Minor League Baseball is back

Major league what? Who needs to go to a major league game when the minors has all you could ever want?

That's right I said it. Minor league baseball has it all. It's arguably better than the show itself.

Sure, you're not going to get the views at the stadiums in the heart of the city, you're not going to see the studs play every day, you won't see 450 foot bombs or potential no-hitters, but you're going to get a great environment with great food and less crowds.

Be honest, who wants to sit in a crowded ballpark anyways? Not me.

There's nothing like strolling up to the stadium five minutes before first pitch, buying your ticket, grabbing a hot dog and sitting down before the game starts.

Here are my three main rests that the minors are arguably better than the majors:

1. The team names

Earlier in the year, you might remember that I ranked all the minor league team names based on affiliates. C'mon, you know that you'd love to go see a Yard Goats Vs. Flying Squirrels game am I right? (Yes, that is an actual matchup that happens in the AA Eastern League) Like I said before, you can have just straight up awesome names like the Tortugas, Lake Monsters, Threshers, Jethawks etc or you can also have a team where the name is symbolic to the town they play in. Look no further than the Flying Tigers, Fireflies, Tourists etc. You'll never see a team name like that ever in the Majors. Minor League baseball gets you excited by just the names.

2. The Ballpark

I just love visiting different ballparks. Mostly around Florida and in the Florida State League in particular, but i've been to many. I don't think there's anything like walking into a creaky old, over 100 year-old stadium and catching a game. The billboard signs spread all over the outfield walls, you didn't have to pay for parking, the fans are friendly and they're happy to be there. The food is most likely fantastic and cheap. There's nothing like it.

3. Promotions

Belly-buster Monday's and Thirsty Thursday's are just the beginning. Who want's to pay upwards of $10 for a beer at a Major League game when you can have multiple beers for just $1 a piece at a minor league game? Or how about one ticket at $12 gets you all you can eat food? Can your kids run the base paths after the game every time at a major league park? Probably not. There's almost always fireworks after every weekend home game. Fans have the chance to win handouts in between innings. It's just great stuff. There's nothing like Minor League Baseball there really isn't.

If that isn't convincing enough, just look up your local team and check out their promotions and head to the ballpark this weekend. Baseball season is back, take back America's Pastime today!

Tournament Media Rant

This is going to be a rant and it's not going to a pretty one. There's been some recent buzz about Syracuse and their belonging in the Final Four. Even going to the extent that if they won the whole thing, the NCAA Tournament would be a joke.

According to mainstream sports media, such as Mike Greenberg of ESPN, the NCAA Tournament would be the worst way to find a champion of division 1 mens basketball.

I'm sorry but that is simply not true.

I get that Syracuse probably shouldn't have been invited to the tournament in the first place. But they got in anyways as a #10 seed and made their magical run through the tournament. Yes, it may have ended in the Final Four, but had they won the whole thing they would be the best team in the land. They won the NCAA Tournament.

Syracuse played who was in front of them and beat them on their way through the Midwest Region. It's not their fault Michigan State laid an egg against Middle Tennessee State. It's not their fault Gonzaga ended up beating Big East Champ Seton Hall, and then #3 seed Utah handily. Things happened the way they did for a reason in the tournament. That's the magic of this tournament. Anyone can beat anyone. David can slay Goliath year in and year out. That's what makes so many people watch the opening weekend, that's why I think it's the best in sports. The little schools finally get a shot to play the big shots and sometimes they pull out the upset. It's a truly incredibly tournament with literally billions of possibilities.

Syracuse played who they had to play. They won their four games and got to the Final Four. But apparently that wasn't good enough for this team.

Instead of giving a team their deserved praise, they were slammed by many. Thus came about the argument by Greenberg saying that the tournament isn't the best way to decide a champion in basketball.

Let's have a little history segment here.

NO ONE was complaining when Butler made a cinderella like run as a five seed and then again as an 8 seed.

NO ONE complained when UCONN and Kentucky played for the Title in 2014 as 7 and 8 seeds respectively.

NO ONE complained when VCU went from First Four to Final Four in 2011

NO ONE complained when Wichita State did the same thing in 2013.

Where were these haters when the most recent examples of Cinderella-like runs happened? The tournament was great then! Why is Syracuse the enemy all of a sudden? Because they're not a mid-major? Because they're a historic program who had a down year? Do people not enjoy a Cinderella story?

Actually, a majority of the general public like seeing these Cinderella stories make it to the Final Four. We want it to happen every year. And I'm sorry, but if you're a #1 seed and you can't beat a #10 seed to advance, you don't deserve to win the National Championship. Period.

Greenberg went on to say that making the Final Four a best 2 of 3 series to advance to the championship series would make a better way to decide a champion.

RUBBISH

The Tournament is great the way it is. The setup is like nothing seen in sports. 68 teams with a shot to win the National Championship. You have to win six games. That's it. The best part about it is that any team can win on any given day. You have one shot to make it happen. That's why we love seeing #15 seeds beat #2 seeds. That's awesome. If you don't think that way, i'd like to know your thought process.

The point is people, the NCAA Tournament is one of the greatest spectacles in sports. No matter who wins it. No one said that the higher seeds had to win. That isn't an unwritten rule about college basketball. Anyone can beat anyone and if you have a problem with a #10 seed contending for a national championship because they got hot at the right time, then go home. Stop criticizing young men when they should be applauded for what they've accomplished.

Syracuse, it was a tremendous run. I loved watching your team play throughout the entire tournament. I want to thank you for giving america another Cinderella Run through the tournament. Congratulations on an incredible season that ended with a trip to Houston in the Final Four. Most people, especially at ESPN, aren't giving you the praise you deserve. Here's to a great season Orange. Thanks Again.

- Sincerely, America. At least those with their head on straight.

Continued Post-Season MLB Predictions

So obviously we are a couple of weeks removed from these regular season predictions, so for the purpose of all of our memories, lets go over the teams that did make the playoffs from my predictions:

A.L.:
1. Toronto Blue Jays
2. Houston Astros
3. Kansas City Royals
WC1: Texas Rangers
WC2: Minnesota Twins

N.L.:
1. Chicago Cubs
2. San Francisco Giants
3. New York Mets
WC1: Los Angeles Dodgers
WC2: St. Louis Cardinals

So let's start with the Wild Card games for each league.

A.L. WILD CARD
Minnesota Twins Vs. Texas Rangers

The Twins might be a surprise pick to make the Wild Card game in these predictions, but I put them in because I'm expecting them to build off of impressive rookie seasons by Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. Obviously their season will depend on the latter of those two, but I think this is a good enough team to make the WC game at least. Unfortunately for them, they're on the road against a Texas club that has superior starting pitching and experience pitching in big games. I'll pick the Rangers to come out of this game based solely on a strong start by Cole Hamels, one of the better big game pitchers in the game. The Twins will put up a fight, but it won't be enough in the end.

WINNER: Rangers

N.L. WILD CARD
St. Louis Cardinals Vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Boy what a Wild Card matchup this would be? These two teams have given us incredible postseason series in the last five years and this one game should be no different. The Cardinals have gotten the best of the Dodgers in recent years and are one of the few teams to beat Clayton Kershaw not once, but twice in a series. This Dodgers team is good, very good. Kershaw pitching in a one game playoff is incredibly tempting, but i'm going to take the Cardinals in this scenario. Their experienced lineup will get to Kershaw again. Matt Carpenter hits a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the eighth and Trevor Rosenthal caps it off with a six-out save. Cardinals advance to face the Cubbies.

WINNER: Cardinals

ALDS: Texas Rangers Vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Ironically enough we have the exact same ALDS matchups in these predictions than the 2015 postseason had. Here we have the Blue Jays and Rangers. If you recall, the Rangers took the first two games of the series needing to win one of the last three games with two of those at home. Well, they didn't. This Blue Jays team, came alive. The offense was dormant but awoke like a rising phoenix in the last three games, all Blue Jays wins. The Blue Jays don't have the best rotation by any means, but this offense will carry them in close games. Look for the Blue Jays to best the Rangers in 4 games.

RESULT: BLUE JAYS IN 4

ALDS: Kansas City Royals Vs. Houston Astros

This is the same exact matchup as a year ago as well, and it was one hell of a first round matchup. This time though, the Astros are the home team. My MVP favorite this season for the AL is Carlos Correa and look for him to have a big series and postseason in general. Of course, they're going up against the two time defending AL Champs and the reigning World Series Champions. However, the Royals won't be doing any defending this season. The Astros take this series in five games with timely hitting and key pitching. The Royals bullpen is nasty, but the Astros starters won't let it get that bad. Evan Gattis has a key hit in the late innings of game five and the Astros move on to the ALCS for their first time as AL members.

RESULT: ASTROS IN 5

NLDS: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs

Once again, the same matchup as last year except the roles are switched. The Cubs are coming off of a great regular season, and it is the Cardinals that are the lower seed having won the WC game against the Dodgers. The Cubs are an incredibly complete team. This team has it all. They have a couple of weak spots in the back end of their bullpen and that COULD cause them some problems come October. I don't think it will in this particular series. The Cubs can score in bunches and have an incredibly strong 1-2-3 punch in their starting rotation.  Jason Heyward will stick it to his old team just like he did in the offseason by signing with the hated Cubs. The Cubs move on to the NLCS for the second straight year.

RESULT: CUBS IN 4.

NLDS: New York Mets Vs. San Francisco Giants

Well, it is an even year. But the Giants are no fluke for making the playoffs. That's not why I put them in. They have a solid 1-2-3 punch in their rotation as well. The Shark and Johnny Baseball will add something the Giants didn't have on last seasons team: Starting pitching depth. Something the Mets are overflowing with in Queens. Just like last season, I expect the Mets' starting pitching to overwhelm opponent once the playoffs come. They have the offense to back up their pitching as well. Yoenis Cespedes is back in Queens and expect him to TAKE OVER once the playoffs come.

RESULT: METS IN 5

ALCS Houston Astros Vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Another potentially great matchup here as we have the upstart Astros against the established Blue Jays. This Astros team reminds me a lot of the Cardinals teams back in the early 2010's. They have an influx of veterans but they also have these youngsters coming up the system and now they're starting to produce at the highest level. In my opinion, this is the Astros' series to lose. Their starting pitching is on par with the Blue Jays but ultimately it comes down with the bullpens. The re-signing of Tony Sipp went incredibly under the radar as a lefty specialist. The Astros have the more complete team with the blue Jays lacking strength in the bullpen. The Astros move onto the World Series for the first time since 2005.

RESULT: ASTROS IN 6

NLCS: New York Mets Vs. Chicago Cubs

Another rematch, this seems to be the the theme of this post. Once again, the seedings are flip-flopped and the Cubs are the home team in this seven game series. This has the potential to be one of the better postseason series'  in recent memory. Both of these teams got better in the offseason. The Cubs added some more weapons with Zobrist, Heyward and Lackey signing on in Chicago. The Mets simply get another season of experience for their young pitching core. Look for them to lead the, early on in the series but look for the Cubs to feed on the Mets average bullpen. However, i'm a firm believer in pitching beats the best offenses... and well...

RESULT: METS IN 7

World Series: Houston Astros Vs. New York Mets

A matchup of some young, upstart teams. Just two seasons ago these teams both lost 85+ games. Now, with young studs in both of their respective lineups these teams are going to show the world this season just how good they can be. They both have Cy Young contenders at the head of their rotations and they have MVP favorites in their lineups. It truly would be a talented and special matchup. Hypothetically, this series is going to go seven games. These two teams are about as equally matched as they come. Both have exciting offenses that can catch fire at any given point. Both have excellent starting rotations. Both have average bullpens. The Mets however, have the presence of an all-star caliber closer. Not that it'll change the series by any means, just pointing out the facts. But I believe this is the year for the N.L. It is so top heavy in the NL and playing those top teams all season long will prep them for this tough test. The Mets with their young core will be World Series Champion this time around defeating the Astros in six games.

RESULT: METS WIN WORLD SERIES IN 6 GAMES

The First Two Days...

I know everyone is begging and pleading for me to finish the MLB predictions special, but with March Madness in full swing there's no way I can't talk about that.

The NCAA Tournament is, personally, one of my favorite events of the year. Everything from those Cinderella stories, the huge upsets, the 10-point swings and all the way to cutting down the nets and One Shining Moment. So... is it possible to pick a favorite part?

Yes

The absolute best two days of the SPORTING YEAR are the first two days of the NCAA Tournament.

Not the first four, that doesn't count. Sure, there have been some great teams come out of the First Four (IE VCU in 2011). However, the first four pales in comparison to the first two days of the tournament.

How is the first two days of the tournament the best you ask?

How is it not?

16 games in one day, having three to four games on at once and all of the upsets and underdogs hanging in with the big boys. There is no better day in sports than the first two days of the tournament. For one day, the David's of the world can hang and dethrone the Goliath's.

I mean look at the last couple of seasons and the upsets we've seen. Who doesn't love these upsets?

Last year we had Georgia State taking down Baylor. R.J. Hunter had one of the best shots in recent history in the first round. As for his Dad's reaction on the bench? (His dad Ron is the head coach at Georgia State) Even better.

You have to love the little school's putting up a fight and pulling out a nail biter in the dying seconds. Or you could just be the 2013 FGCU Eagles and have no disregard for human life. Like this.

Everyone expects a little pizazz from the smaller schools but to absolutely drop the hammer like that? Goodness me.

The first round of the tournament is about getting all your friends to come over to your place, huddle around a TV, order a pizza or two and watch game after game after game. Odds are, in one of those 16 games, there's going to be a close one or at least a buzzer beater.

But just when you're exhausted after the first day of it, THERE'S MORE!

Another 16 games coming right at you for the second day in a row. By this time i'm sure your bracket has been ruined because let's be honest, no one will ever fill out a perfect bracket. but the best thing to do is ignore that, crack open a cold one with your friends and enjoy the best two days of the sporting year. Basketball comes at you nonstop and gosh darnit, you never know what might happen. You gotta love March!

2016 MLB Season Predictions

Spring Training is already underway in both Florida and Arizona and I personally cannot wait for opening day this season. There is no clear cut favorite to take home the World Series, but if we had to pick one I think it'd be the Cubs. Anyways, this week on Hutch On Sports we're going to preview everything about the regular season. Giving the individual record predictions for each team. Next week we do the playoffs and the World Series. Something tells me that I'll be slapping myself in October when all is said and done, but lets just remember these are PREDICTIONS. I'm no Nostradamus and I don't expect to be one. Without further to do, lets start with the American League!

A.L. East

1. Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)

2. Boston Red Sox (89-73)

3. New York Yankees (87-75)

4. Tampa Bay Rays (81-81)

5. Baltimore Orioles (78-84)

I really like the Blue Jays offense to continue their mauling ways in 2016. It really is a toss up when it comes to those top three teams. None really boast a dominant rotation, but I like the Blue Jays offense to carry them late in the season and eventually pull away from the pack. Sure there's questions with a shaky bullpen, but i'll take my chances. The Sox I think will have a bounce back year with many of their top prospects on the verge of The Bigs. David Price is the ace they never truly had last season. However, for them to do anything Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez have to do SOMETHING. The Yankees have the best bullpen in baseball, but an aging offensive core is the question mark here. Do I believe that Teixeira, A-Rod, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran can carry the load yet again in 2016? I'd bet against it. The Rays are one of my sleeper teams this season. A return to form of Evan Longoria would be nice to see at The Trop this season, but as always with the Rays, it starts with pitching. That rotation has the chance to be one of the best in baseball again. Don't sleep on the Rays. As far as the O's, an aging roster and a closing window, no rotation or farm system to speak of. it might get ugly in baltimore really quickly.

A.L. Central

1. Kansas City Royals (92-70)

2. Minnesota Twins (90-72) WC

3. Detroit Tigers (87-75)

4. Chicago White Sox (84-78)

5. Cleveland Indians (80-82)

Until they get knocked off the top, the Royals are still the favorites in this division. Their brand of baseball is so unique and successful that even with their lack of quality arms in their rotation, they'll still be fine. I'm thinking the Twins build off of their successful surprise season from 2015. Top prospects will start to reach the big leagues and we get a full season from Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Yes Please. The Tigers got better in the offseason, however pitching and their bullpen remain a question mark, could we be seeing the writing on the wall for Brad Ausmus in Detroit? The White Sox got a lot better too. The Todd Frazier trade was an interesting one, but it definitely helps adding a guy who still is in his prime, though on the wrong side of it. The rotation shouldn't be an issue, however its the bullpen that is still a question mark here. It was historically bad last season, here's to hoping it rebounds in 2016. The Indians are one of the most complete teams in this division. They just need to be able to hit and put it all together over a full season. Any of these teams can win the division, it should be the best race to see unfold in MLB this season. Opening day is when? 

A.L. West

1. Houston Astros (93-69)

2. Texas Rangers (91-71) WC

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (84-78)

4. Seattle Mariners (81-81)

5. Oakland Athletics (73-89)

Last years Cinderella story should continue in 2016. The Astros lose Scott Kazmir from their rotation but they still have reigning Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. Hopefully he proves not to be a one hit wonder for their sake. the Astros get a full season of Carlos Correa and we might be hearing MVP chants in Houston sooner rather than later for him. The Rangers should give them a run for their money and it'll be close. I just like the Astros a tad more. Yu Darvish comes back from Tommy John and they get Cole Hamels for a full season too. It'll be interesting at the top to say the least. Team Trout will win 80 games simply because that man will be roaming center field for 162 games. They'll need contributions from someone other than Mike Trout to have anything that resembles a chance. The Mariners have become one of the most frustrating teams in the league to watch over the past couple of seasons. A dearth of talent at the MLB level but always underwhelming. I expect more of the same despite a revamped roster. The A's will probably be the worst team in the A.L. this season, but they're soft rebuilding the right way. Moneyball will soon be reaping its reward in the Coliseum.

N.L. East

1. New York Mets (95-67)

2. Washington Nationals (87-75)

3. Miami Marlins (74-88)

4. Atlanta Braves (65-97)

5. Philadelphia Phillies (63-99)

Last years N.L. Pennant winners get a boost this season. They play in the weakest division in baseball and get a full season of Yoenis Cespedes. That rotation is still going to be the best in baseball without a doubt. They get to beat up upon the bottom three in this division and their only test will be from a Nats team with a new manager. I like their chances to get back to October. The Nationals should be better under Dusty Baker than they were under Matt Williams. A players coach, Baker has already seemed to have broken through to this clubhouse of chokers and such. Bryce Harper will carry this team at the end of the day, but they're getting old fast on offense. This window is closing soon. The Marlins should be the best out of the bottom three in this division because (hopefully) they get a full season of Giancarlo Stanton mashing baseballs and they'll have Jose Fernandez assuming they don't trade him. It's a mess in Miami but maybe they'll surprise us. The Braves and the Phillies will be duking it out for what looks like the #1 pick in the draft and last place in the division. The last season at Turner Field isn't going to be a pretty one for the Braves. The Phillies are in the same boat, good minor league system, bad major league team. Look for that to change in the coming seasons for both teams. But for 2016? Yikes.

N.L. Central

1. Chicago Cubs (102-60)

2. St. Louis Cardinals (91-61) WC

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (87-75)

4. Milwaukee Brewers (76-86)

5. Cincinnati Reds (67-95)

Could this be the year? The Cubs look dangerous folks, they have the chance to be the best team in baseball and end the longest drought in professional sports. Then again, they are the Cubs. This team got a lot better with the additions of Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist. Not to mention a signing of a veteran starter in John Lackey. Those Cardinals and Cubs games should be joys to watch. The Cardinals do lose two big FA's to the Cubbies but not to worry in STL, the Cardinals have great organizational depth (shocker). They're not going to take us like surprise like they did last year and win 100+ games, but this team knows how to win and expect them to compete for the division. The Pirates will also be very good in 2016. They didn't make many changes to their overall roster, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Now they just need to get into the playoffs... and win. There's a major drop off from three to four in this division and the Brewers won't be anything special. However, they're rebuilding the right way and saw some impact in the rotation towards the end of last season. Look for that to continue. The Reds should be an atrocity. Anything above 70 wins for this club should be deemed a successful season. Look for Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce to leave town via trade sooner rather than later. 

N.L. West

1. San Francisco Giants (96-66)

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (94-68) WC

3. Arizona Diamondbacks (90-62)

4. San Diego Padres (78-84)

5. Colorado Rockies (66-96)

It's an even year. Watch out world, here come the Giants again. No, I didn't rank them at the top solely because it's an even year. They got much better in a great offseason by their management. Additions of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija will greatly help their rotation woes from last season. The offense was great last season and it will continue to be this season. I like the Giants out west. The Dodgers are nipping at their heels though, along with the Dbacks. The Dodgers lose Zack Greinke but now have arguably more rotational depth than they did last season. Kenta Maeda is a big question mark as you never know how those Japanese pitchers will hold up in their first full 162 game season. Hyun-Jin-Ryu looks to be delayed coming back from shoulder surgery but the addition of another solid lefty in Scott Kazmir will help Clayton Kershaw for sure. Oh, did we mention the Dodgers have one of the best minor league systems? Corey Seager will play his first full season in the bigs and we might be seeing Julio Urias sooner rather than later. What a phenom this kid is. The Diamondbacks possessed the best offense outside of Coors Field last season and now they have the pitching staff to compete for a division crown. But can they? Zack Greinke is a bonafide ace and a student of the game. Shelby Miller is a young stud coming off a great statistical season with the Braves. Paul Goldschmidt is the MVP candidate no one is talking about (or no one ever talks about). The pieces are the for the Diamondbacks to go for it in 2016. Now we just have to wait and see how it all unfolds. The Padres will take a step back from the hype train that surrounded them leading up to last season. After another disappointing campaign in SD, the Padres now lack depth in their minor league system and lack talent with their major league system. They do however have a heap of bad contacts. This might not be pretty in SD this season. Finally we have the Rockies who will have the same line they do going into seemingly every season in Denver: Best offense in baseball, bad rotation pitching at Coors Field. They'll score a lot of runs, but they'll give up more. Lets hope that top 10 minor league system brings up more pitching prospects.

Next week we take these predictions and make them even more exciting! Awards and Playoff predictions come next week on Hutch On Sports and we'll see you then!

Why are things the way they are in the NBA?

The NBA has been getting a little weird.

Just the way the game is played today, it's so different than it was 10-15 years ago. How have we gotten to this point? Why are things the way they are? Is it just because of one player?

Is Stephen Curry changing the way we play basketball? It sure seems that way.

Think about it. In 2004-2005, we crowned the Detroit Pistons as champions of the NBA. They played a dirty, grind-it-out style of basketball. Defense first, offense second. That's unheard of in the NBA today... Would the 04-05 Pistons even succeed in today's NBA? That's something you have to ponder.

Stephen Curry has singlehandedly transformed the way we play basketball now. Dunks aren't the rage anymore. What gets us all going is the art of shooting. The art of the three-point shot. Stephen Curry has mastered this. I mean... did you see how he won the game last night against the Thunder?

Did you see where he shot the ball from? That's not even fair. Not to mention he broke his own record for Three-point shots made in a single season. There's 25 games left. Are you kidding me? We've never seen a marksman like this in the NBA. He's changing how they play. He's changing how they "defend". I put that in quotations because what exactly is defense in today's NBA? You hear legends like Isaiah Thomas and Oscar Robertson argue that the Warriors wouldn't be this good if they played in their era. That they actually played defense. Well with gems such as this....

How can you blame them?

Defense is an expiring art form in today's NBA. No one plays it. Why do you think we see NBA scores in the upper 100's and college scores in the upper 60's? One actually plays defense and the other plays "defense".

So how did we get here? How did the NBA go from "The Bad Boy" era of hard fouls and stingy D to no defense and "hard fouls" getting called as flagrants?

Honestly, I couldn't tell you. Every sport has a phase, I think basketball is just going through one right now. For example, we remember the read-option in football. Remember how Colin Kaepernick was good for a season and a half? Remember how awful he was this past season?

Let's not forget the moneyball period and the Oakland A's and baseball. It worked, just for a short amount of time though. Now big money and big minor league systems rule baseball.

College football and the triple-option? With the exception of Georgia Tech and Navy, that's gone.

Hockey? Well Hockey is just fast paced and crazy. It always has been, I'll take a nice fistfight any day of the week though.

Point is, three-point madness is a phase. At the end of the day, outside of the Splash Brothers and the Warriors, it's a low percentage shot. Yes, there are marksmen and yes defense still exists to some extent. Just like all the other phases, someone will learn how to defend it. Someone will learn how to test Steph Curry. Someone will learn how to rattle his cage. This is just going to take some time to learn how to stop it.

Kenny Smith said during All-Star Saturday Night that the three-point contest should be the main event of the night. Then the dunk contest happened. He took that statement back.

Defense will rule again one day in the NBA. Maybe a new phase will come about. Who knows. That's the great thing about Professional Sports.

It's time Peyton...

You all know what's coming. We saw it this past season.

Peyton Manning... It's time for a new Sheriff in town.

There's no more records to break, there's nothing more to prove. You just won your second Super Bowl and your legacy will live on forever as one of the best quarterback to ever play the position.

Why contemplate coming back? You'll be 40 years old by the time Week 1 rolls around next year. Certainly you don't want to do what Favre did. Look at the feelings he hurt. The people he betrayed. Do you want that to be you?

Of course the situations you face are far less extreme for you than Favre had. You just won the Super Bowl. THE SUPER BOWL!!! Peyton, it's the perfect ending. Exit stage left. Ride off into the sunset as a champion. There's nothing left for you to prove. You're one of the best to ever play the game. Your records speak for themselves. Touchdown passes, Passing yards, completions, touchdown passes in a season, the MVP's. Peyton... it's obvious. It has to be.

This past season was one of the toughest of your career. It was tough on all of us to watch. I didn't like seeing it personally, I know a lot of people didn't like seeing it. I'm sure you didn't like hearing people talk about if you still had "it" or not. Im sure you're tired of all the jokes people made about your passes looking like fluttering ducks. I know you've heard it all.

The torn plantar fascia must have been tough to come back from. I've seen athletes struggle with that injury. Look at the basketball players in recent memory. Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Al Jefferson. I can tell it's painful just by watching. When you're retired you don't have to worry about that anymore Peyton. You can worry about making more gems like these.

Seriously, how awesome were those commercials though?

I can't question a professional athlete and the decisions they make because I'm not one of them. I'm actually one of the annoyances in the life of a professional athlete. The Media. Guess what Sheriff, no more of me! No more cameras in your face. No more questions about this and that. No more after practice news conferences. Heck, no more practice. There's a win.

But I will never understand the one thing a professional athlete has more than anyone else on the Earth: Drive.

I'd kill to know what it feels like to wake up in the morning and do everything it possibly takes to be good enough to compete for a championship. Peyton Manning did this better than anyone else throughout his career. Just ask yourself Peyton. Do you have it in you still? Is that drive still there to go get another ring?

If you have to think about it, I think your answer has already been made.

Peyton, I just want to say it's been an absolute honor growing up and watch you play the position. You've broken my heart a couple times, but you were an absolute professional each time. I respect you for everything you've done on the field throughout your entire career. You've given multiple kids a role model to look up to. (This is all barring the recent news of the off the field stuff at the University of Tennessee by the way) I don't want to see father time take another one from us. He's undefeated after all. Well, Tim Duncan has something to say about that.

Peyton, I know you're going to make the decision that's best for you in the end. I just want you to be happy. If going out and suiting up again makes you happy then do it. If hanging 'em up and looking back you can smile about everything you've accomplished makes you happy, do it.

One thing is for sure though.

Come Week One and #18 is still under center, i'll be shaking in my boots. That old Sheriff still knows how to sling it, doesn't he?

Ranking The Minor League Names Pt. 2

Welcome back to part two of the Minor League name rankings! Last week we covered teams 16-30 and this week we step it up a notch. Who makes the cut as the organization with the #1 ranked MiLB team names?

15. Miami Marlins

AAA: New Orleans Zephyrs

AA: Jacksonville Suns

A+: Jupiter Hammerheads

A-: Greensboro Grasshoppers

R: Batavia Muckdogs

As you can see already, this week is going to be a lot better than last week. There's four really creative names occupied by the Marlins here. I'm a homer and I'm from Jacksonville, but the Suns don't really get anything from me. Love going to the games and all, but there's better names in this system obviously. The Zephyrs were my second lowest ranking and that's kind of surprising. What exactly is a Zephyr? You got me? But the group of the Muckdogs, Grasshoppers and Hammerheads take the cake for the Marlins. The Grasshoppers have one of the best color schemes in all of MiLB and the Hammerheads pay homage to Florida while also being a great name. The Marlins did very well, and that's just team #15.

14. New York Mets

AAA: Las Vegas 51s

AA: Binghamton Mets

A+: St. Lucie Mets

A-: Columbia Fireflies

R: Kingsport Mets/Brooklyn Cyclones

Many of you may be wondering how the Mets jumped Marlins with three of their affiliates owning a Mets name. I'll tell you exactly why. The Las Vegas 51s and Columbia Fireflies, that's why. The 51s are arguably one of the most recognized and unique names in all of MiLB. The color scheme is magnificent and it ties in with the Las Vegas/Area 51 theme. I really need a gif of that History channel guy screaming ALIENS right about now. Brand new for the 2016 season are the Columbia Fireflies and they've absolutely blown me away. The uniforms are already one of the best in all of MiLB. The glow in the dark hats are on fire. Not to mention that the Firefly is incredibly important to the city of Columbia. This is definitely and upgrade from the Savannah Sand Gnats. Job well done, Mets.

13. Houston Astros

AAA: Fresno Grizzlies

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks

A+: Lancaster JetHawks

A-: Quad Cities River Bandits

R: Greenville Astros

The Astros jump ahead of the Mets because of the all around better names. The weight of the two great names pulled the Mets up solely to 14. But lets give the Astros some credit. We've seen many of their top prospects climb through their system so some of us are more affiliated with these names than the others. The Grizzlies are eh but when they pull out the Fresno Tacos uniforms.... oh man. Sign me up. The Hooks color scheme and logo are probably the best in this system. The Baby blue and Navy cmix incredibly well, not to mention the intimidating Hook with a bat. What's a JetHawk? I don't really know but it's working for me. Then you have the River Bandits. Classic Midwest team, baseball with a cowboy hat and bandana as the logo. Nice one Astros.

12. Kansas City Royals

AAA: Omaha Storm Chasers

AA: Northwest Arkansas Naturals

A+: Wilmington Blue Rocks

A-: Lexington Legends

R: Idaho Falls Chukars

I flipped and flopped between the Astros and Royals for the longest time. Ultimately the Storm Chasers and the Blue Rocks were better than the Hooks and River Bandits at the end of the day. How great of a name for city in the middle of tornado alley that the Omaha Storm Chasers? Perfect fit for a great baseball town. The Naturals and Legends don't excite me but the Blue Rocks color scheme and logo helped the defending world champs quite a bit. Baby blue and Navy Blue with a gold trim, yes please. Finally the Chukars... apparently it's a bird but hey, it's an out there kind of name and i'm an out there kind of guy so it bodes well with me.

11. Philadelphia Phillies

AAA: Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs

AA: Reading Fighting' Phils

A+: Clearwater Threshers

A-: Lakewood Blue Claws

R: Williamsport Crosscutters

I'm a Braves fan, that's the worst kept secret in the world. So it hurts to rank the Phillies very high on something. But I have to give credit where credit is due. The Clearwater Threshers are a top five name in all of MiLB. The logo, color scheme and atmosphere of their ballpark make it not only one of the best in the Florida State League but all of MiLB. Ever since the Iron Pigs implemented a bacon alternate logo it's really taken off for the team as far as hat sales go. Reading is apparently baseball town USA but do more with your name please. The Blue Claws are native to that part of New Jersey and the Crosscutters have a cool Lumberjack logo/scheme going on. Plus they play in the town that hosts the Little League World Series every year. Good Job Phillies.

10. San Francisco Giants

AAA: Sacramento River Cats

AA: Richmond Flying Squirrels

A+: San Jose Giants

A-: Augusta GreenJackets

R: Salem-Keizer Volcanoes

Let's start off with the GreenJackets. How cool of a name is this? It's a play on words of the Green Jacket that's given out to the champion of The Masters golf tournament every year in Augusta, Georgia. That's awesome. One of my favorite names personally. Obviously we know which team really helped the even-yeared warriors. The Flying Squirrels, yes please. They could've been content with just the Squirrels but they step it up a notch and BAM! Flying Squirrels (sorry for the lame Emeril reference). Finally the Volcanoes help a little in their scoring as well. The Rookie ball level teams tend to be boring and bland, but the Volcanoes might be the cream of the crop.

9. Seattle Mariners:

AAA: Tacoma Rainiers

AA: Jackson Generals

A+: Bakersfield Blaze

A-: Clinton Lumberkings

R: Everett Aquasox

The Mariners scored two perfect scores with their lower level teams. Remember when I said the Volcanoes might be the cream of the crop? Yeah it's the Aquasox. Game. Set. Match. Three great logos and Full House promotional jerseys? You win Aquasox. Let's not get blown away by just their rookie team, the Lumberings though >>>>. What kind of name is that?! An awesome one! A big dude with a crown on his head and swinging a huge piece of lumber as the logo. Yes. It's these two teams right here... things like that make my love for Minor League Baseball grow.

8. Milwaukee Brewers

AAA: Colorado Springs Sky Sox

AA: Biloxi Shuckers

A+: Brevard County Manatees

A-: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

R: Helena Brewers

For a team that's starting to rebuild, you might as well stockpile great MiLB names as well. The class of this group is the Biloxi Shuckers. The Shuckers were brand new for the 2015 season and honestly they were second best name to debut. You'll see why later. But that name and the logo (Oyster swinging a bat) make this a top 10 name in all of MiLB. Let's not forget about the Manatees too. It's not a flashy name by any means but who doesn't love a Manatee? Finally another one of those widely recognized names is the Timber Rattlers. Just like the Mudcats, go to any little league field across the country and I bet you'll find a Timber Rattlers team. That gets you some points.

7. Detroit Tigers

AAA: Toledo Mud Hens

AA: Erie Seawolves

A+: Lakeland Flying Tigers

A-: West Michigan Whitecaps

R: Connecticut Tigers

We're starting to see a run of Florida State League teams take over this countdown and it continues with the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Not only do they have one of the best hats in the game, the name has history to it. Joker Marchant Stadium, where the Flyers call home, was built on the site of an old training ground for fighter pilots. These pilots were called the Flying Tigers. So not only are they a Tigers affiliate, they also have some historical significance to the name and Lakeland itself. Go Tigers. The Mud Hens hold their own too, let's not forget about them. That name has to be one the most out there and random names. But here, that's what gets you points. Round it out with a couple of above average names and you have yourself a ranking in the top seven.

6. Oakland A's

AAA: Nashville Sounds

AA: Midland Rockhounds

A+: Stockton Ports

A-: Beloit Snappers

R: Vermont Lake Monsters

Are you starting to see what separates these teams from the ones in the last countdown? The Nashville Sounds. A rockstar winging a guitar like a baseball bat. This is what's great about MiLB. This is what Taylor Swift was singing about in "Wildest Dreams". Perfect name for the city. Oh hey and then there's the Lake Monsters. Their tri-panel hat is a top five hat. Their name alone gets them noticed though. We also have a snapping turtle as a mascot for the Snappers. Nothing like a grumpy turtle swinging a bat. Ports and Rockhounds... ehh they're ok. But the Nashville Sounds ladies and gentlemen. My goodness, take me away.

5. San Diego Padres

AAA: El Paso Chihuahuas

AA: San Antonio Missions

A+: Lake Elsinore Storm

A-: Fort Wayne Tin Caps

R: Tri-City Dust Devils

We've finally reached the top five here folks and we start it off with the Padres. First off, I want to go on record saying i'm not a fan of the name "Chihuahuas". BUT it seems to be incredibly popular among the fans of MiLB. it did win the "Clash Of The Caps" competition back in 2014, their inaugural season. Plus it's a tie in with the hispanic heritage of El Paso. The you have the missions and its correlation to The Alamo in San Antonio. The Storm have arguably the most recognizable hat/logo in the game with the black and red eyes. The Tin Caps have to be the best name here. An apple with a Tin Cap on its head, another classic folks. That's why we find the Padres in the top five.

4. Minnesota Twins

AAA: Rochester Red Wings

AA: Chattanooga Lookouts

A+: Fort Myers Miracle

A-: Cedar Rapids Kernels

R: Elizabethtown Twins

Look out folks, the Lookouts finally made an appearance in the countdown. The logo and hat have to be THE CLASSIEST in all of the names mentioned on this list. Plus the correlation with the Lookouts across the mountains in Chattanooga. It's a great name. The Kernels are exactly what you'd think they'd be. A kernel of corn! Homage to the midwest and corn country. I'm not really sure what the Miracle is/are. Names that aren't plural are risky but they pull it off. The Twins affiliates have really popped onto the scene in the last couple of seasons with the rising of their prospects through the system. The names don't disappoint either.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

AAA: Durham Bulls

AA: Montgomery Biscuits

A+: Charlotte Stone Crabs

A-: Bowling Green Hot Rods

R: Princeton Rays

Durham Bulls, Bull Durham. If you haven't seen the movie then you won't understand why that team is up so high. Classic team, classic movie. Way to go Rays. Quick, when you think about the south what's one of the first things that pop into your head? The food, am I right? Then the Montgomery Biscuits would easily be the class of the Southern League in AA. What an original name. The stone crabs away hats might be the best away hat in all of MiLB with the Baby blue and navy blue. Obviously that's a favorite clash of colors of mine if you haven't noticed by now. Finally the Hot Rods, not a fantastic name that blows you away, but certainly gets the job done and is above average. That's why we find the Rays in the top three.

2. Cincinnati Reds

AAA: Louisville Bats

AA: Pensacola Blue Wahoos

A+: Daytona Tortugas

A-: Dayton Dragons

R: Billings Mustangs

The Daytona Tortugas. That is all. The BEST name and logo in the sport. Hands down, game over. The Tortugas were brand new for the 2015 season and boy was it a memorable one for the Reds' affiliate. The Reds took the Daytona affiliate from the Cubs and transformed them into the 'Tugas. If you can get out the "The Jack" for a game, I'd highly recommend it. Remember the Nashville Sounds? Well I'll raise you a Louisville Bats. The home of the Louisville Slugger, how about that for a play on words? And yes, the logo is the animal bat, not the baseball bat. I mean the Reds just keep it coming with the Blue Wahoos and the Dragons too. This is pure creativity and the Marketing department for the Reds gets an A from me. But not an A+. Because it wasn't quite good enough to top...

1. Colorado Rockies

AAA: Albuquerque Isotopes

AA: Hartford Yard Goats

A+: Modesto Nuts

A-: Asheville Tourists

R: Grand Junction Rockies

This. Is. Perfection. The Colorado Rockies blew my mind when I saw these names. They have the best name at three levels of MiLB. The Isotopes, The Yard Goats (new for 2016) and the Tourists. If it wasn't for the Tortugas, the Nuts would be up there too. I mean just sheer greatness lies within this system. Not only do they have one of the best Minor League systems of any team, we are lucky enough to watch their top prospects rise through a system of incredible names. The Tourists play at one of the oldest stadiums in the country and pays homage to the vast tourism Asheville gets each year. The Nuts... idk what to say but it wins. Go Nuts! The Yard Goats are brand new for 2016 and it isn't a goat. Yes the logo is a goat, but it's actually the name of a small train that pushes and shunts cars around the train yard. Then the Isotopes, man just stop it. This is what I live for. The Rockies have it all and are the envy of every team out there when it comes to names. Congrats to the Rockies for your creativity because certainly they won't be winning many games in the Mile High city this season.

Ranking the Minor League Baseball Team Names Based on Affiliate

This is going to be an exciting week here at Hutch On Sports.

With much anticipation (at least on my part) for the upcoming baseball season, this week we're going to focus on the teams who hold the key to the future: The Minor Leagues.

Of course, all us die hard sports fans know what's truly great about Minor League Baseball. The crazy uniforms, the awesome promotions, cheap tickets, top prospects, a good ol' ball game and the best team names of any sport out there.

This week, in preparation for the upcoming season, I've decided to rank every single team by affiliates using a complex system that i'll keep to myself for now. Teams 16-30 will be featured this week and we see the top 15 next week. But for example, if the minor league team was the same name as its major league affiliate, they received one point. In this model, I used every teams AAA, AA, A+ (Advanced A), A- (Low A) and Rookie level teams. So without further to do, lets get it started at #30!

30. St. Louis Cardinals

AAA: Memphis Redbirds

AA: Springfield Cardinals

A+: Palm Beach Cardinals

A-: Peoria Chiefs

R: Johnson City Cardinals

The Cardinals are arguably the classiest teams in all of baseball, let alone professional sports. Therefore it's not a surprise to see the Cardinals stay at home with many of their minor league team names. Going crazy and all out isn't for everyone. They got a couple points for the Chiefs and they mixed it up a bit with the Redbirds, but when it comes to creativity the Cardinals fail miserably. Frankly, I don't think the Cardinals will give a damn at the end of the day. Which is what makes them so great.

29. Atlanta Braves

AAA: Gwinnett Braves

AA: Mississippi Braves

A+: Carolina Mudcats

A-: Rome Braves

R: Danville Braves

The Braves don't stray too far away from tradition as well, with many of the minor league affiliates sporting the Braves name. once again, that's quite alright. To each their own, but for the sake of this countdown the Braves will not do well. However, the Carolina Mudcats saved them from last place. The Mudcats, when you think about Minor League teams, are one of the most recognizable and unique teams in the game. It is for that sole reason that the Braves sit at #29 and not dead last.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates

AAA: Indianapolis Indians

AA: Altoona Curve

A+: Bradenton Marauders

A-: West Virginia Power

R: West Virginia Black Bears/Bristol Pirates

The Pirates the the first team to simply just have bad taste when it comes to their names. Nothing really blows me away personally. The Curve have one of the oldest traditions in the sport of baseball, but the name is just ok. The Marauders are just a cool new way to say Pirates and the Power and Black Bears, albeit decent logos, are lackadaisical names to say the least. The further along we get in these rankings, you'll start to see why the top teams separate from the pack. As for now, the Pirates will settle for contending at the highest level.

27. Toronto Blue Jays

AAA: Buffalo Bisons

AA: New Hampshire Fisher Cats

A+: Dunedin Blue Jays

A-: Lansing Lugnuts

R:  Bluefield Blue Jays

There's a couple of things that get me excited about the Blue Jays affiliates, but then their score just came crashing down to Earth after they lacked creativity and effort and threw up a Blue Jays twice. The Lansing Lugnuts are one of the golden names in all of MiLB. It rolls off the tongue and the name is just truly unique. Not many of you can say you've been a Lugnut. The Fisher Cats also have a great name. It sticks out and makes you think, well what is a Fisher Cat? Unfortunately they've thrown a curve when it comes to their logo the past couple of years and included and Uncle Sam logo that just doesn't fit the team as a whole. Logos didn't play a huge part in the rankings, but they did play a little role.

26. New York Yankees

AAA: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

AA: Trenton Thunder

A+: Tampa Yankees

A-: Charleston River Dogs

R: Staten Island Yankees

"America's Team" comes in at #26. You would think that the Yankees wouldn't even care about their Minor League system since they never actually use theirs the way other teams do. But, props to them for having a spark of creative juices. The gem of this group is the Charleston River Dogs. If you go to any little league field in america and the league is named after minor league teams, I can bet that 9/10 of those leagues has a River Dogs in it. It's one of the most unusual names in all of baseball but it goes so well with the city the team is from too: Charleston. Lets not forget about the Thunder too, the Cloud and Lightning logo is a classic. But the fact that the Yanks had two teams named after themselves killed their score. A recurring theme here.

25. Boston Red Sox

AAA: Pawtucket Red Sox

AA: Portland Sea Dogs

A+: Salem Red Sox

A-: Greenville Drive

R: Lowell Spinners

The Sox get a slight edge over the Yankees simply because the Pawtucket Red Sox go by the "Paw Sox" most of the time and even have uniforms and hats with a bear on them. Other than that, they're almost a split image with their rivals. The Sea Dogs is a fantastic name especially when you realize that the team plays in Portland, Maine. Not many people up there even know what a sea cow is outside of baseball. The Drive are a classic old MiLB team and the Spinners... I can't quite tell you why but I just like that name. Feel free to tell me why I'm wrong because even I'd like to know!

24. Washington Nationals

AAA: Syracuse Chiefs

AA: Harrisburg Senators

A+: Potomac Nationals

A-: Hagerstown Suns

R: Auburn Doubledays

There's some potential here. The Doubledays are the crown of the group but the Senators are right on their tail. The Doubledays make this work with the play on words of Abner Doubleday (supposedly the inventor of baseball... false) but they pull it off brilliantly. Not to mention it's located in Auburn, NY and just a small drive from the baseball HOF in Cooperstown. The Senators are neat since Harrisburg is the capital city of PA and they play that off quite nicely. As for the others, nothing really gets me excited about a Chief, Sun or National. Seen those all before. Yawn.

23. Arizona Diamondbacks

AAA: Reno Aces

AA: Mobile BayBears

A+: Visalia Rawhide

A-: Kane County Cougars

R: Missoula Osprey

It's cheesy, but the Aces do it for me. it ties right in with the casino theme of Reno. Love it. As for the others... The Dbacks, life their new uniforms, tried to be just a little bit edgy with their names. Now, some are going to hit like the Aces. But the Rawhide? Isn't that something you give to your dog to chew on? The BayBears? There has to be some history behind it. But to me it just doesn't fit. As for the Osprey, this has to be one of the first times I've seen a team name singular instead of plural. Interesting, just like the entire Dbacks franchise.

22. Chicago Cubs

AAA: Iowa Cubs

AA: Tennessee Smokies

A+: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

A-: South Bend Cubs

R: Eugene Emeralds.

We should probably know the Cubs minor league names by heart after watching all their top prospects move through their system. I remember Javier Baez and Kris Bryant tear it up in Tennessee for a couple of seasons. Speaking of the Smokies, love the reference to the area and the natural beauty of Tennessee. Goes very well and has an incredibly classy logo. The Pelicans would be cooler if the New Orleans Pelicans didn't become a thing before they were. But like many teams, the Cubs score was drowned out by lack of excitement with two Cubs appearances. Typical Cubs, get you excited but they let you down at the end. We've seen that one before haven't we Northsiders?

21. Chicago White Sox

AAA: Charlotte Knights

AA: Birmingham Barons

A+: Winston-Salem Dash

A-: Kannapolis Intimidators

R: Great Falls Voyagers

The White Sox get a lot of their points off of stadiums. The Knights stadium is widely known as one of the best Minor League Parks in the country, while the Barons park is the oldest. The barons name also goes waaaayyyy back and i'm a sucker for old fashioned baseball things. The Intimidators however, are an exciting name. It would just be a letdown if the team itself wasn't good. Risk/reward with that name.

20. Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim

AAA: Salt Lake Bees

AA: Arkansas Travelers

A+: Inland Empire 66ers

A-: Burlington Bees

R: Orem Owlz

First off... I get having two teams as the same name of your organization. But having two teams with the same name that isn't? Why do the Angels have two teams called the Bees? Is that necessary whatsoever? Could one of the not be the Hornets? Just a little rant. The 66ers are one that makes you think and that there's an actual meaning to the word "66er" on the Inland Empire (Hint, it's for route 66) For that they do a great job. The Owlz is a little edgy, but the logo wins me over. So good job Angels, minus the Bees issue.

19. Baltimore Orioles
AAA: Norfolk Tides
AA: Bowie Baysox
A+: Frederick Keys
A-: Delmarva Shorebirds
R: Aberdeen Ironbirds

The Orioles names get weaker and weaker as the prospects move up their system. But the Ironbirds take the cake for the Birds. The Ironbirds pay tribute to the franchise's greatest player, the Iron Man himself, Cal Ripken Jr. You know you've made it when there's a team named after you. The Tides and Baysox are unique names and those reeled in some points. The Shorebirds have a really intriguing concept as well. As for the Keys, i'm not sold. What exactly are they going for there? But there's been much worse as we've seen, so lets give them some respect for a little creative action.

18. Cleveland Indians
AAA: Columbus Clippers
AA: Akron RubberDucks
A+: Lynchburg Hillcats
A-: Lake County Captains
R: Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Obviously we know what team i'm going to talk about first. A couple of years ago, that team from Akron was called the Aeros. One complete makeover later and they're now called the RubberDucks. Personally, it's not my favorite, but a name like that is something that you love to see out of Minor League baseball nowadays. The Scrappers are a classy name, the Clippers would get more from me with a more vibrant color scheme and if the more popular Clippers weren't playing basketball out in LA.

17. Texas Rangers
 AAA: Round Rock Express
AA: Frisco Roughriders
A+: High Desert Mavericks
A-: Hickory Crawdads
R: Spokane Indians

When I originally was thinking about doing this list, I thought the Rangers would be quite high. Now i'm quite bummed that I find them at #17. The Crawdads are a top 10 name in all of MiLB. Just say the full name out loud to yourself. The Hickory Crawdads. That's just awesome. To rival that, the Roughriders just released a new Alternate logo last year with Teddy Roosevelt in it. That gets an A+ in my book. Unfortunately, the Express sounds like an Arena Football team and the Mavericks and Indians just don't get the job done.

16. Los Angeles Dodgers

AAA: Oklahoma City Dodgers
AA: Tulsa Drillers
A+: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
A-: Great Lakes Loons
R: Ogden Raptors

If this were a competition for hats, I think the Dodgers would win in a Landslide. The Dodgers have one of the cleanest MLB hats, but now the Drillers and Quakes rival that in the Minors. The names aren't that bad either. The Drillers give a nice homage to the oil wells of the midwest and the Quakes is a nice play on the tectonic activity in California. The Loons are different and fit in well with the Great Lakes region. Everything other than the Raptors and the Dodgers fit in with the surrounding areas and ties in with the community, and the Dodgers succeed in my book with that.

Well, if your team wasn't listed this week I guess you have something exciting to look forward to next week. 1-15 are revealed next Sunday night!

An Ode to "The Ted"

As many of you baseball nuts know by know, The Atlanta Braves, from a team standpoint, are horrible.

After gutting their team of major league talent throughout the offseason leading up to the 2015 season, the sense in-and-around Atlanta was "rebuild".

In even bigger news towards the end of the 2014 season, the Braves announced that they would be leaving Turner Field (AKA "The Ted") at the end of the 2016 season. The reason? The building of a brand new ballpark in Cobb County, Georgia. The problem with many Braves fans? (at first) The site that was chosen for development was 15 minutes North of Atlanta! I-75 is already bad enough at rush hour. Now the Braves expect you to drive 15 minutes more out of your way (on a good day) to see a game.

There's an even bigger problem in this scenario: many Braves fans, including myself and many other fans of the game, have fallen in love with Turner Field. It was to much dismay that Braves fans took this news back in the fall of 2014.

I remember where I was when I heard the fateful news of Turner field. Sitting in my level one Spanish class at UCF, not paying attention of course and scrolling through Twitter hoping to see what this "big announcement" was from the Braves.

My heart sunk just a tad as I read the tweets about Suntrust Park. Not with any hate towards the announcement. Don't get me wrong, this is going to be a state of the art stadium. One in which I will visit many times with high expectations in 2017. But boy am I going to miss The Ted. I'll never forget the first time I walked through to the field level seats and saw that green outfield grass for the first time. Simplicity: the one thing I love about the stadium.

2016 will be a somber season for many Atlanta Braves fans. Not only does the Braves current Major League roster rival a stingy AAA team, it will be the last season at beloved Turner Field. A site in which many Braves fans saw their first game at, myself included.

Unfortunately, the Braves are sending Turner Field off on a sour note. Granted, there isn't much history at "The Ted". The Braves have won just ONE playoff series since moving into the stadium for the 1997 season. But there's so much more history to the site of the stadium than anything.

Old Fulton County Stadium, now a parking lot for Turner Field, lies on this site. It is here that a piece of baseball history happened. Hank Aaron became the home run king after hitting #715 there. To this day there is still a monument out where the wall used to stand. It's a site I expect many Braves fans to take advantage of this upcoming season.

Let's not forget that Turner Field wasn't even made for the Braves to play in. Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics. Track and Field events were hosted there along with the opening and closing ceremonies. It was a stadium built primarily for the olympics and mixed use.

But it became so much more than that over the years.

                Playoffs happened here (a lot):




             Epic Comebacks happened here:





     Childhood heroes gave us one last memory:




            The Upton Brothers Saved the day:




The Atlanta Braves happened here. For 19 damn good years the Atlanta Braves happened here. Baseball in the South happened here. Chipper Jones grew up before our eyes here. Andruw Jones happened here. J-Hey and  J-UP roamed the outfield here. Release The Kimbrel happened here. Freddie Free happened here. Simba flashed some leather here. The Tomahawk Chop happened here. Comebacks happened here. Hope happened here. Heartbreak happened here. Chipper Jones happened here. #10 happened here. Chipper Jones happened here. CHIPPER JONES HAPPENED HERE. BRAVES COUNTRY PROUDLY CALLED TURNER FIELD HOME. The Ted saw it all. I urge you all to visit in the last year the Braves call it home.

The stories that place could tell. I would pay some money to hear those.

Turner Field Pre-Game by Ryan Hutchins is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.


Thank You Turner Field for giving us memories that will last a lifetime. Here's to one last run at it in 2016. Cheers.

My First Blog Post!

Hi everyone! I'd like to personally thank you if you're taking the time to read this blog of mine that I've started for one of my classes. I'm really looking forward to building an audience along with gaining blogging and writing experience. This first introductory blog post is basically going to be about me, what you may see or hear on this blog along with a couple of other things. I know right now the title of this blog is called "Hutch on Sports", and while I'm going to be talking about sports A LOT on this weekly blog, I'd also like to dab in a couple of other interests of mine and experiences I partake in. Think Grantland but a college twist on everything. I think it's going to be a lot of fun! It can be anything I want it to be and that's exciting.

Over the next several paragraphs/bullets I'm going to list some interests of mine and a little more information about myself. First and foremost I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Hutchins for those of you who don't know. I'm a senior at the University of North Florida majoring in Communications with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism. I have dreams and aspirations of working for the mouse after college. That's right: Disney World. I'd love to work in their communications department in some way, shape or form. I've already had the opportunity and experience of working there once and let me tell you it was incredible. More on that a little later.

Disney makes me who I am. I fell in love with it at a young age. There's just something about Disney World and the magic it brings to families and friends alike that just resonates with me. I'm thankful for the many trips my family took me on when I was little and even as a young adult. Going to Disney as a young adult is something truly special. You appreciate and understand everything just a little more. I wish I could go into more detail, but there's so much more to tell you all!

Sports takes up a very big part of my life. I fell in love at a very young age with a game that I was so blessed to be able to play: Baseball. Baseball was my first true love. Everything about it I can connect and relate to. If you want to find the biggest Atlanta Braves fan outside of Atlanta, you may not have to look any further. I also can't forge my love for the greatest football team on the face of the Earth: The New York Jets. They may break my heart more than any girl ever will, but damn I love Sunday's when the Green and White are playing. Basketball has grown on me as well over the years. Watching Kevin Durant in high school and even college was truly breathtaking. Some athletes just have that poetry quality. What I'm talking about is how an athlete's "game" can be a true art form. We've never seen a player at KD's size that can shoot and move the way he does. He's truly a physical phenomenon. I've been lucky enough to see him three times in person. It's breathtaking to watch. Finally, I have an inner Canadian side. Go Canucks Go! Vancouver Canucks hockey has become a passion and following of mine. Growing up in Florida you aren't really exposed to hockey a lot. It's a sport I've grown to love. The fans, the goal horns, the atmosphere. I love it all. I love everything about sports and how it brings out the best in people. My sports posts will be unbiased just for the record and here's some proof coming from a die hard NYJ fan.

Peyton Manning might be the best statistical QB from an X's and O's standpoint to ever play the position. But you are a fool, A FOOL, if at the end of the day you say he's the best of all time. Looking at everything from stats, consistency, legacy and championships... Tom Brady will go down as the best QB of all time. It's been an honor watching him play the Jets twice a year all these years.

                                        But don't think my inner Jets fan isn't dead. I.E:

Some blog posts are just going to be out there. I'll just warn you. Some posts I might talk about Star Wars. I mean, how great is that franchise? Sure Episode I & II were sub-par, but the story behind everything. Just wow. Then you have the new trilogy? Boy that's going to be exciting to watch develop.

Last year I had the opportunity to live in Orlando and attend UCF. While things didn't turn out the way I had planned, I do not regret my decision to attend there for a second. I grew up, I was on my own, I got to live with some of the greatest people I know, I introduced Disney to a whole new group of friends, I got to make so many new friends and do so many new things. I got to work for Disney... how cool is that?

But there's one thing I fell in love with towards the end of my tenure there. That thing is the Florida State League.

Minor League baseball is awesome. The Florida State League is a part of MiLB (Minor League Baseball). It is played at the Advanced A level. I'll go into this more later. During the season, I'd like to blog about my experiences at each of the different ballparks and the atmosphere they encompass. Trust me, I'll be at a stadium opening day. Once again, I'll go into this more at a later date.

So there you have it. My first blog post. I hope you guys are interested enough to check it out each week. hopefully the initial spark was created during this first post! I'm really looking forward to this experience and interacting with my readers. So before this ends go ahead and follow me on Twitter and Instagram if you haven't already!

Twitter: @TheRHutchins33
Instagram: r_hutchins33

Stay tuned, my next blog post is coming soon!