Cy for Cole?

Hamels could win a lot of
games in '11.

The Philadelphia Phillies have arguably the best starting rotation in Major League Baseball.

With the return of left-hander Cliff Lee in the offseason, signing a five-year $120 million, the Phillies have four potential aces on their current staff. The staff has combined for 14 All-Star appearances, three Cy Young Awards, six 20-win seasons, two National League Championship Most Valuable Player Awards and a World Series MVP.

This staff has the potential to be one of the best ever assembled.

Ace Roy Halladay is coming a year where he won the NL Cy Young Award, threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins and no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds. Lee is fresh off another great postseason, this time with the Texas Rangers and second consecutive World Series appearance. Roy Oswalt has pitched in the postseason three of his ten big league seasons. Then lies left-hander Cole Hamels, who might be flying radar more than ever heading into 2011.

Hamels got back onto the baseball map last season, bouncing back from an up-and-down year in 2009, where he went only 10-11 with a 4.32 earned run average. The left-hander had high expectations heading into '09 after being named the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP in Philadelphia's journey to their first World Series title since 1980.

Hamels has since battled back to being a front of the line starter for the Phillies, getting backing to his old form throwing the ball in the mid-90s last October.

This could have been attributed to less pressure with numerous brand names in the rotation along side him.

Hamels could be a sleeper for this year's NL Cy Young Award.With a staff that has four potential 20-game winners in the same season, Hamels seems to have the biggest upside. Still only 27, Hamels has yet to reach his full potential and could break out this upcoming season. The lefty will be matched up most of the season with opponents No. 4 four starters when indeed they are No. 4 starters, Hamels, however, is not a No. 4 starter on any other staff in the big leagues.

That could be a formula for a lot of wins for the season ahead and another trophy to add to his already decorated cabinet.

Mr. Big Shot

New York might have a Big Three of their own.

Chanucey Billups lived up to his nickname Sunday night in Miami.

In a night when most were watching the 83rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles, the story was in South Beach. Billups fueled a 9-2 run late in the fourth quarter, hitting a deep three-point jump shot in front of Dwayne Wade with a minute to go in regulation, giving the New York Knicks a 85-84 lead.

The Knicks would go up 87-86 with just about ten seconds to go when LeBron James drove to the hoop, getting by defender Carmelo Anthony, which looked to be an open lane to the basketball. That was until Amar'e Stoudemire came on the help defense to block the shot away.

After two successful free throws from New York, James shot the potential game-tying three as time expired, only to see it hit the back of the iron and hand the Miami Heat their sixth loss at home this season.

However, the real story was Billups, coming up with two steals and five big points in the closing minutes to seal a Knick victory. Billups was being said to be a throw in with the Anthony deal made earlier this week.

Billups has done his best to prove the critics wrong, averaging 21 points in the three games since becoming a Knick. Billups is a 13-year veteran in the NBA and a former Finals MVP. The fact of the matter is Billups knows how to win and slow the game down when the pressure is at its highest peak, something you can't teach.

New York is now 2-1 since the trade and looking to build on a win, where they came back from as many as fifteen down against the East's elite.

Miami is now only 14-15 against teams .500 or better and has dropped to 5-11 in games decided by five points or fewer. This could pose a problem for the Heat down the stretch and well into the postseason. It felt like a playoff game atmosphere in Miami tonight, giving us reason to believe that this could very well be a fun matchup in a month and a half.

Miami is still the fourth best team in the NBA and only a half game behind the idol Boston Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference, but on this night the story was "Mr. Big Shot". And now, the new-look Knicks have a Big Three of their own to be reckoned with.

A Legend Has Passed

The baseball world lost a legend
Sunday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have beaten the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, but have lost a bigger battle.

Former Dodger legend and Hall of Fame center fielder Duke Snider has passed away at the age of 84.

Snider was apart of the 1955 World Series champion team from Brooklyn that defeated the dominate New York Yankees in seven games. That was the first World Series title in Dodger history and only in Brooklyn, moving out West only three years later.

Snider would help the Dodgers win their second World Series title just two years into their move to Chavez Ravine. The Duke played in an era where there were three center fielders that dominated one city, raising the question who was the best.

Willie Mays maned center field for the then-New York Giants, Mickey Mantle roamed in the House That Ruth Built and of course Snider at Ebbets Field, all whom would eventually be inducted into Cooperstown.

The eight-time All-Star was a .295 career hitter knocking out 407 home runs, including a five-year stretch from 1953-57, where he hit 40-plus each of those seasons. Despite all that, Snider was never awarded the NL Most Valuable Player Award, but finished in the top ten six times, finishing as high as second in '55.

Snider was a true professional and an ambassador of the game not only during his 18-year playing career, but in the years after.

After being inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, the Dodgers also retired his legendary No. 4, that still hangs above the right field pavilion at Dodger Stadium. Snider was one of the few living members of the historic '55 Dodgers, of course until today. Snider is gone, but his legend with live on, along with those '55 bums from Brooklyn.

Farewell "Silverfox".

All is No Longer Wright in St. Louis

Every fifth day could be a
nightmare for the Cards
without No. 50.

The St. Louis Cardinals now face an uphill battle in 2011.

After finding out ace Adam Wainwright will need his second Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his throwing elbow, the season ahead just got even more complicated.

The Cardinals, who are already having to face the fear of losing superstar first baseman Albert Pujols in the offseason to free agency, now, face another obstacle losing their ace for 12-15 months. Wainwright has been nothing short of spectacular since arriving to the show. The right-hander became the Cardinals closer in his rookie campaign, saving four of the five chances he was given in the postseason, not allowing an earned run and striking out 15, eventually leading St. Louis to the 2006 World Series crown. 

He was transformed into a starter after the '06 season and won 14 games that season, throwing 202 innings. Since then Wainwright has turned in a legitimate front of the rotation starter reducing his earned run average every year in the big leagues.

Wainwright won 19 and 20 games, respectively in the last two seasons and finishing in top three of the Cy Young voting of each of those seasons.

There is no question that Wainwright's presence will be missed in '11 and add pressure to right arm of Chris Carpenter. 

A former Cy Young Award winner, Carpenter is also considered to be an ace with some of the best stuff and command in baseball. The Cards will need another huge season from the three-time All-Star if they are to reach their ultimate goal.

Left-handed phenom Jamie Garica, who is coming off an unbelievable rookie season, will need to avoid a sophomore slump to fill the shoes that Wainwright has left. It's uncertain if they can be filled, but only time will tell. With manager Tony La Russa leading the way and the addition of Lance Berkman and Matt Holiday, who still has with six-years left on this current contract, the Cardinal offense should provide plenty of protection for "Fat Albert".

No matter what move the Cardinals decide to make none can replace a player the caliber of Waingwright. The road to dethrone the defending National League Central champion Cincinnati Reds just got a little more rocky.

Spring is in the Air

Posey looks to avoid the dreaded sophomore
  slump in '11. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Cactus League baseball got under way Friday afternoon with a National League West showdown.

The Arizona Diamondbacks lost to the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Ace Tim Lincecum took the mound for his first appearance of the spring and was not greeted with a warm welcome. Arizona plated three runs in the first off of "The Freak", only allowing him to go an inning and two-thirds, giving up five hits.

The Giant offense responded with five of their own in the home half of the second inning off left-hander Joe Saunders.

Heading into his sophomore season, catching phenom Buster Posey, started off on the right foot going 2-for-3 with a single and double, driving in a pair. Sidelined for most of the 2010 season with his second career wrist surgery, Mark DeRosa was back in the lineup, playing second base and also driving in a run, going 1-for-2.

Arizona's Justin Upton is looking to rebound from what most are calling an under achieving season in '10, batting .273 with only 17 home runs and over 150 punch-outs. Upton jumped out of the gate in his spring debut, going 2-for-,3 scoring once and driving in another, but was picked off on the base paths by southpaw Madison Bumgarner.

Former Pirates outfielder Xaiver Nady hit the first home run of the spring and is looking to return to form after suffering from injuries each of past two seasons. The D-backs staged a late comeback in the ninth inning off of right-hander Casey Daigle, scoring two runs on two hits, but came up a run short, 7-6.

The Grapefruit League is set to get underway Saturday afternoon with four of the seven games taking place in Florida. Major League Baseball has returned and Opening Day is just around the corner.

Oklahoma City Now a Finals Contender

Westbrook and Durant will now experience
life after Jeff Green.

The trading deadline came and gone Thursday afternoon with a lot of teams making moves to set themselves up for a deep playoff run.

None bigger than the Oklahoma City Thunder trading for center Kendrick Perkins.

Perkins being the centerpiece of the deal, Oklahoma also acquired guard Nate Robinson in the process, while the Boston Celitcs received forward Jeff Green and center Nenad Krstic. This move now makes the Thunder a legitimate Finals contender this season.

A young, high energy team, the Thunder were thought to be at least a year or two away from competing for a championship. That seems to have all disappeared in light of this recent trade. Oklahoma City has plenty of offensive ability, but was lacking size in the front court to compete in the Western Conference, especially with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

With the acquisition of Perkins, it adds much needed size and physical defensive presence in the middle. Perkins also brings championship experience to a relatively young and unexperienced team.

With already two of the brighest young stars in the NBA, forward Kevin Durant and guard Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma's future looks bright. Durant, who is leading the NBA in scoring for the second straight year, is averaging 28.8 points per game in 2011. Westbrook on the other hand is having a breakout season and launching himself in the discussion of being the best point guard in the NBA. The former UCLA standout is averaging well above his career averages in points and assists, averaging 22.1 points and 8.5 assists per contest.

The Thunder are currently fourth in the Western Conference standings, posting a record of 36-20, but good enough for the top spot in the Northwest division. However, The Thunder are only 16-16 against teams with a record above .500. And even though they possess an impress home record at 20-8, they are only 16-14 away from OKC Arena, that all could change with the addition of Perkins.

Oklahoma City showed last season that they can play with the best of the NBA, forcing the eventually NBA champion Lakers to a hard-fought six-game series in their first-round matchup. With the emergence of '11 Slam Dunk contestant Serge Ibaka and James Harden playing well, Oklahoma has the pieces around to be successful playoff team.

Durant and Co. will be ready and have the "Thunderdome" as loud as ever. A thunderstorm is rolling into the postseason.

Captain Ready to Rebound?

The Yankees need Jeter to rebound to get back
atop the baseball mountain.

It's no secret that the New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter struggled much of the the 2010 campaign.

He hasn't only been the face of the Yankees during his career, but the face of Major League Baseball. Leaving us with the question, has father time finally caught up with the Yankee Captain or was '10 just a fluke?

There is no definitive answer just yet, we will have to wait and see come Opening Day, but don't count Jeter out just yet.

Since Jeter burst onto the scene in 1996, winning the Rookie of the Year Award and the first of his five World Series titles, he has not experienced much failure. Jeter has only missed the playoffs once in his 16 seasons in the majors and never batted under .290 in a full season until a year ago.

How will Jeter deal with setting career lows in batting average (.270), on-base percentage (.340) and slugging percentage (.370) a year ago? The same way he always does, by turning the page.

Jeter showed signs of being the Jeter of old, taking better swings in September and into October.

Jeter also did come away with his fifth career Gold Glove Award, making only six errors all season. He was tied for second in the American League with 111 runs, that is the most he is scored in a single-season since he scored 118 in 2006. With the nasty public contract negotiations in the past and extra work in the offseason with hitting coach Kevin Long, we can expect the Yankee Captain to return to form in 2011.

Despite the fact that Jeter will be 37 in June, he is still going to score 100 runs, get his usual 200-plus hits, play solid defense and make a big play in a crucial situation.

The Yankees need Jeter to be the Derek Jeter they have grown accustom to the past decade and a half if they want to get past the Sox in the grueling AL East.

He is out to prove that his best stories have not already be written.

All that being said, Jeter is 74 hits shy of becoming the first Yankee in history to reach 3,000 hits, something that will be truly magical. No matter what the stats say at the end of '11, Jeter will once again be the focal point in New York for all the right reasons.

The Bite of the Black Mamba

Bryant took home his 4th All-Star Game
MVP Sunday night.

Does anyone still think Kobe Bryant has nothing left in the tank?

In his 15th season in the NBA and now at the age of 32, Bryant started to hear the whispers he might have lost a step. That was not the case on Sunday night at Staples Center, when he went off for 37 points and 14 rebounds. Not to mention the amazing two-handed slam that electrified the Los Angeles crowd early.

Bryant came out on a mission, to steal the show and come away with his fourth All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.

He did just that, tying Bob Pettit for the most all-time.

Bryant, who is coming his second knee surgery of his career, has played significantly less minutes this season compared to the last couple of years. It seems as it he is pacing himself for a deep playoff run and getting the Los Angeles Lakers to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals.

Bryant has always loved playing on the game's biggest stage and tends to elevate his game when need be. You can be sure that will be the case come playoff time in the City of Angels, Sunday night is living proof. Bryant's star was not to be out shined by anyone that night.

There is no questioning the thirteen-time All-Star's motivation and sometimes it's believed that is ego even has a work ethic. So for those who said the 2007-08 MVP has lost a step, go back and look at the film from Sunday's All-Star Game.

Bryant rose to another level when the spotlight was shining brightest on his city and showed why he is still the best player in the NBA. Expect that not change, even more so come June.

New York Bound

Melo has reason to smile, he's headed home.

Carmelo Anthony finally got his wish and is headed home.

After months of speculation and anticipation, the four-time All-Star was traded in a 12-player deal to the New York Knicks late Monday night.


A Brooklyn native, Anthony went to the University of Syracuse and brought home their first National Championship in 2003.

After only a year in college, Anthony declared for the NBA Draft and was selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets. Since that time, Anthony has developed into one of the league's most prolific scorers and led the Nuggets in scoring seven of his eight seasons in Mile High.

The Knicks, one of the most decorated franchises in the NBA, have been irrelevant in the playoff picture much of past decade. With the signing of forward Amar'e Stoudemire to a five-year $100 million contract in the offseason, the Knicks have put themselves back on the map.

Now, with Anthony added to the mix, the Knicks have a formidable 1-2 punch in Madison Square Garden. The question is, are the Knicks an NBA Finals contender this year with Anthony?

The answer is simple, No. The Knicks have traded away most of their supporting cast to get Anthony and we all know with no depth, no team can contend for a title. The Knicks also need to improve their defense, something head coach Mike D'Antoni is notorious for not doing, especially during his time in Phoenix.

Stoudemire and Anthony are both known as offensive minded players defense and defensively liabilities. However, when they chose to play both sides of the ball, they can be extremely good defenders.

As for the the trade's immediate impact, the Eastern Conference just got that much harder though, for teams like the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic and their road to the NBA Finals. The Knicks may not be ready to contend for a NBA title just yet, but they have acquired a top five player in the league and pose an offense that can score at will.

Playoff basketball just got that much more interesting, it wouldn't be surprising if the Knicks upset one of the Eastern powerhouses in an early round of the postseason and if not beat them, force them deep into an intense series.

Basketball supremacy seems to be returning to Madison Square Garden, earlier than expected.

65 Million Dollar Man?

Bautista led the majors with
54 home runs in '10.

Jose Bautista will be staying north of the border for the next five years, agreeing to a five-year extension with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bautista is coming off a career year where he led the majors with 54 home runs and was a first-time All-Star. The deal is worth about $65 million, but could have huge upside for the Jays, having a player enter his prime, or a daring gamble.

Over the last couple of years, Toronto has been notorious for signing players to long-term deals that seemingly do not work as planned.

Most notably the seven-year contract they gave to Vernon Wells in 2006 and the six-year contract with Alex Rios in 2008, both whom are no longer with the organization and never lived up to their respective agreements. Wells was injured much of the contract and after finally producing a bounce back year in 2010, he was traded to the Angels this offseason. As for Rios, he was placed on waivers late in 2009 and claimed by the Chicago White Sox in August.

Since then, Rios has also bounced back hitting 21 home runs in '10, while driving in 88 runs.

The Blue Jays have reason to be concerned, but hopefully that will not be the case with '10 Hank Aaron Award winner. Although, we are talking about a player that had never hit more than 16 home runs in an entire season until last year and had been with five different organizations in his short seven-year career.

Bautista made the biggest jump in home runs in a single-season compared to his previous season total in baseball history. His inability to go to right field with power could prove be a problem for the Jays as well, 53 of the 54 home runs were either hit to left or left-center.

The question has already been asked, is the Silver Slugger worth $65 million, or have the Jays made another huge contract gaff to kick off the decade? Only time will tell.

Bobby's World

Sanders was a force when healthy in his
seven seasons in Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis Colts decided to release their hard-hitting safety late last week.

Bob Sanders is a two-time Pro Bowler and when healthy, he is one of the best defensive players in the National Football League.

They key word is healthy though, something Sanders has been unable to do much of his career. Sanders was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and was signed to a five-year, $37.5 million contract extension. Since then, he has only played in nine games the last three seasons.

In his seven seasons with Colts, Sanders was one of the most feared safeties and top run-stoppers in the NFL. With Indianapolis trying make iconic quarterback Peyton Manning the highest paid quarterback in the league, the move does not come as a huge shock.

The Colts could no longer to wait to see if Sanders could finally stay healthy.

Although, his accomplishments will not soon be forgotten by the Indy faithful, playing his best when the pressure seem to be at it's peak. He forced then-Chicago Bears running back, Cendric Benson, to fumble early in Super Bowl XLI and then later, intercepted quarterback Rex Grossman to put the game on ice.

There will be no question Sanders presence will be missed in the locker room and by the fans in Indianapolis, but Sanders best football still might be in front of him. This offseason, assuming there will not be a lockout, a team will take a chance on the former Iowa standout and it might be a wise decision.

When watching two other AFC powerhouses, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, play, you see the impact their respective safeties, Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, make. When healthy Sanders is the same type of game-changing playmaker.

It will be interesting to see where Sanders lands, and just maybe he will haunt Manning and the Colts after having him on their side for all those years.

Young a Class Act

Young talking to the media at Ranger camp
in Surprise, Arizona.

Michael Young has been through every high and low in his 11 seasons as a Texas Ranger, while being the face of the franchise during that time.

Only a year after their first World Series appearance in franchise history, Young supposedly wants out of the only team he has ever known.

With the offseason acquisitions of Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli and the emergence of Mitch Moreland in the postseason last year, it makes Young wonder where he is going to get his at-bats.

Young was asked to move from his original position at second base to shortstop in 2004 when they traded their superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees in exchange for Alfonso Soriano. After becoming a Gold Glove shortstop in 2008, the Rangers asked Young to moved positions again, this time to third base.

In 2009, Young willing did so without a peep, making room for highly regarded prospect, Elvis Andrus. It was a formula for success with the Rangers reaching the playoffs in 2010 for the first time since 1999, after being a laughing stock much of the decade.

Young would be asked one last time to move positions with the signing of Beltre, he would no longer play the field, but be the designated hitter in Arlington.

Then the final straw had been drawn. Texas traded for Napoli, cutting into Young's at-bats. Now the face of the franchise of the past decade and the man that was willing to do what was best for the team has had it and wants out. At the age of  34, the Rangers may be thinking Young is on the backend of his career.

Young's career has been extremely under appreciated by most Ranger and baseball fans. Young silently had five straight 200-hit seasons, 2003-07, while winning a batting title in 2005 at a .331 mark. He also won the 2006 All-Star Game MVP and responsible for driving in the winning run in '08 at Yankee Stadium with a sac fly to center field.

All that being said, Young has flown under the radar much of his career to the average baseball fan, which is just the way he would want it.

The Rangers are replacing Young at third base with a .275 career hitter and his two best seasons have come conveniently in contract years. Beltre has been a quality player during his Major League career, but his work ethic and dedication to the game has been in question for sometime, especially after signing that five-year contract with the Seattle Mariners prior to the '05 season.

Now, when the Rangers have finally reached the mountain top and have become a significant World Series contender, they seem to be pushing out the face of the franchise of the past decade and someone who went through all the hardships of being on a bad team much of his career.

Yet, Young reported to camp this week, saying he will not be a distraction and is focused on the season ahead with this club. Would we expect any different from the six-time All-Star, who is the definition of a consummate professional.

If Young wants out of Texas, he has earned that right, but one thing is for sure when he steps between those white lines it will be business as usual, no matter what uniform he is wearing.

Mr. Young you are truly a class act.

Panic Button in L.A.? Not Yet!

Los Angeles limbed into the break losing
three-in-a-row for the third time this year.

The two-time defending NBA champions have been a topic of conversation much of the first half, especially after their most recent three-game skid.

It seems as if the Los Angeles Lakers dropped to a new low Wednesday night, losing to the NBA's worst team, the 10-46 Cleveland Cavaliers. Los Angeles embarked on their longest road trip of the season back on Feb. 5 at New Orleans. They started off an impressive 4-0 beating legitimate playoff contenders including the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks in consecutive nights.

However, the trip went sour, losing the next three to Orlando and two sub .500 teams, the Bobcats and Cavaliers.

All that being said it is not time to push the panic button in the City of Angels, yet.

Kobe Bryant's minutes are significantly down from a year ago. Bryant averaged 38.8 minutes per game in 2010 compared to the 33.6 he is playing this season, which will all change come playoff time. Coming off his second career knee surgery, Bryant is being rested carefully by head coach Phil Jackson for a deep playoff run into June.

Bryant's 25.1 points per game this season are right at his career average of 25.3. At times the frustrating part this season is their continued losses to teams below .500, seven of their 19 have come at the hands of sub .500 teams.

It seems we can attribute those to Los Angeles being disinterested in their opponent most of the game or just lack of effort.

Back on Feb. 27 of last season Boston lost to the miserable New Jersey Nets at home in TD Garden, a team that finished with 12 wins all season. As we now know, the Celtics positioned themselves for a deep playoff run and came a win away from their second NBA championship in three years, but en route to that, they also lost to the worst team in the NBA a year ago.

Could the Lakers being doing the same?

The Cavaliers were embarrassed by the Lakers back in January at Staples Center, losing by a video game like number, 55 points. You knew if the Lakers did not come out ready to play on Wednesday night, they had a very good chance to lose even to the NBA's worst team. Byron Scott, being a former Laker in his playing days, was not going to let his team come out flat against the defending champions again.

Much has been written about the Lakers inability not to just beat sub .500 teams, but their inability to beat teams above .500. The Lakers have posted a 15-12 record against teams .500 or better and a 23-7 mark against sub .500 in the first half.

The Miami Heat are only 12-13 against the league's elite, but are taking care of business on the other side, beating 29 of the 31 teams they have faced under .500. Yes, the Lakers need to be more consistent and sometimes play with a little more urgency, but by no means is it time to panic in Los Angeles, YET!

Come June, Jackson and Bryant will silence the critics once more.

Wake Up & Smell the Rose(s)

Rose has the Bulls firing
on all cylinders.

The Chicago Bulls head into the All-Star break with a 38-16 record, good enough for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and fifth best in the NBA.

We can attribute that to the first overall pick in 2008 out of the University of Memphis. At the young age of 22, Derrick Rose is making a strong bid for the Most Valuable Player Award this season.

Only in his third season in the NBA, he is beginning to raise the question, is he the best point guard in the NBA?

The Bulls finished 41-41 a year ago as the eighth seed in the East, only to be bounced out in the first-round by the then-LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. What a difference a year makes, as Rose and Co. have elevated to new heights.

Rose has averaged 24.6 points per game, along with 8.2 assists in the first half, both well above his career averages and this is despite having two key components miss significant time. Offseason acquisition Carlos Boozer missed the first two months of the season with a broken hand and the team's emotional leader Joakim Noah has been out since mid-December with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Boozer and Noah have only played nine games together this season, giving us a small sample size to how good this team could be. Noah should return to the starting lineup shortly after the All-Star break, adding a huge boost for a team that seems to already be surging.

They're coming off an impressive win at home just before the break against the team with the best record in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs. Rose led the way with 42 points and 8 assists. With the best record against the Western Conference at a 17-7 mark, Chicago has made themselves a legitimate NBA Finals contender thanks to my first half MVP in the NBA.

The Windy City has reason to smile come June and well into the future.

Edmonds Calls it a Career

Edmonds reaction to his walk-off home run
in the 12th inning of Game 6.

After 17 major league seasons Jim Edmonds has decided to close the final chapter in a storybook career.

The eight-time Gold Glove winner was truly a human highlight reel ever since he donned a Major League uniform in 1993.


Edmonds, 40, signed a Minor League contract with the St. Louis Cardinals back on Feb. 4, only to have an achilles injury halt his final comeback. Edmonds spent time with six Major League clubs during his outstanding playing career, including stints with the Angels, Padres, Cubs, Brewers, and most recently the Reds.

Although he will always be remembered for his eight spectacular seasons with the Cardinals.

How could we forget the "Superman" diving catch in Kansas City on June 10, 1997 as a member of the California Angels, robbing David Howard of an extra-base hit. Or even the catch in Game 7 of the 2004 National League Championship Series that robbed Houston's Brad Ausmus of a two-run double, almost punching the Cardinals ticket to the Fall Classic single handedly.

Not to mention the game-winning home run Edmonds hit in the 12th inning in Game 6 of that series, putting the Redbirds in that position.

  
Edmonds finishes with a .284 career average and 393 home runs in 2,011 career games. He was also a key member of the Cardinals 2006 World Series championship team. The four-time All-Star is widely considered one of the top center fielders of the past two decades. The question will arise soon enough if he will someday have a plaque in Cooperstown.

That question will be answered in 2016, until then I am sure I speak for a lot of us when I say thank you, "Jimmy Baseball". We will miss you, but won't soon forget you, as you are the human highlight reel.