Pinstripes, G-Men and Oranges

Giants Report Card

2008-11-08T16:06:00.002-05:00

Here's my mid-season report card for the Giants

Quarterbacks: A-
Eli Manning has thrown 12 touchdowns to Five interceptions and 1735 yards. You wish the touchdowns were up, but five interceptions is great considering three came in one game. Eli also has seven wins under his belt this season, which earns him extra credit. He was originally a B+, but wins do matter and he's got them (Won 11 of his last 12 games).

Running backs: A+
Giants have the second-best running game in the NFL in terms of total yardage. Brandon Jacobs is the horse with 680 yards and 7 td's, while Derrick Ward gives a little versatility catching the check-down passes in the flat while also rushing for 437 yards. Ahmad Bradshaw hasn't found as much playing time, but the three of them give the Giants the best backfield in the football. It would be something if Ward and Jacobs both got 1,000 yards.

Wide Receivers: B+
A solid B+. The group has done a good job despite Plax essentially not playing since week 1. Steve Smith is turning into a great third receiver who leads the team in catches and finally got his first touchdown this past week. Plax needs to step up. Amani Toomer is doing fine. Mario Manningham will be interesting to see develop. This unit is productive, but could do better.

Tight Ends: A-
Kevin Boss is no Jeremy Shockey. But he doesn't complain, keeps his mouth shut, and does his job. What more do you want? He also has big touchdown catches (Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati). He's becoming more involved in the passing game and should be a better force by the end of the season.

Offensive line: A+
This group has given up 10 sacks and did not give up one the top-ranked sack unit, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They should get at least two guys to the Pro Bowl, if not more. This unit is outstanding.

D-Line: A+
Let's see, Lose Osi and Strahan and still be second in the league in sakcs. Justin Tuck is a beast and Mathias Kiwaunuka is playing like the player we expected when we drafted him. Freddie Robbins is one of the best d-tackle's in football. The Giants win games because of the defensive line and don't have their star either. Pretty good.

Linebackers: B+
Antonio Piece leads the team in heart, on the field, and in tackles. He will be missed when his time comes to an end. Chase Blackburn is solid and Danny Clark had done well in his first season. The only problem is this group does have hard times in coverage sometimes and has been banged up, but still is solid.

Secondar: A-
I thought this was the weakest part to the Giants, but it's not. Corey Webster is having a Pro Bowl season and Aaron Ross has played well except for Cleveland. Kevin Dockery was solid in his action and James Butler and Michael Johnson have been solid i the secondary. The Giants used to get torched in the air. Not anymore.

Coaching: A+
Coming off a Super Bowl, it's tough to repeat that success and keep the troops going. Outside the Browns, the Giants have taken care of business and Coughlin has his troops ready. The Giants will never get out coached and that's why they are in the fist place.

NFL Final Predictions

2008-11-08T10:52:00.002-05:00

New York Giants (13-3)
Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) ***Wildcard
Washington Redskins (10-6)
Dallas Cowboys (9-7)

Chicago Bears (10-6)
Green Bay Packers (9-7)
Minnesota Vikings (6-10)
Detroit Lions (0-16)

Carolina Panthers (13-3)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) **Wildcard
New Orleans Saints (10-6)
Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

Arizona Cardinals (11-5)
St. Louis Rams (5-11)
San Francisco 49ers (2-14)
Seattle Seahawks (2-14)

New York Jets (12-4)
New England Patriots (11-5) ***Wildcard
Buffalo Bills (9-7)
Miami Dolphins (9-7)

Pittsburgh Steelers (14-2)
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Cleveland Browns (5-11)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-14)

Tennessee Titans (13-3)
Indianapolis Colts (10-6) ***Wildcard
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)
Houston Texans (4-12)

San Diego Chargers (10-6)
Denver Chargers (8-8)
Kansas City Chiefs (2-14)
Oakland Raiders (2-14)

Cincinnati Bengals (

NFL Predictions Week 6

2008-10-11T22:57:00.002-04:00

Chicago 28, Atlanta 21
Miami 21, Houston 17
Indianapolis 24, Baltimore 17
Minnesota 35, Detroit 13
New Orleans 28, Oakland 20
New York Jets 42, Cincinnati 21
Carolina 24, Tampa Bay 20
Washington 35, St. Louis 3
Denver 24, Jacksonville 20
Dallas 31, Arizona 20
Philadelphia 28, San Francisco 20
Green Bay 27, Seattle 24
San Diego 35, New England 28
New York Giants 31, Cleveland 17

Phillies vs. Dodgers Series Preview

2008-10-09T01:13:00.002-04:00

NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Coaching: Joe Torre (LAD)-Charlie Manuel (PHI)
Joe Torre has won four rings and made the post season each of the past 13 seasons, including this season with a young team. Charlie Manuel makes peculiar decisions, but has led his team to the NL East two years straight.
Advantage: Joe Torre (LAD)

First Base: James Loney (LAD) (.289,13,90) PS (.214,1,6)-Ryan Howard (PHI) (.251,48,146) PS (.182,0,1)
Loney delivered the grand slam that propelled the Dodgers in game one, but did not do much else in the series, going 2-for-13 outside that hit. Howard did not fare much better, but worked five walks in 16 plate appearances, including one with two outs that set up Pat Burrell's homerun. With the way Howard has been swinging the bat lately, the Dodgers would be smart to not face him.
Advantage: Ryan Howard (PHI)

Second Base: Blake DeWitt (LAD) (.264,9,52) PS (.273,0,1)-Chase Utley (PHI) (.292,33,104) PS (.133,0,2)
DeWitt is filling in for the injured Jeff Kent. Utley IS the best second baseman in baseball. This one goes to Philly, but Utley needs to hit better. He is 4-of-26 in the post season, which means Ryan Howard often is coming to the plate with no men on base.
Advantage: Chase Utley (PHI)

Shortstop: Rafael Furcal (LAD) (.357,5,16) PS (.333,0,2)-Jimmy Rollins (PHI) (.277,11,59) PS (.375,0,1)
Perhaps the most intriguing position matchup. Furcal has returned from the disabled list and his drag bunt set up the Dodger's big inning against Carlos Zambrano in game two. J-Rol is raking the ball, going 6-for-16. Both have speed and cause havoc on the basepath. I'm going to go with Furcal on this one just because he is more vital to his team's success I believe than Rollins and can change the game. Furcal needs to get on to set things off for the Dodgers, who have some good players and one great one (Manny). Jimmy has so mch protection in that lineup and others who can pick up the slack.
Advantage: Rafael Furcal (LAD)

Third Base: Casey Blake (LAD) (.274,21,81) PS (.273,0,2)-Pedro Feliz (.249,14,58) PS (.231,0,1)
Feliz is known more for his glove than his bat, as evident by his low batting average. this season. Blake had a nice season overall, but his numbers were worse with the Dodgers. Considering Blake had an overall better season, the edge goes to him.
Advantage: Casey Blake (LAD)

Left Field: Manny Ramirez (LAD) (.332,37,121) PS (.500,2,3)-Pat Burrell (.250,33,86) PS (.250,2,4)
Manny Ramirez has the most homeruns in post season history. End of story.
Advantage: Manny Ramirez (LAD)

Centerfield: Matt Kemp (LAD) (.290,18,76) PS (.154,0,1)-Shane Victorino (.293,14,58) PS (.357,1,5)
I believe Kemp is a better player, but Victorino's speed is such an asset. He covers great ground in center and provides speed at the bottom of the lineup. He also had the big grand slam off C.C. Sabathia that gave the Phillies game two. Kemp is a great player, but Victorino has the advantage.
Advantage: Shane Victorino (PHI)

Right field: Andre Eithier (.305,20,77) PS (.100,0,0)-Jayson Werth (.273,24,67) PS (.313,1,1)
Eithier has greater promise, but I like the way Werth is swinging the bat, especially against lefty pitching. With Utley and Howard's problems against lefties, Werth provides the needed bat to counter that. He also seems to come up with big hit after big hit
Advantage: Jayson Werth (PHI)

Catcher: Russell Martin (LAD) (.280,13,69) PS (.308,1,5)-Carlos Ruiz (PHI) (.231,4,19) PS (.071,0,0)
Perhaps the greatest mismatch in the series. Martin is an emerging star in the game. Ruiz can barely hit his weight.
Advantage: Russell Martin (LAD)

Core players advantage: Tie 4-4

Bench: LAD (Angel Berroa, Juan Pierre, Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent)-PHI (Geoff Jenkins, Chris Coste, Greg Dobbs, Eric Bruntlett, Matt Stairs)
The Phillies have better talent on the bench due to Garciaparra's and Kent's health. The only real difference maker is Pierre who can steal. Overall, though, the Phillies have some boppers in Genkins and Stairs.
Advantage: Philadelphia Phillies

Starting Pitching: Los Angeles Dodgers 1) Derek Lowe, 14-11 3.24; 1-0 3.00); 2)Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14; 1-0, 1.35); Hiroki Kuroda (9-10, 3.73; 1-0, .00) ;4) Clayton Kerhaw (5-5, 4.26; NA)------Philadelphia Phillies 1) Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09; 1-0, .000); 2) Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55; 1-0, 2.57) 3)Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71; 0-1, 4.50) 4)Joe Blanton (9-12, 4.96; 1-0, 1.50)
When it comes to pithing, the Phillies have the edge. Lowe is the only Dodgers pitcher (outside Greg Maddux, who is not in the rotation) with experience. Hamels and Myers are a good duo at the top, and Moyer slides in nicely in the three hold. The Dodgers, though, as Billingsley is a good up and coming pitcher as is Kershaw. Overall, though, I believe the Phillies have stronger pitching in terms of quality and experience.
Advantage: Philadelphia Phillies

Bullpen: LAD (Takashi Saito, Joe Beimel, John Broxton, Hong Chih-Kuo)-PHI (Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson)
The Phillies have the advantage in closing with Lidge, who has yet to blow a save, but the feeling that he will blow a big game lurks in my mind. There middle relief is suspect as well. The Dodgers on the other hand, have great arms coming constantly out of the pen pumping fire. Kuo, who will be used to get out Utley and Howard, struck out 96 in 80 innings.
Advantage: Los Angeles Dodgers

Synopsis: The Phillies are the better team. No doubt about that. But there is something about a Joe Torre team with Manny Ramirez that just seems to have a swagger. The Phillies will not go down without a fight, but that bullpen is suspect and Myers and Blanton could come up soft. I don't think Howard will have a big series either, puting more pressure on Pat the Bat and the rest of the lineup. The Dodgers are firing on all cylinders and advanced to the world series.

Prediction: Dodgers in Six

NFL Power Rankings Week 5

2008-10-07T20:43:00.002-04:00

Here they are

1. New York Giants (4-0)
2. Tennessee Titans (5-0)
3. Washington Redskins (4-1)
4. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)
6. Carolina Panthers (4-1)
7. Denver Broncos (4-1)
8. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
9. New England Patriots (3-1)
10. Chicago Bears (3-2)
11. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (3-2)
12. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
13. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
14. Arizona Cardinals (3-2)
15. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
16. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
17. San Diego Chargers (2-3)
18. Minnesota Vikings (2-3)
19. Green Bay Packers (2-3)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
21. New York Jets (2-2)
22. New Orleans Saints (2-3)
23. Miami Dolphins (2-2)
24. San Francisco (2-3)
25. Cleveland Browns (1-3)
26. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)
27. Houston Texans (0-4)
28. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
29. Cincinnati Bengals (0-5)
30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-4)
31. Detroit Lions (0-4)
32. St. Louis Rams (0-4)

Quick hits about every NFL Team

2008-10-07T02:44:00.002-04:00

Here's my thoughts after Week 5:

NYG-Best team in football

Washington-Clinton Portis is a beast and is a main reason they are 4-1

Dallas-That defense is not intimidating

Philadelphia-If they lose Brian Westbrook, season over

Chicago-Matt Forte is the best running back drafted this season

Green Bay-This team would be 3-2 or 4-1 with Brett Favre

Minnesota-After beating New Orleans without AP showing up, do they go on a run and win the division like many expected

Detroit-Fire Matt Millen! Ooh, that happened and they still lost.

Carolina-Mushin Muhammed is shining this season, just as he did previously

Tampa Bay-Ernest Graham should be the every down back, but Warrick Dunn is playing too good not to take carries

Atlanta-This team is two years away and needs a corner back

New Orleans-Probably the biggest disappointment in the NFL right now

Arizona-Edge James and Tim Hightower have 8 touchdowns combined...wow

San Francisco-Isaac Bruce is doing a good job under Mike Martz

Seattle-Well, they atleast can score at home

St. Louis-This is an awful team

Buffalo-I saw this game coming from a mile away and Trent Edwards' health is cause for concern

New England-They have beaten three bad teams...Don't get too excited

New York Jets-Thomas Jones is not going to have the breakout year i expected

Miami-Great story this season beating NE and SD

Pit-Scary they have beaten Jax and Balt despite being banged up

Balt-No offense will hurt them

Cle-Overrated. Overrated.

Cin-To think they won the division two years ago

Tenn-Mad props to being 5-0 because they have earned it

Ind-That win is the type you build your season around

Jax-Not the power everyone expected them to be

Hou-They find ways to lose

Den-Won despite only scoring 16 points! shocker

SD-You can't lose at Miami and expect to be taken seriously

Oak-Michael Bush needs more playing time

KC-Well, they play to win the game atleast

The Suicide squeeze that doomed the Angels

2008-10-07T00:31:00.002-04:00

With a runner on third and one out in game four of the ALDS, Angels manager Mike Scioscia made a critcal decision. His ninth hitter Erick Aybar stood at the plate with Reggie Willits on third. He was ahead in the count 2-0 on Red Sox pitcher Manny DelCarmen.

Scioscia could have let Aybar try and swing away and possibly get a pop fly to center or right. He instead opted for the suicide squeez, Aybar missed the bunt, Willits was tagged out and the inning ended with an Aybar strikeout.

The Red Sox (unfortunately, much to my dismay (I am in a much more mild-mannered mood then I was before)) went on to win 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth.

So the debate is raised: should Scioscia have called for the suicide squeeze?

I'm going to go with No.

Although Aybar is a good bunter and led his team with sacrifice bunts this year, you have to let him try and drive in the runner. The infield was drawn in. A slash single could have gotten the job done. A pop to center would have done it as well. He just had to make contact. Who's to say that DelCarmen does not fall behind 3-0 in the count and put two runners on base for Chone Figgins? Then the double play is almost out of the question and any ground ball puts ahead the game-winning run.

I understand that had it worked a suicide squeeze would have been the perfect thing to do, but I am against a suicide squeeze. There is too much that can go wrong as shown by Aybar missing the pitch completely. Aybar needs to do whatever he can do to get the ball down and he couldn't. What if the pitcher throws up and in and the batter has to duck. The runner is an easy out, as was Willits.

The Angels again just did not show up to play the Red Sox. They got out-hit, out-pitched and just looked like dogs again for the third straight time against Boston.

That's why the Yankees need to get into the playoffs next year: to knock the damn Red Sox off their high perch.

LET'S GO YANKEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Beasts of the East

2008-10-06T19:18:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in awhile and I figured I would start again. While I was watching TV today, the debate came up about whether the Redskins or the Giants were the best team in the NFL. The fact this is even a question makes me want to laugh.

In the classic movie Rocky IV, the great Apollo Creed says: "I've been with the best and I've beaten the best."

To be the best team in the NFL, you have to beat the best. The Giants BEAT the Redskins. Let me repeat that. The Giants BEAT the Redskins, 16-7. The Giants held the Redskins to 209 yards and 11 first downs. They dominated them in every aspect of the football game.

The Giants are the Super Bowl Champions. They have eight straight games. They are one of two undefeated teams in the NFL. They are the champs.

Yes, I will admit, Washington's wins have been more impressive. Defeated Arizona, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Dallas are great wins. But when you played the defending champs, the New York Football Giants, you got beat. You cannot be the best team when you got beat by another team in your division who is undefeated.

This shouldn't be a conversation. The Giants are the best team in the NFL, and they have beaten the Redskins at home quite convincingly. Until the champs get beat, they are the best team in the NFL in my estimation.

It doesn't matter if you beat better teams. When you lose head-to-head, you cannot claim you are a better team in a sport like football at this point in the season. The Redskins should just enjoy being the second-best team in football, behind the SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS AND UNDEFEATED NEW YORK GIANTS.

Indians 5, Yankees 3-The midges...eh Tribe bites back

2008-05-07T00:06:00.003-04:00

Joba Chamberlain has not had his best moments as a Yankee against the Indians. Last year, he gave up the game-tying run in Game 2 that might have made for a different series. Tonight, he served up a 3-run homerun to David Dellucci that gave the Indians a 5-3 lead that they would hold on to.

I'm not going to yell for Joba's head. Set-up men blow saves, that's how baseball works. The only thing i'm going to say is that the walks were a problem. He walked two men and he needs to have better control than that.

The game had all the set-up of a nice Yankees win. Pettite grinded through six innings, the offense scratched three runs off Fausto Carmona, with the rbi's coming by Giambi and Cano, and it seemed like six outs by Mariano and Joba were coming. But the Tribe had other plans.

Tonight's loss dropped the Yankees to 0-15 when losing after seven innings. That is kind of an alarming statistic, meaning they have to beat a closer.

Beauty tomorrow with Cliff Lee against Chien-Ming Wang.

Yankees 8, Mariners 2-How sweep it is

2008-05-04T18:06:00.002-04:00

Darrell Rasner has pitched six innings for the Yankees this season. In this six inning, he has won more games that Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes have combined in over 40. Rasner pitched the Yankees to a sweep today as the Yanks beat the Mariners 8-2.

Rasner gave up a bomb to Adrian Beltre in the first inning, but from there he settled down to pitch effectively. He gave the Yankees more than they have seen from Hughes and Kennedy pretty much all season.

The offense again came to life today, absolutely smashing Carlos Silva. Johnny Damon was a sparkplug at the top of the line-up, Derek Jeter was the captain, Melky went yard again, and Robinson Cano went yahtzee too.

This is the type of ball the Yankees need to play to be a championship caliber team. They need to pitch and hit like they did this weekend.

My First month all-star Team

2008-05-04T02:06:00.002-04:00

Here is my all-star team after one month:

C-Geovanny Sotto, Chicago Cubs
1b-Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
2b-Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
3b-David Wright, New York Mets
ss-Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
OF-Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
OF-Xavier Nady, Pittsburgh Pirates
OF-Pat Burrell, Philadelphia Phillies
DH-David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

SP-Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks
SP-Chien-Ming Wang, New York Yankees
SP-Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
SP-Ervin Santana, Los Angeles Angels
SP-Tim Lincecum, San Fransisco Giants

RP-Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
RP-Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins
RP-Johnathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
RP-Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies
RP-Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
RP-Billy Wagner, New York Mets
RP-Francisco Rodriguez, LAA

Yankees 6, Mariners 1-Mussina and Damon dazzle

2008-05-04T02:01:00.003-04:00

Mike Mussina is not finished and I will admit that I was completely wrong when it came to the Moose. He pitched six great innings today to improve to 4-3 and bring the Yankees back to .500 as the Yanks beat the Mariners, 6-1, today in the Bronx.

Mussina is pitching as good baseball as he possibly could. He is mixing his pitches effectively, getting ahead on the hitters, and his off-speed pitches are keeping the batters on their toes.

Mussina probably will not be able to beat the great offenses in the game anymore. I will be quick to admit it. But he can still be an effective third or fourth starter for the Yankees-if he keeps this up.

He was aided by an unusual output from the Yankees against one of the best and brightest young pitchers in baseball, Felix Hernandez. The Yankees absolutely tatooed him today, headlined by Damon, Jeter and Abreu who each had several hits, headlined by Damon's upper-decker.

Johnny Damon has also been playing great baseball recently, providing the spark at the top of the line-up the Yankees need.

On a side note, the Mariners look punchless. This team's offense is weak. Richie Sexson can't hit, Ichiro has no protection, and there are just alot of holes in the line-up.

It's good for the Yankees to win this series, especially since they faced the Mariners' aces. To sweep tomorrow would be great. Silva vs. Rasner tomorrow.

Yankees 5, Mariners 1-Wang continues to amaze

2008-05-03T02:01:00.002-04:00

Chien-Ming Wang continues to dazzle this season improving to an 6-0 as the Yankees beat the Mariners, 5-1, to stop their three game skid and get on the winning track.

The Yankees are now 7-0 in Wang's starts, and with the type of outings he gave the bombers tonights, it's not hard to see why. His sinker was on and he continues to get tough outs. His strikeout rate has actually improved too.

The offense was able to get three runs off Erik Bedard and beat him for what seemed like on of the first times in recent history. Although they only managed four hits off him, they were able to give their ace run support that he held up.

The Yankees needed a win desperately tonight and Wang came through in the clutch. With the injuries, the Yankees need to try and keep themselves afloat in the meantime, and tonight they came together for a solid victory.

Big Game tomorrow against King Felix.

Giants draft an effective class

2008-05-01T22:45:00.003-04:00

I am very pleased with the New York Giants Draft Class, headlined by Kenny Phillips, Terell Thomas and Mario Manningham.

Phillips is a smart, hard-nosed player that should work well in the Giants secondary and provide depth in the position and look to make an impact this season and next.

Thomas, if healthy, will provide depth to the cornerback position, where the Giants need to fortify themselves.

Manningham adds a solid weapon to the Giants passing attack, and if the stays out of trouble, should be a nice addition to the wide-receiving corps and could help give Eli Manning five options on every passing play.

Overall, I am satisfied with the Giants as we try and defend our title. Let's go Big Blue!

Tigers 8, Yankees 4-Quick start translates into another loss...

2008-05-01T22:35:00.003-04:00

The first inning looked so promising. Ian Kennedy pitched a scoreless inning and Bobby Abreu hit a 3-run homerun to give the Yankees a quick 3-0 lead. But as was the case last night, the pitching and the bats let the Yankees down as they were swept by the Tigers after dropping an 8-4 game at the stadium last night.

Ian Kennedy was given a 3-0 lead and was not able to hold the lead. Although he did not get the best of defense from Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu in the fourth inning, he just could not get it done. For the first 2.2 innings, he pitched effectively and was able to get the outs he needed. But with two outs in the third, it all unraveled for him. He put a fastball down the middle of the plate for Maggz that he crushed, and then left another one for Miguel Cabrera. He was yanked after 4.2 innings. It is clearly the case that he is no ready to be an effective starter in the major leagues yet.

The offense, though, just like last night disappeared after the first inning. They allowed Nate Robertson, who has been hit up by every other team in baseball, to settle in and only get charged with one run over the last 5.1 innings. The offense had a chance with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth, but Bobby Abreu could not come through.

The Yankees are in serious trouble right now. They are struggling and do not seem to have the pitching necessary to be a championship contender team, along with a stagnant offense. This might be a long season...

Tigers 6, Yankees 2-Pettite can't survive

2008-05-01T00:43:00.003-04:00

Andy Pettite has been known to be the stopper in his career. When the Yankees lose the previous game, his record in the next start is simply fantastic. But not tonight...and not with this offense. Pettite gave up five runs in six innings and dropped to 3-3 as the Yankees fell to 14-15 with a 6-2 loss against Detroit tonight.

Pettite cruised through four innings, but then seemed to hit a wall in the fifth inning. He gave up a single to Edgar Renteria and then a two-run bomb to the light-hitting Marcus Thames, and then in the sixth, allowed a rare homerun to Placido Polanco and a rbi single to Carlos Guillen.

Andy Pettite has gotten to the point in his career where he will have shaky innings as the one he did tonight. The real problem, though, is the offense. Without A-Rod and Jorge Posada, the offense doesn't have the punch it normally does. Add in that Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano are hitting below the Mendoza line, and you have a line-up destined for failure.

They jumped on Jeremy Bonderman in the first innings for two runs, but then the bats went cold, which has been a common theme throughout this season.

Although the Yankees have been resilient and they have been doing a great job to be only 14-15 at this point when they chould definitely be 10-19 or worse, they just don't inspire any confidence in you that they will go on a rampant tear and just play playoff caliber baseball. Thankfully, no team in the division hs been taking advantage. The Yankees are lucky that Boston is only 3 game ahead of them.

On a side note, Phil Hughes went on the DL which is what he needed to. It was a pressure free way to get him out of the rotation and hopefully he will benefit from it because he has been awful.

Ian Kennedy needs to have a solid start tomorrow or the Yankees will get swept, and then get to face two guys (Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard) who they do not hit.

Yankees 5, Indians 2-Mussina improves to 3-3

2008-04-29T11:09:00.002-04:00

Mike Mussina pitched five average innings last night to improve to 3-3 as the Yankees beat the Indians last night 5-2 to split the series in Cleveland.

Mussina was able to get in and out of trouble in the sixth inning, including twice loading the bases and only giving up one run. Mussina has been a solid fifth starter for the Yannkees this season as shown by his 3-3 record. Unfortunately for the Yankees, has been forced almost into a third starter role.

The Yankees bats finally got going in the sixth, although they did not exactly kill the ball. Melky had an infield single, Ensberg had one too, Giambi dribbled one and A-Rod got hit by a pitch. But in the end, they were able to score the runs they needed to win the game.

The bullpen was effective as John Albadalejo and Kyle Farnsworth pitched the sixth and seventh scoreless and Joba and Mariano did the job in the ninth.

For the Yankees to be 14-13 with all these injuries is quite good. They are right in the thick of things in the American League.

Been away

2008-04-27T22:59:00.000-04:00

Sorry but I have not been able to post the past few days. This Wednesday, I will half full recaps of all of the Yankees games I did not post on, the NFL Draft, weekly MLB rankings and everything in between. I might even start now.

Yankees 6, White Sox 4-Mussina pitches Yankees to victory

2008-04-23T23:57:00.001-04:00

I only watched the final three innings of this game, so I can't go into much depth. But some observations:

Mike Mussina apparently was dealing tonight, which is a good sign. He needs to provide stability at the back end of the rotation.

Jason Giambi got intentionally walked twice. Who is scarier than the Giambino?

Tonight was a preview of how awful the Yankees bullpen is without Joba. Mariano will be getting lots of five out saves if this continues.

Mariano looks untouchable.

The great debate: Is Joba better suited for the pen or the starting rotation?

2008-04-23T00:26:00.003-04:00

The question has permeated the New York sports discussion world for the past few days: Is Joba better for the Yankees in the pen or the rotation?

My answer is simple: In the bullpen.

Let me explain.

Joba has emerged as one of the best set-up men in baseball during his time. He blows his fastball by the hitters and when they sit on the fastball, he catches them swinging on the slider. He has only given up two earned runs in all his innings as a set-up man.

The confidence that he has instilled in his teammates, coaches and Yankees fans can be seen everywhere. Fans are confident when Joba enters the game. Twice this season he has been called on to enter the game with runners in scoring position and less than two outs and gotten the job done.

Joba is the best bridge the Yankees have to Mariano. He is effective and has yet to blow a save opportunity. Although baseball is about 27 outs, if you can shorten the game for the starters down to 21 outs, why not? The one area in pitching the Yankees have the advantage over the Red Sox is Mariano and Joba, why give that up?

The Yankees teams that used to win championships had unbeatable bullpens. Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Ramiro Mendoza, they all set-up for Mariano and made the game seven innings. Joba does the same, he shortens the game down to seven innings.

The best case I can make for his role in the bullpen involves tonight. With the bases loaded and one out, Brian Bruney was yanked from the game. If Joba is not available, who can the Yankees go to in that situation? Kyle Farnsworth? LaTroy Hawkins? Ross Ohlondorf? None are exactly going to instill confidence in the hearts of the fans and the players. Joba, though, has the expectation that he can get out of the situation.

By adding Joba to the rotation, the Yankees are left without a true set-up man. None of the aforementioned men are good enough to be a consistent set-up man and get the job done efficiently. They serve better in the 6th and 7th innings.

Joba can also serve as the replacement to Mariano. As much as Yankees fans don't want to think about it, Mo will be gone one day. Who better to replace him than a homegrown arm. No free agent will want to be the Yankees closer, that would just be dumb.

Also, where Joba to go to the rotation right now, that means one of the pitchers must be sent down or moved to the bullpen. Who are you going to send? Phil Hughes? That would make every Yankees fan wish he had Santana and hate Cashman. Mike Mussina? He's not going to the bullpen for $12.5 million. Ian Kennedy? Again, that's going to look like a bad move keeping him.

Although Yankees fans think having Joba for seven innings would be lights out, let's remember that seeing a guy for one inning is different than seeing him for three or four times through the lineup. Will the hitters pick up on his pitches? Will Joba lose the bite on his pitches as he gets toward the 100 pitch count?

Last year against the Indians, Joba actually got hit up pretty well against them primarily because they had seen him so much. The hitters were used to what he was throwing.

The Yankees could use Chamberlain in the rotation, but would be better served having him as the set-up man. Even next year, the Yankees would just need to sign two free agent pitchers ,and with such a deep class of free agents next year, that should not be a problem.

Joba shines in the set-up role out of the bullpen. He shortens the game. Don't make the game longer, let him continue to be one of the premier set-up men in baseball.

Yankees 9, White Sox 5-Abreu grand slam lifts Yankees

2008-04-23T00:19:00.002-04:00

Bobby Abreu delivered in the clutch with a two-out, bases loaded grand slam to lift the Yankees to a 9-5 victory over the White Sox tonight.

After Captain Clutch himself Derek Jeter actually struck out, Abreu sent a 2-0 pitch from Octavio Dotel (he is so awful) into the left field seats to give the Yanks a 6-3 lead that they would never give up.

Jason Giambi also added an opposite field homerun earlier in the game ( a good sign) and Johnny Damon added a 3-run shot in the ninth to provide protection. Damon was 3-5 on the night and the Yankees are going to need this kind of production out of him to keep up with the Sox.

On a side note, tonight was a good look into the scenario that the Yankees will be in if they send Joba Chamberlain to the rotation. Billy Traber failed to do his only job and Brian Bruney was not effective. The Yankees had to call on Chamberlain with one out in the seventh and bases loaded. Although one run scored, Chamberlain minimized the damage.

Chien-Ming Wang did not have his best stuff tonight, but was able to grind, which is what you need out of your starting pitchers. He is now 4-0 on the season and an incredible 42-13 over the past three seasons. The Yankees are 5-0 in his starts. His struggles tonight are not that big a deal as he has traditionally had problems pitching at U.S. Cellular.

Tomorrow, Mike Mussina takes the mound against Javier Vazquez. Word to the wise, Ross Ohlondorf get ready to be in relief.

Yankees Stats

2008-04-21T10:56:00.003-04:00

After 20 games, you can say we are roughly 1/8 done with the baseball season. Here are the projected Yankees batters stats based on the first 20 games:

Johnny Damon-16 HR, 56 RBI, 88 runs, 24 SB
Derek Jeter-0 HR, 88 RBI, 56 Runs, 0 SB
Bobby Abreu-16 HR, 80 RBI, 72 Runs, 8 SB
Alex Rodriguez-32 HR, 80 RBI, 96 Runs, 8 SB
Jason Giambi-16 HR, 48 RBI, 48 Runs, 0 SB
Robinson Cano-8 HR, 40 RBI, 24 Runs, 0 SB
Jorge Posada-8 HR, 48 RBI, 56 Runs, 0 SB
Hideki Matsui-24 HR, 72 RBI, 56 Runs, 0 SB
Melky Caberera-24 HR, 56 RBI, 64 Runs, 0 SB

As you can see, these stats suggest the Yankees are under-achieving offensively. Derek Jeter is not going to lead the team in RBI's and Melky Cabera is not going to hit 24 homeruns. The real problem here is 5-6-7 where Giambi, Cano and Posada are not exactly lighting up the stat sheets.

As I said before, though, a 10-10 record right now is Ok. Considering how awful the hitting and pitching has been, i'll take 10-10.

Games started by Wang: 4-0
Games started by Pettite: 3-1
Games started by Hughes: 1-3
Games started by Mussina: 1-3
Games started/relieved by Kennedy: 1-3

You cannot go 3-9 in your 3-4-5 starters.

Yankees 7, Orioles 1-Pettite Shines

2008-04-21T00:08:00.002-04:00

Sorry folks, but I wasn't able to blog for the past few days for various reasons. The Yankees need a win in the worst way today, and Andy Pettite delivered in a big way for them today as he pitched seven scoreless innings to power the Yankees to a 7-1 win over the Orioles.

After watching the young arms fail, Pettite was great over the seven innings. He got ahead in his counts, and made the batters work. He retired 14 hitters in a row, and gave the Yankees offense the time it needed to score some runs. He did what a veteran pitcher is supposed to do in these spots.

The offense was asleep for most of the game, but woke-up late. A-Rod and Hideki added rbi double's to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead, but later Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter added a homerun and a bases-clearing double to give the Yanks all the offense they needed.

Joba Chamberlain actually got hit-up today, giving up two hits and allowing a run to score.

The Yankees get a much needed day off tomorrow before heading to Chicago to face the talented and hot White Sox. Wang takes the ball in the opener and the Yankees need him to start the series off on the right foot.

After 20 games, the Yankees are 10-10. Considering that 3/5 of our rotation is a combined 1-8, i'll take that record, but we need to start to heat up at some point.

MLB Power Rankings Week 3

2008-04-20T20:10:00.013-04:00

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (13-5)-The babybacks continue to shine. They have arguably the best one-two pitching combination in baseball with Haren and Webb at the top and their line-up is producing from top and bottom. In years past, they struggled to score points, but not this year. Right now, they look like the class of the NL and the strongest team in baseball.

2. Boston Red Sox (13-7)-The Red Sox are finally looking like the world champions. They have won their last four games, and in two of them, have beaten Texas' bullpen to do so. Their five-point comeback against the Rangers on Sunday was impressive. The bats have come to life too, and Manny Ramirez is making the $20 million option look like a safe investment for next year.

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (12-8)-The Angels are doing a nice job to start the season, considering they are playing without their top two aces, John Lackey and and Kelvim Esobar. The real key for the Angels has been the pitching of Erwin Santana, who has been able to overcome his road woes and get off to a 3-0 start with one of the top five era's in the AL. Chone Figgins is continuing to play amazing as well.

4. Chicago Cubs (12-6)-Yes, the Cubs have beaten the Pirates for their last few wins. But wins are wins, and this team is playing good baseball. Ryan Dempster is doing a great job in transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation, and Derek Lee is playing at a MVP candidate level. John Madden of the Daily news called Alfonso Soriano one of the worst free-agent signings ever. Interesting take on what may develop.

5. Chicago White Sox (11-7)-The White Sox continue to be one of the surprise teams in baseball, storming out to a great start. The key for them has been the pitching by their young arms, Gavin Floyd and John Danks. The team will go as far as they can take them. Javier Vazquez has continued to be solid. Jim Thome seems to have gotten his stroke back.

6. New York Mets (10-7)-The Mets had a great week, going 5-1 against the Nationals and the Phillies. Oliver Perez looked great in his starts, and although he got touched a little on Sunday, Mike Pelfrey is doing a soild job. Jose Reyes is being the catalyst the team needs at the top of the line-up and David Wright is playing great right now. Angel Pagan continues to shine.

7. Oakland Athletics (12-8)-If you had asked me earlier this year how many games it would take for the Athletics to win 12 games, i would have probably said around 30, but instead they have done it in 20. I really can't explain why, but this team is getting the job done. This seems to be a great year for teams that are in rebuilding modes. They will only get better when Rich Harden returns.

8. Baltimore Orioles (11-8)-Another team was supposed to be in complete re-building mode and out of the race from the first day, they have played great baseball and stormed out to an 11-7 record. They smoked the Yankees in their first two games, something on paper they shouldn't do. Adam Jones has flashed some real leather in center and when he develops offensively, will be a great pick-up for them. They will fizzle out eventually, but are playing great now.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (12-7)-Save the last two games of the series against the Giants, and the Cardinals have continued to amaze. Their offense is very limited, but is finding ways to get it done. When you consider their rotation is pretty much consisted 3/5 of converted relievers, its pretty impressive what they are doing. Their concept of rotating five outfielders seems to be working as they all are fresh and doing good jobs.

10. Florida Marlins (11-7)-Team three in re-building mode that is doing a great job and contending. Hanley Ramirez is just a pure baseball player that just makes the gam better. Scott Olsen, who is known more for his temper and problems than his pitching, is off to a quick 3-0 start. This team has a salary 1/10 that of the Yankees and has more wins right now. Wow.

11. Milwaukee Brewers (11-7)-The Brewers are a solid team, but need to solidfy the end of their bullpen and get Prince Fielder going. Eric Gagne has already blown three saves and is looking like he may be one of the worst free agent signings this past year. I mean, giving up back to back homeruns against the Reds is embarrassing. This team also seems to feed off the play of Prince Fielder and needs him to hit consistently.

12. Seattle Mariners (10-10)-Erik Bedard is on the disabled list. That is not news that the Mariners want to hear. Through it all, though, the Mariners are 8-5 in their last 13 and have found solid contributions from Carlos Silva and Miguel Batista has won his last two decisions. The offense also seems to be on the right foot. Their bullpen right now is pretty shaky, but once J.J. Putz cames back, they will be fine.

13. Toronto Blue Jays (10-9)-The Blue Jays are a team that always seems on the verge of breaking out, but can't. They finished the weekend with a nice series win against the Tigers, including wins by A.J. Burnett and Dustin McGowan. They cut Frank Thomas in a move that is supposed to help them put out the best possible team on the field, but I really do not understand that one. Aaron Hill has been really solid.

14. Kansas City Royals (9-10)-The Royals were swept this weekend by the red-hot Athletics, but take that away, and they are playing good baseball. Brian Bannister and Zach Greinke have been real solid, and like lots of analysts say, you could do alot worse than the top three that KC sends out to the hill. They still might be a year or two away.

15. New York Yankees (10-10)-The Yankees are 7-1 in games started by Andy Pettite and Chien-Ming Wang. They are 3-9 in games started by Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes and Andy Pettite. That is not a formula for success. The Yankees offense has been far too inconsistent as well, with Robinson Cano, Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi hitting poorly. If the back end of the rotation does not get it together, this team is in for a long season.

16. Colorado Rockies (9-9)-After starting the season on such a poor note, the Rockies have finally started to get it together. Barring a Brian Fuentes blown save today, they would be 10-8. The only real problem with this team is the lack of start pitching, as Jeff Francis is good, but he's not an ace. Aaron Cook is not a solid second starter as well, adn tehy are relying on young arms too much. With the Diamondbacks in their division, they will have troubles winning the division.

17. Atlanta Braves-The Braves welcomed Andruw Jones back to Atlanta by sweeping the Dodgers to conclude a good week of baseball. Chipper Jones is continuing his trend of getting off to amazingly fast starts and John Smoltz has not missed a beat. This team needs more consistent starts out of Chuck James like the one they got on Friday to compete and Jair Jurjens looks like a solid young pitcher that they will be available to develop.

18. Philadelphia Phillies (9-10)-The Phillies are trying to stay afloat without the MVP, Jimmy Rollins, in their line-up. The team will be fine, but is struggling a little right now, as they normally do at the beginning of the season. If the pitching staff con hold it together, they will contend with the Mets all season. But for now, they just need to keep their heads above water until Rollins gets back.

19. Minnesota Twins (9-10)-In other years, the Twins would have no shot at winning the division with their current team, but right now, they are in the thick of things. Chase Blackburn has been solid, but they are not solid at pitching. Francisco Lirano is off to an 0-2 start, but you kow that he will improve. This team does have a history of putting it together, but I can't see it happening with this cast.

20. San Diego Padres (9-10)-The Padres are an average team. Yes, they have one of the best pitchers in baseball in Peavy, but they just don't have enough to be considered an elite team. Randy Wolf might not be able to last the whole season, and I am not sold on Chris Young as a number two starter. When Kevin Kouzmanoff is your cleanup hitter, you know you need to improve your offense.

21. Cincinnati Reds (8-11)-I thought the Reds could be a real contender this year, but they are struggling to get out of the gate. They have some really solid pitching in Cueto, Volquez and Harang, but have lost their lost two series to rivals Chicago and Milwaukee. Brandon Phillips needs to pick it up a bit. Their offense, for one that should be potent, seems to go dead at points.

22. Tampa Bay Rays (8-11)-While everyone, myself included, said this team could be a sleeper this year and win a handful of games, it seems that Baltimore has taken that role. Edwin Jackson is coming back down to earth, and the offense seems to need just a little bit more. B.J. Upton has been great for the team, looking like the can't miss prospect he was supposed to be.

23. Cleveland Indians (7-12)-The Indians look nowhere near the team that was within one game of the World Series last year. C.C. Sabthia is not providing the pithing that is needed from an ace at the top of the rotation, and Jake Westbrook has been a victim of lack or runn support. I can understand they lost two of three to the Tigers, but two of three to the Twins. Come on now. They're lucky Cliff Lee has been pitching like has for the past few years.

24. San Francisco Giants (8-11)-It's very surprising to say, but the Giants have actually been playing good baseball. They had two offensive outpours in their two games against the Cardinals. Tim Lincecum is looking like the real deal, off to a 3-0 start on team that struggles offensively. If only they could ever get Barry Zito right, this team would have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.

25. Detroit Tigers (6-13)-The Tigers showed some promise this week and appeared to be on the verge of breaking out, but have since lost three of their last four games. Justin Verlander is not looking like the Cy Young winner I predicted him to be, and the pitching in general is just very suspect. They are a team that will be looking for pitching helop and bullpen help come the trade deadline.

26. Houston Astros (7-12)-With all the sluggers in this line-up, this team could have a better record but they just can't get it done. Roy Oswalt finally won a game and looked like the ace the team has, but outside of him, the rotation is so shaky. Shawn Chacon has actually pitched well, though. Maybe it was all those years on Baltimore that aged Miguel Tejada two years?

27. Los Angeles Dodgers (7-11)-Outside of winning two games against the Pirates, the Dodgers had an awful week and seem to be continuing their trend of not playing to their talent. Andruw Jones can't seem to hit, and when James Loney and Rafael Furcal are your only source of runs, you are going to have problems. They scored a total of three runs in thre games against the Braves, and they didn't even face Smoltz or Hudson.

28. Texas Rangers (7-12)-The Rangers concluded an awful week with their bullpen blowing two games for them, including a five run lead. Josh Hamilton has been playing great and the offense seems to be able to put runs on the board, but the bullpen has blown two wins they could have had against the Red Sox. Kevin Millwood pitched a great game against the Red Sox, but could not get the win. It's looking like that type of season for him.

29. Pittsburgh Pirates (7-11)-The Pirates looked lifeless this week, getting swept by the Cubs in three games and losing their last five. Adam LaRoche really needs to pick his game up, as he is supposed to be the power bat in that line-up, but he continues to struggle. Their pitching staff is solid, but Matt Morris looks like he is done. This team is going nowhere.

30. Washington Nationals (5-14)-The Nationals continued to flounder this week, going 2-4 including a sweep by the Mets. Although the trade for Lastings Milledge looked great at first, it seems the Mets have gotten the better of that deal. This team looks like it's going to struggle all year.

Notes:

-The Red Sox already have nine come from behind wins....Wow

-George Sherrill is 6 for 6 in saves, but has a 6.14 ERA-You need to get that down a little bit

-Releasing Frank Thomas was clearly a move to save themselves of the option for next season

-Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Mike Mussina need to pick it up for the Yankees to have any chance of making the playoffs

-Could Tampa Bay be interested in signing in the Big Hurt?

-Joe Crede is cooling down after a hot start....Joe Danks and Gavin Floyd are pitchig great for back of the rotation starters

-Could KC need the big hurt?

-Delmon Young is not having the offensive output they expected in Minnesota

-Fausto Carmona doesn't seem toe be a one year fluke

-Miguel Caberea seems to be coming around

-Could Erwin Santana be the comeback player of the year?

-Isn't if funny how the A's always trade away all their guys and continue to compete year after year?

-Richie Sexson is hitting the ball real nice and inflating his value for his walk year

-Texas needs to improve its bullpen

-Ryan Church is having no problems adapting to New York

-Hanley Ramirez is the best shortstop in baseball and will be a rich man when he hits free agency

-Is there anything more pure than watching John Smoltz continue to dominate in his 40's?

-Chase Utley is the best second baseman in baseball

-Wily Mo Pena needs to hit the ball

-John Lieber is settling in nicely to the role of the longman

-Adam Wainwright will be one of the best pitchers in baseball soon

-Eric Gagne sucks...period

-Ken Griffey's 600th is coming up and I can't wait to see it

-Pittsburgh needs to do something to get this taste of losing out of its mouth

-No matter how old he is, Miguel Tejada is performing

-I think the Diamondbacks, if they improve their bullpen, can win it all

-Troy Tulowitzki is finally starting to turn the corner

-The Padres will be around .500 all year

-SF is playing as good as anyone could expect

-Rafael Furcal will cash in on the free agent market again

Red Sox 7, Yankes 5-The Moose is loose....and he's stinking up the joint

2008-04-18T01:29:00.002-04:00

Mike Mussina went to Stanford. He is supposed to be a smart man. Then how does he let Manny Ramirez brutalize him so bad at the plate. Ramirez homered in his first two at-bats and lead the Red Sox to a 7-5 victory over the Yankees at the stadium tonight for the series tie.

Mussina was brutal. He only lasted three innings, gave up five runs and seven hits, and left early. Again, he could not control the damage and let Manny kill him. How do you miss that bad on a 3-1 fastball that is supposed to be inside? He cannot beat a good lineup anymore. Mussina is past his prime. He will beat the bad lineups, but not the good lineups.

The Yankees line-up was able to manage three runs in eight innings against Josh Beckett, which is not bad considering the quality of starter he is. The surprising aspect was scoring two runs off Papelbon and hitting him up so much in one inning.

A-Rod had a real chance to shoot a hole in the armor of the Sox, but popped up down by four with a man on in the fifth. A-rod is now 1-15 with two outs and risp. That isn't good.

Interesting site tonight as Kyle Farnsworth threw behind Manny Ramirez. After all the years of watching the Red Sox throw at the Yankees, about time a Red Sox got thrown at-BUT I DO NOT CONDEMN THE LOCATION OF THE PITCH-MOTIF YES, LOCATION NO.

Yankees enter a tough stretch tomorrow, as they have straight road games, starting with the much improved Baltimore team. Phil Hughes needs to pitch well tomorrow to prove that he can pitch effectively.

NFL Week by Week Great games preview

2008-04-17T13:08:00.002-04:00

Here is my breakdown of games to watch each week:

Week 1
Washington@NYG-Champions host the opener, should be crazy
Jax @ Ten-Two rival teams both looking to start strong after making the playoffs
Cin @ Bal-Both want to get the sour taste out of their mouths
Dal @ Cle-Both teams are picked to do well this upcoming season and what a way to start
Min @ GB-A.F. (After Favre) begins

Week 2
Phi @ Dallas-Gotta love the rivalry, and especially on Monday night

Week 3
Jax @ Ind-Can Jax finally start beating their rivals?
Dallas @ GB-Two of the beasts of the NFC

Week 4
Wash @ Dallas-Tough, hard-played football

Week 5
Pit @ Jax-Jax won twice in Pitt, can they win at home?

Week 6
NE @ SD-San Diego would like to win once
NYG @ Cle-Great Monday night game with alot of intrigue

Week 7
Ind @ GB-Last time, these two had a barn burner-but this one is outside in the cold

Week 8
Buf @ Mia-First game in Toronto
NYG @ Pit-Eli vs Ben, what a group of 2004 quarterbacks
Ind @ Ten-Great division, great match-up

Week 9
NE @ Ind-Best game in football
Dal @ NYG-Dallas would love to make-up for the loss in the playoffs

Week 10
Ind @ Pit-Tough game

Week 11
SD @ Pit-Two tough teams battling for a playoff spot

Week 12
Ind @ SD-Two division winners, Indy looking to make up for last year's loss

Week 13
Ten @ Det, Sea @ Dallas, Ari @ Phi-Thanksgiving. Duh.
Ind @ Cle-Interesting game
Pit @ NE-Pitt got embarrassed last year

Week 14
Phi @ NYG-Season heating up, playoffs up for grab
Dal @ Pit-Two of the best franchises ever

Week 15
GB @ Jax-Two tough teams
NYG @ Dallas-Playoff spot, division title
Cle @ Phi-Cleveland will have some tough games

Week 16
Ind @ Jax-Division title might be up for grabs
GB @ Chi-Rodgers get his first taste of Soldier Field

Week 17
Jax @ Balt-Possible play-off implications
Ten @ Ind-Play-off implications
Dal @ Phi-Could be for NFC East
Cle @ Pit-Could be for AFC North
Den @ SD-Could be for AFC West

Rangers 5, Devils 3-One away from advancing

2008-04-17T13:04:00.003-04:00

The Rangers had a lead. They blew it. They had another lead. They blew it. Another lead. Blown. But the Rangers rebounded to score a late goal with over three minutes left to take a 3-1 lead on the Devils and move within one game of eliminating them.

Mark Staal had the game-winner on a turnover in the Devils side. Both teams capitalized off each other's mistakes.

The one thing I noticed, though, is that Marty seems to be off his game. Granted when you have been on top for so long (like Mariano), people get on you when you're off. But he has not been Marty in this series.

My boy Henrik was ok. He allowed three goals, but came up big at the end.

Big game Friday in Newark.

Improved Bullpen

2008-04-17T12:59:00.002-04:00

Although the bullpen has been the focal point of the Yankees struggles the past few season, the pen is actually doing a good job this season. Here are the numbers:

Ross Ohlendorf-3.27 ERA, 9 hits and 5 walks in 11 innings, 10 strikeouts
Brian Bruney-1.80 ERA, 6 hits and 4 walks in 10 innings, 11 strikeouts
LaTroy Hawkins-7.00 ERA, 11 hits and 2 walks in 9 innings 7 strikeouts
Kyle Farnsworth-4.91 ERA, 11 hits and 2 walks in 7.1 innings, 7 strikeouts
Mariano Rivera-0.00 ERA, 3 hits and 0 walks in 6.1 innings, 7 strikeouts
Joba Chamberlain-0.00 ERA, 3 hits and 1 walk in 5.1 innings, 6 strikeouts
Billy Traber-4.50 ERA, 4 hits and 1 walk in 4 innings, 5 strikeouts

Not bad statistics. The pen will be the key to holding onto one run leads. They need to pitch more like they did last night than against the Rays.

Yankees 15, Red Sox 9-Yankees bats do the talking

2008-04-17T02:34:00.006-04:00

The Yankees have not exactly lived up to their billing as the best offense in baseball this season--until tonight. The Yankees bats powered them to a 15-9 win over the hated Red Sox at the stadium to tie the series at 2-2 and also tie them in the standings at 9-7.

From the first inning, the Yankees bats were alive. Bobby Abreu took a pitch up in the zone out for a bomb, and then A-Rod followed up with an absolute bomb to give the Yanks a 3-1 lead.

Boston would tie the game, but again, the Yankees bats came alive, highlighted by a Derek Jeter single with the bases loaded. Since coming back from his injury, Jeter has been great.

Even when they trailed 9-7, the Yankees scored four in the fifth to re-take the lead for good, including a game-tying rbi single by Robinson Cano.

And to make matters better, they added four in the eight of Mike Timlin to make sure Mariano did not have to pitch three days in a row.

After an offensively frustrating first 15 games, it was good to see the bats come alive. You knew it would happen at one point or another. And tonight, in a game against our biggest rivals, the bats came through in a big way.

The real positive sign tonight was the bullpen. Chien-Mien Wang was brutal tonight, giving up eight runs over four frames. This happens with Wang, though, so Yanks fan should not be too worried. Also, he was working with a catcher he had no previous experience with and he was facing a team that he had just seen.

The bullpen only gave up one run over five innings to preserve the win. Russ Ohlondorf was shaky, but LaTroy Hawkins pitched great and Brian Bruney managed the final two innings without a run. With such a shaky start to the season for Hawkins and the number controversy, it was nice to see him pitch so well. He is working his way into the 7th inning man over Kyle Farnsworth.

Anytime you can beat the Red Sox, it's always good. But a game where the Yankees trailed twice and their starting pitching was awful, is especially rewarding. Let's keep it up tomorrow.

Yankee fans cross the line

2008-04-16T13:48:00.001-04:00

LaTroy Hawkins might not be the best relief pitcher in baseball or even close to it, but the man is highly regarded as a good clubhouse presence and someone who is there for his teammates. The man is widely respected for his demeanor.

This season, Hawkins chose to wear number 21 to honor Roberto Clemente. But in Yankees lore, #21 will always belong to Paul O'Neill. Fans have booed Hawkins incessantly for it, even chanting Paul O'Neill.

Paul O' Neill was a great Yankee. I loved his style of play and he is a guy that will forever be a Yankee and part of the dynasty. But his numbers were not retirement worthy. He was a great player, but his number right now isn't worthy of being retired.

Hawkins was trying to honor Roberto Clemente, and instead, got booed for it. Now, he is changing his number to 22 to avoid all of this (which might even cause booing because its Roger's number).

Yankee fans need to smarten up a little and let it be.

Giants 2008 Schedule

2008-04-16T01:23:00.003-04:00

The NFL released the schedules today and here is the Giants:

Washington
@St. Louis
Cincinnati
Bye
Seattle
@Cleveland
SF
@Pittsburgh
Dallas
@Philadelphia
Baltimore
@Arizona
@Washington
Philadelphia
@Dallas
Carolina
@Minnesota

This schedule is easier than it could have been. They get Cincinnati and Seattle at home, which are teams you'd rather see at home than on the road. Also, Carolina is another team you would rather see at home and the Giants always have luck playing im Minnesota.

An interesting game will be at Cleveland on that Monday night. Cleveland should be much improved and playing there will not be easy.

The tough stretch of this schedule will be from Pittsburgh to Baltimore and then the brutal stretch of Washington, Dallas and Philadelphia.

I still believe the Giants are a playoff team this season.

Yankees 5, Rays 3-Solid pitching picks up bats

2008-04-16T01:12:00.002-04:00

A solid pitching performance by Andy Pettite, a rare scoreless inning by Kyle Farnsworthless and another great inning by Mariano Rivera secured a 5-3 Yankees victory tonight to sweep the Rays.

Although he was not spectacular, Andy Pettite gave the Yankees seven hard-pitched innings, while only giving up three runs. He let alot of runners on base, but was able to get out of jams and minimized the damage. This is the difference between Pettite and the young pitchers, he minimizes damage.

In the biggest shock of all, Kyle Farnsworth pitched a scoreless inning. I thought the game was over when he came in, but he actually looked good and retired the side in order, which set up the automatic save by Mariano Rivera.

The pitching saved the bats tonight, which although they put up five runs, they still were not good with the bases loaded. They went 0-3 and are 2-15 on the season. They just did not get too many timely hits.

The power came from Hideki Matsui who hit a homerun, and other RBI's from Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu.

This series should give the Yankees a big lift as they head into a big home series against Boston. Boston has looked vulnerable and we should have swept them last time. Let's hope Wanger is on again.

Yankees 8, Ray 7-Cano saves the Yankees

2008-04-14T22:49:00.003-04:00

Robinson Cano has been awful all season for the Yankees. He has looked lost at the plate and has not been patient. So with the Yankees tied at 7-7 in the eight, Cano stepped up to the plate in a pinch-hit role. And he finally showed why he's the best second baseman in the American League.

Cano's homerun gave the Yankees an 8-7 that they would never give up as they beat the Rays 8-7 tonight. Mariano Rivera close the game for his fifth save and still has yet to give up a run.

There were great signs in this game. The Offense had its most hits and runs that it has had all season and just looked to be firing on all cylinders. Johnny Damon led off the game with a homerun and had three rbi's, Jeter had two rbi's in his return, A-Rod went yard. The team was jsut great offensively.

Ian Kennedy looked sharp for the first time this season. He was able to get ahead of all of his batters and made the Rays batters work from behind in the count. He only gave up three runs over six and was effective. This is what the Yankees are looking for in their young guns.

The problems thought, was the bullpen. Billy Traber served up a homerun to Carl Crawford, while Brian Bruney gave up homeruns to B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria. The bullpen has looked solid for most of the season, but not tonight. Bruney looked like the old Bruney, and Traber looked like the guy who didnt have a job in spring training.

The Yankees are now 7-7. Next up, Andy Pettite against Edwin Jackson.

Red Sox 8, Yankees 5-The Future? Girardi gamble backfires...again

2008-04-14T01:28:00.002-04:00

Phil Hughes is supposed to be the future of the Yankees. There is no doubt he will develop into a good major league pitcher. But tonight, he looked god awful for the second straight start as the Red Sox pounded him in route to an 8-5 victory.

I know that he is young and he needs time to learn, but Hughes has been just awful his last two times out. Tonight, he only lasted two innings and is pitch count was awful, as he would have only lasted three innings tops.

In his 11 innings pitched this season, Hughes has given up 11 earned runs. A great average.

I know it is unfair to compared him to Santana, but right now, Hughes is making the Yankees look more and more wrong for not trading him for Johan. Although Johan is 1-2, atleast he pitches six plus innings and only has an era of 3.42.

But throughout Hughes performance, the Yankee still had a chance to win. Jason Giambi flew out as the tying run in the fifth. The Yanks had two on in the sixth, again could do nothing.

The real chance was the eight. The Yanks were trailing 7-5 and had two runners on and no outs. Johnny Damon up. The obvious thing to do here is to bunt and give Abreu and Cano chances to drive in the game tiers.

Instead, Johnny Damon grounded into a double play that included awful baserunning by Melky Cabrera for the second straight time, where he ran into a double play instead of causing a run-down.

Girardi made an awful decision and the Yankees paid for it.

The Yankees hitting though again was awful. Alex Rodriguez went 0-5 today and 0-9 over the past few days. Robinson Cano went 0-5 and again could not get a big hit when he needed. Overall, the team left nine guys on base and they still cannot get a hit with runners in scoring position.

The Yankees are lucky they are only 6-7. They just don't look good right now. They could have swept this series but instead went 1-2. They need to get it together.

MLB Power Rankings Week 2

2008-04-13T18:02:00.017-04:00

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (9-3)-The Diamondbacks have won eight of their last nine games and are just playing excellent baseball. Brandon Webb and Dan Haren are a combined 5-0 and Web is looking every part like a Cy Young pitcher. The offense, which used to be the baby backs problem, has produced the most homeruns in the majors, headlined by the youngest pitcher in the major Leagues, Justin Upton. This team looks like the by far best team in the NL.

2. Milwaukee Brewers (8-4)-The Brewers, although the wins have not been pretty, have started off on a fast note, winning eight of 12, including two series wins over the Mets and the Cubs. Jason Kendall and Gape Kapler are hitting the ball great, and although he was shaky to start the season, Eric Gagne has gotten the past few saves. This team will only improve when Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun actually start to hit.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (9-4)-I really do not know how they are doing this, but the Cardinals have won 9 of their first 13 games with a less than stellar pitching rotation. You just have to give Dave Duncan credit for what he is able to do with such a no name roster. Albert Pujols is really starting to heat up, and Rick Ankiel just continues to be a great comeback story.

4. Boston Red Sox (7-6)-The Red Sox rebounded from a tough sweep against the Blue Jays to win two series against the Tigers and the Yankees. Although the Red Sox did not play great ball, they were able to win four of six games which is nice for them to do, considering David Ortiz did not have a hit all week. Clay Buccholz looked great though, and beating your rivals is always good.
5. Chicago White Sox (7-4)-You have to respect what this team has done, winning four of six from the Tigers. Joe Crede has been the best third baseman in baseball, driving in 15 runs, 8 more than A-Rod. Gavin Floyd looked great in his almost no-hitter against the Tigers. This team can contend in the division.

6. Oakland Athletics (8-5)-If you had told me this team would 8-5 to start the season, I would have bet anything against it. They traded away such talent and players, but have just won games. Since starting 1-3, they are actually 7-2, including great wins against Cleveland's Sabathia and Carmona. Who knows, could they be a sleeper?

7. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (7-6)-The Angels did lose two of three to their rivals, but won two of three from the Indians and are playing solid. This team will only improve when John Lackey comes back. The trade for John Garland is not looking too solid right now, though. They need K-Rod to not go on the DL.

8. Chicago Cubs (7-5)-The Cubs have not played up to their potential, but still have lots of season to go. Derek Lee has been the force in the middle of the lineup they expected, but Ted Lilly has not been the number two starter they envisioned. Their middle relief has been really solid though.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (7-5)-The Blue Jays have been an inconsistent team this season. They sweep the Red Sox, then get swept by Oakland, but then sweep the Rangers. This team has great potential, but needs to play more consistent. Frank Thomas needs to hit better than .178 and A.J. Burnett needs to pitch like he did against the Yankees.

10. San Diego Padres (7-6)-The Padres, a team that I projected to finish 4th in the NL West, have acutally played solid ball and sit in second in the tough division. Jake Peavy has been filthy, and the team has gotten production from the entire line-up. As has been their m.o., the Padres pulled out a 1-0 win on Sunday.

11. Kansas City Royals (7-5)-The Royals would be higher up on this list if they could only beat the Twins. Alex Gordon is playing like the phenom that everyone projected him to be and the team is just gelling. Brian Bannister (3-0) has beaten the Twins, Yankees and Tigers and has just been dirty.

12. Baltimore Orioles (7-5)-The surprise team in the AL East, the Orioles are actually in first place in the division. I really don't know how, but you have to give this team credit. Although I believe they will end the season toward the bototm, for now, they are at the top.

13. New York Yankees (6-7)-The Yankees had a prime chance to sweep their rivals, but instead played awful ball this weekend and dropped a series to the Red Sox. On the week, the Yankees went 3-4 and even lost a series to the Royals. Phil Hughes was just plain terrible this week and Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano have been useless. The Yankees might be in for a long season.

14. Tampa Bay Rays (6-6)-The Rays are playing as a very inconsistent team. Somedays they look great, while others, they look like the old Devil Rays. They should benefit, though, with the return of Scott Kazmir to their pitching rotation. Edwin Jackson has actually been pitching very solid this season for them. Cliff Floyd is back on the DL, a move that nobody saw coming.

15. Seattle Mariner (6-7)-Despite starting the season off 2-5, the Mariners have rebounded to win four of their last six, including a series win over the Angels. Richie Sexson, a man that was supposed to be awful this season, has better numbers right now than several solid first basemen. The real concern, though, with this team is Erik Bedard, who again missed a start with injuries. Beating the Angels, though, shows they can compete with the best team in their division.

16. Philadelphia Phillies (6-7)-The Phillies get the top nod in the NL East, but only because they finished the weekend with 2 of 3 from the cubs. This team still has alot of question marks, including its starting pitching and its bullpen. You can see this team really needs Jimmy Rollins, he just gives the team a spark in the lineup and in the field that is desperately missed.

17. New York Mets (5-6)-The Mets have too much talent to be this low in the power rankings, but are getting off to a cold start. They lost 2 of 3 to the Brewers, and got swept by the Braves, but were able to win 2 of 3 from the Phillies. When Oliver Perez is given a 4 run lead, he needs to hold it. and Johan Santana is 1-2, which they didn't expect. He's pitched fine, but just too many long balls. They should rebound quickly though.

18. Florida Marlins (7-5)-The Marlins are in first in the NL East, but that does not mean they are better than the other teams in their division. They lost their last two games to the Astros, but you have to give them credit for the fact that they are 7-5 overall and doing better than anyone expected.

19. Cleveland Indians (5-7)-The Indians will finish the seas as one of the best teams in the American League, but right now, they stink. C.C. Sabathia is 0-2 with an awful ERA, and Fausto Carmona had no control yesterday and gave up alot of runs. Cliff Lee has actually been a pleasant surprise, going 2-0 with a .66 era. The pitching is the key to this team.

20. Atlanta Braves (5-7)-The Atlanta Braves were some teams sleeper pick to win the NL East, but they aren't playing like it. They got swept by the Colorado Rockies, and their pitching outside of Smoltz and Hudson, who have been absolutely brilliant this season. Mark Texeira is still struggling to hit, and the offense really gets going when he is hitting. Yunel Escobar is continuing to have a great season.

21. Minnesota Twins (6-6)-The Twins are off to a .500 start after life without Johan Santana. Their new ace, Francisco Liriano, looked shaky today and took the loss against the Royals. This team has actually had luck against the Royals, but the rest of the league has had luck. They need to get more hitting out of Delmon Young.

22. Los Angeles Dodgers (5-7)-Take away their opening series win against the Giants, and this team is 3-6 against the rest of the league. The team is not hitting, as evidenced by their 1-0 loss to San Diego today. Andruw Jones, their big off season signing, is hitting a whooping .100. Chad Billingsley, their talented pitcher, is off to an 0-2 start. Joe Torre needs to start working his magic.

23. Cincinnati Reds (6-7)-This team was high on my list of the weekly rankings, but then proceeded to get swept by the Pirates and drop them below .500. The real problem has been how they have not been getting good solid pitching outside of Aaron Harang. Adam Dunn is not hitting the ball well either, and his main object in the line-up is to hit the ball out of the park. The Reds can contend in this division, but they can't get swept by the Pirates.

24. Colorado Rockies (5-7)-The Rockies are off to a slow start this season, but it may be more due to their opening schedule. They have already played six games against the Diamondbacks, who are the top team. Outside of that, they are 4-3, including a three game sweep of the Braves. Once Troy Tulowitzki gets going, this team will improve. The pitching also needs to step it up a little bit.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates (6-6)-The Pirates actually pulled off an impressive sweep of the Cincinnati Reds this weekend, but still have their problems. The offense, though, still has some gaping holes. Nate McLouth is playing really well, and the X man,Xavier Nady is doing his annual tearing the face off the ball in April. Ian Snell (2-0) is off to a fast start.

26. Texas Rangers (5-7)-The Rangers were 5-4, but then got swept in three games by the Blue Jays, who had just been swept by the Athletics. The Rangers have talent, but just need to put it together. Kevin Millwood has been pitching phenomenal, despite the 1-2 record with a slightly above 1.00 era. This team will only continue to improve.

27. San Francisco Giants (5-8)-The Giants actually played like a team with a pulse this weekend, splitting a series with the Cardinals and also taking two of three games from the Padres. Barry Zito is working his way toward being one of the worst free agent signings in the history of baseball. Had their bullpen held a lead on Saturday, they would actually only be 6-7. But the offense is still anemic.

28. Houston Astros (5-8)-The Astros ace Roy Oswalt is not off to the start they envisioned for him, 0-3, 9.00. The batting isn't what it is supposed to be either, as they are having a hard time driving in runs. Michael Bourn isn't being the spark at the top of the line-up that the team needs either. A trade for Juan Pierre in the works? Wandy Rodriguez did pitch well the otehr day as well.

29. Detroit Tigers (2-10)-I would put them in the last place but they just have too much talent to be the worst team. They picked up their first win of the season against the Red Sox, but have since gone 1-3 and gotten annihilated against the White Sox, including two games where they did not score. They need to start hitting becuse their pitching right now just looks god awful.

30. Washington Nationals (4-9)-The Nats started the season off on a real hot note, winning their first three games but have gone 1-10 since then. I thought this team had a real chance to be a surprise team in the NL this year, but they aren't playing well. Atleast they have Wily Mo Pena coming back.

Notes:
-Aubrey Huff is swinging the bat well

-A.J. Burnett is a pitcher that somedays makes him look like a Cy Young candidate, but others looks like the biggest bust in baseball

-Clay Buccholz is going to be a great pitcher that will terrorize that division for years-that curveball is the real deal

-Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are a combined 0-3-The Yankees are not going to contend with those numbers

-Carlos Pena (13 rbi) is looking like last year might not have been a fluke

-Kenny Williams is sure glad he didnt trade Joe Crede huh? And what a steal the trade for Gavin Floyd is looking like, with Freddy Garcia currently without a job.

-Alex Gordon is showing why he was so highly touted out of college, and will be a stud for yeras to come

-Francisco Lirano will be fine-It was his first game, and most pitchers struggle in their first game off the Disabled List

-C.C. Sabathia is hurting his case to make great money on the free agent class-He needs to raise his level

-Detroit's line-up just stinks right now

-Rich Harden is back on the disabled list-what else is new?

-John Garland is getting lit up and htis team needs him to be a solid third starter

-Raul Ibanez is a quite outfielder who puts up solid production year after year

-Vincente Padilla is just a bad pitcher

-Florida sure doesn't seem to miss Dontrelle and Miguel eh?

-Jason Bruntlett nees to hope Jimmy Rollins comes back sono

-Ryan Church and Brian Schneider have given the Mets sold production along with Angel Pagan, who is having a superb year

-Tim Hudson is pitching like he did last year and that's a good sign for the Braves

-The Nats will rebound with Wily Mo Pena!

-Prince Fielder needs to eat a hamburger (he became a vegetarian)

-If Rico Washington is not a feel good story, I really do not know what is then

-Alfonso Soriano is still to streaky a hitter

-Johnny Cueto got hit up today-It's going to happen, no need to panic-He's pitching bette than any other rookie

-Xavier Nady is Mr. April, not A-Rod

-Houston needs to trade for Juan Pierre

-Brandon Webb has the best sinker in baseball and I personally just love watching him get strikeouts on filthy pitches

-Adrian Gonzalez is the most underrated player in baseball

-Rafael Furcal is having a great season...the rest of his team, though, is not

-Matt Holliday is finally hitting like an mvp

-The Giants have scored more runs in one game (seven) than the Yankees have this season....Wow. Let me repeat that. Wow.

Red Sox 4, Yankees 3-Yankees gamble proves to be the game

2008-04-12T22:13:00.002-04:00

The Manny Ramirez powered Red Sox beat the Yankees today 4-3 on a pitch that Joe Girardi and Mike Mussina would love to have back.

With two runners on in the sixth and two outs, Manny Ramirez stepped up to the plate. Manny had already blasted an absolute bomb over the monster. The Yankees could have walked him to load the bases for the not as dangerous Kevin Youkilis. But instead the Yankees pitched to him.

Now in this spot, when you do pitch to him, you don't give him anything he can hit.

Mike Mussina though gave him a nice fastball over the outside that Manny just drove the other way for the go ahead rbis.

And to make matters worse, Brian Bruney then allowed Youkilis to drive in Manny for the rbi that proved to the game winner.

Josh Beckett was dealing for the first five innings. The man was unhitable. But the Yankees were able to rally for six runs and take the lead. But then Mussina blew it.

Mike Mussina was given a lead and a real chance to put a dent into the Red So, but couldn't hold a lead.

The Yankees then rallied for a run, but could not rally in the end.

A-Rod had a chance to tie the game with two men on and two out, but fanned on three pitches to end the eight against Papelbon, and then Cano, Posada and Giambi went down in the ninth.

The Yankees did what they could today, but the real blame in this loss comes down to Mike Mussina. The veteran pitcher needs to be able to hold the lead, but he could not and it hurt the Yankees.

Tomorrow, big game: Phil Hughes vs Dice-K. Phil Franchise needs to pick up the win.

Donte Green to NBA.....or not?

2008-04-11T22:48:00.002-04:00

Donte Green announced recently his intention to go to the NBA. Here are my thoughts on his decision.

I understand the draw of the NBA, the lifestyle, the money, but I believe that Donte should have stayed.

Donte is a good player. No doubt. But he is not ready yet. He faltered down the stretch and was not a big factor in the Big East. He was often a streaky shooter down the stretch, and needs to develop into a more consistent threat.

I believe he also needs to work more on developing an inside game. His outside shooting is great, but you are not going to always be able to pull up and take the three-pointer. In the NBA, he needs to be able to play inside and get the dirty rebounds and the dirty points.

Also, he has chosen to enter in a year where there is alot of depth. So many good players are entering this year, that is it really worth going to be a mid first-round pick? Don't get me wrong, but Donte only played in the Quarterfinals of the NIT. That was the biggest game of his career. Wouldn't he rather end his career next year with what looks to be a good Syracuse team possibly in the Big East final or the Sweet 16?

If Donte goes, I wish him all the best wishes. But for now, I hope he reconsiders and comes back not only to help the program, but to help himself develop as a player.

A question to ponder is whether Donte Green is better than Demetris Nichols was as a senior? I personally do not believe so, and now Nichols is scrapping for any playing time and has been traded several times. Demetris was more physically and age ready for the NBA, and he isn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard.

Just my thoughts.

Rangers 2, Devils 1-Rangers take 2-0 lead to the Garden

2008-04-11T22:44:00.002-04:00

In a great played hockey game, the Rangers edged the Devils, 2-1, tonight at the Prudential Center to take a 2-0 lead into MSG.

Both teams played a great first two periods, but the Rangers were able to sneak one behind Marty when his teammate accidentally bumped him to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead, and then Sean Avery followed that with a beautiful goal 22 seconds later to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

The Devils added a late goal, but the Rangers held on.

Henrik Lundqvist was absolutely great again, stopping 26 of 27 shots. As my brothers friend Mark said to me, the Rangers are winning because Henrik is stopping everything. With such a presence in the goal, its no shock the Rangers are up 2-0.

Look for the Rangers to finish off the Devils in four or five games.

Yankees 4, Red Sox 1-Wang, Molina and Giambi lift Yanks to big win in bean town

2008-04-11T22:37:00.002-04:00

For all the haters out there that thing Chien-Ming Wang is not an ace, you're dead wrong. Wang pitched nine innings of two hit ball, only yielding one run on two hits, one that bounced off Abreu's glove for a homerun and a bunt single by Coco Crisp.

Wang was just brilliant tonight. His sinker was heavy, although several balls did fly off the bats, but he was able to mix his pitches and keep the Boston lineup on its toes. He has normally not pitched well in Boston, but today was great.

Clay Buccholz was great. His curveball is just excellent, and he can throw it at different times in the count. He made several Yankees lose silly and was able to keep the Yankees to one run over six innings.

The Yankees, though, took the lead for good off a huge homerun by my boy, Jason GIAMBINOOOOOO. He crushed a pitch from Mike Timlin deep to center to give Wang a one-run lead he wouldn't relinquish.

Jose Molina was extremely solid tonight, driving in a run and just calling an absoulute great game behind the plate. Brian Cashman gets criticized for alot of his moves, but the signing of Jose Molina was a great move.

The only real concern tonight was Robinson Cano, who went 0-5 and is batting a whooping .159. He needs to get his bat alive.

Just overall, a great win for the Yankees. It's always important to get the first win against the Red Sox, especially when Josh Beckett is pitching tomorrow.

Yankees 6, Royals 1-Pettite and Cabrera power Yankees to avoid sweep

2008-04-11T01:27:00.003-04:00

After sleeping through the first two games against the Royals, the Yankees played a solid game tonight to beat the Royals, 6-1, and avoid the sweep.

Andy Pettite was great tonight, going 6.2 innings and only giving up one run in the first inning. From there on, the veteran lefty was solid and kept the Royals at bay, which allowed the Yankees bats to get going.

Although the Yankees did not have a grand output of runs, they managed some tonight. Melky Cabrera went yard and plated another, while A-Rod and Jorge went deep in the ninth. The Yankees 12 hits were the most this season.

The Yankees line-up today was interesting with Jose Molina, Alberto Gonzalez and Morgan Ensberg in there, but they still got the job done today. Next up for the Yanks, the Red Sox, who enter with the same record (5-5).

The Yankees needed this win today or they would have been in serious trouble.

Pitching match-ups:
Wang v. Buccholz
Mussina v. Beckett
Hughes v. Dice-K

I like the Yankees in the first and Boston in the second, with the third game being up in the air.

Join the club - Feature

2008-04-10T11:04:00.000-04:00

Join the club - Feature

Royals 4, Yankees 0-You can't win when you don't score

2008-04-09T23:02:00.002-04:00

I don't claim to be a genius. Far from it actually. But I know if you want to win a baseball game, you have to score some runs. You can't win a game with no runs. Well apparently, someone forgot to tell the Yankees as they got blanked 4-0 by the Royals.

Now let me say this. There are days where you are not going to score any runs against a pitcher like Johan Santana or Josh Beckett. But Zach Greinke? Brian Bannister? Edwin Jackson? Andy Sonnastine? The Yankees have not been able to hit mediocre pitching at all this year, which has cost them in several games and got them out to a 4-5 record.

The Royals scored two runs off who else but Kyle Farnsworthless. I don't care how fast you throw the ball, when you put it over the plate like he did tonight, even I could hit it out for a homer. Ian Kennedy gave up two over three, but like his pal Phil, used way too many pitches to try and get through the innings.

The Yankees are really running into a wall right now, and of course, they decide to do it heading into Boston.

Rangers 4, Devils 1-Rangers take series lead 1-0

2008-04-09T22:14:00.002-04:00

The Rangers won seven of eight games from the Devils in the regular season. That streak continued tonight as the Rangers bested the Devils 4-1 to take the first game of the series tonight in Jersey.

Neither team scored in the first, but the Rangers got on the board quick in the second behind Brendan Shannahan. The Devils tied the score to keep it even going into the third period, but the Rangers exploded for three goals to take the game.

Winning game one was huge for the Rangers, especially on the road. The Rangers could not let the Devils get any momentum.

Next up, Friday in Jersey again.

Royals 5, Yankees 2-Hughes struggles and offense falters again....

2008-04-08T22:33:00.003-04:00

Phil Hughes gave Yankees fans something to be optimistic about in his last start against the Blue Jays by pitching six solid innings and only giving up two runs. But today, he took a few steps back.

Hughes struggled with his control, only lasting three plus innings in his first loss of the season today. Hughes had no control from the beginning and could not establish the strike zone. He threw over 90 pitches in three plus. His ERA now stands at 5.00.

The bullpen only gave up two runs over the final five innings, but with the offense not hitting, the game was all but over.

As has been the case this season, the Yankees couldn't get timely hits. Cano struck out with the bases loaded, Johnny Damon popped up when he represented the tying run, Giambi couldn't drive in a run from third, and A-Rod had the Golden Sombrero.

The Yankees also received awful news, as Jorge Posada is most likely headed to the disabled list. Without him and Jeter in the lineup, the Yankees are missing two big bats in the lineup with Boston coming up.

The Yankees right now have been lucky they have had solid pitching or they could easily be 2-6 or 1-7. Tomorrow, Ian Kennedy looks to rebound.

Yankees 6, Rays 1-The MOOOOOOOOOOse is looose

2008-04-08T09:10:00.002-04:00

Ok, I know I'm going a little overboard here but any time you can good pitching from Mike Mussina there is reason to be excited.

The Moose pitched six solid innings today, yielding only one homerun, and the bullpen then pitched three scoreless innings to beat the Rays, 6-1. The three stooges (Bruney, Farnsworth and Hawkins) did not yield a run, imagine that.

The Yankees benefitted from their first "outburst" of the season, highlighted by a nice line drive bomb by El Camadooza, Bobby sweet as candy Abreu. Abreu is playing incredible ball right now. Matsui, A-Rod and mosti importantly Cano all added RBI's.

The Yankees are now 4-3 and the best part is the pitching has been absolutely great. In five of seven games, the Yankees have gotten quality starts and the offense has not been hitting-and you know that will turn around.

Kansas City starts today-The Yankees will need to play some solid ball as the Royals showed they can be a tough team to compete against.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 1

2008-04-06T21:30:00.001-04:00

Let me say this about the rankings: They are a mixture of team's talent and how they have done so far. Let me explain. The Detroit Tigers will not be one of the worst teams in the league despite their record, and the Baltimore Orioles will not be the best team in the American League. The top teams, though, will be based on how they have been playing this week.

1. Milwaukee Brewers (5-1)-The Brewers concluded a great week by sweeping the lifeless Giants. They started the week with a nice series win in Chicago. I don't believe that Milwaukee is the best team in baseball right now, but they had the best week.

2. Toronto Blue Jays (4-2)-The Blue Jays lost a tough opening series to the Yankees but rebounded to demolish the World Series champions Red Sox. The Blue Jays pitching staff was great and they proved that they should be considered in the talk for the AL East. Consider that they only lost the two games to the Yankees by two runs, and this team could have gone 6-0 with that hard opening schedule.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2)-The Diamondbacks bounced back from a disappointing opening series against Cincinnati to sweep the Rockies in Colorado. The Diamondbacks got two great starts from Brandon Webb, and could easily be 5-1 if Lyons had not blow that save. Justin Upton has had a great starts to his season.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2)-The Dodgers went 4-2 against their NL West rivals in the Giants and Padres. Hiroki Kuroda was fantastic in his debut. Rafael Furcal has had a nice start to his season, but Andruw Jones is again slumping. This doesn't take away from the week they had though.

5. St. Louis Cardinals (5-1)-Do I believe the Cardinals are the fifth best team in baseball? No. But did they start the season in great fashion? Yes. The Cardinals took 2 of 3 from Colorado and then swept the Nationals behind solid pitching from what is not considered a strong rotation. Winning five games in a row is a nice start to a season.

6. Cincinnati Reds (4-2)-The Reds had a great opening week by winning series from the Diamondbacks and Phillies, both of whom have been picked to go to the playoffs this year. Everyone's favorite rookie Johnny Cueto was brilliant in his start, and Jeff Keppinger is hitting the ball solidly. They could be a sleeper in that division.

7. New York Yankees (3-3)-The Yankees won their opening series against the Blue Jays, but then faltered a little against the Rays. Considering the Yankees went 3-3 in those gamges, despite only scoring 17 runs (2.84) per game, it has to be considered a good week for the Bronx Bombers.

8. Boston Red Sox (3-4)-The World Champions ran into some great pitching this weekend down in Toronto. They looked solid to open the season by winning three of four against the A's, but then faltered. The bullpen appears to be a little bit shaky. Jacoby Ellsbury is going to be the real deal.

9. Cleveland Indians (3-3)-C.C. Sabathia is not exactly following up his Cy Young campaign by pitching two awful games against the Indians and A's. Fausto Carmona on the other hand, looked great. This team will be there the whole season, and if the Tigers continue to falter, will be the strong favorites in the Central.

10.Tampa Bay Rays (3-2)-This team is for real. They could be 5-0 right now, but their bullpen blew a lead against the Orioles and they couldn't score against Chien-Mien Wang. The Rays have a good blend of speed and power and will be able to catch some teams this year.

11. Atlanta Braves (3-3)-Atlanta rebounded from a terrible 1-3 start to sweep the Mets behind strong pitching performances from Tim Hudson and John Smoltz. The key, though, will be the hitting as right now, everyone on that team is hitting for a good average. The bullepn also needs to shape up a little as they blew several games early on.

12. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4-3)-This team has been shaky so far. They won 3 of from the Twins, but then lost 2 of 3 to the Rangers at home. They have a solid club, but without Escobar and Lackey the pitching needs to step up. John Garland looked brilliant in one start, and then got shelled today. There is still plenty of time though.

13. New York Mets (2-3)-The Mets absolutely tore the facing off the ball against the Marlins, and then hit a wall against the Braves. The Mets will take Johan's sevin inning against the Braves any day of the week. This team will rebound, though. Ryan Church has been a pleasant surprise.

14.Chicago White Sox (4-2)-After starting the season with two tough losses, the White Sox rebounded to win the final game against the Indians and take the series from Detroit. I think this team has alot of potential this season. Orlando Cabrera needs to get going at the top of the lineup. The outing by John Danks was a nice indication of what he can do.

15.Chicago Cubs (3-3)-The Cubs, everyone's pre-season pick to win the NL Central has faltered to start this season, losing two of three to their rivals the Brewers, and then having to struggle to get by the Astros. Derek Lee has been hitting the ball tremendously, but Soriano and Ramirez have been struggling. This team has too much talent to falter.

16.Kansas City Royals (4-2)-The Royals started the season in dominant fashion, sweeping three games in Detroit, but then lost two of three to the Twins. This team needs to be consistent if they want to prove themselves in the AL. Alex Gordon has been stroking the ball real well.

17.San Diego Padres (4-3)-The Padres were able to 4-3 this week, but three of those wins came against the punchless Astros. They lost a tough series to the Dodgers. The big question with them at this point in the season is Trevor Hoffman. The all-time leader i saves hasn't exactly been great, getting two losses in their first seven games. They need him.

18.Texas Rangers (3-3)-The Rangers could easily be 5-1 had they given Kevin Millwood any runs during his starts. They gave the Mariners all they could handle despite losing 2 of 3 to them and won 2 of 3 in Anaheim. Although I don't think they can compete in the AL West, 3-3 to start against LAA and Seattle is good.

19.Washington Nationals (3-4)-The Nationals started the season with a nice first four games by taking three of those against the Braves and the Phillies. But they then proceeded to get swept by the Cardinals. I think this team could give some teams problems if they can get good pitching.

20.Baltimore Orioles (4-1)-Yes, this team is in first in the AL East, but that shouldn't last that long. I will admit that I am impressed by how this team played its first few games, but that doesn't take away from how bad they are. There is no pitching on this team, and the offense is all old. I expect by the end of the month for them to be where they belong: last place.

21.Minnesota Twins (3-4)-The Twins won their first game of the season, then lost three in a row to the Angels, before taking two of three from the Royals. This team just doesn't have enough offense in the AL to compete, and will have a hard time competing in that division.

22.Seattle Mariners (2-4)-After making a big splash to acquire Erik Bedard, all this team has to show for it is a 2-4 record that includes three losses in a row to the awful Baltimore Orioles. The offense isn't delivering, and Batista and Washburn were shaky in their first starts. An that great bullpen: it's already blown two games.

23.Philadelphia Phillies (2-4)-The Phillies seem as if they want to duplicate last season's slow start which turned into a NL East title. Althought I do not think this team will finish the season this low, they just have been playing bad baseball. Brett Myers looks as if he should stay in the pen. Thank God they still have Chase Utley to do some damage offensively.

24.Oakland Athletics (3-4)-Oakland looked hapless to start the season by losing its first three of four games to the Red Sox, but then rebounded to take two of three from the Indians. Although this team's record is ok, they just are not a good team. How many people have actually heard of Jack Hannahan?

25.Florida Marlins (3-3)-The Marlins lost two of three to the Mets and looked bad in dong so, and then took two of 3 from the Pirates. This team has some quality young guys like Ramirez and Uggla, but is not built for successful. At least fans have the Manatees to dance for them.

26.Detroit Tigers (0-6)-I never thought that I would be putting my predicted World Series champions this low, but they have played that awful. The bats have not been able to come to life as predicted, and the pitching staff has been shaky. Every team in the AL is salivating at the chance to get to that Tigers bullpen. They need to get it together quick.

27.Pittsburgh Pirates (3-3)-The Pirates had a nice opening series against the Braves, but then proceeded to lose two of three to the Marlins. The Pirates don't have much punch in their line-up and their starting pitching can be awfully shaky at times. This team doesn't inspire you.

28.Colorado Rockies (1-5)-I like this team, I really do, but they way they have been playing they deserve to be this low. The offense has not been able to get anything going and Matt Holliday has had a big part to do with that. Paair that with how the pitching staff has been shaky, and you have a team with lots of potential off to a 1-5 start.

29.Houston Astros (2-5)-I thought this team would be able to make up for its bad pitching staff, but instead, the offense has been putrid. The sluggers in the lineup are not hitting consistently, and leadoff man Michael Bourn hasn't been a table-setter at the top of the line-up. The bullpen has also blown several games.

30. San Francisco Giants (1-5)-This team will probably lose 100 games this year and no one will be surprised. The lineup has no punch and despite having two great starters in Lincecum and Cain, they will not get enough run support to win any games. Barry Zito looks like a worse and worse signing as he pitches.

Some thoughts from the opening week:

Although I picked them to win the AL, the Tigers are looking awfully vulnerable right now. Sheffield already has sustained an injury, Cabrera has missed days, the bullpen looks like a nightmare, and the starting pitching hasn't been efficient.

My thoughts:
-Toronto's pitching staff is the real deal. To go 4-2 against the Yanks and Sawx is not an easy task. This team has pitching that wins in October.

-Chien-Mien Wang IS AN ACE. Say what you want, but the man delivers.

-The Red Sox are going to have a hard time getting the ball to Okie-Doke and Papelbon. Their middle relief is really suspect.

-Billy Butler is a player that everyone will come to know on the Royals

-Orlando Cabrera has not been the spark that the White Sox hoped for

-The Indians sure do miss the presence of Victor Martinez behind the plate, they are 2-4 without him

-Kevin Millwood has a reason to complain-He pitched great games against Seattle and LAA and got losses despite not giving up more than two runs in each

-Erik Bedard has already missed a start

-Rafael Soriano has filthy stuff, but needs to learn how to be a closer-His demeanor on the mound today was rather shaky and didn't instill confidence

-Lastings Milledge is going to the make the Mets regret that trade

-The Phillies have no pitching

-Adam Wainwright will turn into the top ace on the Cardinals staff

-Hunter Pence has fallen down to earth this season

-Brandon Webb is just filthy...but you already know that

-Juan Pierre needs to look for a trade....I'm sure Houston wouldn't mind having him

-I could probably hit in the Giants lineup

Devils 3, Rangers 2-Series to start in Jersey

2008-04-06T18:39:00.003-04:00

The Devils picked up their first win in eight attempts against the Rangers today with a 3-2 win in the shootout.

The real importance of this game was settling who got home ice for the playoffs. The Rangers needed to win in regulation to get home ice, but the Devils just needed any win or loss in overtime.

The Rangers fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game, but could not get the goal needed. Henrik made some great saves at the end to keep the game tied.

The loss in the end really didn't matter. The playoffs were already decided and in the playoffs, the shootout doesn't matter.

I'm looking forward to this series. After losing via sweep two years ago, this one should be great.

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Yankees 2, Rays 0-Wanger and Godzilla get the job done

2008-04-06T18:37:00.000-04:00

Yankees beat the Rays, 2-0, behind a great performance by Chien-Mien Wang and a 2-run shot by Hideki Matsui,

Wanger was great, pitching six solid innings and giving up no runs. His sinker was on and his other pitches were working as well. His six strikeouts today showed that he was able to get the batters to chase.

Joba Chamberlain did a great job out of the bullpen, getting six outs, including getting out of a man on third and first, no-out situation. Joba pitching two innigns i something Yankees fan should get used to this year.

Mariano was of course Mariano. He pitched a great ninth inning and has converted all three of his saves opportunities so far.

The offense was able to pick up hits today, but still could not put together an offensive output. The only runs came off one swing by Matsui. It was nice to see, though, Cano get his swing back and pick up two hits including a nice double down the line. Abreu looked fooled at the plate today.

All in all, a nice Sunday game for the Yankees. Tomorrow is a big game as the Bronx bombers go for the split. Mike Mussina needs to rebound from his first start. Let's see how he does.

Kansas-Memphis National Title Game

2008-04-06T12:21:00.002-04:00

Well, I was wrong in both games.

Memphis and Kansas both deserve credit for playing two great games to reach the championship game.

UCLA just had no answer for all the athleticism and size that Memphis brought to the table. I really liked Memphis but I guess I should've realized that they had not been playing that great throughout the whole tournament. Memphis looked hungry and deserved to win this game.

Kansas absolutely took to it to UNC in the first half, but let the lead slip late to five points. As my father informed me, UNC had a 3-pt shot that rimmed in and out late in the game, that would've most definitely changed all the momentum and made the game two points. Although they almost blew a 31 point lead, you still have to be impressed with what this team did.

I predicted Memphis over Kansas Monday night.

Rays 6, Yankees 3-Pettite and bats falter

2008-04-05T19:58:00.002-04:00

For the second straight game, the Rays beat the Yankees, this time 6-3.

Andy Pettite made his first start of the season and gave you five runs (3 earned) in five innings to take the loss. Eight hits were scattered throughout those innings. Pettite's loss made the Yankees rotation a super 1-3 through its first go-through. If the Yankees are going to compete this yera in the American League, they are going to need better pitching than what they have been given in these first few games.

Pettite was pitching fine until he gave up a 3-run shot to Johnny Gomes.

The Yankees bats, though, again faltered. This team, which is supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, has not done anything grand yet. They have only scored 15 runs in five games.

Damon is batting .111, Jeter .211, Giambi .083, Cano .105 and Posada .200. The Yankees had the bases loaded with one out once and got no runs out of it, and then later in the game only were able to get two runs with no outs.

The Yankees need to start playing better ball, end of story.

Alarming Yankees Statistics

2008-04-05T11:31:00.002-04:00

I found this on the yankees.lhblogs.com so all the credit in the world goes to Peter Abraham, who I may say has my favorite blog on the internet.

Robinson Cano is 1-15 to start the season

Johnny Damon has got on base three times

Yankees are 2-23 with risp

Kyle Farnsworthless has given up five hits over seven outs

As I have said before, the Yankees have not been playing awe inspiring baseball. Cano needs to hit for this team to succeed. Remember last season the Yankees struggled mightily when him and Abreu could not hit. Batting sixth, there is extra pressure on him.

Damon needs to get on base too. He is the leadoff hitter and needs to be the table setter and get on base and get the engine going from the top. Last year, he had a hard time doing this and the Yankees struggled offensively.

I know the season is only four days old, but these stats are a little alarming.

Final Four Predictions

2008-04-05T11:27:00.003-04:00

I've said it all along and I will say it one last time.

I like UCLA against UNC in the finals.

I think Memphis will give UCLA a tough battle but in the end, the defense of UCLA will prevail.

I think UNC should be able to handle Kansas considering the way the Jayhawks played against Memphis.

Rays 13, Yankees 4-Kennedy less than stellar in opening debut

2008-04-04T23:05:00.002-04:00

The Yankees came into 2008 knowing they would rely heavily on their young pitching. So far, Joba and Phil have done a good job. Ian Kennedy, though, didn't. He gave up six runs in 2.1 innings to get the loss. Even though some pitches didn't go his way, he was not economical with his pitches and got shelled. The Yankees are going to need better pitching from him to stay in the playoff race.

Despite being down 6-0, the Yankees rallied to make it 6-4 in the third, but could not put any more on the board. Andy Sonnastine got the win. Two of his last seven wins are against the Yankees, figure that. How the rest of this league can batter this guy and the Yankees can't makes no sense.

The game got blown out of proportion when the two best arms in the pen (just kidding) Hawkins and Farnsworth combined to give up seven runs between the two of them highlighted by an absolute bomb by Carlos Pena. One of the biggest needs for the Yankees this off-season was bullpen and tonight showed that we still have a sucky one in the late innings. The middle relief actually looked good, but out late guys were awful.

The Yankees need to get a win tomorrow. They have not been playing awe inspiring baseball this season.

Mets synopsis for my mother

2008-04-04T17:56:00.002-04:00

As one of my most loyal readers, mia madre, I will do a Mets synopsis.

So far, the Mets look like one of the best teams in the NL. Yes, they did only beat the Marlins, but they still looked solid.

David Wright is hitting the ball unbelievably, as evidence by his upper decker the other night. Ryan Church is doing fine as well, actually adding some rbis and going yard the other night.

The biggest problem for this Mets team will be health. Pedro could be a pretty big loss because that means the Mets will be searching for innings elsewhere, including the king on injury, El Duque. The Mets have a solid threesome in Santana (who was filthy the other night), Perez and Maine.

With the way the Phillies and Braves are pitching, the Mets should without a doubt win this division this year.

Top 20 Countdown-No. 2-Boone deep to left

2008-04-04T02:03:00.004-04:00

You know the story. You know the history. You know the moment.

Yankees-Red Sox. ALCS Game 7. World Series Bid on the line.

The Yankees trailed early as the Bo Sawx got on the board behind a homerun by Trot Nixon and added another run on an error by Yankees third baseman Enrique Wilson to take a 3-0 lead. Millar then added a solo shot of his own to make the score 4-0.

I remember sitting at home watching the game in my kitchen thinking the season was over to our worst enemies and what a crappy way to end the season.

But the Yankees fought back behind a fifth inning homerun by Jason Giambi, and then another homerun by the Giambino in the seventh to make it 4-2.

But Boston got that run back on a Big Papi homerun to make it 5-2. All hope seemed lost at that point.

Nick Johnson popped out to start the bottom of the eigth. Down to five outs.

And then the most magical moments I have ever seen in baseball transpired.

Derek Jeter, Captain Clutch, doubles to right. Bernie Williams singles up the middle to make it 5-3. Hideki Matsui then hits a ground-rule double to move Williams to third. Up comes Jorge Posada.

Posada swings at a Pedro Martinez pitch. The ball barely sails out of the infield. Todd Walker runs after it. Nomar Garciaparra runs after it. The ball drops in center and Williams and Matsui score. THE YANKEES TIED IT! PANDEMONIUM IN THE BRONX!

From there, both teams battled into extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Mariano Rivera struck out Doug Mirabelli to end the frame. Things looked bleak for the Yankees from there because Mo was done and the Sawx had Tim Wakefield going who had been dominant against the Yankees that series.

Up steps Aaron Boone. And Charlie Steiner had the call:

"His first at bat of the game, and THERE'S A FLY BALL DEEP TO LEFT! IT'S ON ITS WAY! THERE IT GOES! AND THE YANKEES ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! AARON BOONE HAS HIT A HOME RUN, AND THE YANKEES WIN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT FOR THE 39TH TIME IN THEIR REMARKABLE HISTORY!"

My favorite part of this whole moment was that as soon as the ball left Boone's bat yo could hear New York, New York playing in the background.

The YANKEES WON THE PENNANT!

Aaron Boone really did nothing else in his career, but in one moment, became a Yankees legend.

Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2-El Camadooza and Phil Franchise deliver

2008-04-03T21:45:00.002-04:00

Great win for the Yankees tonight. Despite trailing 2-0 for most of the game, the Yankees rallied to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth.

Phil Franchise Hughes pitched a solid game, giving up two runs over six solid innings and only yielding four hits. Dustin McGowan was one step better than Hughes until the sixth inning, when the Yankees tied the game off a GIAMBINO rbi sac fly.

The game came down to a battle of the bullpens, and the Yankees were able to score in the eighth. Melky led off with a single, after Damon was out, it was followed by a Jeter bunt that turned into a single when Scott Downs could not handle it. Abreu then blooped a hit to center to win the game.

And as always, Mariano picked up the save to give the Yankees the win and the 2-1 series win.

This series was big for the Yankees. Although the hitting was not there for most of it, it came through in clutch situations and the pitching was solid outside of Mussina's outing.

Next up: Those Pesky Rays at the stadium

RANGERS CLINCH!

2008-04-03T21:28:00.002-04:00

The New York Rangers are going back to the playoffs with a 3-0 win over the Islanders at Nassau tonight.

What a better way to clinch for the playoffs than a 3-0 shutout by the King in the home of your bitter rivals.

As it sets up right now, the Yankees will have the Devils in the first round. Who wouldn't want to see them in the playoffs considering the Rangers are 7-0 against them?

Great job Blue Shirts. Let's get 'em in the playoffs.

FB | Standout receiver Sales finally focused solely on football - Sports

2008-04-03T13:02:00.000-04:00

FB | Standout receiver Sales finally focused solely on football - Sports

Walsh to take over as Knicks President

2008-04-03T12:43:00.002-04:00

Thank God. Time for Isiah to go. Bye Bye Isiah. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

Blue Jays 5, Yankees 2-Burnett and Wells power Jays to first win

2008-04-03T00:14:00.002-04:00

The Yankees lost their first game of the season and under Joe Girardi, 5-2, to the Blue Jays tonight.

The Yankees just could not get anything going off A.J. Burnett, who has filthy stuff. When this man is healthy and dealing, he is as good as the elite pitchers in the game, But he spends so much time on the D.L. that this doesn't happen.

Games like this are going to happen to the Yankees. Great pitching can always beat great hitting and that happened tonight.

Mike Mussina was ok. He gave up 4 (3 earned) in 5.2 innings, but he did nothing to instill into the heart of the Yankee fan that he will rebound from last year.

The Yankees had their shot at the end with A-Rod, Giambi and Cano all given chances to tie the game with one shot. A-Rod missed two fastballs, Giambi (0-7 so far) flew to the track and Cano swung at the first pitch and popped it up.

Tomorrow will be a great game. Each team would like to earn the opening weeke series victory and Dustin McGowan and Phil Hughes will be two of the best pitchers in the AL East for years to come.

Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2-The MelkMan delivers!

2008-04-01T23:59:00.002-04:00

Ballgame over, Yankees win, theeeeeee Yankees win.

The yankees kicked off the season in grand style tonight with a great 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. Chien-Mien Wang worked his way in and out of trouble but came away with the win with 7 solid innings pitched.

Roy Halladay pitched well, only giving up three in seven, but his offense could not bail him out.

Yankees got a first run off who else but A-Rod who scored the winning run tonight. The second run to tie the game was a homerun by Melky Cabrera that barely cleared the right field fence. As you could see, Halladay was pissed that ball was gone.

Melky also had two great catches to keep the Yankees close.

The Yankees only missed chance was stranding a leadoff triple in the 8th with Jeter, Abreu and A-rod not getting it done.

Joba worked a great inning of relief, getting Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas out on strikeouts to end the inning and of course Mariano went 1, 2, 3 to get the save.

The Yankees looked solid tonight and Wang did a great job to keep them in the game.

Tomorrow is a different story with Mussina....

Yankees Delayed

2008-03-31T14:54:00.001-04:00

Damn.

2008 MLB End of year awards and results

2008-03-30T14:32:00.002-04:00

2008 AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
2008 NL MVP: David Wright, New York Mets
2008 AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
2008 NL Cy Young: Johan Santana, New York Mets
2008 AL ROTY: Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees
2008 NL ROTY: Kousuke Fukodome, Chicago Cubs
2008 AL Comeback player: Rich Harden, Oakland Athletics
2008 NL Comeback player: Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks
2008 AL Manager of the year: John McLaren, Seattle Mariners
2008 NL Manager of the year: Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodger

Playoff Predictions

AL
1. Tigers
2. Red Sox
3.Mariners
WC. Yankees

Tigers over Yankees
Red Sox over Mariners

Tigers over Red Sox

NL
1. Cubs
2. Mets
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks

Cubs over Diamondbacks
Mets over Dodgers

Mets over Cubs

World Series
Tigers over Mets in six game (Johan Santana goes 0-2)

National League Preview

2008-03-30T14:31:00.000-04:00

NL East
1. New York Mets
Last year finish: 2nd NL East
Key losses: Paul LoDuca (C), Lasting Milledge (CF), Tom Glavine (SP), Guillermo Mota (RP), Deolis Guerra (SP), Phillip Humber (SP), Kevin Mulvey (SP)
Key additions: Ryan Church (RF), Brian Schneider (C), Matt Wise (RP), Angel Pagan (RF), Johan Santana (SP)
Projected rotation: Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Orlando Hernandez
Projected line-up: C-Bryan Schneider; 1b-Carlos Delgado; 2b-Luis Castillo; 3b-David Wright; ss-Jose Reyes; lf-Angel Pagan/Moises Alout; cf-Carlos Beltran; rf-Ryan Church
Synopsis: The Mets hope to rebound from last year's monumental collapse with the addition of the best pitcher in the game, Johan Santana. Santana brings the Mets the top line starter they have been in need for and should likely continue his domination in the NL. The Mets as always have a solid line-up but the only problem might be health. If Delgado and Alou ar not healthy, the Mets are losing two potent bats. The trade of Milledge (and essentially LoDuca) was curious one because the Mets did not get better players in return. The other question with the Mets is their bullpen. The return of a healthy Duaner Sanchez should help that. But in the end, the Mets should win the division again.

Key losses:2. Atlanta Braves
Last year finish: 3rd NL East
Key losses: Octavio Dotel (RP), Andruw Jones (CF), Willie Harris (LF), Chad Paronto (RP), Edgar Renteria (SS), Ron Mahay (RP), Oscar Villareal (RP)
Key additions: Tom Glavine (SP), Josh Anderson (CF), Will Ohman (RP), Mark Kotsay (CF), Jair Jurjens (SP)
Projected rotation: Tim Hudson, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton, Chuck James
Projected line-up: C-Brian McCann; 1b-Mark Texeria; 2b-Kelly Johnson; 3b-Chipper Jones; ss-Yunel Escobard; lf-Matt Diaz; cf-Mark Kotsay; rf-Jeff Francouer
Synopsis: Once the bad boys of the NL East, the Braves have failed to make the post-season for the past two seasons and watched as the Mets and Phillies celebrated. This year, the Braves shoud be solid, but will have some flaws. The rotation gets a little dicety after Smoltz and Hudson, but Hampton and James are shaky. Who knows what you are going to get out of Hampton. The loss of Andruw Jones will hurt more than they think. The line-up is pretty solid and has a chance to be great. Yunel Escobar is an absoulte stud and Francouer and McCann can only get better. This team has a chance to giv the Mets a run, but in the end, won't take out their rivals.

Key losses:3. Philladelphia Phillies
Last year finish: NL East Champs; Lost NLDS to Colorado
Key losses: Michael Bourn (CF), Geoff Geary (RP), Aaron Rowand (CF), Tadahito Iguchi (2b), Jon Lieber (SP), Freddy Garcia (SP), Pedro Feliz (3b), Geoff Jenkins(LF)
Key additions: Brad Lidge (RP), Chris Snelling (LF), Chad Durbin (SP), So Taguchi (RF), Shane Youman (SP)
Projected rotation: Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Adam Eaton
Projected line-up: C-Carlos Ruiz; 1b-Ryan Howard; 2b-Chase Utley; 3b-Pedro Feliz; ss-Jimmy Rollins; lf-Pat Burrell; cf-Shane Victirino; lf-Geoff Jenkins
Synopsis: One year after winning the division on the last day of the season, the Phillies will come down to earth in what will be a tough division. The problem with the Phillies is their pitching. Their top two starters are good and legit, but the rest is so-so. I liked what I saw out of Kendrick last season, but Moyer is getting older and Adam Eaton stinks. The offense, as usual, will be solid with Howard, Utley, Rollins. I believe they wil miss Rowand. The addition of Brad Lidge (on the DL as we speak) will either turn into a great gamble or stupid pick-up. Lidge needed to get out of Houston. But is batter friendly Citizens Bank Park the answer? Just wait until Pujols comes to town.

4. Washington Nationals
Last year finish: 4th NL East
Key losses: Ryan Church (RF), Brian Schneider (C), Jonathan Albaladejo (RP), John Patterson (SP)
Key additions: Paul LoDuca (C), Lastings Milledge (CF), Elijah Dukes (CF), Tyler Clippard (SP), Aaron Boone (3b), Willie Harris (CF), Johnny Estrada (C)
Projected rotation: Shawn Hill, Matt Chico, Jason Bergman, Tim Redding, Tyler Clippard
Projected line-up: C-Paul LoDuca, 1b-Nick Johnson/Dimitri Young, 2b-Ronnie Belliard/Felipe Lopez, ss-Christian Guzman/Felipe Lopez, 3b-Ryan Zimmerman, lf-Wily Mo Pena, cf-Lastings Milledge, rf-Austin Kearns
Synopsis: The Nationals have become a better team in the past few years, but are still not at the level to seriously compete. The pitching is suspect with no real ace on the staff and just being essentially a staff of all number four and five starters. The offense has some players like Zimmerman, but the rest is mediocre. Lastings Milledge should develop but only time will tell. Wily Mo Pena might benefit with the move to a new park, but who knows. Atleast the Marins keep them out of last place.

5. Florida Marlins
Last year finish: 5th NL East
Key losses: Dontrelle Willis (SP), Miguel Cabrera (3b), Aaron Boone (3b), Miguel Olivo (C)
Key additions: Andrew Miller (SP), Cameron Maybin (CF), Mark Hendrickson (Sp), Mike Rabelo (C), Jose Castilo (3b),
Projected rotation: Scott Olsen, Sergio Mitre, Andrew Miller, Rick VandenHurk, Ricky Nolasco
Projected line-up:C-Mike Rabelo; 1b-Mike Jacobs; 2b-Dan Uggla; SS-Hanley Ramirez; 3b-Jose Castillo; cf-Alfredo Amazaga; lf-Josh Willinham; rf-Jeremy Hermida
Synopsis: It's hard to believe that this team has won two of the last 10 World Series. There are some studs on this team like Hanley Ramirez, and Uggla is decent, but the rest of this team is medicore. Trading away Willis and Cabrera was the right thing to do and this team will benefit down the road with the addition of Miller and Maybin, who is a projected five-tool player. But for now, thim will sink in the sea (Get the Pun? I know corny.)
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs
Last year finish: NL Central Champs; Lost ALDS to Diamondbacks
Key Losses: Jason Kendall(C); Jacque Jones (LF); Will Ohman (RP); Craig Monroe (RF); Cliff Floyd (RF); Mark Prior (SP); Angel Pagan (RF)
Key additons: Kosuke Dokudome (RF); Jon Lieber (SP)
Projected rotation: Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Rich Hill, Jason Marquis, Shawn Marshall
Projected line-up: C-Geovany Soto; 1b-Derek Lee; 2b-Mark DeRosa; ss-Ryan Theriot; 3b-Aramis Ramirez; lf-Alfonso Soriano; cf-Felix Pie; rf-Kosuke Fukodome
Synopsis: The Cubs won the NL Central in their first season under Lou Pinella and should do the same. The Cubs have a strong pitching staff and a strong line-up, that will only be bolstered by the addition of Japanese sensation Kosuke Fukodome. Felix Pie will be an intresting player to watch develop and see if he can become an everyday centerfielder. The Cubs are going to look for a little more out of Alfonso Soriano, who needs to try and cut down on his strikeouts. Derek Lee should also hit more homeruns than last year. All in all, the Cubs will be better.

2. Milwaukee Brewers
Last year finish: 2nd NL Central
Key losses: Johnny Estrada (C), Francisco Cordero (RP), Scott Linebrink (RP), Ray King (RP), Matt Wise (RP), Geoff Jenkins (LF), Claudio Vargas (SP)
Key additions: Jason Kendall (C), Randy Choate (RP), Guillermo Mota (RP), David Riske (RP), Eric Gagne (RP), Salomon Torres (RP), Mike Cameron (CF)
Projected rotation: Ben Sheets, Yovanni Gallardo, Jeff Suppan, Carlos Villanueva, Dave Bush
Projected line-up: C-Jason Kendall; 1b-Prince Fielder; 2b-Rickie Weeks; 3b-Bill Hall; SS-J.J. Hardy; LF-Ryan Braun; cf-Mike Cameron; RF-Corey Hart
Synopsis: The Brewers will figure to be key players in the NL Central for the second straight year, but their pitching might prevent them from taking over the Cubs. Sheets can never stay healthy, and Gallardo and Villanueva are youngsters who still have something to prove. Bush and Suppan are ok. If Sheets can't be the ace, this team will be in trouble. Offensively, this team will hit the crap out of the ball behind Fielder and Braun. Corey hart is emerging as a bonafide outfielder and Mike Cameron can only help. The bullpen is made up of known names, but there are no sure dominant relievers. Gagne could either be a bargain or a waste of salary. The Brewers will benefit from being in this division, but won't surpass the Cubs.

3. Cincinnati Reds
Last year finish:5th NL Central
Key losses:Josh Hamilton (CF), Eddie Guardado (RP), Josh Fogg (SP)
Key additions: Francisco Cordero (RP), Edison Volquez (SP)
Projected rotation: Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Belisle, Josh Fogg, Edison Volquez
Projected line-up: C-David Ross; 1b-Scott Hatteberg; 2b-Brandon Phillips; ss-Alex Gonzalez; 3b-Edwin Encarnacion; LF-Adam Dunn; Cf-Ryan Freel; Rf-Ken Griffey Jr.
Synopsis: The Reds could be a sleeper in this division if their pitching holds up and Griffey stays healthy, but that is a big "if". The only reason the Reds will finish third is because this division is so pathetic. Harang is a legitmate ace at the front of the rotation, but the back get sketchy. Arroyo needs to have a year like his first one in Cincy. Brandon Phillips is turning into one of the best 2b in baseball, with 30 hrs and 30 sb. Offense should not be a problem with this team. Ryan Freel needs to rebound though. I don't think the Reds are partiucarly good, but in this division, anything is possible.

4. Houston Astros
Last year finish: 4th NL Central
Key losses: Craig Biggio (2b); Brad Lidge (RP); Josh Anderson (CF); Luke Scott (RF); Troy Patton (SP); Matt Albers (SP); Adam Everett (SS); Mike Lamb (2b); Chris Burke (2b) Chad Qualls (RP); Jason Jennings (SP)
Key additions: Geoff Blum (2b); Michael Bourn (CF); Geoff Geary (RP); Oscar Villareal (RP); Doug Brocail (RP); Kaz Matsui (2b); Miguel Tejada (SS); Jose Valverde (RP); Chad Paronoto (RP); Darin Erstad (CF);
Projected rotation: Roy Oswalt, Woody Williams, Wandy Rodriguez, Brandon Backe, Chris Sampson
Projected line-up: C-J.R. Towles; 1b-Lance Berkman; 2b-Kaz Matsui; ss-Miguel Tejada; 3b-Ty wiggington; lf-Carlos Lee; cf-Michael Bourn; RF-Hunter Pence
Synopsis: This team could be the favorites in the division but they have one area where they are dreadful: pitching. Behind Oswalt, this team has no one that can be relied on ,and in baseball, it comes down to pitching. This team will hit the ball no problem and probably will be up among the top teams in terms of runs scored in the national league, but they are going to have to score a huge amount to support this pitching staff. The bullpen should be soild with Valverde anchoring the end. I'm looking forward to seeing the development of Hunter Pence. Michael Bourn will either prove to be a bust or a valuable asset at the top of the line-up.

5. St. Louis Cardinals
Last year finish: 3rd NL Central
Key Losses: Troy Percvilal (RP); David Eckstein (SS); Jim Edomonds (CF); Gary Bennett (C); Kip Wells (SP); So Taguchi (LF); Scott Rolen (3b)
Key additions: Jason LaRue (C); Cesar Izturis (SS); Jose Castillo (2b), Matt Clement (SP), Troy Glaus (3b)
Projected rotation: Adam Wainwright, Braden Looper, Joel Pineiro, Matt Clement, Anthony Reyes
Projected line-up: C-Yadier Molina; 1b-Albert Pujols; 2b-Adam Kennedy; SS-Cesar Izturis; 3b-Troy Glaus; Lf-Chris Duncan; CF-Rick Ankiel; RF-Skip Schumaker
Synopsis: Two years removed from a World Series, the Cardinals have digressed in every which way. The pitching staff, which used to be their strong suit, is a joke of all former relievers. The team traded away/lost its heart and soul in players like Edmonds and Eckstein. Besides the pitching, the line-up is awful. Molina, Kennedy, Izturis and Schumaker are not run proudcers. There is some power, but it won't be enough with the pitching staff. Even the return of the once good Mark Mulder can't save this team. Thank god there is the Pirates in this division.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates
Last year finish: 6th NL Central
Key losses: Cesar Izturis (SS), Shane Youman (SP), Salomon Torres (RP), Jose Castillo (2b)
Key additions: Josh Wilson (SS), Chris Gomez (SS),
Projected rotation: Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell, Paul Maholm, Matt Morris, Zach Duke
Projected line-up: C-Ronny Paulino, 1b-Adam LaRoche, 2b-Freddy Sanchez, 3b-Jose Bautista, SS-Jack Wilson, LF-Jason Bay; Cf-Nijer Morgan, Rf-Xavier Nady
Synopsis: On paper, this team could possibly challenge some teams in the division, but its the Pirates and they never do. The Rotation actually has some quality arms including Snell and Gorzellany. Matt Mroris is past his prime and really can't pitch anymore. The line-up is not bad with LaRoche, Bay, Sanchez and Nady all solid bats to have in the line-up. The bullpen has a very solid pitcher in Damaso Marte and Matt Capps. I think they may be able to beat the Cardinals out, but remember, they are hte Pirates.

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Last year finish: 4th NL West
Key losses: Randy Wolf (SP), Mark Hendricksen (SP)
Key additions: Andruw Jones (CF), Hiroku Kuroida (SP), Gary Bennet (C)
Projected rotation: Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Hiroki Kuroida, Chad Billingsley, Jason Schmidt
Projected line-up: C-Russell Martin; 1b-James Loney; 2b-Jeff Kent; ss-Rafael Furcas; lf-Andre Eithier/Juan Pierre; cf-Andruw Jones; rf-Matt Kemp
Synopsis: The Dodgers look to rebound from one of the most disappointing season is baseball last year. There is no doubt that the Dodgers have the talent to compete in this division, but can they put it all together. The Dodger will be relying on big contirubtions from their youth, including Eithier, Billingsley, Loney and Kemp. If these guys develop as projected, the Dodgers will have a nice offensive team. Andruw Jones can only help and might have a revival of the team. the pthcing should be pretty good as well as Lowe should have a better year and Schmidt can possibily be a sleeper. I think Joe Torre has been give the tools to win and should be able to do so.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks (Wildcard)
Last year finish: NL West Champs, Lost ALCS Rockies
Key Losses:Carlos Quentin (RF), Carlos Gonzalez (RF), Jose Valverde (RP)
Key additions: Dan Haren (SP), Billy Buckner (RP), Chris Burke (2b), Chad Qualls (RP)
Projected rotation: Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Doug Davis, Micah Owings, Randy Johnson
Projected line-up: C-Chris Snyder; 1b-Conor Jackson; 2b-Orlando Hudson; 3b-Mark Reynolds; SS-Stephen Drew; LF-Eric Byrnes; CF-Chris Young; RF-Justin Upton
Synopsis: After winning the division last year, the baby backs look to play a prominent role in the National League again. the D'backs have the best 1-2 punch in the national league with Haren and Webb and possibily the best rotation. Whatever they can get out of Randy Johnson this year will be a bonus. The Diamondbacks also should benefit from having Orlando Hudson for a full year. The only question from this team will be th offense, but they proved they can still win with no runs last year. I'm looking forward to seeing the development of Chris Young and Justin Upton. This hsould be a fun team.

3. Colorado Rockies
Last year finish: NL Wildcard, Lost World Series to Boston
Key Losses: Kaz Matsui (2b), LaTroy Hawkins (RP), Jamey Carroll (2b)
Key additions: Kip Wells (SP), Luis Vizcaino (RP)
Projected rotation: Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, Franlin Morales, Jason Hirsh
Projected line-up: C-Yorvit Torrealba; 1b-Todd Helton; 2b-Ian Stewart; 3b-Garrett Atkins; ss-Troy Tulowitzski; lf-Matt Holliday; cf-Willy Taveras; rf-Brad Hawpe
Synopsis: America's sentimental team last season looks to repeat from last year, but ufortunately, play in what might be the hardest division in baseball. The Rockies will be able to hit the crap out of the ball with Matt Holliday and others anchoring the line-up, but this team's achilles heel will be its pitching. Francis is good, but is not an ace and the rest of the rotation is only ok. The offense can win some games, but the pitching will not be able to get it done to make it back to the playoffs.

4. San Diego Padres
Last year finish: 3rd NL West
Key Losses: Geoff Blum (2b), Doug Brocail (RP), Milton Bradley(RF), Mike Cameron (CF)
Key additions: Randy Wolf (SP), Jim Edmonds (CF), Tadahito Iguchi (2b), Mark Prior (SP)
Projected rotation: Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux, Mark Prior
Projected line-up: C-Josh Bard; 1b-Adrian Gonzalez; 2b-Tadahito Iguchi; 3b-Kevin Kouzmanoff; ss-Khalil Greene; lf-Scott Hairston; cf-Jim Edmonds; rf-Brian Giles
Synopsis: The Padres are not your typical fourth place team, but this division could force them too. The problem with this team is going to be health. Wolf, Prior, Edmonds are all injury prone and if they were to go down, the Padres would have a hard time replacing them. The rotation will be anchored by Young and Peavy which should be good, but the back end is shaky. There will be offensive production, but playing at Petco field does not help in any way. Adrian Gonzalez may be able to have a MVP season. I think the Padres might be able to surprise some people but not in this divison.

5. San Francisco Giants
Last year finish: 5th NL West
Key Losses: Barry Bonds (LF), Pedro Feliz (3b)
Key additions: Aaron Rowand (CF)
Projected rotation: Barry Zito, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Noah Lowry, Kevin Correia
Projected line-up: C-Bengie Molina; 1b-Daniel Ortmier; 2b-Ray Durham; 3b-Rich Aurilia; ss-Omar Vizquel; lf-Dave Roberts; cf-Aaron Rowand; rf-Randy Winn
Synopsis: The old and hapless. This team is just dreaful. Don't get me wrong, I think they have two great pitchers in Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, I guess the Barry Zito signing didn't work out. The line-up is dreadful, as everyone is pretty much past their prime except for Molina and Rowand. This team is going to end up as one of the absolute worst in baseball.

Your 2008 New York Yankees

2008-03-29T20:36:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Gentleman, here are your opening day2008 New York Yankees

Jorge Posada
Jason Giambi
Robinson Cano
Derek Jeter
Alex Rodriguez
Johnny Damon
Melky Cabrera
Bobby Abreu
Hideki Matsui
Wilson Betemit
Shelley Duncan
Morgan Ensberg
Jose Molina

Chien Mien Wang
Phil Hughes
Ian Kennedy
Mike Mussina
Mariano Rivera
Joba Chamberlain
Kyle Farnsworth
LaTroy Hawkins
Brian Bruney
Ross Ohlendorf
Johanthan Albedejo
Billy Traber

Sweet 16 thoughts

2008-03-29T20:28:00.002-04:00

UNC over Wazzuu-Wow. I would have thought this game was going to be close but UNC methodically wore them down and were able to do it without Hansbrough for the first half. They look real solid.

Louisville over Tennessee-Louisville, as Bruce Pearl said, controlled the tempo of this game and dominated the Volunteers. They had the huge lead, but then let Tennessee get back into it, but pulled away at the end for the win. Pittino is now 8-0 in the Sweet 16. Wow.

Kansas over Villanova-Kansas was the better team and proved it. Villanova had a hell of a tournament but it had to end. Kansas looks like it should be able to get over the hump now.

Davidson over Wiconsin-If you are not a fan of Stephen Curry, you don't like college basketball. This kid is the real deal and is really delivering for the Wildcats. They are the hottest team in the tournament and are just playing excellent ball. You don't beat Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin if you're not.

Memphis over Michigan State-Expected this result, but not in that fashion. Memphis led by 30 in the first half and just destroyed the Spartans. Sets up a great game with Texas.

Texas over Stanford-This game was alot closer than the score said, with Stanford getting the score within one with about 10 minutes left. A 23-5 run at the end sealed the deal.

UCLA over W.KY-UCLA sleep-walked through this game and was able to get the W. Scary team.

Xavier over Duke-I have not been high on Xavier all tournament, yet they gritted out this win. If Alexander had hit the free-throw though, WVU is in the Elite 8. Either way an exciting game, and if you are WVU, that inbounds play with 8 seconds left haunts your memories.

My predictions on the Yankees

2008-03-29T16:55:00.002-04:00

Here is the over-unders. Let's see how I do at the end of the season.

Wins: Over/Under 93.5
UNDER

How many RBIs will Alex Rodriguez have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 135.5
UNDER

How many HRs will Alex Rodriguez have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 44.5
OVER

What will Alex Rodriguez’s batting average be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under .309
OVER

How many stolen bases will Alex Rodriguez have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 22
UNDER

How many RBIs will Derek Jeter have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 74.5
OVER

How many HRs will Derek Jeter have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 12.5
OVER

What will Derek Jeter’s batting average be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under .316
OVER

How many stolen bases will Derek Jeter have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 21.5
UNDER

How many runs will Derek Jeter score in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 113.5
UNDER

How many RBIs will Jorge Posada have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 88.5
UNDER

How many HRs will Jorge Posada have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 20.5
UNDER

What will Jorge Posada’s batting average be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under .283
OVER

How many RBIs will Hideki Matsui have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 106.5
UNDER

How many HRs will Hideki Matsui have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 24.5
UNDER

What will Hideki Matsui’s batting average be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under .292
UNDER

How many RBIs will Bobby Abreu have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 103.5
OVER

How many HRs will Bobby Abreu have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 21.5
UNDER

What will Bobby Abreu's batting average be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under .299
UNDER

How many stolen bases will Bobby Abreu have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 28.5
UNDER

How many runs will Bobby Abreu score in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 119.5
OVER

How many RBIs will Robinson Cano have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 92.5
OVER

How many HRs will Robinson Cano have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 19
OVER

What will Robinson Cano’s batting average be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under .308
OVER

How many wins will Chien-Ming Wang have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 16.5
OVER

What will Chien-Ming Wang’s ERA be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 3.71
OVER

How many wins will Phil Hughes have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 11
OVER

How many strikeouts will Phil Hughes have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 118
OVER

What will Phil Hughes’ ERA be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 4.40
UNDER

How many wins will Andy Pettitte have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 15
UNDER

What will Andy Pettitte’s ERA be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 4.06
OVER

How many wins will Mike Mussina have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 12.5
UNDER

What will Mike Mussina’s ERA be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 4.47
OVER

How many starts will Joba Chamberlain make in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 7.5
OVER

What will Joba Chamberlain’s ERA as a reliever be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 2.00
UNDER

How many saves will Mariano Rivera have in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 36.5
UNDER

What will Mariano Rivera’s ERA be in the 08 Season?
Over/Under 2.00
OVER

Who will lead the Yankees in batting average?
Robinson Cano 7/4

Who will lead the Yankees in home runs (excluding Alex Rodriguez)?
Jason Giambi 2/1

Who will lead the Yankees in RBIs (excluding Alex Rodriguez)?
Bobby Abreu 3/2

Yankees 25 man roster almost set

2008-03-27T23:25:00.004-04:00

With opening day four days away here is what the Yankees 25 man roster will most likely look like:

Position Players (13)
C-Jorge Posada
C-Jose Molina
1b-Jason Giambi
2b-Robinson Cano
ss-Derek Jeter
3b-Alex Rodriguez
IF-Wilson Betemit
Lf-Hideki Matsui
Lf-Johnny Damon
CF-Melky Cabrera
Rf-Bobby Abreu
Of-Shelley Duncan
of-Morgan Ensberg

Pitching (12)
SP-Chien Ming Wang
SP-Andy Pettite
SP-Ian Kennedy
SP-Phil Hughes
SP-Mike Mussina
CL-Mariano Rivera
SU-Joba Chamberlain
RP-LaTroy Hawkins
RP-Kyle Farnsworth
RP-Brian Bruney
LP-Billy Traber
LM-Darrell Rasner

More to come

Rangers 3, Devils 2 (7-0)

2008-03-27T23:20:00.002-04:00

What a great game for the Rangers tonight. The Rangers trailed all-time Great Marty 2-1 heading into the third, but were able to score two goals in the third to win the game, including a goal that was really lucky when Marty deflected the shot right into Nigel Dawes who was falling down and heading into the net and used his momentum to put the puck in.

Great game by Henrik. He only got beat on a deflected shot and a break-away goal set up by a turnover. He is playing his best at the most important part of the season.

The Rangers are now in a tie for fourth place with 91 points with the Senators and Devils.

The Rangers are almost a lock to make the playoffs but there next five games will determine their seeding:
Pitt (2), NYI (2), NJ

American League Preview

2008-03-24T19:38:00.009-04:00

AL East
1. Boston Red Sox (AL East Champs)
Last year finish: World Series Champions
Key additions: Bartolo Colon (SP), Sean Casey (IF), David Aardsma (RP),
Key Losses: Eric Gagne(RP), Matt Clement (SP)
Projected Rotation: Josh Beckett, Dice-K, Tim Wakefield, John Lester, Curt Schilling (when injured Clay Buccholz/Bartolo Colon)
Projected Line-up: C-Jason Varitek, 1b-Kevin Youkilis, 2b-Dustin Pedroia, 3b-Mike Lowell, SS-Julio Lugo, LF-Manny Ramirez, CF-Jacoby Ellsbury, RF-J.D. Drew, DH-David Ortiz
Synopsis: The Red Sox return as the World Series champs and look to repeat again as the AL East champions. Although the champs did not improve much at all (although I think that Colon may end up to be a great signing), the team following them (the Yankees) did nothing to really improve at all. Some interesting storylines to watch with the Red Sox include health and the battle for centerfield. Ortiz and Ramirez are both getting older and if they get injured (as happened last year), they might take down the Red Sox with them. Mike Lowell, who had a career year last year, is not likely to hit the ball with so much authority. And who will be the starting centerfielder? Crisp has not lived up to expectations in Boston and Ellsbury seems to be the hot new thing in Boston. The bullpen will be one of Boston's strengths again, but the big factor will be Okie-Doke. Will he be dominant as last year or come back to earth. Francona is a great manager and will pull this team together and I expect a rebound year from J.D. Drew. Expect a tight race but the Sawx to win the division again.

2. New York Yankees (Wildcard)
Last year finish: AL Wildcard (Loss ALDS to Cleveland)
Key additions: LaTroy Hawkins (RP)
Key Losses: Luis Vizcaino (RP)
Projected Rotation: Chien-Mien Wang, Andy Pettite, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain (half-way through season), Mike Mussina/Ian Kennedy
Projected line-up: 1b-Jason "The Giambino" Giambi, 2b-Robbie "what do you know" Cano, 3b-Alex "a-rod" rodriguez, ss-Derek "Captain Clutch" Jeter, LF- Johnny "simply damonic" Damon, CF-Melky "milkman" Cabrera, LF-Bobby "sweet as candy" Abreu, DH- Hideki "Thrilla from Godzilla" Matsui
Synopsis: The Yankees will play a key factor in the American League once again, but this time, it will be as the role of the underdogs. Although the Sawx have not done enough to be the clear-cut favorites for the AL East, the Yankees have not done much to improve either. Adding LaTroy Hawkins is not the answer. The Yankees season is going to ride on the arms of the big three (Hughes, Kennedy, Chamberlain) with all of them being rookies, they will have innings caps which means the Yankees will be scraping for innings come the end of the season. Also, Yankees fan must expect that A-Rod and Posada will not mirror their season from last year. A big player will be the Giambino. If he stays healthy and can hit like he did two years ago, the Yankees will have an extra protection bat for A-Rod. This season will be an exciting one for the Yanks, and if the cards fall right, might end up as divison champs. But for now, plan on the wildcard.

3. Toronto Blue Jays
Last year finish: 3rd AL East
Key Losses: Troy Glaus (3B)
Key additions: Scott Rolen(3B), David Eckstein (SS), Shannon Stewart (LF), Rod Barajas (C)
Projected rotation: Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnet, Dustin McGowan, Shawn Marcum, Jesse Litsch
Projected line-up: 1b-Lyle Overbay, 2b-Aaron Hill, ss-David Eckstein, 3b-Scott rolen, lf-Shannon Steward, cf-vernon wells, rf-alex Rios, c-Greg Zaun, dh-Frank Thomas
Synopsis:If the Blue Jays did not play in the AL East, they could have a realistic shot of each year winning a divison. But unfortunately, the have to contend with the Yanks and Sawx. The Blue Jays strength this year appears to be their pitching, Dustin McGowan is turning into a legitmate stud. I personally like the moves the Jays did this year. Eckstein gives them a nice leadoff hitter who can make things hapen, and i think Rolen will rebound nicely this season and adds gold glove caliber to the defense. A big player will be Vernon Wells, who needs to rebound and get back to the player that the Blue Jays signed long-term prior to last season. Also, will B.J. Ryan return to the form he was before going on the D.L. If he becomes a dominant closer, the Blue Jays will be sitting pretty in the late innings. If evertying breaks right for this team, they may end up making the AL East a 3-way race for the division title.

4. Tampa Rays
Last year finish: 5th AL East
Key Losses: Brendan Harris (SS), Delmon Young (RF), Chris Snelling (LF), Brian Stokes (RP), Elijah Dukes (CF), Josh Wilson (SS)
Key additions: Jason Bartlett(SS), Matt Garza(SP), Troy Percival (RP), Cliff Floyd (DH), Willy Aybar (3B),
Projected rotation: Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnastine
Projected line-up: 1b-Carlos Pena, 2b-Akinori Iwanura, 3b-Evan Longoria, ss-Jason Bartless, LF-Carl Crawford, CF-B.J. Upton, RF-Rocco Baldelli, DH-Cliff Floyd
Snyopsis: The Rays have the potential to be a sleeper this year. The Rays have always been able to hit the ball well, but their pitching has held them back. This year, the pitching looks to be stronger with the addition of Matt Garza and Troy Percival to be the closer. The Rays should win atleast 75 games this year. A big question mark is the healthy of Rocco Baldelli. If he returns to the type of season he had two years ago, the Rays look much stronger, but he has been injury prone. Also, the development of Evan Longoria will be key. This kid is supposed to be the real deal and will have his chance this year. The Rays should be an exciting club this year.

5. Baltimore Orioles
Last year finish: 4th AL East
Key Losses: Erik Bedard (SP), Miguel Tejada (SS)
Key additions: Troy Patton (SP), Luke Scott (LF), Adam Jones (CF), George Sherill (RP), Matt Albers (SP),
Projected Rotation: Jeremy Gutherie, Adam Loewen, Daniel Cabrera, Troy Patten, Greg Olson
Projected lineup: 1b-Kevin Millar, 2b-Brian Roberts, ss-Luis Hernandez, 3b-Melvin Mora, lf-Luke Scott, CF-Adam Jones, RF-Nick Markakis, DH-Aubrey Huff
Synopsis: This team will be one of the worst in all of baseball. The pitching is suspect, the bullepn stinks and there is not enough production to get a certain amount of wins. The Orioles did the right things in trading Bedard and Tejada, I actually believe they got alot back for Tejada. They should trade Roberts now while they can and get good value. I understand what this team is doing in terms of trying to get back good players for their best, but they will stink for eyras to come.

AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers
Last year finish: 2nd AL Central
Key additions: Jacque Jones (LF), Edgar Renteria (SS), Miguel Cabrera (3B), Dontrelle Willis (SP)
Key losses: Sean Casey (1B), Andrew Miller (SP), Cameron Maybin (LF), Mike Rabelo (C), Omar Infante (SS), Chad Durbin (SP)
Projected rotation: Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson
Projected line-up: C-Ivan Rodriguez, 1B-Carlos Guillen, 2B-Placido Polanco, SS-Edgar Renteria, 3B-Miguel Cabera, RF-Miguel Ordonez, CF-Curtis Granderson, LF-Jacque Jones, DH-Gary Sheffield
Snyopsis: The Tigers had the busiest off-season in baseball by picking up slugger Miguel Caberera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins along with Edgar Renteria and Jacque Jones. On paper, this lineup is the best in baseball. There is no easy out from top to bootm and imagine how scary a Ordonez-Cabrera-Sheffield combination is. The only question about this team is the pitching, but with this line-up, you can give up four runs a game and have a good chance of winning every game. The Tigers are going to be as solid a team as any in baseball.

2. Cleveland Indians
Last year finish: AL Central Champs, Lost ALCS Red Sox
Key additions:Masahide Kobayashi (RP), Jamey Carroll (2B)
Key losses: Kenny Lofton (RF)
Projected rotation: C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, Paul Byrd, Jake Westbrook, Cliff Lee
Projected line-up: C-Victor Martinez, 1b-Ryan Garko, 2b-Asdrubal Cabrera, 3b-Casey Blake, ss-Johnny Peralta, lf-David Dellucci, cf-Grady Sizemore, rf-Franklin Giutterez, dh-Travis Hafner
Synopsis: The Indians return pretty much the same team from last year's squad, that fell one game short of the World Series. So why are they not the favorites for the division? Simple. The Tigers improved drastically while the Indians did not. The Indians are a soild squad no doubt, but do have some vulnerabilities. Will C.C. Sabathia pitch like a cy young in his contract year? Will Fausto Carmona be solid or come back to earth? Will the Indians get enough production from Blake, Garko and Dellucci? The Indians will be one of the better teams in the American League, but don't have enough to pull it off.

3. Chicago White Sox
Last year finish: 4th AL Central
Key additions: Orlando Cabrera (SS), Carlos Quentin (LF), Nick Swisher (CF), Octavio Dotel (RP), Scott Linebrink (RP)
Key Losses: John Garland (SP), Gio Gonzalez (SP), Ryan Sweeney (OF), Darin Estard (CF)
Projected rotation: Mark Buherle, Javier Vazquez, Jose Contreras, John Danks, Gavin Floyd
Projected line-up: C-A.J. Piercynski, 1b-Paul Konerko, 2b-Alexis Ramirez, ss-Orlando Caberera, 3b-Joe Crede, LF-Carlos Quentin, CF-Nick Swisher, RF-Jermaine Dye, DH-Jim Thome
Synyopsis: The White Sox made some nice moves in the off-season and just like the Blue Jays might be able to make a run if everything works out. The trade for Nick Swisher was a good one as Swisher brings some good offense and a high base percentage to the windy city. Orlando Cabrera will provide a nice presence at the top of the line-up. The emergence of Cuban defect Alexis Ramirez should be interesting. The suspect part of this team is of course the pitching. Behing Buherle and Vaquez, there is alot of question marks with Danks and co. The bullpen should be improved as well with the addition of Dotel and Linebrink, allthough there is still the possibilty for failure with those two as they did not have the best of seasons last year. The White Sox will not be as good as they were three years ago, but should be a a quality team.

4. Kansas City Royals
Last year finish: 5th AL Central
Key additons: Miguel Olivo (C), Jose Guillen (RF), Ron Mahay (RP), Brett Tomko (SP), Yashuko Yabuta (RP)
Key losses: Mike Sweeney (DH), Odalis Perez (SP), David Riske (RP), Emil Brown (CF)
Projected rotation: Gil Meche, Brian Bannister, Zach Greinke, Kyle Davids, Brett Tomko
Projected line-up: C-John Buck, 1b-Ross Gload, 2b-Mark Grudzalniek, ss-Tony Pena', 3b-Alex Gordon, Lf-Mark Teahan, Cf-David DeJesus, RF-Jose Guillen, DH-Billy Butler
Synopsis: I know this gets said every year, but the Royals actually have a chance to be a decent team this year. The team only upgraded by adding Guillen (all though he did do steroids) and the pitching should be better than last year. Brian Bannister had an unheralded season and should continue to improve at his age. The bullpen appears to be stronger with the addition of Ron Mahay and Joaquim Soria should develop into a legitmate contender. The Royals will not be great next year, but will surprise some teams.

5. Minnesota Twins
Last year finish: 3rd AL Central
Key additions: Delmon Young (RF), Craig Monroe (RF), Carlos Gomez (CF), Mike Lamb (3B), Brendan Harris (SS), Livan Hernandez (SP), Adam Everett (SS), Kevin Mulvey (SP)
Key losses: Johan Santana (SP), Tori Hunter (CF), Matt Garza (SP), Jason Bartlett (SS), Carlos Silva (SP)
Projected rotation: Scott Baker, Boof Bonser, Livan Henandez, Fransisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey
Projected line-up: C-Joe Mauer, 1b-Justin Morneau, 2b-Brendan Harris, ss-Adam Everett, 3b-Mike Lamb, rf-Delmon Young, cf-carlos Gomez, rf-Michael Cuddeyer
Synopsis: Let me start by saying the Twins are not your typical last place team but someone has to this year and I think the Twins will be that team. The trading away of Johan Santana may go down as one of the worst trades of all-time as they got back no great prospects in return. But anyway, the Twins rotation is weak outside of Liriano, who is still a question mark returnign from Tommy John. When Scott Baker is projectd as your top starter you know you have problems. As has always been the case with the Twins, the bullpen will be the strong point with Nathan, Neshek, Rincon, etc. But there might not be many leads to protect as this offense is weak. There is limited run productin in the infield and center field. The Twins are going to have to rebuild.

AL West
1. Seattle Mariners
Last year finish: 2nd AL West
Key additions: Erik Bedard (SP), Brad Wilkerson (RF), Carlos Silva (SP),
Key Losses: Adam Jones (RF), George Sherill (RP), Jose Guillen(RF), Ben Broussard (1b)
Projected Rotation: Erik Bedard, Felix Hernandez, Carlos Silva, Miguel Batista, Jarrod Washburn
Projected Line-up: C-Kenji Johjima, 1b-Richie Sexson, 2b-Jose Lopez, 3b-Adrian Beltre, ss-Yuniesky Betancourt, LF-Raul Ibanez, CF-Ichiro Suzuki, RF-Brad Wilkerson, DH-Jose Vidro
Synopsis: After years of turmoil and looking up to the Angels, the Mariners finally looked poised to top the Angels behind a solid pitching staff. Adding Bedard gives the Mariners the top 1-2 punch with Felix Hernandez in the league. Carlos Silva will be an innings eater and when Miguel Batista, who won 16 games last year, is your fifth starter your sitting pretty. The Mariners will have some question marks, though, including whether Richie Sexson can hit like he did two years ago, instead of his awful .205 ba last year. Barring injuries, this team looks poised for a run.

2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Last year finish: AL West Champs, Lost ALDS Red Sox
Key additions: John Garland (SP), Torii Hunter (CF)
Key Losses: Orlando Cabrera (SS)
Projected Rotation: John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, John Garland, Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders
Projected line-up: C-Mike Napoli, 1b-Casey Kotchman, 2b-Howie Kendrick, ss-Erik Aybar, 3b-Chone Figgins, LF-Garrett Anderson, CF-Torri Hunter, RF-Vladimir Guerrerro
DH-Gary Matthews Jr.
Synopsis: While the Mariners made moves to bolster its squad, it seemed as if the Angels got worse. Throw into the mix that pitchers Lackey and Escobar are injured to start the season, the Angels will have to battle to win the division. The offense took a hit by losing Orlando Cabera, but Torii Hunter should help. The pitching should be strong as always. Make no mistake, the Angels will be strong, but are going to look up at the Mariners.

3. Texas Rangers
Last year finish: 4th AL West
Key additions: Ben Broussard (1B), Frank Catalnatto (1B), Josh Hamilton (CF, Eddie Guardado (RP, Milton Bradley (RF, Jason Jennings (SP),
Key losses: Sammy Sosa (DH), Edinson Volquez (SP)
Projected rotation:Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Jason Jennings, Brandon McCarthy, Kason Gabbard
Projected line-up: C-Gerald Laird, 1b-Ben broussard, 2b-Ian Kinsler, SS-Michael Young, 3b-Hank Blalock, LF-Marlon Byrd, CF-Josh Hamilton, RF-Milton Bradley, DH-Frank Catalnotto
Synopsis: The Rangers will most likely finish third again in the AL West, but have a comeptitive team to field this season. The trade for Josh Hamilton might go down as one of the best trades off this off-season, as he is projected to provide a quality bat in that line-up. The Rangers will be able to hit no problem, but the rotation is a little shaky. Kevin Millwood needs to rebound from a sup-bar year and you never know what you are going to get with Vincente Padilla and Jason Jennings. Although they won't be awful, they will not ge good either.

4. Oakland Athletics
Last year finish: 3rd AL West
Key additions: Carlos Gonzalez (RF), Gio Gonzalez (SP), Ryan Sweeney (LF), Emil Brown (CF)
Key losses: Marco Scutaro (2B), Dan Haren (SP), Nick Swisher (CF), Mark Kotsay (CF)
Projected rotation: Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Chad Guadin, Justin Durescher, Gio Gonzalez
Projected line-up: C-Kurt Suzuki, 1b-Daric Barton, 2b-Mark Ellis, ss-Bobby Crosby, 3b-Eric Chavez, LF-Emil Brown, CF-Chris Denorfia, RF-Travis Buck, DH-Jack Cust
Synopsis: Billy Beane mortgaged the future for this team, sending away some of its best players in Swisher and Haren to get a handful of great prospects in return. The A's will stink this year because of it. The A's dont have much power in the line-up and dont seem to have great run production. The back end of their rotation is also shaky. Rich Harden, though, could be a candidate for comeback player of the year if he continues to throw like he did in the first game against the Red Sox.

AL Predictions:
MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
AL Comeback player of the year: Rich Harden, Athletics
Rookie of the year: Joba Chamberlain, Yankees

Playoffs
Tigers def. Yankees
Red Sox def. Mariners

Tigers def. Red Sox

Round of 32 Analysis

2008-03-24T19:19:00.002-04:00

What a great bunch of games.

UNC over Arkansas-UNC completely throttled the Razorbacks and put up 108 on them. Arkansas is not a bad team and to put up 108 on them is pretty damn impressive. UNC is going to be hard to beat.

Wazzuu over ND-Wazzuu just completely shut down Notre Dame's high potent offense, holding them to a brevity of points. It will be interesting to see how their defense holds up against the Tar Heels.

Louisville over Oklahoma-Pittino is one of the best coaches and always has his teams ready for the tournament, and this game showed it.

Tennessee over Butler-Tennessee was given a tough match-up in Butler, who completely tore them apart last season in the pre-season NIT. They had the early lead and blew it, but were able to win in overtime. Their game against Louisville should be one of the best in the tournament as I love watching Pittino and Pearl coach.

Kansas over UNLV-Kansas looked tough and with all the top seeds going out in this region, should be able to finally make it to the Final Four.

Nova over Siena-Nova came out to play again and despite a valiant effort by Siena,had too much for Siena to handle. Nova has made it to the past three out of four sweet 16, pretty impressive.

Wisconsin over Kansas State-I thought that Kansas State had a chance here, but the Big 10 champs took it to em'. This is most likely Michael Beasley's final game as a college player before heading to....Miami?

Davidson over Georgetown-Wow, what a game by Davidson. Georgetown did everything right in the first half limiting Stephen Curry and taking a 17 point lead. But Curry finally started hitting his shots to take down the Hoyas. I was not big on Georgetown in this tournament and it showed. Bad game by Hibbert.

Memphis over Mississippi State-Mississippi State is a pretty good team and it showed, taking the Tigers to the wire. Memphis needs to hit its free throws or they are going to have a hard time advancing.

Michigan State over Pittsburgh-Tom Izzo and Jamie Dixon are two of the best coaches in America and it seemed as if the legs of the Pittsburgh players finally gave out. Drew Nietzel had a great late run to give the Spartans their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Stanford over Marquette-What a game. Both teams played its hearts out, and it came down to Brooke Lopez hitting a great shot to give the Cardinal the win. The game was everything a fan wanted with speed against size, and in the end, size won out.

Texas over Miami-Miami made it close late, but Texas played a solid game. Should be a great game against Stanford.

UCLA over A&M-Was it a foul? Maybe, maybe not, but the Bruins advanced. UCLA played great defense and was able to take a late lead behind a clutch shot by freshman Kevin Love. A&M splayed its heart out and should be proud of everything it did.

WKU over SD-WKU advances to the Sweet 16 in a match-up of two mid-majors.

Xavier over Purdue-Purdue let me down. They took an early 9-0 lead and late 61-60 lead, but could not hold on. I wasn't big on Xavier, but they played solid to make it to the sweet 16.

WVU over Duke-Duke's lack of size came back to hurt it as WVU was able to out-rebound the Blue Devils and eliminate them early for the second straight year. Bob Huggins impact on this team is clear, as WVU has a great chance to make it to the Elite 8.

More to come...

Thoughts after NCAA opening Round

2008-03-22T12:21:00.002-04:00

As would be expected, the opening days of the NCAA Tournament were exciting and full of action. My thoughts on each game.

UNC over Mt. St. Mary's-Duh.

Arkansas over Indiana-I did not like Indiana at all coming into this tournament, but I thought that Arkansas was a favorable match-up for them. Arkansas played a good game and in what might be his last college game, Eric Gordon did not fare so well. What a disappointing season for the Hoosiers....I guess Bob Knight wasn't so bad eh?

ND over George Mason-For all you out there that chose George Mason, you've learned your lesson. It was a one time deal. Notre Dame is the better team and showed it.

Wazzuu over Winthrop-The "sleeper" pick that everyone picks every year, but this year they were not that good. Wazzuu is a tough team and fully disthrotled Winthrop.

Oklahoma over St.Joe's-A solid win for the Sooners. Many people like St. Joe's in this one, but Oklahoma played a nice game to earn the victory. They probably won't beat Louisville.

Louisville over Boise State-What else would you expect?

Butler over South Albama-Butler was completely underseeded. How do you go 30-3 and get a seven seed when every coach knows how talented this squad is. Should be a great game against Tenn.

Tenn over American-Duh.

Kansas over Portland State-Portland State isn't Bucknell

UNLV over Kent State-Thanks Kent State. I liked UNLV but thought you might be able to pull the upset and instead you scored 10 points in the first half. That ain't gonna get it done.

Nova over Clemson-What a comeback. I picked this one too. Nova played terrific to come back from an 18 point defecit to pick up the win.

Siena over Vanderbilt-I thought Vanderbilt was overseeded, but did not think they would go down this early.Siena just came to play and really took it to the Commodores.

Kansas State over USC-This killed my bracket. I got seduced by the way USC played at the end of the season and chose USC. But Kansas State and likely top pick Michael Beasley took it to the Trojans to win the game and set-up an interesting match-up with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin over CSU Fullerton-Expected.

Davidson over Gonzaga-Game was played in Raliegh and Stephen Curry went off. Not a good formula for the Zags.

Georgetown over UMBC-Georgetown too talented.

Memphis over UTA-Duh.

Mississippi State over Oregon-I think Oregon might have been the worst at large team in the tourny and Mississippi State is a great sleeper team with the pair of Jamont Gordon and Jarvis Varnado.

Michigan State over Temple-Temple is talented, but Michigan State has too much to handle.

Pitt over ORU-Pitt needed to get over the first game to do well in the tourny and fully dismantled ORU and looked solid. Pitt is a solid team that can go far in thsi region.

Marquette over Kentucky-Despite a great game by Joe Crawford and Ramael Bradley, Marquette pulled out the vicory. The most impressive part was the Golden Eagles ability to do it without strong play of Dominic James.

Stanford over Cornell-Expected.

Miami over St. Mary's-Although Miami was seeded higher, a little bit of a shocker. St. Mary's had some impressive wins and lead at half, but couldn't beat the Hurricanes. Nice win for Miami.

Texas over APU-Expected.

UCLA over MVSU-Duh.

A&M over BYU-Good game. Hard to pick a winner here as A&M lost alot of games late, and BYU was ranked but lost in their tourny. Neither team seemed overly impressive.

W.KY over Drake-I called this one. Although it took a miracle shot, W.Ky did it and should advance to the Sweet 16. I wrote about this team so that's why I chose them.

SD over UConn-Wow. Let me repeat that. Wow. I never expected this. UConn still should have won the game despite losing A.J. Price. Hell of an accomplishment about Calhoun that this was his first ever loss in the first round. Sad to see it end on a shot that guy will rarely make.

Purdue over Baylor-Baylor forgot to show up.

Xavier over Georgia-Georgia looked good at times, but Xavier too good.

WVU over Arizona-Too much outside shooting from WVU to beat the Wildcats, who frankly did not deserve to get in the tournament.

Duke over Belmont-Great game played by both teams. Although some people think that Duke overlooked Belmont, I think that Belmont just played a hell of a game. Sad to see Belmont's hopes go down with a bucket to bucket drive to win the game. Hell of a game.

More updates to come.

Joba to the pen

2008-03-20T10:50:00.003-04:00

Breaking news: Joba to the Pen!

Just kidding. This had to happen. Joba was so dominant in the pen last eyar that he had to start there. Ian Kennedy is not exactly bullpen material.

I think Joba will do a nice job before becoming a starter, which will be the ultimat test.

NCAA Predictions

2008-03-20T10:40:00.004-04:00

All right folks, here are NCAA predictions you can take to the bank and put your house mortgage on

East
UNC over Mt.St. Mary's
Indiana over Arkansas
Notre Dame over George Mason
Wazzuu over Winthrop
Oklahoma over St.Joe's
Louisville over Boise State
Butler over S.Alabama
Tenesse over American

UNC over Indiana
Wazzuu over ND
Lousiville over Ok
Tenn over Butler

UNC over Wazzuu
Louisville over Tenn

UNC over Tenn

Midwest
Kansas over Portland State
Kent State over UNLV
Nova over Clemson
Vandy over Siena
Wisconsin over CSFU
USC over K.State
Davidson over Zaga
G'town over Beltmont

Kansas over Kent State
Nova over Vandy
USC over Wisconsin
G'town over Davidson

Kansas over Nova
USC over G'town

Kansas over USC

South
Memphis over UT Arlinton
MSU over Oregon
MSU over Temple
Pitt over ORU
Stanford over Cornell
Marquette over Kentucky
Saint Mary's over DA U
Texas over APU

Memphis over MSU
Pitt over MSU
Stanford over Marquette
Texas over St.Mary's

Memphis over Pitt
Stanford over Texas

Memphis over Stanford

West
UCLA over MSU
BYU over A&M
WKU over Drake
UCONN BABY over SD
Xavier over Georgia
Purdue over Baylor
WVU over AZ
Duke over Belmont

UCLA over BYU
UConn over WKU
Purdue over Xavier
Duke over WVU

UCLA over UConn
Duke over Purdue

UCLA over Duke

Final Four
UNCA over Kansas
UCLA over Memphis

Final
UCLA over UNC

There it is folks

King Henrik 2, Marty 1

2008-03-20T10:38:00.002-04:00

The Rangers beat the Devils for the sixth straight game last night as Lundqvist bested Marty in the shootout to give the Rangers the much needed points and pull them within 3 points of the lead in the Eastern Conference.

The game seemed out of reach for the Rangers, but a clutch goal by my Fairfield Country boy chris Drrrrrrrruuuuuuurrrryyyy tied the game with four minutes left and then a nice shootout goal by Nigel Dawes won the game.

The Rangers have a tough stretch ahead of them but should do well. Le'ts go Rangers!

Mount 68, SHU 55

2008-03-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

Having only attended games of major-level (Syracuse, UConn, the NIT in MSG) I got my first chance to attend a game at a small conference as a fan, not a reporter. The game could not have any bigger ramifications as Sacred Heart was hosting Mount St. Mary's for the NEC bid into the big dance.

My brother Jeff and I went to the game. We showed up an hour early and got our shirts and towels for the white-out that was happening. The atmosphere was awsome as this game was like the Super Bowl for the kids at SHU and the Mount.

My brother and I were rooting for Sacred Heart as my family personally knows head coach Dave Bike pretty well. Bike has been the coach at SHU for an amazing 30 years and yesterday would have been his first dance to coach in the NCAA D-I Tourny. You just had to root for him.

Although SHU came out and scored first, the Mount quickly rebounded to tie the game and then used a nice run to gain a 13-4 lead. Sacred Heart just never seemed comfortable in the game despite being on its home court.

The Pioneers were sloppy and made lots of forced shots and turnovers. They did get the game close with about two minutes left but a very iffy foul call on a shot with six seconds left sealed the Pioneers fate.

The Referees if I might say, were god-awful. They called fouls on every play and did not let the kids play. When there are 20 fouls in the second half alone there is something wrong.

As my brother and I left the arena, I felt pretty disappointed. I really wanted SHU to win and see Bike get his chance in the big dance, but it couldn't happen.

Hopefully next year the Pioneers can do it.

'Nova 82, 'Cuse 63

2008-03-12T14:16:00.003-04:00

Syracuse eliminated itself from any shot at the NCAA Tourny this season with a humiliating 80-63 loss to Villanova. Syracuse came out firing early on and took a quick 11 point lead, but Villanova shot lights out in the second half to take home the game.

The turning point in the game I believe was the final 1:15 of the second half, where Syracuse had a 28-19 lead, and insted of going up by double-digit points into the second half, allowed Villanova to go on an 8-0 run to end the half and pull within one. Villanova then came out firing in the second half to pull out the rout.

Syracuse had a hell of a season, don't get me wrong. Playing with six guys for almost the entire season and to get to where they finished was something that was nothing short of impressive. But too many close losses and not enough veteran leadership on the court to get them to the tourny. Well, atleast I get to see one more homegame.

The kiss of death...or kiss of luck

2008-03-12T01:24:00.003-04:00

As some of you out there in blog world might now, I wrote the men's basketball national notebook for The Daily Orange this spring. I wrote stories about 10 teams. I want to see how many make the tournament to see whether I am the kiss of death or kiss of luck. Here's the list so far...

Davidson-IN
Bowling Green-OUT
Yale/Colubmia-OUT
Sacred Heart-OUT
Drake-IN
Miss. ST-TBD
W. KY-IN
Kentuck-TBD
Rider-OUT
Citadel-OUT

So far that's five out, three in with two TBD. I'd say i'm so-so so far.

Big day for Sports

2008-03-12T01:20:00.002-04:00

I have a nice sports day on slate for today.

First, Syracuse against Villanova in an essential elimination game for the NCAA Tourny. I believe that Syracuse will get in with a win, but Villanova will need to win two to get in. But either way, the loser of the game is gonzo without a doubt. Expect the 'Cuse to win the game and advance to face Georgetown.

Second, my brother Jeff and I are going to the Sacred Heart vs. Mount St. Mary's NEC Championship game tomorrow night at the Pitt Center at SHU. The place should be filled and it will be awesome to attend a game with such ramifications. I have only gone to games at schools like UConn and Cuse', so it will be an experience to watch these teams play where this game determines the team that dances. I like SHU to win.

And of course, there are the other Big East match-ups to keep me interested. All in all, a great day for sports tomorrow.

Yanks 6, Blue Jays 1

2008-03-12T01:18:00.002-04:00

Masterful pitching by my boy Wanger and great hitting by El Camadooza, Bobby Abreu, and of course, an absoulte A-Bomb.....from A-Rod! I mean the man clobbered that thing, it was gone off the bat.

The Yankees pitching is seeming to pick it up a little especally with more teams playing their starting line-ups.

And for my favorite reader out there, mother, the home food has been especially delicious and fantastic.

WCC Hurts the Cuse

2008-03-10T23:03:00.003-04:00

San Diego just knocked off Gonzaga to win the WCC and claim the automatic bid which hurts Syracuse.

St. Mary's and Gonzaga both have good resumes and are deserving of a bid, which hurts atleast one BCS conference team like Syracuse.

I still believe that Syracuse will determine its own fate, as a loss to Nova in the first round will keep them out, but two wins the in the tourny will get them in definitely.

Yanks 4, Reds 0

2008-03-10T22:58:00.002-04:00

Masterful pitching by the Yankees today.

Joba, Traber, MO, Kennedy and LaTroy combine for the win.

Good reound pitching for Joba and IPK after their shaky outings earlier this year against the Twins. And MO has been MO and just striking out all the jabronis that go against him.

A-Rod with a RBI too. Who better than A-Rod?

Yanks sign a legend

2008-03-10T22:54:00.003-04:00

In a move to bolster their attempts to bring back a world championship to the greatest city in the world (Boston knows that it cant' hold a candle to New York City) the Yanks have signed Billy Crystal to a minor league deal.

Crystal brings a veteran presence to the clubhouse and should be able to help the youngesters develop.

Best free agen signing ever by Brian Cashman.

On a more serious note, what an awesome thing for the Yanks to do. Simply great.

SHU in NEC Final

2008-03-10T22:42:00.002-04:00

Earlier this year in the Daily Orange, I wrote a story about Dave Bike, the coach of Sacred Heart University who has been coaching for 30 yeras and has never made it to the NCAA D-I tourny. Well after winning at Wagner the other day, Sacred Heart is now one win away from making the tournament.

If SHU makes the tournamnet, it couldnt happen to a nicer man. Dave Bike is a great guy and I truly hope to see the Pioneers in the dance this year.

Rangers 3, Sabres 2

2008-03-10T22:38:00.003-04:00

King Henrik is my hero. As always the King was on top of his game, allowing the Rangers too pick up two much needed points in the process one day after his league-leading ninth shutout.

The Rangers are just playing some excellent hockey right now and really seem to be gelling and playing like the team that was put on paper at the beginning of the season. If the Rangers keep this up, they might be able to get a top seed for the playoffs.

Funny thing during this game is that MSG had on the Knicks getting beat by 25 by the Mavericks. What a baskebtlal team we have in New York.

And the best part of tonight's win was to get it against the Sabres, who knocked us out of the playoffs last year. I would trade these four wins from this year for playoff wins last year though.

But good win all around.

Home at last

2008-03-08T00:45:00.002-05:00

Spring Break has officially begun today. My mother and middle brother Tim came to pick me up. Nice to see the family again and enjoy a long as hell car ride with them that of course included getting lost.

I knew I was home though when I got into that first argument with the youngest brother during two "friendly" games of sports video games.

He trounced me 8-2 (Devils over Rangers) in NHL 2008, but I whooped him 42-14 (Browns over Cowboys) in Madden 2008 so it's a split in my opinion. But he wins overall because he's taller than me.

It's going to be nice to relax and spend quality time with the fam and friends. Sleeping will be nice but that will have to wait until Monday as today i'm helping my brothers wrestle from like 10:00 to 1:00 and then traveling with my friend Chris to go visit our friend Dave at Salve Regina.

And in other news, download this hot song-What you got-Colby O Donis ft. Akon-The track is sizzlin'

This is the first non sports post on here ever so enjoy it, lol.

Wanger gets bombed

2008-03-07T08:45:00.002-05:00

Chien Mien Wang will probably want to forget about yesterday's outing, giving up six runs in 2/3 an inning (For those math nerds at home that is an E.R.A. of 81).

Yankees pitching has not been solid the past few days from Joba's homerun that is still in outerspace, Kennedy's bomb to Delmon Young, Wang, and Rasner giving up four in an inning yesterday.

Pitching will be the Yankees big concern this season so days like this are sometimes alarming. I can understand giving up a granny to Adam Dunn, but Edwin Encarnacion? Come on Wanger.

National | Kentucky wins 10 of last 12 in case for NCAA Tournament - Sports

2008-03-06T21:56:00.001-05:00

National | Kentucky wins 10 of last 12 in case for NCAA Tournament - Sports

Lack of weights discourage male gym users - News

2008-03-06T21:56:00.000-05:00

Lack of weights discourage male gym users - News

Rangers 4, Islanders 1

2008-03-06T21:36:00.002-05:00

Great game for the Rangers. They dominated the first and third period, and got great games from Avery and Jagr.

With Boston and Pitt losing, the Rangers are clawing their way into the top spots in the conference. Big game Sunday against Boston.

LeBron....Just Mean

2008-03-06T18:30:00.002-05:00

How mean was that for LeBron to drop 50 on the Knicks, then say after the game he loves playing in the Garden.

LeBron, please, just come to the Knicks. Save this franchise. The world needs it, and New York needs it.

Do the right thing LeBron, go to the Knicks.

Giants ink Sammy Knight

2008-03-06T18:29:00.003-05:00

I know this is old, but the Giants inked Sammy Knight for three years.

Gibril Wilson left for a huge payday at Oakland. It might turn out to be a good signing as he has worked with Sam Madison and developed chemistry.

I do wish the Giants did a litle more this off-season though.

Sick Shoes

2008-03-05T11:13:00.002-05:00

I gave up on the basketball shoes thing in 8th grade, but these shoes might make me go back.

First, they are LeBron's and the man is just nasty. I mean he looks like me in my prime, making it rain. That was a joke in case you couldn't tell or have actually seen me try and make it rain (It rains bricks and air balls).

Second, they rep New York and the Yankees and have the bleacher creatures chant in them.

That's a sick shoe. I gotta see if I want to fork over the dough for them though.

Baseball Preview

2008-03-05T01:30:00.001-05:00

I am going to do a comprehensive season preview for baseball. If you enjoy baseball, you'll enjoy this. Look for it on March 31st, opening day.

Knicks?

2008-03-04T21:48:00.002-05:00

I said that i post about the Knicks on here so I would do one.

They're awful and I hope they lose every game.

Unless the get LeBron or fire Isiah, I can't root for this team.

Islanders 4, Rangers 3

2008-03-04T21:47:00.001-05:00

Islanders edge the Rangers in a shoot-out. Tough game for the Rangers, but as a fan, the game was exciting as hell. The shootout was quailty, and the Islanders got one more though than the Rangers.

Rangers are still 7-0-3 in their last 10, gaining 17 out of a possible 20 points. They still are comfortable in the playoffs points, but need to pick up a win this Thursday in Long Island.

Hysterical

2008-03-04T16:44:00.003-05:00

Ok I know i shouldnt laugh at this but this is funny as hell.

And gives you another reason to hate Duke.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=x_3ml_n3-rA&feature=related

Top 20 Countdown: No. 3-The BAMTINO!!!!

2008-03-04T16:39:00.002-05:00

Funny story behind this one. This past summer I was hanging out with my best friend Chris in my house, when my father called us both upstairs to show us something. We went upstairs and my pops was sitting there watching the television and told us to sit down and watch. Chris had no idea what we were going to watch, but once I saw the tv, i knew what it was: the BamTino!

Let me give the scenario: Yankees are down 3-1 in the World Series to the Diamondbacks. Two outs, bottom of the ninth and the Yankees are down two games to one. Byung-Hung Kim is pitching lights out. The Yankees are down to one out. Up steps Tino Martinez.

First pitch, fastball in the kitchen, and the BamTino goes yard. There is absoulte pandemonium at the stadium.

While watching this in my kitchen, my father and I both yelled the bamtino, while my friend Chris just laughed (Red Sox fan, idiot) at the moment.

How do you not love the Yankees?

Top 20 Countdown: No. 4-My first championship

2008-03-04T16:34:00.002-05:00

1996.

A year that will forever have a special place in my heart.

The first time that I ever remember celebrating a team winning a championship (For the record, my teams have won a combined 7 titles in my time, 8 if you include UConn in 2004).

The Yankees were a gusty team that year. Atlanta was supposed to be the New Yorkers. They came in and kicked the crap out of the Yankees in the first two games. But the Yankees responded to win the next four and give New York something to cheer about when they won 4-2 and started the Yankee dynasty.

My favorite image from that World Series is Charlie Hayes catching the pop-up and then jumping in the air, symbolizing that the New York Yankees were champions of the world.

Now let's go get #27 this year!!!!!

Favre retires

2008-03-04T16:25:00.002-05:00

Brett Favre has retired. These words have been thrown around for the past few years, but never would I thought that it would come true this post-season.

Although I am a New York Giants fan at heart, I admire everything that is Brett Favre. If there is one man who represents the child in all of us that loves playing sports, it's Brett Favre. Take one look at the photograph of him winning the 1996 Super Bowl or any touchdown he's thrown to see the little kid in all of us celebrating.

The game was never about money to Favre. Favre didn't play so he could make the almighty buck or to celebrate touchdowns. He played the game because he loved the sport. He played with an enthusiasm for the sport that few can parallel.

One moment that sticks with me is Favre's game against Oakland the night after his father died. With all of the emotion that was boiled up in him at that moment, for him to be able to go out there and do what he did was simply incredible. You could see the pain on his face through that game. Watching that game, you almost felt like his father was out there with him guiding him.

Was Brett Favre the strongest quarterback? No. Was he the smartest quarerback? No. But Favre played the game like no one else and broke records left and right. Although he might not measure up with some quarterbacks like Brady, Bradshaw or Montana in terms of championships, the leadership that Favre exalted is unparalleled.

Brett Favre was the Green Bay Packers. He was the Lambeau Leap. He was the city of Green Bay. The man was as goo a leader at the hardest postion in sports as one can find.

Although Favre's last memory might be throwing a game-losing interception to the Giants in the NFC Championship, his accomplishments are as plentiful as any quaterback.

The Packers had a legitmate chance to make the Super Bowl this upcoming season, but Favre called it quits. Enough was enough. He left on his terms and is walking out a legend in the sport of professional football.

Thanks Brett for the memories.