OK, Ruben. You didn’t listen to me. Nor did you listen to most Phillies fans when it came to our free advice on how we could bring the team back to playoff contention…or even recapture our interest in the club.

But before the season spirals out of control even further, I’m going to offer my unsolicited critique on this year’s team to Ruben Amaro, the Phillies General Manager. Forget the mid-term grades – we need a comprehensive analysis here at the one-third mark of the regular season–before it is too late and 2014 turns into a complete waste of a baseball campaign. So today I’ll evaluate the best and worst points of the Phillies this year and have broken down the players into the following categories. Next week I’ll be back with my suggestions on where the team should go from here.

HEAD OF THE CLASS
Despite the poor record, there are several strong positives on this year’s team. Relievers Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Adams, Mario Hollands and Jake Diekman each have had a few unforgettably bad moments during this very forgettable season. Aside from that, they have been nearly as good as one could have asked. Papelbon has been lights-out as the team’s closer and looks like a shoo-in to make the All-Star team after the team spent a good chunk of time this past winter trying to unload him. Overall, Adams and Diekman have been very steady middle-to-late-inning guys, getting called in to extinguish opponents’ rallies. In addition, Diekman, along with Hollands, who most people knew nothing about at the beginning of spring training, have served as useful two-inning bridges in several Phillies’ wins in getting the team to Papelbon. Both Hollands and Diekman can be counted on as two of the few reliable young arms going forward, and Adams and Papelbon both could be used in trades if this season continues to unravel (again, more on that in next week’s blog entry).

Fans also have to be happy with what they have gotten out of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd. Utley has been leading the league in doubles and, as of this past weekend, was on a pace to set a new Major League record for a season. Rollins is closing in on the Phillies’ all-time hit record and has kept his on-base percentage around or above .350 all season. While most people were not impressed with the Byrd signing in December, he has been one of the most consistent bats on an incredibly inconsistent offensive team, and has certainly added respectability with his defense in right field.

VERY SOLID
A.J. Burnett was a guy I was hoping they’d sign this off-season and, although they waited until the outset of spring training to do so, has filled in the “number 3” spot quite nicely. He hasn’t been stellar nor consistent in every start this year, but has been solid enough to balance this rotation and make the starting pitching staff one of the strengths of this year’s team.

Also, for a number-five starter, I have to give solid marks to Roberto Hernandez, a player I quite honestly wasn’t expecting much out of this season. With an ERA under 4.00 and the flexibility to come out of the bullpen in a pinch, this is a move that you actually have to give Amaro and Company credit for. I’ll also put Wil Nieves in this class and give a definite “B” for his efforts. In addition to admirably filling in behind the plate and hitting over .275 so far, his greatest attribute may be that he has adequately filled in the backup catcher’s spot, deflecting attention from another trade gone south that sent previous number-two catcher Eric Kratz and a minor league reliever to Toronto for Brad Lincoln (see below).

OK BUT WAS EXPECTING MORE OUT OF…
I have to be honest – I’m a big fan of Chooch, but was frankly expecting more out of Carlos Ruiz than one home run, 10 RBIs and a slugging percentage lower than Nieves’, his backup (through June 2nd). While his on-base percentage is leading the team, I am disappointed at a number of bad pitch selections he has made this year. With all the young arms coming out of the pen, I have to place the blame on the experienced Ruiz for not taking charge and for making some questionable calls behind the dish. I had defended the Phillies signing this 35-year old catcher to a three-year deal, largely in part due to his ability to handle pitchers behind the plate. A little better offense and a few less mistakes in pitch selection might have helped the Phillies have a better shot at being closer to .500 than they are presently.

I’ll also put Kyle Kendrick, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in this category. While they have had moderate-to-very-good success on the hill this year and each deserves a few more wins, they each have had meltdowns at inopportune times—and a team like this year’s Phillies club that needs everything to go right to contend, can’t afford to have mental lapses. I’ve seen each of these players make base running errors and/or pitiful attempts at laying down bunts which, for the money they’re making, is inexcusable.

One may put Ben Revere in a “failing” category but honestly, why would anyone expect him to be anything more than what he has shown throughout his career? He’s a slap hitter with excellent speed who will steal bases when he gets on and will provide some highlight film material with great catches in the outfield. He also has no arm, is prone to base running and route-taking mistakes and has never shown the ability to work a count or coax walks. Revere showed these traits in Minnesota and again last year in Philadelphia. This brings me to my biggest, most grating issue with the Phillies—why do you expect something from players when there’s no evidence to suggest a result different from what you’ve been getting? It’s been a reoccurring issue for three years now and, in my opinion, will continue until the team takes a more practical approach to building a team.

NEAR FAILURES
Despite the fact that Ryan Howard provided one of the top moments of the season—a walk-off home-run against Colorado last week, there are 25 million reasons why he has not lived up to his weighty contract. While his defense has improved, he came into this season as the single-most important offensive player who needed to play like he did before signing the massive contract extension. Despite his team-leading home run and RBI totals, his inability to have success off of left-handed pitching is becoming alarming. Since 2011 in now more than 250 at-bats against southpaws, he strikes out a whopping 43% of the time. Mix in Howard’s paltry .301 OBP and .434 SLG versus all pitchers and you’re left with the fact that he is just not the power-hitting force he once was. Again, if there were other players around him to pick up the slack—or if other more potent bats were acquired this past offseason, his weaknesses would not be as glaring. But since so much of this season’s potential was based on Howard’s return to being one of the most powerful bats in all of baseball—rightly or wrongly—his performance this year can only be considered slightly above failure.

One more time, for the Phillies to expect miracles from the likes of Dom Brown, Antonio Bastardo, Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernadez, John Mayberry Jr. and count on these guys doing something beyond what they’ve never consistently done before are Amaro’s biggest gaffes as the GM. For the last five years, we’ve hear it said that it’s time for guys to step up, and five years later, we’re still looking for guys to do so in right field, left field, the bullpen, the bench and now, third base. Bastardo and Galvis had quality campaigns going in 2013 before drug suspensions ended their season and called into question just how natural their successes were. None of these players has stepped in to grab the opportunities presented to them and, for most of these players, one could argue no one should count on them any longer.

OY-VEY!
Jayson Nix, Shawn Camp, Luis Garcia, Jeff Manship (prior to this past weekend’s Mets series), Brad Lincoln, Phillippe Aumont…OK I’ll stop here before you get too depressed.

INCOMPLETES
While Darin Ruf, Cody Asche, Miguel Alfredo Gonzales, Jonathan Pettibone and Ethan Martin were players looked at having key spots on the team early in spring training–and may or may not hold a larger role in the Phillies future–I don’t think you can critically analyze the performances of these players thus far because of the injuries they’ve sustained.

What areas do you think need the most improvement? What other glimmers of sunlight do you see from this disappointing season-to-date? Post your comments below or email us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and check back here as I outline my plan on what I feel the next steps should be for the Phillies this season.

Last week, I wrote about our nominations for the 2014 College Sports Media Awards. These awards include all the major networks – NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN, FOX, etc., at the national level. There are also collegiate sports broadcast categories. LSN (RCN-TV) was the only college broadcast network to garner two nominations for the award in the “live event production/collegiate athletics” category. Many entrants received “honorable mention” status so there were plenty of submissions that were not nominated. This was the second consecutive year that LSN was nominated for an award. Once the submissions are made, nominations are determined and this past Thursday in Atlanta at the SVG College Sports Summit, the winners were announced.

To recap for you, the nominees for the live event production/collegiate athletics category were as follows:

COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Kansas State University/K-State HD | Women’s Basketball – Kansas State vs. Oklahoma
Lafayette College | Football – Lafayette Football Postgame: Nov. 23, 2013
Lafayette College | Football – Lafayette vs. Lehigh
Rochester Institute of Technology | Men’s Ice Hockey – RIT vs. Michigan
University of Alabama | Football – Alabama National Signing Day
University of Kentucky | Football – Kentucky National Signing Day
University of North Carolina | Baseball – NCAA Regional Game 7: Florida Atlantic vs. North Carolina

Obviously, we were up against some big-time college programs. Well, the votes were tabulated and the winner was the University of North Carolina’s broadcast of a regional baseball game.

To view the winning entry:
http://vimeo.com/channels/750659/92877180

I now understand when watching award shows why the “losers” say “it is an honor just to be nominated”. Because it is! TWICE!! Maybe next year… Darned Tarheels!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Donald Sterling, the now infamous soon-to-be former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, invested $12.5 million to buy the team. It appears his wife has agreed to sell the team for $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer. That’s a $1,988,500,000 profit! Maybe he can buy friends.

2. Okay, I may be accused of being unprofessional here, but I cannot listen to the Phillies TV announcers anymore. Sure, it’s hard enough right now just to watch them play (no timely hitting and poor bullpen), but analysts Matt Stairs and Jamie Moyer along with play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy are just plain BORING (there, I said it) and rarely insightful. I am not alone in my criticism. At the beginning of May, on AwfulAnnouncing.com, they finished 26th (out of 30 teams) in the fan voting and ended with an average grade of 1.9 = D+. Watch the game on TV but listen to Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen on the radio. It’s much more enjoyable.

3. California Chrome will try to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 on Saturday at the Belmont Stakes. He will be able to wear nasal strips. The strips support the tissue over the nasal passages behind the nostril and keep it from collapsing. They cost less than $15. California Chrome has won his last six races with the strips. Sounds like the $15 is a good investment.

4. The SEC wants to provide full-attendance scholarships, simplify recruiting rules, and provide long-term medical coverage for student-athletes. It appears the SEC has the support of the ACC, the Big 12, the Big Ten, and the Pac-12. Maybe this will be the first crack in the autonomous power of the NCAA.

5. Remember the name Mike Nikorak. He is completing his junior year at Stoudsburg High School and has verbally committed to Alabama as a pitcher if he decides not to enter the Major League draft. He is 6’4”, consistently throws the ball 94 miles per hour, and strikes out 1.4 batters every inning. He is a blue-chipper. Even more impressive, this year’s Parkland baseball team beat him 3-0.

As the Sports Director at RCN TV, I certainly am a bit biased toward what is the really important programming on RCN TV. As a matter of fact, I am tremendously biased. However, when I was teaching school, I had many lessons that would promote just the opposite. I wanted my students to be tolerant. I wanted that they not to prejudge before gathering all the facts. I wanted them to forego bias. If I truly believed my own lessons, than I am doing a disservice to all the other fine programming on RCN TV.

Certainly I am proud of all of the fine sports programming that we put out on a yearly basis ( Sports programming ). Our coverage of football and basketball, both high school and college, wrestling, baseball, stock car racing, etc., is both prolific and, I hope you would agree, presented in a very professional manner. In fact, just about a week ago we got great news about our Lafayette sports coverage.

Lafayette entered two submissions from our production of the Lafayette-Lehigh football game to the 2014 College Sports Media Awards. Both entries earned nominations (finalists) in the “Live Event Production” category. The progression for these awards is: submission – nominations – award winner (announced May 29). There’s a long list of “honorable mention” submissions that did not earn nominations.

The nominees for the live event production/collegiate athletics category are as follows:

COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Kansas State University/K-State HD | Women’s Basketball – Kansas State vs. Oklahoma
Lafayette College | Football – Lafayette Football Postgame: Nov. 23, 2013
Lafayette College | Football – Lafayette vs. Lehigh
Rochester Institute of Technology | Men’s Ice Hockey – RIT vs. Michigan
University of Alabama | Football – Alabama National Signing Day
University of Kentucky | Football – Kentucky National Signing Day
University of North Carolina | Baseball – NCAA Regional Game 7: Florida Atlantic vs. North Carolina

We were the only ones to receive two nominations in any category.

Here are the links to view our entries in the College Sports Media Awards:
Lafayette vs. Lehigh live action: http://vimeo.com/91928076
Lafayette Championship postgame coverage: http://vimeo.com/91345767

However, sports coverage is not our only niche. After doing some research, I discovered that RCN TV airs 14 hours of programming every day – that’s 98 hours a week! And the programming is as diversified as the viewing audience.

We offer shows on cooking, educational and how-to programming, outdoor interests, and public affairs (Entertainment and Lifestyle ), as well as a wide variety of classic movies and TV shows. (Classic TV, Classic Movies, RCN TV Original)

In addition, throughout the year we present special events such as the Dream Come True Telethon, Celtic Classic athletics and music, the Delaware County Symphony and International Ballet Classique performances, community parades, the Allentown Fourth of July celebration, a Halloween marathon, a Christmas marathon, and on and on.

My bias was, and is, obviously unfounded. RCN TV offers a wide variety of programming to a wide variety of our viewers. What is THE most important programming? That is your decision. And that’s the way it should be. I have learned my lesson about bias.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Would you gamble if you had a 1.7% chance of winning? Well, if you are the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, you just might. That was their chance of winning the top selection in the NBA draft. Not only that, they did it for the second straight year and the third time in four years. The bad news is, the Cavs so far do not seem to be improving. The Sixers, by the way, will get picks three and ten. You can watch the actual draft on ESPN, June 26.

2. California Chrome, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, will be allowed to wear a nasal strip at the Belmont when he goes for the Triple Crown in horse racing. It took 24 hours for the New York Racing Association to change the rule that banned the strip. If you wanted to gamble here, the odds of that rule being reversed were 100%. Do you really think they would not have allowed California Chrome to run? Since 1919, only 11 horses have won the Triple Crown. Affirmed was the last horse to do it in 1978. 21 horses failed after winning the first two races.

3. Jimmy Rollins will soon become the all-time hits leader for the Phillies, passing Mike Schmidt who collected 2,234 hits in his career. Schmidt says it can’t happen soon enough. He is a big fan of Rollins – “He’s a good man, a good family man, plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. He’s very likable…” In case you forgot, Schmidt passed Richie Ashburn who was in the announcing booth at the time.

4. May 19, 1974 was the date that the Philadelphia Flyers won their first Stanley Cup – 40 years ago! Remember the names – Freddie Shero, Bobby Clark, Bernie Parent, Rick MacLeish, etc.

5. After broadcasting the District XI baseball championships this week, we will get ready for the PIAA State Baseball Championships on June 13 at Penn State. Let’s hope one of our local teams gets there this year.

While I know there are some wonderful aspects of sports that have changed, and not for the better, there are also tremendous improvements that have taken place. One of them is the development of high school volleyball in Pennsylvania.

I remember when I was in high school (slightly after the advent of electricity), the governing sports body in Pennsylvania, the PIAA, sanctioned volleyball as an official sport. Watching the first official volleyball games being played was exciting and fun. However, it was clearly not at the level that it’s reached today. With off-season camps, feeder systems and JV programs, and most of those being very successful in local school districts in the RCN viewing area, the quality of play is amazing. This was clearly evident last week when I attended the District XI boys volleyball semifinals.

Here are just some of the video highlights and post-match reactions from the participants (you can see more great plays and interviews on “RCN SportsTalk” through RCN’s On-Demand services).

In the first match, Northampton jumped up two games to none on the three-time defending champion Emmaus team, only to have the Hornets storm back and sting the Konkrete Kids in five sets. The final two sets were a back-and-forth struggle and featured some key saves by Greg Lind (31 digs total), who also had to bounce back from an injury sustained mid-match. The battle also featured Northampton’s Mike Holihan, who clearly showed why he was the LVC’s MVP this year, and also exhibited a dynamic and entertaining presence out on the court.

In the second match, Parkland jumped out to a 2-0 advantage themselves before Easton stepped up their game and won the third set. Loren Skinker and Tyler Phifer were just two of the Trojan players who stepped up with some big plays throughout their contest with the Red Rovers. Parkland came back strong with three different three-set runs to win the fourth and final set. Parkland would go on to beat Emmaus in the district championship match in straight sets after dropping the opening set.

The Easton volleyball program deserves some credit for its success this year as well. They rebounded from a 3-17 season a year ago and were picked in one preseason prediction to finish dead-last in their division. The Rovers showed character all season and gave Parkland a very strong battle in the semifinal nightcap.

Both Parkland and Emmaus now advance to the PIAA state playoffs, where it is no longer uncommon to see our local teams fare well on the statewide stage. In fact, there have been several local girls and boys volleyball teams winning state titles over the past decade. With so many outstanding up-and-coming volleyball players in the Eastern Pennsylvania region, it’s a trend not likely to change anytime soon.

What other aspects of sports have dramatically improved over the last 10 to 15 years? Which sports programs and athletes do you feel deserve some extra attention? Post your opinions below or email us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us as we continue to spotlight the bright young athletes in the RCN-TV viewing area.

If you have been a regular reader of this blog, you know that when I get a chance to go on vacation, my wife and I love to cruise. That is exactly what we did two weeks ago as we boarded the Freedom of the Seas on Sunday, May 4. I feel very fortunate that we are able to do this and truly understand that, financially, many cannot, although, in my mind cruising is a great family vacation value. However, I also hear many reasons why people do not cruise which seem somewhat alien to me.

For example:
“I’ll get sick” – The ships today are so large and are so stabilized that oftentimes motion is almost unnoticeable. There are still passengers who wear patches behind their ears (usually first-timers) or will get a shot that will last a week to fend off motion sickness, but it is hard to believe that such precautions are even necessary these days.

“There’s too much food” – I cannot disagree here, but certainly using a fork or a spoon to lift calories into your mouth is a personal choice, not one the cruise company forces you to do. There is food to be had at all times and the temptation to constantly be eating is certainly there. To alleviate this fear of overeating simply requires willpower.

“There’s nothing to do” – I know of passengers who go on a ship just for that reason; they simply want to rest and relax while being surrounded by beautiful scenery. BUT, if you choose to be active, there are things going on every hour of every day from the time you get up in the morning until you decide to go to bed at night (or into the wee, wee hours of the morning). A Daily Planner offers at least fifty interesting things to do every day.

“My kids won’t enjoy it” – Would they enjoy rock climbing, boogie boarding, surfing, basketball, volleyball, miniature golf, Johnny Rockets, or the many other activities for young children and teenagers, not to mention discovering fascinating ports of call?

If you think you won’t like: having your room cleaned three times a day; having a choice of multiple restaurants all offering fantastic service – lobster tail, prime rib, escargot, shrimp, etc.; top flight Vegas entertainment every single night; a chance to visit some of the most beautiful beaches in the world; sitting by the pool reading your favorite book, then, perhaps cruising is not for you.

I felt just like you 25 years ago until I went once. Now, I try to go ONCE… EVERY YEAR!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
Instead of my usual five musings for the week, I thought I would finish my “cruising” theme with the Top Ten Dumbest Questions asked by the passengers. This list was created by David Letterman, but has been stolen by cruise directors everywhere:

10. Will the elevator take me to the front of the ship?
9. Do these stairs go up or down?
8. How far are we above sea level?
7. Does the crew sleep on-board? (No, they are thrown into the life boats.)
6. Does the ship generate its’ own power? (No, there’s an extension cord hooked up
to Miami.)
5. To the ship photographers – If the photos aren’t marked, how do we know which
pictures are ours?
4. Is the water in the toilet fresh water or salt water? (I don’t know I haven’t tasted it.)
3. What do you do with the ice carvings after they melt?
2. Is there music in the Disco?
1. What time is the Midnight Buffet?

There were three rather “big-named” baseball players who recently came to the Lehigh Valley to play for the ‘Pigs—the Phillies’ Triple-A minor league affiliate. I had a chance to catch up with two Phillies players who were looking to work their way back to the Major Leagues, and one talented and much publicized young prospect who is anxious for his first taste with the parent club.

Here are some sound bites from Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf and pitchers Ethan Martin and Ken Giles, and then the latest insights on when each of these players might see action in Philadelphia.

Now the latest insights on all three players.

Darin Ruf
While he admitted that he was not quite ready to return to the big leagues, there might be other factors in play that force the Phillies to bring Ruf up sooner rather than later.

First, the Phillies offense has been abysmal and two of the offensive areas where the team has struggled the most—first base and left field—are the two positions Ruf plays. Ruf could spell Ryan Howard and Dom Brown at least once a week each while adding some right-handed pop into the Phillies lackluster lineup. What was interesting to me was that Ruf told me he has not played ANY right field so far in any of his appearances nor has even shagged fly balls out there in warm-ups. With center fielder Ben Revere and backups Tony Gwynn and John Mayberry Jr. struggling mightily, you would think an option—at least for a few games a week—would be to start Ruf in right field and move Marlon Byrd to center. However, with so much riding on this season, the Phillies will soon be going into panic mode if their offense doesn’t improve against someone other than the Reds. Ruf seems to be one of the few in-house options the organization has to offer. As long as he keeps hitting the ball with authority at Triple-A, expect to see Ruf promoted in the very near future.

Ethan Martin
This flame-throwing right-hander looked to be a big key in what has become the weakest part of the Phillies team—the bullpen. His injury in spring training was a major blow to the franchise, and his lack of velocity would be a major concern if it doesn’t return to reaching the mid- to upper-90s as it did a year ago. The fact that Martin said he “felt good” so far in his rehab assignment is a positive. His velocity appears to be increasing with each outing, but it looks as if Martin is still a few more weeks away from moving up to the Phillies.

Ken Giles
With the Phillies bullpen in desperate need of a strikeout pitcher, fans in the Delaware Valley have gone “ga-ga” over this right-hander, whose fast ball has topped out at 102 mph in Reading. While his arm is impressive and his slider has looked good so far this season, he clearly needs at least a few more weeks of minor league seasoning. He has gotten batters to swing over his slider, and most opposing hitters are having trouble picking up the difference between his two pitches. The real test is how Giles performs on days where his command is lacking and to see how he responds when it does. Remember, he had a high “WHIP” and an ERA over 6.00 last season. The Phillies want to see this young phenom to continue to show consistency. If he does, he could be promoted to the parent club as early as mid-June.

A few other notes
After a rocky start to the season and a demotion to Triple-A, Phillies right-handed reliever Justin DeFratus has been throwing the ball better than anyone on the team right now. He has been moved to the IronPigs’ closer spot in the bullpen, but told me that he would feel comfortable pitching multiple innings—which would likely be his immediate role if he’s promoted to the big club. If any pitcher is promoted to Philadelphia over the next week or so, my money would be on DeFratus, as he looks more “major league” ready than anyone else on the staff right now.

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez has seen a spike in his velocity while pitching down in Clearwater for the Phillies Single-A team, and could be moved up to a higher level over the next month. While the Phillies have invested three years and $15 million in Gonzalez and are trying not to rush him back, they desperately need him to show something positive in year one of his contract. He could be a candidate to help out in the bullpen in the season’s second half.

Should two or three of the above names, say DeFratus, Giles and/or Martin, continue improving the way they have been over the last ten days in Triple-A, it would certainly help the Phillies’ ailing bullpen and give Manager Ryne Sandberg a couple viable right-handed options in bridging the starters to the later-innings relievers.

Which player are you most anxious to see wear a Phillies uniform? Do you think the team can stay in the race long enough to get some of these “powered-arm” relievers up to the Majors to help improve arguably the team’s weakest link (along with an inconsistent offense) this year? Post a comment below or email me at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com as we continue to follow the Phillies this spring.

After a challenging start to the spring sports season thanks to some horrendous weather-related conditions, we’ve reach the first round of the playoffs. RCN-TV will once again broadcast this year’s Lehigh Valley Conference playoffs, which commence on Tuesday at 4:30pm.

To get you ready for what promises to be some exciting contests, we’ll take a look at all four teams involved in the LVC post-season. First, here are thoughts from the coaches and managers of the first three teams to clinch playoff berths early this past week (more is available from last week’s “RCN SportsTalk” show through On-Demand).

Now, here’s more on the four teams in action this week.

LIBERTY
The Hurricanes were the last team to qualify for the playoffs late last week but it definitely was not due to a lack of talent. Because of unplayable field conditions early this spring and the well-publicized lockdown due to the phony bomb threat, Liberty has had to play more games over the last few weeks than any other team in the league. They also had three other ultra-competitive teams in their division. Liberty is loaded with offensive talent that has really been warming up of late; in a recent game against Nazareth, seven of their nine starters had at least two hits. Playing so many games in a short amount of time might actually help Liberty in playing back-to-back games next week. With the offense hitting so well and getting more than capable pitching from Mike Horvath, Alexis Calderon and Matt Leon, the ‘Canes might just earn their way to the championship game.

WHITEHALL
After graduating several talented seniors one year ago, many of the local baseball experts thought it would be a rebuilding year for the Zephyrs.

They were wrong.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Parkland (whom they lost to twice), they might have the best record in the league. Instead, they enter as the number-3 seed and, sure enough, will face Parkland in the opening round. They got a bit of a wake-up call after barely beating Allen two weeks ago, and have responded with several quality wins over the last week—including a 4-2 decision over a talented Northampton ball club this past Thursday. They have three quality starting pitchers, play excellent defense (especially up the middle) and have a great balance of speed and power in their lineup. Keep an eye on freshman Alex Bruneio—in addition to being a tough left-handed reliever who has been used in key spots this year, he also has power to all fields and is not afraid to hit the ball where it’s pitched. He’ll be a player to watch in the playoffs–and for the next three years–for Whitehall.

PARKLAND
The Trojans have battled back nicely from a mid-season swoon, in which they lost three consecutive games. They also bounced back from a tough 2-1 loss to Emmaus last Monday, in which the potential tying run was erased in a rundown while in scoring position to end the contest. Chris Rabasco (verbally committed to Penn) has been on fire at the plate and is exceptional at hitting balls into the gaps. Gabe Mosser (headed to Shippensburg this fall) has been pitching lights-out baseball; going into last Thursday’s game, he had struck out 56 batters in under 34-innings thrown. Furthermore, according to WHS Skipper Shaun O’Boyle, Mosser (6-1, .76 ERA this season) has pitched successfully against Whitehall six consecutive times over the last few seasons. I checked with Trojan Manager Tony Galucy on who would start for him against the Zephyrs and he was noncommittal for Tuesday’s game, but it will be interesting to see if he throws his hottest pitching in game one—and if Mosser could beat Whitehall one more time.

EMMAUS
The Hornets have bounced back from their only loss of the season to Easton, including impressive wins over Central Catholic and Parkland over the last few days. When I spoke with some of the Emmaus players last week, they were not happy about the loss to the Rovers and will be using that as motivation as the playoffs start. As usual, Emmaus has several talented pitchers—both right-handed and left-handed—to stifle offenses, and I was impressed by senior southpaw Jack Moore’s near-shutout performance against the Trojans last week. Josh Lemaster (who will pitch for DeSales next year) has also pitched extremely effectively this season (6-0, 61-strikeouts, 0.41-ERA) and I think he’s another candidate to pitch in the Hornets’ first playoff game. Plus, Emmaus has seven hitters with batting averages north of .344 and, as always under Head Coach John Schreiner, players who run the bases very aggressively.

Which players are you looking forward to seeing in this year’s playoffs? What team do you think will walk away with the LVC title this spring? Post you comments below or email us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and enjoy a couple action-packed rounds of playoff baseball!

Gary will be returning with a new blog on May 19.  This week, he’s asked RCN’s John Leone to guest blog.  RCN-TV viewers should recognize John from the Lafayette College basketball broadcasts on the Lafayette Sports Network.

Pay college athletes. There, I said it. Of course, it’s certainly not nearly that simple, and after a long discussion with my lawyer daughter, well, there are more than just a few minor wrinkles that would need to be ironed out, not the least of which are legal and ethical. But it can – and many believe should – be done. Time and space preclude a detailed discussion here, but I’d like to offer a starting point. After all, dealing with a few legal and ethical details should hardly distress the NCAA. Their rulebook, after all, makes the Affordable Care Act read like “The Cat in the Hat.” I say that with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, careful to not upset them too much. My plan will require their support. And in fact, it may make life a good deal easier for them.

My high school math teacher is somewhere, cringing as I write this. But even I can calculate that the money is there to support a more palatable system. Consider that the first television contract with CBS paid the NCAA $1 billion for the rights to the national tournament. Yes, that’s with a “B.” And did I mention that was a generation ago? The latest deal (2010) was a 14-year agreement for $10.8 billion, generating $771 million per year for the NCAA. And, bear in mind that is for the tournament only. And you thought that “March Madness” referred only to the action on the court! Factor in the revenues generated throughout the regular season from concessions, parking, gate receipts, sponsorships, and yes, even more TV money, and suddenly we are talking about serious capital. That’s big business. That’s a professional system.

The true crux of the issue here lies with the NBA and the NFL and their inability, unwillingness, or more likely their lack of incentive to create a viable minor league system. But then, why should they? They have the major college programs serving the same function, and doing so free of charge. In the meantime, the impulses created by mega dollars have littered the straight and narrow pathway of college athletics with all kinds of land mines, exploding notions of academic integrity, amateurism, and in far too many instances, the broader college experience. The stories of young athletes lured to a campus where they may not belong, nor would they want to be but for the promise of an athletic proving ground, read like so many proverbs. Many colleges housing major basketball and football programs are little more than athletic incubators for youngsters whose primary – if not sole – aim is to make it to the professional level. If, as in most cases, those aims fall short of the intended target, the youngster is left with little on which to fall back. It has become a false promise, and far too many academic institutions, enticed by the exposure and tempted by the potential financial windfall for their schools, have become compliant in this charade.

The time, talent, and treasure now spent by the NCAA in its attempt to herd the cats of big- time programs into their amateur cages and preserve the slightest element of academic integrity has become the epitome of throwing good money after bad. My apologies to Kentucky, Arizona, Villanova, and the scores of other major programs for whom the pun applies, but it may be time to rethink the approach, and take some creative steps to save these major sports at the college level. If not, the college game as we know it will soon cannibalize itself at the altar of its own largesse. The advent of the “made for TV” sports of college basketball and college football have given the NCAA an opportunity to take real and effective action in the best interests of the games, the interests of its own mission, and most important, in the interests of so many young men and women misplaced on campuses throughout the country.

Of course, not every college would desire – or for that matter be required – to follow the new blueprint. The NCAA already has different rules for its different divisions, so why not simply establish one more classification? Clearly, there will be some hard decisions for those major college programs that still cling to the “student athlete” ideal. But within the parameters and rules governing the new division, schools will have the flexibility to do more or less – depending on their own interests and philosophical stance. Disparities will exist, but will they be any more pronounced than those which now separate, say, Prairie View A&M and Kentucky or Cornell and Georgetown?

For whatever system to work in favor of intercollegiate athletics and in the best interests of the young people involved, there will have to be serious and honest cooperation between the institutions and the governing body. The fallacy of academic integrity has permeated too many programs. Who among us thinks first of “academic learning or achievement” when we hear the word “scholarship”? On the contrary, the word has come to preclude most notions of higher education for so many of the athletes in question. A CNN.com article published in January underscored just how pervasive the problem might actually be.

Still, the college athletes will have to be tethered to their respective schools in some fashion. This is not only possible, but perhaps it tills fertile ground for real creative thinking. Would they be “employed” as independent contractors? Might they take courses for which they pay out of their own pocket, thereby having some “skin” in their own academic future? Perhaps some would benefit most by taking courses in basic life skills and money management. Possibly pursue a trade? In short, a system could be established to fit the needs and skill sets of the athlete, as opposed to the square-peg-and-round-hole paradigm now in play.

It is no secret – or it shouldn’t be – that the financial windfall from major college athletics largely supports all programs along the vast food chain of intercollegiate athletics everywhere. It’s an honorable end, but the means have caused significant angst and drawn more than a little well-earned cynicism from intellectually honest observers.

It may be time – especially with the kinds of dollars now pouring into the system – to take a lesson from my friends at The Rotary Club and build a system that meets their four way test. Create a system that is truthful, fair to all concerned, builds goodwill and better friendships, and is beneficial to all involved.

That’s an exam that anyone can pass.

The commencement of the NFL Draft 2014 is almost upon us.

Before you settle in for all the festivities and start price shopping for jerseys of your favorite team’s newest players, I want to provide you with the latest rumors, insights and possibilities on who’s going where, what team is doing what, and any surprises that might be lurking for this year’s three-day event.

First, here are insights from some of the NFL beat writers who joined us on our most recent “RCN SportsTalk” show, discussing the Eagles’ draft direction, DeSean Jackson’s departure and the top pick in the draft overall (the entire program is available to watch for free on RCN On-Demand).

Now, here are a few more bits of information from our sources on what to watch for in this year’s draft:

1) Don’t expect the Eagles to “stand pat.”
They’ve already made several incredibly risky moves—the biggest of these in releasing their most dynamic player, DeSean Jackson—so don’t be surprised if they make a move. The Eagles do have some depth on the line and rumors continue to swirl that Brandon Graham, who never quite fit in comfortably to the Birds’ new defense, might be one piece that gets swapped in order for the team to move up in the draft.

2) Expect to hear all-Manziel, all-the-time on Thursday.
Right or wrong, the NFL, ESPN and all the national media outlets love to overexpose someone at the NFL draft, and “Johnny Football” will be the guy this year. Rumored to be drafted anywhere from third to twenty-third, the former Aggies quarterback will be talked about early and often in Thursday’s “Day One” events, and probably even more so in the weeks and months to follow, regardless of whether he succeeds or not.

3) Look for the SEC to do some gloating.
While they will no doubt lose a ton of talent—again–due to this year’s draft, the SEC will be able to brag about having as many as nine players from their conference selected in the first round. I figure Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina and Auburn’s Greg Robinson go in the first five selections, and Manziel, along with fellow Texas A&M standouts Jake Matthews and Mike Evans, are next to go, with plenty more talent from this conference left for other teams to pick up before the draft’s second round gets underway.

Who do you think will be drafted #1 this year, and where do you think Manziel will end up? Post your opinions in our comments section or send an email to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com.

Today’s “Behind the Mic” blog is written by long time RCN personality Scott Barr. Scott’s on-air career began in 1984 with the District XI Girl’s Tennis Championship, won by Monica Yurkonic. Since that debut, he has covered a wide range of sports, including kick boxing, track and field, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, football, and baseball. Most of our viewers, of course, will know him for his work with District XI wrestling. The 2013-14 season was Scott’s 30th season covering “the nation’s best high school wrestling.” Fans across the valley have heard him call “Give him six!” after a pin, while working with three legends of Lehigh Valley sports—Gary Laubach, Ray Nunamaker, and Jim Best. Outside of RCN, Scott helps small businesses set up retirement plans for their employees, and lives in Macungie with his wife, Melissa, and their four children, ages 6 to 22!

I got an odd voicemail a couple of weeks ago. It was my dental hygienist, saying, “Scott—please give me a call in the office when you get a chance.” I thought, “Shoot. This is bad. I missed an appointment, or they want to do something to my mouth that will hurt.” I took a deep breath and called back.

She wanted to know the name of the store where I get my running shoes, because she knew I was a “real runner.” Pleasantly surprised, I told her. Then I hung up the phone and laughed out loud. Just three years ago, that call could not have happened.

Dozens of RCN TV viewers have seen what has happened to me over those three years, and sheepishly asked if I was “OK”. They’ve seen my weight loss—about 40 pounds, and thought, “Maybe he’s really, really sick.” I’m not. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I’ve never, ever been healthier.

I was exactly like a lot of those same viewers. I “used to be” in shape, and I certainly wasn’t out of shape. Basically I was getting through my years of parenthood, career, and life in general—and not feeling badly about it. One night, I read a Facebook post from a work friend of mine, who happens to be a 40-something year old mother of two. She posted that she was going to Montana to participate in a triathlon! I thought, “Good for her!” Then, I thought, “Why am I reading about this?” The next day, I bought a new pair of sneakers,and took off.

I remember my first “run” well. I knew I should start slowly, so I targeted just one mile. I didn’t make it. After a slow, shuffling jog that lasted three minutes, I started looking around for anyone who looked like they had knowledge of CPR. I walked for three minutes before I started shuffling for another three. Back to walking, then three minutes of shuffling. After 21 minutes, I was done. I may have covered that mile but it was ugly. Really, really ugly. It was June 30, 2011.

The next day, I did it again.

I won’t bore you with the details of the next three years, unless you ask me in person—in which case you may regret asking. There were MANY aches and a few pains. I learned a lot about running equipment, nutrition, hydration and my body. I discovered that Lady Gaga is a really great artist to accompany my runs. I learned that I wasn’t alone in this journey. I met Bart Yasso. I chatted, during a race, with 1992 Olympian Summer Sanders. I got a high-five, during a training run, from a bride in her wedding gown! I found out that I could run a 5K. Then a 10K. I ran four half-marathons of 13.1 miles each, and now I’m training for “the full”—a 26.2 mile marathon that starts at the Lehigh Valley Hospital and ends in downtown Easton. And I want to do it in 3 hours and 30 minutes. How crazy is that?

You can do it, too. You will look silly at first, but really—nobody cares. You will hurt, but after you learn how to stretch, and get the right shoes, it will be a “good hurt.” I prefer to run alone, but there are lots of groups you can join to keep you motivated. Most importantly, you will discover something inside that has been hiding since high school. My mantra, early on, was, “I’m taking it back.” I’ll soon be 52 years old; I am just now discovering that I had no idea what this old set of bowed legs can do.

The toughest stretch of every run, even today, is from the couch to the front door. Conquer that stretch, and start taking YOURS back. It’s worth it.