At Least We're Better than the Virgin Islands

It's nice to know the U.S. can still be someone in international basketball. For a few years there, I was thinking we'd all gotten soccer and basketball confused, and we were going to all have to sit down and talk, at a UN Council or something.

In its second round of pool play, the United States crushed the Virgin Islands, 123-59. Now before we get too excited about the resurgence of the Dream Team at this FIBA World Championship (FIBA stands for Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur, of course), remember that aside from Argentina, the next best team in this tournament is Puerto Rico.

That means that teams like Spain, Serbia, Greece, and Germany -- teams that have given us trouble in the past -- are sitting at home playing XBox 360.

Meanwhile, we're still licking our wounds from third place finishes in 2004 in Athens and 2006 at the FIBA World Championships in Japan. For the country that invented basketball, and supposedly houses the premier professional organization, third place is lame.

We may well win this tournament without breaking a sweat, but USA Basketball has a long way to go to return to the days of yore. The days when it was enough to show up are long gone.

New Look

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59 Years Young, and Making Up for Lost Time

Do you ever kick yourself for something you did -- or should have done -- years ago?

It's not unusual that Mike Flynt regrets something he did in 1971. What is unusual is how he remedied the situation nearly 37 years after the event in question.

Back then, Flynt was a linebacker at Sul Ross State University, a Division III school in nowhere, Texas. He got kicked off the team for getting in one fight too many, and the memory of what could have been would have haunted him forever.

So naturally, he decided to give football one more go at the age of 59.

It's not as if Flynt has been sitting in a basement feeling sorry for himself all this time. He worked as a strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas A & M, and he invented a training system called the Powerbase.

It looked like his life was settling down a bit when Flynt got the bug and told his wife, "Pack your bags. We're going to Sul Ross State for my senior season!"

When she heard the idea, his wife's response was (no joke), "I feel like I'm married to Peter Pan." But she acquiesced, and several months later, Flynt has made the team.

It's tough to imagine an old geezer like Flynt getting much playing time at a Division III program. But he's doing what his heart has told him, which is something that can't be said for a lot of us.

One thing is for sure about this go-round at the Sul Ross football program: there will be no regrets.

Take Me Out OF This Ball Game!

It's been a rough night at the ball park for the Baltimore Orioles, to say the least.

The Orioles surrendered a modern record 30 runs to the Texas Rangers on 29 hits. Each and every one of the runs was earned; talk about an ERA killer. Brian Burres had it worst: in 2/3 of an inning, Burres coughed up eight runs on eight hits and a walk. Yikes!

As Len Pascarelli said on a Wednesday Night Baseball broadcast, "Leo Mazzone must be rocking himself crazy right now!"

And the best part is, the game was only the first of a double header!

Links on the Field: Around the Blogosphere

• Celebrating the genius of the 2001 Michael Vick for LaDanian Tomlinson trade [Lion in Oil]
  
  
• Following up on some bold predictions about the Major Leauge Baseball playoff races [Complete Sports]
  
  
• Solving Oakland's contract negotiations and Atlanta's quarterback void with a trade of JaMarcus Russell [100% Injury Rate]
  
  
• Astros fans need to stop proposing to their girlfriends at Minute Maid Park [We are the Postmen]
  
  
• At least two NFL owners say they'd take a chance on Michael Vick once he's released [Leave the Man Alone]
  
  
• Bemoaning the fallen state of former #2 draft pick Charles Rodgers [Odds and Sods]

Robinson Cano, Raul Ibanez, and the Law of Averages

It took them a while to figure it out, but Robinson Cano and Raul Ibanez finally seem to let Bernoulli's Priciple do its thing.

Huh?

Oh, you might know Bernoulli's Principle as the "law of averages." Forgive me for a second here while I get "statty."

For a good chunk of this season, Cano and Ibanez were well along the path to terrible seasons. May 17, Cano was batting a meager .234 with one home run, a far cry from the All-Star season he put together last year. Ibanez was worse. As recently as July 28, the Mariners outfielder was batting just .252 with six home runs. Yikes!

After their early-season struggles, something has clicked for each player. In one ten-game stretch at the end of July, Cano hit 19 for 41, or .463, with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Ibanez is in the midst of a 25 for 53 (.472) stretch dating back to August 7, in which time he's hit nine of his season-total 15 home runs.

And to think I thought about trading or benching these guys in my fantasy league!

Seriously, though, I held on because I knew that things would even out, as they usually do in baseball. Ibanez got so far behind that it will still be a below-average season for him, but his recent hot streak has rewarded me (and the Seattle Mariners!) for my patience. Ibanez has been the epitome of steady over the last five seasons, so why should this be the season he stops?

Cano was more likely to falter this season, but he had assembled a .319 average over the past two seasons. I figured that more than likely he'd find his way above .300, or at least hit there for a good clip of the season.

Of course, for every Ibanez and Cano, there are statistical freaks like Magglio Ordonez and Vernon Wells to talk about. Ordonez, of course, is hitting forty-something points above his career average and well on his way to an MVP. Wells, after signing a sizable extension in the offseason, is 20 points off of his career average and has seen a significant drop in power numbers.

Baseball is great for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is statistics. And with a large enough sample size, the law of averages usually plays out pretty well.

At least, that's what I thought I heard the Cubs saying.

Who Says Santana isn't Worth $200 Million?

It had to be a bittersweet night for Minnesota fans.

Metrodome spectators were treated to a bit of history Sunday night, when Johan Santana struck out a franchise-record 17 batters.

Santana was masterful, surrendering just two hits and no walks to the Rangers in eight innings. Through eight Santana had thrown 112 pitches, so Ron Gardenhire arguably could have left him in for the ninth. But with only a 1-0 margin, Minnesota turned to Joe Nathan to finish it off.

A great night for the fans, watching their best pitcher with his best stuff.

But barring a miracle, the man who made history will be history, and probably sooner rather than later.

Despite a string of three straight losses in July and August, Santana is putting together another Cy Young-caliber season (though he may not get it due to a low win total). With only one year remaining on Santana's contract, and the odds stacked against the Twins' chances of re-signing him to an extension, look for Minnesota GM Terry Ryan to deal his ace this offseason.

As for 2008, I'd be surprised if Santana didn't command upwards of $200 million. By then he'll be 29 years old, and given that his best pitch is the change up, Santana may have some of his best years ahead of him. If Zambrano and Zito are worth $18 million apiece, I'd pay $22-25 million for Santana.

Would it be overpaying? Probably. But a player is worth what the highest bidder will pay him, and Santana may be too enticing a pitcher for a big spender to pass up.