And again, here is Michael's website, check it out: www.getbettertoday.com
Friday, July 27, 2012
Episode 17: Get Better Today
I get a chance to sit down with Michael Fear, the man who started Get Better Today and talk a little bit of Reds, and a lot a bit about how YOU (and me) can get better today.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Dodger Blue: A Good Thing
I have a nice conversation with one of the few Los Angeles Dodgers fans that I can say I have the pleasure of knowing. Kiel Boynton, former pitching coach for Cedarville University and current pitching coach for Corban University enlightens us with his Dodger fandom and "insider" knowledge of future franchise transactions.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The Looming Trade Deadline
It's coming... Just 6 days away and there's already been a flurry of activity on the trade market. Where will some of the big names turn up? Who HAS to make moves to compete for the playoffs (hint: the Cleveland Indians)? No guests on today's podcast, but lining up a BIG Dodgers fan for tomorrow to talk trade reactions...
Don't forget about Get Better Today! Check it out! www.getbettertoday.com
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Been 73 days but finally...
A PODCAST!!
And, as mentioned in today's podcast several times, Get Better Today's website:
www.getbettertoday.com
And, as mentioned in today's podcast several times, Get Better Today's website:
www.getbettertoday.com
Thursday, July 5, 2012
What Should the Indians do with the "SuperNatural"
A lot of you brought forth good and even great ideas about trades since my last post... But one that sticks out in my mind and brings forth this blog post was from my cousin Ben Ludlow, a fellow Tribe fan. He said:
Has Lou Marson's play lately made Carlos Santana expendable yet? Santana is the only thing more ugly at the plate than the LF platoon... What do you think is the Tribe's biggest immediate need?
Personally, I want Santana to stay. Here are some GLARING statistics that show that maybe that concussion he suffered back on May 25 might still be bothering him...
On May 25th, the day of his concussion, Santana was batting .245 with 5 HR, 25 RBI, and an OBP of .360. From June 5th to present he is batting .156 with 0 HR, 4 RBI, and his OBP during that time is .272.
We've seen the potential that Santana has as a switch hitter, and his work with Sandy Alomar Jr. behind the plate is starting to show. This season, with 21 more games behind the plate, he has had just 1 more stolen base against him than "Laser Lou" Marson. Santana's percentage of throwing out runners is 36.6%, compared to Marson's 13.8% (4 caught stealing in 29 attempts). I'm not saying Santana is going to always be a better defensive catcher than Marson because defense is what keeps Marson in the MLB. My point is this: if a guy who was as abysmal as Santana behind the plate the last two years can make that improvement at such a difficult position, then his hitting is going to inevitably come around too.
Final verdict: Even though he is struggling right now, he is solid coaching and Travis Hafner away from being back to where he was before. To answer Ben's question, the most immediate need is a capable coaching staff. Acta would be the 4th best head coach in my high school conference, and I am only mildly kidding. The man said that Hafner missing from the Indians' lineup has little to no effect on Santana's play at the plate... WHAT!? Are you telling me Jose Lopez strikes fear into opposing pitchers like Pronk does? I don't think its any coincidence that Hafner went on the DL May 24 and we saw a dip in Santana's production after. I want to see Mike Sarbaugh get his chance, the Columbus Clippers manager who has won the last two Triple-A Championships and has coached pretty much the whole Indians team at one time or another, but that's another blog for another time.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Who Says No First?
I know I haven't been writing/podcasting nearly enough, but that's what happens when you're working, trying to find an apartment 1,200 miles away, and oh yeah, you just got married. So we have nearly one month of baseball remaining before the trade deadline, and I wanted to "propose" a couple of trades and see what everyone thinks. My favorite teams are the Indians, Reds and Blue Jays, so I have constructed a slew of trades in my head that I'd like to see happen. Or at least want to hear what YOU think about them.
Trade #1
Cleveland sends Jeanmar Gomez (RHP), Scott Barnes (LHP), Russ Canzler (1B/OF) and Tony Walters (SS) to
Minnesota, sending Josh Willingham (LF) back to the Indians.
Why it makes sense: Everyone knows that the Twins are out of it for this season. Without a serious change in the forecast down the road, it'll always be a similar outlook. The deal for the Twins gets them a viable option at first base against left-handed pitching (Justin Morneau is batting .096, 7-for-71, against lefties), two Major League-ready starters from each side of the rubber in Gomez and Barnes, and a lower-level prospect who can play either shortstop or second base down the line.
Its clear to everyone that the Indians need something, anything, to play left field. The platoon of Johnny Damon, Shelley Duncan, and Aaron Cunningham are batting a combined .200 (70-350), have 8 home runs between them, have driven in 33 runs and are just plain awful. PLUS, Cunningham is a right-handed batter, giving something much needed to the Indians' lineup.
Trade #2
Cincinnati sends Billy Hamilton (SS), Daniel Corcino (RHP), Chris Heisey (LF) and Logan Ondrusek (RHP) to
Minnesota, sending Josh Willingham (LF) and Francisco Liriano (LHP) back to the Reds.
Why it makes sense: This gives the Twins a LOT of talent that is still at least 2 years away. Hamilton is tearing it up in High-A, Corcino has drawn comparisons to Johnny Cueto, and Heisey and Ondrusek are basically throw in guys to help the worst team in the American League get through this season. The Reds are in a special time right now. They are clearly the cream of the crop in the National League, but in this day and age, there is no such thing as a 10-year dynasty. At best, you're looking at a 5-year span of being on top, and Cincinnati is right at the beginning of that. Right now the Reds have the best right side of the infield, one of the best starting pitchers, and one of the best young right fielders around. If you add Willingham as the starting left fielder, plus a lefty as strong as Liriano as your #2 pitcher, you solidify your chance for a World Series run. I know people are reserved about sending away more of prospects, but the time is NOW, not 3 years from now when Hamilton and Corcino will be here.
Trade #3
Toronto sends Jake Marisnick (OF), Adeiny Hechavarria (SS), and Aaron Sanchez (RHP) to
Milwaukee, sending Zack Greinke back to the Blue Jays.
Why it makes sense: The Blue Jays need a starting pitcher if they're going to make a run at the playoffs this season. They're sitting right at .500 right now, and the three guys they're sending away won't be to the big leagues for at least a few more years. Joey Bats is heading towards the end of his prime, and if they're going to go for it, now is the time. With as many injuries to the starting rotation, a front-end starter would be a huge addition. I imagine the Brewers will probably be asking for even more than what I've put on the table for Toronto, but I'd consider this a package worth just about any one pitcher on the market. The Brewers have Braun locked up, but the rest of the team is not going to succeed around him. Marisnick and Hechavarria offer pieces that will produce around Braun for years to come.
Trade #4
Cincinnati sends Chris Heisey (OF), JC Sulbaran (RHP), and Kyle Lotzkar (RHP) to
San Diego, sending Carlos Quinton (OF) to the Reds.
Why it makes sense: Going back to the logic of Trade #2, the Reds need a right-handed bat. Quintin may be a liability in left field, but with Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce and their top-tier defense, Carlos could practically hide in left field. He has so much power that his Petco Park numbers are deceiving... Get him in the Great American Bandbox, and the perfect cleanup man for the lineup is in place. Meanwhile, San Diego gets a good player for left field, and two pitching prospects that would fit in nicely with Luebke and Volquez in the future.
Trade #5
Cleveland sends Joe Smith (RHP) to
Texas, sending Jared Hoying (OF) back to the Indians.
Why it makes sense: Okay, so maybe this makes no sense at all, but it'd still be fun to see!!
Let me know which teams you think would say no first, if any... I'd also love to hear any potential trades with YOUR favorite team that you'd like to see in the next month!
Trade #1
Cleveland sends Jeanmar Gomez (RHP), Scott Barnes (LHP), Russ Canzler (1B/OF) and Tony Walters (SS) to
Minnesota, sending Josh Willingham (LF) back to the Indians.
Why it makes sense: Everyone knows that the Twins are out of it for this season. Without a serious change in the forecast down the road, it'll always be a similar outlook. The deal for the Twins gets them a viable option at first base against left-handed pitching (Justin Morneau is batting .096, 7-for-71, against lefties), two Major League-ready starters from each side of the rubber in Gomez and Barnes, and a lower-level prospect who can play either shortstop or second base down the line.
Its clear to everyone that the Indians need something, anything, to play left field. The platoon of Johnny Damon, Shelley Duncan, and Aaron Cunningham are batting a combined .200 (70-350), have 8 home runs between them, have driven in 33 runs and are just plain awful. PLUS, Cunningham is a right-handed batter, giving something much needed to the Indians' lineup.
Trade #2
Cincinnati sends Billy Hamilton (SS), Daniel Corcino (RHP), Chris Heisey (LF) and Logan Ondrusek (RHP) to
Minnesota, sending Josh Willingham (LF) and Francisco Liriano (LHP) back to the Reds.
Why it makes sense: This gives the Twins a LOT of talent that is still at least 2 years away. Hamilton is tearing it up in High-A, Corcino has drawn comparisons to Johnny Cueto, and Heisey and Ondrusek are basically throw in guys to help the worst team in the American League get through this season. The Reds are in a special time right now. They are clearly the cream of the crop in the National League, but in this day and age, there is no such thing as a 10-year dynasty. At best, you're looking at a 5-year span of being on top, and Cincinnati is right at the beginning of that. Right now the Reds have the best right side of the infield, one of the best starting pitchers, and one of the best young right fielders around. If you add Willingham as the starting left fielder, plus a lefty as strong as Liriano as your #2 pitcher, you solidify your chance for a World Series run. I know people are reserved about sending away more of prospects, but the time is NOW, not 3 years from now when Hamilton and Corcino will be here.
Trade #3
Toronto sends Jake Marisnick (OF), Adeiny Hechavarria (SS), and Aaron Sanchez (RHP) to
Milwaukee, sending Zack Greinke back to the Blue Jays.
Why it makes sense: The Blue Jays need a starting pitcher if they're going to make a run at the playoffs this season. They're sitting right at .500 right now, and the three guys they're sending away won't be to the big leagues for at least a few more years. Joey Bats is heading towards the end of his prime, and if they're going to go for it, now is the time. With as many injuries to the starting rotation, a front-end starter would be a huge addition. I imagine the Brewers will probably be asking for even more than what I've put on the table for Toronto, but I'd consider this a package worth just about any one pitcher on the market. The Brewers have Braun locked up, but the rest of the team is not going to succeed around him. Marisnick and Hechavarria offer pieces that will produce around Braun for years to come.
Trade #4
Cincinnati sends Chris Heisey (OF), JC Sulbaran (RHP), and Kyle Lotzkar (RHP) to
San Diego, sending Carlos Quinton (OF) to the Reds.
Why it makes sense: Going back to the logic of Trade #2, the Reds need a right-handed bat. Quintin may be a liability in left field, but with Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce and their top-tier defense, Carlos could practically hide in left field. He has so much power that his Petco Park numbers are deceiving... Get him in the Great American Bandbox, and the perfect cleanup man for the lineup is in place. Meanwhile, San Diego gets a good player for left field, and two pitching prospects that would fit in nicely with Luebke and Volquez in the future.
Trade #5
Cleveland sends Joe Smith (RHP) to
Texas, sending Jared Hoying (OF) back to the Indians.
Why it makes sense: Okay, so maybe this makes no sense at all, but it'd still be fun to see!!
Let me know which teams you think would say no first, if any... I'd also love to hear any potential trades with YOUR favorite team that you'd like to see in the next month!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Where were you five years ago today?
Here's an interesting fact for you: the 2012 calendar year now matches exactly with the 2007 calendar year (thanks to this years' leap year). Why is this interesting? Well, now it is simple to look back at certain events from the Class of 2007's senior year and say I remember exactly what I was doing on this day. Last Sunday, as the graduates were receiving their diplomas at Fort Loramie High School, I was playing baseball at a friends' house and was thankful I was not sitting in a gym listening to 18 year olds' perspectives on life (no offense to valedictorian speeches intended, but seriously, I've heard one good speech in 6 years of High School graduations, and that was Nate Ruhenkamp's).
Today I sit on a relatively cool June morning, relaxing, enjoying life, and think back five years. On June 2, 2007, everything was the exact opposite. It was hotter than Hades, I was on top of the world and a little nervous at the same time. At this time five years ago, I was playing third base in the Ohio State Baseball Championship game. That was the day that I became not only "Kyler Ludlow, 2007 graduate of Fort Loramie High School," but also, "Kyler Ludlow, 2007 graduate of Fort Loramie High School, and State Champion." In my wildest dreams we made it to that point, but I never really thought much about winning a state title before that. After winning the first game of the State, the general consensus for our team became, "We've come this far, might as well win it all." I remember laying in bed on the eve of the championship and running through everything in my head: the disappointment from the previous years, the hours driving to and from fall ball games, the late nights playing for the ACME team, getting our arms ready for the season by throwing after basketball practice... in January. It all seemed surreal at the time, and even now as I look back, it still seems too good to be true.
On this day five years ago, I wanted to win and celebrate with my friends, start designing our Championship rings, and get ready to go to college. I wanted to live with no regrets and move on with life; get away from Fort Loramie and what I grew up with, and become my own man. Now, after the parties and college have all passed by, my wedding exactly one week away, and a move to Florida coming shortly after that, I start to get that surreal feeling again. The friendships I've made and sustained since high school will prosper no matter where I call home, the hours I put in studying and working toward my professional goals will pay off, and I'll be forever bound to those twenty members of that State Championship team, and the town we brought it to.
Five years later, I still feel proud of what we did that day. My hope is that in five more years I will be able to write that the surreal feeling that envelopes my life today still seems too good to be true. And I'll do so wearing a bright gold State Championship ring on my finger.
Today I sit on a relatively cool June morning, relaxing, enjoying life, and think back five years. On June 2, 2007, everything was the exact opposite. It was hotter than Hades, I was on top of the world and a little nervous at the same time. At this time five years ago, I was playing third base in the Ohio State Baseball Championship game. That was the day that I became not only "Kyler Ludlow, 2007 graduate of Fort Loramie High School," but also, "Kyler Ludlow, 2007 graduate of Fort Loramie High School, and State Champion." In my wildest dreams we made it to that point, but I never really thought much about winning a state title before that. After winning the first game of the State, the general consensus for our team became, "We've come this far, might as well win it all." I remember laying in bed on the eve of the championship and running through everything in my head: the disappointment from the previous years, the hours driving to and from fall ball games, the late nights playing for the ACME team, getting our arms ready for the season by throwing after basketball practice... in January. It all seemed surreal at the time, and even now as I look back, it still seems too good to be true.
On this day five years ago, I wanted to win and celebrate with my friends, start designing our Championship rings, and get ready to go to college. I wanted to live with no regrets and move on with life; get away from Fort Loramie and what I grew up with, and become my own man. Now, after the parties and college have all passed by, my wedding exactly one week away, and a move to Florida coming shortly after that, I start to get that surreal feeling again. The friendships I've made and sustained since high school will prosper no matter where I call home, the hours I put in studying and working toward my professional goals will pay off, and I'll be forever bound to those twenty members of that State Championship team, and the town we brought it to.
Five years later, I still feel proud of what we did that day. My hope is that in five more years I will be able to write that the surreal feeling that envelopes my life today still seems too good to be true. And I'll do so wearing a bright gold State Championship ring on my finger.
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