Trade Ya

Athletes have the chances to make huge amounts of money by playing sports for their careers. But the fame and fortune that can be made does make a productive player or prospect expendable. And despite the movement of several big named NFL players, today happens to mark the end of  trading in another sport: baseball. Now 4:00 P.M. has passed, the carriage has turned into a pumpkin, and teams that were looking to add that extra bat or pitcher can no longer trade for that player. Today, we take a look back at the teams that won, lost, and confused us after baseball's trade show.

WINNERS


San Francisco Giants

The Giants may have won the world series with a lackluster offense a year ago, but their dominant pitching had taken a small step back. So this season, general manager Brian Sabean decided to improve on an offense that ranked 28th in the league in runs scored by trading for Carlos Beltran. Beltran had been having a good year for the New York Mets, for he hit .289 with 15 home runs and 66 runs batted in in 2011. This was a very good move for an offense that needed some punch. Beltran was regarded as the best available hitter on the trading block this year, and he could be on a playoff team for the first time since 2006. Carlos had very good numbers in the postseason, spotting a career .366 batting average with 11 homers and 19 runs batted in. And in 2004, Beltran tied Barry Bond's record with eight home runs for the Huston Astros during their postseason run. It is unclear if Beltran will be a Giant long term, but for now, San Francisco got the best player on the block.


Atlanta Braves 

The Atlanta Braves had a very good team before the deadline passed, but before the clock struck 4, the Braves got a little bit better. The Braves completed a deal that landed them Houston Astros' leadoff man Michael Bourn. Atlanta did have a solid hitting lineup before this deal went down, but their offense ranked 15th in all of baseball in runs scored. Bourn may not be known for his power, for he has just twelve home runs in six seasons, but Bourn had 154 stolen bases over the last three seasons. While the new Brave may lack the offensive capabilities of a Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence, Bourn is the table setter that the Braves lineup has been lacking for five years. Plus, Bourn is two time gold glove winner who can boost Atlanta's 12th ranked fielding percentage. Atlanta did not need to make a splash in this year's trade market, but they did make a noticeable improvement to their team. 


Honorable Mentions: Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates: 


Milwaukee had been a box of chocolates in the NL Central because one day they played great and the next day they stunk. Bullpen pitching was the brew crew's biggest problems, but they addressed that in a big way. The Brewers traded for Mets closer/reliever Francisco Rodriguez in order to sure up the end of their games. Rodriguez may not be the closer, but he has a 2.57 earned run average and nine strikeouts in seven innings. The Brewers starting pitching remained a problem before and after the deadline, but K-Rod put them above the rest of the NL Central.

The best story in baseball continued to get better at the trading deadline. The Pittsburgh Pirates traded for Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick and first baseman Derrek Lee of the Baltimore Orioles. Pittsburgh added two bats to a team that needed offense like most of us need our morning coffee. Ludwick may be batting .238 this year, but his 11 home runs and 64 runs batted in should be an improvement to a team that ranks 26th in runs scored this year. And despite being stranded in Baltimore, Lee still hit .241 with 12 homers and 41 runs batted in. The Pirates need both Ludwick and Lee's averages to go way up, but with Andrew McCutchen at the top of the lineup, Lee and Ludwick will get their runs batted in.






LOSERS


Everybody who did not trade for Heath Bell

The San Diego Padres struck a deadline deal with the Texas Rangers just as the deadline had begun to end. But the deal did not include the player we all expected to move, Padres closer Heath Bell. Granted, the Rangers did not necessarily have to get Heath Bell to make it to the World Series. However, teams such as  Saint Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay all missed out on a great chance to land one of the best closers in the game today. The Rays, Reds, and Indians all contenders that rank in the bottom half of the league in saves at 27th, 28th and 22nd respectively. Heath Bell has 121 saves over the course of three years. Pretty sure he would have been able to help all of these teams improve in the ninth inning. Okay, maybe the Rays don't have much of a chance of getting in the playoffs against the AL Beast division, but Cincy, Saint Louis and Cleveland can all win their divisions. Instead, these teams choose to remain just short of being dangerous.



Saint Louis Cardinals

In a three horse race for the surprisingly competitive NL Central, one team was very absent during the trade deadline: the Saint Louis Cardinals. While the Brewers and Pirates both made moves to address their team's weaknesses, the Cardinals shipped off Colby Rasmus for nothing in return. Rasumus may have had an abysmal .246 batting average, but his 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in did have their place in the Cardinals everyday lineup. Yes Lance Berkman and Matt Holiday have done extremely well protecting Albert Pujols this year, and yes the Cardinals remain in the thick of the NL Central race. However, in what could be Phat Albert's last year in Saint Louis, the Cardinals needed to make roster moves to surround Pujols with talent
and convince him to remain a Cardinal. Due to the weaknesses that Milwaukee and Pittsburgh still have, the Cardinals should still be able to contend for a division title. But the lack of movement from the front office during a pennant race has to be concerning for Albert Pujols. And maybe it is now easier for Pujols to part ways with Saint Louis, but that remains to be seen.




HEAD SCRATCHERS




Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians were in the middle of a race for the AL Central crown, and they felt compelled to make a big splash at the trade deadline. The Ubaldo Jimenez deal aside, the Cleveland Indians went out and traded for Cubs outfielder Koske Fukudome. 

Huh?

Just what does this move accomplish? It certainly does not make Cleveland better offensively. Fukudome has never hit 15 homers or driven in 60 runs in a season. That trend seems to be continuing this year, for Fukudome been hitting .273 with 3 homers and 13 runs batted in. Did the Indians make this deal to get someone with postseason experience if they make the playoffs? If they did, they got the wrong guy. Fukudome also does not have much playoff  success or experience. The former Cub has a batting average of .100 with four strikeouts in 10 at bats in his postseason career. Maybe Cleveland just wanted to add to their roster of overrated players, but Fukudome doesn't accomplish that either. This deal is truly a stumper. Good luck to you Cleveland, you are going to need it.

Boston Red Sox

Erik Bedard to the Boston Red Sox is not as bad as the Fukudome to Cleveland deal, but why did this deal need to happen at all. Sure the Andrew Miller experiment has failed and the Sox may be overcautious with the back injury to Clay Bucholz, but the Sox remain in first place in the toughest division in baseball without him. Boston's pitching has still been good. Jon Lester is healthy and dealing this season with a 11-4 with a 3.17 earned run average and 124 strikeouts. Josh Beckett has been his usual self in odd numbered years, going 9-4 with a 2.17 earned run average and 115 strikeouts. And maybe the rest of the starting pitching has been either hurt or bad, but adding Erik Bedard doesn't help mcuh. Bedard this year is just 4-7 and he gets hurt more consistently than he pitches. The Red Sox may have wanted to get a back of the rotation pitcher until Bucholz comes back, but Erik Bedard was the best they could do? We all shall see.

So another trade deadline has come and gone. Certain teams have found their glass slipper player while others will watch their pennant hopes run out at the stroke of midnight. But one thing is for sure, this pennant race is shaping up to be a good one, and these new faces in different places will help shape how the story of this season ends.

Free Trade Agreements

Now that the NFL lockout has ended, the general managers of all 32 teams are making up for lost time. Over the last 48 hours, there have been team altering free agent signings, interesting trades, and questionable decisions made by your favorite team's front office. Here are some of the biggest deals, so far, in the NFL offseason sweepstakes.

Minnesota Vikings trade for Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb had always been a quarterback that played well, but was alienated from his teammates in one way or another. Last season when McNabb was a part of the horrid Washington Redskins a year ago, coach Mike Shanahan eventually benched him for the artist formerly known as Rex Grossman. But yesterday, McNabb finally managed to escape from the clutches of the Redskins and landed with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings needed a quarterback like Turner needed Hooch, and by shipping sixth round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts, the Vikings filled their biggest need. There is little question that at 34 McNabb is on the downside of his career. However, because Minnesota already drafted Christian Ponder in this year's draft, McNabb will be a solid bridge between the Brett Favre era and when Ponder is ready to play.

The Vikings have a soild team in place. Minnesota's defense may not be as good as the 'purple people eaters' defense, but they ranked eighth in the league in total defense a year ago. And with running back Adrian Peterson, the pressure is not squarely on McNabb's shoulders the way it was in D.C. The Vikings did loose their best receiver Sidney Rice to free agency this year, but Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe are still good targets for McNabb.

Final Verdict: A good quarterback can get you two or three extra wins in a season, and McNabb will do that for the Vikings. And now that Minnesota has a quarterback, the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions have something to worry about. That being said, the NFC north still runs through Green Bay and the rest of the NFC is too crowded for the Vikings to sneak into the playoffs.

Overall grade for McNabb to Vikings: B+


Let us transition from current Vikings to former Vikings with the Seattle Seahawks signing Sidney Rice.

Sidney Rice burst on to the scene two years ago when the Brett Favre led Vikings went all the way to the NFC championship game. But after the early success and offseason hip surgery, Rice had 17 catches, 280 yards and only two touchdowns in six games last season. Still, the 24 year old Rice had a bright future and a big payday ahead of him when he became a free agent after last season.

The Seattle Seahawks enjoyed success for the first time since they lost to the Steelers in Superbowl XL. The Seawhaks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record a year ago, and upset the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Seahawks ranked 28th in total offense a year ago, and that number should not improve much after Matt Hasselbeck left town.

That all being said, the Seahawks will still be in the NFC race simply because their division is awful. Marshawn Lynch had a dynamic run against the Saints during the playoff win, and can be a solid running back. Defensively, there is not much. Despite a healthy season from Lofa Tatupu, Seattle still ranked 27th in the league in total defense.

Final Verdict: If Rice wanted to win, he would have signed with a contender. This is a typical case of a young man taking the most money offered to him. But Rice is a good player and there is nothing wrong with a player taking the most money offered to him. Rice will make defensive coordinators have to plan a little more against the Seahawks, but the Hasselbeck departure will hurt more than Rice's help.

Overall grade for Rice to the Seahawks: C+


Speaking of Matt Hasselbeck, he is now a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Matt Hasselbeck has been a solid quarterback forever with the Seahawks. Hasselbeck is Seattle's all time leader in Passing yards, passer rating, competed passes, and most 400 yard passing games. But when the Saint Louis Rams went into Quest Field in week 17 with a playoff berth on the line, the Seahawks started Charlie Winehurst over Hasselbeck in a game they had to win. Despite Hasselbeck leading the Seahawks to an upset over the Saints, Seattle had written on the wall in week 17 that they could win without Hasselbeck.

The Tennessee Titans needed stability at the quarterback position after the Jeff Fisher vs Vince Young mess that tore the team apart and sent Young packing. The Titans desperately needed a quarterback after ranking 25th in the league in passing offense in 2010. And although the Titans drafted Jake Locker in April, there were concerns that Locker would not be the best choice for the start of the regular season.

The Titans may have a shiny new quarterback, but Hasselbeck cannot solve their defensive woes. The Titans ranked 26th in the league in total defense in 2010, and have not done much to improve on that side of the ball. Tennessee's most notable defensive player is cornerback Cortland Finnegan; who is best known for losing to Andre Johnson in a fight during a game.

Final Verdict: Matt Hasselbeck is the best available solution to the Titans quarterback problems. Hasselbeck will provide stability to a team that desperately needs it, and a mentor for the young Locker. However, Tennessee will not challenge the Indianapolis Colts with that terrible defense. Hasselbeck should take the Titans out of the AFC south cellar, but don't expect much more than that.

Overall grade for Hasselbeck to Titans: B-


Next we shift the focus to the AFC East, where the Miami Dolphins aquired running back Reggie Bush in a trade with the New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints had another good year in 2010, no thanks to the contributions from Reggie Bush.  Bush missed six weeks with a broken bone in his right leg in 2010, and has been injured four out of five years over the course of his career. Plus Bush has simply not panned out as an NFL running back over the course of his career. Bush has 2,090 rushing yards in his career, or 418 rushing yards a season.

The Miami Dolphins were a team with some pieces, but could not bust through against the Patriots and Jets in the AFC East. Part of the reason the Dolphins did not do well was their surprisingly bad running game in 2010. Miami ranked 21st in the league in rushing last year, and the once dynamic duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams has lost it's punch.

Final Verdect: By making this deal, Miami has decided to back up the injury prone Brown with the overrated and twice as injury prone Reggie Bush. I don't know if Bush's public relations people thought Bush's celebrity personality would do better in Maimi, but from a football standpoint, this trade makes no sense.

Overall grade for Reggie Bush to Dolphins: F


Finally, we wrap up the first part of the free agent/trading whirlwind tour with Albert Haynesworth being traded to the New England Patriots.

The Washington Redskins were one of the biggest sources of turmoil in the NFL a year ago, and Haynesworth did not help the situation. Big Al arrived into training camp overweight and failed his physicals multiple times. He clashed with Mike Shanahan on numerous occasions and was suspended for the final four games of the regular season for conduct detrimental to a hopeless team.

The New England Patriots meanwhile had a great regular season in 2010, until the playoffs that is. The Pats went 14-2 and earned a first round bye before being ousted by the rival New York Jets in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Pats defense that ranked 25th in the league because they could not sack a chair. But New England's record and offense masked their defensive woes.

The Patriots have a history of taking talented players with baggage and turning them into gold. Players such as Corey Dillon and Randy Moss have been the most noteworthy players that have flourished with the Patriots. But Haynesworth may prove to be the biggest challenge yet. When Haynesworth is not coming into camp out of shape or refusing to work out, he is stomping on players' heads. Clearly, something's got to give here.

Final Verdict: It will be interesting to see who caves in the battle of wills between Haynesworth and Pats coach Bill Belichick. But given the fact that the Patriots only gave up a fifth round pick in 2013, getting Haynesworth is a low risk, high reward deal. Big Al is a force on the defensive line when he wants to be, and the Pats need to improve on defense. And the Patriots are contenders even if Haynesworth quits on yet another team.

Overall grade on Haynesworth to Pats: B-


This circus is far from ending and there are a lot of big deals that need to get done. But all of this activity and NFL buzz means that real games are just around the corner.

Prequel to the Preseason

As the dog days of summer continue to drag on, so did the daily labor negotiations in the NFL. These intense talks had reached the point in which every time someone blew their nose, there were cameras and microphones ready to capture every breathtaking moment. There was more analysis spent on negotiations that went sideways than major championships in golf and tennis. And when something happened, the scroll on every major sports network would halt their presentations of sports that were actually playing to reveal *BREAKING NEWS*, nope, lockout still happening. The majority of this coverage was restating the fact that the players and owners still had not gotten anything done, but they were all working on it. But mercifully, the NFL lockout is over and now everyone can get back to playing football. Which means it is time for predictions for how your favorite team will do this season.

Let us start with the projected finish for the AFC East

1: New York Jets 12-4

2: New England Patriots  11-5

3: Miami Dolphins 6-10

4: Buffalo Bills 4-12

The time has come for the changing of the guard in the AFC East. And like in many sports, the power shift will go from Boston/New England to New York. The two rivals split the regular season series and the Jets booted the Patriots from the playoffs at the razor last January. Last year, the consistency of Mark Sanchez  during the fourth quarter of games brought some offensive punch to a team with the third ranked defense in the league last year. And to make them even more dangerous, the Jets traded for Superbowl MVP Santonio Holmes and helped the Jets soar to 11th in total offense last season. 

Meanwhile, the Patriots took a step back last season. Their offense was as good as ever, ranking 8th in the league. The MVP of last season Tom Brady had some tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez who were able to create problems for opposing defenses. While the previously injured Wes Welker got his legs back underneath him on his way to another good season. However, the crippling weakness of the Patriots was the fact that their defense could not sack a chair. In addition to the lack of pressure, everyone in the Patriots defensive backfield not named Devin McCourty was torched on a regular basis. The Pats ranked 30th in pass defense a year ago, which is a startling change of pace from their defense first mentality during their Superbowl years.

Although the Miami Dolphins have some solid pieces, expect them to flounder a bit again this season. The Dolphins have a pretty good defense anchored by linebacker Channing Crowder and Vonte Davis at corner. But offensively these fish are pretty fried. The Dolphins may have Brandon Marshal, but the lack of consistency from Chad Henne has stunted the team's offensive growth. And the fins once solid running back rotation was disrupted by injuries to Ronnie Brown and a bad year from Ricky Williams. There are players on the Dolphins that could make other teams better, but Miami's current collection will not be enough to keep pace with the Jets and Patriots.

The Buffalo Bills don't really have much of anything offensively. Their quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick may have gone to Harvard, but NFL defenses seem to be a harder equation for him to solve. And if the Bills second best receiver, Stevie Johnson, is best known for God 'making him' drop a pass, that's all that needs to be said about their receiving corps. Fred Jackson showed flashes last season, but he's not good enough to scare a defense alone. But the Bills defense is not much better. The Bills D ranked dead last in the league against the run and 24th overall. Needless to say, Buffalo needs the Marcell Dareus era to begin tomorrow.

The Bills remain in the cellar and the Dolphins do not have enough talent to contend, so expect the this division to be a two horse race again. Although the Jets did loose dominant defensive tackle Kris Jenkins to retirement and could loose Holmes or Braylon Edwards to free agency, the Patriots have yet to make a move that makes them better than the Jets. If the Jets resign the majority of their free agents, expect gang green to soar all the way to a division title, maybe higher.

The AFC North Division will likely look like this

Baltimore Ravens   13-3

Pittsburgh Steelers  11-5

Cleveland Browns  5-11

Cincinnati Bengals  3-13

The Steelers may have made it to the Superbowl, but the Ravens also have a defense capable of shutting people down for 60 minutes. The Ravens ranked first in total defense, first in passing yards allowed per game, and third against the run. Not to mention that they will have a healthy Ed Reed coming back for the start of the season. Reed missed seven games last year due to hip surgery and he faced emotional trama when his brother was found dead during the Raven's playoff run. Sitll, Reed lead the NFL in interceptions last year with 7 in an injury shortened season. Offensively is where the Ravens could falter. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee make a good running back rotation, and the Ravens have good receivers in Anquan Boldin and Derek Mason. However, the key to the Ravens season is quarterback Joe Flacco. If he can step up his game this season, the Ravens are going to be hard to beat.

Speaking of beat, the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off of a Superbowl loss to the Green Bay Packers in what was a great game. The Steelers have enough talent to defensively represent the AFC in the Superbowl again, but offense could be an issue. The Steelers are good at running back with Rashard Mendenhall, but outside of wideout Mike Wallace and tight end Heath Miller, Ben Rothlisberger has almost nobody to throw to. Despite the lack of receiving depth, big Ben still managed the Steelers to ninth in the league in passing yards per game, so the Steelers have done it before. 

Last season the Cleveland Browns took a positive step forward and did not finish last in their division. Led by Colt McCoy, Madden 12 cover boy Peyton Hillis, and Joshua Cribbs, the Browns offense showed some flashes. But defensively, Cleveland had another bad year. The Browns finished 22nd in the league in total defense, and they also ended up 27th in the league against the run. The Browns offense may have some spark, but in a division with the Ravens and Steelers, a weak defense will not get you anywhere.

The Cincinnati Bengals have fallen back to Bungle status after last season's performance. Offensively, the Bengals could not put it all together despite their talent level. Carson Palmer, Terrell Owens, and Cedric Benson should have been a middle of the pack offense at worst. Instead, Palmer played poorly and Chad Ochostinko was nowhere to be found for 16 games. Defensively, the Bungles have some good corners in Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, but they still ranked 19th against the run, and 14th against the pass. All of this goes without mentioning the dysfunction at the head coaching position and management that drove this team downwards. 

Like the AFC East, this will be a two horse race and the winner will come down to defense. The difference between Baltimore and Pittsburgh is that the Ravens D is just a tiny bit better than the steel curtain. And that slight difference will have the Ravens flying over the Berg.

Let's move on to the usually predictable AFC South Division.

Indianapolis Colts 10-6

Houston Texans  9-7

Jacksonville Jaguars 8-8

Tennessee Titans  5-11

The Indianapolis Colts were able to win the third weakest division in the NFL thanks to their ninth overall ranked offense lead by Peyton Manning. But if you looked closer at this team, their weaknesses became much more apparent. Yes the Colts had one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL, but their receiving corps lacked anyone truly dangerous with the exception of Reggie Wayne. And their running game did not strike fear into any defense, for the Colts ended up 29th in the league in rushing last season. On the other side of the ball, the Colts did rank third against the pass a year ago thanks to the speedy pass rush of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. However, the Colts struggled to defend the ground game, for they ranked 25th against the run in 2010. Recently, the Indianapolis Colts have gotten division after division because they received the luxuries of playing in a weak division. Expect the Colts to win the South and to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs again this year.

The Houston Texans have been on the brink of knocking off the Colts for the last two years, but Texas' other team didn't get the job done again. The Texans disappointments have been no fault of their offense. Last year, the Texans ranked fourth in the league in passing and seventh in the league on the ground. Matt Schaub has emerged from the shadow Michael Vick cast when they were both in Atlanta, and the Texans could not be happier. The other Texas team also had the league's leading rusher for the first time in franchise history. Arian Foster came out of nowhere for a great season of  1,616 rushing yards. But for all the good Houston's offense was, their defense could not get out of their own way. The Texans have a solid front seven lead by linebacker Demeco Ryans and defensive lineman Mario Williams. But their secondary was dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game in 2010, and the Dunta Robinson trade came back to buck the Texans. Houston's offense will win them 8-9 games this year, but their defense will again cost them 7-8 losses.

The Jaguar is supposed to be one of the most intimidating jungle cats in the animal kingdom, but the Jacksonville Jaguars don't scare anyone in the NFL kingdom. The Jaguars did have a nice running game in 2010, for they ranked third in the league in rushing. But the star power of Maurice Jones Drew cannot carry the Jaguars alone. David Garrard regressed a lot last season, for the Jaguars passing attack ranked 27th in the NFl a year ago. Granted Garrard does not have much help in the receiving corps, but he was still so bad that the Jaguars drafted quarterback Blaine Gabbert with the tenth overall pick in April's draft. Gabbert will not start this year, so the Jaguars inept offense will continue to struggle. A bad passing attack coupled with their mediocre defense will lead them to the middle of the AFC South pack and head coach Jack Del Rio's exit from the team. 

The Tennessee Titans were surrounded by the Vince Young vs. Jeff Fisher controversy , and the team's on the field performance suffered. The Titans ranked 25th in the NFL through the air in 2010 with the now retired Kerry Collins. What all this means is that Titans first round pick Jake Locker will likely be handing the ball off to Chris Johnson on a good 65% of the Titans plays this year. Defensively, the Titans have been poor as well. The Titans ranked 20th against the run a year ago and 29th against the pass. Even if the Titans land some big time free agents in the next six weeks, don't expect them to challenge the Colts, Texans, or Jaguars in the South this year.

The AFC South is the third worst division in the NFL and the Colts thrown is very vulnerable. However, the rest of the division appears incapable of running with the Colts. The Texans can score with Indy, but Texas' other team lacks the defense to slow down the fighting Peyton Mannings. Jacksonville and Tennessee are both capable of running the ball on the Colts, but the Colts solid pass defense will be to much for Garrard or whoever the Titans quarterback will be to handle. In the easiest division to predict, the Colts will make it nine straight division titles in 2011.

The Cross Country journey continues with the AFC West

Oakland Raiders 9-7

Kansas City Chiefs 7-9

San Diego Chargers 6-10

Denver Broncos 5-11

In a division that is not extremely deep talent wise, it is very possible for the Oakland Raiders to take this division crown. They had a quietly good defense a year ago. The black hole ranked second in the league in passing yards allowed and eleventh in the league overall. As for the Raiders offense, there is some talent there too. The Raiders ranked a surprising tenth in the league in total offense last season. Most of that surprising turnaround came on the ground. Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas are good running backs who can take the pressure off of Jason Campbell by gashing defenses. Campbell had a solid year, but he needs more than tight end Zach Miller to throw too if the Raiders really want to win this thing.

The Kansas City Chiefs are young, hungry, and talented. But after getting beaten badly by the Ravens in last year's playoffs, the schedule of a division winner will be the end of them. The Chiefs lead the league in rushing behind Jammal Charles, and yes they had the 12th ranked offense overall, but Matt Cassel is not an elite quarterback. And the Chiefs may have some nice pieces defensively, but the linebackers are not anything special. Their defense ranked 14th against the run, which is not bad. But against the Minnesota Vikings, Raiders twice, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers, that defense will be carved up in more ways than one.

The San Diego Chargers have some of the most talented players in the NFL. But for some reason, they just cannot seem to put it all together. The Chargers ranked 1st in total offense and total defense a year ago, but they failed to make the playoffs. The biggest problem with this team is not their talent, but rather their coaching  staff. Norv Turner is the worst possible coach for that team because he is unable to keep these guys in line. Turner is a great coordinator, but he lacks the fire to motivate or control his team for 16 games.

The Denver Broncos are going to be a sentimental favorite with Tim Tebow at quarterback, but don't expect him to take the Broncos very far in his first full year starting. The Broncos were competitive in Tebow's three starts last year, but they still went 1-2. And with a floundering offense and terrible defense, close to wins is all they are going to get.

The only reason the Raiders should win this division is because the Chiefs have to play the big boys. From week eleven until week 15 the Chiefs play the Patriots, Steelers, Bears, Jets, and Packers, all in a row. That looks like an 0-5 stretch in a critical point in the season that should bring the AFC West into the black hole.

Now we head over to the NFC East, one of the most interesting divisions in the game.

Philadelphia Eagles 11-5

Dallas Cowboys  10-6

New York Giants 8-8

Washington Redskins 4-12

Last season was a dream come true for Michael Vick. Vick helped to turn around one of the NFL's storied franchises and got the city of brotherly love to show him love even after his dog fighting fiasco. But Michael Vick is not the only Eagle capable of soaring to new heights. Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Brent Celek all proved themselves to be playmakers.With an explosive passing attack, the Eagles flew up to fifth in the NFL in total offense, and second in the league in passing yards per game a year ago. Defensively the Eagles flew to new heights as well. Philadelphia's birds of prey ranked second against the pass and fourth in total defense in 2010. However, the Eagles could have their wings clipped if their running game in the red zone does not improve. Lesean McCoy is a solid running back, but the Eagles could not move the chains on the ground during third down situations a year ago. For the Eagles to fly even higher, they have to improve their ground game.

The Dallas Cowboys were the most disappointing team in the league a year ago. Fans, analysts, and magazine reporters expected the Cowboys to flourish. But Dallas' season a year ago was just the opposite of what everyone thought would happen. The Cowboys went 1-7 during their first eight games, and quarterback Tony Romo fractured his clavicle during that stretch. This season does look to be brighter for Dallas. In the middle of last season, the Cowboys finally got rid of the biggest problem they had: Wade Phillips, the worst head coach in the NFL. While new head coach Jason Garret was able to shape the mentality of his talented team for the better. This year, Romo and the electric wide receiver Dez Bryant are both back and healthy. It is fair to expect the Cowboys to be better this year, but the Eagles will still be perched at the top of the division, for the Eagles have a better defense and better special teams.

The New York Giants had a pretty good year last year with their 10-6 record and high rankings on both sides of the ball. Big blue was ranked tenth in total offense and seventh in total defense a year ago, so their roster is not the problem. What hurt the Giants a year ago was their usual problems in the second half and that the rest of the NFC has gotten better. Last year the Giants missed out on the playoffs in a loss to the Packers in the last game of the regular season. The Packers went on to win the Superbowl as the number six seed in the NFC while the Giants were left to wonder what could have been. And this season for the Giants a team that struggles in the second half on a regular basis is not getting any help from the NFL's schedule makers. With games against the Patriots, Saints, Eagles, Packers, and Cowboys in the second half of the year, the postseason picture looks to exclude the Giants yet again.

The Washington Redskins are the Oakland Raiders of the East coast and NFC. Owner Daniel Snyder has wasted money on big named players that have not panned out and a headstrong head coach on the downside of his career. The Redskins free agent signing of Albert Haynesworth has blown up in the Redskins face in the worst possible way, and Mike Shanahan continues to rip quarterback Donovan McNabb for everything. The player coach relationships between Hanyesworth, McNabb and Shanahan got so bad that at one point Haynesworth refused to play for Shananhan again. And while McNabb seemed to be having a solid year, Shanahan benched his starting quarterback in favor of Rex Grossman. The blackballing combination of Snyder and Shanahan has created a terrible team atmosphere in our nation's capital. So don't expect any franchise changing free agents to call Washington their home anytime soon.

The NFC East will be a tight race for the entire season, but the Eagles should take the division again. Philadelphia has a better defense than the Cowboys and a more explosive offense than the Giants. And between the Cowboys and Giants, the second place team in the NFC East will make a run at a playoff spot. However with the suddenly loaded NFC South and improving NFC North, we might see only one team make the playoffs from one of the NFL's best divisions.

Now we visit the coldest parts of the NFL in the NFC North.

Green Bay Packers 12-4

Chicago Bears 9-7

Detroit Lions 8-8

Minnesota Vikings 4-12

The Green Bay Packers went into the playoffs as the number 6 seed in the NFC and came out of the postseason with the Lombardi Trophy. Aaron Rogers stepped out of a certain number 4's shadow in a big way, and has vaulted himself to the top level of NFL quarterbacks with his performance during the 2010 playoffs. Green Bay's offense was not just good during the playoffs, for the pack attack ranked fourth in total offense and third in passing offense last season. All of this great offense came without their best receiving tight end Jermichael Finley and without starting running back Ryan Grant. Imagine how good the Packers will be with a healthy offense. The Packers D was equally as frightening. The cheese heads ranked third in total defense and third against the run last season. Clay Mathews is a beast, the Packers secondary has seen Tramon Williams grew up big time in the playoffs, and the defense is very well coached. This team is going to be very tough to beat.

Green Bay may have taken the Lombardi trophy back home, but let us not forget that the Chicago Bears won the division a year ago. The signing of free agent lineman Julies Peppers bolstered the Bears defense in a huge way. The Bears ranked second in the league in rush defense in a league with some pretty talented running backs. However, Chicago's undoing was their offense. The Bears ranked 30th in total yards per game.Part of the problem was that Matt Forte had a bad year and other than Greg Olsen, the Bears have nothing in terms of receivers. But Jay Cutler had a much better year with 23 touch down passes and a 60% completion percentage. Despite a better year from Cutler, his MCL sprain in the NFC championship game had a lot of people questioning his character. Are the character shots fair, in this case no, but Cutler has to answer his critics by improving one of the worst offenses from a year ago.

The Detroit Lions took a huge step forward in 2010. They finished 6-10 with their starting quarterback Mathew Stafford injured for a good portion of the year. The Lions have some talent to roar in the NFC north. Ndamukong Suh was a beast last year, recording ten sacks and making the pro bowl. With Suh, Kyle Vanden Bosch, first round draft pick Nick Fairley, and Cliff Averil, the Lions have a really good defensive line. They may have ranked 21st defensively a year ago, but with a d line that good, they will be hard to run on. Offensively, the Lions also are finding their way. They have Stafford coming back, the speedy running back Jahvid Best, and a very good receiver in Calvin Johnson. The Lions still need to sure up the back seven and offensive line before they can make a push for the postseason, but a .500 record is very much in reach.

The Minnesota Vikings were a team that disappointed a lot of people a year ago. The Vikings went into 2010 losers of the NFC title game to the eventual champion New Orleans Saints, and expectations were high. The Vikings simply did not deliver. Minnesota's problems are not on the defensive side, for they ranked 8th overall a year ago. But when their best receiver Sidney Rice had hip surgery and missed the first six games of the regular season, quarterback Brett Favre played poorly before getting hurt himself. The most noteworthy moment for the Vikings after that was when the Metrodome collapsed in on itself because it couldn't take the snow. But Favre is now gone, and the Vikings drafted quarterback Christian Ponder to be the new future under center. Expect Ponder to hand off to Adrian Peterson a great deal and for the Vikings to be in the NFC north's cellar.

The Vikings good defense will result in a lot of close losses and the improvements made by the Detroit Lions will bring them out of the cellar. However, the Lions need major secondary and offensive line help before they are ready to contend. Which leaves us with the Packers and Bears as usual. The Bears took the division a year ago, but a division winner's schedule will be tougher on them. Green Bay meanwhile gets some offensive help with the returns of Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley to add to an already good defense. Expect the Pack to take the division crown this year. 

Now on to the suddenly very crowded NFC South

Atlanta Falcons 13-3

New Orleans Saints 11-5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-6

Carolina Panthers 1-15

The Atlanta Falcons earned the number 1 overall seed in the NFC a year ago, and they are even better this year. The Falcons are big winners from this year's draft, for they got Alabama receiver Julio Jones. Jones is regarded as the second best receiver in the draft, and he gets to go to a contender right away. In addition to Jones, the Falcons have the best tight end ever in Tony Gonzalez and a very good number one receiver in Roddy White. Combine a receiving corps like that with a very good running back in Michael Turner and a good quarterback in Matt Ryan, and you have the ingredients for a dangerous offense. But the Falcons may have a better defense than offense, even after their improvement. Atlanta has a sack machine in John Abraham, a good linebacker in Curtis Lofton, and have been the winners in the Dunta Robinson trade with the Houston Texans. Watch out NFL, because here comes Atlanta.

The New Orleans Saints were a team faced with some adversity a year ago. They faced the challenges of the Superbowl hangover and the Madden Curse, and had themselves a very nice season. The Saints beat the Madden Curse and the Superbowl hangover by making the playoffs last year. The Saints marched all over defenses by relying on one of the third ranked passing attack in the NFL. The rushing attack was virtually non existent due to a lack of consistency at the running back position, but the Saints drafted Mark Ingram out of Alabama to fix that need. On the other side of the ball, the Saints were still a solid aggressive unit, but they had fewer takeaways last year than during their Superbowl run. The Saints wanted a better running game to complement Brees, and they got that, now they need better defense to oust the Packers from their NFC champions chair.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on of the most surprising teams in the NFL last season. These Bucs were jolly as a roger offensively, for they had the eighth best rushing attack in the NFL a year ago. The Bucs had an undrafted running back Lagarrette Blount rush for 1,000 yards, while Earnest Graham did well in the pass blocker role. Quarterback Josh Freeman also improved from his rookie season, for he threw 25 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. If Freeman continued to grow in 2010, the Bucs could make a run at the postseason. But Tampa Bay's defense was nothing special. The Buccaneers ranked 17th in the league in total defense a year ago, and their best corner, Aquib Talib, got arrested for assault with a deadly weapon earlier in the summer. The Bucs are young and threatening, but they didn't have the talent to play with the Falcons or the experience to upend the Saints last year, and they will not pass either team this year either.

The Carolina Panthers were the worst team in the NFL a season ago, and they did not get any better. The Panthers drafted Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton with the first overall pick in April's draft, and Newton is competing for the starting gig. Suppose Newton did win the starting job, he would have to lead the league's worst offense in the league form last season to respectability. But with an unmotivated Steve Smith at receiver, the potential loss of DeAngelo Williams to free agency, and an awful offensive line, there wouldn't be any winning for anyone in Carolina any time soon. Defensively, the Panthers were 18th in the league a year ago, so there is something there. But outside of Jon Beason, there is not much of anything defensively. Expect the Panthers to be in the cellar of the NFC south for at least four years.

With the exception of the Panthers, the NFC south is one of the most interesting divisions in the league. There are three teams that are capable of making the playoffs and two of them most likely will. The Buccaneers are getting better, but they don't have the defense to stop the Falcons or Saints or the offense to score with either of them. The Falcons have a better defense than the Saints, so defense will win what should be a very competitive division. 

Now on to the worst division in the NFL, The NFC West

Saint Louis Rams 9-7

San Francisco 49ers 7-9

Seattle Seahawks 6-10

Arizona Cardinals 4-12

The Saint Louis Rams will benefit this year from the Seahawks winning a division a year ago. For the Rams get all of the same benefits of playing in an awful division, and none of the hard games the Seawhaks have to play as division winners. And the Rams have enough to take the division crown from Seattle. Sam Bradford has answered questions regarding his durability by playing all 16 games and winning rookie of the year in 2010. Their defense is okay, for they ranked 17th against the run in 2010 and 19th in the league in total defense and pass defense. And top 20 in the league in anything is good enough to win this division. But if the Rams really want the NFC West they will invest money in a big named receiver in the free agent class. Plaxico Burress actually makes sense for the Rams, for former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is now the Rams head coach. The Rams almost won the division last year, and should have the schedule to take it this year.

The San Francisco 49ers have fallen so far in the NFC, but there is some salvageable talent there. For one thing, the niners had the sixth best defense against the run in the entire league last year. Their defense did underachieve a year ago, but Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes anchor a decent linebacker corps. All of San Francisco's problems stem from their inability to find a consistent quarterback. Former number one overall pick Alex Smith is a bust, and the Niners are running out of backups to replace him with. This year, the 49ers have Colin Kaepernick competing for the starting job, and he seems to have the mentality new coach Jim Harbaugh likes. Plus, there are some pieces to the offense that are good such as tight end Vernon Davis and wideout Michael Crabtree. But until the offensive line is rebuilt, don't expect big things offensively out of the niners.

The Seattle Seahawks face two huge problems in defending their division crown. One is the division winner's schedule. The Seahawks won the division with a 7-9 record a year ago. Bad yes, but a division crown is a division crown. So Seattle will have to play the Steelers, Falcons, Ravens, Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants this year. That schedule is brutal for anyone, especially a bad team that barely won a bad division.The second problem with Seattle is their quarterback situation. Matt Hasselbeck is a free agent who could have a new home before the season begins. Seattle cannot afford to loose their best player. Otherwise their goose will really be cooked. 

It is hard to believe that the Arizona Cardinals were in the Superbowl in 2009. Back then, they had some star power with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Kurt Warner, Karlos Dansby, and Domanique Rodgers-Cromartie. But Boldin and Dansby left for Baltimore and Miami respectively, and the most important player, Warner, retired. Fitzgerald and Rodgers-Cromartie are still there, but there is nobody else around them. The Cardinals quarterback last season, Derek Anderson, was more known for his post game tirade  than his performance on the field. To make a long story short, the Cardinals were bad last year and will be worse this year.

This is easily the worst division in the game, and all we can hope for is that one of these teams wins it with a .500 record, or 9-7 if possible. The Rams will separate themselves from the pack if they land a big wideout, but predicting this division is like answering every question on the SATs with a blindfold on. You have no idea what to expect, and the answer will always surprise you. 

So that is the synopsis for every team, so now let's look at how these projected finishes will play out in January.

AFC Wild Card                                                                                           NFC Wild Card

#6 Steelers over #3 Colts                                                                              #3 Eagles over #6 Cowboys

#5 Patriots over #4 Raiders                                                                          #5 Saints over #4 Rams

AFC Divisional Round                                                                                NFC Divisional Round

#1 Ravens over #6 Steelers                                                                         #1 Falcons over # 5 Saints

#2 Jets over #5 Patriots                                                                               #2 Packers over #3 Eagles

AFC Conference title game                                                                        NFC Conference Title Game

#1 Ravens over #2 Jets                                                                              #2 Packers over #1 Falcons

Superbowl XLVI

 #2 Packers 

over

#1 Ravens

So there it is. The full NFL season mapped out as how it may or may not happen. All that really matters is that we don't have to listen to NFL CBA talks for another 10 years. And that is something to celebrate as we all get ready for some football.

System of a Down Year

The dawn of every season not only means that anybody can win, but once the season gets underway, the best players in their game are a lock to outperform the competition. However, that is not always the case in the wild, wacky, fifth dimension world of sports. Sometimes there are players that rise from the 'player-to-be-named-later' pile and produce good numbers for their ball club. Other times the preseason predictions made by every magazine, sports talk show, and blog writer pan out without any interesting mix ups. But every year, there seems to be some players that either sign big contracts with new teams, or come off of off-season injuries and fail to produce as expected. This year the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins all have big named players who have star players that are playing more like little dippers than big dippers. 

Let's lead off this list with the south side of Chicago's big free agent signing this past offseason, Adam Dunn.

When the White Sox presented the Big Donkey with a four year/$56 Million dollar contract, general manager Kenny Williams expected what Dunn had provided for the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Washington Nationals; a big left handed bat to provide offense to a club that desperately needed it. Dunn may have struck out more often than people have gone on Facebook in the last half decade, but he consistently hit 40 homers and drove in 100 runs for the better part of six years. Unfortunately for the south siders, the big donkey has lacked his kick. This season, Dunn's abysmal .163 batting average with the White Sox is 83 points lower than his career total of .246. The big donkey is also 29 home runs behind his career average of 38 a season and is 61 runs batted in behind his average pace of 97 RBIs per year. Dunn could be putting too much pressure on himself because of the new contract, or maybe the 31 year old slugger is over the hill. But even with Dunn floundering, the White Sox can still win the AL Central. If this is to happen, Dunn needs to hit.

Since the hits just keep on coming in baseball, the focus shifts out west to one of the most consistent hitters of our generation, Ichiro Suzuki 

The Seattle Mariners may be cellar dwellers in the AL Central, but the Mariners are able to wind up Ichiro every year and watch him get 200 hits. But this year, Ichiro has not been what we thought he is. The Mariners star currently has 109 hits and is on pace to finish with 167 for the season. Ichiro has NEVER finished a season with fewer than 200 hits in his entire ten year career with the Mariners; that streak of 200 hits every year for ten years is the longest such streak in Major League history. Also Ichiro's batting average has fallen to .267 during the 2011 campaign. That is 60 points below his career average of .327. But despite the down numbers, Ichiro's down year stems from bad luck. Balls that Ichiro would be able to slap through the opposite field gap are simply not finding the holes they usually do. The only difference between Ichiro and other hitters who are struggling is the fact that this is Ichiro's first bad year in his career. Ichiro is still the toughest out in baseball, but even he is human. And humans in sports can sometimes have bad years.

Speaking of bad years, it is time to look at the ace of the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants; Tim Lincecum

The San Francisco Giants won the World Series last year with a paper mache offense and the best pitching in baseball. This season the offense has been equally as bad as last year, but every pitcher except Lincecum has been great again this year. Today, the two time Cy Young award winner is 8-8 with a 2.90 Earned run average and 146 strikeouts. Put these numbers all together and you have a very good line at the half way point of the season. Yet most of these numbers, such as wins and strikeouts, are short of the freak's usual performances. Lincecum's issue is that he has yet to be consistently dominant this season. One start the Lincecum will be the freak for six or seven innings to get the win, and then turn right around and pitch dreadfully in his next start. The San Francisco Giants are contenders to win the world series with the surplus of pitching that they have, but in order to topple the Phillies, Red Sox, Rangers, and even the Braves, Tim Lincecum has to recapture the swagger that has made him dominant.

And since pitchers and catchers have such an important bond in baseball, the focus is redirected to Twins catcher Joe Mauer.

Baseball's talent pool for catchers may be about as deep as a puddle, but for the last four years, Joe Mauer has been one of the best backstops in the game. Mauer has torn up opposing pitchers during the course of his career, hitting .326 with  15 homers and 90 runs batted in on a yearly basis. However, the injury bug bit Joe Mauer in the form of bilateral leg weakness. And while the strength in Mauer's legs have dropped, so have his numbers. This season Mauer is hitting .295 with no homers and 15 runs batted in. There is nothing wrong with a .295 batting average, but the number three hitter in a team's lineup having zero homers and only 15 runs batted in is pathetic. Plus, Mauer being hurt has really altered the way that Twins pitchers pitch, for the Twins pitchers are used to Mauer calling the game. Perhaps putting Mauer at first base or Designated hitter will prolong his career, however making that transition will likely not help Mauer in 2011.

From guys who have been hurt to guys who are simply having a bad year, struggling during points in a career is simply part of the game. And everyone that has been mentioned is a good enough player to turn this season around, despite the adversities they all face.

Wish upon some Stars

If you were to turn on the news, you would see and hear stories of robbery, murder, extortion, corruption, and something dumb that some politician said. All of these aspects of the real world are the negative aspects that fills our world and makes the 24 hour media cycle go like the energizer bunny. And the world of sports has similar moments. In between the highlights of games there is analysis of scandal, athletes' finances, and the judgement of players dirty laundry when it is held up under the media microscope. But for one week, one very special week in the middle of July every year, Sportscenter goes out of its way to present a delightful change of pace from the regular media routine. The stories that are presented to the public do portray struggle, but these stories show that for one moment in time, athletes can impact people in such a positive way.

These stories are from Sportscenter's 'My Wish' series, and these are some of the coolest stories in sports.

 Children with life altering illnesses that range from leukemia, blood disorders, testicular cancer, and dilated cardiomopathy share their stories with the world. The tales portray the lives of these children before they are struck with crippling sicknesses. How hours, days, even years in hospitals change these young children filled with energy, suddenly evaporates from their bodies due to the diseases. And finally when these kids get out of the hospitals, the energy that fueled them has been drained away. 

But the other side of a story that can be seen in a 'My Wish' story is the athlete's role in the life of the ill child. How characteristics like Tim Tebow's toughness, Bethany Hamilton's courage, and every athlete's kindness to take the time out of their busy lives to make these young children feel special. 

But the side of the 'My Wish' stories that do not get played up nearly as much is the effect that these encounters have on the athletes and the audiences. For the players who dedicated their time to helping these kids, a life long personal bond can be formed, while sometimes the athletes discover a deeper impact that their on field performances have on all of their fans. For those of us who have never heard of these kids, for seven short minutes, we receive an uplifting outlook on how athletes can use their influence on a positive way. How not all athletes are self centered individuals who would rather take a bashing from their town's media than interact with their fans. And why the world of sports can provide a safe sanctuary in which everyone no matter what the size, shape, or race of one person can enjoy. 

The Overrated and Unappreciated

Athletes come in all different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, but all athletes can be boiled down to a few types of players. There are the nice players; or the ones who contribute positively to their team's success. Yet despite all their positive contributions, they get overshadowed buy athletes with bigger names and usually much larger salaries. Managers would take a couple of these guys over some of the big named guys who are under appreciated. On the other side of the spectrum, there are the bad players. These athletes are usually over payed and under productive, have the wrong mindset to be at a professional level, or they have some kind of untapped potential that they should reach, but cannot. Today is a time to reflect on the five surprisingly good and five horribly bad that major league baseball has to offer.

Coming in at Number 5  for the most overrated players in Baseball: Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers

LA is known for Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the sports franchises that blanket the city. But Matt Kemp is a typical example of a player who gets too much attention because he plays for an LA team. Before this year, Kemp's career averages look something like this: .286 batting average, 17 home runs, and 66 runs batted in. The batting average is respectable, but the home runs are pedestrian and the runs batted in are nothing special. Despite this, most of the talking heads are considering him an MVP candidate for the national league. Last time I checked, the Dodgers were eleven games under .500 and 12.5 games back of the San Francisco Giants for first place in their division. The Dodgers chances to make the playoffs this year is extremely small and his numbers are not as jaw dropping as  Alex Rodriguez's were when he was with the Texas Rangers once upon a time. Kemp is having a very good year, let us see if he can keep this up for multiple seasons in a row.

The number 5 most underrated players in Baseball today: Ben Zobrist of the Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays don't have many house hold names, but one on the rise is Ben Zobrist. Early in his career, Zobrist did not play a whole lot and did not stick in one particular position. But when the Tampa Bay Rays went to the World Series in 2008, the production they got from Zobrist was a big reason why. Zobrist has only been a regular in the Rays lineup for two years, but during that two year stretch Zobrist has a .268 average with 19 homers and 83 runs batted in. Unlike Kemp the batting average is lower than it should be, but the homers are solid and 80 or more runs batted in are what a typical number five hitter should be producing for his team. But Zobrist does not hit fifth for the Rays, for he hits second due to his ability to drive runs in. 83 runs batted in from the number 2 hitter in a lineup? Pretty solid if you as me.

Back to the bad. The number 4 most overrated player in baseball: Nick Swisher of the New York Yankees

Nick Swisher has been regarded as one of the nicest players in the game of baseball and his presence does boost team chemistry. But in terms of his production, Swisher has not been nearly as good as the media likes to make them seem. Swisher does have good home runs and run batted in numbers in his career, but he has only once hit above .280 in his career. In fact, Swisher has only hit above .260 twice in eight seasons. The strikeouts for swisher have been piling up as well. The Yankees right fielder has a season average of 115 strikeouts per year. And every year in his career, except for two, swisher has had more strikeouts in a season than he had hits. Swisher is a solid player who is good for team chemisrty, but all of the hype Swisher has gotten as a stud on the Yankees is misplaced.

Number 4 most underrated player in MLB: Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals

For those who would have ever seen Ryan Zimmerman play, he would be regarded as one of the five best third baseman in baseball. For the majority of the casual fans who have not heard of Zimmerman, it is because he has been on one of the worst teams in baseball over the course of his career. Still,  Zimmerman's numbers have been some of the better ones offensively. Invader Zim has a .287 batting average with 23 dingers, 89 runs batted in and two career silver slugger awards. Zimmerman has been sound on the defensive side of the field as well, for the Nationals third baseman won a gold glove in 2009. But alas, as long as the Washington Nationals remain in mediocrity, Zimmerman's very good play will continue to go unnoticed.

Batting 3rd for team Overrated: Yadier Molina of the Saint Louis Cardinals.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this photograph accurately describes Yadier's offensive capabilities as a whole. The youngest Molina brother is easily the worst out of the three with a bat in his hands; and he has been one of the most inept offensive catchers in the league. In Molina's best year offensively his numbers were .304 with Seven home runs and 56 runs batted in. If Molina did not win three gold gloves as a catcher, he would be riding a minor league bus somewhere until he learned how to hit. Yet despite his offensive flaws, Molina has been voted to the last three all star games. He consistently beats out guys like the Cubs Giovanni Soto, Giants backstop Buster Posey, and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz in the fan vote because Baseball Tonight plays the most popular game on ESPN called 'Name that Molina'. If he were not related to Bengie and Jose, Molina would just be regarded as a slow catcher who cannot hit.

Number 3 most underrated player: Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies second baseman in baseball has not received much appreciation from the city of brotherly love, or from many others for that matter. Chase Utley has been the best second baseman in baseball for the latter half of the 2000-2010 decade, period the end. Utley's numbers are star worthy to say the least. A .292 batting average with 28 home runs and 103 runs batted in over the course of his career has been proof of how good he really is. Add one world series ring into his trophy case and you have a radiant superstar right? Nope. Utley's name has frequently overshadowed by names such as Dustin Pedroia and Robinson Cano in recent years. Pedroia won an MVP in 2008 with a .326 average 17 homers and 83 RBI's. In the same year, other than batting average, Utley's numbers were way better than Pedroia (33 homers 104 RBIs). And Cano has only had one year, last year, when his numbers were better than Utley's. Cano may pass Utley in terms of skill one day, but that time has not come yet. So Utley can continue to be quietly dominant.

Number 2 most overrated player: Hunter Pence Houston Astros.

The Houston Astros are the worst team in baseball by far, and part of this reason is because they rely on fake stars such as Hunter Pence. Pence doesn't hustle, doesn't play any form of defense, and strikes out a great deal. Pence has only struck out less than 100 times once in 2007, and he got punched out 95 times in the 07 season. Yet somehow, Pence has been an all star twice in his career. The reason for this is because every team is required to send a representative to the All Star game, but that is a separate issue. The only thing that keeps Pence is a relevant player in the fact that he has been solid offensively for his career. Pence's career line is .292 with 25 homers and 91 Runs batted in. But those numbers can be accurately described as a career year for a team's number 7 hitter, Pence hits 3rd for the Astros with the productivity of a number 7 hitter. The Astros stink and Pence is an awful of anti-perspirant.

Coming in at number 2 for team underrated: Michael Young of the Texas Rangers.

 Michael Young has been a Texas Ranger for 12 years, and at times during those years, the Rangers have appreciated Young as less as the casual fan does. But offensively Young has been one of the best players that nobody is talking about . Michael Young has kept the hits on coming, for he has averaged 199 hits per season over the course of his career. Couple those awesome hit totals with a .301 career batting average, 17 homers and 88 runs batted in on a yearly basis, you have a house hold name right? Try again Texas. Throughout the course of his career, Young has been overshadowed by superstar steroid users such as Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, and Alex Rodriguez. And when the time came for young to step into the spotlight, management had him change positions about as much as a regular people changer their socks. And not once has Young complained about being tossed from position to position like a hot potato. His numbers have only been overshadowed by his character, either way he deserves more stardom than he gets.

Now for the big ones, the most overrated and underrated players in the game of baseball.

The number 1 most overrated player in baseball: Jayson Werth of the Washington Nationals

Jayson Werth was signed in the off season by the Washington Nationals to a contract that will pay him 126 million dollars over the course of seven years. And his numbers have not been able to generate anywhere near that kind of money. Werth has a mediocre career line, for his average is .265 with 24 home runs and 82 runs batted in. Plus Werth's strikeout totals have gone up every time he has had a career year. Look at his best year in 2009. Yes Werth hit 36 homers and drove in 99 RBI's, but he also punched out 156 times. Those numbers simply do not justify the kind of contract that the Nationals gave him. It's normal for big market teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox to overpay for bad players, but when a team such as inept as the Nationals are willing to spend so much money on a player who was supposed to turn around their team.

And now the final piece of bread on this Baseball player sandwich

Number 1 most underrated player in the game: Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves

Where to begin with the Braves catcher? For starters Brian McCann has been elected to six all star teams and has won four silver sluggers during his seven year career. McCann's career line has been outstanding: the Brave's backstop has a .291 batting average with 25 homers and 101 runs batted in over the course of his career. So with all of these accolades and awards, how is a guy like A.J Pierzynski more well known across the majors than the best catcher in baseball? The simple answer is the fact that the Braves have not made the playoffs since 2005, the same year Pierzynski's White Sox won their first World Series in 87 years. With a tough division year in and year out, the fighting Ted Turners have not always been able to surround their players with the most talent. But Brian McCann has been a great find for the Braves, and seems to be well on his way to another great year this year.

There are all different kinds of players, but the most fun to talk about are the guys who do not get enough credit for what goes right, and who didn't play well enough when everything goes wrong.

Rockets Missfire

The 1998 baseball season Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had the great home run chase that recaptured the hearts of baseball fans across the country. And as the new millennium came to pass, home runs shot off of players' bats like lava out of volcanoes. Unfortunately for the fans of the game, these home runs resulted from players taking illegal substances in order to hit more pitches out of the park and make more money. But all of those who hoped their favorite players cheating was just some sick dream could not look away from the report that senator George Mitchel sent commissioner Bud Selig in 2007. Within the pages of the report, the names of sluggers, power pitchers, and bench guys who were all trying to make the team, were found to have used some form of performance enhancing drug. On that list was one player, the most defiant of all who testified before Congress, decided to approach his accusers the only way he knew how; head on without fear of consequences. This man's name is Roger Clemens, and today, his perjury case was deemed a mistrial.

According to reports, the trial was called off because the prosecution had presented evidence that was previously ruled out of the case; videotaped testimonies of teammate telling Clemens' wife that Clemens confessed to using a performance enhancing drug. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton deemed the evidence to be too prejudicial and that such evidence would not enable a fair trial. And although Walton scheduled a hearing on September 2nd to determine the possibility of a new hearing, he could declare double jeopardy and stop the case completely. Under double jeopardy, Clemens could not be tried for perjury again, and the rocket could away from his alleged crimes unpunished. 

Clemens may have been able to blow people away on the mound, but his performance in court had been the equivalent of a junk ball pitcher that got every break imaginable. Clemens was called to the stand in 2008, and said to congress that he never knowingly took performance enhancing drugs. When evidence that his teammate, Andy Pettitte, had recalled a conversation with Clemens in which Clemens directly told Pettitte he took human growth hormone, the rocket had said Pettitte 'misremembered' their conversation. But Pettitte's testimony was barred from the trial. And yesterday, there was evidence presented to the court that Clemens had needles and cotton balls with the star pitcher's DNA and steroids on them. Clemens' lawyers even said that the DNA on the needles and cotton balls was from Clemens. This case should have been a slam dunk for the prosecution, but instead, they got reckless  and now Clemens is virtually off the hook.

Clemens may have a mistrial in a court of law, but he, like every other steroid user, has been found guilty in the court of public opinion. Sports writers who are voting on which players get into the hall of fame have taken a hard stance against former players found guilty of steroid use. Take Mark McGwire for example. Big mac denied that he took steroids, and got caught in his lie. Not even a blubbering admittance of his wrongdoing on ESPN has aided McGwire in his hall of fame bid; for the percentage of writers who voted McGwire in the hall has dropped each year big mac has been on the ballot. But unfortunately for the people's court, the memories created by Clemens on the field will be forever tainted by the steroid era stigma; and the jilted feeling all of the fans have gotten from cheating players will not fade.