West Coast Bias: Classic

Regardless, I am taking a stand. It is time for us all to look east once and a while, and give those stars the attention they deserve. I’m sick of stories about the heroes from Seattle – King Felix, Tyreke Evans, David Lee, Zach Miller.

            Felix Hernandez wins the American League Cy Young Award. Shocker. I could have told you this back in Spring Training that this is guy who would win.

            This is a classic case of the voters and their West Coast bias.

seattletimes.nwsource.com

            Ever since the West Coast tried to play the role of copycat in sports, they have been the center of attention in every sport. Come on. The games start later, the sun is always shining and they are just so damn cool over there. It is like a 24-hour day spa.

            It started with football when all of the media had to focus on the resurgent Raiders. Every day, all I can see on ESPN was the Black and Silver. Jason Campbell this; Darius Heyward-Bey that. Where the hell are my Cowboys?

            The disease then spread to basketball. Kings, Warriors and Blazers, oh my. Will the NBA championship run through Los Angeles (The Clippers) again? How can I find out more about where LeBron is getting his doughnuts with this ongoing media blitz?

            Then it struck baseball; essentially, the nail in the coffin. The San Fran kids won the World Series – the team got more exposure than George Hamilton. I thought this Series was all about Josh Hamilton?

Let’s be realistic: we knew that the big-money superstars that were the Giants would obliterate the Rangers. This is textbook West Coast baseball with their wide-open wallets and teenage girl-like spending sprees.

But now it has infected the regular season awards; I always that was a staple of Major League Baseball. Felix Hernandez, or King Felix as the world knows him as – yeah, a king, what a proper title for the brat.

Hernandez was awarded the Cy Young after earning 13 wins for the Seattle Mariners. Oh, hey David Price. Sorry your 19 wins were not good enough. And CC, as in Sabathia, 21 just ain’t gunna cut it anymore, bro.

askmen.com

And an E.R.A. of 2.27 – what does E.R.A. even mean?

The voters tried to defend their decision by blaming the Mariners for not producing offensively to support their ace in the hole. Ichiro, Milton Bradley, Chone Figgins – this is starting to sound like the American League All-Star team.

I remember a night in April when so-called King Felix lost to the Kansas City Royals. Yeah, the dude got lit up for three runs, and was outpitched by Kyle Davies.

Oh yeah, and there was another time in August when Hernandez got battered harder than a bottle of Absolut in Lindsay Lohan’s limo. Six runs…from the Indians…is Manny Ramirez still on the team?

What I am saying is that there were clearly better options for the Cy Young this past season. Sabathia won over 20 games, and he plays for the New York Yankees. When was the last time an overrated ballplayer from the Bronx could get an award?

gossipbeat.com

Then there is Price of everybody’s darling, the Tampa Bay Rays. Price did not quite reach the 20-win mark, but he is a Ray. They play in the same division as those damn Yankees and the freakin’ Sawks; they should be a shoe-in for the World Series every year.

Am I out of my mind for thinking the voters having it in for the East Coast athletes? Maybe it is because they have to wake up earlier to watch their games, or that sometimes a jacket and gloves are required apparel.

From this point on, I am relying on SportsCenter for 24-7 coverage of the under-the-radar guys; tell me something about Derek Jeter or something.

Joe Mauer's Impact on LeBron

Once unthinkable, the Twins may now be in the position to have to trade Joe Mauer. A deal between the All-Star catcher and the Twins is still more likely than not, and at any moment Mauer's agent, Ron Shapiro, could call the team and make it happen, prompting a combination press conference/Minnesota Mardi Gras. But a combination of modern baseball logic and Twins history suggests that if theTwins' decision-makers can't sign Mauer, they will be obligated to trade him.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Say what?

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, last week the Twins were contemplating trading their all-star catcher Joe Mauer. Mauer, the same player who won an AL batting championship a few years ago and is the reigning AL MVP, is a hometown boy who bats right in the smack of the lineup for the Twins and is the face of their franchise.

So, of course trade him, right?

Yesterday, Mauer scored a record deal for eight years and $184 M, ending the hopes of fans in New York and Boston, who planned to empty their wallets in a bidding war for the prized catcher.

What this deal signifies is the "good guys" in sports -- the Mauers, the Tim Duncans, the Derek Jeters, the Cal Ripkens, the Peyton Mannings -- the players who absolutely get paid out of their minds, but value their franchises, their legacy and trying to win games over signing the larger deal.

This summer, the same decision must be made on the part of Cleveland Cavaliers' superstar LeBron James. James will have to decide whether he will want to remain with his hometown team -- the same team he lifted from the franchise holding the number one lottery pick in the 2003 NBA lottery to multiple post-season appearances, an NBA finals match-up vs. the San Antonio Spurs, and currently the best record in the league.

What's at stake for LeBron?

By staying in Cleveland, LeBron is maintaining his loyalty to his hometown team (he grew up about 40 minutes outside of Cleveland in Akron). Is LeBron being "disloyal" by changing teams? To his fans, perhaps. But hasn't he done all that he can for his team in his time there? As mentioned before, he's brought them out of the dumps to a top seed in the Eastern Conference on a yearly basis. If he can't win the championship this year with the talent surrounding him, maybe it's time for a change of scenery.

And if LeBron goes, the question is where? New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles? In New York, LeBron can thrive in a up-tempo offense. He also has the ability to sign a huge contract and bring along with another top free agent (e.g. Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire). He can play in the mecca of basketball -- Madison Square Garden -- where he can have an even greater spotlight upon him, and not to mention be the next star of a Spike Lee movie (LeBron Doin' Work).

In Chi-town, LeBron can continue in his task to emulate his idol Michael Jordan by playing for the same franchise. Da Bulls have another budding star in Derrick Rose at the point, and with the players on hand, have pushed the Boston Celtics to a stunning eight-game series. LeBron can be the go-to player for the team and thrive off Rose's play.

If LeBron was to end up in Miami, it would be only be if his good friend Wade already chose to remain there and was able to lure him to follow. The Heat have a great front office headed by Pat Riley, and have many young players who have great potential (Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley). The question becomes, will Wade's ego be able to handle the hit of not being the go-to guy anymore with LeBron in town?

The last rumor connected to the 2010 free agent war for LeBron was LA -- both the Lakers and Clippers. Let's be realistic, scratch the Lakers. As for the Clippers, the talent is there -- Eric Gordon, Baron Davis and Blake Griffin (if he ever gets onto the court). The poor history of losing is something LeBron has already tackled in the past, and with the Staples Center as their home court, he can force the fan base to make a decision between him and Kobe.

No matter what LeBron does do, it will be interesting to compare it to that of Mauer's decision. Mauer, the quiet superstar, chose the big money (maybe not as much as NY or Boston) for the home team. He wanted to be remembered for his great play on the field, and for his contributions to Minnesota. LeBron has lifted the morale of Cleveland already, and whether he can deliver a championship this season may be the final clue to his next destination.