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Cooperstown Chronicles – Bernie Williams

Bartolis, a friend of mine from Sporting News, suggested Bernie Williams. Here are my findings.

The Numbers
2076 Games
7869 At Bats
.297 Batting Average
1366 Runs
2336 Hits
449 Doubles
55 Triples
287 Home Runs
1257 RBI
1069 Walks (84th All-time)
147 Stolen Bases

Playoffs: 121 Games, 128 hits in 465 at bats (.275), 83 Runs, 29 Doubles, 22 HR, 80 RBI, 71 Walks, 8 Steals, 4 World Series Ring

Awards
1996 ALCS MVP
4 Gold Gloves
2002 Silver Slugger
5 All-Star Game Appearances
MVP Votes in 6 Seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Batting Average – Four Times (Batting Crown in 1998)
On-Base % – Five Times
Slugging % – Twice
OPS – Four Times
Games – Twice
At-Bats – Once
Runs – Three Times
Hits – Three Times
Doubles – Twice
Triples – Four Times
RBI – Once
Walks – Three Times
Intentional Walks – Four Times (Led League in 1999)

If I were just considering his regular season accomplishments I would have to shut down Bernie immediately. He had a solid career, but nothing about it says “Hall of Fame”. That is until you look at the mark he left in the playoffs. His playoff totals look like a full season worth. It’s unbelievable. Those impressive numbers combined with his solid regular season numbers and his role in the Yankees dynasty get him elected in my book.

References
Baseball-reference.com

Past Chronicles
Bert Byleven
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Mark McGwire
Bobby Matthews
Tommy John
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Jim Rice
Ted Simmons
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Al Oliver
Steve Garvey
Jim Kaat
Pete Ro$e
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Dave Concepcion
Lou Whitaker
Alan Trammell
Ron Santo
Ron Guidry
Gil Hodges
Dave Parker
Tony Mullane
Keith Hernandez
Don Mattingly
Dwight Evans
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Harold Baines
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Joe Carter
Rusty Staub
Gary Gaetti
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
Roger Maris
Lance Parrish
Mo Vaughn
Mark Grace
Dennis Martinez
Chuck Finley
Fred McGriff
Wes Parker
Steve Finley
Orlando Cepeda*
Albert Belle
Willie Randolph
Graig Nettles
Luis Gonzalez
Lefty O’Doul
Rocky Colavito
Boog Powell
Jerry Koosman
Mike Cuellar
Edgar Martinez
Brooks Robinson*
Roberto Alomar
Dave Stieb
John Franco
Maury Wills
Sherry Magee
Phil Rizzuto*
Orel Hershiser
Frank Viola
David Cone
Dwight Gooden
Tim Raines

* signifies actual Hall of Famers

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Cooperstown Chronicles – Mo Vaughn

Mo Vaughn was suggested by bsoxfan15, a friend of mine from the Sporting News community. I’ve decided to review his numbers and offer my opinion to his Hall of Fame worthiness.

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

The Numbers
1512 Games
5532 At Bats
.293 Batting Average
861 Runs
1620 Hits
270 Doubles
10 Triples
328 Home Runs
1064 RBI
2894 Total Bases

Playoffs: 7 games, 7 hits in 31 at bats (.226), 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 7 RBI

Awards
1995 MVP
3 All Star Games
1 Silver Sluggers
MVP votes in six seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Batting Average – Three Times
On-base % – Four Times
Slugging % – Six Times
OPS – Six Times
Games – Twice
At Bats – Twice
Runs – Twice
Hits – Twice
Home Runs – Five Times
RBI – Twice (Led league in 1995)
Total Bases – Three Times
Walks – Twice
Extra-base Hits – Three Times
Hit by Pitch – Seven Times
Intentional Walks – Seven Times (Led league in 1994)

He’s another one with a great nickname (Hit Dog) and was one of my favorite players growing up. He had some solid years, but he just flat out doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. The numbers aren’t there. I don’t even need to go his inclusion in the Mitchell Report because even with steroids his numbers aren’t there.

References
Baseball-reference.com

Past Chronicles
Bert Byleven
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Mark McGwire
Bobby Matthews
Tommy John
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Jim Rice
Ted Simmons
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Al Oliver
Steve Garvey
Jim Kaat
Pete Ro$e
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Dave Concepcion
Lou Whitaker
Alan Trammell
Ron Santo
Ron Guidry
Gil Hodges
Dave Parker
Tony Mullane
Keith Hernandez
Don Mattingly
Dwight Evans
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Harold Baines
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Joe Carter
Rusty Staub
Gary Gaetti
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
Roger Maris
Lance Parrish

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Cooperstown Chronicles – Pete Rose

This one is a little controversial.  Obviously the numbers and awards make him a shoe in.  You’re either for Rose or against Rose.  Personally, I’m for him.

The Numbers
.303 Batting Average
3562 Games (1st All-time)
14053 At Bats (1st All-time)
4256 Hits (1st All-time)
2165 Runs (6th All-time)
746 Doubles (2nd All-time)
135 Triples (74th All-time)
160 Home Runs
1314 RBI (87th All-time)
198 Stolen Bases
1566 Walks (13th All-time)
167 Intentional Walks (26th All-time)
5752 Total Bases (7th All-time)

Playoffs – .321, 30 runs, 86 hits, 13 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HRs, 22 RBI

The Awards
1973 MVP
1963 Rookie of the Year
1975 World Series MVP
1968 Hutch Award
1969 Lou Gehrig Award
1976 Roberto Clemente Award
17 All-Star Game Appearances
2 Gold Gloves
1 Silver Slugger
MVP votes in 15 seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Batting Average – 13 times (3 batting titles ’68, ’69 & ’73)
On-base % – 11 times (Led league in ’68 & ’79)
Slugging % – Twice
OPS – Three times
Games – 15 times (Led league five times)
At Bats – 18 times (Led league four times)
Runs – 15 times (Led league three times)
Hits – 17 times (Led league seven times)
Total Bases – 11 times
Doubles – 15 times (Led league five times)
Triples – 8 times
Walks – 7 times
Intentional Walks – 4 times

References
Baseball-reference.com

Like I said, his numbers and awards were enough to make him a first ballot HOFer.  His ability, drive, determination, longevity, and consistency has never been called into question.  His character has though.  His character is what has kept him from being celebrated as one of the best balleball players of all time.  Betting on baseball is against the rules.  I get that.  However, his gambling came after his career as a player.  I agree with the ban on him from being employed by Major League Baseball, but what he did as a player should not be ignored.  He earned the nickname Charlie Hustle.  He proved himself to be one of the greatest this game has ever witnessed.  There are plenty of Hall of Famers with skeletons in their closets.  Racists like Ty Cobb and Cap Anson.  Drug dealers like Orlando Cepeda.  Cheaters like Gaylord Perry.  Soon members of the steroid era will make their way into the Hall.  It’s time to let Pete Rose in as well.  Here’s the way to do it though.  Don’t have the traditional ceremony.  Don’t let him do a speech.  Just put up his bust and do a press release.

If you think I’m off my rocker for wanting to induct Pete Rose into the HOF, please let me know.

Past Chronicles
Bert Byleven
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Mark McGwire
Bobby Matthews
Tommy John
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Jim Rice
Ted Simmons
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Al Oliver
Steve Garvey
Jim Kaat

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Cooperstown Chronicles – Veterans Committee Ballot

The Veterans Committee is going to vote on twenty players for induction into the Hall of Fame.  There are ten players pre-1943 and ten post-1943.  Here is how I would weigh in if I had a vote.

Pre-1943
Bill Dahlen – 1500+ Runs should put him in, but not much else.  Accumulator.  Pass
Wes Ferrell – Under 200 Wins.  Six 20 Win Seasons.  Rotten ERA.  Not joing his brother Rick.  Pass
Joe Gordon – Seriously.  Only if he were Frankie Frisch’s teammate  Pass
Sherry Magee – Profiled him.  Great Hitter for his Era.  Gets my Vote.
Carl Mays – 200 Wins, Great Winning %.  Five 20 Win Seasons.  Gets my Vote.
Allie Reynolds – Under 200 Wins, One 20 Win Season, Not a great Adjusted ERA.  Great Winning % and 6 WS Rings, but not quite enough.  Pass.
Vern Stephens – Made a lot of All-Star games (8).  Nothing jumps out though.  Pass.
Mickey Vernon – Just passed away.  Accumulator.  Good not Great.  Pass.
Bucky Walters – Under 200 Wins.  Three 20 Win seasons, Not a great Adjusted ERA.  Pass.
Deacon White – Great average.  Not much else.  Pass

Post-1943
Joe Torre – As a Player – No.  As a Manager – Yes.  Gets my Vote.
Ron Santo – Profiled him.  Great with the Glove.  Great with the Stick.  Gets my Vote.
Gil Hodges – Profiled him.  Masher and a Winner.  8-time All-Star.  Gets my Vote.
Dick Allen – 351 HRs, 1119 RBI, 7-time All-Star.  Not enough.  Pass.
Jim Kaat – We profiled him.  283 Wins and 16 Gold Gloves.  Gets my Vote.
Luis Tiant – 229 Wins, Three 20 Win seasons, Not a great Adjusted ERA.  Pass.
Tony Oliva – We profiled him.  3 Batting titles.  Only injuries kept him from BWAA induction.  Gets my vote.
Al Oliver – We profiled him.  Great hitter.  Hall of Fame worthy hitter.  Gets my Vote.
Vada Pinson  – We profiled him.  An accumulator.  Good, not great.  Pass.
Maury Wills – We profiled him.  Tons of steals.  Not much else statistically.  Pass.

We’ll find out who the VC let in on December 8th at the Winter Meetings.

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Randy Johnson Wins 300th Career Game

As if Randy Johnson needed any more ammunition to support his case for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Well, he got another notch on his belt tonight as he became the 24th pitcher in Major League history to join the 300 Win Club.  Ironically, the last member of the club (Tom Glavine) was released yesterday by the Atlanta Braves.

Just how good was Randy?  Let’s take a look at the numbers.

300-164 Record
.647 Winning Percentage
3.28 ERA
4845 Strikeouts
100 Complete Games
37 Shutouts
Three 20+ Win Seasons
Fourteen 200+ Strikeout Seasons
Six 300+ Strikeout Seasons
4097-1/3 IP
597 Starts
5 Cy Young Awards
10 All-Star Appearances

Hall of Fame Yardsticks

Black Ink Pitching – 96 (7), Average HOFer ≈ 40
Gray Ink Pitching – 277 (16), Average HOFer ≈ 185
Hall of Fame Monitor Pitching – 320 (4), Likely HOFer ≈ 100
Hall of Fame Standards Pitching – 64 (13), Average HOFer ≈ 50

As long as Randy Johnson’s name doesn’t come up in steroid talk, he is a first ballot Hall of Famer.  He is one of the best Lefthanded Pitchers in baseball history.

Here’s the list of 300 Game Winners:

Rank Player (age) Wins Throws
1. 511 R
2. Walter Johnson+ 417 R
3. Pete Alexander+ 373 R
Christy Mathewson+ 373 R
5. Pud Galvin+ 364 R
6. Warren Spahn+ 363 L
7. Kid Nichols+ 361 R
8. Greg Maddux 355 R
9. Roger Clemens 354 R
10. Tim Keefe+ 342 R
11. Steve Carlton+ 329 L
12. John Clarkson+ 328 R
13. Eddie Plank+ 326 L
14. Nolan Ryan+ 324 R
Don Sutton+ 324 R
16. Phil Niekro+ 318 R
17. Gaylord Perry+ 314 R
18. Tom Seaver+ 311 R
19. Charley Radbourn+ 309 R
20. Mickey Welch+ 307 R
21. Tom Glavine (43) 305 L
22. Lefty Grove+ 300 L
Early Wynn+ 300 R
24. Randy Johnson (45) 300 L

Congratulations Randy.  Cooperstown awaits.

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Cooperstown Chronicles – Jim Edmonds

The Numbers
1925 Games
7708 At Bats
.284 Batting Average
.528 Slugging %
.905 OPS
132 OPS+
1881 Hits
1207 Runs
414 Doubles
25 Triples
382 HRs
1176 RBIs
974 Walks
65 SBs

Five .300 Seasons
Four 100+ Run Seasons
Seven 30+ Double Seasons
Five 30+ HR Seasons
Four 100+ RBI Seasons

World Series:  2 World Series, 1 Ring, 64 Games, 230 At Bats, 63 Hits (.274), 33 Runs, 16 Doubles, 13 HRs, 43 RBIs, 30 Walks

Awards
4-time All-Star
8 Gold Gloves
1 Silver Slugger
MVP Votes in 6 Seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Batting Average – Once
On-Base % – 3 Times
Slugging % – 3 Times
OPS – 3 Times
At Bats – Once
Runs – 3 Times
Hits – Once
Doubles – Once
Home Runs – 4 Times
RBIs – Twice
Walks – 4 Times
Extra-Base Hits – Twice
Intentional Walks – Twice

Hall of Fame Yardsticks:

Gray Ink Batting – 60 (407), Average HOFer ≈ 144
Hall of Fame Monitor Batting – 88 (183), Likely HOFer ≈ 100
Hall of Fame Standards Batting – 40 (144), Average HOFer ≈ 50
He certainly belongs in the Rawlings Gold Glove Hall of Fame because of his defensive prowess, but I’m on the fence for Cooperstown.  He did have a stretch of greatness from 1995-2005 (throwing out 1999 when he was limited to 55 games), where he averaged 99 Runs, 32 HRs, and 93 RBIs.  He collected all eight of his Gold Gloves during that stretch meaning he was one of the most complete players in the league for a decade.  He also had his share of postseason success in the second half of his career.  It would be easier to induct him if he reached 2000 Hits, but he had 1200 Runs and nearly 1200 RBIs.  He may have won even more Gold Gloves if it weren’t for Ken Griffey, Jr.  He doesn’t pass the name test for induction, but if you look into the numbers, I think he did just enough to get in.References
Baseball-reference.com

Past Chronicles
Dick Allen
Roberto Alomar
Richie Ashburn*
Earl Averill*
Harold Baines
Dan Bancroft*
Jake Beckley*
Albert Belle
Jim Bottomley*
Pete Browning
Jim Bunning *
Bert Byleven
Joe Carter
Orlando Cepeda*
Rocky Colavito
Earle Combs*
Dave Concepcion
David Cone
Roger Connor*
Larry Corcoran
Stan Coveleski*
Mike Cuellar
Kiki Cuyler*
Bill Dahlen
George Davis*
Andre Dawson
Larry Doby*
Bobby Doerr*
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Dwight Evans
Rick Ferrell*
Wes Ferrell
Chuck Finley
Steve Finley
Nellie Fox*
John Franco
Gary Gaetti
Steve Garvey
Lefty Gomez*
Luis Gonzalez
Dwight Gooden
Joe Gordon
Mark Grace
Bobby Grich
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Ron Guidry
Chick Hafey*
Jesse Haines*
Billy Herman*
Keith Hernandez
Orel Hershiser
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Gil Hodges
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Waite Hoyt*
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Travis Jackson*
Tommy John
Bob Johnson
Addie Joss*
Jim Kaat
George Kell*
Joe Kelley*
George Kelly*
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Chuck Klein*
Jerry Koosman
Bill James & Pete Palmer
Barry Larkin
Tony Lazzeri*
Freddie Lindstrom*
Mickey Lolich
Ernie Lombardi*
Fred Lynn
Sherry Magee
Roger Maris
Rube Marquard*
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Dennis Martinez
Edgar Martinez
Bobby Matthews
Don Mattingly
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Carl Mays
Bill Mazeroski*
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Bid McPhee
Johnny Mize*
Paul Molitor*
Jack Morris
Tony Mullane
Dale Murphy
Graig Nettles
Hal Newhouser*
Lefty O’Doul
Tony Oliva
Al Oliver
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Dave Parker
Wes Parker
Lance Parrish
Vada Pinson
Boog Powell
Tim Raines
Willie Randolph
Pee Wee Reese*
Allie Reynolds
Jim Rice
Phil Rizzuto*
Brooks Robinson*
Pete Ro$e
Amos Rusie*
Jimmy Ryan
Ron Santo
Curt Schilling
Red Schoendienst* (Player/Manager)
Ted Simmons
Enos Slaughter*
Lee Smith
Rusty Staub
Vern Stephens
Dave Stieb
Mel Stottlemyre
Harry Stovey
Sam Thompson
Luís Tiant
Joe Torre
Alan Trammell
George Van Haltren
Arky Vaughan*
Mo Vaughn
Bobby Veach
Mickey Vernon
Frank Viola
Bucky Walters
Mickey Welch*
Lou Whitaker
Deacon White
Bernie Williams
Vic Willis*
Maury Wills
Hack Wilson*
Ross Youngs*
Veterans Committee Ballot

* Signifies actual Hall of Famers

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Cooperstown Chronicles – Chuck Finley

Chuck Finley was suggested by aajoe7, a friend of mine from the Sporting News community.  I’ve decided to review his numbers and offer my opinion to his Hall of Fame worthiness.

The Numbers
524 Games
3197.3 Innings Pitched
200-173
.536 Winning Percentage
63 Complete Games
15 Shutouts
2610 Strikeouts (23rd All-time)
3.85 ERA
1.376 WHIP

Playoffs:  7 games, 1-2, 4.50 ERA, 22 innings, 19 K’s

Awards
5 All Star Games
Cy Young votes in one seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Wins – Six times
ERA – Five times
Won-Loss % – Three times
Innings – Nine times (Led league in 1994)
Strikeouts – Ten times
Starts – Eight times (Led league in 1994)
Complete Games – Five times (Led league in 1993)
Shutouts – Eight times

There’s no cool nickname for Chuck Finley.  He does have a funny story.  His wife, Tawny Kitaen, beat him with the heal of her shoe while he was driving.  When he started his next game they played Whitesnake’s “Here I go Again” as he warmed up, which is a song in with Tawny starred in the video.  The guy got fired, but I still think that’s one of the funniest moves ever.  OK, to Finley.  He was a great strikeout pitcher.  He was real solid.  He never won 20 games though.  Only once did he make the top ten in Cy Young voting, and he finished 7th.  He was a good pitcher, but the only way he gets into the Hall of Fame is with a ticket like you and me.

References
Baseball-reference.com

Past Chronicles
Bert Byleven
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Mark McGwire
Bobby Matthews
Tommy John
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Jim Rice
Ted Simmons
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Al Oliver
Steve Garvey
Jim Kaat
Pete Ro$e
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Dave Concepcion
Lou Whitaker
Alan Trammell
Ron Santo
Ron Guidry
Gil Hodges
Dave Parker
Tony Mullane
Keith Hernandez
Don Mattingly
Dwight Evans
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Harold Baines
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Joe Carter
Rusty Staub
Gary Gaetti
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
Roger Maris
Lance Parrish
Mo Vaughn
Mark Grace
Dennis Martinez

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The worst NFL Trades Ever Recorded

The NFL is one of the most valuable sports leagues in the world. It brings in millions of dollars in revenue for each team. The expansion of the sport never seems to stop; year on year growth for each team has led to the NFL franchise becoming one of the most recognisable in the world. Video games, jerseys, memorabilia, films, tv documentaries and even casino games. Sites such as Royal Vegas Casino have had huge success in taping into this fan base and developing casino games based around football.

The NFL brings huge crowds in to every game. Monday night football generates huge revenue and Sundays are now football days in the US. However, there are two big occasions of every season, the draft and the super bowl. The NFL draft has always been a hot point of the season. The dramatic event can often lead to the difference of success or failure of the season. General Managers have an extraordinary level of pressure placed on the shoulders to bring in the best of the best. We wanted to take a look at the trades that didn’t go to plan. Here are our worst trades of all time.

Steve Largent vs Houston Oilers
Steve Largent is enshrined in the Pro Hall of Fame for a reason; he held a number of all-time receiving records upon his retirement. Though for all his potential, the Houston Oilers selected Largent in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft before going onto trade him to the Seattle Seahawks. In return they received an eight-round draft pick thus the trade has been dubbed as  one of the worst trades the NFL has ever seen.

Jerome Bettis vs Lawrence Phillips
Jerome Bettis’s arrival to the Pittsburgh Steelers following his departure from the St. Louis Rams may rival Largent’s trade. In return, the Rams welcomed Lawrence Phillips. Their decision to get rid of Bettis following two 1,000 + yard rushing seasons in his two debut years in the league was always seemingly bizarre. Phillips was condemned to a life of crime and was subsequently arrested multiple times. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing!

John Hadl
It’s never a wise decision to panic-trade, no matter how badly things are going, and now unfortunately, that is something the Green Bay Packers know all too week. It was 1974 when they failed to hit the ground running and struggled to a 3-3 record to start the season. Head coach Dan Devine felt he needed to act and decided a change at quarterback was his side’s only hope of competing for a Super Bowl title. Two first rounders, two second rounders and one third rounder were traded away as a result and in came 34-year- old Los Angeles Rams player John Hadl. It wasn’t much of a surprise when the trade failed to work out. In his short time at the Rams Hadl managed a 7-12 record, throwing just six touchdown passes, with a mere 21 interceptions. Maybe Devine should have persevered with the players at his disposal.

Herschel Walker vs Emmitt Smith
Much similar to the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota decided to give up five players and a further eight draft choices for Herschel Walker and picks to Dallas. The deal went swimmingly for Dallas as their biggest success story from the trade was that of Emmitt Smith. The Hall of Famer became the league’s all-time leading rusher during his fifteen seasons, meanwhile Minnesota were left with an expensive Walker who ultimately failed to do anything too much of note during his career. Not in comparison to Smith anyway.

Steve Young
Youth can often to prove to be frustrating in sport; their lack of experience but sheer potential is always a weighty dilemma. Though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now realzse that potential is worth the wait. In 1997 the Buccaneers decided they had no time to waste in waiting for Steve Young to flourish and sent him to San Francisco for second and fourth round draft picks. I doubt there’s a trade that the Buccaneers regret more as Young developed into one of the best talents the NFL will see. In time he went onto to replace the legendary Joe Montana under centre and led the Niners to the 1994 Super Bowl. Young now has his very own place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Fantasy Football Cocktails

If you’re anything like me, alcohol is part of the sports experience. Hey, it’s not something I’m proud of, and I do recommend everyone stays within their alcoholic limits, but sports are just a bit more exciting with a little buzz on, right? There is a reason why they play the games on the weekend, it is your time off, so why not relax and enjoy yourself with a drink? You’ve got your iPad open, watching your fantasy tracker, what could be better than a delicious beverage to pair with RedZone channel and your internet accessed device? With this mind, let’s create some fantasy football cocktails eh?

The Denver Broncos Orange Crush Cocktail

In honor of the reigning champs we have a take on a vodka mimosa, that’s guaranteed to

● 2 Parts Orange Juice
● 1 Part Vodka
● 1 Part Carbonated Water (to replicate the fizz of champagne)

Stir gently, and feel free to alter the portions to taste. The more orange juice you use, the better it will taste. But the less Orange juice you use…well the quicker you’re going to get unscrewed.

This is a classic twist on a Screwdriver, some nice Vitamin C for the early games, you know?

Wake yourself up with a breakfast/brunch cocktail. Von Miller approved (not officially, I don’t know Von Miller. Just to clarify).

The Daily Fantasy Casino Cocktail

Daily fantasy leagues are kind of just a roll of the dice, like a casino. This cocktail lets you drink a casino from your living room. Maybe you’ll get lucky in your daily fantasy league with this casino inspired drink.

● 60 ml (2 oz) Gin
● 5ml (1/8 oz) fresh Lemon Juice
● 5ml (1/8 oz) Maraschino Liqueur
● 1 dash The Bitter Truth Orange Bitters

Stir and strain with ice into a cocktail glass.

This drink is a classic gin and juice blend, and will taste very good, even for those who may not enjoy the spiciness of gin drinks. It’s a classic casino cocktail that works both indoors and out, a great refreshment on hot days, and is sure to be a hit with your guests.

The Saintly Brees

This drink comes from the famed Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, and is named after (obviously), longtime Saints QB and future hall of famer Drew Brees.

● 1 ½ oz. Absolut New Orleans
● ¼ oz. Absolut Mandarin
● 2 oz. Orange Juice
● 1 oz. Pineapple Juice

Stir gently and serve in a cocktail glass with ice.

The Saintly Brees is a tangy, Bourbon Street take on the screwdriver (similar to the Orange Crush Cocktail, but different).

The “Last Place in my League” Cocktail

● Whiskey

Serve on the rocks or neat.

Enjoy this classic cocktail as you watch your garbage team, the same team that you had so much hope for, fall deeper and deeper into fantasy oblivion. Hey, maybe it wasn’t your fault, maybe it was injuries or dumb luck. Either way, you’re going to need a stiff drink– and for my money, this is the stiffest one. Maybe next year buddy, we’ve all been there.

There are a few cocktails– I tried to keep them as simple as possible because, I sort of know the type, and I wouldn’t want to be spending all day making drinks, I want to watch football. These fantasy football inspired drinks should all be quick, easy, and get the job done.

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Check Out the CBS Sports App

With baseball season underway and NBA and NHL playoffs approaching, it’s a wonderful time of the year to be a sports fan. The weather is getting nicer and you will want to be out and about after being confined to your homes (depending on your climate) for the past few months. With all that great sports action and the need to be away from your television, something has to give. Or does it?

CBS Sports has a solution for you so you will be able to hit the golf course, soak up the sun at the beach or whatever you desire while staying staying up to date on the latest sports news and scores. Simply download their Sports App to stay on top of your favorite teams and/or sports.

The Nba app is perfect if you are looking to see if the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers are on another crash course to meet in the NBA Finals. You can follow along to monitor Russell Westbrook’s historic season. No matter what your interest is, the CBS Sports app is perfect for your needs.

There is something special about the start of the baseball season. The Chicago Cubs lifted their curse last year. Will they repeat? Will the Cleveland Indians take it to end their drought? With so many day games played throughout the course of the season, the CBS Sports app is perfect to stay on top of the busy schedule while you are at work or on the go.

CBS Sports App features:
★ Every major sport: MLB Baseball, NBA Basketball, NHL Hockey, MLS Soccer, Golf, Tennis, NASCAR, NCAA and more!
★ Fastest news, scores and stats – you’ll see the difference when you know the latest big plays and the final scores before your friends with the CBS Sports App
★ Your team’s news in a custom feed packed with real-time info from dedicated insiders
★ Watch sports directly on your device
★ Hand-picked, personalized news alerts for every must-know story
★ Watch sports & games LIVE! Watch sports events and analysis all year long – SEC football, NCAA basketball, PGA TOUR, CBS Sports Network and original Fantasy Sports & News shows
★ Listen to live streaming radio, including Jim Rome, Doug Gottlieb, Tiki and Tierney & more
★ Play games for cash prizes throughout the year with King of the Streak, Pick 4 Fantasy Golf and Bracket Challenge. Plus, compete in your own football and March MadnessⓇ groups with Office Pool Manager and Bracket Manager.
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Plus, everything else you need to be in the know:
★ Scores, news, standings, stats, tweets and more for every major sport from high school to the pros: Football (NFL, NCAA), Basketball (NBA, NCAA), Baseball (MLB, NCAA), Hockey (NHL), Soccer (All Major Leagues), Golf, Tennis, Auto Racing (NASCAR, Formula 1) & more
★ Exclusive access to CBS Sports coverage of the NFL Draft, March Madness, the Masters, the NBA Draft & more
★ Live original studio shows like Fantasy Football Today, SEC Today, Pro Football and College Football Rundown.

Download the app on iTunes or Google Play today.