Baseball's Best

Spring training is going on right now.  I think the best six teams going into regular season will be the San Francisco Giants, the Detroit Tigers, the L.A. Dodgers,  the Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Boston Red Sox.

All of these teams are starting off well in Spring training.  I think some of these teams are going to do well throughout the entire season and into the play-offs.

I think the best catcher this year will be Yadier Molina because he last year had a good season and is starting off well this year too.  He has a strong arm, but I am hoping for an outstanding year with his bat too.

My top prospect for first base is Miguel Cabrera because last year he was an awesome hitter and did well at third base too.  Being back at first base will help him on the field.

The best middle infielders are Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano because they are quick on the field and strong at bat.

On the other corner, Adrian Beltre, will be the top third baseman because he has amazing batting skills.

In the outfield, Mike Trout takes the lead because he just rocks!  Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Beltran fill the rest of the outfield.  This would be a fierce outfield because Trout makes amazing catches, McCutchen has a great bat, and Beltran is fast in the field.

The number one pitcher is Max Scherzer because he has a strong arm and good control.

March Madness Prediction

Today I will be talking about March Madness. Here are eight teams to look out for: Duke, Iowa State, Florida, Wichita State, Texas, Villanova, San Diego State, and Iowa. I think these teams are loaded with talent.
Write your predictions back. Next time I will be talking about baseball.

NFL Playoffs

The 2013-2014 playoffs are coming along.  At first, I wanted to the Bears to win the playoffs and go to the Superbowl, but the Packers beat them with a questionable call.  Now, I either want the Seattle Seahawks or the Indianapolis Colts to win.

 Last week, in the Wild Card race the Saints beat the Eagles.  The 49ers beat the Packers to complete the NFC side of the bracket.  The AFC winners of the wild card race were the Colts and the Chargers.  The Colts beat the Chiefs and the Chargers beat the Bengals.

This week will be the second round of the playoffs, the divisional round. On the NFC side, Saints will take on the Seahawks.  Go Seahawks!  I think the Seahawks will win because they are 11-1.  Russell Wilson, the Seahawks quarterback, is playing well.  I think he will lead the Seahawks to victory with their good wide receivers too.

Also, the Panthers will take on the 49ers.  I think the Panthers will win this game because they have been undefeated in the last twelve weeks.  They started the season 0-4 but figured out a way to win and have kept that winning mindset since.

And now to the AFC...

The Colts beat the Chiefs last week in the wild card race and the Chargers beat the Bengals.  This week, the Chargers will face the Broncos.  This will be a tough game but I do think the Chargers will pull off a victory. This season, the Chiefs were undefeated until they faced the Chargers.  The Chargers beat them both games so I think the Chargers can do the same thing to the Broncos.

The Patriots and Colts also play to finish off the AFC side of the bracket.  I think the Colts will win because Tom Brady's is struggling this season compared to other seasons.  The passing yards are down, he has had six fumbles compared to last year's one fumble, he has thrown more interceptions (11), and his rushing yards have been almost cut in half compared to last year's stats.

For the Colts, their quarterback, Andrew Luck, has shown much improvement this year.  He has a higher passing completion percentage and has cut his interceptions and fumbles in half compared to last year.  On the rushing side, Luck has ran 100 more yards than last year.  Although Luck is a young quarterback, only in his second year, he has shown a lot of improvement and has the ability to lead his team to victory.

What is Hilton Magic?

Last night, I saw Iowa State play against Michigan in Ames. Michigan came into the game ranked #7 in the nation and Iowa State was unranked. At the start of the game, the Cyclones did not play very well.  They were missing a lot of easy shots and had a few turnovers.  But as soon as Melvin Ejim, Iowa State's senior leader, came in the crowd started to go wild and it got very loud in Hilton.  With the crowd so into the game, the Cyclones started playing much better.  

The game was close and was back and forth between the two teams, but the Cyclones came out on top with Hilton Magic behind them.  You might ask, "What is Hilton Magic?"  The way I would describe it is a loudness that comes inside of your body.  The sound throughout the crowd is a little overwhelming, but everyone experienced the excitement. The energy from the entire crowd is amazing and it allows magic to happen on the floor for the Cyclones.

The Cyclones won the game 77-70, with Ejim being the high scorer.  Today the unranked Cyclones became ranked #21, they highest ranking in 12 years.  Go Cyclones!

ISU vs. TCU Football

This weekend, I went to the Iowa State game.  They played TCU in Ames. During the game, Iowa State played very well, but they lost.  My favorite part of the game was when Texas Christian kicked and Iowa State ran the ball back for a touchdown.  It was right in front of our seats. My sister also got her picture up on the jumbo-tron.

The game was awesome but having our whole family there made it extra special. Our family got together and I was able to see my uncle from New York.  He surprised my other uncle and grandpa by flying in for their birthdays.

Before the game, we tailgated next to the stadium.  It was packed.  My cousin and I got our picture taken with Cy.  Yahoo!!!After the game, we played football where we were tailgating.  I think it is cool how sports brings families together.

Breakdown of Upcoming World Series

I think the Cardinals are going to win the 2013 World Series, because when the Cardinals have faced the Red Sox in years before in the World Series, they have won more games.  The Cardinals have won two match-ups and the Red Sox have won only one.  When breaking down each position, it shows why I think Cardinals are going to win.


Catchers: Yadier Molina vs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Molina is good at catching fast balls and when people are stealing, he gets them out really easily.  He has a good arm and a strong defensive catcher.
Saltalamacchia is a good hitter but he doesn't get in front of the ball when he is behind the plate.
Between these two catchers, I believe Yadier Molina is a better catcher.
Advantage: Cardinals

First Base: Matt Adams vs. Mike Napoli
Matt Adams is a fine first baseman and can stretch but Mike Napoli is a really strong power hitter. Adams is young and Napoli has had plenty of playoff experience, so Napoli is a better first baseman. Advantage: Red Sox

Second Base: Matt Carpenter vs. Dustin Pedroia
Carpenter is the lead-off hitter for the Cardinals and is a utility player.  He started off the season hot, but hasn't been very consistent throughout the year.  Pedroia is one of my favorite players and he is a solid all-around player.
Advantage: Red Sox

Third Base: David Freese vs. Will Middlebrooks/Xander Bogearts
Freese is good when he has to dive for the ball and make the throw to first.  He is a so-so hitter but plays well in the playoffs.  For the Red Sox, Middlebrooks starts but Bogearts comes in to finish the game.  My choice for third base is David Freese, although it is a close call.
Advantage: Cardinals

Shortstop: Pete Kosma vs. Stephan Drew
Kosma is a really strong fielder but I see him struggling with the bat during this series.  I could probably write the exact same thing about Stephan Drew. Kosma is a better fielder so he has the advantage.
Advantage: Cardinals 

Left Field: Matt Holliday vs. Jonny Gomes
Matt Holliday is a power hitter and a really good player. He struggled hitting at the beginning of the playoffs, but came on strong in the past few games.  Gomes has a hot bat right now, but with Holliday's latest streak, he has the advantage.
Advantage: Cardinals

Center Field: Jon Jay vs. Jacoby Ellsbury
Jon Jay is a strong defensive player but not that good with the bat.  Jacoby Ellsbury is super fast which helps on the bases and on the field.  He is a strong lead-off and he sets the table for the offense. Ellsbury has the a strong advantage in center field.
Advantage: Red Sox

Right Field: Carlos Beltran vs. Shane Victorino
I caught a ball from Carlos Beltran at a Cardinal's game this summer, so I really like him.  He is also really good on the defensive end.  Beltran is also a good hitter.  Shane Victorino is also pretty good, but Beltran is a better hitter.
Advantage: Cardinals

Pitching Staff
The starting pitching staff for both teams is about equal but the depth and the closers for the Red Sox are stronger which give Boston an advantage.
Advantage: Red Sox

With these predictions, I think the world series will go to seven games, with the Cardinals winning it all.

Pirates vs Cardinals Pitching Breakdown

The Cardinals and the Pirates will be playing game five of the National League series tonight.  They will each have their best pitchers on the mound.  The Cardinals will be pitching Adam Wainwright and the Pirates will be pitching Gerrit Cole.

Adam Wainwright has better stats, played more, and won more games than Gerrit Cole.  This is going to be important in this game because having that experience should give him a better chance of winning.  Expect to see the Cardinals win the National League championship and face the Red Sox in the World Series.

Let's Go Cardinals!