Who is the Best Hitter in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp has blossomed into one of the best hitters in baseball. However, his reputation as the best hitter in LA is now up for debate, as the crosstown rival Angels added a player who might know a thing or two about hitting. The Angels signed the top free agent hitter on the market, Albert Pujols. Many LA reporters and fans are debating who the best hitter in LA is. I will take a look at both players and tell you what I think.

Matt Kemp does not have the historical numbers to back up his play like Pujols does. What he did have is a much better season last year. Kemp had a .324 average with 39 home runs, 124 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases. Conversely, Pujols hit .299 with 37 home runs, 99 RBIs, and 9 stolen bases. The concern here is that this was Kemp's breakout season. In 2010, he only hit .249 with 28 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases. Kemp is five years younger than Pujols. It appears that he is entering the prime of his career, which means his numbers should only continue to rise.

Albert Pujols is one of the most consistent hitters in the history of baseball. His continual dominance is what earned him the nickname, The Machine. In Pujols' first ten years of his career, he hit .312 or better, 34 home runs or more, and had at least 103 RBIs. As you can see above, the only season of his career that he hasn't done that was last year. Some people have sighted that as a sign of decline. That seems unlikely, but even if it is true, those are some excellent numbers for a player supposedly in decline. It is true that Pujols will have to adjust to hitting in the tougher American League. He may get pitched around, but that happened in St. Louis too. No matter how good or bad the Cardinals were, Pujols consistently put up amazing numbers season after season. There does not seem to be any reason to think that will stop now.

Matt Kemp is the player on the rise, while Albert Pujols is certainly ageing. However, I cannot get around the consistency I have seen throughout the career of Pujols. Until Kemp shows me that type of consistency, I am not ready to pick him over Pujols. There is such a drastic difference between Kemp's 2010 and 2011 seasons. While I believe the latter is what Kemp's numbers will look like next few seasons, there isn't the same guarantee that a decade of Pujols play gives me. This does not mean that Kemp won't become the better hitter for the duration of their long-term contracts. It just means that right now I have more faith in Pujols.

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Burnett's Battle in the Bronx Appears to be Coming to a Close

The New York Yankees have agreed to trade A.J. Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league pitcher Diego Moreno and outfielder Exicardo Cayones. The deal is awaiting approval from the commissioner's office since it involves money. The Pirates and Yankees will split the remaining cost of Burnett's contract. Everyone while remember how the Yankees overpaid for Burnett. He was never able to get fully comfortable in the Bronx, especially with his control. As a Yankee, his record stands at 34-35 with an ERA of 4.79.

However, I could make the argument that for one night in the Bronx, A.J. Burnett earned every penny of that contract. That night would be October 29, 2009. The game was Game 2 of the 2009 World Series. Cliff Lee dominated the Yankee hitters in Game 1 to give the Philadelphia Phillies the one game to zero lead in the Bronx. If Burnett lost the game, the Yankees were going to be headed to Philadelphia down in the hole 2-0. Burnett wouldn't let that happen as he was on his game as never before. He threw seven innings of four-hit ball, giving up just one hit while striking out nine. He outdueled Pedro Martinez to help give the Yankees the win and swing the World Series in their favor.

Many Bronx Bomber fans will remember A.J. Burnett and shake their heads solemnly. While I might do that when I think of his control (as wild a thrower as they come), I will always remember the night when Burnett finally lived up to the hopes and dreams every Yankee had for him. His era in the Bronx might be coming to a close, but that does not mean that is bad news for either party. The Yankees have a crowded rotation competition, and Burnett deserved a chance to succeed elsewhere. In Pittsburgh, he will get to play under less scrutiny and against weaker offensive competition. I think that Burnett could possibly resurrect his career with the Pirates. A.J. Burnett was a New York Yankee. He has the ring to prove it. Without him, the Yankees may have never won their 27th World Series Championship.

The Kid Will Be Remembered For a Very Long Time

Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter will always be remembered for his enthusiasm, love for the game, and constant smile. This earned him his nickname as "The Kid." Carter passed away today at age 57 following a battle with brain cancer. Carter was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003, capping off a 19-year career in the majors. He was an 11-time All Star (two All Star Game MVPs) and finished with a .262 average, 324 home runs, and 1,225 RBIs. Carter began his career with the Montreal Expos and led them to their only playoff berth as a franchise. He was one of the most durable and consistent catchers ever to play the game.

The Kid will always be remembered most for his clutch play for the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series. In Game 4, he homered twice over the Green Monster at Fenway. Then, in Game 6, the Mets were down to their final out with Carter coming to the plate. No one was on and they trailed 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning. He stated afterwards, "I wasn't going to make the last out of the World Series." He delivered a single to left field. That started a rally that is now considered one of the greatest in baseball history. In Game 7, he also drove in the tying run in a game that helped the Mets win their most recent World Series championship. Overall, he totaled nine RBIs in the Series. That mark has only been matched once since. This World Series was clearly the climax of Carter's career.

But more than anything Carter did on the field, he will be remembered for his passion and the exuberance he displayed game after game. He did come up with some clutch plays in his career, but what will be remembered is how much he loved the game. Carter's bronze plaque in Cooperstown displays The Kid's classic toothy grin. I also believe it summarizes his life as well as anyone could. It reads, "An exuberant on-field general with a signature smile who was known for clutch hitting and rock-solid defense over 19 seasons." The Kid will always be remembered as just that, a kid who simply loved the game and couldn't help but show it.

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 - First Group, First Leg - Recaps and Reactions

The group stage of the UEFA Champions League concluded in early December. If you don't remember what happened, you can read about it here: http://fireawayblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/uefa-champions-league-group-action.html. We had to endure a long two month hiatus for the Round of 16 to begin. Well yesterday and today, the first eight teams squared off in their first leg of the round. I will provide a recap and reaction to the action.

Barcelona 3 Bayer Leverkusen 1

Playing as the hosts, a injury-decimated Bayer Leverkusen team decided to play defensively-minded from the onset. It worked well until Alexis Sanchez broke through in the 41th minute with his first Champions League goal. Bayer Leverkusen came out of the intermission determined to put the ball in the net. They found the equalizer in the 52nd minute, off the foot of Michal Kadlec. However, Sanchez had an immediate answer for Barcelona when he netted his second goal of the game just three minutes later. Bayer Leverkusen tried to find another equalizer late, but ended up conceiding a decisive goal to Lionel Messi in the 88th minute. The late goal swings all momentum in Barcelona's favor. Barca travels home for the second leg with a comfortable advantage. They seem to be a lock to advance.

Lyon 1 Apoel Nicosia 0

Apoel Nicosia came out in the defensive-focused mindset that made them the first Cypriot side ever to advance this far in the Champions League. The strategy seemed to work perfectly for the visitors, until they got unlucky when Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette scored on a deflected shot in the 58th minute. Despite taking 18 shots in the match, that was the only Lyon shot to go in. It proved to be the difference as Apoel Nicosia didn't even have a shot attempt until the 88th minute. By that point, it was too late. This means that Apoel Nicosia is going to have to find the net at least once in the second leg at home in order to have a chance of advancing further in the tournament.

Zenit St Petersburg 3 Benfica 2

The match started slowly as conditions for this match were freezing in Russia. The visitors struck first when Zenit goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov made a crucial mistake. Benfica defender Maxi Pereira simply had to tap the ball into the net for the game's first goal. However, the mental error seemed to spark the hosts. They almost scored a minute later and found the equalizer just seven minutes later, when Tomas Hubocan sent a cross in that Roman Shirokov was able to put in on a one-time volley. Opportunities came and went, but the score remained tied at one until the 71st minute. Zenit put together some nice passing that ended in subsitute Sergei Semak's nice backheel goal. Benefica put their foot on the accelerator, and in the 87th minute, earned another baffling blunder by Zhevnov, which led to another easy goal for Zenit, scored by Oscar Cardozo. However, Zenit had the final dose of late magic when the ball came loose in the box. Shirokov came up with it and buried it for the decisive goal. The second leg seems bound to be an exciting one. If Zenit is to advance, they will need a much better performance from Zhevnov to say the least.

AC Milan 4 Arsenal 0

This matchup was supposed to be one of the best of the Round of 16. It featured Arsenal, a traditional Premier League power, against AC Milan, the current Serie A leader. Milan had not won any of their previous seven matches against English clubs, but that never seemed to be a concern for the hosts in the first leg. They struck first just 15 minutes in when Kevin-Prince Boateng scored. Brasilian forward Robinho found the net twice in a eleven minute frame to give Milan complete control of the match. Arsenal never seemed to get into a rhythm. Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed off an impressive win by AC Milan with a penalty kick goal in the 79th minute. There appears to be no way back from this defeat for Arsenal. It seems certain that AC Milan will advance to the quarterfinals.

Detroit Likes Their Wings Home-Cooked

Detroit Red Wing fans at Joe Louis Arena haven't seen their team lose in over three months. Tonight, the Red Wings defeated the Dallas Stars 3-1. The win was their NHL single-season record 21st straight win at home. Their last home loss came on November 3. The Red Wings' next two games are at home as well. They play Friday against Nashville and Sunday against San Jose. Those games give the Red Wings a shot at breaking another NHL record. The 1929-1930 Boston Bruins won an overall record 22 straight home games over a two season span.

Detroit is more concerned about winning than about the streaks. The Red Wings have a NHL-best 39 wins and 80 points. However, the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers only trail by one point, despite having played three less games. Additionally, the Central Division isn't a cake walk to navigate through. St. Louis, Nashville, and Chicago all are talented teams. Finally, the defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks should be coming after the top spot hard the rest of the way.

Well it will be interesting to see if Detroit can break the overall record. It will also be interesting to see how their home dominance affects them come playoff time. The Red Wings are going to need to continue to play well to stay atop the standings. The Red Wings seem to like their home cooking. After all, they haven't lost in three months at home.

Cuban Cespedes Finds Unlikely Home in Oakland

Yoenis Cespedes is a 26 year old Cuban outfielder, who had caught the eye of many MLB scouts. Cespedes defected to the Dominican Republic. He will be receiving his unblocking license and worker's visa in order to play in the United States. Many teams were intrigued by his talent, the amount of money he was seeking pushed many clubs out of contention for signing him. Two teams offered him a $36 million deal. The Miami Marlins offered it over six years, while the Oakland Athletics made it a four-year contract. Cespedes clearly desired money over playing for a playoff contender when he chose the Athletics.

The move was a bit strange for Oakland for two reasons. First, the only significant investment they had made so far this offseason was to resign veteran center fielder Coco Crisp. Center field is also Cespedes' primary position. One of them could change positions, but neither is worth the money that was spent on them to be a corner outfielder. Second, the Athletics are not usually big spenders on the free agent market. General Manager Billy Beane is much more comfortable normally swinging trades here and there. While he could put Crisp on the block now or Cespedes on it a few years down the road, it remains uncertain what his plan of action is.

The last question that needs to be addressed is whether or not he is worth the money. Some clubs clearly did not think so. Some Cuban players have taken a long time to develop. Examples of this are Kendrys Morales and Jose Contreras. Some Cubans have developed nicely, such as infielder Alexei Ramirez, innings-eater Livan Hernandez, and former postseason hero Orlando Hernandez. The most recent Cuban desire prior to Cespedes was electrifying pitcher Aroldis Chapman. Chapman has done little so far for the Reds. How good will Cespedes be? It is almost impossible to say. As you can see, Cuban players have had a wide variance of success in the majors. Cespedes demanded money, and he got it in Oakland. Now, it is time to see if Beane's investment is a worthwhile one for the clever GM.

Lefty and Tiger Head to Head Once Again

The final round at Pebble Beach saw two familiar faces paired once again. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have won a combined 111 PGA Tour events and 18 major championships. On Sunday, they were grouped again for the 30th time. Many viewers hoped for another thrilling finish. They got a thrilling performance, but that does not mean the final scores were close.

In fact, Mickelson pretty much wasted Woods on Sunday. He beat Tiger by 11 strokes with an 8-under 64. Lefty entered the day six strokes off the lead, but ended up winning by three. He had the lowest score of the day by three shots. In his dominating round, Mickelson made two beautiful long putts to save par and didn't have a single bogey. The victory gave Lefty his 40th career PGA Tour title, putting him in ninth-place all time.

Jim "Bones" Mackay has been Mickelson's caddie since his professional debut in 1992 (actually also at Pebble Beach). Following Lefty's incredible final round, Mackay stated, "Phil's a big-stage kind of a guy. I think it's fair to say that he enjoys what you saw out there today. He loves playing with Tiger. He loves having the chance to win tournaments. I think he gets fired up to have everybody watching."

Many viewers were indeed watching, which was good for a sport that has suffered in popularity since Woods' scandal. It was great to see these two old rivals at it once again. It was awesome to see Mickelson play so well once again. It was nice to see the sport matter once again for a day. For one Sunday, two old boys shared the spotlight once again. How many more times will this happen again? It is impossible to know for sure. What is for sure is that this day belonged to Phil Mickelson.