Due to heavy workloads, school, and increasing page views at our website, we will be closing out our myspace page.  We will have a facebook blog page up and our personal facebook pages (here is mine:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=869735506&ref=profile) so please add us over there.

Thanks for being our friends here and helping us grow.  You guys have been invaluable to us!

Come check out the candidates and all their stats and let us know who you would vote for and why at http://www.3guysandasportspage.com/?p=661

Just wanted to let the world know that I created a new blog called "Center of the Sports Universe" and it is dedicated to Tampa Bay sports.  You can visit it here:  http://centerofthesportsuniverse.wordpress.com/

About COTSU:

COTSU stands for "Center of the Sports Universe" and it is a sports site dedicated to the city I know and love: Tampa Bay. This site was created by Jonathan C. Mitchell (3guysandasportspage.com) to give himself a platform to blog about the sports in his city and to give links to other great Tampa Bay area sports blogs. "This city is full of incredible teams and I want to share all the happenings with the blogosphere world by writing my own posts and giving links to great sites that are dedicated to the sports in this great city I live in."

I posted the first article for the blog today and I included most of my older Tampa Bay material from my main site 3guysandasportspage.com

Just a heads up, we will not be on Myspace for much longer and we prefer to keep updates and contact through Facebook so if you have a Facebook account please join our blog network here: http://apps. facebook. com/blognetworks/blogpage. php?blogid=9008

Thank you so much for all your support and we look forward to seeing you over at Facebook!

Also, I will be starting a new blog dedicated to Tampa Bay sports only.  More news on that soon.

We all know the Rays have the best young pitching in the world. Starting in the majors, they have Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson, and Andy Sonnanstine. They have three of the top 25 prospects in all of baseball in David Price, Wade Davis, and Jake McGee. They also have guys that you may have heard of like Jeff Niemann, Chris Mason, Mitch Talbot, and Heath Rollins but the hidden gem is found in 21 year old right hander Jeremy Hellickson.

Hellickson was drafted in the 4th round out of high school in the 2005 draft and was signed for over-slot value. The extra few bucks were well spent. All he's done, now in his 3rd full season, is lead his respected leagues in various categories. He was just promoted from the Florida State League where he was leading the league in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts.

Hellickson throws three pitches that all grade above average but non as high as 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His command, in my opinion, grades at least a 60 but some scouts have it in the 50-55 range. His control is probably a 70.

His fastball sits in the 90-92 range but can go as low as 88 and as high as 93. His velocity doesn't fade late in games. His fastball has some decent movement down and in to right handers and he works off it like a professional.

His curveball is his "out pitch". According to saberscouting.com he throws a "73-75 mph loopier early-count curve with 10-to-4 slider action and a hard 77-79 mph curve that had sharper downward bite and was more of an 11-to-5 break. I'm not sure if they were two different grips/pitches or just a softer get-me-over, early-count show pitch and a harder swing-and-miss one that are the same pitch thrown two different ways for different situations." The pitch has some room to get even better and could be a 60 by the time he reaches the majors.

His changeup is very good. It probably grades as his lowest pitch, probably a 50 now with the upside of a 55. He can use it in any count and it truly keeps hitters honest.

Hellickson doesn't just have the stuff and command to be a top prospect but his stats prove he knows how to pitch.

In High-A this season he was 7-1 with 2.00 ERA with a ridiculous K/BB rate of 83/5 in 76.2 innings. Only 5 walks allowed while striking out over a batter an inning! He has only given up 64 hits in those 76.2 innings for a .224 BAA.

In his two previous seasons he has posted ERAs 2.42 and 2.67 and K/BB rates of 96/16 (78 innings) and 106/34 (111.1 innings). He has a career ERA of 2.48 and a K/BB rate of 296/56 in 272 innings pitched. Ridiculous numbers!

A lot of scouts will call him a 3 starter but I think he has 2 starter upside and I believe he can reach that potential. He has a great feel for pitching that makes some veterans jealous and he has a humble confidence and good composure on the mound.

With all the hype the top Rays pitching prospects get this kid is a buried gem. Can you imagine this kid with the Rays in 2-3 years? He could be their 5 starter! The future is bright for this kid and the filthy prospect-rich Rays.

-Jonathan C. Mitchell

Head over to 3guysandasportspage.com for many more great articles.

From 3guysandasportspage.com

The Cincinnati Reds are currently in last place in the NL Central a full seven games out of first. This Reds team is the same one that was fighting for the Wild Card last September and has made few changes and the few they have made (Volquez, Keppinger, Cueto) have worked other than the highering of Dusty Baker which has lead to other bad moves (Patterson, playing Hatteberg over Votto). Here is one move, if Baker swallows his pride, that will make them look genius: Call Jay Bruce up and stick him in RF for the next 6-10 years.

The Reds have been awful on offense and their outfield defense is very bad. Jay Bruce can help in both departments. Bruce is currently (5/16) hitting .366/.398/.662 with 8 homers, 9 doubles, 5 triples, 7 stolen bases, 33 RBI, and 27 runs scored in 145 at-bats in Triple-A while just turning the tender age of 21.

Cincinnati is currently 18th in the league in runs and could use a jolt of offense. Jay Bruce is ready, in my opinion, to step in right now and be this year's version of Ryan Braun. He is above average in RF with a cannon of an arm and he is average to slightly above in CF with a ridiculous arm for center.

The Reds need to do one of two things (both would be preferred): The first is to move Corey Patterson to the bench and use him as a defensive replacement/pinch-runner/pinch-hitter or cut him all together. This would open center up for Bruce (assuming Baker doesn't do anything stupid and play Freel or Norris Hopper over Bruce). The second would be to trade Griffey Junior for whatever you can and place Bruce in RF (his natural position).

I, personally, would do both and drop Dusty Baker like a bad habit. If the Reds do both moves it would allow for the outfield to be Dunn in left, Freel in center, and Bruce in right. The defense just improved and now covers 1.5 times the ground it did before and the offense is even better.

Jay Bruce is ready now and sitting your 1 prospect in Triple-A is a waste of time when he is ready and your team is in last place and needs a jolt.

The Reds can still catch up in the NL Central and they have to make the proper moves right now for it to happen. Call Bruce up and let him make you look good Reds.

-Jonathan C. Mitchell

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An article from 3guysandasportspage.com

We all know who David Ortiz is and his "clutch hitting" but he is playing like the "white David Ortiz" in the New Era baseball cap commercial. The Oakland A’s have given the young Travis Buck the starting gig in rightfield due to his performance as a rookie last season and the fact that he is a breakout candidate. Well, he’s playing like a Milwaukee Buck right now.

Check out the stats Travis Buck has compiled through the first 3 games of the season as the A’s leadoff hitter: 0-14 with 7 strikeouts and no walks! He has also left 8 men on base. He is striking out in 50% of his plate appearances. Of those 14 at-bats, 10 have started out with an 0-1 count. That’s what getting ahead in the count does for a pitcher.

David Ortiz, the clutchiest man of them all, is off to an 0-11 start with 1 run scored, 2 walks, but only one strikeout. He’s putting the ball in play and seeing a lot of pitches but he has left 11 (that’s right 11!) men on base. He is 0-5 with men in scoring position.

This is only the first 3 games of the season and there has been a lot of traveling between these two teams so I wouldn’t worry too much about the numbers but one does have to wonder if these are trends. Maybe Ortiz’s knee is still ailing. Maybe a sophmore slump is on the way for the young Buck. Only time will tell.

-Jonathan C. Mitchell

Please check out our website, 3guysandasportspage.com for more articles.

http://www.3guysandasportspage.com/?p=239"

Barry Bonds
Miguel Tejada
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Mike Stanton
Chuck Knoblauch
Gary Sheffield
Jason Grimsley
Mark McGwire
Brian Roberts
David Justice
Paul Lo Duca
Rondell White
David Segui
Denny Neagle
Fernando Vina
Mo Vaughn
Paul Lo Duca
Eric Gagne
Glenallen Hill
Gregg Zaun
Hal Morris
Todd Hundley
Larry Bigbie
Lenny Dykstra
Matt Herges
Kevin Brown
Mike Lansing
Steve Woodard
Ismael Valdez
Matt Williams
John Rocker
Scott Schoeneweis
Darren Holmes
Gary Matthews Jr.
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Jose Guillen
Rick Ankiel
David Bell
Paul Byrd
Jose Canseco
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Adam Piatt
Adam Riggs
Jim Pargue
Kent Merker
Chris Donnels
Gary Bennett Jr.
Brendan Donnelly
Chad Allen
Mike Bell
Bart Miadich
Stephen Randolph
Jason Christiansen
Cody McKay
Kevin Young
Todd Pratt
Phil Hiatt
Todd Williams
Ryan Franklin
F.P. Santangelo
Ron Villone
Matt Franco
Mark Carreon
Josias Manzanillo
Todd Hundley
Tim Laker
Jack Cust
Randy Velarde
Benito Santiago
Marvin Benard
Jeremy Giambi
Bobby Estella
Daniel Naulty

http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/12/13/mitchell.report.pdf"

-Jonathan C. Mitchell

http://www.3guysandasportspage.com

The Chicago Cubs made the right move by signing Japanese free agent outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to a four year deal worth an estimated $50M. The two sides have reportedly agreed on a four-year deal, but the exact dollar amount was still being worked out. Earlier media reports said that the Cubs were willing to pay the career .305 hitter between $12 million and $14 million per season.

Fukudome will slot nicely into RF and could move over to CF if Felix Pie and Sam Fuld don't cut it. My ideal lineup would have Fukudome in CF and Murton in RF giving the Cubs two hitters with good patience and plate discipline.

Fukudome is a complete player. He has above average power for a CF but average at best for a COF. He has good speed and covers a lot of ground in the outfield. His plate discipline is very good but he can rack up the strikeouts. He is exactly what the Cubs needed for their lineup. He's a mixture between Hideki Matsui and David DeJesus in my opinion. I don't think a season of .280/.360/.480 with 15-20 homers and 10-15 stolen bases is out of the question as a rookie.

Here is what the Cubs lineup could look like:

1. Soriano - LF
2. Pie - CF
3. Lee - 1B
4. Ramirez - 3B
5. Fukudome - RF
6. DeRosa - 2B
7. Soto - C
8. Theriot - SS

Here is what I think it should look like:

1. Soriano - LF
2. Fukudome - CF
3. Lee - 1B
4. Ramirez - 3B
5. Murton - RF
6. DeRosa - 2B
7. Soto - C
8. Cedeno - SS

The San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers were also rumored to have interest in Fukudome, who will likely play right field in Wrigley Field.

"I think we're all in the same boat," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said earlier Tuesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "We're hopeful that the player chooses our place."

After hitting .351 with 31 homers and 104 RBIs in 2006, Fukudome won the Most Valuable Player award in the Japanese Central League. His 2007 season was limited to 81 games due to an injury that required elbow surgery.

-Jonathan C. Mitchell
some info taken from ESPN.com news services

Heading into our week 7 matchups some of us are faced with the need for certain positions, especially if you are in a deep league.  Injuries, trades, and the dreaded words "probable", and "questionable" all seem to affect us every week.  Here are a few guys that are currently flying under the radar and could pay big dividends for your team in week 7 and some beyond. 

--> -->QB - If you are in a typical 10-team, one starting QB league then you should have your franchise guy.  For those in deep leagues that start two QBs you might want to take a look at Tim Rattay of the Cardinals.  He has weapons:  Larry Fitzgerald, Edgerrin James, and he gets Anquan Boldin back this week.  He did awesome at the end of 2006 in Tampa Bay with way less weapons.  If you are in a huge pinch then you might to take a look at Trent Edwards of Buffalo.

RB - Michael Bennett been picked up in most leagues because we all love any RB that is slated to start.  Bennett was traded to Tampa Bay and will get the majority of the carries possibly this week but definitely by week 8.  He still has the ability to break for a 72-yard TD at any point but he needs some consistency.  He is a very good option for those of us hurting in the RB position.  Another name I would keep an eye on is the Jets' Leon Washington.  Washington has already returned two kickoffs for TDs and if there is an injury to Thomas Jones (we all know he's due), then Washington will get the carries.  He is also a very good receiving back for those of you who have reception leagues.

WR - Chris Chambers was just traded to the Chargers this week.  That leaves a huge opening for the Miami Dolphins at WR.  Marty Booker is the veteran and, when healthy, he get you a lot of receptions.  The person that I would take a flier on is Derek Hagan.  He is possibly faster than Ted Ginn Jr. and runs better routes.  His combination of blazing speed and his size remind me of a young Santana Moss.  I think Hagan could emerge as one of the best deep threats and a potential diamond in the rough.  Also take a flier on Denver's Brandon Stokley.  With Javon Walker out he is the 2 guy and should get a fair amount of catches.  Kevin Walter of Houston is getting a lot of receptions in the absence of Andre Johnson.  If you don't get points for reception then avoid him but if you do you could get double digit points from Walter.

TE - Tightends are a little harder to evaluate if there aren't any injuries to starters.  I would keep a watchful eye on the Jaguars' Mercedes Lewis.  He is finally showing the talent he showed when he proved he was worthy of a 1st round draft pick for Jax.  Vernon Davis is coming off of injury and he should be in full force.  If he's available as a free agent and you have room then grab him before he breaks out.

Other guys that you should think about buying low on:  Reggie Brown (WR - PHI), Lee Evans (WR - BUF), Drew Brees (QB - NO), Steven Jackson (RB - STL), Hines Ward (WR - PIT), Marc Bulger (QB - STL)

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Come check out who our writers picked for the 2007 MLB Awards.  MVP, Cy Young, R.O.Y., Manager of Year, Comeback Player, and World Series Prediction.

Also check out these two new articles by Charlie Nehl: NLDS Preview - Cubs vs. Diamondbacks.  And by Mike McGinnis: ALDS Preview - Yankees vs. Indians. See who they predict to win and why. Also, vote on who you think will win.

Click the links below to check out our predictions on everything Football!

Our Writer's 2007 Season Predictions

AFC East by Mike McGinnis

AFC North by Mike McGinnis

NFC North by Mike McGinnis

NFC West by Mike McGinnis

Michael Vick's Career by Michael A. Hall

ACC Predictions by Buddy Wood