My Feelings On Nelson Cruz Leaving

                                  My Feelings About Nelson Cruz Signing With Baltimore

Nelson was offered a 1 year deal for 14 million dollars earlier during winter meetings, he had no intentions of signing that deal.  If Nelson wanted to be part of the Rangers, he would have appealed his suspension last season and finished the final 50 games with Texas, which could have propelled them into the playoffs instead of playing the final 50 games without their best offensive weapon. So I'm not going to say J.D. screwed up by not signing him, because like I said I don't think he intended on coming back anyways.
Nelson turned down a better offer in Seattle. Seattle's SafeCo field is not a very hitter friendly ballpark, which leads me to believe he was not holding out to be picky, but looking for the perfect fit.
Nelson is going to get paid eventually.  If you look at the power numbers for DH's over the last 10 years, the numbers are down a great deal.  Last season only 3 DH's hit over 20 HR's and in 2011 only 2 hit more than 20.  The power DH is hard to come by these days, and Nelson Cruz is one of those few and far between players.  Nelson hit 27 HR's last season in just over 400 at bats.  That is an average of 1 HR every 15 plate appearances, one ever 3-4 games, or 1 every series. However you want to look at it, it's pretty impressive.

Does it suck to not have this guy in the lineup this season? Yes. Is it a killer? No. Nelson signed with a team in another division, which happens to be in my opinion the most competitive in the MLB. The only time we will play meaningful games against Baltimore is if we run across them in the Playoffs, since the only time we will see them is in early June and late June.

Nelson is going to command a lot of money next season if he has a big year this year.  Should the Rangers have tried harder to resign him? No.  They made a great offer/the greatest to a guy coming off a PED suspension and he turned them down.  They filled his position in RF with Alex Rios and DH with Mitch Moreland who we will finally find out if he has what it takes to be an everyday player in this league and Michael Choice who has a lot of potential and who I believe will eventually be the everyday Right Fielder. I honestly think it is better getting Cruz out of here now rather than hold on for one more season with him and either A) stunting the growth of younger players and B) not finding out what some guys like Mitch Moreland really are.

My predictions for Nelly- 34 Home Runs 88 RBI and a .269 Batting Average on a Orioles team who I think will finish 2nd in their division with a 91-71 record.

My prediction for the Rangers................. Coming Soon!

10 Favorite Baseball Cards Growing Up

When I was growing up, I was a HUGE Baseball Card collector.  I had thousands upon thousands of cards.  I'm not talking about just a few shoe boxes filled with some, I had so many my mom had a special closet built for me just so I could keep all my cards.  Over the years I have grown a pretty nice collection.  I wouldn't say I am sitting on a gold mine, but I have a few nice pieces.

Over the years my collection has dwindled down quite a bit.  Moving houses, going to college, getting married, and other things.  I just recently pulled out my collection and have been looking at all of the cards that I refused to part with.  I wanted to start a collection with my oldest son, something we could do together that would help him gain an interest in sports.  While looking back at my collection I found some cards in my "Favorites" box that I couldn't help but laugh at when I saw them.  Why the heck would I cherish a 1993 Bobby Bonilla card so much?!?! It was weird that every card I looked at, I felt a close attachment to it.  So I decided to do a list of my favorite cards ever growing up.  These are all cards I owed and still own today.


10.) 1992 Tripple Play Cecil Fielder

Now this is one of the cards that I lost in a house fire 2 years ago. I remember this card had a trivia question on the back of it asking "What other current Detroit Tiger has spent time playing in Japan?" and of course the answer is Bill Gullickson! The answer was underneath the question but was written backwards where you would need to hold it in front of a mirror to display the answer.  This card right now is worth around $8.00




9.) 1989 Topps Gary Redus 

The First card I ever got.  It's a funny story how I got into card collecting.  I was 5 years old.  I was at Bennigan's and up front there was a box of toys that kids could grab from on their way out.  I remember reaching in there and not wanting any of the plastic junk that was in there.  I noticed baseball cards though.  I watched baseball, I loved the Rangers and the Tigers.  I rummaged around looking for a Tiger or Ranger card, I didn't care who it was it just had to be one of those two teams.  I didn't find one and my mom told me to hurry up, so I grabbed the last card in my hand.  Gary Redus. This card has a little more value than some cards because he was such a spare player and this was such a spare card that a lot of people now need it to complete sets.  There were tons made, but a lot of kids would just throw away a Gary Redus card or let it get bent up and torn.  So now when people go back to complete their sets they might just buy this one off ebay from a seller asking $1.00 I still have this card though.  It is a little dinged up, but it is in my binder full of valuable cards. Most people look at me a little funny when they see it in there, but after I tell them why, they understand.









8.) 1989 Fleer Billy Ripker FF Error Card

This card was so awesome! I remember I had the card with the error blocked out.  I knew there was something wrong with it, but I didn't know what.  I brought it to my card shop in Fort Worth one day and asked the guy what was wrong with it, he told me that it was an error card and there was something written on the bat that Fleer had to edit out of the picture.  He then went on to show me what the card was supposed to look like.  I wanted it so bad, but it cost $150.00 and my mom refused to pay that much money for a card, and then when she found out what was written on the card she definitely did not want to get it for me.  I recently purchased this card, error and all.  It was such an awesome feeling when it came in the mail.  I am sending it off next week to get graded.  It should come back around an 8 or a 9, which means I will be the owner of a 1989 Billy Ripken F.F. Error Card just like I wanted back when I was a kid. It is now worth................................... $75.00 at the top of the market, mine is probably in the $45-$55 range.  So I guess my Mom was smart to not buy it for me 20 years ago.

7.) 1991 Upper Deck Oil Can Boyd

Not much to say about this card really except that I always laughed when I saw the name Oil Can Boyd.  He was never anything special, he was a JAG his whole career. This card is worth about the same now as it was in 1991, $0.10 but it is still cool I think.













6.) 1992 Donruss Ivan Rodriguez

Pudge has been my favorite player my entire life.  He made his debut around the same time I started watching baseball. I remember trading my friend Justin dollar bills in the lunch line at school if he had a $1 bill with a #7 federal reserve number and I didn't.  I have literally thousands of Ivan Rodriguez cards, but this one stands out because of the way I got it.  I remember one morning waking up to get ready for school, I was in 2nd grade and on my dresser I noticed something that wasn't there when I fell asleep, an 8x10 photo of Pudge autographed, "To Joe My #1 Fan" signed Ivan Rodriguez and this Donruss card also signed.  My mom had got it signed for me the night before.  I'll never forget how excited I was that morning.  I lost this card and the photo a few years ago when my in-laws house burned down.  That card now autographed is worth around $70.00. I since then have went out and bought this card to replace in my collection, minus the autograph of course, and it's worth about $1.50.  But I have plenty of Pudge autographed memorabilia , so it's ok.

5.) 1991 Score Bo Jackson Bo Breaker

How cool was Bo Jackson? Probably the greatest athlete the NFL and MLB have ever seen.  Could have been a HOF in both.  Just the look of this card as a 6 year old kid was so awesome.  I always wanted to break a bat over my knee, Bo made it look fun to strike out.  Aside from Pudge, I probably have more Bo Jackson cards than any other person.  This one right now sits in my collection worth $15.00




4.) 1985 Topps Mark McGwire USA Baseball  1987 Fleer Barry Bonds RC 1989 Leaf Sammy Sosa RC

                                               

These 3 men are the faces of the Steroid Era in Baseball, but for a long time I bought into their hype.  I put these 3 cards together not because of steroids, but because I received all 3 of these cards at 1 time. These have got to be the 3 most over hyped cards in the history of card collecting. I remember after that HR race in 1998 people saying these cards would be worth $1,000 each easy. NOT TRUE!  For my 13th Birthday my mom bought these for me and it was freaking awesome! I know how much they cost back in 1999 for all of these cards it was probably in the $400-$500 range.  I still have all 3 of these cards and if I were to ask half of that for them I would be laughed out of a store.  I could probably get $100 (at most) for my Bonds and $15-$20 for my Sosa and right around $50 from my McGwire.  I could care less for any of these 3 guys, but in 1999 I was all about Bonds and Sosa.  I never really cared for Big Mac but he was the HR king at the time and I had to have that card.                                                                                                                   

#3 1990 Topps Frank Thomas Error Card

                                                                                               

I will start out by saying I never owned this error card, but I would love to one day.  If I ever hit the lottery that will be one of my first purchases.  This card retails for right around $3,000 for a card graded an 8 out of 10. A 10/10 would be worth a minimum $10,000. The chances growing up running across this card were that of finding a needle in a haystack.  But I do own this card error free and it is still worth a good bit of money, and even more now after his recent induction to the MLB Hall of Fame. I loved this card because of the error card. And always thought about how cool it would be to have both next to each other in my collection.  My Topps 1990 Frank Thomas card is valued right at $40.00 but like I said, should increase in the next few months. 

#2 1994 Topps Nolan Ryan

This card was so awesome to me for a couple of reasons.  First it was Nolan's last Topps card and on the bottom it says 27 Major League Seasons.. That's pretty incredible.  27 years.  The other cool part about this card was the back. All the red areas were highlighted to show that he led the league in that category that season.  I remember trying to memorize his ERA, Wins, and Strikeouts each season.  This card today ungraded goes for around $10.00 Mine with a grade of 9 runs around $30.00

I have tons of Nolan Cards, but this is by far my favoirte!



#1 1993 Upper Deck Ivan Rodriguez

Other than the Oil Can Boyd and Gary Redus cards, this one is probably the least expensive on the list, worth about $5.00 with a grade of 10/10.  Mine is a 7/10 which pretty much makes it worth the price of the paper it is printed on.  But this card is my favorite card ever. This is still the coolest card I have ever seen.  Just seeing my favorite player set up behind the plate with his eye black and classic Pudge look, makes this card the coolest one I have ever seen.  I remember I only bought full sets of Topps cards, and a friend of mine had this card.  I wanted it so bad and he wouldn't trade it with me.  I think I went through about 20 single packs of Upper Deck cards before I found this one.  It has always and will always be my favorite.










3 Honorable Mentions

1991 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Sr. 

I just loved this card as a kid.  Looking at Sr. and Jr. out on the same field at the same time.  I always thought that was pretty cool.  This card now is worth about $0.49 but it means a lot more to me.









1993 Topps Bobby Bonilla

No clue why, but as a kid I always thought this card was cool.

Card is worth a nickle at most!









1993 Joe Dimaggio 30 Card Box Set

This set was so cool. It came with a little plastic distorted card that you had to use to read the back of some of the cards.  There was a lot of history in this box.  Although I always have and always will hate the New York Yankees, this was such a neat set that taught me a lot about The Yankee Clipper.







All the above prices are from graded cards.  All my cards on this list have been graded by PSA or are in the process of being graded by PSA.  I recommend that if you have sports memorabilia that is sentimental or has actual cash value, to send it off to be graded.  The cost varies depending on where you send it.  I use PSA because they are the best and most traders want to trade PSA graded cards and merchandise.  They also authenticate Autographs.  I have a Chipper Jones 8x10 and a Tom Glavine 8x10 being sent off to them right now.  The cost is $10 per item, but can add major value to the item and/or keeps them protected when they send them back in their case, so it is well worth it.

 The NBA season just tipped off, and I can already tell you who the REAL contenders for the title are.  Despite what some people say, The Rockets, Clippers, Bulls, Timberwolves, and Nets are NOT in the mix.  The way I see it, there is only 5 teams that have a legit shot at winning the Championship this season.  

1.) Miami Heat- We haven't seen a team make it to 4 consecutive NBA Finals since the Los Angeles Lakers in 81'-84' but these Miami Heat teams the last 3 years have been nothing short of amazing, and while they are aging a little, I can't take them off the # 1 spot until someone dethrones them.




2.) Indiana Pacers-  I think this is the most talented team in the NBA.  Paul George is budding into a Super Star right in front of us.  Roy Hibbert is a stud down low on the defensive end, causing teams to stay away from the paint.  Lance Stephenson is a great perimeter defender and can hit shots that when Paul George commands a double team.  The only problem I see with the Pacers is the PG position with George Hill being their only legit option to run the offense.  



3.) San Antonio- I have no idea when they are going to realize that they are old! But until they do, they will continue to be my pick in the West because of experience and having the BEST coach in the NBA.





4.) Golden State- The Warriors are so good and young it is scary.  This team is set up to be dominant for the next several years.  1-5 they are the best composed team in the West.  The only problem is depth at the big positions.  If Bogut gets hurt (which he will) and David Lee gets in foul trouble, you are playing a game with Jermaine O'Neal and Mo Speights at the 4 and 5.  But they have Steph Curry and Klay Thompson who can both go off for 40 points any given night and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a game that they both score 40!




5.) Oklahoma City- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the best 1-2 punch in the NBA.  Better than LBJ and D-Wade, better than Paul George and David West, better than Curry and Thompson.  Russell Westbrook looks like he is starting to understand how to run an offense and Durant is very capeable of carrying this team on his own if Westbrook has to miss anymore time.  This team should finish in 2nd or 3rd in the West and I can see them knocking off either SA or GS in the West Finals.  


                                       



                                                      




  THE NOT SO GOOD

Houston Rockets-  Please quit telling me how great this Rockets team is going to be.  Dwight Howard and Asik down low is the most awkward thing I have seen on a basketball court since that 50 year old tried to play a pick up game with us at the gym while wearing blue jean shorts and hiking shoe/boots. Dwight Howard has been in the league 9 years now, and I still don't know what he is exactly.  He says he wants to be a go to guy, but his offensive game is so limited.  He doesn't demand the ball in the paint, he stands around too much, and you can't give him the ball in the final minutes because his free throw shooting is horrendous! Jeremy Lin is not a PG and neither is Patrick Beverly. At least on a contender anyways.  Chandler Parsons and James Harden are 2 great pieces, but are both very streaky.  The Rockets half court offense looks like it's all James Harden Isolation and against teams with a good perimeter defender, they are going to take that away and then they are going to be lost.  I would look to trade Asik for a young PG that can lead an offense.  Jose Calderon would have been perfect in Houston, but luckily he landed in Dallas instead!

Los Angeles Clippers-  HAHAAHAHAHAHA this team is awful in the the half court game.  If a team forces the ball out of Chris Pauls hands, this team is done.  You don't have to double team Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan so teams can clog the paint and cut off lanes for CP3.  Against a good defensive team in the playoffs this team could be done in 5 games.



Chicago Bulls-  Not enough offense on this team.  Derrick Rose can't do it all himself. If they give up 88 points you can jot them down for the Loss.








Brooklyn Nets-  No way this team should have ever got the love they did.  Paul Pierce and KG are way too old, Joe Johnson hasn't been the same since Atlanta paid him 4 times what he is worth.  He is a good spot up 3 point shooter that is it.  Brooke Lopez, he will be hurt in no time.  Derron Williams is a great PG and could be a great Robin, but he can't be a Batman. 



Minnesota Timberwolves-  I'm glad Minnesota is getting better. Kevin Love is probably my 2nd favorite player in the league now.  He has proven he can be the go to guy on a team.  He is a double double machine and will get the occasional triple double.  Big Pec down low is a beast and if he gets position, nobody can stop him.  With Love and Pec down low they will out rebound every team every night.  Ricky Rubio is the one I am not sold on, it's obvious he has a lot of talent, but 8points and 8 assists a game is nothing more than average.  





                                                       
                                                         Dallas Mavericks Start

The Dallas Mavericks have proven to me the first 6 games, that they are who I thought they were.  They are a good team who is just a little short of something special.  Their defense is attrocious and that is going to be their downfall until something changes.  Jose Calderon is a great floor leader, Monta Ellis can score on anyone in the league, Shawn Marion is a shell of what he used to be.  Like I said about Rubio, Marion is nothing more than average on the offensive end and his defense is not what it used to be.  He can't guard guys like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Paul George.  Heck even OJ Mayo is having his way with him right now as I am watching the game.  Dirk is Dirk.  I think he still has a few 20ppg seasons left, but that's about it. And Samuel Dalenbert is a good center that does all I want our center to do, clog the lane, defend the rim, and grab rebounds.


The Future of the Mavericks is bright though.  Gal Mekel looks like a solid back up PG and will get a great starting PG one day.  Jae Crowder looks very solid and is shooting the ball much better than I thought he would.  I say the Mavericks end up in 4th or 5th in the West this year, and advance to the second round (possibly WCF depending on the match up in the 2nd round) 





                                                                  




                                                                      Oregon Lost!

I was getting really tired of listening to people say that Oregon vs Alabama would be a great National Championship.  I was so relived when Oregon lost to Stanford Thursday night, because is gave Florida State the opportunity to control their own destiny.  The Seminoles are to me the best team in the Country.  Yes even better than Alabama, and if Alabama runs the table, we will get a chance to see that I am right when those 2 teams square off in the National Championship.  But to be honest, I don't even know if I think Alabama is the 2nd best team in the country.  There is a team that I won't say their name, but their mascot is a stupid Nut that hasn't lost in almost 2 years.  I hate to say it, but I think they would be able to beat Alabama.  

We have been brainwashed into thinking that the SEC is the greatest conference in the world for the last 6 or 7 years, but I don't buy it.  Yeah it's easy to say a conference is great when they keep getting opportunities.  2 years ago when LSU played ALabama in the Title game was a JOKE! Somehow after Alabama lost to LSU in the most boring game I have ever seen, the NCAA thought it would be nice to see that game again in the Championship.  Which turned out to be the worst National Championship I have ever seen. 

Look at the last 2 seasons.  People have said that the Big12 is horrible, but 2 teams have come from the Big 12 and have destroyed SEC teams in Mizzu and Texas A&M.  Neither team has every done anything in the Big12, but they go to the all mighty SEC and are expected to get trounced and they have huge success the first 2 years and turn out a Heisman Winner the 1st year.   The SEC is in now way shape or form light years better than other conferences.  There are good teams and bad teams in each conference.  That's just the way it is.





                                                       Time For Bob Stoops to go?

Are there any more arrogant College football fans than those of the University of Texas or OU fans?  Both fan bases think that they have had some sort of dynasty going for the last 40 years and have won numerous National Championships, when in fact the number of National Championships those 2 teams have combined to win in the 20 years is the same amount that Alabama has won the last 2 seasons.... 2!  Just think about that... Texas is starting to realize that Mack Brown needs to be gone, I am just wondering when OU will do the same with Bob.









                              

The NBA is BACK!!!

The NBA season has tipped off, which means there will be tons of Miami Heat and Los Angles Lakers fans commenting calling everybody who didn't jump on the bandwagon with them "haters".  I predict there will be a lot of new Brooklyn Nets fans this season also (mostly people who will jump off the OKC Bandwagon until Russell Westbrook is fully healthy and then once they realize Brooklyn is awful will jump back on)

Some people may even call me a "hater" that's fine, but if you would like to hear "The Truth" (sorry Paul Pierce I'm not talking about you.  You haven't been relevant in 5 years) you can read on............


I am a basketball fan.  I have been since I can remember.  The Dallas Mavericks have always been my team and always will be my team.  People call me a hater a lot of times because I don't cheer for the same player they like.  No, I will not cheer for anyone other than the Dallas Mavericks.  But if you want to know my true opinion about a player, here it is:

                              10 Players I love to hate


10. LeBron James

LeBron is the BEST player in the NBA right now.  His size and strength make it so that nobody in the league could even pretend to guard him.  It's unfair that he is compared to MJ so much that people are missing out on the greatness that he is.  I compare him more to Wilt Chamberlain.  Not in style of play, but in the fact that not 1 person in the league can shut him down.  If he wanted to, he could go out and score 40 points a night.  But there are 2 reasons why he will never be the GREATEST to ever play. 
#1 MJ.... Don't even try and compare the 2, it's not even close
#2 Miami.... In 2010 when LeBron "took his talents to South Beach" he also showed me why he will never be the greatest of all time.  LeBron was tired of losing in Cleveland, he saw an oppertunity to join up with 2 other SuperStars in Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh and win Not 1, Not 2, Not.. Well you get the point.  I can't fault the guy for wanting to win, but he confirmed then an there that he did not feel he could do it alone.  DWade was a free agent and so was Bosh.  LeBron could have said, "Guys, take a paycut and come play with me in Cleveland  and win some championships" instead, he ran down to Miami and took a backseat to Dwayne Wade that first season. 

9. Tim Duncan

BEST Power Forward to ever play the game! Yes greater than Karl Malone and Dirk.  But he plays for the much hated Spurs and I will never like him.





8. Kevin Durant

He's a scoring machine that should be faster and stronger, but when you can shoot like he can those things just don't matter as much.  He is still weak on D, but no doubt 3rd best player in the league. 











7.) James Harden

Please let this guy do something before he is crowned the next biggest thing.  He scored 25ppg last season on a Rockets team that finished 8th in the west.  His FG % was down almost 6 % when he became "The Guy" in Houston.  That's a trend that I think will continue, especially now that he has D-Howard down low clogging up lanes for him to drive.





6.) Chris Paul

What about this guy makes people think he is a championship caliber player? When was the last time a PG led his team to a championship? Isaiah Thomas with Detroit in 1990? I've watched a lot of Isaiah Thomas and Chris Paul is not Zeke. 






5.) Dwight Howard

I loved this guy when he came into the league, but he has been a giant dissapointment for me ever since.  I love watching big men play basketball, I mean I grew up in the 80's and 90's and that's who dominated the game.  This year is going to be huge for him, if Hakeem can't get him right offensively down in Houston, he is a lost cause.  There is nothing wrong with being the best defensive center in the game, but if his offensive game doesn't change, Houston is in trouble because they will not have a go to guy in the closing minutes.





4.) Russell Westbrook

So much talent but man does he hurt the Thunder when he takes shots.  He has never missed a game in his NBA career until this season and hopefully he comes back at full speed, because he is already a horrible shooter, if it takes him too long to get into rhythm the Thunder could be looking at the 5-8 spots in the West this season.  He could be the best PG in the league if he just drove and dished.  If he would quit taking so many jump shots and just use his blazing speed to attack the rim and if he draws a double find the open man because OKC is primed with shooters on the outside. He doesn't have to be one of them.

3.) Carmelo Anthony

Just like LeBron, he is a mismatch for everyone in the league.  He may be the 2nd most intimidating force behind LBJ in the NBA, but his inability to play defense and lock down the best player on the other team makes it tough to win.  Sad that someone with all that offensive ability allows more points per game to his opponents than the Dallas Cowboys secondary.





2.) Deron Williams

Best all around PG in the NBA.  He can shoot, he can drive, he can pass, he can defend, but he can also be a headache in the locker room.  He is going to have a lot of pressure on him this season with people thinking that Brooklyn has formed some "Super Team".  But if you ask me, they are still only the 4th or 5th best team in the East.  They are too old and Joe Johnson is not a legit option as a Robin to Deron.  On paper that starting 5 looks pretty good.

Brooke Lopez (Injury Prone)
Kevin Garnett (37 years old and has started missing more games every year)
Paul Pierce  (36 years old and FG % has dropped off almost 8 percent in the last 3 years)
Joe Johnson (Dropped off when he was brought in last year to be "The guy")
Deron Williams

But what's behind these guys is pretty scarry

1.) Kobe Bryant

I'll start this off by saying Kobe is the best pure basketball player in the game. There is nobody I would be in more fear of taking the final shot if I were on the opposing team, and nobody I would want more taking the final shot if he were on my team.  He is the closest thing to Jordan we will ever see.  He has the killer instinct that so many players are missing today.  Kobe is one of the only players now that I think could have succeeded in all decades of the NBA.  But he just has one of those faces that I can't help but hate when I look at and he wears Purple and Gold.  He's demanded trades, he's been accused of Rape, and he has been the leader on a team full of punks. (See 2010-2011 L.A. Lakers)

Dallas Mavericks 2013-2014 Roster Looks Pretty Good To Me

"I think we've put ourselves in a spot where we're in a better spot than we were at if we got just the one max-out deal," Cuban told ESPNDallas on Wednesday

"I think it'd be better shorter and longer term. I don't want to make that sound the wrong way. I think we'll be better this year because we added five good players or more."

If you can't follow that, basically it says that Mark Cuban feels that Dallas is going to be a better team this year than they would have been if they had signed Dwight Howard.   I tend to AGREE with him.  

I was never sold that Dallas would be better off having Dwight Howard.  Although he is the best center in the game, he is not a center that you can give the ball to in crunch time and rely on in the final minutes.  I have said forever that all the Dallas Mavericks need is a 10pt 10reb guy at center and a 10pt 10assist guy at point to go along with Dirk and an off guard who can create his own shot.  Guess what? That is exactly what Dallas accomplished this off-season.  

There were tons of people who were upset when Tyson Chandler left Dallas for New York.(Yes Tyson left, Dallas offered 1 year and 20million dollars) Those same people scoff when the Mavericks sign Samuel Dalenbert.  Honestly I don't think the difference is that great between the two.  Tyson Chandler had statistically his 2nd best year of his 12 year NBA career last season averaging 10.4 points and 10.7reb in 32 min a game for 66 games.  Samuel Dalenbert averaged 7pts and 6 rebound in 16 minutes a game last year, playing behind one of the NBA's best young centers Larry Sanders. For a career Chandler averages only 1 rebound more than Samuel per game.  Both men are 7ft 250lbs that can block shots, rebound, and defend well. I think Dallas is getting a solid center at a bargain price considering he will be paid $3.75 million in 2013 and Tyson Chandler will be making close to $13 million.

Last season was miserable watching Dallas in the final minutes of a game shuffling Mike James, Darrin Collision, Dominique Jones, Derrick Fisher, and Roddy B in and out.  The majority of the time, Vince Carter was running the offense.  This year it is a different story.  Jose Calderon will be running the show and he is a solid 10pt 8-10assist guy a night.  Calderon also led the league in 3pt shooting last season splitting time between Toronto and Detroit.
  At 32 years old, Calderon knows how to get the ball to Dirk in down the stretch, and doesn't mind taking a clutch shot if asked.  He is also not too shabby from the charity stripe also, knocking down 90% of his free throws last season and 88% for his career.  

A off guard that can create his own shot.  Monta Ellis is going to surprise a lot of people this year, I guarantee it. Don't let the last 2 years stats fool you.  Monta Ellis is a baller! He has been stuck in Milwaluke the last 2 seasons with minimal help around him.

In 2009-2010 Monta averaged 25.5 ppg and shot 45% from the field.  This season he is not going to be double teamed as much as he has been the last 2 years and if the Mavs spread the court, he should see a lot of time driving to the rack or shooting from the free throw line. We have not had an athletic talent this good since Michael Finley was coming up.  He is 27 and locked in for 3 years at $8million a year (bargain) I would put a lot of money that says he is going to get paid almost double that next time he is on the market. 

With a roster that looks like this:

PG- Jose Calderon 
SG- Monta Ellis
SF- Shawn Marion
PF- Dirk Nowitzki
C- Samuel Dalenbert

Bench

Vince Carter
Jae Crowder
Devin Harris
Shane Larkin
Wayne Ellington
Bernard James
Brandon Wright
Ricky Ledo
                                                                                    Gal Mekel

This is a team that IS going to shock a lot of people. Most have written them off, but I would not be surprised if they are fighting for the 4th seed in the Western Conference come next April.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this team is going to be a favorite to win the Championship, but they are going to score a lot of points and be very fun to watch!

So You Think I Left Someone Out

I have been getting a lot of feedback on my All Time Texas Rangers Roster I posted a few days ago.  Everyone I talk to seems to think I left someone out or put 1 middle infielder on there that has no business on the list.  Let me tell you why you are wrong!

5 players people say SHOULD be on this list


5.) Buddy Bell                    

 Buddy Bell was a great 3rd Baseman, no denying that at all.  He didn't have a powerful bat, but he was a run creator. He had a high OBP (On Base Percentage) and his glove was very nice over on the hot corner.  This was honestly the hardest position to chose from and Buddy Bell is the reason it was so difficult.  Adrian Beltre's stats (although a much smaller history) are well above Double B's. The thing that puts it over the top for me is play in the field.  Adrian Beltre makes routine plays that Buddy couldn't dream of making.  Buddy constantly was in the mid teens to low twenties in errors every year.  Adrian in his 3 years has only committed 28.  Power goes to Adrian, Glove goes to Adrian, and their batting average is about the same. (Adrian's looks to be a little higher, I just don't want to bust the calculator out right now.


 4.) Dean Palmer

Dean Palmer couldn't carry either Beltre or Bell's jock strap.  He was a strikeout machine, hit below .250 in most seasons, and only played in more that 100 games 4 times as a Ranger.  Luckily for him he was a HR hitting corner infielder during an era in Arlington when expectations were not that high. 



3.) Kevin Brown






His best years were performing as a star ace in the National League for Florida, San Diego and Los Angeles through the early 2000s.
He did win 21 games once in Texas and did lead the league in ERA one year. But besides that K.B.'s career in Texas just average.  Only 78 wins while pitching for the Rangers, I definitely think the 5 I listed are much better choices.  He may be 7th because I have Bobby Witt ahead of him.



2.) Julio Franco




 I struggled with this quite a bit.  The only thing I could think of doing is taking A-Rod off my list, moving Young to SS and letting Julio be my 2B. But I just cant do it.  I hate A-Roid as much as the next guy, but 150+ home runs in 3 season!?!?! Sorry even if those numbers are tainted, they happened and I loved it while it was happening. And there is NO WAY I'm taking Michael Young off this list



1.) Will Clark


 Will Clark was sandwiched between Raphael Palmerio.  We were so lucky here in Texas to watch 15 straight seasons off amazing 1B.  Will Clark was everything you wanted from a 1st basemen, Hit for Average, could hit for power, and played good in the field.  But Raphael was all that plus some. Will Clark 77HR in 5 seasons Raphael in 2001-2002 hit 90 and was a perennial All-Star and a Gold Glove winner.  Will Clark was great, but this is a no contest.




So those are my reasons.  Love some feedback on your opinions.