With the first round of the 2013 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select...
Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan.
The off season signing of Alex Smith, QB from the 49'ers, practically ensured that the Chiefs would not use the number one overall pick on a quarterback. Previously West Virginia QB Geno Smith was linked to the Chiefs, but those rumors were quelled when Alex Smith was signed. The may look for depth at this position in later rounds.
Fisher is a mammoth at 6'7 306 lbs. He is a natural athlete with bend and foot quickness off the snap. A strong anchor in pass protection, he will give Smith much needed protection. He flashes nastiness as a drive blocker, latching on and churning his legs to push his man back a few yards. Possesses foot quickness and effective hands to move from one target to the other in combo blocks.
Fisher was a first team All-MAC selection as a senior.
Read more
The Phils end up a run short in the ninth inning, as they lose to the Royals, 9-8.
The Phils end up a run short of their second straight walk-off win, as they lose to the Royals, 9-8.
The Phils took the lead in the bottom of the first as, win runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, knocking in Ben Revere, who had started off the Phils’ half of the first with a single, then moved up to third base on Jimmy Rollins’ single, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Rollins, who had just singled, over to third. Two batters later, after Ryan Howard had struck out for the inning’s first out, Michael Young gives the Phils a 2-0 lead with an RBI single, easily scoring Rollins, while sending Utley up to second base. The Phils them made it a 3-0 lead as Dom Brown hits an RBI single, knocking in Utley, while sending... 30-1 MLB countdown previews: #9 Royals
The Kansas City Royals have not been to the playoffs since 1985. They have had all losing seasons since 1995 except one (2003 under Tony Pena: 83-79). The organization has had some terrible drafts and not caught a lot of breaks since the early 1990s. However, General Manager Dayton Moore had built a strong farm system bringing prospects like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez to form a small offensive core. Unfortunately, their pitching has been a major weakness, with the team unable to produce the same talent on the mound as it has at the plate. Moore was criticized for making the trade with Tampa Bay for James Shields and Wade Davis, with the "experts" pointing at the fact the deal may hurt them in the long run. Moore is hoping the deal brings at least some short term success... MLB Complete 2013 Team Previews
At long last, we have completed our team previews. Well, we did the best we could with player movement, but obviously guys like Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse won’t be seen here.
As we said at the beginning of these, the numbers you saw throughout these are the projections of the individual writer and not necessarily what you’ll see in our Draft Kit, which comes out on February 18.
We’re thankful to you readers who continued to read our previews and offer your feedback. In case you missed any teams, here’s all of Major League Baseball.
| AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Detroit Tigers | Los Angeles Angels | Washington Nationals | St. Louis Cardinals | San Francisco Giants |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Kansas City Royals | Oakland A’s | Atlanta Braves | Cincinnati Reds | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Baltimore Orioles | Chicago White Sox | Texas...
Read more
It’s Super Bowl Sunday and I am … JACKED UP!!!!
EVEN THOUGH MY TEAM IS NOT PLAYING IN THIS YEAR'S SUPER BOWL (and probably not any SB soon) I AM STILL JACKED UP. THIS IS WHAT EVEN WAS TALKING ABOUT ON THAT OPENING THURSDAY NIGHT OF FOOTBALL BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
SO ENJOY THE SHOW! EAT TOO MUCH AND CALL OUT OF WORK TOMORROW.
IF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM WINS GOOD FOR YOU IF YOUR TEAM IS ONE OF THE 32 TEAMS THAT DID NOT WIN THE SUPER BOWL BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR OR SHOULD I SAY SEE YOU IN AUGUST. ONLY ABOUT 5 MONTHS UNTIL TRAINING CAMP.
CHECK OUT MTR FOR COMPLETE DRAFT COVERAGE AND FREE AGENT FOLLOWINGS WHEN THE SEASON IS FINALLY OVER WITH.
ENJOY THE DAY AND THE COMMERCIALS AND THE GAME!!!!
I LOVE NEW ORLEANS AND WISH I WAS THERE....
Read more
Ranking the current MLB manager 1-30: 2013
http://www.johnpielli.com/1/post/2012/02/ranking-the-current-mlb-managers-1-30-best-to-worst.html
Last year, I put together a list of what I thought were the best to worst MLB managers. Things obviously change year to year based on teams performances and the direction the manager has his team going in. The manager's track record also has to be taken into consideration, which makes this a very interesting discussion. While the talent on the team is a consideration as well, this is not simply a ranking of the 30 best teams.
The great thing about this is similar to ranking the best and worst teams coming into the season: opinions on this list will vary to the reader. Just like the list I did last year, I have to rank the managers who have no MLB managerial experience at the bottom of the list, as nothing can be said about judging their performance. So, like last year, let the discussion begin.
1....
Read more
Vince Coleman or Roger Cedeno? Or could Michael Bourn be different? 
The Mets may or may not be interested in free agent OF Michael Bourn. It is safe to say the amount of interest has to do with how much of a chance the Mets have of having their first round draft pick in this year's draft (11th overall). While Bourn would give the Mets a major league outfielder they do not have, there may be some questions about how a player who relies solely on his legs after the age of 30.
It is easy to look at the positives; Bourn plays a very good defensive centerfield and will steal several bases. Bourn has won two Gold Gloves and led the NL in stolen bases from 2009 through 2011. He also nearly doubled his career high with 9 HR playing his home games in Atlanta. He also drew a career... What % of games the games best designated hitters actually DH(ed)
Most know that Ron Bloomberg was the first DH in the history of MLB when he batted for the Yankees in 1973. But few know that the designated hitter was originally not used close to the way it is used now. American League teams looked at it as a way to get somebody up there that was a better hitter than a pitcher. In other words, most teams would set up their regular lineup 1-8, with the DH batting ninth. The DH originally consisted of a team's best pinch hitter and that batter would be guaranteed three or four ABs. Obviously, teams were quick to use the extra batter to their advantage, with veteran players getting a couple of extra seasons by not playing the field.
The first major player to embrace the role was Hal McRae. McRae was entering the prime of his career and may not have not had the...
Read more
Gaylord Perry: Hall of Famer, complier or cheater? 
One player whose name was brought up during the recent non-announcement of a MLB Hall of Fame player was Gaylord Perry. Perry was long known for throwing a spitball and doctoring the baseball in any different ways. Perry was inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1991, with his 314 wins and over 3500 strikeouts. Those numbers are considered magic numbers and for a long time were automatic for nomination. Though 300 wins may not happen again, 3000 strikeouts may be losing its legend. We will see over the next several seasons if guys like Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and John Smoltz get in.
It will not take long to take the compiler label off of Perry. He did, however, finish with 265 career losses and a .542 winning percentage. In addition to the wins and strikeouts, he did plan on retiring... 1/10/2013 Aaron Guiel interview (Passed Ball Show) |