SB Nation User Blog: adamcopes

If not Lincecum, then who?

adamcopes — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:53:18 -0000

The Kid, the freak, the franchise, baby face. Tim Lincecum answers to all of these, but what else should be added to the list?

Since his Major League debut last May 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Tim Lincecum has become one of the best young pitchers in baseball. He finished an admirable rookie campaign with a record of 7-5 and led all rookies with 150 strikeouts in 146 1/3 innings. In just his second big league season he is making his case for being the starting pitcher on this years National League All-Star team. So, at what point does he gain the most prestigious title of any pitcher, "The best pitcher in baseball?"

Because of an apparent east coast bias, Lincecum has not received the recognition he deserves...until now. This week Tim Lincecum is on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the title, "The Freak." But why so hesitant to call him the best? Who is better? His numbers aren't comparable to anyone in the National League. In 17 starts this season he is 10-1 with an ERA of 2.49. That Era is good for 2nd in the NL and 4th in all of Major League Baseball. He is 2nd in MLB and 1st in the NL in winning percentage. By the way, he leads the NL with 122 strikeouts and sits one behind C.C. Sabathia for the most in all of baseball. So who is better?

Sure, Brandon Webb has a record of 12-4 and his team is in first. Edinson Volquez has been dominant. Neither Sabathia or Jake Peavy, who both won Cy Young awards last year, have regained that form. So who is better? If you have to go to a newspaper or a computer to look up numbers to prove it, then he's probably not much better.

If he's not the best in baseball now, then he's well on his way. Look for Timmy on the hill in Yankee Stadium later this month. It should be fun to watch.

Sometimes the best moves are the one's that aren't made

adamcopes — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:16:30 -0000

Following the 2007 season it was hard to imagine a San Francisco Giant's lineup that didn't include Barry Bonds. How could be be successful? How can we possibly get younger and better without a catalyst in the lineup? These were the questions that plagued Giants fans in the winter and brought about many interesting trade scenarios.

After watching what most true baseball fans would call the best game of the season, the Giants fans are sure glad to still have Tim Lincecum on our side. After yet another stellar pitching performance the 23-year old right hander improves his record to 9-1, lowers his ERA to 2.38 and regains the National League lead in strikeouts with 114. As we sit back and bask in the glory of "The Franchise's" performance, I can't help but wonder what could have been.

Remember November of last year. It seems far away now, but think way back to when we were all worried about the direction the Giants would go in and how will Brian Sabean truly put a competitive team on the field. Many fans were calling for a fire sale with hopes of picking up middle of the road guys in their prime. Let's think back shall we...

There was a time when packaging Fred Lewis and Jonathan Sanchez for a third baseman like Joe Crede seemed like the best idea. I have no doubt that Sabean was looking for possible deals that would put the Giants in a position to have a better season than 2007. It's a darn good thing no one made the right offer. With the injury to Dave Roberts, Fred Lewis has quickly become one of the premier lead off men in the National League. After Saturday's game he is hitting .283 with 50 runs scored, 6 homeruns, 23 RBI, an OBP of .361 and he's even stolen 13 bases. This is a guy who could easily swipe 30 bags this year, hit .300 and even have 15 to 20 homeruns. Not to mention the fact that he'll probably score 100 runs. Not bad for a guy who seemed like he was pretty expendable after last season.

Jonathan Sanchez has come along much faster than anyone could have anticipated. There was a lot of hype around him last season but no one could seem to understand why. All that was ever said about was that he "has a live arm, and a lot of potential." After finishing 2007 with a record of 1-5 and an ERA close to 6.00. It's a wonder no one wanted him. However, he has quickly become the Giants best pitcher next to Lincecum. He enters his start on Sunday against the A's with a record of 7-4, an ERA of 3.98, and 96 strikeouts in 95 innings. That's good for 7th in the National League (Lincecum 1st with 114, Cain 6th with 97). And don't forget about the nearly 2/1 K/BB ratio. If he continues to grow at the rate he has, he will be a mainstay in the San Francisco Rotation for years to come.

Finally, the most important trade that didn't happen Lincecum to the Blue Jays for Alex Rios. I'll admit, I was very intrigued by this offer. I'm not suggesting that I didn't want Lincecum, only that Rios if quickly turning into a 5-tool superstar. Sabean has been criticized in past year for some of his trades but this is one that EVERY San Francisco Giants fan is happy he didn't make. This is a kid who has a chance to win a Cy Young this season, just his first full season in the majors, I'll take that over the development of an outfielder 7 days a week.

So as we near the mid way point of a season in which we were supposed to be cellar dwellers, we find ourselves in a position to compete with young guys who will continue to succeed. So jump on the Lincecum Express and be happy that his jersey still reads San Francisco.

Nellieball Championship Caliber?

adamcopes — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:43:07 -0000

What are the goals? To make the playoffs? To make it to the Western Conference Finals? Or, to win an NBA title?

In recent years the Don Nelson style of basketball has been just as exciting as it has been successful. Teams like the Warriors and Suns have become known around the league as "run and gun" teams. This style helped get the Warriors to the playoffs in 2007 for the first time since the '94 season. It helped attendance grow and built a fan base that the Warriors lacked during their playoff drought.

I've been a Warrior fan for years and I enjoyed the playoff run just as much as he next fan. However, with the stye of offense they run, I think it might be impossible for them to win an NBA title. Sure, the Jazz were the superior team in 2007 but I can't help but question how tired the Warriors were after a long season running non-stop every night. I don't find this to just be a problem with the Warriors but with the Phoenix Suns as well. Behind Mike D'Antoni the Suns were bounced from the Western Conference Semi Finals by the Spurs in 2007. They were eliminated again this season by San Antonio.

I do enjoy the system, however, I feel that Don Nelson's biggest strength might also be his biggest flaw. His never winning an NBA title is evidence of that. The season is too grueling, and too exhausting to run that kind of system all the way through the playoffs to a title. If you look at all the champions of the previous 9 seasons, each team had a dominant big man. The Warriors do not. Andris Biedrins fits well into the system, but on another team he would be a mediocre center. He is far from dominant.

I love the style of play and excitement that the Warriors bring to the court, but I feel they will not win a championship until Nelson is gone and the style of play is changed.

Stud or Dud

adamcopes — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:10:13 -0000

Gone are the days of Todd Fuller, Joe Smith, and even more recently, Mike Dunleavy. The Warriors got their guy on Thursday when they selected Anthony Randolph with the 14th pick from Louisiana State University.

Stud or Dud? by Adam Copeland

Randolph is a very lanky, athletic player standing in at 6'10 197lbs. Many Warriors fans seemed upset when they passed on Darrell Arthur who was still available at #14. While Randolph may help build a solid core of young players down the line, he has not faced tough competition in his 1 season in the SEC.

Consider this, his LSU Tigers finished the 07-08 season with a record of 13-19 including losing a string 8 straight games from December 29, 2007 to January 26, 2008. The only real competition that the Tigers faced last season were Washington, Arizona State, and Tennessee. In those 3 games Randolph averaged just 12.3 points and 8 rebounds per game. Not a bad mark for a freshman, but the numbers may be inflated because of a 21 point performance in the Arizona state game. He went on to score just 10 points against Washington and 6 points against Tennessee. The Tigers lost all 3 of those games.

I don't criticize the Warriors for taking Randolph, I do however, question what type of roll they will use him in. Don Nelson has a history of not playing rookies as was shown last year by the limited playing time of Brandan Wright and Marco Bellinelli. In college Randolph was used primarily as a small forward despite his height. He's not going to be a dominant rebounder early in his career because of his small frame. He had just nine games last season where he pulled down 10 or more rebounds. If he can develop a better outside jump shot and possibly a low post presence he could be a dominant force for the Warriors.

The Warriors seem to have found their core of the future in Biedrins, Ellis, Wright, and Randolph. If all continue to develop this could be a fun team to watch for years to come.

Randolph's Career Stats