On Evaluating Drafts

First, a team's draft will not please everybody. Someone will always find a player that should have been taken or should not have taken, or was a "stretch" or blah-blah.

So in evaluating a team's draft, I would tend to look to see if they had done something completely daft--gone all Al Davis on their fans.

If they didn't and the draft is reasonable, then you can't really tell what will come of it for several years. Really. Seriously. Trying to figure out which ones of these 20-24 year old athletes will do well in the NFL is darn near impossible. The ones in the first round are more likely to succeed. The seventh rounders and free agents are less likely to succeed. But...you just never know.

None of my teams went Al Davis. Even Al Davis didn't go Al Davis. This deep talented draft will impact the NFL for years to come.

It will just take years to see it happen for your team.

I Like This Pick

Eric Berry poses with Chiefs jersey after being chosen in the first round last night.

Berry shows off his athletic ability during this INT against UCLA last season. He had 2 INTs total along with 83 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Eric Berry is a play maker and hard hitting safety, who should help the Chiefs secondary a lot. He will allow John McGraw to return to special teams and reserve duty. He is a good cover man who can break on the ball and make plays. Nice pick. Lots more to go over the next two days as the Chiefs have a plethora of draft picks.

Kansas-Missouri Baseball at the K

Kansas played Missouri in baseball at Kauffman Stadium tonight. I must say, the uniform geek in me is checking it out!

Is it my imagination or are both teams wearing white pants? I like #37's look with more socks and less pants. And is the KU infielder wearing white spikes?

I dig the Montreal Expo-ish hats for Kansas--very very neat. I wonder if you can get these retail someplace?

As for the score, Kansas scored one run in the top of the 2nd inning and that was it, winning 1-0.

Master's Golf: Nice finish

Glad to see the result of the Master's--Phil Mickelson was the winner, with Tiger Woods a very competent forth, and some nice work by old fossils Tom Watson and Fred Couples.

Couldn't have worked out better really.

CBS TV was thrilled--lots and lots of folks tuned in to watch.

A Week of Royals Baseball

About what we expected...a team that really isn't very good...but hey, it's baseball.

Starting pitching...about what we expected, pretty good. Greinke is not amazing, merely OK. No panic here. Concern about Gil Meche. Hopefully he will either be better, or give it up for a while.

Closer...Soria has had moments of shakiness, and moments of goodness. Ah, the life of any closer not named Nathan or Rivera.

Defense...Definitely more athletic. Ankiel has made a difference in the out field, and the infield seems tighter. On the other hand...there have been horrible lapses, too.

Hitting...surprisingly good in spots. And who really is that person with Gullien on the back of his jersey? Like speed on the bases, but please don't run us out of scoring chances!

Long Relief...well, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Hope You Watched

Wonderful basketball game between Duke and Butler last night. I wish Butler would have won, but Duke deserved the win. Butler darn near put the winning shot in last night twice. A rough and ready game, but well officiated I thought. You could have called a foul on every play, but what would have that accomplished?

I just hope that all hoop heads got to see it 'cause it was terrific.

Disappointing Opening Day

The Royals lost their first game today, 8-4 against the Detroit Tigers. They did it in a disappointing way: just like last year.

A wind blown pop up in the infield dropped in between five Royals costing Zack Greinke one run and a lot of extra pitches.

We had a sacrifice bunt in the first inning. (WTF?)

When we were trying to build a late inning rally, we made an out at the plate, sending a 35 year old catcher home on a shallow outfield hit. ( It is not good that while the play is unfolding, the play-by-play guy goes, "Uh-oh." before the ball even reaches home plate.)

The bullpen just imploded, looking positively hopeless and helpless, wild in the strike zone. (Baseball speak for "Threw the ball where the opposing team's hitters could hit it real good.")

A few encouraging things: Zach Greinke looked all right, not like he was about to fall off a cliff. The offense had some good moments against a tough pitcher. Willie Bloomquist made two big league plays at third base to help Greinke out of the sixth inning.

However, it really does have the potential to be a long year for Royals fans.

Mets won thought. Red Sox won.

Baseball season is long. It's a different world than college hoops or NFL football. Many more games to come.

OPENING DAY TOMORROW

Willie Bloomquist greets Billy Butler after Butler scores the tying run in yesterday's final Spring game against the Texas Rangers. (AP)

1505 tomorrow, Royals-Tigers, Kauffman Stadium, Verlander vs. Greinke. Ready for some baseball?

Yup, me too. :-)

NCAA Men: Final--Butler vs. Duke

I missed seeing or hearing these two games, except for West Virginia's last gasps in the second half, due to being busy in an Easter sort of way. Butler's 52-50 victory is noted though, and they will play a Duke team that no how was letting West Virgina back in the game last night. When the Mountaineers lost Da'Sean Butler to injury with 9 minutes left in the game, their chances dimmed to none to catch Duke.

Butler plays suffocating defense that even when their shooting touch went completely south in the last 8 minutes of the second half, they were able to maintain, and when it came down to cases, they were able to make foul shots and play yet more nasty in your jersey D and win this game against Michigan State.

This should be a pretty good final game. I do not see Duke overpowering Butler in this game, even if their baby faced (moving pick...I know, let it go) big man #54 Matt Howard can't go. If Butler can keep the Duke offense from getting rhythm, and shoot well through the game, Butler's Hoosier story can continue and have a happy ending.