10 Most Effective Pro Seminoles in 2018

Now that the Super Bowl has is over, we can officially put the 2018 season behind us. So with that said, it begs the question of which Seminoles were most effective during the calendar year. This post looks at the 10 Most Effective Noles in the Pros for the year 2019. The list is below and is not limited to football. These players have all earned some recognition.

10. Xavier Rhodes
Rhodes only had 1 interception, but he has done a great job. Teams simply don't test him anymore, but Rhodes is still as good as it gets.

9 . Telvin Smith

Lets take a few looks about Telvin and his case.
134 tackles
2 INT
1 defensive touchdown.
This guy is an absolute stud of a linebacker and he should be recognized for how outstanding he has been for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

8. Buster Posey
Buster Posey usually is higher on this list. The only reason Posey isnt higher this year is that he only played in 105 games. He was having another terrific year and made yet another all-star game. When healthy, Posey is still the best catcher in baseball. The last time Posey hit .284 in an injury shortened season, he won MVP the following season. Baseball, you have been placed on notice.

7. Jessica Warren
Jessie only hit .262 for the 2018 summer season for the USSSA Pride, but that doesn't tell the whole season. Warren won FSU a national title in 2018 and then had a successful season in her 1st year of pro ball. Be very proud of Ms. Warren for a fantastic 2018.

6. Malik Beasley
Malik Beasley is having a fantastic year for Denver. He is a vital part of a strong rotation in the Rockies. Beasley has just 12 starts on the year, but is averaging 11.6 points per game. This guy is a very big part of the Nuggets success as a team this year. Denver is 2nd in the West and was ahead of them until the current losing streak (streak counts as 2019.

5. Natasha Howard
Natasha Howard won her 2nd WNBA Championship in 2018. She was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team last year. Howard averaged 13.2 points per game and started 33/34 games for the WNBA champion Seattle Storm.

4. Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey wasn't quite as dominant in 2018 and he was in 2017, but many still consider him the best cover corner in the NFL (including me). He also had 3 picks this season. Ramsey made the pro bowl again in 2018.

3. Derwin James
Derwin James was clearly the best player in the draft last year and the Bucs will be kicking themselves for decades for passing on James. He had more than 100 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 3 INTs. The guy is a swiss army knife that can do everything. James was an all-pro and was the defensive rookie of the year.

2. Rodney Hudson
This might seem odd to have Rodney Hudson this high, but the man is amazing. He is the best center in football. In fact, since 2017 Hudson leads all centers in pass blocking snaps per pressure allowed. He allows just one QB pressure per every 151 snaps. To give you some perspective #2 on the list has 60 snaps per QB pressure.

And the number 1 Seminole for 2018 was.....

1. Brooks Koepka
This one is pretty obvious right. Koepka is the #1 golfer in the world and won 2 majors in 2018. There was not a person in all of sports that had a much better year than Koepka

Let's see what the Noles in the Pros have in store for 2019.

Until then have a great week

- Noland

100 Most Likable American Athletes (10-1)

Weeks ago, I started looking at the most likable athletes in this country following the retirements of Derek Jeter and Champ Bailey. That continues today with the latest look at some awesome American athletes. First, let's look back at what we have gone over so far...
Preview
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51
50-41

40-31

30-21

20-11

Every athlete from here to #1 has a strong case for that top spot. However, the cases get stronger the closer we get. Here are your top 10.

10. Adam Jones

San Diego, California

Current Team: Baltimore Orioles

Adam Jones is the incredibly fan friendly outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles. He has become incredibly likable and played very well for the team. In fact, he has been voted an all-star starter in multiple seasons now and was the leading vote-getter among outfielders during the 2013 season. Yes, he beat even Mike Trout. Not only did he beat Trout that season, but everyone seems to enjoy Adam Jones and the way he plays the game. Jones is always smiling, always giving his best, and always blowing that trademark bubble. Add in that he is incredibly active on social media and interacts with fans constantly and you have all the markings of an incredibly likable player. All except for the charitable donations. That is another area which Jones is quite active. This guy is a no-brainer for this list and belongs here in the Top 10.

9. Bubba Watson

Bagdad, Florida

PGA Tour

Bubba Watson is a two times Masters champ having won the tournament in both 2012 and 2014. Those two wins were the biggest of his career. They helped make him one of the most beloved golfers on the PGA Tour and certainly here in America. While he isn't as popular as Tiger or Phil, he is more likable than both. He is possibly more likable than both combined. There is not a whole lot not to like about Bubba Watson. The dude is a great golfer and a great person. He is also one of "the Golf Boys" as mentioned several times in this countdown. Additionally, he gives most of his time and money to charity and is a very devout Christian. Watson certainly is the most likable golfer on tour.

8. Kerri Walsh Jennings

Santa Clara, California

Volleyball

Kerri Walsh Jennings is the highest ranked female on this list. She is perhaps the greatest female athlete in the world today. Not only is she one of the best, she doesn't have many negatives about her. Every Olympics we could count on her an Misty May to win Team USA some gold medals. Now that Misty retired, Jennings got a new partner, but we can still count on her to win the gold. She was apart of the greatest beach volleyball team of all-time and likely moves onto the 2nd greatest. Her and new partner April Ross have yet to lose a game together and have already won 2 FIVB Gold Medals. There is a lot of fantastic volleyball left from Jennings.

7. Michael Phelps

Towson, Maryland

Swimming

Michael Phelps seems to be the one guy who gets a pass for off the field stuff and while I am not completely sure why, I tend to agree with it. Phelps transgression was that he smoked pot shortly after retiring for a short period of time. If he did drugs after he retired I don't really have a problem with it even if it is a very poor lifestyle choice. It is not like it gave him any sort of competitive advantage. The guy has won 17 gold medals and represented our country as well as possible at the Olympics. What more do you all want? Most of us don't want anything else. We just celebrate Phelps for the excellence that he has achieved. If you are a fan of Team USA period, you have to love Phelps and you do. He is the most decorated Olympian of all-time. It really is a no-brainer to have him in the top 10 since he came out of retirement shortly after the incident. Of greater note, Phelps has signed up for Project Believe an Anti-Doping campaign by the US Anti-Doping Agency that has athletes tested far more than required. Michael Phelps is able to pass performance enhancing drug tests more frequently than the standard competitor.

6. Buster Posey

Leesburg, Georgia

Current Team: San Francisco Giants

My personal favorite athlete is an American treasure. His debut was in September 2009 and his first full season was 2010. That 2010 season he was Rookie of the Year and the Giants won the World Series. Then in 2011 he had a season ending injury and the Giants missed the playoffs. The next season, 2012, he was NL MVP and the Giants won the World Series. 2013 he started the all-star game, but the Giants missed the playoffs. Next, in 2014, he again led the Giants to a World Series. In 5 full seasons, Posey has been the face of a Giants team that won 3 World Series titles. One of the years they did not, he was out for the year. You would be hard pressed to find any athlete in any sport with that kind of impact. Posey does it in a way that makes you love him too. The coolest thing about Buster Posey though is that he once took a class with me and was in a field trip group with me for my Biology class at FSU Finally, his charity work puts him over the top.
Posey has a very strong case for number 1 which was strengthened recently by him being named the Face of MLB. This countdown was finished before those results came out, but it may have swayed me to put my favorite athlete at #1. If there is a mistake in this countdown it is that Posey is not #1. He is however #6 on the countdown.

5. Calvin Johnson

Newnan, Georgia

Current Team: Detroit Lions

Seriously, who does not like Megatron? You got something against 1 handed catches and dominating performances? If not, than you should love Megatron. He is an absolutely fantastic WR with a tremedous amount of athletic ability. Johnson makes all the plays and then some and doesn't run his mouth. All he has done is his job much better than everyone else. He has been a lock and a can't miss prospect all the way back to his college days at Georgia Tech. The guy even broke the Lions curse of picking terrible wide receivers. Most difficult of all, he got the Lions into the playoffs. Johnson already has 15 NFL Records and looks to be achieving more in the near future. Chief among those records is most receiving yards in a season. You cannot  watch him play or conduct himself and dislike the guy. He is as good as it gets from the WR position.

4. Tim Howard

North Brunswick, New Jersey

Current Team: Everton

Compared to other sports that are televised, I probably watch soccer the least being honest. It is a great sport, but it doesn't hold my attention as much as other sports. However, with that being said even I enjoy watching Tim Howard. I enjoyed parts of the World Cup because of National Pride and also Tim Howard's goaltending. The nation was captivated by how Tim Howard played. He received many nicknames after the last World Cup including the Secretary of Defense. Everyone and there brother was talking about him. That World Cup run really put him in the conversation for most likable American athlete.

3. Kevin Durant

Washington D.C.

Current Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

The defending MVP is an easy choice for Top 3 on this list. This guy is a scoring machine and does and says all the right thing. He had one of the greatest MVP acceptance speeches of all-time. That speech sure made its rounds on social media and I am pretty sure everyone saw it. Who does not like a humble superstar that constantly talks about how blessed he is and thanks his teammates? One of the only things Durant could do to be more likable to me is to go home to the Wizards! Durant has donated to numerous causes and been a huge asset to the Oklahoma City community. All that's left is for him to come home...

2. Clayton Kershaw

Dallas, Texas

Current Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw is about as likable as they come for a superstar. He is a great Christian man and a very humble superstar. Kershaw also does and says all the right things. It doesn't hurt that he is the greatest starting pitcher I have seen other than Greg Maddux and Pedro. If he stays healthy, Kershaw is a sure fire Hall of Famer.  This past season, Kershaw won the Cy Young and the MVP Awards for his accomplishments. The Cy Young Award was Kershaw's 3rd already in his young career. Kershaw just turned 27 and has already won 3 Cy Young Awards. That total is the most among any active player and tied for 5th all-time. Roger Clemens is the leader in Cy Young Awards with 7, but remember that he used PEDS at the end of his career to achieve that. There is no reason to suspect even a hint of cheating with Kershaw. This guy is as clean cut as they come. Not only that, when Kershaw is successful, the whole world is successful. He has donated $100 for every strikeout to various charities. 70% of that money goes to Strike Out to Serve which raises money for orphanages in Africa (Kershaw started the foundation after visiting Zambia), 10% each to I am Second, Mercy Street in Dallas, and Peacock Foundation in LA. He also helps out with Habitat for Humanity and various other charitable organizations. In fact, Kershaw won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2012 for all his outstanding community service.

1. JJ Watt

Waukesha, Wisconsin

Current Team: Houston Texans

The #1 player on the countdown has to be JJ Watt. The all evertything defensive end for the Houston Texans. The absolute best at what he does. Arguably the best player in the league. This guy has zero controversy and 100% effort. The bloody nose during the game only adds to his legacy. It has happened on more than one occasion too. Watt was also a preferred walk on at Wisconsin that received only one scholarship offer from Central Michigan. The fact that this 2 star player ended up what he is today is absolutely incredible. He wasn't ranked nationally as a recruit and was the #7 player from Wisconsin. However, as they say, the rest is history. Watt has dominated the NFL and looks to be a guy that will achieve greatness throughout his career. He was just named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by a unanimous vote. Watt was nominated for the Salute to Service Award for honoring our nation's military and is involved with countless charities. He even established his own charity, the Justin J. Watt Foundation which provides opportunities for kids to participate in sports after school. While it was a difficult decision, it is hard to argue that absolutely everyone loves JJ Watt and he deserves to be #1.

Thank you for checking out this countdown. The next few weeks will have a lot of NFL Draft information and early baseball news.

-Noland

2014 A Great Year In Sports

There is one thing that is for sure, 2015 has not started off like 2014...
Looking back at 2014 the year in sports will always be special for me. Just about everything in that year went right. It started in early January with my favorite team of all, Florida State football took care of business and secured the National Title.
The whole season was epic, but securing that title really put the bow on it. That would have made 2014 an awesome sports year, but then Florida State Football went on to win all of their games in the calendar year during the fall. An amazing streak that would stretch all the way to 29 wins. Jameis Winston, who has taken so much nonsense for very little reason, led the Noles through perfection. Although I would have obviously liked them to close out this season with another title, I am thrilled with the performance of the Noles and excited for what Jameis and Jimbo have prepared for our future. It really does not get any better than this past year especially with all the hate our program has received. The hate makes it that much better and as Seminoles we have learned to embrace that hate. We have embraced the most hated team in recent memory and wear that as a badge of pride. Everyone hates us, but we love our team and are proud of our team that deserves 0 hate and 0 backlash.

Let's stick with FSU for a second. As an FSU fan for me it is football, track, baseball, basketball, and then the other sports. However, I love absolutely every sport at FSU and I have been to every sport as a student. It really was a great year for all of Seminole athletics. This fall in particular was spectacular. FSU Volleyball advanced to the Sweet 16 and FSU Soccer won a National Championship. Our fall sports were simply dominant. Men's Golf is actually a spring sport, but they had some Fall action and the Noles are #1 in Men's Golf. FSU happened to secure the FGCU Classic in late October to stay #1 and look quite strong for this season. Track is looking strong heading into 2015 and had a fantastic season in 2014. FSU Softball advanced to the College World Series in 2014 and baseball once again was a National Seed. All FSU programs represented the school brilliantly in 2014, and while it is over 2015 looks strong as well. That should not stop us from remembering what I believe is our best year to date though. Two national championship wins in a calendar year is impressive for any school. Great job Noles.

After the Seminoles, my favorite team is the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles were actually the first team I loved and the 1st sport I loved was baseball. This is a team I grew up watching and my entire immediate family loved. They were our local team growing up and when the Nationals came to town, I kept my allegiance to the Baltimore Orioles. During those years as an Oriole fan since my birth in '87 they have been awful the overwhelming majority of the time. However, this year they won the AL East (which I have seen twice) and they advanced to the ALCS (which I have also only seen twice). I have never seen them advance past where they did this year. This is also only the 4th postseason appearance period of my lifetime for this team. When you consider all of these factors and the fact that this team overcame so much, I am so proud of their 2014. AL East Champs and advancing to the American League finale is something I will gladly take from my Baltimore Orioles!

The Orioles didn't win it all, but I was happy with the result. On Halloween, I wrote a piece about the greatness of two of the players that did win the World Series. While neither of those players are on the Orioles, I would take each one in a heartbeat and I am not upset that they won. The fact that one of them is a former 'Nole and my favorite current athlete helps. Add in that the Giants are managed by Bruce Bochy and you have another successful element of 2014. So another element of the best sports year being 2014, has to be two former Noles winning the World Series for the Giants.

My other hometown team I loved from VA was the Washington Wizards. I have not seen many great years with the Wizards, but that was different in 2014.The Wizards made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2014 and have started the 2014-2015 season very strong. Much like the Orioles, the Wizards have been traditionally terrible in my lifetime, and this is the furthest I have seen Washington advance. The Wizards looked good doing it too as this team looked quite capable of knocking off the Pacers in Round 2. Washington looked so good to close out last season that I picked them to win the Eastern Conference this year. No doubt this has been the best time in my lifetime to be a Washington Wizards fan.

My next favorite team is actually another NBA team in the San Antonio Spurs. I followed David Robinson when I was young because he shared most of my name and because he went to the Naval Academy which I thought was awesome. In college I really enjoyed the fundamental play of Tim Duncan who naturally became my favorite basketball player when the Admiral retired. I stuck with liking Duncan and the Spurs post Robinson due to my admiration and respect of Duncan and Popovich. San Antonio is the best example of team sports play and they are an absolute thrill to watch. They put on a clinic this past season and you cannot complain about any of it if you like the Spurs. Tim Duncan is also finally getting some of the much deserved respect for his fantastic career. In 2014, Duncan added a 5th championship ring to his resume. He could well be starting the run to his 6th ring this season.

Finally, we get to the NFL. I used to be a Redskins fan, but dumped them like a bad habit when they got rid of a family friend and Snyder took over. I refused to even consider going back when they brought in Steve Spurrier and loaded up on Gators. That was the last straw for me. I went to the Bucs at that point because they had my two favorite Noles (Warrick Dunn and Derrick Brooks). They also had a strong Christian Head Coach in Tony Dungy and an exciting defense. I was a good Bucs fan until they handled Dungy inappropriately and then I went back and forth between the Texans, Ravens, and Bucs. I am not even going to lie about my NFL allegiance. These past few seasons it has been root for the team with more Noles and against the team with players I do not like. It has worked out pretty well. Now, what does this have to do with 2014? The Buccaneers, the team I want to root for, has a golden opportunity for 2015 based on their play in 2014. They can secure the best player in the 2015 NFL Draft because they tanked in 2014. Tampa Bay can draft Jameis Winston (assuming he goes pro) and I can be a Bucs fan forever. Of course, they could screw it up take Marriota and go with the status quo, but I prefer to think positively. I like Lovie and will love the Bucs if they get Jameis. There will be some meaning of this year in the NFL so that this truly can be my best sports year ever,

Regardless of that though, it still was the best year. 2014 was a banner year in sports. Here is to more of this stuff happening in 2015. Go Noles! Go Orioles! Go Wizards! Go Spurs! and Go Bucs?

-Noland

The Historical Greatness of Bumgarner and Posey

This World Series was one of the most entertaining series of my lifetime. I would put this series at number 2 behind the 2001 World Series where the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees.
(You must remember that I was born in 1987 and don't fully remember the Twins win in 1991.)
However, this win goes beyond that when you think of San Francisco's two biggest stars, Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey.

For both of these terrific athletes, their first full seasons in the league was 2010. During that season, the duo led the Giants to the World Series. Now, in their 5th full season each, they have won their 3rd World Series Championship for the Giants. Wow! 3 World Series Titles in 5 years! Do not forget their age either, because as impressive as this is, Bumgarner is 24 years old! Posey is only 27! There is more to come from this impressive battery. They have not won for a historical powerhouse either. The Giants had not won since 1954 when they were the New York Giants prior to this duo. Jeter has his 5 championships in 20 seasons, but it was for the team with the highest payroll every year except the last two (Dodgers) while the Giants are nowhere near that. The Giants were 7th in payroll this season, a full 80 million behind the Dodgers and 50 million behind the Yankees. In 2012, the San Francisco Giants were 8th in payroll. They were 10th in payroll in 2010. These payroll numbers show that the team wasn't cheap, but they also weren't buying superstars left and right like the New York Yankees were doing.

To further illustrate the dominance of Posey, look at the 2011 season when the Giants lost him to a broken leg...

Those 2011 Giants missed the playoffs by 8 games. They were beaten out by an inferior Arizona team that couldn't hold water with San Francisco. Posey would only come back to win the MVP of the league coming off said broken leg. He of course would win that MVP and lead the Giants to another championship in 2012. Then obviously they won it this season. San Fran not only doesn't win without Posey or Bumgarner, they don't even make the playoffs without either one. You sub one of the two out for a league average guy and they have 0 championships.

That brings me to my next point on Bruce Bochy. Look, Bochy is a Nole and I love the guy for that. However, there is no doubt that the guy doesn't sniff the Hall of Fame without these two players. Those 3 rings that this team won though should put Bochy in Cooperstown. The rings put him in an elite class of manager and are truly impressive. There is absolutely no way though that if another team had Posey and/or Bumgarner that these Giants win. It just doesn't happen. During the Yankee wins in Jeter's career I would argue that you sub any of those guys for a league average player and the Yankees win at least 3 titles and Torre is still a HOF. However, with one of these guys switching, that same thing doesn't happen for the Giants. This team would win 0 titles. The Bruce Bochy factor must be considered.

Look, I realize there is a lot of baseball left in these young players' careers. I also realize that neither of these guys did it alone. They had strong personnel around them. In addition to that though, I just realize how historically great they are. It is no coincidence that these two came up and this team started winning. It is no coincidence that Madison Bumgarner completely dominated the World Series multiple times. There is no coincidence behind this guy being compared to the greatest of all-time in the playoffs and stacking up favorably. That guy and his catcher Posey are simply fantastic. The best thing is that they got a lot of good baseball left in them. There are no two players in all of Major League Baseball right now that I would rather have than Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey. That should say all it needs to about what I think of this duo. Unfortunately, for the rest of baseball they are on the same team.

-Noland

100 Best MLB Players

With all this talk about top 100 in my past few posts, I decided to start doing my own top 100 list for the 3 major sports. These lists will be based on value provided the rest of this season and into next year. For instance, Mariano Rivera is not eligible because he will not play in 2014. It is a list for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Past accomplishments factor in, but it isn't an all-time list, so a guy like Derek Jeter will not be in the top 10, eventhough he is arguably the best player of today over his career. Defense will factor in a great deal with these rankings. Finally, no players linked to steroids will be included, so no A-Rod or Braun from me

The hardest thing in all of sports is to compare position players with pitchers, but I did my best to take care of everything here.

100. Chris Tillman             Baltimore Orioles        SP

99. Aroldis Chapman        Cincinnati Reds           P

98. Jarrod Parker              Oakland A's               SP

97. Yoenis Cespedes        Oakland A's                OF

96. Shane Victorino           Boston Red Sox         OF

95. Mike Napoli                Boston Red Sox         1B

94. Wil Myers                   Tampa Bay Rays         OF

93. Kyle Seager                Seattle Mariners          3B

92. Hisashi Iwakuma         Seattle Mariners          SP

91. Wei Yin Chen             Baltimore Orioles         SP

90. Alex Gordon               Kansas City Royals     OF

89. Curtis Granderson       New York Yankees    OF

88. Chris Archer               Tampa Bay Rays         SP

87. Cole Hammels            Philadelphia Phillies      SP

86. Matt Wieters              Baltimore Orioles         C

85. Shelby Miller              St. Louis Cardinals       SP

84. Prince Fielder             Detroit Tigers               1B

83. Jed Lowrie                 Oakland A's                 SS

82. Michael Bourn            Cleveland Indians         OF

81. Carlos Gomez            Milwaukee Brewers      OF

80. Jayson Werth             Washington Nationals   OF

79. Ian Desmond              Washington Nationals   SS

78. Brandon Beachy         Atlanta Braves             SP

77. Joe Nathan                 Texas Rangers             CP

76. Torii Hunter                Detroit Tigers               OF

75. Chris Sale                   Chicago White Sox      SP

74. Cliff Lee                      Philadelphia Phillies      SP

73. James Loney               Tampa Bay Rays         1B

72. Anibal Sanchez            Detroit Tigers              SP

71. Matt Holiday               St. Louis Cardinals      OF

70. Yasiel Puig                  Los Angeles Dodgers  OF

69. Coco Crisp                 Oakland A's                OF

68. Brett Gardner              New York Yankees    OF

67. Andrelton Simmons     Atlanta Braves             SS

66. JJ Hardy                      Baltimore Orioles        SS

65. Ben Zobrist                 Tampa Bay Rays         IF/OF

64. Mike Minor                 Atlanta Braves             SP

63. Matt Moore                Tampa Bay Rays          SP

62. Jordan Zimmerman      Washington Nationals   SP

61. Starling Marte              Pittsburgh Pirates         OF

60. Derek Holland             Texas Rangers             SP

59. Justin Masterson          Cleveland Indians         SP

58. Jay Bruce                    Cincinnati Reds            OF

57. Dominic Brown           Philadelphia Phillies       OF

56. Pedro Alvarez             Pittsburgh Pirates          3B

55. Craig Kimbrel             Atlanta Braves              CP

54. Jose Reyes                  Toronto Blue Jays        SS

53. Brandon Phillips          Cincinnati Reds             2B

52. Joe Mauer                  Minnesota Twins            C

51. James Shields              Kansas City Royals       SP

50. Shin-Shoo Choo         Cincinnati Reds              OF

49. Julio Teheran               Atlanta Braves               SP

48. Giancarlo Stanton        Miami Marlins                OF

47. Patrick Corbin            Arizona Diamondbacks   SP

46. Justin Upton                Atlanta Braves               OF

45. Jon Lester                   Boston Red Sox             SP

44. Elvis Andrus                Texas Rangers                SS

43. Chris Johnson              Atlanta Braves                3B

42. Carlos Beltran             St. Louis Cardinals          OF

41. Allen Craig                  St. Louis Cardinals          1B

40. Stephen Strasburg       Washington Nationals      SP

39. Hyun-Jin Ryu               Los Angeles Dodgers      SP

38. Matt Harvey                New York Mets              SP

37. Troy Tulowitski            Colorado Rockies           SS

36. David Wright               New York Mets              3B

35. Bryce Harper              Washington Nationals      OF

34. Freddie Freeman         Atlanta Braves                 1B

33. Hiroki Kuroda             New York Yankees        SP

32. Jason Kipnis                Cleveland Indians            2B

31. Evan Longoria             Tampa Bay Rays             3B

30. Justin Verlander           Detroit Tigers                  SP

29. Clay Buchholz              Boston Red Sox             SP

28. Jeff Locke                    Pittsburgh Pirates            SP

27. Adrian Gonzalez           Los Angeles Dodgers      1B

26. Salvador Perez             Kansas City Royals          C

25. Jose Fernandez            Miami Marlins                  SP

24. Josh Donaldson           Oakland A's                     3B

23. Matt Carpenter            St. Louis Cardinals            IF

22. David Price                  Tampa Bay Rays              SP

21. Adam Wainwright        St. Louis Cardinals            SP

20. Jacoby Ellsbury            Boston Red Sox               OF

19. Carlos Gonzalez           Colorado Rockies             OF

18. Max Scherzer               Detroit Tigers                    SP

17. Joey Votto                   Cincinnati Reds                 1B

16. Paul Goldschmidt         Arizona Diamondbacks     1B

15. Chris Davis                  Baltimore Orioles              1B

14. Jean Segura                 Milwaukee Brewers          SS

13. Dustin Pedroia             Boston Red Sox                2B

12. Robinson Cano            New York Yankees          2B

11. Miguel Cabrera            Detroit Tigers                    3B

10. Andrew McCutchen     Pittsburgh Pirates              OF

09. Adam Jones                 Baltimore Orioles              OF

08. Yadier Molina              St.Louis Cardinals              C

07. Yu Darvish                   Texas Rangers                   SP

06. Adrian Beltre                Texas Rangers                   3B

05. Mike Trout                   Los Angeles Angels           OF

04. Manny Machado           Baltimore Orioles              3B

03. Felix Hernandez            Seattle Mariners                SP

02. Clayton Kershaw           Los Angeles Dodges         SP

01. Buster Posey                 San Francisco Giants         C

MLB Season Predictions

AL Season Predictions

AL East

1. Baltimore

2. Tampa

3. New York

4. Toronto

5. Boston

AL Central

1. Detroit

2. Kansas City

3. Chicago

4. Minnesota

5. Cleveland

AL West

1. Anaheim

2. Texas

3. Oakland

4. Seattle

5. Houston

Wild Cards: Tampa, Kansas City

MVP: Albert Pujols

Cy Young: David Price

NL Season Predictions

NL East

1. Washington

2. Atlanta

3. Philly

4. New York

5. Miami

NL Central

1. Cincy

2. Pittsburgh

3. Milwaukee

4. St. Louis

5. Chicago

NL West

1. San Fran

2. LA

3. Arizona

4. Colorado

5. San Diego

Wild Cards: LA and Atlanta

MVP: Buster Posey

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw

ALCS: Baltimore over Anaheim

NLCS: San Fran over Washington

World Series: Baltimore over San Fran

World Series MVP: Matt Wieters

-Noland

What To Look Forward To In 2013

Instead of looking back and seeing how the year went (it was fantastic by the way in sports!!) I thought I would look forward towards what good will be coming in 2013. I'll look at the 3 major sports for both college and pro and a few of the things that we can look forward to.

Major League Baseball

Nolan Reimold Returns

On this blog I am a big Nolan Reimold fan. He is my second favorite Oriole (now that Andino is gone) and is behind only Nick Markakis on my list of Oriole favorites. Before Reimold went down in May, he was the Oriole's best and most reliable hitter. Look up the stats. Reimold would have been an all-star if he stayed healthy and kept that pace up. This guy can just flat out hit. Imagine the production if he stays healthy. Unfortunately, it is a big if, but we are being optimistic. Oh ya, Markakis returns too!

Full Season of Manny Machado

Manny Machado was brought up late in the year for the Orioles and stabilized their defense. The guy saved the Orioles from what was a disaster at 3rd. Very excited to see what the youngster will do with a full season at 3rd. He is the best non-pitching prospect the Orioles have had in a very long time.

Buster Posey is Back!!!

Buster will try to defend his MVP award in 2013. The guy is an animal. He is also one of the classiest athletes in professional sports. Oh and he is a Seminole! Buster Posey has played two full seasons in Major League Baseball. The Giants have won the World Series in each of Posey's full seasons.

NFL

Christian Ponder Makes Playoff Debut

This may not be very exciting for all NFL fans, but as a CP7 fan and a Seminole alumni, I am psyched for Ponder's playoff debut. The guy is all class and I love that the Vikings are going to the playoffs. Sure, Peterson is the big success story with Minnesota this year, but the Vikings don't beat Houston without that performance from Ponder. Ponder played very well the last two weeks, and I hope it continues this week. This is certainly one game I will be looking forward to this weekend.

Peyton Is Still Great

Peyton Manning is back and almost as good as ever. He led the Broncos to the top seed in the AFC and looks poised to make another Super Bowl run. How can you not be intrigued by this guy's return to the playoffs. A possible game with the Patriots must have ESPN going nuts.

Alfred Morris Is On A Mission

Alfred Morris is a terrific running back and one of the great steals of this past year's draft. He also seems very motivated by his Pro Bowl snub. It will be tough for Seattle to stop Morris and RG3, but they will have to try. This seems to be the game to watch in the 1st round of the playoffs.

NBA

The Spurs Teamwork

Some may call it boring, but I call it the best teamwork in sports. This team is so unselfish and so great and it is something to watch. I cannot wait to see if Pop is able to deliver another title this season. The way this team plays basketball is like poetry in motion. I look forward to more Spurs basketball in 2013.

One Year Closer to David Stern's Retirement

I have not left my feelings for commissioner Stern unknown. Check out my previous entry on him if you want to know more about that. This guy has got to go so the best team can actually win. We can see the Spurs hold that trophy once again if the commish leaves.

College Baseball

#11 Goes For The Title

The Seminoles beloved baseball coach, who I am a big fan of here, goes for that coveted title. This is my #1 team if I had to pick the team I most want to win. Mike Martin is such a loyal and good man. Martin is one of my role models in coaching. A famous quote of his is "there is never a wrong time to do the right thing." A guy like that really deserves to win the big one.

College Football

One Year Closer to Louisville in the ACC

This team should help end the hate against the ACC. Losing Maryland and gaining Louisville was a huge get for the conference. Louisville is much more legit than Louisville. This will help stop the strength of schedule questions that plagued the Seminoles this season. Teddy Bridgewater coming to the ACC sounds big. Pittsburgh and Syracuse join next year too which is also exciting. Both are solid enough that they add another legit opponent.

One Year Closer to a Playoff

Personally I wanted to see Notre Dame play Kansas State or Oregon for the national title. The playoff will help determine which one truly deserves the opportunity. Even if it is Alabama or Florida, I prefer it get settled on the field some way. The playoff is coming soon.

Seminoles Look Strong

The Seminoles had the #1 recruiting class 2 years ago, the #2 class last year and will likely add another top 10 class this year. These Noles look pretty good. They are already 1-0 in 2013 too. Must be a good omen for things to come. I sure will miss Lonnie Pryor though.

Nothing excites me about College Basketball right now.

-Noland

My MLB All-Star Ballot

Before I released my ballot, I wanted to release the picture above so everyone knew where the top Orioles stood. Let me be clear though before I release my ballot. I love JJ Hardy, I think he is awesome, but Derek Jeter is going to win. Now let's get to the ballot and when you vote, #VoteOrange.

American League
1st Base
Paul Konerko  White Sox
.365 12 HR 35 RBI
Plays for the 1st Place White Sox
Konerko is currently 3rd in voting

2nd Base
Ian Kinsler   Texas Rangers
.273 7 HR 30 RBI
Plays for the 1st Place Texas Rangers
Kinsler is currently leading voting
I was extremely tempted to vote for Andino because he is one of my favorite players, but decided it wouldn't be right. Cano may be the better player, but he's a Yankee so vote Kinsler.

3rd Base
Mark Trumbo  Los Angeles Angels
.326 14 HR 39 RBI
Plays for the 2nd Place Los Angeles Angels
Trumbo currently not in the top 5
This guy deserves to be the starter, but probably won't be anywhere near the top. Beltre looks like the best choice and will likely win, but picking between him and Cabrera is tough. Trumbo is the top guy.

SS
JJ Hardy  Baltimore Orioles
.248 11 HR 27 RBI
Plays for my surprising competitive Baltimore Orioles
Currently 3rd in voting
I was tempted to vote for Jeter, I am not even going to lie. However, when I thought about it, JJ Hardy is a big reason for the Orioles success. Additionally, 11 HR from a SS is incredible.

Catcher
Matt Wieters  Baltimore Orioles
.255 9 HR 27 RBI
Best catcher in baseball
Currently 2nd in voting
Wieters has a real shot to start and will likely be returning to the game no matter what. What he does can't even be measured in the box score. He is vital to the Orioles success.

Designated Hitter
Edwin Encarnacion  Toronto Blue Jays
.290 17 HR 44 RBI
Currently 5th in voting
Time for a rant about David Ortiz. Why does Ortiz get a free pass on steroids? He took them. Can we stop loving him. Encarnacion is the better hitter in a weaker lineup. Not only that, but he has more RBIs. He should be the guy.

Outfield
Josh Hamilton  Texas Rangers
Adam Jones  Baltimore Orioles
Austin Jackson  Detroit Tigers
Hamilton .338 22 HR 61 RBI
Jones .300 17 HR 37 RBI
Jackson .324 6 HR 20 RBI
Hamilton 1st in voting
Jones 5th in voting
Jackson 11th in voting
Jackson is behind Brett Gardner, what kind of sick joke is that?
Hamilton and Jones have arguably been the best two players in baseball and they certainly deserve it, but the 3rd guy is more of a toss up.

National League
1st Base
Joey Votto  Cincinatti Reds
.355 10 HR 38 RBI
Currently 1st in voting
This one won't be close, Votto will win and deserves it

2nd Base
Jose Altuve  Houston Astros
.326 4 HR 22 RBI
Currently 5th in voting
Might as well vote for Altuve for 2 reasons.
1) he deserves it and is the only reason the Astros aren't in last
2) the Astros have to have at least one all-star so it might as well go to someone who deserves it

Shortstop
Starlin Castro  Chicago Cubs
.308 5 HR 38 RBI 16 Stolen Bases
Currently 3rd in voting
I was tempted to pick FSU alum Stephen Drew, but Starlin Castro deserves it and the Cubs have to have an all-star

3rd Base
David Wright  New York Mets
.354 8 HR 34 RBI
Currently 1st in voting
Don't see how it can be someone other than Wright.

Catcher
Buster Posey  San Francisco Giants
Not gonna lie. Didn't even think about this one. Had to vote for Buster.
Currently a close 2nd in voting.

Outfield
Carlos Beltran  St.Louis Cardinals
Matt Kemp  Los Angeles Dodgers
Michael Bourn Atlanta Braves
All deserve it a great deal.
Beltran is 2nd in voting.
Kemp is 1st.
Ryan Braun is 3rd, but didn't pick him due to steroid concerns.
Bourn is in 8th currently.

Ramsey Named Capital One Academic All America Player of the Year

Florida State Seminole OF James Ramsey just received pretty much the most prestigious honor a college baseball player can receive. The Golden Spikes is the bigger award for baseball, but when measuring a student-athlete it is hard to top this one. James Ramsey won the Capital One Academic All America Player of the Year. Ramsey is just the 2nd Seminole to win the award. Can you guess the other? Yes, it is Buster Posey.

In addition to being the 2nd player to be named player of the year, Ramsey was obviously named 1st team All-America. He did this for the 2nd straight year. Ramsey becomes the 2nd Seminole to do that as well. No, the other one is not Buster Posey. It is actually Greg Gromek (70 & 71). What a great accomplishment by Ramsey.

James Ramsey will lead the Seminoles in the 1st game of the Tallahassee Regional in about an hour.

-Noland

Mike Martin ACC Coach of the Year

Once again, #11 has done it. After leading FSU to their 9th regular season ACC title, Mike Martin has been named ACC Coach of the Year for the 7th time. I know that the award isn't what Martin really wants and that he wants to win that first national title, but he has to be proud of the team.

Outfielder James Ramsey was named ACC player of the year. Ramsey becomes the 5th Seminole to bring home that honor. The others include Buster Posey, JD Drew and John Ford-Griffin. This guy had a great year and deserved the honor.

It goes without saying that Ramsey was an All-ACC first teamer given his honor. Joining Ramsey on the 1st team are 1st baseman Jayce Boyd, 2nd baseman Devon Travis, and relief pitcher Robert Benincasa. Freshman pitcher Mike Compton made the 2nd team. After receiving all of the awards, the Noles will look to win the ACC Tournament.

-Noland

Favorite MLB Players

I wanted to talk a bit about my favorite MLB players. This will help you get an idea of who I like/liked in the game of baseball. For this list I will only post players who I have seen play, so players after 1990 (I was born in '87, but obviously can't remember those). I will also only pick each player one so I will not pick Griffey for Seattle and Cincinnati. I will try to pick each person for the team they were with longest to keep it interesting.

Atlanta
Deion Sanders
It's primetime. The two sport athlete and perhaps best Seminole all around athlete ever. Perhaps best all around athlete ever period. Deion was the best.

Arizona
Stephen Drew
FSU legend. What is not to like?

Baltimore
Cal Ripken Jr.
How can it not be Cal? I did love Brady and Devo though. Cal was everything that was right with baseball in the 90s and perhaps saved the game.

Boston
JD Drew
One of FSU's greatest players ever. One of the only tolerable Red Sox ever.


Cincinnati
Eric Davis
This guy was enjoyable to watch. Loved him in Cincinatti and Baltimore.

Chicago Cubs
Jerry Hairston Jr.
One of my least favorite trades was sending Hairston to Chicago for Sosa.

Chicago White Sox
Frank Thomas
The Big Hurt was the coolest baseball nickname. He absolutely killed the ball.

Cleveland
Kenny Lofton
Loved the spectacular catches.

Colorado
Todd Helton
I like Helton and not much else from that team.

Detroit
Justin Verlander
One of the harder picks. Love Verlander and couldn't think of one I liked more besides Pudge. Can't use Pudge twice.

Houston
Craig Biggio
My aunt went to college with Craig Biggio. One of the all-time greats.

Kansas City
Bo Jackson
Bo knows baseball. Who didn't love Bo Jackson?

Los Angeles Angels
Tim Salmon
Just always like him.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Eddie Murray
Murray didn't do as much with the Dodgers, but his Oriole history made me root for him while he was there.





Miami
Randy Choate
Former FSU pitcher gives him an edge over the other Marlins.

Milwaukee
JJ Hardy
I always liked JJ Hardy even before he came to Baltimore. I was overjoyed when he came our way.

Minnesota
Kirby Puckett
I loved the bowling ball belly and him still being athletic. Love the effort and joy he brought to the game. Love that he stuck with the Twins his whole career.

Montreal (eventhough the expos no longer exist, I added them in addition to the Nats because I remember them)
Vladimir Guerrero
Loved him in Montreal with his cannon. Not so much in Baltimore.

New York Mets
Billy Wagner
Wagner was from VA and was lights out as a closer. I love how he kept battling back.

New York Yankees
Mike Mussina
I never hated Mouse like many O's fans did. Always supported him while rooting against the dang yankees.

Oakland
Rickey Henderson
Greatest leadoff hitter of all time. My second favorite leadoff hitter (Brady was #1)

Philadelphia
Jaime Moyer
Jaime Moyer is the man. You have seen me post on Moyer already. Incredible longevity.

Pittsburgh
Brian Giles
This was probably the toughest pick for me. I have not liked many Pirates. I liked Brian Giles though.



San Diego
Tony Gwynn
He did all the little things and he did them with a smile.


San Fransisco
Buster Posey
I took a class with Posey at FSU. He is a superstar. Anybody that follows FSU baseball has to love Buster Posey.

Seattle
Ken Griffey Jr.
What is there to say about Jr. that hasn't already been said? The guy was the pure athlete in an era of cheaters. Griffey is the gold standard.


St. Louis
John Mabry
Mabry was actually my favorite baseball player in his time. Mostly because he was a distant relative, but Mabry is a class act. He sent some baseballs to my brothers and sister when we found out we were related. He was actually a solid baseball player eventhough he is best known for being the other first baseman in St. Louis. I will post more on Mabry at another time. Class Act.

Tampa Bay
Paul Sorrento
The only real reason I love Sorrento is that he was an FSU legend. When I found out players went to FSU or I saw them play there I rooted for them nonstop. Sorrento was a great baseball player in his day.

Texas
Ivan Rodriguez
I posted about Rodriguez on his retirement. Best catcher of all time.

Toronto
Roberto Alomar
Robbie Alomar is the second best player I have seen play. The only one that was better was Griffey and it was pretty close. Alomar did everything amazing. It was a pleasure to see him play for the Orioles a couple of seasons.

Washington
Ryan Zimmerman
I'm not the biggest fan of anybody the Nationals have had. I do like Jerry Hairston, but I already used him. I decided to pick Zimmerman because I love the way he plays and if I could pick anyone on the Nationals roster out of position players, he would be it.


-Noland