Fore: Golden Horseshoe Green Course

I've played the Golden Horseshoe Green Course a couple of times and each time that I play it, I fall more and more in love with it. Monday was no different. 

It's a classic Reese Jones design built around the rolling hills of Williamsburg. The course plays for golfers at all levels. 

If you down in Williamsburg it's well worth playing. 

Soccer jerseys all over

While traveling on the Cape Merry Ferry, I came across this man wearing an Atletico Mineiro Ronaldinho jersey. This man gets full marks for his kit selection. 

Prospects Plus: Sometimes Baseball America is right

I was looking through the Baseball America 2003 Prospects book and found Miguel Cabrera's scouting report. Its amazing to see him tapped as a star at this young age. 

Prospects Plus: Cape Cod League All Star Game

On Sunday night, the best in the Cape Cod League took to the field in for leagues annual all star game. Here are five players that impressed me while watching the game. 

1. Kyle Code, P, Kentcky: touched out at 97 mph but sat between 94-96. Has a really good motion for a pitcher that is 6 foot 7 inches tall. Looked in total command during his inning of work. A ball didn't leave the infield. 

2. Ryan Perez, P, Judson: throws both right and left handed with good off speed stuff. Tops out at 93 while throwing from the left hand side. Tops out around 90 when he threw from the right side. A really interesting prospect to say the least. Perez struck out the side during his only inning of work. 

3. AJ Murray, !B, Georgia Tech: leads the Cape in HR and RBI. Showed some good defense during his stink in the game.  Murray was named game MVP. 

4. Gio Brusa, LF, Pacific: nice left handed swing. Hit the ball hard she he was at bat. 

Prospects Plus: Red Sox Wendell Riijo

Name: Wendell Rijo
Organization: Red Sox
Team: Greenville Drive
Position: 2B
Organizational Rank:18th best prospect according to Baseball America
Stats vs. Lakewood Blueclaws: 1-2 with a homerun and two walks

Positives: In his first at bat Friday night, Rijo fell behind 0-2 and then was able to turn on a fastball from Yacksel Rios and hit it over the left field fence. Hits from a wide-open stance, with his hands high, before taking big step to close to even in his stride. Quick hands, solid batspeed.

Negatives:  Is prone to lazy mechanics and will tend to field balls off to the side that he has time to field in front. 

Prospect Plus: Red Sox's Trey Ball

Name: Trey Ball
Organization: Red Sox
Team: Greenville Curve
Position: Left handed starting pitcher
Organizational rank: 10th ranked prospect in Red Sox system.
Friday night's stats vs Lakewood: 6 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 earned, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts




Positives: Projectable left-hander with great athleticism. Thin frame with lots of room to fill out. Efficient, low-effort delivery. Repeats delivery well for his age. Not a lot of miles on his arm. Fastball sits around 90-93 mph and tops out around 95 mph.When thing I noticed when I was watching him Friday night was that he looks the part, has the body of the starting pitcher. 

Negative: So raw. Coming from Indiana, he did not faced the toughest competition when he was in high school. When a couple of infielders made errors, Ball didn't seem to deal with it well, the mistakes seem to bother him. 

Fore: Rutgers University Golf Course

On Sunday myself and three friends went to Rutgers to play Rutgers University Golf Course and boy was it fun. 

From a design standpoint the course holds up. Fairways are wide but fair and some holes feature a variety of bunkers that could derail any round. The course is fairly playable. 

While I love the place, there is one major issue I have with it. If you haven't played it before it's hard to understand where hazards are off the tee. The tenth gave me fits, the card doesn't really the hazard at the bottom of the hill.  I know money is tight at the course but a better course map would benefit many who are playing the course for the first time. 

Despite the issues I had an amazing time and had seven pars and shot 91 despite having an eight and two sevens. 

I love Minor League Baseball

My love affair with Minor League Baseball and this is my hat collection. 

Prospects Plus: My Summer of Baseball

Over the last couple of months, I've seen my fair share of baseball from major to minors. From New Jersey to Florida. Here are my three favorite players that I've seen in person. 

1. Adam Brett Walker II, OF, Fort Myers Miracle: Looks like a man among boys in the Florida State League. I know scouts differ on his long term development. He has all of the physical skills you could ask for in a player.
2. JP Crawford, SS, Lakewood BlueClaws: Looked over matched last year in the South Atlantic League, this year it was a different story. He looks the part of a middle infielder at the major league level. 
3. Nick Petree, RHP, Palm Beach Cardinals: During his five innings against Fort Myers, Petree looked solid. While his fastball is nothing special, his change up already looks like a plus pitch, and he shows great command in deploying a decent slider and curve when necessary to further confuse hitters.

Prospects Plus: Phillies Dylan Cozens

Name: Dylan Cozens
Organization: Philadelphia Phillies 
Team: Lakewood Blueclaws
Position: Outfield
Stats Friday: 2-2 in before the game was called due to fog. 

Positives: The raw power is impressive and he gets it from everywhere in his swing and strength.Cozens is a giant human being with a classic slugger profile, with nothing left to projection at this point.    At the plate he has huge raw power and a good approach, he made decent contact in his debut but he will need to make more to reach his power ceiling. Regardless of what position Cozens finishes at his bat will be the tool that carries him.

Negatives: The problem is there is some natural swing and miss because his arms are so long.  He doesn’t have crazy bat speed and the swing can get a bit long.  He is mostly a pull hitter and so it will remain to be seen if he can adjust and go the other way at higher levels.

Cover Story: Here we go

So what if Marcus Smith is a great player will people still be attacking like this. I've seen Smith play like in person against Rutgers and he is a beast. 

Professional Tailgating: Nats show some fighting spirit

On Friday night, I head to Philly to see my beloved Washington Nationals take on the Phillies and for once the Nats showed some toughness. Below are some of the imagines of the night.

Rutgers Spring Game: Maybe Gary Nova is the best we have

It's very simple: Gary Nova is the best that Rutgers has at quarterback.

I know this is a statement that drives all us nuts, but based on the Saturday's spring game performances of Mike Bimonte and Chris Laviano. Bimonte is simply not good enough, while Laviano is just not ready. That leaves Gary Nova as the last man standing, leading Rutgers into their first season in the Big 10.

For the last four years, Nova has gone through offensive coordinator left and right. This is not a slight on any of the past OC at Rutgers, but Nova is currently being coached by one of the best offensive minds in the country in Ralph Friedgen.

Nova made some nice throws and look comfortable in the Friedgen new system. Maybe this will be the year that Nova takes the next step.

Prospect Plus: Met's Gavin Cecchini

Name: Gavin Cecchini
Organization: New York Mets
Team: Savannah Sand Gnats
Position: Shortstop
Stats Friday against the BlueClaws: 0-5 with two strikeouts

Positives: The younger brother to Boston's Garin, shortstop Gavin Cecchini is a contact hitter with solid tools. Cecchini will make contact. Will make the solid play, never will be a superstar.

Negative: One thing that will make it hard for Mets fans to get excite for is that they passed on Cards stud pitcher Michael Wacha to take Cecchini. I know that its only one game but Cecchini looked terrible and didn't show me anything that warrants him being a top 10 prospect in the Mets organization.

Prospects Plus: Met's Dominic Smith

Name: Dominic Smith
Organization: New York Mets
Team: Savannah Sand Gnats
Position: First Base
Stats Friday against the BlueClaws: 2-4 with a double and a run scored

Positives: Smith, the fourth ranked player in the Mets system,  relies on a smooth left-handed swing that is expected to generate power potential down the line as he continues to grow and mature. Smith also has a good eye at the plate.  He is considered an excellent fielder at the position, and has a plus arm to go with it. Smith, a first rounder in 2013, showed a nice piece of hitting when he took a pitch the other way for a double on Friday night.

Negatives: His biggest problem is a propensity to step towards the pitch and hit the ball way out in front.Another issue is he just needs a little more refinement in his approach. Some scouts complain that Smith can get overeager, swinging at breaking balls out of the zone that smart hitters learn to ignore.

Professional Tailgating: Lax Gameday

   

After weeks of promising my son I would take him to a lacrosse, I finally did. On Saturday we made our way to Princeton for their game against Rutgers. 

 

See ya #10

The relationship between the Eagles and their explosive playmaker Desean Jackson ended in a dramatic way yesterday. Here is how the Philly papers covered it. 

 

   

The Cover Story: Selection Sunday

Here is a look  at how newspapers around the country covered Selection Sunday. 

Cover Story: Eagles in Free Agency

The Eagles have been active at the start of the new NFL year and I love their moves. Here is how the papers covered it.

   

Professional Tailgating: A minor league ballpark trip

With amazing weather in New Jersey on Saturday, the OTWT Tailgating Crew headed to Lakewood for the Blueclaws Fanfest. During the event, Blueclaws staff took us on a tour of First Energy Stadium.

    

   

    

    

    

A long fall for the Phillies

A couple of years ago Phillies tickets where adorn with players. Today as the product on the field continues to erode, the organization has decided to out something else on their tickets: photos of the stadium. It's never good when you have nothing better to sell then your stadium. 

Perfection

Wichita State did something that very few teams do, go undefeated in the regular season. Here is how the local newspapers covered it.

Prospects Plus: Shooting themselves in the foot

After Mark Appel turned down the Pirates in 2012, they could have run to the NCAA and accused the Stanford pitcher of using an agent. But like any well run Major League Baseball team they took its medicine and moved on.

But last week, the Phillies decided to take the law into their own hands. Ben Wetzler, an Oregon State University senior pitcher and former Phillies draft pick, was suspended 11 games by the NCAA on Friday, three months after the Phillies reported him to college's governing body for violations. Wetzler, the NCAA said, used an agent who attended meetings with the Phillies and negotiated potential contract terms. The Phillies did not sign Wetzler, their fifth-round pick last June, and took the unusual step of reporting him.

So wait the Phillies reported a fifth rounder that didn't sign, while the Pirates kept their mouth shut about a top 10 pick deciding not to sign and return to Stanford.  A couple of years ago, the Phillies where considered a model orgainzation, now it just looks like they are the laughing stock.

Ben Wetzler, an Oregon State University senior pitcher and former Phillies draft pick, was suspended 11 games by the NCAA on Friday, three months after the Phillies reported him to college's governing body for violations.
Wetzler, the NCAA said, used an agent who attended meetings with the Phillies and negotiated potential contract terms. The Phillies did not sign Wetzler, their fifth-round pick last June, and took the unusual step of reporting him.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/phillies/Ben-Wetzler-suspended-11-games-Oregon-State-disappointed-in-Phillies.html#Bjwy5LBl86F5qpkb.99

Rutgers could care less about AAC

So Rutgers can't get to the Big Ten fast enough. Even thought they are still in the AAC there are signs in the RAC that they will be on their way. A showcase is dedicated to the Big Ten. There is nothing dedicated to AAC.

Professional Tailgating: Larry Brown can coach

Last night we headed up to see Rutgers play SMU. Let's just saw I can see the Mustangs winning a couple of games in the tournament. The game was supposed to be played Thursday night but was rescheduled because of weather and let's just say many people didn't get the memo. 

    

   

Baseball season is officially here

Baseball season is here now that I have my Baseball America Prospects Handbook.

A Sunday afternoon at the hockey game

So for my sons first hockey game we headed to Boardwalk Hall to see the Albany Devils vs the Hershey Bears and it was not that bad all. 

    

    

Thank you Andy

In the April before Andy Reid's final season in Philly he may have given us the greatest gift that he could, beside of course a SuperBowl. With the clocking ticking on this tenure, Reid drafted four guys that are soon to be corner stones to the Chip Kelly era.

With the Eagles first pick of that 2012 draft Reid selected Fletcher Cox, with his second pick he Mychal Kendricks, then he selected Vinny Curry, Nick Foles, Brandon Boykin, and Bryce Brown.

Traditional you like to get a couple of starters out of a draft, but Reid did better than that getting four starters, if you include Boykin would plays a ton. Curry came into his own this year and Brown is a solid back up.

Not bad for a guy who was basically a dead man walking.

Cover Story: Is it almost next year

A fun season ended for the Eagles on Saturday night as the Saints beat them in the NFC Wildcard weekend. It's been a fun year.