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A guy and two girls, honestly speaking about whatever comes to mind. From sports, relationships, news, politics, trends, and entertainment. We'll cover it all, right here at unhonest.blogspot.com. Have a question, or comment? Post it below or email us at: unhonest.blog@gmail.com.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Forgotten

Every time there's a big, blockbuster trade in any major sport, it usually involves a few "throw-in" players that never make the headlines. They just get lost in the shuffle and become an afterthought, or a local broadcast station sports trivia question. This is exactly what happened to RHP Craig
Hansen and OF Brandon Moss in 2008, after being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates by the Boston Red Sox in that notorious three-way-deal, in which the Sox swapped Hall of Fame slugger, Manny Ramirez, for another right-handed power bad, Jason Bay.Since that day--August 1, 2008--Moss and Hansen have fallen into the obscurity of playing for the National League's most forgotten team, the
Pittsburgh Pirates. If you were hoping for a rags-to-riches story in which both players ripped it up in Pittsburgh, and brought the Pirates into prominence in the NL, you will be sadly disappointed. Moss played in a combined total of 178 games for the Pirates, between the remainder of '08 and all of the '09 season; Hansen made just 21 appearances for the team in that same time span.
Neither player has ever been able to really get into a groove, and now each of them has landed back in the "Triple A" - playing for the Indianapolis Indians.Moss' career hit a downward spiral ever since making the Red Sox' opening day roster in '08, when he hit a game-tying, solo home run in the ninth inning against former A's closer, Huston Street. The homer was the first of his career, and the first hit by a Red Sox player in a regular season game played outside of North America. Hansen held opponents to a .200 batting average in '08 for the Pirates; however, his problem finding the strike zone led to and abysmal 20 walks in 15.2 innings pitched. Since that disappointing '08 season, Hansen has never again been able to tap into the talent that made him the Red Sox' first-round draft pick in the '05 amateur draft (26th overall).
While the road has been slippery for these two young players, their careers aren't over yet. Each player is only 26 years old and, with that youth, have plenty of room to grow into future all-stars--just like the men they were traded for/with--Jason Bay and Manny Ramirez. Just look at some of the
names of players that didn't really break out until their late twenties: Ryan Howard, 27; Casey Blake, 29; Hideki Okajima, 31;David Ortiz, 27; Kevin Youkilis, 29; Brian Wilson, 27. The list goes on and on. And, let's not forget third baseman, Mike Lowell, who had his first 20+ home run season
in 2000, with the Florida Marlins, at age 26. Lowell is now known for being the 'throw-in' in the '05 off-season trade that sent starter Josh Beckett over to the Red Sox, in exchange for impending Rookie of the Year shortstop, Hanley Ramirez. Lowell's career seemed to be all-but-forgotten, until the Sox needed a defensive replacement at third. In comes Lowell who, in just his second season with the Sox, led them all the way to a World Series win against the surging Colorado Rockies - winning MVP honors.



If Lowell's story is any indication of the future for Moss' and Hansen's careers, then we should be expecting some big things in the near future from each of these talented, youngsters. Like the players I listed before, sometimes it takes a little longer for big leaguers to develop. After all, when you place coal under pressure, you get diamonds.





by Aaron Hilton

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Over-Achievers: AL Roster

Every year, a few players play above their pay grade/expectations and it makes for a wonderful story. However, there are always a few people who's numbers go unrecognized due to the lack of a big name franchise or not being a well known player.
This is my all-over-achiever team, made up of players who are exceeding expectations and still might end up getting snubbed at the all-star break.
I will select two players per position, per roster (with the exception of outfield and pitcher)--one AL roster, and one NL roster.
For the AL:
1st Base - Billy Butler, KC; Paul Konerko, CWS.
> Butler is 3rd in AVG among AL first basemen, leads them in doubles, hits and at-bats, and also has the fewest strikeouts among those with 200+ at-bats.
> Konerko leads all AL first basement in HR per AB and is second in HR with 17, all while boasting a .304 average.
2nd Base - Ty Wigginton, BAL; Mike Aviles, KC.
> Wigginton is second among AL second basemen in HR and slugging percentage, and is one of the few bright spots on the majors' worst team.
> Aviles is hitting .323 with only 20 strikeouts in his 163 AB so far this season and has played a very solid second base for the Royals; however I'm not sure if his lack of at-bats or the resurgence of Red Sox second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, will keep him from playing in Anaheim.
3rd Base - Adrian Beltre, BOS; Kevin Kouzmanoff, OAK.
> Beltre's bat has caught fire since April, much like all the Red Sox hitters. He is hitting .340 with 10 homers and is on pace for just his second career 200-hit season.
> Kouzmanoff has played a solid third base for the Athletics and has helped some of the fans forget about not having former all-star Eric Chavez for the first time in years.
Shortstop - Alex Gonzalez, TOR; Marco Scutaro, BOS.
> Gonzalez, who's normally known for his glove, has emerged as the AL's top power hitting shortstop. He has 13 homers already and is on pace to hit, a career-high, 30 by season's end.
> Scutaro has sured up the Red Sox starting shortstop position for the first time since the franchise parted ways with former all-star, Nomar Garciaparra. He's batting over .280 while hitting lead-off for the injured Jacoby Ellsbury and is playing solid defense.
Catcher - John Buck, TOR; Kurt Suzuki, OAK.
> Buck is another one of the surprise, power hitting Toronto Blue Jays; his 12 HR leads all AL catchers. He's also one of MLB's top defensive catchers leading all back-stops in fielding percentage and has allowed the 3rd fewest stolen bases among catchers in the AL.
> Suzuki has been a bright spot offensively for the reeling A's. He's in the top 5 among AL catchers in HR, RBI and triples.
Outfield (top 5 players) - Brennan Boesch, DET; Vernon Wells, TOR; Delmon Young, MIN; Brett Gardner, NYY; Alex Rios, CWS.
> In his true rookie year, Boesch has emerged as a leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year. His 11 home runs and .343 batting average have made him this year's version of Ryan Braun.
> Wells has been an all-star in the past and deserves the nod again as he has restored his offensive fire power to the tune of 16 home runs and, a league leading, 23 doubles.
> Delmon Young said, before the start of this season, that he wanted to show the Twins that he was worth their investment. His stat line has shown that he was right so far (.310 BA 8 HR 45 RBI).
> With the departure of Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, Gardner has been able to man LF in Yankee Stadium on a regular basis and is making Hank Steinbrenner look like a smart man. The speedy outfielder has racked up 23 stolen bases in 66 games this season.
DH - Vladimir Guerrero, TEX; David Ortiz, BOS.
> The LA Angels let Guerrero go in the off-season believing the former all-star outfielder's best years were behind him. Now his Texas Rangers sit atop the AL West, 3.5 games ahead of the LA Angels.
> Big Papi is back, at least with the power numbers. Since April, Ortiz has been one of the major league's most dangerous hitters as he re-claimed his regular third spot in the Sox' batting order.
Pitchers (5 starters, 3 closers) - Clay Buchholz, BOS; Jered Weaver, LAA; Ricky Romero, TOR; Francisco Liriano, MIN; Jeff Niemann, TAM...Jose Valverde, DET; Jon Rauch, MIN; Neftali Feliz, TEX.
> Buchholz has finally harnessed control over the game as well as his nasty stuff and the result is going from near bust to best in the AL.
> Jered Weaver is leading the AL in Ks (107) and has a 7-3 record to go along with it. He's been, easily one of LA's most consistent pitchers.
> Romero has built upon a successful rookie season and his stats are definitely providing visual evidence. 6-3 with a 3.08 ERA and one of the best change-ups in the game.
> Liriano has made a full recovery from Tommy Johns surgery in '07 and his numbers are back to the stellar level they once were in '06. His comeback alone makes him deserve the nod.
> Jeff Niemann is having a stellar sophomore campaign, posting a 6-1 record with a minuscule 2.84 ERA, the 6'9 righty is making a strong bid to be an all-star this season.
>Valverde has given up only 2 earned runs for the Tigers this season and has converted 16 of 17 save opportunities. How can he not be an all-star.
>Rauch was just another arm out of the bullpen until the Twins' all-star closer Joe Nathan went down with a severely torn ulnar collateral ligament in spring training. Now Rauch is 3rd in the AL in saves with 17.
> Neftali Feliz is tops among AL closers in saves and strikeouts, and in just his second year in the bigs--his 1st as a closer--Feliz has one of the best arms among all AL pitchers.

by Aaron Hilton

*All images provided by Google.com
**Look for my NL Overachievers roster coming soon...

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Over-Achievers: NL Roster

A few days ago, I posted my AL Overachievers roster, and as most baseball fans know, the AL has been far superior to the NL these past few years. However, these hard-working, blue collar players could change that in this years midsummer classic in Anaheim.
For the NL:
1st Base
- Joey Votto, CIN; Gaby Sanchez, FLA.
> Votto is third among NL 1st Basemen in batting as well as home runs, and leads all of them in runs scored for an overachieving Cincinnati Reds team. He's been one of the best first basemen in the NL this season and his team is doing well in the standings, he deserves a nod this year.
> Don't let the first name (Gaby) fool you, Sanchez is a man on the field and one of the many talented youngsters on a struggling Marlins ball club. Many thought Mike Stanton would be the biggest rookie for the South Florida franchise; however Sanchez has been there since day 1 and is putting up some gaudy numbers (8 HR .307 AVG .377 OBP)
2nd Base - Kelly Johnson, ARI; Brandon Phillips, CIN.
> Johnson has been a force all year for the Diamondbacks who are a team in transition. He has surprised everyone with his 13 home runs thus far in the season, just 3 long balls away from tying a career high (16) which he set in '07 as a member of the Braves.
> Phillips is another member of the red-hot Reds and, much like the man playing to his left (Votto) Phillips has been a jack of all trades for his team, even batting lead-off from time to time.
3rd Base - David Freese, STL; Casey McGehee, MIL.
> Freese has successfully replaced long time Cardinals 3rd Basemen Scott Rolen and is doing it with the bat as well as the glove. The 27-year-old rookie is batting .300 and has only committed 9 errors in the hot corner thus far for the Central-leading Red Birds.
>McGehee is 2nd in RBI among NL 3rd Basemen with 50 and has launched 12 home runs for the Brew-crew. While his batting average is down this year, his power numbers should be enough to earn him son consideration for the Midsummer Classic.
Shortstop - Juan Uribe, SF; Stephen Drew, ARI.
> Uribe was voted top position player for the Giants by the fans on ESPN's SportsNation, and rightfully so. The hard-swinging middle-infielder has belted 11 homers while driving in 44 runs. The only other shortstop in the NL with those numbers, perennial all-star, Hanley Ramirez.
> Tulowitzki has returned to the form that made him a finalist in the '07 Rookie of the Year voting. Still, the highest batting shortstop in the majors has yet to make an All-Star game in his brilliant, young career. Could this be his first?
Catcher - Miguel Olivo, COL; Nick Hundley, SD.
> Olivo's heroic May 12 performance against the Phillies raised his batting average from .228 to .274 and he hasn't looked back. His average now sits at .296 and he's on pace to hit, a career high, 27 home runs; however, he's also caught an amazing 54.3% of baserunners this season. Offensively or defensively, there isn't a better catcher in the NL right now.
> Nick Hundley's offensive numbers--.267 BA 5 HR--aren't eye popping; but, he has the fourth highest catcher's ERA and has commanded the Major Leagues' strongest pitching staff. He deserves at least a hard look.
Outfield (top 5 players) - Corey Hart, MIL; Chris Young, ARI; Josh Willingham, WSH; Colby Rasmus, STL; Carlos Gonzalez, COL.
> Hart's numbers speak for themselves, and it couldn't hurt to have the tallest outfielder in the majors on your All-Star roster. Especially when he's hit 18 long balls.
>Young has seemed to finally figure it out at the big league level after an up and down season last year, Young has put together a strong first half for the Diamondbacks hitting .272 with 12 home runs. His speed and athleticism alone should be enough to earn him some consideration.
> Willingham has been a monster for the Nationals and is a fan favorite in their ballpark. His power numbers have always been there and this year he's also been an on-base machine posting a .406 OPB, tops among all major league outfielders.
> Rasmus is second in home runs (14) at his position and has a .372 on-base percentage at just 23-years-old. The sky is the limit for this kid, but an All-Star nod shouldn't be out of the question this year either.
> Gonzalez is definitely one of my favorite new players in baseball, let alone the NL. His numbers are just too good to miss-- .304 BA 10 HR 42 RBI--and he's doing all of this in his first full season as a starter. If he doesn't make it to the all-star game, it will be a crime.
DH - Adam Dunn, WSH; Troy Glaus, ATL.
> If the NL had a DH, Adam Dunn would be the prototype, and he looks a lot like comedian Will Ferrell; but this man is no joke. He averages 40 dingers and 100+ RBI a season, and Dunn has been a big part of putting the Nationals on the map in the NL.
> Prior to this season, Glaus, a career 3rd Baseman, had only played 6 career games at 1st. This year he hasn't played any other position and is back to producing big time power numbers with his 25 extra base hits and 55 RBI to go along with 39 runs and a .376 OBP for the NL East leading Braves.
Pitchers (5 starters, 3 closers) - Jaime Garcia, STL; Yovani Gallardo, MIL; Mike Pelfrey, NYM; Livan Hernandez, WSH; Mat Latos, SD...Matt Capps, WSH; Billy Wagner, NYM; Carlos Marmol, CHC.
> Garcia, as a rookie, has only 2 outings of less than 6 innings and in each of those outings he's allowed a combined 1 run. He's only had one game where he allowed 3 runs and he won that game for the Cardinals. He's been the 2nd most dominant pitcher in the NL so far, behind Jimenez. Overall Garcia, 23, is 7-3 with a 1.79 ERA.
> Gallardo is a strikeout machine for the Brewers posting 115 Ks in his 103 innings pitches so far this season. He's also got a sub 3.00 ERA and is 7-3 for the Brew-Crew. He deserves the all-star nod this year.
> Pelfrey is on pace to be a 20-game winner for the Mets this year as he and R.A. Dickey have really solidified the Mets starting pitching. Pelfrey, 9-2 with a 2.69 ERA, is a huge reason why they Mets are only a half game out of first in the NL East.
> Hernandez has found a way to make his low-80s fastball work to his advantage this year for the Nationals. He's 6-4 with a 2.82 ERA and has really only made 2 bad starts all season.
> You can't have an All-Star pitching staff without including a member of the best staff in baseball. 22-year-old Mat Latos is 8-2 for the surging Padres and has been the most impressive starter on a staff whose ERA is an MLB best 3.07 on the year.
> Capps has come on strong this year for the Nationals. He leads the NL in saves with 22 and is coming off a year in which he had an ERA over 5.00. Now Capps is one of the premier closers in the NL this year.
> Billy Wagner has clearly benefited from his year in Boston where he was put into the fire and involved in a heated playoff race with the Sox. This year, the aging lefty has blown only two saves while striking out 13.19 batters per 9 innings, 3rd among NL closers.
> Marmol has some of the best stuff in the major leagues. This year, his first as a closer, he has taken his pitching to a whole new level earning nearly twice as many Ks (61) as innings pitched (33).

Obviously, many of the players on this roster won't make the all-star team; there's just not that much room and there are a lot of good players in this league. However, the point bringing these players to light is that if the fans looked hard enough at the performance, and not the player. Some people would be shocked at how differently the All-Star games would look. Here's the stat line of the top hitting NL East second baseman: .331 AVG, .371 OBP, 7 HR, 21 2B, 103 H. Who is it?
A lot of you might have thought Chase Utley, or maybe even Christian Guzman, but you'd be wrong. That gaudy stat line belongs to none other than Atlanta Braves second baseman Martin Prado
What about this stat line from an AL third baseman: .342 AVG, 11 HR, 51 RBI, 21 2B. Is it A-Rod, Evan Longoria, or Michael Young? None of the above, this ridiculous stat-line belongs to none other than Sox corner infielder, Adrian Beltre who trails all three of the aforementioned players in the All-Star balloting.
So again, I say that it's not the play that gets voted to the MLB All-Star game every July, but rather the player most fans find readily recognizable. The sooner that changes, the better America's past-time becomes.

by Aaron Hilton