The SoapBoxers

There is nothing quite as sad in sports as unfulfilled potential.  This team consists of players who fell short of their full potential for a variety of reasons.  For some, it was a simple twist of fate.  For others, the road was paved by their own actions.  Some still managed to achieve greatness even with the obstacles; the circumstances caused others to fall short.

Catcher – Thurman Munson – Munson was an All-Star seven times between 1971 and 1978 and won three gold gloves during this span.  Munson’s career came to an abrupt end when the private plane he was piloting crashed on August 2, 1979.  Munson ended his career with a .292 batting average and hit .300 or better five times.

1B – Lou Gehrig – Gehrig’s durability was legendary – he played in 2130 consecutive games.  After twelve straight seasons with a batting average higher than .300 and eleven straight seasons with an OPS of higher than 1.000, Gehrig fell off to .295 and .932 in 1938.  Those were still very good numbers, but not Gehrigesque.  Gehrig started the 1939 season very poorly and knew that something was physically wrong.  In June of 1939, Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which later became known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease (the only disease to ever be named after a patient).  He was elected to the Hall of Fame via a special election (the standard five year waiting period was waived) on the merits of his .340 career batting average and 493 home runs.  On June 2, 1941, at the age of 38, Gehrig died.  Had Gehrig remained healthy, he could have threatened Babe Ruth’s 714 career home runs.

2B – Chuck Knoblauch – Knoblauch was a five time All Star and was coming off a season that included 62 steals and a gold glove award when he traded to the New York Yankees.  A little more than a year later, Knoblauch contracted a severe case of the yips – the inability to throw accurately to first base.  The once stellar fielder’s throwing because an embarrassment, leading to his movement first to the outfield and later to designated hitter.  Eventually, his offensive game also fell off, and his career was over at age 34.

SS – Ray Chapman – Chapman was an excellent defensive shortstop with good speed – stealing 52 bases in 1917.  The 29 year old Chapman was hit in the head by a Carl Mays pitch on August 16, 1920.  Twelve hours later, Ray Chapman died.  A lot of people here would probably give the nod to Nomar Garciaparra.  Garciaparra was off to a great start to his career, but the fact that Chapman died from injuries suffered during the game gets him the spot.

3B – Ron Santo – Santo played his entire career while battling diabetes.  He was a ten time All-Star and hit 342 career homers.  The Cubs third baseman was traded to the White Sox before the 1974 seasons.  After a disappointing season with the Sox, he hung up his spikes for good at age 34.  A large contingent of baseball observers is pushing for baseball’s Veteran’s Committee to elect Santo to the Hall of Fame – but he is still waiting.

OF – Joe Jackson – You know the story.  Jackson was banned for life for throwing the 1919 World Series.  He has many defenders, but his lifetime ban keeps him out of the Hall of Fame.  Shoeless Joe’s .356 career batting average ranks third all time behind Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby.  Jackson was 31 when he played his final game.

OF – Ken Griffey Jr. – In the early 1990s, Griffey established himself as the best all-around player in baseball.  During his 10 years in Seattle, he had 1742 hits, 398 homers, ten All-Star game selections, ten gold glove awards, and an MVP award.  He had hit 40+ homers six times.  At age 30, he signed with his hometown Cincinnati Reds.  It seemed that 3500 hits and 700 homers were well within reach.  After a 40 homer season in his first season with the Reds, injuries began to mount.  More than ten years later, Griffey has added just 232 more homers to his numbers, and is still short of 3000 hits.  His career seems to be very close to an end.  It’s likely that his 630 homers will get him into the Hall of Fame – especially since he was never linked to steroids –  but you have to wonder what sort of numbers a healthy Griffey could have accomplished.

OF Darryl Strawberry – Strawberry was a rising superstar with the World Champion 1986 Mets.  Between 1983 and 1991, he hit 280 homers.  Over the course of the next 8 years, Strawberry battled a drug addiction and added just 55 homers in 1189 at bats.  The man threw away a Hall of Fame caliber career.

Pitchers

Babe Ruth – Ruth was a dominant left-handed pitcher.  Ruth compiled a career record of 94-46 with a 2.28 ERA – low even by the standards of the time.  Ruth was traded to the Yankees after the 1919 season.  He was 24 at the time of the trade and only toed the rubber  five more times in his career.  It’s quite likely that Ruth could have been a Hall of Fame player as a pitcher.  As it ended up, he became one of the greatest hitters in history.

Sandy Koufax – From 1963-1966, Koufax compiled a record of 97-27 with a 1.86 ERA.  He also nabbed three Cy Young Awards during this span (finishing third in his “bad” season with a record of 19-5 and a 1.74 ERA).  At age 30, Koufax had a career record of 165-87 with a 2.76 career ERA.  After battling traumatic arthritis (that’s the medical name for the condition) for years, Koufax retired in his prime.

Denny McLain – McLain was the last Major League pitcher to win 30 games, compiling a 31-6 record with a 1.74 ERA in 1968.  He won both the Cy Yound and MVP awards and for an encore grabbed another Cy in 1969 with a 24-9 record.  McLain was just 25 years old.  McLain’s gambling and affiliations with organized crime figures earned him a suspension from commissioner Bowie Kuhn.  Arm injuries hastened the end of his career.  McLain was  17-34 over the next three years and was out of baseball at age 28.  That would be a sad enough end to the tale of Denny McLain – but it’s not the end.  McLain has run afoul of the law many times since – for charges of drug trafficking, embezzlement, racketeering, and mail fraud.

JR Richard –   Between 1976 and 1979, Richard won more than 18 games each year, topping out at 20 wins in 1976.  He also topped 300 strikeouts in two seasons, while also leading the league in walks three times.  During the 1980 season, Richard began to complain of health ailments.  On July 30, while playing catch before a game, Richard suffered a stroke.  He would never again pitch in a major league game.  By 1994, Richard had been divorced twice and was broke and homeless.  He sought and received help from the minister of a local church.  Later, Richard himself became a minister.

Dwight Gooden – Dwight Gooden’s career numbers are very good – 194 wins, 112 losses, and a 3.53 career ERA.  However, 119 of those wins (and just 46 losses) were recored before Gooden turned 26.  Injuries and drug problems derailed his career.  His record for the rest of his career was just 75-66 with a 4.32 ERA.  However, there was one more shining moment – on May 14, 1996, Gooden threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.  Gooden pitched his final major league game in 2000, at the age of 35.  A healthy, drug free Gooden would have likely won 300 games and be awaiting induction to the Hall of Fame.

Do you have any suggestions for the team?

This week, many media outlets reported that the farm from Field of Dreams is up for sale.  The asking price for the 193 acre farm (including the 13 acres that encompass the field) is $5.4 million.  This amount has raised a lot of eyebrows.  After all, this is Iowa, not Manhattan!

Is it worth $5.4 million?  I don’t know.  One thing for sure is that there are several factors that come into playing when placing a value on the property.

First, the majority of the property is active farmland.  There is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 170 tillable acres.  Farmland in Dubuque County can sell for as much as $4500 per acre, placing the value of the cropland at as much as $765,000.  Then there is the house and the six outbuildings.  Put this all together, and you’re going to be getting close to $1 million.  Note that the farm is currently rented out to other farmers – so there’s already a cash flow in place from rents.

The there is the “cool” factor of living in a movie set.  If you’re a big fan of the movie (and have a lot of money) what is this worth?  There is only one Field of Dreams movie location (although there are many knockoffs) – so the sellers have scarcity on their side.

It’s also very likely that the new owners would want to make some money off tourists.  Although it has been 21 years since the movie came out, it still draws 65,000 visitors each year.  How much does it cost to walk around the field?  Absolutely nothing.  The Lansings are happy to let you do this for free – banking on the fact that this will give you a warm feeling when you visit the souvenir stand.

What could the new owner do to attract more tourists?

The obvious moneymaker would be a hotel on the site.  This would require a zoning change, though, as the location is currently zoned agricultural.

Baseball camps would be another good way to make some money.  In fact, actual baseball has been played on the field quite a bit over the years.  In 1991 and 1992, there were charity games on the site featuring Hall of Famers such as Bob Feller (a native Iowan) and Reggie Jackson facing off against Hollywood celebrities.  I remember that Reggie smacked one into the corn for a homer.

The Field of Dreams casino is probably not an option – there’s another casino a short distance away in Dubuque.

Some other tidbits:

• The field was originally owned by two different families.  The Ameskamp family owned left and center field.  After the filming was done, they plowed it under to plant corn.  Later, they realized that tourists were more profitable than corn.  Until the Lansings bought them out a couple of years ago, the two families maintained separate concession stands.
• In the book Shoeless Joe (upon which the movie was based), the angry writer was J.D. Salinger.  Salinger wouldn’t agree to having his name used in the movie – and if you see how he is portrayed in the book and movie, you can probably figure out why!  Of course, this is probably a blessing in disguise.  If the character had remained Salinger instead of the fictional Terence Mann, it’s very unlikely that James Earl Jones would have been picked for the role.  I’m a big fan of Jones.
• I grew up about 10 miles away from the Field of Dreams, so I’m biased in thinking it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.  But if you do decide to visit, check out some other sites in Iowa when you’re here.  You can refer to this handy guide I wrote several months ago.

Beat reporter Scoop Chevelle comes to us from a secret facility deep beneath the Grand Canyon.  This palatial subterranean complex, powered by a series of dams on the Colorado River, houses the research lab of Andy Seiler, baseball draft guru.

After a two-day hike through the most remote reaches of the canyon, Scoop reaches the hidden door of the facility.  After an iris scan confirms his identity, he is allowed in.  We join Scoop and Andy as they begin the interview in the formal dining room.

Scoop: Let’s start off with the question that everyone is clamoring to know the answer to.  Are you related to Marv Seiler, the man who was unjustly denied the 1992 Heisman trophy despite his heroic performance in Iowa State’s 19-10 victory over 7th ranked Nebraska?

Andy: I could be, but not that I know of. Most in my family aren’t athletic in the football sense. That’s why we like baseball.

Scoop: You’ve been called the Mel Kiper of baseball.  How do you feel about that comparison?  More importantly, how does your hair feel about it?

Andy: I don’t know how I feel about that. My hair is insulted, but if he’s the guy most turn to for draft information in the NFL, I’ll take that as a compliment. There always has to be a Todd McShay, though…

Scoop: The draft is quickly sneaking up on us.  How many hours a week are you spending on research?  How are you managing to balance this with the other priorities in your life?

Andy: I probably spend more time on research and writing than anything else in my life right now, including sleep. I keep telling everyone that as soon as the last pick of the 50^th round is announced, I’m going to go into a sleep coma for 36 hours. I’d say the average week in the last three or four has included 80+ hours of research and writing, though that includes weekends. Luckily, this is my wife’s busiest time of the year, too, so it’s not like there’s any pressure to reign it back in.

Scoop: A lot of people are excited about your book, which will contain 750 player profiles and well as information about each organization.  Some of us – including me – have already pre-ordered it.  Several publishers sell guides to the NFL draft, but baseball’s draft has historically been nearly ignored by the mainstream media.  When did you get the idea to publish such a comprehensive guide?

Andy: I’ve had the idea for a couple years, but I didn’t feel strong enough with my information and contacts to know that I’d put out a quality product. My handle on the information and the depth of it have really matured over the last year, so I feel it’s going to be the go-to resource on draft day for those who buy it. I think people will be pleasantly surprised by how the quality of my product and depth of information is as good as or better than any source out there on the Internet, and the price is a fraction of what you have to pay for it online.

Scoop: Bryce Harper is the most hyped prospect in this year’s draft, and many observers feel that the Nationals will grab him with the top pick.  Grab your crystal ball and take a look into the future.  How long do you think it will take Harper to reach the majors, and what do you expect him to accomplish in his career?

Andy: I would say mid-2013 at the earliest is the best possibility. Think of 2011 spent at Low-A ball, 2012 split between High-A and Double-A, then 2013 between Triple-A and the Majors. That’s a best-case scenario, but I think he has the talent to make it happen. I see him becoming a perennial all-star, but he’ll probably follow the career path of more of a Craig Biggio, who had to move off catcher to lengthen his career relatively early in the game. He could also turn out to be J.D. Drew if injuries creep in, and that’s a question that few can answer years in advance.

Scoop: Do you ever get burned out on baseball and just want to sit on the couch and watch reruns of 2 ½ Men for a solid week?

Andy: Definitely. I think the one thing I dislike most about what I do is that I can’t sit on the couch and just watch baseball for enjoyment anymore. I’m always looking at it from a different angle, through the lens of an evaluator rather than a fan. I’m not saying I’m the best scout or anything, but the mindset changed at some point, and I’m not really able to turn it off, even at a little league game watching a cousin’s kid. That being said, though I get tired of it, I always seem to enjoy what I do in the long run.

Scoop: OK, final question, and a very important one.  What sort of cuisine do you partake in when you go to a ballgame?  Personally, I try to grab a Pepsi, bratwurst, and nachos before the game and then try to grab some cotton candy around the 6^th inning.

Andy: I’m pretty basic. I get the hot dog with mustard and a Dr. Pepper or Sprite, depending on if I need the caffeine. Once you go to enough high school games, you realize that the caffeine is necessary. Since I’m glued to my seat or wherever I’m standing to scout, I don’t get anything during the game, so I have to get it all down between infield practice and the lineup announcement.

Scoop: Thank for your time, Andy.  I’ll let you get back to your work in the bowels of the Draft Cave.

Be sure to check out Andy’s draft blog, MLB Bonus Baby, where you can find his 2010 Draft Guide for sale (PDF format).  It will contain profiles of 750 potential draftees as well as organizational previews of all 30 Major League teams.  The book will be delivered via email the Saturday before the draft, but you can order yours today.  At ten bucks, it’s a steal for die-hard fans.  Want a preview before you buy?  Check out a couple of draftee profiles and a team organizational profile.  Note – I am not being compensated in any way for endorsing the book – I simply truly believe that it will be a top shelf publication.

Big 10 … errr … 11 … errrr 15 … errr … 16?

Big news that has been speculated for awhile hit the ESPN newswire yesterday afternoon.  According to a radio affiliate in Kansas City, the Big 10 conference has extended offers for Missouri, Rutgers, Notre Dame, and Nebraska to join their conference.  If all schools say yes, it is also reported that the conference will extend an offer to one more school.

The Big Ten is a conference I have disliked forever.  For a group of institutions with such alleged high standards of academics, they can’t even count to 10 (they have 11 member schools currently).  Doesn’t this make them the Big 11?  And why do you want to add 4 schools to make 15 … just get it to 16, which is where you will need to be for any sort of competent divisions and scheduling of any of your sports teams which is why you are making this move in the first place.  But truth be told it is time for my beloved Huskers to make the move and stick it to the University of Texas on their way out the door.

Will it happen?  I hope so.  Texas has run the show, literally, since the Big 12 conference was formed, using their mightier than thou attitude and pushing through a variety of things that favor the University of Texas in particular, and not necessarily the other member schools.  If Nebraska and Missouri leave the Big 12, Colorado is reported already to being courted by the Pac 10 conference.  This would leave the “old” Big 12 high, dry and screwed.  They would either have to disband the conference entirely, or add some schools such as perhaps, Houston, TCU, and SMU?  Boy that makes up for losing the likes of Nebraska and Missouri on the national scene.

All of these schools should move as it would mean much much more revenue.  The Big 10 has its own television contract in place that covers EVERY football game played by every team in the conference.  Nebraska is the largest grossing pay per view college football team in the nation.  Although it is a very small state by population, it has a national following second to likely Notre Dame, who also is being discussed in the mix.  Missouri gains you the St Louis market, and Rutgers adds another East Coast team to bring even more TV sets into the game.  Notre Dame needs to join a conference anyway, and get away from NBC – the Notre Dame broadcasting network – who I am sure is really excited they have paid hundreds of millions of dollars the last 10 years to exclusively cover what has been a .500 ball club.  No patsies Golden Domers, you would have to play some good teams on your schedule.  No room for the service academies three weeks out of the year. 

The moves of these schools would shake up the college football landscape and send a few other schools scrambling and left holding the bag.  I sincerely hope it happens.

My only question is … would they have to change their name to THE Notre Dame?

As many of you know, Major League Baseball’s draft is coming up next month.  I’m sure that many of you will set your DVRs to record the event.  I certainly will.  (Yes, I’m serious).

The baseball draft doesn’t receive the same attention given to the NFL’s draft (which seems to nearly overshadow the Super Bowl) or even the NBA’s. 

There are several reasons for the lack of popularity for the event.  Historically, about half the players drafted have been high schoolers, although the balance has shifted in favor of college players in recent years.  Even the very best high school players will take 3-4 years to develop into major league players, and 6+ years is a more common timeline.  Even the college players typically spend a few years in the minor leagues.  Thus, baseball players don’t jump straight from the draft to the television set like athletes in others sports.

Baseball’s 50 round draft is much longer than the NBA’s (2 rounds) or NFL’s (7 rounds).  Considering that the active roster for a baseball team is just 25 players, this necessitates using the minor leagues to develop players.  Without the minor leagues, the players simply wouldn’t get ample opportunities against live competition.  The minors also serve to bring baseball to small cities across America, allowing nearly anyone to hop in a car, drive an hour or two, and catch a game at any point during the summer.

The eligibility rules for baseball’s draft can make your head spin.  First of all, only residents of the United States, Canada, and U.S. territories – and well as students at institutions within those counties – are subject to the draft.  Players in other countries can sign with a team at age 16.  Thus players from Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory) are subject to the draft, but players from the Dominican Republic are not.  It is desirable to not be subject to the draft, as it allows you to negotiate with multiple teams, instead of just with the team that has exclusive rights to you.

As mentioned earlier, high school players are eligible.  Quite a few of the drafted high school players do not sign and opt to attend college on scholarship.  Sometimes teams will take a shot on “unsignable” players later in the draft, and try to convince them to sign with the team.  This is a low-risk/high-reward strategy.  An example of this is Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler.  Fowler was a multi-sport star in high school and was committed to attending college at the University of Miami.  The Rockies took a flier on him in the 14^th round.  After freeing up some cash by trading Larry Walker, they were able to sign him for $925,000 – an amount that is more in line with a high second round pick than a 14^th rounder.

If a player decides to attend a four year college, they have to wait until their junior year.  An exception to this is that sophomores who turn 21 before the draft are also eligible.  The juniors and draft-eligible sophomores typically sign for more money than college seniors because they have more leverage.  If they don’t sign, they can always return to college and re-enter the draft.

If a player decides to attend junior college, they are eligible to be drafted after their first year.  This is why you will sometimes see very good players in the JUCO ranks instead of at an NCAA school.  In fact, Alex Fernandez transferred from the University of Miami after his freshman season in order to attend Miami-Dade Community College.  As a junior college player, he was eligible for the 1990 draft.  Had he stayed at Miami, he would not have been eligible until 1991.  Fernandez was the #4 overall pick in the 1990 draft.

Who will be the top pick in this year’s draft?  Most are saying that the Nationals will go after teen phenom Bryce Harper.  Harper passed his GED in order to skip his final two years of high school (yes, you read that correctly) and is currently attending junior college in order to gain eligibility for this year’s draft.  Although most scouts are rubbed the wrong way Harper’s arrogance and sense of entitlement, most admit that he is a tremendously skilled player.  While in high school, Harper racked up the miles criss-crossing the country and playing in a variety of elite tournaments.  He got off to a slow start this season, but has heated up in a hurry and it putting up video game type numbers.  Even better, Harper is a catcher – a position where there is traditionally a scarcity of great offensive players.

Should the Nationals and other teams take Harpers demeanor into account before decided to throw millions of dollars at him?  Certainly.  However, the landscape of professional sports is hardly barren of athletes with big egos.  As for Harper’s young age, it’s worth noting that he’ll turn 18 on October 16 – just a month later than some of the other 2010 draftees.

My advice to the Nationals?  Pick Harper – he’s the best available talent.  Then find him a Crash Davis type of player to make sure his head stays on straight.  The Nationals front office has been making some decent moves lately, and the team is actually doing fairly well so far this year.  Add Stephen Strasburg to the mix in a few weeks and Harper a few years down the road, and I think they’ll have a solid core to build upon.

For information about other players in this year’s draft, I recommend the blog MLB Bonus Baby.

This was a great week on the golf circuit.  On the Japanese tour, 18 year old Phenom Ryo Ishikawa shot an amazing 12 under 58 to win a tournament.  58’s are not shot everyday at any level of golf.  (Well maybe for a lot of you readers for 9 holes) but to shoot that low you have to: A- Hit it close a lot and B: make just about every putt you look at.

On the PGA tour, young European Tour Star Rory McIlroy shot an amazing 10 under par 62 on a very hard golf course at Quail Hollow to win the tournament going away by 4 strokes over Phil Mickelson.  McIlroy is just 20 years old and is a player full of a lot of promise to perhaps contend shortly for major championships.  McIlroy shot a smooth 30 on the back 9 including making birdies on two of the final three holes (considered the toughest stretch on the course) to leave no doubt about who the victor would be.

The funniest part of his victory is my wife – who has been on a big reading kick lately – takes a short look at the TV and deadpans “that guy looks like Spaulding from Caddyshack, with just a little longer hair in back”  This lead to a full afternoon of repeating a multitude of familiar lines such as…”I want a Hamburger, no a Cheeseburger, I want a hot dog…You’ll get nothing and like it!”

And other classics involving Spaulding such as “fifty bucks says he eats it”

I haven’t laughed that hard in months.

On the LPGA tour, Lorena Ochoa played her last tournament before hanging it up as she has announced her retirement to work more with her philanthropic efforts and most likely to start a family.  Ochoa would be a lock to be a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame as she has enough Majors and tournament victories to automatically make it in under the LPGA’s qualifying criteria…the one thing she does not have is enough years played on tour to make it.  The minimum requirement is ten years and she has just played eight.  It would be a shame if the LPGA sticks to their guns and does not make an exception to reward her with this honor should she decide to completely stay away from the game.  She has been one of the best players of the last 25 years without any question and has dominated the game over the last three to four years like Annika Sorenstam did before her.

Five and a half weeks til Johnny will be making his second pilgrimage to  Scotland for a Golf Trip.  I will be sure to keep you all posted on that as well as the United States Open in future articles here on the Casual Observer.

Until next week…hit em straight!

When I moved back to my home state of Iowa in 2002, I began work in an office full of complete strangers – always an awkward feeling.

I quickly became aware of the fact that NASCAR fever ran deep through the office. Some were more afflicted than others, but many paid at least some interest to the sport.

I personally had never paid much attention. I’d watch a handful of laps of the Daytona 500 and a few laps from other races during the season, but I was hardly a fan. I would have been hard pressed to name ten NASCAR drivers. I had a favorite driver – Tony Stewart – and knew a handful of other names. Heck, I didn’t even know what a “restrictor plate” was.

Things quickly changed. Before long, I was corralled into a NASCAR contest that several co-workers participated in. I enjoying competing with people – the fact that it was a sport that I knew virtually nothing about wasn’t particularly relevant. It also seemed like a good way to fit in.

Within months, my knowledge of NASCAR increased exponentially. I learned that a restrictor plate is a plate that restricts the flow of air into the carburetor to keep horsepower (and thus speed) down – and that this was done mainly to keep cars from becoming airborne at the super speedways in Talladega and Daytona.  The plate has holes to allow air to flow through – the smaller the holes, the less horsepower the engine will generate.

I also learned that although most NASCAR races involve just left turns, there are actually two road course – at Watkins Glen and Sonoma. Tony Stewart happens to be very good on road courses, so these races have quickly become favorite of mine. Not only do the courses contain left AND right turns, but drivers can get themselves into serious trouble by going off the course.

Even when it comes to the tracks that contain just left turns, there are substantial differences. Daytona and Talladega are 2.5 mile tracks where speeds can reach 200 mph. The track at Bristol, on the other hand, is just .533 miles. At Daytona and Talladega, it’s common to see drivers “draft” by forming a single file line with each car just inches from the one in from of them in order to reduce drag. Several cars lined up in formation can reduce drag enough to go zooming by a lead car that is running alone. At Bristol, it’s common to see the winning driver’s car with several dents in it – races at Bristol always feature lots of bumping and banging. There’s even a triangular course at Pocono (officially, it’s a “tri-oval”).

I also learned that there are different “grooves” in a track. Logically, it made sense to me that everyone would try to run as low on the track as possible, since this is the shortest distance. However, some drivers prefer to run high and others prefer to run low. Sometimes the way a car is handling will force a driver to run a particular line.

There’s also a lot of strategy in a race. Teams need to decide when to make pit stop and whether to change four tires, two tires, or just add fuel. When a caution flag comes out, teams need to decide whether to make a pit stop to improve the car’s performance (and/or add fuel) or stay on the track and improve their position.

The time of my conversion to a serious fan was also marked by a substantial change to how the champion is crowned. Until recently, the champion was simply the driver who accumulated the most points over the course of the season. Now, drivers need to be among the top 12 drivers with 10 races remaining in order to qualify for the Chase. Points of the top 10 drivers and reset before the Chase begins, with relatively small differentials. The drive who is in 12th can win the title if the put together a strong Chase.

I never intended to become a big fan of NASCAR, but I watch quite a few races now – especially when they don’t interfere with baseball. I even know what a “catch-can” is!

Various media outlets are reporting that the St. Louis Cardinals have reached a deal with future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols.  The ten year deal will run from 2012-2021.  The most interesting aspect of the deal is that there is no cash involved.

GM John Mozeliak sat down with reporter Scoop Chevelle to discuss the deal.

“Well, Albert has always been a big part of the St. Louis community and has expressed great interest in furthering his investments in the St. Louis metropolitan area.”

When pressed for details, Mozeliak shared more information:

“Well, first of all, we’re handing him the keys to the Cardinals, of course.  If you run the numbers, it’s actually much cheaper to give him the team and a few bonus items than it would be to actually pay him cash.”

And what bonus items were included in the deal?

“The first thing Albert asked for was the famous Arch.  We expected that demand, and quickly handed over the deed.  Albert will also receive the St. Louis Zoo and all of the animal residents.”

Was there anything that Pujols asked for and didn’t receive?

“We didn’t buckle to every demand, of course.  He asked for the Mississippi River.  Honestly, that was a bridge too far, and we couldn’t do that.  He settled for the Missouri River, and everyone seemed to be happy with the compromise.”

Scoop next went to the streets to get the reaction from the public.

“Hey, the team needed to sign Pujols at any cost, you know?” commented Dave A.  “You gotta pay for quality, man.  You need to pay for quality.”

Others were less accepting of the deal.

“I really don’t understand how he could have received Kaufman stadium as part of the deal,” complained Kansas City resident George B.

George’s neighbor Frank W. echoed those sentiments.  “Yeah, isn’t Kaufman Stadium owned by another team?  How can the Cardinals just give it away?”

Commissioner Bud Selig attempted to smooth ruffled feathers.  Selig indicated that the deal was perfectly valid, and that his powers to act “in the best interests of baseball” created eminent domain to take Kaufman Stadium from the Royals and give it to Pujols.

Other residents of the state balked at the idea of the Gateway Arch passing into private hands.  Jon Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service, told us that he had left a voicemail for Pujols and was anxiously awaiting a return call.  “The Gateway Arch is a National Monument and has historically been under the custodianship of the National Park Service.  We at the NPS are very interested in knowing Mr. Pujols’ intentions.”

We attempted to reach Pujols for comment, but Colby Rasmus and Matt Holliday kept us away from him.  After that misadventure, we reached out to an unidentified employee of Pujols Manor.  The employee indicated that Albert had plans to turn the Arch into his private residence, allowing him to have great views of Busch Stadium and the riverfront.

Ryan Howard of the Phillies, who recently signed a deal for only $25 million per year, was said to be despondent at getting one-upped by Pujols yet again.

Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman had a cynical take on the deal.  “This is an obvious attempt to circumvent the luxury tax.  I mean, how do you value these assets?  Take the zoo, for example.  What’s an elephant worth?  Or a tiger?  The Cardinals should be ashamed of themselves.” 

This breaking news was brought to you by the fine folks at FNN, the Fake News Network.

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times. Drafts ensure an equal distribution of talent.

But is it really true?

The concept behind drafts in the major sports is that the teams with the worst records receive the top picks in the annual draft of amateur players. In baseball and football, this is as simple as assigning the top pick to the team with the worst record. Basketball employs a lottery system. The worst teams receive more ping pong balls in the lottery, but they are not guaranteed the top pick.

Even if you’re not a sports fan, you probably spotted the moral hazard. If you’re having a bad season, it can be a good move to intentionally lose games late in the season in order to get a good pick in the draft.

Let’s take a deeper look at the core assertion that drafts ensure an equal distribution of talent. This isn’t true, of course. The best that the draft process can hope to do is produce parity in terms of win-loss records. Some organizations are simply much better at maximizing talent than others. Throw a bad coach and GM into the mix, and the team will easily under-perform the level you’d expect based on the talent.

There’s another question to be addressed – even if drafts did ensure an equal distribution of talent, should this be a goal of a league? If your team allows stars to leave via free agency, makes bad trades, and makes inefficient use of the players, should the league bail you out by handing you high draft picks each year? This really amounts to a subsidy of the bad teams at the expense of the good ones.

What’s my solution? Throw all the team names in a hat and randomly draw to determine the draft order.

OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme, and could lead to massive apathy for some teams that struggle to improve. However, at the very least, baseball and football should adopt a lottery similar to the NBAs.

The Resin Bag

Like Johnny Goodman, I was a bit surprised to see Tim Tebow taken with the #25 pick in the draft. I’m not as down on Tebow as Johnny. I think he’s a project that could pay dividends down the road. However, you don’t take projects in the first round, particularly with better QBs still available.

I was hoping the Rams would break from conventional thought and nab Texas QB Colt McCoy with the top pick in the 3rd round (McCoy was taken by the Browns later in the 3rd round). It’s true that the Rams have a lot of holes, and that spending two high picks on quarterbacks is a luxury. However, picking a franchise quarterback can be a real crapshoot.  (For the latest proof of this, look in JaMarcus Russell’s direction).  If Sam Bradford fails, the Rams may be back to the drawing board in a few years, using another #1 pick on a quarterback. McCoy would have given the Rams a second roll of he dice for a lower price. Not only that, but he could have pushed Bradford for the job, bringing out the best in both players.  It’s hard for a sense of entitlement to set in when there is another quality young QB gunning for your job.  After years of battling in the Big 12 South, it would have been interesting to see them battling in training camp.

Iowa State basketball coach Greg McDermott left for a new job as the coach at Creighton. McDermott had a very successful run as the coach of UNI, but his Iowa State teams never won more than 15 games, and the patience of the fans was growing a bit thin.

After McDermott left, the ABC station in Ames began to report the news that favorite son Fred Hoiberg was being considered for the vacant Iowa State job. Hoiberg went to Ames High School before becoming one of the most popular players in the history of the program. His nickname was “The Mayor.” My business law professor was he actual mayor of Ames at the time, and he even referred to Hoiberg as “The Mayor”.  Hoiberg doesn’t have any hands-on coaching experience, but he did spend the last few years in the front office of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard signed a 5 year contract extension that pays him $25 million per year.  Seen licking him chops after the announcement was Cardinals first baseball Albert Pujols, who will become a free agent after the 2011 season.  Pujols is a better offensive and defensive player than Howard and could command upwards of $30 million per year.

Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez will finish the month of April with a record of 5-0 and  0.79 ERA.  If those numbers aren’t enough to warrant the National League Pitcher of the Month honors, perhaps his no-hitter will push him over the edge.

Editor’s note: Today, Johnny Goodman resumes his regular gig on The Soap Boxers.  Good to have you back, Johnny.

Tim Tebow … Tim Tebow, Tim Tebow, Tim Tebow …

The Media cannot get enough of this guy. I am thoroughly convinced anyone living outside of Gainesville is sick and tired of seeing his mug on the television.

Of course he is a good guy. I mean the guy is practically a minister. Never in the history of football has a player put God in the forefront so much. Heck he even put bible versus on his eye black stickers that he wore for each and every game last year.

Which is part of the reason the NCAA passed a rule this off-season that messages on eye black are now a big fat no-no … No longer acceptable. I mean we would hate to have eye black patches get us into a big church vs. state discussion right … Not as long as Tim Tebow was in College, but now that he is gone, let’s get the rule into place.

The media made this guy the popular guy he is. Let’s break down what he was at Florida.

• Heisman Trophy winner
• Popular with the fans
• A great leader for his team
• Urban Meyer’s favorite player of all time
• A big bruising punishing runner of a quarterback

What Tim Tebow was not at Florida

• A good passer
• A guy with a great Quarterback motion
• A pro prospect at QB

What is Tim Tebow? A great Human being. A god loving Human being … I mean he has told us all about a million times right. Tim Tebow as a football player in college is nothing more than a media over-hyped and glorified Scott Frost, the former Husker QB who went on to play a few years as a safety in the NFL. Frost was also a big guy, could throw just a little but had a funky motion, but he was like a linebacker when running the football. Big and punishing, and good enough to lead the Huskers and Tom Osborne to a National Championship in 1997, Osborne’s final season.

What are the Denver Bronco’s thinking? This guy is NOT a pro quarterback, not even close. When they ask him if he is will to get better and change and do whatever, what do you expect him to say? “No coach, I want to be a quarterback only, I have no desire to change.”

I give the kid credit for working on changing his throwing motion since the end of the NCAA season, but trust me, Glorified Scott Frost, which is a big compliment while in college, but a huge let down for Bronco’s fan expecting him to be their savior at QB.

I personally think Josh Daniels just put himself about 5 steps closer to the door.