Monday December 1, 2003
 

TRANSACTION ACTION

FREE AGENT UPDATE

CHRIS COSTE UPDATE

TIMBERWOLVES UPDATE

DEVEAN GEORGE UPDATE
VIKINGS THOUGHTS

GOPHERS SPORTS UPDATE

COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPDATE

NFL “EXPERT” PICKS
 

UPDATE – Below, I discuss the pending Richie Sexson trade. Well, the trade just went through and it is a little different than what everyone had been discussing. It actually is a 9 player trade between the Brewers and Diamondbacks.

The D-Backs will be receiving 1B Richie Sexson, along with RP Shane Nance and the ever-present PTBNL. In return, the Brewers will get IF Craig Counsell, 2B Junior Spivey, 1B Lyle Overbay, C (and former Twin) Chad Moeller, LHP Chris Capuano and LHP Jorge de la Rosa.

With that knowledge, it is more fair to analyze the deal. First, the Diamondbacks are still getting a great power hitter in Sexson. However, now the Brewers are at least getting some talent in return. Below, I mention Counsell, Overbay and de la Rosa, however, the addition of Junior Spivey (former All-Star), Chad Moeller and Chris Capuano make it a little better for a Brewers fan. First, Spivey will allow the team to be more patient with 2B Rickie Weeks. If Weeks is deemed ready, Spivey could probably be moved to SS or 3B. The Brewers really didn’t have a catcher on the roster, and Moeller did a very nice job for the Diamondbacks last season. Capuano is a highly thought of reliever. So, for their big first baseman, the Brewers have new starting SS, 2B, 1B, C and a couple of relievers. Of course, they are castoffs from the low-scoring Diamondbacks, but are they any worse than the team the Brewers fielded in 2003?

Is Geoff Jenkins next? What about Ben Sheets? The 2004 Milwaukee Brewers should be as fun to watch as the 2003 Tigers!

TIME FOR SOME CATCH UP

As my good friend Eminem once said, “Guess who’s back? Back again.”

Well, in this case, it’s just me. I haven’t posted anything new since last Wednesday because of the long Thanksgiving holiday. It was kind of a nice break for me. This being primarily a baseball site, much happened over that time frame, and three very significant moves were made.

But first, please take a look at the following link. It’s a site set up to help Find Dru Sjodin, a student at the University of North Dakota who was abducted outside a mall in Grand Forks, ND. Just take a minute to check the site, and maybe, just maybe you’ll be able to give some information and help find her. Thanks!
 

TRANSACTION ACTION

As has been the case for much of the offseason, it all seems to start in Boston. In the move that had long been discussed, Curt Schilling received a two-year contract extension and finally waived his no-trade clause on Friday and became a member of the Red Sox. (the Red Sox sent LHP Casey Fossum, RHP Brandon Lyon, P Jorge de la Rosa and OF Michael Goss to the Diamondbacks.)  I mentioned last week when details of this trade were first announced that, if it went through, the Red Sox would suddenly become the favorite in the AL East (if they weren’t already). Schilling, along with Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe and Tim Wakefield combine to be one of the best rotations in a long time. Peter Gammons who, before going to ESPN, wrote for the Boston Globe, wrote a great article on the deal. But it also discusses other scenarios that Theo Epstein has in the works; from the courting of Keith Foulke, to hiring a new manager (it appears to be nothing more than a formality at this point that Terry Francona will be hired), the A-Rod/Manny Ramirez trade talks, to possibly moving Johnny Damon. Mr. Epstein is keeping plenty busy!

Be sure to check out other postings on the Schilling trade including these by Edward Cossette of The Curse of the Bambino, David Pinto at Baseball Musings, and Alex Belth with a little Yankees fan perspective at Bronx Banter.

Curt Schilling will have to pass a physical on Monday, but when that is done, the trade will be officially completed. The follow-up to that trade will then be when the Diamondbacks ship Jorge de la Rosa, along with rookie 1B Lyle Overbay and utility infielder Craig Counsell to Milwaukee in return for All-Star 1B Richie Sexson. Sexson, the 28 year old 6-8, 235 pound slugger has hit no fewer than 29 home runs in a season since hitting 31 homers in 134 games (while driving in 116 runs) for the Cleveland Indians in 1999 (he was traded for Bob Wickman, Steve Woodard and Jason Bere. You have to wonder how that even happens! A 30+ home run threat for a few average relievers?). In 2003, Sexson hit .272/.379/.548 with 28 doubles, 45 home runs and 125 RBI. Maybe as importantly, he played in all 162 games. Yes, he struck out 178 times, but I would say that he more than made up for it with the power numbers.

Now, you have to wonder if this trade is even really serious. Oh wait, it’s the Brewers. OK, now it makes sense! What are they thinking? Yes, they want to reduce salary, but they really could get something for a player of Richie Sexson’s caliber. I like Craig Counsell, but he is essentially a great defensive utility infielder who isn’t as bad offensively as many stats guys want you to think he is. Overbay was given a brief chance to play in Arizona last year, so this will be a good opportunity for him as well. And I’m sure they’re happy to get de la Rosa too. But for that kind of power hitter, they should get way more! I mean, if you look at it this way, it’s hard to understand it. It would be like the Twins getting Sexson last July for Denny Hocking, Todd Sears and a mid-level pitching prospect, like Scott Tyler! Hey, I would have thrown in Juan Padilla, or even Brad Thomas or Adam Johnson! You have to think the Brewers could have received more by waiting a month. And, what happened to Casey Fossum or Junior Spivey being part of this deal? That would have helped it lean a little more toward fair. Milwaukee should be Contracted, now!

Well, obviously the New York Yankees couldn’t just stand pat while the Red Sox are reloading. So, Sunday afternoon, the Yankees and Gary Sheffield agreed to a three-year contract. Peter Gammons reports that the deal is for between $36 and $38 million. I think we all knew that Sheffield would probably end up with the Yankees, but I didn’t think it would happen this early. Of course, The Boss, George Steinbrenner could not just stand by as the baseball world was talking about the Red Sox transactions.

Getting Gary Sheffield for that dollar amount is probably going to prove to be a great transaction for the Yankees. Last year with the Atlanta Braves, Sheffield played in 155 games and hit .330/.419/.604 with 37 doubles, 39 homers and 132 RBI. He also walked 86 times and struck out just 55 times, an incredibly low number for a power hitter (see those Sexson strikeouts!!).  He also stole 18 bases. He’s a very smart baseball player as well, understanding game situations. I saw him a number of times hit singles through the right side of the infield when the 2B was shifted up the middle. Sure, he’s got that crazy bat-wiggle thing that he does and maybe that’s not how anyone would teach someone to hit, but by the time the pitch is delivered, his bat is ready to unload upon the ball. His wrists have created enough inertia to deliver such a powerful swing.

I would contend that Gary Sheffield is one of the most (if not the most) underrated player in baseball over the past decade. Since leaving a bad situation in Milwaukee following the 1991 season, Sheffield has been remarkable. For his career (16 seasons, 1,882 games), Sheffield has hit .299/.401/.527 with 379 homers and 1,232 RBI. He has walked 1,110 times and struck out just 796 times.

Yes, I definitely think that this is a great signing for the Yankees. Sheffield will clarify the Yankees right field position and provide another strong bat in the middle of that Yankees lineup, probably batting 3^rd.  I still think that the Yankees need to make some trades. They need to improve their CF defense (Kenny Lofton has been talked to), but I can’t see Bernie Williams’ contract being able to be traded. That’s why the possible trade of Alfonso Soriano and Nick Johnson make so much sense, if it lands them Carlos Beltran. Jason Giambi needs to play 1B, which would then allow Williams to DH, improving their defense.

The Yankees supposedly are also talking to Japanese import Kaz Matsui about switching to 2B. That would be a good deal for the Yankees as well, if Matsui is able to play 2B. Ideally, they would talk Derek Jeter into moving over to 2B, because he is a very non-good defensive shortstop. But getting Matsui would be good for the Yankees.  Alfonso Soriano is a great hitter and will continue to be a power-speed threat wherever his career continues. Yes, he was terrible in the post season, striking out almost every at bat. However, he will make his adjustments and clear his mind during the offseason and come back as a 40/40 threat again.

Any thoughts? E-mail me.
 

FREE AGENT UPDATE

With Gary Sheffield signing, one of the big names is off the free agent list. There have been a few other of my free agent picks who have signed and hence, are off the list. Here is the new, updated list:

My top-ranked 3B, Joe Randa, re-signed with the Kansas City Royals for one year at $3.75 million. He actually took a pay cut to remain in Kansas City despite having a very solid 2003 season. That moves Vinny Castilla to my #1 3B option. In other words, it’s a good thing the Twins picked up Corey Koskie’s option for next season, at least if they would have planned to find a 3B on the free agent market! Since the 3B market is so weak, I added Robin Ventura to the list at #3. He has done very little the past two seasons, but there aren’t a lot of other options. I almost thought of putting Fernando Tatis thinking that a change of scenery might be exactly what he needs, but that would be a big reach. Another reach may be my newly inserted #3 RF, Raul Mondesi. As much of a headache as he continues to be to a team and in a clubhouse, he has the talent and the ability to put up very good numbers in the right situation, in the right stadium, with the right manager, with, with, with… It’s a risk!

I had Kelvim Escobar at #5 and last week he signed with the Angels. Again, there isn’t a lot to add to this list. I chose Shawn Estes over the likes of Kenny Rogers, John Burkett and Jeff Suppan. Andy Pettitte will most likely remain a Yankee, as will Bartolo Colon. There has been surprisingly little discussion about Kevin Millwood or Sidney Ponson. One has to wonder if the Braves will offer Greg Maddux arbitration. In the free agent market, he could probably get a 2 year deal worth maybe $15 million. If he accepts arbitration from the Braves, he could get that or more in one season. Big decision for the Braves!

Arthur Rhodes could go to the Yankees. Guardado could go to the A’s or Red Sox, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him stay with the Twins. Keith Foulke is being heavily recruited by the Red Sox. LaTroy Hawkins could sign with the Yankees, Red Sox or Cubs this week. Tom Gordon is about to sign with the Yankees.

The Twins could lose both Hawkins and Guardado, but there are a lot of solid relievers, even more than on this list, who the Twins could sign for far cheaper. So if the Twins do lose both, I certainly don’t believe that it would be time to panic!

What’s going to happen? Who’s going where? I think a lot will happen in the next two weeks. It should be fun to try to keep up with! Any thoughts? E-mail me.
 

CHRIS COSTE UPDATE

Chris Coste (See posting where he was named The Best Ballplayer I’ve ever played with) continues to play for Obregon of the Mexican Pacific League. He has now played 42 games, catching 26, playing 1B fifteen times and 3B once. Having signed with the Brewers, he may have a chance to compete for a roster spot with the anemic Brewers! Here are his updated stats from Mexico:

TIMBERWOLVES UPDATE

The Minnesota Timberwolves split two road games this weekend, beating the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night before falling to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. They are now 9-8 and in 6^th place in the 7 team Midwest Division of the Western Conference.

Friday night in Memphis was a good win for the Wolves. The Grizzlies are young and on the cusp of  really becoming a good team. Everyone knows how good Pao Gasol has been in his two seasons. Mike Miller has always been good… when he is healthy. But to me, the key to that team is the play of Jason Williams, and he has been very good this year. Friday night, he led the Grizzlies with 24 points and 11 assists. Gasol and Miller each added 20. But the Wolves were able to overcome the young Grizzlies for the win. Latrell Sprewell had a very strong game with 24 points and 6 rebounds. Sam Cassell added 25 points. Kevin Garnett was amazing with 21 points, 18 rebounds and 7 assists.

Saturday night was a different story. The Mavericks were without All-Star Dirk Nowitki for the game. But Michael Finley is pretty good too. He led the All-Star laden Mavs with 25 points. The Wolves were again led by Garnett. This time, he scored 28 points and added 20 rebounds and 4 assists. Sam Cassell chipped in 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Sprewell added 14 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Michael Olowokandi played for the first time in a week and scored 10 points and had 7 rebounds in 31 minutes. That’s a lot of minutes considering he was out with the tired knees, don’t you think?

The Wolves played without Mark Madsen all weekend. He was experiencing back spasms. That, in addition to the injuries of Wally Szczerbiak and Troy Hudson really add up for the Wolves. This team has so much potential. I just hope that those guys can come back and contribute!

What do you think of the Timberwolves? Are they disappointing? Do they just need to get healthy? Who is to blame?  Send me an e-mail.
 

DEVEAN GEORGE UPDATE

If Chris Coste is the favorite minor league baseball player of SethSpeaks, well, Devean George is the official basketball player of this site. Friday night on ESPN’s NBA Preview show, they aired a feature segment on Devean George, calling him The Fifth Beatle. He gets little attention from the media, and rightfully so with four future Hall of Famers starting for the Lakers with him. But something must have changed of late. Devean George’s on-court play has earned the recognition.

ESPN’s David Aldridge writes about Devean George in his article from Friday as well. He talks about how after playing very well in the pre-draft camps, George wanted to be seen more, to improve his chances of being drafted. So, he played in a three-game series between some college All-Stars and the Harlem Globetrotters. George wasn’t invited to play with the college All-Stars though. He played the three games for the Globetrotters. He played well, averaging 15 points and 5 rebounds. The extra work paid off when the LA Lakers selected George with the 23^rd pick in the 1999 draft. After playing under his rookie contract his first three years with the Lakers (and accumulating three championship rings), Devean George signed a $20 million contract to stay with the Lakers.

Before last night’s game against the Indiana Pacers, George was averaging 11 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. His 53.8% field-goal percentage is 2^nd in the NBA. Only teammate Shaquille O’Neal (54.2%) is higher.

Any thoughts on Devean George? The Lakers? Other plays? E-mail me.
 

VIKINGS THOUGHTS

I suppose that 31 point loss was Daunte Culpepper’s fault too, huh? I’m sure that some Vikings fans will find fault in Culpepper’s performance, but this time again, that’s not fair. Especially in the first half, Daunte played perhaps his best game of the season.

Last week against the Lions, the offense was bad and for the first time, the defense won a game. Yesterday, the defense was shown up again. They looked terrible. I mean, at any point, did they actually stop the Rams offense?

I am more and more convinced every week what my strategy would be if I were a GM of a new football team. Games are won and lost in the trenches. Yes, it’s an old saying, but I don’t know how many people truly believe that. If I were starting a team, I would spend time and money becoming as strong as possible on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Yesterday was a good example of that. It was a perfect example showing you why the Vikings struggle against any good teams. The Rams were able to run at will against the Vikings. Marshall Faulk frequently had huge holes to run through. Why? The Rams offensive linemen crushed the Vikings defensive linemen. Marc Bulger had all day to sit in the pocket picking out a receiver. That can’t be placed on those defensive backs. The Rams offensive linemen kept the Vikings defensive linemen away from the quarterback.

Now, let’s look at it the other way. The Vikings had a couple of big runs from Michael Bennett on the day, but for the most part Vikings RBs had to work hard just to get to the original line of scrimmage. What happens there? Well, the Rams defensive linemen beat the Vikings offensive linemen. On pass blocking, the Vikings linemen were a little better. Daunte had some time to pass and in doing so, accumulated 330 yards passing. But what happened when they got inside the 10 yard line? The Rams would blitz and the Vikings O-Line couldn’t pick it up. Adam Archuletta had a number of big plays because of it. When the Vikings were already down 34-17 in the fourth quarter and the Vikings were inside the 5, they called a pass. The blitz came and within one second. Of course Culpepper got hit hard and the ball came out. The result was an Aeneus Williams 90 yard fumble return and a 41-17 lead for the Rams

On the positive side of things for the Vikings, if such a thing can be found. Daunte Culpepper was very good! Not just the 330 yards passing and smart decision-making, but also he finally ran some, accounting for 70 rushing yards! Randy Moss continues to amaze me. You can see that he is hurting out there yet, somehow, he caught 11 passes for 160 yards and a TD. Jim Kleinsasser caught 10 balls for 79 yards. I wish they would use him more in the offense. Michael Bennett had 14 carries for 97 yards, despite a lot of runs for between -2 and 2 yards! The Vikings Defensive Backs kept the tandem of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt out of the end zone. Brian Russell had his 7^th interception of the season, pulling him to within one of the league leading Corey Chavous.

The loss drops the Vikings to 7-5. They had a chance to regain a 2 game lead over the Green Bay Packers, but remain just one game up. But, don’t look past those Chicago Bears who have won four of their last six games and are two games out, at 5-7. Next week, the Vikings play the offensive juggernaut that is the Seattle Seahawks. They are led by QB Matt Hasselbeck, RB Shaun Alexander and WR Darrell Jackson. Since starting the season 5-1, here are the results of their past six games: Loss, Win, Loss, Win, Loss and a win yesterday against the Browns. Does that mean that they are due to lose? Vikings fans can hope, right?

What do you think of those Vikings?  E-mail me.
 

WILD UPDATE

The Minnesota Wild yesterday did something they were rarely able to accomplish during last season’s conference finals. They (Wes Walz) scored a goal against Mighty Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere. Unfortunately, the team also gave up one goal, but with the team’s inability to score many goals of late, they are probably happy to get a point out of the game.

Friday night, the team lost 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks. The team is now sitting at 8-12-3 with 19 points. That’s last place in the Northwest Division. They have scored a combined six goals in their last five games and in that stretch they are 0-4-1.  Next up for the Wild, a trip to Edmonton for a game on Wednesday night.
 

GOPHERS SPORTS UPDATES

Yesterday, the Gophers Men’s Basketball team played a home game against Furman. It certainly wasn’t a game that should have caused the Gophers much trouble but, as they say, that’s why they play the games. The Gophers did win the game 91-84, but it took a little overtime! Ben Johnson had the game of his career. He made 12-19 shots for 32 points. He added 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Freshman Kris Humphries continues to impress. He was 7-8 from the field and 11-16 from the free throw line for 26 points and 7 rebounds. Adam Boone added 17 points. The Gophers team travels to Virginia to play on Wednesday night. Then next Saturday, they host the 0-5 Leathernecks of Western Illinois.

The Gopher’s Women’s Basketball Team is currently ranked 9^th in the nation. They have started out the season 7-0. This past weekend, they played in the Junkanoo Jam down in the Bahamas. First, they beat Texas A&M 88-72 . Then in the championship game, they beat USC (Southern California) 84-61. Lindsay Whalen is incredible and should be a first-team All-American. Janel McCarville is a great player. They are getting contributions from a number of players, and a number of freshman, including Fosston, MN, native, Kelly Roysland.

Don’t look now, but the Gophers hockey team may have turned the corner. After sweeping Michigan Tech the weekend before, the Gophers went to Michigan this weekend for the College Hockey Showcase. Friday night, they beat Michigan State 5-1. On Saturday night, they defeated Michigan 4-2. Next weekend, they head to Alaska-Anchorage, which should mean a couple more wins.

The Gopher’s Women’s hockey team is ranked #1 in the country and they showed it this weekend against the University of North Dakota. They won the first game 6-2, then destroyed the Sioux 10-1 the next night. The Gophers team is loaded with talent, many of whom have played for Team USA in a number of international competitions.
 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Yeah, Florida St. beat Florida. But I can’t really watch Division I college football games. That whole Bowl System and the BCS thing is just too ridiculous. I’d rather pay attention to the Division II and Division III tournaments, where the teams all play each other to determine who the #1 team is in their division. A couple of local teams are still in action in a couple of these tournaments.

In the Division II tournament, Jim Kleinsasser’s alma mater, the University of North Dakota defeated Winona (MN) St. 36-29. They were actually down 29-28 with under a minute to play, but a couple of big plays gave them the victory. Next Saturday, the Alerus Center in Grand Forks will host a Division II Semi-Final game between the UND Sioux and the 13-0 North Alabama. The winner will be in the Championship game in Florence, AL, the following Saturday.

In the Division III tournament, John Gagliardi’s St. John’s team defeated St. Norbert’s 38-13 on Saturday. Next Saturday, they will host Linfield (OR) in the Division III Quarterfinals.
 

NFL “EXPERT” PICKS

Well, we’ve currently got four people with 10-5 records. They all have the Titans winning tonight. There are two 9-6 teams, and one of those has the Jets going tonight. So, we could have a five-way tie for the winner of this week’s picks! Be sure to check for specific picks and up-to-date standings on our FB Picks page. Here is how we did this week:

OK, I’m going to call it a day. There was a lot of different information today, but that’s OK. It’s my punishment for not writing anything last Thursday or Friday. If you have any thoughts, comments, questions or anything, please send me an e-mail. Be sure to check back tomorrow. I’m sure there will be some new sports information to discuss, but also, I saw a couple of movies and got a few new CDs, so I may have to write a little something about them. Have a great week!

Back to Archives           Home