MLB 2014 Top 10-Second Base

I'm going to go through my predicted Top 10 at each position in advance of 2014; in addition, I'll offer MLB Network's "Shredder" Top 10 and the Bill James Top 10. Following the entire thing, a special bonus.

Shredder

10. MScutaro

9. AHill

8. NWalker

7. HKendrick

6. IKinsler

5. CUtley

4. JKipnis

3. BZobrist

2. DPedroia

1. RCano

James

10. HKendrick

9. JAltuve

8. OInfante

7. IKinsler

6. BPhillips

5. CUtley

4. JKipnis

3. BZobrist

2. DPedroia

1. RCano

Jividen

10. O. Infante KC

9. J. Kipnis Cle
8. N. Walker Pit

7. A. Hill Ariz

6. C. Utley Phi
5. J. Gyorko SD

4. I. Kinsler Det
3. B. Zobrist TB

2. D. Pedroia Bos

1. R. Cano Sea

MLB 2014 Top 10-First Basemen

I'm going to go through my predicted Top 10 at each position in advance of 2014; in addition, I'll offer MLB Network's "Shredder" Top 10 and the Bill James Top 10. Following the entire thing, a special bonus.

Shredder

10. EEncarnacion

9. PFielder

8. FFreeman

7. CDavis

6. MNapoli

5. JMauer

4. AGonzalez

3. PGoldschmidt

2. JVotto

1. MCabrera

James

10. EHosmer

9. MNapoli

8. AGonzalez

7. EEncarnacion

6. FFreeman

5. JMauer

4. CDavis

3. JVotto

2. PGoldschmidt

1. MCabrera

Jividen

10. J. Abreu CWS

9. B. Belt SFG

8. F. Freeman Atl

7. C. Davis Bal

6. A. Gonzalez LAD
5. P. Fielder Tex

4. A. Pujols LAA

3. P. Goldschmidt Ari

2. M. Cabrera Det 

1. J. Votto Cin

MLB 2014 Top 10-Pitchers

I'm going to go through my predicted Top 10 at each position in advance of 2014; in addition, I'll offer MLB Network's "Shredder" Top 10 and the Bill James Top 10. Following the entire thing, a special bonus.

Shredder

10. MScherzer

9. JVerlander

8. AWainwright

7. H.Iwakuma

6. DPrice

5. JFernandez

4. CSale

3. FHernandez

2. CLee

1. CKershaw

James

10. YDarvish

9. FHernandez

8. JWeaver

7. CSale

6. ZGrienke

5. JVerlander

4. AWainwright

3. CLee

2. MScherzer

1. CKershaw

Jividen
10. M.Bumgarner SFG
9. S. Strasburg Wash

8. D. Price TB

7. C. Lee Phi
6. A. Wainwright StL 

5. J. Fernandez Mia
4. Y. Darvish Tex
3. F. Hernandez Sea 

2. J. Verlander Det 

1. C. Kershaw LAD

The End of the 2013 NFL Season

You take your small victories where you can find them.  I hit both side and total for Super Bowl 48; I was not surprised by the severity of the beating, believing pretty firmly that the real Super Bowl was the NFC Championship game.  My takeaways are three.

1. We are maybe done with this debate.

Joe Montana Super Bowls: 83 of 122, 1142 yards, 11 TD, 0 picks, 127.8 rating 4-0. Peyton Manning: 90 of 132, 860 yds, 3 TD, 4 INT, 81.0 rating, 1-2.

Peyton Manning's the greatest regular season quarterback of all time, but he's played 3 middling-poor games in the Super Bowl and the contrast is unavoidable. Even a win in his golden years will probably not be enough for Manning to overtake Montana as the consensus best ever.

2. Has this ever happened before?

The Niners lost the 2011 NFC Title in overtime; we were favored, at home, and two Kyle Williams fumbles cost us our first trip to the Super Bowl in 17 years.

The favored Niners lost Super Bowl 47 despite having 4 shots from the 5 yard line to win the game.

The Niners lost the 2013 NFC Title game with an end zone pick to end the game.

Considering the wrenching nature of the late game losses that knocked us out of title games 3 years straight, has any team ever been punched in the stomach quite like this one? If this group doesn't win a Super Bowl, we're Bud Grant's Vikings.

3. 20 years. Next year will be two decades since we've won a Super Bowl. No more "hey, look at our rings" billboards. We need to win now.

Pitchers and catchers in 11 days. All the links are updated.

Every Super Bowl Winner Ranked

Top 10 Super Bowl Matchups

All Super Bowl MVPs Re-Awarded. 25 Best Performances in History

Ranking every 49ers Team

10 Best Teams Not to Win a Super Bowl

10 Best Super Bowls Ever

25 Best Performances in Super Bowl History

Super Bowl 48 Pick/Best Picture Pick

Seattle +2.5 Denver

Seattle straight up.

The Seahawks are better in all 3 of the metric systems that I use to evaluate games over the course of the season; they add some version of Percy Harvin while the Broncos play for the second week without Chris Harris.  There's a bit of irresistible force against immovable object here with Manning against the Seattle pass defense. I'd expect Denver scores, but Manning's slow footed against an active Seattle front seven, and to whatever degree the weather is impactful it cuts against Peyton to some degree.  On the other side of the ball, I'm not sure how Denver, without Harris or Von Miller, stops Seattle.  This game looks to me like one where we leave believing that the NFC Championship was the real Super Bowl.

Seattle 31 Denver 21 (Over the total, which is 47)

A week ago, when I told you to take the Seahawks, I suggested parlaying it with 12 Years A Slave, which was then -240.  It's now -350.  If you want to invest, you need to do that now before the BAFTAs.