Thursday, March 31
MLB
San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
Here is The Daily Hat Trick’s tribute to the late long time Chicago Cubs play by play broadcaster, Harry Caray. Ahem….
♪ “Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the crowd. Tim Lin-ce-cum looks like he’s getting laid. Dod-gers players hope they just get paid; ‘cause it’s one more year without re-play! Bad calls are part of the game. And if Bud Se-lig won’t resign it’s a low down shame!!!” ♫
Thank you! Thank you.
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| Harry might be rolling in his grave at my version. 1 |
The long time bitter rivals begin their seasons at Chavez Ravine tonight. The defending World Series champion Giants ace and two time Cy Young Award winner faces Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. This season debut kicks off a four game series in post-Mannywood Los Angeles.
The Dodgers are a club in financial peril due to the divorce of the owner and his wife. This was a team that missed the playoffs last year, lost catcher Russell Martin to free agency and slugger Manny Ramirez through a trade late last season (and through Manny being Manny), and did not replace them with equal value, in my opinion.
The Giants added ageless veteran Miguel Tejada to a roster full of young up and comers. Tim Lincecum appears to have not reached his peak yet. After two Cy Youngs, he appears to still be improving. I like the Giants in tonight’s matchup as well as the series.
Advantage: Game – Giants, Series - Giants
Friday, April 1
NBA
Boston Celtics at San Antonio Spurs
The Celtics are losing ground in the Eastern Conference to the first place Chicago Bulls. The Spurs dropped their fourth straight game, for the first time all season, on Monday to the Portland Trailblazers. However, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess did not play for health considerations.
While the Spurs have not locked up home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, they are 3 ½ games ahead of the Lakers with 8 games remaining, including the (ninth or lower place) Rockets, Jazz, Kings, and Suns (twice). Ginobli and Duncan are uncertain for tonight’s game and with an average starter age of 30-something, I would not be surprised to see the Spurs err on the side of caution, considering their manageable margin for error. The only significant expected absence for the Celtics tonight is Shaquille O’Neal.
Advantage: Celtics
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| With Shaq not likely to play, he could play a neat April Fools joke and announce that he's taking his talents to the big screen after the season. 2 |
National Invitation Tournament – Men’s College Basketball Championship Game
New York, NY
Wichita State Shockers at Alabama Crimson Tide
The NIT concludes tonight, featuring two teams that could have easily made some noise if they had reached the NCAA tournament. Alabama, the dominant team in the SEC West, has played solid basketball all season, including a getting the better of Final Four participant Kentucky. Its weak division, failure to advance to the title game in its conference tournament, slower offense, and physical style of defense combined with low percentage shooting probably precluded a trip to March Madness for the Tide, in spite of a 20 win season. Personally I think Bama got hosed. It has, however lived up to its #1 NIT seed.
The Shockers are a quality mid-major team that has been hot of late. It is 5-1 this season against major conference opponents, including a 3-0 record against them in the NIT. Wichita State is a team that, in my opinion, was passed over for the Big Dance because it lacks a big star, won neither its regular season conference championship nor its conference tournament, and plays in a Missouri Valley conference with a weaker reputation among the mid-majors.
WSU can give Alabama a problem. However, Alabama did not struggle much while picking on opponents their own size. Wichita State is a little smaller. A big game from Tide forward JaMychal Green (16 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 BlkPG, 1.5 StlPG) will likely slam the door on the Shockers and the tournament.
Advantage: Alabama
Friday, April 1
MLB
Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers
The defending American League champions host, whom nearly everyone has crowned as, the future American League East champion Boston Red Sox. C.J. Wilson will get the ball for Texas and face Red Sox ace John Lester in a three game series. With the additions of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, I do not see a single weak spot in the Red Sox lineup, 1 through 9. The Rangers lost Cliff Lee. They made improvements in their lineup, but they lost Cliff Lee! The projected pitching matchups appear to favor the Red Sox in all three games. This does not bode well for a Rangers team facing an opponent with massive firepower.
Advantage: Game – Red Sox, Series – Red Sox
Saturday, April 2
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
Final Four – Houston, Texas
National Semifinals
The Daily Hat Trick previewed the national semifinal games of the Final Four yesterday. The action has been entertaining if nothing else. Look for high drama as two Final Four teams take one step closer to their One Shining Moment.
Sunday, April 3
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
The Denver Nuggets, with the NBA’s #1 offense, have remained fiercely competitive in the post Carmelo Anthony era, going 14-3 since Melo headed east. The Lakers have been on fire since the All-Star weekend. L.A. is mounting a furious late-season run to catch the Spurs for first place in the Western Conference, having won 15 of their last 16 games (with the only loss to the Miami Heat).
As well as the Nuggets have played, the Lakers are simply hotter and have more firepower. They are also in the Staples Center, where the Lakers have only lost 8 times as the home team all season. Late regular season games between teams fighting for positioning are like roulette. Always bet on Black (Mamba).
Advantage: Lakers
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| When I say, "bet on Black," I am talking about the Mamba, not the Wesley Snipes Tax Plan. 3 |
Monday, April 4
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
Final Four – Houston, Texas
Championship Game
The college basketball season concludes. The winner of Kentucky vs. Connecticut faces the winner of Butler vs. Virginia Commonwealth. Preview to come on Monday.
I wonder who will sing "One Shining Moment" this year. Can't we just leave the old Luther version in tact and call it a day? 4
Tuesday, April 5NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament
Final Four – Indianapolis, IN
Championship Game
Advantage: Connecticut
This isn’t a typo. I did not accidentally delete anything. Just…“advantage: Connecticut”. That’s all.
Wednesday, April 6
MLB
Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees
Carl Pavano of the Twins gets the ball in game 2 of a three game series against the Yankees and C.C. Sabathia (A.K.A. “Captain Cheeseburger”, A.K.A. “Charleston Chew”, A.K.A. “Candy Corn”, and recently we can add “Captain Crunch” to the list of monikers). I think that this can be a compelling pitcher’s duel, but, for all of my jokes about the man’s weight, dozens of pounds less than last year (by the way), I am not betting against C.C., especially in Yankee Stadium.
Advantages: Game – Yankees, Series - push
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| Apparently, Captain Cheeseburger dropped a pound or ten...or twenty...or thirty. 5 |
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1) Image from gadling.com
2) Image from espn.com
3) Image from perfectmovie4u.blogspot.com
4) Video from youtube.com
5) Image from mylastgoogle.com
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