Pocket Pair: 6/22/12

Happy Friday everyone!  Your guide to the weekend in sports is here.  It's the final weekend of Inter-league play for MLB and there are some fun match ups (yes even the Mets vs. Yankees might make the list).

Here's the Top 10 things every sports fan should be watching this weekend:

10:  2012 NHL Draft

Yes I know it is late June and Lord Stanley is making its way around Los Angeles, but I am sending you to Pittsburgh for the weekend.  There will be plenty of young hockey players drafted that nobody has heard of unless you're a true hockey nut, (follow @MikeHumeESPN on Twitter for more) but here's why you should watch.  If you're a DC local, the Washington Capitals have picks #11 and #16 and a league high 11 picks overall.  GM George McPhee is always fun to watch during draft weekend as well.

9:  College World Series 

Sunday Night starts the best of 3 Championship Series in Omaha.  Arizona knocked off Florida St. on Thursday extending the impossible streak of futility for the ACC in Omaha.  But to find out who their opponent is takes a winner take all game tonight pitting 2 time defending CWS Champion South Carolina and their fellow SEC rival Arkansas.


8:  Washington Nationals at Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore is licking its wounds from a decisive 3 game sweep at the hands of the New York Mets.  Is it the beginning of the end for their surprise run this year?  Even though the 1st place Nationals are coming to town, the Orioles do catch a major break by not having to face either Stephen Strasburg or Gio Gonzalez.  The New York Yankees are threatening to run away and hide from their A.L. East competitors so a series win here is of the utmost importance.



7: Germany vs Greece Euro Cup Quarters

I really can't see Greece slowing down the Germans today.  But what do I know and that's why it's worth a watch.  After all Greece has won the Euro Cup more recently (2004) than has Germany (1996).



6: Spain vs. France Euro Cup Quarters

Now we're talking.  Two really good teams with the winner playing the dreamy Cristiano Ronaldo in the semi-finals.  Secretly I'm pulling for Spain mainly because I want to see what can only be described (for Americans) as a Redskins vs. Cowboys playoff game next week.  Spain and Portugal don't like each other one bit and that would be much better than watching France.



5: England vs. Italy Euro Cup Quarters

Wayne Rooney. Mario Balotelli.  Two strikers who garner a lot of attention good and bad while on the pitch (look at me soccer guru).  I have a feeling that whatever the outcome one of these two players will be the reason.  Italy hasn't won a Euro Championship since 1968 and England is still waiting on their first.  Couple that with a horrible drought in the World Cup since 1966 and the Brits have got to be getting a bit impatient to say the least.

4: Tampa Bay Ray at Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday

Have I got a Sunday triple header for you guys (and girls).  At 1:35 you can settle into David Price (9-4) against Cole Hamels (10-3).  Two of the best lefties in the game square off in a big series for both teams.  The Phillies are still banged up and still in last place in the N.L. East.  The Rays are in the middle of the tough A.L. East and have no time to start slumping.



3: San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics on Sunday

Game two of your triple header takes you to the worst stadium in Major League Baseball, but home to my favorite team in Oakland.  The Athletics will send out Brandon McCarthy who when not tweeting up a storm or posing with his wife on magazine covers or missing starts due to a bum shoulder is quietly 4th in the A.L. in ERA and sitting at 6-3.  His opponent is Matt Cain who was recently seen throwing a perfect game and is 9-2 overall.  He's also given up all of 3 ER to the Athletics over his last 31 innings pitched.

2: New York Yankees at New York Mets

After you grab a quick dinner, I highly suggest you settle in for this game.  I will be watching for the pitching match up only as I could care less about who wins.  CC Sabathia brings his ample frame and his 9-3 record across town against the hottest pitcher on the planet.  R.A. Dickey whom you may have read about earlier this week is 11-1 with a scintillating 2.00 and owns a 41 2/3 consecutive innings streak without giving up an earned run (stupid passed balls).  He has only given up two hits over his last two starts combined and will be truly tested on national television against the Yankees who lead all of the Majors in home runs.

1: NBA Finals Game 6 Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder


Oops...so much for that.  Instead may I suggest Olympic Qualifying on the networks of NBC?? No? How about NASCAR racing in Sonoma on Sunday?? Yeah, I didn't think so.  The PGA Tour is in sunny Cromwell, CT for the Travelers Championship.  No he's not playing, nor is he and don't believe for a second that he's playing either.  Okay last shot, how about the WNBA? Just kidding folks...carry on, nothing to see here.

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Congratulations to the Miami Heat.  They bought won a Championship.  LeBron played his ass off and took home his first title along with the Finals MVP Trophy.  As he put it 'It's about damn time!'  The obvious correlation that has been mentioned on the internet is how it took Alex Rodriguez to join Derek Jeter, winner of multiple championships and consummate professional to win a title.  Dwayne Wade has always done it the right way and he stayed in Miami rather than skipping around the league looking for a solid running mate to win with.  LeBron James showed why he is the best active basketball player on the planet, but I know deep  down he wishes he could have done this in Cleveland and people who detest him will never forget the fact that he couldn't get it done there.