The Philadelphia Phillies are sitting at the bottom of the cellar in the N.L. East and time is quickly running out for them to make a postseason appearance. I can’t believe I am uttering these words, because many sports fans are just as stunned as I am. If I told you in the beginning of the year, that the Philadelphia Phillies would be in last place by season’s end. You would-of laughed in my face and probably told me to get lost.

However, with the all-star break behind us now and the Phillies feature a pathetic record of (43-54). This was the team with supposedly the best pitching staff in the major leagues. The last few years Cliff Lee has dominated hitters throughout the season and this year he has just earned his first win, after the all-star break. I can tell you this, that every sports analyst in the world could not of predicted his short-comings.

In the first half of the season, the Phillies struggles could-of-been validated. Considering, they sustained pivotal injuries to Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Their offense was an embarrassment and that was their main concerns last year. Nevertheless, now that their pitching aces hold losing records, it seems they have more issues than they realized.

Roy Halladay is one of the best pitchers in MLB and he has only acquired 4 wins on the year, so far. Of course, he spent some time on the disabled list, but he has still not performed to his full potential. With an earned run average above four, there are suspicions that he is not 100% healthy. In fact, the only pitcher that has performed well has been Cole Hamels. Hamels has really been the only bright spot on this team, with an (11-4) record and 3.23 ERA. With talk about trading him before the trade deadline, he might be wearing a different uniform in the not to distant future.

Currently, the Washington Nationals are in first place in the N.L. East with a 14 game lead over the Phillies. There is still plenty of baseball left in the season, but if the Phillies are going to compete, they better start now. Last year, there were monumental collapses in both leagues and right-now Phillies fans are praying for another one. Although, the Nationals are proving they are here to stay and plan on making their own postseason achievements.

In conclusion, it’s almost hard to fathom with the talent the Phillies possess, that they are in last place in their division. If they do not turn this team around, it will be one of the most discouraging seasons in franchise history. The question still-remains, can the Philadelphia Phillies bounce back from this horrific start? With the odds stacked heavily against them, it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to make the postseason.

The New York Knicks were in danger of being swept by the Miami Heat on Sunday. After the Heat have-been-dominating the Knicks throughout the first three games of the series. Considering all-of-the injuries the Knicks have sustained, it’s not a surprise how poorly they have performed. The Heat had won effortlessly, until Sunday evening, when Carmelo Anthony put the team on his back and put up 41 points.

Melo had an exceptional game from the field, shooting over 50% and executing on defense, as well. However, it was Carmelo who missed two critical free throws in the closing moments of the game that allowed Miami a chance to win the game. Amari Stoudemire also put up respectable numbers, even with the injury to his left hand. Thankfully, it wasn’t his shooting hand and he was able to-provide decent numbers to help the Knicks win. Just days from stitching up his hand, he put up 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Amari definitely needs to get his priorities in check though, because he had the same careless behavior last year in the playoffs. Before a playoff game Amari attempted to jump as high as he could and touch the top of the back-board. In the process, he injured his hand and ended up missing some key games. All of this because he had to-show off in warm-ups for his own teammates.

Stoudemire is already known for his injury prone seasons and with his careless behavior, it only increased the odds of being injured. The Knicks are also without rookie point guard Jeremy Lin, who probably will not return until next season. Iman Shumpert was-injured-in-game-1 and will not return till next season. The Knicks will miss his defensive abilities and gritty play on the court. The chances of New York coming back in this series are-basically nil and I really doubt that Miami will allow it.

Essentially, the Heat really have to-stink up the joint in order for the Knicks to-get back into this series. The Heat struggled down the stretch of the season due to a lack of production from their bench and it was a prominent issue. However, so far in the playoffs they have played fairly well and if the Knicks have any chance at all they must change that.

In conclusion, on Wednesday night the Knicks travel to Miami to-try and extend the series another game. If they can pull it off, they would return back home for game 6 and at that point it would be Miami who would be in the hot seat. The Knicks may lose the series this year, but next year hopes are much higher for the team. With a much-needed training camp, they will be able to-build on their chemistry and learn to-gel as a team. The Heat might have the edge now, but next year they better be-prepared for a much different Knicks team.

The Los Angeles Angels began their season with high expectations and the first few weeks have not gone according to plan. Their big acquisition of Albert Pujols has not panned out yet, due to the fact that Pujols is struggling badly. I believe Pujols has to-adapt to the American League and the new pitchers he is facing. Not to mention all of the pressure he is under, considering the hefty contract he signed with the Angels.

I know that Albert is one of the best hitters in the game, but even the best hitters struggle at times. It’s also quite obvious that he altered his batting stance and that’s what the problem is. He is much closer to the plate, than he use to-be and he can’t extend his arms as much to-produce his usual power numbers. Before, he was able to get his hands through the strike zone much quicker as well. Now, with the adjustments his swing is more tight and he can’t explode off the ball. Maybe, it may-be better off for the Angels, if he converted back to his old stance.

Once Pujols gets going it will provide a big bolster to the offense and will help the Angels immensely. Currently, the Angels are 6-14 on the year, with a pitiful .316 winning percentage. That is pathetic for a team, who was favored to-win the World Series this year. Since, it is very early in the season the Angels still have plenty of time to address their issues. However, they better not wait too long because the Texas Rangers are dominating the American League right now and are pulling away in the A.L. West.

With a nine and half game lead right now, they are sitting alone at the top of the division. Although, there are some positive aspects for the Angels right now. For example, last year’s rookie Mark Trumbo is off to a great start and is currently leading the team in basically every offensive category. Therefore, we can say that last year was no fluke and he is going to-generate exceptional numbers.

The Angels offense as a total has not been performing as predicted. Considering they only have 13 home-runs as a team, the power just hasn’t been there. Although, I do believe as the season progresses their offense will begin to-display just how talented they really are. With one of the best starting rotations in the American League, they should bounce back and challenge the Rangers in the West.

In conclusion, the Angels are still favored to-make a postseason appearance this season, but they must start playing like the team they were suppose to-be. They are similar to the Phillies in some ways, as they have great pitching and their offense lacks the consistency to-score runs. However, a team with Albert Pujols in the line-up should not have these issues and once he starts hitting, so will the team.

The Washington Nationals are currently leading the N.L. East with an 13-4 record and they do not appear to-be slowing down. They have-an-abundance of young talent and they are finally beginning to-display their true abilities. Although, the season has just begun the Nationals definitely look like a different team. The last few years this organization has-been-aspiring to-improve this team and turn them into contenders.

With pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg back in the rotation, the Nats are a much more proficient team. If this team can stay healthy, there is no telling what they are capable of and how far they can go. They have-been-building from within their farm system for years and it-appears as if it is finally paying off. Remember, with young phenom Bryce Harper’s abilities this team can-be even better.

Unfortunately, Harper is still very young and needs more time to develop, but when he does I believe we will see some fireworks. At 19 years old, this kids is showing great power and remarkable abilities all around the baseball field. The only thing that worries me is that he is a catcher and catching behind the plate shortens a-players-career immensely. Hopefully, Bryce discovers a new-position to play, so that he can have a more prominent career.

Last year, the Nats acquired Jayson Werth from the Phillies and unfortunately for them he did not have a great year. However, with the start of this year Werth is off to a great start and maybe this year he will have a bigger impact on the team. Another rising star displaying promise is second baseman, D.Espinoza who’s defensive skills rivals his fathers. His dad played for the New York Yankees and always displayed great defensive skills. Not known for his offensive skills, that is something his son plans to-correct.

Last year, Espinoza didn’t have much of a batting average at a measly .236 average, it wasn’t much to-talk about. However, he did have 21 home-runs and 66 RBI’s to-help balance things out a little more. Since, he is still very young there is still plenty of time for him to-improve on his average and the more pitchers he faces, the more he will progress. Adam Laroche also joined the team and he is quickly providing some much-needed pop in the line-up. Laroche is a well-rounded player and should put up good numbers this year to-add to the team’s offense.

In conclusion, Washington Nationals fans are-excited to-finally have a team worthy enough to-cheer for. However, there are still many skeptics out there that believe that this is a fluke and they will fall apart very soon. Remember, sports analysts made very similar statements about the Tampa Bay Rays and look where they are now. Young talent is finally beginning to strive in MLB and I believe this is the best thing for the game to-recover. If the Nats make a few more improvements and tweak the team a little more, I believe they will become the real deal and flourish in the N.L. East.

The MLB season began a few weeks ago and three teams who were-favored to-have exceptional seasons are struggling badly. The Philadelphia Phillies are 7-9 on the year, after losing two games in a row. Currently, they are in last place in the N.L. East division and surprisingly the Washington National lead the-division-with a dominant 12-4 record.

The Phillies have the best pitching rotation in the Majors and yet they still struggle, due to a lack of offense. Last year, they made some key acquisitions to-improve their offensive situation. Unfortunately, it obviously was not enough and if they fail to-make a postseason appearance, it will be a huge disappointment. The N.L. East is much more respectable this year and the Phillies better rectify their issues before they fizzle out of the race.

Another team surprisingly in last place in their division is the Los Angeles Angels. That’s right, the team who won the Albert Pujols sweepstakes is 6-10 and their pitching staff is not performing as advertised. With the Texas Rangers, charging out of the gate with a 13-3 record. The Angels must start hitting and Albert Pujols’s slow start is not helping the situation at all.

The Angels are-loaded with talent, but remember the American League is no joke. Many teams improved a lot this year and the competition is much more formidable. Even the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics appear to-be better teams, than in the years-prior. Although, it is still very early to-be making these predictions, these franchises should-not be in the-position they are in right-now.

What about the Boston Redsox, who had the biggest collapse in history last year and are out to redeem themselves this year. At 4-10, on the year and with Bobby Valentine at the helm they are off to an awful start. They are very similar to the Angels, on paper they seem very strong. However, looks can-be deceiving considering there-are several big problems with the Redsox. The most prominent one is within their own clubhouse, as conflict spreads throughout the team and it will cause a major distraction throughout the season. Fans are now asking themselves, was Bobby Valentine the right man for the job? The Redsox have a long way to go and luckily for them the season has just begun.

In conclusion, if these talented teams continue to struggle it will make a big statement throughout the Majors. Maybe, teams do not need to-spend so much money to-have a competitive team. Just maybe you can get the-talent-from within their own organizations and-than the smaller market teams will have a better shot at making the postseason. Especially, with the new addition of the extra Wildcard spot. It will definitely make this postseason much more interesting.

The NHL Playoffs have begun and 16 teams prepare for battle to-be the Stanley Cup Champions. The 2012 season was an onslaught of nonstop action and the last week determined which teams were going to make it into the playoffs. There are a few teams they have been red-hot coming into the playoffs, like the New Jersey Devils, who have won 6 in a row.

Most NHL sports analysts believe that the Pittsburgh Penguins are-favored to win the Stanley Cup this year. There are several significant reasons why they feel that way too, but I wouldn’t be surprised if another team stole the show. In the Eastern Conference, there are several teams that have a great chance to upset the Penguins. Especially, there first round opponents the Philadelphia Flyers.

After one week of action, the Philadelphia Flyers are on the verge of beating the Penguins, as they have man-handled the Penguins. The Flyers were able to win the first three games of the series. They attempted to sweep the Penguins, as they led the series 3-0. In a record-setting game 4, the Penguins scored 10 goals to avoid the sweep and finally showed their talent to stay alive in the series. However, the chances of Pittsburgh coming back to win the series are very slim. Although, anything is possible and we have seen teams pull off the impossible.

The New York Rangers had a sensational season and with Henrik Lindqvist in the nets, they could make it very interesting. The Rangers have not won a title in 18 years and they will be gunning for a title again. However, with a thrilling overtime win in Ottawa last-night, the Senators have evened up the series at 2-2. If the Rangers lose the series, it will be a big upset and would be a waste of a hard-fought season by the Rangers. The Flyers are a physical and offensive team and they have proven themselves so far.

Last years champions the Boston Bruins are battling the Washington Capitals in the first round and-lead the series 2-1. The Bruins are the better team and besides for Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals are really not much of a threat. During the Playoffs there have been several upsets and if the favorites continue to lose. An underdog team might be taking the cup home. The Chicago Blackhawks another favorite to win it all, is also in the hole 2-1, to the Phoenix Coyotes.

In conclusion, with all-of-the upsets going on around the league there is a very good chance that we will have an unforeseen Stanley Cup winner this year. The question is which one? Will the Florida Panthers continue there-dominance of the New Jersey Devils? Will the Ottawa Senators upset the number-one seeded N.Y. Rangers? One thing is for sure, it-appears that the favorite means nothing in this years playoffs and there will be several more upsets as the playoffs continue. Generally, the team with the best defense and superior goaltender will win the cup, but don’t underestimate the underdog this year.

The New York Yankees began the season against the Tampa Bay Rays and were swept in their first three game series. Sabathia started in-game one and the Rays lit him up. Sabathia was unable to-locate his fastball well and the Ray’s hitters took advantage of it. The Yankees were able to grab a lead late into the game, but Carlos Pena had some late game heroics to win in grand fashion with a game-winning RBI single.

Mariano Rivera received the loss and actually blew his first save of the season, on the very first game of the season. Usually, Mo averages about two to four blown saves per year and with the way he started this year, it does not look good. In game 2 of the series, Yankees new acquisition Hiroka Kuroda started his first game in pinstripes.

Nerves got the best of him, because he didn’t pitch any better than Sabathia. Kuroda could not-locate his pitches well either and the Ray’s jumped all over him. David Price got the win for the Rays and ended up pitching a very good game. Price struggled from time to time last year, but this year he has high hopes.

In the-final game of the series, the Yankees sent Phil Hughes to the mound to try an avoid the sweep in Tampa. Unfortunately, for the Yankees a quality start from Hughes was not enough either. Last Year’s rookie phenom Jeremy Hellickson baffled Yankee hitters with his nasty change-up and kept them off-balance all day. Hellickson was one out away from a complete game three-hit shutout, but Joe Maddon pulled him due to a high pitch count. The Yankees bats were silent in the series, except for a few Yankee hitters.

Raul Ibanez had a great debut in a Yankee uniform and he showed that he still has some life left in his swing. In the next series, the Yankees bounced back against the Baltimore Orioles and erased an 0-3 start with three wins in a row. Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova pitched two good games in a row and got the Yankees rolling. Furthermore, the Yankees went home for their home-opener and Kuroda redeemed himself with a brilliant performance against the Los Angeles Angels. Actually, he was magnificent and did not let up a run. Alex Rodriguez finally hit his first home-run of the year to help get the offense going and Nick Swisher continued swinging his hot bat to add to the lead.

In conclusion, even though the Yankees had a horrific start to the year, they were able to bounce back swiftly. Now, at 4-3 on the year the Yankees are on the right track to succeed. Derek Jeter is having a wonderful start to the season and so far he has proven he is not over the hill yet. If other Yankee hitters can improve from last year’s inadequate performances, than the Yankees will be in contention for another title. However, staying healthy is the key with every MLB team and if the Yanks can do that, they should be just fine.

The New York Jets acquired Time Tebow from the Denver Broncos last week and the media has-been-buzzing all about Tebow being in the big city. As usual, they are blowing everything out of proportion and creating a stir about the new back-up quarterback for the Jets. Never before in the NFL has there been this much controversy about a back-up quarterback.

It has-been-confirmed in the media that Mark Sanchez, the Jets current quarterback is-frustrated with the Jets move to acquire Tebow. However, with the information that Tebow conveyed at his press conference on Monday afternoon, it seems the two quarterbacks are getting along fine. The fact is that Sanchez struggled last season and he has a lot to prove this year. Especially, with Tebow on the sideline just waiting to get his chance to become a starting quarterback again.

Is Tebow really the best answer for the Jets lack of offense? Last year the Jets had countless three and out possessions and that was with Sanchez taking the snaps. Therefore, what puzzles me is why would they believe that Tebow, who was actually worse than Sanchez in that-category, would improve the situation. However, I do believe that Tebow can-be a valuable asset to the Jets offense this season.

If Sanchez and Tebow can learn to coexist, which I believe they will. They can use some creative offensive formations to throw off their opponents defense and keep them off-balance. Although, the wildcat formation has-been-used abundantly in the NFL, it can still be prosperous. For example, last year Tebow was known for his running abilities and defenses were well aware of it. Yet, somehow he was still able to win games and move the ball down the field using the wildcat formations.

Everyone in the stadium knew Tebow was going to run the ball and by using his athletic abilities, he was able to gain positive yards even though the defense predicted the plays. How many times did he shock the world last year because we didn’t believe he would survive in the NFL. He silenced his critics, who were so sure he was not good enough to win in the NFL. Consequently, here we are again and the media is singing the same old tune.

In conclusion, I believe the Jets can use Tebow’s “play-making abilities” to improve the Jets offense and turn them into playoff contenders again. The only drawback to this trade is if Sanchez gets injured, because I don’t know if Tebow can shoulder the load without him. With his passing completion percentage under 50%, it will be difficult to-remain successful in the NFL. However, he has-proven when the game is on the line, his skills improve dramatically. I know one thing for sure, it really will be a three-ring circus in New York this year inside the Jets locker-room.

The Detroit Tigers are having a sensational spring training and are proving their off-season acquisitions have improved their team dramatically. If they can sustain this level of play with their split squad rosters, than just imagine how well they will play with the MLB roster. This spring they went 15-6 and even though it’s spring training it’s very respectable.

This off-season the Tigers acquired Prince Fielder from the Milwaukee Brewers and bolstered their offense considerably. Last season-their pitching was among the best in the league and a few adjustments has refined their rotation as well. Could the Tigers be the team to beat this year?

In the Central division, the Tigers really don’t have much competition to worry about. Although, the Whitesox should recover from last year’s disappointments, it seems like the Tigers might be too strong for them again this year. With Ozzie Guillen now the Marlins manager, the Whitesox have a new manager and have made some optimistic changes themselves.

The Minnesota Twins should-no- be a threat at all this year, unless by some miracle they get their act together. Besides, they still don’t have-the-talent or depth the Tigers-have and they still have several growing years left before they are contenders again. The Houston Astros have moved to the A.L. Central, but I doubt if they will give the Tigers any problems.

The Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals will most likely be the same hopeless teams they were last year. On the other hand, the Royals have a lot of exciting young talent and I believe in a few years they will have a good competitive team. Until then it looks like the Tigers will dominate the Central again, just like last year as they won the division easily with a 15-game lead. They will still have to deal with the other powerful American League teams, but the Tigers are planning a return trip to the World Series. As long as they stay healthy, than-there-shouldn’t-be an issue with their high expectations.

In conclusion, the Detroit Tigers have-a-proficient team this year and they have a great chance to win it all. They should have a lot more offensive fire power and with Justin Verlander leading the pitching rotation, they have a very good rotation. All around the Tigers are-loaded from the bullpen to the bench and nothing short of the World Series Title will be-sufficient enough for them.

Most baseball fans know them as Fausto Carmona and Leo Nunez, but surprisingly those are not their real names. Both players were-arrested recently and charged with using false identities. In addition, to using false names, they also lied about their ages and investigators discovered they were actually a few years older than the age displayed on their visa documents. Although, this is a stringent crime in the United States many people feel that they had sincere reasons for their deceit.

Both players were living in poverty in their native country of the Dominican Republic. In Carmona’s statement, he explained why he lied on his visa application and it still does not condone their actions. However, I do believe it is-justified though because of the hardships they had to go through in-order-to get to the United States. The easiest way to do that is to put yourself in their shoes. What would you have done in a similar situation for your family?

The main reason-why both players pursued their actions was because of money. Considering, the way that baseball’s signing contract policies are it was really their only choice, in their eyes. The difference between a 16-year-olds signing contract and an-18-year-olds-are a 70% difference. Usually, teams paid around $65,000 for 16-year-old players and only $20,000 for 18-year-old players. A big difference in price is what caused them to falsify their documents in-order-to escape their substandard lifestyles.

The Miami Marlins reliever Leo Nunez was also arrested on the same charges, but since he was much more cooperative with the authorities, they did not prosecute. Besides, the arrest warrant was out of date, so technically luck was on his side. However, Nunez’s situation was basically the same as Fausto Carmona’s. Both players were just attempting to-provide a better life for their families. In my opinion, I would-of-done something similar and attempted to do everything possible to improve my families well-being. Especially, when their health comes into question and it is our duty as human beings to-provide and protect our family no matter what.

Nevertheless, now the question is will these players return to their teams for the upcoming baseball season. Leo Nunez or Juan Oviedo, if your going by his real name will be able to return to the Marlins this season. However, Fausto Carmona or Roberto Hernandez Heredia, which is his real name will have an arduous task returning to the Indians this season. Since, he did not-cooperate it will delay his return, but he should-be able to play this season if everything goes well.

In conclusion, both-of-these major league baseball players committed a crime and they should-be punished for it. I am sure they will receive a hefty fine and perhaps a suspension, as well. However, to take them away from the game that they cherish the most in this world is a cruel punishment. Though, I am confident they will do everything possible to make sure they don’t have to live in poverty again. Situations like these shows us just how far a person will go to improve the well-being of their families.