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Greg Coleman: 2008 Mock Draft
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Boston Keeps Home Court Advantage ( 
by Ari Bluestein)
July 10, 2008
The Boston Celtics did what they needed to do in Games one and two of the NBA Finals.
Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen scored 127 of the 206 Celtic points in the first two games, accounting for 62% of the Boston offense. If the Celtics want to win the championship, this needs to continue to happen. In Boston’s two wins over the Los Angeles Lakers in the regular season, we saw similar results with the “Big Three” scoring 133 out of the 217 Celtic points, which turns out to be 61% of the Boston offense. So it seems thus far that Garnett, Pierce and Allen know how to score against this tough Laker defense.
Going into this series, we knew the supporting cast of Celtics would have to step it up and the Big Three couldn’t do it all by themselves. In steps point guard Rajon Rondo and reserve forward Leon Powe. In Game one, Rondo had 15 points and seven assists and in Game two, although he only scored four points, dished out 16 assists. Powe had a quite Game one, but then exploded in Game two for 21 points off the bench. Boston will need games like this from the role players to support the “Big Three” and perhaps it can come from other players besides Rondo and Powe. Veteran guard Sam Cassell had a solid game off the bench in Game one with scoring 8 points, and center Kendrick Perkins, who has had a quiet NBA Finals thus far, has the ability to have an offensive explosion at any given moment.
On the flip side, the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t played a bad series either. The Lakers probably should have won Game one, but didn’t take advantage of several opportunities. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom (L.A.’s main three players) have done their part in this series. Bryant had 24 and 30 points in Games one and two, respectively, while Gasol had 17 points and 10 rebounds in Game two. Point guard Derek Fisher has also done well in this series.
However, the Lakers were outplayed in Game two and except for a 41-point fourth quarter, they were not looking too good. The good thing is that the Lakers are undefeated in the playoffs at home and the NBA Finals now swing to L.A. for the next three games of the series.
Thus far in this series, the Celtics seem to have all the momentum and are playing with more energy. Is that because they are home? Perhaps. The Lakers now need to do the same and thrive off the energetic home crowd to win the next three games. Game three tonight is now a must win for Kobe and the Lakers and to be honest, all three games at home are must-wins for the Lakers as well. If the Celtics win one of the games in L.A. (obviously if they win two they win the NBA Championship), then they will be able to close it out in Boston in Game six or seven.
Boston did what they needed to do and retained their home-court advantage in the NBA Finals, making their 66-16 season worth all that trouble. Now the pressure is on the Lakers to take care of business at home, making the Boston Celtics a dangerous nothing-to-lose basketball team.
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National League East Central West
American League East Central West
Welcome to the 2008 MLB Season! Now that the regular season marathon of 162 games is set to begin on Sunday an in-depth preview is definitely in order. With the various off-season free agent signings and trades made we all have our idea of what teams will contend and which will be out of the race not long after opening day.
By the way, I’ll try not to let the fact that I’m one of the biggest Yankee fans on the planet cloud my predictions.
(In order teams will finish)
1. Yankees
The young pitching arms of Phillip Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlein will be one of the most followed stories in baseball this season. Passing up on the chance to get the best pitcher in the game in Johan Santana was a gutsy move by GM Brian Cashman. Led by former Yankee Joe Girardi the Bronx Bombers will again field one of the most talented teams in all of baseball – on paper. However, the true test for this team will be getting over the hump in the playoffs. The Yanks are 4-13 in their past 17 playoff series and they have lost four consecutive playoff series in a row. In a lot of ways time is of the essence for this group to get back to being in a position to win a title as a large part of their core is in their mid to late thirties (Derek Jeter, 34; Johnny Damon, 34; Hideki Matsui, 33 and Jason Giambi, 37. Damon must stay healthy and what they get from veteran Andy Pettite will be important. An emphasis on power pitching combined with the offensive prowess of Arod, Jeter, Robinson Cano & Jorge Posada should put this team in position to win the division.
2. Boston Red Sox
The World Series Champions will be very strong again this year led by one of the best pitchers in baseball Josh Beckett (20 wins in ’07 & a 3.27 ERA) and Japanese phenon Daisuke Matsuzaka in his second year in the majors. They still have their offensive core in David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mke Lowell along with a great leader in catcher Jason Varitek. Ramirez is in a contract year and wants another big payday. The Sox are excited about their centerfielder Jacob Ellsbury, their projected leadoff hitter who should produce more runs this year than Cocoa Crisp did in ’07. Jonathan Papelbon recorded 37 saves last year with an ERA under 2.00 and should have another strong year. The Red Sox will certainly challenge for the AL East crown.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
It seems like the Blue Jays are always excellent on paper but for whatever reason don’t get it done during the regular season. The freak injury to starting pitcher A.J. Burnett is particularly damaging as the two clubs the Jays will be chasing (Yankees & Red Sox) will be strong in this area. Burnett has missed 59 starts over the last five years. If he can get healthy, a duo of him and ace Roy Halladay would be a starting point for the Blue Jays to challenge for a division crown. Righthander Dustin McGowan has tremendous stuff and racked up 144 strikeouts in 169 innings last year. RF Alex Rios has developed into a star and CF Vernon Wells should bounce back after a subpar year for him. The addition of 3B Scott Rolen could be huge if his balky shoulder proves to be healthy and his swing is back. He’s missed 176 games over the last three seasons. The late pre-season injury to closer B.J. Ryan will be something to pay attention to going into the season. All in all the Jays will need a lot to go right in order to catch the Sox & Yankees.
4. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The Devil Rays have a plethora of young, talented players on their roster that show the Rays at least have a plan in place. When SP Scott Kazmir (13-9; 3.48 ERA) or SP James Shields (12-8; 3.85 ERA) started they went 35-30. Throw in a young pitcher in Matt Garza and much hyped pitching prospect in David Price, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft and they have the makings of a pretty good rotation in the future. Offensively, outfielders B.J. Upton & Carl Crawford are extremely talented and third basemen Evan Longoria should compete for the Rookie of the Year award. There is lots of athleticism on this team.
5. Baltimore Orioles
This will be a tough year for the Orioles. With one of their only stars, 2B Brian Roberts rumored to be on the trading block there’s not a whole lot to be excited about. Losing SP Erik Bedard leaves this team with Jeremy Guthrie as their ace and he has a grand total of seven career victories. CF Adam Jones is expected to be a star player after hitting .291 in the minors and RF Nick Markakis is a hard nosed player who knocked in 112 runs last year which was the third most for players under 25 years of age (the others were Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera). Don’t expect much from this group this year.
(In order teams will finish)
1. Mariners
I like the pitching the Mariners can roll out there on any given night. With the addition of lefthander Erik Bedard (13 wins and an ERA of 3.13 in’07) to a staff that includes a 21 year old who’s already one of the best pitchers in baseball in Felix Hernandez and Carlos Silva, also a 13-game winner they can shut down any offense. Throw in J.J. Putz who saved 40 games and finished the season with a 1.38 ERA and they are built to win games in the regular season as well as the postseason. Offensively they lack a ton of power and struggle with patience. 1B Richie Sexon hit only .205 and is a one dimensional player. Ichiro Suzuki still sets the tone for the offense.
2. Angels
CF Torri Hunter automatically makes the Angels one of the most formidable offensive teams in the AL. He drove in over 100 runs last year (107) and his leadership skills will ignite this team. Vladimor Guerrero is expected to have another outstanding all around season and stolen base phenom (41 swipes) along with the always steady Garret Anderson make this lineup well rounded and explosive. The Angels will roll out four guys who won at least 10 games last year in John Lackey (19), Kelvim Escobar (18), Jon Garland (10 with the White Sox) and Jered Weaver (13 wins). Francisco Rodriquez saved 40 games last year. The Angels are one of the most well rounded teams in all of baseball, led by ninth year manager Mike Scioscia.
3. Athletics
The A’s are hardly recognizable going into this season as they lost their best starting pitcher to the NL Diamonbacks (Dan Haren), their most feared slugger in Nick Swisher and Mark Kotsay, their centerfielder. Remaining players include Gold Glove third baseman Eric Chavez who missed significant time last year and second baseman Mark Ellis and SS Bubba Crosby. They next few years are going to be tough for this team.
4. Rangers
Since the Rangers won’t be much of a threat again this season, at least they have one of the best feel good stories in all of baseball with the acquisition of former top prospect CF Josh Hamilton. He played last year in the NL for the Reds while overcoming a drug addiction and a two-year suspension from the league. Michael Young is one of the more underated second basemen in the game and Hank Blalock will be looking to bounce back from an off year in which he hit only 10 HR’s. New team president and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is now running the ship, leading many to think pitching will finally become a priority for this organization. When Kevin Millwood is your best pitcher, you have problems.
(In order teams will finish)
1. Tigers
The Tigers are…..LOADED. When you have four guys in Curtis Granderson, Gary Sheffield, Placido Polanco and Magglio Ordonez who together batted .320 hitting in front of one of the top 3 hitters in all of baseball you are, well, loaded. All four of those guys will provide plenty of RBI opportunities for the $152 million 3B Miguel Cabrera. It’s safe to say the Tigers will score an abundance of runs this season. Did we mention that first baseman Carlor Guillen, SS Edgar Renteria and veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez round out the lineup? Before you think this team is one dimensional, remember that staff ace Justin Verlander is back along with veteran lefthander Kenny Rogers and a healthy (hopefully) Jeremy Bonderman. Cabrera’s former Marlin teammate Dontrelle Willis was the big name addition to the pitching staff and should benefit from new environment and a fresh start on a team that could easily find itself in the World Series.
2. Indians
In this division it’s easy to fixate on the unbelievable talent of Detroit but remember the Indians were on the verge on going to the World Series last October with a three games to one lead in the AL Championship series to the Red Sox. The Indians hope to finish the job this season as DH Travis Hafner looks to improve his total game despite already being one of the most dangerous offensive players in the majors. He and C Victor Martinez form a top notch duo. Staff ace C.C. Sabathia won the CY Young last year and is looking to be dominant again this year. He combined with fellow 19-game winner Fauso Carmona to anchor the top of this staff. Grady Sizemore is a great centerfielder. Closer Joe Borowski is effective in his role. This is a very dangerous club.
3. White Sox
The White Sox look to bounce back after a dissappointing season last year, two years after winning it all. One of the best GM’s in the business, Kenny Williams made several moves that fifth year manager Ozzie Guillen hopes pays off. SP Jon Garland was traded to the Angels for SS Orland Cabrera who has surprising pop for his position. He also sent a number of prospects to the A’s and Diamondbacks and got back Nick Swisher and several other players to plug in the holes of this team. Speaking of holes, the starting rotation will be something to watch as Southpaw Mark Buehrle and Righty Javier Vazquez are their two big guns in the rotation and who knows what you’ll get from Jose Contreras. 1B Paul Konerko and DH Jim Thome return as the big thumpers in the middle of the lineup. The White Sox should have a better season than last year but will likely fall short of the playoffs.
3. Twins
It’s always hard when you lose two of your best players during the offseason in CF Torri Hunter and Ace Johan Santana. There’s no question both guys will be sorely missed. On the other hand, the recent signing of closer extraordinaire Joe Nathan (37 saves in ’07) this offseason and a (hopefully) healthy Francisco Liriano coming back from injury are encouraging signs. The Twins also feature the AL batting champ in C Joe Mauer and the 2006 League MVP in 1B Justin Morneau who hit 31 homers and knocked in 111 RBI’s last year. RF Michael Cuddyer is sometimes overlooked but he has averaged about 95 RBI’s the past two seasons. The Twins are also excited about former No.1 draft pick, Delmon Young who will be trying to improve his plate discipline this season.
4. Royals
Not much has changed in K.C. these days. Another season without making the playoffs seems to be in order. Outside of watching the development of young players such as Billy Butler (8HR; 52 RBI), Mark Teahen (7HR; 60 RBI) and Alex Gordon (15HR; 60 RBI) the Royals will likely fall out of contention before the All-Star break. Teahen is playing his fourth position in three years as he patrols LF. Gordon is a talented player for sure and Butler hit .292 in only half a season last year. The addition of free agent Jose Guillen in RF should be a help as well. Pitching wise – Gil Meche got a $55 million contract, time to live up to it.
National League East Central West
American League East Central West
(In order teams will finish)
1. Braves
They’re Baaack! Bobby Cox enters his 19th season at the helm of the Braves with another strong lineup. 300-game winner Tom Glavine is back witht the team that he was most successful with along with 16-game winner Tim Hudson and one of the best big game pitchers around in John Smoltz forms a strong trio in the rotation. Look for first baseman Mark Teixeira to have a tremendous year in his first full season with the Braves. There are no easy outs in this lineup with Chipper Jones back after knocking in over 100 runs last year, Jeff Francoeur bulked up and primed for a big year and C Brian McCann is a great offensive catcher. I’m picking the Braves to win the division.
2. Mets
The Mets have A LOT to prove this season. After one of the biggest collapses ever, they will look to rebound and make up for a lost opportunity last season. The addition of the best pitcher in baseball will certainly help make that happen. Johan Santana is the ultimate ace and with a healthy Pedro Martinez the Mets have two guys at the front of their rotation that should help prevent any extended losing streaks. SS Jose Reyes must continue to mature and be the reliable sparkplug this team needs. Third Baseman David Wright just keeps getting better and better. Injury prone Carlos Delgado and Moises Alou will need to stay healthy. Middle relief will be important to complement the starting pitching and the Mets are hoping that Duaner Sanchez can give them significant innings along with Aaron Heilman. Billy Wagne will close again for the Mets.
3. Phillies
The Phils finally got over the ‘hump’ and made the playoffs last season. Many are expecting them to do the same this year. However, the collapse of their division rival NY Mets had a lot to do with their postseason appearance. Despite all that, the Phillies are certainly a good baseball team. Their might not be a better trio in the game than ’07 MVP Jimmy Rollins, second baseman Chase Utley and $10million man Ryan Howard. These three guys are the three best at their position in the league outside of 1B Albert Pujols. The addition of RF Geogg Jenkins provides some added pop to the lineup and Pat Burrell will be playing for a new contract this season. Flame throwing Brett Myers is back where he belongs, in the starting lineup and left Cole Hamels anchor the front of their rotation. No one has any confidence in starting pitcher Adam Eaton, and rightfully so. Offseason addition Brad Lidge will start the season a little banged up but should be a boost to the bullpen. Newcomer Pedro Feliz has pop in his bat and is one of the best fielding third baseman in the big leagues.
4. Nationals
The Nationals are excited about their $600 million stadium and rightfully so, it’s first class all the way. Now, onto the subject of baseball. Manny Acta is in his second season as manager and is hailed as an expert communicator. Bringing in guys like OF Elijah Dukes (high risk player) and OF Lastings Milledge (another high risk player) could test his patience all season. Both guys have potential but need to focus on being model citizens in addition to productive players. The Nationals finished last in runs last year but with a new stadium that will be easier to hit home runs in, perfect for slugger Austin Kearns. 1B Nick Johnson finished third in one of the most important stats in baseball, On Base Percentage, in ’06. He’s healthy after missing all of last season. Third baseman is a flat out stud, offensively and defensively. The pitching leaves a lot to be desired.
5. Marlins
After 2B Dan Uggla (31HR & 88 RBI’s) and hitting maching Hanley Ramirez at shortstop there’s not a whole lot to be excited about. A year after they finished last for the first time in eight years in the NL East the Marlins begin the ’08 campaign having lost ace Dontrelle Willis and All-Star third baseman Miguel Babrera this offseason. 22 yr old lefty Andrew Miller is a name worth paying attention to despite the notion that he’s been rushed through the minors and could use additional seasoning. Look out for outfielder Cameron Maybin, a star prospect who many in the organization believe will be a future All-Star. The progress toward building a new baseball stadium for the team in south Florida is about the only thing to get excited about for Marlin fans this season. That development will be a major key in increasing their slim payroll and avoiding the “build up only to dismantle” philosophy of the organization.
(In order teams will finish)
1. Diamondbacks
When you already have an ace (18-game winner Brandon Webb) and you go out and get another one in Dan Haren (via trade) and you’re counting on another former ace, Randy Johnson, to return healthy you are automatically a contender. They will certainly have to play small ball again this season as they will likely struggle to put up more than 3-4 runs per game again this season. The pitching should carry this team right back into the playoffs. Juan Cruz, Brandon Lyon and Tony Pena are a valuable trio of relief pitchers that will shorten games for the Diamondbacks. Justin Upton has tremendous upside whose game consists of both speed and power. Count on one of the best GM’s in the business, Josh Byrnes, to make a deal if necessary to boost the offense. Even if they dont they have what it takes to win this division thanks to top notch pitching.
2. Rockies
There’s a lot to like about this club. Depth in the pitching staff, a great bullpen and great hitters that are all in their prime are reasons to pick this team to be one of the favorites in the NL. SS Troy Tulowitzki signed a long term deal this offseason is has a chance to be a real star in this league. Matt Holiday will challenge for the MVP award for years to come and Garret Atkins at third, Brad Hawpe in RF along with veteran Todd Helton make this lineup deadly. Staff ace Jeff Francis will get some help from a full season from hard throwing righty Ubaldo Jimenez. This team will be a force for years to come as 48 of 61 players are homegrown and in their 20’s.
3. Padres
When you can throw out a starting pitching rotation of 19-game winner Jake Peavy, Chris Young (3.12 ERA), 300-game winner Greg Maddux and underated Randy Wolf and still not be considered a favorite in your division it shows how tough the NL West is. Trevor Hoffman is also back after saving 42 games last season. Adrian Gonzalez is an excellent young first baseman who needs some protection in the lineup. Veteran Jim Edmonds will try to come back from a injury plagued 2007 and Brian Giles will try to bounce back from a knee injury. Fortunately the pitching alone, which held oppenents to a .192 batting average last year, should win the Padres a lot of games and compete in this division.
4. Dodgers
Joe Torre’s first year as manager will be under a microscope to see if he’s able to duplicate any of the success he had in New York. Staff ace Brad Penny (16-game winner) will have a complement on the mound in Japanese pheno Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda has an arsenal of five pitches, although he is already 33 years old. Chad Billingsley worked out of the bullpen for the first part of the season and is considered by scouts to be one of the best young pitchers in the game. He finished with 12 wins last season and an ERA of 3.31. CF Andrew Jones is out to prove that last year was a fluke, despite hitting 26 homers and driving in 94 runs in a down year for him. The Dodgers will push for a Wild Card berth.
5. Giants
No Barry Bonds means no more distractions for this Giants team. A new era is in place and the reliance on grizzled vets is no longer the philosophy. 2007 acquisition Barry Zito leads this staff of young guns including Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Noah Lowry. CF Aaron Rowand signed a $60 million contract to join this squad. He brings intensity and work ethic to this team. With several prospects such as Angel Villalona, Dan Ortmeier and Fred Lewis, the Giants will not contend at all this year and will focus on preparing these players for the future.
(In order teams will finish)
1. Cubs
In Lou Piniella’s second season managing the Cubs much is expected. A playoff appearance last season was a stepping stone in erasing the organization’s tortured history. Ace righty Carlos Zambrano is simply one of the best pitchers in baseball, bar none. Even during an off year he still won 18 games. Lefties Rich Hill and Ted Lilly are a sufficient complement to Zambrano. Kerry Wood will be counted on to close out games and the bullpen should be solid with young gun Carolos Marmol (who can throw any pitch for a strike) and experienced vet Bob Howry who’s able to chew up innings as well. Japanese RF Kosuke Fukudome is supposedly a patient hitter who is an excellent defensive player. His transition to the big leagues will be watched closely. LF Alfonso Soriano, Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez all had at least 22 homers and are all capable of driving in 100 runs. As long as they stay healthy, they should win the division.
2. Brewers
Sloppy play contributed greatly to the Brewers missing the playoffs despite tremendous run support, homers, slugging percentage and RBI’s rankings in the league. Another category that they were ranked high in was errors (4th most in the NL). Signing three-time Gold Glove CF Mike Cameron was a step in the right direction, despite the fact that he’ll miss 25 games using a banned substance. Eric Gagnes should be healthy and a boost to the bullpen. Overall this is a well balanced lineup with power in 1B Prince Fielder and Left Fielder & NL Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun (combined for 84 HR’s & 216 RBI’s). SS J.J. Hardy is a nice offensive weapon as well. The pitching staff will be a question mark as Ben Sheets (12-5 with a 3.82 ERA) is usually injured and Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush round out the top three spots in the rotation.
3. Reds
Starting with 1st year Reds manager Dusty Baker the Reds are in a position to make some noise in their division. The young pitching nucleus of Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez give Reds fans reason to hope and many baseball prognosticators reason to pick this team to win their division. After blowing 28 saves last year the bullpen needed a lift. Enter Francisco Cordero who saved 44 games last year for Milwaukee.
4. Astros
Over half of this team was acquired through trades or free agency. Only six players remain from the team that lost to the White Sox in the World Series in 2005. SS Miguel Tejada will try to put any steroid speculation behind him and have a Tejada like season. LF Carlos Lee and 1B Lance Berkman are the two big boppers in the lineup but they will need help in order to turn individual contributions into wins. Former Phillies GM Ed Wade has been active in making moves, the question is how much impact will they have? The pitching rotation needs work, staff ace Roy Oswalt is still effective but he needs some help.
5. Cardinals
Injuries abound on the Cardinals this season. Former 20-game winner Mark Mulder made only three starts in 2007 and he will try to return from shoulder surgery. Former Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement missed all of last season, also due to a shoulder injury. Last year’s ace Chris Carpenter won’t even pitch until after the All Star break. Juan Gonzalez, a two-time MVP winner, is making yet another comeback to the big leagues. Gone from the roster is perennial gold glove third baseman Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds. Obviously Albert Pujols will be the featured offensive weapon for the Cardinals and even he has been hit by the injury bug who will be playing with a torn ligament, bone spurs, arthritis and swelling in his right elbow. It’s going to be a long, long year.
6. Pirates
Well, at least the Pirates have a new GM (Neil Huntington) a first year manager (John Russell) and a new hitting coach (Don Long). All three will try to keep the Pirates from a baseball tying record of 16 straight losing seasons. Left hander Tom Gorzelanny is only 25 and is considered the ace of the rotation having won 14 games last year and pitched into the 6th inning in well over half of his 32 starts. LF Jason Bay, first baseman Adam LaRoche and Right Fielder Xavier Nady are the core of their offensive attack, none of which hit more than 22 HR’s last season. The bullpen might be the most reliable area of the club, closing out 90% of the games when they were handed a lead. The problem was that wasn’t very often.
MLB Playoffs Pick ‘EM
AL East – NY Yankees
AL West – Seattle Mariners
AL Central – Detroit Tigers
Wild Card – Cleveland Indians
NL West – Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Central – Chicago Cubs
NL East – Atlanta Braves
Wild Card – Colorado Rockies
World Series – Detroit Tigers over the Atlanta Braves
National League East Central West
American League East Central West