Maddux Sports Blog

- Interesting story out of St. Louis today. Apparently the Cardinals watched John Smoltz pitch in the bullpen on Thursday, recognized right away that he was tipping his pitches, got him to make a small change, and he went out in his debut and was almost unhittable. You have to wonder how St. Louis could see that so quickly but Boston never noticed. It’s not like Smoltz had the time to become a whole new pitcher in the time between the two cities, and he didn’t even have time to get healthy or anything. It reminds me of horse racing – you’ll often see a horse perform badly for one trainer, get moved to another trainer, and immediately win his next race. The new trainer just sees something that the old trainer was blind to, and it makes all the difference.

(more…)

Baltimore catcher and prodigy Matt Wieters came into the league with a tremendous amount of hype this spring. It certainly hasn’t taken him long to justify it. His first full month in the league – June – was a bit rocky. By July, though, he had figured things out in a big way. He hit .323 on the month, and he had a decent OPS of .767. More amazing than the numbers, Wieters has quickly started to look comfortable and confident. It’s not at all hard to believe that he’s the real deal.

(more…)

J.P. Ricciardi is a moron. I really can’t believe that he couldn’t get a deal done for Roy Halladay. The Jays need prospects much more than they need an ace they can’t properly support. By being stubborn and uncooperative he has sunk the team’s best chance of being competitive a few years down the road. Another bone-headed move by a truly terrible general manager. I wasn’t particularly clear why Toronto hired him in the first place, and I really don’t understand why they have kept him around for as long as they have. I’m not convinced that the Jays can compete with the Red Sox and Yankees at the best of times, but they certainly won’t with him in charge.

(more…)

Sometimes you really have to shake your head. Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi set a deadline today of July 28 for moving Roy Halladay. He says he has yet to see a deal he likes, and he says that dealing Halladay is now unlikely. Ricciardi is a moron. If he doesn’t manage to get this one right then he doesn’t deserve to be in charge of a big league team. Of course, nothing he has done in the last three years has made us think that he deserves that. I like th Jays, and if you read this blog then you know that I think Halladay is the best there is. I’d love him to stay in Toronto forever, but there are a couple of unavoidable facts – this team is not going to be a serious contender for the next couple of years, and Halladay can’t last forever. The Jays need to get rid of him, and they need to use this opportunity to add to the young talent they are already developing. This is a once in a decade opportunity for the Jays, and this moron Ricciardi is going to screw it up. The only thing they will accomplish by keeping him this year is to significantly reduce the haul they get back for him when they inevitably dump him next year in the last year of his contract. There is no issue here – nothing to debate. I hope that Ricciardi figures that out before it is too late. With enough contending teams in good markets desperate for pitching there is a big deal to be made, and Ricciardi needs to buck up and make it. He’s a disgrace to guys with initials for names.

(more…)

I’m very happy for Andruw Jones. He hit three home runs in three at-bats yesterday, and then came close to getting a fourth and tying the major league record. Jones isn’t putting up all-star numbers, but he’s putting up solid numbers for the Rangers – 14 homers and 34 RBIs in 46 games. He’s been solid value for the Rangers at the price they paid for him, and he has justified the risk. I’m glad to see it – he’s far too talented to have been washed up already. Guys who are younger than I am should not be washed up.

(more…)

I don’t understand where Manny’s head is at right now. He threw a tantrum yesterday after getting struck out and got himself chucked out of the game. He was in a bad mood all day and didn’t seem to understand why the New York crowd was booing his every move. What does he expect? It’s like the guy has no sense at all of what he did – he seems like he just got a free 50 day vacation. Idiot.

(more…)

I really don’t understand the Bucks. They traded away Richard Jefferson, so they have a lack of scoring to make up. They drafted a point guard, so they have some depth there. So what did they do? Offered a contract to their free agent point guard and not the solid scoring threat. Ramon Sessions will likely be back with the team, but Charlie Villanueva has been cut loose. Very bizarre. I was certain that it was going to go the other way. It looks like things could end up very well for Villanueva – he looks like he will take he mid-level exception in Cleveland.

(more…)

The late spring into the early summer is a great time for professional sports. Here are a few observations regarding some of what’s happening in the NHL, NBA, NFL, NASCAR, PGA and MLB.

(more…)

It’s about freaking time that the Lakers looked like the Lakers. If it took them that long to get their act together this time, though, then I really have to wonder how they will fare against a tuned up and focused Denver team. They still obviously have to be the favorite, but the margin of error is much smaller than it has been so far, and they have been far from powerful up to this point.

(more…)