The Case For Burt Blyleven Making Hall Of Fame

Blyleven played during a time where multi-channel ESPNs and regional Fox Sports Net channels were not in existence. MLB Extra Innings packages on DirecTV wasn't even invented, unless you caught the highlights on Sportscenter where Chris Berman uses a nickname of Burt "Be Home" Blyleven, you would just think that he was an average pitcher. His career ERA was 3.90, but his early career was his peak, but he kept a roster spot on small-market teams. His record was 287-250, just 37 games over .500, but from 1982 until the end of his career in '92, his ERA was over 4.00. If a pitcher wins nearly 300 games, it nearly negates this feat once a pitcher reaches his 250th loss, like Blyleven.

An arguments that Blyleven has for his induction is that his numbers are measurable to Nolan Ryan's. Blyleven does not have Ryan's no-hitters or his dominance of one-hit games either. Blyleven's win-loss record has a lot to do with Blyleven's teams not scoring many runs, thus having him lose many one-run games. He pitched in a different era than what today's pitchers will be held up to. Middle-relief pitching was approached as need-based, rather than a necessity, Blyleven pitched in almost 300 career complete games. Let's crunch some numbers, in his 22-year career, Blyleven pitched a complete game in over 40% of the games in which he has started. Blyleven has never ranked higher than third in the Cy Young voting and has only played in two All-Star games in his 22-year career.

Bert Blyleven will not be immortalized into the Hall of Fame. Sometimes players start racking up statistics just cause longevity and not exactly superb play. Blyleven's 3701 strikeouts are amazing, but his K/9 statistic of 7.4 per 9 innings isn't super spectacular, but nothing about Blyleven really is.

Why Baseball Needs More Complete Games

If Major League Baseball starting pitchers threw more complete games, injuries would be more common, but salaries would probably go down for middle relief. The starting pitcher's frequency of throwing a complete game has dropped off significantly since the early 1990s. The scientific analysis of injuries and the direct correlation of innings pitched per season has piled up over the years. Pitchers like Phil Niekro, Burt Blyleven, and Nolan Ryan thrived on pitching complete games and also pitched well into their 40s. Most of the pitchers who are into their 40s, (i.e. Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine) do not get much farther than the 7th inning.

Middle relief has almost become an art-form for a manager to use. Bringing in a lefty for a batter who doesn't hit lefties well, then come back out and yank him for a right-handed pitcher for the next three batters. The odds would favor the pitcher in these scenarios, which is positive for the manager. Middle relief and/or set-up men are getting huge contracts to come in and face one to two batters a game. Reducing the middle relief pitchers on your roster would decrease your payroll, a GM could add a few more possible starting pitchers, in case one of your rotation would have arm troubles. Injuries would happen, since they would be pitching more than 300 innings a season.

This method worked in the days of the strikeout pitcher like Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver, I don't see why this couldn't work in today's game. Although it seems easier said than done, it would only take one or two youthful pitchers to be damaged from overuse (Kerry Wood and Mark Prior) and the middle relief pitcher would, once again, be getting huge contracts.

How Not To Build A Baseball Team

Before I write my article, I would like to inform my readers that I am a Chicago Cubs fan and I have been a fan since I was old enough to walk.

I'm supposed to explain how to build an all-time great baseball team. As I mentioned before, that would be like asking a one-legged man the best way to run the 100-meter hurdles. I admit that I may not be the best to explain how to build the best team, but from my experience as a Chicago Cubs fan, I can explain how a person can fail at this.
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The Cubs have been a bad team, some say they are cursed, I say that they are trying too hard. The best shot the Cubs have had in the last 20 seasons was in the middle of what many people call "The Steroid Era." They were 5 Outs away from the World Series when a fan of theirs interfered in a game. I am not sore at Steve Bartman, or am I mad at him. I am somewhat relieved that it was someone named Steve Bartman and not Bobby Roberts, my given name. To go from good to bad, so quickly, I believe many of their players used performance-enhancing drugs, which is known to break down the body. Sammy Sosa, Kerry Wood, and Mark Prior haven't been the same since that season and only time will tell if they were using any illegal.

The Cubs couldn't even win during a period of time where they were neck and neck with the cheaters 'cause they are in love with the "home run" and the "strikeout." They draft and pay a high price for free agent who can do either one of those things, sometimes both (Jose Hernandez and Mark Bellhorn, they both can hit 30+ HRs and SO 175+ a season). This past season they paid a high price for a few free agents and let Juan Pierre go to the Dodgers. Pierre led the league in hits and was a 2nd half monster for the team, I agree that the Dodgers overpaid for Pierre, but that's the nature of the beast. I'm positive that they will give Carlos Zambrano a new contract after this season that will make him a highly paid pitcher, he's pitched a lot of innings and i am certain he will break down once he receives the "payday" all professional athletes dream to receive.

All the trends that are prominent in MLB at this time go against what could make the Cubs a winner again, except one. I believe if the Cubs can play "smallball," like their cross-town rivals, they have a shot. I've watched many of the games since the Steve Bartman debacle and the Cubs worst problem is stranding runners on base. The Cubs are usually top 5 in HRs every year, except last year, but historically many of those coming back from injury. The Cubs were in many games last year that they had no business even being in, if they played "smallball" and didn't strikeout by trying to go deep at every AB, they would have been a .500 team, and last year the Cardinals were just a few games above .500 and they won the World Series.

Carlos Zambrano is asking for a pay increase. After Ted Lilly received more money that Big Z is making, of course he should ask for a pay increase. This is his last year on his contract and he could walk and make as much or more than another "Z" which would be Barry Zito. Zambrano is 25 years old and in his prime. He has many years left in his arm, even if he has pitched more than 200 innings each of the last four seasons. If the Cubs can secure Zambrano with a long-term deal, it would possibly help change my argument that whatever the Cubs do is a failure, especially when it comes to building a great team.

I am trying to write this article without any bias, I am a Cubs fan, but I am not fanatical about them. I watch them as if I'm watching a car crash and I'm trying to investigate every aspect of it and why it happened. I would like to see them win, just so i can stop hearing the word "curse" be thrown about as if the world is full of witches and warlocks. I am 26 years of age, I have seen the Cubs close to the World Series twice, 1984 (I was quite young) and then in 2003. Since I was born over half of the league has been in a World Series drought, just the Cubs have been made "not making the World Series" into an art-form, not quite like Marty Schottenheimer's art of blowing big games, but give the Cubs a few more years...The offseason isn't over yet, maybe they'll sign Ernest Byner.

Bobby Knight: The Greatest NCAA Coach

Bobby Knight has been commanding troops on the hardwood for over 40 years. Besides being a "chair's worst nightmare," Knight has won 891 games as a Division I coach. He has won three NCAA Championship (1976, 1981, 1987) and led the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1984. Knight's methods of coaching have been in question, but you can't argue that they are successful. He has never had the elite players that Coach K, Dean Smith, and Roy Williams have had at their fingertips. Coach Knight has always gotten the best out of the players the he's recruited. Isiah Thomas might be the only player that he coached that would be considered great.

Knight started his career at the age of 24 when he took the coaching job at Army. He spent six seasons there before he headed to Bloomington, Indiana. At Indiana he had his greatest success. He had all three of his championships at IU and his 1976 team to a perfect 32-0 season. It was the last time that a team have went undefeated in NCAA Division I. Knight has mentored some future coaches. Coach K, Lawrence Frank, Isiah Thomas, and Steve Alford have all spent time under Knight.

Bobby Knight has been in the headlines for his extra-curricular activities. He lost his job at IU for grabbing a student's arm and allegations of abusive behavior toward his student-athletes. Coach Knight landed a job at Texas Tech, which had no success in its basketball program before hiring him. Knight has achieved a few NCAA appearances and one Sweet Sixteen as the coach of Texas Tech.

Graduating his players has been high on Coach Knight's list of achievements. He has been an against the NBA's age restriction. He fears that young men will just use the college game and not actually attend class.

You may not like him, you may even hate him, but you can't deny what Bobby Knight has given to the sport of basketball. He has turned kids into young men and is the best coach in NCAA history.