Wants and needs
Today, even though we are still a few days from the official start go summer, let's explore the divide between contenders and also-rans in today's MLB. And in turn, which teams - like the Braves - need to be acting sooner rather than later in terms or acquisitions.
The divide in the AL is staggering. The Astros already lead the West by almost 10 games, and have done that with a litany of injuries. The Twins have a double-digit lead. The East is a fight, but a top-heavy fight.
The NL has four teams - Dodgers, Braves, Brewers and Cubs - that appear to be separating.
The numbers on the surface - seven of the 15 teams in each league are .500 or better - do not seem that out of the ordinary.
But the AL has four teams - Yankees, Rays, Twins and Astros - that are a dozen-or-more-games over .500. The NL has two with the Dodgers and the Braves.
And those teams that seem virtual locks to be contenders through the majority of the season are already starting to position themselves in what will be a busy trade market.
The Yankees added Edwin Encarnacion last weekend.
The Mariners are looking to sell. The Dodgers are clearly looking to buy.
Yes, the Braves will wait a little longer than most because so they can see what Dallas Kuechel looks like Friday night in his season debut. If Kuechel is a dude, then all the attention goes to the back end of the bullpen. If he struggles, then the Braves have multiple pitching needs.
Forget the July 31 trading deadline because a ton of moves will be coming sooner rather than later.
Draft preview
The NBA draft is Thursday. I love the draft. You know this.
This draft intrigues me. (Yes Spy, all drafts since the military draft offer some level of intrigue for me.)
We know the first two picks are almost assuredly will be Zion and Ja Morant. Let's start there:
With the injuries, the dysfunction and the West Coast start times, I believe Zion passed LeBron James as the biggest draw in basketball last winter. Seriously. He simply is a bona fide star entering the professional ranks, already a monster brand in himself in a way that it's hard to remember a college athlete totting to the pros.
Sure, Anthony Davis was a better prospect after one year at Kentucky entering the draft, but the only two at the level of hype for an NBA draft in the last half a century were James and Magic.
That's the power of Zion.
And Ja Morant may end up being the better NBA player considering the needs for point guards and the rules that behoove the smaller player. (Zion is going to get a lot of the LeBron/Shaq treatment from officials and physical defense that is a foul for everyone else in the league is a no call because few players can derail LeBron or Zion from getting to the rim.)
But rest easy, Zion will be the No. 1 overall pick. Book it. (Vegas sports books are taking the Zion goes 1 prop bet off the board friends.)
From there and maybe after RJ Barrett, Zion's teammate at Duke, this draft looks amazingly risky. But hey, that's the NBA. Let's explore the last 10 years of the NBA draft with a look at who were picked 1-2 and then who was the next best player and where he was picked.
2018 - DeAndre Ayton to Phoenix and Marvin Bagley to Sacramento went 1-2; Luka Doncic went 3 and Trae Young went 5 (they were traded for each other) and had better rookie seasons. That said, the all-rookie team was comprised of picks 1-5 in round one last year.
2017 - Markelle Fulda to Philly and Lenzo Ball to L.A. went 1-2; Donovan Mitchell went to Utah at 13.
2016 - Ben Simmons to Philly and Brandon Ingram to L.A. went 1-2; Pascal Siakam went 27 and Malcolm Brogdon went 36. (Seriously. And I love the chatter about Brogdon being a Lakers target. Side question: Do you realize how good Malcolm Brogdon is as a shooter? There are eight players in the 50-40-90 club - a group of dudes who shoot 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the line. Larry Bird, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Price and Malcolm Bleepin' Brogdon.)
2015 - Karl-Anthony Towns to Minnesota and D'Angelo Russell to L.A. went 1-2; Other than Kristaps Porzingis at 4, that seems right.
2014 - Andrew Wiggins to Cleveland and Jabari Parker to Milwaukee went 1-2; Joel Embiid went 3 and Nikola Jokic went 41, another dude in round 2.
2013 - Anthony Bennett to Cleveland and Victor Oladipo to Orlando went 1-2; Giannis went 15 to Milwaukee. Ouch-standing.
2012 - Anthony Davis to New Orleans and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Charlotte went 1-2; AD is a no-doubter. But Damian Lillard went 6 and Andre Drummond went 9 and Bradley Beal went 3. The second-round steals in this one? One Draymond Green at 35 and Khris Middleton at 39.
2011 - Kyrie Irving to Cleveland and Derrick Williams to Minnesota went 1-2; Kemba Walker went 9, Klay Thompson went 11, Kawhi Leonard went 15, Jimmy Butler went 30 and a slew of foreign guys that are solid NBA dudes also dotted round one.
2010 - John Wall to Washington and Evan Turner to Philly went 1-2; DeMarcus Cousins went 5, Gordon Hayward went 9 and Paul George went 10.
2009 - Blake Griffin to the Clippers and Hasheem Thabeet to Memphis went 1-2; James Harden went 3, Steph Curry went 7 and DeMar DeRozan went 9.
So will this draft be more 2011 or '12 or 2015? That's the question.
Nets for everyone
No this not more NBA talk and whether Brooklyn is still going to get KD and Kyrie.
So rest easy Spy.
According to ESPN, the Chicago White Sox have announced that they are extending the nets all the way to the foul poles.
Great. I guess.
Maybe we can figure out a way to build a snow-globe-like-apparatus with a clear plastic dome around the field.
And how long before someone is not paying attention - or some parent is not paying attention with their kids - and a fan in the outfield gets hit in the face with a home run ball and all the hand-wringing national media folks will have another outrage on their hands.
Side note: Why are the NBA folks - who either get trampled or in these playoffs actually grabbed players - not being held to a netting-protection, think-of-the-children mantra.
This and that
- Speaking of the draft, when Zion goes 1, this will be the 10th consecutive draft that a freshman goes 1 overall.
- Speaking of Zion, on this day 33 years ago Len Bias died. Dude, I firmly believe he would have meant at least two - and maybe more - titles for the Celtics. He was better coming out of college than MJ was and it was not close.
- Even with online spoilers, the defeat of Jeopardy James was the most watched Jeopardy! episode in 15 years. The 14.5 million viewers was the most since Ken Jennings' loss in 2004 had 18 million viewers. By comparison, the only other regularly scheduled TV programs last season with more viewers were The Big Bang Theory series finale (18.5 million) and a December 60 Minutes (14.6 million). Game 6 of the NBA Finals had 13.9 million viewers in America.
- Congratulations to one of our regulars. Spy's entry of Koepka (2), Rose and Schauffele (each T3) and Rory (T9) rolled in US Open contest. Could we call Spy's submission Open and shut? Did he make his picks with his eyes wide Open. Does he agree with Randy Moss, and believe he's always Open? And this is an open call for anyone who thinks their entry beat Spy's 17. Congrats my man. Shoot me your address.
- When Magic turns tragic. (And no this is not the 30-for-30 on Earvin Johnson's post-playing NBA efforts.) Indian magician Chanchal Lahiri - stage name Jaguar Mandrake - died last weekend trying to replicate a Harry Houdini trick. Lahiri was lowered into the Hooghly River tied with ropes and locked in chains Sunday afternoon. Unable to escape, his body was found Monday roughly a mile down stream.
- Apparently soccer fans are not exactly social sensitive. Here are details on the Mexican kickball supporters and their traditional chant that includes a derogatory word that is offensive to gay men.
- Auburn trails Louisville 4-1 after four innings in an elimination of a College World Series game that was delayed by rain. They will pick it back up at noon today.
- We spoke earlier about the elite class of baseball teams and the Dodgers are certainly among that group. L.A. won 9-0 over the rival Giants last night, and as impressed as we rightly are with the depth of the Braves lineup, know this about the Dodgers last night: L.A. sent 11 position players to the plate, all of them got a base hit or walked at least once and nine Dodgers scored.
Today's questions
Which way on a Wednesday starts this way.
Which story has been bigger in the eyes of the national media: Toronto winning the NBA championship or the Anthony Davis trade? (That's some what shocking right?)
Which Jeopardy! champ was better, James Holzhauer or Ken Jennings?
Which Duke star will be a better NBA player, Zion or RJ Barrett?
Which is the all-around best college basketball player you ever watched? (Mine was Lenny Bias.)
As for today, June 19, well let's look around.
It's National Garfield the Cat Day, National East an Oreo Day and National Pets in Film Day.
That makes it easy.
Best pets in movies - and no animation allowed gang.