After predicting and second guessing myself multiple times in predicting the National League, it’s time to jump into the American League. Specifically the American League Central Division which, like the N.L East, might be the most gimmie division in the Major Leagues. At #1, we got the:
1. Cleveland Indians
Additions: Yonder Alonso
Departures: Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce, Bryan Shaw
The Indians, like in the couple of years past, should take the AL Central with ease. The only concern the Indians have now is what happens in the playoffs. With their recent offseason, there is no denying that the Indians have significantly weakened, They lost two major run producers and a major setup man in the bullpen.That might bite them in the butt later on during the year when having a bullpen maters most.
2. Minnesota Twins
Additions: Michael Pineda, Addison Reed, Fernando Rodney
Departures: 0
Last year, the Twins completed arguably the biggest year to year turnaround. From a 100 plus loss season to a Wild Card team, the Twins are looking to move forward and possibly do better than last year, now that they know what to expect. The Twins added more pitching which was one of their weaknesses in years past and they added a closer, albeit a rather average one in Fernando Rodney. It’s still an improvement on the team last year. Expect the Twins to improve slightly this year, maybe win the Wild Card game. But they aren’t ready to take the division just yet.
3. Chicago White Sox
Additions: Welington Castillo, Joakim Soria, Miguel Gonzalez
Departures: 0
The White Sox have a good young core but they need at least a couple more years to mature and to gain new players as they continue to grow into a legit team. Yoan Moncada and Matt Davidson just being a few important parts of that young core. Adding a bullpen and a legit catcher in Castillo should be an improvement to the White Sox squad. All that’s left is an ace that can accompany Lucas Giolito and company. Not a full blown tank, but expect a .500 season for the Southsiders.
4. Detroit Tigers
Additions: Mike Fiers
Departures: Ian Kinsler
The trade of Justin Verlander has solidified what this Tigers franchise wants to do in the near future. Simply put, it’s rebuilding times for the Detroit Tigers. With their ace being Michael Fulmer, a young pitcher who has had a good career but has struggled with injuries as well and an aging Miguel Cabrera that signals the end of an era for the Tigers team that once made it to the World Series so long ago. Don’t expect anything special from the Tigers this season, at least not for a while.
5. Kansas City Royals
Additions: 0
Departures: Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Minor
And just like that, in one major sell off, the Royals are no more. The core that brought them to the World Series besides Salvador Perez is officially gone and within a few good year, they are right back to square one. The Royals will try to build off what they have on their roster for now, as it is a rebuilding season for Kansas City.
The first weekend of baseball usually won’t be like the rest of the season. Some of these players, like Mitch Haniger and Colin Moran, are having great starts to the season and the same goes for pitchers. Take it from a man that has won a fantasy league before. The league is won not by the draft, but from the WAIVER WIRE! Yes that’s right, the guys that weren’t drafted can impact the final result.
Again take it from me, I plucked Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Luis Severino from the waiver wire, they, and especially Judge, helped propel me to victory, especially in the playoffs.
This past week, there were actually some studs, like Kluber and Keuchel, who haven’t been performing to their usual standards. Now I’m not saying you should drop these guys, but these 5 guys are guys you should pick up right now, that should pay off in the very near future for your team. Now what qualifies as a sleeper in this post? Each player must have less than 60% ownership rate, according to the ESPN fantasy league ownership rating system. That means that if that percentage is less than 60%, then less than 60% of all fantasy leagues have that player on a team.
So with that being said, let’s dive right into it!
1. Sean Manaea- Oakland Athletics (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate- 56.8%)
Manaea had two strong outings against two, to be fair, two teams that don’t have a very strong offense to show for. He also has his next start vs the Dodgers on Tuesday but this should play into his favor since the Dodgers have struggled with left handed pitching in recent years. Manaea is an expert at throwing strikes as well, throughout his two starts this year, he has allowed only one walk. There’s only two possible problems with Manaea, that certainly tainted his draft stock. First off, he plays for the Athletics, which just isn’t a good team, and his velocity isn’t all that impressive, but if you like his location and control, get him and get him now!
2. Ian Kennedy- Kansas City Royals ( ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 7.4%)
Past 2 starts: 3/31 (No Decision) CWS 6.0 IP (18 pts) 5 K’s (5 Pts) 1 ER (-2 pts)- 21 pts, 4/7 (Win) CLE 6.0 IP 8 K’s 0 ER
Ian Kennedy dominated the Cleveland Indians offense on Saturday, that alone is reason enough to pluck him off the wire. Kennedy has also put up plenty of strikeouts in a short amount of time. He can strike batters out and he can give you at least 6 consistent innings. That is something you can’t take for granted going down the road. His next start is Thursday vs the Angels. Don’t be surprised if he drops off a little bit, but he is still a good streaming start as of now. Hopefully his excellent start will continue.
3. Mike Foltynewicz- Atlanta Braves (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 26.6%)
Past 2 starts: 3/30 (No Decision) PHI 5.0 IP (15 pts) 2 ER (-4 pts) 7 K’s (7pts)= 16 pts, 4/4 (Win) 5.1 IP 1 ER 8 K’s
Folty throughout the years has shown sparks of greatness but then has subsided to strains of mediocrity. It should be expected of him to have a much better season this year than in years past. Keep in mind he is hurling on a very hot Braves team that is sure to give him some run support in his next start vs the Nationals again this Tuesday. He quieted a strong Nationals lineup in his previous start, striking them out on command. If he can get anywhere close, and even if he can last a bit longer, like until the 6th inning, I’d see his value increasing steadily.
4. Tyler Skaggs- Los Angeles Angels (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 35.3 %)
Past 2 starts: 3/30 (Win, 5 pts) OAK 6.1 IP (19 pts) 0 ER 5 K’s (5 pts)= 29 pts, 4/4 (No Decision) CLE 4.2 IP 2 ER 5 K’s
There is a slight reason for concern in picking up Skaggs. He has had an injury history and it took him 103 pitches to get 14 outs in his past start against the Indians. Now even though he throws a lot and will be held back due to his injury history, Skaggs is still a pitcher that doesn’t allow a lot of runs. Runs allowed knock off two points per run allowed in most fantasy scoring systems. skaggs and his ability to go strong for 5 to 6 innings, with a fairly decent Angels team, should be a good pickup for starts to come, especially for his upcoming start against the Texas Rangers.
5. Kyle Gibson- Minnesota Twins (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 22.4)
Past 2 starts: 3/31 (Win, 5 pts) BAL 6.0 IP (18 pts) 0 ER 6 K’s (6 pts)= 29 pts, 4/5 ( No Decision) SEA 4.1 IP 1 ER 3 K’s= 14 pts
In his first start of the season, Kyle Gibson carried a no hitter into the 7th inning vs the Orioles, until he was taken off the mound. Any performance over 25 points is certainly nothing to scoff at and it could have gone on longer. His second outing wasn’t as good, but it was still fairly decent. Sure you can judge him primarily off strikeouts but only allowing a single run in two games is quite the achievement. Gibson is due to take a step forward and hopefully pitch deeper into games if he can do what he has been doing and limit allowing home runs, which has dampened his stats throughout his career. He is facing the Astros this upcoming Wednesday, so stream with a sort of caution.
That you could basically determine my playoff bracket
Wild Card: Brewers vs Diamondbacks
Might be a controversial pick here but I believe the Brewers pitching staff and their consistency should be enough to get them past the Rockies. The Brewers need to perform down the stretch, something they didn’t do last year. As for the Diamondbacks, they’ll have a fantastic year coming short of taking the division from the Dodgers once again. As for the game itself, I see the Diamondbacks running away with this one. I see the final score being 7-3.
NLDS: 1 Nationals vs 4 Diamondbacks
Nothing is better than playoff baseball! And this could shape up to be the most exciting series in the entire 2018 playoffs. The Nationals have a potent lineup and at this point, Captain Clutch (Daniel Murphy) will be sure to hit bombs through the course of this series. But will the Nationals rotation behind Max Scherzer and Strasberg hold up? Basically this series comes down to obviously the bullpen and Gio Gonzalez. If Gio can hold down the Diamondbacks offense, it may just be key to the Nationals clawing out alive. I see them taking the first two games, then of course the 3rd game is up in the air. I see the Nationals breaking the curse this year. I am predicting: 3-1 Nationals advance
NLDS: 2 Cubs vs 3 Dodgers
The rematch of the 2016 and 2017 NLCS is going to come early this year. Here, we have two teams that are mostly the same, except the Cubs took two of the better pitchers that the Dodgers had last year, those guys including Brendan Morrow and Yu Darvish. Given their roles on the Cubs squad, they can prove to become major difference-makers throughout the series. Both teams are great on offense, I think at this very moment the Cubs offense is slightly better than the Dodgers. In the end it comes down to the bullpen and the Cubs bolstered bullpen should end up carrying the day here. It will be loud and incredibly close. Expect a Game 5 matchup between Lester and Kershaw that is sure to be a massive pitchers duel that will go down in the history books. The Cubs pull through, barely. 3-2 Cubs advance
NLCS: 2 Cubs vs 1 Nationals
So at the end of October, who will represent the National League? I know I’ll get hate for this and I’m starting to second guess myself as I type but this year I believe is the Nationals year. It will be a seven game series without a doubt. But I believe the Nationals are slightly better. Now this prediction is highly dependent on a few factors. One big factor is health. Are the star players, like Trea Turner, like Bryce Harper, going to be able to stay healthy. The Cubs recently have all been relatively healthy but things can change near the end of the year. The second factor is efficiency. Will the Cubs bullpen hold up vs the Nationals? Will star pitchers, like Scherzer and Strasburg, put in brilliant performances throughout the series? And finally, I don’t know about you, but I smell a midseason trade. Something tells me that this year, the Nationals might throw all the marbles in before the trade deadline. I see those three factors paying off for the Nationals and beating my Cubs in the NLCS. I mean if they were to lose, I’d rather see them lose in the NLCS than the World Series!
Keep an eye out for my American League and World series Predictions coming soon
The NL West last year was akin to the NL Central in 2015. Not only was there of course a division champion, but the two wild card spots were taken up by NL West teams, those being the Rockies and the Diamondbacks. So now let’s get into the rankings!
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Additions: Matt Kemp
Departures: Curtis Granderson, Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon Morrow, Brandon Mccarthy
The Dodgers didn’t do much of anything this offseason. But this is a move that makes sense. By shedding some money from the team payroll, they could have enough to not only give Kershaw an extension, but they could have enough to get a big signing in the 18-19 offseason. The Dodgers are simply planning ahead and I don’t see this strategy biting them in the butt too badly. The injury to Justin Turner might signal a slow start, but this team is still very deep and they are very capable of taking this strong division.
2. Arizona Diamndbacks
Additions: Brad Boxberger
Departures: Fernando Rodney, J.D. Martinez
Take it from a Rays fan here, Brad Boxberger is significantly better than Fernando Rodney. The D-Backs have bolstered their back end and look to be a playoff contender heading into the end of the year. The only question is their offense now that they lost J.D. Martinez. I believe they’ll hit less home runs, but with guys like A.J Pollack and Paul Goldschmidt, their offense won’t suffer too badly. The Diamondbacks will challenge the Dodgers for the title and will be very tough to beat come October.
3. Colorado Rockies
Additions: Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw
Departures: Tyler Chatwood, Pat Neshek
Give credit where it’s due as the Rockies bolstered their bullpen by signing World Series Champion Wade Davis. But at the same time, they weakened their bullpen, losing Tyler Chatwood and Pat Neshek in the process. They still have one of the best offenses in the Majors, but will it be enough to carry their poor rotation? Can the new bullpen be able to pull through in desperate times? Those questions will be answered quickly this year.
4 San Francisco Giants
Additions: Evan Longoria, Andrew McCutchen
Departures: Matt More, Denard Span
Spending money on aging veterans is a tough decision to come by. But when you’re the Giants and you lost 90+ games last year, something has to be done. Signing McCutchen and Longoria has made this team significantly better but don’t be too high on them just yet. Bumgarner is injured once again, Cueto is starting to get older and is coming off a crappy year. Let’s not forget Jeff Samardzija, who is just not very good anymore. The pitching is weak and the bullpen can’t vouch for them too much either so this should be an interesting year for the Giants.
5. San Diego Padres
Additions: Eric Hosmer, Chase Headley
Departures: Yanghervis Solarte, Jhoulys Chacin
Well at least the Padres did something by spending big money on Eric Hosmer. Hosmer s a great veteran World Series Champion who would be a good star player amongst a team of prospects. The Padres haven’t done much in a long time and hopefully one of these years, all of their rebuilding can pay off. If they can build around their ace Tyson Ross and Eric Hosmer, then there can be some kind of hope. Until then, they are stuck behind the big boys.
*I apologize for only publishing half a blog post. Either I messed up or WordPress has a word allotment. Something to keep in mind for the future. Didn’t mean to leave you guys on a cliffhanger!*
So the story continues with Carl reporting back to Gaear. As you can probably tell, Carl is barely hanging on to his life. His face is bleeding out and he comes back very hotheaded screaming that it was time to go. In theory, I believe that Gaear gets nervous here and he’s clearly afraid of getting caught. With that in mind, he decided to take care of Carl, with a swell swing of his axe. Yes, Carl gets an axe to the face.
So now Marge returns to the dealership, and then this scene takes place:
Notice Jerry’s nervousness and anxiousness when he slowly loses control of basically his entire life. This is clear foreshadowing to his fate at the end of the movie.
Of a tip from a bartender earlier in the movie, Marge finds the tan Ciera while casually driving by the hideout. Marge then hears the sounds of a woodchipper. Yes you heard right, a woodchipper. Marge witnesses Gaear shoving bits and pieces of Carl Showalter nto the woodchipper, as blood spews out of the machine. Marge screams at him and tells him to freeze. Naturally, he runs away. Marge ends up subduing him with a shot to the hamstring and carts him off to jail. All of this, for a little bit of money.
The film ends firstly with Jerry being arrested in a motel room in Bismarck wearing his boxers and a shirt. I guess you could say he was caught with his pants down… Funny stuff I know.
Marge’s story ends in the same way it began, resting with Norm in bed. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Fargo.
Why Should You Recommend Fargo?
Besides the usual great acting and great directing quips, Fargo is just an interesting movie to watch. This movie pulls you in from it’s opening scene of the bleak fog and snow, and gently lets you go as Marge and Norm call it a night. It only feels right that you should just call it a movie. I mostly admire it because it’s something different. It’s not 100% original, but I’d say is pretty close, considering that nowadays every Hollywood movie is mostly a rehash.
Think of it this way, how many movies have you seen where a pregnant lady has actually taken someone down? How many movies have you seen when one of the most interesting characters says only a few words. How many movies have you seen that merely involve a woodchipper? It’s more than just the difference of the movie, but it showed the rest of America what Minnesota is like and how most Northerners react and talk to each other. Surely most of it is stereotyped, but that type of accuracy is something that I can admire when looking at a film.
The plot like I said is involving and interesting enough to hold your attention. Some of it is predictable but the plot still makes watching the events unfold worth watching!
Overall, it may be #10, but Fargo is an extremely strong movie on the list that could have snuck into at least #6. Now that you’ve seen this movie, you gotta see it again!
Starring: William H Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Harve Pressnell and Peter Stromare among supporting actors
Starting off the list, we have Fargo, what some would consider a strange movie about the three M’s, Murder, Money and Minnesota, even though the real Fargo is in North Dakota. Fargo is only mentioned because it is the location of the start of the movie. Speaking of the start of the movie, let’s get right to it, as to why it is #10, on the Greatest Movies of All Time:
Before the movie starts, we are granted with a disclaimer. Surely this is fiction but you wouldn’t believe it if you saw it for the first time. It reads: ” This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.”
After this brief opening, we are then treated to scenes of a blizzard, as shown in this video, one of the most epic and wonderful opening scenes of all time:
Honestly if you didn’t get chills up your spine, I may need to check your pulse to make sure you’re still alive. This ominous opening scene instantly grabbed my attention and made me hungry for the rest of the movie. Nothing beats a damn good opener!
In this scene, we first meet Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), the sales manager of an Oldsmobile dealership. His end game is that he wants enough money to be able to buy and own his own lot. But at the moment, he is unable to pay off a bank loan that included nonexistent dealership vehicles. Basically he is embezzling money through the bank accounts of the car dealership to either pay off debts or something else, movie didn’t specify in that angle. Through one of his mechanics,Shep Proudfoot, Jerry hires two criminals, Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stromare) to kidnap his wife and get her wealthy father to extort a ransom. In return for kidnapping his wife, the pair will take half of an 80,000 ransom and a BRAND NEW CAR! Just had to throw that one in there.
At first, Jerry considers calling off the kidnapping after offering the car lot deal to his father in law, Wade Gustafson. However after fronting 750,000 dollars, Wade ends up wanting to do the deal himself, only giving Jerry a finders fee. The finders fee of 10% of 750,000 dollars isn’t enough for Jerry to pay off the loan, even with his garuntees to keep the whole stock, Wade’s partner Stan Grossman insists: “We are not a bank, Jerry.”
While this meeting is going on, Grimsrud and Carl carry through with kidnapping Jerry’s wife, Jean. Now I’ve seen kidnapping scenes in movies before, but this one for sure is one of the most disorganized and messiest crimes I’ve ever seen. Evidence of a break in is just everywhere. Also, they don’t even kidnap her, she just flies down a flight of stairs and falls unconscious. Here, see for yourself:
So yeah, huge mess, evidence of broken glass, fingerprint DNA and the like. So they put a bag over her head, tie her up and leave her in the backseat. The criminals are on their way to Brainerd, Minnesota as when Jerry sees the signs of a struggle, he then calls Wade and tells him that his daughter was kidnapped, this was part of the plan, possibly the only part of the plan that Jerry got right.
The bumbling duo then get pulled over in the snow by Brainerd police. Carl failed to put on temporary vehicle registration tags. As the trooper asks for license and registration, he finds out the car isn’t registered and he hears Jean making noise in the backseat. As the trooper leans his head in to investigate, Grimsrud blows his brains out. Two bystanders drive by and watch the duo try to dump the troopers body. Grimsrus tracks down the bystanders and kills them both. As the scene changes, we are finally introduced to our hero, the pregnant, Minnesota-Nice police chief, Marge Gunderson.
We meet Marge just waking up for work, as her loving husband Norm makes her eggs before heading out the door. Notice in this film, the gender roles within the marriage flip. Usually it is the man that goes out to work and the woman maintains the house but in this marriage it’s the other way around. This, in my opinion, is an element of foreshadowing into the powerful and strong character of Marge Gunderson.
Marge then observes and basically recites what we saw as the audience. There was a heavy set man and a lighter set man, with the footprints of the lighter set man approaching the car. Marge finds her first clue, the notepad that was half filled by the trooper stating that the license plate had DLR, which means the car was taken from a dealership. The station then connects the car to the motel the criminals stayed at. Through her police work, Marge finds her way into questioning Jerry.
Now because of the murders, Carl calls Jerry and says that he wants the entire $80,000 ransom. The criminals are hid out, with Jean, in a wooden shack, and Carl is telling Jerry that him and Grimsrud have got to leave the country. Then right after that call, Jerry gets a call from the bank, saying that if the VIN numbers aren’t sent to the bank, the legal team would have to step in. Notice how Jerry is slowly losing control of the situation, little by little. Jerry told Wade that it was a 1 million dollar ransom and Wade states that he wants to deal with the criminals himself, else he’ll go to the authorities.
Now Marge goes into Jerry’s office and questions him about the stolen Ciera. Jerry clearly dances around this question and eventually lies to her and says there were no vehicles stolen from the premises. Now around this time of the movie, before the eventual climax between Carl and Wade, comes one of the more controversial scenes in the movie. It’s mostly controversial in the sense that some fans find it pointless but by watching the movie more than once, you’ll see at least where my head is at.
Marge meets an old friend from high school, Mike Yanagita. Now Mike comes off really awkwardly to Marge as he initially tries to hit on her by sitting closely, clearly Marge, being married, wants none of this. Then Mike starts breaking down in tears saying that his wife was dead and he was feeling lonely. After that meeting, one of Marge’s friends calls her and says that Mike never married that woman. Turns out Mike has psychotic problems and was checked into a mental asylum for several years, now he lives with his parents.
So what’s the point? What is the meaning of this character arc? Well my theory is that Marge learns something. She learns a lesson that surely we have all learned in life. Some people just aren’t who they say they are. She figures this problem lies with Jerry, given his nervous and dismissive behavior. This prompts her to return to the dealership.
While that happens, Carl and Wade confront each other at the top of the parking garage. Initially, Carl wanted Jerry but Wade insisted on going himself with the million dollars. Clearly that was a mistake, and it ends with Wade dying and Carl getting shot in the face. Carl then takes the money, takes 80,000 and buries the rest in the snow, and comes back to the hideout. Carl ends up in a wood chipper but we aren’t there JUST yet!
Predicting the N.L Central was rather easy and to the naked eye, these predictions should be easy as well. But as I start to go in depth, I’ve learned that there’s plenty that can go into this. But to start off, I’m going to go with the:
1. Washington Nationals
Additions: Matt Adams
Departures: Check back next year;)
This Nationals team, just like the Nationals teams in years past, is a pretty darn good team. But this team didn’t splash anyone huge and they should be looking to sign another bullpen arm to accompany Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle. This season is make or break for the Nationals. They have to break the D.C curse that has been cast upon them thanks to the Capitals. The Nationals desperately, desperately,need to at least make the NLCS to not only break the curse, but to have a prayer in keeping Bryce Harper, since next year he will be a free agent. They should take the division again, but the life of the team is on the line this year. If they choke in the playoffs again, then this division should be wide open.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
Additions: Jake Arrieta, Carlos Santana
Departures: No departures
Take this as my upset pick. This team can challenge for a wild card spot. Now I didn’t say they would take it, I think they may be right there or a bit short, but I think they will exceed expectations to say the least. Carlos Santana is a good signing that brings power and a great ability to get on base and postseason experience on a very long team. Jake Arrieta pretty much does the same thing. The offense and rotation now have building blocks to push onto as the years go by. The Phillies will be an interesting squad and I think they’ll have enough in the tank to make the wild card race very entertaining. Plus with the Eagles and the Villanova Wildcats, why not the Phillies?
3. New York Mets
Additions: Jay Bruce, Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Reyes
Departures: eh
This season hinges completely on the health of the starting rotation. Not only must they stay healthy, but they have to play very well. They resigned Jay Bruce and got Adrian Gonzalez, which I guess was the big splash of the offseason. The offense still isn’t enough to win games in case the pitching goes awry. That’s why last season was such a crapshoot for the Mets. Even if the starters are completely healthy, will they be as effective as they were in 2015? For this year at least, I’m betting against that notion.
4. Atlanta Braves
Additions: Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir
Departures: Matt Adams, Matt Kemp
Picking up those Dodgers starters should help out a rotation that has, well Julio Teheran, who had a down 2017 but should improve. Not much to mention from this squad, who under-performed significantly last year, due in part to the injury to Freddie Freeman midseason. Besides those two stars, this team is made up of sub par veterans and top notch prospects. If guys like Acuna and Swanson can perform well along with a couple of offseason splashes, who know what the Braves can do. But their uncertainty scares me, and that’s why i see a losing season in their near future.
5. Miami Marlins
Additions: Starlin Castro
Departures: Everyone that was somewhat relevant to the team, Stanton, Yelich, Gordon, Ozuna might as well disable the franchise huh?
I mean what the hell? Serioulsy? This offseason was completely unnecessary! All you needed was a good pitching signing but instead you give up your entire team? Again? I just don’t understand. Any fan support this franchise has had was officially killed off by Derek Jeter and company. Have fun digging ditches in the basement.
Surely Villanova made this game a lot easier than it looked, winning the championship game with a final score of: 79-62. Villanova also becomes the first team since the 2009 North Carolina Tar Heels to win each and every game by double digits. That alone is something to behold. Let’s see how it went down!
The first half ended with the score being 37-28 with Villanova getting on a serious run. Their bench ended up outscoring their starters at the end of the half, heck Donte DiVinchenzo outscored the entire Michigan squad 18-14 within the last 5 or so minutes.
Michigan did get off to a great start however, playing great defense and getting their best player, Moritz Wagner, involved in the game. It got to the point where Michigan was up 21-14, then with the firepower off the Nova bench, the whole game just turned on it’s head. Villanova came into the half on fire and with their head held high, finally finding their 3 point stroke late in the half.
They kept up their hot fire as the second half began, merely extending their lead. Whenever Michigan made a basket and looked to mix up the momentum, the Wildcats would kill their dreams with a thunderstorm of 3’s. At the end of the day, Villanova started to suffocate the offense of the Wolverines as it looked like they couldn’t get anything working. And it wasn’t just DiVinchenzo killing the game with 31 points, it was the rest of the team with Bridges, Paschall, Brunson and the entire rest of the team drilling shots. That kind of teamwork and consistency is killer and near impossible to stop. Michigan was just outplayed and started struggling right as the bench jumped in.
Might have been a boring blowout for the masses, but I found it to be entertaining. Once again, congratulations to the Villanova Wildcats! Kings of NCAA Basketball!
As promised, a while back, I stated that I’d recite my predictions of this upcoming MLB season division by division, then playoffs and then the World Series. To start off, you gotta start with my favorite squad, you gotta start easy, you gotta start with the team that’ll win the N.L Central and that is:
Clearly after watching my Cubs last year in the playoffs, one glaring weakness that we had was a bullpen to lead up to Wade Davis. Losing Wade Davis doesn’t help matters, but getting Brandon Morrow, a guy that can throw up to 100 MPH, could be the next best thing. Losing Arrieta also doesn’t help but given Yu Darvish and what his potential could be a good number 2 in the rotation behind either Lester or Quintana. There is the arguement that tis team can be better rounded and more consistent then the team last year. Given the fact that the young core of Rizzo, Bryant, Contreras etc are still on the team, there’s always a threat in the postseason. The Cubs play great offense and defense and even if they don’t make the NLCS for the 4th straight year, they will still top their somewhat weak division.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Additions: Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Jhoulys Chacin
Departures: Jared Hughes, Lewis Brinson
The Brewers have shown that in this offseason, they want to win and they want to win now. Yelich and a revamped outfield should prove to be a great supporting cast to guys like Ryan Braun, Eric Thames and Travis Shaw. Now on offense and defense, the Brewers shouldn’t have a problem and they should be a contender for a wild card spot. The only issue left is an improvement on the pitching staff. If the Brewers improve a bit on the bullpen and get a proven ace that’s around Carlos Carrasco quality, expect the Brewers to become very scary. Until then, they’re snug behind the Cubs.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
Additions: Marcell Ozuna, Luke Gregerson
Departures: Aledmys Diaz, Juan Nicasio
The Cardinals landed a total bargain in getting the 27 year old outfielder Marcell Ozuna. This means the Cardinals will get a superstar outfielder in his prime and for their competition, that isn’t good. The Cards will have an improved offense with Ozuna but their pitching core won’t do them any good. Adam Wainwright hasn’t had a great year in years and their ace is Luke Weaver who had a decent second half but he isn’t ace material. Expect the Cardinals to be mediocre this year.
4. Cincinnati Reds
Additions- Jered Hughes
Departures: Zack Cozart
Really the Reds didn’t do much of anything. Giving up an All Star from last year certainly doesn’t help matters. That alone weakens the offense and defense. Now they’re looking to trade away Billy Hamilton which is the last major player they got left. The Reds are an all around weak team and they won’t make a dent in the division. Of course they won’t be as bad as the:
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
Additions: What’s that? Never heard of such a thing
Departures: Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole, any shred of dignity
My goodness what happened here. Two years ago the Pirates looked promising, with a 98 win season. In 2015, they were a wild card team. Since that loss to the Cubs in the 2015 wild card game at PNC Park, the Pirates have just not been the same. By ditching their ace and arguably their best player, they have totally committed to the rebuild and the fans are pissed and rightfully so. Such a beautiful park will go to waste this season because of what happened this offseason. Hopefully the Pirates can have some sort of spark to fill the seats but honestly, I’m not counting on it.
![IMG_1223[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12231.png?w=1040)
![IMG_1224[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12241.jpg?w=1040)
![IMG_1225[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12251.gif?w=1040)
![IMG_1226[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12261.png?w=1040)
![IMG_1227[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12271.jpg?w=514&h=514)
![IMG_1211[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12111.jpg?w=1040)
![IMG_1214[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12141.jpg?w=612&h=344)
![IMG_1215[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12151.jpg?w=1040)
![IMG_1216[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12161.jpg?w=589&h=330)
![IMG_1217[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12171.jpg?w=1040)
![IMG_1218[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12181.jpg?w=596&h=473)
![IMG_1212[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12121.jpg?w=1040)
![IMG_1208[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12081.png?w=1040)
![IMG_1209[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12091.jpg?w=726&h=544)
![IMG_1210[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12101.png?w=657&h=432)
![IMG_1202[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12021.png?w=1040)
![IMG_1203[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12031.jpg?w=1040)
![IMG_1204[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12041.jpg?w=1040)
![IMG_1205[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12051.png?w=1040)
![IMG_1206[1]](https://ultimatefanaticsblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_12061.jpg?w=1040)
Ultimate Fanatics Blog 