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Pro Sports Wrap - by Sam Ruesler

Pro Sports Wrap - October 2011

10/2011 Player Profile: Mat Latos

October 31st 2011 15:31
To celebrate Halloween, I have another exclusive Player Profile/Scouting Report of a current MLB player. Appropriately, for the holiday, my shuffled song is currently "Enter Sandman". It would have been plain freaky if I was planning a piece about Mariano Rivera, but I have an equally interesting piece written about a young pitcher on the Padres.

Last season, Mat Latos was a 4 WAR pitcher who was getting a ton of recognition as one of the best young pitchers in baseball. His fastball was sizzling as his slider electrifying. This season, his fastball is still relatively effective but is considerably worse. Last season, he was just mowing down hitters. All of his pitches have been worse this season, especially his curveball. Each of his pitches have also been much slower this year, and it is obviously a concern when a pitcher's fastball is ticks below what it was the previous season.


Although his BABIP rose this year, that is negated by a slight decrease in walk rate as well as a decrease in HR/FB ratio. Not only that, but his peripherals were worse in 2011 (9.21 K/9 to 8.57 K/9 and 2.44 BB/9 to 2.87 BB/9). I don't think he has been tired, and I actually think he was struggling from the lingering effects of an injury at the beginning. His FIP got much better as the season wore on. In fact, if you took out the first month, Latos was just as good this year as he was last year in terms of FIP.

Arguably the best stat out there for pitchers, Latos's FIP rose by only 0.16 this season. His WAR went down to 3.2, but he still pitched well this season and should continue to do so. I don't have any concerns for Latos's pitcher at this point, and I think he can continue to do well. While he was certainly nowhere near his 2010 form, Latos wasn't exactly awful this season either.

Watch for a bounce back year
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2011 PSW AL MVP

October 30th 2011 13:22
There is really no doubt in my mind that Jacoby Ellsbury was the best player in the American League in 2011. His 9.4 WAR is a stellar mark, and it is significantly higher than everybody else in the AL. Ellsbury does it all. He hits for power, average, he steals bases, and he is one of the best defensive players in baseball.

Not many center fielders can knock more than 30 homers out of the park, and even fewer can do so with 39 steals and a .321 batting average to boot. His .230 ISO and solid K/BB ratio also go well with his 119 runs scored. Ellsbury recorded a stellar 5.66 WPA and absolutely devoured both fastballs (31.2 wFB) and change-ups alike (an insane 10.5 wCH).

The best attribute that Jacoby Ellsbury possess is the most underrated when mentioning MVP candidates; defense. He is easily a Gold Glove winner and had a very high UZR of 15.6 thanks to some impeccable range. Not only that, but Jac-El rarely ever commits and error or misplays a ball. The only knock against the game's best defensive CF is his subpar outfield arm.

Two impressive advanced statistics to note when evaluating Ellsbury's monstrous 2011 campaign are his 22.9 LD% and 16.7 HR/FB ratio. There is no better all-around player in baseball, and voters need to put the collapse behind them and rightfully crown Tacoby Bellsbury as the 2011 AL MVP. I mean, he only became the first player in the Red Sox storied history to join the elusive and exclusive 30-30 club.

The leader in total bases for the 2011 season is also this season's Comeback Player of the Year. He really needs to grab this award with his .402 wOBA that translates to a 150 wRC-plus. Again, not many center fielders can do that whilst having one of the highest UZRs in the league. And oh by the way, his 32 homers and 105 RBIs mostly came from the leadoff spot. Yeah, Jacoby is a beast.
Scary thought: Only gonna get better
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10/2011 Historical Player Profile: Aaron Beasley

October 28th 2011 16:54
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers were two wonders to behold in the 90's. The Jags made four straight playoff appearances after their first ever season in 1996, and the Panthers were in the conference championship in just their second season. For the Jaguars, cornerback Aaron Beasley was a key contributor having been their 3rd rounder in the team's first draft. Beasley spent six seasons with the team and picked off 15 passes.

I want to get rid of the ugly air first and mention that Aaron Beasley was convicted of battery, but the charges were dropped. Another interesting note is that he co-founded the energy drink company Fever. One of the best players in WVU's history, Beasley certainly lived up to his All-American and WVU Hall of Fame billing.

In 1999, Beasley picked off a career-high six passes and led the league with two pick-sixes and 200 total interception return yards. He followed up that performance with five sacks the next season. As a freaking cornerback! In fact, that is the fifth highest number of sacks by a cornerback in a season in NFL history.

The nine year career corner, who also played with the Jets for two seasons and a season with the Falcons, finished off his career with four picks when he was only listed as a starter for three games. It was the only season of his career in which he wore a number other than 21 (37).

Most players break out in their third season, and Beasley was no different. He had three picks and a long fumble recovery for a touchdown in 1998, and that set the tone for the rest of his career as a big-play corner (647 career defensive yards). While he did give up his fair share of big plays, pretty much every Jaguars fan will agree with me that Aaron Beasley is one of their best defensive players in franchise history.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Top Playoff Performer
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10/2011 Historical Player Profile: Harold Reynolds

October 27th 2011 14:51
It's Staind time (I put on Grooveshark as I write). Yo Tim, be sure to correct me if I get some stuff wrong and add in your opinion. Your the history junky who knows this stuff better than I do and enjoys the game as I do.

Harold Reynolds is one of my favorite baseball players of all-time, and he was arguably the best defensive second baseman of the late 80's and early 90's, and he won three Gold Glove awards for his efforts. In 1990, he had an insane season at second defensively, and he was also terrific the season before defensively. The speedy Reynolds stole 60 bases in his second season (1987) and had 250 career swipes.

From 1983-1994, Reynolds played for the Mariners, Orioles, and Angels with all but the last two of those seasons with the Mariners. Although he was extraordinary in the speed and defense departments, Harold Reynolds was a poor hitter. He had very little power and was a career .258 hitter despite having a walk rate that was significantly higher than his strikeout rate. Reynolds's best season offensively was in 1989 when he had 103 wRC-plus and had the best season of his career (defense added) with 4.6 WAR.

The only other season in which the former ESPN broadcaster- yeah, I brought that up- had 4 WAR was in 1990 (4.2) WAR backed by that aforementioned stellar defensive season (20 TZ) with some subpar hitting (92 wRC-plus). It was the only season in which he hit the century mark in runs scored with exactly 100.

In 1987 and 1988, 2.3 and 2.6 WAR respectively, Reynolds was an All-Star. His best award, however, came in 1991 in which he won the Roberto Clemente Award for his character and charitable acts to the community. The career 53 triples hitter is known as having the best range for a second baseman in recent history.
10 seasons with M's

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10/2011 Player Profile: Sedrick Ellis

October 26th 2011 13:52
The New Orleans Saints have the luxury of being four-deep at defensive tackle with Aubrayo Franklin, Shaun Rogers, Sedrick Ellis, and Tom Johnson. The problem for the Saints is that for as good as the interior of their defensive line is, the team struggles on a whole against the run due to the utter incompetence from the linebackers (most namely the overrated Johnathan Vilma).

While Ellis is a pretty good defensive tackle, he is inconsistent and can get blown off of plays in run defense. He also isn't good at pressuring the quarterback, and thus he is the most overrated of the team's defensive tackles. So while he was a solid (but nothing more) contributor against the run, Sedrick Ellis has not been an effective pass rusher since his insane and unattainable (for him) rookie season. He still has a chance to be a productive interior pass-rushing presence instead of a very poor one, but that really doesn't seem very likely at this point. He does show flashes in that department at times, but he earns his starting keep on reputation and his rookie year


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10/2011 RB Rankings

October 25th 2011 14:59
1. Adrian Peterson- And you thought I was going to put DeMarco Murray here. Seriously though, there is no back out there better than Peterson. He's everything you want in a pure rusher with his versatility in that he can blow by you, juke you out, and run you down 'till you fall flat on your face (the song is Madden 2003's "Suck It Up").

2. Jamaal Charles- The ACL tear sucks, and Charles is a monster who averaged only about six yards per carry last year


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10/2011 Historical Player Profile: Jim Davenport

October 24th 2011 14:55
A Giants lifer, Jim Davenport spent his 13 year career playing solid ball for the San Francisco Giants. The 1962 All-Star third baseman is currently with the Giants as a front office worker, and he used to be a manager for them; albeit an unsuccessful one. Davenport later went on to be a coach for the Philles and a scout for the Tigers.

Although he wasn't a good hitter- career wRC-plus of 90- he did play some nice D over at the hot corner and was a Gold Glover in 1962. That was easily his best season, as he was on their World Series squad and earned his only All-Star appearance. Jim Davenport posted a 4.7 WAR on the strength of arguably his best season in the field and his best season as a hitter (119 wRC-plus). Davenport crossed the plate 83 times that season with a triple slash of .297/.357/.456. I know that runs scored is a bad measurement of skill, but I just put that out there for the traditionalists and the guys who like to know (although I doubt anybody cares at all


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10/2011 Defensive End Rankings

October 23rd 2011 15:28
1. Justin Tuck- Stout against the run and can bring the heat too. Just a monster who has also mastered the art of the strip sack.

2. Julius Peppers- Makes everyone around him that much better and does everything as a player. Peppers can even tip passes regularly on the line (9 PDs last season


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10/2011 Roundup: TTU!

October 23rd 2011 07:03
Dude, today was the day I immersed myself in the wonders of college football. How can it be that the World Series is somehow overcome by a sport in which players are illegally paid to play? The answer is simple; college football kicks ass. Pardon me for my language that trumps standard elementary school vocabulary, but my previously candid statement sums everything up perfectly. How else can I describe a tipped Hail Mary pass that sent one of my favorite teams to victory? Order a schadenfreude movie on DVD now! Underneath a libel washes the motorway.

Now, LSU's romping of Auburn only serves as a warning to the only other team who can play with them; 'Bama. LSU is basically saying, "Yo Saban, which just owned your rival. Come play us and see some real swag on a football field." Landry Jones and his deflated bunch have pretty much dropped themselves out of the class of LSU and 'Bama, if they were ever in that class to begin with. Oh yeah, you know, I don't care much for those damned rankings at the beginning of the season. Nobody has ever seen anybody play, so they don't mean anything at all. The term is meaningless- I know- but the nonsensical rambling of a sports blogger are droning through an equally meaningless post


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10/2011 Top 15 Players on the Boston Red Sox

October 22nd 2011 14:04
1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury- Is good at everything- especially speed and D- and plays at a position of weakness in the league.

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia- Best defensive infielder in baseball who is also more than capable with the stick. And oh yeah, positional adjustment favors him too


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10/2011 WR Rankings

October 21st 2011 15:20
1. Larry Fitzgerald- When will this guy get a quarterback again? Is uncoverable when he actually has good receivers around him as well. This is how Steve Smith used to feel before Cam Newton came around, except Smith still doesn't have all that good wideouts around him quite yet.

2. Andre Johnson- Statistically the best, but the game goes beyond stats. He isn't quite at Fitzgerald's level, but the distance between them is almost negligible


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10/2011 Football Talk: The Pouncey Brothers

October 20th 2011 15:01
Last year, one of the dumbest Pro Bowl vote-ins of all-time was made. Yet another overhyped rookie, Maurkice Pouncey, was voted as a Pro Bowl starter. The Steelers center may be a lovable figure, but he's actually a poor player. He's among the most overrated players in the game, as he is one of the worst centers in pass protection. The whole Steelers offensive line stinks, but Pouncey isn't the odd man out on the line. While he isn't all that bad of a run blocker, his pass protection is detrimental to the team. I wish fans would start watching the games more closely instead of hopping onto some bandwagon.

However, Maurkice's brother Mike has been far better so far in his early NFL career. Although he did struggle last game against a very tough opponent in the running game (Sione Pouha), he was once again lights-out as a pass protector. Mike Pouncey has already been arguably the best rookie thus far, but he hasn't had the same hype as his twin brother did last year. In fact, the newest Pouncey to the league had more attention as a draft pick. Guys, it's time to give the elder Pouncey his due. Defensive tackles will tell you that he is already a force in the Dolphins interior


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10/2011 Detroit Lions Top 20 Players

October 19th 2011 15:53
1. WR Calvin Johnson- Really the only reason why this offense functions. Stafford's fine, but he would be half the player with Johnson. Of course that goes with most QBs, but Stafford isn't really all that good. He's above-average- which isn't bad- but nothing more; he's overrated by a lot of guys.

2. DE Cliff Avril- Yeah, the underrated Avril is their second best player. To tell you the truth, the Lions aren't really that talented. You may think I am underrating Suh, but the young tackle has a lot to prove. For as great as he is as a pass rusher, Avril is better. One other thing, Avril isn't a liability against the run


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10/18 NFL Rumors: Carson Palmer Traded

October 18th 2011 19:00
What the Raiders did is perplexing to me, but it was the only way to get a starting quarterback. Look, I don't think any team wants to start Kyle Boller right now, and the Raiders were out of options. Everybody knew they had to overpay, but a first rounder is far too much for a below-average quarterback. Palmer isn't that bad, but Jason Campbell might actually be better. It was sad to see Campbell go down like that, as he was playing some damn good football this season. He really broke out as a game manager and remains one of my favorite players since his days with the 'Skins.

No matter how much I hate Mike Brown, now was a good time for him to let Carson Palmer continue his NFL career and move on with Andy Dalton. Even though it hurts his already dirt-low stature for being a pushover from his initial refusals to trade Palmer, he finally did something for the good of the team. I have always been highly critical of Brown, but this was actually a nice move. For the Raiders, it was necessary, as they are a team that can contend for a playoff spot. It's always good to see teams trying to make that push by adding guys at the deadline, much like teams do in baseball


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10/2011 Historical Player Profile: Tom Goodwin

October 17th 2011 14:47
For 14 seasons, centerfielder Tom Goodwin tore up the basepaths and played some solid defense as well. Although he was a poor hitter with almost no power, he had some terrific inside-the-park home runs (like the one against the Braves). Goodwin played for the Dodgers, Royals, Rangers, Cubs, Padres, and the Giants.

In truth, however, Tom Goodwin was actually a horrible hitter who had a career wRC-plus of just 79 and never had a season worth two WAR. Regardless, he was still well-liked and hit a good amount of triples with his speed. Only weighing 175 pounds, his main asset to a club was his devastating speed and was a speed demon in every sense of the word. Goodwin played good D and was among the league leaders in sacrifices, as he was definitely a "small ball" player over his career


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10/16 NFL Rumors: Tuck and Snee Out

October 16th 2011 15:26
In case anybody was wondering, I get all my rumors from Yahoo! Sports, and I basically read, rephrase, and add in my own opinion to make these rumors unique and PSW-quality.

The Giants had one of those "What the hell just happened?" losses last week against the Seattle Seahawks. I looked outside to see if the world was ending, but it was just another NFL game. The Giants now face the surprise Buffalo Bills, but they won't have Justin Tuck and Chris Snee. They can deal with losing Snee, but Justin Tuck is such a huge presence for this team. I never thought they could win anyway, but this only hurts the Giants. The Bills will come back down to earth to a certain extent at some point during the season, because their terrible players on the offensive line are over-performing at an unsustainable level


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10/2011 Player Profile: Ray Rice

October 15th 2011 17:01
When talking about elite running backs, it is imperative to mention the name "Ray Rice". He is the focal point of a contender's offense, and I honestly hope that you don't think Joe Flacco is the team's best offensive player. That honor goes to Rice, or the very underrated Marshal Yanda. In any case, Rice is one of the best and most versatile backs in the NFL right now, and he currently has a 52.9 RB Efficiency score.

According to Advanced NFL Stats, Rice currently has the 6th highest EPA among running backs this season (13th last season), and his DYAR (provided by Football Outsider's) was 13th in the NFL last season. However, Rice is a better player than the statistics indicate, because we haven't taken into account that he is one of the best receiving running backs in the league


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10/2011 Top 20 Players on the Patriots

October 12th 2011 13:48
1. QB Tom Brady
2. LG Logan Mankins
3. LB Jerod Mayo


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10/2011 Pittsburgh Steelers Top 20 Players

October 10th 2011 17:26
1. LB James Harrison- Does everything well.
2. S Troy Polamalu- Hey there, thanks for reading.
3. QB Ben Roethlisberger- Where would this offense be without him? Yeah, that was a rhetorical question buddy


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10/2011 Historical Player Profile: Johnny Grubb

October 5th 2011 15:27
A former first round draft pick, Johnny Grubb spent 16 seasons in the Major Leagues with the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers while winning a World Series ring with the Tigers in 1984. In 1974, Grubb was an All-Star in the only season that he would be on the All-Star team.

Overall in his career, he was a very patient hitter who was also above average (120 career RC-plus). However, Grubb was also a terrible defensive player who did not have much power at all (99 homers). In 1978, he was traded from the Indians to the Rangers for two prospects after spending only one full season in Cleveland. He played 44 games for his new outfit, and he had the best season of his career (3.4 WAR) while with the Indians. Grubb had more walks than strikeouts, and that's actually not surprising because he his career walk percentage is very close to his career strikeout rate and is in fact higher than it by .1


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10/2011 Player Profile: Felix Jones

October 4th 2011 15:00
Although he is a very explosive player who is a terrific pass-catcher, I am really not a big fan of Felix Jones as a player. I think he is an average running back at best, and the Cowboys need to get a new feature back to help out Romo. His RB Efficiency score last year was a below-average 46.6, but he is still a more than capable number two back in this league.

It may seem like I'm hating on Jones right now, but it's just that I don't think he is a consistent enough rusher. There is no doubt that Felix Jones is one of the most explosive backs in this league, but that really doesn't mean much if you can't consistently help your team get yards on the ground. He's good enough that opposing defenses definitely have to account for him on every play, but he's not the guy who strikes fear into opposing defenses. They know that they can leave six men in the box and can still survive the encounter


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10/2011 Historical Player Profile: Tom Tracy

October 3rd 2011 14:44
Ah, it's finally October and the sporting world is buzzing. The players and owners are still talking instead of balling over in the NBA, the MLB playoffs are here, the Canadians are worrying about the Canucks and Leafs, and the NFL season is as crazy and messed up as ever. To keep this constant amid all this turnover, I'd like to take a breather and briefly look at a former Steelers' career.

The Detroit Lions took Tom Tracy in the 5th round (50th overall), and that just goes to show how many teams there were in 1956. The running back did nothing in his first two seasons, and "The Bomb" signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the next 5 and 1/4 seasons, Tracy would play Pro Bowl football in the city of Pittsburgh


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2011 Week 4 Preview: Jets and Ravens

October 2nd 2011 13:29
This right here is definitely the game of the week, and it features Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, and Jim Leonhard going at it against their former team. This is a matchup between two contenders who have quite a bit to prove heading into this matchup. The Ravens need to show that they are indeed for real, and the Jets really have to show that they aren't all mouth after getting run all over by Darren McFadden.

In big injury news, Nick Mangold is listed as questionable for this game, and this actually does mean quite a bit. Not only is he one of the best centers in the game, but his replacement Colin Baxter is one of the worst run-blocking offensive linemen in the league. He gets pushed around like crazy, and that more than "makes up for" his great work in pass protection. It's known fact that run blocking is far more important for centers than pass protection, and Baxter has proven to be a liability on the line overall


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