<|endoftext|> did well. Heck, Creed was fantastic, 25 years after the franchise was a joke. Maybe there's something to this seventh movie. Maybe it will stun the world.
It's probably going to be direct-to-video, though, with eyes on the eighth installment, even though they still haven't finalized a screenplay for this one. Are the Padres rebuilding? Possibly, considering their decision to jump the bull market on power relievers, trading away Craig Kimbrel like they should have in July. Are the Padres contending? Possibly, considering they'll have a lineup with Jon Jay and Alexei Ramirez in it. They're a cloud floating by, and you get to decide what they look like.
What they really are is a team that's hoping, hoping, hoping that Andrew Cashner and James Shields pitch as well as they're capable of, enticing teams at the deadline. A prospect haul for whatever they have to sell would push reset on the grand offseason experiment, and they would argue that the months-long offseason of intense interest in the team last offseason was a net positive. Fair enough.
My only issue with their limbo is that they didn't address their defense. Jon Jay is a center fielder only in contrast to Wil Myers, and he'll still have to cover the real estate that Matt Kemp left back in 2009. Ramirez is a good enough hitter to make him a plus when he fields, and he fields well enough to make him a plus when he hits, but he's probably past the tipping point on both. Last year's NL-worst defense isn't much better, and that's a problem for a team trying to boost the value of its semi-available pitchers.
NL POSTSEASON
Wild card game: Pirates over Giants
NLDS: Dodgers over Cubs, Mets over Pirates
NLCS: Mets over Dodgers
AL POSTSEASON
Wild card game: Astros over Indians
ALDS: Mariners over Yankees, Astros over Royals
ALCS: Mariners over Astros
WORLD SERIES
Mets over Mariners
You know it��s going to be someone random. Why not the Mets? Also don't forget that these predictions are probably right.
AWARDS
NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen
AL MVP: Manny Machado
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer
AL Cy Young: Sonny Gray
NL Rookie of the Year: Hector Olivera
AL Rookie of the Year: Bradley Zimmer<|endoftext|>Scott was accused of breaking the bottle over the head of Sucuzhanay as he walked arm-and-arm with his brother, Romel, on a cold night in Brooklyn. The brothers were returning home from a bar; Jose was drunk, and Romel was helping him walk. Prosecutors said Scott, 26, and Phoenix, 30, mistook the brothers for gay men, and yelled anti-Hispanic and anti-gay slurs at them. Scott smashed the bottle over Jose Sucuzhanay's head and chased after Romel with the broken bottle, while Phoenix beat Sucuzhanay with an aluminum baseball bat so badly he cracked open his skull, prosecutors said. Sucuzhanay died several days later at a hospital. Phoenix has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, manslaughter and attempted assault, all as hate crimes. His jury began deliberations Thursday evening. Phoenix's defense attorney, Philip Smallman, said Thursday in closing arguments that the case was about a fight that escalated, not a premeditated attack.
��I am outraged by the dismissal of hate crime charges in one of the most heinous acts of hate our city has witnessed in recent memory. It is incomprehensible to me that such violent acts of hate could receive a verdict of not guilty. Hakim Scott viciously attacked Jose Sucuzhanay while calling him derogatory names and stood by and watched while his fellow attacker, Keith Phoenix, beat Jose with a baseball bat. Jose was attacked simply because of who he was and who these two criminals perceived him to be. His attack was motivated and fueled by pure hatred.
I urge all New Yorkers to join me in condemning this verdict, as we did when we originally learned of this attack.
"Justice was served with guilty verdicts on manslaughter and attempted assault charges. With these two charges combined, Hakim Scott faces up to forty years in prison.
The fact is, however, that Mr. Scott has escaped serving any time for his vicious hate, hate that was at the heart of this horrible crime and murder. This is a sad day for the family of Jose Sucuzhanay and for all those who uphold and fight for tolerance and acceptance. I pledge to the Sucuzhanay family that our fight is not over and we will do all that we can to see Mr. Scott in jail for the rest of his life.
We remain hopeful that Keith Phoenix will ultimately be found rightfully guilty in the hate charges he faces.<|endoftext|>Maryland Live