Playoffs Still in Sight for Lakers

If the Los Angeles Lakers were to miss the playoffs this season it would go down as perhaps the biggest failure in recent sports history. Sitting at 15-20 and 11th place in the Western Conference, the Lakers have battled multiple coaching changes, injuries to their star big men and a media circus all year long and have become the top story on every sports network for all the wrong reasons. Relatively speaking, it's still quite early in the year, but LA must kick it in gear now or the offseason will begin early for the purple and gold.

Missing the playoffs in any year is viewed as a crime for the prestigious Lakers, but to miss the playoffs this year after acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to go along with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace would be down right disastrous. As superpowers become a more common thing in American sports, America has changed the view on what is failure for a team loaded with superstars.

On a smaller scale, take the Miami Marlins for example. The franchise went through an entire rebirthing operation by building a new ballpark, changing their name and colors, hiring a new manager and signing some of the top talent available. Yet they turned in one of the worst seasons in the MLB and became a laughing stock by the third month of the season. On a larger scale, but in the same city, look at the Miami Heat. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up with the goal in mind to win multiple championships, but failed to win it all in their first year. They still won the Eastern Conference and still had a fantastic season, but they became an example of what will happen to teams that add multiple superstars and come up short of the ultimate prize. The Heat were blasted for an entire summer for not winning the Finals and considered a failure despite achieving enormous success.

Can you imagine what the media and fans will do to the Lakers if they don't even make the playoffs? LA trots out five all-stars in their starting lineup, but has looked so discombobulated on some nights that you wonder if there are any all-stars on the floor. However, if the Lakers are to make the postseason then they must focus on the future and change the things needed to win ball games.

That means getting everybody healthy first and foremost. LA has never had their full lineup in uniform and that's why they have struggled at times. At the point guard position Nash missed seven weeks with a leg injury and reliable backup Steve Blake has missed all but the first five games with an abdominal injury. Inside, Howard has never looked quite the same since his back surgery and now has a torn labrum that will sideline him. Gasol is out with a concussion and Jordan Hill has been day-to-day with a hip injury.

Those injuries are a recipe for disaster and it has been one in the city of angels. Getting healthy must be the key priority for the Lakers and once healthy they can focus on the X's and O's. It's silly to think that this is a team that can't win with Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines. While I believe it was down right dumb to not hire Phil Jackson, it's not as though D'Antoni can't win. With the talent on the roster, it shouldn't matter who is the coach. The guys on that team are good enough to win no matter who is coaching them.

While a 15-20 record is a terrible start for the Lakers, it definitely is fixable. They have never played with a full lineup and have gone through multiple coaching changes. If they can get everyone healthy and settle into D'Antoni's system then there will be playoff basketball for the Lakers. There's far too much talent on that roster for them to be sitting at home come playoff time. I would say it's time to panic, but not to the point where changes must be made.

Perhaps I'm stubborn, but I'm not counting the Lakers out of the playoffs nor will I count them out of another title run. I haven't mentioned it yet, but any team with Kobe Bryant on the roster is a team I will refuse to count out. 15-20 doesn't look threatening, but get this team healthy and the West may be the Lakers'.

Big Ten is College Basketball's Elite

If anybody watched college football this year, it wasn't hard at all to pick up on the fact that the Big Ten was less than impressive. It was a rough year for every fan of a Big Ten team, even if you were an Ohio State fan you had to sit back and realize their undefeated season meant nothing due to bowl ineligibility (Shout out to Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressel). All in all, life as a Big Ten fan was pretty rough in the fall.

But the fall is over and winter is in full swing which means one of the worst conferences is now the best. The Big Ten has taken the world of college basketball by storm and it looks like it's here to stay. With six teams in the top 25 (no team being ranked lower than 18), it's plain to see that the Big Ten has talent that other conferences can only dream of. Take the Naismith Player of the Year award for instance, four players from the Big Ten have been mentioned in the discussion. DeShaun Thomas of Ohio State, Brandon Paul of Illinois, Cody Zeller of Indiana, and Trey Burke of Michigan have all been named possible winners or contenders. These players also come from teams that, right now, look as if they could contend for a trip to the Final Four.

Yet it's easy to base a conference off of the elite teams, but here's a look at the teams people may be overlooking in the midst of the talk about the six ranked teams:

Wisconsin: The Badgers are off to an 11-4 start with very few eye-opening wins. They lost by double-digits to Florida, Creighton, and Marquette. Yet they started the conference season with two wins. Granted, those wins came against Nebraska and Penn State, but if you think the Badgers won't give teams trouble, then you don't know Bo...Ryan that is. In my mind, Bo Ryan is a very underrated coach. He's not on the level of Tom Izzo but he does have five Big Ten titles and a record of 268-101 in his eleven years at Wisconsin. Not to mention that the Badgers are one of the toughest teams to beat at home, boasting an astounding 116-15 record at home under Ryan. They may not be ranked, but you'd be stupid to overlook the Badgers.

Purdue: A team with six freshman and only two seniors? What's to fear about a team so inexperienced? Well, if you were able to catch the Purdue/Illinois game, there's alot to fear. This squad of Matt Painter's is going to be an impressive one. They won't contend this year or maybe next year, but freshmen Ronnie Johnson and A.J. Hammons are showing great promise. Johnson is a quick guard who's averaging almost nine points, four rebounds, and three assists. Not bad for a freshman guard. As for Hammons, the kid looks like the second coming of JaJuan Johnson; very long and raw at a young age. Yet he presents a presence in the paint that will even make All-Americans change their shot. That's exactly what Hammons needs to understand. He doesn't necessarily need to be a shot-blocker. He can work wonders just by putting his hands up and standing there. Throw that in with the fact he's grabbing almost seven boards a game and you've got a player with some real potential. The Boilermakers already upset Illinois and gave Ohio State a great game. The old saying goes "Age is but a number", and this Purdue team is out to prove that no matter how young they are they're here to compete.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes currently have an 11-4 record and, if you look closely, they have only beaten cupcake teams. They don't have any impressive wins thus far and are 0-2 in conference play. With that being said, Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White can still lead the Hawkeyes to a handful of conference wins. Marble averages just over fifteen points a game and White averages thirteen. Together, they led the Hawkeyes in a four-point loss to the nationally-respected Indiana Hoosiers. The final score was 69-65 and there were numerous times that Iowa had Tom Crean's squad on the ropes. Iowa is presented with another test tonight as they try to topple Michigan State at home. Again, the Hawkeyes are not likely to contend for the Big Ten crown, but there's no doubt they will be the spoilers when it comes down to the end.

I've heard plenty of people try to say that the Big Ten is not the best conference. I can respect opinions, but I can't see how someone could go against the talent, coaching, and flat out domination the Big Ten is showing this year. The ACC is Duke's for the taking. The Big East will, most likely, be Syracuse's once again, the SEC will come down to either Florida or Missouri, the Big 12 will no doubt be won by Kansas, and the Pac 12 will come down to UCLA and Arizona. Of the Power Six conferences, only the Big Ten has more than two teams that can contend for the title. Between Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan State there is no clear-cut winner, not to mention the depth this conference has. Don't be surprised if the Sweet Sixteen has five or six Big Ten teams in it.

Hall Shuts Out PED-Dominated Class

Sosa, Clemens and Bonds didn't get the call to the Hall 

It was perhaps the most highly decorated class in history of the Baseball Hall of Fame and, despite that, there will not be one new plaque hung up on the wall in Cooperstown this summer. It's almost unbelievable to think that the all-time home run leader, a 300-game winner and 4,000 strikeout pitcher and a 600 home run hitter weren't even close to getting the call to the Hall. Yet that's the reality for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa today.

Looking at the statistics and awards it's impossible that those three players wouldn't be elected, but they made their decision years ago when they decided to take performance-enhancing drugs. The talk of steroids has swirled around the Hall of Fame talk for years and, for some, this is a sad day for Major League Baseball. There's no doubt it's a tough discussion and coming up with a solution has proven to be an even tougher ordeal.

Here's the way I believe the Hall should handle their dilemma and it's a good point ESPN's Buster Olney made earlier today: let them all in. If they are Hall of Fame worthy then let them in, but just say on their plaque that they admitted steroid use and give that information as well. No asterisks, no snubs, no separate wings. Hate on Bonds and Clemens, but they were Hall of Famers before the PED use. I would suggest putting them all in and just stating on their plaque that they were steroid users and if they were convicted of perjury or something of that sort then state that as well.

The Hall of Fame is in a pickle and it's created a challenge for itself because there will be no induction weekend. The numbers show that as many as 20,000 fans flock to Cooperstown on that weekend, but there will be no such weekend this summer. Cooperstown has seen less than 300,000 fans come through the museum the past five seasons after 12 straight years of eclipsing that number. The museum isn't much of a museum if the fans don't come to see it and what they have done is just left their biggest weekend off of the schedule.

The other side of the coin today is that players who have never been linked to steroids such as Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling were left out as well. While that has some fans in an uproar consider that Biggio's fellow second basemen Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Alomar and Barry Larkin weren't inducted on the first ballot either. Biggio's time will come as it will for the other three. It's rare that players are inducted on the first ballot, but their is reason to believe that they will soon get the call.

For as unfortunate as today was for the game of baseball, next year could be the exact opposite. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Mike Mussina and Jeff Kent will all be on the ballot for the first time and that could mean that there will be a large class next year.

Today is an unfortunate day for baseball, but the message has been sent that voters will not tolerate those who used performance-enhancing drugs. While those not linked to steroids will most likely get in eventually, it's not so clear for those that have been linked. As fans, we can also expect that next year should be a much more joyous day for baseball and that's a good thing because the Hall needs some good news after today.

"If this was a prize fight they would have called it off"

Brent Musberger couldn't have said it better after Alabama scored at one point in the second half. The Crimson Tide rolled all over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in route to their third title in four years. It's a dynasty that hasn't been seen since the Nebraska teams of the late 90's and the scary thing is that like Kirk Herbstreit said, they might only be in the middle of it.

It was over after the first quarter as Bama led 21-0 and at halftime Brian Kelly seemed to be searching for answers just like the rest of America during an interview with Heather Cox. The reality seems to be if you give Nick Saban over a month to prepare for a game then he will make sure his team is ready and they will dominate the competition. We have seen it two years in a row and there's little reason to think that it won't continue.


The SEC has won the last seven national titles and they have a choke hold on the college football scene. Has their ever been a run this impressive by one conference in any sport? It would be tough to think of one. The idea that the SEC championship is the national championship has never seemed truer. It's also never seemed more obvious that a playoff system is needed in college football.

However, don't take that last statement as a slight to Notre Dame. The Irish deserved to be in the championship game after an undefeated season and people who argue that Oregon or Kansas State should have been in the title game must remember that no matter the schedules, those teams cost themselves the chance. They didn't do what was necessary to be in the title game and Notre Dame did. That said, it's still a better idea to do a playoff and thankfully college football has one coming soon.

I would imagine the television ratings plummeted in the second half as the Tide clearly had the game wrapped up. Fans complain that there hasn't been a good national title game in a few years and while a playoff won't be fool proof it certainly will put two teams in the championship that have won their way there in a playoff fashion that we are accustomed to in America.

When the playoff system is implemented don't be surprised if these two teams go head-to-head again. Both schools bring in remarkable recruiting classes and Notre Dame is still in the process of coming back on the national scene. This year, despite the blowout, will no doubt help the recruiting as the Irish finished undefeated in the regular season and Manti Te'o finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Hate on ND or Bama all you want, but the reality is that the game is better when both of them are good. They are the traditional titans of college football and they bring in the money for the sport. Their simultaneous greatness will help the sport as times do seem tumultuous with conference realignment and other money-hungry issues dominating the headlines.

With a playoff system on the brink, we can hope that routine beatdowns in the national title game are in the rear view mirror, but with the way Alabama looked Monday night in Miami, maybe that's not a sure thing.

Shanahan's Error in Judgement Costs 'Skins

It was an agonizing three quarters of football watching Robert Griffin III hobble around on a bad knee in the Washington Redskins' defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. The rookie quarterback quite possibly could be the Rookie of the Year in a few weeks, but he could whip up no heroics on Wild Card weekend and his injury led to the Redskins' demise.

Griffin injured his knee earlier in the year, but continued to play while wearing a brace on his right knee. That right knee is the same knee in which he tore his ACL back in 2009 while at Baylor and the early inclinations are that he may have torn it again. It's devastating news and leaves 'Skins fans with a bitter taste in their mouth despite feeling so hopeful just 24 hours ago.

RGIII came out hot last night, leading Washington to two straight scores and opening up a 14-0 lead. However, it went south from there and it was plain to see Griffin's pain as he scrambled right, stepped awkwardly and fell to the sloppy turf late in the first quarter. He limped back to the huddle and remained in the game, but he was never the same.

Consider this: in the first quarter Griffin was 6-9 for 68 yards and two touchdowns, but the rest of the game he was just 4-11 for 16 yards and no touchdowns. Despite his obvious pain and lessened mobility, the Redskins continued to run plays such as read options and pass plays that required him to roll out in one direction. It was poor play-calling and it was part of the reason they 'Skins lost the ballgame.

Mike Shanahan said in the postgame that he might have been wrong to leave Griffin in for as long as he did, but let me assure Shanahan that he was 100% wrong. Here's why: while Griffin may have said he was good to go, his play said otherwise. The playoffs are win-or-go-home scenarios and there's not much time for error. After RGIII aggravated his knee in the first quarter the Redskins should have limited him to a pocket passer. A quick look at his stats tells the tale. He simply wasn't the same and it's not as though Washington had Joe Webb sitting on the sidelines. They had Kirk Cousins, a more than capable backup who had shown promise in his playing time earlier in the year.

Shanahan refused to make the switch and the offense sputtered, failing to score for the rest of the game. I understand that football is a man's game and there's something to be said for being a warrior for your team. RGIII was a warrior. He tried to continue on, but the reality is that he wasn't the best man for the job after the first quarter and it was visible. The reason people (including me) criticized Jay Cutler two years ago is because his pain was never visible. No one knew he was hurt; he just didn't play the second half. With Griffin we could see the limp, see the grimaces every time he ran and see the statistics plummet.

Shanahan made an error in judgement and it cost his team the game. However, blame is hardly what matters here as we all hope the 22 year old star gets good news about his knee and can heal quickly. It seems that we have seen far too many young stars go down with knee injuries in the past couple years. Derrick Rose, Ricky Rubio, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Adrian Peterson and perhaps Griffin all have been sidelined for long periods of time. Injuries are realities of the games we play, but this one hurts especially because it seemed obvious that it was only a matter of time before RGIII crumpled to the ground in pain.

In the fourth quarter when his knee gave out on him and he laid on the ground, it was as if the entire nation held their breath, hoping he would get back up. He finally did and he walked off on his own power, but there's a certain gloom over the sports world today. Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to coaches in all sports that when a player is injured he must be taken out. The game means a lot, but a career means more.

We'll Be Back...

The World of Wadley apologizes for the lack of posts and we promise to return once schoolwork slows down. Due to writing intensive majors, we must focus our efforts on our schoolwork and once that ends we will be back on the blogging trail.

-- Zach and Nate Wadley

Active MLB First Ballot Hall of Famers

It is a common understanding that Major League Baseball has the hardest Hall of Fame to be a member of and rarely do more than two or three players get in per year. Sometimes the Hall of Fame status is thrown around much too loosely. There are good players, there are great players, and then there are Hall of Fame players. It's an exclusive group, one that includes just 202 players and 289 members overall. Only once have there been three first-ballot nominees elected in the same year (1999), not including the first year in 1936. So it's rare that players be elected so soon after retirement. I recently read a blog post that listed Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia and Miguel Cabrera as first-ballot Hall of Famers. I scoffed at that simply because it's much too early to classify those players like that. Are they on the right track? Yes. But the road ahead is a long one. What a player does in the back half of his career will decide whether or not he is a Hall of Famer or not. Many have started out strong, only to fizzle out as their bodies grow older. The list of current first-ballot players is short in my mind. Here it is...


Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees
Current Season: 18th Year
Career Stats: .313 batting average, 3,222 hits, 1,828 runs, 346 steals, .382 OBP
Awards: '96 Rookie of the Year, 13-time All-Star, 5 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers, 5 World Series
Derek Jeter has defined winning throughout his career. Perhaps the most respected man in the game of baseball, Jeter eclipsed the 3,000 hit mark last season with a 5-5 day that was capped off with a home run. In my mind, the 3,000 hit plateau should put a player in automatically considering that only 28 men have ever achieved the feat. However, that's not all there is to Jeter. He holds the record for career postseason hits with 191 in 152 games. Obviously the fact that he has played with the Yankees has helped his cause, but that is a record that may never be broken, especially when you consider that he is still building upon it. His defense has produced five Gold Gloves and has given us some of the most memorable highlights in baseball. His unbelievable flip against the A's and his headfirst dive into the stands behind third base will be shown forever. His class, records and winning ensure that he will be in Cooperstown as soon as possible.

Ichiro Suzuki, RF, Seattle Mariners
Current Season: 12th Year
Career Stats: .322 batting average, 2,544 hits, 441 stolen bases, 1,180 runs, .365 OBP, 100 assists
Awards: '01 MVP, '01 Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-Star, 10 Gold Gloves, 3 Silver Sluggers
Ichiro may have the most impressive resume when you consider he is only in his 12th full season and he missed about three or four seasons in his prime. He captured the league by storm in his first season, winning the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards. He has led the league in batting average twice, hitting an absurd .372 back in 2004. He has stolen 40+ bases five times and led the league in 2001 with 56. His outstanding arm has generated 100 assists from the outfield and counting. While he has not played on very many winning teams and the Mariners made the playoffs just once in the time he was there. While Jeter has played in 152 postseason games, Ichiro has played in just 10. Now a Yankee, he will most likely finish his career in pinstripes. At 2,544 hits he needs just 456 hits until 3,000. His 162 game average is 222 so if he keeps pace he will need just two seasons after this to reach the milestone.

Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Season: 12th Year
Career Stats: .326 batting average, 2,193 hits, 1,353 runs, 469 home runs, 1,405 RBI
Awards: '01 RoY, 9-time All-Star, 3-time MVP ('05,'08,'09), 3 Gold Gloves, 6 Silver Sluggers, 2 WS
It's hard to believe Pujols is only in his 12th season because his numbers tell a much different story. He has a lifetime batting average of .326, is just 31 home runs away from 500, and could reach the 3,000 hit mark in about four years. If so, he would be only the fifth player to achieve both the milestones (Aaron, Mays, Murray, Palmeiro). Pujols is a three-time MVP, but perhaps more impressive is the fact that he has finished in the top ten of MVP voting every single year and finished top five in nine of those years. He hit at least .300 with 30 homers and 100 RBIs in his first ten seasons and last year came up a point and RBI shy. He is now in the American League and playing on one of the most exciting teams, the Angels. As he heads into the last stretch of his career he will cement himself as one of the greatest players of all-time.

Chipper Jones, 3B, Atlanta Braves
Current Season: 19th Season
Career Stats: .305 batting average, 2,693 hits, 1,600 runs, 1,609 RBI, 464 home runs, .405 OBP
Awards: '99 MVP, 8-time All-Star, 2 Silver Sluggers, 1995 World Series title
Chipper is probably the only player on this list that doesn't have the eye-popping statistic that ensures he will be enshrined. He will retire at the end of this season, his 19th in the league and with the Braves, and while he won't finish with either 500 home runs or 3,000 hits, he will be in an elite group of third basemen. Chipper has always been a hitter, batting over .300 ten times in his career and on his way to number eleven. He led the league in 2008 with an outstanding .364 average. He won the 1999 MVP award after batting .319 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI. He has a lifetime .305 batting average and has averaged over 30 homers and 100 RBIs in his career. If Chipper's numbers and lack of awards don't seem worthy of the Hall then consider this: while George Brett has more hits than Chipper, Jones has the same batting average as Brett and has more home runs, RBI, runs, and a better OBP.

Alex Rodriguez, SS/3B, New York Yankees
Current Season: 19th Year
Career Stats:.301 batting average, 2,872 hits, 1,878 runs, 1,937 RBI, 644 home runs, 314 stolen bases
Awards: 14-time All-Star, 3-time MVP ('03,'05,'07), 2 Gold Gloves, 10 Silver Sluggers, '09 WS title
There are two things that separate A-Rod from the rest of the players on this list: how great his numbers are and steroids. An admitted steroid user during his three seasons in Texas, Rodriguez does have a tainted career. However, I have included him on this list because he has still produced after the steroids. He was excellent before them and has been excellent after them. I think that guys like McGwire, Sosa and Palmeiro will find it hard to be elected, but A-Rod admitted it and, as far as we know, has stopped. Because of that, I think he will be elected. He definitely has the numbers. He has led the league in home runs five times and could eclipse 700 by the time it's all said and done (he needs 56). He has led the league in batting average once and RBIs twice. He has over 300 steals on top of all the hitting and he has a chance to finish with a .300+ batting average, 700 home runs, 2,000 RBIs, and 3,000 hits. Those are numbers that few men will ever achieve.

Mariano Rivera, P, New York Yankees
Current Season: 18th Year
Career Stats: 76-58 Win-Loss, 2.21 ERA, 608 saves
Awards: 12-time All-Star, All-time saves leader, 5 World Series titles
Domination. Mariano Rivera has dominated competition for 18 years now and has been a part of five Yankees World Series championship teams. He is the all-time leader in saves with 608 and that is a number that will continue to grow once he comes back from an ACL tear. He has been the closer for the best dynasty in awhile and even at the age of 42 he still dominates with his devastating cutter and nearly ensures a Yanks win once he comes out of the bullpen. He is the best relief pitcher of all-time and, as the game changes, he has set the standard for closers. For that reason he will be elected into the Hall as soon as possible.

The Next Three (Questionables)
Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado Rockies
Current Season: 16th Year
Career Stats: .320 batting average, 2,420 hits, 1,360 runs, 1,345 RBI, 354 home runs, .419 OBP
Awards: 5-time All-Star, 3 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers
Helton has decent numbers, but they don't stack up to the players listed above. He is an above average fielder and can flat out hit the ball, but will voters hold the fact that he played in Coors Field against him? I don't think a player should be penalized for that, but it will definitely be a discussion among the voters. Helton lacks the accolades of other players in his era. Perhaps he will get in at some point, but not first ballot.

Paul Konerko, 1B, Chicago White Sox
Current Season:16th Year
Career Stats: .284 batting average, 2,142 hits, 1,088 runs, 1,314 RBI, 413 home runs
Awards: 6-time All-Star, 2005 World Series title
Konerko may not be a Hall of Famer at all, but he has been a steady player his entire career. He has been the face of the White Sox since Frank Thomas left and he was a key component of the 2005 World Series team. Konerko could play a few more years and potentially build on his numbers, which would make the discussion may be a little easier.

Carlos Beltran, CF, New York Mets
Current Season: 15th Year
Career Stats: .283 batting average, 2,025 hits, 1,247 runs, 1,233 RBI, 327 HRs, 303 stolen bases
Awards: '99 Rookie of the Year, 7-time All-Star, 3 Gold Gloves, 2 Silver Sluggers
Beltran has quietly put together a nice career and is having one of his best seasons for the Cardinals here in 2012. The 1999 Rookie of the Year for the Royals has three Gold Gloves to his name and surpassed the 2,000 hit mark this season. Were it not for injuries, we may be giving Beltran a closer look.

On the Right Track (Too Early to Tell)
Justin Verlander, P, Detroit Tigers
Current Season: 8th Year
Career Stats: 118-64 Win-Loss, 3.44 ERA, 1,367 SO
Awards: '06 Rookie of the Year, '11 Cy Young Award, '11 MVP, 5-time All-Star
It's a long road ahead, but Verlander averages 18 wins per season. At that pace, he will need to pitch nine more seasons like that to reach the 300 win mark. He has a Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP trophy in his collection and has appeared in the World Series once as well. The 3,000 strikeout plateau is also one that could be attainable for Verlander. At the pace he is going he will need just eight more seasons to hit 3,000.

Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers
Current Season: 10th Year
Career Stats: .317 batting average, 1,736 hits, 923 runs, 1,075 RBI, 304 home runs, .394 OBP
Awards: 7-time All-Star, 3 Silver Sluggers, 2003 World Series title
Cabrera is well on his way to the 500 home run mark and could reach it in about six seasons. 3,000 hits is a little bit more of a stretch but he is on pace to reach it in about seven seasons. Having Prince Fielder behind him in the lineup will help him greatly. Combine the hitting stats with the All-Star appearances and the Silver Sluggers and you may have a Hall of Famer in the making.

C.C. Sabathia, P, Cleveland Indians
Current Season: 12th Year
Career Stats: 187-99 Win-Loss, 3.51 ERA, 2,150 SO
Awards: 2007 Cy Young Award, 6-time All-Star, 2009 World Series title
Sabathia is in his 12th season but 300 wins may be a reachable goal. He is on pace to reach it in 2018 which will mean he would have to keep his 17-game win average going until his is 37 years old. That's not going to be easy. I think 250 wins is going to become the new 300 and Sabathia should achieve that. 3,000 strikeouts should be easier for the big lefty. He is on pace to reach that by 2016. If he can add another Cy Young to his collection that would help his case tremendously.

There are obviously several more players who could be added to the last list and maybe a few more on the Questionables list. I really don't think there's anybody else who is a lock right now though. The team listed next to the player is the one I think they will go in as for the Hall of Fame as of now. If you have any comments or arguments feel free to post below!

Dwight Howard: The Biggest Baby in Sports

To date, I have hesitated to post anything on the Dwight Howard drama simply because I was tired of hearing about it. Nate had one post about the situation, but we both have grown tired of turning on Sportscenter and seeing Howard's name plastered all over the sidebar and bottom line. Yet, this has gone on too long and my frustration has reached its peak. Howard continues to demand a trade from the Orlando Magic and the situation has dominated NBA headlines for months upon months. First it was the Nets, then the Lakers, then the Rockets almost gave up their entire roster for the big man. The Hawks have been thrown out there as well, and so now what we have is a bunch of teams that are frustrated and about to give up on Howard.

We also have a man without a job in Stan Van Gundy. SVG was a solid head coach for Orlando and took them to the Finals in 2009. Still, he became the next coach in a long line to be fired so that the superstar on the team could be happy. There's one problem though, Dwight Howard still isn't happy and he doesn't want to be in Orlando.

But where does he want to be? He desired a trade to Brooklyn, but his back-and-forth indecision turned the Nets away. Brooklyn decided they had to move on and they have a formidable team with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Brooke Lopez. The Lakers have always been a team mentioned, but Howard has always seemed to turn up his nose at the idea of going West. Now it seems that LA is moving on and will go with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The Rockets almost went all-in for Howard, but they couldn't get a package together. So now the Magic are stuck with the disgruntled big man for at least another few days/weeks/months.

I have never disliked a player as much as I dislike Dwight Howard right now. The way he has handled this situation and the way he has treated the Magic and the teams courting him is awful. He is a prima donna who can't make up his mind. How many times have we heard him say he wants to be traded, only to switch his demand a week later. Everyone is tired of it. If I was one of the teams who wanted him I would back off immediately. Why would you want this guy on your team?? Sure, he is the best center in the game today and he can dominate a game inside like few others. But how long will he be happy? He has shown a different side of himself these past several months and he is no longer the fun-loving kid from Atlanta with the electric smile.

I hate to do this to LeBron James after the phenomenal season he had, but Dwight Howard has somehow surpassed James as the superstar to handle his departure the worst. Few thought anybody could screw up a departure like LeBron did when he held the Decision, but it is Howard's Indecision that has made him the biggest villain in the league. What does it mean for his future? Currently it means more complaining and demanding. It also means he will dominate Sportscenter until America literally can't take it anymore. I honestly don't care about Dwight Howard anymore. Let me know when he signs with a team because I shut off the television when his name comes up.

As Howard continues to make a fool of himself, he will lose popularity among fans and will no doubt be booed in multiple cities across America. One city will for sure boo him and that will be Orlando. Ironic thing is: that's most likely where he will be playing.

Hanley Heads West to LA

It seemed like the Miami Marlins couldn't fail with the way their offseason went. They got the big free agent (Jose Reyes), hired a proven manager (Ozzie Guillen), signed two pitchers who have had success (Mark Buerhle and Carlos Zambrano) and had a new ballpark (Marlins Stadium) on top of that. All of that to join a team that already had Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Johnson, Logan Morrison and Hanley Ramirez.  Ozzie and Reyes were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the Marlins were the talk of the MLB for all the right reasons. However, things haven't exactly gone as planned and now their often-disgruntled star, Ramirez has packed his bags for Los Angeles in a trade that sent him to the Dodgers for next to nothing. On top of that, the Marlins have struggled to put people in the seats at their new ballpark, proof that not all brilliant plans end up working out.

Look no further than Hanley Ramirez. His career has been in the spotlight since he entered the league and not always for the right reasons. Let us not forget though, just three years ago the 2006 Rookie of the Year was on top of the baseball mountain top. In 2009 he led the MLB with a .342 batting average while hitting 24 home runs and knocking in 106 runs. He had career-highs in OBP and slugging percentage and finished second in the MVP voting. He was named an All-Star and received a Silver Slugger at the conclusion of the season. From there it has been a steep decline for Hanley Ramirez. Not only have his numbers continued to drop, but he has become the face of the "lazy and egotistical club" in the MLB. His booted ground ball incident in 2010 made headlines everywhere, not because of the error, but because of the lack of hustle he showed in chasing the ball down. Naturally, news came out later that he may have hurt his ankle earlier in the game, but the damage was done. Run-ins with ex-manager Fredi Gonzalez became something of a routine and Gonzalez was shown the door during last season.

Entering 2012, hopes were high in Miami. As mentioned above, everything was coming together for the Marlins. That is, until Ramirez was asked to move over to third base so that Reyes could play shortstop. Ramirez turned down the idea and publicly refused to move. He later changed his stance and made the move, but again, the damage was done. That's all a precursor to how poorly Ramirez has played this season. His batting average (.249) is challenging his career-low from 2011 (.243 in a season in which he played just 92 games) and he has just 49 RBIs. He is in danger of setting career-highs in strikeouts and double plays while it's highly possible he could have career-lows in batting average, hits, and stolen bases. The 2009 Hanley Ramirez seems like a distant memory, so the question is: why did the Dodgers trade for him?

Precisely because of those number he put up from 2006-2009. He is an all-star caliber player who can be a serious threat wherever he is put in the lineup. Imagine the 2009 Ramirez in the same lineup as Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Through two games he has started at third and is 3-6 at the plate. If the Dodgers can somehow find the old Hanley then they are getting a major prize. There are some cases where athletes need a change of scenery. It could be for a variety of reasons and it appears this is a case of Ramirez needing a new home. Earlier in the year, a slumping Kevin Youkilis was traded from Boston to the White Sox and he has thrived in Chicago's lineup since the trade. The Dodgers hope Ramirez will be a similar story.

He will play for a manager, Don Mattingly, who knows a little something about winning and playing the game the right way and he is surrounded by stars who can take pressure off of him. The situation, again, seems like one that would be hard to mess up. He's already off to a hot start and it's a fair guess he is trying to outrun his negative image. Question is: will he hustle do so?