Anyone Else Going To The Ap Tour 2009?

Is anyone else going?
The AP Tour 2009 dates!
Pre-sale tickets go on sale Monday!
w/ 3OH!3, The Maine, Family Force 5 and Hit The Lights, and A rocket To The Moon
March 20 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
March 21 – Emo’s – Austin, TX (South By Southwest – free show)
March 22 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
March 24 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
March 25 – Rialto Theatre – Tuscon, AZ
March 26 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
March 27 – The Avalon – Hollywood, CA
March 28 – The Glass House – Pomona, CA
March 29 – House of Blues – San Diego, CA
March 31 – The Dome – Bakersfield, CA
April 1 – Grand Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
April 2 – Senator Theatre – Chico, CA
April 3 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
April 4 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA
April 5 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
April 7 – In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT
April 8 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
April 9 – Sokol Auditorium – Omaha, NE
April 10 – Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
April 11 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
April 12 – The Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI
April 14 – Beaumont Club – Kansas City, MO
April 15 – Pop’s – St. Louis, MO
April 16 – Rocketown – Nashville, TN
April 17 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
April 18 – House of Blues – Orlando, FL
April 19 – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
April 20 – State Theatre – St. Petersburg, FL
April 21 – Freebird Cafe – Jacksonville Beach, FL
April 23 – Toad’s Place – Richmond, VA
April 24 – 9:30 Club – Washington DC
April 25 – Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
April 26 – Crocodile Rock – Allentown, PA
April 28 – The Fillmore At Irving Plaza – New York, NY
April 30 – Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT
May 1 – House of Blues – Boston, MA
May 2 – The Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
May 5 – Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON, Canada
May 6 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
May 7 – The Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI
May 8 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
May 9 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH

Does Anyone Know The Correct Trivia, Sleuth Answers For Us 99.5, And Other Radio Stations For April 21, 2009?

Good Morning All!
April birthday or anniversary’s: crazijim 1st, Cindy W. 2nd ann 20 years, Urbanmonkey 4th, Marvin 9th 83 years young (my dad), buscandducks 10th, John M#1 10th , dispatchgirl 1 11th ,Eric 14th (Doris & Pete’s son), Ben 15th (my nephew), Amy Q 17th, hueydriver64 18th ,czar59 22nd, jrae276 & genetica 22nd (sisters), Sharon 23rd (n7ybn Mother in law) , Fred’s mother in law 25th 80 years young, Marion 27th 82yrs young (my mom), Cj S 28th, rimsk 29th.
Who We Are and the stations we listen too!
92.3 FM KTAR
92.3 WXLK ROANOKE, VA
92.5 JOE FM EDMONTON, AB
92.5 WWYZ HARTFORD, CT.
92.5 LONE STAR DALLAS, TEXAS
92.5 WXTU PHILADELPHIA
92.5 WBEE ROCHESTER, NY
92.5 THE WOLF, DENVER
92.9 DAVEFM ATLANTA, GA
93.3 B93 DOT NET TEXAS
93.7 THE BULL TRIVIA
93.7 MIKEFM, BOSTON, MA
93.7 KISS SHREVEPORT, TEXAS
93.9 MOVING CALIFORNIA
94.5 KRUF SHREVEPORT, TEXAS
94.9 THE SOUND WSWD FM CINCINNATI OHIO
95.3 NEW COUNTRY, HAMILTON ONTARIO
95.5 WFMS INDIANAPOLIS
95.7 MYCLUB MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
95.7 WRIT MILWAUKEE, WI
96.5 WCMF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
96.5 KVKI SHREVEPORT, TEXAS
96.7 THE TWISER ARLINGTON, TEXAS
96.9 KSEG THE EAGLE SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
97.3 ALICE SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
97.9 98ROCK, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
98 WPXY ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
98.7 KUPL PORTLAND, OR
98.9 THE BUZZ, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
99.1 WAHR STAR HUNTSVILLE, ALA
99.5 WUSN CHICAGO, IL.
99.5 THE RIVER ALBANY, NEW YORK
99.5 WGAR CLEVELAND, OHIO
99.5 THE WOLF TEXAS COUNTRY
99.5 WZPL Z99 INDIANAPOLIS, IN
100.1 KZST SANTA ROSE, CA
100.3 KILT FM HOUSTON, TX
100.7 WMMS CLEVELAND, OHIO
Y101 OTTAWA, ONTARIO
101.3 WGGY FM Northeastern PA
101.9 Q102 CINCINNATI’S OHIO
102.1 EDGE DALLAS
102.5 STAR BUFFALO, NY
102.5 KSFM SACRAMENTO, CA
102.9 MIX
103.7 WSOC CHARLOTTE, NC
103.9 CISN EDMONTON, AB
104.1 KKUS TYLER, TEXAS
104.5 WAXX EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN
104.9 THE EDGE, ALBANY, NY
105.1 GO COUNTRY LOS ANGELES, CA
C105 CALGARY, ALBERTA
105.7 KYKX LONGVIEW, TEXAS
105.9 WHCN THE RIVER HARTFORD, CT
106.1 WMIL MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
106.1 KISS FM DALLAS, TX
106.1 KISS SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
106.5 KOOL TYLER, TEXAS
Q107 CLASSIC CALGARY, AB
107.3 WAAF, BOSTON, MA
Z107.7 ST. LOUIS, MO
107.9 WNTR THETRACK INDIANAPOLIS, IN
KTAR SPORTS 620 AM PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Prayers are still being said daily for all of our Trivia Friends and Family and hoping all will continue to get stronger as each day passes.
4/20:Things have been kind of crazy since last Thursday. On Thursday, Lincoln stopped breathing for about 2 minutes. The doctors and nurses have no idea why it happened and because of that have been running different tests. They are checking his brain, heart and lungs to make sure there isn’t something that they missed. They are also changing some minor things like his feeds and IVs to see if that might make him more comfortable. However, there haven’t been any problems since the event on Thursday. We will be getting some results hopefully today and will get some insight as to what is going on if anything. Pray that there is nothing further going on with Lincoln and that he will continue to thrive and progress.
Thank You all for your help everyday!

2009 Mlb Predictions

Here is a list of predictions for the 2009 MLB season.  These are purely the opinion of the writer, “RaginBulls” at RootZoo.  Enjoy them, and feel free to share your opinions, whether you agree or disagree.

AL East
1. Boston Red Sox >
2. New York Yankees >
3. Tampa Bay Rays >
4. Baltimore Orioles>
5. Toronto Blue Jays >

AL Central
1. Minnesota Twins >
2. Cleveland Indians >
3. Detroit Tigers >
4. Kansas City Royals <
5. Chicago White Sox <

AL West
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim >
2. Texas Rangers >
3. Seattle Mariners <
4. Oakland Athletics <
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers >
2. Arizona Diamondbacks <
3. San Francisco Giants <
4. Colorado Rockies <
5. San Diego Padres <

NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs >
2. St. Louis Cardinals >
3. Cincinnati Reds >
4. Milwaukee Brewers <
5. Houston Astros <
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

NL East
1. New York Mets >
2. Philadelphia Phillies >
3. Florida Marlins >
4. Atlanta Braves <
5. Washington Nationals <

Wild Card Winners
AL: New York Yankees
NL: Philadelphia Phillies

Cy Young Winners
AL: Felix Hernandez
NL: Tim Lincecum

MVP Winners
AL: Matt Holliday
NL: Albert Pujols

Rookie of the Year Winners
AL: Luis Valbuena
NL: Nyjer Morgan

Come Back Players of the Year Winners
AL: Yuniesky Betancourt
NL: Barry Zito

Pennant Winners
AL: Boston Red Sox
NL: New York Mets

World Series Winner
MLB: New York Mets

See more 2009 MLB predictions and more sports talk at RootZoo.

Prince Fielder Won Home Run Derby, 2009 Home Run Derby Results

In St. Louis, Prince Fielder blasts the winning home run in the final round to win the 2009 All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

On Monday, In the Final, Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby beating Nelson Cruz.

2009 Home Run Derby Results – Baseball Betting Lines

Player                    1st Round        2nd Round    2nd Round-Total    Championship

Nelson Cruz                  11                     5                      16                                 5

Prince Fielder                11                     6                      17                                 6

Brandon Inge                 0                      -                       -                                   -

Adrian Gonzalez             2                      -                       -                                   -

Carlos Pena                   5                      -                       -                                   -

Ryan Howard                 7                      8                      15                                 -

Joe Mauer                      5                      -                       -                                   -

Albert Pujols                  5(won bat off)     6                    11                                -

The youngest player ever to reach 50 homers, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, added another distinction to his growing carrier when he claimed the 2009 All-Star Home Run Derby crown Monday night.

In the final round, Fielder pounded 6 home runs, the capper a 423-foot clout to center field when he still had three outs left, to beat Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz 6-5.

Fielder, 5-11 and 270 pounds, who have averaged more than 37 homers each of the last 3 seasons,  Prince Fielder Said, “Coming up through high school, coaches would tell me not to swing so hard. It’s the only way I know. It just happens.”

The outcome of this year’s 2009 Home Run Derby put into perspective Josh Hamilton’s feat in pounding out 28 first-round balls in the old Yankee Stadium last summer. Fielder’s total for his 3 rounds was 23.

Pujols, who leads the majors with 32 homers, needed a late rally just to avoid elimination in the first round. With one out to work with, he connected on consecutive swings to force a three-player swing-off for the final spot in round 2, sending the red-clad crowd of 45,981 into a high-fiving frenzy.

One fan in the bleachers lent a helping hand, too, appearing to reach over the fence in right-center to catch one of Pujols’ homers. During a game it might have been ruled fan interference, but there’s no video replay in the derby.

2009 National League Baseball Preview

Best Team in NL – Chicago Cubs

Despite their embarrassing exit in the first round of the 2008 NLDS, the Cubs are still, on paper at least, the best team in the NL. Paced by one of the most balanced lineups, the Cubs should again run away with the Central Division. With Derek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramírez, resurgent Kosuke Fukudome and the addition of RF Milton Bradley, the Cubs lineup is more potent than ever.

Add their balanced lineup with a talented pitching staff that features starters Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden and Ryan Dempster, combined with a strong, young bullpen and the Chicago Cubs should be on top of the NL when all of the dust clears. All they have to do is find a way to stay healthy, which could be a tough task. After all, this is the Chicago Cubs.

Worst Team in NL – Pittsburgh Pirates

Frankly, this teams stinks the stench of a rotten banana peel left in a hot car for weeks. Led by opening-day starter Paul Maholm, look for the Pirates to again finish at the cellar of their division. Their strategy of developing young talent like Jason Bey and then trading them away when they become just good enough to make decent money, doesn’t seem to aid their desire to win a lot of games. That is, If that’s actually their desire in the first place.

Biggest Turnaround Team – St. Louis Cardinals

Despite being without pitching-ace Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals still found a way to win 86 games last season. If Carpenter and the rest of their pitching staff can somehow find a way to stay healthy and RHP Adam Wainwright can get used to the more than 200 innings that usually comes with being a starting pitcher in the MLB, the Cardinals could be a very dangerous contender in the Central Division. If you add 1B Albert Pujols and emerging SS Khalil Greene to the mix, the Cardinals could give the Cubs a run for their money this season.

Team To Watch – Cincinnati Reds

Exit hometown hero Ken Griffey Jr., and enter a very good, young nucleus. With the speed of CF Willy Taveras (68 stolen bases in 2008) at the top of their lineup and the expected improvement of young stars Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, the Reds could give the other teams in the Central Division plenty of fits. Also, if Aaron Harang can find a way to recapture his form from 2006 and 2007, where he won 16 games, Bronson Arroyo and Edinson Volquez could have a much needed third member of their pitching rotation, with dominating ability. The Reds may not contend for a division, but they will certainly open plenty of eyes in 2009.

Top 5 Young Players To Watch:

Yovani Gallardo, RHP – Milwaukee Bewers
The top pitching prospect in the Brewers organization, Gallardo has the talent to be dominant in the NL. With a dominant fastball and what is considered the best curve ball in all of baseball, look for him to gain a lot of attention in 2009. Gallardo will start 2009 in the minors, but will not be there for very long.

Khalil Greene, SS – St. Louis Cardinals
Already considered a solid defensive player, Greene seems primed to have a breakout season as a hitter. Greene, who struck out 100 times in 389 at-bats last year, struck out only three times in his first 60 at-bats during spring training and hit .417.

Homer Bailey, RHP – Cincinnati Reds
The top prospect in a very nicely-formed farm system for the Reds, this could be Bailey’s year. After a terrible time adjusting to the talent and rigors of the MLB, Bailey should be able to make the transition from minor-leagues prospect to major-leagues success in 2009. Bailey had terrific spring training with a 2.61 ERA in six spring appearances, giving up six runs and 18 hits in 20 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out 20.

Jeff Samardzija, RHP – Chicago Cubs
With an often injured starting staff, the former Notre Dame star may have his chance to shine in 2009. With a dominant fastball and a change-up that can fool even the best hitters around, look for Samardzija to emerge as one of the Cubs brightest young stars.

Jhoulys Chacin, RHP – Colorado Rockies
Given the award for the Top Minor Pitcher in 2008, Chacin has the promise to be a big time pitcher. Chacin has mastered his fastball and changeup and is fully capable of throwing either pitch in any situation. His fastball has been clocked at 94 mph, with heavy sinking action. He uses the same arm action for his change as he does for his fastball, making those two pitches a very nasty combination.

Best Manager- Tony La Russa, St. Louis Cardinals

While La Russa can seem a tad-bit odd with his insistence on changing the pitcher’s spot in the lineup, there is no questioning La Russa’s experience and expertise. With a much healthier Cardinals team going into 2009, La Russa could lead the Cardinals to an unexpected playoff berth.

Manager On The Molten Lava- Hot Seat: Jerry Manuel – NY Mets

After shoring up their bullpen and opening up that sparkly new stadium, the Mets come into 2009 with a mound of expectations following a mountain of disappointments from 2007 and 2008. This season, there are simply no more excuses that the Mets can offer that will be acceptable to their fans, who are already feeling the pinch of buying over-priced tickets during the middle of a recession. Anything short of a 5-0 start is going to have Mets fans calling for Manuel’s head and anything short of a World Series will have them calling for his job. For Jerry Manuel’s sake, they had better win, now.

James “Big Game Jay” McCormick: 2009 American League Baseball Preview

Best Team in AL – New York Yankees
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Let’s just go down the list: CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, a healthy Chien Ming Wang followed by Andy Pettite and Joba Chamberlain will take this team back to the playoffs and into the World Series. Jorge Posada is healthy again and will catch 110-120 games and Hideki Matsui is back from an injury-plagued year and he’ll be playing for a contract next year. 2B Robinson Cano has a lot to prove and will do so. Mark Teixera brings professional, tremendous presence at the plate and a gold glove first baseman. Add a the ageless future Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera, bullpen depth and SP Phil Hughes waiting for his turn to make believers out of the Yankee brass and this team is stacked. We didn’t even mention the games second best player coming back in May or June, Alex Rodriguez.

Worst Team in AL – Seattle Mariners

Bringing back homegrown kid Ken Griffey Jr. notwithstanding, the Mariners appear poised to struggle this season. First year manager Don Wakamatsu and Jack Zduriencik’s inaugural season as General Manager will try to take steps toward forgetting their 100-loss season last year. Losing Raul Ibanez (23 HR, 110 RBI) wont help that cause. Not improving the offense substantially will be their downfall. The top of the rotation with Felix Hernandez (an elite starter) and Erik Bedard hopefully healthy is a strongpoint.  Brandon Morrow is a talent and will be given a shot to close. Overall I don’t see where the runs will come from this year and because of that I think they’re in for a tough season.

Biggest Turnaround Team – Oakland A’s

The A’s lost 86 games last year for the second year in a row so GM Billy Beane went to work retooling this team. Acquiring SS Orlando Cabrera will provide consistency at the position. DH Jason Giambi hit 32 homers last year in a down year and should add some veteran leadership not to mention significant pop to this offense. Perhaps the biggest addition is one of the best players in the game in Matt Holliday. He hits, scores runs, hits for average and runs the bases along with a good outfield. Those things and a (hopefully) healthy 3B Eric Chavez will drastically improve one the major’s worst offenses. Pitching will be the yearlong question mark as they have lots of young arms that need to be developed.

Team to Watch – Cleveland Indians

This is a team that could make some noise in the AL Central division. CF Grady Sizemore is one of the most talented players in baseball as there’s nothing he can’t do. Adding Kerry Wood as closer will help change a team’s league worst bullpen ERA in 2008. Starting pitchers Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona lead the top end of the rotation. Carl Pavano will be given a chance to recover from the disaster that was his Yankee career. If a pitcher is needed down the line there is some depth in the farm system to go out and get help. DH Travis Hafner is back healthy and mashing the ball and expect big things out of Mark DeRosa who can play several positions. SS Johhny Peralta is very underrated and he shouldn’t be. Watch this team, closely.

Top 5 Young Players To watch:
Matt Wieters, C – Baltimore Orioles

Wieters is a switch-hitting catcher, drafted in 2007 out of Georgia Tech. He’s widely considered to be baseballs top prospect. Already considered a take-charge leader of the rotation he’s also expected to be able to handle the bat. Although he’ll start the year in Triple A, there’s no doubt he’ll be called up at some point. This way the Orioles can delay his free agency, isn’t it funny how it always comes down to business?

David Price, P – Tampa Bay Rays

You might remember the dominating performance Price displayed in last years postseason, earning his first win and save in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. The Rays will start him off in the minors to monitor his workload and pitch count. Watch out for his emergence in the second half of the season. The 2007 No.1 draft pick will be heard from before the end of the 2009-10 campaign.

Elvis Andrus, SS – Texas Rangers

This guy can play defense at a high level right now and that will be what he’s expected to do right away. The 20yr old is part of a talented infield in Arlington with 3B Michael Young, Ian Kinsler manning second and Chris Davis expected to be one of the better young players this year as well. Andrus is also an automatic base stealing threat. Look for 25 steals or more from this guy.

Matt LaPorta, LF – Cleveland Indians

Right now he’s known as the guy that the Indians got in return in the CC Sabathia trade with Milwaukee. His bat is his strength as he can hit for power to all sides of the field. His defense is coming along and he can also step in at first base. Think of him as a young Travis Hafner who he’ll certainly replace if Hafner has an injury again. They might bring him up anyway because of his potential.

Travis Snider, RF – Toronto Blue Jays

Hard worker and will be in the lineup from day one for the Blue Jays. Good power, hits to all fields and went through three levels of the minor leagues last season. He should be one of a few stars in the Blue Jays farm system.

Best Manager- Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins

Entering his eighth season at the helm of the Twins, Gardenhire finished second in Manager of the year voting in four out the last seven years and rightfully so. Some would argue that it’s one thing to win consistently with a payroll that approaches $300million but it’s entirely different to do with a limited budget, a keen scouting eye, young players a few stars. Gardenhire leads a team that relies on scouting and player development. This year expect the Twins to contend once again for a playoff berth despite C Joe Mauers back problems, a shaky bullpen leading up to closer Joe Nathan and too many guys in the outfield. You can thank Gardenhire for that.

Manager On The Molten-Lava Hot Seat:
Joe Girardi – NY Yankees

Girardi played for the NY Yankees so he knew what he was getting himself into when taking the job. In 1998, with Joe Torre managing and Girardi the primary catcher, the Yankees started the year 1-4 and were under fire despite winning it all two years prior. Long story short, the Yankees ended up winning over 100 games that season including the World Series. The Yankees are expected to win. PERIOD.

After missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 years in Girardi’s first year as manager he cannot afford to get off to a slow start or miss the playoffs for the second year in a row. With a new sparkling ballpark opening and all the talent in the world including a mercurial superstar named A-rod there are no excuses. He must win, NOW.

Dr. Stat’s 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit: Second Basemen Rankings

It might be January, but it’s not too early to start thinking about fantasy baseball and Dr. Stat is here to prepare you for draft day. Every week, I’ll be posting one or two new sections of my 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit until I’ve covered every position. Here are my early 2009 top 25 players at the 2B position. I posted my 1B/DH Rankings earlier this week.

Statistical Key: Batting Average/Home Runs/Runs Batted In/Runs Scored/Steals

Note: Assumes Standard 12-team Head-to-Head or Roto League Settings

1. Chase Utley -  Philadelphia Phillies

He may have turned 30 last month and is coming off of hip surgery, but Utley remains the epitome of what you want from the second base position. While his average dipped in 2008, he still homered a career-high 33 times and drove in 104 runs, both tops at his position. Be aware that he might not be fully recovered from the surgery by Opening Day, but don’t let that stop you from making him the first 2B off the board on draft day.

2008 Stats: .292/33/104/113/14

2009 Projections: .311/31/108/111/16

2. Ian Kinsler – Texas Rangers

You could make a legitimate case for Kinsler to be ranked #1 and I wouldn’t argue with you. He was having a massive season before a sports hernia derailed him after 121 games. His ability to hit for both power and average and steal bases makes him a roto beast and a 30/30 season is completely possible. If you draft him ahead of Utley, I won’t blame you. He’s four years younger that the Philadelphia second baseman and has the edge on the basepaths, but Utley hits for a little more power and posts a better OPS. Overall, you can’t go wrong with either guy.

2008 Stats: .319/18/71/102/26

2009 Projections: .309/20/84/105/33

3. Dusin Pedroia - Boston Red Sox

Yes, he astounded us all and won the AL MVP Award. However, that doesn’t automatically make him a first or second round fantasy pick. There’s no denying that he posted an outstanding season, but don’t get carried away. No, I’m not doubting the guy, as I think we’ve all learned not to do that. He’s a top-35 pick in standard leagues. If your league counts statistics like total bases or extra base hits, he’s even more valuable. Either way, he’s the third best player at his position and should be drafted as such.

2008 Stats: .326/17/83/118/20

2009 Projections: .316/19/88/104/17

4. Brian Roberts – Baltimore Orioles

The dude gets no love, yet puts up one consistent season after another. Among all second basemen in 2008, Roberts was first in stolen bases and walks, second in doubles and triples and third in hits, runs and OBP. The only way we’d like him more is if he was traded to the Cubbies.

2008 Stats: .296/9/57/107/40

2009 Projections: .302/10/62/110/43

5. Brandon Phillips – Cincinnati Reds

His average hurts him, but he went 20-20 for the third straight season and plays in a hitters park. If only he could even out his hot and cold spells (his monthly averages ranged from .200 to .292), he’d be more reliable. A season similar to 2007, in which he hit .288 with 30 homers, 94 RBIs and 32 stolen bases, is not at all out of the question.

2008 Stats: .261/21/78/80/23

2009 Projections: .274/24/86/91/27

6. Robinson Cano – New York Yankees

Robbie’s 2008 campaign was painful to watch, but he did hit .307 after the All-Star break. He’ll need to remember how to hit much earlier this year to justify drafting him where I’ve ranked him, but I’m expecting a bounce-back season from Cano. If he doesn’t have to spend the rest of the season digging himself out of a .151 April, he’ll be more relaxed at the plate and therefore more productive. Last season he got drafted too high, while this season he’ll likely get drafted too low.

2008 Stats: .271/14/72/70/2

2009 Projections: .289/18/81/79/4

7. Dan Uggla – Florida Marlins

After Uggla’s huge first half, I recommended selling him high at the All-Star Break. He went on to post a .226/9/33 second half and led all 2B with 171 strikeouts. He’s the Ryan Howard of his position, but can’t be passed on because of his 30/100 potential. Just prepare yourself for plenty of swings and misses along the way.

2008 Stats: .260/32/92/97/5

2009 Projections: .268/30/93/102/7

8. Alexei Ramirez – Chicago White Sox

It would be easy to get carried away and draft this kid way too high, but control yourself on draft day. While his rookie season was undoubtedly impressive, he carries with him the risk of the dreaded sophomore slump. If he can avoid lengthy cold spells and take a few more bases on balls (one every 27 at-bats), he’ll be a potent pick. Shortstop eligibility will only help matters. At 27 years old, it will be fun to watch what he can do in his first full season. Just don’t overpay.

2008 Stats: .290/21/77/65/13

2009 Projections: .285/24/84/77/15

9. Jose Lopez – Seattle Mariners

Another player who doesn’t get near the respect he deserves (most likely because he plays in Seattle), Lopez finished second in hits, third in RBIs, and fifth in AVG and doubles among all players at his position. At just 25 years old and coming off his best season as a pro, there’s no reason to think he can’t produce similar numbers in ’09. He should be the second Mariners player off the board come draft day, after Ichiro of course.

2008 Stats: .297/17/89/80/6

2009 Projections: .289/19/94/86/8

10. Mark DeRosa – Cleveland Indians

The game’s ultimate utility player, DeRosa’s 11th major league season produced power numbers that we had never seen from him before. While he might not hit 20+ homers in his first season in Cleveland, he’ll play all over the diamond and produce worthy fantasy numbers once again. You can’t put a price tag on multi-positional eligibility, which is what truly makes him even more valuable.

2008 Stats: .285/21/87/103/6

2009 Projections: .281/16/76/88/4

11. Placido Polanco – Detroit Tigers

It’s hard to argue with a guy who’s always flirting with a .300 average and 100 runs and can be taken late on draft day. If your strategy is to get the power and RBI men earlier in the draft and fill your role positions late, Polanco is your man. He’s 33 years old and his numbers will likely drop off slightly again in 2009, but he’s a reliable player from a position that is anything but after the top 10.

2008 Stats: .307/8/58/90/7

2009 Projections: .310/6/55/82/7

12. Mike Aviles -  Kansas City Royals

Is this guy for real? .325/.354/.480 in 102 games? He’s 5’9″ and 27 years old and entering his first full season in the pros. What we appreciated about him last season was his consistency. He hit .330 in June and July, .339 in August and .308 in September. While he doesn’t hit for power (he homered once every 41.9 at-bats), he’s productive in the hits, average and extra-base hits categories and even sprinkles in some stolen bases for good measure. Plus, he has shortstop eligibility.

2008 Stats: .325/10/51/68/8

2009 Projections: .306/13/66/78/11

13. Mike Fontenot, Chicago Cubs- With Mark DeRosa gone, this sleeper should be the Cubs Opening Day second baseman after going for .305/9/40/42/2 in 119 games last season. I may have him ranked a bit high here, but he’s shown he can hit and bats in one of baseball’s best lineups.

14. Orlando Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks- Oh, if the O-Dog could only stay healthy! Hudson played in just 107 games last season, but still posted respectable numbers. He’s a top-ten 2B when he’s healthy, but has averaged 135 games over the past six seasons.

15. Keylly Johnson, Atlanta Braves- An all-around decent producer at a very thin position. In a phrase, you know what you’re getting when you draft him.

16. Akinori Iwamura, Tampa Bay Rays- Little pop, but finished seventh in runs, eighth in hits and first in triples among all second basemen. Unfortunately, only Uggla struck out more times.

17. Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels- His M.O. is hits and average, neither of which he can give us if he can’t stay on the field.

18. Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays- A concussion limited him to just 55 games in 2008. Is a season similar to 2007 (.291/17/78) in the cards?

19. Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers- So much promise, yet so much disappointment. His 20-20 potential isn’t worth it if he can’t hit even .240.

20. Alexi Casilla, Minnesota Twins- Respectable numbers (.281/7/50/58/7) in 98 games last season, including three months over .300 until he hit .228 over his last 36 games. What he can produce over an entire season remains to be seen.

21. Clint Barmes, Colorado Rockies- If he can hit over .300 again and avoid any off the field mishaps, he’ll be a fine late-round pick in deep leagues.

22. Felipe Lopez, Arizona Diamondbacks- He’s only hit double-digit homers once in nine seasons and can’t steal bases like he used to. A revamped season in the desert is a pipe dream.

23. Jeff Kent, Free Agent- The veteran is currently a free agent will turn 41 in March. Retirement may be more likely than a full-time job anywhere, but he can still hit the baseball.

24. Kazuo Matsui, Houston Astros- Can hit and run, but has played in 100 or more games just twice in six years and never more than 114.

25. Mark Ellis, Oakland Athletics- Will surgery on his right shoulder completely kill his ability to drive the ball?

Unknowns to Help You Win Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball League

Baseball is weird.

What other sport allows you to expand your roster by 60% for the last month of the season? Then, you have to decrease your roster by 15 players in time for the playoffs!

These September call up players can play a pivotal role down the stretch. So, I’m always amazed that teams don’t all call up 15 more players on September 1! I mean, why wait? You could have that speed merchant pinch runner from a Low A team that can steal that base and possibly earn a wild card spot for you!

Other guys, usually who play on less fortunate teams, get a chance to make an immediate impact. It’s these players that you should be looking for for your fantasy baseball stretch run.

Josh Anderson, OF — Braves’ center fielder Anderson led off for the Braves last night and had a 3 for 5 night. Since getting called up on August 28, after the Braves’ dealt Mark Kotsay to the Red Sox, he has started all four games. Anderson hit .314 at AAA Richmond while stealing 42 bases and was an International League all star. He also had a 27 game hit streak. Clearly, Kotsay became expendable. He’s a lefty with no power, but will help your stolen base totals down the stretch. Anderson was up earlier this year and is hitting .326 thus far with 4 steals. He may get a rest now and then to give Gregor Blanco a chance to play, but expect Anderson to be the main man in center for the Braves in September.

Jonothon Niese, SP, Mets — With John Maine likely out for the season, Niese, just 21, gets the start tonight for the Mets in Milwaukee in a packed house pressure situation. Niese has a 92 MPH fastball, nasty splitter, good curve, and nice changeup. He was 5-1, 3.40 at AAA New Orleans after spending the first half of the year at AA Binghamton. Niese definitely has the stuff to be effective at the major league level, but does he have the mental toughness to survive a New York September in a rugged pennant race?

Taylor Teagarden, C, Rangers — Teagarden, just back from winning the bronze medal in Beijing, was expected to get significant playing time in September, but he should get more now that Jarrod Saltalamacchia has an arm injury. Teagarden, who entered the game for the injured Saltalamacchia last night for Texas, pounded a three run homer. Thanks to his first homer against the Twins in July, Teagarden now has two homers in just 8 at bats. Don’t expect these Ruthian numbers to continue as Teagarden only hit .225 with 7 HR’s at Spokane before leaving for China, but he will get a chance and if you have a weak backup catcher, why not take a chance on Teagarden. Besides, he has a cool name.

Ryan Shealy, 1B, Royals — There’s a lot of talk in Kansas City about a young Hawaiian named Kila Ka’aihue. And, why not, Ka’aihue cracked 38 homers and hit .314 in the minors this year in just 124 games. Plus, talk about a cool name. But, the belief here is that Ryan Shealy will get more playing time in September than Ka’aihue. Shealy, 29, has played for Colorado and Kansas City and has hit .267 with 12 homers in three years of part-time duty, although this is his first call up this year. The key to the Royals’ crowded first base situation in September though is that Shealy is out of options and Ka’aihue, 24, is not. The Royals have to make a decision now or they lose him next season. One thing is for certain, however. Ross Gload, currently at the top of the Royals depth chart, does not have the pop required of a major league first baseman with only 3 dingers all season.

Travis Snider, OF, Jays — With Alex Rios and Vernon Wells signed through 2014, there’s really not an opening for the 20-year-old Snider right now. He will see some action at DH in September, likely sharing that role with Adam Lind. Snider was the 14th overall pick in 2006 out of high school. The stocky corner outfielder has 225 RBI in 305 games in his minor league career.

These guys probably won’t get a lot of action in September, but they are awesome prospects likely to be impact players in 2009. If you are in a keeper league and you are out of it for this season, now is the time to pick up these 2009 fantasy baseball sleepers on the cheap.

Nate Schierholtz, OF, Giants — He’s the guy who ran over the Chinese catcher in the Olympic games. Schierholtz hit .304 in 100+ AB’s last year for the Giants.

David Price, SP, Rays — Price is the 6′ 6″ first rounder out of Vanderbilt last year who has blistered through the minors this year. He won his first 11 starts!

Matt LaPorta, OF, Indians — The former Florida Gator was drafted 7th overall by the Brewers in 2007. This dude has power. 12 homers in his first 30 games in the minors and LaPorta also hit a homer in the bronze medal game for Team USA.

Matt Wieters, C, Orioles — The Sporting News claims Wieters could be “one of the top five backstops by this time next year.” Wow, some claim. Has anybody told Ramon Hernandez? Wieters is a big time slugger. He is not, however, expected to get a September call up and will play in the Arizona Instructional League.

Scott Elbert, RP, Dodgers — A 2004 first rounder who has great stuff. He’s 3-0, 1.46 in his last ten games with Jacksonville. He’ll be limited to one inning per game with the Dodgers.

Dallas McPherson, 3B, Marlins — McPherson leads all minor leaguers with 42 homers this year at AAA Albuquerque. Unfortunately for McPherson, he would have been up earlier, but is blocked by Jorge Cantu who has been the Fish’s best player this season.

Tony K. Gwynn Jr., OF, Brewers — He will likely steal some bases for the Brewers coming off the bench in September. His Dad was a pretty good player too.

Matt Gamel, 3B, Brewers — Gamel was hitting .384 in mid-June, but has slipped some since to .329 when he got the call up to the Brew Crew. Gamel will challenge Bill Hall for the Brewers third base job next year.

76ers vs Thunder NBA 2009 Preview

76ers vs Thunder NBA 2009 Preview:

The Philadelphia 76ers could be on the verge of welcoming back one of the best players in their history. There will be no reinforcements coming, however, before the team takes the court trying to avoid its first eight-game losing streak since Allen Iverson’s acrimonious departure three years ago.

With Iverson mulling a one-year contract offer from his former club, the 76ers look to end their skid Wednesday night when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Philadelphia coach Eddie Jordan, team president Ed Stefanski and two other members of the organization met with Iverson, his agent and his business manager Monday. A person with knowledge of the contract talks says the Sixers offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract to the four-time scoring champion Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract talks had not been made public.

Iverson announced his retirement last week after a brief stint with Memphis that ended because he was disappointed with his bench role. The 10-time All-Star was league MVP in 2001, when he led the Sixers to the NBA finals. He left Philadelphia after 10-plus seasons in large part because he was frustrated with the direction of the team.

This season’s Sixers (5-13) haven’t distinguished themselves, either. They’ve lost 11 of 13, including seven straight since topping Charlotte 86-84 on Nov. 18. It’s their first seven-game skid since Jan. 2-14, 2008, and they haven’t had a longer losing streak since dropping 12 in a row Nov. 25-Dec. 20, 2006. Iverson played in the first five losses of that slide before demanding a trade and sitting out until he was dealt to Denver.

Philadelphia overcame a 17-point deficit Monday night at Dallas, with Andre Iguodala’s 3-pointer tying the game at 102 with 5.6 seconds remaining. The Sixers, though, gave up a jumper to Jason Terry with 1.4 seconds left to fall 104-102.

“We just fought all game long,” said Willie Green, averaging 16.3 points in four games since emerging point guard Louis Williams was lost for two months with a broken jaw. “We didn’t hang our heads and I think those are some positives we can build on.”

The Thunder (9-8) were encouraged by their performances in double-digit wins over Utah and Milwaukee last week, but they fell 100-91 to Houston on Sunday night. They were outrebounded 29-14 in the second half and gave up a season-high 23 offensive boards that led to 23 second-chance points for the Rockets.

“When the ball goes up, you have to make that effort to go after the ball. We can’t leak out and we can’t give up second-chance opportunities, and that’s what killed us,” forward Jeff Green said.

Those struggles overshadowed another strong performance from Kevin Durant, who had 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The third-year forward is averaging 28.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 49.0 percent from the field over his last five games.

Durant has been held to 13.5 points and 41.4 percent shooting in two career games against Philadelphia. He missed the Thunder’s 89-74 win over the Sixers on March 8 because of an ankle injury.

Philadelphia had won five straight in the series before that defeat. It could have an easier time resuming its success against Oklahoma City with Elton Brand healthy. Brand returned to the Sixers lineup Monday after missing three games with a sore right hamstring. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds while going 8 for 12 from the field in 25 minutes off the bench.

Brand, averaging 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his last six games against the Thunder franchise, has averaged 16.8 points and 9.6 boards over his last five games overall.

Nba Basketball – 2009 Season Schedule

The season will see some of the best basketball results with top stars facing each other across different arenas in the USA and Canada.

2009 has several basketball events scheduled which will include the 2009 NBA playoffs, NBA draft lottery, NBA finals, NBA draft 2009 along with 2009 NBA All-Star Game to be held at Phoenix on 15 February 2009.

NBA playoffs 2009 will begin from 18 April 2009, which will be the postseason for NBA’s 2009-09 season. The top 8 basketball teams from each conference (Eastern and Western) will qualify for the playoffs. After the first round, the conference semifinals and the conference finals will take place, which will eventually be followed by the NBA finals.

NBA draft lottery is scheduled to be held on 19 May 2009 which will determine the order of the NBA Draft for that year. NBA draft 2009 is planned to be held on 25 June 2009, at Madison Square Garden, New York. Drafted players between the age of 19 and 22 years will participate in this event. The latest 2009 NBA Mock Draft based on Standings include 30 players including Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, James Harden, Hasheem Thabeet, Jrue Holiday, Stephen Curry, Jordan Hill, BJ Mullens, Greg Monroe, Earl Clark, Brandon Jennings, Demar DeRozan, AlFarouq Aminu, Cole Aldrich, Gani Lawal, Austin Daye, Tywon Lawson, Chase Budinger, Patrick Mills, Andrew Oqilvy, Kyle Singler, Darren Collison, Jonny Flynn, Patrick Patterson, Jerome Jordan, Tyreke Evans, Tyler Hansbrough, Tyler Smith, Sam Young and Willie Warren.

The NBA finals are expected to start from 5 June 2009, which could be possibly moved up to start from 3 June 2009. The tentative end date is expected to be 18 June 2009 for the NBA finals. It will be the conclusion of the season’s playoffs which will be played in a best of seven series. 15 teams from each conference will participate in this final basketball event, with 5 teams each coming from Atlantic, Central and Southeast from the Eastern Conference, and 5 teams each coming from Southwest, Northwest and Pacific from the Western Conference.

Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors will play from Atlantic, Eastern Conference, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks will play from the Central, Eastern Conference and Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards will play from the Southeast, Eastern Conference.

Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs will play from Southwest, Western Conference, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz will play from the Northwest, Western Conference and Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings will play from the Pacific, Western Conference.

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