not even begin to match the monetary compensation a star athlete would receive if they were to get a cut of the billions of dollars brought in every year by NCAA sports. The NCAA uses the likeness of a player to make money as well. Jerseys with the names of players are sold and yet not a penny goes back to that player with his name on the back. But if a player turns around and decides to sell his own jersey that could mean huge penalties for the university and the player.
I feel adamantly about paying athletes because they bring in the revenues, but how to do it is incredibly complicated. Do the best players get the biggest cut? Is that determined by seniority or statistics or some other factor? And if it isn't based entirely on play will there need to be a draft instead of just recruiting. If it does go to a draft then who would participate? Just the four major conferences, shutting the door on all smaller schools who are trying to compete?
Regardless of how it works I think it needs to happen. If a star player gets a career ending injury in college he is losing millions upon millions of dollars because he never had the opportunity to play in the pros. And on top of that they could lose their scholarship because they are no longer playing for the university. Compensation needs to be real, players deserve their cut, because without them none of those billionaires who see the greatest share would be seeing anything.
Here is someone who can articulate this argument a lot better than myself theatlantic.com
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