Patrick

LeBron is obviously young and obviously immensely talented, and at least to this point does not appear to have offcourt issues. He's also a hard worker who has improved his game. Lots of hype, but that is the way of the NBA. Names change, but the basic marketing strategy remains. Can't really blame LeBron, Cleveland, or the NBA if Nike and Coke want to throw gobs of $ at him. [Yes he could just say no, but it doesn't appear to be affecting his game. If anything, it's playing on the national team that may compromise his performance.] Meanwhile the Association cannot figure out a way to market/hype the Spurs who are a great team. Duncan may be low key, but there's got to be a better way to present Parker and Ginobili (and Duncan) to the casual basketball fan (heck even Bowen--is he a bad boy or isn't he?) than showing Eva at every lull when SA has possession. Parker and Ginobili are exciting to watch. Stern and the mkting geniuses should be able to figure something out. Or is it really sneaker companies that do all the hype?

Sabathia left in a little too long against the Braves...ugh...

Agreed that they need another allstar somewhere. Tough when your team has only one quarter of the Fantastic Four. LeBron is good handling the ball and passing, but I think he'd be even tougher on the offensive end if he would post more. Given his size, he should be able to do this against any small forward. But you need someone else to act as PG to do that (or so it appears for Cavs). So many times, all season long, the ball was being passed around the perimeter until there was no time on the clock and LeBron or one of the other supposed outside shooters had to heave up a prayer. Part of this is "watch LeBron syndrome". Part of this probably can be fixed with a coach that knows something about offensive schemes, but I think a solid PG is needed as well.

Thanks for the thorough commentary--fun to read. I feel the pain. Wickman definitely is not striking out too many guys now, so he needs the gloves behind him, and (at least during his time in Cleveland), he needs the tying run in scoring position--he'll put that guy on himself if he has to. He also cannot be run out there every night. I was a bit surprised that he came back for another season or two--maybe the NL is rejuvenating for old pitchers. Any chance Soriano is the longterm solution?

I don't think Parker is necessarily "great", though I agree that he's very good. Guy In Cleveland, the biggest shortcoming is the absence of a good point guard, and it has been that way since Andre Miller was traded to the Clippers (for Darius Miles, eccch!). If only Mark Price in his prime could have been on the floor this week (...or even Terrell Brandon). Heck, Brevin Knight may be an improvement as playmaker. In limited time in his rookie year, Daniel Gibson showed some flashes as a scorer, but he may turn out to be no better at running the offense than Larry Hughes (which is to say, not really running it). So perhaps I am overinclined to retain a "great" or "very good" PG, because I don't think there are many of them that can run the offense, get to the rim, and (apparently) shoot from outside. Not to denigrate Bowen's value--I just have difficulty measuring the individual contribution that BB makes within their excellent team concept. If I added Ginobili to the list, would he be the first to go? [easier question?] For me, this year, yes.

So we agree Parker deserved tme MVP and that team defense is what really mattered. We disagree on how important Bowen's contribution was to the latter (while recognizing that he did contribute). Bowen, Duncan, Parker--who do you let go?

Sorry, back to more pressing issues. Are Chauncey and 'Sheed wearing Pistons uniforms next year?

Thome is definitely a class player--still much-loved in Cleveland despite playing for the division foes in Chicago. Got a much warmer welcome back reception than other all-star sluggers pursuing dollars elsewhere (like Manny and Belle). I didn't follow him too closely in Philly, but in Cleveland he would sit there and talk to every single reporter, through good times and bad--no racing to get out of the clubhouse before the media arrived. He married a Cleveland tv reporter, and I think he still lives there in the offseason. Originally from Peoria, IL, he must be happy now to be playing close to his boyhood home (though I think his dream was Wrigley rather than Comiskey). Too bad he has had some health problems.

Watch out for the Reds. During the (ongoing?) Cleveland batting slumber party, Reds took 2 out of 3. Included was a 1-0 game in which Sabathia pitched 9 innings of shutout ball (3 hits, 6 K's), and had 2 of the 7 Indians hits, but came away with a no decision. The recently activated Matt Miller threw only one pitch in the bottom of the 12th--Alex Gonzalez singled home the only run. Ouch. Aaron Harang, starting for the Reds, was similarly impressive: 7 innings, 3 hits, 10 K's.

Added note to you: NO ONE can guard Lebron one on one. Bowen has had to guard the best player every time he steps on the court. Who else does that and does it well?? Not saying Bowen is the MVP but he is certainly not to be left out of the mix for the award. Hey Bruce, I am totally on board with Bowen being a valuable component of the Spurs success, just not the most valuable part. Since no one can guard LeBron one on one, why should one guy get the credit if a team manages to contain him? Answer, one guy should not get the credit. Consider this, if LeBron and Bowen switch uniforms, do Bowen and the Cavs contain LBJ. I seriously doubt it, no matter how well the great Bruce Bowen plays. James would get past him, and dunk on Varajao, Ilgauskus, etc. Bowen should be appreciated for his defensive skills, and the tough assignments he draws. He gets that respect. You're the Spurs GM and you have to let Duncan, Parker, or Bowen go. Who do you choose? While appreciating the loss to the team, I let Bowen go. And to me at least, it's not that close.

Hey Big Al, I applaud the efforts and encourage them to continue. It takes a village. How's Kevin Millwood? 2-6 7.82 ERA. ouch! Is he hurt, or just cashing checks now? Like Millwood (though at the other end of the rotation), Scott Elarton is another pitcher that passed through Cleveland, had a good year, and appears to have gotten overpaid elsewhere (8.54 ERA in KC). And it looks like Bob Wickman is up to his old tricks of putting out fire with gasoline...

This is precisely why anyone thinking that Bruce Bowen is the finals mvp is completely insane! Bowen played very well, but he cannot guard LeBron one-on-one. Spurs contained LeBron with amazing team D. One of those knuckleheads (Van Gundy or Mark Jackson) even suggested Bowen should get the team MVP for the season. ...completely nuts. Parker is the finals mvp (without his amazing play, the series could/would/should easily be 2-2 right now), and Duncan or Parker is the team mvp for the season. Bowen is a key component to their success, but not anyone's most valuable player ('cept for maybe Mrs. Bowen and the recent offspring). Cavs played excellent defense throughout the regular season and post-season, but not as good team D as the Spurs. Coach Brown should get a fair amount of credit for Cavs improved play in this regard. The mere fact that such a poor shooting team could win as many as games as they did (in both conferences) shows that they were excellent defensively. In this series, Spurs were even better defensively. Spurs quietly went about their business during the regular season letting the spotlight shine on Phx and Dallas. And then demonstrated why they are the best team in the league. More later. good night.

...in a (feeble?) attempt to keep this from returning to nyy/bos fulltime Nice start tonight for Tribe by Jason Stanford. Second career win, first game since Apr 2004. Tons of rehab. Getting a spot start before Jake Westbrook (who has been barrutal in several rehab starts) gets activated. For Stanford, 6 innings, 6 hits, 7K, 0BB, 1 ER against Dontrelle and the Marlins. Borowski tried hard to blow the game in the ninth, but managed to "earn" his 19th save (and raised his ERA to 6.58). Tribe bats have been in deep slumber mode for awhile. I am underwhelmed by these platoons that include David Dellucci and Trot Nixon--not that I was expecting a ton, but .240 BA from corner outfielders ain't gettin' it done. Sabathia and Carmona have pitched very well (Unless he has some bad outings in June, Sabathia should be an allstar), Byrd has started to return to his mediocre form (still has only 4BB in 68 innings), while Lee and (recently demoted) Sowers have been brutal. Maybe they give Stanford another start before bringing back Westbrook. At least the Tigers are having their problems, and the Tribe is still only 2 games back of league-leading Bosox.

agree with you Aggie. Big 3 did not win the game for the Spurs. It was their 3-pt shooting from the bench. Parker looked mortal. Duncan was a star but not a superstar. Search party finally located Manu late in the fourth. Gibson and Snow, while not scoring a ton, definitely contributed much more than the injured Hughes. If only Gibson could have hit one or two of those wide open 3's. Coach Brown made that adjustment a game or two too late. And Gooden and Ilgauskus each played as well, or better than, Duncan. Spurs will win the series, with an excellent chance of a sweep. The east will collosally suck for awhile longer, but at least the Cavs were their match in this game. Too bad only some fans in Cleveland will remember...

My J&R unfilled obscurities: Roy Haynes Love Letters, Jason Moran Facing Left, Dexter Gordon Manhattan Symphonie, Duke Ellington And His Mother Called Him Bill, and Art Blakey Night in Tunisia [bluebird].

Yeah. Joe Borowski gift wrapped this one for the Mariners. And Paul Byrd was a lot worse than he was in April when that chump Mike Hargrove started crying about the snow only after it became evident that the Mariners were not going to take the lead in the top of the fifth...

It's that way at least partly because of the disparity between the West and the East. One of the announcers said the top 4 teams in the West could all beat the Cavaliers, and that is probably correct. yup spurs mavs suns jazz? Houston too. Though a Cavs victory is extremely unlikely at this point, this series isn't quite over. Guy I guess this depends on the interpretation of "could all beat". Yes Jazz and Rockets could beat Cleveland (or Detroit or Chicago). Cleveland could beat them too. ...Probably would be a more interesting series than what we have. West is dominant because there are 3 great teams out there. Let's not be having this greatness spillover onto teams like the Jazz and Rockets. Those two are solid teams that can finish in the top four in the east or in the west.

Yes, Clemens may turn out to be pretty darn good. He's had lots of success in the past. He may improve as he goes through his spring training (so to speak). Heck maybe he'll really surprise and be a #2 guy. Either way, I am amused by the hype. Was he great or terrible in the first start? No. Why was espn showing every pitch of his minor league games, and opining about the groin implications of how he walked off the field? Will Kenny Rogers' return be getting this much scrutiny? I don't think so. Will Kenny Rogers be as effective as Clemens this season? If KR is fully recovered, I suspect yes.

Wizards will get the benefit of a talented player with something to prove (that he's back from injury) playing for his next big contract.

I've ordered from them online two or three times, and each time the fill rate (on stuff that is not obscure within the jazz ecosystem) has been fairly low (compared to tower, cduniverse, alldirect, etc). And not just on the OJC blowout they had awhile back. I get the sense, perhaps incorrectly, that they are really thinning the jazz inventory with no plans of restocking. Call me paranoid.

And unless your wheels have a really nice sound system, I'd stay away from subtle stuff that is difficult to appreciate over road noise (ballads, much chamber music, etc). Maybe a jazz recording could be used to break up a parade of pop/rock/folk greatest hits albums--anyone for Malachi Thompson and Africa Brass performing "Lift Every Voice"?

...Not that I think it's a real possibility, but I hope Universal/Impulse! does not acquire any castoffs from Concord or EMI.

No matter what Clemens does (or fails to do), it's going to be overhyped good or bad. His first start was adequate against a weak NL team. He wasn't great, and he didn't stink, he was average. I saw Matt Chico (anyone following that guy?) of the Nationals do as well, or better, against the Pirates on Thursday afternoon (7IP, 4H, 2ER, 5K, 3BB, no decision).

Sounds like the praise for this set is unanimous (or nearly so), and I would join that chorus. For those on the fence or curious about Jazztet, David (Ghost) did a nice program on this set on Night Lights a couple of years ago. http://www.indiana.edu/~wfiu/nl_021905-jazztet.htm

So Larry "Grand-ma-maw" Johnson can make a comeback, perhaps paired with C-Web and Dale Davis?