by Nick Brower | Feb 20, 2018 | SPORTS
Reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton arrived in Tampa late last week to report to Yankees Spring Training. All eyes are fixed on Stanton and new teammate Aaron Judge as they begin their spring with lofty hopes on the horizon. People are already comparing the pair to Yankee legends Roger Marris and Mickey Mantle. The power numbers will be insane but Giancarlo faces a new challenge in New York. The Marlins didn’t have a single winning season during Stanton’s eight year stay and that’s just not acceptable in the Bronx. Stanton will have to adjust to the pressure that comes with the pinstripes and I think that is the true storyline to watch. There is no hiding in New York and every move will be magnified and scrutinized. No one is going to be patient as Stanton and Judge figure out who is going to play which corner outfield position and no one is going to feel bad for either of them if they struggle. After falling just one win shy of the World Series last year, its championship or bust for the Yanks this season. Anything short of that will be seen as a failure.
by Nick Brower | Feb 20, 2018 | SPORTS
After months of rumors and speculation, former Arizona slugger J.D. Martinez has signed with the Red Sox. Boston was finally able to seal the deal for a cool $110 million over five years. The contract is heavily front loaded and gives Martinez opt-out options after the second and third seasons. This addition gives Boston one hell of a lineup. Martinez, an outfielder by trade, is slotted for the DH spot and will likely see time in either corner as matchups and rest allow. J.D. will fill a void in the middle of the lineup that has hurt Boston big time since David Ortiz has retired. This lineup sorely missed power production last year, but that problem is solved now. Martinez has quietly been one of the best power hitters the last four seasons and this move to a bigger market will put his bat in the national spotlight where it belongs. For those of you who are skeptical about the big numbers, here’s the stat to shut you up. Martinez became the first player since Albert Pujols in 2009 to hit .300+ and slug over .650. Martinez is a pure hitter with major pop. Boston fans should expect a few dents in the Green Monster over the next few seasons.
by Nick Brower | Feb 20, 2018 | SPORTS
The Men’s team enjoyed a decisive 5-1 victory over Slovakia last night to secure a date with the Czech Republic in the Quarterfinals. The team seems to be hitting its stride and is beginning to gel nicely. The NHL chose not to participate in the Olympics for the first time since 1994, meaning Team USA would have to find its talent elsewhere. General Manager Jim Johannson decided to create a beautiful mix of American pros playing overseas, AHL players, and four highly touted college kids. This blend of youth and experience has payed off big time as the team is getting major contributions from players across the board. The college players stole the spotlight Tuesday night as Ryan Donato of Harvard scored two goals and Troy Terry from the University of Denver added three assists. Defenseman James Wisniewski, who plays professionally in Germany, is loving having the kids on board. “They’re great kids, all four of them.” he said after the game, “I hope they score 100 goals and I can get a gold medal out of it”. I hope so too, James. Team USA will take on the undefeated Czech’s tonight at 10:10 EST.
by Nick Brower | Feb 20, 2018 | SPORTS
The NCAA announced that Louisville’s appeal to the sanctions levied has been denied. This means that Louisville’s 2013 National Championship will be vacated along with its Final Four appearance in 2012. This marks the first time a program will have to vacate a National Championship in the Final Four era. These sanctions come in the wake of an investigation that found former staff members paid for and arranged strip teases and sex acts for recruits at parties on campus during recruitment visits. Also considered in this case were allegations of further recruitment tampering including payments made to families of recruits for commitments. The penalties extend to a total of 123 victories being vacated, a four year probation period that includes scholarship and recruitment restrictions, and around $15 million in fines and forfeiture of revenue. Louisville appealed on the grounds that these penalties “went beyond what we consider to be fair and reasonable.” I am personally happy to see such harsh punishment. The state of collegiate athletics and the NCAA is full of corruption and dirty stories like this one. The NCAA needs to start cleaning up its act and this punishment will serve as a stern warning to other programs around the country. The beauty of college athletics stems from the passion and purity of its competitors and its time that the colleges and universities stop clouding this with greed and corruption.
by Nick Brower | Feb 20, 2018 | SPORTS
NBA players enjoyed some down time this weekend during the All Star break. 48 of those players took some time to participate in an ESPN poll, asking some questions regarding the future of the league. A few of the questions revolved around Lebron and his upcoming decision. 59% of the players polled think he will stay in Cleveland, with the Lakers being the second most popular choice with 22%. When asked where he should sign, Cleveland jumped up to 66% with the rest of the players scattered all over the league. The players want to see Lebron teamed up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chris Paul and Dwanye Wade, each getting 12% of votes. They were also asked for the best coaching match for Lebron. Popovich received 46% of votes while Tyron Lue only received 18%. A handful of players submitted an answer along the lines of “Lebron is his own coach”. In non-Lebron news, 80% of the players believe Boogie Cousins will start next season in New Orleans. Players were also asked about OKC’s opening night lineup. 45% think that only Russ and Melo will be around next year, 24% think the big three will stay in tact and 22% believe it will Westbrook by himself again. The players were split 51% and 49% on the issue of max contracts. 51% were in favor of a max contract. One player put the argument very nicely, “LeBron, Steph and KD, all those guys bring a lot more than what they’re getting paid. … But being a lower-tier salary guy myself, if you pay those guys even more, the lower guys on the totem pole don’t really get anything”. The final question of interest was, “Which team have you heard makes the best free-agent pitch?” Boston received the highest percentage with 27%. While some of this seems silly, it’s cool to get a peek into some players’ mindsets.
by Nick Brower | Feb 20, 2018 | SPORTS
In the wake of the new pace of play rules to be implemented this season in the MLB there are a few questions left to be asked. I was hoping to get some more information out of Commissioner Rob Manfred’s press conference from Arizona’s spring training media day but he seemed to skate around the direct questions posed to him. The biggest question for me is what is the penalty for going over the six mound visits that are allowed. Right now there does not seem to be a clear answer to that. Manfred only said today that the umpire will be responsible to “stop” that mound visit from happening. What does that mean? A stern, “Hey, you can’t do that!”? Or physically getting in between a position player and his pitcher? Without a clear penalty I’m not sure the players will obey the rule. One idea is that every mound visit after the sixth will force a pitching change, regardless of intent. This is harsh but will surely deter players from going over the allotted number of visits.
