The Way the World Works

By Dan Rodgers

Okay, so this post is going to a be a short description letting you know how the world works as of December 2010. Ready, go.

• Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are Yankees
• Red Sox trade for Adrian Gonzalez in attempt to keep up with Yankees
• Troy Tulowitzki overrated? No sir, best shortstop in the big leagues

• Virginia Tech Hokies are ACC Champs having won 11 straight
• Oregon and Auburn stay unbeaten and head to BCS National Championship, sorry TCU - not this year...better luck next year in the Big East
• Cam Newton is a lock for the Heisman Trophy
  

• Jets and Pats battle Monday night for AFC East supremacy
• Ravens and Steelers battle Sunday night for AFC North supremacy
• The whole NFC is a complete mess and a .500 or sub-.500 team may win their division

• UNC Men's BBall is a joke even though they beat Kentucky by two at home
• On the other hand, Duke is playing at the level they are ranked, No. 1

• The Heat don't look too hot with their "Big 3"
• Why is the Western Conference so much better than the Eastern?
  
• Anyone surprised by New Orleans(13-6) and Utah(15-6), I sure am...

• Caps, Pens tied for most points in NHL - surprise surprise...
• Why is the Eastern Conference so much better than the Western?

As you can tell, quite a bit is going on in the sports world. Some eyebrow-raising, some not. The point is, it's unpredictable. I love it and I love that Jeter and Mo re-signed. It's no surprise that the Sox gone Gonzalez, but I was hoping SD would keep him. The NFL is beyond nuts and don't get me started on NCAA Basketball. The NHL seems to be the most predictable with the NBA being somewhat surprising. We'll see where we're at in a month or so.

Rodgers That

Jeter is no cheater

By Dan Rodgers

Last night in the New York Yankees game Derek Jeter was "hit" by a pitch. This is in quotes because it appears that the ball hit Jeter's bat and then his leg. That would, by rule, be a foul ball and Jeter would have to finish his at-bat. However, the homeplate umpire ruled that it hit him and Jeter was awarded first base. Of course, Curtis Granderson then hits the go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning.

This would have become extremely controversial if the Yanks had held on for the win, but Phil Hughes gave up a two-run homer to Dan Johnson in the bottom of the inning. The Rays ended up holding for the 4-3 victory.

Given that Jeter's acting essentially didn't hurt the Rays, I don't think it's that serious. In fact, Jeter was just doing whatever it took to get on base. Without replay, we wouldn't have even known that he did it. Players could have been doing this for years and no one would know without replay. Players always look for the competitive edge in whatever sport they play, for example:

• Steroids (all sports)
  
• Corking bats (MLB)
  
• Stick 'em on receivers hands (NFL)
  
• Gloves for receivers, runningbacks (NFL)
• Receivers diving a scooping balls but acting like they caught it (same goes for outfielders)
  

Those were the only things I could think of off the top of my head, but I think you understand where I'm coming from.

In the Ravens vs. Jets game this past Monday, Braylon Edwards landed right next to Baltimore's kicker. The kicker put his foot down on Edwards' hand, looked down and saw he was right there after missing the block, and then fell down. A running-into-the-kicker penalty was called, and the Ravens ended up scoring a touchdown. That one call changed the entire game.

The fact of the matter is, most players would do something like this if the opportunity presented itself, but Jeter is getting called out because of his reaction. A lot of people felt it was obvious that it his the bat first. I feel like if someone in a game that was Royals vs. Indians, no one would even think twice about it.

Regardless, it has once again sparked the instant replay talks. We'll see if this play among the others we've seen this year play any impact on the future of replay.

Rodgers That

AL Gold Glove Awards

By Dan Rodgers

2009 AL Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Review:

C: Joe Mauer (MIN) - This guy is unreal. He just won the award in back-to-back seasons with a .996 fielding percentage this year. Mauer has had no less than a .991 fielding percentage in his career. Just in case you didn't know how insane he is, not to mention he is an MVP candidate.

1B: Mark Teixeira (NYY) - Not only is this guy a great hitter, but he only committed four errors all season long to acheive a .997 fielding percentage. Some of you might wonder where Kevin Youkilis is in this conversation; well Youk played just shy of 80 games at first due to the need for him to also spend time at third. So no need to doubt Teix's crediblity, not to mention he is also an MVP candidate.

2B: Placido Polanco (DET) - This might be a surprise to most people considering reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia received this award last year, but this season Polanco had only two errors to Pedroia's six. Polanco's fielding percentage was also .997 to Pedroia's .991 so obviously the voters know what they're doing.

3B: Evan Longoria (TB) - This kid is going to be a staple for this award for the next 10+ years, so you best get used to seeing his name here. While he did commit 13 errors this season, one more from last year, he played in 30 more games in 2009. Also, it must be taken into consideration that while his fielding percentage might only be .970, he plays arguably the toughest fielding position in the game.

SS: Derek Jeter (NYY) - One of the best shortstops of all-time, Jeter adds to his Hall-of-Fame resume with his fourth career Gold Glove. Not typically known for fielding, Jeter had a career-low eight errors and tied his career high with a .986 fielding percentage.

OF: Torii Hunter (LAA) - Winning his ninth consecutive Gold Glove, Hunter has continually proved himself to be a stellar defensive outfielder. Only committing one error this season, Hunter had an impressive .997 fielding percentage.

OF: Ichiro Suzuki (SEA) - Like Hunter, it was also Ichiro's ninth consecutive time winning the award. These two have continued to impress and don't show signs of slowing down anytime soon. Not quite up to Hunter's level, Ichiro still posted an impressive .988 fielding percentage having only committed four errors.

OF: Adam Jones (BAL) - Orioles rising star, Jones is on the fast path towards long term success in the majors. This kid can do it all, but most impressively won his first Gold Glove in only his second full season in the majors. He had five errors and posted a respectable .986 fielding percentage to go along with his nine outfield assists.

P: Mark Buehrle (CWS) - Not one of the biggest names in the AL, Buehrle continues to show his name belongs up towards the top. He had only one error this season to go along with a perfect game and tying the record for most consecutive batters retired at 45.

Just to clarify, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award is voted on by the Managers and Coaches of each team. However, one important thing to remember is that the coach a team can't vote for a player on their own team.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow night to catch a review of the NL winners.

Rodgers That