2011 College Football Picks, Week 14

I'm 85-76-4 on the season.

KSt -10.5 ISt.(loss)
Texas +2.5 Baylor(loss)
MTenn +5.5 NTex(loss)
Ok St. -3.5 OK(win)

1-3, 86-79-4

The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 51-60

51. Mike Mussina RHP 1991-08 Orioles/Yankees
     82
     ERA+123
     264-186
     MVPQ=none
     IP=3550

52. Carl Yastrzemski LF/1B Red Sox 1961-83 
      81.75
      OPS+129
      .284/.374/.468
      Elite=1968

      Inner Circle=1967
      PA=14,000

53. George Brett 3B Royals 1973-93
      81.6
      OPS+135
      .306/.374/.506
      MVPQ=1979,
      Elite=1980
      PA=11,600

54. Ferguson Jenkins RHP Cubs 1965-83 Cubs/Rangers
      81.15
      ERA+115
      269-211
      Elite=1971
      IP=4500
   
55.Chipper Jones 3B Braves 1993-
     80.5
     OPS+141
     .308/.406/.530
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,160

56.Ozzie Smith SS Cardinals 1978-96
     79.9
     OPS+87
     .279/.356/.360
     MVPQ=none
     PA=10,800

57.Pedro Martinez RHP Red Sox/Expos/Mets 1992-09
     79.55
     ERA+154
     231-121
     MVPQ=1997
     Elite=1999
     Inner Circle=2000
     IP=2820

58. Joe DiMaggio CF Yankees 1936-51 Yankees
     79.5
     OPS+155
     .317/.383/.631
      MVPQ=1939, 1948
      Elite=1937, 1941
      PA=7670

59.Frank Thomas White Sox 1990-08 DH/1B
     78.45
     OPS+156
     .303/.423/.567
      MVPQ=1991
      PA=10,070

60.Bill Dahlen SS 1891-11 Colts/Superbas 
     78.45
     OPS+109
     .256/.348/.430
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,400

Frank's the new backup on the B team, his total value gets him by Greenberg, he and Bagwell are a good fight for the starting spot.  Neither Ozzie nor Dahlen has the bat to make either squad.  Chipper beats out Brett, and they both beat out Allen/Santo to take over the A team's third base spot.  The career value disparity really should put Yaz above Jackson as the backup left fielder, but Shoeless Joe was a significantly better player per game and Yaz becomes the new starter for the B team.  DiMaggio cruises into center field for the A team.  Jenkins isn't going to make either team, Mussina slides in after Schilling on the B team. And Pedro...he's the new best pitcher of all time.  That gives the B team 24, with only a backup CF missing, so I'll throw in Rose.

 Team One

 C Bench 
    Piazza

    
1B Mize

     McGwire

     

2B Robinson

      Grich

SS  Vaughan
      Banks

      

3B Jones
      Brett

LF Delahanty

     Jackson

CF DiMaggio 
     Hamilton

      

RF Ramirez 

     Heilmann

     

 P Martinez
    Walsh

    Rivera

    Hubbell(L)

    Clarkson

    Newhouser(L)

    Feller

    Halladay

    

Uti Caruthers

Team 2

C Dickey
    Carter

1B Bagwell 
    Greenberg
     


2B  Gehringer
      Carew

      

     

SS Boudreau
     Larkin
     

 3B Allen
       Santo


LF Yastrzemski
     Flick


CF Edmonds
     Rose


RF Waner
      Clemente

     

P Marichal
   Brown

   Schilling
   Mussina

   Ford
   Drysdale

   Palmer
   Smoltz

DH Martinez

     

The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 61-70

The previous ten is here.


61.Eddie Plank 1901-17 LHP Athletics
     78.2
     ERA+122
     258-164
     MVPQ=none
     IP=4500

62. Arky Vaughan SS Pirates 1932-48
      77.55
      .312/.412/.507
       OPS+136
      MVPQ=1938
       Elite=1935
       PA=7720

63. Pete Rose 1963-86 Reds/Phillies Uti
      77.4
      OPS+118
      .311/.387/.443
      MVPQ=none
      PA=15,860

64.Jeff Bagwell 1B Astros 1991-05
     77.05
      OPS+149
      .303/.414/.562
      MVPQ=1996
      Elite=1994
      PA=9400

65. Charlie Gehringer 2B Tigers 1924-42
      76.75
      OPS+124
      .294/.374/.476
      MVPQ=1936, 1937
      Elite=1934
      PA=10,200

66. Ivan Rodriguez C 1991- Rangers/Tigers 
      76.5
      OPS+106
      .293/.332/.456
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,270

67. Roberto Clemente RF 1955-72
      75.9
      OPS+130
      .330/.376/.513
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,200

68. Johnny Bench C 1967-83 Reds
      75.9
      OPS+126
      .276/.352/.521
       MVPQ=1974
       Elite=1972
       PA=8700

69. Paul Waner RF Pirates 1926-45
      75.4
      OPS+134
      .318/.399/.502
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,760

70. Robin Yount 1974-93 Brewers SS/CF
      75.2
      OPS+115
      .291/.351/.453
      Inner Circle=1982
      PA=12,250
   
The last two catchers are here; Bench's cumulative value sticks him past Piazza's bat (Mike Piazza=the second best catcher in baseball history).  Pudge's bat isn't good enough to get him on either team.  Bagwell challenges at first - pretty clearly he's the new starter for the B team, given his big value advantage over Greenberg.  Gehringer's the new starter for the B team, I considered his value advantage over Robinson, but Jackie's per game advantage is still the big disparity between them.  Vaughan/Yount are on the board for shortstop - look at Vaughan's bat and per game value, he blows by Banks and is the new best shortstop we've seen.  Yount's not going to make it.  Waner and Clemente are highly comparable, there's almost no distance between them; I'll say they're the new B teamers in right.  Neither Rose or Plank makes it.

 Team One

 C Bench 
    Piazza

    
1B Mize

     McGwire

     

2B Robinson

      Grich

SS  Vaughan
      Banks

      

3B Allen

      Santo

LF Delahanty

     Jackson

CF Hamilton

      Edmonds

RF Ramirez 

     Heilmann

     

 P Walsh

    Rivera

    Hubbell(L)

    Clarkson

    Newhouser(L)

    Feller

    Halladay

    Marichal

    

Uti Caruthers

Team 2

C Dickey
    Carter

1B Bagwell 
    Greenberg
     


2B  Gehringer
      Carew

      

     

SS Boudreau
     Larkin
     

 
 3B Rolen
      Molitor


LF Flick


RF Waner
      Clemente

     

P Brown

   Schilling

   Ford
   Drysdale

   Palmer
   Smoltz

DH Martinez

Athlete of the Month, November 2011

October is here.



Matt Barkley.  Runners up: Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Robert Griffin

11 months down.  There's a bit of a horse race for Athlete of the Year; I had in mind a winner for the past few months, but after this month, I've moved someone else in the lead spot.  Here are the first 11 nominees:

Nick Fairley
Aaron Rodgers
Kemba Walker
Danielle Adams
Dirk Nowitzki
Rory McIlroy
Novak Djokovic
Justin Verlander
Cliff Lee
David Freese
Matt Barkley

SI comes out with its Sportsman of the Year at the top of December; my choice won't be influenced by that choice.  I like to wait until I have a December winner, and usually look to find a December winner sometime around the third week of the month.  At that point, I'll also list each Athlete of the Year since 1990, as that's how long I've been doing this continuous exercise.

The Weekly Tendown November 20-26 2011

Dear Internet:

The thumb belongs to the 44th President of the United States; the note was written by one of the Occupy groups.  The 99% tells truth to power.

Here's Tendown 103.  102 is here.

1. Tax Cuts
From the Citizens for Tax Justice consider the following:

The Bush tax cuts, extended last December, resulted in an average 2011 tax savings of 66 grand per household for the top 1% of income earners in the US.

For the other 99%, the savings was a little less than 1500 bucks.

The average household income for that 99% is 58 grand (I'm below average).  This means that, in the United States in 2011, the tax cuts for the average household in the top 1% are more than the income for the average household in the 99%.  If you make less than 66 grand, that's the position you and I are both in.

That's why, in Michael Moore's 10 point policy proposal this week, ending the Bush tax cuts comes first:

        
                                                       A Proposal for Occupy Wall Street
                                                           Submitted by Michael Moore

1. Eradicate the Bush tax cuts for the rich and institute new taxes on the wealthiest Americans and on corporations, including a tax on all trading on Wall Street (where they currently pay 0%).

2. Assess a penalty tax on any corporation that moves American jobs to other countries when that company is already making profits in America. Our jobs are the most important national treasure and they cannot be removed from the country simply because someone wants to make more money.

3. Require that all Americans pay the same Social Security tax on all of their earnings (normally, the middle class pays about 6% of their income to Social Security; someone making $1 million a year pays about 0.6% (or 90% less than the average person). This law would simply make the rich pay what everyone else pays.

4. Reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, placing serious regulations on how business is conducted by Wall Street and the banks.

5. Investigate the Crash of 2008, and bring to justice those who committed any crimes.

6. Reorder our nation's spending priorities (including the ending of all foreign wars and their cost of over $2 billion a week). This will re-open libraries, reinstate band and art and civics classes in our schools, fix our roads and bridges and infrastructure, wire the entire country for 21st century internet, and support scientific research that improves our lives.

7. Join the rest of the free world and create a single-payer, free and universal health care system that covers allAmericans all of the time.

8. Immediately reduce carbon emissions that are destroying the planet and discover ways to live without the oil that will be depleted and gone by the end of this century.

9. Require corporations with more than 10,000 employees to restructure their board of directors so that 50% of its members are elected by the company’s workers. We can never have a real democracy as long as most people have no say in what happens at the place they spend most of their time: their job. (For any U.S. businesspeople freaking out at this idea because you think workers can't run a successful company: Germany has a law like this and it has helped to make Germany the world’s leading manufacturing exporter.)

10. We, the people, must pass three constitutional amendments that will go a long way toward fixing the core problems we now have. These include:

a) A constitutional amendment that fixes our broken electoral system by 1) completely removing campaign contributions from the political process; 2) requiring all elections to be publicly financed; 3) moving election day to the weekend to increase voter turnout; 4) making all Americans registered voters at the moment of their birth; 5) banning computerized voting and requiring that all elections take place on paper ballots.

b) A constitutional amendment declaring that corporations are not people and do not have the constitutional rights of citizens. This amendment should also state that the interests of the general public and society must always come before the interests of corporations.

c) A constitutional amendment that will act as a "second bill of rights" as proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt: that every American has a human right to employment, to health care, to a free and full education, to breathe clean air, drink clean water and eat safe food, and to be cared for with dignity and respect in their old age.

2. Or You Could Take Mitt Romney's Policy Plan
He pledges not to put money in people's pockets.

Apparently he forgot that corporations are people, as his economic plan would include a 6.6 trillion dollar tax cut.

3. Working America's Wealth
More important than income is wealth.  Here's a briefing paper from the Economic Policy Institute.


• The wealthiest 1% of U.S. households had net worth that was 225 times greater than the median or typical household’s
net worth in 2009. This is the highest ratio on record.


•The median net worth of black households was $2,200 in 2009, the lowest ever recorded; the median among white
households was $97,900.

4. Remember, it's Not About Race



Michelle Obama got booed at a NASCAR event.  You know, like Laura Bush always got booed by left leaning sports fans.  Booing first ladies is a time honored American tradition.  When she threw out the first ball in an 1882 game between the Worcester Ruby Legs and Wilmington Quick Steps, Ellen Arthur was so roundly jeered over Standard Oil's control of 90+% of the nation's oil market "you're nothing but a Dollymop, madame" that she had to be escorted from the diamond by future Hall of Famer John Clarkson.  The two began a torrid affair foreshadowing Mickey Mantle's notorious decade long dalliance with Bess Truman.



Rush Limbaugh explained the NASCAR fans curious (and maybe singular) reaction to a first lady by saying that Michelle Obama was, wait for it, uppity.

Not at all about race.  Not at all.

5. They Don't Want Small Government
Megyn Kelly, physically flawless water carrier for authoritarianism, dismissed last week's pepper spraying of Occupy protesters, it's a food product, essentially.

Better than that is this Pepper Spraying Cop tumblr.












6. If You Have Children.


My Ladygal picked up a nice writeup for one of her many projects this week.  This one geared to parents of young children.  Consider forwarding the link to someone who might order one or a dozen and one.

7. Happy Thanksgiving.
Pick whichever video most suits you.

The Chinese dog who won't leave his owner's grave.

or

The Little Rock Walmart Waffle Maker Riot.

8. Who You Should Be Following on Twitter
The cast and crew of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

9. Moratorium
Let's shut down two things this week.

-the phrase, "brother from another mother."  Hermain Cain's shoutout to Batman villains the Koch Brothers needs to be the point where we leave brother from another mother behind.

-and advertising the start of a television series over a month away.

 Hell no, Bravo.  Once we pass December 2 we can talk.  But it wasn't even Thanksgiving and you were pimping your 2012 lineup.  Absolutely not.

10. USC 50 UCLA 0

No matter who plays LSU in the title game, you won't see the two best teams in the country.

That's all for this time.  I'll be back next time.  If there is a next time...

Your pal,

Jim

The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 71-80

The previous ten is here.


71. Jim Thome 1991-   1B  Indians
      74.85
      OPS+ 147
      .273/.398/.547
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,100

72. John Smoltz RHP Braves 1988-09
      74.8
      ERA+125
      240-173, 137sv
      MVPQ=none
      IP=3470

73. Bobby Grich 2B 1970-86 Angels/Orioles
      74.7
      OPS+ 125
      .273/.379/.463
      MVPQ=1973, 1975,
      PA=8200

74. Barry Larkin SS Reds 1986-04
      74.45
      OPS+116
      .298/.376/.458
      MVPQ=none
      PA=9050

75. Ed Delahanty 1888-03 Phillies LF
      73.85
      OPS+152
      .323/.395/.565
      MVPQ=1893, 1896, 1899
      PA=8400

76. Don Sutton RHP 1966-88 Dodgers
      73.65
      ERA+108
      311-261
      MVPQ=none
      IP=5300

77. Paul Molitor 1977-98 Brewers 3B/2B 
      73.1
      OPS+122
      .309/.374/.463
      MVPQ=none
      PA=12,160

78. Frankie Frisch 2B Cardinals/Giants 1919-37
      72.4
      OPS+110
      .293/.356/.437
      Elite=1927
      PA=10,100

79. Don Drysdale RHP Dodgers 1956-69
      72.25
      ERA+ 121
      215-148
      Elite=1964
      IP=3430
   
80. Tony Gwynn RF Padres 1982-01

      72.15
      OPS+132
      .353/.405/.491
      MVPQ=1987
      PA=10,200

We start at first with Thome; he's going to back up Greenberg on the B team.  Then Grich/Frisch, note the former was significantly better than the latter.  Grich was also better than Rod Carew, the bat wasn't quite as good, the top end not quite as good, but more value in fewer plate appearances means Grich had both a better career and was better per game.  He's the new backup on the A team; Frisch won't make either team. Larkin's close to Boudreau, but I'll say instead he's the new starter for the B team.  There's a B team backup third base opening for Molitor.  Delahanty and Gwynn are challengers for the corners.  Delahanty's the new starter in left; per game, he isn't Joe Jackson, but Ed's 16 more wins is the biggest disparity between them.  Gwynn's the new B team backup in right.  Drysdale/Smoltz, in that order, look for rotation spots (Sutton isn't a contender).  Drysdale's gonna slip in ahead of Palmer, Smoltz after, both on the B team.

70 players to go.

 Team One

 C Piazza

    Dickey

1B Mize

     McGwire

     

2B Robinson

      Grich

SS Banks

      Boudreau

3B Allen

      Santo

LF Delahanty

     Jackson

CF Hamilton

      Edmonds

RF Ramirez 

     Heilmann

     

 P Walsh

    Rivera

    Hubbell(L)

    Clarkson

    Newhouser(L)

    Feller

    Halladay

    Marichal

    

Uti Caruthers

Team 2

C Carter

1B Greenberg
     Thome


2B Carew

      Gordon

     

SS Larkin
     Trammell

   
 3B Rolen
      Molitor


LF Flick


RF Sheffield

     Gwynn

     

P Brown

   Schilling

   Ford
   Drysdale

   Palmer
   Smoltz

DH Martinez

      

The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 81-90

The previous ten is here.


81. Gary Carter C 1974-92 Expos/Mets
      71.95
      OPS+115
      .270/.346/.483
       MVPQ=1982
       PA=9000

82. Luke Appling SS 1930-50 White Sox
      71.95
      OPS+113
      .307/.385/.420
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,200

83. Rod Carew 2B/1B 1967-85 Twins/Angels
      71.7
      OPS+131
      .334/.440/.447
      Elite=1977
      PA=10,550

84. Curt Schilling RHP 1988-07 Phillies/DBacks/Red Sox
      71.55
      ERA+ 128
      238-156
      MVPQ=none
      IP=3260

85.   Kevin Brown RHP 1986-05 Rangers/Dodgers
      70.7
      ERA+127
      232-155
      MVPQ=1996, 1998
      IP=3250

86. Lou Whitaker 2B Tigers 1977-95 
      70.5
      OPS+116
      .282/.369/.444
       MVPQ=none
       PA=9960

87. Alan Trammell SS Tigers 1977-96
      70.35
      OPS+110
      .289/.357/.425
      MVPQ=1987,
      PA=9370

88. Johnny Mize 1B 1936-53 Cardinals/Giants/Yankees
      70.25
      OPS+158
      .305/.392/.624
       MVPQ=none
       PA=7370

89. Gary Sheffield RF 1988-09 Marlins/Dodgers/Brewers/Yankees
      69.45
      OPS+140
      .295/.398/.532
      MVPQ=none
      PA=10,950

90. Scott Rolen 3B 1996-  Phillies/Cardinals
      69.35
      OPS+ 123
      .284/.369/.503
      Elite=2004

So, who joins our teams from these groups?  Carter can't crack the A team; he's 10 career wins above Piazza/Dickey and that's a hard number to pass up, but they both outhit him and he had a couple thousand more plate appearances than Dickey.  Pretty soon, the cumulative value of guys like Carter will force their way past guys who were better per game.  Carter's the starter on the B squad.  Mize is the new best first baseman; he's the same player as McGwire/Greenberg but with more career value.  Two second base candidates, Carew and Whitaker (and Whitaker/Trammell going back to back on the all time career value list justifies all the hours spent putting this together). Carew joins the first team, going by Gordon and now backs up Robinson, Whitaker isn't going to quite make the B team.

Trammell and Appling go right to the B team and in that order, Rolen goes to the B team.  Sheffield's the new starter in right on the B team.  Brown and Schilling are interesting; they might not feel like the same guy, but they were the same guy, with Brown being just a tick better, they are closer to Marichal than you might think, but they're both going to the B team.

    Team One
 C Piazza
    Dickey


1B Mize
     McGwire
     
2B Robinson
      Carew


SS Banks
      Boudreau


3B Allen
      Santo


LF Jackson
     Flick
CF Hamilton
      Edmonds
RF Ramirez 
     Heilmann
     
 P Walsh
    Rivera
    Hubbell(L)
    Clarkson
    Newhouser(L)
    Feller
    Halladay
    Marichal
    
Uti Caruthers

Team 2

C Carter

1B Greenberg
2B Gordon
      Kent
     
SS Trammell
     Appling

3B Rolen
RF Sheffield
     Medwick
     
P Brown
   Schilling
   Ford
   Palmer

DH Martinez

The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 91-100

The Previous ten is here.


91. Jim Edmonds 1993-2010 CF Cardinals/Angels
      69.35
      OPS+131
      .285/.375/.522
      MVPQ=none
      PA=8000

92. Tim Raines 1979-2002 LF Expos/White Sox
      69.1
      OPS+123
      .307/.400/.468
       MVPQ=none
       PA=10,350

93. Robby Alomar 2B 1988-04 Blue Jays/Indians/Padres/Orioles
      69.05
      OPS+116
      .305/.377/.450
       MVPQ=none
       PA=10,400

94.   Edgar Martinez DH Mariners 1987-04
      68.95
      OPS+147
      .311/.417/.526
      MVPQ=none
      PA=8670

95.   Manny Ramirez LF/RF 1993-2011 Indians/Red Sox
      68.75
      OPS+154
      .304/.405/.569
       MVPQ=none
       PA=9770

96. Jeff Kent 2B 1992-08 Giants/Mets/Dodgers
      68.6
      OPS+123
      .292/.359/.512
      MVPQ=2000
      PA=9500

97. Ron Santo 3B Cubs 1960-74
      68.3
      OPS+125
      .280/.370/.490
      MVPQ=1964, 1966,
      Elite=1967
      PA=9400

98. Craig Biggio 2B Astros 1988-07
      68.15
      OPS+111
      .286/.368/.460
      Inner circle=1997
      PA=12,500

99. Carl Hubbell LHP 1928-43 Giants
      67.8
      ERA+130
      226-156
      MVPQ=1932
      Elite=1933, 1936
      IP=3600

100.   Fred Clarke LF 1894-15 Pirates
      67.5
      OPS+132
      .299/.379/.493
       MVPQ=none
       PA=9800

At this point, I'll now keep two all time rosters, looking to wind up with 2 teams of 25 who could meet in an all time series.  This is a big section for second basemen; I'm pretty comfortable ranking them Kent/Biggio/Alomar.  None of them goes by Robinson; I don't think they go by Gordon either.  The career value difference is real at this point, Kent's 10 wins better than Gordon, but in 3,000 more plate appearances.  Everything else squares up; I'll take Gordon's per game value over Kent's longevity.  That makes Kent/Biggio the first members of the second team.

We've got 3 corner outfielders in this section; rank them Ramirez/Clarke/Raines.  Jackson and Flick keep hold of left field over all 3, but Manny edges out Heilmann to become the new starter in right.  Medwick and Crawford go to the B team when Edmonds moves in as the backup in center.  Santo also joins the team, but Dick Allen's bat keeps him out of the starting lineup.  That's gonna push Palmer to the B team, as I'm unwilling to lose Caruthers yet.  Edgar goes to the B team.  Hubbell's the new third best pitcher on the A team, kicking Ford to the B team.

90 players left.  Here are your all time MLB squads.

     Team One
      C Piazza
    Dickey
1B McGwire
     Greenberg
2B Robinson
      Gordon
SS Banks
      Boudreau
3B Allen
      Santo
LF Jackson
     Flick
CF Hamilton
      Edmonds
RF Ramirez 
     Heilmann
     
 P Walsh
    Rivera
    Hubbell
    Clarkson
    Newhouser(L)
    Feller
    Halladay
    Marichal
    
Uti Caruthers


Team 2


2B Kent
     Biggio


RF Medwick
     Crawford


P Ford
   Palmer


DH Martinez