I Pick Every NFL Game in 2011 - Week 13

I'm 82-87-7 against the number, 120-56 straight up.

Philly -2.5 Sea(loss/loss)
Bills -2 Tenn(loss/loss)
Chi -7.5 KC(loss/loss)
Oak +3 Mia(Dolphins win)(loss/win)
Pit -7 Cin(win/win)
Was +3 NYJ(jets win game)(loss/win)
Hou +2.5 Atl(win/win)
Den +1.5 Minn(win/win)
TB -3 Carol(loss/win)
Indy +20.5 NE(NE wins - what's the biggest point spread in nfl history?)(win/win)
Ravens -7 Cle(win/win
Rams +13.5 Niners (niners win game)(loss/win)
Dall -4.5 Ariz(loss/loss)
NYG +7 GB (Pack wins game)(win/win)
Det +9 NO (Saints win game)(loss/win)
Jax +3 SD(loss/loss)

6-10, 88-97-7
11-5, 131-61

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.