Billy Butler deserves long term contract

Billy Butler is a 24 yr old hitting machine. He does what he is supposed to do and its time the Royals start to look at doing what they should do, which is sign him to a long term deal. Billy is making near the league minimum in salary this year and that fact doesn't sit right for me. You see Billy is hitting an outstanding .344, which is currently third in the American League. The two guys ahead of Billy are Vladimir Guerrero and Justin Morneau. Their salaries? Vlad gets 5.5 mil and Justin gets 15 mil. Granted they've had a little better career thus far, but Billy has to project as having more potential at this stage in their careers. Billy salary is only 470k! The league minimum is 400k! For a guy thats also second in hits, third in doubles, tenth in on base percentage, twenty first in slugging percentage the salary doesn't equal the production. Billy has three years of big league experience. He is eligible for arbitration from 2011-2013, which means he is ineligible for free agency, is without a contract, cannot agree to terms on a new contract with his current team and has been on the roster for three years. This means that Billy and the Royals have to submit salary offers and an arbitrator decides which is fair based on players with similar ability and years of experience. If I was in Billy's situation I would want the long term security, the respect of my peers, my owners trust and more than anything to be paid what I am producing. He deserves more then what we are currently giving him and I would argue more than what we will offer him. Baseball is a grueling sport, 162 games is a lot and the players get paid less than any other sport per game. When you have a gem, you reward him or you let him sign somewhere that will. Unfortunately for Royals fans, letting them go to someone who will is a familiar story. My stance? Pay this man!

Been Awhile. NBA, NFL thoughts

Hello out there! It's been a long time since I've written as I've been really busy with work and school along with military obligations. I will be writing a lot more frequently now that I have the time!

NBA Thoughts:

First let me write a little bit on Derrick Rose since he is who I last wrote about. In case you don't know I am an avid Chicago Bulls fan and D. Rose happens to be the man for my team. I wrote that he was coming and if you didn't believe me then you definitely should now. He improved in all aspects of the game in his second season, including defense. He played well at home (838pts, 251ast) and on the road (781pts, 218ast). He brought a high energy level to every game and definitely showed he is an ascending talent and will be a force in coming years!

If LeBron James doesn't pick Chicago as the next city to play for he is more foolish then anyone thought. Chicago is a large market and the Bulls are a team on the rise. I believe LBJ wants to be a winner in the near future, and Chicago is the team that provides that opportunity.

The Boston Celtics are playing out of their minds and more credit should be given to Rajon Rondo. He is the head of that snake and they'll only go as far as he takes them. I believe that is to the finals, but not to the championship.

The Los Angelas Lakers are by far the best team. The have size and skill in the post. Great perimeter defense. Ability to go big or small without compromising effectiveness and a coach who understands game tendencies better than anyone else. Oh yeah, they have Kobe (second best shooting guard ever) Bryant as well.

If there was ever going to be a player to break Michael Jordan's NBA record for most years leading the league in scoring (10 for Michael) it is Kevin Durant. The kid has an unreal offensive game and can do anything he wants on that side of the court. Just for the record I'm not making a predictions on that just yet other than to say he'll come close.

NFL Thoughts:

JaMarcus Russell is the biggest embarrassment of the NFL. He took advantage of guaranteed money, got fat (literally) and happy and wasted an opportunity any regular guys would love the shot of getting. I cant stand the guy and I hope he never plays again. He should be ashamed.

The New York Jets have been talking a big game this offseason. Super Bowl? I think not. The team got lucky last year to make the playoffs. Losing Thomas Jones to the Kansas City Chiefs will hurt a lot more than people realize and Mark Sanchez still has a long way to go after throwing 20 int's and coughing up 10 fumbles (losing 3). They should let their play speak for them.

I love Bret Farve and think he should play as long as he is productive. But I am getting really tired of the retire/unretire act and the wait til last minute to decide if Im playing routine. It puts the franchise in limbo and hurts his fan base. He is a legend , but this act is almost as old as he is.

This NFL season is going to be full of surprises. I think one of the biggest is going to be the Kansas City Chiefs. It starts with the home opener against San Diego. The NFL is smart in bringing the Chiefs back to prime time and a resurgence is definitely on the horizon in the near future for this proud franchise.

Tim Tebow, in my opinion, is already a star person and he will be a star player once he figures out the nuances of the NFL. Good things happen to those who work hard, stay humble and cherish opportunities. To bad Tebow doesn't have Russell's arm strength.

Final Thoughts:

Sports are and have always been my passion. Im an unbiased sports evaluator who speaks my mind, welcomes argument and loves statistical evaluations. If you have a comment or point to make, make it!

Joshua