Fantasy Rankings: Catcher

Catcher

1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins, C

Mauer is the best offensive catcher in the game, no question. And he was the AL MVP last year but there is no way you should expect the same kind of production from Mauer as he put out in 2009. Prior to last year he had player 4 full seasons and his homer totals were 9, 13, 7, 9. Maybe the homers are for real and maybe not but remember that he plays the most physically demanding position on the field and that will eventually catch up with him. Are you willing to bet that it won’t be next year? 85-15-80-4-.332

2. **Victor Martinez, Boston Red Sox, C/1B

A switch hitting catcher who hits for power and average and can drive in 100 plus runs. Martinez is increasingly seeing more games at first base in an effort to save his body and prolong his career. At either position he is a solid player and will be one of your most important contributors. 83-24-111-0-.302

3. **Jorge Posada, New York Yankees, C

Posada turned 38 this last August and that is very old for a catcher. He missed two thirds of 2008 due to injuries. But when he has played over the last 3 years he has been very productive. But considering his age and the fact the he’s a catcher I wouldn’t look for him to play more than 130 games this year if he’s healthy. However, we have seen that the new Yankee Stadium has been good to left handed hitters so I think he’s worth the risk. 73-21-86-1-.315

4. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves, C

McCann is a great young catcher who statistically is similar to a young Jorge Posada. McCann will hit 20 plus homers and drive in 85 plus rbi and he will hit close to .300. You really can’t ask for any more from a fantasy catcher than that. 61-21-91-3-.284

5. Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers, C

Martin ascended to the peak of the fantasy world for catchers in 2007 and has been slowly descending ever since. His numbers in ’08 aren’t bad but last year he probably was not worth the relatively high pick most probably spent to get him. Having said that his numbers from last year aren’t bad for a catcher but there nothing special either. Don’t let his average decieve you last year he hit 7 homers had 53 rbi and batted .250. He definetly looks to be on the decline. 79-13-70-17-.275.

6.***Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks, C 61-16-59-1-.294

7. Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants, C 45-18-85-0-.278

8. **Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics, C 64-11-65-5-.276

9. ***Mike Napolli, Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim, C 60-20-56-3-.272

10. A. J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox, C 59-13-53-1-.281

As is always the case the catcher position is very very thin. Even the Mauer’s, Martinez’s, and McCann’s should be considered high risk high reward due to the increased risk of injury. I know someone in your league will but I would not recommend drafting any catcher above the 5th round which means you’re most likely out of the running for Mauer.

**stats are 2 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

***stats are 1 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

Fantasy Rankings: Outfield

Outfielders

1. Matt Holliday, St Louis Cardinals, OF

A lot of critics said I told you so when Holliday initally struggled when he first arrived in Oakland. He did seem to pick it up as the trade deadline got closer and after arriving in St Louis he returned to all-star form. Hitting behind Pujols will help him see plenty of pitches to hit and should give him plenty of rbi opportunities. If Holliday can put together 2 halves like the 1 he had in St Louis last year he will be worth a 1st round pick. 107-28-111-18-.325

2. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, OF

Braun is, along with Prince Fielder and Cory Hart, the nucleus around which Milwaukee is trying to build a team that can take down the Cards in the NL Central. Braun is a rare 5 tool outfielder. After committing 26 errors his first year in the bigs at third they moved him to the outfield where he has only made 2 errors in the last 2 years. Oh yeah, and he can hit for average, power, and he will steal between 10-20 bases a season. 98-34-106-16-.308

3. **Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF

Kemp is this decades Andruw Jones, a center fielder who hits home runs, can run, plays great defense and he won’t turn 25 until September. Kemp and Andre Ethier will take a lot of pressure off of Manny which should benefit Kemp and help him put up big numbers. Even without Manny last year they proved they can win without him. The Dodgers are Kemp and Ethiers team and that bodes well for the Dodgers. 95-22-89-35-.294

4. Bobby Abreu, Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim, OF

Abreu continues to be a model of consistency regardless of where he’s playing. Last season he drove in 100 runs for the 7th straight year. He’s also scored 100 runs or more 8 of the last 11 years and stolen at least 22 bases every year since 1999. Although he’ll turn 36 during spring training he is playing on a one year contract just like last year. Abreu will produce exactly as he has over the last 10 years. 106-17-101-26-.290

5. Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles, OF

Markakis is one of those young talents that has the misfortune of playing on a consistently bad team which effects his stats and can effect his productivity. He’s a doubles machine hitting at least 43 each of his last 3 seasons which means he’s constantly in scoring position yet has only scored more than 100 runs once in his 4 year career. Despite that he is a fantasy outfielder that will fill up the stat sheet. 99-20-100-11-.299

6. Carlos Beltran, New York Mets, OF

If Beltran can bounce back from his injury from last year he should be in the middle of New York’s second best lineup. With David Wright, Beltran and Jason Bay hitting 3, 4 and 5 with a healthy Reyes leading off Beltran should produce some quality fantasy numbers. 86-23-91-20-.290

7. Carlos Lee, Houston Astros, OF

When it comes to home runs, rbi and batting average only Pujols and A-Rod have been as consistent as El Cabllo has over the past 7 years. Draft him and you’ll get 25-35 home runs and 100 plus rbi with a .300 batting average. 73-29-107-6-.305

8. Jason Bay, New York Mets, OF

Bay is going to be starting for his third different team in as many years. Its not likely that he’ll have as much success as he did when he first arrived in Boston. Citi Field may not prove to be as hitter friendly as Fenway Park but Bay is good enough to still produce quality fantasy numbers. And again assuming his new supporting cast is healthy there should be plenty of runs to be scored and rbi’s to be had. 97-29-101-9-.267

9. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners, OF

In a league that has batting average as a category Ichiro is a very good pick up. He’s also good for 100 runs, 30 plus stolen bases and of course a batting average of .320 or higher. Ichiro seems to be ageless so I wouldn’t worry about him being 35. 100-8-52-35-.337

10. Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays, OF

If you want an outfielder that will truly contribute in every category there is not a better pick up than Crawford. He hits for average, hits between 10-20 homers, 60-80 rbi, will score 90 or more runs and of course he will probably be fighting with Jacoby Ellsbury for the league lead in steals. If you have a masher in the outfield he is a great second outfielder. 86-11-68-45-.300

Honorable Mention:

11. Jayson Werth, Philadelphia Phillies, OF 86-30-83-20-.270

12. Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians, OF 97-25-77-28-.266

13. Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim, OF 84-24-92-18-.287

14. Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers, OF 81-19-97-3-.332

15. Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees, OF 108-25-70-20-.277

16. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF 83-25-91-1-.308

17. Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies, OF 86-26-103-2-.286

18. Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox, OF 89-19-78-24-.280

19. **Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox, OF 96-9-54-60-.291

20.**Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins, OF 90-24-88-6-.276

Outfield is always one of the toughest positions to rank because there are so many of them that outside of the elite there a lot of quality players who offer your team differnt things. Josh Hamilton, Brad Hawpe, Shane Victorino, Andre Ethier and BJ Upton are just a few who didn’t make my list that I would love to have on my team.

**stats are 2 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

***stats are 1 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

 

 

 

Fantasy Rankings: Shortstop

Shortstop

1. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins, SS

Ramirez has quickly become one of the most prized first rounders in recent years. He scores a lot of runs, he hits for power, he has speed to burn and he hits for a high average. The only knock on him going into last year was his rbi total was low due to the fact that he was batting leadoff. So the Marlins moved him down in the order and his rbi total eclipsed 100 but his home run total dropped by 7 and he didn’t steal as many bases. But Hanley will still be a top 5 pick in nearly every fantasy draft. 117-29-85-38-.325

2. **Jose Reyes, New York Mets, SS

When Reyes plays a full season he is one of the best shortstops on the market. He’s as close to a triples machine as we’ve seen in today’s generation of ballplayer. He also scores runs, steals plenty of bases and hits for a pretty strong average. If he comes back from his injury and the other Mets stay healthy he should return to being a top-tier shortstop. Of course due to his injury last season his line is based on ’07 and ’08 stats.: 116-14-63-67-.289.

3. Derek Jeter, New York Yankess, SS

Since becoming the Yankees shortstop in ’96 Jeter has appeared in fewer than 149 games only once in his career, that was in ’03 when he played in 119 games. Although he’ll turn 36 this June he is coming off one of his best offensive season ever. He had his 2nd highest hit total (212), 3rd highest stolen bases total (30), and his 4th highest batting average (.334). With the supporting cast around him he should once again put up solid numbers. 99-14-69-19-.319

4. Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies, SS

Since winning the NL MVP award in 2007 Rollins has not produced the same kinds of numbers. He did bounce back last year after a disastrous 2008. Although his average has slipped in each year since winning the MVP. He has however scored 100 or more runs in 5 of the last 6 yrs and stolen 40 or more bases 2 of the last 3 years so even if he struggles he will give your team a boost in a couple categories. 105-21-77-40-.275

5. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies, SS

Tulowitzki is a young star to be. After returning from an injury that cut his ’08 season short he came back in ’09 with a vengeance scoring over 100 runs, hitting 30 plus homers and batting .297. If he can avoid the injury bug that got him in 2008 he should be a top fantasy player for a long time, especially since he plays him home games in Colorado. 84-21-79-9-.286

Honorable Mention:

6.**Alexi Ramirez, Chicago White Sox, SS 68-18-73-14-.283

7. Ryan Theriot, Chicago Cubs, SS 82-4-46-24-.286

8. Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays, SS 71-7-49-24-.290

9. **Rafeal Furcal, Los Angeles Dodgers, SS 90-8-47-19-.270

10. Yunel Escobar, Atlanta Braves, SS 71-10-55-4-.301

Much like second base short is top-heavy and thins out pretty quickly. Hanley is one of the best in the game and Jose Reyes and J-Roll can be and Troy Tulowitzki has potential but much past that you’re only going to boost your team batting average and stolen bases. Again, taking time to look at your options and prioritizing what you want from certain positions will help you when dealing with drafting strategies for these positions that are a little thin.

**stats are 2 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

***stats are 1 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

Fantasy Rankings: Third Base

Third Base

1. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees, 3B

Since 1996 A-Rod has played at least 124 games and had 444 at bats. However both of those lows came last year due in large part to the fact that he missed the first month of the season because of hip surgery. He should be back and healthy all season. A-Rod is the best offensive player on the best baseball team money can by. He will once again fill the stats sheet just like in years past. His stat line over the past 3 years is 108-40-120-19-.302.

2. David Wright, New York Mets, 3B

Wright’s production last year was obviously effected by the dimensions of Citi Field but also by the number of injuries of his supporting cast. With the arrival of Jason Bay and a healthy Carlos Beltran it’s safe to expect his runs and rbi totals to return to 100 plus. We’ll probably see his home run totals go up to around 20 or so but I wouldn’t anticipate anything more than that and he will continue to bat about .300 and steal between 20-30 bases. His line over the last 3 is 105-24-101-25-.311.

3.***Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants, 1B/3B

Even though Sandoval has only 1 full year of service under his belt he should prove to be invaluable as he will be eligible for either corner infield position. I have him listed as a third baseman because he started 120 of 147 games there. He again gets my draft at your own risk warning since he only has 1 year of service in which to go off of. Although he should prove to be a top tier third baseman or first baseman, which ever position you choose to use him at. In his year of service his line was 79-25-90-5-.330.

4. **Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays, 3B

He is the best on a team full of young talent. The only thing keeping him from being ranked just under A-Rod is the fact that he will be entering only his third full season of service. He has all the tools to catapult him to the top of every fantasy draft in the next few years. The only thing he doesn’t do particularly well is steal bases. And his average will probably be between .270-.280. Still you can’t go wrong with him at the hot corner. 84-30-99-8-.277.

5. Michael Young, Texas Rangers, 3B

Young maybe showing some signs of wear and tear after being one of the most consistent players of the last decade. He played in 135 games last year after playing in at least 155 between ’02-’08. Even so, he still carry’s that .300 plus batting average and will be in the middle of, assuming everyone stays healthy, a great offensive lineup including Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz. That should provide plenty of opportunity for him to score a lot of runs. 86-14-81-10-.306.

Honorable Mention:

6. Armanis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs, 3B 72-23-92-1-.303

7. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals, 3B 87-24-83-2-.280

8. Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks, 3B 82-30-87-12-.257

9. Chone Figgins, Seattle Mariners, 3B 89-3-44-39-.301

10. Adrian Beltre, Boston Red Sox, 3B 72-20-73-12-.275

Third base is a fairly deep position and has many quality options. Most people have Mark Reynolds rated in the top 5 but as is the case with Ryan Howard I would prefer to go with someone who may have fewer home runs and rbi’s but is going to be 25 to 40 points higher in his batting average. It’s just a matter of deciding what you want out of a player at certain positions.

**stats are 2 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

***stats are 1 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

Fantasy Rankings: Second Base

Second Base

1. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies, 2B

Since becoming the Phillies full time second baseman in 2005 no other second baseman has put up the kind of consistent numbers like Utley. He is almost always a sure first rounder in most drafts and for good reason. He hits for power, drives in and scores a lot of runs, hits for a high average and has stolen 14 or more bases 4 out of his 5 years as a full time starter. His stat line average over the last three years is 110-27-100-15-.301.

2.***Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays, 2B/SS/OF

Zobrist has only played 1 full season so, although he is ranked second, he gets my draft at your own risk warning. I love players like Zobrist because he will be eligible at multiple positions. Last year he played 91 games at second, 70 games in the outfield and he played 13 games at short. So depending on your league requirements he may be eligible for 3 positions but for sure at 2. His stat line from last year was 91-27-91-17-.297. But remember he lacks a consistent history so keep that in mind while drafting.

3. **Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays, 2B

Hill had by far his best and possibly his breakout season last year but he missed more than 100 games in ’08 because of an injury so his line is based on last year and ’07. Some critics of Hill say he will not produce like last year but if he stays healthy I see no reason why he won’t be a top 5 second baseman. His stat line for ’07 and ’09 is 95-27-93-5-.288.

4. Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds, 2B

In the last 4 years Phillips has become one of the premier fantasy second baseman. He hits for power, drives in runs and is good for 20-30 stolen bases a season but his average will probably hover between .260-.275, which isn’t bad. His line is 88-24-90-27-.275.

5. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox, 2B

Most will think that #5 is low for Pedroia but he is starting his year as only his 4th as Boston’s full time second baseman. And Boston is losing Jason Bay who was a key contributor while he was in Boston and with Ortiz not the player he was 5 years ago Pedroia will be forced to step up and carry more of the load. I’m not sure Pedroia is capable of producing Utley like numbers. His line is 106-13-68-16-.313.

Honorable Mention:

6. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers, 2B 100-23-73-27-.278

7. Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles, 2B 107-12-64-40-.290

8. Robinson Cano, New York Yankees, 2B 89-19-85-4-.300

9. Dan Uggla, Florida Marlins, 2B 98-31-90-3-.249

10.***Alberto Callaspo, Kansas City Royals, 2B 79-11-73-2-.300

Second base is a position that is very top heavy. The best are definitely among baseballs best but after that it gets pretty thin pretty quickly. But if you’re smart about who you pick and what rounds you pick them in you should be able to help out your batting average and your stolen bases with a savy second baseman pick.

**stats are 2 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

***stats are 1 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

Fantasy Rankings: First Base

This is the first of an eight part positional breakdown series for this upcoming fantasy baseball season. In each part I will highlight what I believe to be the top 5 players at each position.

For a player to be eligible they need to have completed at least 1 out of the 3 seasons. For batters that means at least 300 at bats and for pitchers that means at least 15 starts or at least 100 innings pitched, and for closers its 40 appearances or 40 innings pitched.  

These rankings are based on a standard roto 5×5 leagues with offensive stats being runs scored, home runs, rbi, stolen bases and batting average. Pitching stat lines are wins, strikeouts, saves, ERA and WHIP.

First Base

1. Albert Pujols, St Louis Cardinals, 1B

Pujols is as close to a sure thing as there is in baseball today. His average line the last 3 years is 108-39-118-8-.337 and his worst fantasy stat line of his career was 99-32-103-2-.327. With the Cards securing Holliday for the next 7 years its safe to say that Pujols’s production will remain high and he won’t be forced to carry the load although his ability to do so will remain high.

2. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers, 1B

Cabrera is still young and, will turn 27 in April, will begin his 7th full season. There were whispers in the past about his weight and they seemed to have not made an impact on his game. Cabrera’s three year average is 91-35-116-3-.312. I do wanna throw this out there. He did voluntarily go through alcohol rehab this offseason so, while I don’t think thats reason to believe his game will slip, it is something to keep in the back of your mind.

3. Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees, 1B

Teixeira has doned 5 different team uniforms in the last 3 years. And although that is usually a bad sign in Teixeira’s case it was a matter of trying to find a team that could foot the heafty bill that he brings. His stat line while he’s been playing musical franchises was 97-34-116-1-.302. And with A-Rod around, presumably, this April you may see those numbers slightly increase because he won’t have to carry all the offensive burden for the defending champs.

4. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers, 1B

Fielder is one of the leaders in a young Brewers club that continues to challange the Cardinals for the NL Central crown. Fielder has entered into the league of Ryan Howard when it comes to home runs and rbi’s although Fielder maintains a better batting avg. His line for the last 3 yrs 99-43-121-2-.288.

5. ***Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim, 1B

This is my first risk. Morales only has 1 full season in which to gauge him (hints the 3 astricks, which means draft at your own risk). But statistically he had a fantastic season last year. It only took a couple of trades for the Angels to finally get him into the lineup everyday and they probably wish they had done it a few years ago. His stat line from last yr was 86-34-108-3-.306.

Honorable Mention:

6. Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs, 1B 92-26-94-5-.304

7. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros, 1B 94-29-96-10-.289

8. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies, 1B 101-47-141-3-.266

9. Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox, 1B/3B 92-24-97-5-.302

10. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres, 1B 98-35-106-0-.280

I know that this is probably as low as you’ll see Ryan Howard ranked by anyone all year but with so many other options see #1-5 that can give you a .300 plus batting average I will get close to Howards home run and rbi totals and let someone else take the batting average hit.

**stats are 2 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

***stats are 1 of the past 3 years-draft at your own risk

What’s Killing Our Athletes?

With the sudden death of both Gaines Adams (Chicago Bears) and Jeron Lewis (Southern Indiana)  in the last week there looms a question. How and why are a some of the best conditioned athletes in the world dying because of heart conditions?

Jeron Lewis

A cardiomyopathy is a disease that affects the muscle of the heart. With hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM),  heart muscle cells increase in size and that causes the heart muscle to thicken.  HCM also causes disruptions of the electrical functions of the heart. The problem with a thickened heart muscle is the thickening usually causes at least one of the four chambers (most commonly the left ventricle) within the heart to shrink thus lessening the amount of blood that the heart can handle. During everyday activity you would probably never know anything was wrong. 

Trainers and coaches attend to Hank Gathers after he collapsed on the court.

According to MayoClinc.com  ”People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at risk of dangerous abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), such as ventricular tachycardia (elevated heart rate) or ventricular fibrillation (abnormal or erratic heart beats). These abnormal heart rhythms can cause sudden cardiac death. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of heart-related sudden death in people under 30. Fortunately, such deaths are rare.”

Many notable athletes are believed to have died because of this disease including NFL Players Thomas Herrion and Damien Nash, NBA players Reggie Lewis, Jason Collier and Kevin Duckworth; baseball pitcher Joe Kennedy; long distance runner and Olympic hopeful Ryan Shay; Loyola Marymount basketball player Hank Gathers, and American strongman Jesse Marunde.

In a culture that not only glorifies one’s ability to play through pain but also seems to shame those who choose not to, how can we pick up on this deadly disease when players “suck it up” during competition? Of the aforementioned Thomas Herrion, Damien Nash,  Reggie Lewis, Ryan Shay, Hank Gathers and Jesse Marunde died either during or shortly following a practice or a competition.

We need to be teaching our young athletes that the smart move is to bring yourself out of the game and let the trainers and doctors evaluate you before going back in. Remember most people that have HCM are not aware that they suffer from it.

NCAA Football Top 25 Final Standings

Rolando McClain (25), Mark Ingram (22) & Chris Rogers (1) celebrate after winning the National Championship

Rank                     Team                                       Record                                             Avg Pts

1                             Alabama                                  14-0                                                 71.429

2                             Texas                                        13-1                                                  60.143

3                             Florida                                     13-1                                                  59.429

4                             Cincinnati                               13-1                                                  56.077

5                             Ohio State                               11-2                                                  50.538   

6                             Iowa                                          11-2                                                  50.308

7                             TCU                                           12-1                                                  48.462

8                             Boise State                              14-0                                                 48.286 

9                             Virginia Tech                        10-3                                                  45.308

10                          Pittsburgh                               10-3                                                  43.846

11                           Georgia Tech                         11-3                                                   39.786

12                           Penn State                              11-2                                                   39.769

13                           Oregon                                     10-3                                                  38.923

14                           BYU                                          11-2                                                    37.923

15                           Wisconsin                               10-3                                                   35.692

16                           Miami (FL)                             10-3                                                    34.538

17                          LSU                                              9-4                                                    33.385

18                           Nebraska                                 10-4                                                   31.643

19                          Central Michigan                  12-2                                                    31.071

20                         West Virginia                            9-4                                                    30.923

21                          USC                                               9-4                                                    29.923

22                         Oklahoma State                        9-4                                                    29.000

23                         Arkansas                                     8-5                                                    27.385

24                         Utah                                            10-3                                                   27.385

25                         Arizona                                        8-5                                                   26.538

One thing I despise about college football is how teams are ranked. Whether you’re talking about the BCS standings, The AP Poll, USA/Coaches Poll they all have the opinions of individuals. I don’t care who you are if you watch college football you have biases. Whether it’s my bias for Iowa and the Big Ten or my strong dislike of the SEC it comes through in some way in the way we rank teams.

In light of this fact I have spent the last couple of years trying to figure out how to rid college football of this problem by creating a system to rank teams based solely on what they do on the field. With complete disregard for home or away games, conference or non conference games, bowl or “regular season” games, or margin of victory,  this system treats every game the same. In the end all that should matter is if you win or lose.

Each team is given two point values. One value I call is its win value. In this years poll Texas is given a win value of 119. Every team that beats Texas gets 119 points. The second point value I call a loss value. Texas’ loss value is 3. If you play Texas and lose you subtract 3 points from your season’s point total. These point totals are derived exclusively from whether you win or lose. There are 120 teams in FBS college football and this year Alabama was the only team from a BCS school to go undefeated so their win value is 121. Because schools play between 12-14 games I use Average Points Per Game to rank them (avg pts/game=total points/number of games played). And because some FBS schools choose to schedule FCS schools FCS schools are given a value as well. All FCS schools have a win value of 1 and a loss value of 121. The system is not perfect but lets not kid ourselves no system will be (not even a playoff).

This system is not designed to be a progressive system. By nature the win and loss point values are fluid until the completion of the BCS National Championship Game. I run the numbers for the polls twice. Once at the completion of every teams regular season to get #1 and #2 and this year, just like the BCS, I had Alabama at the top with Texas #2. If anyone is interested, of course, I’ve got all my leg work on spreadsheets and I’d be happy to post the entire sheet. Again, my opinion is not reflected in this poll. There are rankings I don’t agree with but the system that I’ve come up with ranks them this way. Don’t agree? Leave me a comment and I’ll explain to you why they are ranked where they are at.

“The Hawk” Gets Elected To The Hall

Andre Dawson was elected to Baseball’s Hall Of Fame on Wednesday. Dawson played 21 seasons in the Major Leagues spending time with Montreal Expos (’76-’86),  Chicago Cubs (’87-’92), Boston Red Sox (’93-’94) and the Florida Marlins (’95-’96).

Dawson was the Rookie Of The Year in 1977 as an Expo. During his career he was an 8 time All-Star, 8 time Gold Glove winner and was the MVP in 1987 when he lead the NL with 49 HR and 137 RBI. Dawson joins Willie Mays and Barry Bonds as the only three players with 400 HR and 300 stolen bases.

Throughout his career Dawson battled chronic knee problems enduring 12 knee surgeries.

The Big Unit Calls It Quits

Randy Johnson was known best for 2 things during his 22 year career: a low 90s slider that would make even the most professional hitter look, well, bad. And then there was the mullet. Its just a shame that it had to go when he signed with the Yanks.

He stood 6’10″ tall and standing only 60 feet 6 inches from the batter he was an imposing figure. Then he started throwing and batters feared for their lives. Johnson had some major control issues early in his career. In his first 3 years as a full-time starter for Seattle he walked 120, 152 and 144 batters.

He did not become a full-time starter until he was 25 (1989) and he started 28 games that year. Slowly but surely Johnson began to figure out not just how to pitch but how to pitch with control and precision so he could use his physical advantages to help him dominate hitters.  

And dominate he did. In a 10 year stretch from 1995-2004 (omitting 1996 when he started only 8 games and 2003 when he started 18 games and battled injuries) he won 154 games, struck out 2,621 batters, pitched 56 complete games 24 of those were shutouts and had an ERA of 2.57 while pitching 1947 1/3 innings.

He was a 10 time All-Star, 5 time Cy Young award winner (4 consecutive 1999-2002), World Series Co-MVP in 2001, led the league in K’s 9 times, striking out more than 300 in 6 different seasons, and won pitching’s triple crown in 2002 with 24 wins, an ERA of 2.32 and 334 Ks.

His career totals standout just as Johnson and his once famous mullet. 303 wins, 3.29 ERA, 4135 1/3 innings and 4875 K’s (2nd most all-time to Nolan Ryan’s 5714).

When Johnson announced his retirement on Tuesday if you were listening for it you could hear a collective cheer from left-handed hitters across the league.