POTpourri

• The CONCACAF region has had a great World Cup!
• You were doing so well Pope Francis, please reconsider.  
• You want better roads and infrastructure?  Stop electing Republicans. 
• Vanderbilt wins the 2014 College World Series.  
• Are the plutocrats overplaying their hands?  Perhaps. 
• My only real issue with the World Cup is all of the flopping.  It's embarrassing the sport.
• Nicole Scherzinger is still looking mighty fine. 
• Would anyone really be happy living in a Teatopia?  
• RIP Eli Wallach, Salwa Bughaighis & Howard Baker. 
• My thoughts and prayers go out to Gino Odjick.  
• Lost amidst the faux IRS scandal is the fact the the Tea Party groups deserved IRS scrutiny.  
• Isn't it somewhat hypocritical that the SCOTUS is opposed to buffer zones? 
• If you're okay with your employer stealing your wages, you're probably a Republican. 
• Diane Sawyer steps down as head anchor at ABC News. 
• Is going Carbon Negative our only hope?  Is it even possible? 
• Kevin Love not traded, now what? 
• Is American capitalism in profound trouble?  Perhaps. 
• Hottest fans of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?  
• Apparently recess appointments are only allowed by Republican Presidents. 
• Bill Maher rightfully calls out the Religious Right.  

Warmongers?

Why does the mainstream media take the opinions of these people seriously?

Republican Agenda?

Can someone help me, I'm trying to figure out what the agenda is for the current crop of Republicans.  From what I can tell, here are a few of their top priorities:

• Gin up outrage over faux conspiracies. 
• Obstruct President Obama. 
• Repeal Obamacare.  Still.  
• Destroy the powers of unions.  To our peril. 
• Get us into any war, anywhere.  
• Obstruct / Eliminate minimum wage laws. 
• Eliminate paid sick time. 
• More tax cuts for the wealthy. 
• Crack down on drilling protestors. 
• Squelch oversight of Fracking. 
• Legislate abortion into non-existence. 
• Oppose any and all LGBT rights acts.
• Kill jobs.  
• Hope for bad news.  

I haven't heard anything about actual governing, or creating jobs, or fixing our aging infrastructure, or moving the country forward, why would anyone vote for this agenda?   It puzzles me to no end.  

Aaron Ekblad 1st Pick of NHL Draft

Aaron Ekblad was selected number 1 overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2014 NHL Draft.



The Arizona Coyotes used their number 1 pick (#12 overall) on Brendan Perlini.
The Minnesota Wild used their number 1 pick (#18 overall) on Alex Tuch.

Andrew Wiggins 1st Pick of NBA Draft

Andrew Wiggins was selected #1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 NBA Draft.



The Minnesota Timberwolves used their number 1 pick (#13 overall) on Zach LaVine.

The Phoenix Suns used their number 1 pick (#14 overall) on T.J. Warren.
With their second pick of the first round (#18 overall), the Suns selected Tyler Ennis.
With their third pick of the first round (#27 overall), the Suns selected Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Kevin Love

Being a Minnesota Timberwolves fan, yes there are a few of us left, I think that it's about time that I give my opinion about the Kevin Love situation.  Scumbag move in my opinion.  There's a reason that the NBA keeps losing popularity, people are getting sick of overpaid, prima-donna's like Kevin Love.  Boo-hoo I haven't won a ring, boo-hoo I haven't been in the playoffs, boo-hoo the world owes me.  What a freaking crybaby, perhaps he should take a long look in the mirror, great leaders push their teammates to be better, great leaders hit clutch baskets when it counts, great leaders don't call out their teammates, great leaders don't need to surround themselves with other prima-donna's.  He's getting paid handsomely to play a game for crying out loud, nobody, and I mean nobody, should feel bad for Kevin Love because he hasn't been in the playoffs, he's living a damn good life, even playing for the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves.  It's also not like the Timberwolves aren't getting closer to the playoffs, they improved by 9 games last season, if they do that again next season, and there is no reason to believe that they can't, they'll be in the playoffs.  Wouldn't you also think that the satisfaction of elevating the lowly Timberwolves from annual lottery hell to annual playoff contender would be much greater than the satisfaction of being a complimentary part of some handpicked superstar laden team, where is the dignity in that after all?   One final though, stop shitting on your fans NBA superstars, it's not helping the sport!!!

World Cup Bite

Just when you think you've seen everything.

AZ Tidbits

• Arizona Diamondbacks release relief pitcher J.J. Putz. 
• Wow, Arizona Schools Superintendent John Huppenthal is an internet troll!  
• Arizona State University hires Tracy Smith as head baseball coach. 
• Arizona business leaders seem impressed by Fred DuVal.  
• Is that Arizona State Fair really one of the nations best??
• Anger grows at Arizona's bullying border patrol.  
• Why haven't I been to Havasu Falls?   
• Congressional candidate 'Cesar Chavez' removed from ballot.  
• Arizona reports worst job loses in May since 2009.  
• The UFC is coming to Phoenix in December. 
• Kurt Warner is set to join the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor. 
• Hockey participation is growing at a very fast rate in Arizona. 
• Shouldn't you live in the district you represent?   Seems logical. 
• Water cutbacks in Arizona?  It's only a matter of time. 
• Why is Fox News angry with the Arizona Daily Sun?  
• Arizona Cardinals training camp schedule released.  "Hard Knocks"?  
• Buffalo Wild Wings loses sponsorship to Tempe Bowl game.  
• Are the Arizona Cardinals donating to a Conservative Super PAC?  
• Scottsdale named a Top City for Foodies.  
• Money Magazine ranks Arizona as one of five worst state economies.  
• "Biker Battleground Phoenix" reality show set to debut on the History Channel. 

Renee Somerfield

Absolutely gorgeous!

TPSG 2014 NBA Mock Draft 2.0

The 2014 NBA Draft is on Thursday, that means that it's time for an updated mock draft!   So here goes, TPSG 2014 NBA Mock Draft version 2.0:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Andrew Wiggins - SF - Kansas
2. Milwaukee Bucks - Jabari Parker - SF/PF - Duke 
3. Philadelphia 76ers - Joel Embiid - C - Kansas
4. Orlando Magic - Dante Exum - PG- Australia
5. Utah Jazz - Noah Vonleh - PF - Indiana
6. Boston Celtics - Marcus Smart - PG - Oklahoma St
7. Los Angeles Lakers - Julius Randle - PF - Kentucky 
8. Sacramento Kings - Aaron Gordon - PF - Arizona
9. Charlotte Hornets - Doug McDermott - SF - Creighton
10. Philadelphia 76ers - Nik Stauskas - OG - Michigan
11. Denver Nuggets - Dario Saric - PF/SF - Croatia
12. Orlando Magic - Rodney Hood - SF - Duke
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Adreian Payne - PF - Michigan St
14. Phoenix Suns - Gary Harris - OG - Michigan St
15. Atlanta Hawks - Kyle Anderson - SF - UCLA
16. Chicago Bulls - James Young - SF - Kentucky
17. Boston Celtics - T.J. Warren - SF - North Carolina S
18. Phoenix Suns - Jerami Grant - SF - Syracuse
19. Chicago Bulls - Tyler Ennis - PG - Syracuse
20. Toronto Raptors - Elfrid Payton - PG - Louisiana-Lafayette
21. Oklahoma City Thunder - Zach LaVine - PG/SG - UCLA
22. Memphis Grizzlies - P.J. Hairston - OG - USA 
23. Utah Jazz - Glenn Robinson III - SF - Michigan
24. Charlotte Hornets - Cleanthony Early - SF - Wichita St
25. Houston Rockets - Shabazz Napier - PG - Connecticut 
26. Miami Heat - Semaj Christon - PG - Xavier
27. Phoenix Suns - Clint Capela - PF - Switzerland
28. Los Angeles Clippers - Vasilije Micic - PG - Serbia
29. Oklahoma City Thunder - Jordan Clarkson - PG/OG - Missouri
30. San Antonio Spurs - Markel Brown - OG - Oklahoma St

Joel Embid's foot injury has shaken up the top of the draft, he could very well drop out of the top 3, I doubt he falls past the Lakers at number 7 though.  The Timberwolves pick will be highly dependent upon what happens with Kevin Love, regardless they could use another power forward, and they reportedly like Payne a lot, if Stauskas or McDermott fall to them though I'm guessing they'd go that direction, Hood & Young are also intriguing possibilities.  I'm not sure that Gary Harris is the best fit for the Suns but he would be too good to pass up at that point, I think they like Stauskas too along with wings Hood, Young & Warren.  I also think they will pick a Euro stash player at either 18 or 27 so that they are not bringing in 3 rookies next season.

***Edit ***Actual picks can be found here. 

POTpourri

• The San Antonio Spurs win the 2014 NBA Championship. 
• Martin Kaymer wins 2014 U.S. Open Golf tournament. 
• The Los Angeles Kings win the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup.  
• It's good to see that soccer loving Brazillian's have their priorities right.  
• If this video doesn't get you ready for the World Cup nothing will. 
• RIP Tony Gwynn, Chuck Noll & Casey Kasem. 
• Could the 2022 World Cup move from Qatar to the United States? 
• Coca-Cola is coming out with a Stevia sweetened cola called Coca-Cola Life. 
• You cannot go wrong with a Nina Agdal GIF.  
• It was not a good week for the Republican criminal syndicate. 
• Why would anyone want Dick Cheney's opinion on Iraq?  Or anything? 
• A late night talk show for Netflix?  That's intriguing.  
• Cleveland Cavaliers hire David Blatt as head coach.  Nice bold move by the Cavs!
• Kevin McCarthy takes over for Eric Cantor as U.S. House Majority leader. 
• The Charlotte Hornets have new uniforms.  Blah. 
• Please watch this clip before trusting Bill Kristol's foreign policy opinions. 
• The Washington Redskins have their trademark patent cancelled. 
• What has gotten into Megyn Kelly lately?  I like it!  Props to her!
• I like when Lauren Stoner hits the beach!  It really brightens my summer!
• George Will should probably stop talking about rape at this point.  

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1994

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1994:

1. Forrest Gump - Tom Hanks, Gary Sinese
2. Pulp Fiction - John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson
3. The Shawshank Redemption - Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman
4. Leon: The Professional - Jean Reno, Natalie Portman
5. Speed - Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock
6. Dumb & Dumber - Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels
7. Hoop Dreams - William Gates, Arthur Agee
8. Natural Born Killers - Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis
9. Quiz Show - John Turturro, Ralph Fiennes
10. Exotica - Mia Kirshner, Bruce Greenwood

"Forrest Gump" is one of my all time favorite movies, Tom Hanks is wonderful in this one.  John Travolta's career was resurrected by "Pulp Fiction", and that Samuel L Jackson speech!!!   I loved "Shawshank Redemption" too, it's so smart and poignant for a prison movie.  "Leon: The Professional" was my first exposure to Luc Besson and Jean Reno, and Natalie Portman is terrific as Reno's young apprentice.  "Speed" is non-stop action, it's a ton of fun, the chemistry between Reeves and Bullock was surprisingly effective too.  I have rarely laughed at a movie and much as I did with "Dumb & Dumber", it's a riot.  "Hoop Dreams" just may be the best documentary I have ever seen.  The violence of "Natural Born Killers" is off the charts, this one will stay with you for awhile.  "Quiz Show" is a great story and has a tremendous cast. "Exotica" is actually a good movie that centers around a strip club, you don't get that often.

Jon Stewart On Iraq & GOP

Funny stuff, perhaps the major networks should take note.

The Daily Show

Godzilla

Godzilla - starring Bryan Cranston & Aaron Taylor-Johnson.  I finally got a chance to catch this one, I honestly wasn't too impressed.  I actually enjoyed much of the early going, the character development, the foretelling of things to come but the end really blew it for me, it took on too much of a Pacific Rim/Transformers/Battleship tone with all the destruction, completely ridiculous action scenes and closing fight scene that goes on for what seems forever.  The 2 hour running time was also way too much.  The special effects were good though, and I assume it would have looked even better had I seen it in 3-D.  Unless you are a Godzilla freak, I honestly wouldn't even recommend a DVD rental on this one, there are better ways to spend 2 hours in my opinion.

I will give it 2 out of 5 stars (*****).

AZ Tidbits

• No legalized marijuana on the Arizona 2014 ballot. 
• Phoenix named one of six finalists for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.  
• Should the Suns offer Goran Dragic or Eric Bledsoe as part of a deal for Kevin Love?
• Apparently, Mesa is one of the Most Boring big cities in America.  
• Yes, Phoenix does have a Comicon convention every year. 
• You can find a full breakdown of the Arizona Cardinals here. 
• The Fiesta Bowl is losing Tostitos as their sponsor.  
• Is Scott Smith too competent to win the Arizona Gubernatorial nomination?
• RIP Sidney Bedoni. 
• Tim Esmay steps down as head baseball coach at Arizona State.
• More off season value shopping for the Phoenix Coyotes? 
• Ex-Fiesta Bowl CEO John Junker set to begin prison term.  
• Have you seen the Arizona Diamondbacks Fourth of July cap?  
• Arizona man arrested for shooting at the moon.  WTF? 
• The Suns P.J. Tucker will listen to free agent offers from other teams.  
• Gilbert, AZ craft brewer named Best New Brewery in the World. 
• Arizona is apparently one of the Most Stressed Out States. 
• I would not want the job of cleaning the Grand Canyon Skywalk.  
• Arizona's Top 150 high school football prospects can be found here. 
• Starbucks teams with Arizona State University to offer online college program to workers.

Yoenis Cespedes

Nice throw Yoenis Cespedes!

USMNT

The USMNT kicks off their World Cup tomorrow against Ghana!  I couldn't be more excited.  I realize that the U.S. is in the dreaded group of death and I realize that even Jurgen Klinsmann realizes that they are a long shot in this World Cup, but I'm still looking forward to it.  There are a number of reasons for this too:

1. The sport really does finally seem to be growing in the U.S., it's a slow grow but it's getting there. 
2. In Jurgen Klinsmann, the U.S. finally has a world class head coach. 
3. Even without Landon Donovan, this is perhaps the best USMNT team ever. 
4. The U.S. has been playing a much more aggressive fun to watch style of play under Klinsmann.
5. Mexico & Costa Rica have already won games, perhaps the CONCACAF is highly underrated.
6. Netherlands reminded everyone not to get too caught up in the FIFA rankings.

That Ghana game tomorrow is crucial for the U.S., it will be their most winnable game of this World Cup, a loss would be disastrous with games against Germany and Portugal still to come.  A little payback would be sweet too.  Go USA!

John McCain War Monger

I think that it's time he walk off into the sunset.

POTpourri

• President Obama has been a phenomenal success! 
• Oil and Gas companies have made Louisiana their bitch. 
• Rafael Nadal & Maria Sharapova win 2014 French Open Tennis titles. 
• Minnesota Timberwolves name Flip Saunders as head coach. 
• RIP Don Zimmer, Bob Welch & Rik Mayall. 
• Watching all the contortions of the right wing with regards to Sgt Bergdahl has been a hoot. 
• Minnesota Twins sign free agent Kendrys Morales. 
• Isn't it about time that the U.S. stops subsidizing Walmart? 
• Are you aware that Kendall Jenner is now 18?  
• Please take Republican complaints about the economy with a grain of salt. 
• China agrees to limit their carbon emissions.  
• Once again, horse racing has no Triple Crown winner.  
• Eric Cantor shocked in House primary election.  Rightfully so. 
• Candice Swanepoel in black leather pants is a sight to behold!
• At what point do we start to hold right wing pundits accountable for their words? 
• Eiza Gonzalez really impressed me in "From Dusk Till Dawn".  
• Obamacare seems to be doing alright for itself!  Sorry GOP! 
• Derek Fisher named head coach of the New York Knicks.  
• Why are we paying companies to move their jobs and profits overseas? 
• Concentrated ownership of our media is becoming more than a little troubling. 

Dumb and Dumber To

Opens November 14, 2014!!!  I can't wait!!!

Boehner 2014 Agenda

It goes something like this:

• Do Nothing.
• Block Everything.
• Hope for Bad News. 
• Bloviate. Bloviate. Bloviate. 

Just saying.  

John Oliver on FIFA

More good stuff from John Oliver.



Speaking of the World Cup, I'll go with Brazil to take the Cup!

TPSG 2014 NBA Mock Draft 1.0

The NBA season is wrapping up, that means that we are getting closer to the 2014 NBA Draft, that also means it's time for a mock!   So here goes, TPSG 2014 NBA Mock Draft version 1.0:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Joel Embiid - C - Kansas
2. Milwaukee Bucks - Andrew Wiggins - SF - Kansas
3. Philadelphia 76ers - Jabari Parker - SF/PF - Duke 
4. Orlando Magic - Marcus Smart - PG - Oklahoma St
5. Utah Jazz - Dante Exum - PG- Australia
6. Boston Celtics - Aaron Gordon - PF - Arizona
7. Los Angeles Lakers - Julius Randle - PF - Kentucky 
8. Sacramento Kings - Noah Vonleh - PF - Indiana
9. Charlotte Hornets - Doug McDermott - SF - Creighton
10. Philadelphia 76ers - Gary Harris - OG - Michigan St
11. Denver Nuggets - Dario Saric - PF/SF - Croatia
12. Orlando Magic - James Young - OG - UCLA
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Adreian Payne - PF - Michigan St
14. Phoenix Suns - Nik Stauskas - OG - Michigan
15. Atlanta Hawks - Kyle Anderson - SF - UCLA
16. Chicago Bulls - Rodney Hood - SF - Duke
17. Boston Celtics - Zach LaVine - PG/SG - UCLA
18. Phoenix Suns - Tyler Ennis - PG - Syracuse
19. Chicago Bulls - Jerami Grant - SF - Syracuse
20. Toronto Raptors - T.J. Warren - SF - North Carolina St
21. Oklahoma City Thunder - Elfrid Payton - PG - Louisiana-Lafayette
22. Memphis Grizzlies - Shabazz Napier - PG - Connecticut
23. Utah Jazz - Glenn Robinson III - SF - Michigan
24. Charlotte Hornets - Cleanthony Early - SF - Wichita St
25. Houston Rockets - Jordan Clarkson - PG/OG - Missouri
26. Miami Heat - Clint Capela - PF - Switzerland
27. Phoenix Suns - Semaj Christon - PG - Xavier
28. Los Angeles Clippers - Vasilije Micic - PG - Serbia
29. Oklahoma City Thunder - P.J. Hairston - OG - USA
30. San Antonio Spurs - Markel Brown - OG - Oklahoma St

It's still early, it could change considerably come draft day.  First, the Kevin Love situation needs to resolve itself.  The needs and the draft picks of the teams involved in a Kevin Love trade would most certainly change based upon the outcome of said trade.  Second, the Suns currently hold 3 first round picks, I don't see them taking 3 players, 1-2 of those picks will most likely be shipped elsewhere (Kevin Love?  Al Horford? or whoever else may be available).  Third, the Nuggets are reportedly shopping their first round pick (number 11 overall), a change at number 11 could throw the entire second third of the draft off.  

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1995

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1995:

1. Braveheart - Mel Gibson, James Robinson
2. Casino - Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci
3. Se7en - Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman
4. Heat - Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro
5. The Usual Suspects - Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin
6. Leaving Las Vegas - Nicholas Cage, Elizabeth Shue
7. Apollo 13 - Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon
8. Twelve Monkeys - Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt
9. Crimson Tide - Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman
10. Tommy Boy - Chris Farley, David Spade

1995 was a great year for the movies, one of the best ever if you ask me.  "Braveheart" could very well be Mel Gibson's best film, and yes, he has made some very good films.  "Casino" is a great mob movie, DeNiro and Pesci make for great mobsters, Sharon Stone gave a very strong performance also.  "Se7en" is one of the all time great psychological thrillers, I'm still shocked by it's ending even after all these years.  "Heat" could very well be the best bank heist movie ever, I loved this one, great cast, great acting, great story, non-stop action, just a great movie.  Speaking of endings, it doesn't get much better than Keyser Soze in "The Usual Suspects".  Nicholas Cage gave his best performance in "Leaving Las Vegas", it's quite haunting.  "Apollo 13" is a fantastic movie with a fantastic cast, the fact that's it's based upon a true story only makes it more astounding.  "Twelve Monkeys" did a great job of mixing the sci-fi and pandemic genres.  I love submarine movies and "Crimson Tide" is a great submarine movie.  Screw the critics, "Tommy Boy" is the quintessential Chris Farley movie, I dare you to try to sit through this one and not laugh out loud.

Alexandra Markina

Perfection!  It doesn't get much better than this!

AZ Tidbits

• Cardinals LB Darryl Washington suspended for the entire 2014 season?
• Why are undocumented aliens being dropped off in Arizona? 
• Arizona abortion restrictions remain blocked. 
• The University of Arizona extends the contracts of Rich Rodriguez & Sean Miller. 
• Are you looking for a luxury hotel in Scottsdale? 
• Diamondbacks A.J. Pollock out 8 weeks with a broken hand. 
• Arizona State extends the contract of Todd Graham. 
• Why won't Arizona comply with the anti-prison rape rules? 
• Arizona has among the steepest cuts under new EPA carbon emission rules. 
• Former Arizona Republican candidate changes name and party to run for congress.  
• Arizona Cardinals sign free agent LB Ernie Sims.  
• Bourbon Street is still one of my favorite spots in all of Arizona. 
• Five Arizona companies make the Fortune 500 list. 
• Arizona residents among the least happy with air quality. 
• Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic named to All NBA 3rd team. 
• Arizona still very much in the running for the new proposed Tesla plant. 
• Phoenix ranked number 2 in the nation for House Flipping. 
• Hinduism is apparently very big in Arizona. 
• I really don't want a birther as Arizona Governor.  
• Arizona newspaper accuses John McCain of slow response to VA crisis.

Brady Aiken First Pick of MLB Draft

Brady Aiken, LHP, Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, CA was the number 1 overall pick of the 2014 MLB Draft today.

You can find the compete MLB draft tracker here.

High school SS Nick Gordon went to the Twins at number 5, the Diamondbacks meanwhile selected Touki Toussaint at number 16.

Round 1 analysis here.

John Oliver on Net Neutrality

Good stuff by John Oliver!

POTpourri

• Walter White lives!  At least on "Better Call Saul".  
• Kate Upton tops the Zoo Hot 101 List.  Debatable. 
• Ted Cruz wins Republican straw poll.  That's great news for Democrats. 
• Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the 2014 Indianapolis 500.  
• Candice Swanepoel tops Maxim's Hot 100 List.  Good call!
• These ramblings of a mad man are quite disturbing. 
• Michelle Lewin looks really amazing in a bikini.  
• The case for the Timberwolves retaining Kevin Love is quite strong.  
• Svetlana Bilyaova just may be the hottest woman you've never heard of. 
• "Sharknado 2" set to air July 31st on the Syfy Channel.  
• I'm not sure that I agree with the plan to leave Landon Donovan off the USMNT.
• You can't help but to like Belle Knox even more after reading this.
• RIP Ann B Davis, Maya Angelou & Matthew Saad Muhammad.
• Jessica Alba is really looking milf-tastic these days!
• Is Edward Snowden a traitor or a hero?  
• I wish Jim Carrey had given my college commencement speech!
• Apparently, the Republican Party is okay with wage theft. 
• I've decided that I really, really like Russian women!!!
• $2 billion for the Los Angeles Clippers?  That is wrong on so many levels.
• Props to Seattle and their $15 minimum wage!

Twins 2014 Draft Thoughts

The 2014 MLB Draft is on Thursday.  Being a Twins fan, and given that the Twins have the 5th overall selection in the draft, I have been paying pretty close attention to some of the top prospects available this year.  From everything that I've heard and read, there are about 6 players who seemed to have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, I'm guessing the Twins wind up with one of those 6.

Here's how I think the Twins rank those 6:

1. Brady Aiken - LHP - Cardif By The Sea, California HS
2. Carlos Rodon - LHP - North Carolina State
3. Tyler Kolek - RHP - Sheppard, Texas HS 
4. Nick Gordon - SS - Windermere, Florida HS 
5. Aaron Nola - RHP - Louisiana State
6. Alex Jackson - C - Escondido, California HS

In my opinion, Aiken is the top player in this draft, there is no way he get's past 4 other teams and drops to the Twins at number 5.  He's tall, he's lean, he's left handed, his fastball hits the mid 90's and as he develops he could add several mph's to that, he's also got a nice breaking ball and a very good change up, and most importantly he's got an easy motion that doesn't put a lot of strain on his arm.  The only reason I could see for the Astros to pass on him with the top pick is that they would prefer someone who is closer to being ready (i.e. Rodon).

Speaking of Rodon, if the draft was last fall, Rodon would have been the clear number 1 pick, he had a stellar Sophomore year at N.C. State.  As a Junior, he struggled some early but came on strong towards the end of the year.  His fast ball sits in the mid 90's, and he's also got a nice hard slider and a decent change up, he's also left handed which adds to his value.  He could go anywhere from 1-6 in the draft, I would expect top 2 though.  I doubt that he lasts to the Twins selection at number 5, but I would hope that the Twins would pick him if he did, he's got top of the rotation potential.

Tyler Kolek has the most electric arm in the draft, his fastball has been clocked at 100 mph.  He simply overpowered his high school competition.  He without a doubt has top of the rotation potential.  Picking a hard throwing right-handed high school pitcher does come with some risks though, mainly can his arm hold up over the long haul.  There have also been some concerns about his control and the quality of his secondary pitches, I would think he would be worth the risk if he drops to the Twins at number 5 though, how often do you get the chance to add an arm like that to your system?

From what I can tell, the Twins rank Nick Gordon as the top position player in the draft, he's a smooth fielding shortstop with a great pedigree (his father is Tom Gordon, his brother is Dee Gordon).  If there are questions about Gordon, it's his offense and how it translates to tougher competition.  From all reports though, he has gotten much bigger and stronger over the past year and was driving the ball regularly this past season.  The big question with Gordon to me is if his upside is high enough to warrant the 5th overall pick in the draft.  Given that the Twins are fairly deep in starting pitchers in their system and given that they used their top pick last year on a high school pitcher, I would expect that Gordon is the Twins pick this year (if he's available and if the 3 pitchers mentioned above are all gone as expected).

Aaron Nola in my opinion is the most intriguing name in this draft.  Scouts say he has 4 good pitches, and knows how to pitch better than any pitcher in the draft, they also say he could possibly be the quickest draft pick to reach the major leagues, but, they also say none of his 4 pitches are outstanding and his upside is just that of a middle of the rotation starting pitcher.  The question then becomes, how do you value a guy like that?   Think of it as the difference between Justin Verlander and Mike Leake, both were top 10 draft picks, both are solid major leaguers and both have been for quite some time, but if you had to win one game who would you rather have on the mound?   Obviously, it would be Verlander, and Aaron Nola is much more like Mike Leake than Justin Verlander, that doesn't mean Nola would be a bad pick, it just means you probably won't be getting a future Cy Young Award winner with him (and when drafting someone number 5 overall, that is something you'd like to think would be a possibility).  All that being said, I like Nola, I think his stuff is much better than it's being given credit for, he's an incredibly polished pitcher, his fastball is up to the mid 90's and it has lots of movement to it, mix in his secondary stuff and his poise on the mound and I think you've got a pretty good pitcher who could eventually fit into the top of a rotation, I wouldn't be at all upset to see the Twins draft him.

Alex Jackson is the other name I see on the top of most prospect lists, he appears to have the best bat in the draft and given his catching skills, I've been hearing Bryce Harper comparisons for him, that's not a bad guy to be compared to.  I could be wrong, but I haven't heard much steam around him where the Twins are concerned, which is a bit surprising given the dearth of top catching prospects in their system.  There is also some talk that he could be moved to a corner OF spot or perhaps even 3B, especially if it means a quicker route to the major leagues.  From the sounds of it he will probably be going in the top 4 so it's unlikely he'll be around for the Twins anyways.  One last note with Jackson, he's represented by Scott Boros, that's not a good thing, at least as far as the Twins are concerned.

I'm going to throw 2 more possibilities out there for the Twins, just in case they want to try to get a guy for under slot money or if perhaps the top of the draft doesn't break the way they'd like (i.e. Aiken, Rodon, Kolek & Gordon all going in the top 4 and they are perhaps not sold on Nola or Jackson at number 5).  The 2 guys I could see the Twins select at number 5 would be Touki Toussaint & Sean Newcomb.  Both of them have top of the rotation stuff, both will be going in the top half of the first round whether drafted by the Twins or not, either may also be willing to take less than the 5th slot money to sign which would free up money for the Twins to use later on in the draft.

I can't wait!  Draft days are always fun regardless of the sport.  For all I know, the Twins probably wont' even pick any of the guys I listed, that's what makes drafts so fun.  Once again, I predict Nick Gordon to the Twins with the 5th overall pick!  Book it!

For the record, I readily admit, I'm not scout, I'm just a lifelong baseball fanatic.  My opinions are based upon:  1) what people who are much smarter than me are saying about these guys, 2) performance, 3) measurable, 4) projectability and 5) video evidence (thank God for YouTube!!!).  

Obama Carbon Regulations

It's a good start!  More needs to be done though!