Roy Oswalt, The Effect He May Have

The 10 year veteran pitcher Roy Oswalt has been a top tier pitcher for the better part of the last decade.

News broke yesterday that Oswalt, who has played his entire career with the Houston Astros, has asked for a trade.

During the last two off-season's Oswalt's name has been thrown around with many teams but no deal has ever been done.

After Oswalt delivered his comments, the Washington Nationals said they have "major" interest in the three time all-star.

Then again Oswalt has said he wants to go to a team that can win right now, and the Nationals are a team "on the rise."

But lets look at this situation for a second. Oswalt is 33 years-old and still has some good years left in him. With the Astros as of late he has not been given the proper run support. The Nationals have tons of offensive support and are missing that #1 starter, because lets face it Livan Hernandez just doesn't cut it.

With Stephen Strasburg set to make his MLB debut in 2 weeks, Oswalt and Strasburg would be a formidable 1-2 punch.

If Oswalt does hold true to his request of going to a contender right away look for teams such as the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers to be some of the teams fighting for his services.

Roy Oswalt who is 139-76 in his career, averaging 17 wins a year would certainly be a great piece to add for any team looking to win now.

Subway Series; Who Will Run the Town?

On Friday the New York Yankees and the New York Mets renew a seasonal rivalry with a 3-game set in Citi Field. Normally there is hype over the Subway Series, fans jawing back and forth but this year is certainly not the case.

There are many factors that have led to this mainly the play of the Mets this season. They have been dreadful and no one really expects much out of them in this series. Then again the Yankees are fielding a team of 2nd class citizens with Jorge Posada and Nick Johnson on the DL. Curtis Granderson begins a rehab assignment on Saturday, Alfredo Aceves is out and Nick Swisher is still being bothered by his bicep although he will give it a go tonight.

Maybe it is because the Yankees will have a lineup sporting including Marcus Thames, Kevin Russo, Randy Winn and Francisco Cervelli throughout the series. The buzz is simply not there.

Many are speculating that if this series goes wrong for the Mets, Jerry Manuel could be out of a job come Monday. Omar Minaya might not be too far behind.

But really who cares about this Subway Series besides New Yorkers, I'll tell you...nobody.

Every year there seems to be a little something extra coming into this series but this year is different.

The last Subway Series saw the shocking pop up drop by Luis Castillo that lost the Mets the game, and then to close out the series at Yankee Stadium the Yankees scored 14 runs, most of them on Johan Santana.

The simple facts are these, the real Subway Series happened in 2000 when the two clubs met for the World Series.

These other games are just inter-league play.

A Decision to Make

On May 17th 2008 I wrote an article about LeBron James (http://bit.ly/dDtq1f) he was coming off a monster game where he scored 32 points in the playoffs. I took the time to even then evaluate his stock and monitor where he would be going on July 1st 2010.

That time is slowly creeping up on us, and I figured I would re-visit the topic in a more modern sense.

Right off the bat I will let you all know LeBron James will not return to Cleveland. Besides all the short comings, lack of proper side-kicks and now the Delonte West "rumors" you can forget about "The Chosen One" choosing Cleveland.

If we strike Cleveland off the list the next set of favorites have to be New York, Chicago, and Miami.

Dark horses include the New Jersey, Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas.

The name on everyone's tongue is LeBron is a Knick already, he will don his #6 in white, blue and orange on Madison Square Garden's floor next winter. The luxury of joining the Knickerbokers would be the addition of another big star such as Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade. To go with youngsters Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler.

The next team that fits is Chicago simply because of the pieces already established there. The biggest flaw with LeBron's career so far has been his lack of running-mate. Chicago has an All Star point guard in Derrick Rose, and up and coming forward in Joakim Noah and other pieces as well.

All signs are pointing to Miami re-signing D-Wade. Should that happen LeBron could have the chance of playing with his former Team USA team mate. Wouldn't that be fun to watch.

New Jersey has a lot to deal with right now with a new owner and now losing out of John Wall in the draft. But if Mikhail Prokhorov has his way and sells LeBron on being a world-wide star maybe we see LeBron play in Jersey.

Joining the Clippers won't happen but the name is out there. Why be in the same town as Kobe and always have to up-stage him or compete for fans, No thanks.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban came out yesterday and said he want's LeBron in Dallas, who doesn't. A pairing of LeBron, Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler is certainly intriguing. And we all know Cuban has the money to make it happen.

July 1st marks the start of a new era in sports and in the NBA. No free agency move will happen until LeBron decides. Time to wait and see.

David Stern, Please Fix the NBA Draft Lottery

Seriously this is absurd now. Coming into Tuesday night the team with the worst record and the favorite to win the NBA Draft Lottery since 1985 had only won 4 times. That number remained at 4 when the New Jersey Nets did not win after going 12-70 over the year.

What excuse can be made for the Nets not winning the lottery? Didn't they deserve it, weren't they the worst team in the league, BY FAR!?!?

The lottery needs to be changed, the team with the worst record should be awarded the #1 draft pick or at least give them a 40-50% chance to win. Clearly 25% just is not cutting it.

The Nets were god awful this year, they obviously need help, the difference between getting help from a #1 pick and a #3 pick could be enormous. Of course time will tell but on the surface, John Wall is a better option than a Derrick Favors or a DeMarcus Cousins.

David Stern needs to be taken to task over this catastrophe, the worst team is in that state for a reason. They do not have the proper pieces to win.

That creates a major domino effect.

If a team can't win, fans will not come to see them. Then the organization loses fans and loses money which in turn loses money for the NBA. The organization loses money through the ticket gate, concession stands, merchandise and so on. Talent breeds success, the worst team needs the best talent to become formidable.

I propose the worst team in the NBA based on record at the end of the season automatically receive the #1 pick. If two teams share the same pitiful record, have a lottery between those two or have a rock-paper-scissors contest between GM's.

Change needs to be made, for the sake of the NBA and the fans that have to suffer through watching awful basketball.

Lottery Has Been Won, Now the Story Lines

The New Jersey Nets were the favorite to win the NBA draft lottery last night, shockingly they did not win.

Once it came down to the last three teams; New Jersey, Washington and Philadelphia, on Twitter (@DBerov) I predicted a huge twist in the Nets not winning the lottery or even getting the #2 pick. I said it would play out like this 1. Washington, 2. Philadelphia, 3. New Jersey, and I was spot on.

Not only is this a huge smack in the face of the New Jersey Nets but this raises tons of questions as to who will go where.

Everyone knows John Wall is the #1 player in the draft and the Wizards have come out and said they will be drafting Wall with the first pick.

Next would be Evan Turner followed by Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Wes Johnson, Greg Monroe and so on.

With the Wizards taking Wall the big question becomes what do the 76ers do?

If they draft Evan Turner there becomes a huge jam at the 2/3 position. With Andre Iguadala, Thaddeus Young and Jrue Holiday bringing in Turner means they would have to deal one of them.

That being said the 76ers should trade the #2 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the #5 and something else.

Minnesota is actively trying to get the #2 pick according to sources. Maybe we see a Ricky Rubio and the #5 for the #2 pick, something to think about certainly.

Then the Nets pick at #3 where things get dicey. They have Brook Lopez at center and will potentially pick up Chris Douglas Roberts' contract. With Terrance Williams playing the 2/3 spot and Harris at point guard the Nets need another big man next to Lopez or a 2 guard. I'd say the Nets draft big man and take Favors or Cousins, although I think it makes more sense to get Cousins because I feel he is more well rounded right now. A nice little shocker might be if we see the Nets go with a shooter and take Wes Johnson.

The rest is really a crap shoot. The Kings at #5 are talking about taking a big man because they are not sold on Jason Thompson. There are talks as well of the Kings taking Wes Johnson.

Many Warriors fans I have spoken to are heart broken over their draft spot, that team is in a world of hurt and needs a lot of help. The Pistons at #7 will likely go big man potentially Al-Farouq Aminu or Ekpe Udoh. The Clippers who are hoping Blake Griffen actually plays next year need help at the 2 spot. The Jazz will go big and probably go with Greg Monroe, Cole Aldrich or Ed Davis. The Pacers round out the top 10 and have many ways they can go. They need a point guard but there aren't any worthy of being picked that high, they could go big and help out Troy Murphy. We will see...

All I know is the NBA Draft is regarded by some as a weak draft, and I completely disagree. Following this draft class very closely over the last year, I have seen many of these kids play and I feel we have a bunch of very good players in the making.

The 2010 NBA draft will take place on June 24th.

A Fish Out of Water

Florida Marlins short stop Hanley Ramirez has proved to be one of the elite players in the Majors. Unfortunately his brain and common sense are as developed as that of an infant.

During yesterdays game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tony Abreu popped a ball up that fell into a Bermuda triangle in short left center field. After the ball fell Hanley proceeded to accidentally kick the ball into left field and then lolly gag to retrieve the ball. Ramirez allowed two runs to score on the play and Abreu moved to third base.

Prior to this play in the game, Ramirez was hit by a pitch on his ankle, but he remained in the game. This type of effort makes me sick, especially after the new six-year, $70 Million contract. Baseball players should never dog it.

Manager Freddi Gonzalez did the right thing and benched Ramirez after the inning was over, like any respectable manager should do.

Then the fireworks ensued.

"It's his team. He can do whatever he [expletive] wants," Ramirez, referring to his benching, told reporters Tuesday.

Oh but that is not it, Ramirez exploded and was very colorful in attacking the situation and even his teammates. When asked if he was going to apologize to his team he had this to say.

"We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls. They don't apologize."

But that's not all, he even attacked his manager for taking him out of the game.

"That's OK. He doesn't understand that. He never played in the big leagues."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!

First of all Gonzalez played six years in the minors and knows how to play the game that is why he is a coach. Second of all, how dare Hanley Ramirez take shots at his leader, that is completely uncalled for and disciplinary actions MUST take place both on the field and monetary.

Manager Freddi Gonzalez responded to Hanley's comments.

"Hanley left the game because we felt -- he got smoked in the ankle -- but we felt whether he was hurt or not hurt or whatever it was, we felt that the effort wasn't there that we wanted. There's 24 guys out there that are busting their butts."

"There are some injuries there, but we expect an effort from 25 guys on this team and when that doesn't happen, we have got to do something," he added.

"You guys call him a marquee guy," Gonzalez said. "I got 25 guys all wearing the same uniform with all of the same Marlins insignia on the front and I think it's disappointing if anybody did it, not just one guy."

When asked whether there would be any additional punishment for Ramirez, Gonzalez responded: "You mean more embarrassment than being taken out of a major league game?"

Gonzalez did infact sit Hanley Ramirez today, but we don't know if more disciplinary action will be taken.

I commend Coach Gonzalez for "checking" Hanley's massive ego, and I expect more to be done, he should be made an example of.

And if this continues, do not be surprised if Ramirez comes out and asks for a trade.

2010 NBA Draft Lottery; Hey You Never Know

Tonight at 8pm is arguably the 2nd most important moment the NBA will face in the next boatload of years.

The first being July 1st, 2010 of course, the day teams are allowed to start talking to free agents.

The worst team in the NBA last year, the New Jersey Nets have a 25% chance of winning the lottery and can finish no worse than the 4th pick. All signs point to John Wall the star Kentucky point guard as the #1 pick this year.

You can not really blame any team for taking Wall, he is an explosive guard who can score at will, create off the dribble and take over when he wants, much like Chicago Bulls point guard and former Memphis Tigers stud Derrick Rose.

The teams in the lottery are New Jersey, Minnesota, Sacramento, Golden State, Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles Clippers, Utah, Indiana, New Orleans, Memphis, Toronto and Houston.

The first two picks have been known for a very long time, Wall and Evan Turner the 6'7 versatile forward for Ohio State.

After those two things are up in the air. It will be all based on need and what fits, not necessarily the best player available.

For a long time I went back and forth on whether it makes basketball sense for the Nets to draft John Wall with Devin Harris already running point. But because he is injury prone the move will have to be done. Plus if healthy that is the fastest guard tandem in the NBA bar-none.

DeMarcus Cousins who was so dominating for Coach Cal at Kentucky has good post moves for a young player. His big frame will carry him early on but his big thick head will cause problems. He is a type of player who will see the floor and potentially get technical fouls at the rate of Rasheed Wallace.

Derrick Favors out of Georgia Tech has been tabbed as an NBA player for years. He played well for the Yellow Jackets but I still feel he is very raw.

Georgetown's Greg Monroe is the best passing big man since Vlade Divac. Although he is soft in the paint he will be able to use his 7'0 body to play around the rim. He has also developed a medium range jump shot that should help him as well.

Syracuse's Wes Johnson, Wake Forrest's Al-Farouq Aminu, North Carolina's Ed Davis are all players with big upsides. They have talent but need to be in the right system in order to utilize them properly. Johnson in my opinion would be a great fit with Utah who could use a good play maker along with Derron Williams. Ed Davis I feel will be THE BIGGEST REACH in this draft. i felt he more than anyone else in the draft could have used more time in college. He needs to develop mass on his body as he is easy to push around in the paint, especially in the NBA. Aminu will be a big work in progress for which ever team will draft him. Time will tell if his skills translate to the NBA.

Of course it will be easier to pin point who will go where later tonight, but as of right now the future of the NBA seems very bright.

From Backstop to Back-Seat

Jorge Posada has been a staple behind the plate for the New York Yankees for over 15 years.

The Bronx Bombers kick off a 2-game series on Monday against a familiar foe, the Boston Red Sox, and Posada seems to be a bigger topic than the game itself. Nagging injuries recently have forced manager Joe Girardi to limit the play of Posada to start the season. Even though he has gotten off to a hot start batting .326 with six home runs and 14 RBI's, Girardi has used him sparingly.

The catcher position is strenuous enough on a player, and the injuries exasperate the duties 10 fold. Posada recently has played some DH when not behind the plate which he publicly stated he does not like to do. It gets him out of rhythm since he likes to be "in-the-know" on every play.

Posada has an even bigger threat on top of his injuries, Francisco Cervelli. The 24-year-old spark plug of a catcher has exceeded the expectations of the New York Yankees, the fans and maybe even himself. Cervelli was called up last year from the minors after injuries to Posada and then back-up catcher Jose Molina got nicked up. Cervelli performed decently filling in when needed, but when the Yanks did not resign Molina in the off-season, Cervelli was given the official catcher #2 duty.

This year Cervelli's play has been off the charts as he has posted a .393 batting average with a .460 on-base percentage, 14 RBIs and 2 triples in 19 games this season.

Better yet, the Yankees, the defending world champions, are simply better with him playing every day. New York is 15-4 with Cervelli in the lineup, as opposed to 9-9 without him.

There are some people who think Posada would demand a trade if the Yankees make an executive decision and go with Cervelli as the main catcher, to them I say RELAX.

Jorge Posada is the type of player like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera where at this point in their career they would rather retire rather then don another teams uniform. I am 100% confident in that assessment.

It looks like age is catching up with Posada and maybe a meeting needs to be had to discuss the future of the man that has made a living for the Yankees behind the plate.

There is no doubt that #20 will be in monument park one day in the future, but I feel like his time on the field is coming to an abrupt end.

I'm Back

It's time to revive this. It was a major success when I first started it, things came in the way of writing, mostly my broadcasting. Now that I have graduated, I will start this up again.

Stay tuned.