My Fight Against #LoserSpeak, Culture Phobia, And The People That Enable It In Sports

When a bat flip turns into an attack on how you play the game there's a problem (Photo via @JoeyBats19 Instagram)
When a bat flip turns into an attack on how you play the game there’s a problem. That problem is #LoserSpeak. (Photo via @JoeyBats19/Instagram)

There isn’t much in this world that makes me angry. In fact those who don’t know me can, sometimes, mistake my being calm for being passive or not actually understanding what’s happening. Those who actually know me can tell you that couldn’t be further from the truth.

A Utah Jazz sportswriter learned that the hard way last night.  Continue reading “My Fight Against #LoserSpeak, Culture Phobia, And The People That Enable It In Sports”

Major League Baseball 2015: The Locker’s First-Half MLB All-Stars

Joe Panik was inserted into the Giants starting lineup just before their World Series run in 2014. He's an All-Star in 2015, and a First-Half All-Star here as well.(Photo By: Scott Strazzante)
Joe Panik was inserted into the Giants starting lineup just before their World Series run in 2014. Now he’s an All-Star in 2015, and a First-Half All-Star here on the blog as well.(Photo By: Scott Strazzante)

First-half of the 2015 Major League Baseball season is in the books. That means it’s that time of year when debate will rage on about who made the All-Star teams and who should have made the All-Star teams.  Continue reading “Major League Baseball 2015: The Locker’s First-Half MLB All-Stars”

Major League Baseball 2014: The Division Races and Other Second-Half Predictions Pt. 2

Mike Trout of the Angels and Robinson Cano of the Mariners make the AL West as exciting a race as ever (Harry How/Getty Images North America)
Mike Trout of the Angels and Robinson Cano of the Mariners make the 2014 AL West as exciting a race as ever to watch in the second half (Harry How/Getty Images North America)

What a second-half it is shaping up to be.

I saw the other day a statistic that said for the first time in Major League Baseball’s history four divisions are separated by no more than a game and a half. Four! So where does that put things for those contenders who are, not only fighting to avoid the Wild Card play-in game, but fighting for the opportunity to be in that playoff conversation? Continue reading “Major League Baseball 2014: The Division Races and Other Second-Half Predictions Pt. 2”

Major League Baseball 2014 Preview: American League East

Manny Machado's 2013 was cut short by injury (14 HR, 71 RBI, 51 2B, .283 BA) but at age 21 he's and the Orioles are contenders in 2014
Manny Machado’s 2013 was cut short by injury (14 HR, 71 RBI, 51 2B, .283 BA) but at age 21 he’s and the Orioles are contenders in 2014

In the American League East anything can happen.

Last season the Boston Red Sox put a dreadful 2012 behind them and rode their top ranked offense (and their bearded camaraderie) to the World Series title. With so many issues entering the season last year you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who (here included) picked them to make the playoffs let alone win their division, league, and the World Series. The team will be hard pressed to replicate that success in 2014 and I will explain why. Continue reading “Major League Baseball 2014 Preview: American League East”

The Week That Was In Major League Baseball (5/1/2013)

We recognize everything Mark Reynolds has done in 2013 here at The Locker
We recognize everything Mark Reynolds has done in 2013 

Another week has passed and still no sign of Roy Halladay, Josh Hamilton, or the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen. For their sake, they hope that changes heading into the second month of the season. For now, we recap. Onward:

Major League Baseball 2013: The Week That Was (4/17/2013)

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego PadresThis is a day late, but lots to get to from the week that was in major league baseball. Onward.

The Locker Major League Baseball Preview 2013: American League East

David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays are my favorites to win the AL East
David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays are my favorites to win the AL East in 2013

There isn’t much debate which team in the American League East has the best chance to navigate its way to the division title. Continue reading “The Locker Major League Baseball Preview 2013: American League East”

Ranking Major League Baseball’s Offseason Part, 2: The Winners

Newly acquired Trevor Bauer and the Cleveland Indians look to make strides in 2013
Newly acquired Trevor Bauer and the Cleveland Indians look to make strides in 2013

Yesterday I reviewed the teams that I thought could have done a little more this past hot stove season. Today I want to discuss the “winners” of the offseason. Lets get right to it. Continue reading “Ranking Major League Baseball’s Offseason Part, 2: The Winners”

Ranking Major League Baseball’s Offseason Part, 1: Who Lost

Three-years, $25 million for Jeremy Guthrie is just one of Dayton Moore's missteps
Three-years, $25 million for Jeremy Guthrie is just one of Dayton Moore’s missteps

Today is the start of the new season, folks. Pitchers and catchers (and some positional players) have reported and baseball is back. That said, we will turn the hot stove off and review what we have in this two-part post of “who won, who lost” beginning with the winter losers. Here are the top-3 teams who could have (and should have) done more this offseason.  Continue reading “Ranking Major League Baseball’s Offseason Part, 1: Who Lost”

MLB 2012 Predictions: American League Division Races Will Come Down To Pitching

In the American League, things aren’t always what they seem.

Last season, the Boston Red Sox spent over a quarter of a billion dollars reloading their lineup for what they thought was a World Series run. Many (this writer included) picked them to win their division, their league, and the World Series.

Like most who made this knee-jerk reaction, many still brought up the fact that their pitching wasn’t as dominant past Jon Lester as it could have been, and while no one could have predicted their epic meltdown, many saw their pitching as something to be concerned about and proved prophetic. Continue reading “MLB 2012 Predictions: American League Division Races Will Come Down To Pitching”