Birmingham Barons vs Montgomery Biscuits 5-12-13

Despite tying a season high with 5 errors the Birmingham Barons defeated the Montgomery Biscuits 7-3 on Sunday afternoon. Birmingham extend their home winning streak to nine games and improve to an outstanding 14-2 at home this season. The Barons trailed the majority of the game, but despite the lackluster defense behind him, Spencer Arroyo held the Biscuits to just two runs over six innings. Montgomery starting pitcher Jacob Thompson held Birmingham to just one run over the first six innings but ran into trouble in the seventh. A lead off walk to Andy Wilkins would be the beginning of the end for Thompson as Wilkins would score the tying run on a Daniel Wagner single three batters later. The Barons would tack on four more runs in the seventh with the big blow coming on a two out single from Trayce Thompson driving in two runs. The Biscuits would add a run in the top of the eighth inning on a double from Mark Thomas. Birmingham would get the run back however in the bottom of the inning when Michael Early would double scoring Andy Wilkins. Ryan Kussmaul would pitch the ninth for the Barons shutting down Montgomery and securing the win for the Barons. Kevin Vance took the win for the Barons allowing just the one run in the eighth inning. Jacob Thompson takes the hard luck loss for the Biscuits.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, IT'S DANICA!!!

The time is now upon us for the second superspeedway race of the NASCAR race season. For those not totally familiar with NASCAR, every season the series runs two races each at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. These four races are fan favorites because of the speeds, the close racing and the wrecks that usually happen that collect multiple cars. This wreck is known as the “Big One” and looms around the track like a dark cloud, getting bigger as each lap is completed. This weekend at Talladega brings us a new participant to the Sunday race. Danica Patrick will make her first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Talladega on Sunday. Patrick who shocked the motorsports world in February by winning the pole for the Daytona 500 will be looking to become the first driver since Mark Martin in 2011 to win back to back restrictor plate race poles. Danica would go on to finish eighth at Daytona becoming the first female driver to finish in the top 10 of the Daytona 500. Since Daytona however Patrick hasn’t seen much success on the racetrack. Since winning the pole she has average a 32^nd place starting position and is only averaging a finish of 25^th. Now however we return to the superspeedway, I fully expect the Danicamania to start back up this weekend as I am expecting a top five starting position from her. If she keeps her nose clean and can avoid the “Big One” again she could just very well leave Talladega with another top 10 finish.  On Friday I will give a race preview, and one unlucky driver will be eliminated from winning the race before they ever qualify.

Thanks for reading, God Bless and have a wonderful rest of the week.

Stanley Cup Playoff Preview & Prediction

Here in the South, usually the only cup celebrated is the Sprint Cup or a red solo cup filled with a beverage of your choice. In my world however there is one cup that stands above the rest, The Stanley Cup, so below is my preview and prediction for the 2013 Stanley Cup. Hope you enjoy.

Well the greatest event in professional sports is finally upon us. The 2013 version of the Stanley Cup playoffs begin next week. Now I know most of you that read this, don’t really care about hockey but it is a sport I like, so I am going to try and predict the winner of the Stanley Cup. Last season the Los Angeles Kings snuck into the playoffs as the #8 seed in the West and went on to win the first Stanley Cup in team history. Can history repeat itself this season, we shall see.

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #8 New York Islanders

The top seeded Penguins finished this abbreviated NHL season with a 36-12-0 including a 4-1 record again first round opponent the New York Islanders. The Islanders enter with a 24-17-7 record which was good enough to finish third in their division but only good enough to get into the playoffs as the eight seed. Pittsburgh is looking to win their first Stanley Cup since the 2008-09 season and are hoping the late season addition of former league MVP Jarome Iginila to the Penguins already powerful line up take them back to the Cup. I’m taking the Penguins in 5 games.

 

#2 Montreal Canadians vs. #7 Ottawa Senators

Not to put any pressure on either one of these teams, but going into this season it has been 19 years since a team from Canada has hoisted the Stanley Cup. The last team to do so was the second seeded Montreal Canadians when they defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. That was also the last finals appearance for the Canadians. The Ottawa Senators have been in the finals more recently, but lost in 2007 to the Anaheim Ducks four games to one. Montreal won the season series from the Senators 2-1-1 and I think they’ll win this series as well. Montreal in 6 games.

 

#3 Washington Capitals vs. # 6 New York Rangers

This should be the most entertaining series of the first round of this season’s playoffs. The Washington Capitals enter with a 27-18-3 record and winners of the South Eastern Division. Despite being the sixth seed, the New York Rangers actually finished one point behind the Capitals. The Rangers won the season series from Washington 2-1. I expect a long series here, with at least 2 overtime games and when it’s all said and done, I am taking the Rangers in 7.

 

#4 Boston Bruins vs. #5 Toronto Maple Leafs

The final series of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals is a good solid matchup of two of the original six NHL teams. The Boston Bruins won the regular season from Toronto 3-1 but enter the playoffs losing 3 of their last 4 games. The Maple Leafs are making their first playoff appearance in 9 seasons and looking to snap a 45 year long drought of winning Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Bruins are hoping to not repeat last season’s loss in the in the quarterfinals, while Toronto will be looking to win their first playoff series since 2004. I took a lot of time on picking this series which means I will probably get it wrong, but I am taking, the Maple Leafs in 7.  

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #8 Minnesota Wild

The Chicago Blackhawks are in the playoffs for fifth straight season. The Blackhawks are also looking to do something no team has done since the 2008-2009 Detroit Red Wings. That is win the President’s Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season. The President’s Trophy has been annually awarded to the NHL team with the most regular season points, but has not always meant a Stanley Cup. The Minnesota Wild are making the franchise’s first playoff appearance since the 2007-2008 season and looking to win their first playoff series since the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I think Chicago will be too much for the Wild, Blackhawks in 5.

 

# 2 Anaheim Ducks vs. #7 Detroit Red Wings

This will be one of the better matchups of the quarterfinal round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks come in with a 30-12-6 record but actually lost the season series to the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. These two teams have met five times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the last matchup com. I think this will be the biggest upset of the Quarterfinals, I am taking, Detroit in 6.

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 San Jose Sharks

Last season was supposed to be the season for the Canucks, coming off a heart breaking Stanley Cup Finals loss in 2011 they were the President’s Trophy winner and life was good In British Columbia. Five games later, the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Canucks and rode that momentum to the Stanley Cup. This season Vancouver comes in as the third seed, but did not get a favorable draw. The San Jose Sharks swept the season series from the Canucks going 3-0 on the season. This will be a fun series to watch, unless you’re a Canucks fan. I am taking the Sharks in 6.

#4 St. Louis Blues vs. #5 Los Angeles Kings

As I have mentioned a couple of times already the Los Angeles Kings are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. The Kings this season come in as a higher seed, and get a familiar foe in the first round. The St. Louis Blues edged the Kings for the fourth seed by one point despite Los Angeles sweeping the regular season from the Blues. Last season St. Louis was the #2 seed but were swept by the Kings in the Western Conference Semi-Finals 4-0. I think this series will go a little longer this season, but the result will be the same. The Champs advance to the second round. I am taking the Kings in 7.

 

So I don’t completely bore you to death with the rest of the playoffs here is how I think the Conference Semi’s, Conference Finals and Stanley Cup will go down.

Eastern Conference

Conference Semi-Finals

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers (Penguins in 7)

Montreal Canadians vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Canadians in 6)

Conference Finals

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadians (Penguins in 7)

 

Western Conference

Conference Semi-Finals

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings (Blackhawks in 6)

Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks (Kings in 5)

Conference Finals

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings (Blackhawks in 6)

 

Stanley Cup Finals

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks

If I am right and this is the Stanley Cup Finals, then this would be the first time since the 2001 Stanley Cup finals that the top seeds from both the Eastern and Western Conference made the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2001 the West #1 Colorado Avalanche defeated the East #1 New Jersey Devils four games to three to win their 10th Stanley Cup in Franchise history. I think this series will also go seven games, with the Pittsburgh Penguins hoisting up Lord Stanley’s Cup.  Penguins in 7.

 

Thanks for reading, God Bless, and enjoy the greatest sporting event in the world, the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Back to the Diamond, UAB vs Alabama State Recap

In weather more suited for football than baseball, I made a return trip to the baseball diamond on Wednesday night. I went down to J.D. Young Memorial Field in Birmingham to watch the UAB Blazers play the second half of a home and home series with the Alabama State Hornets. On Tuesday night the Hornets got five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to open up a 2-1 game and go on to win 7-1. On Wednesday night in Birmingham the winning team would once again score seven runs and once again the home team would get the win. The Blazers would get on the board in the bottom of the second when Jacob German and Tyler Mims would get back to back RBI singles giving UAB a 2-0 lead. Those two runs would be all Blazers starter Alex Luna would need. Luna making only his fourth start of the season would face the minimum in a nine inning complete game shutout. The Sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama would keep the Alabama State batters guessing all night allowing only three hits while striking out 10. The complete game was the first of the season for the Blazers who improved to 17-25 on the season. The Hornets fell to 28-18 on the season. Both teams will hit the road this weekend, UAB will face conference rival Southern Miss in a three game series in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Alabama State Hornets will travel cross country for a three game set with the Arizona Wildcats of the PAC-12 conference.

Fear The Madness

At 11:15 tomorrow morning, the amount of work done throughout the United States will dwindle to a fraction of what it should be. Everyone from Sanitation Workers to CEO’s will be turning on TVs, Computers, Tablets, Smartphones, etc… to watch the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Yes I know the NCAA calls the games on Tuesday and Wednesday the opening round games, but if you cannot pick them in a bracket pool, then they are just play in games. This year’s tournament is expected to be one of the most wide open tournaments in years, with there being a real chance of a team seeded 10^th or lower to make the final four. While I do think this tournament will be full of upsets and shockers, I don’t think that there will be that double digit Cinderella this season.

When filling out my brackets this week, I looked at the team, seed, and how they have played all season. I think your #1 seeds this year are fairly week, as well are the #2’s. I do not think however that any of those eight teams will lose on the first two days. In fact I have all 16 teams from the #1 to #4 getting past their first games. I do think there will be upsets, I mean there always is, but I think the biggest this season will come from the #12’s. In my bracket I have both Oregon and California winning as the #12. You can view my bracket at the bottom of this so I will not go into much more detail on what I think will happen. I will say the closest I have to a Cinderella this season is a couple of #4 seeded teams. Anyways my final four is:

Louisville Cardinals

Kansas State Wildcats

Florida Gators

Syracuse Orange

I have the Louisville Cardinals and Florida Gators meeting up on April 8^th in the finals, with the Louisville Cardinals cutting down the nets. Unfortunately for Louisville this is bad news, Because if the NCAA Tournament goes anything like the bowl season did for me, I am sorry Louisville and congrats North Carolina A&T.

Until Next Time, Thanks for reading, God Bless and have a wonderful week.