Tag: NY Yankees

Best pitcher in MLB history

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One can make an argument over who the best pitcher of all time was Nolan Ryan and his 5,714 Ks – how about Cy Young, I mean the award for being the best pitcher is named after him, after all.  And then we have pitchers like Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens who were both phenomenal. Come on, we’re looking at 9,547 strikeouts between the 2 of them.

But let’s look at some other numbers, let’s look at other attributes. Firstly, I feel that choosing the best pitcher is definitely going to be relative to their era. Sports have evolved, and changed over the years, pitchers used to pitch 150 times in a game, in this day and age they’re getting pulled after 80. The longer a pitcher stays in the game, the more chances and more opportunities he would have of throwing more balls and walking more players. It’s tough to compare Clayton Kershaw versus Steve Carlton when they played in very different eras of baseball.

I definitely feel that for a pitcher to be considered as the greatest of all time, they have to have received the Cy Young Award. I mean, it is the pinnacle of individual awards for a MLB pitcher. I also think that the record has to stand for something. Did they win games, did they bring victories? And of course, how many strikeouts did they have, did they sit batters? And honestly could a team count on them, if they needed them to shut down a team, in the most crucial times of a game?

I know that Nolan Ryan had 324 W’s along with 5,714 strikeouts, but the fact is he lost a lot of games and he also never won the Cy Young Award. So during 27 seasons, he was never considered the best in the majors, for any  season. It makes you think that maybe, longevity was his greatest attribute.

As we are talking about pitching, I only think there’s one correct answer, and that’s Greg Maddux.  When it came to ERA, throwing inning after inning, and winning when needed, he was money.  The Bulldog was sheer terror over 23 seasons, as he racked up All Stars, Cy Youngs, including 355 wins and 3300+ Ks.  He also played in an era when people were hitting home runs like Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds.

The records that Nolan Ryan put up are likely never going to be touched. His records will never be broken, amassing 5,714 Ks and 7 no hitters. Especially in an era today when pitchers are pulled after 6 innings of perfect baseball. And having records that will never be broken, certainly stands for something. Ryan was the best at overpowering hitters. But when it comes to just outstanding mound work, Greg Maddux is the GOAT with his finesse.

There’s obviously many to choose from for this conversation but Maddux cannot be forgotten, he truly was the best of the best with a complete game.  It wasn’t just about striking out players, it was about winning the big games shutting bats down. What’s even more amazing, let’s take a look and see what we think over the next 20 years. Ohtani very well could be one of the best we’ve ever seen, for many other reasons, but that’s a whole other conversation.

Expectations are high this year for the Yankees 

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It’s easy to forget that just a short while ago, the New York Yankees were tabbed by many to be possible favorites in this division. After winning 92 games last year, this year I think that a +8-10 game change is very likely.

Their pitching should be good again. Gerrit Cole got off to a very good start and was the cog for the New York Yankees pitching staff overall. He posted a 3.23 ERA along with 243 Ks and he amazingly won games even when the offense scored 3 or less runs. His return brings them steadiness on the bump. Then there is the quintessential X-Factor. Which is Jordan Montgomery. He immediately springs to mind with his sinker that abuses the plate, and his wicked changeup that dances over the plate when it cruises over it. As long as he can continue what he is good at, and get some decent offensive help, he can be a huge key to this team’s season. While it’s far too early to say what kind of run the 30 year old pitcher is going to have, but after what we saw last year with his 162 Ks, his ERA, and innings pitched – all which were top 3 on the team, it’s easy to say why just a couple of tweaks here and there, could make him a real surprise stud.

The team also has to feel good about what they saw from Gleyber Torres during the 2021 campaign, in the time he got, he racked up a .259 avg and a solid .697 OPS. Although with a little more work he could be really productive for this team, as long as he keeps confidence at the plate, with his smooth swing and excellent hand-eye coordination, it wouldn’t surprise me for him to knock out 25+ HRs and rack up another 85 RBI again. Torres is on his way to becoming a great player – and him possibly moving to 2B could be a key – with good discipline along with more than just adequate plate coverage.  

Aaron Judge showed awesome power, yet again, and excellent hitting with 39 slammers and 98 RBI. The 6-7 powerhouse struggled early in the season, hitting just .246 in the first 30 games, then went off during the rest of the season, hitting .298 adding 80 RBI. The key for him will be trying to start off ready to go, and riding it for the year. If he can get off early, it would be a great help.

The Yankees are going to be betting on Judge and Torres coming through for them this year and I fully expect them to do as such. If they do as expected, they will be looking at a postseason berth. I wouldn’t be surprised if Judge gets at least 40 HRs if he gets the chance to open it up, and if Torres can stay confident it is going to be tough to handle this squad.

The Yankees turned it around later in the year, they played better baseball over the middle of the summer, getting red hot in July and August, plowing along at a 35-17 record. Helping them to finish 3rd in the AL East. They had a slow start going just 41-39 through June 2021, and that start definitely put them behind in the race. If they managed to play as well as they played for the middle of the season, during the first part of the year, they probably would have finished with around 100-105 wins. Expectations for New York this season should be a lot higher than they were in 2021 – now that they have shown what they can do. The Rays better be careful, because this team has a very high chance of causing some chaos in the division and getting to be the Top Dog in MLB.

Top 5 pitching rotations in MLB

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Pitching is the ultimate power for a baseball team to harness. Having the ability to stifle and shutdown bats is an “X factor” – many teams have great batters, and have several guys who can hit HRs and chip away. But to have a one man who can win the game, if your team is off, or if your team hasn’t been particularly strong on the batting end. That’s the power.

These are VTD’s top 5 pitching rotations in the MLB, as of 6.17.2021.

5- Los Angeles Dodgers / Record; 41-27
* Clayton Kershaw / Lefty / 6-4
W/L; 8-5
INNINGS PITCHED; 82.1
ERA; 3.39
K’s;  95
Kershaw can throw it, and throw it really well – he has been putting up great numbers on a Dodgers team for many years, and his ability to sit batters is still awesome.

* Julio Urias / Lefty / 6-0
W/L; 9-2
INNINGS PITCHED; 84.0
ERA; 3.54
K’s;  90
If you’re looking for a budding rockstar – look no further than Julio Urias. With their starting staff – Los Angeles have been able to keep their pitchers well rested on a consistent basis, because they have several guys they feel confident with putting on the bump, the Dodgers have great confidence, and they should, especially Urias who has been putting up some really good winning numbers.

4- Milwaukee Brewers / Record; 38-30
* Freddy Peralta / Righty / 6-4
W/L; 6-1
INNINGS PITCHED; 68.0
ERA; 2.25
K’s;  98
Strong armed 21 year old Peralta and their pitching squad gives manager Craig Counsell a lot of looks to work with.
I continue to be amazed by his awareness when pitching, his potential is unparalleled.

* Brandon Woodruff / Righty / 6-4
W/L; 5-2
INNINGS PITCHED; 83.0
ERA; 1.52
K’s;  97
These 2 keep batters confused and a steady dish of K’s on a consistent basis for Milwaukee. These are factors supporting Milwaukee as having one of the best pitching rotations in baseball today. Woodruff’s arm is an elite cannon without question with his fastball, and his sinker is nasty. Freddy Peralta, and Brandon Woodruff round out an impressive group for Milwaukee.

3- New York Yankees / Record; 35-32
* Gerrit Cole / Righty / 6-4
W/L; 8-3
INNINGS PITCHED; 81.2
ERA; 2.31
K’s;  113
Cole has been devastating on the mound, especially the past 3 seasons, posting over 70% win pct over those seasons. Since 2018 he has been a lockdown pitcher who can solely win games on his arm – that’s nothing to forget.

* Jonathan Loaisiga / Righty / 5-11
W/L; 6-2
INNINGS PITCHED; 35.1
ERA; 1.78
K’s;  27
Jonathan Loaisiga has shown that he can pull a low scoring, 3-1 win out, and he knows when to pitch aggressively and when to make batters swing. The Yanks lack of bats gets a lot of the blame for their struggles, and at some point a team’s offense has to win close games. 

2- Chicago White Sox / Record; 43-25
* Carlos Rodon / Lefty / 6-3
W/L; 6-2
INNINGS PITCHED; 66.2
ERA; 1.89
K’s;  97
Whatever problems that Rodon was having last season, definitely appear to have been worked out – as his pitching game has been stellar.

* Lance Lynn / Righty / 6-5
W/L; 7-2
INNINGS PITCHED; 71.2
ERA; 1.51
K’s;  80
Chicago had a pretty strong pitching staff even before they signed Lynn – now with the 6-5 righty, the White Sox have a group that can dominate teams, as shown by their 3.16 team runs against average.

1- New York Mets / Record; 35-25
* Jacob deGrom  / Righty / 6-4
W/L; 6-2
INNINGS PITCHED; 64.0
ERA; 0.56
K’s;  103
deGrom has a 1.91 ERA in 556.0 innings over the last 4 years – along with 739 K’s. He had a 1.70 ERA and a lethal 0.912 WHIP in 2018 – he appears to be coming back stronger than ever showing off his experience and great pitching ability on the bump.

* Taijuan Walker / Righty / 6-4
W/L; 6-2
INNINGS PITCHED; 68.0
ERA; 2.12
K’s;  72
New York have been very reliable with their pitching unit, especially in the late innings. The Mets, without question, have one of the best ERAs in baseball, at 3.12 as a team, currently putting them at the top spot in the majors. Walker has been an ace in the hole. They have several legitimate options on this team, including Walker and deGrom in particular. Personally, I would not want anyone over the Mets staff, as they are the ultimate assurance.

Gerrit Cole has been weaving a path of destruction

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Gerrit Cole signed a massive $324 million dollar contract in 2019 with the New York Yankees. Cole was with the Houston Astros for 2 seasons prior, and was a great pitcher, leading the American League with a 2.50 ERA in 2019, along with a 20-5 record and leading MLB with 326 K’s. Since coming to New York – Cole has been magnificent – and has been worth every giant penny they shoveled at him as a sports team. For 3 years, from 2018-2020, he has been showing his stuff – with a 42-13 record and a 696 K’s and a 2.71 ERA. This year the big righty leads the Yankees with 104 strikeouts through 12 starts, along with a nice 2.26 ERA.

He has given the Yankees an incredibly stout pitcher, they can count on every time he takes the mound. In fact, the Yankees have not had a dominant pitcher like him, the way he is playing, since CC Sabathia back in the 2009-2012 era – and even he wasn’t as unbreakable as Cole. He has single handedly been able to keep the Yankees ahead, while they are still figuring some things out with their bats, as they are sitting at only 26th in the majors with a pitiful .228 team batting avg. He has won games 3-1, 2-0, and 1-0 this year, when New York hasn’t been giving run support, he has been enough to get the W’s.

He has been ripping it with a well balanced combination of changeup, slider, curveball and a wicked fastball. Keeping batters uncomfortable and off balance with his lethal and advanced arsenal, he gets batters out in so many different ways. And when at a full count, which hasn’t been often, the 6-4 pitcher keeps batters to a dismal .105 batting avg.
It seems that regardless if ahead, or behind – there is no quit in him.

The 30 year old recently hit the historic 1500 K mark for his career and becoming the Top Dog in Baseball. And he achieved this in 212 games – the only pitcher who hit that number faster was “The Big Unit”, Randy Johnson, he hit his in an astonishing 206 games, achievements like that aren’t to be taken lightly, it certainly puts things in perspective. As of 6.3.2021 – Cole has had 6 games of 4 hits or less, along with 5 games of 9 or more K’s, and has only walked 11 batters, on the season.

With his marvelous play this season, the Yankees can approach a game offensively differently when he is on the mound. In honesty, the Yanks can focus on scoring even just 2-3 runs – they aren’t bogged down with pressure to score 5+. A team always wants to score as many runs as they can, of course, but it has to be a huge relief to know that if you are struggling finding the hit zone, and not able to get some runs on the board – your pitcher is whiffing bats on the other end, keeping them from crossing the plate. And when a pitcher is throwing the ball the way he has – it also makes things much more easier for fielders. They know what they are expecting throughout the game, and it makes their job that much easier.

Cole has been incredible this year, and if he keeps going on this path of destruction he is weaving to opponents – the Yanks very well may have a CY Young winner on their hands.

Top 5 MLB players under the age of 24

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MLB has a whole bunch of young guys playing today, with a load of talent. Every season baseball brings a new cluster of young players who are more than ready to take over as future stars. The storm is coming, so get ready – these are the 5 who are poised to make huge impacts from the potential that we have seen so far in their short careers.

5. Gleyber Torres  / 23 years old / SS / New York Yankees
335 games / 65 HRs / 190 RBI / .477 slugging pct
Gleyber Torres showed his budding power skills off with great swing and a .480 slugging pct in 2018, and his 24 HRs in his rookie campaign showed he has the power to set off a pitch. His on the ball defense needs some work and he has to get faster making decisions – but his swing has been good. HIs 90 RBI in 2019 was 2nd on the team – which was behind only DJ LeMahieu – he has shown the ability to get runners home. He smashed 38 HRs and went off for a .535 slugging pct in 2019 was 2nd only behind their power-man, Aaron Judge, his potential is truly off the charts

4. Luis Robert, CF, White Sox   / 23 years old / CF / Chicago White Sox
80 games / 12 HRs / 39 RBI / 76 hits
Robert looks like he can become a velvety solid hit machine, in his 1st season he racked up 47 hits in 56 games played – it is unfortunate his 1st season was the 2020 season, there could have been so much more shown. With what he showed, I expect the special hitter to be one of the top players for many future years to come. He can be described as fire – with his eye and swing- he is someone that most opponents don’t like seeing in the box.

3. Juan Soto / 22 years old / LF / Washington Nationals
327 games / 71 HRs / 225 RBI / .553 slugging pct
Soto has some massive power, with 71 HRs in 1160 at bats in his short career, in 2020, during the shortened season, he led the league in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, not too bad as a 21 year old. He rolled up into 5th in MVP voting – as a 21 year old, I think it is very easy to say, he has a very realistic shot to land himself a couple of those in his career. Soto can be a steady 40 HR player under regular circumstances – the 225lb lefty should have a fantastic career. He is as close to a can’t miss stud as anyone imaginable.

2. Fernando Tatis Jr.  / 21 years old / SS / San Diego Padres
162 games / 46 HRs / 109 RBI / .294 batting avg
Tatis is a big physical player at SS
Tatis has a great eye and has been absolutely magnificent with early pitches – which is tough to handle for anyone on the bump. The 21 year old ran into 4th place in NL MVP voting in 2020, as he led the Padres in HR in 2020. Tatis was formidable posting a solid .277/ .366 / .571 slash line with 17 home runs, 45 RBIs and 50 runs scored in his 2nd major league season. Tatis showed better plate discipline by walking more often and striking out less

1. Ronald Acuna Jr  / 22 years old / OF / Atlanta Braves
338 games / 90 HRs / 213 RBI / 64 stolen bases
Ronald Acuna was Rookie of the Year in 2018 after having a marvelous 1st season, with 26 HR, a .293 avg, 127 hits and 16 stolen bases. He has shown off speed with the sneaky ability to grab bases and can make teams pay when playing deepened defense. He found a way to lead the league in RBI with 127 in 2019 at just 21 years old – he knows how to run the bases and when to send the ball out to get his guys home. His speed has been lethal – tallying 37 stolen bases in 2019 was 7+ ahead of dangerous bases stealers, Christian Yelich and Starling Marte. He is a guy who can do it all with lightning speed, good power and a great clutch bat.

When it comes to young exciting superstars they are all over the MLB – they all have such great promise to show up and entertain for years to come. But, these are the few guys who are on their way to truly taking over the game over the next several years.
Sit back and enjoy the show – there’s a ton to see.

Jeff’s 2019 MLB Predictions and Awards

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AL EAST

1) New York Yankees (97-65)

2) Boston Red Sox (89-73) WILD CARD

3) Tampa Bay Rays (85-77) WILD CARD

4) Toronto Blue Jays (76-86)

5) Baltimore Orioles (59-103)

AL Central

1) Cleveland Indians (97-65)

2) Minnesota Twins (82-80)

3) Chicago White Sox (73-89)

4) Kansas City Royals (68-94)

5) Detroit Tigers (66-96)

AL WEST

1) Houston Astros (97-65)

2) LA Angels (81-81)

3) Oakland A’s (79-83)

4) Seattle Mariners (78-84)

5) Texas Rangers (70-92)

NL EAST

1) Washington Nationals (92-70)

2) Philadelphia Phillies (90-72) WILD CARD

3) New York Mets (87-75)

4) Atlanta Braves (84-78)

5) Miami Marlins (67-95)

NL Central

1) St. Louis Cardinals (90-72)

2) Milwaukee Brewers (88-74) WILD CARD

3) Chicago Cubs (84-78)

4) Cincinnati Reds (81-81)

5) Pittsburgh Pirates (79-83)

NL WEST

1) Los Angeles Dodgers (95-67)

2) Colorado Rockies (85-77)

3) San Francisco Giants (80-82)

4) San Diego Padres (79-83)

5) Arizona D-bax (73-89)

AL Champion: New York Yankees

NL Champion: LA Dodgers

World Series winner: LA Dodgers in 7

AL MVP: Mike Trout (LA Angels)

NL MVP: Bryce Harper (Philadelphia)

AL CY Young: James Paxton (NY Yankees)

NL CY Young: Aaron Nola (Philly)

AL Rookie of the Year: Vladimir Guerrero Jr…….Easily! (Tor)

NL Rookie of the Year: Victor Robles (Wash)

AL Comeback player: Carlos Correa (Hou)

NL Comeback player: Corey Seager (LAD)

AL Manager of the Year: Kevin Cash (Tampa Bay)

NL Manager of the Year: Gabe Kapler (Philly)

Good Luck this baseball season!

Follow Jeff on Twitter @ jhsportsline

Baseball’s MLB second half push

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In the American League it appears it was all but wrapped up with the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Astros and Mariners making the playoffs, however Oakland has made a push just 3.5 games back of Seattle for that second wildcard. That race out West should be an enjoyment to watch in the second half with more pressure as one gets in and one goes home. The other race to watch is the AL East to see if Boston or New York will take the division and who will settle for the wildcard. The third thing to keep an eye on is who will be the top team to secure home field between the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros. Look for a great race, with the Yankees taking the division by a game, Boston to be the top wildcard, Cleveland taking the Central, Houston winning the AL West and Seattle holding on over Oakland to make the playoffs. These teams will set up for a strong month of playoff baseball in the American League.

The National League is wide open with all three divisions up for grabs and the wild card very busy with multiple teams vying for the last two spots. The East is a three-team race with Philadelphia in first, Atlanta ½ game back and Washington 5.5 games back. In the Central the Cubs are in first place by 2.5 games over Milwaukee and St. Louis is 7.5 games back. Out West its crazy with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies, and Giants within four games of first place. The Dodgers are first, ½ game back is Arizona, Colorado is 2 games back and San Francisco four games back. Milwaukee is the first wildcard by a game with Atlanta currently holding the second wildcard by a half game. All five playoff spots will make for exciting races as no one is a lock. With a week and half left before the trade deadline what moves will be made to push a team over the top? The Dodgers made their move picking up Manny Machado to fill their hole at shortstop and that will push them over the top to win the NL West by a couple of games. The Cubs are hitting their stride and will be pushed by Milwaukee, but beat them out as the Cubs win the division by a few games. The East will be the closest race with the young Phillies and Braves playing strong in September, but will fall short to Washington who will capture the division crown by a game. The wildcard will be the best race with Arizona, Colorado, Milwaukee, St. Louis, San Francisco, Atlanta and Philadelphia fighting for the two wildcards. Look for Milwaukee and Arizona to advance into the playoffs and one game do or die on the strength of their pitching both starting and relieving coming up big down the stretch. The National League five playoff teams will be Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Arizona with any team to advance and represent the National League.

Written by Frank Jordan of VegasTopDogs.

Baseball Betting Made Fun with Total Runs Scored First Four Innings

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Betting on Major League Baseball can be one of the most profitable sports to bet on in all of pro sports and the “wise guys” make a very good living doing just that. Baseball is built for the long haul so if you are looking for a gambling quick fix, this may not be your sport. If you are looking for a game that can make you a ton of money over the course of a season, then baseball is definitely your game.

When betting baseball two very important points come to mind, that is have a budget and by budget we mean, know what you can spend nightly and have a plan as to how much you want to spend on each game; stick to it.

Three Good Ways to Buy Bitcoins at an Online Sportsbook

 

Baseball is a demanding sport to bet on and as a bettor you must be prepared to lose. This is the one sport that you must budget for loss. It’s very simple, in baseball, you are going to win a lot and lose many games over the course of a season. The reason for this is a “loss factor”. Baseball is an extremely long season with 162 games in a schedule. The best of the best in baseball win around 100 games and lose around 50-60 games each season. As a gambler, you must pick your spots.

 

Find a great online baseball sportsbook. Bookies are a dime a dozen on the internet, everyone wants your money but is everyone willing to pay out quickly when you beat them? There are bookies that cater to baseball and baseball bonuses, do your homework and find the ones that cater to baseball and that cater to American players.

 

A few of tonight games are a great example of the difficulties in betting baseball such as the Dodgers taking on the Marlins with Kershaw on the mound and Vegas posting an early line of -360 the Astros taking on the Angels with Verlander at -220. With these kinds of numbers it’s hard to win anything. Not many gamblers want to spend $3.60 to win a dollar or $2.20 in the Astros case. Both of these numbers are huge and it’s a risk that most simply won’t take.

 

Pay Per Head’s Live In-Game MLB Betting Options

This leads to a great example of how to beat Vegas at their own game. We know that Kershaw and Verlander are pitching tonight’s games and we know the reputation for both of these guys. Although Kershaw hasn’t opened the season in grand fashion as he sits ate 1-3 on the year, you can count on him breaking out of this funk and finding a rhythm sooner than later. It’s bound to happen and it will. Verlander has started the season off in grand fashion at 3-0 and he looks like the same ole trusty and reliable Verlander. He is tough to beat and will be hard to beat tonight.

Playing totals in the first four innings can be lucrative and well worth your time and picking your spots is important. Tonight is one of those nights. Verlander is taking on the Angels who happen to be hitting well and have opened the season at 16-8, the Dodgers and Kershaw are taking on the Marlins and Vegas has piled it on tonight thinking that the Marlins have no chance. There is no guarantee of anything in baseball and anything can happen.

Play it safe and jump on the first five inning totals. Verlander and Kershaw are not going to surrender many runs through the first four against anybody. Check with your favorite bookie for the latest lines and odds and have fun.

What is the definition of a sports dynasty

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We as sports fans have watched a multitude of great teams come and go over many tears of watching the amazing sports that we love. Teams like the Boston Celtics, the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and most recently, the New England Patriots. What is one thing that we could all actually be in agreeance on.  Odds are, they have been consistent historical winners, and oftentimes, the sheer mentioning of these teams brings anger and frustration to fans of other teams, and opposing fan bases get annoyed and aggravated when hearing about them.
Because they have been incredibly successful. They had a period where they were dominating their division, their conferences, and their leagues for a lengthy amount of time, and this in itself, angers others. And if we are being completely honest with ourselves, as fans, they are the teams that we wish our teams could emulate. Who wouldn’t love their underachieving, yet steady 7-9 football team to rack up 12 wins in the season every year, like the New England Patriots or have the reputation and great players, seemingly always, like Pittsburgh and be a preseason favorite to win it all, before the season even begins? We all would love that.
By definition from dictionary.com – a dynasty is regarded as a noun 1. a sequence of hereditary rulers: an Egyptian dynasty or 2. any sequence of powerful leaders of the same family: the Kennedy dynasty
But is that what you, as a sports fan consider as a dynasty?
A ruler?
Lets examine.
A teams season wins count for something. A winning team that has been putting up a large amount of wins a season for a lengthy and long period of time is a huge component for being called a dynasty. In the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers have racked up a .654 win pct over the last 3 seasons – which is far ahead of the next best teams in the Eastern conference  like hot teams like the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics. Winning is hard anyway you look at it, but winning 65% of your games for a lengthy period of time is pretty impressive. Not having the oddball eye opening season of big wins, like the New York Giants or the Portland Trail Blazers – but the 15 straight seasons of 10 wins or more like the New England  Patriots or 8 of the last 11 seasons, like the Pittsburgh Steelers  is something to be admired.
Playoff appearances have to count for a huge part of the equation, absolutely. For instance, New England has made the tournament for 9 straight seasons. The fact is, a team that has been able to utterly dominate their division and blow passed them, and get to the playoffs for so many years straight, is pretty impressive. Who wouldn’t want to feel they had a team that did that every single season? And making it to the championship of their sport is beyond comprehension for the vast majority of sports fans. It isn’t commonplace, which is sometimes misunderstood. What the Buffalo Bills did back in the 90’s was amazing, lets be completely honest about that. How many teams make the Super Bowl – let alone, 4 straight? I will tell you…. it doesn’t happen, that is why we always cherish the precious moment if our team makes it there.
Do you seriously consider the Bills a dynasty though? Or when you think of dynasties do you think of Troy Aikman and the Dallas Cowboys? You think of Dallas and I will tell you why. Not only did they win 3 Super Bowls during a 4 year timeframe, but they were one of the teams to beat for about a decade. And going back to an original statement – why do you think Dallas has so many fans that dislike the team? Because they won and they won for a long period of time.
That’s why.
Championships are the ultimate way to openly judge a dynasty. How many times have they won the top honors as the ultimate team to beat. The Yankees won 5 championships over 14 years from 1996-2009, and made it to the World Series 6 times in 8 years. The Patriots have made it to at least the conference championship at least 10 times over 15 seasons. And the Celtics hung up 11 titles from 1956 to 1968.
It’s trying for most of teams, especially those that are usually a middling organization, like the New Orleans Saints, the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers and you may question why or what happened, or the best of the hypothetical questions  the “what if…” Trust me, we all have entertained those deep thoughts in our heads….but then reality comes back around, and who  actually completed their goals and made the right draft picks and hired the right coaches.
Regardless of how you calculate the way you measure a teams success factor to be a dynasty. A team that wins and wins big consistently for a multitude of years, that’s what a dynasty is. A team that doesn’t play down to their opponents, a team that teams fear, and wins across their league – that is the true signs and key to being called a real dynasty. A team that seems to never get worse, a team that thrill their fans and infuriates fans of other teams, based on their immense amount of success, that is when your team has become a real dynasty.
In sports games we often judge a team, by their championships, or a player, often unfairly, by the 5 boxes that we look at. But a team that brings championships to teams, is the ultimate sign of success for an organization, and those are considered what makes a true dynasty.

2017 MLB Prediction

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The 2016 season was historic with two teams who had a long drought of not winning the championship as the Cubs and Indians squared off in the fall classic. Cleveland, on the strength of their bullpen, jumped out to a 3-1 series lead. Chicago had their backs against the wall and over 100 years of losing to break. Which they did with wins in game five 3-2, game six 9-3 behind their bullpen where the Cleveland bullpen got tired. Game seven was a classic for all time going into extra innings before the Cubs put up a pair in the 10th and held on to win 8-7.

What will the 2017 season in baseball bring? If it’s as exciting as the World Baseball Classic won by the USA, it will be filled with a bunch of dramatic moments and tape measure home runs. With some of the players ramped up and in midseason form they will be performing at a high level and make for a full season of quality play.

The American League is an interesting draw as the Central will go to Cleveland as they are the defending AL Champs and only got better adding Edwin Encarnacion. Kansas City still has its core players, but lack quality pitching. Detroit is in the same boat, but getting older and will make some noise maybe good enough for a wild card. Minnesota and Chicago White Sox are rebuilding. The West and East are wide open with plenty of teams loaded up and ready to bust out the bats and take the division. Texas is the defending division champs, though Seattle and Houston were right there for a playoff spot, but fell short in 2016. LA Angels were 74-88, but have a decent team to turn that around and make a run if they improve on their road record from last year of 34-47. Oakland is still rebuilding as they came in last place last year at 69-93. The East was the best division in baseball with four teams over .500 with Boston taking the top spot and adding Chris Sale in the offseason. Baltimore was second and are always solid with Machado leading the offense and Showalter at the helm. Toronto is also strong and re-signed Batista, but lost Encarnacion and replaced him with Morales. Toronto’s main strength is their pitching. The Yankees got younger and the youth gave them the shot in the arm they needed to finish 2016 above .500 at 84-78. Within 2016 they shredded some age and picked up a lot of prospects in trades. The Yankees brought back Chapman to solidify the bullpen and look to get big years from the baby bombers. Tampa Bay finished last and have a good young team, but they go with how well their pitchers do.

The National league will be a bit status quo with the East being a two-team race between Washington and the Mets. Miami, Philadelphia and Atlanta will be better than last year, but not enough to make the playoffs. The Central is the Cubs and everyone else like last year as they won the division by 17.5 games. The main question is can St. Louis or Pittsburgh make any noise in the division or wild card? Milwaukee and Cincinnati are still in rebuilding mode as they are a few pieces away from making a run. The West is going to be wild again this year as the Giants and Dodgers will continue their back and forth rivalry and be jockeying for first place position all season long. Colorado, San Diego and Arizona are going to improve closer to the .500 mark after all finishing 12+ games under .500. The biggest question isn’t who will make the playoffs, but who will finish where, the division winner or wild card?

The playoff teams will be Boston winning the AL East on the strength of their pitching and clutch hitting, Cleveland dominating to an AL Central crown with minimal competition, Texas taking the West with strong hitting and timely pitching. The wildcards will be the Yankees and Toronto. In the NL Washington takes the East, Cubs take the Central and San Francisco will play two solid halves of the season to take the West. The wild card winners will be LA Dodgers and NY Mets. The Yankees will win the wildcard play-in game to take on Cleveland who are just too veteran and the Yankees are a year away from serious contenders. Texas and Boston will go five games in the ALDS with Texas winning at home to advance to the Championship series. Cleveland and Texas will have an offensive ALCS with Cleveland returning to the World Series with some unfinished business. The NL playoffs will playout with the Mets winning the wildcard game over the Dodgers in an epic pitcher’s duel and setting up a showdown with the Cubs. Washington and San Francisco will have a great five game battle with San Francisco winning games Bumgarner starts, but it will be Washington winning in five. Chicago will have a tough time scoring against the quality pitching of the Mets who will advance to a divisional match up with Washington. Washington, having seen the Mets and their pitching 19 times during the regular season, will be poised to jump on the hitter’s pitches as Daniel Murphy has a monster series carrying the Nationals to the World Series. World Series match-up of Washington vs. Cleveland will be a great series, but Cleveland’s advanced hitting and deep bullpen will lead them to erase the memories of last year by winning the World Series in six games.

Written by Frank Jordan of VegasTopDogs.