What Say You? Jason Heyward or Giancarlo Stanton?

When you score a young, prototypical corner outfielder who you project to be the cornerstone of your lineup for years to come, you have done something worth bragging about.  Knowing that you have just drafted a guy that will make it to majors quickly and not spend time trying to figure it out at the lower levels and knowing that you can pencil him in at the 3 or 4 hole everyday for 10-12 years or longer after he arrives is surely a comforting and satisfying feeling.  But, I am also sure that feeling is felt few and far between by big league executives because not all sure things pan out.

One such talent that did pan out at the major league level was Dave Winfield.  Winfield holds the distinction of being drafted professionally in football (Minnesota Vikings), basketball (Atlanta Hawks and Utah Stars), and baseball (San Diego Padres) when he came out of the University of Minnesota in 1973.  (What makes that even more impressive is that he never played football while at UM.)  As a matter of fact, the Padres were so enamored with him that he played in 56 ballgames for them the year they drafted him.  In his first full season with the club in 1974, Winfield hit 20 homers and drove in 75 runs, all at the age of 22.  Winfield played for several years with the Padres before moving on to the Big Apple and spending the 1980s with the Yankees, all the while proving to be one of the most consistent players in the game.  In 1992, while with the Toronto Blue Jays, Winfield was finally able to obtain the long awaited World Series ring that he was so sure would come to him while with the Yankees.  He finished his career with 3,110 hits, 1669 runs scored, 465 HRs, 1833 RBI, and a .283 AVG.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Before Dave Winfield, when the only draft available was to the military, not the major leagues, there was a young corner outfielder who was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals named Stan Musial.  In his first full season with the club in 1942, Musial hit .315 and drove in 72 runs.  Although hit took him a few years to find his power stroke (he never hit more than 19 homers in his first five full seasons) it eventually came to him and over the next ten years of his career, he only hit less than 27 homeruns one time (21 in 1952).  He never hit below .310 until his 18^th season in the big leagues at the age of 38.  Musial played for St. Louis for 22 seasons, missing only the 1945 season to serve in the military, and amassed one of the greatest careers in the history of the game.  He finished his Hall of Fame career with 3,630 career hits, over 1,300 extra-base hits, 475 homers, 1,951 RBI, and a .331 AVG.  And perhaps the most amazing statistic to the 21^st century fan, Musial walked 1,599 times in his career and struck out only 696.  (To put that in perspective, Mark Reynolds accumulated 638 Ks in three seasons from 2008-10.)  As a 22 year-old in 1943, Musial had more triples (20) than strikeouts (18).  Simply amazing!

In 2010, two 20 year-old outfielders with lofty expectations emerged in the National League East.  Both were stationed in right field for their respective teams and both showed they were not ordinary youngsters.  One made the opening day roster out of spring training and the other was up by early June.  One is a lefty, one a righty.  But both have proven in three seasons that they will be forces to contend with for years to come.  The lefty is Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves and the righty is Giancarlo (formerly Mike) Stanton of the Miami Marlins.

Jason Heyward

Once Jason Heyward was drafted by Atlanta in the first round of the draft in 2007, they knew they had something special.  Like many other Braves who had come before him, Jason was a local Georgia product.   He rocketed through the Braves system and was named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America and USA Today in 2009.  After making the roster out of spring training the following year, Heyward hit a monstrous three-run homerun in his first major league at bat off of Carlos Zambrano.  He went on to hit 18 homers and drove in 72 in his rookie campaign.  In his second season, Heyward battled several nagging injuries and a little stubbornness and watched his numbers decrease; hitting only 14 homers, driving in 42, and hitting 50 points lower.  He has bounced back and proven to a reliable cog in the Braves offense this season.  Here is a look at his 2012 numbers so far:

 GP    AB  R     HR  RBI   AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS  SB/ATT 

147   546   87   27     75     .273    .340  .491    .831   19/27

Giancarlo Stanton

Mike Stanton was also drafted in 2007, and like Heyward, he was just 17 years old at the time.  But unlike Heyward, he managed to fall to the second round of the draft where he was scooped up by the Marlins.  He, too, soared through the Marlins system.  He began the 2010 season in AA ball in Jacksonville where in 52 games he hit 21 HR, had 52 RBI, and a mind boggling 1.167 OPS.  He leapfrogged AAA and made his MLB debut on June 8 of that year, going 3-5 and scoring two runs.  He finished the big league season with 22 HR and 59 RBI.  In his second year, he did not suffer from any slumps, blasting 34 bombs and knocking in 87 runs.  Before is third season, Stanton decided to return to being called by his given first name, Giancarlo.  Giancarlo has been limited this season due to some injuries but his production is still evident.  Here is a look at his season thus far:
 
GP    AB  R   HR RBI   AVG   OBP    SLG   OPS   SB/ATT 
117   471  71  34   81     .283    .354   .595   .949   6/8

Verdict

Of all of the comparisons I have done, this one is by far the most difficult in my mind.  Both of these guys appear poised to be a factor in the NL for many years to come.  Both have the prototypical power that you want from a corner outfielder who hits in the middle of the lineup.  Both are mature on the field and have a pretty even keel demeanor.  Both play good defense and have cannon arms.  This season, Heyward has shown that he can steal bases and has added that facet to his game.  Stanton, however, has over 200 fewer plate appearances in his career than Heyward but has over 30 more homers and nearly 40 more RBI.  The margin between the two is really razor thin.  But, if I have to make a decision (which I do, otherwise I would be copping out), I would have to take Stanton.  While Heyward has shown that he can bounce back from a down year and he has improved his running game, the power and run production of Stanton are too impressive to ignore.  Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either, but since I have to choose one, I did.  So, what say you, folks.  Jason Heyward or Giancarlo Stanton?

 *This brings an end to my young player comparisons but What Say You? will be back in a few weeks with an awards edition as I will be taking a look at all of the major MLB awards.

Pick 'em, Dan-O

We are nearly a month into the college football season and we have already had some amazing upsets, some teams emerge from nowhere, some show they aren't who we think they are (shout out to Denny Green on that one), and some who have just confused us.  A few weeks ago, I even attempted to pick a few games myself and managed a decent showing for the opening weekend with a 3-3 record.  Now that I have seen several of these teams, I have expanded by horizons for week 4 and have added 11 games to the pick 'em slate; and this time I am going to leave my heart out of the pick and try to give an honest assessment (which will be hard for one game in particular).

SEC GotW

Missouri vs. (7) South Carolina

Missouri is coming off a nice home win against Arizona St. but they are still looking for their first conference win as a member of the SEC.  This could be the one they have been waiting for since announcing they were switching conferences.  But dual-threat QB James Franklin (not to be confused with Vandy's head coach) will have his work cut out for him going into a hostile SEC environment for the first time.  South Carolina received good news today when it was announced that QB Connor Shaw, who has been nursing a shoulder injury, will start against the Tigers.  Look for workhorse, stud RB Marcus Lattimore to have a heavy workload.  South Carolina will be without safety D.J. Swearinger who is suspended by the SEC for an illegal hit in last week's game. Even so, I am afraid the Ol' Ball Coach will notch another win this week.

Score: South Carolina 31  Missouri 21

SEC GotW Runner-up

Vanderbilt vs. (5) Georgia

Vanderbilt is once again trying to prove they can matchup with the big dogs in the SEC.  Although they handed it to Presbyterian last week, James Franklin's (not to be confused with the Mizzou QB) Vandy is a hard team to get a read on so far this season.  Jordan Rodgers will have to be flawless against a swarming UGA defense.  Georgia, on the other hand, is looking to prove that they are worthy of a top five ranking.  Georgia's biggest problem so far this season has been with disciplinary issues.  They have had a multitude of players, mostly on defense, who have run amok off the field and had to pay the piper.  As they keep getting these guys back on the field, the defense should perform at a higher level taking the pressure off of the offense to carry the load.  Look for Vandy to still be looking for their first SEC win after the game.

Score: Georgia 34  Vanderbilt 17

Pac 12 GotW

(22) Arizona vs. (3) Oregon

When Rich Rodriguez was named the new Arizona Wildcat coach in the offseason, many wondered how quickly he would have them winning ballgames.  The answer seems to be rather quickly.  Rich Rod’s spread offense is perfectly suited for the Pac 12 conference.  Senior QB Matt Scott has winged the ball for nearly 1,000 yards with 7 TDs and only one INT thus far.  But can Rich Rod's spread out gun that of Chip Kelly’s Ducks.  Oregon finds itself in a familiar spot, ranked solidly in the top 5.  While the Ducks have not faced a BCS opponent, they have handled the teams they have played the way they should.  Oregon freshman QB Marcus Mariota has proven to be more than capable so far and they have a two-headed monster at RB with Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas.  Look for a few light bulbs to need replacing on the scoreboard after this one. 

Score: Oregon 48  Arizona 33

Pac 12 GotW Runner-up

Oregon St. vs. (19) UCLA

The Pac 12 has settled in nicely as the number two conference in the country after three weeks of play.  This matchup is huge for both teams.  The Beavers had a week off after their dominant defensive performance against Wisconsin and look to be challenged by Jim Mora, Jr.’s new look Bruins.  With a win in this game, UCLA would be sending a message that the Trojans don’t have the only game in town.  Freshman QB Brett Hundley has played like a veteran and RB Jonathan Franklin (not to be confused with either James in the SEC) has already rushed for over 500 yards in just three games.  Don't be surprised if this turns out to be the best game of the week.

Score: UCLA 27  Oregon St. 23

ACC GotW
(10) Clemson vs. (4) Florida St.

The ACC really needs this game to live up to the hype that a top ten matchup on primetime, national TV implies.  Clemson defeated Auburn in the first game of the season for a solid win against an SEC school.  The Tigers have many weapons (Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Andre Ellington, etc.) and hope to utilize them all to gain an advantage in the Atlantic division.  Florida St. is looking to prove that they are back, even though coach Jimbo Fisher says he doesn't know what that means.  The Seminoles played Cream Puff U and Cupcake Community College to open the season before dominating Wake Forest last week.  FSU QB E.J. Manuel (who seems as if he has been there long enough to be tenured faculty) provides a steady hand at the helm of the Seminole offense.  Maybe Coach Fisher will have a better understanding of what it means to be back after the Noles take this one.

Score: Florida St. 41  Clemson 34

Big 12 GotW

(15) Kansas St. vs. (6) Oklahoma

Very few coaches are as synonymous with their football programs as is Bill Snyder at Kansas State.  If Coach Snyder can lead his team to a tough road victory over Oklahoma this weekend, it may just catapult them all the way to the Big 12 Championship.  Leading the way for the Wildcats is Heisman hopeful QB Collin Klein, who can run and pass.  Sooners coach Bob Stoops knows better than to underestimate a Snyder coached team and will have his guys ready to play.  The Sooners are led by QB Landry Jones, who seems like he has been at Oklahoma since they became a state in 1907.  The winner will grab the driver's seat for the conference title.

Score: Kansas St. 31  Oklahoma 28

Validation GotW

(18) Michigan vs. (11) Notre Dame

This is a game that makes me wish that ties were still allowed in college football because at the end of the day I don't want to pick a winner.  In this classic rivalry, Michigan has gotten the best of Notre Dame the past three seasons, winning all three games by four points and scoring a touchdown in the last minute of the game.  Michigan is led by senior QB Denard "Shoelace" Robinson who should prove to be a more difficult match for the Notre Dame defense than Michigan State did last week.  Speaking of the Notre Dame D, how about last week?  They absolutely stymied Michigan State, led by gutsy senior LB Manti Te'o.  No matter how you feel about Notre Dame, and I think I have made clear my opinion, you have to be inspired by Te'o's performance a few days after the passing of both his grandmother and girlfriend.  Don't expect the same kind of performance this week from the Irish D but they will get the job done.

Score: Notre Dame 24 Michigan 17

 

Hmmm GotW

Rutgers vs. Arkansas

Rutgers has started the 2012 season by winning their first three games.  Arkansas's chance for a dream season was upended by an ill-fated motorcycle ride in the offseason and has only gotten worse the past two weeks after losing to Louisiana-Monroe in a shocker and being completely dismantled by Alabama.  If Arkansas has any hopes of regaining control of this tailspin, they must beat the Scarlet Knights.  There is no word yet about whether Arkansas QB has been cleared to play after suffering a concussion two weeks ago.

Score: Rutgers 27  Arkansas 24

Mid-major GotW
Southern Mississippi vs. Western Kentucky

Southern Mississippi has shown in years past that even though they play in Conference USA, they can play with the big boys from the big conferences.  That has not carried over so far this season, though, as the Golden Eagles are looking for their first win.  They are not likely to get it against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.  The Toppers and coach Willie Taggart are coming off the biggest win they've had since moving up to the FBS series against the University of Kentucky. 

Score: WKU 35  So Miss 17

 

Trap GotW

Baylor vs. Louisiana-Monroe

What a difference a year makes.  Baylor surely misses their Heisman trophy winning QB from a year ago.  Although they have won their first two games of the season, the Bears struggled mightily early on against Sam Houston State.  Their opponent, the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe, have huge momentum.  They defeated (8) Arkansas in overtime two weeks ago and took Auburn to OT last week.  And Baylor is making the trip to ULM.

Score: ULM 34 Baylor 31 OT

 

Redemption GotW

BYU vs. (24) Boise St.

As is often the case, both programs really need to win this game.  BYU is coming off one of the most bizarre endings in college football history when Utah fans had to storm the field three times before finally being able to claim victory over the Cougars.  (If you haven't seen it, You Tube it).  Boise State's run against BCS schools came to halt the first weekend of the season when they lost to Michigan State. 

 

Score: Boise St. 44  BYU 26

The Curse of the Bear?

Well, I've been here before and, sadly, history tells me it won't be the last time.  After enjoying a rare five-year run where it was beginning to feel as if the University of Kentucky had been onto something and was really making strides in its football program, I'm afraid the real Kentucky is back following a 32-31 loss to Western Kentucky.  The hot seat on Coach Joker Phillips could melt steel and there is virtually no way for him to save his job barring a miracle like the one that happened on 34th Street.  And, regardless of my opinion on the matter, if Santa Claus brings Phillips another season as head coach, the faithful (and I use that term loosely) will be seething. 

So what is the problem with UK football?  Why can't they establish long-running success as a football program?  One obvious answer is they play in the most brutal conference in college football; the SEC.  But really, the true nature of Kentucky's dismal gridiron tradition has its roots firmly planted six decades in the past.   Let's take a look back at the seminal moment that forever altered two different programs within the University of Kentucky athletic department.

In 1946, a man named Paul Bryant was hired as the new football coach for the Wildcats.  He was coming from Maryland where he had only spent one year.  He was a tough-nosed, unforgiving 33 year-old coach who preferred to go by his nickname, Bear.  (Legend has it that he earned the nickname from wrestling a captive bear for a theater promotion at the age of 13.)  His success was immediate, winning seven ball games in his first season.  He led UK to eight wins the next season and their first ever bowl appearance, The Great Lakes Bowl, which the Wildcats won.  His best run came from 1949-51 when his teams won 28 games and appeared in the Orange, Sugar, and Cotton Bowls.    In the 1950 Sugar Bowl, Bryant's Wildcats defeated an Oklahoma team that had won 31 consecutive games.  According to some polls and modern computer rankings, the University of Kentucky can claim a national championship for that season.  In total, Bryant spent eight seasons at Kentucky and finished with a career record of 60-23-5 and never had a losing season.  Bryant remains the all-time leader in career victories at the University of Kentucky.

Bryant was not the only coaching legend at Kentucky at that time, though.  Prowling the bench on the hardwood for the Wildcats was an irascible veteran coach named Adolph Rupp, who had a nickname of his own; the Baron.  Rupp had already been at Kentucky for 16 years by the time Bryant was hired and had led the basketball Cats to several conference championships and a Final Four.  It was while Bryant was at UK with Rupp that the basketball program began to assert itself as an elite program.  From 1948-51, Rupp was able to lead his teams to three NCAA championships, coinciding with the same years that Bryant was having his best run on the football field. (Even though Florida is credited with becoming the only school to ever hold the NCAA football and basketball championships in the same scholastic season, it can be argued that Kentucky did it in the 1950-51 season.) The University of Kentucky was poised to become the predominant school in all of college athletics.  So what happened?

The answer, it seems, is complicated and murky.  One legendary tale has it that Bryant was offended when the university bought Rupp a brand-new, four-door Cadillac and he was only given a fancy cigarette lighter.  While this story is rather funny and was told tongue-in-cheek by Bryant, there is nothing to corroborate its validity.  Another tale is that Bryant was upset by a scandal that had taken place with Rupp's teams involving point shaving.  In 1951, a story broke about Kentucky legends Alex Groza and Ralph Beard being involved in a points shaving event during the 1948-1949 season.  The subsequent investigation resulted in multiple NCAA rules violations and the first ever death penalty as the Wildcats were not allowed to have a basketball team for the 1952-53 season.  It is speculated that Bryant became antsy due to the increased NCAA scrutiny of all Kentucky athletic programs and decided to go elsewhere where the NCAA would not be sniffing around so much.  This theory seems to make much more sense.  But in a 1966 interview with Sports Illustrated, Bryant said, "When I try to put my finger on it I can't say exactly why I left Kentucky, but one thing I want to make clear. I never tried to get Bernie Shively's job as athletic director, and the athletic directorship had nothing to do with what you could call a clash of objectives between me and Adolph Rupp."  He also went on to say that leaving UK was one of the biggest mistakes he had ever made; this coming after winning three NCAA championships at Alabama.  To further dispel myth and legend, many accounts show that Bear Bryant and Adolph Rupp remained amiable towards each other and considered themselves to be friends until Rupp passed away in 1977.

So, to put it simply, the best guess as to what derailed the Kentucky football program was the points shaving scandal from 1951 that involved the Wildcat basketball program.  In an odd sort of way, the program that was not punished now suffers from the Curse of the Bear akin to the Red Sox' Curse of the Bambino.  In the years after Bryant left Kentucky to go to Texas A & M, the Wildcat football team has struggled to maintain any semblance of success.  UK has had ten head coaches since Bryant departed 59 seasons ago and only one (Blanton Collier) has left the university with a winning record, and he had the benefit of replacing Bryant and having some of the Bear's recruits play for him.  The only other time the football program has come close to making a splash on the national scene was under Fran Curci when his 1976 team finished 9-3 with a Peach Bowl win and followed it up with a 10-1 season in 1977.  But, as the Curse would have it, the Wildcats were ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA violations.  The UK football program was once again beset by NCAA violations during the Hall Mumme era.  It was only recently when Rich Brooks was able to lead the Wildcats to four consecutive bowls, winning three, did people begin to think that the Curse had been broken.  But as this past weekend shows us, that has not been the case after all.

In what appears to be a long season ahead for the Wildcats football program, athletic director Mitch Barnhart and the powers that be at Kentucky have a lot of tough decisions to make.  With an unsettled fan base and empty seats in the stadium, Joker Phillips's future may have as much to do with performance off the field as on it.  One thing that Barnhart and company will have to consider when deciding on whether or not to replace Coach Phillips is who can reverse this relentless curse?  So far, that question has seemed to stymie countless ADs and boosters for the past six decades.

Hey, Fighting Irish, Listen Up!

Dear Notre Dame Fighting Irish,

I know that we have never had an amicable relationship so I most definitely do not write this letter to you as friend.  I realize that you don’t even know who I am but what I have to say to you is not made important by my status, rather by your university’s lack thereof.  Please keep in mind everything that I say to you is for your benefit and not to add any additional animosity to our nonexistent relationship.

First, let me congratulate you on the announcement this week that you are joining the ACC as a full conference member.  Oh, wait.  That implies that you will be playing football in the conference but, of course, you are not.  You will just be playing five teams a year (probably Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Boston College) and you will get to participate in their bowl games, except for the Orange Bowl which is reserved for the conference champion.  Oh, what’s that you say?  You can play in the Orange Bowl?  Funny, but the ACC says you can play opposite the ACC champ in that bowl game, which is basically run by the ACC anyway.  Interesting.

Second, let me say you have done a masterful job of keeping your name in the headlines for the past 23 years without really doing much on the field.  In the years since your last national championship (1988), you have become like the NCAA version of the British monarchy.  Your success is decades in the past yet people tend to keep you elevated on your laurels rather than on what you have done lately.  I understand that, just like the Royal Family, you have lots of money and you believe that is enough to keep you relevant, but haven’t we moved on from that line of thinking?  I mean, aren’t we in the 21^st century?  Does “Old Money” really make you relevant these days?  I do not begrudge you your fantastic history.  The monarchs had a great run as well, but at some point you have to let go of your arrogance and humble yourselves before your brethren. 

I know what you are saying, and you are right, to an extent.  It is not all your fault.  There are those who have colluded with you and kept you prominent well beyond your years.  It is not your fault that you accepted a mega-million dollar deal with NBC to have your home games broadcast exclusively by one of the big three networks.  It is not your vault that in 1998, when the NCAA decided to go with the BCS format, they granted you a free pass as long as you won just nine games instead of forcing you to join a conference.  (When was the last time a nine-win SEC team played in a BCS game?)  But, at some point, you have to realize who and what you are and sometimes you are not what you really think you are.

Third, this move to join the ACC in most sports may just be to secure your future for when the NBC deal is up in 2015 and then you will join the conference as a true full member.  If so, that’s great but just be up front about it.  Why all the secrecy if this is your intent?  People prefer honesty as opposed to scheming.  As I said earlier, we are in the 21^st century.  Come and join the rest of us.  It really isn’t a bad place.  Doing things in this manner only makes you look like a politician making campaign promises.

Fourth, I know this is hard for you to fathom but you really aren’t a significant player in college football anymore.  I know, I know.  You have 13 national championships and a bevy of Heisman Trophy winners.  You have Rudy, the Gipper, Touchdown Jesus and Lou Holtz.  Cherish your history and honor it.  You will not find a person who respects history more than me.  But you can’t live in the past.  You have to move forward.  I have been on your campus and it is beautiful.  (As a matter of fact, one of the greatest sports viewing-moments of my life came in 2008 when I was in South Bend to watch the Pittsburgh Panthers make an astonishing comeback win in a four OT thriller against the Irish.) You also have a passionate, devoted fan base and they deserve better.  Lately, you have been for like the Farting Irish than ones that Fight.

I don’t say this to offend you, but if you are honest with yourself, you will admit that it’s true.  Yes, you have made three BCS bowls but you have been housed in all three, one of those by the mighty Beavers of Oregon State.  Besides Oregon State, there have been many other schools who have secured a BCS bowl win while you have not.  Boise State (2), Utah (2), TCU, Louisville, Stanford and Kansas have all won bigger games than you have.  And if you want to look at recent bowl history in the BCS era, your record is only 2-10, with one of those wins coming in the Hawaii Bowl against the University of Hawaii.  In that time, powerhouse programs such as Kentucky, Maryland, South Florida and Rutgers all have as many as or more bowl wins than you.

I know this is difficult for you to read and it’s a blow to your mighty ego, but point out something that I have said that is not true.   You must realize that your independence in the sport is an antiquated philosophy and you must let go.  You have never had to buy the milk because you have always gotten the cow for free, but those days are coming to an end.  That is why I hope this deal with the ACC is more like dating a girl before marrying her than it is like an arranged marriage where both sides get something out of it but the motives for the relationship are not genuine. 

I know that my opinion means nothing to you, and that’s fine.  I also know that our relationship will always be as it is now, and that, also, is fine.  And in the end, this letter is no more relevant in the grand scheme than you are relevant in the grand scheme of NCAA football.  But know this one thing.  This letter is sincere and this is how my four eyes see it. 

Your biggest anti-fan,

Brian Ray Gross

P.S. I know that the college football Hall of Fame is in South Bend, Indiana and you like to flaunt that.  But it really makes sense to have it there.  I mean, where else would you put a dinosaur other than a museum?

What Say You? Chris Sale or Stephen Strasburg?

The prevalent thought throughout baseball is that offense is great but if you don’t have arms, you won’t make it through October.  For the most part, this is a pretty accurate assessment.  There is a reason that you don’t see many slugfests in the postseason.  It’s because the teams with the best pitching are in the postseason and it is much easier to win a game if you are able to keep the scores low.  That is why you see owners and general managers salivating over young arms.

The sad fate, though, for most young pitchers is that they only seem to have 5-6years of fulfilled potential before getting derailed, either by injury or sheer overuse.  That is why you see teams being very careful how they use their young talent nowadays.  They put them on pitch limits, inning limits, and monitor stressful situations as well.  While this may protect the arm, pitchers are also not learning how to work through situations on the mound as they get fatigued and face a hitter for a third or fourth time.  This causes a greater need for more quality arms in the bullpen. 

Back in the day, there was no such thing as pitch counts and inning limits.  You threw until you couldn’t throw anymore.  A starting pitcher would throw between 40-45 games a season and would go the distance in probably 30 of those; whether he was having a good day or not.  Bob Feller, signed by the Cleveland Indians and playing in the major leagues at the age of 17, was one of these workhorses.  By the time he was 23, he had already won 107 games and struckout over 1,200 career batters (nearly half of his career total).  Although he had a Hall of Fame career, had it not been for a little thing called World War II, his numbers would have compared with the top five pitchers of all time.

But the game changed drastically from the 1940s to the 1980s when two more young phenoms surfaced.  The first was a slightly overweight, flame-throwing lefty from Mexico named Fernando Valenzuela.  Fernando debuted in September of 1980 at the age of 19 and had an outstanding rookie season the following year that could have been even greater if not for the strike.  (Well, it couldn’t have been much greater because he became the only rookie to win Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and the World Series in the same season).  By the time he was 25, Valenzuela had won 97 games, struckout over 1,250 hitters (roughly 60% of his career total; he played 11 more seasons), and had an ERA under 3.00. 

The other young ace that emerged in the early 1980s was a scrawny fireballer from Tampa, Florida named Dwight Gooden.  He made his debut with the New York Mets in 1984 at the age of 19 and it is arguable that no one that young has ever been so good, so fast.  A year after winning 17 games as a rookie, the then 20 year-old Gooden, better known as Doc, had one of the greatest seasons a pitcher has EVER had.  He was 24-4 with 268 strikeouts, pitched 276.2 innings, and had an unbelievable 1.53 ERA.  By the time he was 23, he had a career record of 91-35, over 1,000 strikeouts and a superb 2.62 ERA. 

In the cases of both Valenzuela and Gooden, Hall of Fame careers were derailed.  Valenzuela’s arm finally gave out and even though he pitched until the age of 37, he was only 76-85 the rest of his career with low strikeout numbers and an elevated ERA.  As for Gooden, his career was sidetracked by addiction and drug abuse.  While he was able to win 103 games over the last 11 seasons of his career, he was never the dominate presence on the mound that he had been early in his career. 

Valenzuela and Gooden (there are several others with similar stories) are reasons why management is so careful with young arms these days.  You don’t have to look very far to see how two different teams are using their young phenoms today in order to keep them healthy well beyond the age of 25.  The Chicago White Sox drafted Chris Sale in 2010 out of Florida Gulf Coast University and he was in The Show a month later.  The year before, the Washington Nationals drafted possibly the most coveted pitching prospect in the last two decades when they nabbed Stephen Strasburg with the first overall pick.  Here is a look at how the two have fared as major leaguers.

Chris Sale

Chris Sale was so well thought of by the White Sox brass that after being drafted in June, he was on the major league roster in July.  The White Sox had him projected to be a front of the rotation starter but for the rest of that season and the season to follow, he pitched out of the bullpen.  This allowed him to keep his innings down even though he would be pitching in more stressful situations and may have to pitch on back-to-back nights.  Sale appeared in 79 games in that year and a half and pitched 94.1 innings.  At the beginning of the 2012 season, the White Sox again had Sale coming out of the pen, but after only one appearance the decision was made for the gangly lefty with an awkward delivery to be inserted into the rotation.  That move has paid off immensely.  Here is a look at Sale’s 2012 season numbers thus far:

G   GS   W-L   ERA   IP     K      BB     H     WHIP

26   25    16-6   2.88   169   168   44    139    1.08

Stephen Strasburg

Strasburg was a star before he had ever been drafted by the Nationals.  He had grabbed headlines throughout the 2009 NCAA baseball season while he was pitching for a living legend, Tony Gwynn, at San Diego State (13-1 in 15 games, 1.32 ERA, 109 IP, 195 K, 19BB).  After being drafted and signed, Strasburg began the 2010 season in the minors but was on the major league roster by the first week of June.  Unfortunately, even with all the precautions being taken, Strasburg only made 12 starts that season before undergoing Tommy John surgery.  Last season, he returned to pitch in five games and to shake off the rust from the surgery.  This season, the only thing that has been more discussed than his performance on the field is his innings limit.  As I am sure all of you know by now, he was shut down after his last start (one start earlier than previously announced) because manager Davey Johnson felt like Strasburg’s performance was being affected by all of the hoopla surrounding him being shut down for the rest of the season.  But before being shut down, his season looked like this:

G   GS    W-L   ERA   IP         K      BB     H     WHIP

28   28    15-6    3.16   159.1   197    48      136    1.15

Verdict

Both pitchers have been instrumental to their teams (probably proven to be aces of the rotation) in the heat of a pennant race.  Sale has the luxury of being a nasty lefthander who is cut from a similar mold as Randy Johnson and has emerged as a legit Cy Young contender in the American League.  Strasburg has electric stuff and pinpoint control that is reminiscent of Roger Clemens.  I am not saying that either of these guys will achieve the same success as those guys but they are both top of the line starters.  If I had to make the call right now about which one I would choose, I would have to go with Strasburg.  In most situations, I would probably have to go with the lefty but there are not too many guys over the past three decades that have had the combination of tools that Strasburg has.  He throws 100 MPH with lots of movement, a 90 MPH changeup and a nasty slider.  He has pinpoint command of each of his pitches and knows how to take advantage of hitters.  Plus, Strasburg has already undergone Tommy John surgery and has seemingly bounced back from it without a hitch.  So, in the case of Chris Sale vs. Stephen Strasburg, what say you?

*Don’t miss the next installment of What Say You?  Giancarlo Stanton or Jason Heyward?  The answer might just surprise you.

A Weekend to September

September is a wonderful time of the year for me.  The weather begins its transition from the sultry heat of summer to the crispness of fall.  You have the stretch run of the Major League Baseball season in conjunction with the start of the NCAA and NFL football seasons.  And my youngest son, Spencer, celebrates his birthday in September as well.  What could be better? Here is a look at the weekend that was in the world of MLB, NCAA, and NFL.

*The University of Louisiana-Monroe shocked the world defeating #8 Arkansas in OT, 34-31.  Kolton Browning was 42-68 passing for 412 yards and 3 TDs and scored the winning TD on a fourth and one from the 16 yard line in overtime.   The turning point for Arkansas came when All-SEC QB Tyler Wilson was knocked out the game with a head injury.  You would have to expect that this ends any hope the Razorbacks had of competing for the crystal football.  Oh yeah, ULM plays Auburn next and if you saw Auburn play against Mississippi State this weekend, the Tigers should be on upset alert.

*Kansas St. opened up a can butt-kick on Miami.  That just goes to show that you can never underestimate a Bill Snyder coached team.  Wow, how the U has lost its swagger?  Those falls from grace tend to have the hardest landings.  At the pace things are going  at the U, don't be surprised if head coach Al Golden's seat starts to get warm.

*Texas A & M and Missouri both got rude welcomes to the SEC.  One can't help but question whether A & M really expected to get away with the billboard in Gainesville and all that trash talk?  It looked as if they might early in the game but the Gators finally found their footing and were able to pull ahead of the Aggies.  And Missouri hung in well with Georgia for three quarters but the Bulldogs' physical defense proved too much for MIZZOU to handle, even without several key starters being out due to suspension.

*Take note of this name.  Maxwell Smith.  It is probably only know by University of Kentucky football fans and his family but the sophomore QB has been sick in the first two games of the season.  He is 65-89 passing for 634 yards, 6 TDs and no interceptions.  Watch out SEC, this Cat is for real. 

*The Pac 12 was looking to make a statement against the Big 10 (which has twelve teams) and the Big 12 (which has ten teams).  On a day that former Kentucky coach Rick Brooks and his 1962 Oregon St. Beaver teammates were honored for their Liberty Bowl victory that year, the 2012 edition of the Beavers laid the wood to #13 Wisconsin.  It is not often a team can play as physical with Wisconsin as OSU did.  Also, UCLA defeated #16 Nebraska.  And for all of you West Virginia and Michigan fans, Rich Rodriguez is back with a vengeance.  Arizona and Rich Rod flexed their muscles against #18 Oklahoma State beating the Cowpokes 59-38. 

*Savannah State's  athletic director is pimping out his team to get big pay days and his coach and players are not happy about that. His team has lost 139-0 the last two weeks and it could have been worse if not for the mercy of a weather situation forcing the game against Florida State to end in the third quarter.

*How bad do you feel for Penn State kicker Sam Ficken?.  The  young man was 1/5 on field goal attempts, including a potential game winner as time expired.  He also missed an extra point as the Nittany Lions lost to Virginia 17-16.  We all knew things were going to be tough for Bill O'Brien and his players but the way they have lost their first two games has been absolutely brutal.

*It doesn't get much better than baseball in September.  In a great baseball city like Baltimore, the fans there have not had much to cheer about in the past fifteen years.  But this year is different.  The Orioles went  toe-to-toe with the Yankees, splitting a four game series and remaining just one game back.

*How impressive have the Braves and their pitching been this September?  The Braves have already won seven games in nine days this September (it took them 17 games to do that last year).  They are winning the games they were losing last year.  And Dan Uggla has responded to his brief time riding some pine.  He had six hits over the weekend against the Mets, including a homer.

*The Nationals finally shut down their ace, Stephen Strasburg, after his performance was being affected by his lack of focus. Strasburg only went three innings Friday night because he got shelled by the Marlins.  On Saturday, a day when it looked as if the Nats were folding the tent and possibly allowing Atlanta back into the race, they staged an unlikely rally to win in extra innings.

*The Saints received great news late in the day on Friday.  Jonathan Vilma and the rest of the players suspended for their part in Bountygate are vindicated and eligible to play this season.  Looks like they will need them on the field as soon as possible.  New Orleans gave up 40 points to Washington and rookie QB Robert Griffin III.

*Speaking of RG3, he looked for real in his debut.  He threw for 320 yards and 2 TDs.  The other heralded rookie, Indianapolis Colt starting QB Andrew Luck, had an eerily similar pro debut  to Peyton Manning.  Luck threw for 309 yards and 1 TD but did have 3 INTs.  (Manning threw for 302, 1 TD, and 3INT in his debut in 1998).

*Adrian Peterson is apparently healthy.  He ran for 84 yards on 17 carries and had 2 TDs.  Of course, I listened to the fantasy experts and kept him on the bench this week.  Great coaching on my part!

*Apparently the Jets offense is not as screwed up as the meaningless preseason made everyone believe.  Mark Sanchez looked like he had some confidence and he ran the offense in such a way that one would never have known there had been so much preseason drama.

*In what very well could be an NFC Championship matchup game, the 49ers defeated the Packers in what could prove to be a significant game.  If the two teams finish tied for the best record in the conference, then home field will be in San Francisco.  I think the Niners will find it much more difficult to beat the Pack in Lambeau in January.

*Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning.  The wily veteran led his new team, the Denver Broncos, to a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Peyton's final numbers were 19-26 for 253 yards and 2 TDs (numbers 400 and 401 of his illustrious career).

*Four former Kentucky Wildcats had nice games on Sunday.  Wesley Woodyard (10 tackles, 1 sack) and Jacob Tamme (5 rec, 43 yds, 1 TD) came up in Denver's win.  Randall Cobb (9 rec, 77 yds, 75 yd punt return for a TD) was used as an H-back in many formations but the he was not able to help the Pack defeat San Fran.  Stevie Johnson (4 rec, 55 yds, 1TD) proved to be Buffalo's go to guy once again in a blowout loss to the Jets.

*Couple of get well wishes.  Brandon McCarthy, a pitcher for the Oakland A's who took a line drive off his head last Wednesday, had to have emergency brain surgery.  He is in stable condition and has been up and moving around but he is not completely out of the woods yet.  And Tulane safety, Devon Walker,  broke his neck on Saturday and had to have emergency procedures performed on the field.  He was taken to an area hospital and is now in stable condition.  Doctors say it is too early to tell if the young man will be paralyzed.  Here's wishing both players a speedy recovery. 

Twitterfied

As some of you may have noticed, I finally broke down and joined Twitter this week.  (Yeah, I know.  I'm only about five years late on that trend.)  For those who are interested, you can follow me @thrumy4eyes.  Even though I have only been a part of the Twitterverse for a few days, I have already gleaned several interesting facts.  Here's a sample of what I have discovered thus far:

*From Richard Justice (@richardjustice), columnist for MLB.com: The Tampa Bay Rays have not started a pitcher over the age of 30 since June 25, 2006 (Mark Hendrickson).  That covers a span of 1,033 games.  Seriously?  Can you imagine?  With the success the Rays have had over the past five seasons, you would have thought that they would have taken a chance on a wily veteran at some point along the way.

*From Jim Powell (@Jim_Powell), Atlanta Braves radio announcer: Craig Kimbrel is on pace to finish the season with four times as many strikeouts as hits allowed.  That has never been done before from anyone who has pitched 50+ innings.  Wow!  That is an unbelievable statistic.  In 51.1 innings pitched, he has struck out 94 batters and has allowed only 22 hits.  And anyone who saw him pitch against the Rockies the past couple of days has to believe that the odds will be ever in his favor.

*From Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN), ESPN college football writer: Purdue University will wear helmet stickers this season with a picture of Neil Armstrong in his spacesuit holding a Purdue flag.  Armstrong graduated from Purdue in 1955 with a degree in aeronautical engineering.  Kudos to the Boilermakers.  Armstrong was a true American hero and deserves such recognition from his alma mater.

*From Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN), ESPN baseball guru: The defensive player of the month for August in MLB is none other than Paul Janish.  Many of you are probably saying, "Who?"  Currently, he is the starting shortstop for the Atlanta Braves, who were desperate for help at that position after two injuries and an error prone rookie.  Atlanta traded a minor league pitcher to the Cincinnati Reds in mid-July to get Janish, who is not much of a stick guy but can flash some leather.  Ironically, Janish beat out teammate Michael Bourn and became the second Brave to win the award this season (the other being rookie Andrelton Simmons, the man whom Janish replaced).

Buster Olney also provided me with this interesting tidbit about the Baltimore Orioles starting rotation.  Through first 135 games this season, the Orioles only had one starting pitcher make over 20 starts this season.  That one is rookie Wei-Yin Chen who has made 27 starts.  Not until Wednesday night when Tommy Hunter started for the O's did another reach the 20 start mark.

*From Rich Brooks (@UKcoachbrooks), former University of Kentucky football coach: According to his tweets, the retired lifestyle seems to fit Coach Brooks.  It seems he golfs almost daily and isn't too bad (most of the scores he reports are in the mid 80s).  And the other day he went on a fishing trip to Hart Mountain Antelope Reserve and caught several fish, saw several antelope, and even a badger.  Hope I get to do things like that in my golden years.

*From Kris Medlen (@KrisMedlen54), pitcher for the Atlanta Braves:  He is really excited to be having a son.  Upon being named the National League pitcher of the month for August, Medlen had to take to Twitter.  But not just because he was excited about winning the award.  Apparently, he just found out that day that his unborn child had a "wiener" which he was very stoked about.  What a day!  This has been by far the most hilarious tweet I have read.

*From Athlon Sports (@Athlon Sports): MLB is approaching 500,000 all-time errors.  That is a large number, and one I actually would have thought they had already passed.  After sitting down and doing some math, that number seems right, though.  Going into Friday, there have been 499, 845 errors in major league history.  They even offer a list of ten guys they think could make that historic error.  Naturally, six of them are shortstops.  From the ones on the list, my money is on Ian Desmond.

*From the Atlanta Braves (@Braves): Atlanta's back-to-back 1-0 victories over the Rockies on Wednesday and Thursday marked the first time in franchise history they had won games of that score with both runs being unearned.  What made the run on Thursday afternoon even more unbelievable was the way it was scored.  Rockies pitcher, Jhoulys Chacin, looked away a split second early and missed the return throw form the catcher allowing the fleet-footed (wink, wink) Juan Francisco to score.  What a tough way to lose.

*From Tim Kurkjian (@Kurkjian_ESPN), the other ESPN baseball guru: The Tampa Bay Rays have used 126 different starting lineups this season, by far the most in the majors.  Matt Joyce, outfielder for the Rays, is the only player ever to hit ninth on opening day and bat cleanup the next.  He has batted in eight different spots this season.  This is a testament to the depth that the Rays have, but injuries have also played a  contributing role.  Also, Tampa manager Joe Maddon is never afraid to roll the dice and see what happens.

*From Peter Gammons (@pgammo), the Babe Ruth of baseball gurus: Prince Fielder has only missed four games in the past five seasons.  There is not much else to say about that other than for a hefty lad, the big boy sure is durable.

So, now that I'm officially a Twit (that is what you call someone on Twitter, right?), I look forward to sharing more of these thoughts from around the world of sports.