MLB.com At Bat

Sports Illustrated ranked Bob Bowman 33rd on their list of the 50 most influential people in sports. Bowman, the CEO of MLB Advanced Media, ranked ahead of names such as Mark Emmert,  Dana White, Barack Obama, Mark Cuban, and Michael Jordan. And after using the MLB.com At Bat app for the iPad it isn’t hard to figure out why he was  on the list. The app’s variety of features make it the best sports app in the Apple App Store, especially when it comes to tracking live games.

There are a very small number of apps that will let you watch live streaming sports on your iPad or iPhone so having the ability to watch live baseball on a mobile device is in itself  great. However, this app sets the standard for what the viewing experience on all other apps that stream live sports should be like. Here are some screen shots that I feel set the app apart from other apps.

First, here is the basic view you get when you are watching a baseball game on the app. As you can see you get a great widescreen shot and when combined with the iPad’s retina display delivers a great picture:

If you choose, simply by swiping at the top of the screen and the botom of the screen you can fill the top and bottom of the wide screen with lots of great information and tools that enhance the viewing experience. As you can see at the top you have the score of the game you are watching and the scores of the rest of the games around the league. At the bottom you get the hitter pitcher matchup, the count of the current at bat, the players on deck and in the hole, and a map of the diamond. I find the hitter pitcher matchup especially helpful because there are times when I look away when an at bat begins or forget who the pitcher is. The map of the diamond in the lower lefthand corner is a feature that I feel is innovative. Unlike other ones that sports networks use on TV it tells you who the base runners on each base are.

Here is where it starts to get especially interesting. When you swipe the left side of the screen you get a panel that has a variety of features that give you information about the game. For instance, in the photo below I have a lineup card like a manager would have, letting the viewer know which players are available to be used in the game. This would be especially helpful if your team was facing a lefty batter and you wanted to see which lefty pitchers were available in the bullpen or if you wanted to see which pinch hitters were available late in a game.

Here you can see another feature that be viewed on the right panel is your standard box score. On the left side  is a map of the strike zone with each pitch represented by a dot with a number in the middle representing the number of the pitch in the at bat, a green dot representing a ball and a red one representing a strike. Above the map is the number of the latest pitch in the at bat along with the speed, pitch type, and the result.

It gets cooler though. When you click on the dot a new right panel pops up with a map of the path that the ball took to the plate and the break on the ball. Each line is a different color, each color representing a different pitch. The line lets you know the break of the ball. This is the coolest feature of MLB.com At Bat and the most innovative. I find it fascinating that in real time the break that a ball took on a pitch that occurred hundreds of miles away can be transmitted to my mobile device. This also is great for the fan experience and can help create a more intelligent fan. Fans using the app can see what pitch a pitcher on their favorite team uses, what situations he throws it in, the velocity of a pitcher’s fastball, and much more.

And here is another one of the options that you can have on the left panel, a map of the ballpark with the dimensions and the player that is at bat, any that are on base, and the defensive lineup. I feel like this is a neat feature because lets say you forget who the left fielder is, you can just swipe the right side of the screen and look at the map. That is a much easier than having to look at the box score and see who pinch hit earlier or was involved in a double switch.

Like the map of the strike zone the map of the ballpark is also interactive. When you click on a players name relevant statistics pop up on an information card of that player. You get the results of his previous at bats in the game you are watching, his fielding stats from todays game, and his splits. The splits are the reason I used the word relevant to describe the information on the players card. The splits on the card provide the player’s statistics in the situation that the player is currently in. As you can see below Ryan Braun was facing Ronald Bellisario at Dodger Stadium with nobody on base. The viewer now can see how the batter has fared in each one of those situations in previous situations. You get rid of the player card simply by swiping the right side of the screen and the map of the ballpark returns.

In order to be able to watch your favorite team daily on the app you need to suscribe  to MLB TV which is 130 dollars. It seems pricey however you can watch all 30 team’s games as well, choose the home or away feed, and watch on not just your mobile devices but also on a multiple set top boxes, gaming systems, and smart TVs. However, even if you are not an MLB TV subscriber the app is still worth downloading. Each night there is a free game available so you can experience these great features for free. Also for non MLB TV subscribers are the features outside of watching the game live.

Where I’m Eating In Miami

Here’s a list, in no specific order, of my favorite restaurants at the moment in Miami.

• Eating House
  The former pop up restaurant is now full time. Former Chopped winner Giorgio Rapicavoli took over the spot where the pop up restaurant operated and redid the interior of the restaurant. Currently they are no longer serving my favorite dish of theirs, pork belly with a guava spread on it. However, they still are serving some other great dishes. I’m a big fan of their pasta carbonara and their poutine. Their poutine is different, rather than using fries or potatoes they use polenta. Still delicious though.
• Whisk
  I would describe this restaurants menu as one that has a steady base of southern cuisine, but at the same time has several other types of dishes. They just introduced some delicious BBQ pork buns which showcases their great Carolina BBQ sauce. The Carolina BBQ sauce is also used on their pork and cornbread appetizer as well. Other routine dishes I enjoy are the fried chicken sandwich and their burrito with lechon, jasmine rice, avocado, and beans.
• Gigi
  The thing that I love about Gigi is their daily specials. I can’t think of a restaurant in Miami that has such different dishes each and every night. However, the menu they maintain also has lots of delicious items. I would say that their buns are their signature item. The Daniel San (BBQ Pork Belly), lobster BLT, and roasted pork buns are my favorites. The fact that the restaurant is open until 3 AM Tuesday thru Thursday and 5 AM on the weekends makes it a great spot to eat when you get a craving for a meal late at night.
• Bread and Butter
  Great restaurant that serves Cuban cuisine as tapas style dishes. For instance, Cuban pork (lechon) served in a Bao Bun. The other day I went and had a great short rib special. I also had the pan con tomate for the first time and it did not disappoint. The bread was freshly cooked and sweet.
• Lokal
  The excellent service here combined with the delicious burgers and fries is why I continue to frequent this restaurant. You have to love that they make the effort to buy their produce and beef from local farms. The beef is grass fed and you can taste the difference when you bite into it.

2013 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

I posted my first full mock draft over at DraftCountdown.com.

• Kansas City Chiefs

Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
Even if Albert comes back there is the possibility he might play guard, a position some feel he is better suited for. I believe that you start building your football team up front, you have to have a strong defensive and offensive line to win in this league. There is no point in having a great young QB if you don’t have the talent up front to protect him.

• Jacksonville Jaguars

Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia

The combination of need for an outside linebacker and talent is the reason that I have Jones going here. A great young player to build the defense around in the future. Spine checked out okay at the Combine too.

• Oakland Raiders

Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

Tommy Kelly is a candidate to be cut, Richard Seymour is not coming back and the Raiders run defense was abysmal this past year. Floyd has been flying up the rankings and benefits from Star Lotulelei’s heart condition.

• Philadelphia Eagles

Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

I wouldn’t gamble on Lotulelei here so I have Fisher going here. Fisher provides another tackle to play opposite Jason Peters and eventually replace him. He should help improve the abysmal offensive play from last year.

• Detroit Lions

Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M

A solid replacement for Vanden Bosch and potentially Avril. Moore will help the pass rush.

• Cleveland Browns

Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

Not the most glaring need, but he is too good to pass at this point in the draft. Him and Haden will form a great duo in the secondary. Milliner and Haden will be a good combination for Cleveland because they’ll have to go against Joe Flacco, AJ Green, and maybe Mike Wallace twice a year in the AFC North.

• Arizona Cardinals

Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

His addition can only help the offensive line in Arizona get better because they hit rock bottom last season. If you’re going to win in this league you’re going to have to be able to protect the QB. If a QB was to be selected here he would be setup for failure. By choosing Johnson here they have a solid addition to the offensive line and will have a variety of QB’s to choose from when they pick next.

• Buffalo Bills

Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

QB of the future for the Bills. I think Marrone picks Smith hoping he can be the franchise quarterback for his team if Smith is available here.

• New York Jets

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

A great weapon for Sanchez who really hasn’t had much to work with since Edwards and Holmes were his receivers. Sanchez has taken a lot of flack from critics, but he really hasn’t had much to work with.

• Tennessee Titans

Chance Warmack, G, Alabama

Great fit for a team that needs a top notch pulling guard to open up holes for Chris Johnson.

• San Diego Chargers

Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

Both Antwan Barnes and Shaun Phillips are free agents and they need another pass rusher off the edge. Bjoern Werner is a great value right here.

• Miami Dolphins

Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas

Both Chris Clemons and Tyrone Culver are free agents. Vaccaro will join Reshad Jones, who is coming off a great year, and will help clean up a secondary that struggled at times last year.

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon

Jordan is a great pass rusher and the Buccaneers need one after quarterbacks tore their defense apart. Their pass rush was one of the worst in the league last year, and with one of their best pass rushers Michael Bennett a free agent they need to bring in someone who can harass the passer.

• Carolina Panthers

Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

I contemplated not putting Star Lotulelei in my mock draft at all because of his heart condition. Heart conditions aren’t something to take lightly either as they end careers and lives. The death of Gaines Adams due to his enlarged heart comes to mind. I would have to do a whole lot of research before drafting a player whose heart can’t pump blood at a normal rate with a first round pick. That being said if he is given to okay to play football the Carolina Panthers need a run stopper in the middle and Lotulelei fills a hole that the Panthers have at defensive tackle.

• New Orleans Saints

Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU

Ansah will be a great asset for the Saints as they transition into a 3-4 defense. A great pass rusher, quarterbacks who tore the Saints defense apart last year won’t be able to be as comfortable in the pocket as they were before. He demonstrated the ability to play a variety of positions at BYU and his skillset at those positions are what make him a great fit for the Saints.

• St. Louis Rams

D. J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

Obvious need for the Rams. Hopefully Rodger Saffold can stay healthy so that the Rams can have both him and Fluker protecting Sam Bradford for a long time.

• Pittsburgh Steelers

Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU

Scott Wright has always talked about how the Steelers are famous for drafting a guy, having him learn for a year or two, and then have him replace the veteran he was backing up. This would be the case with Mingo as James Harrison is not the same guy who once won defensive player of the year and is costing the Steelers a lot of money.

• Dallas Cowboys

Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina

Outside of Tyron Smith the Cowboy’s offensive line could use a complete overhaul and Cooper is an upgrade for them at guard.

• New York Giants

Alec Ogletree, MLB, Georgia

The Giants would like to bring back Chase Blackburn, however they may not want to pay the 30 year old what he is requesting. Ogletree is a great value at this point in the draft and if he were to be here when the Giants were picking I don’t think they could pass him up.

• Chicago Bears

Manti Te’o, MLB, Notre Dame

No tackle worth taking here, and I don’t think the Bears can pass on Te’o at this point in the draft. His combine performance was not good, but I still think he’s a first rounder and will rebound. Even though Urlacher is expected to come back, I think it is wiser to take Te’o over a wide receiver. By drafting Te’o the Bears are getting their successor to Urlacher. Wide receiver can be addressed during free agency and later in the draft. In addition, it should be interesting to see how Alshon Jeffery fares under Trestman. Perhaps he can become the no. 2 wide receiver under the new head coach.

• Cincinnati Bengals

Keenan Allen, WR, Cal

Great number two wide receiver to take some pressure off of AJ Green. Gresham, Green and Allen will provide Andy Dalton with a plethora of targets to pass to.

• St. Louis Rams (from Washington)

Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford

A much needed weapon for Sam Bradford. Lance Kendricks had a good season this past year, however adding Ertz here would give Bradford a great duo of tight ends to pass to. Add in Chris Givens and a receiver if they draft one with their second pick and suddenly Bradford has a good group of targets to pass to.

• Minnesota Vikings

Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

Clearly a position of need for the Vikings. Richardson provides youth and a side line to side motor to play next to veteran Kevin Williams.

• Indianapolis Colts

Sylvester Williams, UNC, DT

The Colts defense struggled in their first year playing in the 3-4. Williams can play end or nose tackle for the Colts and help the woes of the awful Colts run defense. There really is no promise or players for the future on the defensive line now, Williams brings both.

• Seattle Seahawks

Jonathan Jenkins, DT, Georgia

With Alan Branch a free agent the Seahawks need another defensive tackle to play next to Brandon Mebane. Jenkins has a big body that will command a double team. Him and Mebane will make it harder for coaches to gameplan for Seattle’s defense than it already is.

• Green Bay Packers

Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU

Colin Kaepernick exposed the Packers front seven and it is evident that they need more playmakers if they are going to be able to defend option style quarterbacks and dual threat quarterbacks. Sam Montgomery is a good fit for outside linebacker in the Packer’s 3-4 defense. Him and Nick Perry can compete for the job opposite Matthews, and whoever loses will provide quality depth.

• Houston Texans

Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

A much needed burst of speed that Houston’s offense needs. He can stretch the field and provide another weapon for Matt Schaub as Andre Johnson’s career begins to come near the end.

• Denver Broncos

Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

Champ Bailey’s age was on display during the Bronco’s playoff game against the Ravens and it was clear that the Broncos need some youth at cornerback. Chris Harris, mostly playing in nickel packages, isn’t getting any younger either.

• New England Patriots

Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

A big physical corner is needed, especially if Talib does not return to the Patriots. When Talib left the AFC Conference Championship his physical style of play was missed and the secondary fell apart. If he doesn’t work out at CB he can move to safety, another area of need for the Pats.

• Atlanta Falcons

Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama

Perfect match for the team that just cut their RB. Lacy plays RB like Turner so he should fit into Atlanta’s offense well.

• San Francisco 49ers

Kawann Short, DT, Purdue

Justin Smith isn’t getting any younger and they need some depth at the position

• Baltimore Ravens

Matt Elam, S, Florida

Ed Reed’s replacement either this season or in the future.

Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy’s Francona: The Red Sox Years

Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy’s Francona: The Red Sox Years is a collaboration between the Boston sportswriter, Shaughnessy, and former manager of the Red Sox, Francona, detailing the manager’s tenure in Boston. The book is written by Shaughnessy and has extensive quotations from Francona throughout the book. Shaughnessy uses his knowledge as a veteran Boston sportswriter to create a narrative in the book that is accompanied by Francona’s stories from his time as manager. The duo do a great job creating an inside account of the Boston Red Sox between 2004 and 2011.

The book is the most detailed account of the Red Sox organization since Seth Mnookin’s Feeding the Monster. The difference is that Francona gives the reader a much more intimate look at the Red Sox organization and how it changed over his tenure. With the exception of the 2004 season, each season that Francona managed has its own chapter. Francona’s account of each season give the reader a glimpse into why that season did not go the way it could have, or why it was a successful season. In addition, Francona details his relationship with ownership throughout the book to the point where you are not surprised why he left after the 2011 season.

Scattered throughout the book are some funny baseball stories that not many outside of the clubhouse had heard before this book came out. Shaughnessy’s interviews with people other than Francona also provide a great deal of insight into Francona’s tenure. Theo Epstein is quoted throughout the book. The former GM continually describes what he calls the monster, pressure from ownership to spend big money and sign big name free agents, that kept building during his and Francona’s stay in Boston. Mark Teixeira’s quoted in the book detailing his free agency following the 2008 season. Teixeira talks about the controversial meeting he had with ownership when he was being courted by the Red Sox.

There were a few mistakes in the book that somehow got by the fact checker during editing (Jacoby Ellsbury went to Oregon State not the University of Oregon). That said, as a Red Sox fan I found the book interesting and worth my time. Francona’s stories about his time with the team and how he sheds light on his relationship with the owners made this a captivating read for me.

National Signing Day Hat Placement Theory

When a high school football player selects the university where he will be attending it is tradition to lay out hats that represent each school he is considering and then announce which school he will be attending by putting on the hat of the school he has selected. I have always wondered if the placement of the hat meant anything. I decided to analyze the placement of the hat that an athlete selected and compare it to other athletes and the placement of their hats. Thus far I do not think I have nearly enough data to draw any sort of conclusion, however I will continue to update this post.

The chart is arranged with the athlete’s name on the y axis and the number of hat’s he was picking from x asis. I only used athletes who picked from hats that were visible on the table. There are several athletes who like to throw people off and pick a hat which they are hiding underneath a hat on the table or that is under the table. I will update this as I acquire more data.

Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief

Author Lawrence Wright has been heralded as one of the most thorough and detailed authors currently working. His researching and fact checking skills won him a Pulitzer Prize for his 2006 book The Looming Tower. Naturally it was intriguing when Wright decided to write about the Church of Scientology, one of the most mysterious and controversial religions in the world. Several people have written about the church before, however nobody had tackled the subject that had Wright’s reputation for careful and thorough research. In the past the church has dealt with critics by saying the research they had done wasn’t “scholarly” or “well-researched”. The church would not be able to make these claims and have them taken seriously with Wright because of the respect he has as a skilled researcher. That said, Wright’s book is a fascinating one I found hard to put down.

The book is divided into the three parts named in the title, Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. Wright begins the novel by telling the story of Paul Haggis, the Oscar winning director and former Scientologist, and his introduction to the church. Haggis’ narrative is weaved throughout the novel and examines the religion on a smaller scale, looking at the relationship between the religion and the individual. With the exception of Haggis’ narrative, the first part of the book is a very detailed biography of L. Ron Hubbard. Wright draws upon a personal journal of Hubbard’s that the was made public in a lawsuit against the church. The church denies the journal is authentic, however Wright notes they fought very hard for it not to be made public in court. Wright’s use of the journal does a great job of illustrating the life of Hubbard before he started the church, discussing his life writing for pulp magazines and his involvement in Occultism.

The next two parts of the book describe the growth of Scientology and church PR Man Tommy Davis who Wright interacted with for his New Yorker piece about Haggis and Scientology. Wright’s interviews and research are most evident in the second part of the book where he chronicles Scientology’s activity over the last 40 years. Specifically he chronicles how stars like Tom Cruise and John Travolta got involved with the church and their activity within the church. Through interviewing former church employees that were assigned to the stars Wright illustrates how Scientology protects celebrities from knowing the inner workings of the church. The author also gives a very detailed biography of current church leader David Miscavage. Wright paints a scary portrait of Miscavage’s childhood that foreshadows the current leaders antics. The childhood of the church’s leader was something that I was unfamiliar with and Wright’s interview with Erwin Scott, an employee of the church at the time, provides readers with stories of a young Miscavage.

Going Clear is easily the most complete history of the church that has been published. In addition to the hundreds of interviews with former church members Wright also does a great job using other sources, such as depositions and court testimonies. There was one thing about the book that disappointed me. Wright mentions Tommy Davis and the fact that he tried to leave twice and also that he is currently on leave in Texas. I would have liked to have heard more about Davis’ second attempted leave, what were the circumstances that forced him to Texas, why Texas, and what is his current standing with the Church? Whether you are knowledgable of the church’s history or know nothing of the church, this is a book that you will find interesting. I think a lot of people will come away in disbelief of some church activities and that those activities continue with no repercussions from authorities.

First Post

I created this blog because I feel like it would be a good place for me to express ideas that I have and at the same time serve as a central location for all of my other social media accounts, e.g. Yelp, Twitter, LinkedIn.

In the past I haven’t thought about having a blog because I always thought there was no point to having one if it didn’t have an audience. However, recently I have decided that a blog would be a good way to archive my thoughts and ideas.

I don’t intend for my writing to be a very formal. My grammar is not the best, but as long as I can understand what I am trying to say I’m happy.