November 8, 2009 by kylestackblog
It’s November 8, and I’m on page 160. That’s 131 pages from a week ago. In fairness, I’ve had an incredibly busy last few days with freelance stuff and studying HTML + CSS and, well, drinking.
A few thoughts (SPOILER ALERT)
I dug the section on Isiah Thomas and The Secret. I feel bad for Isiah in a couple ways. He’s known to an entire generation of younger sports fans as an aloof, ego-centric mess after completely tanking with the Knicks. (And some people might remember the scalding Sports Illustrated story almost a decade ago about how Isiah blew up the CBA.)
What people don’t realize is the guy was not just a great player but also a decent judge of talent. Remember, he drafted Tracy McGrady, Damon Stoudemire (a very solid PG for seven or eight years) and Marcus Camby (struggled out of the gate but became a dominant rebounder and shot blocker) when he was with the Raptors. And he chose, among others, Trevor Ariza during his Knicks tenure. A lot of people forget about that pick, since Ariza’s Knicks career was overshadowed by Larry Brown’s cantankerous handling of young’ns, which resulted in Ariza getting traded to Orlando.
Anyway, Thomas also was a great player. He’s probably top 25 at least, maybe top 20. I haven’t made it to Simmons’ top 100 player rankings, which I’m assuming is somewhere in the 500s. But Thomas was one of the seven or eight most important NBA players during the ’80s, the league’s Golden Age, and he deserves the proper recognition for being such an incredible player and teammate. (Though not an respectable opponent, as his walking out on the Bulls in ‘91 without shaking hands and myriad of other slimey tactics should have forewarned people with how poorly he would work as an executive. Because, you know, you have to actually communicate and get along well enoughwith people to get stuff done at that level.)
I plenty more thoughts but that’s enough for now. More along the way.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Bill Simmons, Isiah Thomas, The Book of Basketball | Leave a Comment »
November 5, 2009 by kylestackblog
NBA Injury Report
The thinking for my new RotoExperts.com NBA Injury column (syndicated on Yahoo! Sports) is simple: Get a medical professional to dispense information and opinions on player’s injuries. Since I’m not a medical pro — you cannot trust me because I’m not a doctor — I restrict myself to providing fantasy advice and leave the medical details to the doc.
Beyond just providing fantasy NBA advice, I hope that the readers of this column find value in the fantastic medical information. Who knows, maybe someone is wondering exactly what a shoulder subluxation is. And maybe someone can learn how to treat their sprained wrist or pulled hammy if he or she incurs it on the basketball court or football field. It’s also about delivering valuable information in an entertaining fashion, so that’s what I’ll strive to do in this column during the NBA season.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged David Braunreiter, fantasy, Kyle Stack, medical advice, NBA, RotoExperts, Yahoo, Yahoo Sports | Leave a Comment »
November 1, 2009 by kylestackblog
700 pages, 5 lbs and probably four months worth of reading.
I received Bill Simmons’ book in the mail yesterday and have a tentative goal of finishing it by Thanksgiving. I’ll give various updates on my pace, mostly to embarrass myself with my incredibly slow reading style. (The only books I’ve raced through are Moneyball by Michael Lewis and Fantasyland by Sam Walker.)
So, I started October 31. The book is 697 pages. I’m on page 29 as of Sunday morning, Nov. 1. The race is on.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged basketball, Bill Simmons, huge books, Kyle Stack, NBA, The Book of Basketball | 1 Comment »
October 30, 2009 by kylestackblog
Fantasy NBA (Five sleepers for ‘09-’10)
I wish I had more time to describe the point of this article, but I’m currently under the gun for another piece. In short, here are five players whom you must own in fantasy leagues. If you don’t, your team will die. I promise you will become smarter if you read this PDF. How can you say no to that?
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Kyle Stack, NBA, basketball, fantasy, fantasy basketball | Leave a Comment »
October 25, 2009 by kylestackblog
Yankee Stadium from the subway platform after Game 6 was called due to Mother Nature.
Andy Pettitte was supposed to be on the mound right now. Chone Figgins would be at the plate, and Pettitte would be digging his right foot into mound, preparing to toss the game’s opening pitch. And I would be aside a cameraman shooting the contest, documenting the process of filming a Major League Baseball playoff game. Instead, I’m sitting on my all-too-comfortable black leather couch in my Long Island City bedroom, listening to Dave Matthews and the pouring rain outside.
Although rain had been on the weather radar all day, MLB was willing to test everything Mother Nature had to offer, right up until MN showed that it can be a serious bitch. I reached Yankee Stadium at 5:35 pm and jettisoned over to Gate 2, where I thought I would pick up my credential for the night. However, they told me they didn’t have it and that the Press Gate (located next to Gate 4) was the credential pickup spot. Clearly, I’m a rookie.
As my friend Chris might say, I'm an Important Person.
So after dealing with that issue (my name wasn’t on any of the Press Credential packets due to a clerical error, so I received a fresh cred on the spot), I made it back to Gate 2. From there, I would simultaneously wait for my contact and prepare to meet the camera crew I’d be trailing the entire night. I stepped into the lobby for Gate 2 and found an area near the entrance to wait and to prepare a few more questions. I had just put pen to paper when, lo and behold, I heard The Voice.
I looked to my right and sitting on a black leather coach was a smallish black man wearing one of those golf hats that Payne Stewart used to rock. And he was talking LOUD. Of course, it had to be Joe Morgan. He was waxing poetic on some inconsequential topic with two intrigued, older white guys sitting opposite him.
Anyway, I immediately texted my buddy Tanner, who might dislike Morgan’s dismissive generalizations of advanced baseball statistics more than anyone else I know. Some people, like me, can’t stand Morgan because he’s so self-indulgent and uptight. Tanner can’t stand him because (I think) he despises Morgan’s resistance to new ideas.
So I facetiously asked Tanner if he’d like me to pass on a message to Mr. Morgan, and he texted back, “Tell him I hate him.” Yeah, he’s not a fan. Surprising as it might seem, I didn’t say that. I didn’t even approach the man who also might be the greatest second baseman in baseball history. I contemplated sneakily taking a cell phone pic of Joe while pretending to look through a text/e-mail, but I decided against it at the last minute. You know, I figured it’d be better not to act like a 16-year-old for a night.
What made Morgan’s speech (he was talking about a possible Yanks/Phils matchup) so entertaining was that even with him talking at a decibel level rivaling that of a Metallica concert, seemingly nobody else in the lobby noticed. There must have been 10 or so workers and another 20-25 people circulating through the area, yet only the two white guys were noticeably intrigued. Even an older Hispanic woman sitting on the couch next to the white guys was twirling her hair and looking away from Morgan as he spoke.
It hit me as so appropriate. Morgan was talking and practically nobody was listening, apparently tuning out the drivel coming out of this talkative and self-important man’s mouth. At that moment I felt like capping off the moment by walking up to Morgan and saying, “Tanner has a message for you!” and then punching him in the face! Maybe I’ll do it tomorrow.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged ALCS, Angels, Joe Morgan, Kyle Stack, Yankee Stadium, Yankees | 2 Comments »
October 23, 2009 by kylestackblog
I’m going to Yankee Stadium tomorrow for a story I’m covering…but I can’t say what or for whom. It’s gonna be fun.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged ALCS, Angels, Kyle Stack, Yankee Stadium, Yankees | Leave a Comment »
October 22, 2009 by kylestackblog
Fantasy NBA (How to play)
Most of you reading this probably have played fantasy football. Slightly fewer of you have given fantasy baseball a shot. Yet I bet that if 20 people were to read this post (an ambitious mark given how much I market this blog, mind you), I’d reason only one or two had ever played fantasy basketball.
I can’t figure out why other than that the NBA season runs just a tad too long for people to hold the necessary patience to participate. Fantasy football is easy since you have to update your roster once per week. Plus, luck plays such a big factor that newcomers can enjoy it from the beginning.
Fantasy baseball takes skill and a huge level of commitment, but the game is so naturally apart of our country’s mentality that it’s easier to find others who will play. And that’s precisely the problem with fantasy basketball. Even if you want to play, can you think of more than two or three friends who’ll join?
If you do want to play, I suggest you read my amNY piece on four things that make it a unique fantasy sport. Just don’t whine to me if your team ends up more dysfunctional than the Golden State Warriors.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged amNew York, basketball, fantasy, fantasy sports, Kyle Stack, NBA | Leave a Comment »
October 21, 2009 by kylestackblog
It continues to be a running joke that has ironically taken off the heat of the NBA’s inability to form a new contract agreement with its referees: MLB’s utterly incompetent umpires constantly making bad calls at the worst times. We had two more encounters within minutes of each other last night.
Top of the fourth inning, 3-0 Yankees, runners on first and second, one out. Scott Kazmir — whom Tim McCarver kept referring to as ‘cashmere’ (or was it ‘Kashmir’?) — turned around to pick off a sagging Nick Swisher off second base. The throw was perfectly spotted between Swisher’s outstretched hand and second base as he desperately tried to get back to the base. The tag was made, but, alas, the umpire saw something different from what the scoreboard clearly showed on replay seconds later. (Quick side note: If you were watching the game, did you laugh out loud at the crowd’s boos after they saw the wrong call was made? The only time I’d expect that Orange County crowd to react that negatively is when a neighborhood Starbucks is closing.)
So, the Angels are denied the second out. Derek Jeter subsequently walks, loading the bases for Johnny Damon. Everybody’s favorite Jesus lookalike flies out to center field, apparently knocking in Swisher from third on what was for all intents and purpopses a sacrifice fly. Only the third base umpire, who replays show was clearly looking at the ball flying to center field, says that Swisher tagged off third base before Angels center fielder Torii Hunter caught the ball. Once again, the replays clearly show otherwise.
We all know the saying “two wrongs equal a right” but why must umpires take it so literally? Don’t penalize the Yankees by making up for a poor call earlier. Instead of making two horrific calls, why can’t the umps just settle for one?
Of course, it kind of proved moot the next inning when Alex Rodriguez turned another pitch into a souvenir for some poor Angels fan. The umps surely couldn’t screw up the home run call at that point.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged ALCS, Alex Rodriguez, Angels, baseball, Derek Jeter, Kyle Stack, MLB, MLB umpires, Orange County, Torii Hunter, Yankees | 1 Comment »
October 19, 2009 by kylestackblog
I knew I’d be writing this blog post immediately after dropping my fourth f-bomb in the first inning of last night’s 11-0 Dodgers loss to the Phillies. Hiroki Kuroda turned in a gutless 39-pitch performance over a meager 1 1/3 innings, a span in which he permitted six earned runs on six hits. Ryan Howard tripled off him. Then Jayson Werth went yard off him. That was just the first inning.
Kuroda allowed doubles to Carlos Ruiz and Jimmy Rollins in the second inning (somehow managing an out in between) before getting pulled in favor of Scott Elbert. You want to know the real reason for his horrific performance? Check out his luck with his four-seam fastball.
Kuroda threw his four-seamer 23 times (remember he tossed 39 pitches). The good results he attained were two foul balls, four called strikes, a swinging strike and a ground out. As for the bad…
He tossed 12 balls (remember, he earned just seven strikes) plus a single, a double, a triple and a home run. So he effectively gave up the cycle even though he faced just 10 batters. Hence, the litany of f-bombs.
Here’s a more wide-encompassing reason why the Dodgers are down two games to one:
They’re 4-for-23 (.174) with runners in scoring position. They managed a .259 batting average with runners in scoring position during the regular season. That’s still a poor mark, but it’s no .174. Just as concerning is their 1-for-11 (.091) showing with two outs and at least one runner in scoring position.
And if that didn’t top it off, there’s the fact that the squad hasn’t managed an extra-base hit since Andre Ethier doubled in the seventh inning of Game 1. That’s 73 batters and eight singles since the last extra bagger, if you were wondering.
Let’s see if the Dodgers can provide some sort of turnaround tonight.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged baseball, Dodgers, four-seam fastbal, Huroki Kuroda, Kyle Stack, MLB, NLCS, Phillies | Leave a Comment »
October 18, 2009 by kylestackblog
It’s been said that Alex Rodriguez’s resurgence this October (.368 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBIs) has removed the black cloud that previously hovered over him in the postseason. There’s no denying that A-Rod’s legacy and mental mindset — as well as the Yankees’ World Series chances — have benefited from his improved production at the dish. What been discounted to some degree is the benefit on Major League Baseball overall.
MLB has done a much better job in recent years at promoting its players. There are the commercials that ran this year in which various players — Grady Sizemore, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Howard — had their life stories and love for the game briefly discussed in 30 second spots. It was a way to personalize the names that most fans might know only from SportsCenter highlights and fantasy lineups.
In A-Rod’s case, no commercials have been needed. He’s not only improved his offensive production; he’s saved his biggest hits for the most important moments. His game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 2 of the ALDS provided the first monumental postseason play in just the second playoff game at New Yankee Stadium. He followed that with a game-tying solo shot in the top of the seventh frame in the following contest. And then last night’s solo jack that tied the game in the bottom of the 11th inning sealed A-Rod’s 2009 reputation as a “clutch” player. (It’s been proven with statistical analysis that there is no such thing as a “clutch” hitter in baseball, but don’t tell that to MLB’s Marketing Department.)
All the A-Rod-related sunny news has been a shot in the arm to MLB. He’s always been a player whom most would think could carry a league. He’s been the game’s best player, or at least somewhere in the top 3, for over a decade, he’s a good looking guy and he plays for the most marketable team in North America, perhaps in the world. Any league, no matter the level in which they promote their players, gains an advantage by having its very best players thrive on its biggest stage.
It means more casual fans become involved because they want to see the big slugger, in this case, take another crack at a pitch in another pressure-soaked moment. For the loyal and die-hard fans who’ve already been watching, it results in more highlights which they’ll register in the baseball-loving part of their brain. We all like to see players come up big when their number is called. But it means a lot more to see it from Alex Rodriguez than from David Eckstein. (He’s likely the worst player to ever win the World Series MVP, which he earned in 2006 for the Cardinals.)
Best of all, there are perhaps more moments to come from A-Rod. The Yankees still have to win six more games to reach their goal of winning a World Series. Now that they lead the ALCS 2-0, they’re guaranteed to see Yankee Stadium again even if the Angels win the next three out in Anaheim. For MLB, that means potentially another dramatic A-Rod play in front of the New Yorkers who were never sure if he’d be able to harness his talent when his team needed it most.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged A-Rod ALCS, A-Rod clutch, A-Rod home runs, Alex Rodriguez, baseball, Kyle Stack, MLB | Leave a Comment »
September 24, 2009 by kylestackblog
Mark Reynolds is swinging and missing at pitches and with his childish attitude.
Mark Reynolds has had a breakthrough season in nearly every facet of his game, yet his most glaring flaw persists. He broke his own single-season strikeout record on Tuesday by whiffing for the 205th time, and he sounded like a petulant child in defending what is an indefensible record.
Reynolds, who entered Wednesday’s game with 43 homers, 100 RBIs and 24 steals, hasn’t expressed an inkling of remorse for swinging and missing so often. After Tuesday’s game, the third baseman responded to a question about breaking his record with a gut-churning answer (if you’re a D-backs fan): “So what?” In a Sept. 14 article on MLB.com, Reynolds claimed, “I don’t care about the strikeouts.”
Well, he should if he wants to turn into a superstar that the rest of his game suggests he is. Think if Reynolds chopped 40 Ks off his total. By sheer luck, he probably would pick up five hits extra hits. With skill — he has a career .350 BABIP — he could pick up another five to 10 hits. Think an extra 10-15 hits couldn’t help the D-backs win another game or two?
Of course, we can theorize all day about the number of possible hits he’s leaving at the plate. What’s more important is he appears unwilling to improve a massive flaw in his game. It’s like a kid who knows his poor study habits lead to mediocre grades yet maintains the stubborness and immaturity to keep the status quo.
Perhaps Reynolds is working behind the scenes to improve his batting eye while playing down his efforts to the media. Perhaps, but I’m not so sure that most athletes are savvy enough to be that deceiving. What’s more likely is that Reynolds is upset more media members aren’t praising his otherwise stellar campaign. (He’s a pretty good defender in addition to his fantastic power/speed combo on offense.)
However, the great players recognize their deficiencies and show the humility to acknowledge them. Instead, Reynolds is acting like Serena Williams, who during a post-match U.S. Open press conference refused to own up to her childish on-court tirade in which she threatened to physically hurt a linesperson.
If Reynolds is wishing that critics lose their persistence in highlighting his startling propensity to swing and miss, he’s going to have a long 2010. And if he continues to strike out at the rate he has throughout his career — he has fanned in 37 percent of his lifetime at-bats — then all those potential hits he’s losing by not putting the ball in play as much as he should will help to create a possible regression in 2010.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Mark Reynolds strikeouts, Serena Williams tirade | Leave a Comment »
September 23, 2009 by kylestackblog
I made it in Maxim, although it wasn’t in my ideal way. That isn’t to say I’m not satisfied with a couple recent articles I’ve had published on their Web site, including the one below. I just would rather be interviewing Miranda Kerr while wearing a mythical pheromone. (Think Matt Damon and Ellen Barkin in Ocean’s Thirteen.)
Since that’s a dream so sweet that it hurts to even think about, I’ll stop writing and turn you on to my latest MaximOnline piece.
At least my article is just below their latest hot cheerleader piece. (Go to Maxim.com, then Sports, then Sports (blog) and scroll down).
MLB players turned NFL
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Billy Butler, Jeff Francoeur, Joey Gathright, Jonathan Broxton, Kyle Blanks, Kyle Stack, Maxim, Mirada Kerr, Todd Coffey | 1 Comment »
September 23, 2009 by kylestackblog
Despite traditionally harnessing a power-packed swing, Alfonso Soriano's physical deterioration is driving down his keeper value.
Well, there might be a touch of hyperbole in the headline, but isn’t that what headlines are for? My story in today’s amNew York looks at four MLB players who should no longer be considered keepers in standard formats (12 teams, 5×5 scoring, five or fewer keepers).
There could be a very good argument made for every one of these guys that their non-keeper status extends beyond just standard formats. The basis for the story is that as sports fans, we tend to get tied to a player’s name even when his level of play takes a precipitous fall.
Take one example from the story: Alfonso Soriano. Fantasy owners might want to believe that Soriano still has the tools to go for his fifth 30/30 season in 2010, but all the evidence points to the contrary. His most glaring flaw is his inability to stay off the DL. There’s a point in time when various injuries such like what Soriano has experienced (inflamed knee, broken finger, strained calf) become more than just a coincidence. They become the most evident signs that a player is moving to a different phase of his career. The injuries he’s accumulated to his legs will prevent him — and his manager — from attempting to steal bags like he did in the past. He might never again reach 20 stolen bases. He also slugged at a career-low rate (.423), which could be due to his inflamed knee sapping his ability to create weight leverage and drive the ball.
Anyway, if I didn’t completely depress you, go ahead and read the three players in addition to Soriano who I advise throwing back into your league’s free agent pool.
Fantasy MLB (Aging Keepers)
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Kyle Stack, MLB, amNew York, fantasy baseball, fantasy, baseball, Alfonso Soriano, MLB injuries | Leave a Comment »
September 18, 2009 by kylestackblog
Weekend Watch (Sept. 18-20)
It’s the Weekend Watch! I don’t have many of these left, since there aren’t many weeks remaining in the MLB regular season. It’s always tricky to pick out the appealing names still floating on league’s free agent lists. That’s why I’m here to help.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged fantasy baseball, Kyle Stack, MLB.com, Weekend Watch | Leave a Comment »
September 16, 2009 by kylestackblog
In many respects, the 2009 MLB campaign ended this weekend. It sounds silly to think given there’s a few more weeks left in the regular season, followed by a month of postseason ball. Yet I feel like many casual sports fans clock out as soon as the NFL regular season begins. That’s how much of a beast the world’s most powerful league has become.
In lieu of that, here’s a story I wrote for MaximOnline regarding the nine most annoying NFL fans one can find. Not found on here: Philly and Oakland fans (annoying as well, but I couldn’t find enough information for a signature fan of each franchise) and the old bucket Denver Bronco fan (he allegedly retired a couple years ago). Still, there are some characters in this one, especially the first guy. Enjoy.
NFL Extreme Fans
Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Big Dawg Thompson, Big Nasty Bucaneers, Boss Hogette, Captain Dee-Fence, Catman Greg Good, extreme fans, Jets Fireman fan, Kyle Stack, NFL, Saint Vince, Vikings Cheese-Free | Leave a Comment »
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