The StatMan  

If you tried to download the podcast this week, as I have, and did not join us live, only the first minute was recorded. We'll chalk this up to a technical difficulty, as this is the first time that has happened. But, in case you did miss the live show this past Sunday, we talked about a lot.  I am breaking up the Show Notes into three different blog entries: one on football, one on baseball, and one on hockey.

NHL Week 6

Local Teams

Devils: The Devils have started the season 9-0 on the road after beating the Penguins on Thursday night. They are going for a tie of the NHL record for road wins to start a season (10) at Philadelphia on Monday night. The record for road wins to start a season was set by the 1993-94 Maple Leafs and tied by the 2006-07 Sabres. The all-time consecutive road win record is owned by the 2005-06 Red Wings with 12 games (3/1-4/15).

 

Islanders: The Islanders are afflicted by their 2nd period woes, where after outscoring teams 11-3 in 1st period over the last 4 games, they have been outscored 8-2 in 2nd period in those games.  But, it is better to have bad 2nd periods than bad 3rd periods because they have time to recover - and they have - with the late goal to tie at Washington, the OT winner at Carolina, and the late goal to tie at Florida.  In the road trip so far, the Islanders have 4 points (1-0-2) and deserve 4 points with or without the shootout, outplaying the Hurricanes and Panthers.

 

Bruins: They had a rough loss against Pittsburgh on Saturday.  Holding a 5-4 lead, Bill Guerin tied the game with 0.4 seconds left and the Bruins lost in overtime on a Pascal Dupuis goal 1:24 into the extra session. The injuries have caught up to the team that walked away with the best record in the Eastern Conference last year.

 

Statistical Leaders in Week 6

Forwards: Henrik Zetterberg (DET) 36.5 pts (4-5-9, +5), Evander Kane (ATL) 28 pts (3-2-5, +6, 1 SHG), Zach Parise (NJ) 27 pts (3-2-5, +7, 1 SHG) - Local leader: Parise NJ (27 pts)

Defensemen: Niklas Kronwall (DET) 39.5 pts (3-4-7, +5, 2 PPG), Andy Greene (NJ) 25 pts (1-2-3, +5, 1 PPG), Dan Boyle (SJ) 23 pts (1-3-4, +3) - Local leader: Greene NJ (25 pts)

Goaltending: Miikka Kiprusoff (CGY) 27.2 pts (2-0-1, 1 ShO, 0.97 GAA, .969 SPct), Tomas Vokoun (FLA) 26.4 pts (2-0, 1 ShO, 1.85 GAA, .950 SPct), Ryan Miller (BUF) 23 pts (3-0, 1.30 GAA, .953 SPct) - Local leader: Tim Thomas BOS (22 pts - 1-0-2, 2 ShO, 1.94 GAA, .928 SPct)

Special Teams: Montreal +11 pts (2-for-7 PP, 15-for-16 PK), San Jose +8 pts (2-for-9 PP, 13-for-13 PK), Boston +7 pts (1-for-7 PP, 8-for-8 PK, 1 SHG) - Local leader Boston (+7 pts)

 

Remember to bookmark the following sites:

Show page: www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan

Secondary blog: gstatman.blogspot.com

 

And, feel free to follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gstatman).

 

Don't forget to join us next Sunday night, September 22nd, from 10-11pm Eastern time for Sports With The StatMan (#34). We will talk about the big Jets-Patriots game in Foxboro.  We will also see if the Giants come back strong against the Falcons at home and if the Eagles get back on track at Chicago. We will also talk about the MLB award winners and how we did with our predictions, and we'll chat about a Week 7 in the NHL. The Devils visit the Flyers and the Islanders travel to Boston this week.

If you tried to download the podcast this week, as I have, and did not join us live, only the first minute was recorded. We'll chalk this up to a technical difficulty, as this is the first time that has happened. But, in case you did miss the live show this past Sunday, we talked about a lot.  I am breaking up the Show Notes into three different blog entries: one on football, one on baseball, and one on hockey.

MLB Award Predictions

Most Valuable Player Award

National League: Finalists: Albert Pujols ('08 winner) and two other guys; Winner: Pujols

American League: Finalists: Joe Mauer, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Miguel Cabrera; Winner: Mauer

 

Pujols is a no-brainer. He led the league in homers and OPS and finished third in RBIs. Oh, and he's the most feared hitter in baseball. So feared, some managers would intentionally walk him with the bases loaded. Mauer is the best of a solid MVP field. Jeter and Teixeira will split the vote and neither is really deserving on a team chock full of valuable players. Cabrera helped the Tigers get to the final weekend, but abandoned them with off-the-field issues when it counted most. Mauer was coming back off injury and was tremendous from the day he joined the team to Game 163.

 

Cy Young Award (Best Pitcher)

National League: Finalists: Tim Lincecum ('08 winner), Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright; Winner: Lincecum

American League: Finalists: Zack Greinke, CC Sabathia, Justin Verlander; Winner: Greinke

 

Lincecum won last year and his ERA dropped, but so did his wins. The Giants stayed in contention longer, so they were a better team, but was Lincecum as valuable as last year?  My guess is Carpenter, already named the Comeback Player of the Year, and Wainwright will split votes and Lincecum will slide into the winner's circle. Greinke is a dark horse, but he had a 2.16 ERA, 242 strikeouts, and won 16 games with the Royals. The Royals?!?!  If you put his numbers up against anyone, save the 16-8 record and the team he plays for, he wins the award hands down. One more question: What's with these racing metaphors?

 

Jackie Robinson Award (Rookie of the Year )

National League: Finalists: J.A. Happ, Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Hanson; Winner: Happ

American League: Finalists: Rick Porcello, Jeff Niemann, Gordon Beckham; Winner: Porcello

 

Happ was the player that meant the most to his team. Happ started in the bullpen and contributed to a pitching staff that won the division. Happ kept his spot in the rotation after the Phillies traded for staff ace Cliff Lee. Maybe he doesn’t show as much upside as a McCutchen or Hanson, but Happ was the best in 2009. In the AL, Rick Porcello was the best for the same reasons. The Morristown, N.J. native won 14 games and was a steady hand all season for a Tigers team that forced an extra game in the AL Central before bowing to the Twins.

 

Manager of the Year Award

National League: Finalists: Jim Tracy, Joe Torre, Charlie Manuel; Winner: Tracy

American League: Finalists: Mike Scioscia, Ron Washington, Joe Girardi; Winner: Scioscia

 

Tracy inherited a team that was in shambles after Clint Hurdle was removed from leading the Rockies. Torre and his Dodgers led the NL West with and without its top slugger, Manny Ramirez. Manuel won his third straight division with the Phillies, which they have not done since 1976-78. But, Tracy’s job was the hardest and the Wild Card-winning Rockies put it all together after Tracy got there. Scioscia had an even-harder job. How do you keep a team together through tragedy and injuries to win 97 games and your division?  Scioscia knows the answer and had an uphill climb was significantly more than Girardi or Washington.

Remember to bookmark the following sites:

Show page: www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan

Secondary blog: gstatman.blogspot.com

 

And, feel free to follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gstatman).

 

Don't forget to join us next Sunday night, September 22nd, from 10-11pm Eastern time for Sports With The StatMan (#34). We will talk about the big Jets-Patriots game in Foxboro.  We will also see if the Giants come back strong against the Falcons at home and if the Eagles get back on track at Chicago. We will also talk about the MLB award winners and how we did with our predictions, and we'll chat about a Week 7 in the NHL. The Devils visit the Flyers and the Islanders travel to Boston this week.

If you tried to download the podcast this week, as I have, and did not join us live, only the first minute was recorded. We'll chalk this up to a technical difficulty, as this is the first time that has happened. But, in case you did miss the live show this past Sunday, we talked about a lot.  I am breaking up the Show Notes into three different blog entries: one on football, one on baseball, and one on hockey.

 

NFL Week 10

Local Teams

Jets: After a 3-0 start, the Jets have now lost 5 of 6. Only a trouncing of the Raiders in the "hot dog" game has kept the Jets from a six-game losing streak. In 4 of the Jets' 5 losses, they lost by a combined 14 points. So, it has been close, and they have been talking to the media like they won those games, but the stark reality is they are closer to the bottom than they are to the top. Mark Sanchez threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage, which was his 5th pick in his last 31 passing attempts at home. Sanchez settled down and the Jets had the lead for most of the 4th quarter, but Maurice Jones-Drew, the player of the game kneeled down on the 1-yard line to set up a game-winning field goal by Josh Scobee as time expired. The schedule does not look good for the Jets to get back into the playoff race, as the Jets travel to Foxboro next week to take on the Patriots.

 

Patriots: The Rivalry of the Decade has another chapter this week. They may meet again in the playoffs, but the Patriots had been tough on Peyton Manning until Manning finally broke through in the 2006 playoffs on the Colts' way to winning the Super Bowl. The two top quarterbacks match up in this one, which was in progress during the show.

 

Eagles: The Eagles have short-term and long-term issues. In the short-term, they have lost two in a row and they refuse to stray from their passing attack. Yes, Donovan McNabb passed for 450 yards -- his second career 400-yard game -- and the Eagles mounted a comeback after falling behind. But, their running game took a huge hit in the game when Brian Westbrook was hit in the head again and he sustained his second concussion of the season. Westbrook will miss time and may miss the rest of the season.

 

Giants: They had a bye this week, but they had a fantastic week just sitting home and watching. They watched Dallas come out very flat on the road at Green Bay after beating Philadelphia in Week 9. They watched Philadelphia continue their slide at San Diego. They watched Atlanta get beat by Carolina and their strong running game. It couldn't have gone any better, as the Giants are one game back in the division against Dallas, a team they beat in their first meeting.

 

Around the League:

How about those Bengals? They swept the Steelers for the first time in 11 years. You know it was an AFC North game when the only touchdown was scored on a kick return and no offensive plays found the end zone. This year was sink-or-swim with Marvin Lewis and he has responded with a 7-2 start and a franchise-record five straight wins on the road. The Bengals, with one playoff appearance in the last 19 years, are in the driver's seat in the division after sweeping both the Steelers and the Ravens...Carolina is starting to click with their running game. The Panthers beat the Falcons and DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were the prime culprits. The Falcons are not a good road team and their next assignment is at the Meadowlands against a rested Giants team.

 

Top Performances (through Sunday 4pm games)

* 300-yard passers – 52 games, 38-14 (.731) this season entering this week (1-1 this week, Favre: 58th career)

* 100-yard rushers – 53 games, 38-15 (.717) this season entering this week (6-2 this week, 4 of 8 have 3 other 100-yd performances this year)

* 100-yard receivers – 80 games, 51-29 (.638) this season entering this week (2-3 this week – 2 WR, 1 TE, 2 RB)

 

Power Poll

#1 NO: Still the best offense and a very good defense. Until they lose, they are #1.

#2 IND: The Patriots gave them a great game and they found a way to persevere. The most efficient offense in the league.

#3 MIN: The newest triplets in the league are Favre-Peterson-Rice. Favre threw 201 yards of passes Rice's way.

#4 NE: Moving up the charts despite a loss (though the loss occurred after the show).

#5 CIN: Welcome to the Top Five. Cincy replaces Pittsburgh on this list and at the top of the division.

 

Picks and Results

Local Picks:

Jets (7-pt favorite vs JAX, win and cover): JAX 24, NYJ 22 - straight up loss, against-the-spread loss

Patriots (3-pt underdog at IND, win outright): IND 35, NE 34 - straight up loss, ATS win

Eagles (1-pt underdog at SD, win outright): SD 31, PHL 23 - straight up loss, ATS loss

Giants (BYE)

Straight Up: 0-3 for week, 22-12 for season

Against-the-Spread: 1-2 for week, 20-15 for season

 

Big Game Picks:

Carolina (1.5-pt favorite vs ATL, win outright): CAR 28, ATL 19 - straight up win, ATS win

Pittsburgh-Cincinnati (PIT favored by 7 pts, PIT win straight up, CIN win ATS): CIN 18, PIT 12 - straight up loss, ATS win

Packers (3-pt underdog vs DAL, win outright): GBY 17, DAL 7 - straight up loss, ATS loss

Straight Up: 1-2 for week, 18-12 for season

Against-the-Spread: 2-1 for week, 13-17 for season

 

Knockout Pool:

3rd Round (Weeks 8-10) - Denver over Washington - LOSS

Past rounds: 1st Round (Weeks 1-6), 2nd Round (Week 7)

 

Fantasy Start 'Em/Sit 'Em:

QB Hasselbeck SEA (start) vs. QB Henne MIA (sit) - Hasselbeck 16, Henne 9 (win)

RB Williams MIA (start) vs. RB Ward TBY (sit) - Williams 10, Ward 3 (win)

WR Rice MIN (start) vs. WR White ATL (sit) - Rice 20, White 9 (win)

Record: 3-0 for week, 16-5 for season

 

Remember to bookmark the following sites:

Show page: www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan

Secondary blog: gstatman.blogspot.com

 

And, feel free to follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gstatman).

 

Don't forget to join us next Sunday night, September 22nd, from 10-11pm Eastern time for Sports With The StatMan (#34). We will talk about the big Jets-Patriots game in Foxboro.  We will also see if the Giants come back strong against the Falcons at home and if the Eagles get back on track at Chicago. We will also talk about the MLB award winners and how we did with our predictions, and we'll chat about a Week 7 in the NHL. The Devils visit the Flyers and the Islanders travel to Boston this week.

EDIT: There were technical difficulties for the podcase version of this show. Take a listen to last week's or next week's episode and enjoy!

Join the StatMan on "Sports With The StatMan", every Sunday night at 10pm ET for a recap in the week of sports. We pay special attention to our "local" teams in the New York, Boston, and Philadelphia areas. Fantasy or pro, it's in the show! In November, we'll concentrate on the NFL (Weeks 8-12). Follow my picks each week, as I pick the winners in the local games, the three toughest games on the schedule, my knockout pool pick, and my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em recommendations. We will close out baseball, as the World Series finishes up. And, we can't forget about the greatest show on ice. We'll amp up over coverage of NHL hockey (Weeks 4-8) in the next month. Follow the blog on my show page (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan), my secondary blog (http://gstatman.blogspot.com), and you can follow me, the StatMan, on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gstatman). Tune in to "Sports With The StatMan" this November, where there is always something going on.

Join the StatMan on "Sports With The StatMan", every Sunday night at 10pm ET for a recap in the week of sports. We pay special attention to our "local" teams in the New York, Boston, and Philadelphia areas. Fantasy or pro, it's in the show! In November, we'll concentrate on the NFL (Weeks 8-12). Follow my picks each week, as I pick the winners in the local games, the three toughest games on the schedule, my knockout pool pick, and my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em recommendations. We will close out baseball, as the World Series finishes up. And, we can't forget about the greatest show on ice. We'll amp up over coverage of NHL hockey (Weeks 4-8) in the next month. Follow the blog on my show page (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan), my secondary blog (http://gstatman.blogspot.com), and you can follow me, the StatMan, on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gstatman). Tune in to "Sports With The StatMan" this November, where there is always something going on.

Join the StatMan on "Sports With The StatMan", every Sunday night at 10pm ET for a recap in the week of sports. We pay special attention to our "local" teams in the New York, Boston, and Philadelphia areas. Fantasy or pro, it's in the show! In November, we'll concentrate on the NFL (Weeks 8-12). Follow my picks each week, as I pick the winners in the local games, the three toughest games on the schedule, my knockout pool pick, and my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em recommendations. We will close out baseball, as the World Series finishes up. And, we can't forget about the greatest show on ice. We'll amp up over coverage of NHL hockey (Weeks 4-8) in the next month. Follow the blog on my show page (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-StatMan), my secondary blog (http://gstatman.blogspot.com), and you can follow me, the StatMan, on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gstatman). Tune in to "Sports With The StatMan" this November, where there is always something going on.