Dodger demons extend further in Philly

With the Phillies ousting the Dodgers from the NLCS for the second consecutive year, it seems obvious LA has some glaring holes in their starting rotation.

Just last week I called their rotation laughable when I correctly picked Philadelphia to make quick-work of the blue crew in 5 games.

The cautionary tale for LA extends past Citizens Bank Park and the Phillies though.

Look no further than the city limits to the city of brotherly love's beloved Eagles.

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The Dodgers have a great young nucleus of talent, mostly on offense, but need a frontline starting pitcher if they don't want to be their league's runner-up year after year like the Eagles of the 2000's.

It takes a ton of talent to get that far so often but no one wants to be a footmark to history time and time again.

The Eagles four championship game and one super bowl appearance this past decade:

2009-8 (NFC Champ Game) L ARI 32-25

2005-4 (Super Bowl XXXIX) L NWE 24-21

2004-3 (NFC Champ Game) L CAR 13-3

2003-2 (NFC Champ Game) L TAM 27-10

2002-1 (NFC Champ Game) L STL 29-24

The Joe Torre led Dodgers are only 0-2 in the precursor to the Fall Classic but if they want to make the jump to the World Series and win one - lest they be the Eagles of MLB for the next ten years - they still have a ways to go.

A few things...

Nailed the Phillies in 5 pick.

Angels in 6 won't be happening but they could still take it in 7. One out of two exact games and the winner aint bad.

MNF prediction: Eagles 31, Redskins 13. Tuesday morning: The bye week pink slip for Mr. Zorn.

Working on a column about the rash of bad officiating from the baseball playoffs to college football. Instant replay, full time football officials, and where we go from here. Should be done in the next day or two, basically when I can find time to actually write it. That will be up on daily49er.com. Check the "Daily 49er - Tucker Talks link on the left for that.

More on the Eagles with a comparison to a baseball team in a new blog post that should be up in the next few days.

That is all for now.

To be or not to be an NFL head coach

There are a lot of bad NFL teams and there are a lot of bad NFL head coaches.

The biggest problem for the guy running the show is whether or not he should be doing so.

There is a wide gap between successful coach or coordinator and first-rate head coach.

The coordinator can focus on one side of the ball, work with a smaller group of players and duck accountability if other facets of the game struggle.

The head coach? He has a lot more on his plate and is ultimately responsible for everything.

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The Mike Nolan era in San Francisco was atrocious. The 49ers went 18-37 in his 3+ seasons at the helm and lacked consistency and a winning attitude.

Nolan took a job this offseason as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos and they are 5-0 with the top defense in the league after being the third worst unit in the NFL a year ago.

Rod Marinelli became the first head coach to suffer an 0-16 season as the man in charge for the Detroit Lions last year.

Now he is the defensive line coach in Chicago and the Bears are a top-10 team against the run. He is also assistant head coach and his team is 3-1.

Mike Martz was a tremendous offensive coordinator in St. Louis. Behind his offensive schemes the Rams won the Super Bowl in 1999. He took over as head coach following that season and got the Rams back to the big game two years later where they were upset by the Patriots.

The problem with Martz was that he still wanted to devote all his attention to the offense and the defense and special teams paid the price.

These are a few examples but there are many more. Cam Cameron, Norv Turner and Wade Phillips come to mind as other recent examples.

The difference between being a specialized coach that can focus on one aspect and thrive there and being the guy who has to pull all the strings for the whole organization is a big gap.

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All of this comes to mind when the subject of Jim Zorn comes up. The much-maligned Washington Redskins shot-caller made a huge leap to get where he is now.

And while his team, especially on offense, has really struggled, it is the huge divide in his coaching pedigree and track record that is responsible for a large part of the criticism.

Zorn was an offensive coordinator at the college level and a QB coach with the Seahawks. He has has never been a head coach at any level.

There is so much more to manage especially at the NFL level so as Zorn struggles and a city loses his patience, former players stop hunting to shoot YouTube videos and player's call for a decision one way or the other Zorn's lack of experience is a glaring issue.

If the Redskins fall to the Chiefs today the Z man may be out of a job, but for everyone including Zorn himself, it may be a blessing.

Like so many men before him, some head coaches are better off with lesser jobs in new cities where they can focus on a more specific task and thrive in that department.

LCS Predictions

Philly in 5

Angels in 6

Too much Philly offense against a laughable LA rotation. Split at Dodger Stadium then three wins at the Bank. Back to the World Series looking to repeat.

Three man rotation will wear down for the Yanks and the Halos have their number. No holes for LAA and they can play anywhere. Solid pitching and situational hitting will send the Angels through.

Hey Rush, get a clue

"Limbaugh says he believes he has been made an example by a players' union seeking leverage in talks over a new collective bargaining agreement. And he says he believes what happened to him was an illustration of 'Obama's America on full display.'"

Full Limbaugh story here.

Let me address this issue swiftly and without equivocation.

Obama's America is no different from anyone else's America in this regard. You have free speech and you are entitled to use it to pop off on your radio show.

But what have you done with that forum is prove you are a racist.

A majority of the NFL players are African-American and are rightfully disgusted by your views. If they don't want to play for you and the NFL owners who get to vote on such matters respect their opinions and are educated enough to form their own, despite their race, then it makes perfect sense no one would want Limbaugh associated with the league.

It has nothing to do with politics, Obama, favoritism or conservatism. It's not simply because Rush is divisive. It has everything to do with character and it's painfully obvious to everyone but Limbaugh himself that he falls way short in this category.

Better luck next time.

Sizing up the NFC after 4 weeks

At first glance the NFC playoff picture looks pretty clear. Then again there are three months left until the postseason begins so let's take a look at where this thing is headed.

NFC East

This division almost always gets two teams in and 2009-2010 seems no different.

The Giants are cruising right along at 4-0 although Eli Manning's injury is a huge concern. We knew they could run the ball and play defense but Smith and Manningham have emerged as tremendous threats in the passing game to fill the void left by Plaxico Burress.

The Eagles are 2-1 and despite early season injury issues of their own look like the second best team in this foursome. The defense is still strong and the offense is loaded with weapons.

The drama in Dallas seems to be a round-the-clock thing and at 2-2 the Cowboys seem destined for mediocrity again in the form of 8-9 wins. This team is just way too inconsistent.

The Redskins are also 2-2 but that includes close wins over the lowly Rams and Bucs and a loss to the Lions. Washington gets Carolina and Kansas City the next two weeks, completing what may be the easiest five-game stretch in league history (opponents are 1-18 on the year, with that one win being that loss to the Lions). It's all downhill after that.

NFC North

The Brett Favre led Minnesota Vikings are 4-0. The cagey veteran has burned opposing defenses intent on shutting down Adrian Peterson and the combination of that defense and the deafening noise of the Metrodome makes them a scary team in the playoffs if they get a low seed.

The Chicago Bears are 3-1 despite the loss of LB Brian Urlacher. Jay Cutler has settled down after a rough debut and there are some speedsters on offense and special teams that are game-changers. Looks like a 10-win team.

The Green Bay Packers have a lot of holes on that offensive line and it's hard to imagine them winning consistently if Aaron Rodgers has to run for his life on every snap. They are far from out of it at 2-2 but nine wins really seems like the ceiling for this squad.

The Detroit Lions finally found their way into the win column in week three. They can move the ball on offense and are definitely playing better but they are at least another year away from being relevant again.

NFC South

The New Orleans Saints sit atop the division at 4-0. Drew Brees and the offense can score 30 on anybody and the defense has been a very pleasant surprise. This team looks really dangerous and complete.

The Atlanta Falcons are just 2-1 after a bye week. They have a lot of weapons on offense and found their way into the postseason last year. The jury is still out on this year's team after a suspect performance last time out in New England.

The Carolina Panthers simply haven't recovered after their shocking loss to Arizona in last year's playoffs. They are 0-3 and despite plenty of talented players it's hard to imagine Jake Delhomme righting the ship or the Panthers eclipsing seven wins.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-4 and there's not a lot to like about them this year. Cadillac Williams is not a one-man wrecking crew and the QB situation is always a mess. Tough second-half schedule for the Bucs who won't win more than three-four games.

NFC West

The San Francisco 49ers are 3-1 and could easily be 4-0. The schedule gets tougher after the bye and they need a more consistent running attack to offset their paltry offense but the defense has quickly established themselves as one of the best in the league and this team should win 10 games.

The Arizona Cardinals are 1-2 after winning the NFC last season. The offense still has plenty of big-play potential but so far the redbirds just seem out of sync. Arizona could still get to 10 wins based on an advantageous schedule.

Expectations for a bounce-back season were high in Seattle but an injury to Matt Hasselback has put the Seahawks at 1-3. This team still has an excellent home-field advantage but it may be too little too late if they don't get it going soon. Marking them down for six victories.

The St. Louis Rams haven't won in their last 15 games and have been shut out twice already. At 0-4 the question of their first win might be more of an "if" then a "when." Injuries haven't helped, but Steven Jackson can't do it on his own.

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Where they stand

1a. New York Giants (4-0)

1b. Minnesota Vikings (4-0)

1c. New Orleans Saints (4-0)

4. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)

5. Chicago Bears (3-1)

6a. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

6b. Atlanta Falcons (2-1)

On the outside looking in

Green Bay Packers (2-2)

Dallas Cowboys (2-2)

Washington Redskins (2-2)

Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Not gonna happen

Seattle Seahawks (1-3)

Detroit Lions (1-3)

Carolina Panthers (0-3)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4)

St. Louis Rams (0-4)

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How they'll finish

1. New Orleans (13-3)

2. New York (12-4)

3. Minnesota (12-4)

4. San Francisco (10-6)

5. Philadelphia (10-6)

6. Chicago (10-6)

The Double A Jays

Quick, name the only duo in major league baseball with 35 homers and 100 RBI's.

Waiting, stalling, anyone?

I'm gonna guess these two didn't even cross your mind.

For the answer we have to go north of the border to Toronto for second baseman Aaron Hill and designated hitter/left fielder Adam Lind.

Has even the biggest baseball fan noticed what these two have done?

Hill has mashed 36 HR's and driven in 105 runs, while Lind has homered 35 times to go along with 115 RBI's.

Holliday and Pujols, Braun and Fielder, Werth and Howard, Berkman and Lee, Teixeria and A-Rod, Bay and Ortiz, Pena and Longoria. None of these duos have yet accomplished what Hill and Lind have so far in 2009.

The Blue Jays are overshadowed by the Yankees, Red Sox and even the Rays after their magical run to the 2008 AL Pennant.

The story of their season was GM J.P. Riccardi's unwillingness to pull the trigger on a deal to ship his ace Roy Halladay out of town for a bevy of prospects.

They haven't been to the playoffs since divisional realignment in the wake of the 1994 strike.

They haven't seen the postseason since back-to-back world series titles or played meaningful baseball since Joe Carter bounded around the bases after a game 6 World Series walk-off in 1993.

It's been 15 long winters in Canada and after three straight winning seasons the Jays wont get over 80 wins in 2009. They play in the toughest division in baseball. The one that almost always gets two teams into the playoffs but that features the game's biggest spenders.

The future may not exactly be rosy for the Blue Jays but it is bright in at least two regards with these young stars slugging their way to the top of the statistical leaderboard.

Reynolds' first to epic 40-200 plateau

Sorry for the long absence - all of my blogging attention has been thrust at "going deep with the giants" as the g-men fade in and out of the nl wild card chase - but I ended my last post here on the topic of home-run-hitting-strikeout-masters with this thought: "Can you imagine? Three 40 HR-200 K guys? Oh what a world it would be."

Well, Carlos Pena hit 39 homers struck out 163 times and then broke two fingers last week in the Bronx. He is out for the year.

Ryan Howard is sitting on 38 bombs has fanned 168 times. With just 18 games to go, Howard still has plenty of work to do.

But Mark Reynolds, the master of miss, the king of swing, reached the previously unfathomable height this afternoon at Petco Park in San Diego.

After clubbing the game winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth last night, the Diamondbacks third baseman followed with the kind of matinee performance today we have come to expect from the guy who literally defines the "feast or famine" cliche.

With an 0-for-5, four strikeout day Reynolds whiffed for the 200th time in the ninth to become the first player in major league history in the 40-200 club.

After all, there have only been two, 200 strikeout seasons ever and both belong to him and in as many seasons.

With only five more K's, he can pass his 2008 record of 204 by Friday and for such a young player the sky really is the limit. 225 is possible this year and even 250 before his career his over.

Honorable mention goes to Adam Dunn whose 37 homers and 162 K's means there are four sluggers in 2009 that qualify for the 35-160 club.

Keep swinging for the fences fellas!