Weighing the Value of Weighted Courses

Weighing the Value of Weighted Courses
Anna Nicks
9-3-13  7:35 pm

OWENSVILLE, MO-What is the incentive to take advanced courses?  If a school offers the classes as “weighted,” then it is possible to raise a grade point average (GPA).  How is this possible?  A weighted class has a higher grade point worth than a not-weighted class.  For example, if a school is using a four-point grading average, four is an A; three is a B, etc.  In that school setting, a weighted class might be worth a five point worth instead of a four.  This means that if a student had a 3.85 GPA, and they took a weighted class in which they received an A, and thus the five point worth, their grade point average would raise significantly more than if a student only received a four point worth.  On the example, a B is still worth the same amount as a normal A would.

            The reason that some schools choose to weight their classes is that it offers incentive for taking advanced courses.  Typically, advanced placement (AP) classes are harder, and it may be more difficult for a student to earn an A in that class.  They may end up with a B or lower causing their GPA to drop, which would not have happened, had they taken an easier course.  Because of that, they may not be as willing to take AP classes in the future.  Weighted classes eliminate that problem and reward students for challenging themselves. 

            Some people have a concern with weighted classes.  They feel that they place too much worth on some classes, and say that some classes are more important than others.  Some also believe that weighted grades cause students to take classes for the sake of the GPA, not because of their interests.  However, there are many good things about weighted classes.  They reward students for taking challenging courses.  Weighted classes are fairer in the long run.  Weighted classes are a good idea and should be implemented in all schools.    

Conserving Energy Around OHS

Conserving Energy Around OHS
Samuel Grus
9-3-13  7:33 pm

OWENSVILLE, MO-Owensville High School is trying to save money the best we can. We recycle cans from the vending machines, and anything else we can, because we are considered a small and poor school. This is how we save money in our district according to Ken Hunott:

Electric is saved by staff and students being responsible to turn off lights in rooms that are not being used.  We will soon have a more formal system though.  Over the summer, through the STRIVE program, we installed solar panels.  They will be hooked up to our electrical system and the electricity created will be fed back through the electrical grid.  The power company will credit the school district for any electricity that is fed back through the grid.  I'm sure it is much more complicated than that, but that is the version I understand.  

Our recycling program has come a long way since it began in 2009.  It began as a project that our gifted students were working on.  One of the main goals was to reduce the amount of trash that we put in our dumpsters and reduce the amount of trash pick ups that we pay for, therefore saving money.  We did reduce the amount of trash we put into landfills, but were unable to reduce our trash pick ups according to the waste management company.  Over the years we have accumulated several pieces of equipment through grants.  We have a forklift, a cardboard baler (capable of producing a 1,000 lb. bale), 9 containers with a capacity to hold 600 lb's of material, and an 18 ft trailer.  Although we don't make a lot of money off of paper and cardboard, $600 - $800 per year, we do save a lot of trees. In school year 2011-2012 we recycled 48,000 lbs of paper and cardboard.  In school year 2012-2013 we recycled 42,600 of material.

AL MVP Race

AL MVP Race
Samuel Grus
9-3-13  7:31 pm

OWENSVILLE, MO-In 2013, the MVP is not much of a race, but you can still consider it a race between Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles, and finally Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. Miguel Cabrera is having another Triple Crown like year once again. Chris Davis is having a break-out season that nobody saw coming. Mike Trout picked up right where he left off in 2012 after winning the Rookie of the Year. Truly there is only one right choice for the MVP, but we must dive into the numbers and do all that fun stuff.

            Chris (Crush) Davis has turned into an absolute monster at the dish in 2013. Davis is batting .304 and smashing a whopping 46 home runs through 128 games played. Nobody in the game of baseball really expected Davis to explode like he has in 2013. Davis went from being a nobody in 2012, to someone you have to watch every at bat because you do not know if he is going to take the opposing pitcher deep. Baseball is considered to be past the steroid era. If Davis keeps his pace, he could possibly hit the most home runs in the “clean era” since Ryan Howard and his 58 round trippers in 2006. Davis looked like he might challenge Cabrera for the MVP early in the season and around the All-Star break. Since then he has cooled off slightly, only hitting nine homers and batting .257. Davis is still valuable to the Orioles and their playoff push, ut unless he gets hot now there no way he wins the MVP.

            Mike Trout is probably the definition of a five-tool-player. The man can flat out run, hit for average, hit for power, field, and throw. Throughout his first two seasons in the big leagues, he has used those tools to put him in the MVP conversation once again. Trout is batting a solid .330, second only to Miguel Cabrera. He has hit 22 home runs, swiped 28 bases, and drove in 80 runs in 2013. Mike Trout leads the league with a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 7.6. Cabrera is second on that list with a 7.2 WAR. So yes, Trout is quite valuable to the Angels, but is he more valuable than Miguel Cabrera? Sure he is valuable to his third place Angels, but Cabrera is playing for what looks like a World Series bound Detroit Tigers team. So unfortunately, Trout will more than likely have to wait till Cabrera retires before he gets his MVP.

            What can you not say about Miguel Cabrera, he does everything right. There is truly no way to pitch to him without him doing something to help his team. If you try to pitch around him, he will let you just to help his teammate Prince Fielder. If you are crazy and you do pitch to him he is probably going to hurt you. The man can absolutely rake, no ifs, ands, or buts. It is hard not to just give him the award already. He is batting .359, smashing 43 home runs, driving in 130, and has an incredible 1.137 OPS. Cabrera is chasing an unthought of second Triple Crown in a row. Nobody in the history of the game has ever done that, not even Babe Ruth. I would say that Cabrera is the new age Ruth, but right now, Ruth could not even reach these stats. So I’m just giving Cabrera the award, not saying he has not earned it, but I’m just giving it to him.

            And the winner is... Miguel Cabrera! The man does everything perfectly. Not taking anything away from the other two contenders but they don’t even come close to Cabrera in 2013. Davis may lead in home runs, but Cabrera could catch him possibly since he is only three behind. Trout is a great player right now, however, is playing in the very large shadow of Cabrera, and it is very difficult to get out of. If Cabrera keeps this pace for the rest of his career he will probably go down as the greatest hitter of all-time. 

MLB Weekly

MLB Weekly
Cody Goggin
9-3-13  7:28 pm

OWENSVILLE, MO-Well, September is nearing and that means that teams are being eliminated, awards are being won, divisions are being solidified, and pennant races are coming to a peak. Every game is a must-win in September. 2011 might have been the best example of this as the Cardinals and Rays both showed that a playoff spot can be earned in September and that sometimes teams can just fall apart at this juncture in the grueling 162 game season. Things are heating up in many divisions, while others have already been decided.

            In the American League East, there are four teams that are all in the mix. The Boston Red Sox have a two and a half game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays, who are leading the wild card standings, and a six and a half game lead on the Baltimore Orioles. New York is in fourth place, only eight games out of the division and five games out of the second wild card spot as of right now. Out of all of these teams, the Rays probably have the most important series coming up as they play Oakland, the team that is trailing them by half a game for the wild card. In the next week, the Yankees and Orioles could have their fates decided as they will take each other on in a three game weekend series in which a sweep for one team could put themselves right in the thick of the race and send the other team out of contention, while a close series could mean that neither team really makes up any ground on teams ahead of them. The division is in the hands of Boston as they must defeat the under .500 White Sox and then the Central Division leading Tigers next week.

            In the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers keep pulling away from the pack as they are now six and a half games ahead of the Indians and eight and a half ahead of the Kansas City Royals. Unless Detroit hit the skids majorly, these two teams will likely have to rely on the wild card spots which they are only four and six games away from respectively. Detroit has a tight grip on the division, but the other two teams could play spoiler for some playoff hopes.

            Texas and Oakland have been battling back and forth all season for first place in the American League West, but right now the Rangers have a three game lead on the Athletics for this division. AS of right now though, both teams are in a playoff spot, however, it is their spot to lose down the stretch.

            Shifting over to the National League now, the East is a blowout.  Atlanta leads the division by a solid 13 games and should definitely be in the playoffs. However, the Washington Nationals have really turned it on as of late and they are playing like they were expected to all season. They have now moved up to where they are only six and a half games out of a wild card spot. The most impressive thing about the Nationals is that 20 out of their remaining 29 games are against teams that are under .500. Washington will have to dominate these teams to make the playoffs, but that schedule looks pretty promising for the Nation’s capital.

            The most tightly contested race all year has been that in the National League Central. There are three teams in this division that are above average teams and would all be locks for the playoffs if they were not competing against each other. It is very likely that the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds will all make the playoffs as the worst of these teams, the Reds, still hold a six game lead on the final playoff spot. All three of these teams are super dangerous and there is a good chance that two of them will meet en route to the World Series.

            Only two teams in the National League West really have a chance at this point as the Los Angeles Dodgers have caught fire in the past three months and left every other team in their dust in that span. They now have a nine game lead on the division and have likely clinched their spot in the postseason. The Arizona Diamondbacks are only six games out of the last wild card spot, however, it may not be promising for Arizona.

            This is a great time to be a Major League Baseball fan. Destinies will be written, non-contending teams will play spoiler, and there will be surprises in the coming weeks. Anything can happen in the game of baseball and these next couple of weeks will just prove that fact. 

Do They Deserve It?

Do They Deserve It?
Samuel Grus
9-3-13  7:26 pm

OWENSVILLE, MO-In mid-August is when a lot of analyst start to make their end of the year predictions. One of the biggest discussion topics this August will be the Cy Young Award. In both the National and American Leagues the debate is tight. In the National league you have a two horse race between Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile in the American league you have a wider three horse race between Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers, Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers, and finally Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. In both leagues you will have many discussions for each pitcher.

            The Cy Young Award is named after who is probably the greatest pitcher of all time. Cy Young won 511 games in his career. He is statistically the greatest pitcher you can think of. So this begs the question does the win really matter? Clayton Kershaw is 12-7 with an incredible 1.80 ERA while Adam Wainwright is 14-7 with a 2.66 ERA.  While both pitchers are at the top of their game, the question remains does the win really matter?

            Clayton Kershaw ace starter of the first place Los Angeles Dodgers is keeping his team in contention with his ridiculous pitching performances. A lot of analysts use WHIP as a key part of analyzing a pitcher. Kershaw’s WHIP is a crazy 0.85; add that with 187 strikeouts and 190.1 innings pitched. It is hard to make an argument against him. Adam Wainwright makes a serious case as he tries to hold his Cardinals atop the National League Central. Wainwright counters Kershaw’s WHIP with a strikeout to walk ratio of 6.92. Wainwright also has only allowed 27 walks in 2013. It is hard to say one is the better pitcher when they both have filthy stuff along with playing on great teams. Here is the tale of the tape for both pitchers:

Clayton Kershaw:

Innings Pitched: 190.1

ERA: 1.80

Strikeouts: 182

WHIP: 0.85

Wins: 13

Adam Wainwright:

Innings Pitched: 189.2

ERA: 2.66

Strikeouts: 173

WHIP: 1.03

Wins: 15

            The stats show that in every category except ERA the two pitchers are pretty much even with each other.  Sometimes you can look at the team and see how much they mean to that team. Both Kershaw and Wainwright are playing for playoff bound teams. If it wasn’t for Max Schrezer, Adam Wainwright would probably be the best pitcher in baseball. Adam Wainwright should be the 2013 National League Cy Young. Game, set, match.

            The American League Cy Young race is completely different. Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers is an astonishing 19-1 while his counterpart down Texas, Yu Darvish, is striking people out left and right. The race in the American League is a little bit tougher to decide than in the Senior Circuit.

            “Hello Chief, its Max” as said by MLBNetwork analyst Dan Plesac. Max Scherzer is pretty much a secret agent when it comes to winning ball games. The man just cannot seem to lose. He has gone 19-1 through 27 games this year; he has struck out 196 al with an ERA 2.73. It’s hard not to just give the man the Cy Young Award. Scherzer in my opinion will end the year with 25 wins and the Cy Young.

            So in the 2013 season the two Cy Young Award winners from both leagues will be Adam Wainwright and Max Scherzer. These two pitchers dominate their respective leagues. It’s not to give it to guys like Darvish and Kershaw but this is how much they mean to each team and statistically where they rank. That’s my Cy Young Award winners, who are yours?

CY Young Award Race

CY Young Award Race
Cody Goggin
9-3-13  7:22 pm

OWENSVILLE, MO-Every year, to the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, the Cy Young award is given out. This is one of the most prestige awards in the game and is only giving to the most deserving of hurlers. Some years the winner is clear-cut, but other times it is a close race won by a mere point in ERA or a couple extra strikeouts. Most of the pitchers that win this award have helped their team to success and usually a playoff run, but this is an individual award that their name will be on forever. Every season, both a winner from the National League and a winner from the American League are crowned Cy Young award winners and join an elite group of pitching legends.

This year in the American League, one pitcher has set himself apart from the rest by having an 18-1 record up to this point in the season. These 18 wins out of the first 19 decisions by Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers has not been accomplished since Roger Clemens did it. However I am here to tell you that this amazing start does not make him the most deserving of the honor. My pick to win the American League Cy Young award is Felix Hernandez. This may seem a little but out there, but let me explain why.

What is that you say? You think I’m crazy for even questioning a guy with 19 wins? I will show you my reasoning now then. Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers has been absolutely spectacular this year. The second year Asian sensation that came to the Texas Rangers in 2012 from playing professional baseball in Japan has taken the league by storm. He is dominating Major League Baseball in the strikeout department. No one is even close. Darvish has 225 strikeouts this year, which is 29 more than Scherzer has. This stat shows how devastating Darvish’s repertoire is. Ever since his arrival in the Majors, Yu has been putting up a lot of K’s.

            As of August 29^th, Yu Darvish’s earned run average is lower than Scherzer’s at 2.68 compared to 2.73. Scherzer is allowing more runs per nine innings than Darvish is. The reason that Scherzer has seven more wins than Darvish is due to the fact that the amount of run support Max Scherzer receives is ridiculous. Detroit has a lineup stacked with some of the best hitters in the game and average over six runs a game when Max is on the mound, which is the highest run support for any pitcher in the MLB this season. That means even if Scherzer allows five runs in a start, he still will most likely get the win or no decision. In my book, that should be a loss. Many people around baseball agree that not much weight can be put on the win-loss record due to how flawed the system is. One pitcher could pitch a full nine innings and allow one run while his counterpart on the bump will throw a shutout and the pitcher that threw a gem would be credited with a loss. In the opposite way, a pitcher could give up seven runs in a span of five innings, which is terrible, however, if his team scores eight runs, then that pitcher is credited with a win. Do you see the problem here? That is why for the purpose of this article I created a grading method of each pitcher’s performances in individual games this year and broke down each of their starts. Pitchers that allowed two runs or less and pitched 6+ innings should get credit for a win. If they allowed 3-4 runs and pitcher 6+ innings then they get a no decision. In starts where the starting pitcher either threw less than five innings or allowed five or more runs, they would be credited with the loss. I adjusted the records and by these metrics Scherzer should be 17-4 compared to 19-1, which is still great, but I am just showing you how flawed the win-loss record is.

            Yu Darvish should be the Cy Young award winner as of right now because he has meant more to his pitching staff and to his team than any other pitcher in the American League this season. His ability to miss bats and his lower earned run average has shown that he has been more dominant than Max Scherzer in 2013 as of right now.

            In the National League you have a different story. There is no pitcher with a ton of wins, but rather one pitcher who leads almost every category and is blowing the rest of the field away in ERA. This pitcher has led his team to first place and there is actually whispering of him being in the MVP race. Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers has seemingly made the Cy Young award a one horse race.

            Kershaw only has a record of 13-8, however, I used ,my adjusted record stat on him and he should be. What is really appealing about Clayton Kershaw is his ERA of 1.72. That is a ludicrous number since anything under two runs is considered great. Another category that Kershaw is impressing in is his WHIP, or Walks and Hits Per Inning Pitched. For this category, anything under 1.00 is seen as dominant. Kershaw has a WHIP of 0.88 in 2013. With 197 strikeouts, Kershaw also leads the Senior Circuit in that respect. Kershaw is also only allowing 5.91 hits per nine innings, which is also astonishing.  This year Kershaw has proved that he is not only the ace of the Dodgers staff, but also the “ace” of the National League.

            Numbers never lie, and that what my side of the argument is showing. Sure, there are other candidates for the award that one could make a valid case for, but these two are the ones that stand out the most to me. Both of these pitchers have showed enough this season to be named the Cy Young award winners of their respective leagues.  No other pitchers have been more important to their teams or more dominant this season. Case closed.

Agree or disagree? Vote or leave comments!

Baseball's Next Generation

Baseball's Next Generation
Cody Goggin
9-3-13  7:18 pm

OWENSVILLE, MO-When you think about the history of baseball, you think of generations. The generation of Ruth, Gehrig, and Hornsby comes to mind for the 20’s and 30’s, while then other generations come into play such as Williams and DiMaggio, or Mantle, Aaron, and Mays, or even McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa*. The next generation of baseball has arrived. Many of the players making an impact now could be the future greats that are remembered forever. Maybe in 30 or 40 years they will be talking about the era of Trout, Strasburg, Harper, Harvey, Machado, and Bundy. 

            Mike Trout arrived in the major leagues early in 2012, and instantly rose to stardom. From making jumping, homerun-saving catches to swiping bases, to hitting long home runs, Trout does it all. He is easily one of the most exciting and most popular players in the game right now. After winning Rookie of the Year in his first season for the Los Angeles Angels, it will be interesting to see what Trout can do in the future, especially since he is only 22 years old and will likely have another 15 years or more in the league to chase down some of the greats.

            Bryce Harper’s story is very comparable to Trout’s. Both players were called up at about the same time last season and they were both Rookie of the Year in their respective leagues last season. Both players also have very similar playing styles as well and both play the outfield. These two players could be the next Mantle and Mays with the comparisons between them and the rivalry that could develop between them in the future.

            Harper’s teammate on the Washington Nationals is starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg. Drafted with the number one pick in the draft the year before Harper, Strasburg had high expectations to live up to.  Strasburg has had some arm issues in his professional career, but he has now overcome them and shown that he will be the pitcher of the future for the Nats. Strasburg is the kind of pitcher that could become the horse of the staff with his nasty breaking balls and overpower fastball. This is one pitcher that will likely win a Cy Young award or two before it is all said and done.

            Matt Harvey is the other promising pitcher in the league right now. He also just happens to be the cross-division rival of Strasburg and the Nationals. However, in the current day, Harvey’s New York Mets are not relevant and likely will not be for the next couple of years. Harvey pitched well enough in the first part of this season to start the All-Star Game, and was receiving Cy Young consideration in his first full season! Harvey has hit a bit of a setback though as of late as he has suffered a partially torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his elbow and is out for at least all of this season, and if it requires surgery then he will also miss the whole 2014 season. This may hurt Harvey’s future, but he could also come back stronger than ever.

            The future of the Baltimore Orioles seems to be safe since it will be in the hands of Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy. Almost every baseball fan must have heard of Machado by now, however, not everyone has heard of Bundy. Machado is actually a shortstop, but he has been filling Baltimore’s hole at third base in 2013, his first full season. Machado has been impressive at the hot corner with both his bat and his glove by leading the American League in doubles so far this year, and also showing shades of Brooks Robinson on defense. Machado is a safe backbone to any franchise. Dylan Bundy is the only player I have on this list that has not yet played a game in the majors. This is because he had to have arm surgery this season and will be out most of this season and next, however, before this year he was the top-rated pitching prospect and was supposed to be the future ace of the Orioles’ staff. I think Bundy could still be this dominant force in the future, whether it’s in 2015, or in the years beyond.

            These are just a few of the many players that are in their early 20’s and will likely be around and dominant for the next decade or two. This could be a group of players to go down in history, but these players could also be disappointments or hit snags in their careers. But looking at who is in the MLB now and who is one their way, I think it is safe to say that Baseball is in good hands for the years to come.