Fishing for help

Wrapping up 2017 with a few transactions to comment on before they get caught up with the other news.

The Indians signed a few players to minor league contracts/invitations to spring training with two of them being of particular interest to me.
Righthanded-hitting outfielder Melvin (Don't call me B.J.) Upton looks to be receiving one final opportunity to revive a fading career in Cleveland.
Upton might have a chance to fill the spot vacated by Austin Jackson, who is also a free agent, with a strong spring for a team that could use a righthanded bat as a fourth outfielder.
Upton played just 14 games last season- all in AAA with the Giants affiliate in Sacramento, so who really knows what the 33 year old has left, but for the bargain price, Upton is worth a look.

The other interesting Cleveland signing that caught my eye was righthanded pitcher Alexi Ogando.
Ogando notched a 3.94 ERA in 36 games with Atlanta in 2016 and might be an interesting arm to watch as a reliever, but Ogando isn't going to try to make the team in the pen.
Ogando returns to the big time after a season in Korea as a starter and will try to make the back end of the Wahoo's rotation after not making a major league start since 2013.
Ogando posted an ERA of just under 4 in 110 innings in the Korean League.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Giants are collecting their annual drive of faded prospect/AAAA level utility infielders to try to catch lightning in a bottle with as they signed three different players of interest.

The most likely to turn into a player of real usefulness would be Alen Hansen, who as recently as two years ago was considered one of the top 100 prospects in the game.
Hansen split last season between the Pirates, where he hit .193 in 37 games and the White Sox, who claimed him off waivers, where he hit .231 in 69 games.
Hansen has struggled to make contact (52 SO's in 217 AB's) and has been noted to have attitude issues in the past, but can play as many as six positions (not all of them well) defensively, has a little bit of pop (4 homers in those 217 AB's) and plus speed (Nine steals with the White Sox).
Hansen just turned 25 in October, so if any one of these lottery tickets has a chance of being more than the last guy off the bench and developing into a contributor, it would likely be Alen Hansen.

Josh Rutledge joins the Giants after spending the last three seasons in Boston with the Red Sox.
The husband of ESPN's Laura Rutledge was once a reasonably touted prospect with the Rockies and posted decent numbers in platoon play in three seasons before being traded to Boston, where he struggled since.
Rutledge can play three infield positions, but in those three seasons in Beantown, Rutledge has appeared at the plate only 259 times, so what he currently has to offer is really unknown.
Rutledge turns 29 in April, doesn't have the speed of Hansen and doesn't have any more power than Hansen (although by their minor league numbers, I'd grade them about equal as power goes), so I would think anything short of a phenomenal spring is going to send Rutledge to AAA Sacramento.

The final of the three was former Pirate prospect Chase D'Arnaud, who coming up through the Pittsburgh system was looked as an equal prospect to the current Pirate shortstop Jordy Mercer (they were drafted a round apart in the same draft) and has bounced around ever since.
D'Arnaud played 35 games in the big leagues last season between three teams (Atlanta, Boston, and San Diego) with most of those coming as a Padre.
D'Arnaud spent the rest of his year with the Padres AAA affiliate in El Paso hitting .297/4/19.
D'Arnaud can play several positions in a tight spot and will turn 31 in January, so pretty much what you see is what you get.
More than likely, if the Giants want a veteran at the end of the bench, D'Arnaud could get the nod.
It shows that it's winter that I spent all this time on Alen Hansen, Josh Rutledge, and Chase D'Arnaud.

One final note from the hockey world as the Devils had to cut their roster down to 23 before the new year and in order to do trade defenseman Dalton Prout to Calgary to veteran goalie Eddie Lack.
The well-traveled Lack was obtained mainly to give a veteran presence at AHL Binghamton where he was assigned to mentor Devils goaltending prospect Mackenzie Blackwood.
The 29 year old Lack had a GAA of over five in three games with the Flames before being dropped to the Flames AHL affiliate in Stockton.
Prout leaves the Devils with three assists in eighteen games this season.

PPM

The Final PPM of 2017 (although not of the 2017 season) features the final week of the NFL season with playoff implications, the college semi-finals and the finale for the 0-15 Browns.

Last Week; 7-2
Overall: 128-59

College:

Outback Bowl
Central Florida 31 Auburn 28

Rose Bowl
Georgia 30 Oklahoma 27

Sugar Bowl
Clemson 28 Alabama 20

NFL
Browns 33 Steelers 30
Saints 29 Buccaneers 17

Games of the Week
Jaguars 20 Titans 14
Falcons 28 Panthers 24
Bills 20 Dolphins 17
Chargers 24 Raiders 23

Buckeyes Do Dallas-Cotton Bowl Victory over USC

Damon Webb grabbed a Sam Darnold pass and returned it for a touchdown along with recovering a fumble that set up another first quarter score to lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 24-7 victory over the USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
All the points in the game were scored in the first half with J.T. Barrett rushing for the other two Buckeye touchdowns.
Ohio State finishes the season with a record of 12-2 with a Big Ten championship and a Cotton Bowl victory,
The Buckeyes return to action on September 1st in Columbus against Oregon State...

Olentangy Offerings

1) It's kind of strange, you finish 12-2, win the conference title, win a Cotton Bowl and it still feels a little disappointing to me.
I was on Facebook earlier before the game commenting with Ian McArdle as we bantered about the game, Ryan jumped in and commented that "you guys are spoiled" and maybe to a degree we are as fans of the Buckeyes, but still, we lost something on that day in Iowa City for the 2017 season and there was no getting it back.

2) It was the end of the J.T. Barrett era in Dallas after this game and that can be read with either exuberance or resignation.
I would imagine that plenty of Buckeye fans would line up on both sides of the Buckeye tree of that argument.
Barrett might look better in hindsight than he does now, but I still suspect that in the era of really great players going pro early, it's going to be the merely good players setting the career records at schools like Ohio State with more games on the schedule and bowl games now counting on the statistical sheet.

3) Ohio State's offense under Barrett really didn't click all night with only one scoring drive over sixty yards- an 83 yard drive that ended in a Sean Nuernberger field goal.
Barrett's offense was downright inept in the second half against the Trojans in gaining just three first downs in the second half- one of the three on a pass interference penalty.

4) Damon Webb's Pick Six and his fumble recovery that set up a nineteen-yard scoring drive were all the points that Ohio State needed on this night.
Perhaps Damon Webb will be the next defensive back to step up as the featured star at DB U, but there is not a "perhaps" on this- Damon Webb was the deserving MVP of the Cotton Bowl.

5) The currently featured star in the Buckeye secondary decided to pass on playing in the Cotton Bowl as the team announced before the game that Denzel Ward would be skipping the contest.
I understand why Ward wouldn't want to take a chance on an injury before the NFL draft, I really do.
However, if you aren't part of the team that is participating in the game, if I was running the program, you wouldn't be on the sidelines as part of the program.

6) Key to this win-the Buckeye defense with eight sacks and fourteen tackles for loss.
The relentless rush gave Sam Darnold zero chance to throw and gave the Trojan offense little opportunity to do much of anything through that took any more than a second to develop.
Darnold just had no time to throw.

7) Let's talk Sam Darnold.
Of the quarterbacks entering the draft, I liked Darnold and Josh Rosen the best.
I read lots of ripping Darnold after this game on Twitter and yes the pick six to Damon Webb wasn't the greatest throw in the world, but watch the replay, his receiver gave him next to no help at all and besides every quarterback makes a bad throw once in a while.
Darnold had no time to throw and even with all that was against him in this game, he still threw for 356 yards.
Want to know why tonight wasn't a huge coming out party for Darnold?
Try the best defensive line in the country against one of the worst offensive lines in the nation and see how any quarterback gets anything done.
I still like Darnold- he needs time to develop and the Browns would be best suited to find a veteran to play in 2018 to be the bridge person to teach Sam a bit, but I'm still a believer for the Browns to take Sam Darnold...

8) I've watched a lot of Pac 12 football this season, probably more than I have ever watched and I have to say this- the USC offensive line is the worst offensive line for a top ten team that I have seen in years and maybe ever.
When people criticize Sam Darnold for the season that he has had they haven't seen more than a game or two.
Harrassed constantly, forced to throw on the run and taking hit after hit, the stunning part to me is that Darnold and USC won the Pac 12 with a line that bad.

9) The Buckeyes didn't get a lot accomplished on the ground though as J.K. Dobbins rushed for just 39 yards on 13 carries and Mike Weber carried five times for 18.
Weber's role was likely light because he wasn't needed and he'll likely declare for the draft, but USC's run defense is strong and the game really came down to those first half turnovers.

10) This was actually a pretty dull game outside of the Webb interception.
The most exciting thing might have been the pushing match after the Malik Harrison late hit on Sam Darnold out of bounds.
The hit was late and give Darnold credit for trying to be a peacemaker afterward when things started to break loose.
It just wasn't a fun game to watch, although a boring win beats an exciting loss any day.

11) Another question is after this win, how do I feel about the Buckeyes not making it into the playoff now?
Same as before- I think they would have been underdogs to all four teams and despite a great defensive effort against USC, I'm doubtful that a J.T. Barrett led offense could put enough points on the points on the board to defeat any of the four playoff teams.
Could I see a scenario where this Buckeye defense dominates any of those four enough to beat them?
Yes, it's possible, but it's more likely that Ohio State would come short.

12) Now we look towards 2018 and what to expect.
Ohio State will lose some players on defense Sam Hubbard and Denzel Ward for sure, maybe a few others with J.T. Barrett, Billy Price on offense the major losses.
Dwayne Haskins will be favored to replace Barrett at QB but will have to beat out Joe Burrow and Tate Martell and there will be another great recruiting class coming into Columbus.
The major non-conference test will be TCU back at Jerry World, in conference, the Buckeyes get Michigan at home, but will travel to East Lansing and State College in games against the Spartans and Nittany Lions and the interesting out of division tests looks to be Nebraska at home with their new coach Scott Frost and at Purdue with Jeff Brohm looms as a possible trap game.

1969 Rose Bowl

On the eve of the Cotton Bowl between the Buckeyes and the Trojans of Southern California, I decided to pop in my DVD of the two teams 1969 Rose Bowl battle for the National Championship.

Even those to most fans, the Buckeyes-Trojans game is a mere appetizer to the national semi-finals, to those of us that grew up on these two teams battling on New Years Day, the only thing that is missing from this is the San Gabriel Mountains peeking over the Rose Bowl.
Jerry's World in Texas just doesn't possess the same beauty or tradition compared to that.
Still, just seeing those classic uniforms (and I do hope the Buckeyes use those classic uniforms!) against each other again in an important game brings back lots of memories.

In that spirit, the 1969 Rose Bowl was a natural choice, especially since I didn't have any of the other games available to watch!
Watching the game, the one thing that stands out other than the production values (more on that later) of the broadcast is this- the game is slow.
That doesn't mean that it isn't fun to watch and that doesn't mean that it isn't well played, it just means that it is far slower than the game that we watch every weekend today.
Compare it to going to your local high school game and judging the speed and hitting against the top college teams or the NFL, there is no comparison and with almost fifty years in between this game and today- there isn't much in common here either.

Now let's be fair if we took the same athletes of today and subjected them to the training beliefs of the day, taking those huge steps back and conversely put these players under the advanced techniques of today-I think the athletes would be roughly the same.
The advances in athletes usually come along as we learn about better nutrition, better training habits, advances in so many different areas and that makes the difference between eras.

I wish I could say the same for the offenses because that is where you do see a huge difference and where the game has advanced a great deal.
The passing game is very primitive and the passers in this game- Rex Kern for Ohio State and Steve Sogge for USC both showed the type of passing skills that would likely be lucky to see them start at the Division II or III level.
The play calling isn't very creative and is a sign of the times in football, if not the country- bland, basic and wait for a mistake by the opponent.
I'm not sure a John McKay or especially a Woody Hayes offense could win big in today's game running such offenses.
I'd say the closest reminder of someone in today's game to these offenses would be the offense of someone like Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, who wins enough to keep Iowa competitive, but not enough to make them national title contenders year in and year out.

While watching the game, there are only two players that stand out that I see and say "yep, he could play in today's game and do well"- one of each side of the ball and one from each team.
On defense from the Buckeyes, safety Jack Tatum and representing the Trojans none other than Orenthal James Simpson at running back.
Tatum could certainly thump on an even level with the best of today's hitters, but I'm not sure you could play him at safety all the time and he might wind up being like the Browns are finding out with Jabrill Peppers- he might not have a true position in today's game and only on a good team where you could move him around for use in certain situations for his best use.
In other words, In some formations,Tatum could be in the box as an extra linebacker and in others used at safety as another defensive back, but would likely be exposed if he played in either position full time.
Still, I could see Tatum being a solid player in today's game, if not the standout that he was in his time.

As for O.J. Simpson- Simpson would have been a star in any era that he played and there are only a few players that you can truly say that about.
Big enough (6'1 210) and fast enough that his game would have easily translated on its own merits even before the previously noted advances in athletic preparation-there is no doubt in my mind that this O.J.Simpson would at least be on the level of the better NFL backs in today's game and assuming he had the benefits that today's athletes have, he'd be the best back in the game.
Through all the craziness over the last two decades of the O.J. Simpson saga, it has become very easy to forget just how good of a running back O.J. Simpson really was.

The other funny thing was the television and not just the primitive colors and graphics either.
Curt Gowdy talked about the Ohio State fans singing "Hold Out Sloopy" and told lots of stories about O.J. Simpson and his best friend, a defensive lineman that you might remember better as a driver of a White Bronco named Al Cowlings with my favorites being Cowlings wrestling with Simpson until Simpson left crying and discussing with a chuckle how Simpson stole his then-wife from Cowlings, who was with Cowlings then as his girlfriend!
Ah,the good ole' days of sports television.

Hope you enjoyed a look back at the 1969 Rose Bowl.
Back tonight with a review of the latest encounter between the Buckeyes and Trojans...

Buckeye Christmas

The Buckeyes might not be playing until the 29th in Dallas, but thanks to my wife and my mother in law, my Christmas was predominately Ohio State based.

The lovely Cherie bought a badly needed new cooler for work with the OSU logo of course, a Tervis tumbler to add to my many Tervis's for the house with the 70's style 'running' Brutus logo, a stainless steel Tervis Buckeye tumbler which is going to be very handy in keeping warm things warm this winter,which from how it feels outside right now might need the help and the shocking surprise-An official piece of Ohio Stadium Field Turf!
Never saw that one coming!
Cherie always knows how to catch me off guard!

Add to that, my mother in law, Beverly buying me an OSU Backpack and it really was a Buckeye year under the tree.
I'm trying to diversify for graphing season this year and even though the briefcase will not be retired anytime soon and will still be the usual workhorse, but I wanted a backpack for certain occasions that I needed something more than I can carry by myself, but in a more flexible container than the briefcase and this fits the bill perfectly!

I also added several DVD sets from Rachel, Ryan, Cherie and Beverly including the final season of Parks of Recreation to finish that set,3 more seasons of King of the Hill, the entire 1960's Filmation cartoons set of Batman (I so dearly loved those as a child) and another season of Rawhide,so I have plenty of new things to watch over the brutal winter to come (bleech).
Thanks to all of you for everything!

The holidays are about more than just what you get and even give and that's pretty cliche'.
It's easy to fall into those after all.
What is important, after all, is the people that you share it with.
The people important to you both blood and otherwise.
My nuclear family takes care of me all the time and my relationship with my son is one that I cherish, but I don't talk a lot with other relatives with one exception-my cousin Missy and I have become very close over the last few years and speak quite often.one
I'm pretty sure that name is not the one I would have picked ten years ago as my closest relative, but I'm really glad that she is!
I have gotten closer to my grandmother since my grandfather passed and that relationship has been one that I've really enjoyed rebuilding.

I mentioned people in my last post, but I really wanted to mention my friends again in this post because sometimes we get hung up on considering "family" blood relatives and often times that's bunk.
I have people related to me that I wouldn't cross the street for  (cousins, folks, not close relatives!) and I have friends that call me multiple times a week to see how I am doing and not just about how the sports world is- about how Shawn is doing.
It is very seldom that a day goes by that the phone doesn't ring and one or more of Fred Landucci,Mike Oravec or Derreck Chupak isn't calling and seeing if I'm Ok, how I am and if I need anything.
It is a refreshing change for me and for the first time in my life, I feel like I have people around me that truly have concerns about me as I do about them.
Thank you,gentlemen-It means a lot!

Before leaving the holidays behind, I'd like to say one more thing- as good as this has been and it's been a really good one, I have missed Big Ed.
The first Christmas in a while without the big guy has made things a little different and we all miss him.
It'll never be the same without the look toward the fridge for a treat and the dark trudge through the crunchy snow to take you at 5;30,Ed- I'll always miss you...

More soon...

Merry Christmas-Late

You know what the best Christmas present that I can give is?
No Browns review of what was just an awful game to watch as the Browns lost in Chicago 20-3 to fall to 0-15.
Want to read more? Go here.

Yesterday was a busy day and a hectic one,so not only didn't I have time to review another garbage Browns loss, but not even my traditional Christmas post...

Merry Christmas to all of you of course, but special shoutouts to these people of course...

The lovely Cherie, who is the person responsible for almost all the good in my life.
My terrific children Ryan and Rachel.
My great friends (in alphabetical order) Derreck Chupak, Fred Landucci,Battlin' Bob McKain and Mike Oravec.
Fred drove from Harrisburg to give me my Xmas present- the pictured pennant and keychain from the Furman "Paladins" as he knows my love for "Have Gun Will Travel"
From the Autographing World: Bill Cover, Kendall Morris,"Lefty" Koch, Mike Roseberry and Brad Adams.
My Big Sister that I've never had and always needed in Denise Nicarry
My fellow Buckeye fanatic and likely the person that I "talk" to most over the course of a day-Ian McArdle
Our longest supporter of the blog in Big Don Cain.
Julie Kendall ,who has become a good friend through a goofy chance follow on a little thing called Twitter.
And our Fightheads Ramon Malpica ,who allows me to vent on the "air' every Monday night and Vince Samano, who allows me to look back to the days of my youth and think back when things seemed so important.
If I forgot anyone,I sincerely apologize, I'm a bit punchy after the last few days!

I hope the holidays were good to you all and I plan on another Christmas post later tonight..

Dick Enberg

Sorry to hear of the passing of Dick Enberg at the age of 82 from a heart attack.
To folks of my age, Dick Enberg was the voice of NBC Sports as he was the bridge that connected Curt Gowdy to Bob Costas as the voice and face of NBC.

Dick Enberg did all the major properties that the network held with his characteristic enthusiasm without being over the top as so many are in today's game and Enberg did it with enough flair to be different without being obnoxious.
It's funny with Enberg because to different people of different ages, he'll be remembered for calling different events.
My first memories of him are from the old TVS syndication broadcasts of events or the old "Sports Champions" game shows, but if you lived on the West Coast, you would remember him doing UCLA games or the L.A. Angels at the same time or even before.
Enberg did the famous UCLA-Houston game from the Astrodome in 1968 that truly put college hoops on the map on a TVS syndication broadcast and to those of us children of the 70's remember him as part of the terrific three man booth for NBC's NCAA coverage with Billy Packer and the late Al McGuire in what cemented March Madness as part of the sports television calendar for good before losing the contract to CBS in 1982.

Most will remember Enberg best for his great tandem with Merlin Olsen as NBC's number one pairing for the NFL and the Rose Bowl (NBC's only college football contract's were for New Year's Day Bowl games in those years).
The two were seamless together and always put the game first.
Enberg and Olsen were the types of commentating team that put the game first and added to the game with their thoughts not overwhelming the game with their background and opinions.
It was a real change in broadcasting sports when those types of broadcasters began to be phased out of the business.

Enberg also did tennis for NBC (although I've never been much of a tennis follower) and some baseball for the network and I really enjoyed his return to the booth a few years back with the Padres as their television play by play man.
I tried to watch more Padres games because of Enberg's work, with the loss of Enberg and the retirement of Vin Scully and others, the classic old-school commentators are slowly leaving us with all those great stories going away with the Screaming Gus Johnson's taking their places with bellows and catch phrases.

Which leads us to what so many fans associate with Dick Enberg "Oh MY".
Yes, it likely sounds very hypocritical on my part when you consider my oft-stated opinion on catch phrases, but bear with me.
I don't have a problem with them when they develop organically out of natural enthusiasm, but it seems like so many are pre-scripted now and the broadcaster cannot wait to make sure that they get their line whether it makes sense or not that it just takes away from the broadcast.
"Oh MY" never seemed to do that.
It seemed to always to come at just the right time and with just the right inflection.
Just like Dick Enberg..

My apologies for this feeling a bit disjointed.
I've stopped and started on this four times over the last few days and I just never felt happy with it, but I did want to finish the piece.

Back later with the Browns in Chicago against the Bears...