Are the Buckeyes Headed for a Rough Season? Baver Answers the Question.

Colin: I can't remember the Buckeyes losing this much talent in one season. Everybody assumes we just reload but the 1999 team was set to "reload" with Ken Yon Rambo and Reggie Germany and went 6-6. The 2004 squad featured Troy Smith, A.J. Hawk and Ted Ginn and... started the season with losses in three of their first six games. Why is this team going to be different? Or are they? 

Baver: This year’s team will be better than both of those teams. Troy Smith was not ready to play QB until late 2004, while JT is ready to go right now. In fact, both 1999 and 2004 featured first-year starters at QB. Steve Bellisari was bad all three years that he started here, and was “really” bad in 1999. And need I remind you that Austin Moherman was the starting QB in the 1999 opener?  

But point taken anyway. This “automatically reload” mentality of many OSU fans is over-the-top. It’s going to be ugly at times early on this season, and this team could easily lose three games, maybe more if they can’t catch many breaks. And even if the talent is every bit as good as a Buckeye homer thinks it will be, you don’t just push a button and gain experience overnight.

Colin: To sum up this team in a nutshell, we sent one of the best runners in OSU history to the NFL and have replaced him with a guy who has never played in a college football game. I mean, that has to be a drop off in production, right? 

Baver: Yes, maybe a huge one. And I am taking a wait and see approach on Mike Weber. As much as I hear he is a star in the making, I still hear other whispers that he has a long way to go. I feel much better about replacing Joey Bosa than I do Ezekiel Elliott. You said “one of the best runners” in OSU history….that’s an understatement. I think you can make a strong argument that Zeke is the best back that ever came through here when you think about the run/block/catch combo he brought to the table.

Colin: I'm a big Curtis Samuel fan but sometimes it feels like when a guy gets labeled "best playmaker" that is code for, "we don't have role for him". Any concern Samuel gets lost in the shuffle they way Braxton Miller did at times last year?

Baver: Good point about playmakers and true roles. I have never thought of Samuel as an every down running back and he is certainly not a true wide receiver either. But like you, I like him too....and I am drinking at least some of the Kool-Aid. Lots of talk that Samuel was never really 100% last year, and that he is about to explode. There is so much talent on this team, yet most of the coaches point to Samuel as being the guy most likely to take the next step on the Buckeye offense and special teams.

But, if Samuel does little in these first two tune-up games, this offense could be in for some rough times ahead, against some very good defensive teams on the Buckeye’s schedule this year.

Colin: As you mention, the schedule is rough. Oklahoma game #3 is looming. What areas do we need to square away ASAP to have a shot down in Norman?

Baver: Every offensive position except QB, where OSU should be fine if JT stays healthy. The Sooners have a great secondary, and I don’t think the Buckeye WRs will be fully in sync with JT that early in the season. And Zeke wasn’t really ready in game #3 of 2014; will Mike Weber be in game #3 of 2016? I tend to doubt it. And remember OSU’s young offensive line in game #2 of 2014 against Va Tech? A nightmare. What was it, 7 sacks? Gotta get these things in order very quickly or the Bucks are in big trouble at Oklahoma. 

You didn't ask about the flip side, but I now think the Bucks are in pretty good shape on defense. They will of course have their problems containing Baker Mayfield and Samaje Perine, but so will everyone else on OU's schedule.

MLB Trade Deadline Thoughts - by Brian Phillips

Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline was a mad dash to the finish Monday at 4 eastern. Here are a few thoughts.

Cleveland Indians

No question the Tribe made themselves better. Their deal for closer Andrew Miller can pay off big time in October. Predecessor Cody Allen is decent, but he isn't Miller. When you combine the jolt the pen just received with baseball's best overall rotation you have a championship contender. 

It was a bummer the Indians didn't get Jonathan Lucroy, but they did improve their depth with Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer. Guyer is a lefty killer who also displays a unique talent for getting hit by pitches. He's leading baseball in taking one for the team despite less than full-time at bats. He paced the AL in that category last season as well. Guyer is a middling defender, but his production against southpaws fills a void, no question.

Cincinnati Reds

After many fits and starts, Jay Bruce has finally been traded. Coming back from the New York Mets is infielder Dilson Herrera and lefty Max Wotell. (Has the Reds organization found a Moneyball-like market inefficency in left handed pitching?) Herrera is having a nice year in Triple A, hitting .276 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI. Yes, his walk rate is down, but so is his strike out rate. Scouts say his defense isn't good enough to play short, and he's likely viewed by Reds' brass as a replacement for the aging Brandon Phillips at second. Despite some brief stints in the big leagues in 2014 and 15, Herrera is still just 22.

Wotell is 19 and a 3rd round selection of the Mets in 2015. In his second season of rookie ball Wotell has displayed a nice strikeout rate, but is also wild as hell. You really can't say much about a 19 year old. 

New York Mets

The Mets are hoping they can replicate last season's surge when they added Yoenis Cespedes at the deadline and he went wild, pushing them all the way to the NL Pennent. Bruce is having a great bounce-back year, but this isn't a perfect fit. With sniper glove man Juan Lagares on the DL, they have to mix & match Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto in center with Bruce and Cespedes on the corners. Manager Terry Collins has been known to stick Cespedes in center as well, but that's because Collins is a lovable old dummy. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Mets outfield defense sucks right now. 

Texas Rangers

There's a rush to go ahead and ticket the Rangers for the World Series, but let's slow our roll here just a hair. Yes, Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Beltran give the Rangers' already clicking offense a nice boost, but the Rangers failed to address their rotation at all. (Getting 31 year old Lucas Harrell from the Braves last week does not count.) Cole Hamels is a fine pitcher and so is Yu Darvish. What sort of work load can Darvish handle coming off Tommy John though? A.J. Griffin has been decent, but just off the DL himself. Martin Perez stinks. Does this assemblage beat the Tribe in the ALCS? No way.

Out in the pen they added Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress. He won't close with Texas, at least not initially. He's had a decent year, but his strike out rate is pretty lame for a 9th inning guy.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are going to send Aaron Sanchez to the bullpen soon to save his arm and with that they've sent their hopes for a deep playoff run away with him. Sanchez is the real deal. Francisco Liriano (Pirates), Mike Bolsinger (Dodgers) and Scott Feldman (Astros) are not. 

As an aside, the Blue Jays gave up on Drew Hutchison yesterday, shipping him off to Pittsburgh in the Lirano deal. Yes he is frustrating, but he's still only 25 and has displayed great strike out stuff in the past. Pirates pitcher whisperer Ray Searage can't wait to get his hands on him, I guarantee you that. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

L.A. finally had enough of of Yasiel Puig's tired act and lack of production and acquired outfielder Josh Reddick and pitcher Rich Hill from trader Billy Beane and the A's. Reddick has some wallop from the left side, but what the Dodgers are hoping for most is a return to defensive form. Speaking of hope, if L.A. can somehow squeeze two months of starts and the post season out of oft-injured Rich Hill they'll be ecstatic. Hill is currently fighting a blister. Without Clayton Kershaw for an unknown period though the Dodgers will kneel and pray for Hill. 

San Francisco Giants

People are ripping the Matt Moore deal, but I still think Moore can be a really good major league pitcher. At 27 he's still youngish and pitching in that chilly and mammoth park out on the Bay can't hurt. Still, Matt Duffy and minor leagers were a lot to give to the Rays. 

Baltimore Orioles

I'm not sure what they're thinking bringing in Wade Miley from Seattle. Miley has shown flashes including this past Saturday in Chicago, but he's gotten pulverized this year too giving up an alarming 1.45 home runs per nine. Some of that is bad luck, but some of that is a 7% jump in hard hit rate. That won't play in Camden Yards at all. Still he's better than Ubaldo Jimenez I suppose. I'm better than Ubaldo Jimenez. 

New York Yankees

I won't pretend to be close to an expert on prospects, but I do know it was time. Time for the Yankees to bite the bullet and commit themselves to a real, lasting, youth movement. Hey they see the Red Sox all the time with Betts, Bradley Junior, etc contributing at their tender ages. The Cubs no doubt have made an impact on their thinking as well. You can't win by going shopping every January any more, not with every other club locking up their top young talent through their most productive years. The Yanks are living with that dumb A. Rod contract every day. Buying a team is over. Developing and keeping your own talent is the way. Stocking up by trading relief pitchers is brilliant. Smartest thing I've seen the Yankees do in a long time. You can find kids that throw 100 miles per hour and besides you kept Dillon Betances who is a straight- up witch. 

Seattle Mariners

Sigh. Another year sliding into the abyss. Oh well, almost Seahawks time!

Brian Phillips the morning drive time DJ for CD102.5 FM in Columbus, OH. He plays in three fantasy baseball leagues. 

Youth Baseball Coaches Rejoice! The Cut Off Man Just Saved the College World Series - by Colin G.

I'm not really a coach. I know what a real coach looks like and I'm not it. I've had the privilege of watching my son flourish under amazing coaches who donate their time and efforts in the most selfless manner possible.

However, due to the fact that I can usually make baseball practice since I can leave the coffee shop early, and I can throw a decent BP session, I've sorta been drafted to help with Owen's baseball team the last few years. It's fun to hang around the guys and impart a little baseball wisdom once and a while. 

Things like: run out every hit no matter what, make sure to call a pop-up with a loud, "Mine!", and of course, the doozy of them all...

THROW IT TO THE CUT OFF MAN!!!!!!!!

Nobody will ever yell at you for throwing a ball directly to the cut off man. Sure, there "might" be a better play, but if there is ANY doubt, immediately throw it to the cut off man. 

Still, after preaching this mantra hundreds, if not thousands of times over years of practice, what do kids still do after they chase down a long fly ball in the gap? Their eyes get wide and they just stand there, pumping the ball for five long seconds while every coach on the team is screaming in unison, "THROW IT TO THE CUT OFF MAN!" 

I know they are just kids, and I'm in no way singling out any one player, I've seen them all do it... but sometimes.... my inner dialogue.....

(put down that joystick, pull your head out of your ass and just throw it to the frigging cut off man! How hard is that?? As I mentally imagine destroying the dugout with a bat and kids running all directions screaming and crying. But I just swallow hard and keep my mouth shut.)

Well today, in the biggest moment of the biggest college baseball game of the season, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers executed a picture perfect throw to the cut off man, stranding the tying run by the Arizona Wildcats at 3rd base in the 9th inning of a one run game. The next batter struck out and CCU had a College World Series championship in their very first trip to Omaha.

And it was all due to somebody hitting the cutoff man. A sweet day for youth baseball coaches all over the world.

Check out the play below at about 1:13.  Colin G.

News 2 at 5pm

Vengeful God or Merciful God? Tonight's Game Will Reveal the Answer - by Colin G.

Ok, I know that headline is a little over the top. But.. it's thirty minutes before tip-off of Cavs v Warriors and my guts are churning. I don't even know why I am writing this other than to burn off some nervous energy. I realize it's ridiculous to get so worked-up over something as trivial as a sporting event, but what can I say. I care. A lot. Watching Steve Kerr's pre-game interview my inner dialogue said, and I quote, "I'd like to punch him in his smug, yoga-loving f---ing face".

And I sorta like Steve Kerr. But not tonight.

When I was growing up, about the same age as Owen is now, one of our regular family vacations was to travel to Cleveland and stay at a Holidome for the weekend. We didn't do anything else mind you, just stay at the hotel. It had an indoor pool, game room and a few putt-putt holes. But it was warm inside, with lots of space to run in the winter so it was heaven. One time, Dad took me to the Cavs game at Richfield. As we walked in, a program vendor said, "Hey, do you guys want the winning program?" "Huh?"

"Yeah, we have to find some kid to shoot baskets against the local sportscaster at halftime and nobody is here, you can have it if you want. We need somebody in the contest."

So at halftime, I got to go down on the floor of Richfield, I still remember how odd the wood floor felt under my feet and how it had some dead spots. Now, I can't do much on a court, but I can shoot. So I won. I think the guy was kind of embarrassed. The 2,000 or so fans in attendance chanted, "Sign Him Now" as I left the court. Everybody in my section cheered when I came back up to the cheap seats because they won a free slice of pizza or something. I was supposed to get the use of a skybox for any event held in Richfield that year. I loved the Cavs but I wasn't going to blow a skybox on that group of losers, I was waiting for a big rock show. It didn't matter, I never got my prize. They stiffed me.

What does this have to do with tonight's game? Nothing really. But wouldn't it be nice for Ohio to get this one? The Bay Area is overflowing with titles. The 49ers, Giants, A's, and the Raiders have ALL had glorious runs in my lifetime. And The Warriors won just last year.

Oh, merciful God, can't you just throw a little bone Cleveland's way tonight? What will it really matter in the long term? Why even bother to create Lebron if not for this moment?

Enough of my questions. All will be revealed in three hours. Tip-off is in 5 minutes. Getting off my knees now. - Colin G.

Cleveland Cavaliers' Fight Song