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  • Brewers Chances of Staying Hot in 2018 | Ticket King Inc.

    Brewers 2018 Roster
    The Milwaukee Brewers are continuing their trek through the 2018 season, and currently, sit at 55-38, which gives them the best record in the National League. Let’s examine their recent play.
    There is not a hotter player in baseball right now than Jesus Aguilar and he has literally come flying out of nowhere. During the last month of the season, Aguilar has been smoking hot. To this point in the season, Aguilar carries a .307 batting average, 23 home runs which is tied for the National League lead with Nolan Arenado of the Rockies, and 67 RBI’s which puts him second behind only Eugenio Suarez of the Reds. Aguilar is a definite MVP candidate at this point the season and is the main reason behind the Brewers recent success. Will he win the MVP award? Maybe not, but he is a serious candidate. This is a loaded year for both leagues for MVP candidates. Aguilar, Matt Kemp, Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt, Javier Baez, Nolan Arenado, Nick Markakis and Freddie Freeman are all National League MVP candidates. For the American League, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Jose Altuve, Jean Segura, Mike Trout, Fransisco Lindor, Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez and Mitch Haniger are all MVP candidates. 
    After spending three years with Indians sitting on their bench, Aguilar came to the Brewers after being claimed off waivers in January of 2017. After an okay season in 2017, Aguilar has exploded this year. So what happened? Recently Harold Reynolds of MLB Network did an extended profile on Aguilar on how he has studied his swing and made changes that have turned him from a guy who looks the part of a bigtime Major League hitter to a guy who really his a bigtime Major League hitter. Aguilar was award today by winning the final vote to get into the 2018 Major League All-Star game. He will also participate in the home run derby. 
    This Brewers roster has been good so far, and David Stearns is looking to make them even better at the deadline. The rumors are that Stearns has put in a potential offer to the Baltimore Orioles for third baseman/shortstop Manny Machado. The deal reportedly includes Keon Broxton, Corbin Burnes, and several unnamed prospects. I am not sure this is a bright idea for the Brewers. They don’t need a big hitter, and there is no way Machado signs with Milwaukee this offseason. The Brewers need starting pitching, and Jacob DeGrom is a more likely big target. 

  • A Cubs Fan Checks Out Miller Park | Ticket King Wisconsin

    miller-park-milwaukee

    Back in June, Ticket King hooked me up with two tickets to see the Brewers play the Cubs at Miller Park (Wrigley North!). As a Cubs fan living in Milwaukee, I was thrilled. Wrigley Field has always been a sight to see, but visiting the modern Miller Park has also been a dream of mine. I instantly invited my girlfriend, threw on my Kris Bryant jersey, and headed over to Miller Park.
    As we walked up to the stadium, we could hear the roaring and excitement going on inside the ballpark. This could be due to the game from the night before. The Brewers had lost in the 11th inning after Anthony Rizzo hit a homerun, leading the Cubs to a 7-2 victory, and replacing the Brewers in the 1st place spot in the NL Central. As you can imagine, tensions were high, and everyone was enthusiastically prepared to cheer on their favorite NL Central team.
    The high energy audience was not the only thing catching hold of my senses. Miller Park had many food options, fan entertainment, and sights that I wanted to explore. First, we went up to the box seats behind home plate and grabbed some food there. From here, we watched the game with a great view of the whole stadium, including Bernie and his slide. As the game rolled on, we decided to walk the halls of the stadium and sought out something to snack on from the many food vendors. For fans that don’t mind the trip, there is a Friday’s restaurant set in the outfield stands. We stayed closer to our sections and wound up settling on cheese fries that vendors scoop into a Brewers replica helmet. The fries were a delicious treat to snack on while watching the rest of the game. Finally, when the game was coming to an end, we decided to stop by the kid zone out by right field where many kids were playing at the playground and pitching area. Here, we took pictures of us sitting on the giant glove and posing with the racing sausages.  In the end, even with the Cubs losing 4-0, my girlfriend and I enjoyed a nice date while watching our favorite teams. The fun and excitement of Miller Park left us yearning to return.

  • What Changes Will Put the Brewers in Position for the 2018 Playoffs? | Ticket King Inc.

    Brewers Mid Season Trades 2018

    At the time of this post, the Milwaukee Brewers currently sit at 46-32, in first place in the National League Central. In addition, they also hold the National League’s best record. Despite all of this, they do have some holes they need to shore up before their September playoff push.

    Second Base– Milwaukee has tried Jonathan Villar, Brad Miller, Eric Sogard, and Tyler Saladino at second base this season. In defense of Villar, he is sort of playing out of position at second base, as his natural position is shortstop. The rest of them can be discarded if needed. This is a slippery slope though, as the Brewers are trying to just buy enough time for Keston Hiura, their top draft choice from a year ago, to make his way through the minors. Hiura just reached AA, so the temptation will be there to bring him up, but they need to ignore it for this season. Another option would be calling up Mauricio Dubon from AAA when he comes off the DL. I don’t see them making any big splash trades here. They are in all likelihood going to just buy time for Hiura.
    Shortstop– Two years ago, if you thought shortstop would be a problem for the Brewers in 2018 you were a genius. You literally had to be able to predict the future to come up with that one. Orlando Arcia was the Brewers best prospect, and one of the prized young shortstop prospects in the game. Some thought that he was going to eventually be the Brewers best player. That all looks very much in doubt now. Arcia has looked lost in his first couple of trips to the big leagues and was sent down earlier this year for a short span. If he doesn’t turn it around quickly, they may need to send him back down for the rest of the year and find another solution. One option could be if they find a second baseman to flip Villar back over to his natural position. The Manny Machado dreamers can let that one go as well. The Brewers aren’t emptying their farm for a half season of having Machado at that position.
    Catcher– This is the Brewers biggest hole without a doubt. Jacob Nottingham looked overmatched in his first trip to the big leagues earlier this year and was quickly sent back down. Stephen Vogt is done for the year. They currently have two journeyman catchers behind the plate and either can be discarded if they go another route. They could go out on the open market, but the catcher market is weak this year, plus other teams are looking for a backstop as well. Their best option might be to let Nottingham have another go at some point this summer.
    Starting Pitcher– The Brewers are one of well, never mind, let’s just say every contender right now could use a starting pitcher. Milwaukee could use two. Freddy Peralta could be one, as he has looked great so far in Milwaukee. Marcos Diplan could be another. Kodi Medeiros could be part of the answer as well. Here is the problem, unless that pitcher is beyond incredible, you don’t just call up a starting pitcher and say you’re the answer, go for it. The Brewers will be looking for a starting pitcher this summer, and Jacob DeGrom has been linked to them. If they could get DeGrom, they could take the Nationals and Dodgers on straight up in October.

  • Six Brewers Players that are Carrying the Team Right Now | Ticket King Wisconsin

    Brewers players in 2018
    We are about 68-72 games into the 2018 Major League Baseball regular season, depending on which team we’re talking about, and the Milwaukee Brewers currently have the best record in the National League. Raise your hand if you thought the Brewers would have the NL’s best record through 68 games. Be honest.  Let’s take a look at some of the players who have been key to this amazing start for the Brewers.
    Travis Shaw/3B- To this point in the season, Shaw has been the Brewers most valuable player. He won’t be the league MVP, but at this rate, there is a chance he could end up on the back end of the ballot. Shaw currently stands with 14 home runs and 43 RBI’s, both of which lead the team.
    Lorenzo Cain/CF- This man has been exactly what the Brewers spent 80 million dollars on. Cain has been excellent out of the lead off spot and has played Gold Glove defense. Without Cain, Milwaukee would have surely suffered more losses at this point.
    Christian Yelich/OF- The big trade this off season was Milwaukee acquiring Christian Yelich from the Miami Marlins for prospects. Yelich hasn’t exactly been great on offense, but he has been solid and has played incredible defense, exactly like Cain. Milwaukee didn’t get Cain and Yelich for their bats. They acquired them for their defensive prowess.
    Jhoulys Chacin/SP- Who in the world would have thought Jhoulys Chacin would be the Brewers wins leader and best pitcher in the middle of June? I mean seriously, come on. But that is exactly the case. Chacin is a sparkling 6-1, with a 3.32 ERA.
    Josh Hader and Jeremy Jeffress/RP- that bullpen, which is overachieving by leaps and bounds, is the reason the Brewers have the league’s best record. Hader and Jeffress have been absolutely phenomenal to this point in the season. Hader carries an ERA of 1.18, a strikeout per nine inning number of 17.2, and 12 saves. Jeffress meanwhile has been maybe the National League’s best relief pitcher to this point in the season. Through 33 appearances totaling 33.2 innings, Jeffress carries a sparkling 0.53 ERA. As long as these guys keep performing, Milwaukee will be just fine. The remaining games this season will surely test our Brewers, but so far this team is “for real.”

  • Six Underdog Packers That Might Make the 2018 Final Roster | Ticket King Inc.

    We have now reached the month of NFL off season activies. For the die hard fans out there, the focus turns to the bottom half of every team’s 90-man rosters. For Green Bay Packers fans, we bring you the players to keep an eye on this summer. Some could surprise everyone, and make the team’s Week One -53-man roster. Another thing to remember for you fans, is that we have Packers tickets on sale now. Don’t wait until fall to start looking for tickets. Make your plans now.

    Packers Players That Might Make the Final Roster

    DeAngelo Yancey/WR- The Packers currently have more receivers than they have spots for. That could change though as they could trade somebody like Randall Cobb or Trevor Davis. They could go so far as to cut Davis if they decide to not keep him around as a return specialist. This could open up the door for someone like Yancey to make the team on the very back end of the roster. The coaches really like Yancey and he impressed last year on the practice squad.
    Tyler Lancaster/DT- Even though the Packers are changing defensive schemes and coaches, they will still employ a 3-4. One of the basics of a 3-4 is are the big nose guards in the middle. It never hurts to have several on the depth chart and Lancaster fits the mold of a reserve NFL 3-4 nose guard at 6’3”, 315 pounds. He will wear the number 1 during camp, and if he makes the roster that number will be changed.
    Ahmad Thomas/LB- The Packers depth chart at linebacker is wide open right now. Expect Matthews, Perry, Martinez, and Ryan to open camp as the starters by default, but the depth behind them is open for interpretation. Ahmad Thomas is a “coaches player” and sometimes that alone translates into making the roster.
    C.J. Johnson/LB- In addition to Thomas, another linebacker to keep an eye on is the undersized high-motored C.J. Johnson out of East Texas Baptist. Kyler Fackrell has been a disappointment as a reserve pass rusher, and Johnson could take his spot if he works hard enough and puts on a few pounds.
    Herb Waters/CB- If Davon House’s injuries have finally caught up to him, there is a chance a cornerback spot could open up, but I highly doubt that. We know one thing about Waters- he can fly. If he can turn himself into a special teams gunner in camp with that speed, there is a chance, a very small chance, he could make the roster over Davon House. But as I stated before, I don’t see that happening.
    Jerome Whitehead/S- This reserve safety battle is going to be one of the features of Packers camp. Kentrell Brice, Marwin Evans, and Jerome Whitehead. Right now the odd man out is Whitehead, but that could change tomorrow, and then change again in two days. Keep an eye on this one for the next three months.

  • Brewers Pitching Dominates In First Two Months of 2018 | Ticket King Inc.

    Milwaukee Brewers
    The Milwaukee Brewers currently stand at 24-17 and lead the National Central by less than a game over the St. Louis Cardinals. But for the last several weeks the Brewers have been very up and down.
    After their eight-game winning streak, they first traveled to Chicago to play the Cubs. The stay in Chicago didn’t go well for them, as they got swept in a four-game series that weekend, scoring a grand total of two runs, both in the same game. Following that four-gameseries, they traveled to Cincinnati, and predictably, they swept the Reds, scoring 16 runs in the three-game series. But, the difference between the Cubs and the Reds right now is the difference between a World Series contender and a contender for the first overall selection in the draft. Following the Reds series is when the Brewers started trading wins and losses, literally.
    So what has carried the Brewers to this solid start?Ironically it was their pitching that did the job. To this point in the season, they are eighth in the National League for ERA, at 3.54 and eight in WHIP, at 1.24. What’s their “shining stat?” QualityStarts. Milwaukee, of all teams, ranks third at this point in the season in quality starts, with 24. On Sunday, they called up one of their top pitching prospects, Freddy Peralta, who dazzled in his debut, pitching 5.2 innings and striking out 13 Rockies.
    So what is next up for these Milwaukee Brewers? They have six more games on the road before returning home. The first three are in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks, who sit in first place in a National League West will be a test for the Brew Crew. The Dodgers are in trouble out there, so the door is now open for either Arizona or Colorado to go get a division title. After three in the desert, they head north to Minnesota for three games against the Twins. The Twins have turned it around since their awful 3-13 stretch following the blizzard that canceledtheir entire series against the White Sox. Following the trip to Minnesota, the Brewers come home for a long 10-game home stand.

  • Kenny Chesney American Family Field Tickets | Ticket King

    No Shoes Nation

    Kenny Chesney comes to American Family Field on Saturday, May 14, 2022. The show starts at 5 pm, with some great opening acts. Are you looking for great tickets to this event? Click on this Kenny Chesney tickets link for all the best seats.

    Opening for Chesney is none other than Dan & Shay, Old Dominion & Carley Pearce. This is the second time that Dan & Shay will be opening for Chesney in Milwaukee.

    The Chesney tour is called “Hear & Now 2022” and it starts on 4/28/22 in Tampa Florida. This tour ends around late August, with shows in Foxboro, MA. That night will feature two shows, back to back. Word is that the final two shows will break attendance records for a live show in that venue. For Milwaukee fans, this is Chesney’s third trip to American Family Field.

    Kenny Chesney has won CMA “Entertainer of the Year” four times, from 2004 to 2008, missing out in 2005. In the past twenty-two years, Kenny has been releasing albums every few years, with four super hot hit songs, starting with “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” in 1999, to “You and Tequila” which came out in 2010.

    Kenny Chesney fans are collectively known as the “No Shoes Nation” all hoping for the chance to stand in the “Sand Bar” up in front of the stage. American Family Field will have seating on the field, and in the stands. See you at Chesney!

  • Ticket King's 2018 MLB Preview

    MLB Preview 2018
    The 2018 MLB regular season is almost upon us. Opening Day is March 29, a week early than normal. The idea is to try to not have the postseason go into November with starting so early, and also to give the players a couple of extra days off during the season. Let’s dive right in, starting with the National League.
    National League
    NL East
    1. Washington Nationals(98-64): This current version of the Nationals has been very good for a long time. But, they have yet to get the job done in October. Will that change in 2018?
    2. New York Mets(90-72): A year ago, I predicted these Mets to win the World Series. Injuries an internal arguing changed all of that. The team now has a new general manager and manager, and their first order of business is to get Matt Harvey sorted. If they do that, they could make some serious noise.
    3. Philadelphia Phillies(80-82): Woah, let’s back off that Phillies train a little bit here. I know they have a lot of talented young players, and the signing of Jake Arrieta to boost that rotation, but let’s finish somewhere other than last place before we go any further, okay?
    4. Atlanta Braves(74-88): A year ago the Braves looked like baseball’s next hot young team. Then the big scandal broke this offseason about manipulating their international free agent signings, and now former GM John Coppolella has now been banned for life as a result plus the team has been stripped of 13 international prospects. Team President John Hart resigned, and former first overall pick shortstop Dansby Swanson looks like a bust to this point.
    5. Miami Marlins(50-112): This is the worst team in the league, and the worst team we have seen in years. They will set the record for most losses in a season.
    NL Central
    1. Chicago Cubs(97-65): Theo Epstein has built the Cubs up into one of the biggest baddest teams on the block. Expect another strong season on the north side. But will it translate into another World Series title?
    2. St. Louis Cardinals(88-74): The Cardinals, eternal contenders, are fielding another solid team this year. 2018 will be very simple for this ballclub- how much of an impact can they make and how far can all of that young talent, led by those two pitchers, Alex Reyes and Jack Flaherty take them?
    3. Milwaukee Brewers(80-82): Yeah the Brewers made two splashy moves this offseason, signing Lorenzo Cain and trading for Christian Yelich, to improve their outfield. In the process though, they created an outfield logjam that hasn’t been settled yet, even with Ryan Braun going to first base, and they did nothing to improve a below-average pitching staff. I fear they are about to settle back into that cycle of mediocrity again.
    4. Pittsburgh Pirates(73-89): The Pittsburgh Pirates return to prominence ends with one NLDS participated in to go along with a couple of Wild Card games played in. We will never know what those Pirates could have accomplished if they would have just believed in themselves.
    5. Cinncinati Reds(67-95): The Reds have a lot of promising young players, but they are still very early in their long rebuild.
    NL West
    1. Los Angeles Dodgers(97-65): These aren’t the Dodgers from about five years ago that throws money around like drunken sailors. General Manager Andrew Friedman has not been afraid to spend, but he spends intelligently. What he has mainly done, is spend the majority of his fund locking down the Dodgers young talent long term, and will continue to do so. Clayton Kershaw is a free agent this upcoming offseason, but I don’t expect the Dodgers to let him get to the airport.
    2. Colorado Rockies(87-75): The Rockies are a good team now, but I don’t think they are quite as good as their record showed a year ago. They still don’t have a rotation. Still, 87 wins is a good season.
    3. San Diego Padres(80-82): The Padres are a good young boring team that is slowly getting better. They went out this offseason and added first basemen Eric Hosmer for not just his talent, but for his leadership skills and big game experience. This Padres team is one year away from being ready for the big time, finally.
    4. San Fransisco Giants(77-85): The Giants had a 2017 to forget which was a sign that their run was coming to an end. Unlike what most teams would do in that situation, they went the other way, going out this offseason and emptying their farm for the likes of Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen. This is now baseball’s new “old, overpaid, underachieving” team.
    5. Arizona Diamondbacks(75-87): Who are the real Diamondbacks? Does anybody know? They have been as up and down the last few seasons as a team could be. Well, according to their current trajectory, 2018 will be down.
    Awards
    Manager of the Year: Dave Martinez/Nationals- Martinez does a great job in year one, settling the Nationals down, and finally fixing the clubhouse tension.
    Rookie of the Year: Victor Robles/OF/Nationals- The next great National is outfielder Victor Robles, who has a combination of speed and skill rarely seen. He is a true five-tool player.
    MVP: Kris Bryant/3B/Cubs- Bryant continues to add to his already impressive resume with a second MVP award.
      
    American League
    AL East
    1. Boston Red Sox(94-68): The Yankees made the big offseason splash, trading for superstar right fielder Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins. Yeah, that’s nice, the Red Sox are still the much better team.
    2. New York Yankees(90-72): Speaking of those Yankees, here they are. Everybody is on the Yankees train, but I don’t think this is going to work out as well as a lot of people think. Having two high strikeout guys in the same lineup back-to-back is a bad idea and after these two(Stanton and Aaron Judge)strikeout 400 times between the two of them maybe people will change their minds.
    3. Baltimore Orioles(81-81): The ultimate definition of the .500 team, the Orioles will do just that in 2018. That’s about as far as a great offense and no pitching staff gets you these days.
    4. Toronto Blue Jays(80-82): There is really not much to say here. The Blue Jays are just another average team. Moving along.
    5. Tampa Bay Rays(69-93): The Rays finally let go of the past this offseason, trading away Evan Longoria and others, and will let the bottom fall out in 2018. This is the beginning of a long rebuild.
    AL Central
    1. Minnesota Twins(97-65): The Twins weakness was their rotation. So they fixed it. Jose Berrios is now established in the major leagues and will ascend to the top of that rotation. They added Lance Lynn, who’s one weakness is fly balls, and he will thrive in Target Field, the building where all fly balls go to die. They added Jake Odorizzi, another fly ball pitcher who will excel in Target Field. Stephen Gonsalves, the southpaw, who it seems like we have been hearing about for 30 years, is finally ready for the major leagues. Still, 97 wins? Yes. See, in baseball, to project win-loss records, you have to examine the division as a whole. The Twins and Indians get to beat up on three bad teams, whereas the Yankees and Red Sox don’t.
    2. Cleveland Indians(95-67): These Indians are still very good, but at this point, the Twins may be just a little bit better than them. They did lose Carlos Santana this offseason and that will hurt the offense a little bit.
    3. Kansas City Royals(71-91): No, these Royals will not finish around .500. They lost too much this offseason with the likes of Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain.  Low-70’s win total seems more correct.
    4. Chicago White Sox(69-93): The White Sox have young talent and are getting there. But they’re not there quite yet. I project 2019 will be mid-70’s for this team, and then 2020 is where they will return to contention.
    5. Detroit Tigers(68-94): The Tigers finally, and I mean FINALLY, saw the obvious, and let go, trading away the likes of Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton, and others for prospects. 2018 is going to be a long season in the Motor City while they sort through all of these prospects.
    AL West
    1. Houston Astros(112-50): Speaking of teams that get to beat up on inferior opponents, here’s the undisputed king of that at the moment. The reigning World Series champions are just that much better than the rest of their division right now. If they don’t win the AL West in 2018, it will be one if the biggest failures in baseball in recent memory. The question is, can baseball’s great experiment, which became baseball’s great prophecy, now become baseball’s great dynasty?
    2. Los Angeles Angels(76-86): Yes, you are reading this correctly, the Houston Astros are going to win this division by 36 games. The Angels are the closest thing they have to competition and all they have is an old out of shape Albert Pujols who can’t play the field anymore, Kohl Calhoun, Mike Trout, a Japanese rookie who has looked awful in Spring Training, and a bunch of “blah.”
    3. Seattle Mariners(70-92): Well they tried. It got them nowhere, but they tried. The Mariners have made more moves the last six years to try to push their roster over the hump but to no avail. They are simply out of gas at this point.

    4. Texas Rangers(68-94): This will be the worst season in Arlington for baseball in over a decade. The Rangers have been a good team for a long time, but that is about to come to an end.
    5. Oakland Athletics(67-95): These A’s are headed for another bad season, and no, Jonathan Lucroy won’t change much. I’ve been saying this for a while now, and I will say again. I understand everything Billy Beane has accomplished for this franchise with nothing to work with, but he is past his time, and it is time for him to go.
    Awards
    Manager of the Year: Paul Molitor/Twins- Molitor wins his second straight manager of the year award, leading the Twins to 97 wins.
    Rookie of the Year: Vladimir Guererro Jr./3B/Blue Jays- Shohei Ohtani has looked awful in Spring Training and this smells like a bust already. So the door is wide open for Vladimir Guererro Jr. to walk right through it.
    MVP: Jose Altuve/2B/Houston Astros- The smallest player in the game, the man who proves it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog, wins his second straight MVP award.
    National League Playoffs
    Wild Card Game: Mets vs. Cardinals- In a one-game-playoff, the Mets just outmatch the Cardinals in every aspect, and will win this game 4-0.
    ALDS
    Nationals vs. Mets- I so very badly want to take the Mets in this series, but the Nationals have a good rotation too. Sorry. Nationals in five well-pitched games.
    Cubs vs. Dodgers- Two powerhouses with great lineups littered with super-talented young all-stars go head to head in a colossal brawl. Dodgers have the home-field advantage and win this series in five games.
    NLCS
    Nationals vs. Dodgers- What a good series this will be. I can’t find a difference, seriously. The only difference could very well be home-field, which the Nationals have. Nationals in seven great games.
    American League Playoffs
    Wild Card Game: Indians vs. Yankees- This game will be in Cleveland, and all of those Indians power arms against the free-swinging Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in a one-game-playoff. This won’t end well for the Bombers. Indians win 5-2.
    ALDS
    Astros vs. Indians- For as great as the Astros are, they have a free-swinging lineup that relies on home runs, and free-swinging lineup vs power arms contest, advantage power arms. Indians in four.
    Twins vs. Red Sox- Finally, the Twins get an AL East opponent in the postseason and they have the home-field. Twins in five.
    ALCS
    Twins vs. Indians- Unlike the Indians previous two opponents, the Twins are not a free-swinging team that relies on hitting the ball out of the ballpark. Rather, they rely on plate patience and hit placement. The home-field advantage carries the Twins to their first pennant in 27 years. Twins in seven.
    World Series
    Nationals vs. Twins- Whoever comes out of the National League is going to win the World Series this year, unless it is the Astros out of the American League. I just don’t see any of the other contenders beating one of these great National League squads in seven games. The Nationals finally get the job done in October and win their first World Series since moving to Washington D.C.

    The Nationals have to win the World Series. They are just too talented not to. 

  • Six Rookie Pitchers Set To Break Out This Season | Ticket King Wisconsin

    MLB Pitchers 2018

    The 2018 Major League Baseball season is almost upon us, and that means it is time for some “Players to Watch” lists to start the season. Here, we take a look at rookie pitchers to keep on your radar, as they prepare for their Major League debut. Most baseball fans alreadyt know about Shohei Ohtani from Japan, as he signed with the Angels, so we will leave him off this list.

    Michael Kopech/RHP/White Sox- Kopech came over from the Red Sox in the Chris Sale mega-deal and has continued his track towards the Major Leagues. He really improved the second half of the season last year, and he will make his debut at some point 2018. Kopech has top of the rotation potential, and if he lives up to that potential, the White Sox have their ace.
    Walker Buehler/RHP/Dodgers- Buehler made his debut late last season, pitching in eight games out of the Dodgers bullpen. He is a starter though, and a front line one at that. He has a fastball that can touch three digits on the radar gun with a violent curve ball and plus slider to compliment. Buehler has ace and perennial All-Star written all over him.
    Brent Honeywell/RHP/Rays- It is no secret that the Rays have entered a rebuilding stage. They made a lot of moves this off-season, unloading the likes of Jake Odorizzi and Evan Longoria for prospects. Their rebuild though, especially on the mound, starts with this man. Honeywell has a fastball in the low 90’s and has a bevy of off-speed pitches. His calling card is mechanics and control. Think Greg Maddux here.
    Luiz Gohara/LHP/Braves- Gohara started his career in the Mariners system and the Braves traded for him back in January. Gohara throws 97 on the radar gun with a wipe out slider. Left-handed pitchers that can do that don’t grow on trees. If he can get just a little more command, the Braves have their next ace.
    Max Fried/LHP/Braves- Most teams are blessed to have one top of the line left-handed pitching prospect. The Braves have two. Fried doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he’s got great command and a plus curve ball. His ceiling is a number two starter, so the plan is he will be Gohara’s sidekick at some point in the future.
    Stephen Gonsalves/LHP/Twins- It seems like we have heard about Gonsalvesfor a long time now, but he is still just 23 years of age to begin this season. Much like Fried, he doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he has good control over a variety of pitches. He will never be a number one starter, but he sill has “middleof the rotation” potential.

  • College Basketball Tournament Time | Ticket King Inc.

    March is here, and for sports fans, that can only mean one thing. It’s time for the NCAA tournament. The first two rounds, well rounds two and three now, those first four days, are four of the best days in sports, every year. Let’s dive right in with T.J. Bryce, our “Bracket Builder.”

    The top seed in the tournament this year is 31-2 Virginia, winners of the ACC. This looked like the year Virginia finally got it done in the NCAA tournament, however, some bad news came the other day. Forward De’Andre Hunter, the ACC 6th man of the year, will miss the entire tournament with an undisclosed injury. The other number one seed on that side of the bracket is Xavier, 28-5 overall, winners of the Big East. This is the first number one seed in school history for the Musketeers. Switch to the right side of the bracket, the number one seed in the East is Villanova, who have risen out of their longtime second-tier status to become one of the best programs in the country the last few years. The other number one seed on the right side of the bracket is 27-7 Kansas, a team that has gotten much better since the start of the season. The first two months of the season they looked like a five seed, but they have really turned it on as of late, as they have won 8 of their last nine. This bracket also features the strongest mid-major, 28-5 Loyola-Chicago, winners of the Missouri Valley. They could very well beat Miami in round one.

    So besides the number one seeds, who else looks impressive? In the South, the biggest threat to Virginia is Tennessee. They spread the ball out well, shoot the three, and play high-pressure defense. Arizona or Kentucky could possibly take Virginia out on the top side of that region, setting up a showdown with Tennessee in the Elite 8. In the West, this is going to be a ruthless road for Xavier. Ohio State, Michigan, Gonzaga, North Carolina, they could all take Xavier out. In fact, with this year of parity, Gonzaga might be one of the true favorites in this entire tournament.

    On the other side of the bracket, Villanova might have the easiest road of the four number one seeds. Purdue doesn’t overly excite me. Wichita State has been overrated all season. Texas Tech is the most talented team in America and yet they are a three seed. West Virginia could get upset in round one by Murray State and Florida really isn’t that impressive. In the Midwest though, if you like poster schools, this is the bracket for you. Kansas, Duke, and Michigan State, the top three seeds. If it is anyone but those three I will be stunned. The winner of Duke and Michigan State will meet Kansas in the Elite 8 in an epic showdown.

    So in the Elite 8, I have Tennessee beating Virginia, Gonzaga beating North Carolina, Villanova beating Texas Tech, and Michigan State beating Kansas. In the Final Four, I have Tennessee beating Gonzaga, and Michigan State beating Villanova. In the National Championship, I have Michigan State beating Tennessee by a score of 71-63.