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Sykora Calls His Shot and Forces a Game 6

Jun 3

Posted by admin in High School Sports, Hockey, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Sports Tragedies, Uncategorized, online sports community | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

Move over Babe Ruth, you have some company in the form of Penguins forward Petr Sykora. And while, Ruth’s mythic called shot at Wrigley Field has become the thing of legend and much speculation there can be no doubt about Petr Sykora’s overtime heroics in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Before overtime began Sykora told NHL ice-side reporter Pierre McGuire that he would be the one to score the game winning goal and he lived up to his proclamation.

For a long while though, the game and the Stanley Cup, seemed to be firmly in the grasp of the Detroit Red Wings. They controlled the play in all 3 overtime periods and dominated the third period in which Pittsburgh saw its 2-1 lead quickly vanish into a 3-2 deficit.

The game started out well for the Penguins as they controlled play in the first period and held a 2-0 lead heading into the second. Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead on Marian Hossa’s goal at 8:37 in the first off a feed from linemate Sidney Crosby. They expanded on that lead when forward Adam Hall scored an unassisted goal at 14:41 in the first period his third of the playoffs, and seemed to have Detroit on its heels.

Detroit emerged from the locker room with a renewed determination to capture the Stanley Cup on home ice and quickly tallied their first goal of the game when forward David Helm took a feed from Kirk Maltby and slipped a shot by Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The rest of the period remained scoreless and ended with the Penguins leading 2-1.

In the third period Detroit seemed to put any notion that they would not be hoisting the Cup to rest, dictating the pace of play from the start. At 6:43 of the third, Pavel Datsyuk took a pass from Henrik Zetterberg and notched his tenth goal of the playoffs, tying the game at 2. Less then 3 minutes letter Brian Rafalski found some open space in Pittsburgh’s zone, secured a pass from Johan Franzen and gave Detroit its first lead of the night.

With about a minute remaining and time quickly running out on Pittsburgh’s seasons, they pulled goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to gain a man advantage. The crowd at Joe Louis Arena was on its feet chanting “We Want the cup!”, and they were just 35 seconds from receiving their wish. That is until Penguins forward Max Talbot jammed a puck from the side of the net past goalie Chris Osgood saving his teams season and sending the game to overtime.

(Penguins bench erupts in celebration after Max Talbot ties Game 5 with just 35 seconds remaining.)

In all 3 overtime periods Detroit seemed to be the fresher team out-skating and out-shooting a tired Pittsburgh squad. And then Pittsburgh received the biggest break of the game when Detroit forward Juri Hudler sent an errant stick check into the lip of Pens defensman Ryan Whitney giving Pittsburgh a 4 minute power play.

It took just 36 seconds for the Penguins to take advantage of the power play. Sergei Gonchar returning to the ice after being injured in the second period sent a pass to Evgeni Malkin who found an open Petr Sykora near the right face off dot he fired a shot over the shoulder of Chris Osgood and sent the series back to Mellon Arena for a Game 6.

This could be the shift in momentum that Pittsburgh has been seeking since dropping the first two games at Joe Louis Arena, before taking one game at home and losing their first game of the playoffs at the Igloo in Game 4.

After a much needed rest the two teams will square off again for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, 8 o’clock at Mellon Arena.

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Maple Bats Should Become Thing of the Past

May 31

Posted by admin in Baseball, College Sports, High School Sports, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Sports Tragedies, Uncategorized, online sports community | 1 Comment

Maple bats may be the most dangerous object on the baseball field. they have cause some significant injuries, some sustained by fans, others sustained by coaches, and still others sustained by players. But, now more then ever, it seems clear that maple bats should go the way of the dinosaur.

Just ask Susan Rhodes, a fan who was struck in the face by a maple bat that shattered when the Rockies Todd Helton made contact with a pitch at Dodger Stadium. The shattered bat slammed into Rhodes’ face breaking her jaw in two places. Rhodes lost consciousness and could not recollect what had happened to her when she regained consciousness.

Rhodes told reporters, “I figured I got hit by a ball. I was very conscious of one flying and thought we aren’t in a very safe area. I don’t know if I was looking at the ball. I can’t remember anything except for the smash and total memory loss”. Rhodes had to undergo surgery in which doctors inserted four screws and a titanium plate on the right side of her jaw. Not exactly the fun outing she was anticipating when heading to the game.

Ash bats were the standard in Major League Baseball until Barry Bonds went on his record breaking season with a maple bat in his hands, and about 50% of the players switched to maple bats.

In a study conducted in conjunction by the league and players union in 2005 they found that ash and maple bats hit equally well, but ash bats tended to break harmlessly while maple bats tended to explode sending pieces of the bat flying in every direction.

The toughest battle the league will face is convincing the players to switch back to the ash bats as many firmly believe the maple bats contain more “pop”. (Heltons bat breaking.)

Meanwhile, Susan Rhodes is still struggling with the injury she sustained May 25th at Dodger Stadium and feels she may never fully recovery. “I had perfect teeth before,” Rhodes told reporters. “They’ve shifted. My bite is off. The jaw on the left side has atrophied. I don’t have the same energy”. That is not the only problem Rhodes is facing, the financial aspect of sustaining such an injury is starting to take it toll as well, with over $7,000 worth of medical bills pouring in.

Rhodes contacted a lawyer who made an inquiry with the Dodgers to ask if they would assist in covering some of the costs, the Dodgers flatly refused. Now Rhodes is considering lawsuits against the bats manufacturer and the Dodgers, but is most likely fighting a losing battle as signs and warnings about flying bats and balls are posted on tickets and around the stadium.

Either way the injury sustained by Rhodes because of the explosive maple bats should be a warning that MLB needs to heed. It may only be a matter of time before one of these injuries results in a fatality to a fan, player, or a coach and that is something no one wants to see happen.

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Super Bowl Champion NY Giants Receive Rings

May 31

Posted by admin in College Sports, Football, High School Sports, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Sports Tragedies, online sports community | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

It seems like ages ago that the world stood still and marveled at the Giants thrilling 17-14 victory over the then undefeated New England Patriots.

Much has happened since that stunning upset on January 3rd. The Patriots have continued to be embroiled by the Spy Gate controversy with former video assistant Matt Walsh finally speaking out. The Giants meanwhile, have lost some key contributors to their Super Bowl roster with Girbirl Wilson and Kawika Mitchell both signing on to new teams.

But, Thursday was a day of celebration albeit a short celebration, for every Giants player on the team as they have finally received their Super Bowl rings. As each player approached the podium and was given their ring they were congratulated by Coach Tom Coughlin and quickly reminded that last season is behind them and the new season is rapidly approaching.

“Lets go back to work, lets do this again”, was the greeting each player received from Coughlin and the Giants players seemed to take the coaches direction to heart.

Almost all of the Giants players current and former were in attendance for the ring ceremony with some notable excpetions. TE Jeremy Shockey did not attend the ceremony fueling speculation that the rift between himself and the team has grown even wider. Antonio Pierce was also not in attendance, because he was with his wife on their honeymoon. Both Gibril Wilson and Kawika Mitchell were in attendance to accept their rings, as well as former GM Ernie Acorsi who may be the man most responsible for the Super Bowl roster.

(Giants players Derrick Ward, Kevin Dockery and Aaron Ross show off their Super Bowl bling).

Strahan has called the rings “ten table stunners” meaning they could be seen from ten tables away, and indeed they are quite a piece of jewelery.

The rings were fashioned by Tiffany & Co. and are made of white gold, with approximately 1.5 diamond carats and feature the teams three Super Bowl trophies. The NY logo is set in diamonds with the word World Champions also appearing on the ring in raised bold lettering.

The ring also notes the Giants historic road run stating ,”Eleven Straight on the Road” and has each players name and number, along with the date and final score of the game.

Now, all that is on the Giants players mind is adding another ring to one of their other fingers.

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Ultimate MVP: Conn Smythe Contenders

May 23

Posted by admin in College Sports, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, High School Sports, Hockey, NHL, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Stanley Cup, Uncategorized, ice hockey, playoffs | No Comments

Now that we’ve seen the contenders from the Red Wings, lets take a look at the Conn Smythe contenders from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

1. Sydney Crosby

Any conversation about the Penguins needs to start with their captain and face of the franchise, Sydney Crosby. Crosby has accomplished a lot in his three short years in the NHL, capturing the Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award. Now, Crosby has the chance to add two new trophies to his mantle, Lord Stanley’s Cup and the Conn Smythe. Crosby has always been a team oriented player and has demonstrated that by his terrific defensive play and his ability to set up his talented teammates posting 17A in the playoffs so far. He’s tallied only 4 goals to date but I’m expecting him to step his goal production for the finals. We all know he is an extremely gifted, and talented player and it only helps that Detroit won’t be able to focus all their attention on him given the depth of the Penguins offense.

2. Evgeni Malkin

Malkin is big, strong, physical, an excellent stick handler, and pure scorer, too bad he can’t speak a spit of English otherwise he could be the face of this franchise if Crosby is unavailable. Actually, in a way he did become the face of the franchise when Crosby went down with an ankle injury during the regular season. Malkin carried the Pittsburgh offense during that stretch and the team never missed a beat. Malkin has been streaky in the playoffs this year going on mini hot streaks and then disappearing for a game or two at a time. Despite that he’s still second on his team in scoring and is tied for third in the league with 19 pts (9G-10A). If Malkin can remain consistent throughout the series and if his team captures the cup then he could be hoisting two trophies that night.

3. Marc-Andre Fleury

There have been a lot of factors that have made Fleury a more complete goalie this year, and the most important one is his increased willingness to play the puck. Fleury used to avoid the puck like it carried the plague. Now, his outlet passes have taken pressure off his defenseman and created offensive chances. Fleury also has to credit an optometrist with an assist when he informed Fleury that his yellow pads made him extremely visible to opposing players, he made the switch to white pads, and his game has truly seemed to benefit from the change. Fleury has blossomed in the post-season leading the league in shutouts with 3, save percentage (.938) and is second in GAA (1.70). Fleury has a daunting task ahead of him in shutting down the Wings offense, but if he pulls it off it will be hard to argue against him winning the Conn Smythe.

4. Marian Hossa

Far and away the best trade deadline move made in the NHL this year was the Penguins acquisition of Marian Hossa. Hossa has tallied 9G and 10A for a total of 19pts this post-season and is a threat to score every time he takes the ice. Playing with some of the leagues most talented players doesn’t exactly hurt his stat-line either. This may be the last games Hossa plays in a Penguins uniform and taking home the cup and the Conn Smythe are well within reach for this superstar.

5. Ryan Malone

Malone is a veteran presence for this young team and really seemed to catch fire in the last series against Philadelphia notching 6 points in five games (3G-3A). He has 15 points so far in the post-season with 6G and 9A, and has continued to elevate his game from series to series. Malone is defintely the dark horse candidate to take home the Conn Smythe, but if he continues to elevate his game like he has throughout the playoffs he could be the one taking home the hardware.

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Let’s See That in Instant Replay!

May 23

Posted by admin in Baseball, Basketball, College Sports, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, High School Sports, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Sports Tragedies, Uncategorized, ice hockey, instant replay, online sports community | No Comments

BY Matt Valentine

I really don’t know what Major League Baseball is thinking, but I am pretty sure it’s a thought process that is stuck somewhere in the 1900’s.

MLB needs to face the facts and realize that we are living in a fairly technologically advanced society. Every other major sport including the NFL, NHL, and NBA all employ the modern marvel that is instant replay, and the MLB should follow suit.

We’ve all seen games turn on important calls made by officials after they have taken a good long look at instant replay. Instant replay allows us to see whether or not Crosby kicked that puck in with a skate, or if Randy Moss had both feet in for that game winning catch, or if Carlos Delgado really just hit that three run homer. Oh wait…instant replay didn’t do too much for that last one.

(Delgado’s “foul ball” glances off the foul pole at Yankee Stadium nearly killing a fan…just kidding. )

And this is what I don’t understand. If you have the technology that would allow you to make the right call a helluva lot more often then you would without it, then why not use it? I don’t buy into that whole integrity of the game argument, what integrity is there in getting a call wrong and possibly changing the outcome of a game?

Fortunately for the NY Mets taking away Delgado’s home run didn’t really matter as they went on to trounce the Yanks anyway, but what if it had mattered? And how many times could instant replay have changed the outcome of other baseball games? Home plate Umpire Bob Davidson took the blame for having blown the call telling reporters, ” I —-ed it up. I’m the one who thought it was a —- foul ball. I saw it on the replay. I’m the one who —-ed it up so you can put that in your paper,”.

I for one agree Bob, you definetely F’d it up, but you also said the key words “I saw it on the replay”. Um…hello, if MLB had replay you could have overturned your own bad call right then and there, and you wouldn’t have to feel so bad about it Bob.

I’m not suggesting that instant replay should be used for every play in baseball, but for certain plays it could be incredibly useful. It could have been really useful for Delgado fantasy owners I’ll tell you that much.

So heres my criteria for how instant replay should be used in MLB.

  1. Boundary Calls- Use instant replay to see if balls really cleared the fence, if a fan interfered, or if the ball was fair or foul. Umps are only human they’re bound to make mistakes especially considering the speed of the plays. Instant replay could help eliminate a vast majority of these mistakes.
  2. Plays at the plate- a play at the plate can really change the outcome of a game, that should go without saying, but sometimes even the home plate umpire doesn’t have a clear view, or the play just happens too quickly. Let the ump take a look at replay to see if he made the right call.
  3. Stolen bases- We’ve all seen it, a player slides into second base seemingly way ahead of the tag or way behind the tag and the call goes the opposite way. Stolen bases help lead to runs, look at what happened in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, Roberts steal of second helped force the game to extra innings and the rest is history. Not that, that particular steal was a close call, but in the case of close calls instant replay would help.

Using instant replay for any other means such as deciding strikes or balls would just slow an already slowly paced game and is truly unnecessary. So, heres to hoping that sometime in the very near future the players, the fans, and the umps will all reap the benefits of instant replay.

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Ultimate MVP: Conn Smythe Contenders

May 22

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, High School Sports, Hockey, NHL, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Stanley Cup, Uncategorized, ice hockey, online sports community, playoffs | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

With the puck due to drop on Saturday at 8pm for the dream Stanley Cup matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings let’s take a look at the legitimate contenders for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

The Detroit Red Wings:

1. Chris Osgood

Osgood is like the red headed stepchild of Stanley Cup winners. The critics like to say that Osgood is literally the worst goalie to ever win a Stanley Cup and attribute his victory to the elite talent playing in front of him. Well, Osgood could become the worst goalie to win the Stanley Cup twice and take home a Conn Smythe Trophy to boot. He has posted some gaudy numbers since he took over for Hasek, leading the Wings on a nine game winning streak and posting a 10-2 record with a 1.60 GAA. Osgood still has the elite talent playing in front of him, but he’s facing an elite offensive unit that will create more scoring chances then being Brad Pitt’s wingman. If Osgood shuts down the offensive juggernaut that is the Penguins then expect him to capture the Conn, if not he’s merely given more fuel to his critics fire.

2. Pavel Datsyuk

Though he has an oddly shaped head and a Donald Trump hair cut, he still may be the most talented (if not the best looking) player on an extremely talented team. He’s second on his team in scoring accumulating 19pts (9G-10A) through 16 games and has demonstrated a knack for two-way play. If Datsyuk continues to produce at his current clip he could easily capture the Conn Smythe. In years past he had earned a reputation for disappearing in big playoff series, that hasn’t been the case this year, but it is something to keep an eye on.

3. Henrik Zetterberg

The prettier half of the “Pav and Hank show” is also one of the leagues most underrated players. Zetterberg is a jack of all trades, he excels in every area of the game and should be considered the best all around player on his team and perhaps in the league. He finished second in scoring on the team behind teammate Datsyuk with 92pts. He is tied for the league lead in post-season scoring with 21pts (11G-10A) and leading the league in plus/minus at +15. Add to that, the fact that he’s dating smokin’ hot Swedish model Emma Andersson and he should automatically be considered for some type of trophy.

4. Johan Franzen

Reportedly, Franzen suffered a concussion sometime during the Colorado series but continued to soldier on and play through the pain. Franzen’s offensive explosion in the playoffs has been a pleasant surprise for the Wings especially considering that it came from a player who posted just 38pts (27g-11A) in the regular season. Despite having missed every game since Game 2 of the conference finals he is still leading the league in post-season goals with 12 and is third on his team in scoring with 15pts. If Franzen returns at 100% from his concussion he could be a real force in the finals I’m not too sure if will continue to produce like he did though, especially since he’ll be a little rusty.

5. Nicklas Lidstrom

Lidstrom is the teams captain, a three time Stanley Cup winner, a five time Norris Trophy winner and pretty much the best defenseman in the world. If you could measure a hockey players IQ Lidstrom’s would fall somewhere in the realm of Einstein. He is the most intelligent, positionally sound player in the league today and has been for quite some time. He hasn’t posted huge numbers this post-season with 2G-8A, but that’s not really his job and everyone knows it. His job is to lead his team and he does it by example. Lidstrom is always in consideration for some kind of accolades, and this year it could be a hat trick with the Norris Trophy, the Stanley Cup, and the Conn Smythe all within his reach.

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Fantasy Update:Biggest Surprises

May 16

Posted by admin in Baseball, Basketball, College Sports, Fantasy, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, High School Sports, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, playoffs | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

Just like there are always a number of disappointing players, the fantasy season brings with it some big surprises and this year is no different. Some young studs have found their groove on the mound or in the batters box. While some seasoned vets are putting up the best numbers of their careers. These are the top 5 most surprising fantasy performers to date.

Biggest Surprises/ Best Value

1. Tim Lincecum: SP S.F. Giants

After an above average rookie season Lincecum has been fantastic in his sophomore season. He is currently second in the league in K’s with 53, and has posted a record of 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA for a dismal Giants team. Lincecum has the stuff to dominate, and making a move for this guy is a sound decision for any fantasy owner. I have Lincecum in my own league and was recently offered this trade: Dick-K and Hanley Ramirez for Jose Reyes and Lincecum. I will most likely make the deal as the prospect of replacing Reyes with the ever consistent Hanley is just too appealing to me, but I really hesitate to get rid of Lincecum. If this was a keeper league I probably wouldn’t do it.

2. Cliff Lee: SP Cleveland Indians

Lee has had good seasons in the past going 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA for Cleveland in 2005 but seemed to digress after that point. In fact in 2007 Cleveland sent Lee back down to the minors after Lee dropped to 5-8 with a 6.38 ERA in 16 starts. He was 0-4 with an 11.70 ERA in his final four starts, having given up 26 earned runs in 20 innings. Well, I don’t know what the hell happened to Lee in the off-season but this guy certainly found whatever it was he was missing. He’s come back this year on absolute fire having gone 6-0 so far, and posting a get this, league leading, microscopic 0.67 ERA. He’s striking people out at a good clip, about 5-8 K’s per game and hardly ever walks batters posting a 0.67 WHIP. Considering his stats from last year I’m betting anyone who took a flier on this guy in a late round is grinning ear to ear.

3. Rafael Furcal: SS L.A. Dodgers

Maybe there is something to be said about players entering a contract year. Furcal has been one of fantasy’s best performers this year outperforming many of the other “stud” short stops taken before him in many drafts. He was recently placed on the 15 day DL suffering from a lower back sprain which could be an issue for the rest of the season but if he comes back and performs anywhere near the level he was he would be an absolute bargain. Before his DL stint Furcal was batting .366 and showed vastly increased power having already tied his HR total from all of last year with 6. He’s a tremendous base runner and will put up runs in bunches. Considering where he was taken in most drafts, he may turn out to be the best bargain outside of Cliff Lee in all of fantasy baseball.

4. Josh Hamilton: OF Texas Rangers

I’m not sure if I would consider this a surprise but it has been a long, hard road just for Hamilton to make it to the majors let alone become a fantasy stud. After being one of baseball’s top prospects “The Natural” Hamilton, struggled with drug addiction that threatened to de-rail his career altogether. But man, has this kid risen from the ashes, to become one of baseball’s best all around threats. Hamilton hits for power 8 HR so far, is leading the league in RBI’s with 43, and is batting .306. With all the OF’s that went before him and all of the one’s he is out producing Hamilton is indeed a nice bargain.

5. Edinson Volquez: SP Cincinnati Reds

I have to be honest, I have never heard of this guy until this season and for that reason he may well be the biggest surprise in all of fantasy baseball. Volquez has pitched a grand total of 122 innings in the majors since 2005 making the 42.1 innings he’s pitched this year his career mark. If he continues to pitch the way he has it could end up being a hall of fame career, that’s how good he’s been. He has yet to surrender more than 1 run in his first 7 starts and has posted a 5-1 record with a 1.06 ERA. He needs to work on his control a bit more , if only to get his pitch count down but there are fantasy owners out there praising themselves at the moment for either plucking this guy off the waiver wire or making him a late round pick. Funnily enough Volquez and my other surprise Hamilton were traded for each other. I guess it’s worked out well for both teams to this point.

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Fantasy Update: Top 5 Fantasy Pitchers

May 15

Posted by admin in Baseball, ERA, Fantasy, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, High School Sports, MLB, RBI, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, World Series, batter, instant replay, online sports community, pitcher, runs, stats, stolen bases | No Comments

Fantasy Top 5 Starting Pitchers:

By Matt Valentine

Just so you know, I base these rankings off of past and current production, like the everyday players I feel that it’s in a fantasy player’s best interest to have pitchers who have a long track record of success, rather than just going with potential or rising stars. Therefore, these are the pitchers you should find a way to get on your teams roster if they’re not already there.

1. Jake Peavy

Peavy has been a workhouse over the last three years never having pitched under 200 innings. He is also been a K machine during that span with over 200 strikeout in the past three years. Last year proved that Peavy is an elite pitcher when he posted a record of 19-6 with a 2.54 ERA. Peavy is one ace every fantasy owner should want on their roster.

2. Johan Santana

No pitcher has been a better fantasy stud then Johan has over the last several years. He’s always a candidate for the CY Young award, and has not pitched less than 200 innings since the 2004 season. You can almost guarantee that he will win 15+ games and strikeout 200+ batters. The move to the NL should help Santana’s win total as long as the Mets offense can get itself hitting on all gears.

Brandon Webb

Webb is another workhorse pitcher that will throw a ton of innings. Only in his rookie year did he not surpass the 200 inning mark. Webb doesn’t strike people out like Santana our Peavy but he still manages above average strikeout totals somewhere between 160-190 K’s a year. Webb has been absolutely dominant this season going 8-0 thus far, and dare I say, may be coming into the prime of his career. I would trade away the top pitcher on my staff not named Peavy or Santana to nab this stud.

Carlos Zambrano

If you want a pitcher who will put up good numbers in every category year in and year out then Zambrano is a solid choice. Despite the occasional mental lapse on the mound Zambrano is a dominating pitcher on a team that should put up a lot of runs helping him to secure a good amount of wins. 15-20 wins is an extremely realistic goal. He also strikes batters out, but may walk more batters then you would like. Still, Zambrano is a pitcher that can be trusted and you can ride him as your ace if you the other options are unavailable, he may even come at a cheaper price.

5. John Smoltz

Smoltz is having trouble with his shoulder this year having been on the DL twice already. He may find himself back in the bullpen if his shoulder continues to bother him. However, he has been a dominant pitcher all of his career whether it is in the bullpen or as a starter and is one of baseball’s most consistent on the mound. Smoltz is 200k threat, and always puts up double digit win totals as long as he remains a starter. If Smoltz makes a trip to the pen look at it as an opportunity to snag a valuable starter for a lower rate as I doubt he’ll remain in the pen for the entire season.

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2008’s Best Japanese Imports

Apr 7

Posted by admin in Baseball, Basketball, College Sports, Facebook, Football, Golf, High School Sports, Hockey, Johnny Green, Morlon Greenwood, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Sportsclix.com, USCHO.com, Uncategorized, eteamz, gasf.com, online sports community, zAthlete.com | 2 Comments

This season will mark a record for the most Japanese baseball players in the Major Leagues. Some imports to keep a close eye on this season are Kosuku Fukudome, Chicago Cubs. Fukudome made an immediate impact in his first game at Wrigley Field, going 3-3 with a 3 run home run to tie the game in the ninth. He is a nice mix of power and speed, a hybrid of Ichiro and Matsui some say. He may be the perfect addition to an already potent Cubs lineup.

Another import to watch for is Hiroki Kuroda, of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2005 he led the Japanese Central League with 15 wins. 2006 was a remarkable year for Kuroda, ending the season with a league-leading 1.85 ERA, the lowest of any starting pitcher since 1989. He had shoulder surgery in the off season of ‘06 and had a down year in 2007 with a record of 12-8 an ERA of 3.56. If his shoulder is fully healed he could be a great acquisition for the Dodgers.

Masahide Kobayashi, of the Cleveland Indians could end up being the best bargain out of the bunch. He is Japan’s third best closer of all time becoming the third pitcher in Japanese history to eclipse the 200 save mark. He’ll be a late inning set up man for Clevelands Joe Borowski, but Borowski performed poorly in 2007 and Kobayashi could find himself as the front runner for the job should Borowski fail to improve on his ’07 numbers.

It seems that there is no stopping the influx of Japanese imports into Major League Baseball. This goes to show that baseball players may be Japan’s best import, maybe even better than sushi.

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