Every Little Thing Dwight Does is Magic

The reader's demanded it, and I aim to please so here you have it: The Complete NBA Playoffs as told by this guy....

Eastern Conference First Round
(1) Cavs over (8) Pistons in 5 games
-You can never completely count out Detroit, but this team is a shell of its former self. I say they steal one at home but get killed otherwise.

(2) Celtics over (7) Bulls in 7 games
-At first glance, this match up looked like it was going to be a cake walk for the Celtics. That was until the news about KG finally surfaced, and now the defending champs are really going to have to play tough in order to advance. Today's 105-103 OT loss to the Bulls in game 1 of the series is not the kind of start they were looking. Paul Pierce's inability to be clutch with the game on the line could come back to haunt this team, I still think they move on but you're looking at a repeat of their last year opening round series against Atlanta.

(3) Magic over (6) Sixers in 6 games
-Indeed, the sixers have a lot of young talent on their roster, including my boy Andre Igouadala who dishes out punishment like a school yard bully. They could probably push this thing to 7 games if Elton Brand was healthy, but the Magic are just too dominant down low with Dwight Howard, and can shoot the 3 better than any team in the league.

(5) Heat over (4) Hawks in 7 games
-This is the 1st round matchup that I am most looking forward too. I like both of these teams and think both can make some damage in the playoffs. Bottom line: I can't bet against D Wade. He's just too good. I don't care who it is they are playing against, Wade will will his team to a 1st round victory no matter what.

Western Conference First Round
(1) Lakers over (8) Jazz in 6 games
-The Jazz were a dark horse pick by many early in the season, and they have a very good squad, but they didn't live up to expectations during the regular season and I don't think they can live up to expectations in the post season either. The only reason I have this game going to 6 is because LA has lost to some bad teams this year (Charlotte twice, Indiana) plus the Jazz beat the Lakers once this season so its not out of the question that the steal a win or two. Lets not forget the Conference Semi's last year where it did look like Utah was going to upset LA at one point.

(7) Hornets over (2) Nuggets in 7 games
-I like the New Orleans Hornets. I've liked them all season and I'm not going to turn against them now (its a little thing called integrity). They distribute the ball very well and have a lot of different guys contributing in a lot of different areas. If Tyson Chandler is healthy for this series, I dont think Denver has a chance. The Nuggets are notorious choke artists and I just don't see it being any different this season, even with Chauncey Billups back in the lineup.

(3) Spurs over (6) Mavericks in 7 games
-This is one of the best rivalries in the Western Conference and its going to be a good show. I think Dallas is as capable of upsetting the Spurs as anyone, but I don't see it happening. This year's Spurs team has one of the best supporting casts in the NBA to compliment Timmay and Tony Parker. You can never count out San Antonio as a Finals contender, this year is no different.

(4) Trailblazers over (5) Rockets in 6 games.
-The Rockets are another perennial choke artist and without Mcgrady they are doomed for another early First round exit. Portland is the real deal this season and can hang with anyone in the conference, even the mighty Lakers.

Eastern Conference Semifinals
(1) Cavs over (5) Heat in 6 games.
-Lebron and the Cavs are simply too dominant this season. They will go all the way to the NBA finals even if there was a Dwayne Wade playing every position. I love D Wade to the point where I almost bought a Heat jersey, but sorry buddy, this ain't your year. This isn't the only time you'll finish second to Lebron this season either...

(3) Magic over (2) Celtics in 7 games
-This should be a really good series, with both teams putting everything they got on the line. It's just that without KG, what the Celtics do have isn't enough to stop the immovable man- child down low known as Dwight Howard

Western Conference Semifinals
(1) Lakers over (4) Portland in 7 games
-I think Portland will push LA to its breaking point in the series and fall 3 pts short of moving on to their first conference finals since 2000. The end result will be much like that series which the Lakers took 4 games to 3 en route to an NBA title.

(3) Spurs over (7) Hornets in 7 games
-A rematch from last year and the same result. San Antonio is as good as anyone in the post season and I just can't bet against them. Sorry NO you will be missed (so will you Lil' Wayne).

Eastern Conference Finals
(1) Cavs over (3) Magic in 6 games
-The Cavs are just too good. The are too good. How many times to I have to say this for you to believe me?!

Western Conference Finals
(1) Lakers over (3) Spurs in 7 games
-I really just see the Western Conference unraveling much like it did last year. The Spurs will make things difficult for the Lakers, but wont be able to hold on in the end. It still says a lot for this Spurs team that they are able to make it deep into the playoffs year in and year out.

NBA Finals
(1) Cavs over (1) Lakers in 7 games
- I am really nervous picking this, and honestly it could go either way. If LA can take an early game from the Cavs in Cleveland, then home court advantage becomes theirs. LA swept Cleveland during the regular season including handing them one of their two home losses. They've shown they can win on the road, but I just think it's Lebron's time and he's going to be crowned for real this year in what will probably be the best NBA finals anyone my age has ever seen. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

*Some statistics courtesy of espn.com

So there you have it, a series by series break down of the NBA playoffs. Now I really must go, stay tuned tomorrow when I'll talk about the disappointing Capitals loss and the implosion of UF basketball. Also look forward to an O's recap. Until next time...

NBA Playoffs - As Good As Advertised (Arenas not Included)

The NBA Playoffs start this weekend and although it looks like a two-horse race between Cleveland and LA, I think we are going to see a lot of upsets along the way. As usual, the West is full of parity with the exception of LA, with only 6 games separating seeds 2-7. This means there really are no upsets and every first round match-up could go to 7 games. If I am forced to pick, I think the most likely upset here is New Orleans over Denver. Denver hasn't made it out of the first round since 1994, the Hornets had a deep run last year and were picked by many as a dark horse title contender this year. If Tyson Chandler is healthy, this team could make it to the conference finals and take LA to 7, but probably lose. Last year's lineup is pretty much still in tact, with Chris Paul leading the way. The kid is an assist machine, averaging 11 per game (only one more than Gilbert's avg of 10 apg). David West has been quietly dominant all season putting up Jamison-esque numbers yet rarely getting any media attention. I like this team a lot and Denver usually chokes in the playoffs so look for the Hornets to move on.

Another team I really like out of the West is Portland. Their front office has done a remarkable job over the best few seasons drafting a core of guys who have future championship written all over them. Look at the guys on their roster that they have actually drafted: Brandon Roy, Lamarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez. Also Travis outlaw has really stepped it up this season. Coming off the bench, he is averaging 12 ppg and has reach double figures in 9 straight. He will definitely bring a Horry like element to this squad. They are deadly behind the arc and have more than enough size in the paint to intimidate opposing teams. Portland are masters at building a team and I love how everyone contributes equally. If anyone can beat LA and move on to the finals, its these guys. Western Conference Teams without a chance: Utah, and Huston.

Let's switch gears for a second and get into the Eastern Conference Playoff picture. For the last couple of seasons, the East has been noticeably worse than the West, usually delivering only 1 or 2 actual contenders in an always top-heavy conference. Although, this year is not much different (Cleveland, Boston and Orlando pretty much have outplayed the rest of the conference all season long) I do think this is an overall up year for the East. Atlanta has improved vastly from last year, increasing their win total by 10 and getting home court advantage in the first round. Much like Portland, Atlanta built their team from the ground up, drafted well and now has a young core who will be contending for years to come. Unfortunately for the Hawks, I think Miami will get the best of them in what looks to be the best series of the 1st round. Dwayne Wade and a young supporting cast will not lose in the first round. In my opinion Wade should win the MVP. He won't, but he should. He is a statistical anomaly. He leads the league in scoring @ 30.2 ppg and is the only player to record over 100 blocks and 100 steals in the same season (While also leading my fantasy team to the finals). There is no way this guy is going to lose in the 1st round. Miami is actually my dark horse out of the East, and I don't think anyone would mind seeing DWade v Lebron in the Conference Finals.

Did you hear? KG may miss the entire playoffs?! (now we wont get to hear his ridiculous battle cry at the beginning of each Cs home game) This is a huge story, and one that has been kept under raps for the past 2 months. I can't believe that the Celtics were able to keep this so low key, but kudos to them for doing so. This does not bode well for the defending champs. They still have a very talented team and a good coach. A lot of young guys have stepped up in KGs absence and will be relied heavily upon in this years playoffs (Big Baby, Rondo, Perkins...Starbuy?) I still think they'll make it out of the first round, but I see them getting upset by the Orlando-we-play-like-Billy-Donovan-actually-is-our-coach- Magic in the semis (Where's Matt Walsh at?). Orlando is pretty one D-(Howard)-mentional and will probably lose to the Cavs in the conference finals in 6 games. Eastern Conference Teams without a chance: Chicago, Detroit and Philly

So barring the unthinkable, it's pretty safe to say that we are looking at a Lakers-Cavs finals in what is slated to be the next Magic v Bird match up with Kobe and Lebron going head to head. This match up is almost too close to call and should make for a fantastic series. I give the edge to Cleveland because they have home court advantage and have been utterly dominant at home (an astonishing 39-2). However, they were swept by the Lakers during the regular season and suffered their only Lebron-included home loss to them. LA also gets back a much needed Andrew Bynum adding to their already deep front court (Sorry, Lebron no bitchy drives or crab dribbles are gonna work in this series). Both of these guys have a chip on their shoulder, both feed off each other and both want to take home the crown more than anything. Both have led otherwise mediocre teams to cruise through their respective conferences, and the stage is set for a showdown for the ages. In fact, if this finals doesn't happen it will be terrible for basketball and for sports as a whole. Please gods of basketball, the people have spoken and want this matchup more than America wants to buy Susan Boyle's debut LP. My prediction: Cavs in 7.

All this playoff talk has got me thinking about one more thing: The MVP race. Never in my day have we had a three-horse race like this with all 3 candidates more than deserving of the reward. If only they could split it 3 ways, i wouldn't mind one bit. I (along with the rest of the world) think its going to go to Lebron hands down (probably because of his great Crab Dribbling skills). And as much as I cant stand the guy, he does deserve it. Look at his supporting cast. Aside from Mo Williams, this team would be destined for the lottery without King James instead of the runaway favorites to win it all. Not since MJ have we seen such dominance out of one player, the man is a triple double machine and does whatever is needed of him. Kobe is a born leader, he makes everyone around him better and although this hasn't been his most impressive season, his numbers as still right up there with his MVP campaign last year. He has a little more to work with in his teammates than Lebron which is probably why he doesn't need to do as much. You might as well call this guy Mr. Consistency, because that's exactly what hes been over the past 10+ years. The man virtually puts up the same numbers every season, its amazing. That being said, I still think Wade had a better season individually. He's so good and also has a team that would be nowhere without him. Its hard to sympathize however, because Lebron has been deserving of the MVP numbers-wise for the last 2 seasons, but failed to get it because his team was still middle of the pack. Get your team to a 2-seed in the East, and maybe you'll get it Dwayne, sorry and early congrats to Lebron, you've earned it man.

*Some statistics courtesy of espn.com

Thats it, everyone make sure to watch the O's - Redsox 4 game series this weekend and game 2 of the 1st round series between the Caps and Rangers. Maybe Sean Avery will lose a tooth or two if we're lucky. Until next time...

Re-a-ranger-ed

So.....last night was a pretty darn good one if your team was named the Rangers, and terrible if you were a DC area sports fan. Both the O's and the Caps were clearly outplayed by their same-named foes, the O's (6-3) getting straight dismantled by Texas 19-6 and the Caps losing their playoff home opener 4-3 to New York.

Its hard to say which game I was more disappointed with, that would be like asking me to choose who I'd rather bone: Meg Ryan or Jack Nicholson (Jack Nicholson now..., or 1974?), but I think the Caps loss hurt a little more since they are actually playing for something meaningful right now. Now, you can blame this game on the refs all you want, you can talk about how the didn't call the penalty on Avery for what looked like a cross check on the Goalie, or for failing to call roughing when Mike Green was checked into the Rangers bench, but what this game really came down to was the disparity in the goal play. Coming out of the gate, this eager, young Caps team had the "eye of the Jew" and looked like they weren't going to leave without a W, raging ahead 9 shots to 1 in the game's early going. What I haven't told you, is Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist played like a human brick wall, recording 32 saves in 35 tries (Caps outshot New York 35-21). Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Caps veteran goalie Jose Theodore. Although he has the most pimped out garage of anyone on the team, his presence in front of the net was more like a vespa parked in front of an empty 2-car. He allowed 4 goals on 21 shots, giving up the winning goal midway through the final period, hanging his head in shame all the while. It was so bad, that Head coach Bruce Boudreau is actually considering playing rookie Semeon Varlamov in game 2 (Saturday, 1PM EST) although I doubt it will come to that. Theodore has been resilient all season and one bad game doesn't justify pulling him.

That being said, there were alot of good things that came out of this game too. Despite losing the game, The Caps virtually dominated the entire game out gaining the Rangers in Shots on goal, Faceoff % and Hits (Did you see Mike Green lay out Fredrik Sjostrom, hands down the most lethal hit i've ever seen!). That Caps showed that they are capable of winning even in the most dire of times, racing back from a 2-goal deficit late in the game. They also showed that they were able to score late in a period, recording their second goal of the game with under a minute to play in the 2nd period to cut the lead to 1. We saw the depth of the team, and the way they like to spread the puck around with Ovi, Backstrom, Semin, Kozlov, Green, Fleishmann and Erskine all recording points. And we saw that they could be downright ruthless on the boards, with players in every position getting in on the hard hitting, even without Brashear on the ice. This series is still young enough to be considered jailbait, and the Caps can change the momentum heading into MSG by rebounding with a win in DC on Saturday. Not all is lost yet, this is going to be a brutal series so stay tuned to see what happens.

Equally disappointing was watching the O's squander a chance at their first series sweep of the season by getting rocked in Texas 19-6. The 19 runs scored by the Rangers was the most runs scored since August 2007 when the posted a ridiculous 30 runs against a pathetic Orioles bullpen. Again I was proven wrong with my pitching advice. I had said yesterday that the team needed to pull up Rhadamis Liz and give him another shot. Well, someone on the Orioles must be reading this blog because sure enough, Liz was back in action for the first time this season last night. Taking the mound in the 4th inning for Mark Hendrickson, Liz allowed 5 hits and 4 runs (a grand slam from Nelson Cruz) in a disasterous 4th the ended with the Rangers putting up 8 total runs. Liz's ERA is currently 36.00, good enough to take the mound on a JV softball team, but not quite what the Orioles were looking for in middle relief this season. I can only hope Rich Hill pans out, he was recently put on the 15-day DL meaning he could be ready to play soon.

Unfortunately, Melvin Mora and Alfred Simon were also put on the 15-day DL, so we are going to have to suffer through at least another week of Ty Wigginton playing 3rd. I really can't stand this guy, I would rather watch the replay of Jeffery Maher interefering with the Yankees Home Run ball in the 6th game of the 1997 ALCS than to have to watch Wigginton play anymore. I would rather have Jeffery Maher fill in at 3rd base and intentionally let go ahead runs score all season than to watch Wigginton play anymore. I have to give big ups to Ian Kinsler however, the man recorded 6 hits and hit for the cycle in doing so! Other than that I have nothing good to say about the Rangers. On the up side, we won our 3rd series in 3 tries , the first time that has happened since 1998, which is definitely impressive. Baltimore begins a 4 game series with the Red Sox starting this weekend and ending with an 11:05 1st pitch on Monday morning for "Patriot day" whatever that is. Lets try and split the series here, the Orioles always fair the worst against the Red Sox over any other team in the AL East, but the Sox are struggling right now so it could be interesting.

*Some statistics courtesy of espn.com

Thats it everyone...or the one person who is actually reading this. There's really nothing to watch tonight so enjoy the day off and maybe tune in to NBC Must See TV Thursday! Until next time...

Extra! Extra! (Innings) Read all about It!...

Oh man,
What a game last night! It had it all: suspenseful pitching, lotta hitting, an overworked bullpen and a thrilling ending in extra innings. There were actually 3 games that went into extras last night, the O's Rangers, which I will get to shortly, also a thus far surprising Seattle team outlasted Anaheim off a throwing error in the 10th and Oakland held off a thus far struggling Boston team in 12. Is there anything more exciting than playing extra innings, if there is I cant think of anything (well maybe Tim Tebow's jump pass...). But here's the rundown of what we learned from last nights game:

The O's have a bullpen and a good one at that.

Is it too late to take back what I said about Dennis Sarfate? Yesterday I called this kid a project a la Gilbert Arenas. I don't know if he was reading this or not, but he definitely proved me wrong and may be knocking on the door for a place in the starting rotation after last night. Dennis went 3 and 1/3 innings giving up only 1 hit and 0 earned runs against one of the league's most potent offenses in a true hitters ballpark after coming in for Alfred Simon. Simon when down with an elbow injury mid-way through the 2nd. The bullpen pressed on with Chris Ray and Jamie walker allowing 0 ER in an inning each and Jim Johnson (1-0) giving up 0 through 2 and 2/3 innings pitched. Remember when I said that Walker and Johnson needed to get some innings? What did I tell you. We didn't even use Danys Baez and still had enough firepower to go into extras before bringing out Sherril. Sherril nearly blew the save, loading the bases with 0 outs, and allowing 2 runs before getting hamilton to ground out and Blaylock and Cruz to fly out to finally end the game.

What was great about this game is the transformation it underwent throughout. At the beginning it looked like it was going to be another slug-fest (5 homers between the two teams by the 4th inning including 1 by Huff and 1 by Scott) but then turned into a pitchers duel, where 0 runs were scored by either team until the 10th inning. At this point, the slugfest returned with the O's recoridng 4 runs off 4 hits including the 2 run Yaaak by Adam (Pacman) Jones and an RBI double by Scott to give the Os the lead for good. The Rangers responded recording 4 hits of their own in the bottom of the 10th and scoring 2 runs to cut the lead to 2 before Sherrill's late game heroics sealed the win (while also keeping my streak for the cash alive). The top of the order stayed hotter than Marco Jaric's girlfriend with Roberts, Jones, Markakis and Huff combining to hit .439 in the series so far. Luke Scott is also contributing, hitting an impressive .375 in the series with a HR and 3 RBI.

Look out O's fans, this is the Birds (6-2) 3rd straight series win in as many tries as they go for the sweep tonight (8:05 EST). If we can split with Boston this weekand @ Fenway, we are looking to one of our strongest April's yet. Rich Hill is coming along faster than expected as he is throwing 75 pitches a day at full strength and may be back in the lineup by as early as next week. The only concern is whether or not the pitching can last a full season. In the past couple of seasons, they have started out looking strong, but the young guys, unaccustomed to the rigorous season end up getting fatigued by July and the teams suffered as a result tanking by August in each of the past 3 seasons. So don't hold your breath yet, but enjoy the ride while it lasts.

If I can switch gears for a second, the NHL playoffs kick off tonight and I for one am ready to Unleash the Fury (Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor? Please, somebody promote the guy who does the in-game montages at the Verizon center). The Caps open up with a series against the 7th seeded NY Rangers at home tonight (7:00 EST) in what should be a very close series. Washington took the regular season series 3-1 with the only loss (5-4) coming in a shootout at NY in late February. There was also the memorable January game at the Verizon center, where Alexander Semin was ejected and suspeneded after fighting Marc Staal in the 3rd. As you may remember Semin had his jersey completely pulled off and continued to pummel Staal in a motion resembling that of a bongo player (I'm holding open band auditions after the playoffs are over and could use a good bongoist...) The Caps escaped with a 2-1 victory in front of a sell-out crowd.

It looks like this series is going to be one of your classic Offense v Defense matchups with the Caps ranking #3 in the league in goals scored per game while the Rangers are ranked 6th in goals against per game. Something has gotta give here and I have a feeling it will be in the hands of the Alex's (Ovi and Semin...sounds like my freshman biology class).

You've gotta love what this team has done all season, with a relatively young lineup complemented with a few well placed vets to bring in experience and leadership. I think the defense is getting better everyday. Obviously Mike Green has had a breakout year leading all defensemen in goals scored, but I'm talking about guys like Tom Poti and John Erskine who are true defenders. Hard hitters, who may not produce on the offensive end, but hustle their asses off on defense and make big plays when it counts. You also gotta love the goon squad of Donald Brashear and Matt Bradley (white Brashear in training). These guys are hard hitters, in fact Brashear looks for any excuse to throw down fisticuffs. He actually injured himself going down in a fight back in March in a game against Pittsburgh. Look for him to be healthy and looking to rumble in this series.

Another important piece of this Caps team are its reserve forwards. I'm talking about Brooks Laich and my boy David Steckel. These guys provide plenty of resting minutes for the starters and are downright dominant when they get in. Laich has been a point machine during the final stretch of the season recording 12 in the final 8 games! I've said it once and I'l say it again, this is the Caps Stanley Cup to win if they want it enough.

One more topic to get to, and that of course is the future of the now lowly Wizards. But don't hang up those Rod Strickland throw-back jerseys yet kids, because this team is poised to return to form next season. As you've probably heard by now, the Wiz just brought in Flip Saunders as head coach signing him for close to 19 mil. I've gotten a lot of mixed input about this hire, but I don't understand why. This is a guy whose been to the playoffs 9 times in his career, reaching the conference finals 4 times, and doing it with limited talent in Minnesota. He now finds himself with a team full of talent. You have a core of guys who will be back and healthy next season (if Arenas can play hlaf as well as he blogs, everyone better watch out!) plus a group of benchwarmers who saw alot of action this season. Throw in a top-3 draft pick and perhaps we can finally make it out of the first round and past Mr. Crab Dribble himself. The future is bright, but I am going to miss Tapscott and all his memorable quotes like "When we play good, we're good, but when we play bad, we're bad" haha! Anyway just enjoy tonights finale vs the Cs although I doubt Gil will be playing.

*Some statistics courtesy of espn.com

NHL Playoff and Os recap tomorrow...until next time

O's v Rangers - So many singles you'd think it was a strip club

Did anyone catch the Orioles/Rangers game last night? Final score 10-9 with the O's desperately clinging to a one run lead through the final two innings? Did anyone happen to catch how many of those 10 runs were scored off of Home Runs? One. The Orioles used 4 RBI singles and an RBI double to spring to a 4 run lead after trailing 3-2 going into the 4th inning. They added 2 more RBI singles in the 5th and were up by six runs before you could say "Markakis" 5 times fast (Is it just me or does he look like Ryan from The Office?). I don't think anyone can doubt the kind of hitting we are going to see from the top of this lineup throughout the season. Roberts, Jones, Markakis and Huff have a combined batting average of .372 with an amazing 23 RBI through the first 7 games. Add in a healthy Melvin Mora, Luke Scott and the promise of catching phenom Matt Wieters and you are looking at a line-up where 7 guys could bat in the middle of the order. Couple that with the defense they've been playing, committing zero errors over the past 4 games and we may get that magical .500 season that we've been waiting for since '98.

I've been pretty impressed with the team so far this season, and I know it's early, but I think we will definitely see a noticable improvement from the past 3 seasons. Guthrie has proved he's still an ace, and I like what Uehara brings to the table, he's not striking guys out but hes getting the to hit into situations that makes it easy for the rest of the defense. I still don't know what to make of Alfred Simon. He looked good in the preseason and was impressive through 3 innings in his first start v. the big bats of the Yankees, but how many times have we seen this with O's pitchers in the past? My boy Chris Waters was slated to be the next big thing after going 8 strong in a win in his first start v. the mighty Angels of Anaheim back in August, and now hes trying to claw his way out of the minors. Dennis Sarfate was supposed to be great, rushed into a starting role last season and flopped worse than Lebron driving to the hoop with the game on the line. Hendrickson is a 1-0 wildcard, and Eaton, although lacking the heat that he had in his earlier days shows he can place his pitches well and get strikeouts, recording an admirable 6 in his first start, yet still allowing 4 ER and probably not worth the 7+ million we are paying him. I'm also excited to see Rich Hill get back to full strength as he could add some much needed consistency to the starting rotation.

Despite the holes in our pitching, and believe me I know it has more holes than Nicholas Cage has shitty movies, but one area that is sound is our relief. You're looking at 3 guys who have all had closing experience on this roster. Starting with Danys Baez, currently a 1-inning guy whose already recorded 6 KOs this season, this is a guy who has been nearly unhittable in his albeit brief stints on the mound. Chris Ray is looking like the guy who was slated to be our #1 closer before going down with an injury before the end of the 2007 season. He, like Baez has been nearly unhittable in his 1-inning per game. Finally you have the cream of the crop, the guy who came out of nowhere to be the Os only allstar last season, George Sherrill. How good was that Bedard trade for the Os. I remember when it was happening I was like Angelos?! What the Hell?! Why are you trading away the only good thing we have going right now?? but I gotta admit, the addition of Adam (Pacman) Jones and Sherril to this roster have been invaluable thus far. And lets not forget dude, LETS NOT FORGET....Jamie Walker and Jim Johnson can also hang with the best of them, but we've been so impressive in relief that we haven't even used them really. (Why cant they play middle relief, btw?)

Here's my advice for the middle relief, which is clearly the WORST part of the team. Albers, Bass and Sarfate are skating on Thin Ice, in fact much to my utter joy, Albers was demoted to AAA Norfolk to make room for Adam Eaton on Sunday. Now what I think needs to happen next is we demote the horriffic Brian Bass (how does this guy get in every game, I'd rather have Nick Swisher on the mound...) and bring back up my boy Rahadmis Liz. I dont know why we didnt keep him on the roster in the first place. He was a decent #4 starter last season for the portion that he played and I think he could be effective for an inning or two a game this season. I know, I know, he has control issues but nothing could be worse than Brian Bass right now so give the guy a freakin chance. I'd give Sarfate a little time to develop still cause I think the kid's got potential but he has a loooong way to go and is still a project. To borrow a line from my blogging inspiration Giblert Arenas, "You have enough projects and you end up in the ghetto." I couldn't agree more Gil, couldn't agree more.

I think that this team, especially on the offensive end, have more talent that they can use. For example, remember a guy by the name of Lou Montanez? This guy really looked impressive at the end of last season and now hes not even on the roster. And how could he be when you already have Markakis, Jones and Scott starting with Felix Pie chompin at the bit for a starting role himself. If this guy can develop his hitting (he had a home run last night) then we may not even need Ty Wigginton anymore, move Scott to the DH, bring up Ol' Lou as a backup fielder, and take it from there. I am also really liking what I've seen of Greg Zaun so far, and his decisions behind the plate will be missed once Wieters takes his place in the lineup, but hopefully Wieters can learn from the Wiley Vet in the hockey mask.

...Speaking of Hockey, playoffs start tomorrow and I can't wait. This is definitely the Caps cup to win this season. They've proven they can play with anyone in the league, nearly sweeping Boston and recording road wins against Pittsburgh (2) and New Jersey and beating Detroit during the regular season. This is going to be a great playoffs for the NHL, im so glad that its back in full form after falling off the radar for a couple of years there...it probably didn't help that Tampa was the last team to take home the stanley cup before the strike. I can only hope that the O's can follow the Caps winning formula and develop all their young talent to the fullest, I definitely think they are on the right track.

*Some statistics courtesy of espn.com

...Anyway, thats it. Hope you got something at of my first post. Stay tuned next time for more O's banter, a Caps playoff preview and the Wiz, Gil's knee and their new coach.