After sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals, the Houston Astros have made a statement to the league and have put themselves back in the division race for the very exciting Central Title. At this point in time they are 1.5 games back from the Cards and are in a second place tie with the Chicago Cubs, who are also playing strong baseball.
Houston will now welcome the Mets into Tropicana stadium where they will go to battle for the next three days. This should be an interesting series and I can’t be the only one who finds the Johan Santana-Mike Hampton lefty on lefty battle to be somewhat intriguing, (good luck, Hammy).
What also makes this division so interesting will be the arrival of Matt Holliday to the Midwest. Holliday will join forces with Albert Pujols to lend a hand in trying to score some runs for a very weak St. Louis lineup. I like the trade a lot and it should give the Cards the upper hand in the division for the time being. With that said, this is a competitive and interesting division and I am excited to see how it will all unfold.
Don’t count the Brewers out, I hope they can land Cliff Lee and make their own run at the title which would add a fourth team to the mix. Stay tuned and keep watching as the Central Division continues to roll on.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Philadelphia Phillies NEED to Make a Deal For Halladay
It has been said numerous times by writers and announcers across the country in the past few weeks and I will say it again... The Philadelphia Phillies need to rise to the occasion and trade for Roy Halladay. I’m not saying it is going to happen, but for the Phillies to make a run in the playoffs and have a shot at another World Series Championship they will need the big-man from Toronto.
In my opinion, I’m confused as to what is actually going on in Philadelphia regarding Halladay. I understand that trading J.A. Happ, who is having a wonderful season, may sound like a lot to swallow when coupled with a prospect or two. However, with Halladay you get one of the best if not the best starter in the league for not just half a season but for all of next year as well.
If the Phillies can land Halladay, they will become the clear favorite to win the division and should be able to take down the Dodgers in a seven game series. One must remember that the Dodgers desperately lack pitching and with Halladay the Phillies can easily outlast LA and make another legit shot at a title. There is even a chance Philadelphia could win three titles in a row with Halladay, he is just that good.
I will say it again, no matter the price; Philadelphia needs to go after Halladay and bring home another World Series title.
In my opinion, I’m confused as to what is actually going on in Philadelphia regarding Halladay. I understand that trading J.A. Happ, who is having a wonderful season, may sound like a lot to swallow when coupled with a prospect or two. However, with Halladay you get one of the best if not the best starter in the league for not just half a season but for all of next year as well.
If the Phillies can land Halladay, they will become the clear favorite to win the division and should be able to take down the Dodgers in a seven game series. One must remember that the Dodgers desperately lack pitching and with Halladay the Phillies can easily outlast LA and make another legit shot at a title. There is even a chance Philadelphia could win three titles in a row with Halladay, he is just that good.
I will say it again, no matter the price; Philadelphia needs to go after Halladay and bring home another World Series title.
First Major MLB Trade as Deadline Approaches
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Oakland Athletics have agreed on a trade that will send Matt Holliday to the middle of the map to join Albert Pujols and the rest of the St. Louis lineup. In return the struggling Athletics will receive third baseman Brett Wallace, outfielder Shane Peterson and right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen. The A’s will also be sending 1.5 million dollars to the Cards as part of the deal.
Holliday, who was in his first season with the A’s after coming over from Colorado, had been struggling for most of the season. However, he began to step his game up in the past month and has been hitting the ball at a high level as of late.
I like the trade a lot the Cards are in a position to win their division and desperately needed another bat to help Albert out in the middle of that lineup. Holliday and Pujols will now each have some protection and their teams offensive numbers should increase. When coupled with a strong staring rotation and a decent bullpen, the Card have positioned themselves to make a run in the playoffs.
The trade clearly keeps St. Louis as the favorite to win the Central. I don’t believe it makes them better then the Phillies at this point and clearly not as strong as the Dodgers. With that said, the trade will help them and should make the playoff chase that much more interesting.
As the July 31st trade deadline approaches, it will be interesting to see which teams decide to make a move and what players will be rocking a new uniform for the final two months of play.
Holliday, who was in his first season with the A’s after coming over from Colorado, had been struggling for most of the season. However, he began to step his game up in the past month and has been hitting the ball at a high level as of late.
I like the trade a lot the Cards are in a position to win their division and desperately needed another bat to help Albert out in the middle of that lineup. Holliday and Pujols will now each have some protection and their teams offensive numbers should increase. When coupled with a strong staring rotation and a decent bullpen, the Card have positioned themselves to make a run in the playoffs.
The trade clearly keeps St. Louis as the favorite to win the Central. I don’t believe it makes them better then the Phillies at this point and clearly not as strong as the Dodgers. With that said, the trade will help them and should make the playoff chase that much more interesting.
As the July 31st trade deadline approaches, it will be interesting to see which teams decide to make a move and what players will be rocking a new uniform for the final two months of play.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
NBA Playoffs are in Full Flight: Predictions and Breakdowns
Eastern Conference Semi Finals
Cleveland vs. Atlanta-
The series between the Cavaliers and the Hawks is clearly going to be the least exciting series of all. Simply put, the Hawks have no chance against LeBron James and whoever else is on that team. Joe Johnson played amazing basketball against Miami and once again showed the basketball world that he is one of the premiere shooting guards in the league. However, Cleveland is just too strong on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball and will outplay Atlanta throughout the series. Cleveland 4-1
Boston vs. Orlando-
As a Celtics fan I would like to say that the last series against the Bulls was one of the most exciting seven games I have ever seen. With that said I believe Boston is a bit tired and are missing two key players, Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe due to injuries. Orlando will be without Courtney Lee at the guard position and will be forced to play the pathetic JJ Redick. Dwight Howard is a beast and the Celtics will have major problems containing him underneath the basket. Boston is more experience and has home court advantage which comes up big if the series goes to seven games. Rondo will outplay Alston in every game and Pierce will continue to hit big shots, but I don’t believe it will be enough to take down the Magic. Orlando 4-3
Western Conference Semi Finals
Los Angeles vs. Houston
This series is a difficult one to predict and has been overlooked by many basketball fans. LA has been playing great basketball and seems to have dominated the West for a majority of the season. Houston will pose somewhat of a threat to the Lakers because of Yao Ming. Bynum looked just average against Utah and clearly needs to step up more on both sides of the ball. With that said Kobe and Gasol will continue their impressive play and outside of Yao, Houston is too small to contend with the Lakers for seven games. Lakers 4-2
Denver vs. Dallas
The Nuggets have finally broken their first round curse by dismantling the Hornets. Chauncey Billups has made Denver into a serious playoff contender. The Nuggets are a completely different team with him on the court and he is continuing to prove that he is a premiere NBA point guard. The Mavericks looked good against the senior citizen spurs, but they were banged up and out run by Dallas throughout the series. Dallas lacks big men and Chris “The Birdman” Andersen will be flapping his wings after each and every block against Dirk Nowitzki. Denver will continue their playoff run and it will be interesting to see how much money Mark Cuban loses during another Dallas series collapse. Denver 4-2
Eastern Conference Finals-
Cleveland vs. Orlando
The Cavs will dominate the Hawks and get rested before going to battle against Dwight Howard and company. Howard will once again dominate games while absolutely destroying Ilgauskas in the paint. LeBron “The MVP” James will continue his amazing play and should dominate any defender the Magic throw at him. The Cavaliers will most likely come into this series undefeated or with only one loss so this will be their first competitive series. If Orlando can get through Boston, they will give Cleveland a fight but without Jameer Nelson and potentially not having Courtney Lee their bench is not deep enough to win. Cleveland 4-2
Los Angeles vs. Denver
Denver is a very good team, but they are not a great team. However, the Lakers are a great team and they will prove this against the Nuggets. With having home court advantage and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers should get through this series. Their bench is so much deeper and more athletic than the Nuggets and that will be the major difference in this series. I look forward to the matchups in the paint with both of these teams but the difference will be at the perimeter. Ariza, Odom and Bryant will hit big shots and Vujacic will contribute with some solid play. Lakers 4-2
NBA Finals
Los Angeles vs. Cleveland
If these two teams advance to the finals it should be a very exciting series between Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. The Cavs won one more game then the Lakers and therefore will be rewarded with home court advantage. James is the best player in basketball right now and no one can matchup up with his strength and speed on the court. The Cavs are a young, inexperienced team that lack big-time players outside of LeBron. The Lakers have experience and depth to outlast Cleveland throughout a seven game series. LeBron is one roll player away from winning a championship, but will come up short in this series. Lakers 4-2
Cleveland vs. Atlanta-
The series between the Cavaliers and the Hawks is clearly going to be the least exciting series of all. Simply put, the Hawks have no chance against LeBron James and whoever else is on that team. Joe Johnson played amazing basketball against Miami and once again showed the basketball world that he is one of the premiere shooting guards in the league. However, Cleveland is just too strong on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball and will outplay Atlanta throughout the series. Cleveland 4-1
Boston vs. Orlando-
As a Celtics fan I would like to say that the last series against the Bulls was one of the most exciting seven games I have ever seen. With that said I believe Boston is a bit tired and are missing two key players, Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe due to injuries. Orlando will be without Courtney Lee at the guard position and will be forced to play the pathetic JJ Redick. Dwight Howard is a beast and the Celtics will have major problems containing him underneath the basket. Boston is more experience and has home court advantage which comes up big if the series goes to seven games. Rondo will outplay Alston in every game and Pierce will continue to hit big shots, but I don’t believe it will be enough to take down the Magic. Orlando 4-3
Western Conference Semi Finals
Los Angeles vs. Houston
This series is a difficult one to predict and has been overlooked by many basketball fans. LA has been playing great basketball and seems to have dominated the West for a majority of the season. Houston will pose somewhat of a threat to the Lakers because of Yao Ming. Bynum looked just average against Utah and clearly needs to step up more on both sides of the ball. With that said Kobe and Gasol will continue their impressive play and outside of Yao, Houston is too small to contend with the Lakers for seven games. Lakers 4-2
Denver vs. Dallas
The Nuggets have finally broken their first round curse by dismantling the Hornets. Chauncey Billups has made Denver into a serious playoff contender. The Nuggets are a completely different team with him on the court and he is continuing to prove that he is a premiere NBA point guard. The Mavericks looked good against the senior citizen spurs, but they were banged up and out run by Dallas throughout the series. Dallas lacks big men and Chris “The Birdman” Andersen will be flapping his wings after each and every block against Dirk Nowitzki. Denver will continue their playoff run and it will be interesting to see how much money Mark Cuban loses during another Dallas series collapse. Denver 4-2
Eastern Conference Finals-
Cleveland vs. Orlando
The Cavs will dominate the Hawks and get rested before going to battle against Dwight Howard and company. Howard will once again dominate games while absolutely destroying Ilgauskas in the paint. LeBron “The MVP” James will continue his amazing play and should dominate any defender the Magic throw at him. The Cavaliers will most likely come into this series undefeated or with only one loss so this will be their first competitive series. If Orlando can get through Boston, they will give Cleveland a fight but without Jameer Nelson and potentially not having Courtney Lee their bench is not deep enough to win. Cleveland 4-2
Los Angeles vs. Denver
Denver is a very good team, but they are not a great team. However, the Lakers are a great team and they will prove this against the Nuggets. With having home court advantage and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers should get through this series. Their bench is so much deeper and more athletic than the Nuggets and that will be the major difference in this series. I look forward to the matchups in the paint with both of these teams but the difference will be at the perimeter. Ariza, Odom and Bryant will hit big shots and Vujacic will contribute with some solid play. Lakers 4-2
NBA Finals
Los Angeles vs. Cleveland
If these two teams advance to the finals it should be a very exciting series between Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. The Cavs won one more game then the Lakers and therefore will be rewarded with home court advantage. James is the best player in basketball right now and no one can matchup up with his strength and speed on the court. The Cavs are a young, inexperienced team that lack big-time players outside of LeBron. The Lakers have experience and depth to outlast Cleveland throughout a seven game series. LeBron is one roll player away from winning a championship, but will come up short in this series. Lakers 4-2
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Roger Williams Wrestling shows well in important tournament
While students were away from campus, the wrestling team was hard at work. The first major tournament after the holidays had the team travel to the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia for a very important tournament.
The Hawks first faced the Apprentice school and immediately got out to an early lead. When the match was all said and done, the Hawks had dominated the competition 40-6. Next up was the division II opponent, Gannon University. The Gannon team had been competing at a very high level all season long and after a grueling match, escaped with a 27-9 win over the Hawks.
After the loss, the team faced Division I opponent, the Duquesne Dukes. The Hawks were immediately up to the opposition and split the first two matches. During the 141 and 149 pound competition, the Dukes moved ahead with back-to-back wins. After the two losses, the Hawks found their stride and were able to win three straight matches. Chris Nadeau, at the 174 pound division was able to get the victory by fall for the Hawks. After losing at 184 and winning at 197, the Hawks were up 21-19 with just one match remaining. Dan Woods proved to be the hero of the day coming up huge for his team while wrestling up from his normal 197 pound division. Woods eventually won the match 5-1,which gave the Hawks the impressive 24-19 win.
Next up in the tourney was the division III opponent Brockport University, ranked 19th in the country. After strong matches in the lighter weight classes by both schools, the Hawks entered the final two matches with a one-point lead. After a defeat in the 197 division, Nick Cambi moved up to heavyweight while giving up more than 50 pounds to his opponent. Cambi wrestled well against his heavier opponent but eventually lost in overtime.
After defeating Wesleyan University at home, 24-13, RWU hosted the New England Dual Championship. The tournament featured15 schools from the area and was sure to be an eventful weekend. In the end, the Hawks finished seventh in the Championship bracket, while Johnson & Wales finished first.
After the New England Duals, RWU traveled to Cambridge, Mass., where they defeated MIT and Bridgewater State College. After the back-to-back wins, the team traveled to Hunter College in New York for the Metro Conference Challenge.
Andrew Hawley immediately got his team out to an early lead by pinning his opponent early on in the match. After dropping the next three matches, Nadeau stepped up by winning his match which started the streak for his team. The Hawks went on to win the final three matches of the round and moved on to face The College of New Jersey. The Hawks struggled against New Jersey and in the end were defeated, 31-6. In the last match of the day RWU faced New York University. Andrew Hawley, Nadeau, Woods and Phil Kelly all wrestled well for the team while earning the win. However the Hawks lost the overall match to New York, 23-15.
Phil Kelly, a sophomore from Quincy, Mass., has been recognized as the New England wrestler of the week as well as being named the RWU male athlete of the week. Kelly had a brilliant streak going 3-0 on the mat that consisted of two pins and a major win over the top ranked heavyweight in the country.
"Over the past few months, we have been up and down as a team," said Andy Jackson. "We will continue to work hard throughout the season and expect to finish off the year competing at a high level."
The Hawks' season record now lies at 13-7 and the will next travel to Rhode Island College where it will face the University of Southern Maine on Feb. 7.
The Hawks first faced the Apprentice school and immediately got out to an early lead. When the match was all said and done, the Hawks had dominated the competition 40-6. Next up was the division II opponent, Gannon University. The Gannon team had been competing at a very high level all season long and after a grueling match, escaped with a 27-9 win over the Hawks.
After the loss, the team faced Division I opponent, the Duquesne Dukes. The Hawks were immediately up to the opposition and split the first two matches. During the 141 and 149 pound competition, the Dukes moved ahead with back-to-back wins. After the two losses, the Hawks found their stride and were able to win three straight matches. Chris Nadeau, at the 174 pound division was able to get the victory by fall for the Hawks. After losing at 184 and winning at 197, the Hawks were up 21-19 with just one match remaining. Dan Woods proved to be the hero of the day coming up huge for his team while wrestling up from his normal 197 pound division. Woods eventually won the match 5-1,which gave the Hawks the impressive 24-19 win.
Next up in the tourney was the division III opponent Brockport University, ranked 19th in the country. After strong matches in the lighter weight classes by both schools, the Hawks entered the final two matches with a one-point lead. After a defeat in the 197 division, Nick Cambi moved up to heavyweight while giving up more than 50 pounds to his opponent. Cambi wrestled well against his heavier opponent but eventually lost in overtime.
After defeating Wesleyan University at home, 24-13, RWU hosted the New England Dual Championship. The tournament featured15 schools from the area and was sure to be an eventful weekend. In the end, the Hawks finished seventh in the Championship bracket, while Johnson & Wales finished first.
After the New England Duals, RWU traveled to Cambridge, Mass., where they defeated MIT and Bridgewater State College. After the back-to-back wins, the team traveled to Hunter College in New York for the Metro Conference Challenge.
Andrew Hawley immediately got his team out to an early lead by pinning his opponent early on in the match. After dropping the next three matches, Nadeau stepped up by winning his match which started the streak for his team. The Hawks went on to win the final three matches of the round and moved on to face The College of New Jersey. The Hawks struggled against New Jersey and in the end were defeated, 31-6. In the last match of the day RWU faced New York University. Andrew Hawley, Nadeau, Woods and Phil Kelly all wrestled well for the team while earning the win. However the Hawks lost the overall match to New York, 23-15.
Phil Kelly, a sophomore from Quincy, Mass., has been recognized as the New England wrestler of the week as well as being named the RWU male athlete of the week. Kelly had a brilliant streak going 3-0 on the mat that consisted of two pins and a major win over the top ranked heavyweight in the country.
"Over the past few months, we have been up and down as a team," said Andy Jackson. "We will continue to work hard throughout the season and expect to finish off the year competing at a high level."
The Hawks' season record now lies at 13-7 and the will next travel to Rhode Island College where it will face the University of Southern Maine on Feb. 7.
Roger Williams Women's basketball experiencing many ups and downs
Since the start of the new year, the women's basketball team has been on somewhat of a roller coaster ride, filled with some impressive wins and some devastating losses.
On Jan. 2, the team hit the road to take on the Connecticut College Camels where they hoped to end their six game losing streak. The Hawks kept the score close throughout the first half and most of the second half before turnovers got the best of them.
In the end, the team did see all 10 players who got on the court score a point. Casey Anderson led the way, posting a double consisting of 12 points and 11 rebounds. The final score read 66-72 in favor of the Camels.
After dropping three straight games to Rhode Island College, Nichols College and Western New England College, the Hawks were determined to end their slide. The team traveled to Boston to take on the Wentworth Institute of Technology.
The game was close throughout both half's of play and remained that way late into the second half. With little time remaining, Jackie Criss drove into the lane for an attempted layup. The shot was just off the mark but was rebounded by Paige Congdon who was able to put the ball in for the score. It marked Congdon's eighth offensive board of the game and allowed the RWU to escape with the last second victory, 65-63.
After back-to-back TCCC victories on the road for the Hawks, the New England College Pilgrims traveled to Bristol. The Hawks began to get it going midway through the second half going on a dominating run against the competition. The score was 45-28 in favor of RWU going into the second half and the team never looked back. Babin once again played aggressive ball on both ends of the court putting up a career high 24 points and 14 boards. Criss finished with 19 and Anderson chalked up 12 on way to the team's third straight victory.
The streak ended for the team while on the road against Trinity College and continued with a home game against Endicott and a road contest with Colby Sawyer. The Hawks will next square off against Salve Regina at home on the 4th and then at the University of New England this Saturday.
On Jan. 2, the team hit the road to take on the Connecticut College Camels where they hoped to end their six game losing streak. The Hawks kept the score close throughout the first half and most of the second half before turnovers got the best of them.
In the end, the team did see all 10 players who got on the court score a point. Casey Anderson led the way, posting a double consisting of 12 points and 11 rebounds. The final score read 66-72 in favor of the Camels.
After dropping three straight games to Rhode Island College, Nichols College and Western New England College, the Hawks were determined to end their slide. The team traveled to Boston to take on the Wentworth Institute of Technology.
The game was close throughout both half's of play and remained that way late into the second half. With little time remaining, Jackie Criss drove into the lane for an attempted layup. The shot was just off the mark but was rebounded by Paige Congdon who was able to put the ball in for the score. It marked Congdon's eighth offensive board of the game and allowed the RWU to escape with the last second victory, 65-63.
After back-to-back TCCC victories on the road for the Hawks, the New England College Pilgrims traveled to Bristol. The Hawks began to get it going midway through the second half going on a dominating run against the competition. The score was 45-28 in favor of RWU going into the second half and the team never looked back. Babin once again played aggressive ball on both ends of the court putting up a career high 24 points and 14 boards. Criss finished with 19 and Anderson chalked up 12 on way to the team's third straight victory.
The streak ended for the team while on the road against Trinity College and continued with a home game against Endicott and a road contest with Colby Sawyer. The Hawks will next square off against Salve Regina at home on the 4th and then at the University of New England this Saturday.
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