Why I Liked The New Home Run Derby Format

     For years, the Home Run Derby has been based on one format.  Each player was given 10 outs per round, and each swing not resulting in a Home Run was an out. While it was still enjoyable to watch, there was no stress of time weighing down on the competitors to finish out their round. This year, each player was granted four minutes to hit as many home runs as possible, and found themselves pitted against another opponent one on one. The result? A dramatic finish that came right down to the wire. In the end, Cincinattti Red's Todd Frazier, the hometown hero, battled his way through the bracket to battle Dodger's rookie Joc Pederson in the final round, where Frazier hit his Derby clinching dinger in the bonus time, which was allotted to him because of his two home runs over 425 feet.

All in all, I loved the new format. The time constraints made the end of the matchup much more dramatic, because you would have seen one player race to the finish to beat the clock. I also like how each competitor had an opponent to take down, rather than have more home runs than everyone else to win. More drama was added to a previously less dramatic affair, and the result was a breathtaking battle between two young guns. I hope that the MLB continues with this format, because it can potentially bring up ratings even higher, and draw in new fans to the sport, all because of the drama.

Lakers : Just Another Team

       As the third day of NBA Free Agency comes to a close, the Los Angeles Lakers have to face a harsh reality. They can no longer lure free agents in on command. The Lakers have lost the shine and appealing nature of the team and city, and top free agents like Lamarcus Aldridge are getting harder and harder to sign. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Aldridge has stated that he was not impressed by the presentation given by the Lakers, and therefore is ruling them out of his potential teams. Free agents also won't be pouring into LA, so long as Kobe Bryant holds no faith in his team.

       But Kobe has good reason to lose faith in his team. Over the past three years, he has lost future Hall of Fame Coach Phil Jackson, as well as important players like Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, and Dwight Howard, which helped him maintain a winning record. Because of such losses, the Lakers winning percentage has declined since the depart of Jackson and said players, and reached a jaw dropping low of .329, putting them in prime spot for the second overall pick this past draft.

      Since the Lakers can't seem to land any free agents what so ever, it seems their only option is to rely on their young guns to bring them wins. Second overall pick Deangelo Russell will have to step up big time, and be the star studded point guard Kobe has been missing. If Russell and Kobe can work together as a cohesive backcourt, it sets the stage for Julius Randle to shine in the front court, along side Jordan Hill, who is bound for a breakout season. When this roster is examined, with the hope that the Lakers' prospects will shine, it doesn't count them out of any winning season.

    Back to Deangelo Russell for a second. The choice to pick Russell as opposed to Jahil Okafor, who ended up drafted by the 76'ers the next pick, was a great step in the right direction for this franchise. Adding yet another big man would only add to the chaos and confusion of this team, and limit the production of some players who should be instrumental to this teams' success. Russell will serve as a much needed "star" point guard. I use the term "star" because compared to Jeremy Lin, Russell is an all star. His ability to pass the ball anywhere on the court, and well as effectively utilize his dribble drive to drop 15-20 points a game is something the Lakers haven't had since Derek Fisher in his prime. I personally believe that if this organization can correctly and successfully develop Deangelo Russell and Julius Randle, they will have a platform for future Lakers teams to be built on, in the inevitable "Post Kobe" era.

6 Man Rotation = Problems

Currently, the New York Yankees are operating under a six man pitching rotation. The typical rotation for MLB teams is a five man rotation, making the six man rotation a rare occurrence. Immediately, I see one pitcher who clearly should not be included in this rotation, and he is the only pitcher with a losing record in the rotation.
C.C. Sabathia
All of the other pitchers in the lineup are sporting .500 win percentages or higher. C.C on the other hand, has a .375 win percentage, with a record of 3-8. Sabathia also has a 5.59 ERA, the highest in the rotation. Clearly, something has to be done, and there are a few options Brian Cashman, Yankees General Manager, has.

1. Move C.C to the Bullpen
While keeping him around won't do the Yankees any good, moving Sabathia to the bullpen as a set-up man or short inning reliever would stop the bleeding. For the most part, Sabathia is solid in the first three innings of his starts, with an ERA of 4.94. While that isn't the best it could be, it is still significantly better than his ERA after the third inning, which is 6.04. Those numbers suggest that the Yankees "ace" would be much better suited as a reliever who goes all out for two innings, rather than a starter struggling to get past the fifth inning. C.C. to the bullpen could solve a bunch of problems, and therefore eliminating what seems like the "automatic loss" he brings to the mound every time he is out on the mound.

2. Don't Resign Him in 2016
The No-Trade clause embedded in Sabathia's contract obviously makes it impossible for the Yankees to trade him, unless Sabathia waives the protection. In that case, trade his butt out of NY ASAP.
But, for the time being, Sabathia becomes an un-restricted free agent in 2016, but there is an option for 2017. When he becomes the free agent, the Yankees should not resign him, and not let him take the 2017 option. While this route would not solve this years problems, or even next years problems, it could potentially solve the problems the Yankees will face two years down the road.

Personally, I don't care what route Cashman takes to get rid of Sabathia, or fix the Sabathia problem. As long as he stops losing games for the Yankees, it's all right with me.