In this Burn the Breeze edition, Nick and Owen talk about how nuts this year’s Big West regular season has become, who has impressed over the past few weeks, and what lies ahead for Cal Poly and the rest of the Big West this week. Also, which current player leads the Big West in career technical fouls?

As the basketball season is off to a fast start, Owen will bring in Nick Wynne on a more regular basis to talk Cal Poly basketball and Big West hoops at-large. This week, we taped the show the day before the conference announced UCSD and CSU Bakersfield as new teams over the next 2-6 years. Living in Bakersfield, Nick will surely have things to say, but since we taped before the announcement, we covered the first few weeks of college basketball at Cal Poly and in the Big West. 

Hello friends. It’s getting down to the end of the year. My nails are all bitten off and this Dodgers team isn’t running away with things like I’d hoped. For the benefit of all of us, I’ve written down some things I’ll be repeating to myself the rest of the year.

Change is good

Things that are different aren’t always bad. If the Dodgers are going to do something good, maybe a shake-up is necessary. Two years ago, it was Yasiel Puig who provided a spark. Last year, Puig’s disappearance in the most important game of the season seems to have been a turning point that Puig might still be working to recover from.

What I’m saying is that I’m going to try to respect changes along the way and wait to look at the entirety of the season before I make big judgments that are too critical.

I won’t go down the negative path until the offseason with any front-office moves

Haven’t we heard enough criticism and praise of the Dodgers’ front office over the past few years? In today’s sports landscape, with all the information that’s out there, fans have to pay attention to the front office, who they pick up, and how they spend the money they have.

I will have all season to criticize the front office if I want to, but the truth is, they’ve done a decent job over the past few years. They’ve given the team and the fans a chance.

Instead of being critical of guys not on the field, I’m going to REALLY try to focus whatever commentary I have onto what’s happening on the field and how guys are executing in the moment.

I will have five months after the season’s over to dissect off the field things.

Exception – I will continue to retweet humorous/masochistic tweets from my Dodger follows.

If the Dodgers keep playing like this, I’m going to look like this pretty soon… . “Meditation – Malmö-1983” by Foto: Jonn Leffmann. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The past is history, the future is a mystery

Right now is a gift, that’s why they call it the present. Obviously, I didn’t write that. I think I first read it in Phil Jackson’s book. I’m going to try to stay in the present space mentally as a fan. Trades that were or weren’t made are only going to make me crazy.

In an attempt to actualize myself as a fan during this stretch run, it’s important that I understand and observe my emotions and feelings in the moment, and then allow them to pass.

Right now, Jim Johnson is giving up a game in Pittsburgh and I’m wondering what the front office was thinking picking him up. He’s a freaking dumpster fire right now. This bullpen is a disaster. Alberto Callaspo is playing third. Howie Kendrick is hurt. Mattingly left Johnson in to give up like 34 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Who am I kidding? The freaking sky is falling…

<clears throat>

ommmmmm….

This guy with the Angels hat played some solid shortstop. By Owen Main

After a journey from San Luis Obispo to West Covina and back again, the Fansmanship.com squad overcame a nine-player roster to take second place in the Dodger Blogger Softball Tournament on Saturday.

After a fast start, the team earned the one-seed for the playoffs and won a semifinal game to make it to the final. The final game was a pretty well-played one, with both teams staying within a few runs of one another.

Fansmanship was up by 2 runs going into the last inning before giving up four in the final frame. A short rally wasn’t enough and Dodgers Lifestyle took home the trophy.

We got a rad plaque though.

Big League Dreams in West Covina did a great job. By Jon Soo Hoo –

I wanted to put in writing how great everyone who played on our team was. Rob, Dereck, Armando, Alex, Drake, Erik, Jennie, and Erin all performed admirably. I was even more happy with the way they conducted themselves throughout the tournament. It was a long, hot day, and by the end of it, not everyone on every team was as gracious.

I’m proud to say that those on our squad were really mellow and cool throughout. I will play with any of our players again, any time.

The best part about the Dodger Blogger Tournament is the people you meet and get to spend time with. We had a great time, brought home a plaque, and nobody got injured beyond the regular soreness that goes along with playing five games in a single day.

Photo of me swinging by Jon Soo Hoo via the Dodgers Photog Blog.

Photos below by Owen Main

With all the recent excitement in the Dodgers front office, people may have forgotten the actual players. Going into the 2014 offseason after what was a very disappointing postseason run for the Dodgers, it seems as if they may not look the same come March. Hanley Ramirez seems a lock to not re-sign and the outfield situation needs to be finally solved. Josh Beckett is retiring and the bullpen needs to get rid of almost everyone. The Dodgers need to have a good off-season in order to reposition themselves as the class of the National League.

New president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has a large task ahead of him with the Dodgers. By Andrew_Friedman_and_Joe_Maddon.jpeg: Jennifer Huber derivative work: Delaywaves talk (Andrew_Friedman_and_Joe_Maddon.jpeg) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

With Beckett gone, starting pitching should also be looked at. The Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw, Zach Greinke, and Hyun-jin Ryu as their front three starters, but the back end of the rotation is the key to winning championships. Like Brian Wilson, Dan Haren will return to the club after picking up his player option. Haren gives them a nice fourth or fifth starter, but they need another.

There are a many options the Dodgers can choose from but I suggest the idea of signing a fourth starter rather than a fifth. Some interesting names are available that include Ervin Santana, Hiroki Kuroda, and Jake Peavy. The Dodgers’ spending habits lately would indicate at least a mild interest in players Jon Lester or Max Scherzer, though new management might not be as excited at the idea of another huge contract.

Finally, the Dodgers need to solve their outfield situation and upgrade a few positions. The Dodgers have too many outfielders and need to do something about it. Who gets the boot?

Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, or Yasiel Puig? Puig is basically untouchable, as he should be. Kemp should be as well after his resurgence last season, which leaves Ethier or Crawford. They both have terrible contracts, which will make it tricky to trade them. Trading Ethier seems the most likely to happen. A team like the Detroit Tigers may be interested, especially with uncertainty surrounding Torii Hunter.

Upgrading at the catcher position would vastly improve the team. AJ Ellis commands the plate as well as any catcher in the league but his hitting isn’t what the Dodgers need to get them over the hump. The only clear option to replacing Ellis for the Dodgers is with Russell Martin. Martin would bring some extra power as well as his control of the plate to the Dodgers, a team he spent a large chunk of his career with.

With Hanley Ramirez half way out the door, the shortstop position is open while they wait for prospect Corey Seager to grow. Some intriguing options in the free agent market, but making a trade with the White Sox for shortstop Alexi Ramirez makes sense. Maybe an Ethier, prospect and money for Ramirez trade would work?

It is essential that the Dodgers have a good and productive offseason in order to repeat as NL West champions and hopefully mirror their Northern California rivals and hoist a World Series trophy for the first time since 1988.

Thus far into the 2014-2015 NBA season and sadly enough we can already see that the Los Angeles Lakers are who we thought they were. They currently sit at 0-5 through their first five games. Granted, they have played some of the top Western Conference teams in all five games and have managed to keep a few games close. With Kobe Bryant back, this group of Lakers may be more exciting to watch than last year’s team, but they sure aren’t even as close to as successful.

They are ranked dead last in the NBA in points allowed per game and rank 21^st overall in rebounding. They lost their big-time rookie in Julius Randle during the season opener to a broken leg and once that happened, it seemed another dark cloud would hover over the Lakers season. Coming into the season not many people realistically saw the Lakers contending, but to watch the Lakers get blown out in most of their games so far is just saddening. The NBA is a much better entertainment source when the Lakers are relevant and right now they are anything but.

The “40^th ranked player” according to ESPN, Kobe Bryant is averaging 27.6 points per game thus showing his doubters that he has returned to at least a part of his former self after the injuries. Another bright spot for the Lakers has been the play of  Jordan Hill, who has been the Lakers second best player averaging 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. It has seemed at times that Kobe has resorted back to 2004-2005 Kobe where he would rather shoot a fully contested shot than pass to his teammates. If the Lakers want to even be somewhat relevant Kobe is going to have to learn to trust his teammates instead of shooting almost every time he has the ball.

While it is still early, the Lakers’ play has been terrible and looks like another long season in Laker land. Nick Young is on his way back back soon and he should help them with some things but his lack of production on defense won’t help them at all. Despite all this losing, it seems as if Laker fans aren’t reeling after losses or calling for Scott’s job like they did D’Antoni; after all Laker fans get to watch Kobe once again and that is all they could ask while him fades off into retirement in a few years.

Every offseason brings speculation and rumors and every offseason something happens that nobody saw coming. It’s what makes the hot stove so hot. The 2014-2015 MLB offseason will be no different as there are numerous high-powered free agents looking to test the free agent market. After what was a crazy 2014 baseball season, the 2015 season should be another great one but first we have to figure out all the craziest of the offseason. Here are my predictions for some of baseballs biggest free agents and the predictions for the 2014 season award winners:

Max Scherzer is a free agent this winter and could find a new home come next season. By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (Max Scherzer) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

MVP: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

CY Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Manager of the year: Matt Williams, Washington Nationals

Rookie of the year: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets

2014 AL Award Predictions:

MVP: Mike Trout, Anaheim Angels

CY Young: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians

Manager of the year: Ned Yost, Kansas City Royals

Rookie of the year: Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox

Free Agents:

Max Scherzer (SP, Tigers): Signs with the Mariners

Jon Lester (SP, Athletics): Signs with the Cubs

James Shields (SP, Royals): Signs with the Yankees

Pablo Sandoval (3B, Giants): Re-signs with the Giants

Hanley Ramirez (SS, Dodgers): Signs with the Yankees

Nelson Cruz (RF, Orioles): Re-signs with the Orioles

Victor Martinez (C, Tigers): Re-signs with the Tigers

Melky Cabrera (RF, Blue Jays): Signs with the White Sox

Russell Martin (C, Pirates): Signs with the Dodgers

Ervin Santana (SP, Braves): Signs with the Dodgers

Francisco Liriano (SP, Pirates): Signs with the Twins

Brandon McCarthy (SP, Yankees): Signs with the Orioles

David Robertson (RP, Yankees): Signs with the Orioles

Kenta Maeda (SP, Japan): Signs with the Astros

Yasmany Tomas (OF, Cuba): Signs with the Rangers

Chase Headley (3B, Yankees): Signs with the Red Sox

Andrew Miller (RP, Orioles): Signs with the Tigers

Justin Masterson (SP, Cardinals): Signs with the Brewers

Jed Lowrie (SS, Athletics): Signs with the Nationals

Asdrubal Cabrera (SS, Nationals): Signs with the Reds

Nick Markakis (OF, Orioles): Signs with the Giants

Adam LaRoche (1B, Nationals): Signs with the Padres

Jake Peavy (SP, Giants): Signs with the Cubs

Mike Morse (OF, Giants): Signs with the Royals

Alex Rios (OF, Rangers): Signs with the Mets

Luke Gregerson (RP, Athletics): Signs with the Dodgers

Edinson Volquez (SP, Pirates): Signs with the Braves

Torii Hunter (OF, Tigers): Re-signs with the Tigers

AJ Burnett (SP, Phillies): Signs with the Red Sox

Sergio Romo (RP, Giants): Signs with the Dodgers

Francisco Rodriguez (RP, Brewers): Signs with the Angels

Rafael Soriano (RP, Nationals): Signs with the Tigers

Aaron Harang (SP, Braves): Signs with the Giants

Nori Aoki (OF, Royals): Re-signs with the Royals

Billy Butler (DH, Royals): Signs with the Indians

Stephen Drew (SS, Yankees): Signs with the Marlins

Chad Billingsley (SP, Dodgers): Signs with the Padres

A.J. Pierzynski (C, Cardinals): Signs with the White Sox

Jason Grilli (RP, Angels): Signs with the Giants

Emillio Bonifacio (2B, Braves): Re-signs with the Braves

Brandon Morrow (SP, Blue Jays): Signs with the Diamondbacks

It’s always fun to speculate. Who would you like to see on your favorite team?

For a really cool analysis of free agents, check out Fangraphs, who crowd-sourced what free agents should get what kind of deal. It’s always fun to see the difference between what the fans think a player is worth and what that player gets on the open market.

You can see the post here.

Over the last few seasons the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen victim to a massive amount of key injuries that have not only derailed their winning hopes but the hopes of fans as well. It has become something to expect over the last few years where it has take over its own role over the team. From Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and all the other role player injuries that have missed games yet despite this fact the worst injury of them all happened in the season opener against the Rockets.

The Lakers may have gotten Kobe back but lost rookie Julius Randle to a major injury. By Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

Seeing his first regular season game in front of the Staples Center crowd, Randle struggled to find his way. He played just 14 minutes and seemed a little nervous. In the fourth quarter of the blowout game, Randle suffered a broken leg and had to be taken off the court on a stretcher as Staples Center went silent. It was like watching Kobe tear his Achilles all over again, except it was for a rookie who had never played a single game in the NBA.

How could this happen? Especially to a player like Randle in his first career NBA game, it’s just unfathomable. The injury to Randle seems like a foreshadowing for things to come — for the Lakers having another bad season. With the injury to Randle, the Lakers will need to look to rely more on Ed Davis, Ryan Kelly, and Carlos Boozer. The only glimpse of hope that Laker fans should enjoy if Randle is indeed out for the season is that their crosstown rival Blake Griffin also missed his entire rookie season and (some could argue) came back stronger because of it.

Injuries and situations like this make you forget about the game and put a sense of perspective into sports. Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt no matter what team you root for, so let’s all hope and pray that Randle comes back stronger because of this and it will then be a bump in the road to success for the young kid. Until then all we can do is wait and say, get well soon Julius. We already miss you!

There will be a team from California in the 2014 World Series and no it won’t be the Dodgers or Angels; it will be the San Francisco Giants. Again. It hurts me to say, but the Giants are the most complete team in the league, and are better than their Southern California counterparts. Since winning two World Series titles in the last four seasons, the Giants have quietly been one of the better teams in baseball but haven’t got the recognition they deserved because of all the hype of their So-Cal rivals. I’ve got to give credit where credit is due.

Madison Bumgarner has lead the Giants back to the fall classic in 2014. By SD Dirk on Flickr, via Wikimedia Commons

They handily beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Wild Card game in Pittsburgh, then the Washington Nationals who had the best record in the National League. The Giants dispatched them in four games.

The pipe dream would have been to finally see a Dodgers-Giants NLCS, but the Dodgers couldn’t live up to their part of the deal and handed the Cardinals a series win thus setting up another Cardinals-Giants NLCS showdown.

A combination of great pitching from the Giants and injuries and mistakes for the Cardinals gave San Francisco the series win and another World Series appearance.

The San Francisco Giants will meet the red-hot — and surprising — Kansas City Royals in the World Series starting October 21^st in Kansas City. Recent history favors the Giants to win the series, but the way the Royals are playing anything is possible. My advice to the Royals would be to make sure to take the first two games in Kansas City, otherwise the Giants might get to party in San Francisco, celebrating a third consecutive even-year World Series title.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have not made a World Series since 1988. With their loss this week, they won’t have a spot in the fall classic in 2014. A team with the highest payroll in baseball in one of the best baseball cities in America shouldn’t be eliminated from the playoffs as early as the division series. The Dodgers squad is made up of different types of talent that honestly don’t really work together to create a complete team. This season, their raw talent led them to the division title, and fans and experts alike looked past their obvious shortcomings.

Ned Colletti’s job could be in jeopardy after the team’s clear holes weren’t addressed. By PVSBond, via Wikimedia Commons

It has been two seasons since both trades went down and what do the Dodgers have to show for it? Two division titles and two playoff beat-downs at the hands of the St Louis Cardinals, who have are arguably become the San Antonio Spurs of Major League Baseball.

While the regular season winning is nice, when you spend that much money on a team it is championship or bust. So the question remains who is to blame for the Dodgers disappointments and what do they do about it?

Clayton Kershaw had a historic season. The Dodgers’ ace went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, but his postseason demons struck again against a familiar opponent. He is now 3-7 with a 4.83 ERA against the St. Louis Cardinals and 70-22 with a 1.99 ERA against everyone else. Kershaw cruised through six innings in game one, only having allowed two runs before squandering a four run lead and giving up eight runs in the 7^th inning. While Kershaw deserves some of the blame, Mattingly also deserves some for not pulling out his star pitcher once the Cardinals had closed to 6-4. I don’t care who the pitcher is or how much you trust them, once they start giving up runs and putting the game in jeopardy you take them out especially in the 7^th inning of a home playoff game. Mattingly in his Dodger career has made a lot of blunder-headed mistakes but none like this playoff series.

His first mistake was with Kershaw in Game One. Then, in game three he took Hyun Jin Ryu out after the 6^th inning when he was pitching a masterful game on the road. After the game, Ryu came out and said that he felt fine to pitch the 7^th inning. Instead of bringing in a relief pitcher that has carried the team all season like Brandon League, he brings in Scott Elbert who promptly gives up a two run home run that sealed the Dodgers game-three fate.

In Game Four, with Kershaw pitching on three days rest, the Dodgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead and Mattingly left Kershaw in for the 7^th against the heart of the Cardinals order, which lead to a three-run home run and the end of the Dodgers’ season.

All signs point to Don Mattingly and all-star pitcher Clayton Kershaw taking the majority of the blame. While they both made mistakes, they shouldn’t get all of fans’ ire. Mattingly made some dumb decisions, but in the end he isn’t the one who goes out onto the field and plays. The big hitters the Dodgers have didn’t produce and the bullpen, which was the weakest link of the Dodgers team all season, struck again.

The person who deserves the most blame for the Dodgers’ disappointments has to be general manager Ned Colletti. There have been rumors swirling that there might be changes in the Dodgers front office and I hope they are true. At the trade deadline, Colletti had opportunities to pursue bullpen help that might have saved the Dodgers season. Instead, Colletti went out and got back-end pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia neither of whom made the postseason roster.

While Colletti has built teams that made the postseason, he continues to disregard the team’s biggest needs and it ends up costing them late in the season. The Dodgers could use a new General Manager in their system and maybe then they will finally reach the World Series. The Padres and Diamondbacks have already changed their GMs so the Dodgers should continue the trend in the NL West.

Leave no doubt, this team needs some fixing. In order for this team to be fixed it is going to take major work. Much of the team is locked in for years to come in their respective deals. One solution would be to upgrade on a few positions including third base and catcher. Juan Uribe and AJ Ellis have been good clubhouse guys but their production on the field has been less than expected and more consistent production is needed from those positions. For me, the most important factor of the 2015 offseason will be getting bullpen help. Kenley Jansen is the only bullpen guy the Dodgers could rely on this season and even he has some issues.

Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Dee Gordon, Clayton Kershaw, Zach Greinke, Hyun Jin Ryu and Kenley Jansen should be the main players returning to the team next season due to their success. Trading Andre Ethier and re- signing Justin Turner should be priorities going into the offseason. This coming offseason is going to be a tough one on both the Dodgers front office and the players but this team will be back again next season and should again be favorites to win a championship. In the mean time, the front office needs to make some changes in both player personnel and front office personnel, because the Dodgers have the core talent to win a title but proving it out on the field is a whole different story.