While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Giving credit where it is due department- “No, he may not have the gaudy power numbers of others, but Choo’s consistency – something that was sorely lacking last year – is back, with his improvement starting at the beginning of May. So he’s been doing this for about 2 months now and it isn’t hard to imagine that this is going to continue, given Choo’s track record prior to 2011. Incredibly, Choo’s recent performance falls in line with almost EXACTLY what he did in that 3-year stretch in which he established himself as an underrated star in MLB, with the most recent spate of games actually improving on that 3-year line…” [Cousineau/The DiaTribe]
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Previewing the Browns RB situation- “Even though Richardson can take on the role as “third-down running back,” I will stick by what I saw in last year’s training camp: the coaching staff can’t wait to make Jackson a part of this offense as well. Jackson is a guy who the team can split wide when they want to empty the backfield on third downs too, and he gives the Browns a good receiving option in those situations.
Jackson has a lot more experience than a guy like Hardesty; in fact, he has more experience than all of the running backs on the roster. That’s one of the reasons why I think Jackson’s roster spot is much safer than Hardesty’s. Jackson lacked big-play potential when he was carrying the football back during his Packer days, but I would consider him above average when it comes to catching the ball or blocking in the backfield. If the coaching staff is confident that Jackson can do comparable things to Richardson on third-down (in terms of blocking and receiving), I think they’ll take advantage of the opportunities to keep Richardson fresh. I listed Jackson as the No. 3 running back here, but on gameday, I anticipate him being on the field more often than Hardesty.” [Pokorny/Dawgs by Nature]
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Speaking of running backs, what about the group at OSU who has to replace Jordan Hall- “Out of all of the running backs in Ohio State’s stable, Rod Smith certainly has the most intrigue. Carlos Hyde is undoubtedly the beneficiary of Jordan Hall’s unfortunate injury, immediatetly assuming the starting spot and getting an audition to be Meyer’s rare feature back.
Rod Smith’s position, on the other hand, is far more volatile. While it looks like he’ll just step up one slot on the depth chart, it may not be that straightforward. Rod is sandwiched inbetween Hyde and Dunn on the depth chart and it’s unclear exactly what his place is. While Hyde (6’0″ 235) fits the mold as the big (Scout had him as the #1 fullback recruit) back, Dunn (6’1″ 215) brings a powerback, between-the-tackles running style, and incoming freshman Warren Ball (6’2″ 205) has better elusiveness and balance than either, Smith’s role isn’t as clear. ” [Peltier/Eleven Warriors]
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Using WAR to determine All-Star starters gets Kipnis in Kansas City- “First of all, in my mind nobody ever gets “snubbed” for the All-Star Game. It’s not the right word. The purpose of the game is too confusing to call anything a snub. Is the game for the fans? Is it for the players? Is it for home-field advantage? If something doesn’t have a specific purpose, it’s hard to say anybody got snubbed. If you were having a draft, but you didn’t know what it was for, it would be hard for anyone to say, “Why didn’t you pick me?”
The way it is with the All-Star Game: There are some who think the players should be the ones who had the best first half. There are others who think the All-Star Game should be for the fans’ favorites, no matter how they happen to be playing at that particular moment. There are others who think the All-Star Game should feature their own hometown stars, deserving or not. Many of these are Giants fans.
And who is to say any of them are wrong? If you are a Giants fan, shouldn’t you vote for Giants? I grew up in Cleveland, and I voted every year for Duane Kuiper. Someone could have pointed out a million obvious statistical reasons why Willie Randolph or Bobby Grich or Frank White might be the more compelling choice, but I would not have cared. Duane Kuiper was my guy (Frank is now my guy too). And it’s my vote.” [Posnanski/Joe Blogs]
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A good question. Who is Azubuike? “Azubuike played at Kentucky, and he is now 28 years old and has been in the NBA since 2006. He’s a 6’5″ wing player who had his best pro season in 2008-2009 with Golden State, when he averaged 14.4 points and five rebounds per game while making 44.8% of his threes. Sadly, he appeared in only nine games the following season before tearing his patella tendon. I’ll admit that I’m not really sure what a patella tendon is, but the injury sidetracked what was once a very promising career. Azubuike did not play in another NBA game until the very end of last season with Dallas.” [Rebuilding Since 1964]
