A-Rod To Have Monster Season

A-Rod hopes to celebrate his
 second World Series title in
2011 rather than his fourth
MVP.

It's 2011. Which means New York Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez will have a monster campaign.

Dating back to 2003, Rodriguez won his first American League Most Valuable Player Award with the Texas Rangers. Months later he would be shipped to New York for second baseman Alfonso Soriano. He would continue the tradition in the Big Apple by winning his second MVP award in 2005.

Then in 2007, Rodriguez set the record for most home runs hit by a Yankee right-handed hitter with 54 long balls, capturing his most recent AL MVP.

Despite Rodriguez did not bring home his fourth MVP Award home in 2009, he did however, exercise his postseason demons, blasting six home runs and winning his first career World Series title, something he would say trumps any individual accolade.

A-Rod has recorded a Major League record 13 straight 30 home run, 100 RBI seasons, but has been able to reach 40 since '07. That may be due to the injury factor and Rodriguez having hip surgery prior to the start of '09 season. The 13-time All-Star says he is healthy and ready to get back to his full workout regime, something he has been unable to do the last two seasons, still feeling the effects of the surgery.

Rodriguez seems to be in a different place mentally after admitting to the usage of performance-enhancing drugs and having success in the postseason the last two seasons. Now, with him finally fully recovered the Yankees can expect a huge year from Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is coming off a great spring, driving the ball with authority. He hit .388 with six home runs and drove in 15 runs.

If the pattern continues A-Rod will either win his fourth career MVP Award in his decorated career or the Yankees will raise their 28th World Series Trophy in franchise history, either way it's an odd year and can expect another great year from the Yankee third baseman.

Does Kobe Deserve MVP?

Bryant's love for the game is what sets
him apart for the rest of the pack.

Los Angeles Laker guard Kobe Bryant has not been talked about much this season as the league's Most Valuable Player, something he seems to be in the thick of every season.

Chicago's Derrick Rose is the favorite to came home the honor in 2011 and rightfully so. Rose has taken a .500 Bulls team from a year ago and made them part of the Eastern Conference's elite. As for Bryant, he might be putting together one of his best season rather quietly.

Despite Bryant's numbers are not off the chart, averaging about 25 point per game along with 4.5 assists, he is playing some the best basketball of his career.

As a team the Lakers are surging since the break winning 15 of their first 16 games. Los Angeles currently sits comfortably as the No. 2 seed in the West, only trailing the NBA's best team, the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs were once up as many as nine games on the Lakers for the West's top spot.

During this recent run by the Lakers, they embarrassed the Spurs on their home floor back on the March 6, 99-83. Now, with only nine games left in the regular season for Los Angeles,  they find themselves only three games back of the Spurs in the loss column. A month ago if you would have said the Lakers had a chance to catch San Antonio for the best record, you would have been called crazy. That is no longer the case.

San Antonio has suddenly dropped five of their last eight games, including the one to Los Angeles. Bryant has been at the core of it all. His passion and will to win has enabled the Lakers to make this recent surge and possibly catch the Spurs.

If Bryant and the Lakers are able to catch them you can ensure Bryant will be a top candidate for the MVP Award. The Lakers have been heavily criticized all year with their sometimes lackadaisical play.

Now, led by their captain, Bryant has helped lead them to best record since the midway point in the season and is getting them positioned for June. The Lakers play San Antonio one last time this season in Los Angeles, coming the final week of the regular season, April 12. If things continue to way are they headed, that game could decide the fate of the best record not only in the Western Conference, but throughout the NBA.

Bryant and the Lakers will be ready and so will San Antonio trying to avoid yet another bite from 'The Black Mamba'.

There is a Whole Lot of CarGo

Gonzalez showed signs of a superstar in
the 2009 postseason.

The Colorado Rockies have a young core of players that seem to have them set up for the future.

Yes, the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up, Troy Tulowitzki, is the face of the franchise, but it's another young player on the rise that caught the attention of the baseball world in 2010. Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is coming off a breakout season in '10 which was filled with a ton of individual accolades.

Gonzalez won both his first career Silver Slugger and Gold Glove, deeming him one of the three best outfielders in the NL with the bat and glove. Despite Gonzalez not being named to the All-Star Game in Anaheim, California he sure played like it.

This past season was the first chance Gonzalez got to be an everyday player in the big leagues and rewarded manager Jim Tracy's decision. Gonzalez played in a career-high 145 games, topping his previous mark the year before, appearing in only 89 games.

The native Venezuelan recorded 636 at-bats this past season, doubling any amount his previous two seasons. In those 636 at-bats, Gonzalez knocked out 197 hits, 34 of those leaving the ballpark. Gonzalez won the NL batting title, posting a .336 average and finished third in the NL Most Valuable Player voting. He also led the entire major leagues with 351 total bases. Gonzalez is the real deal and looks to have a real bright future ahead of him.

Gonzalez was original signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2002 as an amatuer free agent. He was then shipped to the Oakland Athletics for right-hander Dan Haren. He made his Major League debut in May of 2008, but his career in Oakland was short lived, playing in only 85 games for the A's that season. That winter he was dealt to Colorado for the power hitting left fielder Matt Holliday.

Some regard Gonzalez as a once upon time cast off after being traded twice in his career and still only 25.

Look at it this way, Gonzalez has to be highly revered throughout his career even despite being dealt twice. Between Haren and Holliday there is seven All-Star appearances, 183 home runs and 94 career wins. Every team that has traded for Gonzalez has seen his potential and he is finally reaching it in Colorado.

In the 2009 postseason, Gonzalez gave us a glimpse into the future by recording 10 hits in only 17 at-bats which accumulated to a .588 batting average. The Rockies would lose to the eventual NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies, ending his remarkable postseason run five games in.

Gonzalez was rewarded this offseason with a seven-year extension worth about $80 million. The future looks bright in Colorado with Gonzalez and Tulowitzki locked up for the long-haul. Gonzalez wears the No. 5, the number of their beloved former outfielder Matt Holliday, Gonzalez has done his best to put Hollday in the past and capture the love of the fans in Denver.

As his teammates call him, 'Cargo' has finally found a home and it should be a "Rocky Mountain High" soon for the five-tool player.

Odom For Sixth Man

Odom's versatility makes him
a prime candidate for the
Sixth Man of the Year.

Los Angeles Laker forward Lamar Odom is enjoying the most consistent season of his 12-year playing career.

Over the last couple of seasons Odom has been widely considered the X-factor on the Lakers during their recent title runs and given the label of the most versatile big man in the game today. 

At 6'-10", Odom runs the floor like a point guard and poses the inside presence of a center. He was snubbed at this year's All-Star Game in Los Angeles after averaging 14.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest. The 14.3 points per game is the most since his first season in Los Angeles, were he averaged 14.2 points per.

Despite Odom starting 34 of the Lakers' 73 games this season, he has been the best player off the bench in the NBA. Odom has showed he can put his ego aside for the opportunity to win another NBA title. The southpaw could be a starter on any other NBA team including the Lakers, but as we have discovered the Los Angeles is a better team when he is coming off the bench. 

Dallas Maverick guard Jason Terry seems to be the one to give Odom the most trouble in capturing the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Terry is averaging 16. 4 point per game, but does not give the same value to Dallas as Odom does to the two-time defending champions.

If Terry were to win the award it would be his second in three years, after taking home the honor in back in 2009.

It would be the first time Odom has won the award and a huge honor at that, knowing he would have done his job to put Los Angeles in a position to win their third NBA title in as many years.

Lester Could Win First Cy Young in 2011

We may have not seen the best of Jon Lester.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester has already accomplished so much in his short career with the best yet to come.

Lester was diagnosed with lymphoma back in 2006 and beat it. In the 2007 World Series, Lester won the series-clinching Game 4 in Colorado against the Colorado Rockies. In May of 2008, the two-time All-Star pitched the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history in front the of Fenway Faithful. In 2010, Lester was among the games best pitchers winning a career-high 19 games and struck out 225 batters.

Lester has no question been the workhorse of the Red Sox staff the last couple of years, pitching 200-plus innings each of the last three seasons.

With such high expectations in Boston this season, Lester seems to be in the center of it. Manager Terry Francona has already said that Lester will be their Opening Day starter in Texas, something that Josh Beckett has done each of the last two seasons.

Even though Lester has been a good starting pitcher in the big leagues, winning at least 15 games the last three seasons, it could be a breakout season for the young man from Tacoma, Washington.

With right-handers Beckett and John Lackey coming off sub par seasons in '10, Lester will need to get out of the gate quickly and avoid another slow start like he has the past two years. His last two Aprils, the lefty has posted a 5.40 and 7.20 earned run average, respectively. Most people around baseball feel that Lester possessions the best stuff from the left side in baseball.

Lester will look to put it all together in 2011 and add his first Cy Young to his laundry list of accomplishments at the young age 27.

Can Tiger Still Be No. 1?

Woods will return to form sooner rather
than later.

There is no question the last year and a half have been an up-and-down roller coaster for the world's former No. 1 golfer, Tiger Woods.

Woods was one of the most celebrated athletes in the world before his personal issues reached the surface in November of 2008. Since then, Woods has gone through a messy and very publicized divorce and has yet to win a PGA tour event. His last win coming at the '08 U.S. Open, defeating Rocco Mediate in an epic eighteen-hole playoff on a torn ACL.  

There is now the question will Woods ever regain his form and surpass the great Jack Nickalus for the most majors of all-time? Only time will tell, but don't count the former No. 1 out yet. Despite Woods now being 35, with his best golf probably behind him, he is only four away from tying Nickalus' 18 major championships.

It is almost inevitable that Woods will pass 'The Golden Bear's' mark one day and be widely considered the greatest golfer to ever pick up a golf club.

Woods has now gone 17 straight PGA tour events without a win, by far the longest stretch in his 16-year professional career, but does not seem it will last much longer. When, and it will happen again, Woods wins his first tournament since all the drama in his life occurred, the rest of the golf world better watch out. Woods is now lacking confidence, a problem he has not had at any point in his career.

When Woods use to step onto the course he had a certain aura about him, almost has if he was invincible and his opponents could feel this.

Along with his unbelievable talent and extraordinary work ethic, this is what has made Woods so great during his career. It seems as if that aura has disappeared recently and will need to recapture that if he wants to get back atop the mountain. Woods will never be the golfer we once remember, in part of father time will catch up to Woods eventually, it always does, but plenty of good golf is still in front of him.

This includes the passing of the torch from the Bear to the Tiger as the greatest ever.

Bynum Rising to the Elite

A healthy Bynum could almost assure a
Laker three-peat.

The Los Angeles Lakers have gone an NBA best 10-1 since the All-Star break and Andrew Bynum has been right in the center of it all.

Los Angeles went into the break losing three straight at the hands of two sub .500 teams and the Orlando Magic. A lot has changed since then with the 'Lake Show' cruising in the second half.

And Bynum rising to be one of the most elite centers in the NBA.

There is no argument that Orlando's Dwight Howard is the best at his position in the NBA, but Bynum creeped a little closer to his status Monday night.

Bynum and the Lakers outplayed the Magic, coming away with a 97-84 victory on their home floor. In 28 minutes, Bynum outplayed Howard grabbing 18 rebounds while Howard was able to track down 15 in almost 43 minutes of play. The former first-round pick also blocked four shots, three of them coming against Howard. What a difference a month makes for Bynum and the two-time defending NBA champions.

Bynum has been the difference for the Lakers since the break with his defense and enegry on both sides on the floor. In the eleven games since the break, Bynum has averaged 13 boards and brought his season average up 1.9 blocks per contest.

Still only 23, Bynum seems to be reaching his full potential that the Lakers thought he would when they drafted him with the 10th overall pick in 2005. Despite Bynum says his knee is not fully healthy from his offseason surgery, he sure is playing like it. With Bynum playing at an elite level, the Lakers look even better than their previous title runs each of the last two years.

The size and length the Lakers now bring to the table increase their chances even more to three-peat. Bynum showed his heart last June, playing the entire postseason on a bad knee and now seems to have taken his game to the next level.

If Bynum plays this way rest of the way and can stay healthy, you can almost bet on Los Angeles this postseason.

Tar Heels With A Little More Magic

Freshman Harrison Barnes has
played well in the tournament
averaging 29 pts. per contest.

The North Carolina Tarheels was able to overcome a 17-point deficit against the Miami Hurricanes on Friday afternoon and found that magic again Saturday.

North Carolina scored the final seven points of regulation against the Clemson Tigers to force overtime. Junior forward Tyler Zeller, who hit the game-winner against Miami as time expired, put in the game-tying field goal to force the extra-period. The Tarheels scored the first nine points of the overtime period, led by freshman Harrison Barnes' career-high 40 points, to secure a trip to the ACC title game.

Carolina is the No.1 seed in the tournament and seventh ranked team in the country. Head coach Roy Williams is looking to capture in his second National Championship in three years, but will have to get by a familiar face, Mike Krzyzewski, in the ACC tournament before he can do so.

If Duke is able to take care of business later against Virginia Tech, who has beaten the Blue Devils already this season back in February by a score of 64-60, we could have the greatest rivalry in college basketball meet for a third time this season.

North Carolina looks to have Cinderella's glass slipper on their heel heading into the NCAA tournament.

Heat Off in Miami

Hugs all around in Miami after
stopping a five-game skid.

After being a topic of conversation much of the past week and a half, the Miami Heat have ended their five-game losing streak.

The win comes at the hands of the two-time defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat have now improved to 2-0 against the champs this year, their first coming with a 16-point win on Christmas Day.

This was an almost must-win for the Heat given their recent stretch and record against the league's elite. With the game tied at 88, Miami went on a 6-0 run in the final two minutes of the game, giving them the 94-88 victory. Head coach Eric Spoelstra took a different strategy in the closing minutes, giving the ball to Dwayne Wade instead of LeBron James, something they should have done long ago.

Chris Bosh also stepped up and had a great game logging 24 points and nine rebounds in 38 minutes.

The Big Three for Miami scored a combined 63 points while using the three-point shooting of veteran Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers. Kobe Bryant gave it his best effort with 24 points of his own, matching the number on his back, but at one point had missed seven straight shots.

With Miami outscoring the Lakers in the paint 46-30, it was something nobody saw coming. The Lakers biggest advantage against most of their opponents is their size and length, that was not the case Thursday night in South Beach.

The Heat, being relatively undersized to Los Angeles, were able to get easy lay-ups down the stretch securing their 23rd win at home this season. The win ended an eight-game winning for the Lakers since the All-Star break. In the bigger picture, the game really means nothing for either team other than Miami has ended their losing streak and can get back to playing good basketball.

One thing is for sure, if this was a potential preview of a NBA Finals matchup, it should be a fight to the finish.

Colon Giving It His Best Shot

Colon has been impressive this spring,
auditioning for the Yankees rotation.

With Cliff Lee opting to sign with his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason and Andy Pettitte calling it a career after 16 big league seasons, it's no secret the New York Yankees rotation has some question marks.


The Yankees signed right-hander Bartolo Colon to Minor League contract and an invite to spring training back in January for a chance to make their staff. Colon has done his best to impress the New York and manager Joe Girardi.

Colon has pitched nine innings this spring, giving up three earned runs on eight hits while striking out 12 and only walking one.

Colon is competing with veterans Freddy Garica and Sergio Mitre along with youngster Ivan Nova for the final two spots in the Yankee rotation. With all four of them are pitching extremely well this spring, Garica and Nova are the predicted front-runners to land those two spots.

Although, the two-time All-Star, who did not pitch at all in 2010, last pitching in the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 2009, is making his case be heard. Colon is a former Cy Young Award winner, winning 21 games for the Angels in 2005. Since that time, Colon has only appeared in 48 games, posting a 14-21 record with a 5.18 earned run average.

At 37, Colon is no longer the power arm he once was throwing in the mid-to-upper 90s. He has learned to pitch and the importance of first pitch strikes. After raising eye brows coming into camp seemingly out of shape and weighing in at 265 pounds, Colon looks as good as ever a may be resurrecting his career. If Colon does not make the 25-man roster out of spring training, you can be sure the phone will be ringing with plenty of other suitors.

Girardi seems to have a problem on his hands with the competition reaching its peak and getting better everyday. It's a problem that he will not soon complain about.

Time to Panic in South Beach?

Miami lost their fifth in-a-row Tuesday
night. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat lost their fifth straight game Tuesday and their sixth in eight games since the All-Star break.

Miami has had trouble closing games out all season against quality opponents, continuing the trend against the Portland Trailblazers.

When LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh all teamed up to make a so called 'Super Team' in Miami they knew what they were getting themselves into. South Beach has reason to be concerned with their inability to beat teams above .500. After tonight's loss at home against Portland, the Heat have dropped to 15-19 against teams with a winning record.

It has been well documented that Miami looks confused down the stretch in a tight ball game and unsure who will take the final shot. With three superstars on one team that each is used to having the ball in their hands in crunch time, it has become a problem along with their inability to knock the shot down. In the final 10 seconds of regulation, James, Wade and Bosh are a combined 1-for-16 from the field.

Now, with the addition of veteran Mike Bibby, it forces the Heat to incorporate a new point guard, a position that has been an issue all season long. Although, Bibby is shooting a career-high in three-point percentage which should help Miami spread the floor.

The Heat have seen themselves drop to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and now four and a half games behind the conference leading Boston Celtics. There is no question with the talent Miami possesses that they will be a threat to be reckoned with in the postseason, they just might not be a legitimate NBA Finals contender this season. Miami has lost nine out of 10 against the top five teams in the NBA, that lone win coming against their opponent this Thursday night.

With the Heat taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in South Beach and Los Angeles on a current eight-game winning streak and Miami on their five-game skid, something has to give.

Fat Albert MVP Inevitable

Pujols will be a hot topic most of 2011.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols seems to be the preseason favorite for the National League Most Valuable Player Award every year, but that might be true even more so this season.

It has been well documented that the Cardinals and Pujols were unable to come to a contract extension prior to his arrival to camp earlier this month. Pujols has said there will be no talk of a contract extension until after the season due to not wanting to be a distraction to his teammates.

This means Pujols will hit the open market and have an abundance of suitors for his services this offseason.

Coming off a year where he hit at a clip of .314 with 41 home runs while driving in 118 runs, most consider it to be an under achieving year for the nine-time All-Star. Pujols is expected to have a monster year to prove his worth to the Cardinals and twenty-nine other major league clubs.

More pressure has amounted on Pujols with ace right-hander Adam Wainwright set to miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery to repair a torn ligament in his pitching elbow.

It seems almost inevitable that Pujols will win the NL MVP in 2011 given all the circumstances. With left fielder Matt Holiday and the acquisition of Lance Berkman this winter, there is added protection for Pujols to be even more dangerous. But if the Cardinal offense sputters at all this season, you might throw St Louis' playoffs hopes out the window.

They will need another huge season from Albert to contend in the greatly improved NL Central. 'The Machine' looks to capture his fourth MVP award in seven years for the Redbirds and lead them back to the postseason glory. 

Lakers Hitting Stride for June

Barnes adds fresh legs to the Laker bench.
(Bahram Mark Sobhani / Associated Press)

The Los Angeles Lakers headed into Sunday's afternoon game in Texas losers of their previous two meeting with the San Antonio Spurs this season.

Most recently, at home on a buzzer beating tip in by veteran Antonio McDyess. Los Angeles jumped out to an early 34-13 first quarter lead and never looked back, handing the Spurs only their third loss at home this season. Before the loss San Antonio had won 22 straight games at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio has widely been considered the best team in the NBA most of the season and deservingly so with the best record (51-12) and playing the most consistent. The Lakers came out sending a message Sunday, that they are still the two-time defending champions and still the team to beat in the Western Conference despite what the standings say.

The Lakers have won seven straight since the break and have played solid defense, holding opponents under 90 points per contest during that stretch.

It seems as if the Lakers were waiting for the right time to hit the gas pedal and put themselves in a good position for the postseason. It is almost certain that this will be Phil Jackson's last season as a head coach in the NBA. Kobe Bryant and Co. know this and are focused on achieving their ultimate goal for their legendary coach.

Jackson would love nothing more than to finish his career with his fourth career three-peat, securing six NBA titles each with two of greatest players in NBA history.

Most of the season, Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest looked disinterested on the defensive side of the ball if they were not getting their share of touches on the offensive end. That seems to have changed in the second half with both playing superb defense as well as contributing on the other side of the floor. Forward Matt Barnes returned the lineup Sunday with five points and six rebounds in only 14 minutes.

Barnes should also add some depth and energy to a team that is hitting its stride at the right time. These two teams will not meet again until the final week of the season, with the Spurs holding a 2-1 season edge.

With Los Angeles healthy and slowly climbing up the standing, they look primed for their third parade in as many years down Figueroa.

A-Gon for MVP

The Boston Red Sox added another potent bat to their already dangerous lineup, trading for first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez. With this move to Beantown, he might be the front-runner for the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2011.

Gonzalez is a former first overall pick by the Florida Marlins back in 2000 and one of the few that has lived up to his potential at the Major League level. A San Diego native, Gonzalez has played the last five seasons of his career with the San Diego Padres, becoming a two-time All-Star and  two-time Gold Glove winner in the process. Gonzalez has averaged 32 home runs in his five seasons in San Diego, hitting as many as 40 in a single-season.

All smiles in Beantown this offseason.

The Red Sox traded for Gonzalez, 28, seemingly right in the prime of his career and with his best baseball still in front of him. Leaving Petco Park might be just what the doctor ordered for Gonzalez, to push him over the edge for his first MVP Award in '11.  Gonzalez will be the centerpiece to an offense that all already includes the likes of Carl Crawford, 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia and David 'Big Papi' Ortiz.

Since opening in 2004, Petco has been known as being a spacious pitchers park around Major League Baseball. The Fenway faithful might as well be the complete opposite, with a short right field porch and 37-foot wall in left field known as, the Green Monster.

Gonzalez is not your prototypical left-handed hitter, being know to spread the ball around the diamond. You can be sure that Gonzalez's numbers will go up in Fenway Park this season by him peppering that wall in left field.

With added protection behind him, something he never had during in time in San Diego, that might just launch Gonzalez to his first MVP Award.

Martin Could be a Pleasant Surprise

Martin could be a steal for the Yankees in
2011.

The New York Yankees took a gamble this offseason signing former Los Angeles Dodger backstop and fan favorite, Russell Martin.

Martin is coming off both hip and knee surgery this offseason and caught for the first time this spring, Friday versus the Boston Red Sox. Martin, who signed a one-year contract with the Yankees, could prove to be extremely valuable to them in 2011.

With longtime catcher Jorge Posada moving to an unfamiliar full-time DH role, the starting catching duties belong solely to Martin. He is still one of the best defensive catchers in Major League Baseball, throwing out 39 percent of all base runners in 2010, which is a significant jump from the 15 percent Posada posted a year ago.

The 2007 Gold Glove winner is being asked by the Yankees to lead a pitching staff that has a lot of question marks, with the offseason consisting of the retirement of Andy Pettitte and Cliff Lee signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Martin has fallen from being regarded as one of the best catchers in baseball after dropping off significantly offensively the past two seasons, averaging a .250 batting average over that span. Hitting in the bottom half of the Yankee order and not having to be the centerpiece of the offense should help Martin regain his All-Star form.

With less pressure and a fresh start, the two-time All-Star could have a huge year in the Bronx.

Martin, still only 28, is a .272 career hitter and has hit as many as 19 home runs in a single-season.

The Canadian native has shown he can handle the pressure of being a Major Leaguer, homering in his first big league at-bat back in 2006. He also adds a dimension not many teams have behind the plate, swiping 66 career stolen bases in five seasons. The Yankees have taken a chance on Martin, not to carry an offense, but stay healthy and nourish an uncertain pitching staff.

If all goes right, Martin should have a bounce back season in '11 and be a hot free agent target this coming winter.

Just Another First-Round Bust

Gholston is one of the biggest 1st Round busts
in recent memory.

The New York Jets have released former first-round draft pick Vernon Gholston.

After three years of disappointment the Jets decided to give up on the former Ohio State Buckeye standout. Taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft, the Jets had high hopes for Gholston.

Gholston was one of the best defensive players in his two full seasons in the NCAA.

In his first year as a starter, Gholston broken his hand and was forced to redshirt, but returning the next year, he was a force on the defensive side of the ball. He recorded 47 total tackles and sacking the quarterback eight times as a linebacker for head coach Jim Tressel.

That same year with the help of Gholston, the Buckeyes would finish 12-0, 8-0 in the Big Ten, claiming a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

The Buckeyes would be embarrassed in Glendale, Arizona with the defense struggling, including Gholston, giving up 41 points to the Florida Gators.

In 2007, Gholston became even more of a presence of the field for the Buckeyes recording 14 sacks and winning the top defensive player honor in the Big Ten. After losing in the National Championship Game for the second straight year to an SEC opponent, Gholston declared for the NFL draft, where he had so much promise, or so we thought.

As we know now, Gholston has turned into yet another first-round bust, only recording 42 total tackles in his three seasons with the Jets. Gholston never recorded a forced fumble, interception or sack during that time. The former Buckeye was said to have an agreement in his 2010 contract that if he were to either record just one, sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, or an interception, he would have earned a $9 million bonus.

If that was not enough motivation for him than nothing ever will.

Still only 24, Gholston will probably draw interest from other teams because of his physical tools, but they have yet to translate onto the gridiron every Sunday. A prime example why the owners do not want to give first-round draft picks so much guaranteed money. Gholston signed a five-year $32 million rookie contract with $21 million guaranteed.

That is roughly $2 million per tackle in his short three-year career. Well worth it, just ask the Jets.

Starter or Closer?

Will Feliz start or close in
2011?

The 2010 American League Rookie of the Year in Major League Baseball is set to start his first game of the spring on Thursday.

Neftali Feliz was the closer for the AL champion Texas Rangers last year, saving a rookie record 40 games and now, might make the move the starting rotation. This has been a debatable decision for some time with the departure of left-hander Cliff Lee in the offseason.

The move is simply not a good one for the Rangers in the now nor the future. Texas has a lethal weapon in their bullpen with a firey young closer with great poise and an even better fastball. If the Rangers move Feliz to the rotation they will be taking away one of their strengths that helped them capture their first AL Pennant. Today, to contend for a World Series title in the majors, a top notch starting pitcher is need, someone that can lead a staff. This is what Texas thinks Feliz can be.

You also need a great closer to win in the postseason.
  
It has been stated many times by former and current players, along with people associated with baseball that the New York Yankees do not win those four World Series titles in the late 90s without the contributions of closer Mariano Rivera. He was the most valuable player on those teams and maybe in baseball the past decade and a half.

For example, look at Atlanta Braves during the 90s. They had the best starting rotation throughout baseball and were in the postseason every year, but only won one World Series in that time period appearing in a total of three. If they had Rivera at the back end of their 'pen we might be talking about Atlanta as the team of the 90s, not New York.

There have been know to be exceptions like Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals. Wainwright was a closer his first season in the big leagues and a good one, much like Feliz, leading the Cardinals to their first World Series title since 1982.

Wainwright has now turned into a front of the rotation starter for the Cardinals and is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. On the other hand, there is story of Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain burst onto the scence in 2007, posting an unbelievable 0.38 ERA in 24 innings. The Yankees saw him as a front of the rotation starter, but Chamberlain's electric stuff did not translate into the rotation.

Now Chamberlain is back in the bullpen with an uncertain role and his career at a crossroad after it started so bright.

John Smoltz, who is a future Hall of Famer, also took on double duty. Here's the catch, Smoltz was a starter for the first 12 years of his big league career, winning a Cy Young in 1996 before ever getting a taste of the bullpen. Then after the 1999 season, Smoltz needed Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow and missed the entire 2000 season. Coming off an injury and wanting to help the team in any way possible Smoltz moved to the bullpen in 2001 in an effort to stay healthy. Smoltz was successful in both roles eventually moving back to the rotation, but was a successful starter before the move to the bullpen.

Going from a closer to a starter is much more difficult than going from a successful starter to an elite closer, especially for a 22-year-old kid.

There is no question an ace is needed to lead your staff into the postseason, if Feliz proves to be that then he and the Rangers will silence all the critics, including myself. Although what if it fails? Then you leave not only the rotation a question mark, but also the back end of the bullpen.

The Rangers have made too many moves in the offseason with a team that fresh off their first World Series appearance in franchise history. They were in first-place well before they acquired Lee at the trade deadline last July. The Seattle Mariners had two of the best starting pitchers in the game, Lee and Felix Hernandez, to start the season, they finished 40 games under .500. A starting pitcher pitches every fifth day and can only impact that game, a closer can effect an entire series.

What if your starting pitcher goes eight scoreless innings and is clinging to 2-0 lead in the ninth and no closer to close the game? All that work of your starer is now gone with no one to secure the victory.

Chew on that.

An Angel that Earned His Wings

Anderson receives a curtain call
during his 10 RBI night.

Former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Garret Anderson has decided to call it a career. The announcement was made official on Tuesday morning.

Anderson played 17 seasons in the big leagues with three different teams, including the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers the last two seasons. Although, Anderson will always be known for his 15 fabulous years in Anaheim.

Anderson, a native of Los Angeles was drafted in the fourth round of the 1990 amateur draft out of Kennedy High School. Little did we know that he would become an immortal angel.

In his 15 seasons as a member of the Angels, Anderson became the franchise all-time leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), doubles (489), runs (1024), extra-base hits (796), total bases (3,743) and runs batted in (1,292). Some consider Anderson the greatest player in franchise history and there is no argument here.

During his tenure, the Angels made six playoff appearances with five of them coming as American League Western Division champions. They made two ALCS appearances winning one of them in 2002, heading to their first World Series in franchise history.

That season the Angels made the postseason by winning the AL Wild Card and eventually defeating the San Francisco Giants in an epic seven-game series with the help of Anderson's bases-clearing double to seal the victory in the decisive seventh game.

Anderson was a player that flew under the radar most of his career, which is just the way he would have wanted it, but was quietly a one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball.

From 1996-06 only two players had more hits than Anderson's 1,956 throughout that time period, Derek Jeter (2,138) and Alex Rodriguez (2,023). Anderson stole the show at the at the 2003 Midsummer Classic winning the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. In August of 2007, Anderson made the New York Yankees pitching staff his personal batting practice session, going 4-for-6, driving in 10 runs. The last four came on a grand slam he hit off of left-handed reliever Sean Henn to cap his amazing night.

Anderson was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Aug. 8 of last year after only batting .181 in a pinch-hitting role. That would be the last time we would see Anderson in a Major League uniform.

Anderson's No. 16 will soon be in the right field bleachers in Anaheim, never to be worn again and just maybe one day Anderson will reach the pearly gates of baseball heaven, Cooperstown.