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Josh Hamilton is the clear frontrunner for AL MVP this year. He currently leads the AL in homeruns (19) and RBI (76) and still has a chance to make a run at the triple-crown. Currently .020 off the pace for the batting title, Hamilton’s closest competition for MVP may be the man leading the batting race; Milton Bradley.
Bradley is hitting .330 and has been walked 47 times already. Despite the fact that pitchers are staying away from him, he has hit 15 long balls and driven in 48 runs. His OPS is also the best in the American League at 1.070.

Always a threat to catch fire, Alex Rodriguez deserves to be mentioned in the conversation as well. Rodriguez is second to Bradley with a 1.000 OPS. He has gone yard 14 times and driven in 41 runs. Some consideration could also be given to Ian Kinsler who leads the league in hits, but given the standout performance of his teammate (Hamilton), he will not receive many votes.
In a comparatively weak year for individual offensive performances in the AL, Hamilton will look to cash in. It is Josh Hamilton’s race to lose

In the National League, Albert Pujols is having an MVP caliber season. Unfortunately for Albert Pujols, this league belongs to Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones, everyone else is just playing in it.

Since late April it has been apparent that these two would be fighting for the MVP and, barring serious injury, that’s how it is going to end. So unfortunately for Fat Albert, top ten performances in homers, RBI and batting average, plus a 1.121 OPS are probably going to get him nothing.

Berkman leads all of baseball with an OPS of 1.154. He has better power numbers than Jones with 21 HR and 63 RBI. But Chipper is still flirting with .400. At last check, Chipper was hitting .394 and while batting average is an overrated stat, it gets attention from the writers. Jones has hit a respectable 16 HR and knocked in 46 runs. Jones also has the ‘valuable’ factor wrapped up, seeming to always come up when the Braves need him this year.

While the race is closer than people realize between these two, Jones appears to be in the driver’s seat. If he hits .400 the race is over, but even if he stays around where he is, he will most likely be voted NL MVP.

A great article over at CNNSI which takes an in-depth look at the Knuckleball phenomenon. How it works and why only two major leaguers throw it. Plus a lot of good info on Wake. Check it out:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/the_bonus/06/25/wakefield/index.html

This year, July 31st is looking to be one of the flattest trade deadlines in recent memory. Of course, when that’s the expectation, it usually ends up being quite the opposite. I don’t really see the Sox adding much. We’re playing relatively good baseball, there aren’t any glaring needs, and the biggest additions to the Sox this summer will be David Ortiz’s return from the DL and Clay Buchholz’s promotion from AAA. Also, look for Masterson to shore up a shaky pen in the second half. Our system is stocked; we could bring in ML talent, I just don’t see a need glaring enough to justify trading Bowden or any other coveted prospects that will surely be part of the price tag.

I’m not worried about the Sox, but I am becoming supremely worried about Tampa Bay. They have the best system in the major leagues. David Price is rising fast, drafted out of Vandy last year and already in AA, and he could be the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal. With the way Kaz, Garza and Shields are going right now, they won’t miss him. C.C. Sabathia can probably be had for the right price, and I think TB can meet that price easily.

C.C. doesn’t scare me on his own. The weight issue, the high stress delivery and the October meltdown I watched first-hand last season make me think he could really flop big time if traded to a contender. However, don’t underestimate the effects a deadline deal can have on a team like the Rays. They’re young and haven’t experienced a playoff chase before, and they might be searching a little bit come August. It would be a huge vote of confidence from GM Andy Friedman to go out and acquire a veteran pitcher. That could provide the perfect spark for the Rays to take off and maintain their play through the second half.

The Gagne acquisition had a similar effect on last year’s Sox, despite him being a monster disappointment. To go out and acquire a player of that stature says to your players that you’re willing to pay a sizable price - be it talent or otherwise - to contend immediately. That can fire guys up, and if Friedman swoops in and nabs C.C., I won’t be worried about facing him in October, but I’ll be pretty afraid of the other 24 guys that never thought their team would be anything other than a seller come the deadline.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change in a year. Last year, Celtics nation was enduring yet another occurrence of the freakishly bad luck the franchise has had since the last NBA Championship in 1986. Len Bias and Reggie Lewis dying. Rick Pitino walking through that door. 15, 19, and 24 win seasons. Paul Pierce putting gauze on his head. And lastly, missing out on Kevin Durant and Greg Oden in the 2007 NBA Lottery.

But two trades changed all that. Wally Sczerbiak, Delonte West, and the #5 selection landing Ray Allen. Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, and two first round picks netted KG. And 82 wins later, The C’s hoisted banner #17 when they ran the Los Angeles Kobes out of the new Gahden.

So what were fans of the Green supposed to make of Draft Night 2008? Well, as expected, most Celtics fans approached last night with apathy. Who would the Celtics need at #30? Backup center, backup point guard? Whoever the pick was, you had to be confident in the guy making the decision. Danny Ainge, as much as any other GM in the league, knows how to strike gold with late-round picks.

That brings me to the picks. While the Celtics were not looking for Rose/Beasley/Mayo type talent, they did need to draft guys that had a shot at making an impact in 2008-2009. What turned out to be the prevailing theme for the Celtics draft was athleticism. At #30, they selected JR Giddens out of New Mexico. Then they got the #47 pick from Washington for cash, and that pick turned into Bill Walker out of Kansas State. The last pick in the draft was used on a European center who has little to no chance of ever making an impact. For our intents and purposes, we’ll focus on the first two selections.

JR GIDDENS – Athletic, but with a questionable history. I don’t really understand this pick, especially since Chris-Douglas Roberts and Mario Chalmers were available for the taking. The Celtics should only have room on their roster for one person who’s been stabbed in a barfight (I’m only half joking). His off-the court troubles led him to transfer from Kansas to New Mexico, where he didn’t put up TREMENDOUS offensive numbers in a weak conference. They were good, just not great. You’d expect more out of a first round pick. He is very athletic and should be able to provide some spark on defense, and if this spells the end of Tony Allen in a Celtics uniform I can’t be too upset. I’ll give the pick a grade of a “C” only because I really believe Roberts was the better pick.

BILL WALKER – Knee injuries killed a once very highly regarded HS prospect. This is a guy who was a top-10 talent and played on the same HS team as OJ Mayo, and he cost the Celtics nothing but cash. He seemed to regain some of his confidence and productivity last season playing alongside another top 3 pick in Michael Beasley. This is a perfect low-risk, high reward pick. His basketball IQ is said to be off the charts, so don’t be surprised if he makes the team and Giddens doesn’t next season. I think it’s a real possibility. I love the pick not only because it’s great value, but because of the potential here. I’ll give it an “A”.

So what chance, if any, do these players have to contribute? I think if nothing else these moves provide depth if James Posey elects to move elsewhere. I fully believe Tony Allen is gone, and I think each player will get every chance in the world to contribute. Face it, Celtics fans should be ecstatic if one of these guys makes the team and there’s a real shot both will. All in all, it’s a draft that fits into Ainge’s MO and I really can’t complain too much.

Nice work Danny. Now sign Posey to a 4 year deal worth $28 million and let’s get ready to defend.

On Thursday, Curt Schilling confirmed what I figured would be the inevitable outcome of the team prescribed rehab program. When renowned shoulder expert Dr. James Andrews describes your bicep as “three strands of spaghetti” – especially if you’re on the wrong side of 40 – you probably aren’t going to be too optimistic about playing any sport at a professional level, even if you’re Curt Schilling. Should the Red Sox be fortunate enough to find themselves playing October baseball, the closest Curt will be getting to the mound is at his seat on the dugout bench. The 41-year-old underwent season ending surgery June 23rd on the right shoulder that played such a pivotal role in bringing Boston two World Series trophies. The surgery will keep Curt from throwing until next winter at the least; he could very well be looking at adding his name to the retirement list.

Schilling himself acknowledged on EEI’s Dennis and Callahan show that there is a “pretty good chance” he has thrown the last pitch of his career.

To me, anything he contributed this year would have been gravy. When he got here in ’04 he was a power pitcher with pin point control and a devastating splitter, by the end of ’07 his only elite skill was control. The velocity was gone, the pitches weren’t as sharp, but Curt’s game was never predicated solely on velocity. His control and ability to execute a game plan seamlessly aided a relatively smooth transformation from fire-baller to finesse pitcher – save one trip to the DL. Even though his style changed, when it mattered most, in October, the results were there. The guy’s a warrior, and last year – probably the most challenging year of his career on the field - was no different. He was a different pitcher, sure, but that didn’t change the results. Whether he was throwing 96 or 86, the post season was his where he always made his presence known. Going 3-0 in October, including seven strong innings in Game 6 of the ALCS in which he rendered only two earned runs to a powerful Indians lineup, he solidified his status as one of the best big game pitchers of all-time. The stage was set perfectly for a curtain call, and he delivered going five and a third gutsy innings giving up only one earned run in Game 2 of the World Series, all the while his right arm hanging on by a thread. Holding the cap up high, choking back tears – that’s the goodbye I want to remember. Selfish, maybe, but watching one of my baseball heroes struggle to be league average would have hurt.

With further arm issues, the chances of him rebounding even to his 2007 form are slim. With surgery on the horizon, it’s looking more like Schilling’s shoulder is forcing the issue and closing the book on his career, and it made me realize how fortunate I was to be a fan of this team at this time. We are all fortunate to have caught some of the greatest moments of one of the greatest big game pitchers of all time. This has been a great decade to be a Boston sports fan, thanks in large part to the Red Sox, and there is no player who is more responsible for their recent success than Curt Schilling. Go ahead, call me on it. It’s true.

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Your mom is probably a band wagon fan. Or maybe your girlfriend. They turn on a game and will continue to watch as long as “their” team is winning. At Fenway, they get their chicken fingers and cool dogs in the top of the inning, or stream down the aisle if the team is headed for a loss. People have a natural and understandable desire to watch their team win. Losing sucks, and watching a losing team sucks even more. Which is why the recent tide of Celtics bandwagon fans is fine by me. Hell, I’m one of them. I’m living proof that there’s nothing wrong with being a bandwagon fan. Here’s why:

-This past season, I got really into the team. I would literally shake with anticipation and nervous energy. In the playoffs, Sam Cassell did something to me that no Red Sox team has done since 2003. I can truly say that I bled Celtics green and sweat Celtics sweat (especially under my armpits after losing to Detroit at home). And so what if I sat by twiddling my thumbs in 2004 or 2005? The point is, for the 2007-2008 season, I became a fan. And it wasn’t just me. For the first time since they tore down the Garden, a Boston basketball arena came alive with energy. The difference between Celtics “bandwagon” fans and everyone else become painfully clear in the finals. The Staples center was silent compared to the Garden. Lakers fans bailed to the highest bidding celebrity, while in Boston, the highest bidder was, more cases than not, an even bigger Celtics fan.

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