Matthysse eyes Mayweather, sense Garcia's camp is worried

As Lucas Matthysse prepares for the biggest fight of his career, two things are evident; The Argentine means business and has his eyes set on a potential showdown with Floyd Mayweather.

Before Mayweather takes on Saul Alvarez on Saturday, The Machine is set to take on undefeated Danny Garcia in the co-main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"The One" is expected to surpass two million pay-per-view buys and will showcase Matthysse on the biggest stage of his career.

"After finally getting this fight with Danny I have become more recognized," Matthysse said thorugh his translator. "This fight will be for me, but it will also be for my team and for Argentina. I feel real good, I feel strong, we've been working really hard."

Matthysse is on the cusp of becoming a houshold name, he has a style that pleases the crowd, not to mention he rarely loses. Matthysse (34-2, 32 knockouts) last tasted defeat in a split decision loss to Devon Alexander two years ago. The only other blemish on the 30-year-old's record is a split decision loss to Zab Judah. Both decisions are controversial, but Matthysse said he has taken those defeats as learning experiences.

Matthysse has been training at the Boys and Girls Club of Coachella Valley, the same gym that produced WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley. Matthysse said he decided to come to California's desert in order to adjust to the climate.

The two fighters, currently under rival promotion banners, recently sparred in preperation for their upcomming bouts .

"It was good sparring with Bradley, it was real good," Matthysse said. "Sparring with Bradley has helped me, but it was mutual, we both helped each other."

Matthysse praised Bradley's speed and experience and feels he's helped him prepare for his October showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez. Bradley's trainer Joell Diaz agreed with the Argentine, and said they were both out to help each other and not out to hurt each other.

A win against Garcia (26-0, 16 KOs) will not just help the Matthysse brand, but will also set him up for a potential clash with Mayweather.

"I look to move up to 147. I would like to fight (Mayweather), I feel I match up pretty good against him," Matthysse said.

Although he would like to face the pound-for-pound king, Matthysse said he is certainly not looking passed Garcia. Matthysse looks to stick to his plan to defeat Garcia and will not pay much attention to Angel Garcia's crazy antics. Matthysse feels all the talking from the Garcia camp shows that they are worried.

- Jose

The Emergence of Canelo Alvarez

It's been awhile. I know my last blog I promised to continue to say active. Well, things have changed drastically for me since my "All-Star Selection" post. I'm a full-time reporter for the Daily Press now but it has nothing to do with writing about sports, but I'm not stopping until I am a sports writer one day.

Let's cut the crap and get into what's been on my mind for weeks. I wanted to write about this last week but  didn't have the time. Here I am with an hour to spare so I can write and let the world know just how badass Saul "Canelo" Alvarez really is.

Alvarez is coming off a dominating and easy win over Austin Trout on April 20. Heading into the fight I expected it to be slugfest. I expected Alvarez to possibly even stop Trout. But what happened was a more technical fight with Alvarez not allowing Trout to fight as the "taller" fighter. Trout was kept in check after the first round when Alvarez was getting a feel for what Trout was doing. Trout was dictating the fight in the first round by staying active and keeping his distance with the jab. 

After the first round I anticipated a Trout victory just as he was successful against Miguel Angel Cotto back in December. I didn't expect Alvarez to adjust and become a more sound fighter that night. He was brawling but he was smart about it this time. He may have got tagged by a few of Trout's punches, but Alvarez has a chin that can withstand the blow of a sledgehammer from Triple H.

Alvarez showed his ability to counter Trout and surprisingly beat him to the punch throughout the fight. He was landing solid and effective 1-2 combinations. None better than the left-right combo that floored Trout in the opening seconds of the seventh round.

The right looked as if it was shot out of a Colt-45 landing making Trout do the hammerdance, similar to what Kostya Tszyu made Zab Judah do back in 2001. Trout got up valiantly and came back and won the round in my opinion. I'm not sure what the judges scored the round because frankly, I don't give a shit about any judge's scorecards. I can make a whole blog entry on what the sport of Boxing can do to improve the scoring system. Judges should come with an expiration date. There should be a new wave of judges every so often. But like I said, I can write a complete blog about that, but ain't nobody got time fo dat.

Back to Alvarez, he was a bit disappointing as he couldn't KO Trout. But to Alvarez' credit Trout is no slouch nor is he not a walk in to the park. He certainly lacks power but his unorthodox approach to a fight will keep Trout around for a long time. Not to mention he has a size advantage over most Junior Middleweights/Super Welterweights.

Alvarez was impressive in the ninth round when he seemed to tire down. He dropped his hands and bobbed and weave everything but the kitchen sink that Trout threw in the final 24 seconds of the round. Alvarez toyed with Trout then threw another successful combo that made the pugilist laugh after connecting on his foe.

The open scoring system that the Texas state commission uses, took away from the drama of the "championship rounds". Trout knew he needed to score a knockdown to win, and Alvarez knew he just had to finish the fight on his feet. Would we have had a different outcome if the fight took place on it's original May 4 date on the Floyd Mayweather/Robert Guerrero undercard  If the fight took place in Nevada would Alvarez have turned on the burners in the "championship rounds" and stopped Trout via knockout? We don't know!

All the hell I know is, I'm tired of seeing fights take place in Texas. If it's not one thing with them, it's another. The most notable occurrence was back in 09 when Paulie Malignaggi went into the Juan Diaz' hometown and outclassed him only to be screwed the judges who gave the victory to Diaz. Malignaggi would have the last laugh when the rematch took place in Chicago and Maligaggi breezed to a W.

I'm sick of seeing prizefights in Texas, If there is a fight that will take place on Texas, make sure it's a fight that will end up on ESPN Friday Night Fights or Fox Sports Net. Prizefights should be held in Nevada, New York or California. Connecticut has become a nice spot for fights recently, as Atlantic City seems to have become an obsolete destination for prizefights these days.

We saw some more hometown judging in Argentina ;last weekend, when Sergio Martinez successfully defended his Middleweight crown against Martin Murray via unanimous decision. The fight was immensely boring. Martinez looks like a shell of what he used to be and has drastically lost a step. Martinez wasn't effective, Murray started connecting shot after shot as Martinez fought with his hands down, in typical Martinez fashion. Martinez was dropped and if Murray had a bit more of a true Middleweight's power, he would have probably upset the hometown favorite. He suffered a broken hand in the fight and will be out of action for the rest of the year. An anticipated rematch with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is put on the shelf for now as we wait and see what the future has in store for Maravilla.

Amir Khan made a return to the UK against Julio Diaz and just like the hometown Martinez, was dropped in the middle rounds of the fight. Khan was clearly the better man but Diaz was tagging khan all night even wobbling Khan a few other times. Khan was in trouble but managed to withstand Diaz' punishment. Khan still looked lightning fast and solid with his combos, but the man has a chin made of china. Khan's hopes of jumping up to 147 pounds will be short lived as I don't see him withstanding the power of a Welterweight. Golden Boy could have had an easy route to a 147 title for Khan if they would have matched him up with Malignaggi, who currently holds the Welterweight WBA strap. But Malignaggi has his eyes set on Adrien Broner in June.

Judah made his hometown return to Brooklyn also Saturday night against Danny Garcia. The build up to the fight was superb, it had the bad blood we saw with Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis or Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas. These guys hated each other. Mostly it was Danny's father Angel who was the recipient of Judah's verbal lashes. Their initial press conference resulted in a brawl after the outspoken Angel insulted Judah. The fight was postponed after Garcia suffered an injury and was rescheduled for April. During a meet and greet, Judah bombarded the Garcia's event and caused a huge scene. The verbal exchanges led to the Garcia camp being escorted to the back of the store as Judah's camp taunted them chanting "Brooklyn, Brooklyn". The press conference was split, as Judah's camp was forced to sit "in the basement" waiting for Garcia to wrap up his media session. Judah apparently left the building in displeasure on to return and bad mouth Golden Boy Promotions, most notably De La Hoya. The tension was so high, a split weigh in was "necessary" to ensure the fighters would settle all their differences in the ring.

Garcia won the fight, but not without the resiliency of Judah. It was a beating up until the ninth round when Judah stepped on the gas and put forth a heroic finish. Garcia floored Judah and had him in trouble, but Judah managed to stay on his feet. Judah stunned and caught Garcia with power shots that wobbled him. It looked to be snooze fest of a fight but the drama in the final rounds tied in the the drama leading to the fight made it the most entertaining fight of the night. In a show of respect the fighters embraced one another and all the differences were out behind them as the post fight interviews took place. Garcia's future is bright, but I feel if he takes on the winner of the Lamont Peterson/Lucas Matthysse fight, he will be exposed as he was in the final rounds against Judah. I'm not sure what the future has in store for Judah, possibly more undercard bouts at the Barclays as he is an attraction and easy name to sell in his hometown.

- Jose

2013 NBA All Star Reserves

The 2012-2013 NBA All Star reserves will be announced today, since we here at the SoCalSportsGuys haven't blogged about anything since Juan Manuel Marquez' brutal knockout victory over arch nemesis Manny Pacquiao, I will make a case for whom I think should make the cut. Let's get to the nitty gritty.

Western Conference

Russell Westbrook - I haven't been much of a fan of WestBRICK as a point guard, but this season he has been as good a facilitator than he has ever been. Alot of it has to do with the fact he has Kevin Durant nailing nearly every shot he attempts this season. Kidding aside, Westbrook is the most physical PG in the game because of his size advantage and cut throat approach to the game. Westbrook is averaging 22.7 points per game, 8.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds. Westbrook is a sure lock to make the cut, but I needed to say something about him.

Tony Parker - The suave but gritty Frenchman is doing nothing out of the ordinary, just posting a typical Tony Parker season. He still gets to the basket with, almost seemingly scoring at ease in Coach Pops' system. TP averages just under 20 PPG at 19.8, 7.4 AST and 2.9 REB in just under 33 minutes per game. Another sure lock for the ASG, Parker will have fun competing in the Skills Challenge and possibly lobbing up a few passes for Blake Griffin.

Stephen Curry - Steph Curry has been a warrior (no pun intended) from beyond the arc all season long shooting a lights out 46 percent. Coming off a game where he bested his counterpart and ASG lock Westbrook, Curry further justified his bid to make the team with 31 pts, 7 ast, 4 steals and 3 boards. Curry is averaging 20.9 ppg, 6.6 ast, 4.1 reb and a whooping 3.2 three pointers made per game. If Curry is snubbed from a trip to Houston, David Lee better represent the Golden State.



James Harden - Another fill in, don't believe me check his stat line. 25.8 ppg, 5.4 ast, 4.5 reb and 1.9 steals. Need I say more? Thanks.

David Lee - D.Lee has been my favorite player to watch for some odd reason since his days in New York playing along Danilo Galinari another favorite player of mine to watch. I have driven my Facebook friends and Twitter followers crazy with my banter of Lee being a top-3 power forward, and the big fella has done nothing but back up every statement I have made of him. A few weeks ago, he was the only player in the league averaging over 20 ppg and 10 boards a night. His scoring has dropped to 19.6 ppg but he still grabs 10.8 boards a night. Add that along with a finesse you only see in European players, a soft touch makes him a triple double waiting to happen every night, averaging 3.7 ast a game. Lee's play is one of the biggest reasons the Warriors are in second place in the Pacific Division. They don't have the best record in the league, but they have three statement wins over the Clippers, a season tempo win over the Thunder and a victory of the defending champions, the Heat. Lee may get snubbed this season for the likes of a Zach Randolph or LaMarcus Aldridge and if that happens, I'm boycotting the all star game. I promise.

Tim Duncan - Old Faithful! Duncan is still amazing posting some of the best numbers of his career at the age of 36. He still has the sweetest touch, still has flawless footwork, still kisses the ball off the glass prettier than anyone I've ever seen do it. 17.5 ppg, 9.8 reb, 2.8 ast and 2.7 blocks per game. The old man can't run up and down the court like he used to but he will still block the living day light out of the ball if you drive the lane on him and your name isn't Blake Griffin. Duncan should be the starting center alone based of his numbers, but unfortunately this is just a popularity contest, just ask Jeremy Lin.

I glance at my clock and I realize it is 4 p.m. and the reserves are minutes away from being announced, I wish I had time to get into why I think Marc Gasol should make the squad and the Eastern Conference, but time wasn't on my side this time. I will try to write my reaction to the rosters in the coming days, but until then, be easy y'all.

- Jose

Boxing's Alive and Well

So did you hear about Manny Pacquiao? He got knocked out cold by a right hand from his arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez.

Of course you heard about it. It was literally the shot heard around the world. The fourth installment of the Marquez/Pacquiao saga was the most rewarding re-re-rematch we have ever seen. While most people complain about having to see the same guys fight for the fourth time, I was ranting and raving about it because I have never felt like I wanted my money back after watching one of their three previous fights. The two pugilists were made for each other just like peanut butter and jelly. The same way legions of fans were lined up for the fifth and final installment of the Twilight saga, I will line up and wait to see them go at it again.

It's a fight I will watch, even if they do it annually into their 70's, sure as night and day, you can expect fireworks when they meet. Marquez was determined to show the world he can beat Pacquiao, and Pacquiao was "determined" to prove to the world he hasn't lost a step. Has he lost a step? Sure he has, he has 17 years of professional bouts to his name, eventually skills begin to diminish. Not just is time a factor in Pacman's decline, but his focus is just so scattered around between being a congressman, his wife's political venture, his change on religion among other things. Now I'm not condemning Pacquiao for changing his ways for the sake of his family, but being a Boxer is a profession that requires undivided attention and dedication. He has seemed to have lost the fire in his eyes when he was mowing down fighters, pulverizing guys like my idol Erik Morales, Antonio Margarito, and Ricky Hatton.

As for the fifth fight, Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum has said there is a plan for another chapter to the rivalry in the works for possibly June or September.

June seems to be the more logical choice as Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather have announced tentative dates for the Pound for Pound King to make his return to the ring in May and September. Top Rank can't afford to compete head to head with Floyd Mayweather's possible showdown with Saul Alvarez on one of Boxing's most important weekends, Mexican Independence weekend. Top Rank has also unofficially announced a September rematch between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. There is too much going on in that month for a mega-fight between Pacquiao and Marquez to be showcased also, that is why the June date makes the most sense.

Pacquiao fought Tim Bradley in June this year and the PPV sold just under 1 million buys. There is no reason this fight can't hover around the 2 million buys after the world wants to see how Pacquiao will bounce back after brutally being knocked out. When Pacquiao was knocked out last week, so was everyone's hopes to see Pacquiao and Mayweather finally square off. The fight lost my interest years ago, it was clear the fight would never happen. I'm glad that can finally be laid to rest, well at least for the time being.

Back to Mayweather, the announcement of two fights in 2013 is odd to say the least. He hasn't fought twice in a year since 2007, let alone just four months apart. If the reports about this are true, I see an "eliminator" style card happening in May. Robert Guerrero will finally get his shot at Mayweather and on the same card Canelo will face somebody he can easily beat setting up the money showdown (no pun intended) in September between Mayweather and Alvarez.

Boxing is alive and well, Boxing will see a magnificent 2013. There are so many fights that we are primed to see. We will see a possible fight of the year candidate between Orlando Salido and up-and-coming Mikey Garcia, a heated showdown between Danny Garcia and Zab Judah, a likely rematch of the 2012 fight of the year between Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios, Josesito Lopez is waiting in the wings for the winner of this week's bout between Amir Khan and Oscar Molina, and my favorite.... The return of the enigmatic Victor Ortiz and whomever he chooses to fight in his return to action since suffering a broken jaw at the hands of Lopez. Those are just the few fights or possible fights that come to mind now in anticipation of 2013.

2012 will end with a bang with a star studded Saturday afternoon and night of great fights.

As mentioned earlier, Khan will take on Molina is Khan's quest to bounce back after back to back losses to Lamont Peterson and being knocked out by Garcia this summer. Khan has since fired trainer Freddie Roach and has started working with Virgil Hunter (Hunter's most notable fighter is Andre Ward). Molina is a green unbeaten hometown fighter looking to make a name for himself when he will be on the big stage this Saturday on Showtime. Something tells me Khan will lose for the third time in the span of a full calender year as Molina drops him in the middle rounds, exploiting Khan's glass jaw and makes the Brit consider other options other than Boxing. Khan has his eye's on Paulie Malignaggi's WBA Welterweight championship, and may be looking past the hungry Molina. If Khan survives the fight a rematch for Malignaggi may be a reach with Malignaggi confirming that the rumors of a showdown against Shane Mosley are accurate and is being considered  for a April return to the Barclays in Brooklyn. Khan with a win on Saturday may find himself as a serious candidate to face Mayweather in May if Golden Boy chooses to skip on Guerrero.

Over on the HBO side of things, the replay of last week's Pacquiao/Marquez fight will air and so will the awaited bout between Nonito Donaire and Jorge Arce. We last saw Donaire in October and is making a quick return to fight the Mexican slugger "El Travieso". Arce's prime years are long behind him, but he is still a good fighter who has the will and courage to engage the Filipino Flash in a slugfest. Will Donaire masterfully outclass Arce? That seems likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Arce gives him a run for his money in what could be a great bout.

Also on Saturday night, it will mark the end of an era. Longtime color commentator Larry Merchant will call his final fight for HBO. While the 81 year old Merchant didn't say he was retiring, rather he will take a break and consider other options. I have always liked Merchant's analysts, while sometimes quirky, but always on point with his words. He had a knack for bringing out the best of Mayweather as he did after his victory over Ortiz last year. How can we forget when he looked Mayweather in the eyes and said, "I wish I were 50 years younger, and I'd kick your ass". Merchant was great, and was a staple of my home on Saturday nights, but as we unfortunately lost another HBO voice in Emmanuel Steward, HBO will have an empty feel to it. That is not a knock on Max Kellerman, I love him, he is probably my favorite commentator, but I just grew up listening with Merchant, Steward, and Jim Lampley ringside.

Back in Action

"Camacho could fight. As a lightweight, he was blazing fast and he had great, great skills. People don't realize he was one of the signature guys that helped build the boxing brand back in the '80s. CBS loved him. Anybody he fought they put him on CBS, and he invariably got them good ratings." - Bob Arum (Source USA Today)

It's been a while since we here at TheSoCalSportsGuys have been active blogging. Truth be told I'm going through quick pace changes in my life. Started a new job, which is a challenge to say the least. I'm a new guy at a place with guys that have been there for years, and I have a bit of power over them. It's hard for them to take me serious only being there a couple weeks. Enough of that, I'm trying to escape all that by doing what I love. Write about sports. I'm still contributing my weekly fantasy column to the Daily Press, but this blog has taken a bit of a backseat to it all.

 

Since I last blogged, so much has happened in the world of Boxing. I might have last blogged when Emmanuel Steward passed. Since then, we have seen the tragic loss of one of the brightest and game changing individuals we have seen in the squared circle, Hector "Macho" Camacho. The former champion was wounded by a gunshot in his native Puerto Rico and had initially been expected to recover. Then we heard of spine damage and the chances of him being paralyzed. Then in a tragic turn of events we found out his own mother had to take him life support. 

A big loss to to the Boxing community, as he inspired so many of today's fighters. He was a cocky, arrogant, self centered, egoistical, flamboyant, the consummate guy you love to hate. Macho Camacho oozed of charisma, and it was evident when HBO aired clips of him as young champion on the broadcast of the Robert Guerrero/Andre Berto slug fest (which I will get to in a minute). Camacho's influence has been imprinted in guys like Roy Jones Jr, Naseem Hamed, Paulie Malignaggi, and hell even the ever so original Floyd "Money" Mayweather. It was one thing to be cocky and flashy with your craft in the ring, but Camacho had a swagger about him that you loved to hate. I for one didn't ever have the chance to see him fight, but I have seen enough videos of him on YouTube over the years to know he was one bad motherfucker. He was a tactician in the ring that wasn't afraid to brawl. He had heart, he had guts, he had the will to stare down somebody down and take whatever punishment they dished out. He was quick and effective with his craft, and had a chin that could withstand the blow of a sledgehammer. 

Steward said it best when he told Oscar De La Hoya he wouldn't knock him out when they fought in 1997 - "You are not going to knock him out, his chin is made of granite and his heart is twice the size."

That was Macho Camacho, the guy that people tuned into to see get his ass beat, but they wound up falling in love with after the show. Camacho was among the names in the 80's that boosted Boxing's popularity much like the UFC and MMA has experienced in the last decade. Boxing in the 80's was probably the best time to be a Boxing fan, Heavyweights weren't main attractions, guys like Camacho, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler were gluing eyes to television sets across the world. What I would give to find Doc. Brown's Delorean and watch those prizefights in person. 

But Boxing is still alive and kicking. We have hit the final stretch of the year where great cards are on a week by week basis. Nov. 10 we were dazzled by Abner Mares' and Anselmo Moreno's display of courage in the ring. We saw the long anticipated showdown between them and it delivered and catered fans whom have been waiting for that fight to finally happen. It wasn't even the most anticipated Mares fight, we're still waiting for the day Mares and Nonito Donaire finally cross paths. And if De La Hoya (Mares' promoter) is sincere, we may just see this fight happen soon. He went to twitter saying that he is willing to work with long-time rival Bob Arum to make the fight happen. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. 

November 17, we saw Adrien Broner take a leap in class and handles Antonio DeMarco with ease. Broner proved to the Boxing world he is for real, and much like people prayed to see Camacho get his arse kicked...... I'm waiting for the day somebody floors Broner. He has phenomenal talent, but has been sniffing too much of Mayweather's jock strap. His style in the ring is a come forward version of Mayweahter. Both use the same shoulder roll technique, both have quick hands, both have significant power, but Broner seems to love to brawl. His fights intrigue me, but his person is force fed as he tries way too hard to be a carbon copy of Mayweather, but this guy has what kids call "swag". 

This past weekend we witness the return of Ricky Hatton. Hatton made his return to the ring after a 3 and half year layoff riddled by drug and alcohol abuse and alleged suicide attempts. It was very heart warming seeing The Hitman get the kind of ovation he did in his hometown of Manchester. Listening to 20,000 Brits chanting in unison "There's only one Ricky Hatton" gave me goosebumps as Michael Buffer was doing the fighter introductions before his fight with Vyacheslav Senchenko. 

Hatton looked good for a pugilist that has been out of action for so long. He was quick and crisp with his combos, landing effective shots on Senchenko early. Hatton dictated the fight the first half of the 10 round bout. Then he seemed to hit a wall, the fatigue caught up to him, the long span of inactivity took a toll and Senchenko pulled up even in the second half of the fight. Then in the ninth round, Senchenko tagged Hatton with a liver piercing body shot that sent the former champion to his knees wincing in pain and could make the 10-count. After being counted out, he laid on the canvas still trying to recover from the picture perfect body blow by Senchenko. Hatton announced he was heading back to retirement after the fight, he said he felt he didn't have it anymore. I think that's crazy. He sure had it for five rounds. A tune up fight before a rematch against Malignaggi would certainly help him on his way back into the ring. I'm hoping Hatton fights again because he didn't look like just a fighter coming back for a paycheck. 

Later that night we saw Guerrero vs. Berto in what looked like a sure mismatch early in the fight. Berto was hurt, rocked, and hit the canvas twice in the first two rounds. It was a fight, the commentators said it reminded them of a street fight with the constant holding and semi-dirty antics each fighter used to gain the upper hand. Berto fought back valiantly also stunning Guerrero with heavy shots that didn't seem to phase his opponent. Berto's both eyes were swollen shut after being cut open in the second round but he willed his way through the fight. Guerrero himself had his lead right eye swollen shut also. This reminded me of a pit bull fight, as both mercilessly kept clawing until the end. If not for the Brandon Rios/Mike Alvarado fight from October, we might have called this the fight of the year. Guerrero proved he is a damn good Welterweight, he proved he has every right calling out Mayweather out by beating Berto. (I actually won a bet on this fight when I bet a certain someone that Guerrero would "whoop Berto's ass". I never win bets when it comes to Boxing. And to top it off, I still haven't collected my winnings.) Guerrero has been lobbying for a fight with the Pound for Pound Champ since early this year and was rumored to have his wish granted before Mayweather took the May showdown against Miguel Cotto. Guerrero cemented his status as a legit contender at 147 and has a bright road ahead of him. 

Speaking of Cotto, he is back in action this weekend against the up and coming Austin Trout. Trout is a young raw talent that pose a significant threat to Cotto. This is Trout's moment on the big stage as he has never been on HBO or Showtime, let alone a main event. Cotto had a small list of possible opponents after a very competitive fight against Mayweather in May. It seemed to be he would have his rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but negotiations fell through when an agreement couldn't be reached on the terms of weight. Cotto should win this fight at Madison Square Garden setting up a possible Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Tune in this Saturday on Showtime and enjoy the fireworks. 

---- Jose

Counting Down the Most Memorable 2012 MLB Headlines

This is solely my opinion, and it may be pretty biased. That is what is so special about blogging on here. These are my opinions, and I get to voice them to you. Whether you read or not, my words are out there. Something made me realize, you never know who is reading your material. I started this as an exercise just to keep my mind working. I didn't expect to put in so much time, thought, and research into this blog entry that seems quite meaningless. If you don't know a thing about baseball I tried to word this so you could feel like you have an idea of how memorable this season really was. If I did what I set out to do, please let me know. If I didn't, please let me know. With all that said, how about we get into some baseball material?

15. Exit Sandman - If there's been a constant Yankee (not named Derek Jeter) in the past 15 years, it's been the heart and soul of their bullpen, Mariano Rivera. On May 3, Rivera laid on the warning track at after injuring his right knee in a freak accident while chasing a fly ball hit by Alex Rodriguez during the Yankees batting practice. As he tracked down the ball near the center-field wall, Rivera's knee buckled, he crashed into the wall, and fell down wincing in pain as he clutched onto his knee. He was taken to a nearby hospital in Kansas City where tests revealed that he tore his right ACL and would require season-ending surgery. During spring training, Mo indicated he planned to retire at the end of this year, but since suffering the injury Rivera has expressed his hopes to return next season.

14. The Journey of Luis Cruz - A feel good story of the year could be found on any team. Since I'm a Dodgers fan, how could I not pick Luis Cruz? The 28 year old played for five different organizations before finding a home with the Dodgers. Cruz was called up on July 2, with a career batting average of .221 in 154 at bats. Cruz instantly won the hearts of Dodgers fans when he was credited with stealing home following a wild pitch from Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto. The love turned into chants of "Cruuuuuz" followed by t-shirts with "Cruuuuuz" on the back where a players last name is printed - not to mention his Twitter followers increased by the game.
 It was a breath of fresh air for Mexican Dodgers' fans as they had a Mexican contributing to the team's success since Nomar Garciaparra did it when he was with the team. Cruz filled in admirably at shortstop when Dee Gordon was sidelined with injury. After the Dodgers traded for Hanley Ramirez, they switched positions and Cruz manned third base the remainder of the season. "Cochito" ended the season batting .297, with 6 HRs, 40 RBIs, 26 Runs. Following a season where it can be argued he was the team's second half MVP, Cruz should feel content heading into spring training looking to keep his job as the starting third baseman.

13. Melky Cabrera Suspension - "The MELK Man" was on a tear this season. In May, he tied a franchise record set by Randy Winn of 51 hits in a month. His stat line for may was an impressive .429 avg., three HRs, seven Doubles, five Triples, 17 RBIs, and 24 Runs. That performance helped him into the starting lineup of the NL All Star team as Cabrera received a total of 7,521,784 votes. In the fourth inning of the Mid-Summer Classic, he hit a two-run home run helping  the NL to a 8-0 victory. Cabrera ended 2-for-3 with two RBIs and was named the All-Star Game MVP. Then the milk turned sour (no pun intended).
On August 15, Cabrera was suspended 50 games after testing positive for high levels of testosterone. He admitted he used a banned substance and accepted the suspension. In an awkward turn of events, an associate of Cabrera's purchased a website for $10,000 and set up the site that would allow Cabrera to appeal the suspension - claiming the positive test was caused by a substance purchased off the website. The MLB and federal investigators traced that website back to Cabrera. Cabrera finished his season with 159 hits, .346 avg.,  11 HRs, 60 RBIs, 84 Runs, and 13 SB. With the season winding down, Cabrera ruled himself ineligible to win the  NL Batting Title.

12. The Bobby Valentine Debacle - It only took 162 games, but Bobby Valentine's hurrah in Boston is over. It took only a few weeks before Valentine’s relationship with his players started to deteriorate. In April he questioned the commitment of third baseman and fan favorite Kevin Youkilis stating, “I don’t think he’s as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason.” That comment didn't set well with the fans or the team. Dustin Pedroia was among the most vocal questioning why Valentine would even question Youkilis' commitment to the game.
The Boston Redsox were a disaster to watch, in a town that expects to see a winning team on the field on a day by day basis. A mere 14 hours after the Red Sox lost the final game of the season to the Yankees, Boston announced they have cut ties with Valentine. Valentine insists he wasn't run out of town, but anybody that knows anything about the situation knows Valentine over welcomed his stay after the Youkilis statement.

11. Stephen Strasburg's Shut Down - Nationals' Manager Davey Johnson informed Stephen Strasburg something that wasn't a surprise to anybody - he would not pitch again this season, ending Strasburg’s season after 159 1/3 innings with 24 games remaining on the schedule. Washington's brass imposed a 160 innings pitched limit as it was Strasburg's first full season back following Tommy John surgery. The Ace ended his season with a 15-6 record, 3.16 ERA (fourth in the Nationals’ rotation), 197 Ks, 48 BBs, and a 1.15 WHIP. It's a gutsy move in the middle of a pennant race as Washington has reached the playoffs for the first time since 1933. On September 20, the Nationals clinched their playoff birth with a 4-1 victory over the Dodgers.

10. Matt Kemp's Month of April - If you didn't hear about the monster tear Matt Kemp was on to start the season, I have no idea what planet you were on in April. Entering the 2012 season, Kemp said he would become the first ever to hit the 50/50 mark. In 23 games he he belted 12 HRs but ONLY had two SBs. Kemp wasn't running wild, but he was busy in the batters box as he was hitting .417 to go along with a .490 on-base percentage, 16 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs, and 24 Runs.
Jayson Stark of ESPN compared Kemp's month of April to the likes of Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, and Ron Cey. While Stark said Cey had the better month of April in franchise history, he mentioned starts like these don't come around often and we should just enjoy the display Kemp is putting on. Kemp's season was plagued with injury, it sure would have been a sight to see, watching him chase the elusive 50/50 club. On May 1, Kemp had 139 games left to steal 48 bases and hit 38 HRs. Would it have been accomplished if Kemp wouldn't have missed time due to injury? We will never know. If I had to bet my life's savings on it - I would bet all $27.50 on Kemp's chances.

9. The Turnaround of the Los Angeles Dodgers  - Entering the 2012 season, the franchise was in turmoil. We prayed Frank McCourt would rid himself of the team for good. When that moment came, and the Guggenheim Group led by Magic Johnson purchased the Dodgers for $2 Billion, LA fans rejoiced. The Dodgers got off to a hot start, owning the best record in baseball until June 21 having lost key parts of their lineup in May - Matt Kemp and Mark Ellis. That day is when the Dodgers hit a skid that would last nearly the rest of the season. Glimmers of hope presented themselves when the Dodgers pulled off a trade with the Miami Marlins for the enigmatic Hanley Ramirez. In the deal the Dodgers sent pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough for Ramirez and reliever Randy Choate. They weren't done there, after the trade deadline, the Dodgers pulled off the trade of the decade with the Boston Red Sox. On August 25, the deal sending James Loney and four prospects for perennial all star Adrian Gonzalez, pitcher Josh Beckett, injured outfielder Carl Crawford and utilityman Nick Punto.
The Dodgers took on salaries totaling more than a quarter of a billion dollars in the trade. Gonzalez is owed $127 million over the next six seasons - Beckett $31.5 million - Punto $1.5 million - Crawford is on the books for  $102.5 million the next five seasons. It was a deal showing just how deep the pockets of the new ownership really is and showed a commitment to putting a winning team on the field day in and day out. The deals didn't propel the Dodgers into the playoffs, but they were in contention amid a struggling offense in the first half of September. The lineup involving it's newly acquisitions showed just how scary it can be over the final week of the season when the team won seven of the last eight games. The Dodgers didn't punch their ticket to play October baseball but over the course of the season, it felt like a winning season. The new ownership looks to spend more money this Winter to bolster the pitching staff and find Clayton Kershaw a bit of help to over throw the San Francisco Giants in 2013.

8. The Washington Nationals Division Champs - One question. Did you see this coming? Be honest! Did you? I for one can say, yes. I saw this coming. What made predict this in the preseason was the acquisition of pitcher Gio Gonzalez. I knew he would anchor the staff including Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler, and Edwin Jackson. The starting rotation compiled 68 Wins, a 3.28 ERA, 830 Ks, and 1.18 WHIP. Gonzalez ended his season in the mix for the Cy Young with a 21-8 record, 2.89 ERA, 207 Ks, and 1.13 WHIP. I didn't predict him winning the Cy Young, but he was the most valuable draft pick of the 2012 fantasy baseball season for me.
I did predict Ryan Zimmerman would be in contention for the NL MVP, that was off. Don't hold it against me, you probably didn't even give the Nats a shot of having a winning season this year. Kidding aside, the Nats offense was dynamite all season long. Adam LaRoche led the way for the Nats hitting 31 HRs, 100 RBIs, and .271 AVG. Ian Desmond, Bryce Harper, Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa all hit over 17 jacks. The pitching and offensive production led to Washington finishing with a 98-64 record; the best record in the Majors. Washington's future looks bright with Strausburg and Harper careers just blossoming.

7. The Baltimore Orioles #BUCKleUp - The Orioles just as the Nationals were a afterthought to make the postseason. In a division with the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Rays, even the Blue Jays, nobody gave this team a chance. Ever since Joe Buck has been announced as the skipper in Baltimore, the O's have a record of 128-91 buying into whatever it is Buck has been selling. This year marks the first time since 1997 that the Orioles have made the playoffs. After beating the Rangers in the one game Wild Card round in Texas, Baltimore heads to face New York to face the Yankees. The last time the two teams squared up in the postseason in 1996, Jeffrey Maier altered the course of the season for the O's after interfering with a Derek Jeter pop fly that resulted in a home run.
The Orioles managed to battle the Yankees for the division title up until the final game of the season. If New York would have lost to Boston and Baltimore would have beat Tampa bay, a one game playoff would have settled the tie and would have crowned the division champs. The scenario didn't work in the Orioles favor, but here the teams are set to face off in a marquee match up between the powerhouse Yankees and the up and coming Orioles.

6. The Oakland A's Hollywood Ending - Moneyball Part Deux. Somebody get on the phone with Brad Pitt, tell him to expect assuming the role of Billy Beane in the future.
Those guys up in Oakland trailed the Rangers by as many as 13 games in the standings on June 30th and also trailed them by five with nine games left in the season. Oakland capped of one of the greatest comebacks on the final game of the season beating the Texas Rangers in a battle for the AL West Division championship. The A's finished the season 94-68 in a season where they stood no chance playing in a division with the Rangers and Angels.
Josh Reddick led "The Misfits"as their top HR hitter. Entering 2012, Reddick had never hit more than seven HRs in a season. This year he hit the 10th most in the AL, 32. Reddick was the ultimate misfit - long hair, travels with a wrestling championship belt, and a Spider-Man costume - Reddick is a misfit. Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes was inked to a four year $36 million contract in the off season that  left many people stunned. Why in the world would Billy Beane give so much money to a guy who has never played a game of baseball in the U.S.? Following a slow start, Cespedes finished the season strong hitting .292, with 23 HRs, and 82 RBIs. Brandon Moss was the biggest key for the A's down the stretch after beginning the season in Triple-A. Moss had 15 HRs in 678 career at bats in five big league seasons with three different teams.  In 265 at bats for Oakland, Moss hit 21 home runs while hitting .291 to go along with 52 RBIs. Free swinger Jonny Gomes contributed big also hitting 18 HRs and 47 RBIs.
Oakland's pitching staff was solid all season long, including rookies Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone. Parker went 13-8 with 140 Ks, and a 3.47 ERA; Milone went 13-10, had 137 Ks, and a 3.74 ERA. Brandon McCarthy was great starting 18 games, compiling a 8-6 record, 73 Ks, and a 3.24 ERA. McCarthy's season was cut short after taking a line drive to the head off the bat of Erick Aybar on September 5th. Bartolo Colon was a candidate for Comeback player of the Year with a 10-9 record, 91 Ks, and a 3.43 ERA. Colon was shut down for the season after failing a drug test with elevated levels of testosterone, resulting in a 50-game suspension. Closer Grant Balfour might have been the biggest misfit of all on the team. The  Australian native was intimidating on the mound, yelling as he is pitching at himself, the hitter, his catcher, his glove, or anybody or anything nearby. Balfour ended his season with 24 Saves, 72 Ks, a 2.53 ERA, and a 0.92 WHIP in 74.2 innings of work.

5. R.A. Dickey's Emergence - Did you hear about the 37 year old Knuckleballer who is a contender for the NL Cy Young award? That would be R.A. Dickey. Dickey piled up a 20-6 record to go along with a 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a NL leading 230 Ks. What is so surprising about this is, the road Dickey traveled to get here. Early in his career he discovered that his right arm was missing an ulnar collateral ligament. Dickey then learned to throw the Knuckleball as an effort to keep his career alive. He bounced around three different teams  before joining the New York Mets in 2010.
Dickey was artful through out the course of the season throwing an 83 mph Knuckleball that hitters couldn't get their bat on. Dickey's record in the first half of the season was 12-1 earning him a spot on the NL All Star team and was in contention to start the game. Dickey's memorable first half included  a 11 strikeout performance against the Pirates followed by 10 Ks in his very next start against the Padres. In the two games, Dickey allowed one run in 14.1 innings along with 21 Ks and was named NL Player of the Week. The day after his teammate after teammate Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in franchise history, Dickey threw a seven-hit complete game shutout. On June 13, Dickey allowed only one hit, had 12 Ks, while facing 29 batters in a 9-1 victory over Tampa Bay. The hit allowed was an infield single hit to David Wright. Wright couldn't field the ball and it was ruled an infield hit. New York appealed looking to get the hit ruled as an error, but MLB denied their appeal. Also in the game, Dickey passed Jerry Koosman's franchise record of 31.2 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
 In his following start, Dickey pitched another one-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles, became the first pitcher since 1988 to throw two consecutive one-hitters and the first in the NL since 1944. Dickey's scoreless innings streak came to an end on June 24, 2012, Dickey's streak of consecutive scoreless innings without an earned run came to an end at 44.1 innings against the New York Yankees. Dickey should win the Cy Young award, because he earned every single victory pitching for the offensively challenged Mets. The team finished in the bottom half of all offensive categories with the exception of doubles. Having won 20 of 26 possible decisions shouldn't go unnoticed in the voting. Dickey is on the verge of turning 38 and could sign a contract extension in the coming month.

4. Chipper Jones, Omar Vizquel, and Ben Sheets Retire - 19 years into a first ballot Hall of Fame career passed us by, but did we really appreciate it? Chipper Jones' career ended with a questionable loss to the Cardinals in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Jones' last at bat saw him reach base after jogging down the line and questionably being called safe. That is not how I want to remember Larry Jones' career. I will remember Chipper for everything he did in a Braves uniform. Chipper ended his career with 2,726 Hits, .303 Avg., 468 HRs, and 1,623 RBIs. He also ends his career with one of the most impressive stats in Baseball, Jones drew 1,512 walks compared to 1,409 strikeouts.
Omar Vizquel, a 11-time Gold Glove winner and three time All Star hung up the spikes after a 24-year career. Vizquel broke into the bigs with Seattle in 1989, later playing with Cleveland, San Francisco, Texas, the Chicago White Sox, and finally in Toronto. Vizquel ended his career with one final start at shortstop for his 2,709th game at SS, the most in MLB history. In the seventh inning, he busted out into left field making an over the shoulder catch in gold-glove fashion. His final at-bat came in the bottom of the seventh, and fans cheered and chanted his name as he was at the plate. Vizquel slapped a single up the middle for hit number 2,877 of his career, 39th all-time in baseball. "Little O"ended his career with a .272 Avg., 456 Doubles, 951 RBIs, 1445 Runs, and 404 SBs.
Ben Sheets also called quits taking the mound on the final game of the season for the Braves to cap off an injury plagued 10 year career. Sheets pitched just one inning, striking out two including ending the inning striking out Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen. On July 1, Atlanta announced they inked Sheets to a minor league contract to attempt a comeback to the major leagues. On July 15, Sheets made his first start in nearly two years against the New York Mets, tossing six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and fanning five to earn the win. Over the course of 10 injury ridden seasons, Sheets compiled a 94-96 record, with 1,325 Ks, and a 3.78 ERA with Milwaukee, Oakland, and Atlanta.

3. The Year of the No-No - When Cincinnati Homer Bailey threw a No-Hitter on September 28, it was the seventh No-Hitter of 2012. The last time that happened was in 1991. We saw three perfect-games, and a combined No-Hitter by the Seattle Mariners.
Chicago's Phillip Humber got things started on April 21, tossing a perfect-game against the Seattle Mariners. Humber struck out nine batters while only throwing a total of 95 pitches. A couple of weeks later, Anaheim's Jered Weaver threw a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins on May 2. Weaver also fanned nine batters, but walked one, in a emotional performance in front of his parents and the home crowd. About a month later on June 1, the New York Mets' ace Johan Santana tosses the first no-hitter in franchise history against the potent offense of the St. Louis Cardinals. The southpaw threw a total of 134 pitches, walking five and striking out eight Red Birds.
Seven days later the Seattle Mariners would be on the good side of a no-hitter. The memorable thing about this was it was a combined effort. Six Mariners no hit the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 8. Kevin Millwood pitched six innings only allowing a walk until leaving the game during his seventh inning warm up with a groin injury. Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen combined with Millwood to throw 114 pitches and tied the record for most pitcher used in a no-no. Five days after, Matt Cain threw a perfect game against the Houston Astros on June 13. Cain was brilliant in his performance mowing down 14 Astros, throwing 86 of his 114 pitches for strikes.
We didn't see another such performance until August 15, when Seattle's Felix Hernandez was perfect against the Tampa Bay Rays. King Felix was masterful against Tampa Bay's lineup piling up 12 strikeouts on 113 pitches. Hernandez was every bit a King and a former Cy Young Award winner courting the Rays in the afternoon matinee. Cincinnati's Homer Bailey tossed the seventh and final no-hitter of the season on September 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bailey continued the double-digit strikeout trend with 10 Ks on 115 pitches and walked one batter.
If history repeats itself, next year seven pitchers will also throw no-hitters and two will be combined efforts. In 1990 there were a total of seven no-hitters with one combined no-no, the following year seven were also thrown with two being combined efforts. Do we have any takers?

2. The Phenoms, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper - April 28, 2012. The MLB would be turned upside down as two rookies would make their debuts. Washington's 19 year old Bryce Harper, was making his MLB debut and Anaheim's Mike Trout,20, would make his season debut. We knew we were going to witness something special. But we didn't envision what these two phenoms would eventually do in their rookie seasons.
Harper recorded his first hit in his third at bat, hitting a double against the Dodgers Chad Billingsley. Harper found himself in other types of headlines a week later when he was hit by Philadelphia's ace Cole Hamels. Harper would then go on to steal home after reaching third base. Hamels then admitted after the game that he intentionally hit Harper and was given a five game suspension. A week later Harper hit his first home run against San Diego's Tim Stauffer. Harper made the All Star team after Miami's Giancarlo Stanton was forced to miss the game with an injury. Harper's production hit a snag in the "Dog Days of Summer". He hit a mere .176 ultimately being benched by Davey Johnson. Harper would then start to heat up. On August 29, Harper would hit two HRs, then would be ejected in the ninth inning of the game for slamming his helmet on the ground after grounding into an inning ending double play. Harper would go on to finish his season hitting .270 along with 22 HRs, 59 RBIs, 98 Runs, and 18 SBs, cementing his Rookie of the Year campaign. Harper became the first player since Boston's Tony Conigliaro to hit 20 HRs under the age of 20. Those that know of Conigliaro know that Harper's potential to be an all time great in this game is looking pretty good.
And then there was Trout. In a nutshell, Trout became the first ever player in the AL's illustrious history to win the Rookie of the Month award and Player of the Month award in the same month when he did it in July. Trout hit .392, with 10 HRs, six doubles, two triples, 23 RBIs, 32 Runs and SB in 25 games in July. I can go on and on about Trout's accomplishments in which he was the first ever player to do so or the first player in quite some time to do so. The most significant was becoming the first rookie to drive in at least 55 RBIs and score 80 runs in 81 games since Joe DiMaggio did it in 1936. Joe DiMaggio! Trout ended his season with a .326 AVG., 30 HRs, 27 Doubles, eight Triples, 83 RBIs, 129 Runs, and 49 SB. His 129 Runs set a franchise record for most runs scored in a season passing Vladimir Guerrero's 124 Runs. Trout's incredible season was badly timed as some guy named Miguel Cabrera won the first Triple Crown since 1967. Had not for Cabrera's Triple Crown, Trout would be a runaway for the 2012 AL MVP.

1. Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown - Detroit's Miguel Cabrera season was historic and exciting to watch in every sense. Cabrera's season began with a broken orbital bone. After the signing of first baseman Prince Fielder, Cabrera voluntarily moved back to playing third base.During a spring training game, Cabrera was below his right eye by a grounder which would break a bone. Cabrera was expected to be ready by opening day, and was the starting third baseman for the Tigers to start the season. Miggy was named to the All Star team as a reserve for the seventh time in his career. On July 22, Cabrera hit his 300th HR, becoming the second Venezuelan to reach the mark - Andres Galarraga hit 399. Miggy was awarded the American League Player of the Month in August. Cabrera batted .357 with eight HRs, six doubles, 24 RBIs, and 19 Runs in 26 games.
Cabrera solidified the MVP award when the slugger won the first Triple Crown since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967. Cabrera became the 15th player in history to win baseball's elusive Triple Crown, joining all-time greats such as Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams. Cabrera topped the AL with a .330 AVG., 44 HRs and 139 RBIs. Many have come close, until ultimately losing in the final weeks of the season. Just last season Matt Kemp was a a couple batting average points behind Jose Reyes to win the Triple Crown.
What Miggy did this season was amazing and historic. How much longer will we have to wait to see another Triple Crown season? As time passes and we don't see another winner, we will be reassured just how big and historical winning the Triple Crown really is. Many people make the argument that Mike Trout deserves the MVP, and deservingly so. But you can't use the "what if Trout played the whole season" reason, because you never know what could have happened, good or bad. What Cabrera did is something we haven't seen in 45 years, what Trout did is something we haven't seen since..... Never mind  I'll end this now before I start contradicting myself and convince myself maybe Trout deserves the MVP.

-- Jose

Jose's Fantasy Football Column for the Daily Press

It’s about time I start a column talking about a running back other than C.J. Spiller. Did you see Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles carrying the ball 33 times for 233 yards coming? I certainly didn’t.

Charles got so many touches because Peyton Hillis left the game with an ankle injury. Charles is a good option at RB, just don’t expect that kind of performance again.

Congratulations to Washington’s Alfred Morris on surviving the “Alfred Morris Three Weeks of Consistency Countdown.” The rookie’s Week 3 stat line of 17 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown is worthy of keeping the streak alive. Morris now has 263 yards and three TDs on the season.

Before the season started, a reader sent us an email predicting Morris as the biggest sleeper of the season. Jose Sanchez, the Daily Press proudly awards you with the inaugural “Deepest Sleeper Ever” award.

How did Buffalo’s “Fool’s Gold” Spiller fare this week? He had four carries for 16 yards and caught two passes for 42 yards, including a 32-yard TD, before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. If you took my advice of trading him, I accept PayPal payments.

Early indications are pointing to Spiller sitting out this week against New England. Fred Jackson has been progressing faster than expected from a sprained right knee ligament, but might not be ready this week. If neither are able to suit up, Tashard Choice will get the call. Choice filled in for Spiller and carried the ball 20 times for 91 yards against Cleveland.

Is it just me, or do you think there’s something special in the water in Buffalo? Possibly some of the “Mike’s Secret Stuff” that Bugs Bunny gave to his team in the film “Space Jam”?

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning didn’t have the big game I anticipated against Carolina, but it was mostly due to the lopsided score and the emergence of RB Andre Brown. Manning torched the Panthers’ defense in the first half for 208 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett to finish the Giants’ first drive of the game. Manning finished with 288 yards, the lone TD, and didn’t throw an interception.

Atlanta hosts the Panthers this week. As easy as it is to point to any QB going up against the Panthers’ defense, this is a dream matchup. I just love Matt Ryan’s chances against one of the worst defenses in the league. Matty Ice is coming off a 275-yard, three-TD performance against San Diego. The Falcons have been airing the ball out and should continue to do so against Carolina.

This week’s hottest pickup will be the Giants’ Brown. He followed a strong Week 2 performance with 20 carries for 113 yards and two TDs. But it was against Carolina. Ahmad Bradshaw has been cleared to return to practice this week and is expected to retain his starting gig. New York heads to Philadelphia for a tough divisional matchup and the Eagles’ defense hasn’t been very good. With Manning spreading the field, whoever the Giants have in the backfield should have a productive game. Even if the injury-prone Bradshaw plays this week, Brown should be worth a spot on your bench.

Personally, if I’m going to make a claim on a RB it’s going to be Detroit’s Mike LeShoure. The second-round pick finally made his NFL debut after missing the 2011 season due to a torn Achillies tendon, then getting suspended for the first two games of this season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Lions host Minnesota this week and LeShoure, coming off a 100-yard performance, is worth a shot given the injuries in the Lions’ backfield.

I think the best pickup will be Giants tight end Martellus Bennett, who is turning into one of Manning’s favorite red zone targets. The 6-foot-6 TE is a perfect red zone target and has proven capable of reeling in Manning’s passes. Through three games, Bennett has 185 yards and three touchdowns. He’s been heavily involved in the Giants’ offense and should be a viable option to start, or a good bench option if you already have a good TE.

I haven’t focused much on special team/defenses because I feel they aren’t all that important as waiver wire pickups. But if you need a defensive improvement, Arizona — which held Philadelphia to just two field goals — should fit the bill. Through three games, the Cardinals have allowed 206 passing yards per game — the seventh fewest in the NFL. They’ve forced five fumbles, recovered four and have two interceptions.

A Small Biased Weekend Recap

First and foremost, I want to say may Corrie Sanders rest in peace. The former heavyweight champion was shot to death in South Africa during a robbery. Sander's finest hour in the Boxing ring came in 2003, when he upset and knocked out Wladimir Klitschko. Say "hello" to Bert Sugar and Joe Fraizer for us, Corrie.

Tragedy aside, what an eventful weekend of sports. The San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds clinched their respective divisions. The New Orleans Saints are now 0-3 in a season without head coach Sean Payton. Kansas City Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles quieted the naysayers with a brilliant 233 rushing yards on 33 carries performance. The Baltimore Ravens rallied to beat the New England Patriots by a last minute field goal. I wonder if Billy Cundiff was watching the prime-time game?

Ravens' wide receiver Torrey Smith put on a performance of a lifetime on what was a painful night for him and his family. Early Sunday, morning Smith received a call letting him know his brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. Smith rushed to his family and let his team know he wanted to play tonight. It was a performance that brought back memories of the game Brett Favre played in after his father's death against the Oakland Raiders. Smith caught six passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. His 5-yard touchdown pulled the Ravens to within a score at 30-28 in the fourth quarter. After the game an emotional Smith was consoled by Ray Lewis on the field. A very heart warming image. 

Speaking of dramatic finishes, the Detroit Lions and the Tennessee Titans went into overtime. Titans' kicker Rob Bironas kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Titans a 44-41 victory. Tennessee blew a 20-9 halftime lead and became the first NFL team to score five touchdowns of 60-yards or longer in a game. Shaun Hill filled in for Matt Stafford after Stafford left the game with a strained right leg muscle. Hill tied the game after a 46-yard "Hail-Mary" that was tipped from Titans' linebacker Akeem Ayers into the hands of Titus Young at the end of regulation. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Raiders game lacked the emotion of the prime-time game, but was a nail biter. Daaaaa Raaaaaidaz (you have to say that in a Chris Berman voice) upset the Troy Polomalu-less Steelers with a 34-31 victory. Oakland's WR Darrius Heyward-Bey was carted off the field after taking a hard shot to the head from Ryan Mundy. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that doctors do not believe Heyward-Bey suffered a concussion, rather a neck injury that will require further testing Monday. Let's hope Heyward-Bey's playing days are not over.

I wont even get into my damn Philadelphia Eagles' shellacking. The Cardinals improved to 3-0 after a 27-6 clipping of the Eagles.

Over on the MLB side of things, The Los Angeles Dodgers salvaged the series in Cincinnati with a 5-3 victory. Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw returned to the mound and was effective if not shaky in five innings of work. The southpaw gave up five hits, five walks, five strikeouts, all in five innings. What an odd night of work. Adrian Gonzalez' bat finally showed signs of life with a two home run night. The Dodgers' offense displayed it's depth in the seventh inning when they scored four runs, started by a lead-off home run from Gonzalez. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez fouled a pitch off his left leg in the inning, after shaking off the hit, Ramirez singled to left only to hobble down to first base. Dee Gordon pinch ran and replaced Ramirez. Gordon made a costly error in the eighth inning sailing a throw into the first row of stands on a routine grounder. The error led to a massive-shot off the bat of Dennis Phipps, making his second career start. 

With the win, the Dodgers keep pace in the NL Wild Card race, trailing the St. Louis Cardinals by three games with nine games left on their schedule. The Dodgers head to San Diego on Tuesday for three games against the Padres, they head home for the final home stand against the Colorado Rockies and Giants. 

The Number 27
My Thoughts About It’s Impact On The 2012 MLB Season in SoCal

Entering the 2012 season I swore that there was no better player than Matt Kemp that his ability to swing past the fences and steal bases was going to get him the NL MVP and Triple Crown. He looked every bit of the five-tool speedy slugger he has been advertised to be. With a torrid start putting up arguably the greatest April in baseball history. Finishing with 417 AVG/.490OBP/.893 SLG, 25 RBIs, 12HRs, 24 Runs, and 2 stolen bases.

Kemp was on pace to be a legitimate threat at being the first triple crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Unfortunately Kemp suffered a hamstring injury that landed him a few stints on the DL making his run at the 50/50 club impossible.

During Kemp’s visit to the DL just a few miles outside of Los Angeles county limits there was another #27 doing it big. A 20 year old Rookie was stealing bases and hitting homers. Not to mention stealing home runs in the outfield. As a rookie that missed nearly the entire month of April, Trout leads the Majors in steals, runs, and is currently the runner up for the batting title. His most ridiculous stat his WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 10.1. Trout's WAR nearly double that of the current runner up.

The Rookie of the Year is a lock. The American League MVP - maybe? Trout has a chance to reach the 30/30 club this year and shows potential of making it to the 40/40 club in the years to come.

I’ve been following both players very closely. As much as I hate watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem. I now spend my evenings flipping between Vin Scully telling me about which farm the current pitcher grew up on, answering the Aflac trivia question of the night, and watching Mike Trout's at-bats. At 20 years old I believe there is nothing he can’t accomplish. 

I love the fact that he has out shined the over-paid Albert Pujols and single handedly brought down the annoying “El Hombre” billboards that where supposed to get the hispanics in Los Angeles intrigued to watch an Angels game. Trout isn’t the best hitter, he is the best player. He gets my vote for AL MVP. Yes, over Miguel Cabrera and his near Triple Crown. Why? Because Trout leads baseball in the two most important statistical categories WAR( Wins Above Replacement) and Runs. 

Why are these the two most important statistical categories? Because WAR is a true statistic that measures a players actual value compared to his peers. Runs are important because that's what decides a ball game not BA, HR, or OBP - those are statistics to gauge a hitters ability at the plate. 

So give Miguel Cabrera the batting title the silver slugger award he’s definitely earned them. Give Trout the MVP he’s definitely proven that no one is more valuable than him. 

Ask any GM in Baseball if they can start all over today and select one player to have right now as the focal point of the team, the majority answer would likely be Trout.

Back to Kemp, he’s definitely had an off year plagued by the injuries and all the awful at-bats. He seems to have lost his confidence and will more than likely need a legitimate off-season to get back to his April ways. It could be worse, he could be dating a pop singer, full of distractions, and be missing routine fly balls in front of thousands of people. What a long road its been for Kemp since that awful 2010 season. I’m still not over 2010 and will hold it against him every time he goes hitless why because I’m a bitter Dodger fan, trying to walk off the Frank McCourt shafting. Will I still watch every game convinced that Matt Kemp is going to reach 50/50 next season? Absolutely! 

I would love nothing more than to watch the impossible possible. Isn’t that why we watch sports, because we love to see what no one has done before we love to see records shattered and curses broken? All the 50/50 nonsense, next year Kemp gets a clean slate to make a run at greatness. For now he needs to refocus on contributing enough to get his team into the postseason.

-Daniel

Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao

"Now you're unemployed, all non-void, walking 'round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd" - Grandmaster Flash

I absolutely hate the drama surrounding Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

I try not to follow it too much, because every time I buy into it, I wind up with a broken heart. Time after time, some kind of road block pops up and prevents the mega-fight from happening.

- For the record, I think Floyd would run circles around Manny and give him a Boxing lesson far worse than Juan Manuel Marquez has.

One thing about being a Boxing fan, we have to resort to the world of YouTube and internet blogs to find out the latest happenings. ESPN's coverage is weak. I love First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless make my mornings. But one thing I can't stand is when they talk Mayweather/Pacquiao. Stephen A. seems like he would die trying to defend Floyd's honor, and Skip is just your prototypical Pac-tard.

But as I watched this morning, Stephen A. has a new found respect for Pacquiao. Pacquiao and Marquez were on the set of the show yesterday. Of course Pacquiao was bombarded with Floyd Mayweather Jr. questions. What Manny said on national television pretty much made Floyd look like a bitch.

Manny said he will take a 45-55 revenue split in Floyd's favor. He said he would agree to drug tests right before, and right after the fight. Manny hysterically laughed in Stephen A.'s face when he told Manny, he thinks Floyd can beat him. Manny brought up something Floyd said during a phone call (Floyd offered Manny 40 million dollars to agree to a fight, but Floyd get's 100 percent of the revenue the fight brings in), Floyd uttered the words, "what if I lose?"

Whoa! If I'm the best boxer in the world, the pound for pound king, if I'm Floyd Joy Mayweather, I would never mention the words, "what if I lose".

Does Floyd not believe in his ability? Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. really worried Manny Pacquiao could beat him? I just want to know - why hasn't Floyd Mayweather Jr. addressed this via twitter? Floyd has called out Pacquiao on twitter before. Why wouldn't he do it again after Pacquiao called him out on national television?

I want this fight to happen no more than the average Boxing fan, but if this fight never happened, I would be okay with that. There's far too much behind-the-scene politics that play a huge role in Boxing that has drove fans away from the sport. One of the biggest issues that hasn't helped this fight see the light of day is the rivalry between promotion companies, Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions.

I could get into how the rival promotion companies are killing the sport of Boxing, but I will save that topic for another post in the future.

All I want to know is, what is Floyd Mayweather Jr. doing not addressing Manny Pacquiao? Will he stay quiet, and quietly show up ringside at the Pacquiao/Marquez IV fight in December? Will he go on  a twitter tirade again? What the heck is Money May going to do? Is Manny's recent visit to First Take the spark that will make this fight happen in 2013?

- Jose