Highlights of Potential MLB Trade Targets

        In light of the MLB trade deadline, I've decided to compile a couple of videos of potential MLB trade targets. Now, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that he's considering pushing the trade deadline. Whether he will actually go through with this, I don't know. But we have already seen some trades go down. For example, we've seen Scott Kazmir go to Houston for a couple of minor league prospects. Anyways, here are some potential trade targets that could be dealt by the trade deadline.

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels

Tigers Pitcher David Price

Tigers Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes

A's 2nd Baseman Ben Zobrist

Reds Closer Aroldis Chapman

Reds Ace Johnny Cueto

Reds Pitcher Mike Leake

Marlins Outfielder Marcell Ozuna

Tigers Closer Joakim Soria

Rangers Pitcher Yovani Gallardo

Padres Closer Craig Kimbrel

Padres Outfielder Justin Upton

Even MORE Internet Randomness

        The internet randomness, it never ends. I might've done one of these types of blogs awhile ago. But it's worth doing again since I seem to have a surplus of memorable internet quotes. So here we go, more internet randomness.

                                                                                                                                                  

Demarcus Cousins is an emotional lesbian.

Pass that crack pipe man

That's why they hired LeBron as their new GM.

I’ve had the same thing happen to girls I’ve dated.

I'm high as sh!t right now!

If they do not name the team 'The Las Vegas Craps' I will forever be disappointed.

With the second pick in the 2015 NBA Draft the Los Angeles Lakers Select AJ Walkin from Facebook University.

Luke Get-Rid-N-An-Hour.

I wonder at what point Ridnour just told his agent to stop updating him on what team he's on.

Aldridge: What's the plan on offense this year?
Kobe: I shoot, you get the rebound and throw it back to me.

McDonald's funds ISIS

"Night Court" World War III (1985) [about Yakov's brother, who doesn't want to go back to the Soviet Union] Baliff Nostradamus 'Bull' Shannon:Is it really that bad over there?
Yakov Korolenko:You ever been to Milwaukee?
Baliff Nostradamus 'Bull' Shannon:Yeah.
Yakov Korolenko:Close your eyes.
Baliff Nostradamus 'Bull' Shannon:Why?
Yakov Korolenko:Please? [Bull does]
Yakov Korolenko:When you open your eyes, you're going to be in the middle of Milwaukee. No matter where you go, no matter how far you run, you're still going to be in the middle of Milwaukee. You can get in a cab, and drive two hundred miles in any direction, and you're still going to be in the middle of Milwaukee. You can get in an airplane, and fly two thousand miles, and you're still...
Baliff Nostradamus 'Bull' Shannon:[clutching his head] NO! STOP, STOP IT!

This just in...
Brad Lidge has agreed to throw to Albert in the derby

So honored professional money maker and ladies man Chris Sauer commented on my post. Is it my birthday?!

FREE TREVOR MAY

Zack Greinke looks like he's killed a man.

That's the first time I've seen Red Sox and playoffs in the same sentence since April.

Bbdwillpenn

buenos beremos este juego 3 x 2 americana gana

John Martin is Zeb Zeb coverboy

If u free thugger n gucci i will vote 4 u ONLY ON THEM CONDITIONS THO (Someone on Twitter tweeting to Donald Trump)

@realDonaldTrump if u free thugger n gucci then i will vote 4 u ONLY ON THEM CONDITIONS THO

— RICH BOY HENNE$$¥ (@wavyjesus420) July 17, 2015

wax blunnts all day 323

Why the Red Wings (And/or Blue Jackets) Should Hope for a Seattle NHL Expansion

        The NHL expansion process is currently going on and we've already have had prospective owners/cities drop out from the running. Kansas City and Houston have dropped out and prospective Seattle owner Victor Coleman has announced that he will not be pursuing an NHL team. Much of it has to do with the outrageous expansion fee of $500 million, which seems to be quite hefty. That leaves potential Las Vegas owner Bill Foley, potential Quebec City owner(s) Quebecor, and potential Seattle (Tukwila) owner Ray Bartoszek as the few players left in the game. So why should Mike Ilitch and the Detroit Red Wings (or the Columbus Blue Jackets) hope for a Seattle franchise to land?
        First of all, I've had many ideas for names pertaining to this blog (Yes, this is a spoiler alert). One of them was "How the Red Wings (Or Blue Jackets) could go back to the Western Conference (Much to their chagrin)." This blog has many headlines that depict the purpose of what the blog really is about. It's about the possibility of either the Red Wings or the Blue Jackets going back to the Western Conference. There's even a possibility that both go back. But let's explore why the Red Wings should hope that the Emerald City gets an NHL franchise.
        The NHL expansion process isn't guaranteeing that there will be two new franchises in spite of the imbalanced conferences. It may very well be a way of testing the waters for whoever's willing to pony up for an NHL franchise. However, the 14/16 imbalance in the NHL is a matter that must be eventually addressed. If two teams in the Western Conference get added, then it would leave an equilibrium balance of 16 teams a conference with four divisions of four teams a conference. Perfect! We already know that the NHL in Las Vegas is a slam dunk; they have a potential owner in Bill Foley along with an NHL-ready arena that should be done in 2017. But the best part of the NHL in Las Vegas is that the Las Vegas team would be a Western Conference team! It would give the Arizona Coyotes, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Anaheim Ducks a rivalry as well. However, questions do remain about another Sun Belt team in the NHL. Anyways, that leaves us with Quebecor and Ray Bartoszek.
        Quebec City lost their NHL franchise in the 1990's to Denver after monetary problems stemming from the Canadian Dollar. Now, hockey fandom is more rampant than ever in Quebec. Like Las Vegas, they have the owner along with an NHL-ready arena that's going to be done in the near-future. However, Ray Bartoszek's bid would already have an NHL-ready arena done in Tukwila by 2016 (It's still undergoing environmental reviews by the city of Tukwila). Now it's unclear if Bartoszek will submit a bid. But there's a possibility that a Seattle-based NHL team would be a cash cow the way that Quebec City would be. After all, they do have some NHL history in the Emerald City; the Seattle Metropolitans were the first American team to hoist the Stanley Cup. So if he does submit a bid and if he gets the team, then it would balance the conference at 16 teams apiece. But if Quebec City gets the 2nd team...
        That would leave the conferences at 15/17, calling for another radical realignment. Now Mike Ilitch and the Red Wings have stated that they want nothing to do with going back to the Western Conference and Columbus doesn't want to go back either. After all, they are teams that play in the Eastern Time Zone. Columbus has a budding rivalry with Pittsburgh and are developing into a dangerous team thanks to the acquisition of Brandon Saad. Detroit is enjoying renewed rivalries with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins and have ached for a switch to the Eastern Conference for years. If Quebec City were to get the 2nd NHL franchise, then that would mean that one of these two teams would have to go back, making them the lone Western Conference team in the Eastern Time Zone. Unfortunately for Ilitch and the Red Wings (And for Columbus), they are reduced to one vote each in the realignment deal. This would mean multiple trips to the West Coast again for one of the two teams (UGH). In fact, there's a possibility of both teams going back to the Western Conference; the NHL could just shift Nashville to the Eastern Conference to form a "Southeast division" if Quebec City got a franchise.
        So the Red Wings and the Blue Jackets should pull for Ray Bartoszek to come through for an NHL franchise in Seattle. That way, they can prevent such a mess from ever happening and they can be happy in the Eastern Conference while the league is balanced at 16 teams apiece. Albeit, the mess does have a pretty miniscule chance of happening. But anything can happen in this world, so it's best to hope for the best outcome.

Best Moments of the Open Championship

        The Open Championship is well underway and we've already got great scoring action in this event. However, we'll be looking at some of the best moments that have occurred in the Open Championship. This blog post is for some of the more avid golf fans and should bring back plenty of memories.

My Little Game Review

        A few years ago, I stumbled upon a Super Nintendo at a garage sale. There were some games that came along with it, so I was intrigued. I'm talking about games that I've never played before. I decided to buy it, only out of the necessity that I would play the games I've never tried.
        One game that I looked forward to (which I wound up being disappointed in due to the iffy controls) was Battletoads/Double Dragons. Now I've heard that Battletoads games were hard games. That didn't faze me, but the punching mechanisms and the timing of some attacks turned me off. There was one game out of the bunch that I did like and that was NBA Live 97. I'm familiar with the NBA Live series (Now the series has really evolved), especially NBA Live 99. But I was blown away by how easy the controls on it were. Shooting the ball and going for a layup were no problem at all. The music on this game was so sweet and the game was pretty smooth graphically. But what I liked the most about the game was the nostalgia that came with it. I'm not really talking about the nostalgia of playing a Super Nintendo game. I'm talking about playing as Gary "The Glove" Payton or playing against the Vancouver Grizzlies. That sort of nostalgia as a sports fan hit me in an awesome way.
         Overall, I like this game and would recommend it to any sports fan who also likes to game. Just be warned that you play the game for five minutes per quarter. If you love a good throwback, then give this game a whirl!

How an Organization is Run

        Taking a look at how certain ball clubs are run, you get to see how certain teams achieve success. Franchises have different takes on what constitutes success for their ball club as they search for an identity and a strength to go by. Here's to looking at the different styles that these teams put in place.

Houston Astros: Bet on the Farm: The Astros are employing a successful strategy of getting MLB Top 100 prospects to the game, at least so far. Young studs like Vincent Velasquez (3.94 ERA), Lance McCuellers (2.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP), and Carlos Correa (No. 1 prospect in the Astros organization) are providing the Astros with a bright future. It also helps to build around All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve (.293, 98 hits, 25 SB, 38 RBIs).
Boston Red Sox: Acquire Free Agents and Develop the Farm: The Red Sox are known to have pretty deep pockets, signing Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to massive deals. Even though Sandoval hasn't been all that great, Hanley has provided plenty of spark for the Red Sox (19 HR, 46 RBI). But don't think that the Red Sox try to only sign marquee players. They're also developing one of the most highly touted farm systems in baseball, led by Eduardo Rodriguez (3.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 46 K's in nine games).
Chicago Cubs: Star-Studded Arms and Young Bats: Kris Bryant (12 HR, 51 RBI) has garnered a lot of attention in the baseball world, and rightfully so. He has provided the spark that the Cubs needed offense-wise as the top prospect in all of baseball. Let's not forget that Theo Epstein has also established an identity of having a solid rotation. Four starters in the Cubs rotation have an ERA lower than four (Including Jon Lester, whose ERA is 3.59).
St. Louis Cardinals: Draft Well, Sign Well, and Develop Well: The St, Louis Cardinals pride themselves on making signings that are the right fit rather than making a splash in the baseball world. Guys like Jhonny Peralta (.292, 12 HR, 45 RBI), Jason Heyward (0.7 Defensive WAR) and Matt Holliday (.303 batting average) fit this description. They also draft great pitching arms and make them contributing members of the squad. Carlos Martinez (10-3, 2.52 ERA, 113 K's) and Lance Lynn (2.90 ERA, 102 K's) are perfect examples of this. They can also develop players and make them outstanding ball players. Matt Carpenter (.374 OBP, 9 HR, 43 RBI) is a perfect example of this. No wonder the Cardinals have the best record in baseball.
Kansas City Royals: DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!: How does Kansas City have a great record at 52-34 in spite of being middle of the pack in runs scored (369) and having a horrible starting rotation (4.35 ERA)? Aside from their stellar bullpen (2,11 ERA, tops in MLB along with opponents batting .200 against Royals relievers), they are astounding defensively. Lorenzo Cain is one of the most exciting players on the field and Salvador Perez is one of the better defensive catchers in the game.

Is Stephen Strasburg Overrated?

        Once touted and regarded as one of the best young baseball players to enter MLB along with Nationals teammate Bryce Harper, it seems that Stephen Strasburg hasn't lived up to the billing that he's supposed to adorn. Bryce Harper was like this as well. However, with the season that Harper's having, it seems that he's putting all doubt to rest. Strasburg, on the other hand, has had his fair share of obstacles and struggles throughout his career.
        Strasburg has fairly decent career statistics so far. He has a career ERA of 3.21 along with a WHIP of 1.12 and 809 career strikeouts. However, it's been the many injuries that Strasburg has suffered throughout his young career that seem to hamper him. He's had neck issues in June and is now on the 15-day disabled list with a left strained oblique. In fact, Strasburg had Tommy John surgery in 2010 for a torn ligament in his elbow.
        In spite of his good career numbers, Strasburg has been less than stellar this season. In 13 games started this season, Strasburg has an ERA of 5.16, a WHIP of 1.49, and 63 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .289 against Strasburg, but have hit seven home runs off of him. This might not be one of Strasburg's best seasons, but he's never had an ERA over 3.25 in a single season. This will likely change this season.
        If there's one thing that needs to change about Stephen Strasburg, it's his health. His injuries, along with the injuries of other Nationals, have hampered Washington this season. While pitchers like Max Scherzer and Jordan Zimmermann continue to hold the fort down for Washington (along with slugger Bryce Harper), a revitalized Strasburg could help a rotation that has been surprisingly underwhelming this season with the exception of Scherzer and Zimmermann. However, he must stay healthy in order to help the Nationals in the future.

On The Playlist

        Here's another edition of "On the Playlist", where I feature songs that are on my playlist. Some songs you may enjoy, some you may not care for. Check them out!!

NBA Draft Afterthoughts

        Watching this year's NBA Draft proved to be one of the more unpredictable events ever. Aside from Carl Anthony-Towns being selected No. 1, there were plenty of players who saw their draft stock either rise or fall. Let's take a look at some of the teams that got a steal in the draft and some of the teams that royally screwed up.

Miami Heat: Justise Winslow seems like a Pat Riley guy. He fills a void for the Heat and gives them a great starting five now that Dwayne Wade is coming back. It's really surprising that Winslow fell in the draft, but it was good news for the Miami Heat. Don't forget that Miami's still in play in terms of the LaMarcus Aldridge sweepstakes.

Sacramento Kings: The Kings have the offensive portion figured out barring DeMarcus Cousins is traded. Defense was the biggest problem for them. Drafting Willie Cauley-Stein helps the Kings a lot. They get a 7'1" monster that can rebound all day and can guard anyone one the planet Earth. However, Sacramento stills needs to figure out the whole DeMarcus Cousins situation.
UPDATE: The Kings just added Rajon Rondo to a one-year, $10 million deal. They've added more offense to their team.

Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers have been preparing themselves for this offseason for quite some time, and they drafted D'Angelo Russell with the 2nd pick. Good pick, right? Well, according to ESPN, Russell had the highest probability of being a draft bust among players ranked 1-20 with 41%. He and Julius Randle will form a decent duo for the future. However, if the Lakers want any free agents to come their way, they need put on a better presentation.

Houston Rockets: I'm amazed at how far Sam Dekker fell in the draft considering that Dekker was projected to be a top-10 pick. However, it looks like Houston will get a possible bench player for their team. Sam Dekker's the kind of player that can score in bunches and can score in a hurry. He averaged 12.1 ppg during his career with the Wisconsin Badgers.

New York Knicks: The Knicks needed anything in the draft in order to fix their abundant amount of problems. So who did they go with? Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingas. Knicks fans weren't exactly thrilled with the pick. However, time will tell if Porzingas will become the next Darko Milicic.