Will Matt Kemp rise again?

It's funny how quick things change. A few years ago the very idea of Matt Kemp being an afterthought would have been considered insane. Yet, as we sit here with opening day around the corner that's the feeling I'm getting from many Dodger fans. This past Saturday I witnessed this firsthand. Matt Kemp, who is rehabbing his latest injury (ankle) was slated to play in a Minor league game in one of the Camelback Ranch backfields. Judging by the amount of people who showed up to watch the game, fans either forgot who Matt Kemp is, or simply cannot navigate themselves through Camelback Ranch. I must have counted about 25 people at the maximum. While it could simply be the fact that there was a Spring Training game going on between the Dodgers and the Padres, I get another feeling. Over the last year I have heard countless "fans" expressing their desire to trade Matt Kemp. Pointing to his numerous injuries as proof of Matt being "done". Combine his injuries with Yasiel Puigs rise has left Matt looking and feeling like an afterthought. But, fans shouldn't be so quick to jump ship on Matt. Just two seasons ago he was hands down the best player in baseball. Matt was the face of the franchise. We are taking about a 29 year old in the prime of his career. Just take a look at his teammate, Hanley Ramirez who was having the same nonsense said about him as he was being kicked out of town by the Miami Marlins contingent. Looks like Hanley rebounded nicely. My advice to Dodger fans is this, be careful what you wish for. Matt Kemp will rise again, and go back to his old self. I'd rather see him do this wearing Dodger blue than in another uniform. 

By the way, since this is my first post in about three years I'll give you my reasoning. Bad Internet connection? Maybe. Complete loss of the English language? Possible. Or could it be pure laziness? Bingo! I'll attempt to post a little more often than once every three years, we'll see how it goes. Until then, Lets go Dodgers!

Now what?

This one hurt. In all my years of being a Laker fan, I have seen them lose plenty of times. The only other loss that hurt this much was the 39 point beat down to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 finals. The Lakers should have easily handled the Dallas Mavericks, but the Lakers lack of defense did them in. At this point, serious changes need to be made to this roster. I know the season just ended, but I am already thinking about next year. Here are some suggestions to make the Lakers title contenders next season.... that is if there is an NBA season.

My number one concern is point guard help. Like I have previously stated, the Lakers need to get young at point guard. I'm tired of Derek Fisher's inept ability to defend any player with the aptitude to move laterally. The problem is the Lakers just signed old man fisher to a three year deal last off-season. So he's not going anywhere. Steve Blake is not better either. His jump shot was nowhere to be found all season long. He was brought in for his defensive play, and outside shooting. He displayed none of these skills. The first thing that Mitch Kupchak needs to attend too is finding point guard help. In fact, he should already have a plan in the works. If they don't, they will continue to make J.J. Barea look like Oscar Robertson.

The second concern is the coaching situation. With Phil Jackson retiring, the search is on for a new head coach. The odds on favorite seems to be Brian Shaw. I myself am not sold on him. Sure he's been an assistant for six years, and he's got an excellent relationship with Kobe Bryant, but that's it. I would rather hire a coach with say.... Head coaching experience. The problem, and yes there always is one... no great candidates. My shortlist of a coaches list would be, Nate McMillan, and Kurt Rambis. But these two are serious long shots. Let's hope Mitch knows what he's doing.

Third concern. Get young. This team needs to get young, and athletic. I honestly don't know how this will happen, seeing as they currently have no first round draft pick, and are severely over the cap limit. Every team in the Western Conference is young and athletic. If the Lakers hope to add to their championships, they must get young. Don't add any over the hill veterans, I.E. Theo Ratliff, Joe Smith, Derek Fisher Etc. It's going to be a tough challenge to turn this team into a title contender, but Mitch Kupchak can get the job done.

By the way, did anyone order that disaster they called a championship fight on saturday?... if you did you should go ask Bob Arum for your money back.

a bright future?

With the UCLA Spring game coming this Saturday at Drake Stadium, it's time to see which players must step up in order for UCLA to avoid another let down season.

Richard Brehaut: Brehaut finished last season as the Bruins starting Quarterback after the perennially injured Kevin Prince was.... injured. I found Brehaut to be a better option then, and I find him to be the best option now. With reports out of spring practice saying that Brehaut has stepped up as team leader, and with a renowned passing touch, it's clear that he's the starter. Brehaut needs to learn the playbook. Simple as that. Last season he looked lost. He didn't know his reads, and failed to identify defensive schemes. Hopefully he's got his head straight, because I love the kids fight, and skills.

Dietrich Riley: Riley steps into Rahim Moore's shoes who declared for the NFL draft after his junior season. Those are huge shoes to fill, but Riley showed last season that he is more than capable. Riley made his presence felt last season with bone crushing hits. Now he must prove he has the skills to play coverage. I remember seeing Riley in the Under Armour all star game when he was a senior. The one thing I came away with was his lack of cover skills. By now I'm sure he's refined his footwork, and is more than able. Riley's play is going to be crucial for the defense, my guess is he establishes himself as an elite safety in the PAC 12.

Patrick Larrimore: What a beast. Larrimore has all the physical skills to play at the next level. He proved that last season before injuring his shoulder, and being done for the season. I'm very eager to see him out there this season at middle backer. Larrimore is going to be more that a player this campaign. He needs to step up in a leadership role. With the loss of Akeem Ayers to the NFL, there is a huge hole to fill. Larrimore will bring toughness, and nastiness to the defense that has lacked it for quite some time.

Morrell Presley: Three years ago, Presley was a five star recruit. A huge coup from USC. Today, Presley is a huge disappointed. His play alone would be reason for disappointed, but Presley has been suspended three times in his UCLA career for team violations. The guy is immensely talented. There is no doubting that. Now he must show it. All signs point to him proving it this year. Presley bulked upped this off season to 240 pounds, and has been moved to his natural position at Tight End. With UCLA's already exiting offensive weapons, a motivated Presley will transform the offense even more.

Offensive Line: All I want for Christmas is a good front line. That's it. For years now, UCLA has been inept up front. Injuries, violations, and bad overall play has been the line motive of operation. Already this spring, Jeff Baca has gone down with an ankle injury. The line needs to stay healthy and produce. They must give the QB sometime to make decisions. They must creat holes for the Running Backs to run through. The line with out a doubt will make or break the season. Hopefully Bob Palcic, the line coach gets the very best out of our guys this year.

Oh by the way, did you guys hear the news?... it seems that Frank McCourts reign of terror is coming to an end. It's going to be interesting what happens next. With out a doubt, McCourt is going to fight Bud Selig's decision. He will probably lose any lawsuit against MLB. At this point, McCourt needs to put the team up for sale, and move on.

Random thoughts....

Jerry Sands made his Major League debut last night, going 1-3 with a sacrifice fly. Nothing spectacular. But, nevertheless an impressive beginning. Sands was expected to stay in triple A for at least half the year. With the Dodgers putrid offensive output, the call was made. Bring Sands up to the show. At some point other roster decisions will have to be made. The most important being what to do with James Loney who seems to regress every year. So far this season, Loney has been horrendous at the plate. His anemic stats make you cringe. Currently his stat line sits at .172/.194/.234. That my friends is god awful. Loney has been one of my favorite Dodger players since he was drafted back in 2002. There was always a question about his bat, but through his first four seasons he managed to impress with his clutch hitting. However since last years All Star break, he has been completely lost at the plate. I'm starting to wonder if the time is right to deal Loney. I hate to be the guy with the "smart trade" ideas. You know these guys. The ones that call up radio shows, and talk about how they just came up with the perfect trade to solve the Lakers woes. You know, Luke Walton, Shannon Brown, a first round pick for Dwight Howard. Wow, what a great idea. I hate to be that guy, but I'm gonna be that guy. The Cleveland Indians are rumored to be dealing Grady Sizemore. If I was Ned Colletti, I would reach out to them. Try and sell them on a James Loney, Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Withrow, and Travon Robinson trade. The trade would then allow the Dodgers to shift Sands to first base, Andre Ethier to left field, and Matt Kemp to right field. Grady Sizemore would look great roaming center field in Chavez Ravine. I believe the Indians would make this deal. The Indians already have a young first baseman in Matt LaPorta, but he's nothing to talk about defensively. A move to the designated hitter might be the answer for LaPorta. Loney needs to step his game up. If he fails to do so, he might be following in our old friend Russell Martin's footsteps. I can only hope Ned beat me to the punch on this one. Once again, I apologize for being the "Smart Trade" guy.

I was gonna write more on the UCLA Bruins, but to be honest... I'm really, really tired. I'll finish off my thoughts on that tomorrow.

Laker Letdown

The Lakers suffered a tough loss earlier today to the New Orleans Hornets, and they now trail 0-1 in the series. The loss was definitely a letdown for Laker nation. Not even Kobe Bryant's amazing performance was enough to stop the Hornets attack today. That's because Kobe was not the one guarding Chris Paul. Chris Paul single handedly beat the Lakers today. He drove to the paint with little ease, he was deadly with his outside shooting, and his passing was on point. It was as if nobody was guarding Paul. On several occasions Paul beat his defender badly, forcing other players to step out and cover Paul. In essence creating defensive meltdown. The man to blame here is Derek Fisher. It's tough for me to admit that, being a lifelong Laker fan. All Laker fans remember his clutch shots in countless playoff games. But, I also remember that his horrendous defense was the reason the Lakers where down at the time. I also remember the numerous times where he continuously gets beaten to the basket. It's not that Fisher's effort is not there, it's that the skill is not there. He can't even guard a semi-quick point guard. At this point, I would feel more comfortable with anyone else defending Paul. The problem is that the Lakers have limited options. Steve Blake is currently out with chickenpox, Shannon Brown is not disciplined enough to play Paul, and Kobe Bryant would get worn out from playing Paul, that his offense would suffer. Even with Fisher out there guarding Paul, the Lakers talent level is so much better that they will pull out the series. My concern with Fisher is that his contract is still on the hook for two more years. That's two more years of Fisher's inept defensive play. Lakers management needs to do something about this problem during the off-season. The draft would be the ideal place to solve this problem. The Lakers current payroll is not flexible and draft choices come cheap, but the Lakers currently do not have a first round pick in this years draft. The Lakers do have a second round pick. Several options who are expected to be around in the second round are Kalin Lucas (Michigan St.), Shelvin Mack (Butler), and Ray McCallum (Detroit). I hope the Lakers are able to land McCallum, who is only a freshman. His athleticism is off the charts, and he has the quickness to stay in front of speedy guards. The free agent market is far less desirable. Marcus Thornton, Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey and Jamal Crawford headline the point guard class. Out of these options, my favorite would be Stuckey. Although mostly by default. His game is solid, but nothing spectacular. Mitch Kupchak has a tough challenge looming this off-season in finding an adequate point guard. I have confidence that Kupchak is up for the task. Until then, Fisher is what the Lakers are stuck with. Hopefully he has plenty of clutch shots left in his arsenal..... and Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and Russell Westbrook all have injuries and are force to sit on the bench.

Vicious Fight

Last nigh Victor Ortiz proved something to everybody, his hype was justified. Ortiz proved all his doubters wrong by beating the previously unbeaten Andre Berto. The victory alone would not have quieted his doubters, the way he won did. Ortiz went out and proved himself a star in the boxing game. He was determined, tough, and yes... Vicious. Ortiz came out strong in the first round, imposing his will on Berto. Ortiz knocked down Berto twice in the first round, although only one was counted. He maintained his pace throughout the early rounds, and hurt a visibly tired Berto. Berto however was strong enough to knock down Ortiz in the second round, though Ortiz's footwork contributed to the fall. The biggest test came in the sixth round for Ortiz. Berto came out of his corner with renewed energy and applied pressure on Ortiz. Berto hit Ortiz with thunderous shots, and even knocked Ortiz down with a beautiful hook. At this point, I was having flashbacks to the Marcos Maidana fight that sent Ortiz on a career whirlwind. In that fight, the sixth round was also his undoing. Ortiz lost the first two minutes, and forty five seconds of the round. But, rounds are three minutes long. Ortiz used the last fifteen seconds to knock Berto down, and make the round a draw. From that point on Ortiz continued his relentless effort. Ortiz won the WBC Welterweight Championship, and instantly became a star in the division. Boxing experts are already talking about a Manny Pacquiao, or Floyd Mayweather showdown. I would prefer for Ortiz not to fight these guys at this stage in his career. I for one would love to see a Marcos Maidana rematch, giving Ortiz further opportunity to erase his past. Whatever fights are in Ortiz's future, they should definitely be as a welterweight. He seems natural at that weight, and his power plays nicely there. Last night Ortiz made Mexicans proud, and he should continued for many years down the road.

Fight Night

Tonight will be a great day for boxing aficionados. First, Amir Khan(24-1) will go up against Paul McCloskey (22-0) in what should be a tough test for Khan. Although, with McCloskey's limited power, Khan's chin will probably not be tested much. This should be a runaway win for Khan. Later tonight on Showtime, Juan Manuel Lopez (30-0) will face Orlando Salido (34-11-2) . This should be a tune-up fight for Lopez as he prepares for a bigger fight later this year. Who knows, maybe the boxing gods will answer our prayers and line up Lopez against Yuriorkis Gamboa (20-0). But, that's down the road. Tonight Lopez should give us at the very least an impressive performance.

The one fight that I am most eager to see is, Andre Berto (27-0) versus Victor Ortiz (28-2-1). Not a lot of people are giving Ortiz a shot. Why should they. Until now, Ortiz's main claim to fame is that he "quit" against Marcos Maidana back in 2009. It was not long ago that Ortiz was a fast rising fighter with the hype. He was supposed to be the next Oscar De la Hoya. He was supposed to be "Vicious". It's safe to say that he has failed to live up to expectations. In his last fight, Ortiz fought unheralded Lamont Peterson. This fight was supposed to show that Ortiz had moved on from the beating he suffered against Maidana. All this fight showed is that Ortiz is still affected by the Maidana fight. Ortiz knocked down Peterson twice early on in the fight, but still managed to only get a draw. It's starting to seem that there is not a lot of "Vicious" in Victor Ortiz. I guess people where right to anoint him the next De La Hoya. I just didn't know they where referring to the Oscar De La Hoya from his latter fights, you know where he failed to show any heart. Tonight, Ortiz will be at a career crossroads. He has to show that he's not all hype, and actually has substance. I for one will be rooting for him. I was one of those that bought into the hype. I supported him after the Maidana fight, and used his family issues as the reason for his poor showing. Tonight will not be easy at all for Ortiz. After all, Berto is one of the best fighters in the game today. A win tonight might set him up with a mega fight with Manny Pacquiao later this year. The odds are stacked against Ortiz. Maybe, that's exactly what he needs. Maybe, today he will show that the hype was justified. Maybe, tonight we will see the "Vicious" fighter we where promised years ago.