Saturday night, seven men will join the ranks of the immortals in Canton, complete with bronze busts and mustard-colored jackets. The annual exercise usually raises questions regarding men who aren’t and should be in the Hall of Fame, and regarding men who are and shouldn’t be.
So let’s raise a few of those questions of our own, identifying five who should be in and another five who should be out.
And, yes, I recognize that this is entirely subjective. But the whole process is subjective, no matter how objective anyone tries to make it.
Should be in
Kenny Stabler, Raiders
From 1971-79, Stabler led one of the best teams of the decade. Plenty of close calls finally culminated in a Super Bowl victory. Along the way, Stabler won 69 regular-season starts in Oakland, losing only 26.
The biggest knock against Stabler comes from his stats. He threw for only 27,938 yards and 194 touchdown passes, against 222 interceptions.
Fine, but his numbers were better than Joe Namath’s — and they own the same number of Super Bowl rings.
Pat Tillman
Tillman didn’t play long enough to merit serious consideration based on his on-field accomplishments. But his career wasn’t cut short due to injury or ineptitude. He walked away from millions to join the military, and Tillman made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
Under the current rules, Tillman never will be considered for the Hall of Fame, because off-field conduct doesn’t count. (More accurately, it’s not supposed to count.)
The rule needs to change, and the first beneficiary of it should be the man who turned his back on fame and fortune to set an example that should never be forgotten.
Don Coryell
The NFL wisely adjusted the rules throughout the ’70s to open up the passing game. And the late Don Coryell took full advantage of the changes, devising an offensive attack that has placed players like Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow into the Hall of Fame. Coryell needs to join them.
His passing likely will aid his candidacy in 2011. He should have been more appreciated before he died, but when it comes to the Hall of Fame it’s better late than never.
Jim Plunkett
Like Archie Manning, the highly-skilled Plunkett played for bad teams early in his career. Unlike Manning, Plunkett landed in Oakland just in time to secure two Super Bowl wins.
He’s the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has failed to land in Canton. With championships carrying so much weight, the fact that Plunkett guided a team not once but twice to the top of the mountain should be enough to get him immortalized in Canton.
Shannon Sharpe
He retired as the all-time leader in every receiving category among tight ends. He won a total of three Super Bowls with two different teams.
I could say more, but there’s really no need to.
Should be out
Lynn Swann
The first real dynasty of the Super Bowl era resulted in a parade of Pittsburgh Steelers rolling black-and-gold floats on the short trip to Canton. Plenty of them were worthy.
Lynn Swann wasn’t.
Though he was responsible for some of the most remarkable catches during an era where the football didn’t fly as often as it now does, Swann finished with only 336 catches and 5,462 yards. He scored a scant 51 touchdowns, an average of fewer than six per season.
His total catches don’t even rank in the top 250 all time, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. He’s at No. 184 in receiving yards.
Over the years, he’ll keep falling farther and farther down those lists. But that bust will never leave Canton, even if it never should have been put there in the first place.
Jan Stenerud
Specialists shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame, unless they were so good that they changed the game. Though Stenerud was a pioneer and a great kicker, he’s not a Hall of Famer.
Besides, if any specialist should be in the Hall of Fame, it should be former Raiders punter Ray Guy. Great punters like Guy tilt the field, making it easier to play defense and in turn easier to score points on offense.
So put Guy in, or take Stenerud out. Or both.
O.J. Simpson
The rules regarding the Hall of Fame contain no provision that would permit Hall of Famers to be expelled. The rules in this regard should be changed.
Regardless of whether off-field conduct during the player’s career should be considered when determining whether to put a player in, there should be circumstances in which off-field conduct should be considered when determining whether to kick a player out.
I won’t pretend to know where the line should be. But I know that O.J. Simpson is on the wrong side of it, and he’s got no business having a bust in Canton.
Dick LeBeau
LeBeau has been a great coach. Possibly a Hall of Fame coach. But he’s not been enshrined for his coaching. He’s entering the Hall of Fame for his playing.
His playing simply didn’t reach the Hall of Fame level. And if LeBeau never became a coach, and if he never became the architect of the Steelers’ 3-4 Blitzburgh defense, he wouldn’t be entering the Hall of Fame on Saturday.
While I’ve got no problem with LeBeau receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in the form of a spot in the Hall of Fame, the fact that something other than what he did as a player was considered by the voters means that voters always should consider things other than what a man did as a player, opening the door for men like Pat Tillman.
And if the response is that LeBeau deserves to be in Canton for his coaching, then he should be first considered for the Hall of Fame five years after he retires as a coach.
Joe Namath
I’m finishing where I started, sort of. Joe Namath achieved less than Ken Stabler during his career. So either Stabler should be in or Namath should be out.
It’s that simple. Statistically, Stabler was the better quarterback. Each won a single Super Bowl.
Of course, Namath benefited from his "Broadway Joe" persona, using true fame to make it to the Hall of Fame. Still, the numbers don’t lie. Though one of the most famous quarterbacks in NFL history, his accomplishments don’t justify a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Especially since Stabler doesn’t have a spot of his own.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Saturday night, seven men will join the ranks of the immortals in Canton, complete with bronze busts and mustard-colored jackets. The annual exercise usually raises questions regarding men who aren’t and should be in the Hall of Fame, and regarding men who are and shouldn’t be.
So let’s raise a few of those questions of our own, identifying five who should be in and another five who should be out.
And, yes, I recognize that this is entirely subjective. But the whole process is subjective, no matter how objective anyone tries to make it.
Should be in
Kenny Stabler, Raiders
From 1971-79, Stabler led one of the best teams of the decade. Plenty of close calls finally culminated in a Super Bowl victory. Along the way, Stabler won 69 regular-season starts in Oakland, losing only 26.
The biggest knock against Stabler comes from his stats. He threw for only 27,938 yards and 194 touchdown passes, against 222 interceptions.
Fine, but his numbers were better than Joe Namath’s — and they own the same number of Super Bowl rings.
Pat Tillman
Tillman didn’t play long enough to merit serious consideration based on his on-field accomplishments. But his career wasn’t cut short due to injury or ineptitude. He walked away from millions to join the military, and Tillman made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
Under the current rules, Tillman never will be considered for the Hall of Fame, because off-field conduct doesn’t count. (More accurately, it’s not supposed to count.)
The rule needs to change, and the first beneficiary of it should be the man who turned his back on fame and fortune to set an example that should never be forgotten.
Don Coryell
The NFL wisely adjusted the rules throughout the ’70s to open up the passing game. And the late Don Coryell took full advantage of the changes, devising an offensive attack that has placed players like Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow into the Hall of Fame. Coryell needs to join them.
His passing likely will aid his candidacy in 2011. He should have been more appreciated before he died, but when it comes to the Hall of Fame it’s better late than never.
Jim Plunkett
Like Archie Manning, the highly-skilled Plunkett played for bad teams early in his career. Unlike Manning, Plunkett landed in Oakland just in time to secure two Super Bowl wins.
He’s the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has failed to land in Canton. With championships carrying so much weight, the fact that Plunkett guided a team not once but twice to the top of the mountain should be enough to get him immortalized in Canton.
Shannon Sharpe
He retired as the all-time leader in every receiving category among tight ends. He won a total of three Super Bowls with two different teams.
I could say more, but there’s really no need to.
Should be out
Lynn Swann
The first real dynasty of the Super Bowl era resulted in a parade of Pittsburgh Steelers rolling black-and-gold floats on the short trip to Canton. Plenty of them were worthy.
Lynn Swann wasn’t.
Though he was responsible for some of the most remarkable catches during an era where the football didn’t fly as often as it now does, Swann finished with only 336 catches and 5,462 yards. He scored a scant 51 touchdowns, an average of fewer than six per season.
His total catches don’t even rank in the top 250 all time, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. He’s at No. 184 in receiving yards.
Over the years, he’ll keep falling farther and farther down those lists. But that bust will never leave Canton, even if it never should have been put there in the first place.
Jan Stenerud
Specialists shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame, unless they were so good that they changed the game. Though Stenerud was a pioneer and a great kicker, he’s not a Hall of Famer.
Besides, if any specialist should be in the Hall of Fame, it should be former Raiders punter Ray Guy. Great punters like Guy tilt the field, making it easier to play defense and in turn easier to score points on offense.
So put Guy in, or take Stenerud out. Or both.
O.J. Simpson
The rules regarding the Hall of Fame contain no provision that would permit Hall of Famers to be expelled. The rules in this regard should be changed.
Regardless of whether off-field conduct during the player’s career should be considered when determining whether to put a player in, there should be circumstances in which off-field conduct should be considered when determining whether to kick a player out.
I won’t pretend to know where the line should be. But I know that O.J. Simpson is on the wrong side of it, and he’s got no business having a bust in Canton.
Dick LeBeau
LeBeau has been a great coach. Possibly a Hall of Fame coach. But he’s not been enshrined for his coaching. He’s entering the Hall of Fame for his playing.
His playing simply didn’t reach the Hall of Fame level. And if LeBeau never became a coach, and if he never became the architect of the Steelers’ 3-4 Blitzburgh defense, he wouldn’t be entering the Hall of Fame on Saturday.
While I’ve got no problem with LeBeau receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in the form of a spot in the Hall of Fame, the fact that something other than what he did as a player was considered by the voters means that voters always should consider things other than what a man did as a player, opening the door for men like Pat Tillman.
And if the response is that LeBeau deserves to be in Canton for his coaching, then he should be first considered for the Hall of Fame five years after he retires as a coach.
Joe Namath
I’m finishing where I started, sort of. Joe Namath achieved less than Ken Stabler during his career. So either Stabler should be in or Namath should be out.
It’s that simple. Statistically, Stabler was the better quarterback. Each won a single Super Bowl.
Of course, Namath benefited from his "Broadway Joe" persona, using true fame to make it to the Hall of Fame. Still, the numbers don’t lie. Though one of the most famous quarterbacks in NFL history, his accomplishments don’t justify a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Especially since Stabler doesn’t have a spot of his own.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
From the 49ers-Cowboys NFC championship rivalry all the way through their respective successful stints on "Dancing With The Stars," Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith have had an intriguing link as the two of the premier record-breakers to play football.
In a game where what matters most is scoring touchdowns, they rank Nos. 1 and 2 in NFL history. Rice leads with 208 career touchdowns, followed by Smith with 175.
So it’s appropriate they are being enshrined as Hall of Famers together on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, because they’ve both set the bar high at their positions with their durability and work ethic.
As the game’s documentarian, NFL Films president Steve Sabol has seen plenty of footage of both men in action, talked to hundreds of personnel men and players and coaches about these two greats. For Sabol, the proof of their dominance lies in the numbers.
Take Rice’s most impressive number: 22,985 receiving yards. That total is 34 percent higher than that of the No. 2 man on the career receiving list, Isaac Bruce.
"Rice just doesn’t hold records; he dominates categories," Sabol said. "His career stands as the statistical Everest over the landscape of football."
As for Smith, the NFL’s career rushing record (18,355 yards) comes with an even more impressive stat.
"The most enduring thing about Emmitt is how many carries he had and then how many times he was hit," Sabol said.
Although Rice and Smith often left opponents flustered, along the way, they gained respect from the players and coaches they faced.
"They were incredible at what they did, and you also remember them for being the two of the well-conditioned athletes you’ll ever see," said former Bears and Saints coach Mike Ditka, now an analyst for ESPN. "I certainly enjoyed watching them in every way.
"They both gave everything they got."
Induction Class of 2010
Jerry Rice
Position: WR
NFL career: 1985-2004
College: Mississippi Valley State
NFL teams: 49ers, Raiders, Seahawks
Pro Bowls: 13
Super Bowls: Four (three wins)
Best known as: The best wide receiver of all time and, arguably, the best football player of all time.
Claim to Fame: Rice set the bar for all wide receivers to come with his passion and consistent excellence, and few ever will forget his glorious Super Bowl years in San Francisco catching passes from fellow Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Notable quotes:
"He sets the standard for everyone else." — Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana
"He worked so hard to run the offense. It was built for guys like him. It was timing. It was artistry. It wasn’t just ‘Hey go out there and get open.’ " — Hall of Fame QB Steve Young
"Jerry Rice doesn’t rank in the all-time greats. He is the greatest receiver and maybe the greatest football player of all time." — Saints S Darren Sharper
"Jerry always told me that he never played the perfect game. In his mind, that’s a lofty deal. A lot of people would take a few of his games as perfection." — Hall of Fame DB Ronnie Lott
"It wasn’t about the records. … I enjoyed going out on Sunday in front of 60,000 people and entertaining those people. The way I conducted myself, on and off the field as a professional athlete, the way I wore the uniform, I took pride in that." ¬ Rice
Emmitt Smith
Position: RB
NFL career: 1990-2004
College: Florida
NFL teams: Cowboys, Cardinals
Pro Bowls: Eight
Super Bowls: Three (three wins)
Best known as: The NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Claim to Fame: Smith was the heart and soul of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl teams in 1990s, surviving years of wear and tear to surpass Walter Payton’s once seemingly unbreakable career rushing record.
Notable quotes:
"He’s as much a part of the Cowboys as the star." — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
"He’s passed the test of time. He’s been there year after year, playing at a high level and with a lot of consistency. He plays the game like it’s supposed to be played. He’s a pro’s pro." — Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett
"Some guys have a bad ankle or a charley horse and they say they can’t play. But Emmitt is a team player and he realizes that him on one leg is better than the second guy on three legs." — Hall of Fame RB Gale Sayers
"He would be the first to say he’s a product of the people in front of him, but (linemen) can only gain you so many yards. He did the rest." — Hall of Fame RB Marcus Allen
"For me, winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream." — Smith
Russ Grimm
Position: G
NFL career: 1981-1991
College: Pitt
NFL team: Redskins
Pro Bowls: Four
Super Bowls: Four (three wins)
Best known as: The integral interior force of the "Hogs", one of NFL history’s most physically dominant offensive lines.
Claim to Fame: Lining up next to star left tackle Joe Jacoby, Grimm brought a rare combination of power and speed to create big holes in the running game and also excel in pass protection.
Notable quote: "Russ was the consummate athlete, everything came easy to him. He was exceptionally quick, had great feet, very fine strength, and was a very smart player. Russ was a great puller, a great trapper, could make terrific adjustments in ballgames. He had it all." — Jim Hanifan, former Redskins offensive line coach
Rickey Jackson
Position: OLB
NFL career: 1981-1995
College: Pitt
NFL teams: Saints, 49ers
Pro Bowls: Six
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: A premier pass rusher and prolific tackler.
Claim to Fame: Entering the league in the final year sacks were not recognized as stats, he racked up an unofficial total of 136 over 15 years, including six seasons in double-digits.
Notable quote: "There was nothing he couldn’t do. You couldn’t say he could do this but not do that. He could rush the passer. He could play the run. He could drop into coverage. He could do all those things." — former Saints and Colts coach Jim Mora
Dick LeBeau
Position: CB
NFL career: 1959-1972
College: Ohio State
NFL team: Lions
Pro Bowls: Three
AFL All-Star games: Two
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: An ironman cornerback and, as a coach, the inventor of the zone blitz.
Claim to Fame: As a reliable, durable secondary stalwart for the Lions, he made his mark as a big playmaker with 62 career interceptions. As a defensive guru, his attacking 3-4 scheme is now used all around the NFL.
Notable quote: "I fashion myself to be a historian of the game. His consecutive games streak at the cornerback position probably won’t be broken. This guy played in 171 consecutive games at corner in the NFL. That alone is special." — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin
Floyd Little
Position: RB
NFL career: 1967-1975
College: Syracuse
NFL team: Broncos
Pro Bowls: Five
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: The dynamic playmaker who put a struggling former AFL team on the map in the NFL.
Claim to Fame: He was more than the face of the Broncos at that time; Little’s arms and legs made him a successful triple threat — runner, receiver, returner — who racked up 8,741 yards from scrimmage.
Notable quote: "Floyd Little helped build the Denver Broncos in the early years and created the opportunity for myself and others to come to Denver and play for a great franchise with the best fans in the world. Floyd was not only a special player but is a man of great character and integrity." — former Broncos WR Ed McCaffrey
John Randle
Position: DT
NFL career: 1990-2003
Colleges: Trinity Valley Community College (Texas); Texas A&I NFL teams: Vikings, Seahawks
Pro Bowls: Seven
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: An unrelenting, always-hustling player who backed up his constant yapping by being a disruptive nightmare to opponents. Claim to Fame: He amassed 137 1/2 sacks, tied for sixth all-time with Richard Dent and first among defensive linemen who primarily played tackle.
Notable quote: "I was lucky to see first-hand what a player of his caliber dedicated to his day-to-day routine. You couldn’t help but work harder when he was going full-bore every day. He made all of us on the offensive line better by facing him at practice." — Vikings G Steve Hutchinson
From the 49ers-Cowboys NFC championship rivalry all the way through their respective successful stints on "Dancing With The Stars," Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith have had an intriguing link as the two of the premier record-breakers to play football.
In a game where what matters most is scoring touchdowns, they rank Nos. 1 and 2 in NFL history. Rice leads with 208 career touchdowns, followed by Smith with 175.
So it’s appropriate they are being enshrined as Hall of Famers together on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, because they’ve both set the bar high at their positions with their durability and work ethic.
As the game’s documentarian, NFL Films president Steve Sabol has seen plenty of footage of both men in action, talked to hundreds of personnel men and players and coaches about these two greats. For Sabol, the proof of their dominance lies in the numbers.
Take Rice’s most impressive number: 22,985 receiving yards. That total is 34 percent higher than that of the No. 2 man on the career receiving list, Isaac Bruce.
"Rice just doesn’t hold records; he dominates categories," Sabol said. "His career stands as the statistical Everest over the landscape of football."
As for Smith, the NFL’s career rushing record (18,355 yards) comes with an even more impressive stat.
"The most enduring thing about Emmitt is how many carries he had and then how many times he was hit," Sabol said.
Although Rice and Smith often left opponents flustered, along the way, they gained respect from the players and coaches they faced.
"They were incredible at what they did, and you also remember them for being the two of the well-conditioned athletes you’ll ever see," said former Bears and Saints coach Mike Ditka, now an analyst for ESPN. "I certainly enjoyed watching them in every way.
"They both gave everything they got."
Induction Class of 2010
Jerry Rice
Position: WR
NFL career: 1985-2004
College: Mississippi Valley State
NFL teams: 49ers, Raiders, Seahawks
Pro Bowls: 13
Super Bowls: Four (three wins)
Best known as: The best wide receiver of all time and, arguably, the best football player of all time.
Claim to Fame: Rice set the bar for all wide receivers to come with his passion and consistent excellence, and few ever will forget his glorious Super Bowl years in San Francisco catching passes from fellow Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Notable quotes:
"He sets the standard for everyone else." — Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana
"He worked so hard to run the offense. It was built for guys like him. It was timing. It was artistry. It wasn’t just ‘Hey go out there and get open.’ " — Hall of Fame QB Steve Young
"Jerry Rice doesn’t rank in the all-time greats. He is the greatest receiver and maybe the greatest football player of all time." — Saints S Darren Sharper
"Jerry always told me that he never played the perfect game. In his mind, that’s a lofty deal. A lot of people would take a few of his games as perfection." — Hall of Fame DB Ronnie Lott
"It wasn’t about the records. … I enjoyed going out on Sunday in front of 60,000 people and entertaining those people. The way I conducted myself, on and off the field as a professional athlete, the way I wore the uniform, I took pride in that." ¬ Rice
Emmitt Smith
Position: RB
NFL career: 1990-2004
College: Florida
NFL teams: Cowboys, Cardinals
Pro Bowls: Eight
Super Bowls: Three (three wins)
Best known as: The NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Claim to Fame: Smith was the heart and soul of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl teams in 1990s, surviving years of wear and tear to surpass Walter Payton’s once seemingly unbreakable career rushing record.
Notable quotes:
"He’s as much a part of the Cowboys as the star." — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
"He’s passed the test of time. He’s been there year after year, playing at a high level and with a lot of consistency. He plays the game like it’s supposed to be played. He’s a pro’s pro." — Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett
"Some guys have a bad ankle or a charley horse and they say they can’t play. But Emmitt is a team player and he realizes that him on one leg is better than the second guy on three legs." — Hall of Fame RB Gale Sayers
"He would be the first to say he’s a product of the people in front of him, but (linemen) can only gain you so many yards. He did the rest." — Hall of Fame RB Marcus Allen
"For me, winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream." — Smith
Russ Grimm
Position: G
NFL career: 1981-1991
College: Pitt
NFL team: Redskins
Pro Bowls: Four
Super Bowls: Four (three wins)
Best known as: The integral interior force of the "Hogs", one of NFL history’s most physically dominant offensive lines.
Claim to Fame: Lining up next to star left tackle Joe Jacoby, Grimm brought a rare combination of power and speed to create big holes in the running game and also excel in pass protection.
Notable quote: "Russ was the consummate athlete, everything came easy to him. He was exceptionally quick, had great feet, very fine strength, and was a very smart player. Russ was a great puller, a great trapper, could make terrific adjustments in ballgames. He had it all." — Jim Hanifan, former Redskins offensive line coach
Rickey Jackson
Position: OLB
NFL career: 1981-1995
College: Pitt
NFL teams: Saints, 49ers
Pro Bowls: Six
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: A premier pass rusher and prolific tackler.
Claim to Fame: Entering the league in the final year sacks were not recognized as stats, he racked up an unofficial total of 136 over 15 years, including six seasons in double-digits.
Notable quote: "There was nothing he couldn’t do. You couldn’t say he could do this but not do that. He could rush the passer. He could play the run. He could drop into coverage. He could do all those things." — former Saints and Colts coach Jim Mora
Dick LeBeau
Position: CB
NFL career: 1959-1972
College: Ohio State
NFL team: Lions
Pro Bowls: Three
AFL All-Star games: Two
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: An ironman cornerback and, as a coach, the inventor of the zone blitz.
Claim to Fame: As a reliable, durable secondary stalwart for the Lions, he made his mark as a big playmaker with 62 career interceptions. As a defensive guru, his attacking 3-4 scheme is now used all around the NFL.
Notable quote: "I fashion myself to be a historian of the game. His consecutive games streak at the cornerback position probably won’t be broken. This guy played in 171 consecutive games at corner in the NFL. That alone is special." — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin
Floyd Little
Position: RB
NFL career: 1967-1975
College: Syracuse
NFL team: Broncos
Pro Bowls: Five
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: The dynamic playmaker who put a struggling former AFL team on the map in the NFL.
Claim to Fame: He was more than the face of the Broncos at that time; Little’s arms and legs made him a successful triple threat — runner, receiver, returner — who racked up 8,741 yards from scrimmage.
Notable quote: "Floyd Little helped build the Denver Broncos in the early years and created the opportunity for myself and others to come to Denver and play for a great franchise with the best fans in the world. Floyd was not only a special player but is a man of great character and integrity." — former Broncos WR Ed McCaffrey
John Randle
Position: DT
NFL career: 1990-2003
Colleges: Trinity Valley Community College (Texas); Texas A&I NFL teams: Vikings, Seahawks
Pro Bowls: Seven
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: An unrelenting, always-hustling player who backed up his constant yapping by being a disruptive nightmare to opponents. Claim to Fame: He amassed 137 1/2 sacks, tied for sixth all-time with Richard Dent and first among defensive linemen who primarily played tackle.
Notable quote: "I was lucky to see first-hand what a player of his caliber dedicated to his day-to-day routine. You couldn’t help but work harder when he was going full-bore every day. He made all of us on the offensive line better by facing him at practice." — Vikings G Steve Hutchinson
After spending six seasons with the Texans, CB Dunta Robinson starts anew in Atlanta this season.
Observations and opinions from Falcons training camp in Flowery Branch, Ga.:
What’s new
The secondary received a boost this offseason with the addition of free-agent cornerback Dunta Robinson, a seven-year vet. He is sidelined right now with what coach Mike Smith calls a "tight hamstring," but the Falcons expect him healthy for the Sept. 12 opener at Pittsburgh.
Camp battle
Robinson, obviously, has one cornerback spot locked down, but the other is up for grabs. Veteran Brian Williams, recovering from offseason knee surgery, must get healthy, and he also needs to beat out Christopher Owens, a ’09 third-round pick who started six games last year. Brent Grimes and Dominique Franks are in the mix, too.
Rehab report
Michael Turner rushed for 1,699 yards in his first season with the Falcons and had 831 yards (5 yards a carry) when he injured his ankle in Week 9. A pair of comeback attempts the final few weeks ended quickly, and Turner spent the offseason with a healthy dose of rest.
"Definitely feels great to be back," said Turner, who says he’s close to being 100 percent healthy. "It feels like forever since I’ve played football."
Rookie on the spot
In separate interviews this week, Smith, quarterback Matt Ryan and tight end Tony Gonzalez all identified rookie outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, a first-round pick from Missouri, as having an outstanding camp.
"Spoon’s great," middle linebacker Curtis Lofton said Thursday. "He’s very smart, very athletic and brings a lot of speed and intensity to the field. That’s what you want out of a rookie. He’s been playing both sides (of the formation), and that’s tough, but he’s been doing a really good job of it."
2010 outlook
Although the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are in the division, Sporting News has tabbed Atlanta as the favorite to win the NFC South. And the Falcons could well be a Super Bowl sleeper.
"We’ve got the camaraderie as a team and the right players," wide receiver Roddy White said. "And if we can just stay healthy we can put ourselves right up there with the elite teams in the league."
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
After spending six seasons with the Texans, CB Dunta Robinson starts anew in Atlanta this season.
Observations and opinions from Falcons training camp in Flowery Branch, Ga.:
What’s new
The secondary received a boost this offseason with the addition of free-agent cornerback Dunta Robinson, a seven-year vet. He is sidelined right now with what coach Mike Smith calls a "tight hamstring," but the Falcons expect him healthy for the Sept. 12 opener at Pittsburgh.
Camp battle
Robinson, obviously, has one cornerback spot locked down, but the other is up for grabs. Veteran Brian Williams, recovering from offseason knee surgery, must get healthy, and he also needs to beat out Christopher Owens, a ’09 third-round pick who started six games last year. Brent Grimes and Dominique Franks are in the mix, too.
Rehab report
Michael Turner rushed for 1,699 yards in his first season with the Falcons and had 831 yards (5 yards a carry) when he injured his ankle in Week 9. A pair of comeback attempts the final few weeks ended quickly, and Turner spent the offseason with a healthy dose of rest.
"Definitely feels great to be back," said Turner, who says he’s close to being 100 percent healthy. "It feels like forever since I’ve played football."
Rookie on the spot
In separate interviews this week, Smith, quarterback Matt Ryan and tight end Tony Gonzalez all identified rookie outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, a first-round pick from Missouri, as having an outstanding camp.
"Spoon’s great," middle linebacker Curtis Lofton said Thursday. "He’s very smart, very athletic and brings a lot of speed and intensity to the field. That’s what you want out of a rookie. He’s been playing both sides (of the formation), and that’s tough, but he’s been doing a really good job of it."
2010 outlook
Although the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are in the division, Sporting News has tabbed Atlanta as the favorite to win the NFC South. And the Falcons could well be a Super Bowl sleeper.
"We’ve got the camaraderie as a team and the right players," wide receiver Roddy White said. "And if we can just stay healthy we can put ourselves right up there with the elite teams in the league."
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. — The number three could be the most telling digit for the 2010 Falcons.
Entering his third season as the Falcons’ head coach, Mike Smith has a 20-12 regular-season record.
No, they’re not hoping to kick a lot of field goals this year — the offense, when healthy, is capable of racking up several touchdowns a game. And, no, we’re not talking about the guy who wears No. 3, kicker Matt Bryant — though he is important. And, no, we’re not talking about the guy who wears No. 33, running back Michael Turner, either.
Actually, strike that. Turner is a big part of the Falcons’ rule of threes, but it has nothing to do with his uniform number.
This is Turner’s third year with the Falcons. Ditto, coach Mike Smith. And quarterback Matt Ryan. And middle linebacker Curtis Lofton. And general manager Thomas Dimitroff. And left tackle Sam Baker. Wide receiver Harry Douglas, too.
You get the idea.
"There are no surprises now," Lofton said Thursday. "I’ve been in this system now going on my third year, and I’ve seen it all and done it all. I’m not learning like I did my first year. The second year I’m kinda still learning, and this third year I’m just ready to go."
The Falcons won 11 games and made the playoffs in ’08 and might have made it back to the postseason last year if not for injuries — Ryan and Turner, the team’s two primary offensive weapons, missed time down the stretch — that limited the Falcons to nine victories.
For the moment, everyone is healthy. And everyone is eyeing a breakthrough season for a team that now has seen a bit of everything.
"We think of them as third-year players chronologically, but in terms of their experience they’re way beyond their third year," Smith said. "The number of snaps these guys have participated in are a lot more than most third-year players, and I think that’s why the expectations for them to continue their process of learning what we’re trying to do, that the arrow’s way up."
And, let’s face it: Ryan is the face of this third-year brigade. For better or worse, the quarterback is the most visible player.
"Oh, man, he’s matured beyond his years," said two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White, who has three consecutive seasons with at least 80 receptions and 1,150 yards receiving. "He knows everything in the offense now. He’s right on point; he knows all the checks and everything.
"He’s just kind of building this thing up. And when he gets his chance to go out there this year and show everybody what he can do, he’s going to unleash this year."
These Falcons say they understand the challenge ahead.
"They say your third year is when you’re supposed to make that giant step," Lofton said. "Everybody has that same mindset — let’s push it, let’s come out here working and get ready to do that."
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. — The number three could be the most telling digit for the 2010 Falcons.
Entering his third season as the Falcons’ head coach, Mike Smith has a 20-12 regular-season record.
No, they’re not hoping to kick a lot of field goals this year — the offense, when healthy, is capable of racking up several touchdowns a game. And, no, we’re not talking about the guy who wears No. 3, kicker Matt Bryant — though he is important. And, no, we’re not talking about the guy who wears No. 33, running back Michael Turner, either.
Actually, strike that. Turner is a big part of the Falcons’ rule of threes, but it has nothing to do with his uniform number.
This is Turner’s third year with the Falcons. Ditto, coach Mike Smith. And quarterback Matt Ryan. And middle linebacker Curtis Lofton. And general manager Thomas Dimitroff. And left tackle Sam Baker. Wide receiver Harry Douglas, too.
You get the idea.
"There are no surprises now," Lofton said Thursday. "I’ve been in this system now going on my third year, and I’ve seen it all and done it all. I’m not learning like I did my first year. The second year I’m kinda still learning, and this third year I’m just ready to go."
The Falcons won 11 games and made the playoffs in ’08 and might have made it back to the postseason last year if not for injuries — Ryan and Turner, the team’s two primary offensive weapons, missed time down the stretch — that limited the Falcons to nine victories.
For the moment, everyone is healthy. And everyone is eyeing a breakthrough season for a team that now has seen a bit of everything.
"We think of them as third-year players chronologically, but in terms of their experience they’re way beyond their third year," Smith said. "The number of snaps these guys have participated in are a lot more than most third-year players, and I think that’s why the expectations for them to continue their process of learning what we’re trying to do, that the arrow’s way up."
And, let’s face it: Ryan is the face of this third-year brigade. For better or worse, the quarterback is the most visible player.
"Oh, man, he’s matured beyond his years," said two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White, who has three consecutive seasons with at least 80 receptions and 1,150 yards receiving. "He knows everything in the offense now. He’s right on point; he knows all the checks and everything.
"He’s just kind of building this thing up. And when he gets his chance to go out there this year and show everybody what he can do, he’s going to unleash this year."
These Falcons say they understand the challenge ahead.
"They say your third year is when you’re supposed to make that giant step," Lofton said. "Everybody has that same mindset — let’s push it, let’s come out here working and get ready to do that."
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball.
The Astros’ hitters have responded well to Jeff Bagwell’s mentoring.
STRIKE 1: Bagwell’s tryout is going well
Jeff Bagwell isn’t ready to consider his new job as Astros hitting coach as more than a "two and a half month tryout." Maybe he should.
Since Bagwell moved to the dugout from his role as special assistant to the GM, the Astros lead the N.L. in scoring per game. Yes, he’s been in the position barely three weeks, but before the break, the Astros ranked 15th in runs. Bagwell must be doing something right. Such as:
• Fixing swings. Rookie Jason Castro isn’t going to threaten for the N.L. batting title, but after a sit-down with Bagwell earlier this season, Astros assistant GM Ricky Bennett says the 23-year-old catcher improved his average by "about 70 points in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks" in the minors and reached the majors a month later.
• Enhancing analysis. When an Astros hitter is at the plate, Bagwell is dissecting the at-bat in the dugout with other hitters. "This enables them to look for certain things when they go to the plate," manager Brad Mills says.
• Swinging smart. While Bagwell’s predecessor, Sean Berry, favored an aggressive approach, Bagwell wants his hitters to work counts. "That’s my biggest thing: I don’t want them to give at-bats away," he says.
The 42-year-old former slugger has brought an old-school approach to the job. He is not big on video and he doesn’t believe that 100 swings in the batting cage are more beneficial than "10 or 15 good ones." Today’s hitters, he says, "find ways to put themselves in slumps."
The Astros did not fire Berry until they had asked Bagwell if he would make the commitment to coach. Bagwell had spent plenty of time watching Astros minor league hitters, and had impressed Bennett with an ability to notice flaws and communicate how to correct them. Being a potential Hall of Famer doesn’t hurt his efforts to gain his players’ attention.
"He did it at this level for 15 years, so they’re going to listen," Bennett says. "They better."
STRIKE 2: Taking chances in Toronto
When the Blue Jays traded for Anthony Gose on the same day the Phillies moved him to Houston, many wondered what the Blue Jays were thinking. They gave up Brett Wallace for a kid who was caught stealing 27 times in barely half a season.
Wallace, 23, already has taken over as the Astros’ first baseman and is widely regarded as someone who’ll hit .280 with 20-plus homers for many seasons.
Gose, 19, is a leadoff hitter who posted a .325 OBP for Clearwater before he was traded. Yes, he was a second-round pick and possesses plenty of tools: speed, arm, defense and bat speed. But he has yet to show if he’ll learn how to lay off a slider in the dirt. He could be an All-Star; he might never reach Class AAA. At this point, the odds are about the same.
But that’s the point. Under rookie GM Alex Anthopoulos, the Blue Jays are about taking risks. They feel the best way to hang with the Yankees and Red Sox without their checkbooks is to gamble on high-upside players, especially ones at premium positions. So they’ve taken a chance on Gose just like they have on shortstop Yunel Escobar. Give up a solid-to-good player for a young player who could be special.
To improve their chances of being right, Anthopoulos has beefed up his scouting department at a time when some clubs have cut back. Now he’s listening to his scouts and, most impressive, is showing that he’s not just going to talk about taking risks.
"I give Alex a lot of credit," says one Jays scout. "I don’t think any GM would have had the guts to make a deal like that (for Gose). But he’s sticking to his guns. He wants premium guys, and he knows we need to take risks."
Vicente Padilla has had eight consecutive great starts.
STRIKE 3: Quick hits
• When talking about the hottest pitcher going, don’t forget Dodgers right-hander Vicente Padilla. His two-hit shutout of the Padres Wednesday night gave him eight consecutive starts of allowing two or fewer runs. He baffled the Padres by mixing in a 53-mph curve (Vin Scully calls it the soap bubble) with a 95 mph fastball, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
• No injury to a contender could prove more costly than the Cardinals’ loss of rookie third baseman David Freese for the rest of the season. Trading right fielder Ryan Ludwick will look even more ill-advised if the Cardinals don’t come up with a better replacement than sore-kneed Felipe Lopez or Aaron Miles. Freese’s defense has been most missed so far.
• Hitting home run No. 600 was a big deal for Alex Rodriguez, but it might not have been the best news of his day. This could have been: Determining a winning bid in the Rangers’ sale means there should be no legal hangup of the $24.9 million the club owes him in deferred salary. Interesting to hear A-Rod say that 600 is a nice number but the milestones that will mean more are ones when he starts catching the six sluggers ahead of him. Think that has anything to do with the $6 million he’ll be paid by the Yankees for each one he passes?
• Another reason that Torii Hunter is what’s right about baseball: His move to right field was accompanied by little comment except, "If it’s best for the team, OK."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball.
The Astros’ hitters have responded well to Jeff Bagwell’s mentoring.
STRIKE 1: Bagwell’s tryout is going well
Jeff Bagwell isn’t ready to consider his new job as Astros hitting coach as more than a "two and a half month tryout." Maybe he should.
Since Bagwell moved to the dugout from his role as special assistant to the GM, the Astros lead the N.L. in scoring per game. Yes, he’s been in the position barely three weeks, but before the break, the Astros ranked 15th in runs. Bagwell must be doing something right. Such as:
• Fixing swings. Rookie Jason Castro isn’t going to threaten for the N.L. batting title, but after a sit-down with Bagwell earlier this season, Astros assistant GM Ricky Bennett says the 23-year-old catcher improved his average by "about 70 points in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks" in the minors and reached the majors a month later.
• Enhancing analysis. When an Astros hitter is at the plate, Bagwell is dissecting the at-bat in the dugout with other hitters. "This enables them to look for certain things when they go to the plate," manager Brad Mills says.
• Swinging smart. While Bagwell’s predecessor, Sean Berry, favored an aggressive approach, Bagwell wants his hitters to work counts. "That’s my biggest thing: I don’t want them to give at-bats away," he says.
The 42-year-old former slugger has brought an old-school approach to the job. He is not big on video and he doesn’t believe that 100 swings in the batting cage are more beneficial than "10 or 15 good ones." Today’s hitters, he says, "find ways to put themselves in slumps."
The Astros did not fire Berry until they had asked Bagwell if he would make the commitment to coach. Bagwell had spent plenty of time watching Astros minor league hitters, and had impressed Bennett with an ability to notice flaws and communicate how to correct them. Being a potential Hall of Famer doesn’t hurt his efforts to gain his players’ attention.
"He did it at this level for 15 years, so they’re going to listen," Bennett says. "They better."
STRIKE 2: Taking chances in Toronto
When the Blue Jays traded for Anthony Gose on the same day the Phillies moved him to Houston, many wondered what the Blue Jays were thinking. They gave up Brett Wallace for a kid who was caught stealing 27 times in barely half a season.
Wallace, 23, already has taken over as the Astros’ first baseman and is widely regarded as someone who’ll hit .280 with 20-plus homers for many seasons.
Gose, 19, is a leadoff hitter who posted a .325 OBP for Clearwater before he was traded. Yes, he was a second-round pick and possesses plenty of tools: speed, arm, defense and bat speed. But he has yet to show if he’ll learn how to lay off a slider in the dirt. He could be an All-Star; he might never reach Class AAA. At this point, the odds are about the same.
But that’s the point. Under rookie GM Alex Anthopoulos, the Blue Jays are about taking risks. They feel the best way to hang with the Yankees and Red Sox without their checkbooks is to gamble on high-upside players, especially ones at premium positions. So they’ve taken a chance on Gose just like they have on shortstop Yunel Escobar. Give up a solid-to-good player for a young player who could be special.
To improve their chances of being right, Anthopoulos has beefed up his scouting department at a time when some clubs have cut back. Now he’s listening to his scouts and, most impressive, is showing that he’s not just going to talk about taking risks.
"I give Alex a lot of credit," says one Jays scout. "I don’t think any GM would have had the guts to make a deal like that (for Gose). But he’s sticking to his guns. He wants premium guys, and he knows we need to take risks."
Vicente Padilla has had eight consecutive great starts.
STRIKE 3: Quick hits
• When talking about the hottest pitcher going, don’t forget Dodgers right-hander Vicente Padilla. His two-hit shutout of the Padres Wednesday night gave him eight consecutive starts of allowing two or fewer runs. He baffled the Padres by mixing in a 53-mph curve (Vin Scully calls it the soap bubble) with a 95 mph fastball, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
• No injury to a contender could prove more costly than the Cardinals’ loss of rookie third baseman David Freese for the rest of the season. Trading right fielder Ryan Ludwick will look even more ill-advised if the Cardinals don’t come up with a better replacement than sore-kneed Felipe Lopez or Aaron Miles. Freese’s defense has been most missed so far.
• Hitting home run No. 600 was a big deal for Alex Rodriguez, but it might not have been the best news of his day. This could have been: Determining a winning bid in the Rangers’ sale means there should be no legal hangup of the $24.9 million the club owes him in deferred salary. Interesting to hear A-Rod say that 600 is a nice number but the milestones that will mean more are ones when he starts catching the six sluggers ahead of him. Think that has anything to do with the $6 million he’ll be paid by the Yankees for each one he passes?
• Another reason that Torii Hunter is what’s right about baseball: His move to right field was accompanied by little comment except, "If it’s best for the team, OK."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
As August heats up, here is a look at two hot rookies and two cold veterans and how their hitting figures to impact their teams’ chances of playing when temperatures drop in October.
Giants rookie Buster Posey is on a tear.
Buster Posey, C, Giants
Few things in baseball are as maligned as the Giants’ offense. The schedule. Bud Selig’s refusal to implement more replay. Alex Rodriguez’s sincerity.
But perhaps it is time to stop bashing Giants’ hitters. Since July 1, the day Bengie Molina was traded and San Francisco made Posey its full-time catcher, the Giants lead the majors in runs scored. That’s right. Not the Yankees. Not the Phillies. The Giants, with an average of 5.4 runs in their past 30 games.
Posey isn’t the only reason, of course. Aubrey Huff and Andres Torres have provided plenty of offense. But they don’t lead the majors in batting average and on-base percentage since the end of June. Posey does, at .414 and .468, respectively. They didn’t reel off a 21-game hitting streak. Posey did.
The 23-year-old rookie has done his damage from the middle of the order, too. Since the club (finally) handed him the catcher’s job, the Giants lead the NL with a 22-8 record. Their pitching has been as good as advertised during that stretch, with a 3.18 ERA that is third-best in the N.L. behind the Reds and Braves.
The Posey-led offense has made the difference. Scouts believe Posey’s swing is so polished that he should avoid prolonged slumps. He hasn’t had an 0-for-4 performance since June 27. He is striking out only once every eight at-bats. He is hitting to all fields.
If Posey keeps this up, he might not only help the Giants to their first postseason appearance in the post-Barry Bonds era but he could wrestle rookie of the year honors from the Braves’ Jason Heyward.
Jon Jay, OF, Cardinals
When Ryan Ludwick went on the disabled list in early July, the Cardinals called up Jay. When Ludwick came off the disabled list, the Cardinals didn’t send down Jay.
Instead, they soon traded Ludwick. The Cardinals say a need for starting pitcher led to the move, but they don’t deny Jay’s play in Ludwick’s absence made the move more doable.
All Jay did was lead the NL in hitting last month with a .431 average while posting a .500 on-base percentage. The 25-year-old rookie played so well that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa couldn’t take him out of the lineup. "He’s a player," La Russa says. "He does something good every game."
Jay will be counted on to keep up the strong play. With Ludwick in San Diego and Colby Rasmus having an up-and-down second season, the Cardinals need Jay’s offense in front of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. The club went 8-1 when Jay started and scored at least one run in July. When he didn’t score, the Cardinals were 3-6.
When the inevitable rookie slowdown comes — Jay is 1-for-12 since Ludwick was traded — the Cardinals have Randy Winn and Allen Craig to play in the outfield. But Jay figures to get the majority of the at-bats in right field and perhaps some of Rasmus’ in center. "He’s earning them," La Russa says of the Cardinals’ second-round pick in 2006.
If Jay is concerned about any added pressure, he hides it well. "I don’t take anything for granted," Jay says. "I’ll still come in every day to see if my name is in the lineup."
Troy Glaus has been struggling since mid-June.
Troy Glaus, 1B, Braves
In his first month with his new team and at a new position, Glaus hit .194 with two homers and nine RBIs. The Braves didn’t fare much better, going 9-14 and finishing April in last place.
It was no coincidence that when Glaus got hot in May, so did the Braves. "After he started hitting, that was our big turnaround," righthander Tim Hudson says. "Other guys just seemed to fall in line."
The Braves moved into first place in late May and have remained there, though their seven-game lead over the Phillies on July 22 has dwindled to two. You can point to Glaus as the reason for this reversal, too. He is hitting .163 since June 15 and was worse in July (.182-0-5) than he was in April.
Glaus had legitimate reasons for his awful April: He was on a new team at a new position (first base) and he was coming off a season mostly lost because of shoulder surgery.
As for July, who knows? Hitting coach Terry Pendleton says the slugger is tired. Bobby Cox gave Glaus off Tuesday night for what he told reporters was a "breather." Glaus insists his shoulder is sound but doesn’t offer a better explanation for his slump.
The Braves could use reserve outfielder Eric Hinske more at first base, but he hit only .212 in July and likely would be more exposed as an everyday player. They have used second baseman Martin Prado there a bit but he is on the disabled list. Another possibility would be to call up first base prospect Freddie Freeman before the rosters expand Sept. 1, but counting on a rookie in a playoff race is hardly ideal.
Vladimir Guerrero, DH, Rangers
One of the feel-good stories of the first half is not feeling so fine these days. Perhaps the Texas heat is slowing down Guerrero. After all, he spent the previous 14 seasons in Southern California and Montreal. Perhaps he is feeling his age (35) or perhaps the knee, shoulder, back and chest injuries that plagued him the past two seasons are acting up.
Whatever the reason, Guerrero has slowed after his All-Star first half. He entered today’s action with a season-low .304 average, a drop of 35 points since June 30. Only one of his 21 homers has come since the All-Star break. He recently went nine games without an RBI.
And he has just begun the hottest two months of the year in Texas.
The good news for the Rangers: A lot more would have to go wrong than a Guerrero slump for them to lose their lead in the AL West. Josh Hamilton has ensured that their offense has remained potent. The arrival of Cliff Lee has improved the pitching. They have continued to build on their division lead despite Guerrero’s slowdown.
Guerrero wouldn’t be the first to feel the drain of August in Arlington. The Rangers have gone 52-62 from August on since 2008. The difference this season: They have an eight-game cushion.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
As August heats up, here is a look at two hot rookies and two cold veterans and how their hitting figures to impact their teams’ chances of playing when temperatures drop in October.
Giants rookie Buster Posey is on a tear.
Buster Posey, C, Giants
Few things in baseball are as maligned as the Giants’ offense. The schedule. Bud Selig’s refusal to implement more replay. Alex Rodriguez’s sincerity.
But perhaps it is time to stop bashing Giants’ hitters. Since July 1, the day Bengie Molina was traded and San Francisco made Posey its full-time catcher, the Giants lead the majors in runs scored. That’s right. Not the Yankees. Not the Phillies. The Giants, with an average of 5.4 runs in their past 30 games.
Posey isn’t the only reason, of course. Aubrey Huff and Andres Torres have provided plenty of offense. But they don’t lead the majors in batting average and on-base percentage since the end of June. Posey does, at .414 and .468, respectively. They didn’t reel off a 21-game hitting streak. Posey did.
The 23-year-old rookie has done his damage from the middle of the order, too. Since the club (finally) handed him the catcher’s job, the Giants lead the NL with a 22-8 record. Their pitching has been as good as advertised during that stretch, with a 3.18 ERA that is third-best in the N.L. behind the Reds and Braves.
The Posey-led offense has made the difference. Scouts believe Posey’s swing is so polished that he should avoid prolonged slumps. He hasn’t had an 0-for-4 performance since June 27. He is striking out only once every eight at-bats. He is hitting to all fields.
If Posey keeps this up, he might not only help the Giants to their first postseason appearance in the post-Barry Bonds era but he could wrestle rookie of the year honors from the Braves’ Jason Heyward.
Jon Jay, OF, Cardinals
When Ryan Ludwick went on the disabled list in early July, the Cardinals called up Jay. When Ludwick came off the disabled list, the Cardinals didn’t send down Jay.
Instead, they soon traded Ludwick. The Cardinals say a need for starting pitcher led to the move, but they don’t deny Jay’s play in Ludwick’s absence made the move more doable.
All Jay did was lead the NL in hitting last month with a .431 average while posting a .500 on-base percentage. The 25-year-old rookie played so well that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa couldn’t take him out of the lineup. "He’s a player," La Russa says. "He does something good every game."
Jay will be counted on to keep up the strong play. With Ludwick in San Diego and Colby Rasmus having an up-and-down second season, the Cardinals need Jay’s offense in front of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. The club went 8-1 when Jay started and scored at least one run in July. When he didn’t score, the Cardinals were 3-6.
When the inevitable rookie slowdown comes — Jay is 1-for-12 since Ludwick was traded — the Cardinals have Randy Winn and Allen Craig to play in the outfield. But Jay figures to get the majority of the at-bats in right field and perhaps some of Rasmus’ in center. "He’s earning them," La Russa says of the Cardinals’ second-round pick in 2006.
If Jay is concerned about any added pressure, he hides it well. "I don’t take anything for granted," Jay says. "I’ll still come in every day to see if my name is in the lineup."
Troy Glaus has been struggling since mid-June.
Troy Glaus, 1B, Braves
In his first month with his new team and at a new position, Glaus hit .194 with two homers and nine RBIs. The Braves didn’t fare much better, going 9-14 and finishing April in last place.
It was no coincidence that when Glaus got hot in May, so did the Braves. "After he started hitting, that was our big turnaround," righthander Tim Hudson says. "Other guys just seemed to fall in line."
The Braves moved into first place in late May and have remained there, though their seven-game lead over the Phillies on July 22 has dwindled to two. You can point to Glaus as the reason for this reversal, too. He is hitting .163 since June 15 and was worse in July (.182-0-5) than he was in April.
Glaus had legitimate reasons for his awful April: He was on a new team at a new position (first base) and he was coming off a season mostly lost because of shoulder surgery.
As for July, who knows? Hitting coach Terry Pendleton says the slugger is tired. Bobby Cox gave Glaus off Tuesday night for what he told reporters was a "breather." Glaus insists his shoulder is sound but doesn’t offer a better explanation for his slump.
The Braves could use reserve outfielder Eric Hinske more at first base, but he hit only .212 in July and likely would be more exposed as an everyday player. They have used second baseman Martin Prado there a bit but he is on the disabled list. Another possibility would be to call up first base prospect Freddie Freeman before the rosters expand Sept. 1, but counting on a rookie in a playoff race is hardly ideal.
Vladimir Guerrero, DH, Rangers
One of the feel-good stories of the first half is not feeling so fine these days. Perhaps the Texas heat is slowing down Guerrero. After all, he spent the previous 14 seasons in Southern California and Montreal. Perhaps he is feeling his age (35) or perhaps the knee, shoulder, back and chest injuries that plagued him the past two seasons are acting up.
Whatever the reason, Guerrero has slowed after his All-Star first half. He entered today’s action with a season-low .304 average, a drop of 35 points since June 30. Only one of his 21 homers has come since the All-Star break. He recently went nine games without an RBI.
And he has just begun the hottest two months of the year in Texas.
The good news for the Rangers: A lot more would have to go wrong than a Guerrero slump for them to lose their lead in the AL West. Josh Hamilton has ensured that their offense has remained potent. The arrival of Cliff Lee has improved the pitching. They have continued to build on their division lead despite Guerrero’s slowdown.
Guerrero wouldn’t be the first to feel the drain of August in Arlington. The Rangers have gone 52-62 from August on since 2008. The difference this season: They have an eight-game cushion.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Every move Brett Favre makes, plenty of photographers and reporters are sure to follow.
It’s usually not good practice to headline an article with a question, especially when the answer is unkown. But it seems like that’s the question that needs to be asked right now after an entire day of wall-to-wall Brett Favre speculation. At the time these words are coming out of my brain, through my hands and into my computer, there are no fewer than eight different Favre-related links on the NFL page of this site.
If you take every nugget of information on its own, each can make a pretty good – and newsworthy – story. Reports indicate that Favre texted teammates that he was retiring: That’s good news … in that it’s actual news, which in this media circus, is definitely good.
But wait …other news has grown out of that initial news, including the fact that Brad Childress, the Vikings coach who admitted in a press conference that he had talked to Farve within the last day, knows nothing about this decision to retire. More news, in that there’s no actual news.
At this point, it would make sense to realize that this whole charade is nothing more than Favre pining for (yet another summer of) attention from the national media. If he text messages a friend, hundreds of media trucks descend upon his gates. Nobody else can imagine that kind of power. LeBron James had to orchestrate an entire circus to get us to pay this much attention to him. All Favre has to do is avoid roaming charges.
Oh, but there’s more. Steve Mariucci reported that Favre hasn’t decided and is "trying to get my body healthy." There’s a report today that he’s out at a high school field, tossing the pigskin with the locals. "GET THE FILM CREWS TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD."
And more news of no news with Favre denying he texted anyone on Tuesday and saying he hasn’t made up his mind.
You almost can’t blame Favre. Sure, he could have stopped all this yesterday by putting out a statement or, gosh, actually making a real decision, but we need to realize that this issue isn’t so much with Favre as with us.
Eight stories on the home page most of Tuesday and early Wednesday, and we were likely the most understated national sports site in this race to cover the story. ESPN and NFL Network scrapped hours of coverage yesterday – and presumably today – to pile helping after helping of punditry and speculation onto the tiny scraps of news that were coming out. We’ve learned about his ankle, we’ve talked to his former teammates about whether Green Bay should "forgive" him, we’ve gotten comments from Tarvaris Jackson, who you just have to feel terrible for at this point. He’s like the rebound girl who keeps getting dumped but stays inexplicably loyal.
Really, nothing has changed from two days ago. Favre may or may not have told teammates that he was coming back, and they may or may not believe him. He told his friends in the media that he isn’t sure, certainly undercutting whatever he told his teammates that prompted those media friends to reach out in the first place. And, best we can tell, his own coach doesn’t know anything.
Right … I almost forgot that something did come out of this. Favre’s clandestine waffling did get him a raise, to – reportedly – $20 million.
Make no mistake that Zygi Wilf, et al, reportedly offering $20 million to a player in his 40s who may retire because his ankle is so mangled he doesn’t think he can play … is not only news, but fantastically hilarious news.
Hey, maybe I did answer my original question. If you separate each individual part as separate news – including Deadspin’s well-timed report that Favre is not just an old man, but a dirty old man, to boot – there might be a story here. There’s no answer to anything, and each nugget in some way contradicts the next, but there’s enough news that it has to be covered, even if it’s done with a modicum of reluctance.
Here’s the problem, though. It all goes back to LeBron James. We – meaning the media – destroyed ESPN for taking part in The Decision, allowing James to ostensibly buy an hour of time on their air for his own promotional event, all part of a never-ending need to feed his ego. How, exactly, is this Favre thing any different from that … with all of us deserving blame? Favre is in the news because he wants to be. If he wanted to be a farmer in Mississippi, we’d never hear from him again. If he wanted to wait until September to make a decision, he’d call a press conference over Labor Day weekend and get press then. He’s orchestrating this … not just with ESPN, but with NFL Network and every other sports and news organization in between. Heck, the Colbert Report led with Favre last night. The cable news networks had panels dedicated to this decision.
Favre hasn’t just worked ESPN like James did. He’s worked everyone (and I am fully aware that it includes me). At least James gave us the awkward payoff. We’re not even sure Favre will give us that. So while each separate nugget is news, the overall story is still a whole pile of nothing. Are we covering it because we have to? Because the next guy over is doing it, and if we don’t, we run the risk of losing readership/viewership/listenership? Or are we doing it because the lack of news, with Favre, is actually still news?
At what point does it become journalistically irresponsible to cover or not cover a story? And if we think the news is fake, is it even news? Bah … more questions.
You can read/listen to more from Dan Levy at OntheDLpodcast.com and follow him on Twitter @onthedlpodcast
Every move Brett Favre makes, plenty of photographers and reporters are sure to follow.
It’s usually not good practice to headline an article with a question, especially when the answer is unkown. But it seems like that’s the question that needs to be asked right now after an entire day of wall-to-wall Brett Favre speculation. At the time these words are coming out of my brain, through my hands and into my computer, there are no fewer than eight different Favre-related links on the NFL page of this site.
If you take every nugget of information on its own, each can make a pretty good – and newsworthy – story. Reports indicate that Favre texted teammates that he was retiring: That’s good news … in that it’s actual news, which in this media circus, is definitely good.
But wait …other news has grown out of that initial news, including the fact that Brad Childress, the Vikings coach who admitted in a press conference that he had talked to Farve within the last day, knows nothing about this decision to retire. More news, in that there’s no actual news.
At this point, it would make sense to realize that this whole charade is nothing more than Favre pining for (yet another summer of) attention from the national media. If he text messages a friend, hundreds of media trucks descend upon his gates. Nobody else can imagine that kind of power. LeBron James had to orchestrate an entire circus to get us to pay this much attention to him. All Favre has to do is avoid roaming charges.
Oh, but there’s more. Steve Mariucci reported that Favre hasn’t decided and is "trying to get my body healthy." There’s a report today that he’s out at a high school field, tossing the pigskin with the locals. "GET THE FILM CREWS TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD."
And more news of no news with Favre denying he texted anyone on Tuesday and saying he hasn’t made up his mind.
You almost can’t blame Favre. Sure, he could have stopped all this yesterday by putting out a statement or, gosh, actually making a real decision, but we need to realize that this issue isn’t so much with Favre as with us.
Eight stories on the home page most of Tuesday and early Wednesday, and we were likely the most understated national sports site in this race to cover the story. ESPN and NFL Network scrapped hours of coverage yesterday – and presumably today – to pile helping after helping of punditry and speculation onto the tiny scraps of news that were coming out. We’ve learned about his ankle, we’ve talked to his former teammates about whether Green Bay should "forgive" him, we’ve gotten comments from Tarvaris Jackson, who you just have to feel terrible for at this point. He’s like the rebound girl who keeps getting dumped but stays inexplicably loyal.
Really, nothing has changed from two days ago. Favre may or may not have told teammates that he was coming back, and they may or may not believe him. He told his friends in the media that he isn’t sure, certainly undercutting whatever he told his teammates that prompted those media friends to reach out in the first place. And, best we can tell, his own coach doesn’t know anything.
Right … I almost forgot that something did come out of this. Favre’s clandestine waffling did get him a raise, to – reportedly – $20 million.
Make no mistake that Zygi Wilf, et al, reportedly offering $20 million to a player in his 40s who may retire because his ankle is so mangled he doesn’t think he can play … is not only news, but fantastically hilarious news.
Hey, maybe I did answer my original question. If you separate each individual part as separate news – including Deadspin’s well-timed report that Favre is not just an old man, but a dirty old man, to boot – there might be a story here. There’s no answer to anything, and each nugget in some way contradicts the next, but there’s enough news that it has to be covered, even if it’s done with a modicum of reluctance.
Here’s the problem, though. It all goes back to LeBron James. We – meaning the media – destroyed ESPN for taking part in The Decision, allowing James to ostensibly buy an hour of time on their air for his own promotional event, all part of a never-ending need to feed his ego. How, exactly, is this Favre thing any different from that … with all of us deserving blame? Favre is in the news because he wants to be. If he wanted to be a farmer in Mississippi, we’d never hear from him again. If he wanted to wait until September to make a decision, he’d call a press conference over Labor Day weekend and get press then. He’s orchestrating this … not just with ESPN, but with NFL Network and every other sports and news organization in between. Heck, the Colbert Report led with Favre last night. The cable news networks had panels dedicated to this decision.
Favre hasn’t just worked ESPN like James did. He’s worked everyone (and I am fully aware that it includes me). At least James gave us the awkward payoff. We’re not even sure Favre will give us that. So while each separate nugget is news, the overall story is still a whole pile of nothing. Are we covering it because we have to? Because the next guy over is doing it, and if we don’t, we run the risk of losing readership/viewership/listenership? Or are we doing it because the lack of news, with Favre, is actually still news?
At what point does it become journalistically irresponsible to cover or not cover a story? And if we think the news is fake, is it even news? Bah … more questions.
You can read/listen to more from Dan Levy at OntheDLpodcast.com and follow him on Twitter @onthedlpodcast
