Many were shocked when Dan Sysikhfahbior released his 2012 ZiPS projections for the Giants earlier this year. We knew Panda could hit, that Crawford couldn’t, and that Vogelsong will regress. But a 99 OPS+ for Gary Brown? That’s not bad! That would make him a league average hitter with Gold Glove potential in center field and blazing speed on the basepaths. A valuable asset for any team that doesn’t have Matt Kemp or Andrew McCutcheon. Which we don’t. But before we start clamoring that Brown should be our starting CF in 2012, let’s go over the reasons he shouldn’t: Continue reading
Author Archives: Thomas Todd
UFC 144 Recap
Some fights are hard to score in any country. The UFC’s first Japanese card in over a decade was filled with flash knockouts, a manic comeback, and of course the standard amount of controversy. The lightweight title changed hands as Benson Henderson was awarded a decision over Champ Frankie Edgar after their five-round clash at Saitama Super Arena. Hatsu Hioki and Anthony Pettis all but locked up No.1 Contender spots in the featherweight and lightweight divisions, respectively. Mark Hunt knocked the sauvignon blanc out of Cheick Congo, and 4 to 1 underdog Tim Boetsch got destroyed for two rounds before KO-ing one of the best middleweights in the world, Yushin Okami. Here is my analysis of the seven main-card fights: Continue reading
UFC 144 Preview
The last time the UFC was in Japan Chuck Liddell was fighting middleweight. In the eleven years since UFC 29, the UFC- and MMA in general- has undergone a renaissance, becoming a big player in the sports and entertainment worlds. And although no Japanese fighter has reached superstar status here in the States- and most have fallen short of the expectations set by hardcore fans- Japanese fans remain loyal. And, like the UFC’s Brazilian cards, Dana White and Joe Silva have sent over a card stacked with local favorites. Here’s my preview of the pay-per-view section of the card: Continue reading