Hit Tracker

I've been doing my part to refute the notion that the new Yankee Stadium is a bandbox, an argument that is proving more and more difficult to make with each passing day. To wit: in 24 road games this season, the Yankees have hit 32 home runs. In one less home game, they have 45, or 13 more. More telling, however, as Peter Abraham points out, is the fact that the new Stadium yields approximately 3.78 total home runs per game, while Citizens Bank Park and Rangers Ballpark--two notoriously hitter-friendly parks-- only give up three per game. Case Closed. 

Abraham compiled his stats via Hit Tracker , one of the coolest websites I've come across in a very long time. It's full of interesting information, like which player's hit the longest home run in the Majors this year: As of this morning, Raul Ibanez, May 22, off Chien-Ming Wang at Yankee Stadium. 

And the shortest, Howie Kendrick's limp-wristed bloop off Gil Meche on May 8, at Angel Stadium. (Ed. Note: I'm not counting Brett Gardner's inside-the-park home run, for obvious reasons).

The site also posits which home runs would have gone out of other parks around the league. Ibanez's shot, for instance, would have cleared the walls of all 30; Kendrick's, on the other hand, wouldn't have been a home run in any other park. Not surprisingly, Yankee Stadium has a lot of low numbers in this particular category. The site also suggests that David Ortiz's sole home run this season, a 381-foot drive off of Brett Cecil, would have remained in the field of play in every other park besides Fenway.  

Such a great website. 

PTI Down Under

God help me, but I had no idea ESPN's influence reached all the way down to Australia. The network really is ruining sports the world over, one sophomoric program at a time. Take this clip below, for instance. In it, Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut volunteers five good minutes to the Australian PTI, 300 seconds of his life he will never, ever get back. Bogut, an Aussie, chats with co-hosts "Slammin" Sam Kekovich, a former Australian Rules Football star and current spokesman for Meat and Livestock Australia, and Russell Barwick, who is, clearly, an idiot. During the segment, Kekovich, a man with some serious, unresolved issues with women, becomes increasingly obsessed with Bogut's sex life, specifically how many women Bogut has waiting for him in his hotel rooms and how he manages to steer clear of pesky sexual harassment and sexual assault charges from predatory American women. Barwick, meanwhile, asks Bogut who he thinks will win the World Series, or "whatever the NBA Finals are called." By the end, I'm not sure which host is a bigger tool, just like the original PTI, minus the accents and the regular use of the word "mate," of course.  

Enjoy.   

(Via NBA Mate)

The Onion Brings David Ortiz Back From the Dead

Classic. 

"We have amended the rules of the game to allow David [Ortiz] to use any performance enhancer he can find, as baseball is pretty boring when he's not hitting home runs," said Selig, who added that Ortiz could be suspended for 50 games under the new policy if drug tests show he is not taking any previously banned substances. "What David is doing right now is wrong, and this season could damage his reputation forever. The game of baseball needs him to do the responsible thing and superhumanly whack balls over the fence whenever possible." 

Mock Drafts

I haven't been paying too much attention to the Eastern and Western Conference finals, although I did manage to catch LeBron's shot as it unfolded, before heading out of town for the rest of the weekend. For the most part, I've been reading up on the likeliest of the most likely lottery picks. Ricky Rubio, it seems, is playing it a bit coy, telling people-- via his agent, Dan Fegan-- that he only wants to play in Los Angeles or, worse case scenario, Sacramento. Meanwhile, Blake Griffin remains a lock to go first overall. He'd have to measure under 6-5 to fall to No. 2. That he plays next year in a Clippers jersey, however, remains to be seen, as rumors out of Los Angeles have the Clippers' front office weighing whether or not to trade the pick. That's a tough call, either way. I'd so much rather Griffin and Chris Kaman on my roster than Zach Randolph, but I doubt very much there's a team out there willing to accept a trade for Randolph, his horrible attitude and his even worse contract. Griffin, if traded, would undoubtedly land the Clippers a much more attractive package. 

As for the Knicks, I see them taking either Stephen Curry, if he's still on the board, or North Carolina's Ty Lawson. I've heard murmurs of Walsh and D'Antoni warming up to USC's Demar DeRozan, but his 16 percent three-point percentage casts some serious doubts on Walsh's and D'Antoni's rumored budding man-crushes. Besides, they already have a better version of DeRozan on their roster. His name is Wilson Chandler.   

I hope to put together my own mock draft in the next couple of days. In the meantime, here are three--DraftExpress, Knickerblogger and The Baseline--that make sense to me, give or take a few players. 

DraftExpress:

1. Clippers: Blake Griffin
   
2. Grizzlie: Hasheem Thabeet
   
3. Thunder: James Harden
   
4. Kings: Ricky Rubio
   
5. Wizards: Jordan Hill
   
6. T'Wolves: Tyreke Evans
   
7. Warriors: Brandon Jennings
   
8. Knicks: Stephen Curry
   
9. Raptors: Demar DeRozan
   
10. Bucks: Johnny Flynn
    
11. Nets: DeJuan Blair
    
12. Bobcats: Gerald Henderson
    
13. Pacers: Jrue Holiday 
    
14. Suns: Earl Clark
    
15. Pistons: Austin Daye
    

Knickerblogger:

1. LA Clippers - Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma: If Mike Dunleavy’s recent declaration of undying love for Blake Griffin is true then he’ll probably trade players to clear room for his new beloved. If it’s not true then the #1 pick may represent a rare opportunity to clean up a roster that is a mess, possibly in one fell swoop. (Previously: Ricky Rubio)

2. Memphis - Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain: Choosing Rubio has its advantages, regardless of whether he wants to play in Memphis. His rights become an asset for the asset-starved Grizz. Even though Memphis should do this, no player in this draft generates more ambivalence for me than Rubio. The talent is evident, but there are lots of reasons it may not work out for the team that drafts him. (Previously: Demar DeRozan)

3. Oklahoma City - Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn: Thabeet may be a one-trick pony but his trick is precisely what OKC needs. He’s a defensive anchor, with a decent shot at becoming a more athletic Mutombo. The downside is that he will probably never be even an average offensive player. But, in this draft there’s something to be said for being fairly certain of a player’s “floor”. (Previously: Brandon Jennings)

4. Sacramento - Brandon Jennings, PG, Italy: Sactown will most likely take the best PG left on the board. I suspect Rubio would prefer Sactown over Memphis, and perhaps a deal can be struck. (Previously: Blake Griffin)

5. Washington - Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona: The Wiz is the team I think most likely to deal its pick. If they keep it they’ll be looking for depth that could help in a pinch, but with some upside. Hill is a lot like Chris Wilcox. (Previously: Hasheem Thabeet)

6. Minnesota - Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis: I think Minny opts for the highest upside player on the board regardless of position. It could be Evans, depending on workouts. It could also be Hill, Jennings, DeRozan, or Lawson. Almost literally nothing they do would surprise me, which I hope they interpret as a challenge. (Previously: Evans)

7. Golden State - James Harden, G, Arizona State: I’ve loved to watch this kid play since he was a junior in high school. To me he’s the 6′5″ Paul Pierce. Other mocks have him higher right now, but I expect that on draft night he’ll slide in between 5 and 8. (Previously: Jordan Hill)

8. New York - Ty Lawson, G, UNC: I almost pulled the trigger on Lawson in the previous version. Now that I think Nate Robinson most likely will be signed-and-traded this July, Lawson becomes a better fit. He used to be just a fly-down-the floor guard (and frankly, there is something to be said for that) but his screen roll game has really evolved. I expect him to shine in workouts. He may be this year’s Westbrook–an already well-regarded player who vaults up the board based on superior workouts. Oh, and I really hope Walsh can find a 2nd round pick this year. This draft has some potentially very useful role players. (Previously: James Harden)

9. Toronto - Stephen Curry, G, Davidson: Is it possible to NOT love Steph Curry’s game? He fits Toronto like a glove, even down to his weaknesses (i.e., lateral quickness, overall athleticism, defense). He’s also the right kid to play outside the lower 48. This is a makes-too-much-sense-NOT-to-happen move if Curry is available. (Previously: Stephen Curry)

10. Milwaukee - Dejaun Blair, PF/C, Pittsburgh: Blair’s rebounding and long arms may get him to the top ten. (Previously: Ty Lawson)

11. New Jersey - Demar DeRozan, SF, USC: I think DeRozan is the biggest gamble this draft. It’s just not clear if he’s really good at anything yet. Add to that, he may be leaving town one step ahead of the sheriff with allegations of payola hanging over Tim Floyd at USC. Having said that, I’d honestly be a bit surprised if someone doesn’t pull the trigger on him earlier. (Previously: Jeff Teague)

12. Charlotte - Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke: With Larry Brown making personnel decisions, there is simply no way to anticipate what he’ll do. What I can probably write down is “scrappy, hard-nosed defender with a high basketball IQ” and just wait to fill in the name. I like Henderson as a solid sixth man who plays both ends. (Previously: Gerald Henderson)

13. Indiana - Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA: Holiday was probably among the most shocked when Darren Collison return to UCLA for his senior season. That moved Holiday to SG, where he struggled playing limited minutes out of position for a team with a style that doesn’t exactly fit his strengths. I’m not an “everyone should play one year!” guy, but Holiday should go back to school for another year. He’d definitely move to PG this year and could vault himself into the top 5 of next year’s draft. He may yet do so in this draft based on workouts, but the new format doesn’t allow as many chances for teams to see players as in the past. As of this writing he hasn’t hired an agent, but everything I have read suggests that he’s in the draft to stay. (Previously: Earl Clark)

14. Phoenix - Johnny Flynn, PG, Syracuse: The rumor mill says that Phoenix likes him. We’ll take that as a baseline pick. (Previously: Johnny Flynn)

15. Detroit - Earl Clark, F, Louisville: I am not a fan of Clark’s offensive game, particularly shot selection, but he’s a good defender. (Previously: Wayne Ellington)

The Baseline:

1. Clippers. Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma. They’ll need to make room for him (so long, Chris Kaman?), but the Clips won’t pass him up.

2. Grizzlies. Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain. The Grizzlies might shop PG Mike Conley this summer in order to make Rubio their man—or they could move down.

3. Thunder. Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona. It will come down to Hasheem Thabeet or Hill with this pick, and Hill has the athleticism advantage.

4. Kings. Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut. The Kings may put together a package to shake Rubio from Memphis. If not, big is the way to go.

5. Wizards. Brandon Jennings, PG, United States. The Wizards could use a backup point guard or a big man, but they’ll probably trade this pick.

6. Timberwolves. Stephen Curry, G, Davidson. Many are assuming he’ll be there for the taking when the Knicks pick. Not so fast.

7. Warriors. Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis. In the second half of last season, Evans showed some promise as a point guard, though he’s probably not ready for that role just yet.

8. Knicks. DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC. DeRozan is still developing, but he is an excellent athlete, and Mike D’Antoni likes athletes.

9. Raptors. Chase Budinger, G/F, Arizona. His combination of shooting ability and athleticism sets him apart, and the Raptors are looking for wing players.

10. Bucks. Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina. He’s a tough, experienced point man who would be the ideal guy for coach Scott Skiles.

11. Nets. James Harden, SG, Arizona State. Harden will fit here because the Nets will, eventually, move Vince Carter.

12. Bobcats. Earl Clark, SF, Louisville. A 6-9 small forward who can handle the ball and be a playmaker—Clark is just Larry Brown’s type.

13. Pacers. Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke. By closing the season strong and showing off a nice jumper, Henderson laid to rest any doubt about his NBA ability.

14. Suns. Terrence Williams, SG, Louisville. His shooting in the NCAA Tournament was a big surprise and, considering his defensive talent, a big boost for his stock.

15. Pistons. James Johnson, PF, Wake Forest. He’s a bit of a 'tweener, and he needs polish, but a bench role in Detroit would help his development.

Stars and Stripes and Mike McCready

Earlier this week, on May 19, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready played the Star-Spangled Banner before the Mariners-Angels game to promote the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. McCready, Pearl Jam's so-called "secret weapon," has been living with Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis for 20 years, since he was still shredding with his first band, Shadow, in Los Angeles. McCready announced his condition seven years ago, in 2002, to help raise awareness and funding for the CCFA. He recently testified before a Washington state legislative committee to mandate emergency access to private businesses' bathrooms for people with Crohn's, colitis and other related disorders. Governor Chris Gregoire signed the bill on May 12, which proves McCready is much more persuasive lobbyist than his band mates. 

In recognition of McCready's work, then, and just in time for Memorial Day, here's a clip of McCready biting into Francis Scott Key's anthem, a la Jimmy Hendrix. Please note the impressive four-set Marshall stack behind him, and, later, Pearl Jam's second-place finish in the Mariners' Fan Pulse poll. Enjoy. 



(UPDATE: I'm pretty sure McCready's performance discredits Ludovic Hunter-Tilney's facile argument. This one, too. Also this one. And, yup, this one.)

Ortiz, Cheney Live!

Less than 24 hours after David Ortiz hit his first home run in 149 at-bats dating back to last season, Dick Cheney delivered a self-aggrandizing national security speech to the uber-conservative American Enterprise Institute. Coincidence? I don't think so. In recent years, Big Papi and Big Dick-y have been, at least to me, the root of all evil. I don't know this for certain, but I'm pretty sure neither man can be stopped without the aid of a wooden spike.  

David Ortiz, Record Breaker

This is also cheering me up. After sitting out the past couple of days to "clear his head," David "Papi Stinks" Ortiz returned to the Boston lineup last night and went 0-for-3 in the Sox's 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays. Ortiz's homerless streak is now up to 133 at-bats, which, as of this writing, is the longest drought to start a season by any player who previously recorded a 50-HR season since Greg Vaughn went 132 at-bats in 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. (Incidentally, Vaughn hung up his cleats the following year). Ortiz will try to break his own record later tonight when he steps in against Blue Jays rookie Brett Cecil.