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  #1  
Old 10-22-2012, 03:23 PM
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Jeff Emerson
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Location: Arizona
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Default My son's Sports blog. Let me know what you think.

My oldest son Justin is a freshman at Arizona State Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
He is in a program at as part of the Barrett Honors College that will allow him to get a Master degree in Journalism in only four years.

He wants to be a Sport Journalist.
He has gotten a good start.
He started his own blog. 90 Feet to First
http://90feettofirst.com/
I would be interested as to what everyone thinks of this articles good or bad.


He also got in with the student run web site Cronkite Sports and writes Post game analysis of the ASU Football games. (He hopes to do ASU Baseball as well).
He was able to get press passes for the Oregon and Utah games.
Here are the ASU football Articles.
http://www.cronkitesports.com/asu-football


He ran into the editor of the Downtowndevil in the elevator and she asked him if he was interested in writing for them. He mentioned that they did not have a sports department so he was not really interested. She said they were starting one and wanted someone to write and article on what the Dbacks need to do in the offseason.
He was thrilled by this since it is exactly what he wants to do.
Here is that article.
http://sports.downtowndevil.com/2012...layer-outlook/

It was suppose to be the about the whole team but it ran really long so they posted just he position players. We believe they will post the pitchers later.

I think the articles are pretty good but I may be bias.
I would like some more objective opinions.
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  #2  
Old 10-22-2012, 03:57 PM
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I didn't read the articles in detail as I really don't have an interest in modern pro sports. That being said the website and information is very professional looking. Job well done.
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  #3  
Old 10-22-2012, 04:48 PM
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octavio ranzola
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Default justin blog

red sox article well written and loved tebow blog.nice website its now in my favorites box.articles are very current and do not bore you...best of luck justin.octavio
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  #4  
Old 10-24-2012, 05:22 PM
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Here is his latest post.
Nice debate over who will win the Series.

http://90feettofirst.com/2012/10/24/...ncisco-giants/

WSB: Unfortunately for the Giants, any notion that Verlander’s All-Star game start is a sign of things to come should be disregarded. Verlander labored in his start because he came out trying to throw 105 miles per hour, just like every All-Star game starter tries to do. Though Verlander did not retire any of the three Giants he faced, Melky Cabrera no longer plays for the Giants and Buster Posey walked. Pablo Sandoval mashed a triple, but there is no rhyme or reason to Sandoval’s success against specific pitchers. Pablo is a “see ball–hit ball” type of player. Verlander’s elite right now, and the Giants best hope is to rally against an awful Tigers bullpen.

90 Feet:Couldn’t agree more. Verlander is better when he starts off soft (relatively speaking), and when he finds his groove he lights up the radar gun late in games. He said that he went in to the All-Star Game throwing as hard as he can because that’s what people wanted to see. Verlander is a professional and knows what he needs to do. Specifically Sandoval, a notorious free-swinger, the Panda can expect a steady diet of off-speed pitches.


Tigers ace Justin Verlander toes the rubber for Game 1 tonight
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Both teams play in parks that are considered pitcher-friendly. How will this affect the offense?

90 Feet: The park factor can definitely help the Giants, especially in that home run eating cavern they call AT&T Park. The Tigers aren’t the best at manufacturing runs; they prefer their longball. Cabrera and Fielder aren’t going to be able to swing for McCovey Cove and expect success. The Tigers need Austin Jackson to have a good series, getting on to lead off inning, stealing bases and getting into scoring position. The Giants on the other hand play to their ballpark better than any other team in baseball, and won’t be adversely affected by the heavy bay air.

WSB: In reality, a big ballpark doesn’t affect superstars like Miguel Cabrera or Prince Fielder. If either of those players gets ahold of one, it’s leaving the yard. The Giants pitchers get an edge here because a Delmon Young (18 HRs) or Austin Jackson (16 HRs) might hit crucial fly-outs instead of crucial homeruns. The Giants are not built around their power, so Comerica Park won’t phase them. They won the NLCS behind the bats of Pablo Sandoval and Marco Scutaro, and expect their contribution levels to stay the same in the World Series.

The Giants passed on the opportunity to reinstate All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera to the postseason roster after he served his 50 game suspension. Does this hurt them?


Melky Cabrera will not be playing in the World Series. Mistake?
Getty Images

WSB: Credit General Manager Brian Sabean and Manager Bruce Bochy for leaving Melky off the roster. A lot of teams might have looked at Melky’s .346 batting average and given in, but thanks to Buster Posey, the Giants fared just fine without him. Melky has not taken a Major League at-bat in 2 months, and who knows if he’s the same player without PEDs? Furthermore, this is a franchise trying to create a change in the clubhouse culture. The steroid stigma continues to haunt the Giants, and Melky’s suspension embarrassed the organization. Melky forfeited his rights to play in the postseason and the Giants made the right move.

P.S. –Don’t mention Guillermo Mota

90 Feet: I agree that Melky may not be game ready but is your alternative really that much better? To say that Gregor Blanco has been bad this postseason is an understatement- a .182 batting average? Really? Melky has not earned the right to play in the World Series, as you mentioned. He may even be dependent on PEDs to be even an adequate Major League hitter. But I can’t buy the argument that your team is better with Blanco than Cabrera. Cabrera was the first-half MVP of the National League! The Tigers have the superior offense, and if I’m the Giants I try to counter that in any way possible. Even if it means swallowing my pride and calling a cheater. He won’t be what he was, but half of Melky is better than all of Blanco.

P.S. –If you get to say that, then don’t mention Jose Valverde. In any context. Ever.

The Giants don’t have a true Designated Hitter and the Tigers’ pitchers don’t hit. How will this affect the Series?

90 Feet: American League teams playing in National League parks and vice-versa plays a huge role. Verlander for example, has 35 plate appearances in his career (including the 2006 World Series) and has a hit in a grand total of 0 of them. He does however, have 9 sacrifice bunts. Nobody expects the Tigers’ pitchers to hit, but it is imperative that they bunt the ball, and bunt it well. It won’t be an issue for the Giants’ staff, who has done it all year. When the series flips to Comerica, the Tigers return Delmon Young to his DH spot and put a better defender in left field, whether that be Berry or Dirks. The Giants do not have a typical DH, and as most NL teams do, pick the best player off their bench and insert him toward the bottom. Playing DH is not easy; it is tough to ask a baseball player to only hit. Aubrey Huff has experience in that role, and I personally think he is their best option, especially against Detroit’s right-handed exclusive pitching staff.

WSB: Oh Justin, Giants fans would be sick to their stomach to see Aubrey Huff in the DH role. Bruce Bochy uses Huff as a pinch-hitter early in the game, simply to ensure that Bochy isn’t faced with the decision of playing Huff late in the game. The Giants should use Hector Sanchez in the DH spot. Sanchez has ridiculous splits when he is ahead in the count, but he is most impressive when hitting the first pitch (.452 average in 31 ABs). If Sanchez struggles, insert Joaquin Arias into the lineup at third base and use Sandoval as the designated hitter. Many National League teams are ill-equipped to deal with the Designated Hitter, but I think the Giants can use it to their advantage and put a great defense on the field as well.


Kerry Crowley (left), author of West Side Bias and Justin Emerson (right), author of 90 Feet To First

And finally, who wins and in how many games?

WSB: Giants in 7. We’re in for a great series regardless of who wins, but I find it impossible to pick against the Giants. This team is 6-0 when facing elimination and they cannot be counted out until a Tigers pitcher closes out the series. The Tigers have great starting pitching, but so do the Giants. The Tigers have a solid offense, and the Giants do too. The difference is the bullpens. Bruce Bochy can play match-ups from the 5th inning on and as great as Jim Leyland is, he doesn’t have this luxury. That’s why the Giants win their second World Series in three years.

90 Feet: Game 4 will be the swing game. Unless one of the teams is up 3-0, the winner of Game 4 wins it all. The Series has all the makings of a classic, and it’ll need to be to live up to last year’s. Austin Jackson is the ignitor to the offense, and Phil Coke has become the de-facto closer. Both will need to have big series in order for the Tigers to win. Jim Leyland works a bench better than anyone I’ve seen, and Berry, Kelly, Dirks, Laird, Worth, everyone will need to be ready. Verlander wins the MVP, winning Game 1, Game 5, and out of the bullpen in Game 7, Tigers in 7.
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Old 10-24-2012, 05:34 PM
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Your son is doing the right thing.
My son was a journalism major at College of New Jersey and graduated with an award given by the journalism school for being the #1 journalism student in the graduating class.
He then worked for The Trenton Times as a sportswriter, covering the hockey team and local sports.
He started his own blog also about the Mets and walk off hits.
He got an interview with ESPN and for one job slot 50 people were interviewed.
He got the job.
Now he has a top job there which includes writing for espn.com.
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Last edited by RichardSimon; 10-24-2012 at 05:35 PM.
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Old 10-30-2012, 09:30 PM
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Default Andrew Friedman- Baseball Genius

Every now and then, baseball is gifted with truly intelligent individuals. Among recent ones, Pat Gillick, Billy Beane, Tony LaRusa, Bruce Bochy. Recognition is deservedly given to them, whether it be with Hall of Fame plaques, movie blockbusters, or World Series rings. The General Manager of the Tampa Bay Rays isn’t a household name, but make no mistake, Andrew Friedman is a genius.



Andrew Friedman was named Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations (GM) of the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays following the 2005 season. Since then, the Devil Rays have changed their team name, colors, manager, and every single player in their organization, but Friedman has remained. Joe Maddon was hired two days after Friedman and together the pair have turned the Devil Rays, the joke of the league, to the Rays, a perennial powerhouse and a model major league franchise.


What makes Friedman so good? He doesn’t mess up. Seriously. DRays Bay and Rays Colored Glasses know a lot more about the Rays than I do, and they both published posts about his worst moves as GM, and neither are long lists. When your worst trade is acquiring away Calvin Medlock and Brian Shackelford for Jorge Cantu and Shaun Cumberland. Among the list compiled by DRays Bay, the best players Friedman has given up have combined for one All-Star appearance, with Ty Wigginton picking one up in 2010 in Baltimore. His worst free agent signing? A two-year commitment to Pat Burrell that cost the team $16 million.

On the free agent market, he has crafted shrewd deals like bringing names like Akinori Iwamura Dan Johnson, Joel Peralta, Kyle Farnsworth, Johnny Damon and Jose Molina to town, all of whom were solid at different times. Most recently, he signed Luke Scott and Fernando Rodney, the latter turning in one of the finest season a closer has ever had.

He has also overseen now eight drafts. Among current major league players drafted under the Friedman regime (round- year): Evan Longoria (1st- 2006), Alex Cobb (4th- 2006), Desmond Jennings (10th- 2006), David Price (1st- 2007), Matt Moore (8th- 2007), and Stephen Vogt (12th- 2007).

Where Friedman does his best work is scouring the trade market. Among his solid Major League players that have contributed to the Rays that he acquired include Edwin Jackson (who was later flipped for Matt Joyce), J.P. Howell, Dioner Navarro, Kelly Shoppach and Ryan Roberts. Then come his big deals. He traded Aubrey Huff for Ben Zobrist and Mitch Talbot. He traded Matt Garza for a slew of minor leaguers including Chris Archer and Hak-Ju Lee. He traded Scott Kazmir in a deal that brought over Sean Rodriguez. And he traded away Jesse Chavez for Rafael Soriano.


Pitcher Matt Garza #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws against the Texas Rangers during game 3 of the ALDS at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on October 9, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

In his finest hour as GM, prior to the 2008 season he traded Delmon Young in a deal that led to Tampa Bay receiving Garza and Jason Bartlett. Garza won the ALCS MVP that year and Bartlett received MVP votes. That year the Rays not only won the AL East, becoming the first non-Yankees or Red Sox team to do so since 1997, but won the American League pennant.

While a hard list of players may not impress you, consider what Friedman has done with those players: since he took over, the Rays have a winning percentage of .516. Before him it was .447. They did not have a winning season before he arrived. They have not had a losing season since 2007. Keep in mind that Friedman had to rebuild, as they were an an awful franchise when he took control. Since 2008, they have a winning percentage of .565. They have two AL East titles, a Wild-Card berth and an American League pennant under Friedman, all competing in the brutal AL East. His payroll has never exceeded $72 million. The Yankees and Red Sox, since 2008, have not dipped below $122 million.



What Friedman has done with a sorry franchise is incredible. He rebuilt it from the ground up, never made a bad decision. While playing in the toughest division in baseball, he made “Moneyball” proud by winning the division twice while competing with two financial giants. And he continues to win. It used to be that when discussing the AL East it was the Yankees, the Red Sox, and everyone else. Now the Rays are right in the discussion each and every year. They are the model that all small market teams follow. When his players get too expensive, he trades them or lets them leave by free agency and finds a cheaper replacement. How do the Tampa Bay Rays do it? Quite simply Andrew Friedman is the best General Manager in baseball.
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