Author Archives: Gio Damico

State of Baseball: The Opener

Givanni Damico | August 10th, 2019

The Opener

In the last two years, a few teams in Major League Baseball have been experimenting with what is now termed “the opener”. The opener is a high-leverage reliever that a team uses to start the game. He will usually throw one or two innings at the max. The goal of the opener is to get through the top half of the lineup so that the starter who takes over, later on, will not have to face the top of the opposing batting order more than twice in a game. The Tampa Bay Rays were the first team to experiment with the opener using relievers, Ryne Stanek and Sergio Romo (now of the Minnesota Twins).

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Buffalo Bills 2019 Team Preview

Givanni Damico | July 25th, 2019

Because the Buffalo Bills don’t play in a big market city or have a flashy superstar, people tend to overlook them. They made the playoffs two years ago with a bit of help from Tyler Boyd and Andy Dalton, but last year wasn’t quite as successful. They had a second-year head coach and a rookie quarterback with very little offensive line help. This year there are no excuses. Josh Allen has spent ample time in the Buffalo system to familiarize himself with the expectations of the coaching staff and of the fans. He also has some weapons and some protection now. Everything is set up for another Buffalo playoff appearance, but can they follow through?

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Team Grades: National League East

Givanni Damico | July 11th, 2019

The NL East is going about how you would expect it. The Nationals started out terribly but have gone back on track, while the Braves have been consistently leading the division for almost the entire year. The Phillies aren’t doing as well as many would have thought with how good they did in free agency, while the Mets are disappointing as usual. Wait, is there another team in this division? Oh right, the Marlins. They’re pretty bad, but honestly, they’re outperforming expectations due to young pitching that has been doing very well.

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Miami Marlins: A Future NL East Threat?

Givanni Damico | July 5th, 2019

Everybody cracks jokes about the Marlins. Many people even say that this team has no future and that there’s no hope for their franchise. This is just untrue. The Marlins’ are stacked with young talent in their farm system that should be ready by 2020 or 2021. Today, we’re going to take a dive into some players that will be helping the Marlins in the future. Continue reading →

Brandon Clarke: NBA Draft Preview

Givanni Damico | June 18th, 2019

 

Brandon Clarke, PF (Gonzaga)

Height: 6’8”
Weight: 207 LBs
Class: Junior
2018-19 Stats: 16.9 PPG, 1.9 APG, 8.6 RPG, 3.2 BPG, 1.2 SPG

Background:

Brandon Clarke is a Canadian basketball player who attended the University of Gonzaga. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia to Whitney Triplett and Steve Clarke. He moved to the United States when he was three years old. Clarke attended Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona where he was named an All-Arizona Division 1 honoree. He attended San Jose State for his freshman and sophomore year where he put up 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in conference play during his freshman year. He was named the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year. During his sophomore campaign, he averaged 17.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks. He was named to the All-Mountain West First Team and the Mountain West All-Defensive Team. After his sophomore campaign, he transferred to Gonzaga where he would sit out the 2017-18 season. During his junior year, he played three fewer minutes per game for the Zags. He averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game en route being named the West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a member of the All-WCC First Team. Clarke was just the third player in NCAA Tournament history to record 35+ points and five blocks, joining Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson. Now that is some legendary company. Continue reading →

Three “Openers” That Are Worth A Look In Fantasy Leagues

Givanni Damico | June 18th, 2019

 

The “opener” has slowly begun to take over baseball. Its purpose is to start a high-leverage reliever and let him throw for an inning or two so that your starter doesn’t have to face the opposing lineup more than twice. Let’s get into it.

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