MLB Week 3........Gone Streakin' (Apr 21-27)

Week 3 in Major League Baseball was filled with streaks.
Streaks that are beginning , ending and continuing. It was tough for me, to really come up with an opening picture. Honestly, it was the hardest thing I had to do this week.
The Marlins and Yankees had a tough week. While, the Cardinals and Red Sox had an awesome week.
With "Streak Week" finally coming to a close, we found out what teams and players are for real.

Batting averages preparing to come down to normal, slumpers bringing out their bats, farm system phone calls and managers losing their minds. The Real Baseball Season is finally here.

My Top 5 sluggers
1. Albert Pujols(2)(STL/1B)- There's no question that once A-Rod hits his 800 home runs that Albert will be right behind him. His reading ability against opposing pitchers is ridiculous....it's the only reason why he is getting a hit every 3 at bats. If he keeps batting like this consistently he will be on this list weekly. His great start to the season is one of the reasons why the NL Central leading Cardinals are making a break to a division title.

Pujols' year consists of a .333 BA , 7 home runs and 25 RBI's. His league leading 20 runs this year is about 1/6 of the Cardinals run production. Without Pujols, the Cardinals would not be leading the league in runs scored (118).

2. Ian Kinsler (2)(Tex/2B)- Ian is furiously, consistently hitting the ball well. Why isn't he number one on this list? Because Cardinals hitters... Ludwick and Pujols are hitting the ball better. Sooner or later he'll be better than Pujols. Not Really...
His numbers: 7 homers, 20 RBI's, and a .340 BA.


3. Carlos Pena(TB/1b)- It's very hard for me to do this. You can make a case about this all you want but if you look at his projected stats on ESPN.com it says that he's projected to hit 76 homers and bring in 203 RBI's. Yeah Right. He's definitely off to a great start by leading in the AL in home runs and runs batted in, 9HR, and 24 RBI. The only thing that scares me about this guy is his batting average. .257. It's not top 5 quality...Ya know

4. Kevin Youkilis(BOS/1B)- "Youk" in German means 'The Greek God of Walks'. "Youkii" must means God of Runs. This guy is all power. He's played his entire 5 year career at Boston and his biggest year was last year with 29 HR's and 115 RBI's.. There is no way he gets below those numbers this year. He's off to a great start with 5 home runs, 13 RBI's. Those numbers aren't eye-popping compared to everyone else's. What is-is his 29 hits, 20 runs and .414 batting average.

5. Brandon Inge (DET/3B)- I call him 'fearless'. The only time I've seen this guy smile is in this picture to my left. He plays the game so serious. I really think playing 3rd base (the hot corner) is stressful. But playing 3rd base and putting up unbelievable numbers is just as hard. He's played his entire 8 year career in Detroit and his biggest year was in 2006 when he hit 27/83(hr/rbi). He's on track to stomp those numbers in 2009. He's got 7 HR's, 17 RBI's, and a .328 BA.

Honorable Mention
Nick Markakis(RF) and Adam Jones(CF)-The Baltimore Orioles should be thankful they have two of the hottest outfielders in baseball. They both combine with 52 hits and 42 runs (21 a piece). Also they both have a batting average above .340 and batted in 17+ RBI's this season.


My Top 5 pitchers

1. Zack Grienke(3)(KC)- This kid's stuff is INSANE. His scoreless innings streak ended on an error. Typical Royals.... Or Not so Typical? Is this kid a fluke? With 4 wins, 29 innings and giving up 1 run....no earned runs. Is this kid the truth? I think so. He has a WHIP(walks+hits/inning) of .86, 39 strikeouts and an ERA of 0. If he keeps this up...he will be an All-Star game starter.

2. Johan Santana(2)(NYM)- Mr "Lights Out". 25 2/3 innings...37 strikeouts. He's only given up 4 runs in 4 games (2 earned). There's no question he's winning 20 games this year. 4-0 with a .70 ERA.



3. Chad Billingsley(2) (LAD)- With Clayton Kershaw acting up on the mound...giving up too many home runs and earned runs.....Chad has really stepped up and taking that roll as head man. He's 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA, 26 strikeouts in 26 innings. This stud is amazing with a baseball.


4. Roy Halladay(2) (TOR)- Roy doesn't deserve to be this high on the list, but he has 4 wins. The only reason why he's on this list is because his wins are due to his team bailing him out. If Zack Grienke trails out in the AL Cy Young Race.... Halladay will be your winner. But he has to find his spots. He can not be on 'Holiday'...it's that simple. Giving up 15 runs in 5 games scares me..only because his ERA is high through 36 innings(3.75)....mind you that he has 32 stirkeouts which helps his 4-1 record look appealing...or worth looking at.

5. Javier Vazquez(ATL)- Through 11 years of his career...the last 9 years he has had 10+ wins. There's no doubt that he is reliable...we just need some control. Through 24 innings he has given up 7 earned runs...that's the down-side. Javier has a 2-1 record...with a 2.60 ERA with 34 strikeouts.


Honorable Mention
Armando Galarraga(ATL) By the starts...He is becoming more and more impressive. Through 4 starts, 24 innings pitched, 24 strikeouts, 3-0 record with a 1.85 ERA. He has only given up 5 earned runs.

Who's Hot/Who's Not

Hot

Boston Red Sox- They're on a 11 game winning streak ....outscoring opponents 83-37. Playing in the toughest division in baseball. There's no way that they should be sweeping the Yankees at Fenway with their so called dominant pitching staff. But with great run production and staying aggressive on base...(i.e. stealing home base). They might be making a statement for a division crown.

St. Louis Cardinals- Like I said last week, the objective of the game is to score runs. Scoring the most runs in the league and having a run differential of +31... there's no doubt that they are the hottest team in the National League, but watch out for those Dodgers in the West.

Not

'The' New York Yankees- When you commit 441 million dollars to your team in the offseason you should be winning the division. Actually, you shouldn't lose a game. But for some reason, having the worst ERA in the league.....7+ runs a game from their starting pitching. Having a 9-10 record sounds normal to them, but there is no excuse for playing crappy baseball. Their offense is awesome, but C.C Sabathia and his 161 million dollars needs to step up.... having a 4.73 ERA is not going to win a divison title. He needs to act like an ACE.

Florida Marlins- Last week, I was all over this team. They were 11-1 heading into Pennsylvania, facing the Phillies and the Pirates.. and they got swept. They fell off the radar that fast. During their 7 game losing streak they have given up 51 runs. Also, during that stretch they have scored 16 runs. Pathetic. And that my friend is how you go from Hot-to-Not within a week.

My Surprises

Toronto Blue Jays: I'm surprised of this team because to maintain and to be composed to being atop the AL East division...through the Red Sox's 11 game win streak...is tough. Very tough. Once you hit rock bottom in that division, there is no coming back. Their Adversity and Integrity is intense and I hope it shows all year. Yeah Right... (lol)

MLB Week 2: Grand Slam Week (Apr 14-20)

One thing is for sure.... This will be an amazing baseball season. A lot of surprises.
Teams that are at the top...... shouldn't be there....
Teams that shouldn't be at the bottom......Are at the bottom.
Or is this a glimpse of the future?
Is this alll hype? Or is it still too early to make sane assumptions?

As we head into week 2. Players and teams woke up.. Grand Slams galore, Cycles, almost no hitters, Stadium debuts, wind tunnels and a heartbreaking 14-run 2nd inning.

Let's kick it off....

My Top 5 Sluggers
1. Ryan Ludwick(STL/RF). So, I'm trying to look this kid up and I have a tough time trying to locate this guy's numbers. So, I'm asking questions looking in magazine's and browsing the internet. And I found out that he has been in the league for 6 years...techinically since 2002 with Texas and Cleveland. And I say, "no way". Because if he was in Cleveland I would have heard about this guy's power. Mr. Ludwick's first full season was 2 years ago. He hit about 14 homers and drove in about 52. He broke out last year with 37 dingers and 113 RBI's. I don't know if it was being in the minors or off season training, maybe the hitting coach...whatever this kid did.... It's working.....because he's triple crownin'. Leading the NL with 5 homers, 15 RBI's, and a .405 BA. He only needs one more run batted in for the overall lead. He's got a lot more work to do, but with his power, his potential is exponetial.

2. Ian Kinsler(TEX/2B). Hey, Meet Mr. Compliment....to who?....Josh Hamilton of course. This is Ian's fourth year in the league. He has been consistent all 3 years ....especially with his batting average. Look for him to post up amazing numbers this year because everyone knows that the fourth season is the breakout season.
This year Ian has 23 hits(hint), 4 homers, 14 RBI's..... with a whopping .460 BA.

3. Miguel Cabrera(2)(DET/1B). The object of the game of baseball is to: Get on base and score. There is no question why he is second on my list. And notice why he has a 2 by his name. This is his second week on the list. Last week he was a #5. The reason why he jumped so high is because he has a .489 BA, also he is tied for first the league with 23 hits. Oooh by the way he has scored 11 times and has 4 home runs and 12 RBI's. The only reason why he is not #2 is because Ian Kinsler has 2 more runs and rbi's

4. Aaron Hill(TBJ/2B). 2nd baseman in the majors had a great week. And one of the reasons why Toronto is in first place in the AL East. This man. Aaron is having one his best starts this season than he has in his 4 year career. He should be heathly and very consistent. This year, he is also tied for the lead in hits in the majors with 23. He 'also" has 4 HR's and 14 RBI's.

5. Carlos Quentin(CWS/LF). Don't question me please! I'll make it up to you. It was tough picking a #5. But I had to choose someone. And it's a honor to put him on my list. This week Carlos has not been playing baseball....He's been golfing. I told you earlier there is something about the fourth year of players. Last year, Carlos had a 36/100 (hr/rbi) year. This year, he's bound to get way better numbers... By having the major league lead with 7 home runs. His production is average and his batting average looks like what everyone else should have. 13 RBI's and .302BA

Honorable Mention:
Evan Longoria(TB/3B) could have easily hit my list again...(5/12/.391) also Carlos Pena (TB/1B) with 6 home runs and 15 RBI's. but his batting average is too low. (.280) and Tampa Bay is not doing so well.
I need more players in the NL to make my list. I have heard some complaints, but you have to understand that you're going to have better numbers in the AL . In general, because of the DH or Does the pitching stink in the AL? We will answer that shortly.

You might have known this by know, but pitching wins championships, but obviously you can't win a championship without a division title or a wild card berth. These 5 pitchers need 20 win seasons to get their team to the promise land 'hopefully'. Or at least.... hope for free agency.

My Top 5 Pitchers
1. Donald "Zack" Greinke(2)(KC). Now last week, I told you something that sure made your head itch. This week is no different. I told you this kid was lights out. But you didn't believe me. Trust me "Jerry Knows Best". I got a lot of crap, putting him at 5. But here is the perfect reason why the Royals are the Truth....at least right now....
Yes, he is the real deal. It was smart that Kansas City kept him....but who would've "thunk' it. Zack's year has consists of 20 perfect innings, 3 wins, 26 strikeouts, 5 walks. No runs or earned runs allowed. 1 complete game shoutout. Ridiculous.

2. Chad Billingsley(LAD). Fourth year big leaguer (again). With time this stud gets better and better. His last 3 seasons, 7-4, 12-5, 16-10. His ERA those past 3 years, 3.8, 3.3, 3.1. So, I can assume he will be a 20 game winner with a 2.7. So far this he is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA with 21 strikeouts through 19 innings. Pretty Awesome.


3. Heath Bell (SD/CP). I shouldn't throw closers on here, but why not....... right? I can make a case for Heath Bell. It's funny because I watched him on a segment on Baseball Tonight and his proudest accomplishment was being on baseball tonight. Weird. With Heath...He's replacing a legendary closer in San Diego(Trevor Hoffman). He has HUGE shoes to fill. and why not fill them without throwing runs on the board. 7 saves, 8 strikouts and 0.00 ERA. Do we have Hell's Bells v. 2.0

4. Armando Galarraga(DET). I might be the master of hype. But I watch every baseball game...or I try to. I know talent when I see it. Watch out for this kid. he's in his 2nd full year. Last year he finished 13-7 with a 3.7 ERA. He's off to a great start with 2 wins, 13 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts.....just 1 earned run-with an average of .68. Trust me: "Lights out"

5. Johan Santana(NYM). The only reason he dropped 2 spots is because he has one loss, but obviously it wasn't his fault. Through 19-2/3 innings he has thrown 27 strikeouts. INSANE. 1 earned run and 5 walks. ERA of .46.




Honorable Mention:
Roy Halladay(TBJ)- Ok Check this out. Other pitchers on other MLB teams....on their day off.... travel to see him pitch. Need I say anymore. I know he's going to make this list...at least 10 times this year. He has 3 wins .....In 21 innings pitched...he has 17 strikeouts, and 3 waks...What disappoints me about his stats is.... 7 earned runs and a 3.00 ERA


Who's Hot
NL/AL

Florida Marlins: This is really funny, Because I had the Marlins and the Braves on the honorable mention list last week. This is Hands Down one of the most special clubs we have in baseball and maybe, major league baseball history. The Marlins are for real. They have the 2nd best run differential in the league with +32. They are 3rd in the majors with only giving up 45 runs through 12 games. I told you 3 or 4 blogs ago.... Every 6 years the team shows up...just go back 12 years.

Toronto Blue Jays: I really thought this team was going to suck. I might be wrong, but I think their average finsh is 3rd in the division the past 7 seasons. With the loss of A.J. Burnett, I thought their picthing would hurt....instead, pitchers Ricky Romero, Jason Frasor and, of course, Roy Halladay have at least 3 wins. Look out for the Blue Jays.

Honerable Mention:
National League: Los Angeles Dodgers....Obviously... 12-3 record.. Pitching is awesome Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley are on fire.... and Hitters are on a tear. They have the 3rd most runs scored and their in 2nd in the league with the least amount of runs given up. Run differential is ridiculous +42.


American League: Detroit, Chicago, and Kansas City. The American League Central will be fun to watch if the Royals stay in it. Pitching will be a factor...and right now. The Royals are all over that category 38 runs against. Also the Red Sox have won 5 straight


Who's Not
NL/AL
Arizona Diamondbacks: I expect this team to be in the playoffs. No one's clicking. I think once Brandon Webb gets back this team should make a run but it's not looking so good. **By the way...I could put the Nationals up her every week. but it's not going to fly... Blame My Boss. Also, The Braves..What happened.... 5 straight losses.


Tampa Bay Rays: I know....... you're thinking what I'm thinking....Fluke. Maybe.
What they did last year was special...Let's hope they can find that spark again.
But I'm going to keep that word..."Fluke' in the back of my head. Hitters are on fire, Their pitchers on the other hand are struggling


Depressing News






















We lay to rest one of the greatest baseball characters of our time.

Mark "The Bird" Fidrych- His career was short., but it was magical. if it weren't for injuries. He would be a legend.
He used to talk to the ball right before he pitched as if it were alive. .... He will go down as a great in Tigers history....as an amazing human being...who always brought you a laugh and your money's worth.
Mark Fidrych
August 14, 1954- April 13th 2009 (54)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6spUPSxhBqc

MLB Week 1: Opening Week. (Apr 6-13)

In this blog:
My Top 5 players and 5 pitchers.
Who's Hot/Who's Not
My surprises of the week.
Honorable mention in every segment.
(hr-home run, rbi-runs batted in, ba-batting average)

Top 5 Players Of The Week

1. Evan Longoria(TB/3B)Picture above: Ridiculous numbers for a week. .467 BA, 5 hr, 12 RBI's. It honestly doesn't look like he is slowing down anytime soon. He is the reason why his team has a good chance to make the playoffs again this year. That's why he is my player of the week.

2. Albert Pujols(STL/1B): This guy has never averaged below 30 hr's a year. He's healthy and is breaking out to a good pace to at least 81HR(lol). In 8 games, he has a .357 BA, 4hr, and 10 RBI's.



3. Adam Lind(TBJ/LF). This 4th year stud has only been playing 3 seasons. Within those seasons he has only played 195 games, with a .295 average, with 22 homers and 94 RBI's. He averages at least a hit a game.
This kid this week. Has 3 homers, 12 RBI's and batting .400. Looking at these stats he should play the whole year and will show how he belongs in the big leagues.

4. Nick Swisher(NYY/CF). Being a Yankee CF is an honor. And boy did the Yankees choose a good one. In his first 4 full seasons in the major leagues he averaged 25 hr
and 79 RBI's. This week Swish is off to an amazing start with 3 hr's, 10 RBI's, and .450 BA. Look for these numbers to improve, but don't expect him to hit .500.


5 Miguel Cabrera (DET/1B) It was tough putting him at #5 on the list. But if he wasn't so consistent he would not be on this list. In 5 full seasons in the majors he has averaged at least 30+ hr's, 110+ RBI's, and approximately a .300 BA. This week looks like he will easily get those numbers and more with a .467 BA, 3 hr's, and 10 RBI's

Honorable Mention:
Alfonso Soriano(CHC/LF)-Eventually he will be on this list a lot this year. But if it wasn't for everyone else's ridiculously looking batting averages he would be on the list. This week he has 4 homers, 7 RBI's and a .313 BA.



Leading On the Mound...
(ERA-Earned Run Average)

1. Josh Johnson(FLA)- In 53 games over a 4 year career, This youngling on the mound is looking pretty promising. He has 19 wins and 11 losses. Mind you that those aren't perfect numbers but this week this kid was lights out. In 15 innings, 2 wins and 15 strikeouts. He has only given up 1 earned run and 12 hits. In that period, he has only given up one walk. If he can consistently do this....Looking at it inning by inning. It's a strikeout, a grounder, and a pop fly. Occasionally a run, and a walk every other game. There's no way he could do this, but it's fun to make that outlook very early in the year. Great numbers kid.

2. Aaron Harang(CIN)-Well he's not had a spectacular career, but he has had a great week. Over the past 7 seasons, his greatest year was 2 seasons ago where he went 16-6 with a 3.73 ERA. As far as this week is concerned. He's dead on with 2 wins and 11 strikeouts and a .64 ERA in 14 innings. He has only gave up 10 hits, 1 earned run and 3 walks. That hit he gave up was a homer. Of course, The opposing team has to go yard sometime.

3. Johan Santana(NYM)- He's 30 years old, he's been in the majors 9 seasons and he has been lights out every where he goes. If he has a bad game he follows up by winning the next 5 or 6. Over the past 5 years he has won 86 games, over that period he has 15 or more per year. He is consistently around the 2.5 ERA range but this year should be better than the 16-7 year he had last season. This week: Through 12-1/2 innings pitched..2 wins, 20 strikeouts, 1 earned run and a .71 ERA and gave up 6 hits.

4. Kevin Millwood (TEX)- In 12 years, Kevin Millwood has been labeled inconsistent. And there's no doubt that he is. His career is as follows: first 2 full seasons(Atl) 17-8, 18-7, then 2 bad years. 2002-2003(Atl/Phi) 18-8, 14-12, then 2 bad years. (2006-2007) 16-12, 10-14. Right now he is in the middle of the two bad year stretch... but not this week. Through 14 innings, 2 wins, only gave up 1 earned run and 9 hits, 11 strikeouts and an ERA of .64.

5. Donald "Zack" Greinke (KC)- Now you're going to wonder why he is on this list. Bare with me. Zack has been with the Royals 5 seasons and he has a record of 36-45. I think this year might be his breakout year. The Royals have a lot to look forward too this year. And the reason for the Royals being in first place right now is because of this kid's great week. Zack could have been number #1 this week on the list. He has 2 wins, 16 strikeouts, and a ERA of 0.00. Through that stretch he has only given up 9 hits and 5 walks. The reason he is not #1 is because he has only pitched 11 innings.

Honorable Mention:
Zach Duke(PIT)- Great week. Through 15-1/3 innings pitched...2 wins, 9 strikeouts, with a .59 ERA. The reason why he didn't make the list is because I don't have 6 players on my list. If he stays consistent he will be.


Who's Hot/Who's Not
In this segment of my blog, I will tell you what I think are the hottest teams in the league and who are the coldest teams in the league and what surprising team in the middle to look out for in the MLB.

Who's Hot
National League/American League
St. Louis Cardinals. The reason why this team is #1 is because of pitching with Chris Carpenter, again, this team should be dominant and it shows with a 6-2 record and by only giving up 23 runs. Mind you, that they were at home let's see if they take this surge on the 7 game road trip against the Diamondbacks and Cubs.

Toronto Blue Jays. This was tough, because other teams are doing so well in the league. The reason why they are the hottest team is because... They have most runs scored in the majors with 54. Also, they have the fourth best run differential(runs scored/runs against) with +13. Hopefully their offense will stay hot while playing in the toughest division in baseball.

Honorable Mention:
National League-It's tough to pick one. So I picked 2-1/2. San Diego finishes with a mean 2nd. but it depends this week against the Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. The funny thing is they match up this week. Pitching is the 'Key' to a division title for all these teams.

American League- Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles. The Mariners without Ichiro are getting it done. And Baltimore because they won the opening series against the Yankees. On top of that, they roughed up C.C. Sabathia.

Who's Not
National League/American League
Washington Nationals. This one is really obviously. These guys are playing every game to lose. This might be our new Royals team, but I honestly will think that they will honestly invest in Adum Dunn. He's the best thing running for this team. They're 0-7 and they have given up the 2nd most runs in the league, with 54.

Cleveland Indians. Now I haven't gave up believing yet. If you read my MLB predictions blog(hint hint). I had them up in 2nd in the AL Central. I said they have to pretend to want to contend. And this past week they got off to a bad start. This team is 1-6 and they have given up 55 runs in 7 games. That's the most in the league. They're offense is off. Hafner is on. It comes down to pitching. Cliff Lee has to turn it on. He was the CY Young award winner last year, finishing 22-3. He's starting off this year 0-2 and he has given up 11 earned runs. so he's has to work on that ERA.

My Surprises Of The Week
It's good to try to come out of the gate hitting and pitching well. But who expected the Royals to be in first place in the AL Central. There's a couple of things that shock me about this club.
1. They close-close games. When they are winning late in a ball game, they can easily rope it up by bringing in closer Joakim Soria. 2. I'm shocked because they leading the race in the division with 18 runs scored total. That's the lowest number of runs scored in the league. And they have a run differential of -3. If you add 3+18...you get (see below)
I'm trying to understand, They have the least runs scored in the league with 18 and they have least allowed of runs scored with 21. That's INSANE. If you read my blog about my MLB Predictions(hint hint). I gave the Royals their props. WATCH OUT FOR THE ROYALS!





Depressing News

1. I give my condolences to Nick Adenhart's(Pitcher for the LA Angels) family. Losing his life less than 12 hours after he pitched a brilliant perfomance the night before. According to ESPN. "He scattered seven hits over six scoreless innings and escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams. He struck out five and walked three in his fourth major league start".
2. The legendary broadcaster of the Philadephia Phillies, Harry Kalas. He will be known for his great call last year when the Phillies won the World Series. "The Philadelphia Phillies are Champions of Baseball".





3. There will be a tribute to former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych on next week's blog, but I do send my condolences.


Please pray for the families or at least a moment of silent.

To Be Valuable or Most Valuable? That is the Question.

For those that are clueless about the picture above. That is an olympic photo of respectively the best 3 NBA players in the league this year. (Left->Right) Dwayne Wade(MIA) "Dwayde", LeBron James(CLE), and Kobe Bryant(LAL). I'm sorry Chris Paul(NO) "CP3", Dirk Nowitzki(DAL), Dwight Howard(ORL)... and the rest that didn't make the list. I'm sorry this is my opinion and the rest of the country and I didn't mean to offend NBA players that worked hard and didn't make the list.

The purpose of this blog today is to define whose the Most Valuable Player in the NBA.
The Most Valuable Player award si the best overall player in the NBA. This means: You are vaulable to your team in respects of making the playoffs and having a phenomenal season or an awesome year.

My objective in this blog is to teach you the difference between the words 'valuable, invaluable, and unvaluable'.....in the NBA.

First let's define the words:

Valuable:
1. Having considerable monetary or material value for use or exchange.
2. Of great importance, use, or service.
3. Having admirable or esteemed qualities or characteristics.

Invaluable:

Priceless

Unvaluable:

1. Invaluable; being beyond price.
2. Not valuable; having little value.

Let's take the players and define them with these terms.

All of these players are 'valuable' to not only the team, but the NBA. They all have qualities and characteristics that are needed to make their team better and have the skills of getting their team to the playoff.

Also, they're contracts respectively:

Dwayne Wade: 14.4 million dollars.

Lebron James: 14.4 million dollars.

Kobe Bryant: 21.2 million dollars.

So they're definitely valuable to not only their clubs, but in general, in pawn shops.

It's pointless to say that they're unvaluable or invaluable. You can ask yourself if they're priceless. or being beyond in price. Honestly, I don't believe they're worth that much. But you can make your own opinion.

--------------

Let's take an alternative route.

No we know their actual value, we can find whose more valuable to their team and the league.

1. Kobe Bryant(SG) of the Los Angeles Lakers:

He is currently the reinging MVP of 2007-2008 season. Also, arguably the best player of the NBA. He is in his 12th year of his career with the Lakers. He has a career average of 25 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists(pts,reb,ast) a year. He's current average this year is 27pts, 5 reb, 4ast. Kobe is a very consistent guy. His devine right as a LA Laker is to bring people in the building, win a championship and give the fans a show. He'[s done it for 12 years and he will do it for about 5-7 more. The past couple of years the front office of the Lakers have been trying to find the key ingredients(players) to fit and work around Kobe in bringing a championship back to LA. Yes, I said back because those who are reading that don't know Kobe; he has already won 3. Getting back to my point..... He has value. He is worth a lot of money, he's very consistent, and his current players bring enough to his team where Kobe Bryant can relax. He's playing 36 minutes a game and he's turning into a bland player. They have the tools in winning a championship...whereas last year they really worked on bringing in components to work around the system that coach Phil Jackson has influenced. They brought in a great forward/center from Memphis/Spain(lol), Pau Gasol, to definitely helped Kobe to win the MVP award last year. Not only that, they made the NBA Finals. This year, they have 5 players in double figures(pts). Pau Gasol is averaging 18pts, 9reb, and the rest of their supporting cast of Lamar Odom(PF), Derek Fisher(PG), and Andrew Bynum(C) helps out a ton with 35 pts, 18reb, and 6 assists. With the Lakers bench supporting Kobe, with 40 points a game.... it sounds like not only Kobe is vaulable, but the team is working together to collectively bring in a title.

Another fun fact: They have the best record in the Western Conference. I guess what I'm trying to say is he's not winning another MVP award....well this year. If he didn't have those players and the best record in the west. I would make a case. Not happening. OK great.

2. Lebron James(SF) of the Cleveland Cavaliers:

Lebron will be one of the greatest basketball players of all-time. He brings a fire to the NBA like no other. He leads most of his categories on his team. His work ethic is beyond any man I have ever seen. If you look at any Lebron James highlight he is defying the evolution of man.

Like Tiger, He is also a robot. Something we haven't seen in sports, but in basketball something we haven't seen, since umm.......Jordan.

Here's what we know. We know how much he's worth to his team. Not to count the 10 year, 100 million dollar deal with NIKE®. We don't know the player.

He's in his 6th year in the league, He averages 27 points in both his career and in this year season. I said earlier he leads his 'team' in some other categories. Rebounds with 7 and Assists with 7. These are his career averages also.

So, I know Kobe fans are guessin'. What's the difference?

The difference is what you bring to your team which makes you "Valuable". Basically, if your team does not have this player....Does that team win or make the playoffs.

With Kobe that team kmakes the playoffs. They have the best record in the Western conference. If they didn't have Kobe. I guess they would be in 8th fighting for a playoff spot. But they make the playoffs. Because they are playing amazing team ball.

With Lebron, His team currently has the best record in the league..................WAIT. The Cavaliers do not have 5 players in double figures. They have 4. So Lebron has to work a touch harder. What they Cavaliers do have an amazing bench.

Breakdown:

The Cavaliers starting '4'. (bare with me) of Lebron James, Mo Williams(PG), Zydrunas Ilgauskas(C), and Delonte West(SG). They average 70 points, 20 rebounds and 15 assists a game.

Their bench racks up between 30-36 points depending on whether they are playing a western conference team or not. It doesn't matter how much they score because they have the best team in the league.

So let's add it up. Kobe and Lebron both are very vaulable to their respective teams. Lebron works harder but Kobe doesn't have to play as much. Both of their teams are first place in their conferences. I point out these facts about both because when the committee sits down at the end of the year. They first look at these stats to figure out how valuable a player is to his team. If they make the playoffs. Then they do not win MVP awards. The Cavaliers and the Lakers make the playoffs without Lebron and Kobe.

The formula to winning an MVP award is to have one of the 3 highest scoring averages in the league, but you also have to be valuable enough that your team doesn't not make the playoffs.

Meet.....

3. Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat:

Wade is known for his amazing scoring ability. His nickname is "Flash". There is a great reason why he's called that because it's impressive how he can work a ball in the lane to create a score.

Wade scores 30 points agame. He also averages 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and he plays 38 minutes a game. If he averaged 3 more rebounds he would lead all categories on his team. It's unquestionable how he is the Most Valuable player. Let me give you a breakdown and make my case.

Breakdown:

The Miami Heat have 4 other players averaging in double figures, but they just acquired one of those players*. Jermaine O'Neal(C), Michael Beasley(PF), Udonis Haslem(PF), and Mario Chalmers(PF) average 46 points, 20 rebounds and 7 assists. There is something wrong with that picture. That is not their starting lineup with Dwayne Wade. Because you would definitely need 2 guards in the Eastern Conference. The Heat's bench players don't score much. And again the Heat don't play defense. The Heat scores 98 points a game.....they also give up 98 points a game. They are 6th in their conference and barely holding on to a playoff spot right now.

With Wade's 30 points per game this Miami Heat club is barely making the playoffs. What if they took this valuable player off the team? They wouldn't be in the playoffs.

That's what a Most Valuable Player award winner is. They have to take a monkey and put it on his shoulders and play to win basketball games. The monkey is the team.

And that's ridiculous. But you can't give it to a player that is amazing and put him on a team that's going to get in the playoffs regardless of the ability.

Kobe last year had the deal with injured players on his team and without the addition to Pau Gasol they don't get into the playoffs last year. That's why he won.

Steve Nash won it back to back before that. Because he averaged a 10+ points and 10+ assists per game. The assists are points. If you take the points off assists which are between 20-30 points a game on top of the 10 points he's averaging. The Suns don't get into the playoffs because Steve Nash is generating 30-40 points a game.

Wade's points plus points off assist contribute almost 50% of the team's total points per game and that is most valuable not only to the team but in the NBA.