By Josh Houchins, WGEM Radio Host

The trade deadline for MLB is approaching fast and since every Cardinals fan prior to the season was clamoring about Albert Pujols not being with the team after this season, I decided to check and see what the trade market would be for the future Hall of Fame member.

But instead of looking at every team and seeing what 20 or so prospects they would need to give up in order to land Pujols, I made it easy. Let’s make it a player-for-player deal. The one guy for another and no “player to be named later” added in to confuse the crap out of everybody.

With trading only player for Pujols, the guy in return has to be special … and the right age. For example, I find it pointless to trade Pujols, a 31-year-old slugger, for Ryan Howard, who is slightly older and does nothing different.

Following is in no certain order:

C.C. Sabathia – The big lefty may be over 30 now, but it doesn’t seem to matter. He reminds me of Randy Johnson a lot in the way they wing the ball, which seemingly puts less pressure on the arm/shoulder.  Trading for him is a guaranteed 200-plus innings and from 7-10 complete games per year.

Adrian Gonzalez — He’s pretty much the same player as Pujols, which is tough to say about anybody, just from the other side of the plate. He adds a very solid glove to his resume, too.

Justin Verlander — No other pitcher right now can compete with his stuff. The only question is if the righty can keep it going. On pace this year to reach 200 innings pitched again, it will be five straight seasons Verlander has done so. For a guy who reaches 100 mph throughout a nine-inning game, he would be a nice piece to have atop your rotation.

Miguel Cabrera — The only question deals with his off-the-field troubles. Besides that, his production since entering the league has been the closest to Pujols. Plus, only 28 years old.

Joe Mauer – This may be the only guy that compares to Pujols with his marketing ability. In a “smaller” market, the hardworking, good guy always comes out on top. Oh, and he’s a solid hitter as well and seems to be ready to play first base.

Has this year alone been enough for Reyes?

Roy Halladay – It was a tough decision between Doc and his teammate, Cliff Lee. The reason I went with Halladay was because you know exactly what you’ll get — a healthy winner. Lee wins, but it’s tough stating he will constantly be in good shape to take the mound every fifth day. Plus, Doc has shown he is pretty solid in the postseason (i.e. — no-hitter).

Jose Reyes — Grabbing a shortstop-playing table setter who is a mere 28 years old is very tough to pass on. I understand it seems I am jumping on the bandwagon simply because he is having an awesome year in the final season of his contract, but all one needs to do is look at his season averages from 2005-08: .287, 195 hits, 32 2B, 16 3B, 14 HR, and 64 SB.

Let Joey smile in a Cards uni.

Joey Votto — The biggest unknown of the group. Three years ago I would have laughed for days putting him on this list. The 2010 NL MVP has improved every year as the pressure to lead a team and produce has increased, too.

Tim Lincecum — Very similar to Mauer, The Freak easily markets himself when he’s on your side. On this list he is the one guy it would take me a while to pull the trigger on. I like Lincecum and do feel he is one of baseball’s best, but he just doesn’t have a 100-mph heater like Verlander. He doesn’t have the repertoire like Sabathia or Halladay. But he does have two Cy Young Awards and knows how to collect strike outs.

Close, but no cigar: Cliff Lee, Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, Jared Weaver, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Mark Teixeira, Felix Hernandez, and Evan Longoria.

At one time maybe: Grady Sizemore, Carl Crawford, Jon Lester, Justin Morneau, David Wright, Chase Utley, and Josh Hamilton.

Posted under Sports

by Josh Houchins, WGEM Radio Host

You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

That’s the old saying, right? The one that’s used when trying to convince someone that the first job interview he or she has can ultimately be the most important. Or not just for a job interview, but even a casual meeting with someone you may or may not become friends with. Anyway, what I’m getting at is the first impression you make, or someone leaves with you, can be very important.

When the news came out this afternoon that the St. Louis Cardinals had traded Colby Rasmus and others to Toronto, it reminded me of the former’s first impression he left with me.

When the Cardinal Caravan came around a few years back, many in the area were really excited because Quincy had the best group of current and former players attending. The list of players consisted of Daniel Descalso, Lance Lynn, Mitchell Boggs, and Rasmus, who was at the time the No. 1 prospect and future star of the organization.

Using a coach was rare for Rasmus.

The Cardinal Caravan is nice because as a member of the media, you have the opportunity to spend 30-40 minutes with the group of players to conduct interviews, record audio liners for the station, or just chat about whatever comes to mind. For example the year prior I spent 15 minutes recapping every Family Guy episode with Brendan Ryan. (I see why some thought he was a tad immature in the clubhouse.)

Many things we hear for part of the reason why Rasmus was traded was because he struggled grasping the meaning of being a pro — the being aggressive, listening to coaches, and paying your dues part. What’s funny is when I walked away from the Cardinal Caravan event that night years ago, the first thing I thought was how introverted Rasmus seemed to be around people. He just didn’t seem to be the kid who enjoyed what he was doing. I would ask him an easy open-ended question and I would get a one-word response. I tried adding a fun question to get him going on something he may be more interested in off the field, but that got me nowhere. He could have cared less.

I’m not saying I saw this coming with Rasmus, because I truly thought his talent would trump any other problems he had. But it never did. From the problems with him not being able to tell his father to stay away from the batting cage to not extending a little more in center field to save a run with more effort on a catch, the lefty never showed all five tools plus that mental X-factor one needs to be successful in the big leagues.

Going to Toronto and playing in front of a crowd that may be less demanding could be exactly what Rasmus needs. Or playing for a team that has finished near the bottom of the division the past 10 years could be a quiet blessing. You just hope that if he ever does reach star level that he will be able to handle it. If not, Toronto may not be the last stop for him … or his dad.

Posted under Sports

By Josh Houchins, WGEM Radio Host

It’s funny how one division lead is starting to widen, yet nobody is paying attention. Being four games up following both teams being off last night, the NL West could seemingly be San Fran’s to lose.

The Dodgers are falling apart at the seams and are ready to start selling. The Rockies are willing to trade their top pitcher and Carlos Gonzalez is still suffering from a nagging injury. They are not making a run. Then you have Arizona. There is no way the pitching staff holds up. That’s not a knock on Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, or Joe Saunders. Wait, yes it it. They will go through a stretch in August where their true colors shine through.

But enough talk concerning teams out west, let’s look at the top eight teams in baseball right now and the one piece they should add in a trade.

1) Phillies (64-37) 10th straight week – Josh Willingham: The bullpen is getting better and better, which means a bat becomes more important. Willingham is the perfect fit.

2) Red Sox (62-38) up one spot – Ubaldo Jiminez: You can never have too much pitching, and the Rockies give up their guy to help Boston claim another title.

3) Yankees (60-40) down one spot – Hiroki Kuroda: The biggest name goes to Boston, leaving the Yanks with the second-best option. They just pray he is not like Hideki Irabu.

4) Braves (59-44) second straight week – Carlos Beltran: Wow, do they need him. An outfield consisting of Prado and McLouth just won’t cut it.

5) Giants (59-43) second straight week – Ryan Ludwick: Would love to have Beltran, but the unwillingness to trade top prospects means they settle for Ludwick, who could be their Cody Ross of last year.

6) Rangers (59-44) second straight week – Leo Nunez: In search of a righty out of the bullpen, they get the Marlins’ closer.

7) Tigers (54-48) NR – Doug Fister: Not the name you were expecting? They are solid with Verlander and Scherzer, but need help following that. And that’s where the Seattle Mariners come in to play. He is cheap and will not be a free agent until 2016. With a 3.30 ERA he is getting better as the Tigers win now and in the future.

8 ) Rays (53-48) second straight week – Sellers: No buying what-so-ever. Trading away pieces left and right. But until that time comes, they are still one of the better teams in baseball.

Bye Bye: Indians

Posted under Sports

Take a trip with WGEM SportsCenter host, Josh Houchins, as he recaps the weekend in his own weird way. And make sure to follow him on Twitter…

* Sorry for the late post today, but hospital visits come first. My bad…

* Everybody is excited and stating “The NFL is back! The NFL is back!” But what exactly did we miss? One exhibition game between the Rams and Bears was it. So, let’s don’t act like we as fans lost meaningful games.

* I’m all about ranking stuff. Growing up I would rank everything I could. From best catchers to linebackers to stadiums, I would number every yellow legal pad I could find with junk to rank. Then this article about Roberto Alomar heading into the Baseball Hall of Fame fell into my lap. I have had the author, Cliff Corcoran, on my morning radio show many times, so I respect what he does. But ranking second basemen is so tough because … well, they were really good at one point. Now? Yuck. My top five reads as such: 5) Sandberg, 4) Morgan, 3) Alomar, 2) Collins, and 1) Hornsby.

* Kevin Durrant has tattoos. For some reason I thought he was one of the few NBA players that was clean when it came to getting ink. I’m kind of sad now.

* The above picture just makes me laugh. Sucks to be the people involved, though.

* Now you see the car … and now you don’t.

* I’m OK with my life if I never hear another Train song. I’m just not a fan of a bunch of 40-year-old guys singing pop music.

Quick, name the guy in the middle!

* Question: You care more about The Tour de France (winner was some Australian) or the WNBA All-Star Game (it was this weekend)?

* Wonder if Lance Berkman would go for two-year deal worth $18 million with incentives to reach $20 million and include a team option for a third year? I agree with many who say he has been the driving force behind the Cardinals being in the hunt for a division title. If he finishes this year in top three in MVP voting with 35-plus homers and 100-plus RBI — he may have more than the Cardinals begging for his services.

* Amy Whinehouse died. As I type this her toxicology tests will not be back for another two to four weeks. I could be going out on a ledge here, but I’m not going with “natural causes.”

* And Finally, I mentioned earlier how Alomar was heading into the Hall of Fame, but the other ex-player going in is still a joke to me and is another reason why Hall of Fames are actually pointless. Bert Blyleven was not one of baseball’s elite pitchers. It’s simple. He played a long time and collected stats. That deserves a solid pat of the back, but not membership into what is supposed to be baseball’s holiest place.

–HOOCH

Posted under Sports

By Josh Houchins, WGEM Radio Host

I really wish I could put the Pirates in the top eight. I am so tempted. But, due to better judgement I will hold off. If Pittsburgh is still leading its division two weeks from now, a spot in the top eight will be easy to hand over.

The funny thing about the division Pittsburgh plays in is that all of them seem to be the same right now and that’s ranging anywhere from 10-14 in my total rankings, which I do not post (or even do). What’s funny is that one little winning streak could send St. Louis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, or Pittsburgh to the postseason. Have fun predicting that!

But enough the talk about a team wearing black and gold for one week, let’s look at the top eight teams in baseball right now.

1) Phillies (59-36) ninth straight week – It’s not going to be a big deal in the long run, but Roy Halladay’s performance against the Cubs on Monday was freaky. I say he throws a complete game next time out.

2) Yankees (56-37) second straight week – How is it possible to start the second half at Toronto for four games and then travel 1,356 miles south for four more at Tampa.

3) Red Sox (58-36) second straight week – Winners of 9 of 10, Boston has the luxury to allow 10 runs in one game and still win. That’s a solid offense.

4) Braves (57-39) up one spot – Credit for their emergence goes to Freddie Freeman. Last seven days he’s hitting .353 with an RBI per day. He’s hit five homers in July.

5) Giants (56-41) up one spot – Waiting for a trade. Waiting for a trade. Waiting for a trade. Waiting for a trade.

6) Rangers (55-41) NR – The team has won 11 straight while going through hell off the field (fan death, Nolan Ryan health). Oh, and they outscored Seattle on the road 17-2 while winning four.

7) Indians (51-44) up one spot – Asdrubal Cabrera (.289, 17, 59 and spotless D) has been easily the biggest surprise for me this season.

8 ) Rays (50-44) down four spots – The team is sliding fast. A four-game set at home against the Yankees could put them right back in the middle of it. Or losing 3 of 4 could send them to the sellers market.

Bye Bye: Cardinals

Posted under Sports

Take a trip with WGEM SportsCenter host, Josh Houchins, as he recaps the weekend in his own weird way. And make sure to follow him on Twitter…

* Well, that finish sucked … and was awesome at the same time. A heartbreaking loss for the Americans in the World Cup led to records being set on Twitter and also found a solid TV rating. But say what you will, the penalty kick shootout is the most exciting way to end a title game.

* Being sick sucks. It’s great to be back to work.

* Wait, this is actually why I was gone. Got a little crazy in Atlanta.

* Time to tell the truth now. How many times did it take for your eyes to adjust and really read the Pirates were tied for first place in the NL Central at one time this weekend? I say Pittsburgh will be in contention until August 7 and then it’s over. Just look at the schedule and you’ll understand.

* God bless the kid above.

* Great. The “My Wish” segments are back this week on ESPN’s SportsCenter. I hate crying before heading to work each morning. DARN YOU, CHRIS CONNELLY!

* Who really doesn’t want an $80 hot dog that weighs half a pound? (I nearly threw up typing that.)

* Wow, I really thought Darren Clarke was going to let the tears flow after winning The Open Championship yesterday. Instead, he seemed like he had been there before. That was surprising. What wasn’t was the weather like always. My question is not only why would you want to ever play golf there, but why would you want to live there? Besides the cool name of “Sandwich,” what else draws you there?

* I know this movie has been out for a while, but Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps could be one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. It was cheesy. It had too much talk about actual Wall Street and not enough of what made the first one good — what happens when the lights went off at night. Bud Fox returned as a slime ball when we thought he went good. Not a good at all.

* Speaking of movies, Face/Off isn’t very good, but it always entertains me.

* And Finally, here’s to the Japan’s women’s World Cup team on winn… HAHAHAHA. Never mind. We choked.

–HOOCH

Posted under Sports

Take a trip with WGEM SportsCenter host, Josh Houchins, as he recaps the weekend in his own weird way. And make sure to follow him on Twitter…

* It really sucks when you have a solid weekend and then on Sunday you start to feel sick. It’s that feeling where you think you will be better by morning, because missing a Monday show is not fun. I’m one of those people that loves their job. Yes, sounds crazy. But I would rather be sick Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon than miss work during the week. Well, here’s to a sick day.

* I’ve stated on here before that I love Sunday at Wimbledon. Everything about the men’s final I enjoy. But, that doesn’t mean I am going to run to the tennis channel (how there’s a tennis channel and not an 80s wrestling channel, I have no clue) and watch a random Tuesday match. The same applies with the FIFA World Cup. I’m a bandwagon fan and admit it with no problem doing so. Like many fans of the same accord, FIFA and ESPN better jump on us now and not when the next women’s soccer league is announced.

* I really wish the Australians would wear their basketball unitards for the World Cup, too.

* Still my favorite Derek Jeter moment.

Maybe Yao needed a little more of Jackie's energy

* Not since Michael Jordan had one player been as much of an international star as Yao Ming. China found the NBA irrelevant until Yao came along and then sold the absolute crap out of it. There’s more Rockets garb floating around China than ever before. Through his first seven years he average 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and nearly two blocks per game. That’s pretty solid.

* Let’s look at what the second half means for the four regional MLB teams:

• Cards — Be consistent … and healthy: Need more three-game win streaks than two-game skids.
• Cubs — Be smart: And this has nothing to do with play on the field. It’s time to look to the future and utilize that scouting department and make some trades.
• Royals — Be patient: The youngsters are up now. Let ‘em play.
• White Sox — Be careful: This may be the one team out there that needs a full July to see where it sits on becoming a buyer/seller.

* Cheetos + Mac n’ Cheese = Awesome.

* And Finally, this last note is for Evan Christopher Goodwin, who celebrated his first birthday over the weekend. By far and away the coolest kid I know — especially when he wears this shirt!!

–HOOCH

Posted under Sports

By Josh Houchins, WGEM Radio Host

A discussion took place Thursday on WGEM SportsCenter on what were your top five TV comedies of all-time. Caught off-guard, I stumbled around for a bit after immediately saying Seinfeld was my No. 1. I rattled off about 15 comedies, but never a solid five.

Well, when somebody asks me for a list, I take it serious. So, I decided to increase it from five to a solid list of 10. Like usual, I had to rank them.

The top four was easy. But placing the remaining six in order was tough. Those not making the cut were: Wings, Full House, Home Improvement, The Office, Friends, Married with Children, Alf, Family Guy, and The Cosby Show.

10. Just Shoot Me! (1997-2003): If you haven’t noticed, David Spade’s best roles are when he’s in a supporting role. Even though I couldn’t stand Laura San Giacomo (Maya Gallo on the show), the hilarious cast made up for her. Any time you can bring David Cross on-board to play brother Donnie (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) for a couple episodes, you have it made.

And then there was "Dayman"

9. Saved by the Bell (1989-93): What else can you say about the show millions of youngsters enjoyed every Saturday morning. Were many of episodes dumb? Most likely. But my sister and I loved every single one. Every boy wanted to be like Zack Morris and date Kelly Kapowski. Screech was classic (pre-adult film, of course).

8. Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present): Disturbingly funny is oh-so-many ways. And the fact it came out of nowhere on FX to getting Danny Devito involved a year later speaks to how funny it is.

7. 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001): I know the concept was not new (Mork and Mindy comes to mind), but for my generation it was. John Lithgow, who is one of the best movie villains, proved to be an extremely funny lead. Oh, and seeing a hot alien (Kristen Johnston as Sally) is not so bad either.

6. The Jeffersons (1975-85): I roll with laughter just thinking about George Jefferson’s strut.

5. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96): Yes, Will was the central character, but everything Carlton did was gold. Alfonso Ribeiro played him perfectly and how he created “The Carlton,” I have no clue.

4. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (1999-present): This is not a sitcom, I know. But under a TV comedy category, I would say a 30-minute show that makes me cry laughing nearly every night  sure looks like a type of comedy to me. It’s my list, so shut up.

One of my favorite ensemble casts ever put together

3. NewsRadio (1995-99): You had to think Phil Hartman was an idiot leaving Saturday Night Live to do a TV show. But, wow did it work out. Not only was he solid as the pompous on-air talent (hehehe), but having Andy Dick and Joe Rogan as bit characters worked out … uhm, well.

2. The Simpsons (1989-present): What can you say about a cartoon that changed the way people created, and thought of, TV? When the show started, everything revolved around Bart it seemed. There were T-shirts and merchandise everywhere with Bart’s picture on it. Then the rest of the family got their turn, which is why it’s still airing new episodes today. And is there another TV show that was able to wait 18 years to produce a feature film and rake in $527 million?

1. Seinfeld (1990-98): Labeled as a “show about nothing,” for me and many of others it was, and still is, a show that knew how to make you think and then laugh. Without a doubt the best written show ever created.

How does my 10 rank different than your picks? Leave a comment below with your Top 10.

Posted under Uncategorized

QUESTION: What’s up with this photo?

* Best caption wins … nothing. So, post comments below like crazy.

– Hooch

Josh Houchins is the everyday host of WGEM SportsCenter, 7-9 a.m., on ESPN 1440 and WGEM.com

Posted under Sports

By Josh Houchins, WGEM Radio Host

Being out last week on vacation it seems a lot has changed. The Phillies, Yankees, and Red Sox are … oh, still really good.  But you have seen a couple of teams falter.

The Cardinals and Brewers are not the same. St. Louis has been average since the loss of Pulojs, while the Brew Crew have no clue what’s going on out on the road. But, the two divisions that scare me are both in the west. If the Giants add an offensive piece they will run away with it, while Texas looks strong, but the Angels and Athletics have the ability to catch fire.

But enough the talk about me being gone for a week, let’s look at the top eight teams in baseball right now.

1) Phillies (54-32) eighth straight week – Oh, great. They bring up someone named Vance Worley and he goes 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA.

2) Yankees (50-33) up one spot – A plus-118 run differential says a lot.

3) Red Sox (49-35) down one spot – How good is the offense? How about first in runs, average, and on-base percentage.

4) Rays (47-38) up two spots – Four games at New York to end the first-half of the season could send the Rays up … or down in the Rankings.

5) Braves (50-36) NR – Know what’s more impressive than Jair Jurrjens’ 11-3 record and 1.89 ERA? How about 15 starts and 13 being of the quality type.

6) Giants (48-38) up two spots – In their seven-game win streak, the staff allowed over three runs in a game one time.

7) Cardinals (46-40) down three spots – Well, that didn’t take Pujols long.

8 ) Indians (45-38) down one spot – The trio of Tomlin-Masterson-Carrasco is 24-14 with 35 quality starts.

Bye Bye: Brewers

Posted under Sports