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Fantasy Baseball 2012: Upton or Bautista?

2012-05-15T15:00:18Z

In this week's column, writer Cody Ulm tries his best to make sense of two marquee outfielder's slow starts.

Or should I said Flop-ton or Bust-ista? Alright, that was uncalled for but it would be an understatement to point out that Justin Upton and Jose Bautista haven't lived up to expectations this season.

In the world of fantasy sports, there are few things worse than having your first round draft pick not pan out. And let's face it, Upton and Bautista (two gentlemen who went anywhere from fourth to eighth overall in most fantasy drafts) have been about as useful as the word no when giving a massage to John Travolta.

But is it really time to already abandon ship a little over the month into the season? Or should you instead be targeting this duo in a trade? Hold on tight through the jump and let's find out:

The case for Mr. Upton:

After finishing fourth in the National League MVP voting last season, Upton was a steady riser up draft charts with most estimating he could only go up from there due to his age (24). Thirty-six games into 2012, that potential still remains untapped as Upton has only hit three home runs and nine RBIs to go along with his .226/.316/.349 line.

What most fans are forgetting is that slow starts like this are nothing new for Upton. Just look back at last year; on May 15, Upton owned an OBP of only .325. Even in 2009 when Upton finished with the highest batting average of his career (.300) he was hitting under .200 through nearly the end of April.

Usually it's just a matter of time before Upton turns it on permanently and it looked like that was beginning to occur after the 2011 All Star strung together a few multi-hit games in the past two weeks. But after accumulating only five hits in his last 28 at bats, some are clamoring that Upton's thumb may be bothering him more than he's letting on.

While that may be the case, I look at the fact that Arizona has been without two key cogs in their lineup (Stephen Drew and Chris Young) for essentially the entire season as the more concerning issues. Once those two return in the coming weeks, Upton will have a consistent form of protection (Young) and a proven veteran to get on base in front of him (Drew).

The case for Mr. Bautista:

To begin, I'd like to point out how funny it is that Bautista, a man who was a career journeyman until age 29, is even being considered a fantasy bust at this point. Then again, I guess that's what major league-leading 97 home runs over the last two years will do for you.

Bautista is sitting on a .194/.323/.403 line following Monday night's 0-3 performance. But while hitting under the Mendoza Line is never a good thing, fans should reconsider before they start trying to dump Bautista for some pretty young thing.

First off, as a career .252 hitter, it's easy to see that Bautista spoiled his owners last season with his .302 average so let's just make it clear that that's never going to happen again. So if you ever we're planning on relying on Bautista for average, I feel no pity for you.

Still, Bautista can do better and there are some telling signs that he should start to pick that average up sooner rather than later. For example, while Bautista's.323 OBP isn't a stat to be proud off when examining by itself, it certainly is significant when you take into consideration it's .129 points higher than his average. And when you compare his strikeouts (19) through this time last year to his current total (22), it's obvious that his plate discipline isn't at the root of his struggles.

Instead, Bautista's problem may simply be bad luck. According TexasLeaguers.com, up through Sunday's game, 17.42% of the 31-year-old slugger's at-bats were ending in a fly-out. When comparing that to his 2011 percentage of 13.67%, the only real conclusion to be had is that his shots aren't landing. Perhaps it's his all-or-nothing mentality with nearly 1/3rd of his hits leaving the park (eight homers from 25 hits) but then again, Bautista's ground-out percentage is also up nearly five points from last year (9.35% to 14.19%). If Bautista keeps up with those numbers at this current rate, it's only a matter of time before those balls start finding the gap.

So, who do you choose?

Well, is there an all-of-the-above option?

If you're the owner of Bautista or Upton, PLEASE listen this lowly writer and hang onto each of them if you haven't abandoned ship yet. You drafted each of these men in the first round for a reason and while they haven't backed up that lofty position so far but this bust talk will be long forgotten come September.

If we're talking trade targets though, Upton is my target if I have an outfield void. Yes, Bautista begin to show signs of life this weekend, clubbing three homers in his first two multi-hit games since Opening Day. But for me, that just means the window for a buy-low opportunity has passed.

When Upton is on his game, he's a true 30-30 threat that can fill your fantasy stat sheet up in all sorts of ways. Lost in the Diamondbacks disappointing start and his season long downward spiral is the fact that Upton is running the bases beautifully. Already accumulating 22 runs and five stolen bases in the 32 games he's appeared in, Upton is on pace to set new career-highs in each of those categories if this continues.

At best, I see Bautista topping out at around .245 this year average-wise. Sure, he'll be in the top-five in the American League in home runs and the walks are always nice if your league uses OBP. But it's beginning to look like he's plateauing after last year's gaudy numbers and I don't think it'd be surprising to anyone if he never has another 2011 again.

So instead of dealing for someone who could very well could be on the decline, why not go after someone who has no where but up to go? He wont be cheap with most owners still recognizing his high ceiling but for my money, I'd rather Upton over Bautista.

ASU Baseball, Chicago Cubs, City Of Mesa Set To Break Ground On New Combined Stadium

2012-05-10T19:05:18Z

Everyone is excited for this project.

After plans for some time, on Wednesday it was announced that on July 11, the groundbreaking for a combined ASU Baseball/Chicago Cubs spring training baseball facility. The voter-approved facility will be located at the southeast corner of the 101 and 202 freeways and will cost roughly $99 million to fund the project.

The stadium will boast a 15,000 fan capacity and include a video board, shaded seats and luxury suites as well as improved concessions and restrooms. The stadium design will incorporate some of the unique features of Wrigley Field as well as distinctive aspects from the State of Arizona while equally creating the exciting atmosphere that goes with college baseball.

"This is an exciting step for all three organizations as we work on this unprecedented partnership to bring together one of the most beloved and storied Major League Baseball teams and one of the finest college baseball programs into a state-of-the-art facility." Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said. "What an amazing opportunity for the City of Mesa to work with the Cubs and ASU on this historic collaboration."

The new complex will include a shared playing field, seven full-size practice fields, one of which is proposed to be would be used solely by Arizona State, and one infield-only natural turf practice field. There would also be a separate clubhouse for ASU.

"Arizona State has an innovative and unique opportunity to align with one of the world's most recognizable sports brands in the Chicago Cubs, while also increasing the university's reach by enhancing its presence in both the city of Mesa and Illinois," Steve Patterson, Arizona State University Vice President for University Athletics and Athletics Director, said. "Our baseball program's rich past and loyal following provides the perfect complement to the Cubs' renowned history and loyal fan base."

ASU baseball will benefit greatly. They have played forever in Packard Stadium. And as great a baseball program as the university has had, it has never had a facility to match it. This can only benefit the school and the program.

Here are some renderings of how the facility will look.

MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers Look Fantastic

2012-05-09T17:11:11Z

A weekly look at who it hot in the major leagues.

It hasn't been a good start for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are closer to the last place San Diego Padres than the first place Los Angeles Dodgers. While the line-up hasn't been fantastic, it's the pitching that has really killed them. Until they find a way to get the 4.06 team ERA down the Snakes won't be having much success. Time to hit the power rankings...

Texas Rangers 20-11: They've been the most dominant team in baseball. Excellent in all aspects of the game.

St. Louis Cardinals 19-11: It's like Dave Duncan never left. Jaime Garcia, Lance Lynn, Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse all have four quality starts or more.

Tampa Bay Rays 19-11: Holding down the fort without Evan Longoria. They've lost three in a row, but are an impressive 13-3 at home.

Los Angeles Dodgers 19-11: Benefitting from being in the worst division in the National League. Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw might be able to carry this team to the playoffs. Chris Capuano has pitched very well so far.

Washington Nationals 18-11: Not buying the Nationals yet even though they are really fun to watch. Potential fun argument 20 years from now who was the better pitcher/hitter combination Bryce Harper/Stephen Strasburg or Matt Kemp/Clayton Kershaw.

Baltimore Orioles 19-11: If I'm not buying the Nationals, I'm selling Orioles stocks in droves. This team will finish below .500. It's 2005 all over again

Atlanta Braves 19-12: All Star game meet Freddie Freeman, Freddie Freeman meet the All Star game.

New York Yankees 16-13: Will be battling it out for the Rays for first place in the AL East before you know it.

Cleveland Indians 17-12: Have to regret the Ubaldo Jimenez trade it's going to come back to haunt them.

Detroit Tigers 15-14: Paging Miguel Cabrera Paging Miguel Cabrera you are to start raking any game thanks.

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Arizona Wildcats Roster Shaping Up Nicely Following Mark Lyons' Commitment

2012-05-09T14:00:50Z

Lyons and Solomon Hill will lead the most talented team to enter McKale Center in years.

The Arizona Wildcats appear to have a set roster for the upcoming 2012-2013 season, one that has many thinking of deep runs in the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournament. Not only will this be Sean Miller's most talented team at UA, but also his most experienced team with potentially three senior starters in the lineup on any given night.

Combine this experience and talent with sheer size the Wildcats will bring with them whenever taking the court and it's easy to see why so many experts love Arizona.

There is always a chance of a last-minute transfer, but it looks like there will be no more turnover on the roster in Tucson. Here is a look at how everything will likely break down next season.

Point Guard:

Mark Lyons committed to UA for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest factors had to be the immediate void at point guard. Josiah Turner left the program in April, leaving coach Miller in a potentially disastrous situation with his backcourt. Despite being more of a combo-guard, Lyons will be the starting point guard from the minute he arrives on campus.

Jordin Mayes exceeded all expectations as a freshman, playing a key role for a team that advanced to the Elite 8. Injuries and a lack of defensive improvement stunted his development as a sophomore last season, but the lanky guard still has potential to be a weapon off the bench given his smooth handles and shooting stroke.

Lyons will eat most of the minutes at point guard, but Mayes and possibly Nick Johnson will see considerable time at the spot as well.

Shooting Guard:

Nick Johnson started a bulk of Arizona's games at the off-guard position and him returning to this role in 2012 is basically guaranteed. Johnson, a fan favorite in Tucson, continually earned the praise of the coaching staff throughout the year for his hard work in practice. His shooting percentages and scoring numbers dropped a bit as conference play arrived, but he still managed to produce a fine freshman season.

Johnson's biggest competition for minutes at shooting guard will come from Kevin Parrom, who is more of a hybrid player on the wing. Parrom has battled injuries throughout his tenure at Arizona, but the senior has the talent and toughness to breakout in a big way next year. Look for him to see plenty of minutes at the off-guard spot, especially when matched up with a larger team.

Gabe York, a member of Arizona's stellar 2012 recruiting class, was a dynamic scorer at the high school level. Armed with a great shot and incredible athleticism, no one would be surprised to see him have a great career in Tucson. At the same time, York is going to need some time to get adjusted to the defensive aspects of being a college guard.

Look for him to play sparingly off the bench, with potential to see plenty of playing time should he be a lights-out shooter right out of the gate. This is not so much a knock on the young guard as it is a testament to the depth and talent UA has at the position.

Small Forward:

Solomon Hill will be the unquestioned senior leader of this team next year, spending just about all three of his years in Tucson as a starter. Hill can do a little bit of everything on the court and will be a popular pick for preseason watch lists around the country for various awards. Along with Lyons, Hill is the only other starter to have his spot locked down.

Parrom should see plenty of time at the small forward position as well. His versatility is going to be huge for the Wildcats.

Incoming freshman Brandon Ashley has the athleticism to play on the wings at the college level, although he'll likely see the majority of his minutes come at the four.

Post Play:

The Wildcats have so many combinations they could potentially go with at the four- and five-spots that it seems silly to label players.

Angelo Chol, a sophomore who played sparingly last season, will be the most experienced frontcourt player for Arizona next season. A big presence defensively, Chol needs to refine his offensive game if he hopes to take the next step as a player.

This being said, he already knows Sean Miller's system and may start to begin the year simply because of his familiarity with the program. And it isn't like he's not a good player, either. Chol has tons of potential down the road.

Freshman-to-be Kaleb Tarczewski, who comes in as a legitimate seven-foot center, undoubtedly has the size the come in and contribute right away, although it will likely take him some time to become accustomed to the college game. After showing onlookers just how talented he is at the Jordan Brand Classic Game last season - he recorded a double-double without having a single play drawn up for him - it would not be surprising at all to see ‘Zeus' start quite a few games next year.

Grant Jerrett committed to UA very early in the process and was seemingly seldom talked about despite a top-10 ranking by just about every scouting service in the country. Jerrett grew to be about 6'10 during his senior year of high school and features an impressive inside-outside skill set on offense. He will need to bulk up a bit (as all incoming freshmen do) to handle the rigors of playing in a tough conference, but we should look for Jerrett to play plenty of minutes next season.

Brandon Ashley will play a role similar to what Derrick Williams played for two years in Tucson, doing a little bit of everything on the wings and around the basket. He features a solid mid-range jumper and has the size to attack the rim at will. Some have questioned his work ethic at times, but there are very few incoming freshmen as talented as Ashley is.

I expect there to be numerous combinations of these four post players to be on the floor at any time, but it seems like Chol and Tarczewski would be the early favorites to land starting jobs in the fall. Practice is going to be huge for these four, and the competition levels are going to be through the roof.

It is going to be a fun season in Tucson, folks.

Follow @scottcoleman55

For more on the 'Cats, check out AZ Desert Swarm.

Fantasy Baseball 2012: The Bachelor (Closer Edition)

2012-05-08T15:00:18Z

In this week's column, writer Cody Ulm hands out some roses to some gentlemen who just happen to close baseball games for a living.

"In fantasy baseball, closers are about as un-American as it gets." - Babe Ruth

Okay, you caught me. Despite being an avid fantasy baseball junkie, Babe Ruth never uttered that quote, or at least not to the best of my knowledge. Still, that doesn't make it any less true.

If you know me or have read one of my clustered fantasy baseball rants then you know I despise closers and everything they represent. In make-believe baseball, closers are fickle temptresses that will claim they'll love you forever just to steal your wallet and rip out your beating heart four minutes later.

Nevertheless, closers are (supposedly) an important part of this funny game sports nerds like you and I play. And in the past week and a half, the amount of turn over at the position has been absolutely redonk (it's cool, I'm bringing redonk back).

So I'm going to try to my best to suck up my hatred of the concept to make sense of some cluttered save situations around the league. Oh yeah, and I might hand out a rose or two to some worthy candidates Bachelor-style. Got it? Didn't think so. Let's begin anyways:

Kenley Jansen - LAD - As of Monday afternoon, Jansen has replaced Javy Guerra as the closer and all I can say about that is about damn time. Jansen's stuff is absolutely filthy and while he's struggled with control at times, he's averaged 15.2 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his young career. Expect Jansen to immediately move into the upper of MLB closers and he has potential to be the number one fantasy reliever if the Dodgers are able to keep up their winning ways.

Rose decision: Javy Who? Please Kenley, take this purty flower and punish Don Mattingly for not making you the closer in the first place.

Chris Sale - CWS - The White Sox braintrust decided to move the 23-year-old lefty from starter to closer over the past weekend due to a sore elbow. While this hurt a lot of fantasy teams (including mine) who were banking on Sale continuing his hot start (three wins, 2.81 ERA), there is still a lot of good to find in this situation. First off, he's proven; Sale has compiled 18 holds, 140 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.64 across his first 126.1 major league innings. Secondly, he has just about as much job security as any closer in the league. I mean, just think about it; the White Sox certainly wouldn't be moving their best young arm to the bullpen unless the truly believed he can dominant at that position for the next decade. And finally, Sale looks like one of the tree people from Lord of the Rings. Sure, that might not seem like a bonus on paper but those things did some serious damage to Saruman's fortress. That's has got to be an added intimidation factor for opposing pitchers.

Rose decision: Chris Sale....you've won my heart/a rose.

Steve Cishek - MIA - Manager Ozzie Guillen has shifted Heath Bell from the closer role for "a couple of days" which has hoards of fantasy-heads rushing to the waivers to claim Cishek. Before you push all your chips into the pot though perhaps you should reconsider. I don't pretend to speak Ozzie but "a couple of days" sounds far from permanent. Adding to that notion is the fact that the Marlins just handed Bell a lucrative three-year, $27 million contract just this past offseason. I don't know about you but if I invest $27 million into something, I'm not going to throw it in the trash and never look back just because it has had a few defects. Don't get me wrong, Cishek is a quality young reliever and is definitely the best arm the Marlins have in their pen at this point. But Bell is going to get his fair share of second chances because let's face it: baseball is still all about the money.

Rose decision: I'm sorry Steve but I just don't think it's meant to be.

David Robertson - NYY - If you didn't know his name before last Thursday when Mariano Rivera blew out his knee, you surely do now. As Mugatu would put it: Robertson, so hot right now. Robertson. The 27-year-old former setup man is now closing for the most successful team in baseball history and therefore is the hottest commodity at the position by default. And to those who are worried that the Sandman's shoes are too big to fill, may I politely invite you to shut your face. Robertson is the definition of the word stud. In 66.2 innings last season, Robertson an ERA of 1.08 to go along with 100 strikeouts and he's yet to give up a single run this year as well. The Yankees haven't had a save opportunity yet since all their games against the Royal this past weekend weren't close but when the time comes, I'd bet my last dollar Robertson is the first man up. Furthermore, I'd be willing to bet anyone reading this $50 bucks that Robertson will be the best fantasy closer from this moment on.

Rose decision: Take the whole damn bouquet. I'm in love, I'm in love and I don't care who knows it.

Ernesto Frieri - LAA - First off I'd like to formally apologize for including Jordan Walden in my buy low portion of my column two weeks ago. That was unforgivable and I will pay dearly. Moving on, I'd like to redeem myself if at all possible by warning you to avoid the Frieri trap. With Scott Downs nursing a tweaked knee and LaTroy Hawkins working with a broken finger of his own, Frieri has become a popular name in Anaheim when discussing possible save replacements. Don't be fooled though. Frieri is a solid middle reliever who will get his fair share of strikeouts but he's on the bottom of a very low totem pole. Manager Mike Scioscia said it will come down to Walden and Frieri while Downs is out but in a perfect world, he'd love for Walden to recapture his old job and never look back. It's going to 50/50 while Downs is out and if Walden excels, he'll be back to being the permanent closer. Even if Frieri does a more than admirable job, I still think Scioscia intends to use Frieri as an innings-eater, especially with the rest of the bullpen's struggles and the fact Walden, Downs and Hawkins are all far more qualified for the role.

Rose decision: It's not you, it's me.

Andrew Cashner - SD - Huston Street just went down with [insert random injury]. Shocking. Given Street's slow recovery history plus the nature of the beast (right lat strain), it's looking someone else may be holding down his role for quite some time. With that in mind, allow me to introduce you to Andrew Cashner. The former Cubs flamethrower has a fastball that averaged 102.2 MPH this spring and while his most recent outing certainly wasn't pretty (0.2 innings, 3 ER) don't despair. This kid has always had the stuff to be a future closer and that's the exact role the Padres have him ticketed for. Even if Street comes back sooner than expected, it's likely the Padres ship him out of town for some prospects as they're sure to be out of contention come the trade deadline. Cashner isn't the best target on this list but if you miss out on the rest he's a worthy consolation prize.

Rose decision: Did you say 102.2? Hmmm...I think I'd like to get to know you better Mr. Cashner.

Rafael Dolis/James Russell - CHC - Don't. Just don't. Mediocre Cubs + committee = stay the hell away.

Rose decision: Uhh...sorry fellas. Fresh out of roses.

Arizona Diamondback Stock Watch

Rising

Cody Ransom - 3B - In his past four starts, Ransom has three runs, five RBI and two homers. If these numbers keep up, he could have the hot corner job all to himself and with his power potential, he'd be useful in deeper leagues.
Trevor Cahill - SP - Last week Cahill managed to be quality in both his starts allowing only four runs with seven strikeouts across 14.1 innings. His methods are never pretty but you can't deny the final results.

Falling

Patrick Corbin - SP - Corbin held his own in his first start against the Marlins but then imploded only a few days later against the Mets (3.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB). Don't trust him until he strings a few useful starts together.
Jason Kubel - OF - After his white hot start, Kubel went 17 straight at bats without a hit before his ninth inning single Monday. There's still no reason he should be on the waivers but perhaps he's human after all.

NFL Draft Grades: How Did The NFC West Fare In The Draft?

2012-05-01T16:00:43Z

Grading the 2012 NFL Draft for the teams of the NFC West

With the 2012 NFL Draft completed and the majority of free agency wrapped up it is time to take a look at where the NFC West stands. As a whole the division seems to be improving, but in a little bit of a different way than the rest of the NFL. The majority of the league is build around quarterbacks and high scoring, the NFC West is an old school division. Running the ball and playing good defense seems to be the theme of the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks. Here is a breakdown of each...

Arizona Cardinals

The Cards draft featured a wide receiver, three offensive lineman, safety, corner and quarterback. In the first round they decided to go with Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd at 13. I understand the argument for and against Floyd. Without even touching the off the field issues, I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he has grown and matured as a person. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt and general manager Rod Graves obviously felt the value of Floyd in that spot was too good to pass up. It gives them a threat across from Larry Fitzgerald and two wide receivers that are willing run blockers. The question raised is, wide receiver was the position of the greatest depth in this draft. Could the Cardinals have addressed the WR position later on (31 wide receivers were taken after Floyd) and grabbed someone at a position with less depth? We won't know the answer to that question for three to four years.

In the second round people were surprised when the Cardinals selected cornerback Jamell Fleming out of Oklahoma. When you dig a little deeper it makes more sense. A.J. Jefferson is a restricted free agent after this season, Greg Toler is coming off an injury and an unrestricted free agent after this season, William Gay is a nickel/dime CB and only signed through 2014 plus they lost Richard Marshall in free agency this summer. Another corner was needed and Fleming is a good fit across from Patrick Peterson. He thrives in aggressive man to man coverage and isn't afraid to help in run support, which as discussed in the opening paragraph is an important factor in the NFC West. The one angle that concerns me is the recent history of secondary players out of Oklahoma. Since 2000 the list of defensive backs drafted includes William Bartee, Roy Williams, Andre Woolfolk, Derrick Strait, Brodney Pool, Antonio Perkins, Donte Nicholson, Mike Hawkins, Reggie Smith, Dominique Franks, Quinton Carter and Jonathan Nelson. Not an impressive list, but you have to give a pass on the last three, all drafted since 2010 so its not fair to judge at this point in their careers.

Staying in the secondary I love the Justin Bethel pick from Presbyterian. When I watched the clips available of him on You Tube as I was doing pre draft research he was someone who caught my eye as a nice late round pick. Kerry Rhodes is 29 and Adrian Wilson is 32, a developmental prospect who can play special teams immediately is a perfect fit.

As most Arizona Cardinals fans have been screaming for, the offensive line has been addressed. Tackle Bobby Massie from Ole Miss, guard Senio Kelemente out of Washington and Nate Potter from Boise State injected the unit with much needed depth. If you join them with the addition of Daryn Colledge last summer and Adam Snyder this year, that is five significant pieces with the offensive line in the past two years. Change was needed and it has been made. At this point it is the coaching staffs responsibility to get the young players to grow into what they can become and mesh with the veterans to form at minimum an average unit, but hopefully above average.

With Kevin Kolb and John Skelton as your two main quarterbacks to add another one late in the draft is a well thought out idea. I will never criticize a team for taking a quarterback. The Patriots do it all the time even with Tom Brady on the roster and we saw what happened with the Colts last year when Peyton Manning went down. Quarterbacks have high trade value and to work on developing one even if you think you have the right guy under center is always a worthwhile investment. San Diego State prospect Ryan Lindley in the 6^th round makes sense.

San Francisco 49ers

I'm not really sure I like the direction the 49ers are going. We saw with the New York Jets last year when you have an identity and try to become something else it can end up hurting your football team. San Francisco was a smash you in the mouth, physical football team that won playing defense, running the ball and with good special teams.

Through the draft the 49ers added wide receiver A.J. Jenkins in the first round and running back LaMichael James in the second round. Including free agency the 49ers have now signed or drafted five new running backs and wide receivers. The list includes Jenkins, James, Brandon Jacobs, Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. Those players plus still having Frank Gore, Anthony Dixon, Kendall Hunter at RB and Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams at WR is an awful lot of skill position players. For a team that was so run heavy having Moss and Manningham brings an interesting dynamic. Yes they will keep safeties back because they are vertical threats, but they are also poor blockers, which could hurt the running game. Jim Harbaugh is an excellent coach so if anyone can figure it out he will be able to, but he has a lot to adjust to this season.

Seattle Seahawks

Somewhat surprisingly eight of the Seahawks ten draft picks came on the defensive side of the ball, which was considered to be the strength of their team. They were top 10 in total yards against and points against. Meanwhile on offense they were bottom five in total yards and bottom 10 in points per game.

In a draft littered with dynamic playmakers the only skill position player the Seahawks added was running back Robert Turbin in the fourth round. They decided to stick with a group of wide receivers including Doug Baldwin, Deon Butler, Ben Obomanu, Golden Tate, Sidney Rice and Mike Williams. A very poor decision on their part.

They also didn't add any offensive lineman to a unit that gave up the fourth most sacks in the NFL. A pretty perplexing draft to say the least.

Seattle did rebuild its line backing crew, which was much needed. Bruce Irvin out of West Virginia is a dynamic pass rusher, Bobby Wagner from Utah State can play inside, and Korey Toomer from Idaho in the fifth round, who wasn't even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

There defensive line is one of the deepest and most dynamic in the NFL. With Red Bryant, Alan Branch, Chris Clemons, Brandon Mebane, Jason Jones (now back in a 4-3 base system should go back to his pass rushing ways) already in place they added defensive tackles Jaye Howard from Florida in the fourth round, J.R. Sweezy out of N.C. State and Greg Scruggs out of Louisville in the seventh round.

The second offensive player selected was quarterback Wisconsin Badgers product Russell Wilson. Wilson will have to compete with Matt Flynn, who they signed this summer from the Green Bay Packers and incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson. Wilson was a fantastic college QB, but his measurable are not prototypical of an NFL signal caller. It will be fascinating to watch how his game translates to the next level.

St. Louis Rams

One of my favorites groups in the 2012 NFL Draft. They moved down from the number-two pick and new head coach Jeff Fisher through free agency and the draft has reloaded the Rams with talent all over the board.

First round pick Michael Brockers will be a cornerstone of the front seven along with Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and last year's first round pick Robert Quinn. In the secondary, second round pick Janoris Jenkins, who fell because of character issues, but is possibly the best cornerback in the draft will line-up across from free agent addition Cortland Finnegan to form one of the best CB combinations in the NFL. Third round pick Trumaine Johnson out of Montana, a cornerback in college, will most likely shift to safety and form a solid tandem with Quintin Mikell.

On the offensive side of the ball Sam Bradford will be surrounded by weapons and not just Steven Jackson for the first time in his career. St. Louis drafted dynamic Cincinnati Bearcats running Isaiah Pead in the second round, which gives them an excellent one-two combination of grinder in Jackson and home run hitter in Pead.

Last year's second round pick, tight end Lance Kendricks, third round pick Austin Pettis and fourth round pick Greg Salas should all show growth in year two. They added Brian Quick out of Appalachain State with the first pick of the second round and Chris Givens from Wake Forest with the first pick in the fourth round in 2012. In free agency former New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Steve Smith was picked up on the cheap. In his second year coming off major knee surgery he should be more of a factor than he was last season. That is a lot of size and speed for Sam Bradford to target with a legit running game that opponents will have to worry about.

The trendy pick to win the NFC West last year won't be as popular this season, but I am firmly on the bandwagon, probably all by myself.

You can talk more Cardinals over at Revenge of the Birds.

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Fantasy Baseball 2012: Leaning Towards A Diamondback Lefty

2012-05-01T14:32:09Z

In this addition of his weekly column, writer Cody Ulm analyzes the fantasy value of Wade Miley and Patrick Corbin in order to determine which player makes the better sneaky pickup.

Beyond Arizona's two obvious studs, Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson, most of the fantasy hype for potential Diamondback impact starters has been delegated to two talented individuals: Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs.

Yet even though the 2012 rotation is down two of it's original members only one month into the season, neither of the aforementioned pitching phenoms have came anywhere close to big league action. Instead, Wade Miley and Patrick Corbin, two of Arizona's less flashy prospects, have stepped up to fill the void left from Hudson's shoulder injury and Josh Collmenter's early season struggles.

But is it possible that one of these two pitchers could also fill void in your make believe team's lineup? Possibly, unless you suffer from sinistrophobia. What's that you may ask? Oh, it's just the fear of left-handedness. And apparently I'm suffering from a case of terribly vague and lame humor so I'm just going to jump to the analysis part:

The case for Wade Miley

His 2011 was solid but far short of spectacular with a 1.39 K/BB ratio and 4.50 ERA across 40 innings. But besides serving up three earned runs in a relief appearance in the last home stand against the Braves, he's been essentially flawless in 2012. In his other 19.1 innings this season, Miley has yet to give up a single run and has pitched two straight quality starts against Philadelphia and Miami since replacing Hudson in the rotation.

It's hard to say what exactly has caused Miley to take the next step but some credit has to go to his change up evolving into more of a complimentary weapon. Opponent are hitting only .194 this season against that particular pitch and because of that, he now has the confidence to throw something else besides his fastball when he gets behind in the count.

His control issues are improving but he's still only averaging a 2.14 K/BB ratio which could be concerning to those in leagues who have WHIP as a category. It's also worth noting that Miley's starts this season have came against two teams that rank 27th (PHI) and 28th (MIA) in total runs this year. Furthermore, when he ran into the top five offense of Atlanta, he struggled mightily as was stated before.

The case for Patrick Corbin

Corbin's first major league start came Monday against Miami and while he earned the win, there was undoubtedly some rough patches. Serving up eight hits and three walks in his 5.2 innings of work, the 22-year-old was rattled at times but never lost his composure and made some nice plays defensively.

Clearly the sample size is small but it's worth noting that Corbin had an absolutely dominant spring. Limiting opponents to a .178 average while compiling a 3.00 ERA and 20 Ks across 21 innings in training camp, Corbin earned the esteemed honor of being manager Kirk Gibson's unofficial man-crush which certainly can't be a bad thing.

Overall, Corbin should continue to make baby steps of progression with each start he puts under his belt. Moving forward, control shouldn't be an issue as Corbin as has averaged a mere 1.64 BB/9IP throughout his four year minor league career.

The verdict

Truly, there's a lot to like about both of these pitchers and their projected production shouldn't be too deviate too much for the 2012 season. However, we must factor in the current situation of the Diamondbacks pitching staff when making a final decision.

Hudson was placed on the 15-day DL on the April 21 and since his last start came three days earlier, he could theoretically come back on May 3 if he's healthy. Really though, there's not a chance that happens as Hudson has yet to even begin playing catch yet. And when you factor in that the D-backs are certain to be extra cautious considering it's a shoulder injury, it could be closer to mid-May before he makes his way back into the rotation.

With that in mind, it's looking like Miley and Corbin will most likely get two to three more starts to prove who is more worthy of keeping a permanent spot. But unless Corbin pitches back to back no-nos, it's looking like it's Miley's spot to lose.

It's possible that Gibby's man-crush will overrule all common sense but Miley is the more seasoned of the two and has done everything right this season, including cleaning up after Collmenter's consecutive messes. Additionally, assuming one of the two isn't optioned back to the minors, Corbin is the better suited of the two for a middle relief role as all three of his pitches tend to miss bats more than Miley's. Plus, this scenario would be a perfect way for Corbin to accumulate more experienced while not being relied too heavy on at a young age.

Final say: Yes, Gibson is always unpredictable when it comes to these types of moves but regardless, Miley should be the better pitcher to target in this situation simply because he was the first man called upon when an injury occurred. But that doesn't mean Corbin can't be an asset in the meantime starting with his next match up against a less than intimidating Mets lineup this weekend.

Is It Time Yet?: An Inside Look At The Past, Present And Future Of The Arizona State Brand

2012-04-30T18:45:57Z

With the passing of the first anniversary of one of the most iconic days in Sun Devil history, we examine the decisions that went into the transformation process while taking glance at what the future of the maroon and gold may hold.

On April 12, 2011, the landscape of Arizona State athletics was forever altered with the proclamation of two simple words: "it's time."

With Nike implementing a sweeping makeover to the uniforms of every ASU sports team along with the introduction of a new pitchfork logo, the excitement surrounding the upcoming football season was perhaps the highest it's ever been in the program's 115-year history. Instead of building on the hype though, the senior-laden team faltered, winning only one of their final seven games after starting 5-1.

Following the disappointing season, the heads started to roll. First was the firing of head coach Dennis Erickson in November. Exactly four months later, Vice President of Athletics Lisa Love, one of the main catalysts behind the transformation, was the next to go.

Yet thanks to the conclusion of Nike's one-year, exclusive apparel deal with Arizona State in mid-April, the university is on the verge of recapturing some of that fervor with an influx of additional businesses finally having the ability to incorporate the revamped pitchfork logo in their clothing.

"It's exciting to see new designs from the different vendors," said Tim Potter, ASU's marketing coordinator of trademark licensing. "Just as we've had a great bump from Nike, we'll be able to sustain it or maybe even do better with all these new designs hitting the market."

But before Sun Devils everywhere get all hot and bothered about what's around the corner, first one must understand why Arizona State's higher-ups made the decisions they did.

The beginning

The evolution from Sparky to the pitchfork that now adorns each side of ASU's football helmet wasn't a swift progression; the entire procedure took approximately one year after Arizona State reached out to Nike for assistance in creating a "new, vibrant mark for Sun Devil athletics," according to Steve Hank, associate athletic director of revenue at Arizona State.

"We had three real objectives," Hank said. "We wanted to be able to create something that's relevant to a younger fan base, we wanted to find something that represents our history and tradition and then we wanted to form something that really assists us with recruiting."

With the world's largest seller of athletic apparel on board, Nike's graphic identity group sent a team to Tempe to delve through their archives and form focus groups consisting of student-athletes, coaches and fans all in the effort of "finding out what really makes Arizona State tick," Hank said. Through Nike's qualitative research, Hank and his associates came to the conclusion that their current brand was losing relevancy, therefore putting ASU at a competitive disadvantage against rival universities.

"There's no question that being relevant to the recruiting market of 18- to 21-year-old athletes is important today," Hank said. "So we developed a brand that we termed ‘contemporary classic.'"

And Hank believes that the fresh threads and pitchfork epitomize this "contemporary classic" concept. With aid of more than 600 Nike employees, Hank said Arizona State found a way to incorporate "the high performance aspect" of the uniforms with a "traditional and classic" look, ushering in a new generation of Sun Devil history.

However, this modern brand wasn't able to fully blossom until exactly one year after its introduction.

The growth

Upon the finalization of their design, Arizona State began the next stage of their plan by agreeing to a partnership with the Collegiate Licensing Company in the months leading up to the big debut of their rebranding effort according to Potter.

With the CLC working as the "middle man" between the manufacturers and the university, ASU now had the luxury of the nation's leading collegiate trademark licensing company "managing their brand while finding ways to increase exposure from a licensing standpoint," said Mike Warhank, CLC's director of partner services for the west coast.

In the early going, the CLC was essentially delegated to the role of enforcing Nike's exclusive-apparel deal. But instead of playing the waiting game, Warhank and his colleagues began to prepare for life beyond Nike.

"Once we got over a certain threshold, we turned our attention more to making sure licensees were aware of the April 12 date," Warhank said.

As the anniversary approached, more venders began to bite, allowing Warhank and the CLC to go through their filtration process of "recommending" or "politely disapproving" a particular item.

"With each application, we ask is this product of good quality, is it acceptable to have the university's brand on it and does the company have established distribution or the potential to establish distribution?" Warhank said.

Fast-forward to the present and Arizona State has secured approximately 375 different licensees thanks to the helping hand of the CLC, according to Potter. Beginning with ASU baseball's black and copper New Era hat that premiered on April 13, one day after the Nike deal ended, Potter said fans can be expecting a wave of new merchandise that will be available in more accessible channels, such as Walmart and Target.

"Nike had some real great designs but there's 100 reasons why [a customer] might not want to buy Nike," Potter said. "Now they have the opportunity to get a Champion or a JanSport or some other brand they might like better."

Along with the more affordable brands, Potter set out on the goal of branching out the new pitchfork logo to more premium-clothing companies. During this process, Potter came into contact with Mike Metter, the collegiate sales director for the high-end formal wear outlet Thomas Dean Co., who agreed to include Arizona State in their west coast expansion for fall 2012.

"[Potter] is unbelievably passionate about the school," Metter said. "I deal with 23 colleges, but I'm going to put Tim up there in the top couple in terms of passion and desire to improve ASU's overall vibe."

While they're still in the production phase, Thomas Dean Co. has already secured distribution in a number of stores in the Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe areas due largely in part to the design of the overhauled pitchfork logo according to Metter.

"Obviously Sparky has his place of course," Metter said. "But I think that once you start getting into premium priced men's apparel, the pitchfork is just a better look."

In fact, the pitchfork and everything that accompanies it may be appealing on more than just that level.

The future

In making the leap back to trendiness, Arizona State's football uniforms have transitioned from an afterthought to a legitimate recruiting tool. According to Tim Cassidy, ASU's athletic director of football, prospective signees are now shown a display containing all the different jersey and helmet combinations when they visit campus.

"Kids this age, they're our clients," Cassidy said. "There's a lot to be impressed about with ASU from A to Z but this certainly, in the minds and eyes of 18-year-olds, is an attention getter."

With that in mind, it's easy to draw comparisons to the vast success of a fellow Pac-12 school who took a similar route in elevating their athletics.

After the Oregon Ducks lost the 1996 Cotton Bowl, Nike co-founder and Oregon alum Phil Knight announced the commencement of a 15-year project to make their football program a powerhouse through marketing their unique brand. In 1999, the team's uniforms went under a radical metamorphosis in which Nike also redesigned their logo, much like what ASU went through.

But despite the success of five conference titles, two Heisman finalists and one national championship appearance for Oregon since that time, ASU officials are quick to point out that they aren't trying to follow in their footsteps.

"You're not going to see us wearing neon green uniforms with peach pants," Hank said. "This is not a response to Oregon. Their brand is who they are and our brand is who we are."

And actually, with ASU's rebranding came the introduction of a phenomenon entirely incomparable to anything Oregon owns.

Included in the new designs was the introduction of black uniforms as a salute to ASU football teams of the 1950s who wore black helmets. As a part of this revolution, Sun Devil fans were encouraged to attend the Sept. 9 nationally-televised game against Missouri for the first ever blackout game.

The idea was a huge success with the university attracting celebrities such as Phil Mickelson, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Nash to go along with the first sellout crowd Sun Devil Stadium has seen since 2008. Additionally, the official blackout shirt became the highest-selling shirt in the history of Nike's campus concept program with more than 40,000 sold, according to Potter.

"It was the black, it was the new pitchfork and it was the excitement for football," Potter said. "It was just everything coming together."

Now permanently engrained in the ASU lexicon of athletics, blackout games have transformed into a must-attend event for both students and alumni alike. However, Hank did share that there are plans to let students vote on which games will be blacked-out for this upcoming season.

Yet with the university expecting sales to be up between 50 and 60 percent compared to a year ago, ASU is taking a don't-fix-it-if-it-isn't-broken approach by adding only "a few minor tweaks here and there" like the voting system, according to Hank.

If there's one thing for certain though, it's that Arizona State will never again allow itself to fall behind the times in the dog-eat-dog world of collegiate athletics.

"We're not going to stay stagnant," Hank said. "We're going to continue to evolve ... not necessarily in large steps like last year but with smaller steps along the way."