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 2009 Mets: A Model of Mediocrity - Justice Danno
I said it and wrote it all off-season....the New York Mets aren't any better this year than they were last year. Of course, I didn't expect them to be any worse, but they've managed to be worse, and it's difficult to envision them turning this season around any time soon. This team has flaws and issues. Where shall we begin?
My main concern heading into the season was that the much improved bullpen would mean little if the starting pitchers couldn't hand a lead over to the bullpen. That has indeed been the case.
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2009 MLB Predictions - Justice Danno
We present our 2009 MLB Predictions. More


2009 Top Rated Rookies - Justice Danno

We present this season's top rookie prospects. While the list includes those who will make major contributions in 2009, it also includes long term prospects. Last season's SSJ rankings by Justice Danno are also included.

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2009 Fantasy Sleeper Candidates - Justice Danno
We present this season's possible sleeper candidates for your fantasy baseball team. They may not begin the season with the big club, but they may very well play a major role during the course of the season.
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WBC Strikes Out - Justice Danno
...Granted, it will help MLB become more global, which will generate more revenue, which is what Selig and the sport is all about. And for that, it is difficult to blame MLB. However, with that said, it is tough for American fans, who have supported MLB, to care about this event. Last night, as the USA pounded Venezuela 15-6, I opted to watch a rerun of Curb Your Enthusiasm. More


It's Not The Economy...It's Collusion - Justice Danno

It took quite a while, but MLB owners have finally found an excuse for allowing collusion to re-enter baseball. Blame it on the economy. Granted, the economy is bad, and there's no question that the struggles of the economy will hurt many people. But how much of an effect will it have on MLB? More


Potential 2009 Fantasy Busts - Justice Danno

Here now we present our list of players who we think may struggle in 2009. Sure some of the names are unexpected, but every season a star player or young stud falls flat on their face. Here now is our list of potential busts.
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Can The Royals Surprise? - Justice Danno
Which team will be this year's version of the Tampa Bay Rays? Many in Kansas City are hoping that team will be the Royals. Will the 2009 Royals make the playoffs? Probably not. But if there is a team that has a chance to improve and challenge for a playoff spot, it could just be the Royals. More


Rating the XLIII Super Bowl Ads - Justice Danno
* Bridgestone Potato Heads - Clever ad that actually had originality. Top 5 advertisement.
* Pedigree - For what the company had to work with, the ad was a good one.
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Jets Go In New "D-Rex"tion - Justice Danno
Rex Ryan will attempt to do something that Bill Parcells, Joe Walton, Bruce Coslett, Pete Carroll, Rich Kotite, Al Groh, Eric Mangini, and others have tried, but failed to do. That's lead the Jets to the Super Bowl. It's been forty years since the Jets went to a Super Bowl. There are many reasons why the Jets have failed to make it to the big game. For one, other than Parcells, the Jets haven't had an impressive list of head coaches lead the team. Ryan may prove to be a good one, but he's still untested. But that isn't the main reason the Jets have failed to make a Super Bowl appearance in four decades. More


Lowe Blow Dealt To Mets - Justice Danno
And away he goes....and with him, the probable chance of the Mets winning the NL East. Derek Lowe signed with the rival Braves for four years, $60mil, which will come back to haunt Omar Minaya and the Mets. Minaya was convinced that there was no market for Lowe, and his low-ball three year offer would be enough to sign Lowe. But Minaya should have known better than to low-ball a Scott Boras client. More


Five Most Underrated Sports Movies - Justice Danno
Ask any sports fan to name their favorite sports movies, and the usual list of movies is mentioned. My personal favorites: Field of Dreams, Rudy, Rocky I and II, The Rookie, and The Longest Yard (original). Many will mention one or most of those movies, along with such classics as Hoosiers, Eight Men Out, Caddyshack, Major League, 61*, The Natural, and North Dallas Forty, to name a few. But what about those sports movies that seem to have flown under the radar?
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New Or Used - Justice Danno
When it comes to hiring coaches, should an NFL team hire a proven coach with a good track record or go with the enticing young assistant coach and guru from another team? No doubt that the success of Tony Sparano of Miami, John Harbaugh in Baltimore, and Mike Smith in Atlanta has teams thinking that a solid assistant coach is better than a rehashed head coach...regardless of their coaching record. But perhaps teams aren't quite seeing the big picture. For every Sparano, there's a Rod Marinelli. More


Favre Bashing Unwarranted...and Ludicrous - Justice Danno
Sometimes, something will happen off the field that shocks sports fans. By now, we've all become accustomed to seeing our favorite players arrested for crimes such as domestic disturbance, or drag racing, or using illegal drugs. Unfortunately, it's becoming common place in the world of sports. Often times, we'll be shocked to see a player leave via free agency and join a rival team. We will shake our heads in disbelief when we hear of the salaries that some of todays athletes are making. But perhaps the most shocking thing I've seen in sports this year is the bashing and abuse being directed at Brett Favre. Last time I checked, Favre was considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time. More


NFL Playoff Preview - Justice Danno
The Cardinals have a potent passing attack, but while many feel their offense is superior to the Falcons, the Cardinals only averaged two points a game more than the Falcons. The fact is, that the Cardinals don't have much of a running game, while the Falcons have Michael Turner tearing up the league...and that will be the difference in this game. And while the Falcons gives up yards to opposing quarterbacks, so do the Cardinals. More


Reviewing the Non Playoff NFL Teams - Justice Danno

Now that the 2008 NFL regular season is over, it's time to look at the non-playoff teams and review what went right, what went wrong, and what the future holds.

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Oy - Justice Danno
Oy: According to chabad.org - "Oy" is a very old Jewish interjection which means "woe."
One thing is obvious....some of us must have upset the sports gods. How else can it be explained? Have you noticed any parallels between the 2008 New York Mets and 2008 New York Jets? If you're not a fan of either, then you probably haven't noticed, but if you're a fan of both the Mets and the Jets, then you will attest that this year, unlike any other, has More


Nobody Does It Better - Justice Danno
Radio talk show hosts come and go. Some leave the air before they should, while others remain on air even though their shows become flat. New York's WFAN recently saw the breakup of Mike and the Mad Dog after nineteen years. More


What Now? - Justice Danno
It's hard to knock a General Manager who signs a 62 save closer for a reasonable dollar amount, and follows it up by acquiring a solid closer to become a setup man to the 62 save closer. but surely there's more work to do... yet by all indications, Omar Minaya's work may in fact be done. If that is indeed true, I question the signing of Rodriguez, even though it appears to be a solid signing on paper. More


How About A Game Plan That Makes Sense Omar - Justice Danno
Perhaps the success of the Jets and Giants has New York fans putting baseball on the back burner, and rightfully so. After all, the Jets and Giants are looking like legitimate contenders, while the Mets and Yankees were busts this season ....again. But make no mistake, while football takes center stage in New York, Met fans know exactly what's going on with their team. While Brian Cashman has begun the rebuilding process in the Bronx by making a shrewd move to acquire Swisher from the White Sox, Omar Minaya has done nothing. More


Ten Reasons The Jets Will Beat The Titans - Justice Danno
While the Titans defense is one of the league's best, the Jets defense can't be overlooked. They are 2nd in the league in interceptions returned for a TD, 2nd in the league in forced fumbles, 2nd in the league in defensive TDs, and 3rd in the league in sacks. Those numbers are better than those of the Titans.
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Let The Guessing Game Begin - Justice Danno
Now that the Hot Stove League has officially begun, it's time to guess, and it is nothing more than a guess, as to where certain free agents will go to become richer than they already are.
CC Sabathia
Who should sign him: Phillies - Imagine if the World Champions added Sabathia to their rotation? He and Hammels would be a lethal 1-2 atop the rotation. Signing Sabathia would instantly make Philly the team to beat in 2009. More


Who Wrote This Script? - Justice Danno
Who, may I ask, wrote the script for this NFL season? Suspense...plenty, drama....sure, exciting ending....to be determined.
The Jets defeat the Dolphins in week 1, get hammered by the Chargers, but the Chargers lose to the Dolphins who had previously lost to the Jets. The Eagles defeat the Rams, the Redskins defeat the Eagles, then lose to the (then) 0-4 Rams who were previously beaten by the Eagles. More


10 Reasons The Rays Will Win The World Series - Justice Danno

1) The Kids Are Alright
 Sure the Phillies have had more time off and aren't exactly an old team, but the Rays have a young team, and that should translate into fresher legs as the series goes on. Jamie Moyer is no spring chicken. Brad Lidge had a phenomenal season, but does he have enough left for this series?
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Destined For 4th Place - Justice Danno
It's not too early to call it now. In three divisions, we can already predict the 4th place teams in the respective divisions. In fact, we can probably assume that the following teams will finish in 4th place next season...and beyond.
Braves
It wasn't long ago that this time of the year belonged to the Atlanta Braves. Sure, they were usually eliminated without winning the World Series (just one WS win), but the Braves were a post season staple. And they didn't enter the playoffs by nabbing the wildcard. They did so by winning their division a record fourteen straight years. More


Ten Ways To Fix The Mets - Justice Danno

New Team Doctors - No team seemed to misdiagnose players more than the Mets Medical staff. They botched up Church's concussion, Wagner's initial diagnosis, Hernandez' bunions, the extent of Maine's arm problems, and so on. John Maine was shut down despite needing minor surgery at season's end.

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Big Numbers, Little Fanfare - Justice Danno
Here are the players who had breakout seasons, yet received little attention from the National Media.
Ricky Nolasco - Of the three Cy Young candidates (Santana, Lincecum, Webb), Nolasco had the fewest walks and best WHIP among those pitchers. In his last 20 starts, he walked more than one batter just once. Despite pitching less innings than Webb, he had more strikeouts and had a better Batting Average Against than Webb. For a pitcher who went 15-8, he flew under the radar this season. More


Ay Caramba: Mets Give Minaya Four Year Extension - Justice Danno
On Tuesday, the Mets inexplicably gave their GM, Omar Minaya, a four year contract extension despite not having won anything. Some would suggest that this was the Wilpon's way of telling Minaya he was doing a good job and we want stability during this crucial time in the season. Others suggest that the players would feel a sense of security knowing that Minaya would be their GM for the foreseeable future. Then there are others, such as myself, who see this as a ridiculous move. More


When Fantasy And Real Life Clash - Justice Danno
September 24th, 2008 - Tonight the Mets take on Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs at Shea. As a Mets fan, I'm hoping for a romp. I want the Mets to beat up on the Cubs so they can maintain their one game lead on the Brewers. I hope they get to Zambrano early and knock him out before the fifth inning....NOT! More


The Week That Was - Justice Danno
During the Yankee Stadium closing ceremonies, there were two people who were missing from the festivities. Of course, one of them may not have attended, and the other would have been unable to attend. The two men omitted were Roger Clemens and Joe Torre. While I don't agree with the omission of Clemens, I can understand that there may have been a fear that he would be booed or that he would have caused a distraction. But the omission of Joe Torre was downright wrong. More


Coaching Conundrums - Justice Danno
One former New York Jets coach, the present Jets coach, and hopefully not a future Jets head coach, all helped coach their teams to defeat on Sunday. All three coaches will be on the hot seat by season's end, and unless they start showing positive results, they won't be around to coach their respective teams next year. More


40 Questions - Justice Danno
Do you think David Eckstein feels like a jinx? After he leaves Toronto, they go on a tear, and when he arrives in Arizona, the team goes in a funk.

Michelle Wie has entered the LPGA Tour qualifying school. Am I the only one who hopes she fails?

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Week In Review - Justice Danno
Many will disagree with this, but I think that Tom Brady not playing in the pre-season may have played a part in his injury. Brady has never had a serious injury, and for good reason. He's been good at avoiding injury. Is there a chance that Brady could have avoided the injury if he were game-ready and saw the potential injury coming, therefore trying to avoid it? Perhaps Brady was rusty and had a slight mental lapse. It may very well be a stretch, but it is worth a thought.
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NFL Week 1 Predictions - Justice Danno
Bengals at Ravens - The Ravens have a rookie at QB and an aging defense. The Bengals have a questionable defense, but they do have a decent offense. Palmer and company should be good enough to pull this one out against the old Raven defense.
Bengals 27 Ravens 16
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2008 NFL Team Predictions - Justice Danno
Patriots - 13-3 : Chances are Bill Belichick may view last season's undefeated talk as a distraction. Defense is aging a bit. Pre-season 0-4 record means nothing. This is still the team to beat.
Jets - 10-6 : Two years ago this was a 10 win team. Improved offensive line will be key to improved running and QB play. Favre must limit interceptions and Coles needs to be the player he's capable of being. If Thomas Jones doesn't turn it on, Leon Washington will need to step it up. If the running game stalls...so does Favre. More


Is Carlos Delgado an MVP Candidate? - Justice Danno
n May, if you had told me that Carlos Delgado would be mentioned as a possible MVP candidate, I'd have laughed at you. On June 1st, he was hitting below .230 and looked lost at the plate. But I stand (or sit) here today, writing it myself: Carlos Delgado has become a legitimate NL MVP candidate. Plain and simply put: there's no way the Mets would be in first place without Carlos Delgado.
Delgado now has 90 RBI. That's only 9 RBI behind team leader David Wright (who has been mentioned in MVP discussion). His 90 RBI are better than Pujols, Utley, Holliday, Braun, Burrell, and Fielder. More


Is It Me? - Justice Danno
The Mets have decided to use Mike Pelfrey every sixth or seventh day as opposed to having him take his regular turn in the rotation because he's never pitched this many innings in a season. Is it me, or is this nuts? Don't the Mets realize that they're in a heated pennant race, and they need their second best pitcher to take the ball every fifth day? He's a big boy who can handle the workload. This decision came from Omar, and is absolutely ludicrous. What happens next year when Pelfrey approaches another new high in innings pitched....does he wind up losing starts again?
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Say It Ain't So Joe - Justice Danno
Ah, but it is so Joe Girardi. Your Yankees are not going to the playoffs this season. And though there are many reasons for the Yankees decline this season, much of the blame has to go to Girardi. In fact, much of the blame falls on management for hiring Girardi in the first place. Granted, hiring Don Mattingly with his domestic problems would have been disastrous, but hiring Girardi has been equally disastrous.
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New York's New Favre-rite Son - Justice Danno
Wait...what the hell just happened? Am I dreaming? Being a long time Jets sufferer, did I hear correctly that Brett Favre was traded to the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets? Someone pinch me...please! This has to be a misprint. This has to be shoddy reporting. This has to be a nasty rumor. This just can't be. The Jets....my Jets....just acquired Brett Favre? Let me check...did I have one too many drinks? No, I don't drink. Did I take one too many Prozac? No, I don't take Prozac. Is it April Fools Day? Nope...it's August.
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What Were They Thinking? - Justice Danno
The trading deadline has come and gone, and we can't help but wonder what some General Managers/teams were thinking:
Houston Astros: What was Ed Wade thinking? Perhaps he was given an ultimatum that he must win this year, or else. How else can he explain the Astros dealing for Randy Wolf and LaTroy Hawkins? More


Trade Deadline: Nerve-Wracking Time For Fantasy Owners - Justice Danno

General Managers don't sleep and work the telephones around the clock, major league players are wondering about their career destinations, minor leaguers are hoping the phone doesn't ring telling them they've been traded, and owners are calling their accountants to see how their payroll will be affected. But perhaps no one loses more sleep at the trade deadline than the fantasy baseball owners...myself included.
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Mets Don't Need A Left Fielder - Justice Danno
Manny Ramirez? Don't need him. Randy Winn? Forget it. Raul Ibanez? Solid, but no. The Mets don't need to deal for a left-fielder. That's because the Mets have Superman playing left field now. Of course, that's his team nickname (the Shea music operator plays the theme to Superman with his at-bats), but Fernando Tatis has been reborn, and he's hitting homeruns and getting clutch hits at a feverish pace. More


It's Time To Reinstate Rose - Justice Danno
Should baseball morals be more important than real life morals? What's worse; gambling or using illegal drugs? Pete Rose is still banned from baseball for betting on his team. Now, of course, I'm not trying to minimize his poor judgment. Make no mistake about it...Rose committed a serious misjudgment. But he never cheated. And while I'm not one of those writers who believes that all steroid/HGH users were cheaters, others believe that, in fact, those players were cheaters. More


Hey, It's A Start - Justice Danno
Back in 2002, during my fantasy team minor league draft, I drafted a college kid named Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie was a successful Stanford pitcher, and was subsequently drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Indians. He had a great college career, and did well with the Indians minor league teams. Two years later, I was thrilled to see Guthrie promoted to the Indians...until the unthinkable happened. The Indians turned him into a middle reliever. Guthrie struggled with the move to the bullpen, and after three years, the Indians gave up on him (as did I). He went to the Orioles who had the insight (yes the Orioles actually had insight) to return Guthrie to a starters role. More


Keys To The NL Playoff Door - Justice Danno
With the second half of the season in full swing, it's time to take a look at the key players who could be responsible for their team making or missing the playoffs this year.
Joe Blanton - Which Blanton are the Phillies getting...the 5-12 Blanton or the 14-10 Blanton of a year ago? If he even stays near a 4.50 ERA, the Phillies can win with their potent lineup. But pitching in Philly could prove to be a nightmare for Blanton. More


Who Needs Tradition? - Justice Danno
Once the Yankees begin play in their new ball park next season, their already astronomical profits will increase to monumental proportions. The new Yankee Stadium will have about 60 luxury boxes, compared to the old Yankee Stadium, which has about 16. We all know that today, it's all about those luxury boxes, and that's where the Yankees will see an increase in revenue.
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...Where They'll Stop, No One Knows - Justice Danno
We know that many players are about to be traded before the July 31st deadline. But, where will some players be heading following the season? Here is my speculation for this year and next season:
Richie Sexson - While it's pretty clear no team will give Sexson an every day job, he could end up joining a team that will want to spell their regular first baseman against lefties on occasion. Despite Sexson's troubles (and let's be clear, there are troubles), he is hitting .344 against lefthanders this season, and he is not exactly a slouch at first base.
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Giant Steps - Justice Danno
When discussing team's with bright futures, the conversation is often surrounded by a team's solid young pitching staff. The Rays have a rotation of Kazmir, Shields, Garza, Jackson, and Sonnanstine with Price on the way, the Yankees have Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes joining Wang, the Red Sox have Masterson, Lester, and Buchholz, and of course, the Reds have Cueto, Volquez, and Bailey. However, the one team that is rarely mentioned in the same breath, but has an equally impressive rotation on the rise, is the San Francisco Giants. More



MLB Second Half Predictions - Justice Danno
Now that we've reached the halfway point of the MLB season, it's time for our crazy, off-the-wall second half predictions.

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AL Team Questions - Justice Danno
Question: Will the Tampa Bay Rays starting pitching hold up for the remainder of the season?
Answer: Possible, but doubtful.
Despite pitching well for most of the season, the Rays rotation does not have many proven starters. While Kazmir is unquestionably an ace, and Shields a bona-fide number two starter, the rest of the staff may be hit or miss. Edwin Jackson has a career ERA of 5.33, and Matt Garza, despite pitching well of late, is still under .500 in his young career. Even one of our favorite players, Andy Sonnanstine, has a 5.43 career ERA. More


Talk Amongst Yourselves - Justice Danno
You're sitting at home listening to your local sports radio talk show, and you believe that the host of the show is way off the mark on a particular subject. So, you decide to make a call and offer your opinion on the sports talk show. The host disagrees with you, and in the process, berates you for feeling the way you do. He disconnects the call due to time restraints and other callers holding, and you are disgusted with his/her reluctance to give you an opportunity to have explained your views and reasoning. More


Put Me In Coach, I'm Ready To Play - Justice Danno
What makes a good hitting coach? What makes a good pitching coach? Obviously, being able to communicate with the players is the biggest part of being a pitching/hitting coach. But what about past experience playing baseball. Let's face it, if Willie Mays or Hank Aaron were hitting coaches, everyone would listen because of their past success at the major league level. If Juan Marichal or Tom Seaver were pitching coaches, you'd be a fool not to listen and heed their valuable advice. Their past success gives them instant credibility. More


Trade Ya' - Justice Danno
Now that the season is in full swing, it's time to take a look at the teams that are falling out of the race, and speculate as to which players will be dealt during the season. (Keep in mind, these player moves are strictly based on my speculation...and are not based on facts or rumors.)

Brandon Inge - Inge hasn't had a position all season, and with Vance Wilson coming back soon, and Matt Joyce showing enough to earn a recall from AAA, Inge is as good as gone. More


AAA...A League for Aspiring Young Players, or Aging Veterans? - Justice Danno
Last week, when the Mets promoted re-thread Abraham Nunez from AAA the New Orleans Zephyrs, I wondered why Omar had signed him and sent him to AAA to begin with. When Minaya signed a washed up Raul Gonzalez, and assigned him to AAA New Orleans last week, I began to wonder what AAA was designed for in the first place. Isn't AAA where good, young ball players are to play before joining the big club? Isn't that the final step/audition before playing Major League Baseball? More


Ode To The Players Of Yesterday - Justice Danno
We're all familiar with A-Rod, Manny, Jeter, and Smoltz
Ortiz, Griffey, Thome will garner Hall of Fame votes
Stars are remembered for their spectacular career
Or for their remarkable achivements in one special year
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Rating The ESPN Baseball Personalities - Justice Danno
John Kruk - Grade (A) - Knowledgeable and entertaining. He's a normal guy who knows how to grab your attention. You have to wonder what he could do as a manager. He's the "average joe" we enjoy listening to when watching ESPN.

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This Isn't Your Father's Baseball - Justice Danno
Have you ever looked back at the stats of past baseball players? It's staggering just how poor some of the stats were back in those days...yet, the mediocre players remained in the game for many years. In todays games, one or two bad years for a player could result in a banishment to the minor leagues...often times for most of their career.
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To Start or Relieve...That Is The Question - Justice Danno
You have a pitcher who regularly hits 98-100 MPH on the radar gun. What do you do? Do you put him in the rotation, or do you make him your closer? Is he more valuable to your team winning 15 games, or saving 40 games? How do teams determine whether or not a pitcher should be a starter or a reliever? That...is the question.
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Teams Can Rebuild...and Still Win - Justice Danno
We constantly hear, and rightfully so, how teams like Tampa Bay, Florida, and Cincinnati have great futures because of their loaded farm systems. It took many lean years of rebuilding for those teams to emerge as future contenders. Those three teams built up their farm system through trades, smart drafts, and excellent scouting.
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Endangered Species: Homerun Hitters - Justice Danno
While listening to Mike and Mike this morning, Steve Phillips made an interesting point. He stated that homerun totals are down significantly over the past two years. In fact, the numbers are very significant. He claimed that the Mitchell Report has scared many MLB players from using steroids and/or HGH. I will go one step further and say that the Mitchell Report has scared players from using supplements, vitamins, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anything else they used to maintain their health. More


Blame It On The Trainers - Justice Danno
Injuries to a pitching staff: It occurs on a daily basis, and almost every day of the season, a pitcher is placed on the DL. It happens to almost every team in baseball....or does it? The fact is, that it does not happen to every team. Actually, it seems to happen to some teams more so than others. Is it coincidence? It could be. Is it just bad luck? It's possible. Or could it be that some trainers and (to a degree) pitching coaches are just not very good at keeping their pitchers healthy? More


Sixteen Year Rebuilding Plan - Justice Danno
Let's make two things perfectly clear:
1) The Pirates have the most beautiful ball park in the major leagues.
2) The most beautiful ball park in the major leagues hosts the worst franchise in baseball.
This organization is a disgrace. The fans are deprived. The beautiful ball park is wasted. And this may continue to go on for the foreseeable future. The city of Pittsburgh and its fans deserve better. The Pittsburgh Pirates have had sixteen consecutive losing seasons. More


MLB 2008 Top 50 Rookies - Justice Danno

Who makes Justice Danno's list of the MLB top rookies of 2008? Click here to see who his number one rookie for 2008 is....as well as the other 49 minor leaguers.


Bowling vs Golf - Justice Danno

For Years, the PGA has been much more popular than the PBA in terms of TV ratings. I'm here to ask the question: why?
Last year, approximately 45 million Americans went bowling, up 32% over the past 20 years, when 34 million people a year visited bowling alleys, according to the National Sporting Goods Association.
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