Month: May 2015

Save the Superheroes: The Genius of a 6 Man Rotation

Posted on by DylanHornik

These days, Citi Field is looking more and more like a comic book.

Not because of the usual suspects, the hilariously bad efforts of the Mets, but because of the nicknames of their impressive pitching staff. The team is currently featuring a dynamic trio of aliases, including Thor (rookie Noah Syndergaard), the Dark Knight (ace Matt Harvey), and my personal favorite and personal creation, the Ageless Wonder (42 year-old Bartolo Colon). In order to keep their warriors fresh for each fight, the team announced this week that they will expand their Justice League Rotation to 6 arms instead of the normal 5. Many pundits have bashed this decision for days, citing the fragile mental state of pitchers and the long-term effects, but it’s not as bad as you think. In fact, the 6 man rotation could be exactly what the MLB is looking for to save pitchers from arm troubles.

Perhaps the most prominent reason that the Mets expanded their starting staff is because they simply couldn’t pick who to drop down to the minors or the bullpen. Quite frankly, that’s not a terrible problem to have. The front office called up Syndergaard from AAA Las Vegas, where he gave up only 6 earned runs in 29.2 IP, after starter Dillon Gee injured his groin. Now that Gee is back on the rehab trail, the sensitive relationship between Gee and the team is rears its ugly head again. He has explicitly told the media and the team that he prefers to be in the starting rotation over the bullpen, and would be open to being traded to fulfill his wishes. Since the market isn’t active yet and “Trade Season” hasn’t begun, it makes the most sense to bring Gee back into the rotation for the time being. Syndergaard should stay for myriad reasons, including his 2.55 ERA and his uncanny ability to draw a large crowd.

Dillon Gee, inset, is one of the main reasons that the Mets have gone to a 6 man starting rotation.

The Mets have a few pitchers that could benefit from the extra days off as well. As they have accumulated wealth in the pitching staff, they have encountered a few obstacles. Matt Harvey shout out of a cannon in 2012, striking out 11 in his first major league start en route to a 2.73 ERA in 10 starts in 2012. His whirlwind success didn’t slow to a halt until he was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his elbow in 2013, posting a 2.27 ERA and a 9-5 record up to that point. Although he crept out of the back page news, he made front page headlines by becoming one of the most visible celebrities in the country. Harvey used the same flashy demeanor when he stepped back onto a baseball field this spring, hitting 99 MPH against his first batter back from Tommy John Surgery. Only in his last two starts have we seen the rust and effects of a year and a half absence from the mound. In his most recent start against the Pirates, he gave up 6 hits and 7 earned runs in just 4 innings, the shortest outing of his career. Going to a six man rotation now is a great opportunity to rest his arm after a surprisingly strong start to this season.

Bartolo Colon and Matt Harvey, above, are both beneficiaries of an extra day’s rest.

Bartolo Colon is shocking himself at this point with his staggering success this year, his 18th season in the bigs. Right now, he stands at a 7-3 record, with a below-average ERA of 4.85. However, he leads the National League in walks per 9 innings pitched (0.73) and strikeouts per walk (10.8). The journeyman claims he drug free after he was suspended in 2012 for the use of testosterone and attributes his success to his well-known command his the wisdom he’s garnered from pitching for close to 20 years in the MLB (Sidenote: he also has two hits in his first 10 games, which is already tied for the third most in his career, while looking like a shaven bear with a tree trunk swinging at the plate). Getting the extra day off in between starts can do nothing but help the 42 year old Colon, who threw over 200 innings for the 8th time in his career.

There’s also the point of protecting the rookie Syndergaard during his first taste of the big leagues. The Mets don’t want to rely on him like they relied on Harvey through his first 12 months of MLB ball and like they did with Zack Wheeler. Wheeler pitched half a year of big league ball in 2013, and a full year last year, compiling almost 300 innings by the time he turns 25 on May 30th of this year. The immense workload on his young arm resulted in Tommy John Surgery before this year even started.

Perhaps a larger rotation could have saved Marlins phenom Jose Fernandez, who had Tommy John Surgery a year ago.

Perhaps a 6 man rotation could cure the arm injury epidemic that has ravaged the MLB and the minor leagues for years. Tossing in an extra day of rest could keep the entire staff, including relievers, fresh well into September and October. It would allow for extra rest to heal soreness and tightness that could turn into something much more serious. A 6 man rotation could also give minor league pitchers a chance to prove their worth earlier in their careers rather than later, providing far more exciting and promising baseball for teams, like the Mets, that have toiled in sub-mediocrity for years. There have been multiple teams just this year that have either implemented or at least thought about using the 6 man rotation. This week, the Red Sox called up highly regarded prospect Eduardo Rodriguez to pitch against the Rangers on Thursday and will go to a six man rotation for the time being. There’s also the St. Louis Cardinals, who’s ace Adam Wainwright was shut down earlier this month with a torn Achilles. For a while, the team was considering moving towards a 6 man rotation to pick up the production of Wainwright. It’s not new, and it’s not used often, but the 6 man rotation could be just what baseball needs.

I know a lot is made out of pitchers being “creatures of habit” and having their day-to-day workouts and schedules planned out like a cruise ship director’s daily planner, but if they can adapt to a strict 5 day schedule, they can just as easily re-adapt to a 6 day schedule. Pitcher’s are humans, not robots, and the adjustment to a 6 man rotation is probably easier than we think. For now though, all we can do is examine the results of the Comic-Con that the Mets pitching staff has become.

Underdog Special: Remember and Honor

Posted on by DylanHornik

April 22nd, 2004. 

For the family of Pat Tillman, this date brings back fond memories of a true American and troubling reminders of the horrors of war. It was on this day more than 11 years ago that Tillman was killed in action in Afghanistan. He was an Army Ranger and a hero, but he is much more than that; he is a suggestion that there is more to our lives than what we face daily. 

For those who don’t know, Patrick Daniel Tillman’s story began in 1994 at Arizona State University when he procured the final football scholarship as an undersized linebacker. He was everything you could imagine in the perfect student- athlete: the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1997, leading his team to the Rose Bowl, and graduated with a degree in marketing and a 3.85 GPA. He was taken in the 7th round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Tillman started 10 of 16 games in his rookie year after converting to safety. He was one of the brightest defensive stars in the NFL at the turn of the century, recording 155 tackles in the 2000 NFL season. 

RIP Pat Tillman. Warrior on the field, patriot off the field.

 But enough of the stuff that you can find in his Wikipedia page. Tillman was impressive all around. He read the Holy Books from every major religion and cited Henry David Thoreau as one of his favorite writers and philosophers. He tried to understand everyone from every point of view, a real free-thinker. Tillman never wanted to be a distraction or attract media attention. He just wanted to do what he thought was just. So, to those who knew him, it was no surprise when, inspired by the events of September 11th, 2001, he turned down a contract extension with the Cardinals to join the United States Army with his brother in 2002. 

Tillman by no means supported the War on Terrorism waged by the Bush administration. He called it “an imperial folly” and “illegal and unjust”. However, he felt the life he led was now insignificant and decided to protect and serve our country anyway. Tragically, Tillman was killed in action on that day, April 22nd, 2004. It was initially ruled death by enemy fire but after an investigation, the nation found out that he was killed by friendly fire due to “gross negligence”. In the weeks after his death, Tillman became exactly what he wished against; a nationally known hero and a poster boy for the War in Iraq.

His legacy is lost more and more as each year passes. Now, he is just a subtitle of the headline that this war has generated. Tillman was a man that had it all and gave it up to protect the very people that now don’t know his story. This may be the only anti-sports sentient that I write in the history of this page, but it is a certain truth: As a nation, we care more daily about the men wearing different uniforms playing a game than we do about the men and women wearing the same uniform playing with their lives and our freedom. 

Ted Williams also served. He was a fighter pilot for 5 years, and hit 521 home runs in the MLB.

 War is a horrible thing, almost everybody can agree with that. However, if we must live in a world where war is the norm, we must live in a world where appreciation and remembrance is the norm as well. We cannot blindly ignore the atrocities that have the potential to affect our lives, and we certainly cannot ignore the men and women that have lived and died fighting in these atrocities. The military men and women of our country are underappreciated constantly. 

Take this: the salaries of an Army officer range from $18,00 to just under $70,000. In contrast, the average MLB player makes $3.2 million. That’s $3.2 million for around 7 or 8 months of work. Army officers work around the clock with an average tour of duty ranging from half a year to four years. To say that the people who protect the United States of America are financially unloved is a gross understatement. In a perfect world, military combatants are justly paid for their line of duty. It only makes sense that in a country based on equality and fairness, that these men and women are given equal and fair pay relative to the rigor of their career choice?

I know that the previous sentiment is a little far-fetched. There are a lot of people that are much smart than I am that figure out How much military officers and professional athletes are paid. Logistically, there are probably a million reasons why these salaries are this way; TV rights, marketability, blah blah blah. This is just another example of the attitude we have towards respecting our military; we don’t thoroughly question the reasoning behind the outlandish salaries of athletes and the meager ones of military officers. We do, however, memorize annual salaries and team payrolls (I admit that I am one of the biggest offenders).  

America. we have the greatest sports fans in the world. Can we respect our military the same way?

 Since 2003, over 6,500 members of the U.S Armed Forces have been confirmed dead in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s over 6,500 families that had to endure what the Tillman’s did. Pat’s wife, described his mother’s reaction as “The most agonizing scream from deep inside.” Imagine that, but 6,500 times over. But our country gives us something to believe in. Everyone that knows a military member has the feeling that they may be killed, but there’s also an uprising hope that they will return home. Often times, they do. These homecoming reunions can also be some deep, heart-touching moments. For everyone else, it is imperative to keep in mind that there are people going through things much worse than a losing streak or a hitting slump. So watch your favorite team play on this Memorial Day. But just remember those that fight, that have passed and that have survived, to make our freedom to watch and play possible. 

The Case for A-Rod

Posted on by DylanHornik

May 7th, 2015. A day that will live, for Alex Rodriguez, as a blessing and a curse.

On that night, at his “home” ballpark in the Bronx, he completed his most historic milestone yet. A-Rod passed Willie Mays on the all-time home run list, with his 661st of his seemingly illustrious career. To date, the statistics for his 21-year career: 661 homers, 1,988 RBI, 2,963 hits, and a .299 batting average. All signs point to a first ballot Hall of Fame trip, right?

Well, not exactly. A-Rod’s stats have been marred by his admittance of steroid use multiple times throughout his career. He has fallen out of good graces with the majority of Yankees fans, and baseball in general. The latest chapter in his saga includes the Yankees’ front office; General Manager Brian Cashman said that the team will not grant Rodriguez the $6 million bonus he is due for passing Mays, saying that it is their “right” to pay him, not an “obligation”, and that A-Rod isn’t marketable anymore. The MLB Players Association has stated that they will fight on Rodriguez’s behalf, as they should. Although A-Rod cheated to get to the milestone, it is still his “right” to cash in on what he has done. 

Brian Cashman has repeatedly stated that the team will not give Rodriguez his bonus.

 Rodriguez’s contract stipulates that the bonus for passing Willie Mays is a “marketing agreement”. To say that A-Rod isn’t marketable isn’t entirely true. Although the Yankees no longer sell a #13 jersey on their website, third party companies like eBay and Fanatics have his jersey going for as high as $180, which would be the highest price for a player’s jersey on the Yankees site. His t-shirt on Macys.com is listed for $28, which would also be the most expensive player t-shirt on Yankees.com. Taking a look at memorabilia, verified vendors like SportsMemorabilia.com have an A-Rod signed ball going for over $1,500. This would demolish every signed ball on the Yankees shop. Right now the most expensive ball is a Mariano Rivera autographed ball from the 1999 World Series- for $500. And do the Yankees really think that if they sold a t-shirt that said “661*” that it wouldn’t sell out at the next home game? There’s still a market for Alex Rodriguez’s merchandise, and the Yankees should realize that they need to capitalize on the fact that he did cheat to make that market more attractive to every fan.

If another problem is the simple fact that he did something wrong and that he will not be elected to the Hall of Fame, then take a look at some players that are considered all time greats that are in the Hall. Tris Speaker is one of the great center fielders in baseball history, a true legend of the game. He has the 5th most hits of all time at 3,514, his career .345 ranks sixth all time, and he holds two MLB records: most career doubles at 792 and most career outfield assists at 449. What is overlooked, however, is that he and fellow legend Ty Cobb fixed “at least” one game between their respective teams while they were managers in 1926. Speaker was also reportedly one of several players during his time that were part of the Ku Klux Klan (yes, the same KKK). However, he had no problem reaching the Hall, gathering over 80% of the vote in 1937. 

Speaker, left, and Cepeda, right, don’t have the best track records.

 Orlando Cepeda is also immortalized in the Hall of Fame. He was elected in 1999 by the Veterans Committee, which votes on players that are ineligible to be voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Cepeda was an 11 time All-Star and a 2 time National League RBI Champion. He was also a noted drug user from 1965 (the middle of his career) until later in his life. He was convicted of drug possession charges in 1978 after trying to smuggle marijuana from Colombia to the United States in 1975. He served 10 months of his 5 year sentence in jail, the rest on probation in a halfway home for fear that the mafia would find and kill him. Oh, by the way, all of this happened after his retirement but before he was celebrated in Cooperstown at the Hall of Fame. Former Players Association Executive Director Marvin Miller once said that “the Hall is full of villains.” A-Rod would fit right in.

Let’s not forget that A-Rod didn’t use steroids for his whole career. He admitted to using it from 2001-2003 while with the Texas Rangers. In that span, he had 569 hits and 156 homers. If you subtract those numbers from his career stats, he still has 505 homers and just under 2,400 hits. That’s still nothing to laugh at, and definitely Hall of Fame power. The Yankees should pay Rodriguez his $6 million bonus just for having the career he did without the steroid numbers. 

Rodriguez was a monster in Arlington, but his numbers were tainted.

 I’m by no means in favor of what A-Rod has done. Cheating is cheating, and it is wrong any way you slice it. However, I feel that the Yankees are just trying to add to the career-long vendetta that they have against Rodriguez by denying him what he really does deserve. On that front, I feel for A-Rod. He’s trying to turn his career and life around, but the Yankees seem bent on stifling him. 

Determined, Dynamic, and Doing Well: Division II Success Stories

Posted on by DylanHornik

‘Tis the season for fresh starts all around the country. Today, May 1st, is the day that most of the 3 million or so high school seniors in the U.S make their final decisions on where to continue their higher education (Go St. John’s!). This weekend also happens to be the weekend of the NFL Draft, where hundreds of talented and determined athletes have their futures decided for them by the sleep-deprived, coffee-dependent executives of the National Football League. For football players and 12th graders alike, this can be a nerve-racking, and admittedly frustrating and disappointing time. For the seniors, getting into that big name school but not getting any financial help could crush dreams; likewise for the poor suckers that get drafted by the Jaguars and Buccaneers (sorry, Jameis Winston).

For as many heartbreaks as these circumstances allow, there is a small percentage of NFL hopefuls that didn’t let their college choice keep them from chasing their dream. There is a small group of NFL players that don’t come from the Alabama’s or Notre Dame’s, but rather some smaller schools in the NCAA’s Division II. I think it’s only fitting that this week those who got the most out of wherever they went and are living their NFL dream are given some limelight.

First up is everyone’s favorite average-sized superhero, Danny Woodhead. A graduate of Chadron State College in Nebraska, Woodhead set numerous DII and NCAA records, including the 2,740 yards he ran for in the 2006 regular season. He is a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner, essentially the Heisman of Division II, given to the best player in DII football. Despite his impressive stats, he wasn’t given an invite to the NFL Combine, and used his Pro Day to prove everyone wrong. Woodhead ran the 40-yard dash n 4.33 seconds, and bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times. Even after having the opportunity to prove himself in front of scouts, he wasn’t given the time of day during the 2008 NFL Draft, going undrafted. Woodhead stayed positive, and eventually signed a rookie level contract with the New York Jets.

Woodhead was a monster at Chadron State, racking up over 9,000 all-purpose yards.

His time at the Meadowlands was short, and he was used sparingly. After totaling just 151 all-purpose yards in his one season in green and white, Woodhead made the ultimate traitor move. He signed with the AFC-East rival Patriots the next season- one day before they played the Jets. He got his first start the week after, and scored his first career touchdown against the Dolphins. From there, Woodhead was off and running-literally. He had sustained success with the Patriots in his three-year tenure, and went on to sign a two year, $3.5 million contract with the San Diego Chargers. In his first season, he surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards for the first time in his career. Woodhead is described by his former college coach as “unbelievable”. His perseverance and attitude throughout his football career definitely reflect those sentiments.

He’s mostly known for the best interception of the 2014 NFL Season, but Brent Grimes had a season this year that proved that he is one of the most savvy and athletic players at the cornerback position. His road to the NFL, though, is one that’s not desirable. Like Woodhead, Grimes was undrafted out of his DII alma mater Shippensburg University, where he was a 3 time All-American. He was eventually signed to the Atlanta Falcons, who allocated him to the NFL Europe. He played for 3 teams there, winning World Bowl XV with the Hamburg Sea Devils.

This catch by Grimes is one of the top plays from the 2014 season.

After that season ended, he found himself on the active roster for the Falcons. After toiling on the bottom of the depth chart for two seasons, he found success in 2009 with 66 tackles and 6 interceptions. He was even better in 2010, earning Pro Bowl Alternate honors. But then the injury bug came after Grimes, and came after him hard. He struggled with injuries in 2011 and 2012 when he tore his Achilles. He wasn’t resigned with Atlanta after 2012, and pundits immediately trashed him saying he “wasn’t worth the money” and “dicey at best” after his injury. Boy, did he show them. He made the Pro Bowl again in 2013 and 2014, and for a large portion of the 2014 season he was in discussions as one of the top cornerbacks in the game. Not bad for a guy who came from a college town known for it’s Corn Festival rather than gridiron play.

Although his school is now considered Division I, Vincent Jackson’s alma mater, the University of Northern Colorado was a lowly DII program that went 2-9 in Jackson’s final year. As a Bear, he shattered school records in receptions, receiving yards, kick return yards, punt return yards, and receiving touchdowns. To top it all off, he started for the UNC basketball team as well. He is the only one of the three players highlighted to have been drafted- he was taken in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.

Jackson has had one of the most productive careers from a Division II player.

His first three years in the league were slow, topping out at a very average 41 catches. From there, his career and status as a top wideout exploded. Since 2008, he has only posted one season with less than 1,000 receiving yards and in that lone season, 2010, he held out of the first 10 games due to a contract dispute. Even after his move to Tampa Bay, where he’s had some pretty bad quarterbacks in a revolving door of starters for the Bucs (Mike Glennon, Josh Freeman, Josh McCown), he kept up his 1,000 yard pace in 2014, just nipping it with 1,002 yards. While some in San Diego rah-rahed about his poor, selfish attitude, he has been labeled by former coach Greg Schiano as a team player with an incredible work ethic, and is one of the captains for the red, pewter, and white.

This isn’t to say that your team should go out and take that guy from a local community college in the NFL Draft because he has untapped potential. There are guys a lot smarter than me making those decisions, and they leave nothing to chance. Look out for the next Danny Woodhead, Brent Grimes, or Vincent Jackson, and then say “I told you so” to all of your friends and co-workers.