The Dugout - July 31

Welcome to the inaugural edition of 'The Dugout' - a weekly update on the US sporting scene. Like 'The Bench' over in the NRL section, only American. Hence the name. You geddit? 'Dugout'? Aw forget it.

First up this week: Chicago White Sox pitching ace Jake Peavy has been traded to Boston in a three team deal also including Detroit. Tigers get Jose Iglesias, White Sox get Avisail Garcia and a couple of Red Sox prospects, while Peavy trades his White Sox in for Red ones. This is a huge boost for the Boston rotation as they try to hold off Tampa Bay and the Yankees down the stretch. Peavy, who is contracted through next year with an option for 2015, was 8-4 for the season for Chicago with a 4.28 ERA. He is a three time all-star, who has impressed pitching in what is considered a hitter’s ballpark in Chicago. The MLB trade deadline expires at the exact conclusion of the month of July, check back tomorrow for all the late deals and reaction.

Elsewhere, Brian Wilson (not the same guy from the Beach Boys) has signed a 1 year deal with the LA Dodgers as he tries to restart his career after serious injury. Wilson had 171 saves as San Francisco closer, and played a key role in the 2010 World Series, but hasn’t pitched since the start of the 2012 season. Most people will recognise him by the more-than-notable beard that he sports. It is a very fine beard...

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The Needle and the Damage Done: How Drug Cheat Ryan Braun Deceived Us All

If you didn’t catch the big news from Major League Baseball this week, Milwaukee star and former MVP Ryan Braun has been suspended for the remainder of this season, a total of 65 games, in yet another embarrassing steroid saga for the sport. We’re continually told that the steroid era is over, that these scumrats can’t get away with it any longer, but the dark shadow of PEDs still lingers like a bad smell. Players all stress that they’d rather these highly publicised scandals than nothing, because it means that the cheats are being smoked out, but it’s still a dagger to the heart of a great sport. The MLB needs to be commended for their efforts here, but as Mike the Cleaner would have said, “No more half measures”. 65 games is a slap on the wrist for this guy.

Ryan Braun is a superstar in baseball. He was the National League MVP in 2011, Rookie of the Year in 2007. He led the league in home runs last season. Plus he’s always been a really likeable guy, an All-American type, much sought after endorser; “The Hebrew Hammer” is an icon in the Jewish and Wisconsin communities. He even opened restaurant with Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (probably the only current sportsman in Wisconsin more popular than himself). Like any top ball player since the steroid era, he was often the subject of doping talks, which he vehemently and confidently denied. Then in 2012 he was banned for 50 games for PED use. Not many saw that coming...

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The Young and the Relentless: Baseball's New Generation of Superstars

The All Star break has arrived for Major League Baseball, a time to reflect on the wonderful performances and achievements of the first half of the season; from breakthrough stars to established legends still at their peak. These are players that make America’s pastime what it is. And after all, who doesn't enjoy baseball? Because if you didn’t like Moneyball, you loved Bull Durham, and if not Bull Durham, then The Natural, or The Sandlot, or Angels in the Outfield, or A League of their Own, or Field of Dreams, and so on and so forth and etc. Anyway, right now I want to focus on the breakout stars. Because right now we have a core group of them that are set to reinvigorate the world of baseball for years to come.

Every now and then a selection of rookies emerges into the top grade that will set the tone for a generation of superstars. The 1984 NFL draft pool is one such example, the 2003 NBA draft pool another. Baseball is experiencing this at the moment, with a number of 20-22 year old players breaking through into the majors and not just playing well, but absolutely dominating players whom they no doubt grew up watching and admiring. And it’s not just the pure ability of these guys that is so amazing, but the breadth of their abilities. Outfielders Mike Trout (LA Angels) and Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) are leading the pack...

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Flying Kiwis: Steven Adams' Orlando Summer League Report

Steven Adams got his first taste of NBA basketball this week, playing for Oklahoma City's Summer League team. The Summer League is very much a developmental competition, with rosters full of rookies, D-League players and free agents. Nonetheless, 7 of the past 8 NBA Rookies of the Year plied their trade in Summer League play before their breakout seasons. OKC went on to win the Orlando tourney (there is another one in Vegas, with different teams, currently in progress), but we're gonna look specifically at Steven Adams, and what he can take out of this first major step towards NBA success.

The draft pick that OKC used to pick Adams was one of three acquired from Houston in the James Harden trade, which most Thunder fans will tell you is starting to look like an absolute bust for them. For the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year (plus change) OKC got back Kevin Martin (now a free agent), Jeremy Lamb, Steven Adams, and two future non-lottery draft picks. So, besides Lamb, Adams is the best chance that Oklahoma City have of salvaging that trade.

Luckily, Adams has all of the natural abilities needed to be a success as an NBA centre. He is very tall, around 7 foot depending on the source, and has an enormous 7'5" wingspan. He is also an above average athlete for a big guy, who can run the floor. These natural advantages make him a valuable project player, although more technical areas of his game need some refinement before he can be a full time contributor in the big time. OKC have their share of centres right now, so this is no issue for them. They will look to develop Adams into...

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The Future Ain't What It Used To Be: How Dwight Howard Just Ruined The Lakers

The biggest stage show of the NBA offseason concluded as many predicted this weekend when the league’s premier big man Dwight Howard eventually announced his intentions to sign with the Houston Rockets. In the space of two years, and thanks to two huge deals (the first being the trade with OKC for James Harden in 2012), those Houston Rockets have gone from a nothing team of nobodies to a contending team of stars. But just as quickly as the Rockets climbed the ladder of expectations, the Los Angeles Lakers came tumbling back down it.

A recurring theme in the NBA at this time seems to be the transition from one era to the next, as a generation of aging stars look for one last shot at glory. The Dallas Mavericks have seen an almost complete player turnover since their championship in a failed attempt to draw in an elite talent for Dirk Nowitski to pass the torch to. The Boston Celtics simply dumped a bunch of franchise legends as they look to make the transition into the future. The Lakers thought they’d found their next superstar in a team with a history of legendary players in Dwight Howard, who was to become the face of the franchise after Kobe Bryant retires in a few years. They even brought in Steve Nash, one of the most selfless players of all time, to help facilitate the two egos. It didn’t work. After just one injury-ravaged, underachieving season, the man known as DH12 has hit the road.

This is a devastating blow to a gloried team. Obviously they can’t sign every superstar on the market, no matter how great their legacy. To let one go, though? Unheard of. Shaquille O’Neill maybe, but when he left LA he was into his 30s and only had two or three more seasons of elite productivity. Plus he’d already won 3 titles and an MVP with LA. Dwight Howard is 27 and at the top of his game (presuming he’s fully fit, which he hasn’t been for a while). The 2012/13 season was a disaster for the Lakers, undeniably. Bryant, Nash and Howard barely...

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