2021 National Baseball Hall of Fame Vote

Who will join the Hall of Fame
legends this year?

In a tradition I let slip the last few years I am picking up again to convey my thoughts on who I would vote for if I had a ballot for the 2021 National Baseball Hall of Fame.  As most readers probably know, the actual voting committee is the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).  Prior to 2016, once a member, always a vote.  In 2016, several changes to the voting process were made (see my Blog here) culling the list of voters to those who had covered the game in the prior 10 years.  This played out to remove a number of small vote ballots and increase percentages for those on the bubble.

The BBWAA vote will be revealed on Major League Baseball (MLB) Network on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.  The Hall of Fame vote reveal remains one of the most anticipated moments on the baseball calendar and certainly of the offseason.  Here is the 2021 National Baseball Hall of Fame Candidates Eligible for vote (via Baseball Reference with prior year percentage total for returning candidates).  75% of all ballots cast must include the players name for induction.

There are a few overarching factors that cannot be ignored when it comes to voting.

1) A major controversial specter over the Hall will continue to be Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) use in baseball primarily in the 1990s, an era for which many players accused are now appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot.  There are players whose on-field performance clearly merits first ballot election, however because of their associated with substances that enhanced their performance, many members of the BBWAA has been hesitant to cast votes their way at least in the 75% needed for induction.  Because the official voting rules include the words "integrity, sportsmanship, and character," their reluctance is justified in my mind.  For my selection, I will not presume guilt, but if there is legal, eye witness (including Mitchell Report) or strong anecdotal evidence of PED use, I will strongly weigh against voting for the candidate.

2) A change in consideration for me is how to assess pitchers.  Whereas the 300 win plateau with low ERAs reflective of the dead ball, or pitcher dominated, eras prior to 1970 used to be a norm, it's become increasingly more difficult to get wins in the era of specialty relievers with starters leaving the game before the end of the sixth inning many times in close games.  Conversely, however, one would think this would benefit starting pitchers ERA by seldom going through a lineup more than twice in some cases, rarely more than three times.  Also, after many years of closers not being strongly considered, Mariano Rivera became the first and only to date unanimous inductee to the Hall, along with Trevor Hoffman and Lee Smith in recent years.  The doors have opened a bit in that regard.  In the end, I strongly weigh dominance over a reasonable period of time, along with Cy Young Awards, All-Star games, Win titles, career saves, and ERA.

3) There is also first and last ballot bias.  First ballot some BBWAA voters will hold their vote to protect some sort of integrity of being a "first ballot hall of famer".  Evidence, three voters who did not include Ken Griffey Jr. in 2016.  Likewise, when a player is on his last ballot (as Tim Raines was in 2017, Edgar Martinez in 2019, and Larry Walker in 2020) voters who previously withheld tend to pay a bit more attention to their candidacy considering it's a final shot and vote accordingly.  Editors note, I advocated for Walker and Martinez all along, did not so for Raines.  So a bump is normal (up to 15% for a candidate close to election).  Neither of these is a major factor this year as the ballot lacks any strong first ballot candidates, and no candidates in their final year (however, 2022 will be a doozy).

With a limit of ten players on a ballot, here are the players I would put on my ballot (in order of my credibility).  I don't use all ten votes or even half.  In fact, my prior Blog ballot in 2018, only two are not yet in, they will appear below.

Billy the Kid

1) Billy Wagner - Last Blog I did in 2018 I had listed him as my 7th pick out of 8.  Well, the other six are in.  The more I see Billy the Kid, the more I think he's getting short changed.  Especially when comparing to four specialty relief pitchers already in the Hall (Eckersley, Sutter, Fingers, and Gossage) as he has 30 more saves than the best of them.  And a lower ERA.  And a better K/9 IP.  His 7 All Star Game appearances are comparable to that lot as well.  He sits sixth in career saves (no current player will threaten him for years to come) and his stuff was dominant.  I noted above we've seen an increase in relievers recently, but I believe we're going to see fewer relievers going forward with huge career numbers (which takes longevity) because so many are going to flame out with arm problems given their use.  More reason to recognize his greatness.  Wags should get strong consideration.

Factors against him: Only 900 career IP, lack of postseason success

Wagner jumped from around 17% in year four up to over 30% in year five.  As several high profile inductees cleared the list to make room on ballots and he seems to be getting more scrutiny which is good.  I'm still guessing he'll never gets in during the ten year window, but may get in on a veteran ballot in decades to come once the Hall figures out how to assess relievers.

Helton Belts one

2) Todd Helton - Beltin' Helton was an offensive machine for a number of great Colorado Rockies teams.  Some point to Coors Field for his gaudy offensive numbers, however they are way too good to ignore.  His .316 career batting average is only bested by Vlad, Puckett, Boggs, and Gwynn for hitters since 1980.  He was a batting and RBI champion, 5x All Star, 4x Silver Slugger, 3x Gold Glove Award winner.  He was also selective at the plate with over 1300 career walks and a .414 career OBP.  A complete package, the only drawback is hitter friendly Coors Field.

Factors against him: Playing in Denver, huge home/road split differences

Helton jumped from 16.5% to 29.2% in his first to second year (now in his third).  This is encouraging.  Probably not the next two, but assuming his momentum keeps going he'll be to 50% in a couple of years and then likely in by year 7 or 8.

Kent joins Clemens and Bonds as the only
former MVPs on the ballot

3) Jeff Kent -  Last Blog I did in 2018 I had listed him as my 8th pick out of 8.  One of the top offensive second basemen of all time.  His line across the major stats is .290, 377, and 1518.  He has an MVP in his closet, and three other Top 10 finishes.  Add to that six All-Star appearances and four silver sluggers.  He's 54th all time in RBI (more than Mantle, Vlad, Rice) with most of those eligible ahead of him already inducted.  His power numbers dwarf Ryne Sandberg and Roberto Alomar, but is getting very little buzz or momentum.

Factors against him: Below average on defense, late bloomer, played in a power era in which his home run numbers aren't considered extraordinary, cold to media.

Kent started around 15% and only last year got more than 20% with 27.5% of the votes.  Now in his eighth year it seems like he won't get close.  Not a popular guy around the league from my memory he may not get much love on veterans ballots either.

Shilling was a dominant force

4) Curt Schilling - Schilling is a candidate it has taken me a while to assess to the point I think he should be in (prior years I did not).  Note:  I do not weigh at all anything he has done or said outside of the game, politically, business deals, or otherwise.  Just the numbers within the game.  I think I have unfairly held him back because of my #2 "factor" above.  That is assessing pitchers.  I've just felt that his 215 wins over a long career is mediocre.  Winning percentage below .600, ERA north of 3.45 doesn't jump out.  But looking at pitchers of his era, he was elite for a substantial part of his career.  Including four Top 5 Cy Young finishes, thrice runner up (which sometimes just comes down to who you are against).  Four times led the league in CG, twice in IP.  15th in career strikeouts, all but Clemens ahead of him are in the Hall.  Note he has a lower WHIP, better K/9, and half the walks of Clemens.  And I don't vote FOR a guy because of postseason, I will let that play into a borderline and his postseason successes are legendary.  So for me it's a vote "for" this year.

Factors against him: The aforementioned lackluster wins/ERA take him from can't ignore to can ignore but mostly his interaction with the media and political opinions.

Schilling went from 61% to 70% from year 7 to year 8.  Normally this momentum would be certain to get in, however that 30% against him may be inconvincible.  Like Kent, if he doesn't get in by 2022, he may not get veterans committee support due to his lack of likeability within the game.

First four out

5) Scott Rolen - Really good, but Hall of Fame worthy?  A good Twitter debate I had noted that by most any measure, he was a Top Ten 3B of all time.  The position is underrepresented it seems in Cooperstown.  Numbers are solid but not overwhelming.  Certainly elite defense and 7 All Star games are good.  I just don't feel like when you played a team with Rolen, he was the guy to watch out for in the lineup.  Only two Top 15 MVP finishes.  Never led the league in any major statistical category.  Only one Silver Slugger.  I'll keep my eye on him going forward but does no make the cut for now.

Factors against him: Not elite at anything, very good at everything.  No overwhelming stat accomplishment at which to point.

He's surging pretty well, from 10.2%, to 17.2%, to 35.3% in three years.  This is a trajectory which leans toward getting in.  Also a popular guy in the league on good teams, would likely get in on a veterans ballot if the surge stalls out.  Not a chance this year.

6) Andruw Jones - Power, speed, and defense, he was a 5-tool player.  Started his career at 19, but wore out at Age 35, he still hit well over 400 HR.  His .254 batting average really drags him down, with a lack of huge walk numbers it leaves him only .337 OBP.  His defense was his calling card, but also won a Silver Slugger and narrowly missed the MVP in 2005 to Albert Pujols.  I will keep him on my radar, that batting average though.

Factors against him: Low batting average, barely was a factor after age 30.

After two years of barely staying on the ballot, is starting to at least get discussion.  Year 3 was 19.4% so he'll stay on the ballot through 10 years.  I've seen more social media campaigning on him than anyone.  I don't think he gets in after the 10 years.

7) Bobby Abreu - I will at least say he needs more discussion.  If you look at all the 2021 NBHOF candidates OPS, the only one ahead of him not associated with PEDs is the aforementioned Todd Helton.  Switch hitter with eight years in a row of over 100 walks, was durable playing 162 twice during his career.  Modest power but produced 100 RBI in eight seasons.  Good speed as well with 400 career SBs.  But no Top 10 MVP finishes, one Silver Slugger and one Gold Glove and only two All Star games.  I think overlooked but not worthy in the end.

Factors against him: Never seemed elite related to peers (see AS Games, SS, GG), not a lot of home run power

Barely eeked out 5.5% of the vote in his first ballot certainly is better than that.  In a low year of top candidates (Jeter, Walker cleared, no major first timers) he may get a bump from voters who maxed out their 2020 ballot at 10.  Little chance of ever being inducted.

8) Aramis Ramirez - Interestingly close comparison to Rolen on offense.  More HR, more RBI, a better career batting average, slugging almost identical.  Did not get on base as much.  Good defender, but not elite like Rolen.  Three Top 10 MVP votes (but never higher than 9), only 3 All Star games.  A single silver slugger.  This is where I draw the line just above he and Rolen, as there starts to be a lot of guys that look like this over a long career.

Factors against him: Never seemed like an elite player at his time.  Very good across the board, not extraordinary

Ramirez is in his first year on the ballot, there's a chance he doesn't get 5%.  He should get more like 10%.  Another guy I don't see making it in the long run.

Most of the remaining repeat candidates fall into the PED category.  Their stats are more than deserving, even before they might have juiced, but would not get my vote): Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Gary Sheffield, Andy Pettitte.  All would easily be in without it except maybe Pettitte who would be close anyway (would not get my vote even without PEDs).

The only other returning candidate not discussed is Omar Vizquel.  Like Schilling, I don't consider his recent off the field issue in my voting.  I just don't see enough offense.  The defense was there.  There's a long history of middle infielders leaning on good defense and good enough offense to get in, but I don't see Vizquel in that category.  Only a .336 OBP, worst of this pool of candidates besides Torii Hunter.  He got >50% of the vote last year in his 4th ballot and probably will get in by the BBWAA.  I'd be in the 25% not voting for him,

Newcomers that might stay on the ballot (besides Ramirez mentioned above): Torii Hunter, Mark Buehrle, Tim Hudson.  I don't see any of the rest staying.

So my opinions aside, I think only Curt Schilling gets in this year.  May be a null class.

Here is my mock ballot

The 2022 Ballot will be a battle royal.  Likely to contain the last chances for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and Curt Schilling (if not this year).  Will include PED suspended Alex Rodriguez, DH extraordinaire David Ortiz, and former MVP Jimmy Rollins in their first ballots.  Mark Teixeira another strong first time candidate.  Buckle up buttercup, next years blog of this sort will be a doozy!  

Note that the 2020 inductees will be honored this year since no ceremony was held last year.  That includes Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller on July 25, 2021.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/27/2020

Perhaps the best all around offensive weapon in the NFL was unleashed upon his foe and showed no mercy.  New Orleans Saints uber-back Alvin Kamara kept gashing the Minnesota Vikings for huge chunks of yards, many times the only thing that stopped him was the end of the field when there were no more yards to gain.  Many times is six times.  Six touchdowns on 22 carries tied an NFL record that was over 90 years old.  Kamara rushed for 155 yards total or 7 Yards Per Carry without any gains over 40 yards.  The Saints clinched the NFC South with the victory with an eye on the number one seed and a potential bye.  Either way they are positioned for two home playoff games with a win on Sunday.  Kamara complementing Drew Brees and the potent passing game my put the Saints in the Super Bowl for the first time in over 10 years.  He is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/20/2020

 

The college football season ended with a flourish, as feverish debates over teams' playoff worthiness and conference championship pedigree.  Ohio State was on the playoff bubble, but thanks to our Sportsman of the Week, busted through to earn a berth and even move up a seed.  Senior running back Trey Sermon delivered his career best performance in perhaps the biggest moment in leading the Buckeyes to their 4th  straight conference championship with a 22-10 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats.  And I do mean career performance.  Sermon rushed for a Buckeye and Big 10 title game record 331 yards on a workman like 29 carries and both Buckeye TDs to get the job done.  One might wonder why Ohio State tried to throw the ball at all as Heisman candidate Justin Fields faltered with a sore thumb and ineffectiveness.  Sermon made sure that the Buckeye congregation is moving on and looks to deliver them their first National Championship in 6 years.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/13/2020

College football winds down with a feverish debate one playoff teams with limited resumes, however the performance on Saturday by our Sportsman of the Week left no room for doubt in performance.  North Carolina tailback Michael Carter absolutely shredded the Miami Hurricanes defense for a record 308 yards and 2 TD.  And it took only 24 carries as 5'8" Carter just ripped through the Cane defense for huge chunks of yards including a game high 65 yard tote for a TD.  The complete thrashing defied Miami's reputation at home and one-loss posture coming into the game as they were dismissed out of a big bowl and game and the Tar Heels enter.  The Orange Bowl is looking like a big chance for the Heels, and our Sportsman of the Week made it so.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/6/2020

An historic performance for a tight end you may not have heard of earns our Sportsman of the Week honors.  His contributions were critical to getting a miracle win to keep his team in the playoffs.  Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller notched over 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns in a 31-28 win on the last play over the New York Jets.  It was only the sixth time a tight end registered 200 yards in a game.  While he didn't catch the game winning TD in the waning seconds, no way the Raiders are there without him.  After a few seasons of nondescript opportunity and results, Waller burst on the scene in 2019 with five 100 yard games, and this week's was his second 100 yard performance of 2020 to go with a career high 7 TD on the season.  Waller is second in the league in TE receiving yards, and a big name to watch as our Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/29/2020

What a Thanksgiving week of football and what a feast our Sportsman of the Week partook in.  Record breaking.  Buffalo Bulls running back Jaret Patterson made minced turkey of the Kent State defense in a humiliating effort and turning eyes toward the MAC team that may be able to beat anybody.  Patterson made the Flashes look like a high school team in getting (wait for it), 409 yards.  And 8 touchdowns.  All this on 36 carries so that's a TD every 4.5 touches and 11.4 yards per carry.  Ridiculous.  This was coming off a 301 yard performance the week before.  And 4 touchdowns.  Patterson is making up for lost time due to the virus and taking prisoners.  Certainly a worthy Sportsman of the Week performance!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/22/2020

 

As the college football season enters Thanksgiving (rivalry) week it seems like it just started.  Well for some teams (Utah) it just did.  But other teams have been battling for a couple of months and making a push for a Conference Championship.  Enter the 8-0 University of Cincinnati Bearcats.  Officially the preseason pick for second place in the American Athletic Conference, they knocked off the favorite Central Florida Knights to take the top spot angling for their first outright conference title since 2009.  In a see-saw game against the rival Knights in Orlando, the Bearcats leaned on the strong arm and competent legs of their star quarterback Desmond Ridder.  Ridder pushed the ball down the field with his strong arm for a 21-32 and 338 yards for nearly 15 yards per completion.  And two touchdowns.  When he wasn't throwing he was running.  14 carries for 52 yards.  And two more touchdowns.  Clever decision making and dynamic athleticism made the Cats offense nearly unstoppable as they won the crucial game 36-33 (noting they were on the doorstep for another TD but opted to run out the clock instead of give UCF any chance to get the ball back).  Ridder did it all and the Bearcats are positioning themselves for strong postseason consideration.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/15/2020

 

What.  A.  Catch.  Legendary for perhaps the best Wide Receiver on the planet.  Down and out, few seconds left, the QB throws it.  And our Sportsman of the Week hauls it in.  With three defenders around him.  Funny thing is, he made it look easy like there was no other outcome to be had.  The Arizona Cardinals steal trade of the offseason DeAndre Hopkins showed why he's the best WR by hauling in a 43 yard TD on a Hail Mary from QB Kyler Murray for the potential statement win for the franchise in the last 10 years.  The drama was fueled by a see saw game of two probably playoff teams that saw the Bills score what seemed to be the winning TD with a scant 34s left and the Cardinals needing a TD.  Kyler and D-Hop said otherwise and you will be seeing this catch for years, decades to come.  Greatness rises, and our Sportsman of the Week rose.   And caught it.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/8/2020

 

A definite candidate for Game of the Year, Clemson at Notre Dame delivered.  It had it all.  Talent all over the field.  Drama with a backup quarterback for Clemson replacing a Heisman Trophy favorite.  A team that hadn't lost a regular season game in years.  And Notre Dame.  Under the shadows of Touchdown Jesus.  And the game lived up to the hype.  It ended in overtime.  Notre Dame's Kyren Williams was steady in all aspects of the game.  The sophomore toted the ball 23 times for an impressive 140 yards, and 3 TD, including one in each overtime.  He was also a key cog in the blocking scheme that allowed Notre Dame to throw for over 300 yards in a workman-like effort.  He consistently found the blitzer and gave his QB time to find his man down field.  Williams joins an historic legacy of Fighting Irish running backs and will likely play on Sunday, and is a worthy Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/1/2020

The man of the match, best way to describe the gutsy performance of our Sportsman of the Week.  Texas Longhorns linebacker Joseph Ossai terrorized the Top 10 Oklahoma State offense forcing turnovers, and in the end saving the game.  Ossai notched 12 tackles, including an astounding 7 for loss (not your typical tackle the running back after 5 yards).  And the three sacks were the biggest, one he forced a fumble, recovered two, another he ended the game on fourth down by chasing the Pokes QB Spencer Sanders in overtime for the Horns to beat the #6 Cowboys 41-34.  Additionally, he led the defense that held 2019 Doak Walker finalist Chuba Hubbard to under 100 yards for the first time in conference play since his freshman year in 2018.  Ossai wouldn't be stopped and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/25/2020

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to tear through the MLB Postseason and another hero emerges.  One of their best franchise players. Clayton Kershaw, despite those who feel his postseason performances have not been up to par, won two critical games in the World Series to edge his Dodgers up 3 games to 2 over the Tampa Bay Rays.  He won pivotal Game 1 with 6 IP, 2 H, 8 K in victory to send them to a 1-0 lead, then responded with a gutsy performance (5 2/3, 2 ER, 6 K) to win Game 5 to again push the Dodgers ahead.  This time, they need just one more game.  After coming up short in the World Series in two prior appearances, this may be the Dodgers year.  Heavy favorites after a dominant regular season, along with a loaded lineup and arsenal of arms in both starting and relief roles, this is their best chance to win a Series since the 1988 season.  And their ace set them up.  The Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/18/2020

What a week of League Championship Series action in MLB and there were two strong MVP candidates to present the weekly Sportsman of the Week.  But one guy wasn't the best only of the week, but ever.  Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers raked for 7 straight games and left the Atlanta Braves in his team's dust.  Including winning the last 3 games to get to the World Series for the 3rd time in 4 years.  Seager finished 9-29, but 9 of those hits left the field.  And even more amazing, 11 runs knocked in.  Capitalized on his opportunity.  Can Seager and his Dodgers finally break through in the World Series?  Tune in the next week.  Seager secured the NLCS MVP and is our Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 10/11/2020

The recovery of the sports world continues, this time with the French Open...in October.  And while the Gentlemen's side of the bracket went predictably, the Ladies' side most certainly did not.  Roaring through some of the biggest names in the sport, Poland's phenom star Iga Swiatek could not be slowed down.  Like not even a dropped set.  Not even a tiebreak.  Only once after the second round did an opponent get as many as four games against her in a set.  And that was in the finals against upshot fourth seeded American Sofia Kenin.  At 19 years old, the unseeded Swiatek (ranked 54th in the World) became the youngest to win at Roland Garros since legend Monica Seles in 1992.  Easy to guess she might not be done winning big championships.  A legend to watch and the Longhorndave Sportswoman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/4/2020

The Oklahoma Sooners were poised for the College Football Playoffs again in 2020, but this year has not been kind to them.  After a home loss to an overmatched (skill wise) but underestimated (coach and heart-wise) Kansas State Wildcats, the Sooners strolled into Ames, Iowa thinking time to right the ship.  The ship may be sunk.  The plucky Iowa State Cyclones love to get the big teams at home at night.  And using a power football mentality, bullied the bully Sooners and sent them back to Norman with a second straight Big 12 loss.  Their effort was no more personified than the yeoman like work of sophomore tailback Breece Hall.  Toting the ball 28 times for 139 yards and 2 TD.  Iowa State only threw it 25 times.  Tied at 30, he carried the ball twice for 36 yards, then 8 yards to give Iowa State the 37-30 lead they would not relinquish.  Hall may just lead Iowa State to a surprise Big 12 Title game appearance, but certainly remember the name.  Our Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/27/2020

Despite expert opinion in early summer, the NFL season has kicked off (literally) with a bang.  Story lines abound as teams establish their favorite status for a playoff run.  One of the more surprising teams may be the Seattle Seahawks but it should be because their quarterback has been elite for years.  And this year, really elite.  Russell Wilson continues to be overlooked as one of the best QBs in the NFL despite an NFL championship and now setting more records.  In a victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Wilson went 27-40 with 5 TDs and no interceptions.  The effort included an easy 2 minute drill TD to turn a 1 point deficit into a 7 point win.  Having defeated the Cowboys, Falcons, and Patriots three straight with 14 TD and 1 INT, he's making the league forget about other QBs of the prior era.  Not to mention, his Seahawks defense, once vaunted, is averaging allowing 28+ PPG so his effort is needed.  The road to the Super Bowl appears Wide Open and Wilson is ready to lead his team again.  A worthy Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/20/2020

 

Once again, defying COVID odds, another sport had an amazing competition with an unexpected outcome.  The Tour de France, a tradition of over 100 years, slipped about 6 weeks and despite having little crowd control, managed to execute safely.  With a result nobody expected.  With favorite Primoz Roglic winning by a near one minute margin coming out of the crucial Alps stages, it was thought the final few days would be a coronation.  Oh but for the Time Trial.  Most of the Tour de France is run in packs where moves can be countered and precious seconds over rivals are hard to generate.  But the Time Trial is an event in which each cyclist is on his own for, in this case, about an hour.  And it's easy to lose time.  And lost time Roglic did.  To his fellow Slovenian countryman Tadej Pogacar (Tah-dey Po-GAH'-cha).  Pogacar reeled in his 57 second deficit and tacked on a minute advantage in winning the Time Trial on Stage 20, the penultimate stage.  He demolished the field by 2 minutes, even Roglic finished 5th out of 100+ cyclists and looked like he got whooped.  Pogacar had seemed the strongest rider the last week, but couldn't make up the time he had lost early on a mechanical failure combined with cross winds that cost him nearly 2 minutes early.  But the best cyclist won.  Oh, and Pogacar is only 21 years old (22 today, actually).  He may be the future of cycling and many more Sportsman of the Week honors to come!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/13/2020

Hardly anyone expected a no hitter to be pitched in 2020.  Odds were strongly against TWO no hitters.  What if both were from teams in the same city?  One of the most unlikely candidates for the Chicago Cubs defied odds.  Alec Mills eased his way through 9 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers with no batted ball in play that resulted in a baserunner.  In other words, a no hitter.  The soft tossing Mills drew contact but nothing that was able to land safely.  The 28 year-old only struck out 5 while having well more than that hard hit balls.  Sprinkle in 3 walks, no runners due to error, and it seemed way too easy.  Mills had only started 15 games with but 5 career wins.  But his sixth will be memorable for sure.  And earns him the Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/6/2020

 

The first Saturday in May is a fixture of sports for the Kentucky Derby.  Of course, 2020 has been different, so no later than the first Saturday in September all was made right with the world with the 146th Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.  What was expected to be a coronation for the most dominant horse of 2020 and Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, instead a surprise winner emerged.  The lone entry by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert that wasn't scratched, Authentic held off a meager charge by Tiz the Law to win almost wire-to-wire.  Jockey John Velazquez ran nearly a perfect race by getting Authentic up front and fending off all challengers.  Word was that Authentic couldn't handle the full mile-and-a-quarter but it appeared to be no problem.  No Triple Crown winner this year, as Authentic with Velazquez made sure of it.  John Velazquez is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/30/2020

That magical pitching feat in baseball.  Twenty-seven outs, no baserunners reach via a batter ball not ruled an error.  Otherwise known as a no hitter  It happened again, even with the shortened season.  Chicago White Sox ace pitcher Lucas Giolito shut down the Pittsburgh Pirates for a full nine innings (not one of those shortened ones) recording the first (and likely only) no hitter in 2020.  With a stout defense behind him, he walked only one batter in facing 28 with 27 outs fanning 13 Bucs.  The 26 year-old, former first round draft pick seems to be reaching his full potential.  With this effort, opponents are batting only .180 against him for the season.  A microscopic .149 batting average against in August.  As the White Sox are positioned for a postseason run, Giolito will likely get his first chance to pitch in the playoffs in October.  He'll be the guy you don't want to face.  He is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/23/2020

The next great NBA superstar is here and he lives in Dallas.  Wunderkind Luka Doncic is getting a lot of eyes on him in his first postseason of what could be a serious run for the Mavericks.  In four games this week, Doncic twice showed what he could really do unabated, in scoring 43 and 42 points, including a cold blooded game winner in overtime to win Game 4 over the Los Angeles Clippers.  More on that game, he had a triple double magnanimous, with a 43-17-13.  The two games he didn't score as well, he logged under 30 minutes with an injury and dubious foul trouble that seemed to be unfortunate to the casual observer.  Oh, and did we mention the Slovenian is only 21 years old?  The 2019 Rookie of the Year is a generational talent and the Mavericks are likely to build around him for years to come.  A worthy Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/16/2020

In just a few weeks from delayed "Opening Day", baseball is hitting it's playoff chase stride.  And one of the teams of interest is Tampa Bay Rays.  As spoiler.  They don't have the high payroll or big free agent names of other teams, but they do have young talented players.  Like Brandon Lowe.  The Rays 26 year old second baseman may be the biggest under the radar star.  Mainly because Tampa.  But this week he broke out.  Lowe scorched his fellow NL East opponent Red Sox and Blue Jays by going 14-29 with 4 HR and 10 RBI.  Most importantly, the Rays went 6-1, and this was coming off a weekend sweep of the New York Yankees.  Don't look now Bombers, the Rays are on your heels.  The Rays will be pests to the presumed NL East Champion Yankees and with this years expanded playoff format, likely to wreck other teams hopes as well.  Lowe is set up to lead the charge, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/9/2020

The first men's professional golf major of 2020 and in over a year did not disappoint.  At one point on Sunday, seven big name and emerging players were atop a crowded PGA Championship leaderboard.  But in one shot, our Sportsman of the Week ended it all.  California phenom Collin Morikawa burst ahead of a crowded leaderboard with a near impossible tee shot off the 16th hole on a par four to get within a few feet of the hole.  One putt.  Match.  The two shots gained on that hole gave him the margin he needed for his first major championship in only his second major start.  He is only 23 years old after all.  Morikawa has been right at the top of the leaderboard weekly since the PGA restart, losing a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge, then beating current World Number One Justin Thomas in a playoff at Workday Charity Open to win his first championship.  The combination of amazing technical skills and precocious poise have Morikawa as someone to watch.  A deserving Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/2/2020

Baseball is back!!!  And no team is favored to win the World Series more than the (love 'em or hate 'em) New York Yankees.  And no player may be the face of the game more than our Sportsman of the Week, Aaron Judge.  Judge has announced his courtroom authority by setting the league on fire during the first full week of action.  Specifically, five straight games with a home run, six home runs during that span.  Overall the Yankees were 5-0 and Judge knocked in an incredible 13 runs.  Health has constantly been an issue for Judge and had the season started on time he might have not answered the opening bell.  Instead the break seems to have served him well and baseball is better for it.  Judge looks poised to win his first MVP and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 7/26/2020

One of the first major team sports to restart in 2020 was the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) with a tournament in a Utah bubble for player safety.  After a four-game round robin, the NWSL Challenge Cup tournament commenced and a surprise winner was crowned.  The Houston Dash, not considered a favorite, came through in the clutch behind the solid goalkeeping of Jane Campbell who didn't allow a goal in the three tournament games and had a clutch stop in the quarterfinals during a PK shootout.  She turned away all six shots in the semifinals and finals to enable 1-0 (vs. Portland Thorns) and 2-0 (vs. Chicago Red Stars) wins respectively.  She had no room for error.  Throughout the tournament she led the league with 21 saves and four shutouts.  A deserving champion and great goalkeeper.  The Longhorndave Sportswoman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/19/2020

Greatness is measured by being best in your sport.  Winning one of the elite tournaments in your sport to propel you to that is also a great way to demonstrate greatness.  Both were achieved by our Sportsman of the week.  John Rahm distanced himself from the field enough at The Memorial to make the back 9 nearly irrelevant.  With up to a six stroke lead at times, Rahm proved he was at the top of his game.  On a Sunday when the course was bringing players to their knees (only one player in the Final Top 9 finished under par), he managed to mitigate damage with a 3 stroke win.  With the win, the Spaniard is now Tops in the World.  Plenty of golf to play in 2020 including deferred majors, but he is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/12/2020

Rookies aren't suppose to win on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series anyway.  Let alone at a challenging track like the Kentucky Speedway.  But our Sportsman of the Week did both, beating a strong field.  Cole Custer surged past prior Cup Series Champions like Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. to win on a restart of the Quaker State 400 after a crazy, crash-filled final 20 laps.  Constantly lurking toward the top with a surprisingly fast car, he found himself in the Top 4, then as the other three battled and rubbed, hit the outside groove to victory.  The Stewart-Haas driver of the 41 car now finds himself in the All Star race this week, as well as the playoffs, joining teammate Harvick.  It's not supposed to be like this. But it was, and Custer is now a NASCAR winner!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/5/2020

Fans weekends and sometimes weekdays continue an increase of sports presence, and this last weekend was the second running if the IndyCar Racing League (IRL) of the season.  Second running, same as the first as far as winners go.  Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing dominated the GMR Grand Prix field at the league's namesake Indianapolis Motor Speedway to win the road course by nearly 20 seconds.  For someone as dominant as he has been on the circuit, it is suprising it is only Dixon's second win at the Speedway, over a decade since his first in the 2008 Indianapolis 500.  Dixon has his eyes set on a second Indy 500 win for the race now rescheduled for August 23 with qualifying earlier in the month.  The New Zealander is likely to be a heavy favorite and looks poised to capture his sixth overall IndyCar title.  A worthy Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 6/28/2020

Major European soccer (or what they call football) is ramping up as Europe returns to sports and there was no bigger story this week than Liverpool winning their first England Premier League title in 30 years.  Thirty.  Years.  Led by stalwart forward Mohamed Salah, they breezed by punch less Crystal Palace by a 4-0 score.  Salah struck what might be considered the back-breaking blow just before halftime in scoring his team-leading 17th goal of the season.  That ties him for 3rd in the league to date, but Liverpool made a mockery of the league, now standing at 28-1-2 and 26 points ahead of second place Manchester City.  A big win for the town of Liverpool and a worthy Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 6/21/2020

We're going to go back to back on golf, but there have been two great finishes the past two weeks.  This week, Webb Simpson surged ahead of a crowded field to win the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, South Carolina by one stroke at an incredible 22 under par.  Down the stretch is when he specialized, with birdie on 5 of the last 7 holes as well as a bogey free round with par or better on the last 29 holes.  The victory on Father's Day was special for Simpson, a father of five and someone who lost his father less than 3 years ago.  The American Simpson notched a tournament record by two strokes and continues the return to sports as a worthy Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 6/14/2020

Another week, another American sport returns.  Golf.  No fans of course, but most of the top players in the world gathered to compete at The Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial Club in Ft. Worth, Texas.  And through a thrilling back nine with as many as 8 golfers in contention, our Sportsman of the Week emerged.  Daniel Berger had been one of the hottest golfers before the 13-week hiatus with several Top 10 finishes.  Add a championship.  Berger outdueled young phenom Collin Morikawa in the first overtime hole (at 17) to secure the victory with a par.  Several golfers had a chance to join the playoff at the 18th hole with birdie putt after birdie putt being missed.  The American's steady hand on the last few holes and on the playoff secured his third PGA tour victory, but his first since 2017.  After a devastating wrist injury that nearly derailed his career in 2018-19, Berger is back, Baby.  And our Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 6/7/2020

It's clear who the greatest MMA female fighter of all time is.  And she might be the best fighter of all time regardless of gender.  Amanda Nunes once again showed why she is the standard when it comes to MMA in defending her UFC women's featherweight title to keep both of her belts (the other being bantamweight).  She beats all comers, this time Canadian upstart Felicia Spencer who courageously took Nunes the full five rounds but was no where close on points (did not win a round).  Nunes pieces together style and strength in dismantling her opponents either strategically or by brute force.  It was the Brazilian Lioness's 11th straight win and probably more to come.  Overall 20-4, note her first bout was a loss and no losses since 2014.  It's going to take a special talent to beat 32 year-old Nunes and she is a deserving Sportswoman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/31/2020

In a limited sports environment, the sports that are running for real have the advantage.  And running multiple times a week helps.  NASCAR put together an aggressive "return from COVID" schedule that resulted in two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) races per week through the end of May, with lower series races on the other days to boot.  And the TV viewership has been high.  Enter one of their young stars, Chase Elliott.  Chase can be a polarizing figure.  Son of a champion racer Bill Elliott, some think he's too entitled.  Others are craving a new generation of drivers to challenge ones they don't like.  Like Kyle Busch.  Either you love Kyle or hate him.  The saga started with a major wreck to cost Chase a win in the Toyota 500 on Wednesday 5/20 in Darlington (Busch wrecked Chase so bad he actually apologized) and it was revenge time.  Chase first exerted it in the Gander RV and Outdoor Truck Series which is raced predominantly by aspiring, younger drivers.  But Kyle Busch has always flexes his muscle by racing and usually winning, what being a champion driver against much less experience.  To the point that Kevin Harvick put together a fun bounty for any MENCS series driver willing to race Kyle and win, he'd pay them $100K.  Then Chase did it (money went to charity).  Chase avenged the 5/20 wreck to beat Kyle at the North Carolina Education 200 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Truck race on Tuesday 5/26.  Then he went on to win the MENCS race two days later on Thursday 5/28 at the Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (securing his playoff spot).  All in all, had he won the wreck race (5/20), another race in which he had an ill advised pit strategy (5/24), and even the Sunday race this week in which he was running top 2 before a wreck (5/31), could have had 4 MENCS in a row not counting the Truck Series.  As it was, he got his MENCS win, beat Kyle, and is our Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/24/2020

Sports continues to expand post pandemic, especially football in Europe.  Where the Bundesliga (Highest League in Germany) storms on, albeit to empty stadiums.  But the goals still count.  Especially this week, where phenom Kai Havertz scored four of them in two decisive victories for Bayer Leverkusen.  The first two came in a relatively easy go of it disposing of bottom dweller Werder Bremen in Bremen, but followed it up with a big win over Borussia Monchengladbach on the road to pull them into fourth place in the league.  In each case, he scored the initial goal to take the lead, then followed an opposing goal against with a tiebreaker for which his team never looked back.  The 20 year-old wunderkind is a name you're going to see surging in the national renown and is already being pursued for elite leagues throughout Europe and will be able to write his own way.  For now, he's a worthy Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/17/2020

Sports in the United States and the world continues it's comeback.  The second half of 2020 will be awesome.  This week, it was NASCAR that returned to live events.  Sure, no fans in person, but over 6 million tuned in to the Real Heroes 400, recognizing front line heroes in the medical field who have helped us through this pandemic.  And the race was fun.  Nobody had even a practice lap in Darlington, but once the engines roared, it was on.  The ultimate winner was one of the best drivers and teams of this generation.  Kevin Harvick from Stewart-Haas racing took the checkered flag for the 50th time in his career.  As he edged Alex Bowman off of the last yellow flag restart, it wasn't close.  Before that though, the race was fraught with strategy and adjustments as teams adjusted their car to the conditions.  But Harvick prevailed and it was a small step to normalcy.  Even if no fans were there to cheer.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/10/2020

Our society is inching closer and closer every week back to live sports at least on television.  A preview was on Saturday night, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship staged a fan-less event and it worked.  In the lightweight event, Underdog (+160) Justin Gaethje punished Champion Tony Ferguson through five rounds for a TKO that would have thrilled a crowd had it been in attendance.  After a couple of rounds that were pretty close including big blows by both combatants, Gaethje really turned the tide in the third round and a battered Ferguson never seemed to recover.  By the 5th round he was done, with just 82 seconds left before the final bell it was all but over and the ref stopped the fight justifiably.  A new champion emerged.  And more importantly, it showed sports will go on and sooner than later.  Justin Gaethje is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/3/2020

World records in weightlifting have a physical limit of how much the body can endure, but this week a new record was broken.  Hafþór Björnsson / Hafthor Bjornsson deadlifted 501 kg; over 1100 lbs on his way to breaking the prior world record.  By 1 kg.  The 6'9", 425 behemoth Bjornsson is known in pop culture for playing Ser Gregor Clegane aka The Mountain on the Home Box Office (HBO) captivating series Game of Thrones but has been an elite power lifter for years having won the World's Strongest Man Competition in 2018.  The 31-year old Icelandic hulk felt like he could have gone for more, but scoffed at the notion at this point.  With the world and his country locked down due to the social restrictions, it's a gift he gave his country and the world.  Bjornsson is the epitome of Sportsman, and this is his Week.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 4/26/2020

I would have lost a bet that I would have had an eSports entry into my Blog as Sportsman of the Week, but not all bets are sure things.  And this week's winner is a legitimate athlete when they let him play.  Or drive.  A car that is.  Alex Bowman is one of the younger favorite drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and pulled a big upset on Sunday in winning at Talladaga.  Or at least, virtual Talladega.  In a spectacular 70 lap race on the fastest track in NASCAR, Bowman survived several late wrecks and outdueled Corey Lajoie in overtime for his first iRacing win.  Bowman is a fan favorite and finally scored a reality win at Chicagoland in 2019 and now becomes only the second driver to win both a real and virtual event on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.  The eNASCAR/iRacing events are a fun way to spend a Sunday and our Sportsman of the Week is a big reason why! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 4/19/2020

It's time to get back to American soil and sports.  And that means H-O-R-S-E.  Yes, the favorite kid's game in the driveway.  Except played by professionals.  And who came out on top?  Utah Jazz guard Michael Conley.  The 4th overall pick in 2007 schooled Tennessee hoops star and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Tamika Catchings, NBA 5-time All-Star Chauncey Billups, then current NBA star and two-time All-Star dunk contest champion Zack LaVine.  He did it with outside shots on one leg shots, and trick shots.  Just like that bully on the hard court.  In this case, everyone won because $200K was donated to charity.  But Conley will have his etch in history, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 4/12/2020

Belarus is carrying the sports world right now and this Blog is here for it.  This week, we focus on the Belarus Premier soccer league (a.k.a.Vyšejšaja Liha) which in Week 4 is starting to sort itself out with favorites.  One of the stronger teams is Torpedo BelAZ which has emerged as the top team in the league at 3-1-0 with only two goals against.  Brazilian Gabriel Ramos notched his second goal in four weeks in a crucial victory over previously unbeaten Energetyk-BGU in a match of heavyweights.  Unfortunately, only 287 fans attended  The goal tied him for second overall in the league.  The 24-year old midfielder's aggressive style has netted 2 yellows in four games which probably means he's in trouble or has to sit out the next game (I tried to read the rules of the league but they were in Belarusian).  Anyway, Ramos is good and he's our Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 4/5/2020

The hottest league going is the Belarus Extraleague hockey.  You read that right.  It's finals time, and bragging rights for all of Belarus.  And it was Yunost Minsk's time.  In dramatic fashion in the final three games they won all.  Two in overtime.  It was the Yunost's second title in a row and 3 out of 5.  Think San Francisco Giants 2010 - 2014.  It was Maxim Parfeyevets overtime shot in Game 5 that sealed the deal against Shakhter Soligorsk.  He also tallied an assist earlier in Game 5 and a key goal in Game 4 exerting the dominance of Minsk.  The real winners are fan who are still getting hockey.  Congrats to Parfeyevets for the Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/29/2020

The Kentucky Derby may be delayed, but that doesn't stop the qualification races and a big winner was determined this week.  Tiz the Law, trained by Barclay Tagg, scorched the Gulfstream park 9 furlongs in 1:50, healthy for the upper echelon of the Triple Crown events.  But was jockey Manny Franco that rode the colt to victory.  The 25 year old Puerto Rico native has yet to surge onto the national stage, but may be poised to do so, even with the Kentucky Derby delayed to Labor Day weekend.  Will Tiz the Law be the horse to beat this summer?  We shall see.  But Franco is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/22/2020

In a dark time in modern sports history, a shining beacon from the north gives inspiration.  Thomas Waerner won one of the most iconic sports events on the planet.  The Iditarod.  Nearly 1000 miles of mushing across the beautiful yet rugged terrain northern land of Alaska.  Done in 09:10:37:47 (days, hours, minutes, seconds).  For reference, the three weeks of the Tour de France winner finishes in between 3 and 4 days (albeit not elapsed time).  That's a lot of time in the saddle and on the trail.  The Norwegian Waerner is only the fourth non-American to win the Iditarod, and it was surprising in only his second try.  He gave all credit to K2 and Bark, his two lead dogs, giving all of his ten dogs a snack after the race.  Waerner is the second Iditarod champion to be named Sportsman of the Week and should not be the last!

Credit to The Guardian for much of the information in this article

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/15/2020

It was a short sports week in all too many ways but we won't dwell on that.  We had two good days of sports.  Monday and Tuesday.  And in convincing fashion, the North Dakota State Bison showed they were not just a football school in surging to semifinal and final wins in the Summit League Tournament.  Led by our Sportsman of the Week Tyson Ward.  Ward poured in 21 points to beat the 4th seeded Oral Roberts University on Monday, then another 23 points and 13 boards on Tuesday as they dismantled rival North Dakota including 5-5 on three point shots.  Had the NCAA Tournament been held, it would have been the Bison fifth appearance.  As it is, they won their last game and went out on top, thanks to Ward and his Conference Champion teammates.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/8/2020

A hat trick is one thing.  Five goals in a game is another.  But our Sportsman of the Week did just that.  Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers tormented Ilya Samsonov of the Washington Capitals for the quinfecta in 52 minutes to give the Rangers a key win in their playoff chase in the Eastern Conference.  Zibanejad scored 7 goals in 3 games over the week.  His 39 goals this year are a career high and he's hit the 20 goals in a season 5 of the last 6 seasons.  The Swede showed his mettle this week, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/1/2020

Just when you think it's over, football season is back!  XFL style, as the second edition of the alternative to the NFL takes center stage and has been entertaining to date.  Mainly because the level of play has been high.  The St. Louis BattleHawks have been a team to follow, being that St. Louis was the only XFL city that didn't already have an NFL team.  And it's been a success.  St. Louis is leading the league in attendance at 28K per game and are led by a QB who seems to be a solid NFL backup if not starter in 2020.  Jordan Ta'amu led his team to its third victory in Week 4, on a 20-27, 264 passing yards, 65 yard rushing effort for the teams 3rd win in 4 weeks (second best record in the league).  Ta'amu is second in the XFL in passing yards at 876 yards and is turning heads with his decision making (leading the league at 75% completion percentage).  The 22 year-old had a lot of NFL preseason snaps for the Houston Texans last August (due to preserving Deshaun Watson and an injured backup) and will likely get a nod this summer.  And deserved, our Sportsman of the Week!