Judging the Ryder Cup picks.

Paul Azinger just announced his four Ryder Cup picks for this year. His selections were Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, Chad Campbell, and J.B. Holmes. Overall, no big surprises since there really just wasn't anybody else that really made a strong case to be on the team. My thoughts on each of the players:

Stricker - Hard to pass on Steve Stricker, he was ninth in final standings, just one spot away from making it on points. He was the most obvious pick, and probably would have been seen as a slight if he hadn't been picked. He's generally known as a solid ball striker and very good putter. No part of his game really stands out as spectacular, and really hasn't done anything great lately to show he's got a lot of momentum. In addition, he's always been known as a guy who doesn't like the spotlight and naturally a pretty quiet person. While this normally may be just fine for a golfer, it is the one thing that suggests he's not cut out to be a great Ryder Cupper.

Mahan - For the last couple of years, seen as a great young talent who has perhaps underachieved. He may actually be great for this format, as his game is a little rough around the edges when it comes to scoring in tournaments, but there is no doubt he can make birdies and will not back down from the challenge. He just recently gave an interview in which he came across as less than enamored with the event, due to all it's obligations and time required. So long as he doesn't actually let his feelings about the event affect his play, he should be a good addition to the team.

J.B. Holmes - Again, not really a surprise, he had a pretty good showing at the PGA Championship that likely impressed Captain Azinger. He's a super long hitter and should be able to make a lot of birdies. Kenny Perry has already expressed a desire to play with him, and others likely will as well, since playing a drive 50 yards ahead of what you're used to would be fun.

Chad Campbell - He's been on the last two teams, so Azinger was probably glad to have the chance to get a little more experience on the team. He has fallen off a bit in his results the last two years, but every now and then he pops on the radar to show his game hasn't completely gone away. I expect a guy like this to do well. He may have been the one surprise in the selections, but it's hard to say it's not deserved. He's a well-liked, easy-going guy who should contribute to the team.

Overall, Azinger did the best he could with these picks. There just hasn't been anyone who really jumped out and made a great case for being on the team. The other players I thought had a chance were Bubba Watson, Sean O'hair, and D.J. Trahan, who didn't help his case by shooting an 80 in the final round this past weekend. The other two guys just hadn't shown enough results either, although a pick wouldn't have been totally undeserved.

In the end, I believe the leadership of Azinger helps these guys upset Captain Faldo's team. For some reason, Faldo seems to be a little more detached from his team. Maybe he's such a big name that there team gets away from the underdog role that has done them well in the past.

Why the LPGA language requirement makes sense.

By now, we've all heard about the LPGA announcing a new rule requiring all its players to become fluent, or at least attempt to, in English. The reasoning behind the move is simply a financial one. The LPGA is an American tour. Prize money comes primarily from U.S. based businesses and other various sponsors. In exchange for the money put into the tournaments, of course the sponsors seek something in return. Usually, this is the cooperation of players in playing in pro-ams with the sponsors and their guests, and often actual marketing efforts by the players. Seems reasonable, right? Just a simple matter of marketing, where all those involved see a benefit.

Now, as those who follow the sport closely probably already know, the LPGA has recently seen a huge increase in foreign players, and in particular South Koreans. This is perfectly fine and good for the game on an international basis. What isn't good for the game is when so many foreigners bring down the tour because they don't do enough or aren't able to promote it due to their inability to speak English.

A quick check of the LPGA website shows that there are 121 active International LPGA players from 26 different countries, and of those, 45 are from South Korea. Of course, not all of the South Koreans can't speak English, but many don't, or at least not well enough to use it in interviews and speaking with pro-am partners. A closer look at money list shows that, by my calculations, there are 9 U.S. players, and 11 South Korean players, in the top 30 on the LPGA tour. Obviously, this is a tour that is heavily International in its makeup.

All the stats aside, it is apparent that the new rule being instituted by the LPGA is for the good of the game. The sport is dependent on its sponsors, and the sponsors in turn expect a return on their investment. While it's not a reflection on the South Koreans as individuals, reality is they can't effectively market the tour since many of them cannot speak English fluently. The LPGA has a responsibility, not only to the decision-makers, but to its players as well, to ensure the purses offered at the tournaments are as high as possible. There's a reason the foreign players come to the U.S. to play, the money. But in exchange for the chance to play for the big prize money offered here, it's only fair to expect the players to cooperate and just learn the language.

This is the competition.

And people wonder why GM and Ford are struggling right now. According to this story, there is litigation in Japan regarding a Toyota engineer who died from being overworked. I have long thought the primary reason U.S. automakers were falling behind their Japanese counterparts was because of the impact of the unions here in this country. But, for all the criticisms, this is an example of the benefit of such a labor union.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/stories/2008/07/10/Japan_OverworkDeath_I0604.html?imw=Y

light servings

Just a few notes I wanted to get down before I forgot...

1. Okay, after that last Braves post, things have gotten even worse. The series against the Cubs was very discouraging. But, to read other blogs, especially on AJC, it appears many fans are blaming Bobby Cox. Have these people forgotten about the 14 division titles in a row? Did Cox have nothing to do with those. Has he all of a sudden forgot how to manage. Of course he hasn't, so lay off of the team for now and give them time to figure it out. Or go be a Mets fan and whine about every single bad break your team gets. This is why they play the games people, wins aren't automatic, as much as we've been spoiled into believing they are. I'm going to try and remain patient for the time being and not call for drastic changes on the team yet. Besides, I wasn't too optimistic going into the season anyway.

2. I'm going out on a limb and predicting Stuart Appleby will win the U.S. Open. I think he's due to win a big tournament and he's proven in the past he can get on a hot streak and play out of his mind. This is the perfect week to do it. Tiger's injured, and Phil, well let's just say Phil can never play by the book. Yeah, the book says Phil is due this week but things with him just never make sense.

Are the Braves toast?

It's now June 11, and the Braves are struggling pretty bad. They got swept by the Phillies in a 3 game series and just lost in another ugly game to the Cubs yesterday. They've lost 4 in a row, are the proud owners of a 7-22 road record, and are currently 6.5 games out of first.

But, on the other hand, things aren't as bad as they seem. They have some key players injured and/or underperforming who hopefully will come around soon. Injuries to Mark Kotsay and Matt Diaz in the outfield are obviously hurting the team. Kotsay is nursing a recurring back injury and Diaz has a torn knee ligament but both are expected to be back before too much longer barring any setbacks. Obviously, Chipper has been out a few games with a strained quadricep. That's a lot of productive players who are out of the lineup right now.

One key player for the remainder of the year will be Jeff Francoeur. He's hitting around .250 right now, which is well below his career average of .276. So, he should gradually be able to get his average back to where it should be. In my opinion, his performance will have a big impact on whether or not the Braves are able to compete for the division title. There are no guarantees, but I find it very likely that Francoeur will come around and the players I mentioned will get healthy soon. When this happens, there's no reason they shouldn't get back on track.

Braves fans in music video form

Check out the new video from "Tito and the Gun Show," the two Braves fans who last year became known for performing a song in tribute to Mark Teixeira. Pretty entertaining guys, keep up the good work. Always to see the Mets get knocked down a notch or two.



H/T: http://thebaseballbeat.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/mets-v-braves-on-youtube/

What happened Andruw?

When he was with the Braves, Andruw Jones without a doubt earned a reputation as one of the best centerfielders in the game. Then, he got to the end of his contract and seemingly lost his ability to make contact with the ball and even some of his range in the outfield. Now that he's with the Dodgers, he doesn't exactly have the patience of the fans and media as he did in Atlanta whenever he had a slow start. That is, if you consider the following article by T.J. Simers as an good reflection of the feelings of the rest of LA:

"As for his play on the field, the Tubbo has one home run, and so far it looks as if he has only warning-track power, which suggests he has lost something.
"If you think that's what I've got, warning-track power, then write it down," Jones said, and it always helps when I have a player's permission to criticize him. "I lost my power, I suck, I should retire."
"I hope you're not waiting for me to disagree with you," I said.
Then Jones went out, and struck out on three pitches in his first appearance at the plate. I wonder if he cared.

Hard to disagree with Simers, but as a former Andruw fan, I fear the negative press may hinder his chances of breaking out of his slump. I don't think any writer in Atlanta ever wrote such a negative article about any athlete. Not sure why Simers felt the need to make it personal between he and Andruw. Just an ugly situation that may get uglier soon.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-simers11-2008may11,0,7611597,full.column