Draft day always is intriguing, particularly near the top. Everyone knew that Detroit would select Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and it seemed a near certainty that St. Louis would follow with Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith. There was some concern that Kansas City, which needs help at linebacker, would take Aaron Curry, but the Chiefs opted for LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson at No. 3, which left the Wake Forest product for the Seahawks.
There were some that argued that Curry didn't make sense as a top five pick because linebackers shouldn't be selected that high. Sounds like flawed logic to me. Curry was the consensus top player in the draft and also fit a need for the Seahawks. As Seattle general manager Tim Ruskell said, it seems like a "no brainer" to me.
Others argued for USC's Matt Sanchez, but no position is more overvalued on draft day than quarterback. I've seen too many "future stars" at quarterback named Kyle Boller, Tim Couch, Ryan Leaf, Rick Mirer, Heath Shuler, Alex Smith, etc. It seems like there's one every year.
ESPN's John Clayton compared Sanchez to Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington, a good player but hardly worthy of a top-five pick. Clayton said Curry is similar to former New York Giants standout Carl Banks, who was selected to the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team. Doesn't seem debatable to me.
If that weren't enough, Ruskell was able to flip his 37th pick to Denver for a first-round pick in 2010. That trade is a coup on multiple levels. Obviously it allows the Seahawks make a choice higher in the draft. But the 2010 draft also is viewed as more talented than this year's. If Denver stumbles and provides the Seahawks with a top-10 pick, it could be an opportunity to take Matt Hasselback's replacement next year if needed. Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Texas' Colt McCoy both will be available.
Ruskell also essentially acknowledged that his first choice as general manager, center Chris Spencer, hasn't worked out. Besides being injury prone, Spencer hasn't proven he's a quality starter in four seasons. To help fill the void, Ruskell traded this year's third- and fourth-round selections to Chicago to acquire a late second rounder. He used that to pick Oregon center Max Unger, whom some considered a first-round talent. If Unger plays to that level, this draft should be remembered as one of the best in franchise history.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
WSU makes the right call on Ken Bone
Washington State traditionally has struggled to replace successful coaches in men's basketball. When Marv Harshman left in 1972 for the University of Washington, Bob Greenwood was named his successor. That lasted one year. Len Stevens was tabbed to follow George Raveling, who left after 11 seasons in 1983 to become coach at Iowa. And when Kelvin Sampson departed after seven years in 1994, Kevin Eastman followed.
Ken Bone has the difficult assignment of following Tony Bennett, who was hired by Virginia after guiding the Cougars to a 69-33 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons. But I think he's ready for the challenge.
He's a Seattle native who is the son of a coach. Bone was a ballboy for Harshman at UW who later spent 12 years as the coach at Division II Seattle Pacific. He compiled a 253-97 record and guided the Falcons to eight playoff appearances.
In 2002, Bone became Lorenzo Romar's top assistant at UW. He helped lead the Huskies to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths during his three-year tenure at UW, culminating with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005.
Bone then headed to Portland State, a small commuter school that finished last in the Big Sky in two of the three seasons before his arrival. PSU never reached the NCAA Tournament before Bone's arrival. In four seasons, he led the Vikings to two NCAA appearances and a 77-49 record.
It might sound simplistic, but Bone succeeds because he's able to adapt to his personnel. During the 2006-07 season, he guided the Vikings to a 19-13 record despite converting 33.5 percent of their 3-pointers (224th nationally). But when Jeremiah Dominguez and Dominic Waters transferred into the program, PSU regularly shot from behind the arch. The result was a pair of school-record 23-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances. Last season, the Vikings converted 37.7 percent of their 3-pointers (39th nationally).
Besides being respected as a coach, Bone also has become a winner through his recruiting. That isn't easy at PSU, where he was selling athletes on playing at the dated 1,500-capacity Stott Center is required. It easily is the smallest facility in the Big Sky.
Some have expressed concern that the majority of Bone's recruits at PSU where transfers. But I don't see that being a problem as he's recruited Pac-10 athletes before at UW and certainly tried to get those who were overlooked by major schools while at SPU and PSU.
Another issue mentioned is his lack of experience at a major school. Again, I don't see that as a problem. UCLA coach Ben Howland went directly from another Big Sky school, Northern Arizona, to Pittsburgh in 1999. He's been successful at all three of his stops. Oregon State coach Craig Robinson spent his first two seasons at an Ivy League institution, Brown, before improving the Beavers from 0-18 to 7-11 in Pac-10 play in his first season. Bone can be just as successful.
Perhaps the most significant challenge for Bone will be keeping the young core of Cougars together. Guards Marcus Capers and Klay Thompson and forward DeAngelo Casto, all of whom just completed their freshmen seasons, provide a strong core for the future. But Bone must keep the incoming recruiting class — guards Anthony Brown and Xavier Thames and forwards David Chadwick and Brock Motum — together through the transition.
If he can accomplish that, Bone should have enough talent to build a winner early in his tenure. And break a trend.
Ken Bone has the difficult assignment of following Tony Bennett, who was hired by Virginia after guiding the Cougars to a 69-33 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons. But I think he's ready for the challenge.
He's a Seattle native who is the son of a coach. Bone was a ballboy for Harshman at UW who later spent 12 years as the coach at Division II Seattle Pacific. He compiled a 253-97 record and guided the Falcons to eight playoff appearances.
In 2002, Bone became Lorenzo Romar's top assistant at UW. He helped lead the Huskies to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths during his three-year tenure at UW, culminating with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005.
Bone then headed to Portland State, a small commuter school that finished last in the Big Sky in two of the three seasons before his arrival. PSU never reached the NCAA Tournament before Bone's arrival. In four seasons, he led the Vikings to two NCAA appearances and a 77-49 record.
It might sound simplistic, but Bone succeeds because he's able to adapt to his personnel. During the 2006-07 season, he guided the Vikings to a 19-13 record despite converting 33.5 percent of their 3-pointers (224th nationally). But when Jeremiah Dominguez and Dominic Waters transferred into the program, PSU regularly shot from behind the arch. The result was a pair of school-record 23-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances. Last season, the Vikings converted 37.7 percent of their 3-pointers (39th nationally).
Besides being respected as a coach, Bone also has become a winner through his recruiting. That isn't easy at PSU, where he was selling athletes on playing at the dated 1,500-capacity Stott Center is required. It easily is the smallest facility in the Big Sky.
Some have expressed concern that the majority of Bone's recruits at PSU where transfers. But I don't see that being a problem as he's recruited Pac-10 athletes before at UW and certainly tried to get those who were overlooked by major schools while at SPU and PSU.
Another issue mentioned is his lack of experience at a major school. Again, I don't see that as a problem. UCLA coach Ben Howland went directly from another Big Sky school, Northern Arizona, to Pittsburgh in 1999. He's been successful at all three of his stops. Oregon State coach Craig Robinson spent his first two seasons at an Ivy League institution, Brown, before improving the Beavers from 0-18 to 7-11 in Pac-10 play in his first season. Bone can be just as successful.
Perhaps the most significant challenge for Bone will be keeping the young core of Cougars together. Guards Marcus Capers and Klay Thompson and forward DeAngelo Casto, all of whom just completed their freshmen seasons, provide a strong core for the future. But Bone must keep the incoming recruiting class — guards Anthony Brown and Xavier Thames and forwards David Chadwick and Brock Motum — together through the transition.
If he can accomplish that, Bone should have enough talent to build a winner early in his tenure. And break a trend.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mariners offseason
Contrary to the beliefs of some fans and those within the media, I thought Jack Zduriencik had a strong first offseason as Seattle's general manager. Besides advancing an antiquated organization into the modern era by bring Tony Blengino with him from Milwaukee to head the new Department of Statistical Research, Zduriencik has revamped the roster through a series of trades.
The result is a defensive emphasize the Mariners have lacked since their best stretch in club history from 2000-03. It started with the three-team December trade centered around closer J.J. Putz. That deal sent center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and left fielder Endy Chavez to Seattle. Couple those two with Ichiro and the Mariners feature one of the best defensive outfields in baseball.
After watching an assortment of center fielders since Mike Cameron left as a free agent after the 2003 season and a designated hitter masquerading as an outfielder in Raul Ibanez the last several years, the defensive upgrades are significant for a mediocre pitching staff.
A great example of how mediocre pitchers can benefit from stellar outfield defense is Aaron Sele. In 2001, he allowed 1.005 hits per nine innings — the lowest rate of his career in a season where he pitched at least 150 innings — and his ERA was 3.60. Even though ERA isn't the best metric to evaluate pitching, that statistic and hits rate suggest that some of those fly balls were turning into outs. Sele's career rate for hits allowed per nine innings was 1.12, while his ERA was 4.61.
There's other examples of fly-ball pitchers, such as Ryan Franklin in 2003, benefiting significantly from strong outfield defenses. Jarrod Washburn's statistics could improve as much as anyone in the rotation simply from having an outfield with more range.
It also was impressive to see Zduriencik load up on cheap available talent, particularly in the bullpen. The Mariners wasted millions and/or draft selections in the past to sign relievers such as Eddie Guardado, Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Jeff Nelson. There was nothing wrong with any of those pitchers, but there are more efficient ways to build a bullpen. Zduriencik seems to have about a half-dozen candidates who can serve as a left-handed specialist and righties such as David Aardsma and Luis Pena. Both could develop into late-inning relievers if they harness their stuff. It's happened before in Seattle with Bill Risley, J.J. Putz and others.
Zduriencik also made a nice move when he flipped Aaron Heilman, who was acquired from the Mets in the Putz trade, to Chicago. The deal netted infielder Ronny Cedeno and left-handed pitcher Garrett Olson. Heilman wanted to be a starter without the quality pitches necessary to perform that role. Olson, who was rushed to the majors by Baltimore, can spend the season in Tacoma grooming for the major leagues.
After all, the rotation appears set with Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Brandon Morrow, Carlos Silva and Washburn unless one is injured or traded. The previous administration didn't understand the value of having inexpensive starters who could fill the back end of the rotation, and signed Miguel Batista, Silva and Washburn to bloated contracts to take those positions. Once Washburn's contract expires after the season, Zduriencik can plug Olson or Ryan Rowland-Smith into that spot for a fraction of the cost.
The offense will have to improve for the team to become a contender, something that the potential acquisition of Ken Griffey Jr. won't change, but not everything can be changed in one offseason. Trading for a Nick — Johnson or Swisher — would represent an improvement. Zduriencik should have more flexibility next winter when Bautista and Washburn's contracts expire.
One final aspect of improvement, and perhaps the most significant, should come through the farm system. Zduriencik's ability to recognize talent helped turn Milwaukee's minor-league system, usually regarded as one of baseball's worst, into a group that helped the Brewers advance to the playoffs last season for the first time since 1982.
Zduriencik used the Putz trade to land hard-throwing right-hander Maikel Cleto and was astute enough to let Philadelphia sign Ibanez, which means the Phillies' first round in addition to a sandwich pick were awarded to Seattle. Those selections, along with the second overall pick, give Zduriencik and his staff the ability to infuse the organization with talent.
The new administration will need time to rebuild the organization after a 61-101 season, but give Zduriencik some time and I think he'll get the job done.
The result is a defensive emphasize the Mariners have lacked since their best stretch in club history from 2000-03. It started with the three-team December trade centered around closer J.J. Putz. That deal sent center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and left fielder Endy Chavez to Seattle. Couple those two with Ichiro and the Mariners feature one of the best defensive outfields in baseball.
After watching an assortment of center fielders since Mike Cameron left as a free agent after the 2003 season and a designated hitter masquerading as an outfielder in Raul Ibanez the last several years, the defensive upgrades are significant for a mediocre pitching staff.
A great example of how mediocre pitchers can benefit from stellar outfield defense is Aaron Sele. In 2001, he allowed 1.005 hits per nine innings — the lowest rate of his career in a season where he pitched at least 150 innings — and his ERA was 3.60. Even though ERA isn't the best metric to evaluate pitching, that statistic and hits rate suggest that some of those fly balls were turning into outs. Sele's career rate for hits allowed per nine innings was 1.12, while his ERA was 4.61.
There's other examples of fly-ball pitchers, such as Ryan Franklin in 2003, benefiting significantly from strong outfield defenses. Jarrod Washburn's statistics could improve as much as anyone in the rotation simply from having an outfield with more range.
It also was impressive to see Zduriencik load up on cheap available talent, particularly in the bullpen. The Mariners wasted millions and/or draft selections in the past to sign relievers such as Eddie Guardado, Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Jeff Nelson. There was nothing wrong with any of those pitchers, but there are more efficient ways to build a bullpen. Zduriencik seems to have about a half-dozen candidates who can serve as a left-handed specialist and righties such as David Aardsma and Luis Pena. Both could develop into late-inning relievers if they harness their stuff. It's happened before in Seattle with Bill Risley, J.J. Putz and others.
Zduriencik also made a nice move when he flipped Aaron Heilman, who was acquired from the Mets in the Putz trade, to Chicago. The deal netted infielder Ronny Cedeno and left-handed pitcher Garrett Olson. Heilman wanted to be a starter without the quality pitches necessary to perform that role. Olson, who was rushed to the majors by Baltimore, can spend the season in Tacoma grooming for the major leagues.
After all, the rotation appears set with Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Brandon Morrow, Carlos Silva and Washburn unless one is injured or traded. The previous administration didn't understand the value of having inexpensive starters who could fill the back end of the rotation, and signed Miguel Batista, Silva and Washburn to bloated contracts to take those positions. Once Washburn's contract expires after the season, Zduriencik can plug Olson or Ryan Rowland-Smith into that spot for a fraction of the cost.
The offense will have to improve for the team to become a contender, something that the potential acquisition of Ken Griffey Jr. won't change, but not everything can be changed in one offseason. Trading for a Nick — Johnson or Swisher — would represent an improvement. Zduriencik should have more flexibility next winter when Bautista and Washburn's contracts expire.
One final aspect of improvement, and perhaps the most significant, should come through the farm system. Zduriencik's ability to recognize talent helped turn Milwaukee's minor-league system, usually regarded as one of baseball's worst, into a group that helped the Brewers advance to the playoffs last season for the first time since 1982.
Zduriencik used the Putz trade to land hard-throwing right-hander Maikel Cleto and was astute enough to let Philadelphia sign Ibanez, which means the Phillies' first round in addition to a sandwich pick were awarded to Seattle. Those selections, along with the second overall pick, give Zduriencik and his staff the ability to infuse the organization with talent.
The new administration will need time to rebuild the organization after a 61-101 season, but give Zduriencik some time and I think he'll get the job done.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
King County Journal
The focus around the country today was related to the Inauguration, and for good reason. For different reasons, it's a significant event for people in the United States and around the world.
But my thoughts today also are on the challenges facing the newspaper business. Two years ago today, the King County Journal published for the last time. Unfortunately, it looks like we were just the beginning of a trend. King County featured three daily newspapers at the time. By the time spring arrives, there likely will be only one as the demise of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer appears imminent.
In Puget Sound's three major counties — King, Pierce and Snohomish — there were six dailies a decade ago. They were the Eastside Journal, South County Journal, The Herald, The News Tribune, The Seattle Times and P-I. Newspaper readers soon will have half those options. That doesn't include the bureaus The Times used to have on the Eastside and in Snohomish County.
Listening to coverage of today's Inauguration, I heard stories of newspapers selling out across the country as people wanted a memento of Barack Obama. Where will these souvenirs come from if newspapers continue to fold? Who will tell the story of corruption within government? Where does the laugh-out-loud cartoon that draws us into the thought-provoking editorial go? Or the coverage on the local schools?
The quick response is TV and Internet. But that's not the solution. TV has its benefits as a medium, but there are time constrants that come with a story. And the news is picked by someone else. Yes, the same holds true for newspapers, but we have the ability to choose what we want to read. The Internet offers its own constraints, particularly with advertising. It's not exactly efficient to print ads online.
With downsizing and decreased competition, the aspects that made newspapers great are disappearing. There just isn't the personnel available anymore to produce those award-winning projects that make a difference in lives.
As staffing levels decrease, newspapers also are becoming less local than ever. News holes are shrinking, which means professional and college sports take precident with little space to cover the increasing numbers of high schools in the area. And without smaller or medium-sized dailies such as the Journal around to staff those events every night, there isn't pressure on the large papers to cover them.
Newspapers might not be perfect, but they serve an important function in our society. Let's hope these trends begin to slow soon.
But my thoughts today also are on the challenges facing the newspaper business. Two years ago today, the King County Journal published for the last time. Unfortunately, it looks like we were just the beginning of a trend. King County featured three daily newspapers at the time. By the time spring arrives, there likely will be only one as the demise of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer appears imminent.
In Puget Sound's three major counties — King, Pierce and Snohomish — there were six dailies a decade ago. They were the Eastside Journal, South County Journal, The Herald, The News Tribune, The Seattle Times and P-I. Newspaper readers soon will have half those options. That doesn't include the bureaus The Times used to have on the Eastside and in Snohomish County.
Listening to coverage of today's Inauguration, I heard stories of newspapers selling out across the country as people wanted a memento of Barack Obama. Where will these souvenirs come from if newspapers continue to fold? Who will tell the story of corruption within government? Where does the laugh-out-loud cartoon that draws us into the thought-provoking editorial go? Or the coverage on the local schools?
The quick response is TV and Internet. But that's not the solution. TV has its benefits as a medium, but there are time constrants that come with a story. And the news is picked by someone else. Yes, the same holds true for newspapers, but we have the ability to choose what we want to read. The Internet offers its own constraints, particularly with advertising. It's not exactly efficient to print ads online.
With downsizing and decreased competition, the aspects that made newspapers great are disappearing. There just isn't the personnel available anymore to produce those award-winning projects that make a difference in lives.
As staffing levels decrease, newspapers also are becoming less local than ever. News holes are shrinking, which means professional and college sports take precident with little space to cover the increasing numbers of high schools in the area. And without smaller or medium-sized dailies such as the Journal around to staff those events every night, there isn't pressure on the large papers to cover them.
Newspapers might not be perfect, but they serve an important function in our society. Let's hope these trends begin to slow soon.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2009 is here
It's New Year's Day and Jenn and I received some exciting news yesterday. We've known for months that we're having a baby in June, but now know that it will be a boy. Kind of funny sitting through the technician saying "here's the feet, there's the arms ... here's the feet (again)" until she finally announces that "you're having a boy."
Reaching this stage is fun as we now can plan the room, buy clothes, etc. It should be busy around here as we approach the June 10 due date. I eagerly anticipate that day arriving.
Happy New Year everyone!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Las Vegas
We're back home after spending four days on vacation. Actually, we got back yesterday in time for Thanksgiving.
It likely will be our last vacation for a while as we're expecting a baby in June, so it was nice to sightsee and just relax. For the first time in my life, I actually was able to sit in an outdoor pool in November. Can't exactly do that in the Northwest.
Even though we've been to Las Vegas before, it always is fun to sightsee as there always is something you haven't noticed before. We walked into the MGM Grand and saw a huge crowd around a large glass structure. As we approached it, we noticed a man petting and feed meat to a lion.
We also saw the CityCenter development near the Bellagio. The concept of the 76-acre "city" is to creat a community with so many amenities that one never needs to leave. Live, eat, gamble ... sounds like Las Vegas. Anyway, it doesn't look close to completion, but apparently it's supposed to be done next year.
It will be interesting to see who tries to top that development. I'm sure someone will. When I started college, an upperclassman noted that "construction never ends here." The same can apply for Las Vegas. It's only a matter of time before another building is blown up and replaced with someone else's own unique twist.
One aspect that remains consistent about Vegas — besides the gambling — is the weather. On that note, it's time for me to turn up the heat.
It likely will be our last vacation for a while as we're expecting a baby in June, so it was nice to sightsee and just relax. For the first time in my life, I actually was able to sit in an outdoor pool in November. Can't exactly do that in the Northwest.
Even though we've been to Las Vegas before, it always is fun to sightsee as there always is something you haven't noticed before. We walked into the MGM Grand and saw a huge crowd around a large glass structure. As we approached it, we noticed a man petting and feed meat to a lion.
We also saw the CityCenter development near the Bellagio. The concept of the 76-acre "city" is to creat a community with so many amenities that one never needs to leave. Live, eat, gamble ... sounds like Las Vegas. Anyway, it doesn't look close to completion, but apparently it's supposed to be done next year.
It will be interesting to see who tries to top that development. I'm sure someone will. When I started college, an upperclassman noted that "construction never ends here." The same can apply for Las Vegas. It's only a matter of time before another building is blown up and replaced with someone else's own unique twist.
One aspect that remains consistent about Vegas — besides the gambling — is the weather. On that note, it's time for me to turn up the heat.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
$2.34!
That's what I paid to fill my tank Friday. Sometimes it's difficult to believe how much the price at the pump has fallen in recent months. I remember paying more than $4.50 per gallon at one point during the summer. That means I spend more than $20 less to fill a 10-gallon tank now. Pretty remarkable.
It will be interesting to see how long these prices last. White House officials projected that gas would hit $3 by the end of the year when prices first began to decrease. Now it obviously is far below that. Makes one wonder if anyone really has a good grasp on it?
One thought I had recently related to the car commercials we saw during the summer and their $2.99 gas guarantee for three years. Can't imagine the people that bought into that are too happy now, but that could change in short order.
It will be interesting to see how long these prices last. White House officials projected that gas would hit $3 by the end of the year when prices first began to decrease. Now it obviously is far below that. Makes one wonder if anyone really has a good grasp on it?
One thought I had recently related to the car commercials we saw during the summer and their $2.99 gas guarantee for three years. Can't imagine the people that bought into that are too happy now, but that could change in short order.
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