While We’re Waiting… Defending Dion’s Defense?

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.

“Byron Scott has repeatedly talked about his struggles on defense, but I haven’t really noticed Waiters getting blown by very often. That’s because his problem isn’t staying in front of his man. Instead, it’s just staying on his man and recognizing his assignment. I don’t have very man questions about Waiters’ ability to play defense in the NBA from a physical standpoint. He has enough length and strength to compensate for whatever he may lack in pure height. Thus far, Waiters’ defensive struggles are primarily mental (and not entirely his fault).” [Kaczmarek/Fear the Sword]

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Tressel on his desire to get back into coaching– “Asked if the end zone ride made him yearn to coach again, Tressel said, “Oh no. I just enjoyed being with them, enjoyed being with the fans. I didn’t all of a sudden go back upstairs and feel like calling plays. I’ve made a commitment to the University of Akron.” His name continues to be mentioned for NFL and even collegiate job openings, although he has served only two of a five-year virtual ban on college coaching imposed by the NCAA.

Are the mentions flattering? “It depends on who’s doing the mentioning,” said Tressel, whose Akron job description is Vice President of Strategic Engagement.” [Livingston/Cleveland.com]

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Not unlike Gordon’s “illegal” hit. Only this one wasn’t flagged. “Boldin peeled back from his deep route, sprinted toward Weddle and knocked him out from an angle that was ruled to be to Weddle’s side — not his back — without making helmet-to-helmet contact. Daopoulos said, while not sure if there was helmet-to-helmet contact, he would have penalized Boldin.

“It’s just such a vicious hit,” Daopoulos said in a phone interview from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “I just think it wasn’t a legal hit. It had the potential for a block in the back. It also was a hit on a defenseless player. It kind of fell into a couple of categories. …” [Gehlken/North County Times]

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“For the first time since Art Modell owned the Cleveland Browns, everyone working for this franchise is finding out they need to hold themsevles to a higher standard or they have to answer to Haslam. It is kind of like how the Steelers view their franchise. Not a bad model to follow. Even better, with the Browns’ new attitude and leadership netted a victory over the Steelers.” [Delco/Orange and Brown Report]

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“This set of 11 retired players who were active after the dead ball era ended enforces Mark McGwire’s 70-homer season in ’98 as the upper limit for candidacy. Eight of them are in the Hall of Fame, a ninth is in for his playing and managing record, and a 10th probably should be in. And yet hardly any of them ever managed to have a double-digit homer season. Here’s the list, in descending order, with sketches of each player:

Lou Boudreau, 68. In his Historical Abstract from the ’80s, Bill James points to a type of player fairly common in the ’30s and ’40s: small, drew lots of walks, hit .300 or more, didn’t have home run power, typically played up the middle, and scored lots of runs. Some of those players, including Boudreau, are on this list. He averaged nearly 40 doubles annually, hit around .300, drew another 70 walks or so, and what’s more, Boudreau led AL shortstops in fielding percentage seven times.

He played only nine full seasons, but he managed the Indians as well from the age of 24 onward. His managing career was finished after he turned 42, but Boudreau had already led the Indians to their last World Series title to date. Later, he became part of the Cubs broadcast team and the father-in-law of Denny McLain.” [Christensen/Hardball Times]