Mike Trout Not Getting Props He Deserves

Trout prepares for a pitch against the Texas Rangers

Let's be honest. Bryce Harper has more hype than when Kim Kardashian begins dating a professional sports star. But if you have had the opportunity to watch Harper, that hype is well-warranted. But, there is another rookie on the west coast. Mike Trout. Trout has cooled off a bit recently, but his numbers still look great. Not only do his numbers look great, he does on the field as well.


Here's a little background on Trout. Trout was named the second best overall prospect by Baseball America, during their midseason update in July 2010. Before the 2011 season, Trout was ranked #1 by ESPN's Keith Law in his 2011 top 100 prospects list. MLB's Jonathan Mayo also named Trout the #1 prospect in all of baseball during MLB Network's airing of MLB's Top 50 Prospects. So Trout, still just 20 years old has some hype to himself as well.


Trout came up for a short stint with the Angels last year and struggled a bit. In 40 games he only hit .220 with a .281 OBP. But he has totally turned it around so far this season. 



RK PLAYER       TEAM       AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG.OBP
1 Mike Trout LAA         106 18 32 6 1 4 12 8 2 12 28 .302 .367
2 Bryce Harper WSH 101 20 29 6 3 4 11 2 2 14 19 .287 .376

-ESPN

I hate to compare, but there are both Bryce Harper's stats and Mike Trout's stats. Surprisingly similar, but you could argue that Trout is having a better year than Harper so far. 

I am by no means saying Trout is, or will be a better player than Harper. It is very possible, but what I mean by this is why is Trout not getting some attention too? All you see on ESPN and every other sports show or website is how good Bryce Harper is doing. Or how Bryce Harper struck out today. Or how Bryce Harper had Corn Flakes for breakfast and not Frosted Flakes. Can't we throw some attention towards Trout's way? He deserves it. 

I think Trout might enjoy being under the radar a bit. But about 8 games ago he was batting .355 and getting no props for it. I'm all for giving recognition where it is deserved, and that's not what is happening here. 

BREAKING-- Philip Humber Throws Perfect Game Against Mariners

27 up. 27 down.


Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber continued his red hot start, as he has just thrown a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners.


Humber was dominant with 8 strikeouts, all swinging. It is the first perfect game since Roy Halladay on May 29, 2010.


Humber made it easy for his defense with only a few ground balls throughout the whole game. Granted, Seattle is not a good hitting team by any means, but a perfect-game is an amazing feat, let alone a perfect game. Humber's perfect game was just the 21st in over 140 years of Major League Baseball.


A perfect game always brings baseball fans together, even if your favorite team is the opposition. I personally got 5 text messages from friends asking if I was watching the game. The game probably had below-average viewers at the beginning because of two below-average teams. But after word spreads about a perfect game, everyone wants to watch.


This is A.J. Pierzynski's second no-hitter/perfect game caught, as he also caught Mark Buehrle's no-hitter on April 18, 2007.


I love offense, but a perfect game or no-hitter might be one of the most exciting things in all of sports.

They Shocked The World--Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel Have Made Their Decisions

It's all over. The anticipation, the waiting, everything is done. No more stress for these two young men. Their decision is made.

#2 player in the nation Shabazz Muhammad will be attending UCLA. However, #1 player in the nation will attend the University of Kentucky.

Muhammad shocked the world, selecting the recently struggling UCLA over powerhouses Kentucky and Duke. Shabazz will join #2 SF in the 2012 class, Kyle Anderson in hopes to get UCLA back on top.

Shabazz will help them instantly, as every top player is expected to do. All the comparisons to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are fair, except for the fact he is probably better than MKG. That is not a knock to MKG, rather a compliment to Shabazz. Shabazz, a 6'6" 18 year old, skills are more polished and he is more athletic than MKG. His ball handling must get better before the beginning of next season, as must his 3-point range improve. With his work ethic I don't deny that Shabazz will come out for his first game with a few surprising extensions to his game.

Noel made the choice with a logo shaved in his hair and with the famous words of LeBron James, he is "taking his talents, for college, to..." as he turned around and exposed the Kentucky logo in the back of his head.

Noel will take the spot of Anthony Davis, only more built. Noel is one of the best shot-blockers I've seen. Granted I have only seen highlights, but it seems he can get up and affect everything. His offensive skills need to be majorly polished. His defense will lead to offense, but he needs to work on scoring in the low post, and even the high-post. But there is a reason he is ranked #1, over Shabazz. And it's his defense. They said Anthony Davis is a once in a lifetime player--wait until they see Nerlens play. If he plays with a high motor and uses his athleticism, he can be the top player in the NCAA, easily.

Noel was originally in the class of 2012 but switched to the class of 2013. Noel then switched back to his original class of 2012 late in the recruiting process.

Noel switching classes caused quite some chaos. Coaches who were in on Noel had to go hard as Noel would be narrowing his list quickly. Noel claimed he would not rush his decision, and he didn't. He took it down to the wire and made his decision.
                                                                                                                                                                     

Going back to Shabazz, he is a monster. He competes, and he competes HARD. He takes losing personally. It could be a pickup game with friends, he wants to win. That is the main recipe for a title.

These two players will shake up the NCAA with their decisions, but it'll be interesting to see how they really pan out.

Kentucky still has Anthony Bennett and Amile Jefferson on their list, so if they can pick up those two they'll still be dangerous, once again. They have little to worry about, even though they won't have the top class as they've had in the past few years.


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Steve Nash to the Heat--Why He Would Fit Perfectly

I'm sure you've heard the rumors...Steve Nash thinking about leaving the Suns if major improvements are not made. Nash's first consideration? The Miami Heat. One of the most liked players in the NBA thinking about going to possibly the most hated team in the league.

The question is--how will Nash fit in with the Heat's run and gun style? At age 38, the Canadian point guard still does not have a ring. In his 15th season out of Santa Clara college, Nash has been labeled as one of the top point guards of this era.

People have been saying Nash's style and age won't fit in with the Heat's young, running ways. I disagree and here's why...

Nash is still putting up his NBA-high 11 assists per game, and a little below his average points per game, with 13. Age is barely affecting this man. How many 38 year-old men do you see running around dropping 11 dimes a game. He has had 12+ assists in 21 games this year.

I think he will fit in perfectly with the Heat. He can give them a true point guard and make it easier for Wade, LeBron, and Bosh to score. He will be able to run the floor with them just fine. I see little regress in Nash's play and I expect him to be very efficient for a few more years. Enough to help Miami, or whatever team he decides is right for him, to possibly win a championship.

We all know Nash is not staying in Phoenix. If he does, he is crazy. He wants to win a ring, and knows he can still play to a level where he can help any team.

It'll be interesting to see who gets in on Nash and who he ends up with.To show that he still has it, watch here as Nash throws a slick pass to Amar'e for the dunk.

March Madness -- What Makes It So Great

March Madness is the time of the year every college basketball fanatic looks forward to. They watch their favorite team all year in hopes that they make their way to the NCAA Tournament, also known as The Big Dance.

It never fails that the seemingly least known games are the best. Last night, I sat in my basement watching St. Mary's vs. Gonzaga and Western Carolina vs. Davidson -- the WCC & SOCON Conference title games. Two games in which I expected nothing special.

The St.Mary's--Gonzaga game was outstanding. Elias Harris from Gonzaga hit an off-balance three to send the game into overtime near the end of the second half. St. Mary's pulled it out and won 78-74, but the game was outstanding. Back and forth scoring and clutch shots made it exciting to watch.

While trying to watch that game, I was also watching the Western Carolina--Davidson game. The only way Western Carolina could make the Big Dance was a win in this game. Davidson, with 24 wins, was not even guaranteed a spot. Western Carolina was down 10 with just 2:35 left in the game. Thinking it was over, I turned it off for a few minutes--only to turn it back on and see a 76-75 Davidson lead. WC managed to send the game into double overtime, put couldn't battle any longer and lost the game 93-91.

Who would expect these games to be as good as they were? Definitely not me.

It makes March Madness the best time of the year.The least known teams make runs and become known. Last night 11 of the 12 games were within 6 points. That is awesome, if you ask me.

My brother compared it to the last night of baseball last season. I can come home from school during the NCAA Tournament and watch games until I fall asleep. I love it.

I look forward tohow the rest of the college basketball season plays out.

Chi-City High School Hoops--The Top Boys High School Players in Chicagoland

Chicago is known for continuously spitting out basketball players with great talent. Many of which make their way onto the hardwood of the NBA. In honor of Chicago's 175th birthday today, here you'll get a quick look at the top players in Chicagoland, some of which you may not know much about in no specific order.


Steve Taylor -- 6'7" -- 175 lbs -- Simeon Career Academy -- Senior
The Marquette commit plays for the No. 6 high school team in the nation. At only 175 pounds, he can definitely put on some weight and muscle. Look for him to be a pretty good contributor in the Big East next year, and most likely for the next few years.


Tony Hicks -- 6'1" -- 175 lbs -- St. Rita -- Senior
Headed to Penn, Hicks is a pure scorer. The struggling Mustangs (15-10) would not be anywhere near 15 wins without Hicks. He is their top scorer, and possibly one of the top boys basketball players in St. Rita history. I am interested to see how he contributes for Penn next season. I can see him doing well in the Ivy League.


Jabari Parker -- 6'8" -- 220 lbs -- Simeon Career Academy -- Junior
I'm sure almost all of you have heard of Jabari, who is possibly the best high school player in the nation, regardless of class. Many comparisons to LeBron James, are actually not fair. As good as Parker is, LeBron is probably one of the top high school players in history. Parker's outside game is very good. He can rise up for the jump shot. He needs to get stronger and a little more coordinated. His dribbling is average, at best. Don't get me wrong, Parker is easily the top player in Chicago. But he is always going to be highly criticized, just because of the hype surrounding him. Reported schools left on his list; Illinois, DePaul, Northwestern, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Ohio State, Kansas.


Kendrick Nunn -- 6'1" -- 175 lbs -- Simeon Career Academy -- Junior
Another great player on a Simeon team full of future stars. Nunn has super quick hands and great athleticism. The lefty can do more than just shoot the jump shot. He can dribble-drive and score. Nunn is another player who I am interested to see where he decides to go to college. Maybe him, Parker, and Taylor will team up again at Marquette. Or possibly they might split up. We will just have to wait and see.Schools in on Nunn; Illinois, DePaul, Florida State, Oklahoma, Syracuse. Texas A&M, Marquette, Baylor, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Ohio, Xavier, Providence, Saint Louis, Kansas, and Memphis. Nunn committed to A&M, but decommitted after realizing he made a mistake.


Jubril Adekoya -- 6'6"  -- 215 lbs -- Andrew High School -- Junior

Jubril Adekoya (#23) goes up for an easy layup vs. Bradley

Jubril has led Andrew to a school record 24 wins this season. Adekoya's big build let's him bump around down low and fight for boards. A very high IQ for the game of basketball, Adekoya will be successful at the college he decides to attend. He is little known by the average high school fan in Chicago, because Andrew is not known for basketball. Reported interest from Illinois, DePaul, Memphis, Toledo, Akron, Oregon State, Valparaiso, Illinois State, Wichita State, Creighton, Tennessee, Loyalo, Ohio, and Florida State, Jubril has a wide variety of college choices. Unfortunately for Adekoya, the 2013 Chicago class is loaded with talent, so he is not as known as he could be. He is slightly undersized as a power forward, but he does have a decent mid-range jumper. He can improve upon it greatly, along with his 3-ball shot. Look for him over the summer to play well for Meanstreets AAU team. His stock is rising and it is only a matter of time before this well-known secret of Jubril Adekoya gets out.


Jahlil Okafor -- 6'9" -- 270 lbs -- Whitney Young -- Sophmore
Okafor is just a sophmore and already classified as one of the top players in the nation. He is BIG. At 270, his conditioning needs to improve. He needs to be able to run up and down the floor during a fast paced game. Hitting the weights should help. He needs to lose weight, but gain muscle. If he was 270, but mainly muscle, he would be fine. Over the next two years,it will be interesting to see who is in on Okafor on the recruiting trail. Here are the reported interested schools already; Arizona, Connecticut, Georgetown, Michigan State, DePaul, Illinois, Duke, Ohio State, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Purdue, Tennessee, Florida, Marquette, Florida State, Kansas, West Virginia, Syracuse, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas State. Okafor was offered a scholarship to DePaul as just a 14 year-old 8th grader.


Chicago will continue to throw out talented basketball players every year. This list is just a sneak peak at few of the top players in Chicago. There are so many terrific young players in Chicago. Watching AAU teams such as Mac Irvin Fire and Meanstreets is so great, because you see so much talent and future NBA players on the court. It is a sight to see. That's how it is to see any AAU Chicagoland tournament. It'll be interesting to see whose stock rises, and whose falls over the next few years.