The Road Less Traveled

As the first month of baseball draws to a close, the Boston Red Sox are where they belong, in first place, albeit in a virtual tie with Baltimore, but first place nonetheless. That is obviously a good sign. The 2007 Red Sox were in first place at the close of April last season, and they finished up October with a World Series championship. So, suffice it to say that the 2008 Red Sox are on par with the 2007 Red Sox.

Except they're not.

While both teams have ended up in the same place in the standings at the end of one month of play, each team has taken a completely different path to get there. In all honesty, if we didn't already know the Sox by face, name, and number, we would be absolutely convinced that Version 2008 had undergone a complete overhaul in the offseason. It's a totally different team.

Take Manny Ramirez for example. In 24 April games in 2007, Manny hit an abysmal .202 which partly accounted for his equally abysmal .629 OPS. He hit only three home runs and struck out 15 times. He drove in only 13 runs. Flip the calendar, and you'll find a completely different story. In April of 2008, Manny has hit 141 points higher (.343) and has an OPS 405 points higher than last April's. He's hit twice as many home runs and driven in seven more runs. He's done this while actually walking less and striking out more.

But it's not just one player who exemplifies this polarity. It's apparent in the whole team. The 2008 Red Sox have taken a whole new direction than their predecessors of only a year ago. In 2007, the Red Sox hit just .262 as a team through April, yet scored 5.2 runs per game. This year's team has posted a .284 average through April, but has scored about a half run less per game. Home runs have also come less frequently for the '08 version of the Sox. Last season, the Sox hit more than one home run a game in April (1.125). This season, the Sox check in at under one home run per game (.821). The Sox, ever so walk-prone, drew 4.625 walks per game through the first month of last season. This season is naturally a different story; the Sox have drawn almost a full walk less per game (3.643) this April.

Just over two weeks ago, I described how the pitching staff has strayed a bit from the organizational philosophy this season by racking up high pitch counts, issuing a lot of walks, and failing to pitch deep into games. This assessment is still amazingly accurate. Last season, Sox pitching issued only 69 walks in 24 April games while allowing a baserunner less than 30% of the time. This is a markedly different performance than that portrayed so far by 2008's numbers. This April, the Red Sox pitching staff has racked up 121 walks and a .336 OBP against. They've surrendered 10 more home runs (28 to 18) and have posted an ERA well over a run higher (4.45 to 3.28). Granted, most of the blame can fall at the feet of the bullpen, which has been less than spectacular. The bullpen, through April in 2007, posted a 2.18 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 9.0 K/9. This season, not so much. The '08 bullpen has posted an ERA and WHIP far closer to the legal driving age at 5.25 and 1.58, respectively. The strikeout rate has actually remained relatively constant.

Manny is not being Manny!

Like I said earlier, it's not just Manny who's having an ass backwards month. It's become more viral throughout the Sox clubhouse than the flu. Here are a few more examples:

David Ortiz raked more than a farmer last April to the tune of a .297/.402/.615 line. He hit seven homers with 22 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 15 walks, and 18 strikeouts. This April, Big Papi wouldn't quite be considered a Bash Brother. While posting virtually identical RBI, walk, and strikeout totals, he's hit only four home runs with a brutal .172/.287/.313 line.

How about Dustin Pedroia, he of the horrific start last season? That horrific start was quantified by a wretched .182/.308/.236 line. He had just 10 hits all of last April, only three of which were extra-base hits. He had only two RBIs and five runs scored. It's amazing that he went on to win the Rookie of the Year and hit over .300. This April, Pedroia has looked more like the April version of Alex Rodriguez than the October version he looked like in April last year. He's off to a .313/.357/.435 start with 36 hits, 12 extra-base hits, and 14 runs scored.

On the offensive side, Coco Crisp and JD Drew have gotten off to unfamiliarly hot starts. And Mike Lowell, due in part to his injury, has struggled out of the gate.

Comparing the pitching staffs this early in the season may not be totally fair. After all, there's been about a 40% turnover in this April's starting rotation as compared to last April's rotation. And the bullpen has been turned over by about 50%. That being said, as you'd expect from the topic of this post, the 2008 numbers do not mirror those of a season ago. Josh Beckett was 5-0 with a 2.48 and 28 strikeouts through five April starts last season. This April, Beckett is 2-2 with a 4.10 ERA, but does have 29 strikeouts. Mike Timlin, in April '07, appeared in eight games and posted an ugly 5.87 ERA. Interestingly enough, he got worse this April. Far worse. In April '08, his ERA has almost tripled to 13.50 in nine games. And finally, Javier Lopez who put up a spotless ERA last April has compiled a 4.50 ERA this April.

The first month of 2008 has certainly been a different ride than that of 2007. If I had to give an answer as to how or why we've been able to play first place ball while taking a far different path than the team did last season, I'd say that it's got to be the steady offense and its utilization of Moneyball principles. In April of 2007, the offense put up .353/.426/.779 (OBP/SLG/OPS) line. This April, it's a frighteningly similar .356/.423/.779. Regardless, I don't care what the means are, as long as the same end is achieved in 2008 as it was in 2007, I will be a happy blogger.

Rock, Chalk, Pats Mock

'Tis the season for mock drafts, big boards, more mock drafts, Mel Kiper, and even more mock drafts. Tomorrow, Jake Long is a lock for the top spot to the Dolphins. To be honest, I don't care about him or the 'Phins. My concern, of course, is the New England Patriots pick at #7. Most mock drafts I've seen have the Patriots taking USC defensive tackle, Sedrick Ellis. Some seem to think the Patriots will grab his teammate, linebacker Keith Rivers. I've even seen a select few mocks that think that Darren McFadden will fall to the Patriots. None of this will happen, though, when the Patriots make their selection at approximately 3:50pm.

How do I know? Well, as a wise and probably rich man once said, "You don't know where you're going unless you know where you've been." I have no clue which wise, rich man once said this, but it applies to the Patriots draft weekend.

So, in order to tell where the Pats are going tomorrow, let's look at where they've been. Here's some history on past Patriots drafts.

According to NFL.com, the Patriots first ever selection was Billy Brewer, a defensive back out of Missippi, way back in 1960. This pick was made when the Patriots still went by the Boston Patriots. Since Brewer, the Patriots have made 551 additional picks culminating in last year's second 7th rounder, Mike Elgin, a guard out of Iowa.

The last time the Patriots held the 7th pick was back in 1996 when the Pats selected Terry Glenn. That draft turned out to be one of the franchise's best in recent memory, producing players like Glenn, Tedy Bruschi, and Lawyer Milloy. That was the only other time in franchise history that the Pats held the 7th overall pick.

Speaking of the Patriots best drafts, my vote goes to the 1993 draft class which produced franchise savior Drew Bledsoe as well as Chris Slade, Vincent Brisby, and, in the 8th round, Troy Brown. The '95 class was also very, very good. The Pats took Ty Law, Ted Johnson, and Curtis Martin with their first three picks that year. Another strong draft class was the 2003 group of Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson, Asante Samuel (4th), Dan Koppen (5th), and Tully Banta-Cain (7th).

Some of the most memorable #1's taken by the Patriots over the years include Jim Plunkett (1971), John Hannah (1973), Tony Eason (1983), Irving Fryar (1984), Bruce Armstrong (1987), John Stephens (1988), Robert Edwards (1998), Damien Woody (1999), Richard Seymour (2001), and Laurence Maroney (2006). From 1993-96, the Patriots drafted Drew Bledsoe, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, and Terry Glenn with their top picks. A fairly productive stretch, I'd say.

On the other hand, here are some late-round flyers that have helped make some front office gentlemen look pretty smart: Steve Grogan (5th round, 1975), Rich Gannon (4th, 1987), Ben Coates (5th, 1991), Sam Gash (8th, 1992), Troy Brown (8th, 1993), Patrick Pass (7th, 2000), David Givens (7th, 2002), and Asante Samuel (4th, 2003). The Patriots also picked up some guy named Brady in the 6th round of the 2000 draft.

As for the Patriots outlook for tomorrow's NFL Draft, I previously mentioned that I don't see the Patriots taking either Ellis, Rivers, or McFadden. Since Belichick took over in 2000, the Patriots have drafted three positions heavily within the first three rounds: offensive line, defensive line, and secondary. With that, Sedrick Ellis is a possibility.

The Patriots will not choose Darren McFadden. My mock draft has McFadden available at #7, but I think the Patriots will pass despite the fact that he will clearly be the best player on the board. I think the Pats will shift to a running-back-by-committee, but McFadden and Maroney in the same backfield would be a waste of talent. It would make more sense for New England to go after a veteran bruiser-type back like Shaun Alexander.

Don't expect Belichick to make the Katzenmoyer mistake.

You can count Keith Rivers as a virtual lock not to get drafted by New England. Under Belichick, the Patriots have drafted only six linebackers, none higher than #170 overall when they chose Ryan Claridge out of UNLV in the 5th round of the 2005 draft. In fact, the last time the Patriots chose a linebacker higher than Claridge was in 1999 when they chose Andy Katzenmoyer 28th overall. Before him, Tedy Bruschi in 1996 was the last linebacker selected before round 5.

That leaves Ellis. He is a real possibility at #7. But I see the Patriots passing for two reasons. First, I'm just not sure there's enough playing time to go around on the D-line with Seymour, Wilfork, Warren, Green, and Wright already engaged in a five-man rotation.

The second reason the Pats will pass on Ellis includes my prediction as to what the Patriots will do when they're on the clock tomorrow. I am guaranteeing with 99% certainty that New England will trade down from the seven spot. They will do this for three reasons.

Before I explain those reasons, let me quickly present my projected top six picks: Jake Long (Miami), Glenn Dorsey (St. Louis), Matt Ryan (Atlanta), Chris Long (Oakland), Ryan Clady (Kansas City), and Vernon Gholston (New York Jets).

Okay, so back to why the Pats will trade down.

#1) With McFadden still on the board, some team in desperate need of a running back (Detroit, Houston, Tennessee, Seattle) will blow the Patriots away with an offer. With their biggest need in the defensive backfield, I don't think the Patriots will find a whole lot of value in top 10 anyway, and they will accept without hesitation.

#2) My gut feeling is that Belichick and Pioli are still a bit PO'ed with Commissioner Goodell for forfeiting the Patriots first round pick as a result of Spygate. So, I think they'll move to stockpile as many first day picks as they can.

#3) This last reason will perhaps be the biggest influence in the Patriots decision to move down. As we know, top 10 guys typically receive a substantial amount of money by way of guarantees and bonuses. Well, according to a recent Mike Reiss Mailbag, the 7th overall pick is expected to command somewhere in the neighborhood of $18 million guaranteed. This would make the rookie roughly the third or fourth highest paid player on the team earning a salary similar to that of Adalius Thomas. Considering the Patriots frugal past, I absolutely cannot see them shelling out this kind of money for a rookie. No way. Notgunnahappen.

Ultimately, I think the Patriots' best trade suitor may be the Dallas Cowboys. I could see the Cowboys packaging both of their first rounders (#22 and #28 overall) to move up and select McFadden. Should that happen, the Patriots would gain some flexibility with its two first rounders and should be able to grab some solid value picks.

To give you something a little more specific and finite heading into tomorrow, I'll say that at #22 the Patriots will grab Aqib Talib, cornerback out of Kansas, and at #28, they will add Quentin Groves, OLB out of Auburn (to be converted to an Adalius Thomas-like hybrid).

One thing is for sure, Bill Belichick has surprised us before.

The Capital of Massachusetts is Titletown

For those of you that don't know, I am originally from the Pittsburgh area and now reside in Erie, PA. My heart, however, belongs in Boston. Boston is undisputedly my favorite sports town, my favorite vacation spot (at least in the continental US), and my favorite city in general. I'd be living there if it wasn't so damn expensive.

Long ago, my interest in the Steelers and Pirates fled for the greener pastures of Boston area teams. My passion for the Patriots and Red Sox and my consequential disinterest in the Steelers and Pirates are one thing that my friends, coworkers, and my father, in particular, can neither fathom nor can they stand about me.

It's not a matter of the chicken vs. the egg because it was the Patriots and Red Sox who had prompted my original visits to the northeast.

People person? Then hop on this bad boy at Park Street an hour before any Sox home game. But please remember to wear your deodorant.

From there, the aura of the city itself sucked me in for good. Whether it's catching an act outside of Quincy Market, or shopping at Fanueil Hall, or picnicking in Boston Common, or jogging along the Charles with a view of Cambridge on the other side, or throwing together some random concoction of raw meats at Fire and Ice on Berkeley, or taking in the history while strolling through the Harvard campus, there is never or should never be a feeling of homesickness. The town encompasses you and makes you feel like you belong there.

What is most impressive to me, though, as a sports fan is the sports environment. Bostonians hold their athletic teams in such high regard and follow them with such extreme passion. They can chew a team up for faltering, but can also immortalize a team for its successes. During my visits, almost exclusively during baseball seasons, I can't walk a single block without seeing 27 people wearing a Sox hat. I love it! Climbing onto the Green Line an hour before game time is something that even the most chlostrophobic of individuals can enjoy because of the buzz and general anticipation of the first pitch.

This post is really less about the city of Boston than it is about the sports town of Boston. As a fan of the Patriots and Red Sox, I've come to both admire and appreciate the success that the city's sports teams have had over the past calendar year. It's truly remarkable. To borrow a source from The Angry Fan from about five and a half months ago, Frank Deford of SI dubbed Boston the Sparta of America. That's fair, but I'd like to think of Boston as Titletown.

The Red Sox and Patriots alone have accounted for five championships between them this decade with the Sox being the most recent World Series champion. That's better than 33% of the championships in both sports combined. And while this is true, I'd like to narrow the time frame down to the past 365 days. Although the championships haven't rolled in in the numbers that were expected at times, the success that this one city has had in one calendar year is beyond ridiculous.

Let's take a look.

The Red Sox, as previously mentioned, are the defending World Series champions after sweeping the Colorado Rockies in four games. It was their second title in four years, and the Sox became the first multiple winner in the new century. The win came after an improbable comeback against the Cleveland Indians who had the Sox down three-games-to-one in the ALCS with Carmona and Sabathia still to pitch. In addition to the World Series win, the Sox boasted a Rookie-of-the-Year winning second baseman in Dustin Pedroia and a pitcher who should have won the Cy Young award in Josh Beckett.

Despite the Super Bowl meltdown, the Patriots can still be considered among the greatest teams of all-time. They became the only team to complete a regular season at 16-0. They set new records in points and touchdowns scored. Tom Brady was one vote shy of unanimously winning the MVP after his record-breaking season. Likewise, Randy Moss broke Jerry Rice's old single-season touchdown mark after hauling in 23 Brady bombs. And the Patriots accomplished all of this with exponentially mounting pressure and adversity.

The Boston Celtics have just finished off their third best regular season ever with a 66-16 record on the shoulders of a superstar cast including MVP candidate, Kevin Garnett. The Celts coasted to a #1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs where they recently beat down the Hawks in Game 1. Not only are the Celtics the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference, but they should be the favorite to win their first NBA championship since the 1985-86 season.

The Bruins complete the quadfecta(?) in that Boston has had a representative in the playoffs of each of the four major sports over the last year. Currently, the Bruins are trying pull what the Red Sox did against the Indians in the ALCS last season by overcoming a 3-1 series deficit against the Canadiens. A Bruins win would cap off an even more remarkable comeback that what the Sox pulled off; the Bruins snuck in as a #8 seed, and the Canadiens, obviously, are the top team in the Eastern Conference. Game 7 goes down tonight in Montreal.

How fitting that the best college QB plays in the best sports town in America.

How about the Boston College Eagles football team? At one point, the Eagles held the #1 overall national seed. They would ultimately succumb to the pressures of an undefeated season and lose out on the ACC crown to Virginia Tech. But they did win the Citrus Bowl Champs Sports Bowl over Michigan State, 24-21, en route to their eighth consecutive bowl win. They also turned out a mid-season Heisman candidate and likely the top quarterback to be taken in this week's draft, Matt Ryan.

Speaking of the Boston College Eagles, the Eagles hockey team was recently anointed as the top team in the world of college hockey after knocking off Notre Dame in the finals, 4-1. To get there, though, BC had to beat #1 seed - and #2 national seed - North Dakota. And beat them they did; the Eagles handed North Dakota a 6-1 smack down.

Sticking with the college theme, the Harvard Crimson won the Ivy League football championship outright by dealing Yale its only loss of the season.

Finally, the New England Revolution of the MLS can boast two championship appearances over the last year. The Rev lost, 2-1, to the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup, but defeated FC Dallas, 3-2, to claim the 2007 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

From the college scene to soccer to the major professional sports, Boston sports teams have experienced an incredible amount of success. If Boston is not deserving of the "Titletown" tag, then I don't know who would be. And there is no fanbase more deserving of this recognition than those of the sports town of Boston.

And, just for a little added benefit, Boston has totally and completely dominated the city of New York in respect to the topic of this post. Aside from the Giants fluky Super Bowl win, where has the New York representation been this year? Where has it been the entire decade? The Yankees have been a major disappointment. The Knicks are a joke. The Mets are still recovering from their historical late-season meltdown. The Rangers are in the midst of the NHL playoffs, but the Islanders were awful. And what about the college teams? NYU? They can have the rehabbing Olsen twins. I'm sure BC is content with Matt Ryan.

As Boston is a much better city than is New York, Boston as a sports town obliterates New York - and all others - as a sports town. It's Titletown, Massachusetts.

Parasox

I own a pair of socks. I own more than one, in fact. And I would hope you do as well. But this post has nothing to do with pairs of socks, but rather a "parasox."

Okay, so what it is a parasox? The simple answer is that it is a paradox that applies to the Red Sox. And so far, the 2008 Red Sox season can only be described as just that, a parasox (or even a soxymoron, if you prefer).

Boston's organizational offensive strategy is, in one word, patience. Patience is stressed throughout the entire organization from Lancaster to Fenway. The message is uniform. See some pitches. Work the pitch count. Take some walks. Theo Epstein has infused a bit of the Moneyball ideology into the Red Sox organization; on-base percentage generates runs which translates into wins.

So, from an offensive standpoint, if the Sox belief is that on-base percentage and patience and high pitch counts equal wins, wouldn't it seem logical for the defensive/pitching strategy to be just the opposite? Offensively speaking again, if walks and on-base percentage ultimately lead to wins, would you not want your pitching staff to limit these same things?

The Red Sox, as a team, have finished in the top three in all of baseball in total walks drawn in each of the past five years. Over that same span, the Red Sox have had at least three players finish in the top 20 in the AL in total pitches per plate appearance. In their World Series winning season of 2004, they cranked out six guys in the top 20. Since 2003, Red Sox players have also littered the top 25 charts in walks drawn. Last season alone, they led all of baseball in both walks drawn and pitches seen per plate appearance. It's no mistake that they've won two World Series championships in the past four years.

To reiterate the rhetoric from above, it would make sense if the Red Sox pitching staff set out to limit walks and pitch counts seeing as how increasing amounts of these improves the offense's chances of scoring runs. But interestingly enough, this appears to be exactly opposite

I hope she likes long walks on the beach because he sure likes to hand out walks on the diamond.

of the approach that the pitching staff has taken so far in this young 2008 season, intentional or not. Thus, the paradox. Jon Lester's outing last night perfectly illustrates my point. He threw 97 pitches in only 4.1 innings. That's over 22 pitches per inning and 4.2 pitches per batter faced! On the season, Lester has issued 15 free passes in only 20.1 innings of work (6.64 BB/9) and has consequently racked up a 1.62 WHIP. His K/BB rate is a woeful, putrid, downright disgusting .667.

Lester isn't the only guilty party in this mess. It'd be silly to blame whatever pitching woes the Sox have experience thus far solely on a 24-year old lefty who's made a mere four starts this season and has recently recovered from cancer. As good as Dice-K has been in 2008, he's been as much to blame for high pitch counts and walks. In his most recent outing, the Dice Man used 116 pitches to get through five innings. The inefficiency was due in part to the six walks he issued. While Dice sports better ratios than Lester - 9.26 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 1.20 WHIP - he and Lester both have walked 15 hitters, the second highest marks in baseball. Dice-K has not made it through seven full innings in any start this season, yet leads the Majors in pitches thrown with 415, and he is second in the AL behind Felix Hernandez in pitcher abuse points according to Baseball Prospectus.

This trend seems to be an epimedic for the Sox starting rotation. Granted, the season is barely embryonic, but Beckett and Buchholz are walking about four guys per nine innings, and Wakefield has dished out eight walks in a mere 11 innings.

Ironically, the Red Sox offense has seemingly reversed its typical strategy as well. As a team, the Red Sox are only 10th in Major League Baseball with 49 walks drawn, a total that equates them with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although fourth in the AL in team OBP, the Sox barely have three guys in the AL top 40 in OBP, they have only two guys in the AL top 40 in pitches per plate appearance, and you'll find only one member of the Sox in the MLB top 40 in walks. That would be David Ortiz, he of the .104 batting average variety.

It certainly hasn't been an efficient beginning to the Red Sox title defense. As such, their inconsistent start should not be attributed to their three-country international road trip to open up the season, but rather to the unintentional, yet poor execution of the organization's philosophies.

Two unrelated Sox notes before I sign off:

#1) A #24 Milestone -- Manny Ramirez, #24 for the Sox of course, has moved into a tie for 24th place on the all-time home runs list with 493. He is tied with Fred McGriff and Lou Gehrig.

#2) I've recently added an autographed copy of the book Faithful to my collection of Red Sox memorabilia. The book was signed by Terry Francona. A buddy and former college teammate of mine resides in New Brighton, PA where Francona grew up. This past offseason, the town held a recognition banquet for Francona in honor of his most recent World Series win. Needless to say, Francona was kind enough to sign some autographs. If he wasn't already there, my buddy has moved a couple notches ahead of the buddy who sent me this t-shirt following New England's Super Bowl loss.

Top 10 List: Sports Video Games

A creative block and an ample workload have caused my inactivity over the past week. So, I figured what better way to break the boredom following an inexplicable week of play in the American League than with a long overdue Top 10 list?

Really, though, how bonkers has the American League been so far? The Baltimore Orioles have the AL's best record at 6-1 and are atop the East. On the other end, the Detroit Tigers are 0-7 with a .245 batting average and fewer home runs than 11 other American League teams all while bringing up the rear in the Central. Meanwhile, in the very middle at 4-4 sit the Red Sox, Yankees, and Indians. Luke Scott leads the AL with a .500 batting average, Aubrey Huff leads the AL in RBI with 11, and both Brian Bannister and Livan Hernandez are 2-0.

I could write an entire Top 10 list solely on the aberrant beginning to this young 2008 season. But things have been too unfathomable and unconventional for me to stomach. So, rather than ringing in the new season of America's favorite National Pastime with a Top 10 list, I'll concede to doing a Top 10 list regarding America's second favorite National Pastime: sports video games.

From worst to first, here are the top 10 sports video games of all-time. As usual, these are completely subjective and completely of my own opinion.

THIRD TEAM

#10) Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball (Platform: SNES)
The best part of the game was the cleverness behind the names and talents of each fictional player. For

He's better known as D. Crime in the virtual world.

example, the Boston Red Sox had players named after Cheers characters and the American Revolution. The Braves had players whose names were derived from the nicknames of their real-life counterparts, D. Crime (Fred McGriff) and D. Neon (Deion Sanders), to name a couple. The only real player in the game was, of course, Ken Griffey Jr, who was also the best player in the game, something the game's developers certainly got right. As for gameplay, Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball was one of the most naturally fun baseball video games I can ever remember playing.

#9) NHL '94 (Platform: Sega)
For someone who has followed hockey as diligently as they would a 90-year old woman driving 15 mph slower than the speed limit, I got caught up in the NHL '94 hoopla, and for good reason. Arguably the greatest hockey game of all-time, NHL '94 introduced the deadly one-timer, which was practically unstoppable even for Patrick Roy. I loved assembling the most talented front line in the game and then swapping them out for my checking line which always included Chris Chelios. On a side note, NHL '94 introduced one of my favorite features from any video game ever: the in-game highlight.

#8) Madden NFL 2006 (Platform: PS2)
So, it lacks the classic feel of some of the others on this list, but Madden 2006 is the best installment of the greatest series of sports video games ever. In fact, '06 remains the most recent Madden game I own because it's so good that it removes the incentive to modernize. It's everything you've come to expect from the Madden series, plus more. The only downfall is that the cover boy is Donovan McNabb.

SECOND TEAM

#7) Mike Tyson's Punchout (Platform: NES)
Outside of video games for the four major sports, Punchout is the cream of the crop. As such, it is the only one of it's kind to appear on this list. Where most of these games are best enjoyed with your friends, Punchout is best enjoyed flying solo in the confines of your own bedroom as you take Little Mac on a violent journey up the ranks of the boxing world.

Three notes:

I. I thoroughly enjoy Mario as the referee, and I've always wondered if his voice when he says "Fight" would be the same in Super Mario Brothers had he been able to talk.

II. I always laugh when I see the animation of Little Mac jogging streetside with Doc Louis riding behind him on his bike. It's Rocky-esque.

III. I've always found Great Tiger as the most difficult opponent to defeat. I never mastered the proper timing to adequately block his Tiger Punch.

#6) Blades of Steel (Platform: NES)
One of the most underrated video games of the generation, Blades of Steel was so popular among my friends that my one buddy now uses it as a team name in my fantasy baseball league. One of the most unique and memorable things about the game were the unusual sound bytes including the "Blades of Steel" sound byte from the title screen, the "flips the toss" commentary with each successful pass (although Wikipedia contends that the phrase is actually "with the pass"), and the bizarre whistling tune that occurs randomly throughout the game. Blades of Steel was also noted for its fighting, as all hockey games should be. The loser in a fight was given a five minute major while the winner went without punishment.

#5) RBI Baseball (Platform: NES)
RBI Baseball was the innovative baseball game of the era. It set the standard for gameplay. It was defined by its realism having been the first baseball game to acquire an MLBPA license permitting the developers to use real player names. It's probably best known for its cast of round-bodied, round-headed, faceless players. RBI was an arcade legend before making it's way to the game console. There's really nothing more to say that hasn't already been said.

Shawn Kemp was unstoppable in NBA Jam.

#4) NBA Jam (Platform: Sega)
NBA Jam caused a cultural revolution. It made phrases like "boomshakalaka;" "the nail in the coffin;" "from downtown;" "he's heating up;" and, from it's sister version, College Jam, "from off-campus;" popular and solidified these phrases as acceptable in everyday vernacular. It also made the fiery basketball, cinged nylon nets, 2 on 2, and the 540 degree dunk popular. Like the Penguins and Red Wings in NHL '94, I could not be beat with the Charlotte Hornets (Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning) or the Seattle Supersonics (Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf) in NBA Jam.

FIRST TEAM

#3) Joe Montana Sports Talk Football '93 (Platform: Sega)
Joe Montana Football for Sega is the most underrated sports video game of all-time. It was revolutionary in that it was the first sports game to introduce full-blown play-by-play commentary. The game was simply downright dynamite. Joe's Play never failed unless your opponent countered with Joe's Play on defense. You could throw 80+ yard fly patterns where the ball would come so close to bursting out of the screen that you could nearly see the pig whose body once hosted the skin used to make the football. One of the more humorous aspects of the game was playing in Blimp view; it most closely resembled watching M&Ms on an operating lawnmower.

#2) Tecmo Super Bowl (Platform: NES)
Tecmo Super Bowl is the pinnacle of football video games. I doubt that it can ever be surpassed. There is an addictive pleasure that is experienced when playing TSB. The game has become a cultural phenomenon as it has been re-released for various platforms and in various versions. Rather than discuss all of the goodness of TSB, I want to highlight the fact that this game brought to surface the most dynamic duo in sports video game history: Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen of the Los Angeles Raiders. Not even Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf could compete. Tecmo Super Bowl is #1 on many lists, but not mine, though.

#1) Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 (Platform: SNES)
Super Baseball Simulator is by far the best sports video game ever created. I have probably spent more hours in front of a TV playing this game than any other with the possible exception of Madden 2006. I love it so much that I dedicated an entire post to it. It's #1 in my heart and #1.000 on this list.

Honorable Mention: College Football's National Championship (Sega), NCAA March Madness 2002 (PS2), Jordan vs. Bird (NES), NFL Quarterback Club (Sega)

Projecting Griffey

It's the beginning of April! That can only mean two things. First, baseball season is finally, finally here. And second, Ken Griffey Jr. returns to continue his ascension towards 600 home runs. With that, the Griffey Watch also returns counting down to 600 home runs.

Here are the home run totals as projected by six prominent forecasting systems:

Source	CHONE	RotoWorld	Marcel	Roto- Authority	ZiPS	Miner
Projection	28	28	26	24	23	20

At a quick glance, it appears that the aggregrate belief is that Griffey will hit something in the neighborhood of 25 home runs in 2008. That would put him at 618 for his career, 5th all-time and 42 behind Willie Mays for 4th all-time. I'm not concerned so much with what totals The Kid will put up this season or in his career. Of immediate concern to me is when he will hit lucky #7. That one will, of course, put him at 600 home runs for his career.

It can be said that Griffey's pursuit of what was Hank Aaron's home run record has been severely derailed by injuries. That is quite true. Starting in 2001, Griffey went six straight seasons without recording 500 at-bats, and he only played in 120 or more games once in that stretch. Where he had hit at least 40 home runs in each season but one from 1993 to 2000, he hit only 135 combined home runs during his injury-plagued seasons in Cincinnati. Since joining Cincinnati, Griffey has played in an average of only 105 games per season.

We're lucky to have seen this swing almost 600 times.

For the purposes of this post, we'll assume that Griffey will stay healthy for the entire season, which looks entirely possibly considering his relatively pain-free offseason and his 144 games in 2007. Let's say Griffey gets 500 ABs and plays in 140 games. Using those numbers as the baseline, Griffey has a career rate of 34 HRs per 140 games played and 35 HRs per 500 ABs.

My guess, then, is assuming he can stay healthy for the long haul, Griffey will get to at least 30 or more home runs this season. But again, I'm not concerned with the final figure, only with when he'll get number seven this season.

Using the rates above, Griffey would likely hit career home run #600 around the 29th game of the season, which would be in St. Louis at the end of the month.

A couple of other rate stats to keep in mind: Griffey has a career home run rate of 0.62 per 10 ABs against left-handers and 0.70 against right-handers. Griffey has hit 311 of his 593 home runs at home and 282 away.

Here's what Cincinnati's schedule looks like through the first month and a half of the season: Arizona (3 games), Philadelphia (4), @Milwaukee (3), @Pittsburgh (3), @Chicago (3), Milwaukee (3), Los Angeles (2), Houston (2), @San Francisco (3), @St. Louis (3), @Atlanta (3), Chicago (3), @New York (3), Florida (4), Cleveland (3).

My projection is based on a very rough estimate of the probable pitchers that the Reds will face through the first month and a half. With that in mind, here's the breakdown against these first 13 teams and their probable starters.

Cincinnati opens up with two series and seven games at home where Griffey has hit 61 career home runs. Those two series are against Arizona and Philadelphia, teams in which he's hit only a combined eight homers against. His 0-3, 2 K performance on Monday against Brandon Webb notwithstanding, Griffey hasn't fared very well against the slate of DBacks pitchers he's set to face; he's a mere 5-38 combined against Webb, Dan Haren, and Randy Johnson. Against the Phillies probables, though, Griffey has fared considerably better, particularly against Jamie Moyer and Adam Eaton, the Phils projected #4 and #5. Against those two, Griffey has combined for three home runs (two in five at-bats versus Eaton) in 30 ABs. Griffey is good for at least one against the Phillies.

Following the homestand, the Reds set out on a nine-game road trip to Miller Park, PNC Park, and Wrigley Field, stadiums in which Griffey has hit eight, six, and seven home runs, respectively. Looking at the numbers, it appears Junior should be good for at least three home runs on the road trip. He's homered 32 times against the Brewers in his career, the most times against any National League team. But this, of course, dates back to both parties' time in the AL. Those 32 homers include three against projected Game 2 starter, Dave Bush, in 15 ABs. In Pittsburgh, Griffey is likely to face Ian Snell and Paul Maholm in Games 2 and 3; he's hit two combined homers in 27 at-bat against the righty-lefty combo with an OPS in the .815 range. Against Cubs starters, Jason Marquis and Jon Lieber, in Games 1 and 2 in Chicago, Griffey is hitting .314 (11-35), but with zero home runs. Throw in Carlos Zambrano, the projected Game 3 starter who Griffey has two home runs and a 1.190 OPS against in 30 at-bats, and the potential is there for a productive road trip.

After the three-game set in Wrigley, the Reds return home for seven games, three against Milwaukee, and two a piece against the Dodgers and Astros. With eight home runs in 46 combined at-bats against Brewers' Games 1 and 3 starters, Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush, Griffey's a shoo-in for at least one dinger against the Brewers. The next four starters he would seemingly face would be Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Brandon Backe, and Wandy Rodriguez. Against this quartet, Griffey has seven round-trippers in a combined 61 at-bats. His OPSs against the two Astros in particular are 1.875 and 2.146, respectively. I'll give a very, very conservative prediction of one home run during this four-game stretch to account for any days off.

That puts Griffey at five homers for the season - and 598 for his career - going into the Reds last two series of April against the Giants and Cardinals. Against the projected slate of Giants starters - Jonathan Sanchez, Barry Zito, and Matt Cain - Griffey has limited exposure with a tiny 4-12, 0 HR sample size. With the injuries to the St. Louis rotation, it's hard to say who will take the mound when the Reds head into Busch Stadium to close out April. With the limited experience against the Giants starters and the uncertainty surrounding the Cardinals rotation, I will take a highly risk-averse path and give Griffey a goose egg as he closes out the last six days of the first month of the season.

To open up May, Cincinnati heads to Atlanta for a three-game set, an opponent that Griffey has hit only seven home runs against in a stadium where he's only hit three. If my rough estimate on probables holds true, the Reds will be set to face John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, and Tom Glavine in that three-game series, which isn't really all bad news for Junior Griffey. He's homered exactly once against each starter. I think that translates to one home run, whether he does it off of one of the Big Three or a reliever.

Thank you in advance, Carlos!

That will leave Griffey at 599 career home runs heading back home to Cincinnati, where seemingly all milestone home runs are hit - not in Cincinnati, but in home parks. So that begs the question: who will give up #600? My best guess is that it will be Carlos Zambrano, a pitcher who Griffey has basically owned throughout his career. The Cubs visit the Great American Ballpark on May 5-7 with Zambrano, in my estimate, slated for Game 3. As I pointed out earlier, in 30 ABs lifetime against Big Z, Griffey has posted a 1.190 OPS with two home runs.

The big game is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7 at 12:35. The good news is that the game will probably be broadcast on WGN. The bad news is that the game is in Cincinnati. Being about a five and a half hour drive and in the middle of the work week, my ability to travel to and from the game is severely limited.

So, to recap my prediction, I'm calling that #600 will be hit off of Carlos Zambrano on May 7 at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. I'll get even more specific. The time will be 12:49 (bottom of the 1st), and Griffey will hit a Zambrano fastball over the right-center field fence on a 3-1 count with no one on and two outs. It will be a solo job.

With that said, I'm in the market for some Reds-Cubs tickets.