Keep 'em or Dump 'em

If you were in charge of the Yankees, would you keep 'em or dump 'em. Click the Daily News link below to vote. Feel free to leave any comments. I'll go over my picks shortly.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/keepordump/2011/index.html

Keep ‘em or Dump ‘em

Player/my choice/Percentage to keep/dump

Alex Rodriguez/Dump/34% keep/66% dump

I’ve had enough of the injuries, the drama, and the postseason failure. Striking out with the bases loaded to end the ALDS was the last straw.

Possibility he gets dumped: 0%

Andruw Jones/Keep/34%/66%

Liked his power bat, but the Yankees probably can pick one up for less elsewhere. Nice guy. I wish he would have had him pinch hit for Swisher or Teixeira.

Possibility he gets dumped: 50%

AJ Burnett/Keep/23%/77%

A lot of people want to see him go. Rather than see AJ and his electric stuff leave, I prefer to bring back Jose Molina, AJ’s personal catcher in 2009. The guy is a head case and is almost always guaranteed to implode in one inning. But Molina seemed to be able to handle him.

Possibility he gets dumped: 20%

Russell Martin/Dump/75%/25%

Nice guy, great defensive catcher. He had some early pop but not enough in the postseason. Overall I don’t think my decision has anything to do with him. It’s all about Montero. If the Yanks can place Montero in the lineup, I think they’ll benefit greatly. Problem is you can’t have him DH all year because the older guys *coughARODJETERcough* are going to need the rest. If the boy can prove in winter ball that he can play catcher, the Yanks should give him a shot. One scenario I see that allows both Martin and Montero to play every day will be discussed later.

Possibility he gets dumped: 65%

Joe Girardi/Keep/61%/39%

This one smarts. I feel like Joe may have helped blow the series, though most of the blame is on the players. Sometimes, he over manages, and other times he gets out managed. However, he has a great track record with building a bullpen and winning.

Possibility he gets dumped: 10%

Francisco Cervelli/Dump/48%/52%

He had his chance to make his mark as a backup. Plus with the concussions and now Montero and Romine, he has worn his last pinstriped jersey for awhile.

Possibility he gets dumped: 80%

Brian Cashman/Keep/61%/39%

Love the guy. But I wish this year that he’d make a little splash in free agency *coughCJWILSONcough*. Can’t blame him for signing people who performed well most of the year, however, you can blame him for some of those monstrous contracts. But make sure you praise him for the nifty deals and signings he makes too.

Possibility he gets dumped: 10%

Freddy Garcia/Keep/46%/54%
I say keep him. He can be a decent 5^th man, maybe even 4^th starter. He showed he can still get people out at 35 and he pitches, doesn’t throw. Maybe ease up on the innings next year though.

Possibility he gets dumped: 50% (as in he might leave for a better offer)

CC Sabathia/Keep/75%/25%

One in 4 Yankee fans is mad about the run CC gave up after intentionally walking Cabrera. The other 3 realize it wasn’t his decision to walk him. CC will be the mainstay for awhile. His weight is a concern, but he’s got at least 3 more prime years ahead.

Possibility he gets dumped: 65% (he can opt out of his contract for greener pastures)

Phil Hughes/Keep/76%/24%

Fans slightly favor the injured young hurler over the 19 game winner because what again? Oh yeah, that 95 mph fastball he was gassing by hitters this series. I’m confused. Hughes could be a great reliever or an average/above average starter. So what do you do? Give him another shot at starting or just call it a day like they did with Joba and keep him in the pen? I like Philth Hughes a lot and I think he can still produce, I’m just not sure where. Could trade him and let someone else figure that out.

Possibility he gets dumped: 50% (trade scenario)

Mariano Rivera/Keep/93%/7%

Some Red Sox fans must be voting. I don’t think I need to defend my decision here.

Possibility he gets dumped: 0%

Joba Chamberlain/Keep/45%/55%

He had a good year this year until the injury. However, he looks to be ready for 2012. I’m willing to give him another shot at relief. If he can show some form, maybe trade him in July.

Possibility he gets dumped: 30%

Jorge Posada/Dump/34%/66%

Great guy, love him, but I think it’s time to retire. He had a nice bat in the offseason, but the decline he’s showed recently is a bit too much for me to stomach. Go out on top Jorge.

Possibility he gets dumped: 80%

Jesus Montero/Keep/90%/10%

How do you get Montero’s bat into the lineup? Either as a DH/Catcher, right? How about Right Field? Look at the Mets and see what they did with Lucas Duda. The Dude could smack the ball out of Citi Field but couldn’t play the infield. So they made him switch to Right Field where he had only 3 errors this season. For someone who got the quick switch that’s not too bad. If Montero were to play winter ball as a Right Fielder, I think we could keep Martin around and have Montero in the lineup. That would displace Swisher but we’ll get to that later.

Possibility he gets dumped: 40% (trade for starting pitcher)

Rafael Soriano/Keep/52%/48%

Showed he could be a setup man. Contract is too big to move.

Possibility he gets dumped: 10%

Boone Logan/Keep/63%/37%

He had an up and down year but it was halfway decent. He’s been the only lefty arm all year and I’ll keep him on that merit alone. He could be moved in a trade though.

Possibility he gets dumped: 25%

Robinson Cano/Keep/95%/5%

The only way I would get rid of Robinson Cano is if you offered me a top of the rotation pitcher, top prospect, utility infielder, and two relievers. I wish someone else had done some more heavy lifting this ALDS. I suggest that they move Tex to the 3^rd spot and bat Cano 4^th. Tex will see more pitches, Cano can cleanup (he excels in the 4 spot).

Possibility he gets dumped: Not possible. That’d be like dividing by 0.

Ivan Nova/Keep/92%/8%

I wonder how he would have pitched if he had not given up that first homerun. I have long been a proponent of Nova and the Yanks got to see some magic from the kid this year. They were right not to trade him last year and hopefully will be rewarded for years. He’s a solid #3 pitcher right now, but could blossom into a 1 or 2 pitcher. Oh, and he makes less than $500,000 a year.

Possibility he gets dumped: 10% (trade for top of the rotation ace)

Derek Jeter/Keep/78%/22%

He struck out one time too many this postseason, but he’s still got it. I might consider moving him to the 2 hole and put Gardner to lead off, again. As a Yankee fan, I don’t know what will be sadder: the day Jeter is no longer a Yankee or the day Mariano retires.

Possibility he gets dumped: Not possible.

David Robertson/Keep/92%/8%

He appears to be the heir to Mariano. But I could consider trading him to a team in need of a closer for a top level prospect. With an AL leading 1.08 ERA and the Houdini act, plenty of teams are interested. Just gotta know if the price is right.

Possibility he gets dumped: 15% (trade for prospect)

Eduardo Nunez/75%/25%

Love his utility role, hate his errors. He has some pop but he’s getting a bit too old to be a prospect I feel. Either the Yanks trade him to a team looking for a shortstop or allow him to play every day in the infield.

Possibility he gets dumped: 30% (trade)

Mark Teixeira/Keep/65%/35%

He needs to refine his swing. Since moving to Yankee stadium, he’s become a pure pull hitter instead of the .300 all field hitter he was before. Stop hitting into the shift and stop trying to send every ball over the right field wall, Tex, please. 100+ RBIs are nice, but need to perform in the postseason.

Possibility he gets dumped: 10% (mega-trade?)

Luis Ayala/Keep/35%/65%

He had a sub-2.00 ERA until the last game of the season. He’s relatively cheap and effective. Why toss a reliable arm?

Possibility he gets dumped: 30% (leaves on his own)

The Steinbrenners/Dump/56%/44%

I’m still mad about the Soriano contract

Possibility they sell the team: 1 in 1.3 billion dollars <- that’s the Yankees net worth

Cory Wade/Keep/57%/43%

Again, we have another reliable, cheap arm. Why throw that away?

Possibility he gets dumped: 35% (trade as I believe he’s under team control)

Brett Gardner/Keep/89%/11%

A good example of how postseason performance can make you that much more liked. He had 5 RBIs batting last. Did I mention he stole 49 bases and is possibly the best left fielder in the game? I’d like to see him try leading off again or get his average up a bit more. But for a little less than $600,000 a year, I’ll take it.

Possibility he gets dumped: 5% (throw him in with a mega-trade)

Chris Dickerson/Keep/48%/52%

He’s a good glove and decent backup bat. Perhaps if Montero played right field more, as soon as the Yankees established the lead, Dickerson could come in for defense and a few at-bats. I like the kid and think with the right opportunity, he could be an average starter.

Possibility he gets dumped: 30% (trade package)

Curtis Granderson/Keep/95%/5%

The only guy voted to be kept as much as Cano. Guess that shows you who Yankee fans consider their best players. Struck out a bit too much but overall had a great year! That might be an understatement. At times it felt like either Cano or Granderson or both were carrying the team. I would like to see him bat 3^rd with Cano behind him against righties.
Possibility he gets dumped: 0%

Bartolo Colon/Dump/28%/72%

He had a great ride but the arm gave out on him. The Yanks can sign someone else with more future next year.

Possibility he gets dumped: 100%

Nick Swisher/Dump/53%/47%

For a 10 million dollar option, I’m not taking him back. He’s worn out his welcome I feel, especially after this ALDS. Not to mention, according to my plans, Montero and Dickerson are playing Right Field, not Swisher.

Possibility he gets dumped:45%

Ramiro Pena/Dump/32%/68%

Why is he still around?

Possibility he gets dumped: 90% (that 10% is because no one will take him in a trade)

Eric Chavez/Keep/68%/32%

Chavez is still a slick fielder and still has injury problems. Sure, he’s a decent backup and bat but perhaps the Yanks can do better.

Possibility he gets dumped: 50%

The Truth about Verlander

All hail AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.

Detroit's presence in the playoffs has some fans running scared. How will anyone beat Verlander? He of the 24-5 record and 2.40 ERA!? What about Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Alex Avila, Austin Jackson, Jhonny Peralta, and every other All-Star they field!? And DOUG FISTER!!

Okay, I jest. The Tigers scare me just about as much as the Red Sox scare the Orioles right now. In fact, I would like to point out some interesting stats about Verlander.

24-5 is impressive. What we should focus on however is not the overall numbers, but rather who the competition was at the time. Let's put it into relevancy and take only AL playoff contenders (I'll add the Rays in as the Wild Card).

Against the Yankees, 0-0, 4.50 ERA with Detroit taking the loss in both games. Verlander faced them twice in the beginning of the year and that was it. He and CC squared off in the season opener and will do so again in the ALDS.

Against the Rangers, 0-1, 2.00 ERA complete game loss. Faced them once in April, went the distance, lost.

Against the Rays, 1-0, 4.31 ERA. Got hit for 6 earned runs back in May then played them in August where he limited them to 3 hits and 1 earned run.

So he hasn't done exactly the best against the AL Playoff opponents. He played them in the beginning of the year before he heated up? And he leads the leagues in strikeouts!

I'm tired of all this hoopla around Verlander. I don't care what they say. He beats up on middling teams (the AL Central is full of them). Let's take a look!

He has 34 starts. Of those 34, he has faced teams .500 or lower 24 times. He has won 21 of those games. An .875 win percentage! Of the ten remaining games with teams over .500, he is 2-2 with 4 no decisions. Not really inspiring confidence there, bud. Of the 34 starts, he has faced an AL Central team 15 times. His record against them is 14-1.

On May 24, he had an ERA of 3.42. That's when he really lowered his ERA down to the 2.15 mark which made him the clear AL CY front runner. Who did he play in that stretch of time? Nine teams, only 3 of which are .500 + teams.

I'm just putting it out there. I don't think he CAN'T be beaten. No double negatives! I think he can be beaten. . .

See ya next time for Playoff Updates!

The Home Stretch

I was right! Just wanted to get that out of the way. I predicted the Yanks would finish in first and they did. Take that Boston.

Now that I'm done gloating, let's get to business. The Yanks can clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with either two more wins or two more losses by the Rangers/Tigers. It's pretty much a guarantee. Speaking of Rangers and Tigers, they both lost last night. Which means that the 2nd and 3rd seeds remain unchanged. I think the Yanks would prefer to have the Tigers finish 2nd and take care of the Wild Card winner (more on that later) in the short series. This way Verlander couldn't pitch games 1 and 4 and then game 1 of the ALCS. Facing the Rangers on the short series isn't that much easier with Cliff Lee starting games 1 and 4. . . Wait a second, Cliff Lee's not on the Rangers! Then the ALDS should be a cakewalk. OK, I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

Of all the Rangers's bats, only one has consistently hit CC and Nova (hint: it's not Josh Hamilton). In fact, it's Michael Young. Whereas some of the Texas Rangers have hit CC well, they've womped on Nova or vice versa. Young, however, has hit over .300 for both this year. As a bonus, he saw everything out of Colon's hand and is 3-3 against him. Small sample size, yes. But discomforting. The Yanks this year against the Rangers are 7-2 outscoring them 69-38. The biggest worry is not a Rangers pitcher but CC. If he doesn't win game 1, do the Rangers gain momentum? Will he be able to come back and pitch game 4 effectively? If history is any reference, then we shouldn't worry too much. Sabathia always seems to bring his A-game (or $152 million dollar game if you prefer) to the ALDS, going 2-0 in game 1 for the Yanks. Nova has really matured and been consistent as of late. I expect him and Martin to have a well prepared game plan and solid execution. At least this year, Robertson won't be giving up HRs to Hamilton. In fact, he's only given up 1 HR all year and that was in Baltimore, who won't be in the playoffs. I wish I could say Burnett wasn't pitching, but we don't know that. Even with him pitching, he won't be serving up 3-run HRs to Bengie Molina (with the SF Giants).

There's hope! I think the Yanks can make a serious run at the title this year. I foresee the Rangers in the ALDS. Yanks win 3-1. Then Tigers in ALCS. Yanks win 4-2.

Go get 'em boys.

MLB Playoff Positing

Each MLB postseason contender's fans swear their team will win it all. Below is a list of the teams and why they will win, according to fans. I think it's quite funny.



Angels: We can catch the Rangers with the final three games of the season being head-to-head! From there, no one can beat our 1-2 punch (Weaver and Haren) with the momentum we'll have!
What they really mean: We gotta win all of our remaining games and hope that Weaver doesn't have a bad performance if we make the playoffs.

Arizona: Upton's a stud! We've got the momentum! And don't forget Ian Kennedy (possible 20 game winner).
The facts: Upton is a stud with no playoff experience. They beat up on the NL West Dodgers, Padres, Giants (who couldn't put up more than three runs all year), and Astros. Ian Kennedy has only faced AL pitchers while he was a Yankee. And they weren't too kind to him.

Detroit: We're the AL Central Champs and Verlander is our Cy Young/AL MVP.
What really happened: They are the only team over .500 in the AL Central. Verlander has been unbeatable for the most part of the season. But Doug Fister as your #2 starter?? Can Verlander pitch every game?

 Milwaukee: We're in Beast Mode with 2 NL MVP candidates! Greinke is one of the best pitchers! And we've got T-Plush, take that!
What they really meant: Please don't let us play on the road. If we could just make it back to Miller Park! (Worst road record among contenders. I mean like really atrocious, 35-38.) I sure hope Fielder's impending Free Agency helps him put up huge contract numbers!

Boston: We're awesome. We've already won the AL Pennant. And Adrian Gonzalez is MVP. Things are so good, Clay Bucholz might even be back before the playoffs.
Truth: They are no longer the favorites to win the world series, let alone the pennant, not even the division. Their pitching is kinda shabby, so much that they're trying to rush Bucholz through his rehab. And they're tailspinning. Do you smell panic?

Braves: It's our year! We can topple the Phillies, no one else!
What's really going on: Braves have lost the wind in their sails. Not to mention two of their best starting pitchers. Cards are close to catching them. Even if they do make the postseason, I see a first round exit.

Yankees: We're going to take the division and use our lineup to push through opposing pitchers! Chase for 28 here we come!
And the hard truth: Who's pitching game 2? Will A-Rod be healthy? Is Granderson going to get back to form? Lots of questions. . .

Phillies: We're the best team in baseball! We have the best pitching!
deja Vu says: Same story they say every year. Didn't they have the best team in baseball last year? Pitching or not, their lineup can throw up some stinkers. And you never know when a team like the 2010 Giants is going to shock and awe you in the NLCS.

And just for fun. . .

Tampa Bay: We can sweep the Sox now, finish strong, gain momentum, win the title.
Abe Lincoln says: You had a good final push, but even if you do make the playoffs, you'd have to face teams that are simply better than you. But it would be nice to see you put Boston in 3rd.

There you have it. If what fans said were true, there would be 9 world series champions. But as we all know

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. . .

A curious look at MLB stats

Currently, the Yankees lead everyone in runs, home runs, walks, and runs batted in. They are slightly behind Boston in OPS (on base plus slugging) .801 to .797. They, however, are bested in one category by the Chicago White Sox. Hit by pitch. Yes, the south side boys get hit more than any other team: 67, 11 times more than the Yanks who are 2nd in that category. The Rangers lead in total bases. Meanwhile futility rests in St. Louis with 134 Ground into Double Plays, 24 more than second place Red Sox. Now here's a curious one. Intentional walks. The Dodgers lead with 46! In fact, the top 11 teams are all from the National League. The Red Sox have the highest amount in the AL with 36. Whereas the Yanks are currently 2nd to last in IBB with 17. Who is less intimidating than the Yankees? The Oakland A's apparently. Incredibly, the Yanks get intentionally walked once every .13 games. Ha! That's worse than the 2009 mark of 1 in .21 games. I guess teams feel like they can get the Yanks hitters out. Funny, the stats don't show that.

On to the pitching side though. The Phillies lead the league in ERA (3.07), WHIP (walk hits per inning pitched: 1.16), walks allowed (298), complete games (15), and shutouts (15). The only other team with comparable pitching right now is the San Francisco Giants who lead the league in HRs allowed (75), Ks (1036), batting average against (.229), hits allowed (958), and saves (43). Let's take a look at some of the funnier pitching stats. The Cincinnati Reds have balked 10 times, whereas the Rays have balked only twice. The league average is about 4.5 to 5. Talk about indecision. Where are the wild guys? In Detroit, where the pitchers have thrown 54 wild pitches. Imagine if A. J. Burnett were on that team? He's responsible for 15 of the 42 Yankees wild pitches. The next wildest pitchers are Oakland's Trevor Cahill, Seattle's Felix Hernandez, and an obscure National's reliever Henry Rodridguez with 12.

Let's round this article off with the fielding stats. Most errors committed belongs to Chicago Cubs with 103!! Almost double of the fewest errors committed: Philadelphia with 53. Not only are the pitchers wild in Detroit, so are the catchers with 54 catcher's wild pitches. Tied with Milwaukee on that stat. Who's got the best catchers? Cincinnati does with only 3 passed balls for the year. With the league average around 7, the Mets sure do look awful with 24 passed balls. I know catching R. A. Dickey's knuckleballs is difficult, but come on, 24?!? On a side note, the Red Sox are second with 21. Salty, you bastard! San Diego has 147 stolen bases, 27 more than the next two teams. Coincidentally, these two are tied for tops in the AL: Royals and Yanks. Unfortunately, the Royals have been caught stealing the most at 47.


So there you have it. Keep reading for more details and information as pennant races heat up and predictions are made!

Can the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the playoffs?

Seems kind of silly to ask this now; “Will these teams even see each other?” might be the better question. It’d have to be in the ALCS which is good news: at least the Yanks made it that far! But on a more serious note, can they really beat them? The Sox have abused the Yanks so far. Most of it came in the first half of the season. However, this past series, the Sox won one game by the skin of an Eduardo Nunez fielding blunder, and another as CC got rocked, again. I feel that the Yanks could have definitely taken 2 out of 3, which would then leave many experts wondering who the better team was. But as Boston won, “everyone” claims the Sox are that much better. And by everyone, I mean everyone on the bandwagon, whether they hopped on in December or only yesterday. Oh by the way, A-Rod didn’t play in that series. So let’s replace Nunez with him, or whoever was DH-ing that day and set a rematch, say September 30^th? 

Furthermore, let’s take a look at what’s going on in the Red Sox vs. Yankees world!

All Hail AL MVP Adrian Gonzalez!!! Right? Not so fast. Granderson leads the league in RBIs now, surpassing A-Gone yesterday. In fact, Adrian has only had 2 RBIs in the last 10 games. Furthermore, his average has dropped 8 points to .348! Now that is still a good average, but I’m trying to show there’s some decline going on. Before the All-Star break, Gonzalez had a 1.006 OPS (on base plus slugging), good for second behind Bautista’s 1.170. Granderson was 6^th with a .935 among qualified hitters. After the ASB, Granderson has a .995 compared to Gonzalez’s .807. (Just for fun, Jose Bautista’s OPS after the ASB is .697!) Back to the RBIs. Granderson’s ten game spread shows 15 RBIs, 11 Runs, and 4 dingers to go with a .333 Batting Average. Gone-zo: 3 Runs, 2 RBIs, 0 HRs with a paltry (by his standards) .256 BA. I’m quite appalled by the drop off. 

Yet the Sox continue to win without production from the runaway AL MVP, kinda. They’re 6-4 as opposed to 7-3 for the Yanks. The one thing stopping the Yanks from leap-frogging the Sox is the Rays. Not that I find the Rays intimidating; it’s just that the Rays play the Yanks and Sox back to back. Starting tonight for Tampa is “ace” David Price, tomorrow is Jeremy Hellickson (10-7) who is second in wins for rookie pitchers behind Ivan Nova (11-4), and James Shields in the finale. I feel James has been the more dominant pitcher than Price and perhaps he is the real “ace” this year. The Yanks face the tough pitchers meanwhile the Sox get the back end of the rotation to beat up. Not exactly ideal for closing the distance between you and the division leader but the Yanks could pull it off. They’ve hit Price okay so far who took a loss and two no-decisions in the match-ups so far. Hellickson is beatable. James Shields versus Freddy Garcia is the wild-card. The Yanks have struggled against Shields. The one game he lost to the Yanks was on an unearned run caused by Shields trying to pick Cano off third and throwing the ball away. Other than that, he’s been lights out. Garcia is no slouch either having taken his last loss on July 15^th. In fact, the last time Garcia faced the Rays, he shut them out for 6.2 innings!

 Let’s hope Cano can continue his torrid hitting. His average is back above .300, finally. Without A-Rod, Cano has taken some of the load off the other producers and seen his RBI numbers increase greatly. In the past 10 games, he’s hit .385 with 4 HRs and 13 RBIs. Definitely worth the money! Oh wait, he didn’t sign a big free agent contract, he’s a farm grown product.

Speaking of farm grown product, and I’ll end with this. Ian Kennedy leads the D-Backs with 14 wins and a 3.20 ERA. I know we got Granderson in the trade that sent Kennedy away, but think about it. We could have a rotation of CC, Kennedy, Nova, Colon, and Garcia. The combined win percentage would be .634! And think of the ERA! Ah, it was all a dream.

Can the Yanks beat Boston in the playoffs? Yes, if the pitching holds up, I don’t see why not. Also, I predict that the Yanks finish in first! Ha take that Boston!

The end of the world!

Your New York Mets are now three games over .500, and mlb.com has them in the top 15 for power rankings! It helps that Jason Bay is starting to hit (.246 but steadily climbing upwards). But the pitching there has been pretty interesting. It seems Capuano is going out and giving them a chance to win each game. And Dillon Gee carried them to this place; let's just hope he finds some more magic and goes on another 8-0 streak. Can't wait for Jose to come back. The Mets as a team are batting .264, fifth best in the game. That's right, 5th best, better than the Yanks even. However, bringing runners home has been there one downfall, though we have seen some more RBIs as of late.

You do have to wonder how long they are going to keep K-Rod around. He's up to 22 saves before the All-star break. Combined with the few blown saves he's had, it looks like a lock that his multi-million dollar option will vest. I'm sure the Mets would love to get some nice prospects in return. However, they'd be entirely foolish to send him to an NL East Rival like the Phillies. That's another thing, What's up with the East divisions being so ridiculously strong?

mlb.com's ranking look like this:
1) Phillies (NL East)
2) Yankees (AL East)
3) Red Sox (AL East)
4) Braves (NL East)
5) Rays (AL East)
then finally someone outside of the East
6) San Francisco. . .
. . .
14) Pirates (45-42)
15) Mets (45-42)

You might not have noticed, but yes, the Pirates are ranked higher than the Mets. That's because they have a 45-42 record also. Incredible stuff Kevin Correia and Andrew McCutchen are doing over there. And while the Mets are buried behind the Phillies (9 games back), the Pirates could go on a roll after the All-Star break and take the lead away from the Cards (1.5 games back) especially with Pujols out. What a crazy wonderful game baseball is!

Let's go Mets.

Yankees - Mets Preview

Subway Series (Part 2)

Tonight's matchup pits Ivan Nova (7-4, 4.26) against Jonathan Niese (7-6, 3.76) in what's looking to be a great weekend for New Yorkers. Both young pitchers have had their ups and downs and shining moments. Niese went 5 2/3 at Texas to pick up the win. Allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. Not too bad, except both those hits were home runs. One thing the Yanks can do is hit home runs. Nova had a no decision in his last outing against the Rockies going 6 innings with 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. Like Neise, he gave up the long ball, 3 (2 to Wiggington). Fortunately, the Met's aren't known for their power. And Wiggington no longer plays for them. The way Nova is a contact pitcher and the spacious outfield of Citi Field seems to give him the advantage. Though Niese has much better numbers against lefties, you have to remember the Yanks lineup has three switch hitters not to mention the rested Granderson mashes lefties for home runs. Speaking of rest, A-Rod received the day off, which should help alleviate some of the tension in his joints (knee).

I'd be a fool not to say that I was just a bit scared of what Jose Reyes can do against the Yanks on the base paths. He's like lightning. And let's face it, he is not only the best shortstop in New York but also in the league. If he were hitting more home runs (3) instead of triples (15), there'd be legitimate talks of him being the MVP over people like Braun, Kemp, and Pujols. Still an incredible athlete, look for him to swipe every base he can until Martin throws him out (not likely).


I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Brett Gardner in the outfield. He, of the best zone rating for left fielders, will be flashing some leather running around out there. And with the speedy Mets trying to come home on fly balls, look for a few assists from the little man out there.

Here's to a wonderful holiday weekend, a great series, and great times!!

Lockouts, Long Balls, and Lots More

The NBA lockout is expected to begin at midnight tonight. Big whoop. No one should show sympathy because the two parties can't agree on who should get the over-the-top amount of money that we already shell out to watch 82 times a year. This is pathetic.

The Yankees are partly the reason for this. Ticket prices are incredibly high. However, if you're paying so much, you expect to get the best. Luckily the Yanks put the best product on the field, most of the time. Tonight, they go for the sweep of the Brewers behind CC Sabathia who hasn't been to on point in his last few outings (all wins regardless). But look for him to rebound well and shut down the Brewers regardless of Braun or Fielder. It'd be nice to see Mark's batting average above .250. But he continues to knock runs in and I guess that's what they pay him for. No, we shouldn't get Reyes. Yes, it'd be nice to have his batting average and speed NOW, but at what cost? If we were to sign him in free agency, it would displace Jeter. Not to mention, he's an injury risk as well as a big paycheck. Furthermore, contract years are always the best years. Go ask Jayson Werth.

Speaking of the Mets. Look at them go! Two games over .500. What's next? Playoffs? It's funny. They have hit a bunch of runs. A writer had mentioned that he wished they saved some for this weekend's subway matchup. Let's be honest, they are going to need them. The Yanks run support is among the tops in the league.

Can't wait!

What happened last night?

The Yankees loss their home opener to the Blue Jays last night in a most uncomfortable fashion. In the first inning, Jose "Macho Man" Bautista hit a solo home run to left. Colon then cruised through til the 6th. After a leadoff double, Colon faced Bautista. Afraid of getting burned again, they intentionally walked him. A sac bunt and intentional walk left the bases loaded. So far we have one hit, one sacrifice bunt, and two intentional walks. Sure you can argue that they set this up for the double play, but I am strongly convinced loading the bases is never a good idea. Just ask Alex Rodriguez. A single through the hole scores one run, which is promptly followed by a 4 pitch RBI walk. 3-1 Blue Jays, bases loaded. Call in a reliever? Nope. No one was warmed up enough. The next batter hits a bases clearing double. The Yanks lose the game because of this one inning.


What should they have done? Probably grow a pair and pitch to Barry Bonds, I mean Bautista. Even if he does crank a home run, you're only down 3-1. Then you can pitch to the guy who cant sac bunt, the guy you intentionally walk, and the little single through the hole is caught because of better defensive positioning.

Poor managing.

By the way, the Yanks scored 3 runs, all driven in by Cano. Does no one else bring a bat to the plate?

New York Sports Updates

Knicks are out of the playoffs. They left in a hurry. I hear there were some pretty important matters that they had to resolve which is why they left so early. One of those was finding a center and another shooting guard. Also, they had to resign Walsh. Wait, Walsh is resigning!? Oh, the witty pun.

The Mets roster has four people you do know and twenty-one you don't. For starters, who's Jason Pridie? I don't know but he was batting sixth last night. Chris Capuano has a cool name to say so I guess he's cool. Ever listen to the broadcaster's Gary, Keith, and Ron? They are so intelligent and fun, it almost makes it worth watching the game.

The Yankees are heartbreaks. We pay them so much and expect so much. Isn't that fair? Don't tell Jeter that. $51,000,000 dollars later, the fans are booing him off the field. Yet, whenever they crush a team 15-3, we herald and laud them like saviors. It's only May, and I can't take any more of this blow teams away one day and get shut out the next. Consistency would be nice.

The Rangers lost to the Caps 4-1. The Caps lost to the Lightning 4-0. The Rangers were 0-4 against the Lightning but 3-1 against the Capitals during the regular season. Point is, it's unlikely the Rangers would have beat the Lightning had they somehow (and should have) gotten past the Capitals.

Are the Nets in Brooklyn yet?

Let's Go: All Star Break for Knicks, Spring Training for the Yankees

The Knicks head into the All-Star Break two games above .500. Could they have been better? Absolutely! There were several games (Cavs in particular) where they should have won. But you can't knock on them for only being mediocre. As I recall, the projections for this year were that the Knicks would be below the Nets in standings and hardly a concern for any team. That, however, is not the case. No one goes into the Garden now and says, "It's the Knicks. Easy win." Not the Spurs. Not the Heat. Maybe the Lakers or a healthy Mavs, but I have a feeling that will change soon. The trade deadline is almost here and I'm dying for the Knicks to make a trade. Randolph and Curry aren't doing anything on the bench so let's ship them out. A 2nd round draft pick is still a draft pick. My wish list for the trade deadline would be filled with one player. Just one. Nene. Carmelo can come here whenever he wants (free agency please). Nene would complete this team. When Chandler is healthy again (he's getting there) and Gallo can play on the road, Nene and Amare would dominate the front court.

Just recently, the Knicks placed two Rookies on the NBA ROOKIE LADDER http://www.nba.com/rookieladder/ . Fields, of course, is on the list at a low #4. I don't think he gets enough credit. This kid seals games for the Knicks. And when he is good, they usually win. In the last three games, he has scored double digits in both wins. In the loss to LA he scored 6 and took only one 3 and missed. The other two games he was 5 of 6 from downtown. Correlation? Possibly. The other rookie on the list is Timofey Mozgov, who cracked the ladder at #10. Sure he's averaging 10 and 7 in the last few games, but a lot of that is fueled by his easy jams in the Clips and Detroit games. However, I am not discrediting him. I think he could get a lot better. One could argue that he needs a mentor. Whatever the Knicks do, I do not believe trading either is wise.


Can't wait for the Rookie vs. Sophomores tonight at 9.


The Yankees are heading into spring training with several smaller yet essential improvements. Sure, no blockbuster signing, but they did change the catching position, finally. And they may have overpayed for Soriano, but his addition may end being worth it. How many times have we seen Joba blow the lead in the 8th? When Kerry Wood came on board, there was a lot less worry. We couldn't get Wood, but we may have gotten someone as good if not better for the entire year. Granderson has time to adjust and nail down that fire swing we saw at the end of last year, and Gardner should have mended by now. Things are looking good.

However, for the Rays, things look awful. I wouldn't doubt if the Orioles and Jays put them back in the cellar. Ah, one can only dream.

Stay classy New York and thanks for stopping by.

About the Knicks

Many people have many different views about the Knicks: why they are great, good, bad, or just average. But the truth is that they can't really be judged so harshly just yet. 

Sure, their record is 25-22 and they are putting up substantial wins. But don't jump to conclusions. And yes, they have lost to some bad teams as well as elite teams. Hear me out first. Please.

The Knicks don't lack offense or defense. Any one player who gets minutes can rattle off 23 points with ease. Toney Douglas and Shawne "Extra E" Williams are obvious examples. Chandler consistently puts up good numbers. And Gallo can drop 29 on a given night. We're not even talking about Felton or Amar'e. They don't lack defense either. Douglas harasses the ball handler so much, at times the guard will just give him the ball if only to be left alone. And Felton can pick up 6 steals if he pushes hard. Turiaf can block 6 shots on a good day and Gallo and Chandler have been heralded for their tight guarding of above average players. Amar'e is 5th in blocks per game with 2.2! So what do they lack? Why aren't they elite?

Quite frankly, they haven't had the chance to show that they are elite. This is such a young team and every night they grow. I want you to name every player on this team that averages over 20 minutes a game that was here last year. In fact, 3 of the starting 5 weren't here 12 months ago. But they are trying their best to communicate and learn. If given the chance to grow, they have the potential to be an elite contender.

What the Knicks truly lack is consistency. If you look at the stat lines, they should have won more games than 25. They have the top 3 pt shooter, 6th assist leader, 2nd scorer, and a slew of other elevated stats. Put this together and you have a great team. However, not everyone is the 6th assist leader every night. Nor does Gallo with his 88% free throw percentage get to the line every night, even if he should. On days when everything clicks, the Knicks are unstoppable. But, when inconsistent, they look out of place in the top of the charts. Amar'e has shown he can score every night, but one man isn't enough. Go ahead and look at the rest. Fields has great games with 19 points and 10 rebounds. But if he's off, he can't find his rhythm. 

That's another thing. The Knicks get themselves into trouble by sticking to one play. "Let's shoot the three ball; if it doesn't go in, we'll take more of them. Odd are one has to go in." Or "let's get the ball to Amar'e. He can work out of the triple team." When you commit to either one wholeheartedly, you lose the opportunity to exploit the defense and remain in the game. What they need is a balanced offensive attack. One play there might be a double team on Amar'e and the wings can't hit a three. What next? Basketball's greatest move: drive to the rack and get fouled. Free throws are free for a reason.

All in all, I think the Knicks do have a chance to get past the first round of the playoffs, especially as D'Antoni begins to utilize his bench more. Mozgov's monster night may be a one shot deal, but D'Antoni can at least trust him a little more nowadays. Even Randolph's 5 rebounds were a plus! 

The Knicks have the components: a point guard who can score and set up surefire plays; a go-to guy who you can trust with the game on the line and conveniently an All-Star starter; two wings who can score when its most needed; and a shooting guard who can hit the three, grab the steal or rebound, and make slower or smaller defenders pay. Throw in the extra ingredients that every contender needs, that guy who stands in the corner and drains threes and some backups with great energy, and you have yourself a formula for success!

Just wish I could say the same about the Nets. . .