Broken Bats: How to Fix the Draft and Free Agency Compensation

            With the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on December 11^th 2011, one hot topic could be the way the MLB draft is set up. As of right now, college and high school players can be drafted, while international players are free to sign with any team they like. 

            This brings me to my first problem, why do international prospects get to choose the team they want to sign with, while players from the North America cannot? Yes, they can choose not to sign with the team that drafts them, in a chance to move up in the next draft or because they can’t come to a contract agreement with the team that drafts them, but it’s not the same as picking the team you wish to play for.  My solution to this is to have a worldwide draft.   There would be a maximum age limit of 22 on what would be considered a draft eligible player in the international pool of players. An age limit is appropriate for international players because most international prospects sign before they are 22 and most college baseball players graduate or get drafted before they are 22.   

Another thing I think needs to change in the draft is the awarding of compensatory picks for free agents that sign elsewhere. Why should the last place team with the first overall pick, have their second round pick start at pick 50 or 60?  It is unfair to the bad teams and doesn’t create a level playing field in the draft.  As a result of the discarded compensatory picks, free agents would no longer need to be labeled type A or B free agents. Being labeled a type A free agent means the team that signs the free agent has to give up their first round pick if it is unprotected. It is unjust to a veteran player who has accrued the necessary service time to reach free agency to be labeled a type A free agent because it have shown to adversely effect their open market value. A good example of this was Orlando Hudson, type A, after his 2008 season. Hudson, who was one of the league’s more consistent second baseman and one of the premier defensive players at his position, had to settle for a modest one year contract for $3.36 million after hitting .305 the year before and winning two gold gloves in three years.

The last change I think should be worked on in the new CBA is the trading of draft picks. Baseball is the only one of the four major sports to not allow a team to trade its draft picks.   With draft picks and developing young players becoming so important, now that players aren’t playing at a high level into their late 30’s and early 40’s, most likely because of the crack down on steroid use, I think this is a perfect time to introduce a new form of player movement.  It will also help offset the loss of compensation picks by allowing teams to trade their players if they feel they will lose them in free agency. The trading of draft picks has worked extremely well in the other major sports, so why can’t it work for the MLB?

-Dakota

Like A Bosh

If there is one player in the NBA that rubs me the wrong way, it’s Chris Bosh. Ever since he entered the league he’s had a persona of being a tough guy, but instead gets pushed around on the court while talking smack. On February 23rd, Bosh decided to continue to take jump shots, while clearly on an off night. When the night was over, Bosh had a FG percentage of 6%, while shooting 1 for 18 from the field. My definition of a tough guy isn't someone who settles for jump shots. It's someone who drives to the hole, taking his lumps, and gets higher percentage shots. Or, at the least, accepts his off night and does the dirty work instead, grabbing rebounds and boxing out.


And he certainly doesn't get dunked on by point guards.

Rondo dunking on Bosh.
Photo courtesy of DeepHousePages.com

As a Lakers fan, I know what you're probably thinking right now.  How can I talk smack about a weak big man when my team has Pau Gasol? I'm not going to argue that Gasol is a tough guy, but Gasol also doesn’t try to act like he’s tough. He knows he’s weak.  During a game on January 30th versus Oklahoma City, Bosh got into a war of words with Kevin Durant. During Durant’s post game interview he said of Bosh, "There's a lot of fake tough guys in this league and he's one of them." 

There's no room in this league for frauds.

- Spencer Peck

Below is a video by TheBasketballJoneses poking fun at Bosh and his antics.

NBA Gone Soft? A Rebuttal

Has the NBA gone soft? I don't think so.

Firstly, lets talk about the players and the NBA.

It's not a matter of going "soft," it's about how much money these guys are making. Sure they COULD take those hits if they really wanted to, and I’m sure they would be fine. But the question is who is stupid enough to take those risks?

According to Basketball-Reference, in 1986 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made approximately $2 million a year. You know who else makes $2 million a year?    This guy:

Jordan Farmar.
Courtesy of: Wikipedia.org

Join me after the jump

Julio the Great, State of the Cleveland Browns

The NFL Combine is a great time of year for the avid football fan.  You’re able to get your first glance at the next Jim Browns and also the next Ryan Leafs of the NFL. 

Julio Jones
Courtesy of: NFL.com

        The player that impressed me the most was Julio Jones from the University of Alabama. The kid has a fractured foot and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash. Yes, he ran a sub 4.40 with a fractured foot! His broad jump was also very impressive, where he recorded an 11’3”, which was just two inches away from the Combine record.  The so-called “ best receiver” of this years draft, A.J Green from the University of Georgia, didn’t perform as well in the Combine, however. He only recorded a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash.  (Yes, I said “only.”) His broad jump wasn’t bad but, again, did not stack up to that of Jones, where Green propelled himself to a 10’6”. 

As a Cleveland Browns Fan, all winter I’ve heard how great A.J Green is, and how it’s a no-brainer who the best wide-out in this year’s draft is.  However, after watching the performance of Julio Jones, I’ve personally come to the conclusion that Jones would be the best pick for my beloved Cleveland Browns. The Browns currently hold the 6th pick in the draft, If I was Tom Heckert (the Browns GM) I’d try to trade down to the 10th pick, because the pool of game-changing wide-outs isn’t very deep in this year’s draft. The Washington Redskins currently own the tenth spot, but would like to move up to get in the Cam Newton/ Blaine Gabbert sweepstakes. At the 10th pick the Browns would probably still be able to get Jones, while hopefully also receiving another pick to use later in the draft.  

Meanwhile, the Browns other big need, Defensive Line, is the deepest it has been in many years. By trading down a couple spots the Browns would then hopefully be able to get another pick or two, which then they could use to help a team that hasn’t done much since they came back into the league in 1999. 

-Spencer Peck


Video after jump.

The Sweet Smell of Spring Training

Spring Training is the most optimistic time of the year for every MLB team. It’s a time when the weather is starting to change, making the transition from the doldrums of winter to the warm blue skies of spring.  A time when every team has something to be excited about. Whether it is the defending World Series champs looking to repeat, or a playoff losing team that is now looking to take that next step.  Or even an up and coming team looking to have a breakthrough year.  As fans, this is a time where you only have to look at the positives: the new free agent signing, a new coach, or young players and prospects progressing. A time where you can envision going to the ballpark and bonding with the family and friends.  A time to relax and enjoy America’s great pastime with a cold one or a ballpark frank.   

Spring Training is a time of hope, something as a baseball fan you look forward to all winter.

-Dakota

The NBA Has Gone Soft

As I sat in my dorm in London on a Sunday night ready to watch the Knicks vs. Heat game at 1 a.m., I couldn’t help but think back to the rivalry between these two teams in the 90’s; the gritty days of basketball.  Today’s game is all about finesse and speed, but back in the 90’s it was about playing physical, emotional ball. Nowadays if player show any emotion on the court, it’s frowned upon and are likely to get T’d up.  What happened the good old days where you could actually hit people and show emotions, without the referees overreacting and giving you a flagrant or technical foul, or even throwing you out of a game?


I know the ratings in the NBA at levels higher than the Michael Jordan era, but what has basketball really become?  Great athletes that are afraid to get hit because they're scared of getting hurt and shortening their careers.  What happened to the days when you hated the other team and everyone on that team? The days of high elbows and fouls that sent players to the floor or even to the locker room? Now all the players are smiling and shaking hands at pre-game.  I thought they were supposed to be competing.  When did it become more about becoming making friends than making enemies and winning at all costs?


When did the NBA become so soft?


-Dakota 

Welcome To Our World

Welcome to “The Other Side of Sports”. We are a group of early 20 year olds who are sports fanatics. Since we are in college, we have all the time in the world to watch sports and form our opinions. We created this blog to express our feelings and to allow others to express their’s. We welcome comments and criticism alike.