Birds on the Chat Podcast: Episode 3
James Caldwell invites a Cubs fan to debate the Cardinals/Cubs series, lineup issues and Joey Votto.
Sports
March 6 2018 Podcast
March 6 2018 Podcast: ACC Tournament Breakdown, State of St. Louis Sports. Loser of the week: Dan Dakich.
NL Central Outfield Rankings
The NL Central has been one of the most continuously active divisions in an offseason that has been mostly dull. As we begin spring training we have to decide which teams stand out from the rest in each category. We are going to begin with the outfield, additions and subtractions have set a few teams apart from the others. Let’s get to ranking!
5. Cincinnati Reds, 2017 combined WAR: 5
Projected Starters: Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, Billy Hamilton
Fourth Outfielder: Jesse Winker
The Cincinnati Reds currently sit last in our rankings due mainly to the fact that they are unsure of the future os speedster Billy Hamilton. Jesse Winker proved that he is ready for the big leagues but with Hamilton still in the fold manager Bryan Price may be forced into a platoon situation.
Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler combined for 61 homeruns in 2017, both however showed that they can be boom or bust a large percentage of the time. Schebler and Duvall both hit just above .230BA and hovered around .301 OBP. While they have been tasked with driving in runs the lack of production from speedster Billy Hamilton left them with few options to drive in.
The Reds have a solid future to grow on in the outfield but right now it is full of unproven potential. Great American Ballpark will help them provide the power but outside of that and Duvall/ Hamilton’s solid defense, there is much to like about this outfield core.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates, 2017 Combined WAR: 3.3
Projected Starters: Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco, Adam Frazier
Fourth Outfielder: Jordan Luplow or Daniel Nava?
It wasn’t long ago that the Pittsburgh Pirates sat on top of this list. Andrew McCutchen claimed that they the best young outfield in the game. Now he sits in a San Francisco dugout wondering what could have been.
The Pirates still have two potentially dynamic players in Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco, but with Polanco’s injury history and lack of true star production you have to question whether his ability will ever match expectations. Polanco still has never hit above .258 in three full major league seasons. Marte entered 2017 as the potential breakout star of baseball senior circuit, a gold glover with the ability to one day be a 30/30 man in the majors with a strong .350OBP. Sadly a early season steroid suspension put a hole in a season that looked to have big time promise. Marte has now taken on the role of team leader and star as he shifts to centerfield for 2018, can he pick up for the lose of McCutchen not only on the field but also the locker room?
The Pirates also have to determine whether Adam Frazier, infielder by trade, is the answer in left field. Frazier provides stability but pretty much no power for a team that will be looking to replace 28HR from its lineup. The Pirates just added veteran Daniel Nava to it’s roster to compete for the position but, let’s be honest, Daniel Nava is what he is and that is not a consistent MLB starter.
Rookie Austin Meadows is still developing, but as of right now, the Pirates have to options in the outfield and the rest is a coin flip. Marte and Polanco’s ability though allows them to stay ahead of the Reds for last place.
3. Chicago Cubs, 2017 Combined WAR: 5.4
Projected Starters: Jason Heyward, Albert Amora, Kyle Schwarber
Fourth Outfielder: Ian Happ
The Chicago Cubs have a lot of potential players that could spend a lot of time patrolling the outfield in the friendly confines. But I see Ben Zobrist as more of an infield option at second base. That leaves us with a few question marks with serious potential.
While I am sure the Cubs regret the amount of money spent on Jason Heward, they will never admit it because you still get the best defensive outfielder in baseball. While Heyward has been great defensively his offensive output has been subpar over the last two seasons and there is no reason to think it will improve.
Luckily for the Cubbies Albert Amora showed flashes of brilliance in 2017, defensively he has the talent to play center and he bat has begun to show signs of life, his .338OBP and .298BA lead all cubs outfielders in 2017, with another year of experience under his belt he can only improve.
Kyle Schwarber will be the greatest mystery of the bunch. While Schwarber supplies the power that fans and GM’s drool over, he has not developed as a complete hitter. Being sent down last season seemed to do him some good but the Cubs need an improvement from the .211BA. Schwarber’s limitations defensively will force Joe Maddon to sit him in big situations of games as well as limit his overall usage. Reports say that Schwarber has come into spring training in great shape, but does that really magically turn him into a viable outfielder?
Ian Happ is good, if the Cubs can find AB’s for him he will hit 30 homers, but who do they sit to make room?
2. Milwaukee Brewers, 2017 Combined WAR: 13.7
Projected Starters: Chritian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Ryan Braun
Fourth Outfielder: Domingo Santana
It’s hard to argue with the depth of the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers. The additions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain vaulted them right into the stratosphere of athletic/dynamic outfields.Yelich and Cain immediately provide upgrades in the lineup as well as defensively. The Biggest question about this new look outfield is who is what Ryan Braun is going to show up in 2018
Braun featured career lows in every statistical category in 2017 outside of his injury riddled 2013 season. Braun will have less pressure as the big names come into the fold but for the Brewers to overcome the arch rival Cubs they will need some form of the former MVP.
Another question that comes is what to do with Domingo Santana. Santana smashed 30 dingers for the Brew Crew in 2017 and now he has to relegated to a bench role. Finding holes in the Brewers outfield depth was tough but, Cain has only played two full seasons in the majors without any injury issues and Braun seems to be a shell of his former self. They are dynamic and talented but there are a lot of questions that still have no answers.
1. St. Louis Cardinals, 2017 Combined WAR: 14.3
Projected Starters: Tommy Pham, Dexter Fowler, Marcell Ozuna
Fourth Outfielder: Jose Martinez
The Cardinals entered the 2017 offseason with a goal to add a power bat. They were successful and now Marcell Ozuna will play in the most talented outfield in the NL Central.
The biggest question about the Cardinals outfield is whether or not Tommy Pham’s monster season was a fluke or not. The fact is that Tommy Pham has his on every level in professional baseball. If not for his injury history then he would have been in the majors a long time ago.
Now you may ask, What if he does get hurt again? The Cardinals feature a stable of young talented outfielders ready to step in on a moments notice. Guys like Jose Martinez and Harrison Bader have come to the majors and made an impact.
The pickup of Ozuna gave the Cardinals the flexibility in the lineup and defensively, what gets lost in Ozuna’s gaudy power numbers is his defensive ability. The pickup of Ozuna allowed the Cardinals to move Pham to center and Fowler to right. Each of these players made MLB’s top 10 outfielders by position and they are set to dominate the league. The Cardinals have their flaws but the outfield is not one of them.
Please no more Lebron
I grew up on Sportscenter. Everyday before I would go wait for the bus, I had to get up early to watch at least a half an hour of sports highlights. If didn’t matter what sport or team was being highlighted I just enjoyed seeing what had happened in the world of sports. As I have become an adult I don’t have as much time in the morning to commit to sports highlights, I am lucky to catch a few minutes of Golic and Wingo before heading to work. But last night I got home after a long night of work and figured I would try and catch up on what had happened in college basketball or scores around the NBA, shoot even see how my local Blues had played. I turned on ESPN and found out the harsh realty, the Sportscenter I had grown up on was no more. Now we have the 24 hour Lebron James show.
For 25 minutes I watched stories about Lebron James. It started with the highlights of the Cavaliers beating the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then it went to a panel talking about how Lebron James is better with his new teammates, next it was Brian Windhorst telling us why Lebron is better with his new teammates, then it was statistics of Lebron James with his new teammates, finally I though it was over. Sadly I was mistaken, Lebron was now giving his post game interview talking about him and his new teammates.
On this night the Nashville Predators made a historic comeback in the 3rd period vs the Blues, the #1 college basketball team in the country played an in conference rival, Missouri and Texas A&M played a game that came down to the last second, Kansas and Texas Tech were battling for Big12 supremacy, of course pitchers and catchers reported for spring training. After 25 minutes of not being able to see anything about these events I was forced to go on line to find out the results of these contests.
It is not Lebron James’s fault that we live in a world that is caught up in superstars, but the continued struggles of the once great titan of the sports industry has to be due to the content that the provide. Lebron James should be celebrated but please do it within reason. Understand that there is more to sports then just him.
Stipe vs. DC: What else is there?
UFC 226 will be headlined by a superfight of dominate champions. Heavyweight Champion Stipe Moicic(18-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) will take on Light Heavyweight Champion and former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion Daniel Cormier(20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
Some superfights take place after years of build and fan interest. This one seemed to be birthed and pushed over a matter of days. The two men have no connection and thus this matchup feels a bit forced and desperate.While this fight will create great headlines, it really is the only option for these two champions. The UFC have found themselves in an unfamiliar situation, they have no other options.
After dispatching of Francis Ngannou, Moicic has put togther the most dominate heavyweight championship run in UFC history. Moicic has defeated every fighter that has any claim to the championship that still remains in the UFC. Stipe sits in a tough position as he really doesn’t have as much to gain in this situation. He will be a huge favorite against a much smaller Cormier that hasn’t fought at heavyweight since 2014. If he loses it will not only hurt his legacy but it will portray negatively in an already thin heavyweight division.
Daniel Cormier enters UFC 226 with a chance to cement himself as only the second fighter ever to hold the title in two divisions at once. Cormier sits in a similar situation as Miocic, he currently sits at the top of a division that has no clear contender that he has not already dispatched. Dana White placing Cormier in this fight allows him to hope that a true light heavyweight contender will emerge. For Cormier this is a win-win situation, no one expects him to win this fight, if he does he will have to be considered the best light heavyweight in UFC history(Not named Jon Jones).
Cormier has notable wins at heavyweight, (Frank Mir , Antonio Silva, Roy Nelson and Josh Barnett), but those were a younger version of Cormier. Cormier will enter the octagon with the legitimate best heavyweight in the world. The UFC has seen a drop in pay-per view ratings as well as a loss of notable marketable names. Conor McGregor is more focused on his personal brand than defending his title, Rhonda Rousey is now a professional wrestler, Anderson Silva has gotten old, Jon Jones can’t stay clean. The UFC was forced into this fight due to lack of star power to sell. As intriguing as a superfight can be, they can also leave a division in shambles. The fighter moving up is less likely to return to their division. In this case, it seems fairly certain Cormier would be done at 205. I mentioned the positive possibilities for the light heavyweight division without Cormier, but there are a few bad scenarios.
This fight will be huge for the UFC as they continue to lose the momentum they had in the early 2000’s. But even if this is a success for the UFC and they get millions of pay-per view buys, what is next for MMA’s elite organization? Where do they go from here?
This is the Cavs
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a loss to the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night dropping their 6th game of the last 7. Cavaliers Coach Tyronn Lue announced after the game that there will be lineup changes coming for the Cavaliers. While Lue can change the lineup he cannot change the culture that’s been created.
Miami Heat Lebron James was hungry for a title, he was able to take his team to the level they needed to be on a nightly basis. James was able to bring veterans like Shane Battier and Mike Miller, guys that shared his hunger to win while keeping their mouth shut. They were “team” guys, accepting their minutes and playing their hardest when they got their chance. The Cavaliers have brought in big personalities that can’t look past their personal goals. Jeff Green, Derrick Rose and Isaiah Thomas are dynamic talents that will never work with Lebron James. They are not the guys that can accept the reserve role, they are ball oriented players that care more about stat lines then team accomplishments.
The Cavaliers compounded their problems by not moving roles players like Tristan Thompson and to a degree Dwayne Wade back into the starting lineup. These are players that thrive off of the little things. Hustle plays like setting screens, making the extra pass and taking charges is what can make a difference for a team loaded with talent. Right now the Cavaliers spend more time pointing fingers then playing defense, they talk more about former teams then current.
The Cavaliers players are showing the same panic as management. There is a desperation in every game, they know that Lebron can take his talents where he chooses at the end of the season. The pressure to win now is so prevalent that anything less is unacceptable. The Cavaliers will get by because they have the best player in the world on their roster, but when playoff time hits they have to figure out some type of chemistry. For now though they are a dysfunctional family, everyone thinks its someone else’s fault. This is the Cavs in 2018.
Please free Jah! Top 3 Destinations
2015 National Champion, First Team All- American, ACC Player of the Year, 3rd Overall NBA Draft Pick, All Rookie-First Team. On accolades alone, it hints at a player that should be able to find minutes in the NBA. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers disagree. Jahlil Okafor entered the 2018 season understanding the idea that his minutes would be cut down…but no one could have imagined how drastically. As the Sixers prepare for their 24th game of the season, the former Duke star has only competed in two games. Sixers management also informed Okafor that they would not pick up his 4th year option. A team that has finally found direction, has in turn, changed the direction of Okafor’s career. There is a place for a 21-year-old post player, even in today’s NBA landscape.
Option 1: Chicago Bulls
As a Chicago High School phenom, Jahlil Okafor would be a perfect fit if the Sixers sent him back home. The Bulls currently have the worst PPG in the paint in the entire league, while also sporting one of the worst rosters in the league. Okafor would fit in nicely with the Bulls one shining light, stretch four and rookie Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen and PG Kris Dunn are likely the only untouchables on the roster, lending the Sixers the ability to have their “pick of the litter”. While the Bulls are looking at a long rebuild ahead they could really use a “face of the franchise” type guy. Okafor has that potential…oh, and a top 3 draft pick wont hurt either.
Option 2: Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is a bit farfetched with a coach like Tom Thibodeau. Tommy T is known to display a short fuse with players that seem to have a problem playing defense. That being said, Thibodeau is a defensive mastermind that could potentially find a way to utilize Okafor’s length.
Karl Anthony-Towns’ face up game would match well with Okafor on the weak side as an offensive rebounder. Coming off the bench, Okafor would provide scoring potential in the middle, opening up the 3-point line for veteran sharp-shooter Jamal Crawford. Oh, don’t forget about the potential of reuniting him with his old Blue Devil buddy Tyus Jones. Jones and Okafor have a shared NCAA National Title. Could they bring similar success to a playoff hungry city?
Option 3: Boston Celtics
The Celtics are built around young talent, but after the devastating injury to Gordon Hayward they lack a consistent second scoring option. Rookie Jayson Tatum has emerged earlier than expected, while veteran Al Horford continues to be a strong force in the middle. The addition of a post scorer with the ability to put the ball in the basket on every touch can be an asset for a team with serious championship thoughts.
Brad Stevens has found a way to get the most out of every player on his roster. Utilizing the strengths of a player like Okafor would be a coaches dream with that young roster. It would be fun to see Okafor in a game that has some meaning. The Celtics still have movable assets , but at this point in the season this one could be a long shot.
Conclusion:
The Sixers will most likely just wait for Okafor’s contract to expire. At 21-years-old he still has plenty of time to take his career in the right direction. It is just a shame he has to waste a prime developing year with an organization that has been so openly disrespectful to him. Keep doing the right thing Jah. You will be set free.
I Talk Sports and That's It 