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Well there goes the season

2011-06-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

Joba Chamberlain is almost certainly out for the year. After Mariano Rivera, the Yankees' bullpen consists of David Robertson, Boone Logan and the cast of Melrose Place (or a group of people similarly ineffective).

It's June 9 and I'm calling it folks. The Yankees will not make the playoffs this year. They're not good enough to win without a bullpen.

More to come.

Link of the Day: Yankees really MLB's best?

2011-06-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

As a diehard Yankee fan, I want to believe Joe Lemire's contention on SI.com that "it's been hard not to overrate what the Yankees have done on the field." In his recent Power Rankings, Lemire placed the Bombers at No. 1. But as a sportswriter, I have to take issue with Lemire anointing the Yanks as the league's best because he bases his ranking in large part on the possibly transient pitching of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia.

"[G.M. Brian Cashman's] bargain-basement signings of starters Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia look genius," Lemire gushes -- and he's right. At this point in the season Cashman's decision to sign the former aces-turned-castoffs looks pretty damn good. But both Colon and Garcia have extensive injury histories and are on pace to pitch far more innings than anyone can reasonably expect. Check out their innings counts from the past five years:

Colon
2007: 99.1
2008: 38.0
2009: 62.1
2010: 0
2011: 66.1

Garcia
2007: 58.0
2008: 15.0
2009: 56.0
2010: 157.0
2011: 56.2

Colon has thrown more innings so far this year than the last two years combined, while Garcia is coming off a 2010 season where he nearly tripled his 2009 output and is on pace to throw even more innings this year. Yankees fans have seen the devastating dead arm effects of a major innings bump already this season in Phil Hughes, who is not expected to return until after the All-Star Break. It's not a stretch to say that Garcia or Colon -- or both -- will have significant declines in production in the second half of the season. And with Hughes's return an uncertain prospect at best, the Bombers could very well find themselves with major pitching concerns come August.

The Yankees are certainly playing better than many prognosticators expected. But baseball's best? That's a real stretch.

The Greatness of Mariano Rivera

2011-05-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Read my story for the Atlantic on the wonder that is Mariano here.

Link of the Day: Worst NBA Draft ever?

2011-05-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Leave it to Cleveland to have two top-four picks (No. 1 and No. 4) in what many experts are calling the worst draft class ever. That argument was unwittingly strengthened by Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick in his latest mock draft. Check out Amick's projected top eight picks:

1. Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke
2. Derrick Williams, SF, Arizona
3. Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky
4. Enes Kanter, C, Kentucky (by way of Turkey, didn't play a single minute for UK)
5. Jonas Valanciunas, PF, Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
6. Jan Veesly, PF, KK Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
7. Donatas Motiejunas, PF, Benetton Treviso (Italy)
8. Bismack Biyombo, PF, Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain)

The list speaks for itself, but to recap: projected picks 4-8 are big men who've played a combined zero NCAA games and have zero minutes of meaningful basketball in the United States. Forget Dirk Nowitzki's recent surge, the guy's a once-in-a-generation player. Think Nikoloz Tskitishvili x 5.

The 2000 NBA Draft class is widely considered the worst of all time (only three combined All-Star appearances from the entire class and only one semi-elite player, Michael Redd). But if five European big men really go in the top eight picks, 2011 could be the new loser.

Giants Draft Recap: A Prince and some paupers

2011-05-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

Since the NFL draft is the only topical pro football event that doesn't involve the hair-pulling machinations of the American legal system or labor negotiations (unless you count Rex Ryan's appearance on the Colbert Report, which honestly desrves its own post), we might as well break it down from the Giants' and Jets' perspective. We'll get to Ryan's picks tomorrow, but for now let's examine the Good, the Bad and the Unknown from Big Blue's 2011 draft.

THE GOOD
Prince Amukamara: The cornerback from Nebraska and No. 19 overall pick isn't just the Giants' answer to the royal wedding, he's the best corner they've drafted since they took Jason Sehorn with the 59th pick in the 1994 draft. Beyond creating a potential gold mine of snappy headlines for the back pages of the New York tabloids, Prince was the consensus No. 2 cover corner in the draft behind LSU's Patrick Peterson and will be an immediate impact player.

A three-year starter in college, Prince earned the ultimate sign of respect from offensive coordinators in the high-octane Big 12 last year: they completly stopped throwing his way. Prince's 2010 numbers were thus misleading a la Darrelle Revis -- while he didn't have any INTs (after snaring five to go along with 11 pass breakups his junior year), he anchored a Nebraska defense that allowed fewer passing yards than the 2009 squad despite losing All-American defensive tackle and elite pass rusher Ndamukong Suh.

Blessed with size (6-foot-1, 205 lbs) and speed (a blistering 4.38 40-yard dash time), Prince should compete with incumbents Tyrus Thomas and Corey Webster for a starting job this year. Anyone who watched Thomas commit a stupid penalty last year (or worse, witnessed nickel cornerback Aaron Ross get consistenly abused on deep routes) knows this is a good thing.

Greg Jones: As a Northwestern alum, I'm a frequent watcher of Big Ten football games that go unnoticed by most people outside of the Midwest. Thus most gridiron watchers probably missed out on Michigan State's Jones, who has what analysts blithely describe as "a nose for the ball." The middle linebacker had 100+ tackles in each of his last three seasons, peaking with 153 his junior year. "He would be a steal in the fifth round," Grand Rapid Press scribe Greg Johnson wrote on draft day; the Giants nabbed him late in the sixth. Given Big Blue's continuing struggle to replace Antonio Pierce at middle linebacker (current starting hopefuls include Jonathan Goff and the game but painfully unathletic Chase Blackburn), the Giants got serious value with such a low pick.

Defensive depth: Despite finishing seventh in total defense last season, the Giants were only average (17th) in scoring defense, yielding 21.7 points per game. The year before that, they were 13th in total defense but 30th in scoring defense -- in fact, not since 2005 has Big Blue had a higher ranking in points allowed than yards allowed. Why? A lack of depth, which led to fourth-quarter meltdowns (see: Week 15 vs. Philadelphia) and inconsistent play from week to week (according to footballoutsiders.com, the Giants ranked third in Total Defense Valued Over Average but 31st in variance, which measures week-to-week changes in teams' DVOA).

So what did the Giants do? They used their first two draft picks and five of eight overall on defensive players. That's addressing a need in my book.

THE BAD
Only one offesnive lineman: On the flip side of the "addressing your needs" argument is Big Blue's failure to deal with the team's most glaring weakness: offensive line play. Though the Giants gave up only 16 sacks last year, tied for fewest in the league, there were ominous signs of aging from a starting line that averaages 31 years old and 10 years of NFL experience. There's a good chance that three years from now none of the current starters will be in football, and yet the Giants used only one draft choice on an O-Lineman, Indiana tackle James Brewer in the fourth round.

Jerrel Jernigan: Wasting a third-round pick on an undersized slot receiver/kick returner from Troy (the unversity, not the historic location) would have been bad enough before the NFL announced its rule changes for next season. But since the NFL moved up kickoffs to the 35-yard line -- a decision that significantly reduces the value of return position because of the expected spike in touchbacks -- Jernigan's primary value to the team isn't so valuable after all. The Giants knew this and picked him anyway, suggesting that upper management is so underwhelemd by the team's current return corps that they would overvalue a KR who at best will be a limited contributor on offense.

THE UNKNOWN
Brewer: The Indiana tackle will probably have a chance to contribute in 2011, particuarly if right tackle Kareem McKenzie continues his heroic push towards 400 pounds. But few draft analaysts tabbed Brewer as an impact player, and it's highly questionable (read: unlikely) that he will be a franchise or even above average lineman.

Marvin Austin: Anytime you use a second-pick on a guy who didn't play AT ALL in 2010, you're taking a big risk. A projected first-round pick after the 2009 college season, the North Carolina defensive tackle was suspended for the entire 2010 season because an agent paid for his travel in the offseason.

Austin will be something of a project, and with the lockout keeping draftees from working with team officials he probably won't make a huge impact right away. BUT (and this is a big but) he has the potential to be a Warren Sapp-type player. He's 310 pounds, he's quick, and he plays with a mean streak reminiscent of the former Buccaneers star whose Twitter handle is 'qbkilla'. While I will miss fellow Northwestern alum Barry Cofield (who will now likely be gone because he's asking for too much money in his new contract), I am champing at the bit to see Austin play.

Knicks Offseason Primer

2011-04-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

With yesterday's announcement that the Knicks will pick up Chauncey Billups's $14.2 million option for next season, their offseason options have become severely limited. Thanks in large part to the lucrative contracts of Billups, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have approximately $60 million in committed salary for next year. Last year's salary cap was just $58.5 million, and with a new collective bargaining agreement on the way and the league griping about teams losing money, next year's cap will likely be lower.

There won't be any big free-agent signings this summer a la Stoudemire, not with all eyes fixed on summer 2012, when Billups's contracts comes off the books and Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard hit the market. But the team can still make use of the $5.8 million mid-level exemption to pick up one or two bargain free agents, and they'll have a mid-first round pick in the draft.

What will they do? It's too early to tell, though there are reports that GM Donnie Walsh is looking to bring back Wilson Chandler, who was shipped to Denver in the Anthony deal. While Chandler would give the Knicks a reliable swingman and a defensive stopper to guard Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Luol Deng and the Eastern Conference's other small forwards, he would be fighting for minutes because Anthony and Stoudemire are fixtures at the small forward and power forward positions. Can Chandler accept a bench role and not repeat the disappearing act he just pulled off in Denver (4.8 ppg in the Nuggets' 4-1 first-round series loss to Oklahoma City)? I say yes -- he liked the New York limelight and was visibly affected by the trade.

But what SHOULD the Knicks do? For that, let's turn to Knicks season-ticket holder, aficionado and general superfan Matt Belsito:

Let's start with the draft. The Knicks should be targeting size in the draft, and this is perfect year to find it. Either of the Morris twins from Kansas [Marcus and Markieff] should be able to come in and compete on the glass and defensive end, and I have a feeling that if one is available that is the direction that Walsh will choose to go. There are also a lot of intriguing names towards the end of the first round/second round bubble. Kenneth Faried is Dejuan Blair 2.0, and NBA execs are starting realize that size is not the only factor that goes into rebounding. Faried is a monster on the glass, and should be able to hold on his own on the low block. He'll almost certainly be available when the Knicks pick. The question will be: is it too early?

I'd also like to see the Knicks purchase a pick late in the first round (often times teams will outright sell their pick for $3 million, the max allowed by league rules). There are some intriguing names that fit the Knicks' style of play: I wouldn't mind taking a chance on someone with a winning pedigree like Kyle Singler. Other interesting first round bubble guys: Nolan Smith, Duke point guard; JuJuan Johnson, Purdue power forward; Vernon Macklin, Florida power forward (my personal sleeper pick in this draft).

On to free agency. This paragraph is really contingent on the league not eliminating the midlevel exception. With only around $6 million to play with and no real talent available at that price, my move would be to sign [Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard] Michael Redd. I know the guy hasn't played since the Clinton administration, but shooters shoot, and this guy can straight stroke it. For the veteran minimum (usually somewhere around $1.3 million) this is a chance I'm willing take for a guy who could be a 10 point a game scorer off the bench with the ability to stretch the floor for Melo/Amare. With the remaining funds I would target just one player: [Utah Jazz forward] Andrei Kirilenko. This guy screams: "I'm a perfect fit for the Knicks!!!!!" A flexible defender who can guard shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards with ease and at a high level, "AK47" has been in the playoffs on multiple occasions and has a gorgeous wife. He would be great in transition, if Billups's corpse can move that fast, and he gives coach Mike D'Antoni the flexibility to go small (Billups, Landry Fields, Melo, Amare, AK47) or big (Billups, AK47, Melo, Amare, Ronny Turiaf). Kirilenko is basically a rich man's Jared Jefferies. He has had problems with management in Utah, and there is almost no chance they bring him back.

Yanks-Rays thoughts

2010-09-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

Went to the Yanks’ 8-6 win over the Rays last night, a game that from start to finish (and even before it started) is best described as bizarre. With that in mind, a few thoughts, rated on a scale of one to five Alvin Greene howls (and trust me, that defines bizarre).

--Before the game, the Yankees honored George Steinbrenner with a video tribute, a parade of past Yankee greats and a staggeringly colossal plaque in Monument Park. I mean, this thing is huge. It’s seven feet by five feet. 7x5! Not only was the gargantuan monument an a propos tribute to a man who loomed large over all things pinstripes, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Steinbrenner hadn’t ordered the monument to be built in his honor after he died. It’d be a typical Boss move.

Anyway, my dad had the best idea for how best to utilize George’s giant head, which is so visible from home plate that it has to be obscured by a curtain to avoid distracting hitters. Pops suggested that at a critical moment in, say, a playoff game, the plaque is unveiled while the opposing team is batting. Gorgeous George writ large = called strike three. (FOUR HOWLS)

--Among the luminaries who came to pay tribute were Joe Torre and Don Mattingly, neither of whom had been at either Yankee Stadium since they went to the Dodgers after the 2007 season. Since then, Mattingly has waited patiently and will take over as L.A.’s manager next season. As for Torre, he reportedly engaged in a painfully awkward moment with GM Brian Cashman as the cameras rolled. Memo to ESPN and everyone else who said the two ‘settled their differences’: That was not a reconciliation. That was a momentary détente so the media would shut up about their non-story of a feud. (ONE HOWL)

--Ivan Nova deserved the win. He also deserves to be on the playoff roster. Unless of course you think the team should carry only 10 pitchers or Chad Gaudin. (ONE HOWL)

--What a great night for Curtis Granderson. Two towering home runs, five RBIs, and a late-inning stolen base to boot. His second home run (which proved to be the game-winner) bounced high off the right-field foul pole, a sight I’ve never witnessed live. It really is a beautiful thing to witness. (TWO HOWLS)

--I’m not even sure where to begin a discussion of Joe Girardi’s game management last night. So I’m just going to go batter by batter in the disastrous sixth inning, which began with the Yankees up 4-0.

Jason Bartlett singles to left. The Yankees had just scored two and stranded three in the bottom of the fifth. So Nova, who’s got good stuff but is still just a kid, was almost certainly going to be rusty after cooling his heels during the long half inning. But no one’s warming in the bullpen. Again, let me say NOVA IS JUST A KID

John Jaso walks on five pitches. And the one strike came on 3-0. Nova is obviously rattled. I mean, a small child can see this. And yet the bullpen is still empty. No one is even warming up! At this point, I had begun muttering.

Ben Zobrist singles to right. Bases loaded, no one out. Boone Logan is finally warming in the ‘pen, but not quickly enough to save poor Nova, who undoubtedly remembers his last start against Tampa, when he came unglued in the fifth inning and blew a 6-0 lead. At this point a farm animal would signaled for Logan with its hoof or other relevant appendage. But incredibly, Girardi stays put.

Carl Crawford reaches on catcher’s interference. Admittedly, not Nova’s fault—chalk it up to Francisco Cervelli being a moron. But if Nova wasn’t rattled before, he certainly is now. I may or may not have been hurling obscenities around this time.

Evan Longoria grounds into double play. Run scored, and now it’s 4-2. Only now does Girardi rescue Nova, who exits to a well-deserved ovation. It’s Boone Logan time.

Dan Johnson singles to right. Now it’s 4-3, and we can see a righty warming up in the bullpen. Is it Joba? David Robertson? Kerry Wood?

Matt Joyce walks on five pitches. Wait…it can’t be…that’s Gaudin warming up. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carlos Pena reaches on infield single. Really bad luck. Especially since it prompts Girardi to signal for Gaudin. God help us.

B.J. Upton walks on five pitches. A bases loaded walk. Tie game. Unbelievable, if not at all shocking.

Jason Bartlett flies out to left. After working the count to 3-2 and nearly causing me to swallow my tongue. Inning over. Finally.

Nova should have been a supertight leash in the sixth. A young pitcher who’s cruising along is far more likely to get cold after a long sit on the bench. Girardi managed Nova like he was fricking C.C. Sabathia. Guess what, Joe? HE’S JUST A DAMN KID!!!!!

And once Logan had failed to get out of the inning, how in God’s name can you go to Chad Gaudin?? That guy should only be pitching if it’s the 20th inning or we’re at least 10 runs up or down. The obvious answer is that Girardi didn’t want to burn any of his three real setup guys in the sixth. And that’s fine—if it were mid-May. But it’s not, Joe. It’s mid-September and we’re a half game ahead of these guys and if you or anyone else thinks we’re winning the World Series as a wild card, I have a Ponzi scheme to sell you. Terrible managing, all the way ‘round. (FIVE HOWLS)

--Girardi got a measure of redemption with a slick hit-and-run call in the bottom of the inning. Cervelli slapped a ball right where the shortstop would’ve been, Brett Gardner went to third, and the big inning was on. Good call. Perfect execution.

--And finally, home plate umpire Tim Mcclenland may or may not have been in the Twilight Zone the entire game. In brief, he squeezed both teams’ pitchers indiscriminately, got all macho and barked at Kerry Wood for staring too long at him, punched out A-Rod on a pitch that was no fewer than three inches inside and finished the night off by squeezing Mariano Rivera, of all people. Just as long as he's not screwing up the ALCS, I guess. (FIVE HOWLS)

Monday Musings

2010-09-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

--I wish I’d written more extensively about this over the weekend, but… I didn’t. Whatever (copyright: Bill Simmons, circa 2003). That being said, I think Yankee fans take Alex Rodriguez for granted. There has been so much ink wasted on steroid use and bizarre magazine covers and Madonna hookups and divorce and “get off my mound” that we have lost sight of the once-in-a-lifetime experience that is watching A-Rod on a daily basis. The media circus has obscured the greatness of the man. I mean, we’re talking about arguably one of the 10 best hitters OF ALL TIME and for my money the best right-handed hitter the Yankees HAVE EVER HAD and yet when greatness comes up we all think about Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and A-Rod gets sort of taken for granted. Which is a mistake.

Take Friday night’s two-out, two-strike, last-gasp three-run homer to literally snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a game the Yankees really needed. The New York columnists’ reaction was a barely perceptible shrug. But make no mistake—it was awesome. And A-Rod’s 2009 postseason was quite simply extraordinary. There is no one else I have ever seen on the Yankees in my lifetime that could duplicate that postseason. Not even close.

So the next time you watch the Yankees and A-Rod does something incredible (and that’s a when, not if statement), take a moment and cherish getting to see one of the greatest players ever play in his prime. Yes, there’s a big asterisk entitled STEROID USE. But even with the juice, what he’s done—and more importantly, what he’s capable of—is remarkable.

--Random college football thought of the week: All talk of Washington QB Jake Locker being EITHER a leading Heisman candidate or the surefire No. 1 pick in next year’s draft needs to cease. Immediately. Locker’s statline from Nebraska’s 56-21 pasting of the Huskies on Saturday: 4-20 (4-20!), 71 yards, 1TD, 2 INTs. I don’t care how overmatched your team is—you don’t get to be considered the top quarterback prospect in the country if you complete 20 percent of your passes and make Mark Sanchez’s Week 1 line look stellar.

--In the plethora of laudatory articles about Sanchez’s play against the Patriots, there were several columnists who praised his successful two-minute drill at the end of the first half, which led to a 49-yard Nick Folk field goal that gave the Jets momentum going into halftime. But no one gave any credit to Folk. A 49-yard field goal is no gimme, especially when a miss would deflate your team going into the break. By nailing the kick, Folk ensured that Sanchez’s drive was a success and set the stage for Gang Green outscoring New England 18-0 in the second half on its way to a 28-14 win. Sanchez deserves the lion’s share of the credit, sure—just don’t forget about Folk.

--Either Michael Vick’s advisers have started earning their money, or he really has gotten smarter. The former dogfighting operator/prison inmate/PETA pariah has had a couple missteps since re-entering the NFL, most notably when his friend was involved in a shooting at a party hosted by Vick. But when it comes to his football life, the Eagles’ quarterback has—pardon the cliché—said all the right things. Take his statement Monday that injured starter Kevin Kolb is Philly’s “leader” and that he is “OK” with being the backup. This after he played a flawless game in Kolb’s place, throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-32 win.

Whether or not Vick is sincere is immaterial to some degree, because he doesn’t have to say that he’s the better quarterback and would give the Eagles a better chance of making the playoffs. Every Philadelphia sports radio host, blogger and itinerant fan will say it for him. That Vick is ostensibly putting the team before him will only increase the calls for him to be named starter. And he—or at least his P.R. person—has to know that.

Yankees-Phillies musings

2010-06-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Musings on the Yankees’ 6-3 loss to the Phils last night, which unfortunately I saw in person…

--Bad A.J. Burnett. BAD A.J. BURNETT!

--Hate to criticize the good people who actually pony up for Yankees season tickets, but… how do you not show up to this game?? It’s a World Series rematch on a Wednesday night! Yet the stands were only 80 percent full, and the loudest cheers of the game came from Phillies fans. There are midseason tickets to give away and midseason tickets to keep, and this game belonged in the latter category.

--Czechvar beer: surprisingly good. Price tag of $11: not so much.

--I really should stop being surprised by Jamie Moyer. Every time I watch him pitch, I see his first 81-mph fastball of the night and think, “He’s about to get shelled.” And sometimes he does. But more often than not, he infuriates hitters with his Greg Maddux-like accuracy and the sadistic late movement on his pitches. Other than solo home runs by Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada, Moyer didn’t allow a baserunner until two outs in the seventh inning. At 47, the southpaw is the oldest pitcher to get a win against the Bombers in MLB history. There’s a reason he’s still out there pitching for a World Series contender while most of his contemporaries have been on the links for a decade.

--Best celebrity sighting: Simon and Garfunkel (though poor Art is looking more like Bea from “Grandma’s Boy” every day.)

--Worst celebrity sighting: Kathy Griffin. No comment.

--Not only is Cano leading the majors in batting average and hits, he’s seeing a lot more pitches than at any point in his career. After blasting a looooong home run to right field his first time up, the Yanks’ second baseman struck out in his second at-bat. But he worked the count from 1-2 to 3-2, a rarity for the former free swinger. Just another reason that Cano should be hitting third in the lineup and Mark Texeira should be hitting fifth.

--Again: ROBINSON CANO SHOULD BE HITTING THIRD AND MARK TEIXEIRA SHOULD BE HITTING FIFTH

--Heard in the crowd: “Texeira has one of the worst swings in baseball. He uppercuts at the ball every time from the right side.” Disclaimer: This was said by a Mets’ fan.

--I can look past Burnett’s pathetic performance (3 1/3 innings, six hits, four walks, six earned runs). The guy’s a mercurial head case, and you have to expect 4-5 starts a year where his stuff just isn’t there. But his failure to cover first base on a shot down the line that Teixeira stabbed is unforgivable. A.J., I don’t care that you’re pissed off because you’re playing like crap and gave up an RBI single to a guy hitting .143. Cover the damn base.

--Fielding roundup for Posada: Failed to stop a “wild pitch” from Burnett, let 38-year-old Raul Ibanez steal on him, dropped a pitchout when Chase Utley was actually going, and soft tossed a throw intended for Burnett into the ground five feet in front of him. The Jesus Montero era cannot come soon enough. As for Jorge… take the designated hitter role. Please. For all our sakes.

--One more time, with feeling: NO! NO! BAD A.J.!!!!

Quote of the Day, 6/15/10

2010-06-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

I think you can pencil [Robinson] Cano in for .340 average, 20-30 homers and 100 RBIs from here until the end of his career.

-John Kruk, Baseball Tonight analyst and former MLB first baseman

The last player to consistently put up those numbers was Ted Williams. Even Albert Pujols doesn't meet that standard (his career average is "just" .333.) And Cano has been playing up to his admittedly vast potential for all of two months.

In the immortal words of George Costanza: "Easy, BIG FELLA!"

Phil Hughes' Remarkable Run

2010-06-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Remarkable storylines abound on the 2010 New York Yankees. Ageless wonder Andy Pettitte is 8-1 with a 2.46 ERA! Robinson Cano is leading the team in nearly every offensive category and is the runaway AL MVP so far! Alex Rodriguez has a minor injury that requires an impromptu news conference and hundreds of mentions in the press!

(OK, the last is more irritating than remarkable. But what else would you expect from A-Rod?)

The fans and media must be saturated with “Yankee X is on fire!” stories. At least that’s the only explanation I can think of for why Phil Hughes’ superlative start has gone relatively unnoticed.

The 23-year old flamethrower is an astounding 9-1 with a 3.11 ERA after picking up the win in Sunday’s 9-5 victory over the Quadruple-A Astros (not really, but they certainly didn’t belong on the same field as the Bombers this weekend.) Hughes has a team-leading 74 strikeouts against just 22 walks and is neck-and-neck with Pettitte and Tampa Bay’s David Price in the AL Cy Young race.

By itself, Hughes’ start is noteworthy. To appreciate how truly extraordinary it is, let’s wind the clocks back four months.

Back in spring training, Hughes wasn’t just a back-of-the-rotation pitcher—-he hadn’t even earned a starting spot yet. Battling with fellow young phenom Joba Chamberlain for the No. 5 spot, Hughes was just as likely to start the season in the bullpen. The media provided daily coverage of the back-and-forth battle, and SportsCenter ran side-by-side graphics throughout March comparing the duo’s spring training numbers. On the strength of an improved strikeout-to-walk ratio and strong outings in late March, Hughes got the fifth rotation spot. But a hamstring tweak here or a dismal performance there, and Joba gets the nod while Hughes languishes in the bullpen.

Instead, a guy who’s never thrown more than 86 innings in a season and had only 13 wins in his career blossomed into the pitcher the Yankees always hoped he would be. And Hughes’ consistency is almost more impressive than his stats. He’s thrown at least 99 pitches and gotten through the fifth inning in all 12 of his starts, mixing a slew of standout appearances with a couple mediocre outings. Not once has he looked like the pitcher who gave up eight runs in 1.2 innings in one start next year.

In short, Hughes has gone from back-of-the-rotation question mark to elite MLB starter almost literally overnight. And despite his mediocre outing on Sunday, he shows no signs of slowing down.

Hughes’ torrid start may not survive the summer, and even if it does he’ll most likely hit his de facto innings limit of 160-170 by the end of August if he keeps pitching every five days (the latest iteration of the Joba Rules, which translates nicely to ‘Hughes Rules’.) But until then, don’t overlook one of the most incredible stories of the Yankees’ season so far.

Introducing The Daily Denizen!

2010-06-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

When most people think of famous figures in New York sports lore, they inevitably arrive at the same names, legends like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Lawrence Taylor (to name a few). Younger fans will go for today’s household names: Jeter, A-Rod, Eli Manning. But in the 164 years since Alexander Cartwright organized the world’s first baseball game at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, an endless list of characters left their indelible mark on Big Apple sports. These men and women may not be as well-known as Jeter or the Babe, but their lives were no less extraordinary.

So here, on The Back Page, we will pay homage to them with a recurring feature called The Daily Denizen. The word ‘denizen’ is best defined as ‘inhabitant,’ and while those honored here did not garner the headlines and attention of some of their peers, they most certainly inhabited New York and its sports scene. Enjoy.

Today’s Denizen (our first ever!) is EDD ROUSH One of baseball’s brightest stars at the beginning of the 20th century, Roush played for five teams in his Hall of Fame career. Like the other greats of his day, Roush hit for average and played with speed, finishing his career with a .323 career batting average and 182 triples, tied for 15th all-time with the equally immortal Ed Konetchy.

On the surface, Roush is unusual Denizen material. He made his biggest impact on another city, spending the prime of his career with the Cincinnati Reds. Fellow Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, Cincinnati’s second baseman during the “Big Red Machine” years, called Roush “the best of us all,” high praise from a guy who played with Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. And Roush only spent four years playing pro ball in the New York area.

But it doesn’t matter, because Mr. Roush had too many things going for him. For one thing, his name was “Edd,” presumably because he was cool enough to pull off the second D. Or maybe it was because he swung a gargantuan 48-ounce bat, which is more than enough to earn him my posthumous moniker “The Lumberjack.” Remember when Yankee fans were fawning over Alfonso Soriano for swinging such a heavy bat? That was 34 ounces. Babe Ruth? Though he began his career using a 54-ounce bat, the Bambimo had dropped down to 40 ounces by his 60-homer season in 1927. So whether Roush spoke softly or not, he carried a bigger stick than the Sultan of Swat in his prime.

Roush also carries a badge of honor held by only 28 men; he played for the Newark Pepper. The Federation League team played in Newark for only one year, 1915, when they sported perhaps the best baseball team name of all time. I mean, the Pepper? Anytime you come up with a name that encapsulates the whimsy of baseball and rolls snappily off the tongue, you’ve struck gold.

So for his two Ds, 2,376 hits, three-pound bat and Federation League affiliation, Edd Roush is The Back Page’s Denizen for the day. Now get out there and play some pepper.

Link'd Up: Nets hire Avery Johnson

2010-06-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Apparently the Phil Jackson-to-New Jersey rumors (dispelled by Jackson himself, and possibly started by Jackson himself) were simple hearsay. ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting the Nets have agreed to terms with Avery Johnson to fill the team's head coaching vacancy. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Johnson, who was 194-70 in three-plus seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and led them to the 2006 NBA Finals, will be reunited with point guard Devin Harris, who averaged 16.6 points per game last season but shot a career-worst 40.3 percent from the field.

A former point guard who played 16 NBA seasons, Johnson's earned a permanent place in New York sports lore when he sank a championship-winning jump shot for the Spurs against the Knicks in Game 5 of the 1999 Finals. Now, he has a chance to steal the Knicks' thunder again--this time from just across the river.

Comeback Time

2010-06-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hey all. So I've been, shall we say, lax in posting the last couple months. In my defense, I still had a better spring than Mark Teixeira.

But seriously, folks, I'm back. I'm once again living in the Big Apple and ready to bring you the best of my hometown sports. Let's get it re-started with a rundown of the New York teams.

NEW YORK YANKEES: You can’t help but be impressed by Javier Vazquez. After starting the year so bad he was temporarily moved to the bullpen, Javy is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in his last four starts. As leery as I am of the Vazquez bandwagon, a couple more starts like Sunday’s gem against Toronto (seven innings, two earned runs, a no-hitter through six) will get at least one of my feet on it.

NEW YORK METS: The sordid sage of Oliver Perez is on hold—for now. The mercurial pitcher—who’s been dismal of late—had refused to accept a temporary demotion to the minors, where he could have worked on his mechanics and, you know, gotten better. So the Mets stuck him on the DL with “right knee tendinitis,” the cure for which is undoubtedly a healthy dose of contrition.

NEW YORK JETS: Darrelle Revis has employed the “better late than never” philosophy, joining the team just three days before the end of voluntary workouts. Revis and the team are “far apart” in contract discussions, an ominous sign for Jets fans who watched the league’s best defensive player (deal with it, Charles Woodson) shut down one elite receiver after another last year. Nice to see Revis show up, but it doesn’t change the sense that this dispute could drag on into the summer.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Little to report. Osi Umenyiora's still on the team and has said he won't be a "distraction" despite the G-Men essentially drafting his replacement in Jason Pierre-Paul. So that's nice.

NEW YORK KNICKS: LeBron James isn't a free agent until July 1. Neither is Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or anybody else. Let's all take a chill pill until then.

NEW JERSEY NETS: See above. Or, if you're looking for a good laugh, check out this profile of new owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

HOCKEY: When a New York-area team gets out of the first round, we'll talk hockey.

COLLEGES: Cornell lost the architect of its Sweet 16 run when Steve Donohue bolted for greener pastures (literally) at Boston College. The Big Red also lost seniors Ryan Wittman, Jeff Foote, and Louis Dale to graduation. Let's just say expecting another Sweet 16 appearance might be a tad optimistic.

HIGH SCHOOLS: Far be it from me to make a shameless plug for my alma mater, but... how 'bout those Collegiate Dutchmen! Not only did the hoops teams win its third straight New York State Federation Class B title, but coach Ray Voelkel was named All-Manhattan boys basketball Coach of the Year by the New York Post. That's how you get a program "untracked."

Link'd Up: The Latest Coup for the Jets

2010-04-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

In the world of major Jets' free agent acquisitions, Santonio Holmes is so yesterday.

The latest addition to Gang Green is active sack leader Jason Taylor, the veteran defensive end who has spent all but one of his 13 NFL season on the Miami Dolphins, arguably the Jets' biggest rival. The Jets have reportedly signed Taylor to a two-year deal, with $1.75 million guaranteed for 2010 and a number of performance-based incentives.

Taylor had seven sacks last season for the Dolphins and is 11th all-time in sacks with 127.5 (for you Giants fans out there, that's five sacks fewer than Lawrence Taylor and 14 fewer than Michael Strahan). During his time with Miami, Taylor clashed with the Jets many times and famously said: "Some Jets fans take the 'cl' out of class." But the veteran lineman is nearing the end of his career and clearly has Ray Bourque Syndrome--namely, the desire to win a championship, whatever it takes.

Taylor should thrive in Rex Ryan's attacking 3-4 defense, even if his primary task is to command two blockers and free up blitzers. His subtraction from Miami's defense--he has 16.5 career sacks against the Jets--is an added bonus. And he'll bring veteran leadership to a team filled with young players at the skill positions (and one added head case in Holmes).

Another week, another free agent coup for the Jets. AFC East favorites? Maybe.

Rivera 1, Joe West 0

2010-04-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Baseball is a languorous sport. There is no game clock, no best 3-of-5 sets or 18th hole--you play until one team wins. That leads to long games, especially in the era of four-minute commercial breaks and batters stepping out between most pitches.

That fact has apparently been lost on veteran umpire Joe West, who ripped the Yankees and Red Sox after they averaged a length of 3:39 per game in their three-game set this week. "It's embarrassing and pathetic," West told the Bergen County Record. "They take too long to play."

I could respond that the opening night game (clocked in at 3:46) included stoppages for "God Bless America" and "Sweet Caroline," that all three games were tied in the seventh or later, leading to more pitching changes and deliberate play, and that New York-Boston games are always long. But why respond myself when Mariano Rivera has already said it all?

A man of few words and fewer put-downs, Rivera angrily fired back at West, telling the New York Post the teams "don't want to play four-hour games, but that's what it takes." Turning to West's comments, Rivera was incredulous--and pissed.

It's incredible. If he has places to go, let him do something else. What does he want us to do, swing at balls?

Not only is Rivera as sharp with the tongue as he is with the cutter, he's absolutely right. Both teams played completely within the rules. Against good pitchers (which both teams have in spades) batters are going to step out regularly in an attempt to disrupt their timing. That's perfectly legal, AND it works.

If West really has a gripe with the length of games, he should appeal to Major League Baseball to change the rules (for example, give hurlers a max of 15 seconds between pitches and limit batters to one step-out per at bat). Whining to the press and calling two of the most professional teams in baseball "pathetic" doesn't change anything, Joe. The only pathetic figure here is you.

2010 Yankees Season Preview: The Road to 28

2010-04-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful spring day in New York. Perfectly sunny, temperatures pushing 70 degrees. The kind of day that gets you outside, rejuvenates you, and gets you excited for spring/summer in all their glory.

Translation: IT'S BASEBALL SEASON

Welcome to the 2010 MLB season, where rising young hurlers abound and the National League has slightly more overall talent than the International League (that's Triple A, folks). Oh, and the Yankees are the defending champs.

The Bombers' 27th world championship led to a unique offseason for the Steinbrenners and Brian Cashman. After the disaster that was 2008 (for those of you who blocked it out, the Yanks missed the playoffs), Cashman added C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira--you know, two transcendent players and a solid No. 2 starter. As offseasons go, it was pretty huge.

Fast-forward to last winter. Cashman was in a very different position this time around--the Yanks had just hoisted Title No. 27 and entered the offseason with only a few holes (left/center field, No. 4/5 starters, big bat off the bench). And the Yankees had already pledged to lower their payroll. (Which is like saying the UConn women decided to win by only 30 points a game. But still.)

With that in mind, I'd argue Cashman had more of a coup this offseason than last. Anyone can hook marquee free agents if they're able to spend 10-20 percent more than every other team in baseball. It takes real ingenuity to cut spending AND get the glue guys you need to limit your weaknesses.

So in the 2010 Yankees, we have a team that's 90 percent similar to last year's champs. What's interesting is the many nuances of that other 10 percent. This is a preview replete with parenthetical looks at what I'll call "Tweaks," the subtle changes to the mostly finished product that make the Bombers the odds-on favorite to repeat as World Series champions.

Let's break it down.

CATCHER: In one of my latest spirited baseball conversations with my father, I casually mentioned my thoughts on the career hitting arcs of above average catchers. My theory was that even the best offensive backstoppers have 10, maybe 12 stellar hitting years in them. After that, the long-term grind of getting behind the plate 150+ times a year takes its toll on knees/backs/shoulders, combining with the inevitable march of time to wreck catchers' offensive production.

That sounds good on paper. But is it really true? Here's a (very) small dose of sabermetrics to analyze the "best hitting catchers" of the last 40 years. The stat: OPS (on-base percentage + slugging). My stat: ACAOPS (above career average OPS, or more simply, a year in which the player's OPS was higher than his career OPS).

JOHNNY BENCH
Consecutive years with ACAOPS: 11 (age 21-31, excluding the 1973 and 1976 seasons)
Years of ACAOPS after that stretch: 0

MIKE PIAZZA
Consecutive years with ACAOPS: 9 (age 24-32)
Years of ACAOPS after that stretch: 0

IVAN RODRIGUEZ
Consecutive years with ACAOPS: 11 (age 22-32, excluding the 1995 season)
Years of ACAOPS after that stretch: 0

So arguably the three best hitting catchers since Yogi Berra hung up his spikes had long stretches of consistent offensive efficiency, then fell off in their early 30s and never came back.

Why the extended parenthesis? Jorge Posada will turn 39 in August. And though his OPS last season was above his career average, it was also down almost 100 points from his recent high in 2007.

I see Posada starting off solid but struggling as the year goes on, losing points off his batting average and slowly sliding down the lineup. Expect 40-50 games of Francisco Cervelli behind the plate, especially in night/day situations and long road trips. Posada's been an integral part of the team since the '98 season, but this year is his swan song. Can he be a solid No. 6 hitter and deliver his share of big hits? We'll see.

FIRST BASE: You thoughts Teixeira was good last year? Wait 'till you see what he can do when he doesn't hit .191 in his first 32 games. Teix-Mex's season statistics were so good last year that people forgot he was a millstone in the No. 3 spot for a month and a half. Considering his subsequent offensive tear, I chalk it up to his transition to life as a New York sports star.

This year, he's already been an All-Star, an MVP candidate, and a World Series champion in New York. If he starts strong, he's got "monster year" written all over him.

SECOND BASE: Ah, Robbie. Robbie, Robbie Robbie.

Is there a more frustrating Yankee than Robinson Cano? This is a guy who hit .342 in his second full season, had career-best power numbers last year and is by far the most athletically gifted second baseman in baseball.

(Sorry, Chase Utley. You're better than Cano, but his raw athleticism runs circles around yours.)

Then again, that's exactly the point. Cano has the natural gifts Utley and Dustin Pedroia don't, but they're both better players than he is. Why? Because, quite simply, Cano is lazy. He makes backhanded plays looks effortless but misses many grounders a year because he didn't go all out for the ball. He can hit with extra-base power to all fields, but smart pitchers can get him out without putting a pitch in the strike zone. And in my eyes, he hasn't made a real effort to change these glaring holes in his game in the offseason.

Cano could be the best No. 5 hitter in baseball and reel off an MVP-caliber season. Or he could have another year with a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and give Joe Girardi a lot more gray hairs. Of all the returning offensive starters, Cano is the biggest enigma.

SHORTSTOP: Let's assume Derek Jeter isn't adversely affected by married life. That the secret to his success isn't the ability to hook up with the world's hottest women without committing adultery.

(Insert Tiger Woods joke here. I'll wait.

...

And moving on.)

Even if Jeter's personal life doesn't affect him at all, he's not going to duplicate his insane 2009 season. A .406 OBP, 212 hits and 30 stolen bases at the age of 35? He may be a future first ballot Hall of Famer, but he's not putting those numbers up again.

That said, Jeter will still be incredibly well-protected in the lineup (more on that in a minute). And even an off year for the superstar puts his average around .300 with 175+ hits and 100+ runs. Jeter will come back to earth a little this season, but not enough to set the offense back at all. And come October, there's no one in the game I'd rather have leading off. Not even Ichiro.

THIRD BASE: If this were 2008, I would be very worried about Alex Rodriguez. He's spent much of the offseason fending off his latest PED-related issue: his relationship with Dr. Anthony Galea, who is under investigation in Canada for his use of HGH.

The issue has brought the "A-Rod's still on steroids" flag-wavers out of the woodwork once again. It's persistent and annoying, and it's not going away anytime soon.

Given A-Rod's mental toughness pre-2009, it'd be easy to anticipate a below-average season filled with innuendo and "A-Roid" signs in opposing ballparks. Well, the innuendo and the signs are going to happen. But A-Rod has changed. He's won a World Series--in fact, he put the Yankees on his back and carried them to the World Series. And he's won over the New York fans, a feat that seemed impossible a year ago.

What do I expect from the new and mentally improved A-Rod? A 300-400-600 breakdown (BA, OBP, slugging), 45 home runs, 5-8 game-winning hits and a minimum of boos at Yankee Stadium.

LEFT FIELD: Aaaand it gets interesting.

(TWEAKS: Instead of dropping another $100-125 million on star outfielder Matt Holliday, Cashman left the marquee free agent outfielder alone. The result is a starting spot for Brett Gardner, who runs fast, fields well, and hits... we'll say "below average." But Gardner's not expected to hit .300 and blast a bunch of home runs. What he can do is be a gnat in the No. 9 hole, a pesky hitter who finds ways to get on base, turns over the lineup and murders opponents on the basepaths. And I'm not even talking about stolen bases. Can you imagine the first-to-third potential when Gardner forces the first baseman to hold him on, creating a bigger hole for Jeter's patented inside-out swing? That's my dream for Gardner. He's the key to the offensive merry-go-round.)

Suggesting Gardner is the No. 9 hitter without proposing a starting lineup seems a little disingenuous. So...

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Nick Johnson, DH
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Robinson Cano, 2B
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Curtis Granderson, CF
8. Nick Swisher, RF
9. Brett Gardner, LF

Why? Because (as we'll see later) Johnson's high OBP makes him ideal for the No. 2 hole. And because at the end of the day, Granderson has a significantly higher offensive ceiling than Swisher or Gardner, which overrides the added value of putting him in the No. 9 hole.

CENTER FIELD: The biggest change on offense comes in the form of a 29-year old lefty who hit .249 last season and has averaged 142 strikeouts in his four full seasons. Immediately after Cashman's big trade, I voiced my full-throated objections. Let's take a slightly mellower look at Curtis Granderson.

--He's got a very big upside. Take away Granderson's last season (his fourth straight in pitcher-friendly Comerica Park) and his numbers are solid across the board. Particularly impressive is his equal opportunity approach to extra base hits. In 2007 and 2008, Granderson had 26+ doubles, 13+ triples, and 22+ home runs. The new Yankee Stadium has its fair share of nooks and crannies. Expect Granderson to find them--often.

--There's a conveniently short porch in the Bronx. Let's call this the Johnny Damon Corollary. Damon immediately realized the value of the lazy-fly-ball-that-clears-the-right-field-fence, altered his swing accordingly, and tied a career high with 24 home runs. Granderson should be able to employ the same golf swing and could be good for 30 home runs.

--He's going to steal bases. Granderson brings more speed to complement Gardner in the back of the lineup and could become a terror on the basepaths.

Is that enough to overcome his offensive foibles? We'll see. But Granderson will definitely be a positive factor even if he strikes out another 150 times and hits .240.

(In other words, I'm still not sold on this guy)

RIGHT FIELD: Change of pace--here's Nick Swisher in 10 words: Limited range. Gets on base. Jokester. Light-hitting. Playoff bust.

DESIGNATED HITTER: If there's one thing Nick Johnson does, it's get on base. Sporting a .402 career OBP, Johnson will take Johnny Damon's place in the No. 2 hole. He'll also back up Teixeira at first and can play in the outfield if needed. Not bad for a guy the Yanks are paying just $5.5 million this year.

(TWEAKS: Sandwiched between Jeter, Teix, and A-Rod, the No. 2 spot in the Yankee lineup is crucial for the Bombers' offensive success. And Johnson has the potential to be just as effective as Damon--but in a very different way. Damon hovered around a .300 batting average and blasted 24 home runs. Johnson's strengths are more subtle: doubles and walks, two ideal qualities for a table-setter whose primary job is to get on base ahead of the sluggers and move Jeter around the bases. IF Johnson can stay healthy--and that's a big if--he should fill Damon's role more than adequately.)

BENCH: As usual, the Yankees don't trot out a top-tier bench. Other than glue-guy infielder Ramiro Pena and rapidly aging outfielder Randy Winn, not much to see here (other than the aforementioned Cervelli).

STARTING PITCHING: There are a few time-tested truths about the Yanks' rotation, and a few glaring question marks.

Time-Tested Truths
--C.C. Sabathia will be a horse. There's no reason to think Sabathia has anything less than a 2009-caliber season (19-8, 3.37 ERA) in him. The Bombers haven't had this kind of lights-out ace since Roger Clemens in 2001. I'd argue that at 30, with no season of fewer than 11 wins and 188 innings pitched, Sabathia is more of a sure thing than Clemens was (furiously knocking on all the wood I can find).

--Andy Pettitte is good for 13-16 wins and 9-11 losses. Despite his advancing age and annual consideration of retirement in the offseason, the veteran lefty has an arsenal that ages well. As long as he keeps his pitches down in the strike zone, Pettitte will have a solid season.

--A.J. Burnett will continue to confound Yankee fans. The mercurial righty is good for a few gems (see: August 7 vs. Boston) a few disasters (see: August 22 vs. Boston) and a host of maddening games. What's a "maddening game"? 6-7 innings, 3-5 earned runs, 2-4 costly two-out walks and a handful of tear-your-hair-out pitches. At the end of the day, though, Burnett's a solid No. 2 starter. Learn to enjoy the ride.

Question Marks
--Which Javier Vazquez will show up? The guy who struggled to a 4.91 ERA in his one season in pinstripes and gave up a backbreaking grand slam to Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS? Or the guy who went 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA and became a stopper for the Braves last season?

(TWEAKS: Cashman took a relative flier on Vazquez, who will have less pressure as a No. 4 starter and is coming off arguably his best season. But some people are cut out to play in the Big Apple, and some people aren't. Reggie Jackson was. Dave Winfield wasn't. David Cone was. Kevin Brown wasn't. You get the idea. Vazquez has already shown he has trouble under pressure--the Damon grand slam came on the first pitch of the most important appearance of Vazquez's career. Maybe we'll see a new, tougher Vazquez. But I'm not holding my breath.)

--Can Phil Hughes be a solid No. 5 starter? Writing on the decision to put Hughes in the rotation, I said, "I think Hughes has more sterling performances in him than embarrassing ones." That assertion depends on Hughes getting into a rhythm in rotation, which in turn depends on him staying healthy. If he can avoid a repeat of 2007, when a hamstring injury kept him out for three months, Hughes will have his chance to round into form.

RELIEF PITCHING: What is this, the fifth straight year that "Mariano Rivera will start to fall off"? When the best closer in the history of the game AND the best closer right now actually starts to struggle, let me know. Until then, he's the one thing Yankee fans shouldn't worry about. I don't care if he's 40, 44 or 400. The cutter still looks 25.

As for middle relief, the body part to keep an eye on in Damaso Marte's throwing shoulder. Marte battled the shoulder all of last year--once it healed, he turned in a sizzling postseason. This week, he said the shoulder was "cranky," a baseball term most commonly applied to Lou Piniella (BOOM!). The Yanks have Boone Logan, a lefty specialist and current Triple A resident, waiting in the wings. Hopefully they don't have to use him just yet.

COACH: Between allowing players like Swisher and Burnett to loosen up the clubhouse atmosphere and the whole "winning the World Series" thing, Joe Girardi's looking pretty good right now. Love it when a fellow Northwestern grad stands out in pro sports (and considering our most decorated alumnus in sports is Otto Graham, it's a pretty spartan landscape).

PREDICTION: We're pushing 3000 words here, so let's make it quick. The Yanks are just as strong as last year if Johnson and Granderson step up. Teixeira's not gonna toe the Mendoza line for two months. And the Red Sox bolstered their rotation with John Lackey, but they're hurting in the middle of the order.

Ballgame over. World Series over. Yankees win.

Why not?

Cornell-KU: Live Tweeting

2010-03-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

Anyone out there?

(Twitterverse, I'm calling your name)

Welcome to the Cornell-UK live tweeting! On one side, we have Cornell, Ivy League champs, stereotypical braniacs (check this out) and the lowest seed remaining in March Madness. On the other stands Kentucky, the 34-2 Goliath with more NCAA titles than Cornell has NCAA tournament wins (and at 7 to 2, it's not close).

Can Ryan Wittman, Louis Dale and Jeff Foote lead the Big Red to a giant upset? Or will the best collection of freshmen since the Fab Five lead the Kentucky steamroller to the Elite 8?

Let's find out together. Click on the link below for live Tweets throughout the game.

http://twitter.com/jfs360

Game on.

Why Hughes as the No. 5 starter is the right call

2010-03-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced today that Phil Hughes will be the team's fifth starter. Hughes, who beat out Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre, Alfredo Aceves, and Chad Gaudin (but really only Joba) for the last starter spot, joins C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez in a formidable rotation.

Both Hughes and Joba had a legitimate argument for the No. 5 spot. Both have struggled in brief stints as starters, and both have looked their best coming out of the bullpen. In two months, Hughes could be relegated to the 'pen with a 9.00 ERA and Joba could be shaking off the dust and starting.

But for this moment, Girardi made the right call.

Why? Because though Hughes' stuff is slightly less devastating than Joba's, he has the potential to be more consistent (as evidenced by just two walks allowed in 13 innings this spring training). Because Joba's bombastic temperament makes him far more suited to relief pitching (think Jonathan Papelbon). Because at their respective bests, Joba has been better than Hughes in the bullpen. And because I think Hughes has more sterling performances in him than embarrassing ones.

That's the short version. In next week's season preview, I'll lay out my full rationale. Either way, the onus is on Hughes now.

Link'd Up: Nets CEO confronts bag-wearing fan

2010-03-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

It's getting so you can't even wear a bag over your head at a sporting event anymore.

During New Jersey's 99-89 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, Nets CEO Brett Yormark got into a heated exchange with a fan wearing a paper bag over his head.

There's not much to add to the story itself. But it's worth nothing that Monday's loss was the Nets' 14th straight home defeat. Oh, and they're 7-63, knocking on the door of the worst record in NBA history.

The fact that anyone would actually pay money to watch this team is amazing. Once those brave souls are in the door, they should be able to wear whatever the hell they want. If they want to put on a Paul Pierce jersey and re-enact Boston's epic comeback win over the Nets in the 2002 playoffs, I say let 'em do it.

The paper-bag-over-the-head move has been used across professional sports for decades, Brett. Get over it.

My Antoine Walker story

2010-03-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hey all. First off, let me acknowledge the egregious lack of content on this blog for the past couple of weeks. It'd be easy to say I've been busy at the Wire and just slacked off, but as my Atlantic Media colleague and blogger extraordinaire Andrew Sullivan would say, blogging is a full-time job. And even though I already have a full-time job, I can still devote a significant amount of energy to this blog. I will once again do so, starting now. I hope you will keep checking in.

There's no shortage of topics to cover: spring training (and MLB season previews), March Madness, Tiger heading to Augusta... the list goes on. Instead, I'm going to return with a take on the fall of Antoine Walker, based on my own brief encounter with the former NBA star.

----

I never liked Antoine Walker. The crux of his game--25+ foot heaves at any point in the shot clock and ill-fated runners that too often barely made contact with the rim--struck me as the antithesis of good basketball. His appalling lack of defensive skills and relative unconcern about his physical condition branded him as lazy in my mind. On top of that, he played for the Celtics and was a central part of the playoff clashes between Boston and the Jason Kidd Nets. Suffice it to say I saw Antoine Walker as everything basketball should not be.

So when I read Mark Schwarz's eye-opening feature on Walker's financial troubles after leaving the NBA, you might think I nodded sagely and muttered: "Could've predicted that." And I could have. Instead, I felt only pity for Walker and his untenable situation.

And I thought back to when I met the man.

By 2007, Walker was a shell of his former self on the basketball court--at least in terms of talent. Physically, Walker was pushing 300 pounds and looking more like Robert "Tractor" Traylor every day. And the more out of shape he got, the more he fell out of favor with Miami Heat coach Pat Riley.

I was interning for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel at the time, shadowing Heat beat writer Ira Winderman. Winderman was--and I'm sure still is--the eternal agitator, exasperating players and coaches alike but getting more than his share of scoops. That preseason, Winderman hounded Walker repeatedly about his weight and wrote about the forward's conditioning issues on several occasions.

After one preseason game, Ira and I went to the Heat locker room for postgame quotes. A group of reporters surrounded Walker and began asking questions. After a minute or so, Ira pressed Walker again about his weight, asking whether his conditioning problems would keep him out of the starting lineup going forward.

That was the last straw for Walker, who went off on Ira. "Why do always have to write something negative," he yelled. "That's all you ever ask about."

Before Ira could retort, Walker held up his hand and declared he would answer no more questions until Ira left the locker room. The cadre of journalists fell silent, and everyone slowly turned to Ira, whose face had turned to stone. He looked at Walker, looked at me, and walked out without saying a word.

Practically, Walker's tirade meant very little; I recorded the rest of the interview and fed Ira quotes, and the incident became fodder for Miami-area radio shows. A day or so later, most people had forgot it even happened.

For me, the incident had a more profound impact. Every fan knows that top athletes can be egomaniacal, conceited and childish. Indeed, we've come to expect the worse from our sports heroes away from the game. But to see a millionaire athlete, one with a massive amount of natural talent, flip out at a reporter for an issue he could have rendered moot simply by getting in shape--which he was supposed to be doing anyway--was jarring, enlightening, and a little bit sad.

Fast forward to this excerpt from Schwarz's piece:

Walker, who also made millions off the court peddling goods for adidas as Employee No. 8, says he is not sure how much money he has left.

"It all depends on how much debt I can get out of," he said.

It is sad that Walker must resort to playing in Puerto Rico for a team called the Guaynabo Mets. It is tragic that he appears to have learned little from his ordeal.

I have talked to many people who crow when they see an athlete they dislike fall from grace. Some even find it cathartic, reveling in the misfortune of those who once had it all. But I can only pity Antoine Walker for his life's precipitous downward arc. For this story, I really do hate to say "I told you so."

Link'd Up: How Tennis Made MSG Famous

2010-03-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Really interesting piece from ESPN's Peter Bodo about tennis' contribution to the rise of Madison Square Garden as a venue in the 40s and 50s. Why was tennis such a boon? The exhibition matches, of all things:

Not even the best official ATP or WTA matches can hold a candle to some of the tennis exhibitions that took place in the Garden. That owes partly to the fact that, before 1968, exhibitions were often the only kinds of matches the world's best players -- the pros -- could play. And nobody questioned the quality or validity of those mighty clashes the way they look askance at exos now.

Roger Federer vs. Pete Sampras at the Garden, anyone?

The Upset of the Year (hey, it's the Nets)

2010-03-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

The Nets are better than their record. It's a fact borne out by their young talent (Brook Lopez, Chris Douglas-Roberts), a proven point guard (Devin Harris) and their ability to even stay upright after their historically disastrous start. And for those doubters in the national media, it was confirmed on Saturday when New Jersey went into Boston and beat one of the NBA's elite teams, 104-96.

National and New England media figures scrambled to explain away the stunning upset. ESPN's Chris Broussard, who used the word 'bored' five times to describe the Celtics' play, wrote: "On the same day the Celtics hung a sign in their locker room aimed at inspiring the team to get its act together, Boston stumbled through an inexcusable 104-96 loss to the lowly Nets at the TD Garden." The Boston Globe's Julian Benbow mumbled: "You assumed the scent of the smelling salts would come at some point."

Broussard and Benbow have something of a point. The Celtics were obviously listless throughout and were without top scorer and team leader Paul Pierce. And even at full strength, this Boston team is nowhere near the caliber of the squad that won the NBA title in 2008.

But in their rush to condemn the Celtics, the media largely overlooked the real story: The Nets are a 20-win team in a six-win team's body.

Look at their play since the All-Star Break. New Jersey is 2-5 in those games, four of which came against teams currently at .500 or better. Of their five losses, only one was by more than 10 points, and if they were a more experience bunch they would have held onto early leads against the Heat and Wizards. This is a club on the rise, or at least a slight uptick.

The Nets may not have the nucleus of a future playoff team. But Lopez is a real talent, one of the best young centers in the game. And the Nets are well under the cap, giving them ammunition to go after the best free agent class in recent memory.

For all Rick Pitino's mockery, the Nets are not a permanent last-place team.

Oh, and one more thing: They will get to 10 wins this year. I guarantee it.

Jets, Thomas Jones Part Ways

2010-02-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

Multiple news sources are reporting the Jets will release running back Thomas Jones in the very near future. The 10-year veteran, who rushed for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, was scheduled to earn a $3 million bonus on top of his $2.8 million salary this season but instead will be testing the free agent market.

Wowwwww (insert Jersey Shore comment here).

On its face, the move is stunning. The Jets are cutting a guy who finished third in the league in rushing (ahead of Adrian Peterson) and third in rushing touchdowns (tied with NFL Offensive POY Chris Johnson). They're cutting arguably the best running back they've ever had after the best season of his career. And while letting go of franchise backs is in vogue these days (see Westbrook, Brian and Tomlinson, LaDanian) the Jets are saying goodbye to the linchpin of their league-leading rushing attack.

Only it's the right thing to do. Here's why.

1. Jones isn't getting any younger. He turns 32 in August, and he's carried the ball at least 100 times in 10 straight seasons (and over 200 in the last six). As we've seen with Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander, top backs can break down very quickly after years of carrying the load for their team--no pun intended.

Jones may have two or three good years left. But there's a real possibility his production will fall off wherever he ends up, and the Jets have weaknesses they could shore up with the $6 million they save (wide receiver, anyone?)

2. When it mattered most, Jones was at his worst. Compare his numbers to backup Shonn Greene's in the Jets' three playoff games.

JONES
15 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD
14-41, 0 TD
16-42, 0 TD
-------------------
45-117, 1 TD

GREENE
21-135, 1 TD
23-128, 1 TD
10-41, 0 TD
-------------------
54-304, 2 TDs

Jones averaged under three yards a carry and had exactly two runs of note (the touchdown in the wild-card win and a two-yard plunge on 4th-and-1 to seal the divisional victory). Greene averaged almost six yards a carry, had countless big runs, and single-handedly made the play of the season when he ran over the Chargers' Eric Weddle on his game-winning 53-yard TD run. By the AFC championship game, I had this to say: IF THOMAS JONES GETS MORE THAN 25 PERCENT OF THE CARRIES, DISREGARD THIS POINT. IN FACT, DISREGARD THE ENTIRE POST.

Bottom line: The Jets won both games in which Greene had more carries than Jones, and lost when it was the reverse.

3. Greene is NFL starting running back material. He's strong, he's patient, and he's surprisingly quick in the open field. More than that, he's a smart runner, waiting for blocks from one of the NFL's best lines to open up holes and then plowing through the gap.

I saw Greene play at Iowa in October 2008. At the time, he was just a couple months removed from working as a truck driver while he attended community college to get his grades up. But he still destroyed Northwestern's run defense (stop snickering, our run defense was actually very good that year). What finally stopped him was a monster hit from our strong safety early in the fourth quarter that literally knocked him out. Until that point, he was a man among boys.

Cutting Jones loose is a big gamble. But if Greene can harness the potential he showed in the playoffs, it's a gamble that will pay off bigtime.

The McGrady Experiment

2010-02-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

Before we get into the on- and off-court implications of the Knicks' trio of deadline deals, I want to briefly note two Yankee-related stories. First, the Johnny Damon saga is finally over. The outfielder signed a one year, $8 million contract with the Tigers, the fifth different team Damon has played for (all in the American League). Mark down August 16 on the calendar -- Damon's first trip back to Yankee Stadium.

More relevant to Yankee fans is the reported signing of reliever Chan Ho Park to a one-year, $1.2 million deal. The veteran was a key cog in the Phillies bullpen last season, but his WHIP of 1.38 raises eyebrows (his blown save in Game 2 of the NLCS, however, was not his fault). Park should slide into a seventh-inning role in front of the loser of the Joba Chamberlain-Phil Hughes battle for the No. 5 starer slot. Once again grasping the short straw is David Robertson, who's gotta wonder what he has to do to move up in the 'pen.

OK then. As for Tracy McGrady...

...how about that Knicks debut? It's been clear for years that McGrady is a mercurial player who loafs when he's not happy. So his nonexistent season in Houston was hardly a benchmark for how he would fare in New York. But nobody could expected him to shake off the rust that fast, particularly against a surging Thunder team that has its own swingman superstar, Kevin Durant.

As Knicks losses go, this overtime defeat was about as good as it gets. On the court, it marked the debut of the most talented player to wear a New York uniform since Patrick Ewing (that's right, it's been a while). New York Times beat writer Howard Beck put it best when he wrote earlier this month, "On any given night, indeed on most nights, the best player on the court belongs to the opponent." With T-Mac now in orange and blue, that's not the case anymore. McGrady may not measure up to the NBA's best in game-to-game action, but the talent is undeniably there. Take tonight's game against the Bucks. Compare McGrady to Milwaukee leaders Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut on the basis of talent alone, and T-Mac comes out on top.

In the short run, of course, McGrady's addition is largely academic. The Knicks remain eight games out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 28 games left. Even with T-Mac, a postseason berth seems unlikely. But lost in the shuffle of McGrady's dazzling debut was an answer he gave regarding his salary demands for next season.

The seven-time All-Star knows he could just be a short-term rental before the Knicks pursue players such as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade this summer, but said he would take a considerable pay cut from this season's $22.5 million salary to stay in New York if the Knicks got those types of players.

"I've made a lot of money over my career and I could retire right now and I could be fine financially. My kids can be fine when they get older. Money is not an issue for me," McGrady said.

"So if these guys were to bring in a LeBron, a D-Wade, along with a Chris Bosh or a [Amare] Stoudemire, I'd be a damn fool to not want to stay here. So I'm just telling you right now that I will definitely embrace the opportunity to be here. Money is not an issue."

By unloading Nate Robinson, Larry Hughes, Darko Milicic and Jared Jeffries, the Knicks dropped almost $10 million from their projected 2010-11 cap figure. That should give them enough cash to sign two free agents to maximum deals. But it's equally possible for them to sign one free agent to a max deal, another to a large deal, and T-Mac for a significant pay cut.

Yes, the free agent market is never a sure thing, and yes, the above scenario would mean jettisoning David Lee. But with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, and Joe Johnson among the marquee free agent class, the prospect of adding two mega-stars to go with McGrady leaves me literally salivating (and not Eddy Curry next to the buffet line salivating).

We'll see how T-Mac plays out the season, and we'll see how GM Donnie Walsh does in arguably the deepest free agent pool of all time. But his Trading Day moves have given the Knicks flexibility come July 1. If nothing else, that should give Knicks fans a rare feeling: hope.

Pitchers and Catchers Report

2010-02-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

Four of the best words in the English language. Yankees reported today. I recommend just enjoying the thought. But if you're craving preseason Yankees analysis, check out this piece.

Link'd Up, 2/18/10: The Knicks' trade chaos

2010-02-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

The NBA trading deadline is at 3 PM today. By then, the Knicks may have picked up Yao Ming in exchange for Spike Lee and a few boxes of H&H Bagels.

OK, maybe not. But Donnie Walsh has New York's roster in full-on carousel mode. First, the Knicks dealt center Darko Milicic to the Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal, who they promptly cut to facilitate another trade, Nate Robinson to the Celtics for Eddie House and J.R. Giddens (and possibly a draft pick).

That by itself is an exhaustive Trading Day (I RUN SH!T HERE! YOU JUST LIVE HERE). But the Knicks' biggest deal is still in the offing. Multiple sources are reporting last night's Tracy McGrady-Kevin Martin deal will turn into a three-team trade with the Knicks getting McGrady. The particulars of the deal aren't clear, but Jared Jeffries and his $6.9 million against next season's salary cap will almost certainly be gone.

Full analysis when the dust settles.

Link'd Up, 2/16/10: Goodbye Wang

2010-02-16T17:51:00.000-08:00

In the They Deserve Each Other category, Chien-Ming Wang has signed with the Washington Nationals. Wang agreed to a one-year deal worth $2 million, with another million in incentives.

The incentive-heavy contract is because Wang is just 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in just 12 games since breaking his foot in May 2008. The Nationals? They've never had a winning record.

It's fitting to see one of the worst pitchers in baseball last year playing with arguably its worst franchise. That said, you gotta feel a little for the guy. If he's not running the bases in Houston...who knows?

Thoughts On Three Shakeups

2010-02-12T08:33:00.001-08:00

None of the New York area professional sports teams were in action last night. Instead, we got something far more interesting -- a flood of innuendo and rumors and a farewell to an over-the-hill talent.

Each story screams for an up-or-down opinion. I'll tackle them one at a time.

1. New Jersey Nets: Rick Pitino allegedly reaches out to GM Rod Thorn about head coaching position. According to the Daily News, the Louisville coach had intermediaries reach out to Thorn about the coaching job, which is currently being manned by interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe. Pitino flatly denied the story, practically sneering "if you're going to get rejuvenated you don't take over the Nets."

That's fine, Rick. I can't envision any way you'd be successful -- or a good fit, or the right temperament -- with the Nets. All Knicks fans remember Pitino's ill-fated tenure as coach from 1987-89, when he was mediocre and bolted for "greener pastures" at Kentucky. He bombed on his next try in the NBA as well, compiling a 102-146 record in 3+ years with the Celtics. Forget the paying-for-his-mistress'-abortion rumors -- Pitino's not good enough for the Nets on the merits of his coaching alone.

2. Knicks trying to work a three-team deal where they give up Al Harrington and another player and get Tracy McGrady. McGrady's contract comes off the books at the end of the season, and the Knicks can get rid of another expiring contract (probably Larry Hughes) and further help themselves against the salary cap.

There's really no downside to this move. McGrady might not even play a game for the Knicks -- the former star hasn't suited up for Houston since Dec. 23 and has played a total of 47 minutes this season. But Mike D'Antoni's squad is not making the playoffs either way (just look at their last come-from-ahead loss). This gives the Knicks more flexibility going into the 2010 Mega-Free Agent Season. And really, aren't we all just counting the days until LeBron James becomes available?

3. Giants release Antonio Pierce. Big Blue cut the veteran linebacker after he missed the final seven games of the season with a bulging disc in his neck. Even if his neck were fine, letting Pierce go is the right move.

Look, I love Pierce. Without his leadership on defense, the G-Men don't win Super Bowl XLII. And his departure leaves a major void, both in the middle of the defense and the locker room. But to put it bluntly, he's too old and slow to be effective anymore. Watching him try to guard Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook in last year's playoff loss was like watching Jose Molina try to go from first and third on a single: painful and ultimately futile.

Pierce's savvy will be missed, and his contribution to the Super Bowl run will not be soon forgotten. But it was time for him to go.

Link'd Up, 2/10/10: Damon to Braves?

2010-02-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Multiple sources are reporting Johnny Damon has been offered a one-year deal by the Atlanta Braves. Though the free-agent outfielder has made it clear he wants a multi-year deal, the Braves' offer is for one year only.

I'd love to see Damon on the Braves as opposed to, say, the Tigers (who also remained interested in Damon). Why? The Yankees don't play Atlanta next season. After the messy contract negotiations between Yanks' GM Brian Cashman and Damon, my guess is he'd approach every game against the Bombers with a little extra motivation.

OK, more than a little.

Cavs-Nets: The Impending Annhiliation

2010-02-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Tonight, the NBA's best team will host the NBA's worst team.

That right, folks, it's a matchup with epic possibilities. LeBron James and the Cavs (41-11, 22-3 home) host...um...Brook Lopez and the Nets (4-46, 1-26 away). Cleveland is riding an 11-game winning streak and appears headed for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. At their current rate, it would take the Nets 125 games to earn win No. 11.

Suffice to say, we have ourselves a mismatch. The Cavs operated on cruise control in their first two games against the Nets this season, winning by just 10 and eight points. I wonder what would happen if the Cavs really tried...

JAMES GETS '88 SPECIAL' IN HISTORIC BLOWOUT

CLEVELAND--LeBron James exploded for the second-highest point total in NBA history, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 144-68 thrashing of the hapless New Jersey Nets.

The Cavs' 12th straight win was never in doubt, though some in attendance wondered if the Nets would even finish the game. At one point, a dazed Chris Douglas-Roberts lay prostrate under his own basket, unable to get up after James had "broken his ankles" for a fifth consecutive time.

"We played well today," a grinning James said afterwards, sweat barely visible on his face. "We shut it down in the second half, but we could've had 200."

With the game tied at 4 early in the first quarter, Nets' center Brook Lopez rammed home a putback dunk, punctuating the play with a fist pump in the direction of the Cavs' bench. That seemed to irk James and Co., who reeled off a 57-0 run that finally ended when Devin Harris banked in a desperation halfcourt shot to end the first period.

James led the assault, finishing the quarter with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Informed by the official scorer that he'd completed a historic first quarter triple-double, James grinned and said: "I'm just getting started."

Indeed he was. Early in the second period, James punctuated a coast-to-coast drive with a thunderous dunk, jumping completely over Lopez's head and shattering the backboard with a two-handed slam.

By the end of the first half, the Cavs led 120-16. James ended the second quarter with a fullcourt, behind-the-head shot that swished through the hoop at the buzzer. The threeball gave "The Chosen One" 88 points, and he celebrated by finishing his cigar and calmly strolling into the locker room.

"At this point," said amused Cleveland coach Mike Brown, "we decided to ease up a little."

In the second half, James was forbidden to shoot or use his right hand. The NBA scoring leader concentrated instead on assists and blocks, getting 20 dimes in the quarter and swatting 14 of the Nets' 20 third-period shot attempts.

The two Nets fans in the building, incensed that James would continue to play with his team up 100+ points, began to boo vociferously.

"Come on, man," James protested afterwards. "I mean, my right hand was literally tied behind my back. And most of the time I pulled my headband down over my eyes so I couldn't see."

In the fourth quarter, Cleveland used just three players, allowing the Nets to claw back for the final margin. The Cavs curiously began feeding injured shooting guard Mo Williams, who went 4-4 on three-pointers while sitting on the bench.

"I know they didn't count," Williams snapped. "But how awesome was that? I mean, I didn't even smudge my suit."

James finished with the 88 Special and added 34 rebounds and 39 assists. Shaquille O'Neal had his best game in years, finishing with 40 points and 20 rebounds despite leaving the court for emergency oxygen treatments after just 10 minutes of action.

Despite the comically lopsided loss, Nets' coach Kiki Vandeweghe remained optimistic.

"What was it, 144-68?" he asked reporters. "That's only a 78-point loss. Just wait until we play the Knicks again."

Five Hidden Plays in Super Bowl XLIV

2010-02-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

In the aftermath of the Saints' 31-17 upset win over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV, pundits across the sports world focused on the same key plays: New Orleans' successful onside kick to open the second half (aka Sean Payton Has Huge Cojones) and Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return for a touchdown that all but sealed the win.

But those plays wouldn't have been possible without a handful of plays overlooked by sportscasters that changed the tenor of the game. Let's run them down in order.

1. 8:20 LEFT IN SECOND QUARTER, COLTS 10, SAINTS 3. Though the Saints trailed by only seven, their defense had yet to stop Peyton Manning and was badly in need of a three-and-out. On third-and-4 at the Colts' 28, Manning stepped up in the pocket and found a wide-open Pierre Garcon over the middle. Garcon was a step ahead of his man and had a chance to turn the corner and race all the way to the end zone.

Only he dropped the ball. Manning's pass went through Garcon's hands, bounced off his chest, and fell harmlessly to the grass. The Colts were forced to punt, and the Saints were able to keep the momentum on their side.

The play also marked the first appearance of the Peyton Manning Face. Manning's scowl didn't go away, either -- the Colts did not get another first down in the half.

2. 0:51 LEFT IN SECOND QUARTER, COLTS 10, SAINTS 3. Indy's D had just seized the momentum back with an inspired goal-line stand, and the Colts were in position to run out the clock and end the first half up a touchdown. All they needed was one first down.

Facing a third-and-1 at their own 10, the Colts eschewed the quick pass and played it safe. The plan backfired, as running back Mike Hart was stuffed for no gain. Instead of a fresh set of downs and smooth sailing to halftime, the Colts had to punt from the shadow of their goal posts.

3. 0:29 LEFT IN SECOND QUARTER, COLTS 10, SAINTS 3. Sometimes the best plays don't gain a single yard. With one timeout and 30 seconds left, Saints' quarterback Drew Brees found Devery Henderson over the middle for 19 yards and a first down at the Indy 33.

FREEZE

(OK, so you're Drew Brees. The play just ended, and the clock is ticking down. You have one timeout, and you want to save it so you can throw over the middle one more time. But if it takes 20 seconds to get your offense up to the line and spike the ball, you won't have enough time to run another play.)

Brees herded the offense to the line and spiked the ball in just nine seconds. CBS color guy Phil Simms (Giants shoutout!) was left speechless after arguing New Orleans should burn its final timeout.

Because of Brees' heads-up play, the Saints were able to throw over the middle again, picking up a valuable six yards for kicker Garrett Hartley. If Brees dawdles for a few extra seconds, it might have been 10-3 Colts at the half instead of 10-6.

And speaking of Giants quarterbacks, Eli Manning was at the game cheering on his brother. Considering his atrocious clock management skills, I hope Eli was taking notes.

4. 11:00 LEFT IN FOURTH QUARTER, COLTS 17, SAINTS 16. Clinging to a one-point lead, Manning drove the Colts to the edge of field-goal range. On second-and-8 at the Saints' 30, Manning tried a wide receiver screen to Austin Collie. The Indy blockers pancaked all the Saints in the area -- except rookie cornerback Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins jumped the play and nailed Collie for a three-yard loss, pushing the Colts further away from Matt Stover's comfort zone. After an incompletion on third down, the Colts' 42-year old kicker gamely tried a field goal from 51 yards out. But the kick sailed left, and the score stayed 17-16. Stover's field goal would've been good from 40-45 yards -- the length it would have been if Jenkins doesn't make that tackle.

5. 1:30 LEFT IN FOURTH QUARTER, SAINTS 31, COLTS 17. After Porter's game-changing pick-six, Manning drove the Colts to the Saints' 3 in a desperate comeback bid. On first-and-goal, Manning held the ball for five, six, seven seconds looking for a open receiver in the end zone. But the Saints had everyone covered, and Manning forced a throw to Garcon in the back right corner of the end zone. New Orleans cornerback Jabari Greer stepped in front of the throw, and Garcon had to pull Greer down from behind to avoid an interception.

The ensuing offensive pass interference call pushed Indy back 10 yards. The penalty cost the Colts valuable time, and four downs later, it had cost them their last chance to rally.

Without those five plays, it might have been Colts 31, Saints 17 instead of the other way around. (Incidentally, Colts 31-17 was actually my prediction. Whoops.)

Kudos to the Saints and the city of New Orleans. Bourbon Street never looked so festive.

Jets-Colts Preview: Party Like It's 1969

2010-01-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Jets are going to win this game. I guarantee it.

(Or has someone already said that?)

All Namath-ing aside, Gang Green is going to upset the Colts, shock the football world, and advance to its first Super Bowl since that fateful January day in Miami 41 years ago.

I know the Colts are eight-point favorites. I know Peyton Manning's squad hasn't lost a game all season when the starters played all four quarters. I know Indy was leading the Jets, 15-10, in their Week 16 matchup before Manning and other key players were pulled.

I know all those things. In response, I offer 10 reasons why the Jets are going to win.

1. Shonn Greene is the new Ahmad Bradshaw: As in a third-string running back who got playing time because of injuries to people in front of him and blew people away. Bradshaw did it with speed for the 2007 Giants, while Greene is more patient and powerful (check out his bulldozing of San Diego safety Eric Weddle). But both went from afterthought to key contributor in a manner of weeks.

In reality, though, there is no parallel to Greene's story. Two years ago, Greene was working as a truck driver and attending community college while he got his grades up. Now he's become the first Jet to rush for 100 yards in consecutive playoff games since Freeman McNeil in 1982. And in an overlooked stat from last week, the Colts did not actually shut down Ravens' back Ray Rice. He average 5.0 yards a carry but rushed only 13 times because Baltimore had to play catch-up the entire game. With a similar body type and running style, Greene should be to wear down the Indy defense.

CAVEAT ALERT: IF THOMAS JONES GETS MORE THAN 25 PERCENT OF THE CARRIES, DISREGARD THIS POINT. IN FACT, DISREGARD THE ENTIRE POST.

2. The Jets will hit Peyton Manning. Hard. Rex Ryan's blitz-happy strategy may not pay immediate dividends against Manning, who's a master at stepping up in the pocket and making quick decisions. But even if he gets the ball off, he's going to absorb some punishing hits early on. And if he gets crunched a few times by the likes of David Harris and Mike Devito (what a great name for a Jet), Manning might just flinch the next time he sees Gang Green coming at him.

3. The Colts will have zero running game: Indianapolis was dead last in the NFL in running (80.9 yards a game). The Jets were eighth in the league in run defense (98.6 yards allowed a game). 'Nuff said.

4. Indy's short passing game will work, but it will also keep the pace slow: Manning skewered the Jets with this strategy in Week 16, dinking and dunking his way down the field behind dump-offs to running back Joseph Addai and quick passes to tight end Dallas Clark. And yet Indy's first team had only one touchdown drive in 2 1/2 quarters -- three of their dink-dunk possessions led only to field goals. Translation: Down in the red zone, the short pass doesn't work nearly as well. You have to be able to run the ball (see point 3).

5. The Jets O-Line will gradually wear down the Colts' front seven: The only center in the league with the chops to match Indy veteran Jeff Saturday is Gang Green's Nick Mangold, a long-haired maniac who brutalizes the middle of opposing lines. On the deciding fourth-and-one in last week's victory, the Jets ran right behind Mangold, who pushed the line back two yards by himself.

The Jets also have Pro Bowler Alan Faneca and mountainous tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. There's a reason Gang Green had the best running attack in the NFL, averaging more than 173 yards per game on the ground. It'll be on display in the second half today, when the Colt defenders have their hands on their hips between plays, sucking wind.

6. Mark Sanchez will have a big, mistake-free game: By far the biggest 'if' surrounding a potential Jets' victory. Because if Sanchez plays a mistake-free game, stays with the short passes and avoids taking chances down the field, the Jets will lose. Period.

The game Sanchez played against the Chargers will not be enough. Gang Green needs him to replicate this stat line from two weeks ago. If the O-Line can keep standout defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis out of the backfield, Sanchez has a chance to have that game. Have faith, I say.

7. Reggie Wayne will be a nonfactor, thanks to Darrelle Revis. By now, every fan knows Revis for his consistent, week-to-week ability to shut down the best receivers in the game. Revis is so good that he actually turns the other team's best wideout into a positive for the Jets, recording an INT in each playoff game and smothering Chad "Johnson" and Vincent Jackson.

Wayne is one of the best receivers of the last 10 years, and he and Manning have formed one of the more prolific hookups in NFL history. But he will get nothing against the NFL's best defensive player.

8. In a close game, I'll take Jay Feely: The Jets have benefited from multiple missed field goals in each of their playoff wins. Meanwhile, Feely has gone 2-2 (including a huge 46-yarder against San Diego), made two more kicks that were negated by penalties, and shone as a emergency punter in the win over Cincinnati. I covered Feely when I was working for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and he was with the Dolphins, and he's a class act, as professional an athlete as I've ever met. He's also a bulldog who routinely makes tackles on kick coverage and fires himself up for pressure kicks. I'll take Feely over anybody left in the playoffs, including Colts' veteran Matt Stover.

9. The Jets' game plan will give them a chance: Ryan's defense-first game plan is simple: Play conservative, don't make mistakes, control the field position, rely on your defense, and keep the game close going into the fourth quarter. It worked to perfection against San Diego, and it even worked in Week 16, when the Jets kept it close until the Colts benched their starters. Put it this way: If the Colts are up 13-7 going into the fourth quarter, the Jets will definitely take it.

10. Karma, baby: The Jets only reached the playoffs because the Colts decided to screw a chance at 19-0 and pulled their top players early. The Bengals basically did the same thing (lack of effort v actually pulling the players) and the Jets have already come back to haunt them. Throw in the residual karma from Super Bowl III, and you have a tidal wave of good juju on the Jets' side.

Earlier this week, my friend showed me a picture he had taken at a Jets game. It was a shot of the field and the backs of two fans. One was wearing a Namath jersey, one a Sanchez jersey. After today, that image will be even more enduring.

THE PICK: Jets 17, Colts 16

Karma and the Jets

2010-01-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

As sports fans go, I am fairly pragmatic. I focus on numbers and trends and tend to ignore that nebulous factor beloved by so many fans: karma. I believe the Red Sox came back against the Yankees in the ALCS-That-Must-Not-Be-Named because they had better pitching and more hits in the clutch, not because the ghost of Babe Ruth finally decided to give Boston a break. Karma is how fans explain what they can't understand, and that almost always comes from a lack of sports knowledge.

But there's something about this Jets team.

I mean, how can you explain Gang Green's last four games? Playoff-clinching wins against the Colts (14-0) and Bengals (10-5) because both teams decided not to play at their best (Indianapolis pulled their starters, while Cincinnati obviously had no interest in winning the Week 17 game). Frigid conditions in Cincinnati for the wild-card game, which massively favored teams that run the ball and play defense. Shonn Greene, who two years ago was a truck driver in Iowa, rushing for back-to-back 100-yard games in the playoffs and turning into the second coming of Freeman McNeil overnight. Mark Sanchez going from a wheel-coming-off-the-wagon rookie QB to the 2009 version of Ben Roethlisberger. A pair of kickers (Cincinnati Shayne Graham and San Diego's Nate Kaeding) who combined to miss four field goals from inside 40 yards, including a crucial late-game miss in the exact same situation (down 10, less than five minutes left, chip shot FG that would've made it a one-score game). San Diego repeatedly shooting itself in the foot with turnovers and penalties, including four personal foul penalties. Two Darrelle Revis interceptions in the playoffs that were game-changing, highlight-reel plays.

OK, so the last one was less karma, more Revis being the best defensive player in the league (with the potential to become the most dominating shutdown cornerback since early-90s Deion Sanders). But the Jets have had an astonishing number of chips fall their way. And now, they are the overwhelming underdog of the NFL's final four. How big is the disparity between Gang Green and the Colts, Saints, and Vikings? These are the records of each team after Week 11.

Colts (10-0)
Saints (10-0)
Vikings (9-1)
Jets (4-6)

Enough said.

At this point, though, the records don't matter. Fresh off their remarkable 17-14 upset of the Chargers, the Jets are one win away from their first Super Bowl since Joe Namath's guarantee and the most shocking upset in NFL history, a 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

The Colts, now in Indianapolis, await the Jets on Sunday. Though Rex Ryan's squad beat Indy 29-15 in Week 16, a Jets win would nonetheless be an upset to rival that epic Super Bowl matchup 41 years ago.

But that's for later this week. Right now, let's break down the biggest Jets win in 11 years.

KEY STAT: The Jets outrushed the Chargers 169-61, shutting down LaDanian Tomlinson while unleashing their new two-headed monster on the San Diego defense. Though starter Thomas Jones was ineffective, Greene ate up yards and clock in the second half, including a monster 53-yard touchdown that turned out to be the winning score. On the play, Greene made in into the secondary untouched, bulldozed over safety Eric Weddle and headed for the end zone. Now that's power running.

(Honorable mention: Kaeding's three missed field goals. When the final score is 17-14 and you miss two chippies from inside 40 yards, you're probably starting next season in a different uniform.)

KEY STAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT: The Jets won the time of possession battle, 31:31 to 28:29. On the surface, the difference looks fairly pedestrian. Look closer, and you find the Chargers controlled the ball for 11:35 in the first quarter alone (yes, I'm using italics a lot. This is some shocking stuff here). So from the second quarter on, the TOP battle looks like this: Jets 28:06, Chargers 16:54. The Jets rediscoverd Greene in the second quarter and picked up all 14 of their first downs in the final three periods. It's no surprise that by the fourth quarter, the San Diego defense was physically spent and primed for a major letdown. Enter Greene's touchdown run.

ANATOMY OF AN INTERCEPTION: Revis made not one, but two heads-up plays on his third quarter pick of Philip Rivers. Chargers' receiver Vincent Jackson appeared to have position on a jump ball thrown by Rivers on third-and-8 at the New York 36. But as Jackson grabbed the ball, Revis pulled down on his right shoulder, jarring the pigskin of his hands.

Both players fell to the ground as the ball bounced off Jackson's heel. As he rolled onto his back, Revis saw the ball falling to the ground next to him, realized what was going on, and pulled it in with his right hand as he lay on the ground. The above sentence took place in about 1.5 seconds. Revis displayed the presence of mind of a veteran corner and had the physical skills to haul in the interception while lying flat on his back. To top it off, he got up and ran for six yards before getting tackled.

If Revis isn't guarding Jackson, he makes the catch and it's a first down for San Diego inside the 20. Instead, Revis got the INT and the Jets got the ball -- and the momentum -- back. Someone please explain to me how Charles Woodson beat out Revis for Defensive Player of the Year.

UNSUNG GAME-SAVING PLAY: Even people who saw it may not realize how difficult Kerry Rhodes' recovery of the Chargers' onside kick was. Though he had a horrible game, Kaeding booted a perfect onside kick, and three Chargers jumped for the ball as Rhodes got his hands on it. But the much-maligned Jets' safety couldn't control the kick and fell to the side as the ball bounced off his hands. Even though he was completely up in the air, Rhodes stayed with the football, gathering it in as he came crashing down. Lynn Swann could hardly have done it better.

RANDOM HISTORICAL STAT PROVIDED BY MY MOM: The only time the Jets won the Super Bowl, a New York team also won the World Series (the 1969 Amazin' Mets). And as we all know, the World Series trophy currently resides in the Bronx.

OVER-THE-TOP STATEMENT ALERT: If Greene doesn't get at least 80 percent of the carries against the Colts, I'm poking a hole in Rex Ryan.

THE REX RYAN MEMORIAL 'GUT-CHECK' PLAY: A minute left in the game. Jets up three with the ball at the Chargers' 29. Fourth and one. First down wins the game. Punt pins San Diego deep with no timeouts.

Did the Jets go for it? Of course they did. Greene got behind Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold and fullback Tony Richardson and dove through the line for two yards. Game over.

BEST POSTGAME DRUNKEN CELEBRATORY LINE: (From a guy at the New York sports bar in D.C. where I watched the game) "You think the Colts are scared? YOU THINK THE COLTS ARE SCARED?!?!?!"

Um, probably not. But they've probably learned a lesson from Gang Green's magical month: Overlook the Jets at your peril.

Link'd Up, 12/29/09: Bay Breezes In

2009-12-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

It appears the Mets have finally landed their big free agent prize. ESPN is reporting the club reached an agreement with marquee left fielder Jason Bay. The former Red Sox outfielder's deal is reportedly worth $66 million over four years, with a vesting option that could push the contract to five years, $80 million.

(Note: You gotta love sports free agency. Where else can you hear the words 'vesting option' and not think of Wall Street?)

Bay's signing creates a ripple effect that extends all the way up to the Bronx, where the Yankees are still looking for a starting left fielder. Right now, though, you have to take your hat off to Mets' GM Omar Minaya, who ended a brutal year on a positive note. Bay gives the Mets immediate power in a frontloaded lineup (see Reyes, Jose, Beltran, Carlos, and Wright, David) desperately in need of an RBI machine like Bay.

The Rundown: One Play Away

2009-12-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

The latest issue of ESPN: The Magazine includes an article entitled "In Memoriam: NFL Parity". Perhaps the ESPN editors should check the AFC wild card picture.

No fewer than eight AFC teams -- half the conference -- are separated by a single game in the running for the conference's two wild card spots. One of those teams is the New York Jets, who missed out on a golden opportunity to seize control of their playoff destiny on Sunday.

The Jets led the Atlanta Falcons, 7-3, with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Gang Green had been riding its defense all day, as Bart Scott and Co. had kept the Falcons out of the end zone and on their heels all day. Now Atlanta had a fourth-and-goal from the six, one last chance to play spoiler and torpedo the Jets' playoff hopes.

The Falcons have a very straightforward short-yardage offense: run the ball and hope Tony Gonzalez gets open. The veteran tight end and future Hall of Famer has 81 career touchdowns, the most in NFL history among tight ends. So... it might be a good idea to blanket cover him on the most important play of the season.

Instead, the Jets went zone, with no one specifically assigned to guard Gonzalez. The tight end found a hole in the zone, and Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan found him for the go-ahead score.

The touchdown proved to be the game-winner in a heartbreaking 10-7 loss for the Jets. Gang Green is one game behind the Broncos and Ravens at 7-7 and faces the undefeated Colts and playoff-bound Bengals in the season's final two weeks. Only a Christmas miracle can save Rex Ryan's squad now.

NEW YORK GIANTS: The Cowboys' monumental upset win over the Saints puts the G-Men on the razor's edge of playoff elimination. Though the Giants own the tiebreaker over Dallas, they are a game and half behind the 'Boys and must beat the Redskins tonight to keep their wild card hopes alive.

Tomorrow, I'll break down the game that was. Until then, I'll leave you New York sports fans with this Grinch-y prediction: Redskins 21, Giants 16.

NEW YORK YANKEES: They got Curtis Granderson. They got Nick Johnson. They're looking at Ben Sheets. Pretty good three weeks for the reigning champs, eh?

NEW YORK KNICKS: This week, the Knicks were only as good as their fourth quarters. In their two wins, they protected a slim lead and forged ahead in a game where they trailed by 20 points. In their two losses, they blew a 17-point second half lead and an eight-point fourth quarter lead. The Knicks were outscored 57-30 in the fourth quarter of their two losses, while they outscored opponents 45-43 in their two wins. Enough said.

ST. JOHN'S: Don't look now, but the Red Storm are 9-1 after their 72-60 win over Hofstra on Sunday. The catalyst for the early surge -- yes, it's a surge even though their biggest win so far is against Georgia -- is junior guard D.J. Kennedy. Far and away the most productive player on the team, Kennedy leads St. John's with 16.4 points and 3.8 assists per game. The junior has been Mr. Consistency for the Red Storm, reaching double figures in points every game this season. With a nine-point loss to No. 7 Duke the lone blemish on its card, St. John's will have a chance to prove itself NCAA-tournament worthy once Big East play begins in January. Until then, it's cupcake time (minus a marquee showdown against Cornell tonight, of course. Multiple family members of this scribe bleed Big Red, and I certainly wouldn't want to belittle the best team in the Ivy League.)

Link'd Up, 12/17/09: The new Yankee lineup?

2009-12-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

Last week, I criticized the Yankees' trade for Curtis Granderson in part because it left their batting order unresolved.

Apparently, Brian Cashman was way ahead of me.

Unable to come to terms with free agent outfielder and resident No. 2 hitter Johnny Damon and facing life after Hideki Matsui, the Yanks' GM is trying to kill both birds with one Johnson. According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, the Bombers are in serious negotiations with Marlins first baseman Nick Johnson. The former Yankee would replace Matsui as the full-time designated hitter and slide into Damon's spot in the batting order.

A former Yankee, Johnson has demonstrated an uncanny (dare I say Nick Swisher-like? OK, maybe not) ability to get on base. His .426 on-base percentage last season ranks highest among 2009 free agents, and he's averaged more than 95 walks per year over his last three full seasons.

Johnson's ability to get on base is ideal for the No. 2 spot in the Yankee order, directly in front of RBI machines Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. He's already proven he can handle playing in New York, and he can spell Teixeira at first base and Granderson/Melky Cabrera in left field.

If Johnson does indeed sign with the Yankees, it all but assures Damon will not be back. The outfielder wants a multi-year deal for at least $13 million a year (his salary last season), while Cashman's best counteroffer has been two years and $18 million.

In the end, Cashman is making the right move. At 36, Damon is too uncertain a commodity to warrant $25+ million guaranteed when his range in left field is akin to Barry Bonds circa 2003. Johnson, meanwhile, is able to play several positions and will probably sign just a one-year contract.

Cashman may not be done dealing, though the Yankees have vehemently denied any interest in marquee free agent outfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. But if the Bombers do stand pat, the 2010 Opening Day lineup should look a little something like this:

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Nick Johnson, DH
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Jorge Posada, C
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Nick Swisher, RF
8. Melky Cabrera, LF
9. Curtis Granderson, CF

(Note: I like Granderson in the No. 9 spot. It really makes for a nice turnaround.)

The Rundown: Debunking the Jets' Playoff Myth

2009-12-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

On Sept. 25, the Giants and Jets both stood at 3-0. Eleven weeks later, they once again share identical records, this time 7-6. A look at the last month, however, points to the Jets as New York's hotter team. Gang Green has won three in a row to climb back into the AFC playoff race, while the G-Men have dropped six of eight in a collapse that may soon rank among the worst in NFL history. Surely the Jets are more likely to make the postseason, playing on wild card weekend while Eli Manning plays shuffleboard in Boca Raton. Right?

Actually... no.

NEW YORK JETS: Led by backup quarterback Kellen Clemens, the Jets rolled over the hapless Bucs, 26-3, and are now tied with three other teams for the second AFC wild card spot. The Jets played to their strengths, rushing for 175 yards and holding Tampa Bay to 125 total yards. It was a vintage Rex Ryan performance.

But guess what, Jets fans? The win came against the Bucs (1-12). Just like the last win came against the Bills (5-8) and one before came against the Panthers (5-8). In fact, the Jets have beaten exactly one team this year with a winning record: the Pats in Week 2. And that was with a healthy Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington.

That trend will have to change for Gang Green to make the playoffs. You have to figure the sixth AFC playoff team will finish at least 9-7, so the Jets have to win at least two of their last three games. After a date with Atlanta (6-7) next week, the Jets close with the Colts (13-0) and the Bengals (9-4). Indy will most likely be playing for an undefeated season, while the Bengals may still be battling for the No. 2 seed and a bye week. If the Jets want to turn 4-6 into a playoff spot, they will need to win one of those games. Good luck.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Late in the third quarter of Big Blue's 45-38 loss to the Eagles, NBC ran a "Giants Miscues" recap, showing the Giants' many missed opportunities and bonehead plays. The "highlights" were more than two minutes long. And that was before the fourth quarter.

From Michael Boley's drop of a potential interception/fumble to four lost fumbles on offense to three drops on long passes by Hakeem Nicks to a punt return for a touchdown by DeSean Jackson to three passes of 30+ yards allowed by the defense (phew! finally done), the G-Men could not get out of their own way in the most important game of the season. The Giants racked up 512 total yards -- and lost. They held the Eagles to just 77 yards rushing -- and lost. They won the first down battle, controlled the ball longer and converted a higher percentage of third downs -- and lost. They scored 38 points -- and lost.

Amazingly, the Giants remain in a great position to grab the final NFC wild card spot. Tom Coughlin's squad should send Wade Phillips and Tony Romo holiday cards thanking them for yet another December collapse, as the Cowboys have lost two straight and face the 13-0 Saints next week. Meanwhile, the Giants play the hapless Redskins, the black sheep of the NFC East. If the Giants win and the Cowboys lose (as they both should), the teams would have identical 8-6 records, and the Giants hold the tiebreaker edge because they swept the season series. This time next week, the Giants could actually control their playoff destiny. Anyone who watched last night's debacle knows how incredible that is.

NEW YORK YANKEES: The latest from the continuously shifting free-agent landscape: The Angels are courting Hideki Matsui to be their DH, while the Yankees' negotiations to bring Johnny Damon back have stalled. Oh, and the Red Sox signed power pitcher John Lackey. Always nice to see baseball's superpowers up the ante.

NEW YORK METS: They're looking to sign free-agent outfielder Jason Bay. In other news, Tony Bernazard shot a 78 at Pebble Beach over the weekend, then ripped off his shirt and challenged the local caddies to a fight.

(OK, I made that up. But one more time folks, give it up for your 2009 New York Mets!)

NEW YORK KNICKS: I can explain the Knicks recent stretch of (gasp) over-.500 basketball in two words: Message received.

After guard Nate Robinson jokingly shot on his own basket -- and made it -- at the end of the first quarter against the Nets three weeks ago, I gave him the New York Sports Turkey of the Year award. Coach Mike D'Antoni had his own gift for Robinson -- a permanent seat at the end of the bench.

On Dec. 1, Robinson played 11 minutes against the Suns, notching one rebound and two assists. Since then, he has been rooted to the bench, getting the dreaded "DNP: Coach's Decision" in the last five games. D'Antoni's unspoken message to his players was obvious: If you screw around and put having fun before winning, you will not play.

The message has clearly gotten through to the Knicks, who have been all about winning this December. The team is 5-1 so far this month, the lone loss coming on the road against the Magic, who at 17-6 are among the best teams in the NBA. The Knicks have taken down some of the NBA's elite -- including road wins against the Hawks and Hornets -- and pasted the Suns at home. With five consecutive games against the Bulls, Bobcats and Clippers before a Christmas Day showdown with the Heat, expect the Knicks to continue their best stretch in recent memory.

NEW JERSEY NETS: Two wins are better than none, I guess. The Nets edged the Bulls, 103-101, for their first road win of the season on Tuesday. But even in victory, the Nets showcased their most recent fatal flaw: defense. In eight of its last nine games, New Jersey has allowed at least 100 points, not a good stat for a team that averages a league-worst 89.3 points per game. The coup de grace came Sunday, when the Nets allowed a season-worst 130 points to the Hawks in yet another blowout loss. A team as young as the Nets is expected to struggle on defense, where success stems from a mixture of effort and basketball acumen. But after playing stingy D early in the season for recently fired coach Lawrence Frank, the Nets are headed in the wrong direction.

Link'd Up, 12/9/09: The Year of Sleaze

2009-12-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

It's not about New York sports per se, but this article from the L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke is too good and too pertinent to pass up. If you were/are outraged by Rick Pitino's "abortion payoff", by Alex Rodriguez's infidelity, Tiger Woods' ongoing sordid saga or any of the many sleazy acts in sports this year, you have to read this.

Trust me on this one.

Link'd Up, 12/9/09: Annnddy's back

2009-12-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

According to multiple news sources, Andy Pettitte will be in pinstripes again next season. The free-agent pitcher signed a one-year, $11.75 million deal with the Yankees on Wednesday and will be a vital part of the Bombers' rotation in 2010.

This is the fourth consecutive year the Yanks have signed Pettitte to a one-year deal. The arrangement has been perfect for both sides -- the Yankees get to re-evaluate Pettitte's worth each season and the veteran southpaw gets to make a decision on retirement every winter.

Pettitte was 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA in the regular season, and at 37, you'd have to expect those numbers to fall off a bit more in 2010. But his veteran leadership and 4-0 postseason record in '09 make the decision to bring Andy back for one more "one more year" a no-brainer.

Breaking down the Granderson trade

2009-12-09T08:26:00.001-08:00

World Series champions often rest on their laurels, content with the roster that was good enough to win it all (1997 Florida Marlins excepted). But the 2009 Yankees have wasted little time tweaking their roster. On Tuesday, they jumped in with both feet, picking up Tigers' center fielder Curtis Granderson and dumping pitchers Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke as part of a three-team trade.

A big deal -- literally and figuratively. Let's break it down.

--Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke for Curtis Granderson: That description isn't quite accurate -- the Yanks sent Coke to the Tigers and Kennedy to the Arizona Diamondbacks in return for Detroit sending their All-Star outfielder to the Bronx.

On the surface, this looks like a great deal. Kennedy had long since become the black sheep of the Joba-Hughes-Kennedy young hurler triumvirate, winning only one game in 12 career starts while battling injuries. Coke's fate was sealed when Damaso Marte was lights-out in the postseason, supplanting Coke as the southpaw specialist on a ballclub that traditionally relies on one lefty -- and one lefty only -- in relief. And adding Granderson allows the Yankees to safely say good-bye to Johnny Damon, whose contract demands (three years minimum and no pay cut for a 36-year-old outfielder) are beyond unrealistic.

It looks like a good deal. But let's look more closely at Mr. Granderson.

Granderson burst onto the scene in 2006 as the dangerous leadoff hitter on a Tigers' team that reached the World Series. He followed that up with a 2007 season that must resonate with all the old school statisticians: .302 average, 185 hits, 122 runs, 38 doubles, 23 triples, 23 home runs and 74 RBIs. A Ricky Henderson-type year for a leadoff hitter -- if you ignore the paltry .361 on-base percentage and 141 strikeouts.

The Yankees better hope they get Granderson 1.0, because the center fielder's numbers have plummeted each of the last two seasons. If you look only at last year -- a pretty good barometer for evaluating a player you want to start for your team -- Granderson is a bottom-of-the-road player (pun intended). He hit .249, managed only 20 stolen bases and struck out 141 times -- again. That's about one strikeout for every 1.7 times he reached base.

Which leads me to ask: What exactly is GM Brian Cashman's endgame here? Does Granderson take the place of Melky Cabrera, who had superior numbers across the board last year and seems to be on the way up? Does he slide over to left to replace Damon, and if so, is a Granderson-Cabrera-Nick Swisher outfield actually going to start Opening Day 2010? Will Granderson move to leadoff and bump Derek Jeter back to the No. 2 spot despite Jeter's massive statistical improvement in 2009 after he returned to leading off? If not, will he become the Bombers' second No. 9 hitter (because Melky is clearly a bottom-of-the-lineup guy)?

And the big one: With all our resources, this is the marquee outfielder we get for left field?

I don't like the move. I think it creates a conundrum in the batting order, where manager Joe Girardi will have to choose between moving Jeter away from his natural leadoff spot or batting Granderson/Robinson Cano second in the order (and neither of those guys get on base enough to be good table-setters for Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez). I think the real Curtis Granderson is the one from 2009, not 2007 -- the guy that ESPN.com's Jayson Stark introduces as "a man with a plummeting OPS and funky numbers against that sneaky portion of the population that insists on throwing a baseball left-handed." And I think that unless C-Grand (no? I like it) can take advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium like Damon has, this deal will end up being a negative for the Yankees.

Thoughts?

Nets-Mavs Running Diary: Im-Perfection

2009-12-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

9-73. 121-63. Darko Milicic. These are some of the most ignominious things in NBA history, abject failures (or in Darko's case, abject compared to his peers).

Tonight, it's time to add another item to that list... that's right, it's 0-18! I was so excited about the impending imperfection, I got my moldy bread and stale beer and sat down for a good old-fashioned historically bad time.

7:45. Good evening, folks! It's a historic night for the Nets, who are poised to lose their 18th in a row. Only a colossal -- COLOSSAL -- upset of the Dallas Mavericks will keep the Nets from unwanted NBA history.

Before we go any further, allow me to sift through the bog that is New Jersey's head coaching situation. For tonight, interim coach Tom Barrise is still running the team. Barrise replaced longtime coach Lawrence Frank, who was fired after overseeing an 0-16 start. The Nets have announced general manager Kiki Vandeweghe will coach the team going forward, likely beginning with Friday's game against the Bobcats.

A couple pregame "lines" to ponder:

Over/Under Dirk Nowitzki points: 35.5
First-quarter spread: Mavs (-6)
Over/Under defensive breakdowns for the Nets: 30
Over/Under of "We want Kiki" chants: 0
Kidd "Wow!" plays v Devin Harris "Wow!" plays: Kidd (-5)

Oh, and I'd make the Nets a 5-2 underdog right now.

7:42. And the Nets take a 2-0 lead! That's the spirit, fellas.

7:44. 5-2 Mavs. That was quick. Only the Nets can make 36-year old Jason Kidd look like 28-year old Jason Kidd.

7:45. Nifty three-point play from Brook Lopez. This guy is very slippery inside and had the strength to go through Erick Dampier.

7:49. Great over-the-top pass in transition from Kidd. This guy may be five years past his prime, and he may have no defensive skills, and he may be three steps slow... wait, what was I saying?

7:51. "There's no doubt Lawrence Frank will resurface in the basketball community." Also, I think there's a position open for him on the 2008 Detroit Lions.

(Hey-yo! But seriously, folks, 0-16 is really bad.)

7:53. 19-11 Mavs. That's two monster slams from Rodrigue Beaubois, who's listed generously at 6-2. I'm astonished. It's like a French Spud Webb.

7:57. 19-19. Lopez and Douglas-Roberts, who have 11 of the Nets' 19 points, are CARRYING this team back into the game. That's a first- and second-year player. So at least the future is looking up.

7:59. Just showed a Vandeweghe graphic. Is it just me, or is anyone else not sold on this guy? I don't know if it's the flimsy resume or the fact that he scapegoated Frank for a team he put together.

8:02. Current not-talked-about-much-lately-but-absolutely crucial-to-his-team NBA player? Jason Terry. He's a jolt of energy off the bench every single game, like Tayshaun Prince was for the old-school (as in good) Pistons.

8:04. Announcers got one right. Terrence Williams really should be considered for the slam dunk contest.

8:06. 28-28 after the first quarter. The Nets shot 10-19 from the field and 7-7 percent from the foul line. They scored a season-high 28 first quarter points. And yet they're only tied, possibly because the Mavs are shooting a sizzling 71 percent from the floor. If New Jersey get keep the offense up, Dallas should eventually cool down.

8:09. Harris takes a tumble. That's all they need, for him to get hurt again. The only legit guy over 23 on the team.

8:11. Airball from Sean Williams. That ball missed the rim by three feet. Williams is too quick to commit to his shot.

8:14. 39-36 Dallas. Harris makes a nice drive and turnaround finger-roll, then throws a pass to no one on the next possession. Still a little rust, but his drives are a thing of beauty.

8:15. Winnable games in December for the Nets: Charlotte, Knicks, at Golden State, at Minnesota, at Knicks. Also, they're home for 17 straight days. Meadowlands, anyone?

8:17. Extra pass from Nowitzki leads to an open three from Tim Thomas. How good has Dirk been this year (27.2-8.5)? Really carrying the Mavs into the NBA's elite group.

8:20. 7-0 run from the Mavs pushes the lead to 48-39. Dangerous time for the Nets...

8:23. YES announcers, stop bemoaning the fact that Jason Kidd no longer plays for New Jersey. Put on a happy face -- er, voice.

8:24. Brook Lopez's greatest weakness: low post defense. Dampier is actually abusing him near the basket. Erick Dampier.

8:26. Did I mention the Mavs are shooting 75 percent from the field with 4:22 left in the second quarter? Yeah.

8:27. Nowitzki buries a triple. 59-44 Dallas. 20-8 run thanks to New Jersey's sloppiness on offense and astounding levels of futility on defense.

8:30. That's it right there. That's the Nets season. Dampier makes a lunging bank shot, then blocks Douglas-Roberts at the other end, then Nowitzki flips it behind his back to Terry for a trey. 66-46 Dallas.

8:31. I'm calling time of death, people. I will unequivocally say: The Nets are losing this game.

(I know, I know. Really going out on a limb there.)

8:34. Dallas just hit 70 points. Even Jason Kidd is nailing threes. It's actually unfair.

8:37. Do I hear 75 first-half points... YES! Terry's steal and layup gets us there.

8:37. Kidd ends the first half with a great bounce pass to Drew Gooden for a easy deuce. 77-50 Mavs at the half.

8:38. 77 points. Wow. Woooooooow.

8:39. My Dad's first-half analysis: "Well, the Nets are going down in style." True. Allowing 150+ points in a history-making loss would do that.

8:44. Here's some quick first-half offensive stats for Dallas:

77 points
80.6 field-goal percentage (29-36)
87.5 three-point percentage (7-8)
100 free throw percentage (12-12)
5 players in double figures
49 second-quarter points
Nowitzki/Terry/Dampier 15-17 combined from the field

Nets' deficit despite shooting 50 percent in the half: 27.

8:45. While I've a got a minute, a quick shout-out to Allen Iverson, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday and is expected to be in the starting lineup as early as Monday. Philly's second to last in the league in attendance, and they'll pick up the "Iverson bump" the Knicks willingly passed on.

8:48. Speaking of the Knicks, they're losing 88-66 to the Magic as I write this. On the bright side, they're losing by five less than the Nets. You could almost say they're winning by five...

8:49. Bonus first-half stat: The Mavs shot 17-19 in the second quarter. That's 90 percent. That's hard in a scrimmage, much less a real-life NBA game.

8:53. Nowitzki hits a jumper. Kidd steals the ball from Harris. 81-50 Dallas. It really does look like men v boys out there.

8:55. Second time Harris has been fouled on a three-point shot. He made the first and made two of three FTs on the second. Nicely taking advantage of the aggressive Dallas D.

8:56. Mavs outrebounding Nets 19-7. Dampier never looked so young.

8:58. 9-0 run for NJ. Harris' steal/layup fires up the crowd -- a little.

9:03. 85-66 Nets. Dampier has eight boards; the whole Nets team has 10. Meanwhile, the Nets are tearing it up on offense, as Dallas appears to have let up a little.

9:06. Horrible basketball. Kidd gets the steal, passes it to Gooden in transition, and no one comes back to help Harris. Gooden lobs it to Kidd for an easy layup.

That's inexcusable. When you're 0-17 and have a chance to get back into the game, you don't jog. You don't stand idly by and wait for the play to end. Hell, you don't do those things when you're up 30. Vandeweghe has to get that malaise out of his team.

9:09. What's harder to defend, Nowitzki's teardrop fallaway or Carmelo Anthony's turnaround jumper? Both are virtually unstoppable.

9:12. Two threes for Courtney Lee. His minutes will go up exponentially if he can start nailing shots from downtown.

9:14. Sean Williams decides to hang from the rim while Nowitzki shoots a layup. Um, that's basket interference, Sean. Brings to mind your "disciplinary issues" at Boston College.

9:15. We get it. Nowitzki and Pat Garrity were traded for Robert "Tractor" Traylor. Nowitzki and Pat Garrity. It was a horrible trade. We get it. Time to talk about the game in front of you.

9:18. Dallas 103-76. Aaaand the Mavs have reached their season average in points with 1:30 left in the third quarter.

9:21. Two misses from inside two feet end another disappointing quarter for the Nets, who are right back where they started the half -- down 27. Went from 77-50 to 85-66 to 105-78. All that's left is to dot the Is, cross the Ts, and change the record book.

9:28. "Dallas is down to 64 percent shooting from the field." Well there's that.

9:35. 107-91 Mavs. The Nets have come back enough to force Mavs coach Rick Carlisle to put Kidd and Nowitzki back in. It's nice to see some fourth-quarter life. The Nets could've just packed it in, but they've come out firing.

9:38. Nowitzki strips Harris and hits Terry for a fast-break layup. Back to 109-91. That could be New Jersey's last gasp.

9:42. Dampier tips in another of his own misses. 113-91 Dallas.

9:43. At this point, the biggest question is whether Kidd will get two more rebounds for a triple-double. With Dallas up 18 and three minutes left, probably not. But it'd certainly be poetic symbolism of the Nets' long decade's journey into night.

9:46. BTW the Nets' next milestone is 23 -- the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history. That was the 95-96 Grizzlies and the 97-98 Nuggets. If New Jersey actually were to get to 0-24, it would be against the Hawks on Dec. 13.

Also, here's a little info on Del Harris, who will be working closely with Vandeweghe on the bench. Harris' wealth of experience will hopefully help the development of the younger players, particularly Douglas-Roberts and Lopez.

9:51. And that's all she wrote! As the boos rain down from the 10 Nets' fans left, New Jersey falls to Dallas, 117-101. And the Nets stand alone at 0-18.

So that's that. Dallas shot 59 percent and had six players with double-digit scoring. The Nets allowed 49 points in the second quarter, as a 39-36 game turned into a 77-50 rout at halftime.

For a historic loss, it wasn't particularly historic. It was just another dismal game for a dismal team in the midst of a dismal season.

(Historically dismal! Overwhelmingly overwhelmed! Ladies and gentlemen, it's your 2009 New Jersey Nets!!!)

Link'd Up, 11/29/09: Never rains, but it pours

2009-11-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday morning, New York sports fans. How about a double dose of trial and a healthy dash of tribulation with your mimosa?

According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets will fire Lawrence Frank on Monday when the club returns from their West Coast road trip. Multiple sources have reported that general manager Kiki Vandeweghe will assume head coaching duties.

New Jersey, which has lost its last four games by double digits, will try to avoid an NBA record-tying 0-17 start against the Lakers on Sunday. So at this point, it doesn't really matter who coaches the team.

--

In other bad news, ESPN.com is reporting Giants quarterback Eli Manning has a stress reaction in his right foot that could easily lead to a season-ending stress fracture. Manning developed the reaction in his cuboid bone because he was compensating for the plantar fasciitis in his right heel he developed earlier this season. Seems like Eli's foot is a pretty good allegory for Big Blue's season: good to bad to ugly to DOA.

Thanksgiving Day Special: Giants-Broncos preview

2009-11-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

After you've carved the turkey and stuffed yourself with stuffing, after you've had pie, after the tryptophan has started to set in, all you New York sports fans have one more thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Sprawl out on the couch, hunt around for the remote, and turn on NFL Network (or Channel 9 or 11 if you're in the New York area).

The Giants (6-4) are taking on the Broncos (6-4) in a primetime game with major playoff implications for both the AFC and NFC. Let's break it down.

OVERVIEW: Both teams come in struggling, even though the G-Men broke their four-game losing streak with a 34-31 overtime win over the Falcons Sunday. Though they squandered a two-touchdown lead and have lost running back Ahmad Bradshaw and middle linebacker Antonio Pierce to injuries, Big Blue can at least say they've won a game in November. Not so for Denver, which has lost four straight after a surprising 6-0 start and was pasted, 32-3, by the Chargers four days ago.

The big issue for Denver is at quarterback, where coach Josh McDaniels has to choose between injured starter Kyle Orton and incompetent backup Chris Simms. Both QBs were ineffective against San Diego, combining for just 181 yards and an interception on 33 pass attempts. If Orton's sprained ankle leaves him just as gimpy against Big Blue, the Broncos will have significant problems just putting a drive together, let alone scoring points.

The Giants have their own injury problems. A bulging disk in Pierce's neck has forced him to the sidelines, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of New York's defense. Though backup Chase Blackburn looked good at times, Pierce's absence was keenly felt in the fourth quarter against Atlanta, when Matt Ryan led the Falcons down the field on back-to-back touchdown drives to force overtime. But the G-Men pulled out the W and pulled within a game of the first-place Cowboys in the NFC East. With huge contests against the Cowboys and Eagles on the first two Sundays in December, this is a game the Giants can ill afford to lose. And they know it.

KEY MATCHUP: Broncos offensive line v Giants defensive line
The recipe for neutralizing an injured -- and therefore immobile -- quarterback is very simple: Get pressure, force him to get rid of the ball early, and count up the incompletions and interceptions. The Broncos have been among the league's best at protecting the quarterback, allowing just 19 sacks in 10 games. But if the Giants' D-Line, particularly explosive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, can get to Orton, they can use their linebackers to guard against the run and limit Denver's ability to move the ball.

X-FACTOR: Brandon Jacobs
Earlier this season, Jacobs made a big deal about not performing well enough and not getting enough carries. The numbers back him up; he's averaging just 16.3 carries a game as the team's starting running back, yet he's only picking up four yards a carry, down from his career average of 4.6.

Against Denver, Jacobs will get to show what he can do without Wind, Fire, Water, or any other elemental forces. Bradshaw gamely played with a broken bone in his right foot against the Falcons but sprained his left ankle late in the game. Third-string back Danny Ware will assume some of Bradshaw's duties, but he has been used only sparingly this season, and even then only in third-down situations.

Jacobs is battling an injury of his own; he hurt his right knee in the third quarter against Atlanta and did not return. Though coach Tom Coughlin said the move was a precautionary measure, the big guy is clearly not 100 percent. Throw in the mile-high air for a 264-pound running back who will almost certainly get 20+ carries, and Jacobs has his work cut out for him.

If Jacobs can burn the Denver defense for a couple of big plays and gain 4-5 yards a carry, the Broncos won't be able to drop seven or eight guys into pass coverage (they play a 3-4 defense). Given one-on-one matchups to exploit, Eli Manning will have a big enough day to carry the New York offense to 25+ points.

PREDICTION: Giants 31, Broncos 24. Jacobs does enough to open up the passing game, and the offense scores too many points for a hobbled Orton to keep pace.

The First Annual New York Sports Turkey Award

2009-11-24T09:42:00.001-08:00

With Thanksgiving just two days away, families everywhere are preparing turkeys, yams, stuffings, and the occasional terducken (at least at John Madden's house). Turkeys, especially, will be everywhere. But who in New York sports has been dumb enough lately to warrant the not-so-coveted New York Sports Turkey Award?

HONORABLE MENTION:
Mark Sanchez: The Jets' quarterback has moved from "cock of the walk" to "chicken running around with his head cut off" at light speed. After becoming the first rookie QB in NFL history to lead his team to a 3-0 start, Sanchez has completely imploded. In four of the Jets' last seven games, he's thrown at least two picks -- not surprisingly, Gang Green lost all four contests. The coup de grace came Sunday against New England, when he threw four picks and lost a fumble to personally deliver the win to the Pats on a silver platter.

James Dolan: It goes without saying that the Knicks and Rangers' hapless owner has a lifetime membership in the NY Sports Turkey Club. But it turns out he can't even play a round of golf without getting involved in some corrupt business. According to a New York Times article, Dolan enlisted the help of embattled state senator Joseph Bruno to help block the construction of a proposed stadium in Manhattan for the 2012 Olympics. Mayor Mike Bloomberg's failure to get support for the stadium basically killed the bid in its tracks, and he failed in large part because of staunch opposition from the state legislature -- in other words, people like Bruno.

"An assistant to Senator Bruno asked him whether he wanted to join a golf foursome that his son, Kenneth R. Bruno, a lobbyist, had planned with Cablevision executive James L. Dolan," the article reads. "Mr. Dolan had hired the younger Mr. Bruno to help block plans to build an Olympic stadium on Manhattan’s West Side.... Mr. Bruno played in the game. Three months later, opposition in Albany helped doom the stadium project."

So Mr. Dolan, not only can you run a storied basketball franchise into the ground, but you can engage in underhanded deals to stop New York from getting the Olympics. Real proud to call you a fellow New Yorker.

RUNNER UP:
Tom Williams: The Yale football coach doesn't exactly fall into the purview of New York sports. But New Haven is only 82 miles up I-95 from the city, and this gaffe is worthy of a national turkey award.

On Saturday, Yale led archrival Harvard 10-7 with just under three minutes remaining. The Bulldogs faced fourth-and-22 at their own 26, basically the dictionary definition of a punting situation. Instead, Williams called for a fake punt, a run no less.

I don't feel like I need to explain how insane that call is. It's right up there with Napoleon invading Russia.

In a shocker, the "gamble" -- if you can call committing career suicide a gamble -- didn't work. Harvard took over on downs and marched into the end zone, and Yale was left to ponder a 14-10 loss more inexplicable then "Harvard beats Yale, 29-29".

After the game, Williams explained his rationale for the fake punt, saying "The whole idea was to keep our foot on the pedal and not play scared." Well Tom, calling for a fake punt on fourth-and-22 deep in your own territory when you're up three points with three minutes left is indeed not playing scared. It's also not playing football.

Check out good pieces on Williams' decision -- as well as an equally asinine coaching job by LSU's Les Miles -- by the Wall Street Journal's Darren Everson and ESPN's Pat Forde.

TURKEY-EST OF THE TURKEYS:
(drumstick -- er, drumroll please...)

Nate Robinson: The Knicks' guard is shooting just 35 percent from the field this season. But after Saturday's win over the Nets, Robinson can boast of a perfect shooting percentage on his own basket.

That's right, his own basket. With half a second left in the first quarter, Nate thought it would be funny to chuck the ball towards his own hoop rather than try a buzzer-beater on the more conventional basket -- the other team's. In true Turkey of the Year fashion, Robinson's one-handed heave hit nothing but net, swishing through the hoop as the 37 or so fans in the stands looked on in shock.

The referees ruled Robinson released his wrong-way beauty after the buzzer, nullifying the shot. Even if he had gotten the shot off in time, it would not have counted, as it is against NBA rules to shoot on your own basket. I assume the reason the league has the rule at all is to guard against match-fixing, but as a Knicks fan I'm glad it covers subzero IQ's as well.

For his part, Robinson claimed he was just fooling around and waited until after the buzzer to shoot on his own basket. Even if that's true, his actions display a lack of professionalism and interest in the game itself that has no place anywhere in the NBA, much less a 3-10 team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2004. But it's just as likely Robinson thought he'd have some fun, didn't know the buzzer had gone off, and simply didn't think he'd actually make the shot.

Only Nate really knows the answer. But whatever it is, Mr. Nate Robinson, you have gone above and beyond the call of stupidity. You, sir are the 2009 New York Sports Turkey Award winner!

Now give all those Knicks' season-ticket holders their money back.

The Rundown: The Giants' 50/50 lifeline

2009-11-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

The day before Columbus Day.

That's how long it had been since the Giants put one in the win column. So Sunday's 34-31 overtime victory over the Falcons was cause for celebration, a quality win that puts the G-Men back in the thick of the NFC East race.

But anyone who actually watched the game has to have a sour taste in their mouth, because the reality is the Giants did everything wrong down the stretch until they were bailed out by the flip of a coin.

For 50 minutes, Tom Coughlin's squad did everything right. Eli Manning shredded Atlanta's porous pass defense, hitting wideouts, tight ends, fullbacks, security guards and hot dog vendors at will. The Giants defense kept the Falcons out of the end zone on a key third-quarter drive, and Big Blue held a 31-17 lead with seven minutes left in regulation.

At this point, the Falcons needed this scenario -- and only this scenario -- just to force overtime.

Atlanta touchdown
Giants don't score or hold the ball
Atlanta touchdown
Giants don't score before end of regulation

And that's exactly what happened. For the second straight game, the Giants choked away a fourth-quarter lead at home. The only difference between Sunday's collapse and the 21-20 loss to San Diego was the G-Men had a bigger lead this time, and the Falcons could only tie them.

This week's edition of "Giants Collapse" featured many of the same themes as two weeks ago: a prevent defense unable to stop the 15-yard pass, Justin Tuck hobbling off on the final drive, and repeated appearances of the Eli Manning Face. But once again, the central storyline was the atrocious play-calling of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

Gilbride is best-known as the architect of the Houston Oilers' "Run & Shoot" offense in the early 1990s, so you'd think he would know when to take the blinders off his offense. But in each of the last two games, he has gone conservative with the Giants winning late in the game. Last week, it led to a late field goal instead of a game-clinching touchdown. This week, it led to a quick punt that gave Matt Ryan oodles of time to bring his offense down the field for a game-tying touchdown.

Here's a quick breakdown of the last four plays from the Giants' last drive in regulation.

Eli to Kevin Boss for 26 yards (Boss steps out of bounds to stop the clock)
Eli dump off to Boss for no gain
Ahmad Bradshaw dive for no gain (ATL timeout)
Eli incomplete pass on attempted WR screen (stops clock)

Even the one positive play -- Boss' big catch -- had a gray lining because Boss didn't cut back to the middle of the field and keep the clock moving. But it's the next three plays that kill me. When you've shredded an opposing pass defense all day and have an opportunity to end the game, you take it. You don't suddenly go into the fetal position and rely on your defense when that exact strategy failed in the last game. Yet that's exactly what Gilbride did.

To be fair, the Giants moved the ball with ease once the overtime coin toss went their way. Eli, who threw for a career-high 384 yards, exploited hapless cornerback Chris Houston and found Hakeem Nicks over the middle on a quick slant on 3rd-and-2. A 29-yard strike to Mario Manningham on the next play put the Giants in field goal range, and Lawrence Tynes nailed the game-winner.

The Giants have a quick turnaround for their Thanksgiving Day game at Denver, but the Broncos' 32-3 loss to the Chargers suggests they may be ripe for the picking. Maybe this time Gilbride and Coughlin will let the offense play like men instead of mice in the final minutes.

NEW YORK JETS: Though the Jets' record changed from 4-5 to 4-6 after a 31-14 loss to the Pats, their story remains the same. The Jets have a pretty good defense that was very good before the loss of massive nose tackle Kris Jenkins, a pretty good running game that was very good before the loss of Leon Washington, and a mistake-prone rookie quarterback. Mark Sanchez is no Matt Ryan. The 3-0 start was a fluke. We have returned to our regularly scheduled programming.

NEW YORK KNICKS: The Knicks actually played well all week, beating the Pacers and the winless Nets and battling the Celtics for 53 minutes before falling to Kevin Garnett's buzzer-beating jumper in overtime. Their defense appears to be headed in the right direction, and Al Harrington has emerged as a legitimate offensive go-to guy. But when I read Harrington's comments after the Boston loss -- "It just goes to show that we're a very good team" -- I almost choked on my coffee.

Easy, Al. Your team is 3-10. You're being outscored by an average of 6.5 points per game. Your three wins are against New Orleans (6-9), Indiana (5-6), and New Jersey (0-13). Maybe don't call yourself "very good" until you beat at least one team with a winning record.

NEW JERSEY NETS: The infamous record approacheth. Now that New Jersey has lost to the
"very good" Knicks (see what I did there?) they have a slew of good Western Conference opponents between them and 0-18.

If the Nets want to avoid the worst start in NBA history, they'll have to beat either Denver, Portland, Sacramento, the Lakers, or Dallas. Only Sacramento is under .500, and the other four teams all made the playoffs last year. If Lawrence Frank's squad can't knock off the Kings the day after Thanksgiving, expect the 2009-10 Nets to be the new standard for season-opening futility.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Before Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Panthers, Vinny Prospal said players other than he and Marian Gaborik needed to contribute more offense. The duo then proceeded to provide the entire offense in defeat, scoring one goal apiece.

The irony intrigued me, so I took a look at the Blueshirts' offensive stats this season to see if Prospal had a point. Turns out he could have written a dissertation on the subject. Gaborik and Prospal have 29.5 percent of the team's points (51 of 173). That's two players out of 21 providing almost a third of the offense. Gaborik has 25 percent of the team's goals (16 of 64) by himself despite missing a pair of games to injury in late October.

Considering that center and right- and left-wingers are supposed to provide the offense and Gaborik and Prospal are part of the first line, those percentages are somewhat oversimplified. But they're also part of the reason the Rangers are 4-9-1 since Oct. 17.

AND ANOTHER THING... How 'bout those Orangemen? Possessing a massive "home-court" advantage, Syracuse ran North Carolina off the floor with a 20-1 second-half spurt and won the Coaches v Cancer Classic 87-71. The one point I should have mentioned in my post on the Orange was the substantial alumni base Syracuse has in New York City. Orange-clad alumni fill the stands at Madison Square Garden every time Syracuse plays there, and against schools like North Carolina, Jim Boeheim's squad has a significant cheering-section advantage. It showed on Friday night.

Link'd Up, 11/20/09: No Iverson for Knicks

2009-11-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

According to ESPN, the Knicks will pass on pursuing free agent Allen Iverson. When asked why the Knicks chose not to go after the aging superstar, GM Donnie Walsh said: "We feel (it) could hurt our development of the future."

In other words, it could further screw up the team and make LeBron James/Dwyane Wade leery about signing with New York next summer. Understandable, since Walsh has admitted the Knicks are in the early part of a rebuilding process. That said, I'm sure Iverson at MSG would have spiked attendance and renewed interest in a team that hasn't been interesting -- for the right reasons -- in almost 10 years. Guess I'll go back to watching ESPN Classic replays of the 1994 playoffs again.

Monsters of MSG

2009-11-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Heard a funny story today about a New York team that actually plays well in New York. At first, I laughed it off. "Preposterous," I thought. "The Knicks are 2-9 and headed for the sub-basement of the NBA. St. John's hasn't sniffed the NCAA tournament since 2003 and hasn't actually made the Big Dance since the year before that. Even Manhattan has fallen on hard times. What Empire State team could possibly be playing well in New York?"

Turns out I was wrong. Now I'm seeing red -- Orange, actually.

From winning the longest NCAA game in recent memory to two Big East tournament championships this decade to a blowout upset win on Thursday night, Syracuse has made Madison Square Garden its home away from home. Led by rapidly aging coach Jim Boeheim, Orangemen from Carmelo Anthony to Gerry McNamara to Jonny Flynn have taken the Big Apple by storm and left the rest of the Big East in their wake.

Syracuse's latest MSG triumph, a 95-73 pasting of No. 12 Cal, propelled the No. 24 Orangemen into the Coaches v Cancer Classic's championship game Friday night against defending NCAA champion North Carolina. Boeheim's squad led from the outset, overwhelming the Bears with an offensive barrage that included nine 3-pointers and a ridiculous 57.1 field goal percentage. Redshirt sophomore Scoop Jardine led the way with a career-high 22 points.

Jardine is just the latest in a line of Orangemen to have their best games at the Garden. Though he was a key player on the 2003 team that won the Big Dance, McNamara's finest moments came in the 2006 Big East tournament, which Syracuse came into as an NCAA bubble team. But Gerry hit impossible shots on back-to-back days, a running, game-winning three-pointer against Cincinnati and a game-tying trey against Connecticut to keep Syracuse's NCAA hopes alive. The Orange went on to win the Big East tournament -- their second straight conference tourney crown -- and earn an automatic bid to the Big Dance.

The Orange played Connecticut in the conference tournament quarterfinals again last season, but this time one overtime wasn't enough. In a marathon game that actually seemed to go on forever, Syracuse needed six overtimes to overcome the Huskies, 127-117. In three of the first five extra periods, the Orange trailed with 20 seconds left. Each time, they rallied to even the score.

I watched that epic contest with a group of friends, and we had made plans for our Friday night after the game. Suffice to say we didn't make it out.

On this Friday night, Syracuse will be significant underdogs to the No. 4 Tar Heels, who have won 10 straight dating back to last season and overcame a late rally by a tough Ohio State team in their semifinal victory. But in this building where the Orange have had so many triumphs, can you really bet against them?

Rod Thorn's dilemma

2009-11-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Since 2000, the New Jersey Nets have had two coaches: Byron Scott, and Lawrence Frank. As of today, one of them has already been fired this season.

Guess what? It wasn't Frank.

Amazingly, the Nets' coach wasn't the first NBA head banana on the chopping block despite two consecutive losing seasons and a dismal 0-11 start. While Scott's New Orleans Hornets were a slightly better 3-6 when he was canned, he had the fatal combination of the worst home loss in postseason history and his players blatantly quitting on him. No coach survives that, even one two years removed from the Western Conference semifinals.

Frank's situation is a little more complicated -- or if you're Thorn, a lot more complicated. At this point, the Nets' GM must spend most of his time thinking about a different time and place. Namely, Brooklyn and 2010/11/whenever they actually break ground on a stadium. The biggest upsides for the Nets right now are next year's stacked free agent class (LeBron, D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson) and new owner Mikhail Prokhorov's massive bank account. If Prokhorov can provide enough cash to get Bruce Ratner the stadium he wants in Brooklyn and a marquee free agent next summer, the Nets might be a part of the national discussion outside of Leno and Letterman (jokes are almost too easy, fellas). Until then, they will be a bottom-tier franchise with no playoff aspirations.

Which brings us back to Frank. Since he took over for Scott in the middle of 2004, the pint-sized coach has seen his team go from good to mediocre to downright awful. The last two seasons brought identical 34-48 records, and that was before this year's NBADL-level squad. Thing is, most of it isn't his fault. Frank has watched Vince Carter and the two Jasons (Kidd and Richardson) get shipped out the door in return for admittedly talented point guard Devin Harris and... well... Bueller... Bueller...

(Feel free to point out that Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee were acquired for Carter. Suffice to say I'm underwhelmed by both.)

With Harris sidelined for all but two games so far and second-leading Chris Douglas-Roberts laid up with swine flu -- as if the Nets hadn't already suffered enough -- Frank has relied on talented second-year big man Brook Lopez and a cadre of supporters. The result is a team that scores 84.4 points per game despite having eight guys averaging at least 9.6 ppg.

If I'm Thorn, I see what Frank can do over a full season with this cast of misfits. See if he can work the same magic with Lopez as he did with Nenad Kristic before his injuries -- and Lopez has a much higher ceiling. Find out if he can turn the rookie Douglas-Roberts into a legitimate scoring threat once he gets out of quarantine. See if Frank can somehow win 20 games.

What he shouldn't do is follow PTI's advice and turn this Saturday's game against the Knicks into Frank's Waterloo. New York is eminently beatable even for the Nets, and this will probably be Frank's best shot to avoid the worst start in NBA history -- the dreaded 0-18. But even if New Jersey loses, Frank should be given a chance to get the most out of his young team. Can him after the season if you don't like the results.

For now, Rod, just sit back and watch. Or don't, if it's too painful. Just don't pull the trigger too quickly on Lawrence Frank.

The Rundown: The race to the bottom

2009-11-17T23:05:00.001-08:00

As the saying goes, it was a banner weekend in New York sports. The Yankees clinched the AL East by sweeping the Red Sox. The Giants and Jets are both 3-0 for the first time since 2000. And the Knicks made themselves borderline watchable next season by re-signing their two key free agents.

I wrote that on September 27. And New York sports fans still have nothing to complain about after the Yankees' latest World Series title. But boy, does it seem like a long time until pitchers and catchers.

How bad is it? Let's compare.

NEW YORK JETS: Then: 3-0. Now: 4-5. The Jets may not have the best offense, defense, special teams, poise, or coach in the league, but they are certainly the class of the NFL at finding new and interesting ways to lose. Four weeks ago, it was a stalled offense and an overtime field goal that turned 318 rushing yards into a trivia answer. Last week, a 352-104 advantage in total yards wasn't enough to overcome two kickoff returns for touchdowns -- in the same quarter. And this week, the Jets did just enough to lose on the final play.

If Braylon Edwards holds onto Mark Sanchez's pass on a two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter, maybe the Jets don't fall to the Jaguars 24-22, their fifth defeat in six games. And if Maurice Jones-Drew doesn't take a knee just before scoring a touchdown so Jacksonville can run out the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal, maybe the loss doesn't get its unique "fantasy owners are outraged" spin. But the real story is Gang Green's inability to overcome injuries to its biggest and fastest players.

First, 360-pound nose tackle and resident behemoth Kris Jenkins tore his ACL in the overtime loss to the Bills, ending his season and rubbing salt in the wound of a devastating loss. The following week, running back and kick returner Leon Washington broke his right fibula so badly the bone broke through the skin.

Jenkins and Washington are, in a word, irreplaceable to the Jets. No one jams up opponents' running games better than the four-time Pro Bowler Jenkins, and Washington filled three roles: spelling Thomas Jones, catching passes out the backfield, and blowing by opponents on kick returns.

The New York media has been all over the Jets' high-profile rookies, quarterback Mark Sanchez and coach Rex Ryan, for their inexperienced decisions. But Sanchez and Ryan are both in their first year. They will get better. Injuries to Jenkins and Washington, on the other hand, mean it's time to start looking to 2010.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Then: 3-0. Now: 5-4. They had a bye week. Not much to talk about. Yet that didn't stop Mike Francesca (WFAN), Steve Serby (New York Post) and Gary Myers (Daily News) from loudly proclaiming the G-Men won't make the playoffs.

Four losses in a row make that prediction an easy column. I prefer the slightly more tempered approach. Let's see how the Giants do against Atlanta on Sunday. Both teams are 5-4, so for all intensive purposes this is a playoff elimination game. Win it, and Eli Manning and Co. might just shut up the talking heads for a week.

NEW YORK KNICKS: Then: 0-0. Now: 1-9. The Knicks had some compelling subplots going into the season -- how David Lee and Nate Robinson would perform with their one-year contracts, whether Danilo Gallinari was ready for the NBA, if the Knicks could actually win 35 games.

Six weeks later, here's what we have: How much Lee gets his shot blocked, how LeBron James is coming to the Knicks because he's wearing special sneakers with the Yankees' logo, and whether the Knicks will sign the Artist Formerly Known as Allen Iverson. That should help distract from the Knicks' 15-67 record at the end of the season.

NEW JERSEY NETS: Then: 0-0. Now 0-11. I hate to do this to Nets fans -- at this point, they're counting the days until 2010 free agency and hoping Mikhail Prokhorov wasn't one of the villains in Air Force One. But here are the highlights from the Nets' most heartbreaking loss in a season full of losses. Literally. I mean, they've only had losses.

No team has gone worse than 0-17. If the Nets can't break through before then, loss No. 18 would come Dec. 2 against Dallas. Before you mark your calendars, remember this: The Nets host the Knicks this Saturday. If anyone can get New Jersey off the schnide, it's the Knicks.

If you consider yourself a New York sports fan, please do not watch that game. I'm saying this for your sake.

Yankees '09 In Review: Stacking up with the best of 'em

2009-11-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

In case you missed the confetti and screaming fans downtown on Friday -- and the previous 177 games, for that matter -- the Yankees won their 27th World Series title last week. They steamrolled through the playoffs with an 11-4 record, trailed in a series for all of one game and beat arguably the two best major league teams not in pinstripes (Angels and Phillies).

I could spend the next 2,000 words tracing the "arc" of the Yankees' season, but there's not much of an arc on which to wax eloquent. The Yankees started in a trough, turned it around in May when A-Rod came back, went into the All-Star Break hot, came out hotter, grabbed first place in the AL East
on July 21, and kept trending upward all the way to the parade. That's the honest -- albeit simplistic -- explanation.

OK, OK. Let's explicate that a little. There were two major keys to the Bombers' season. First was that all four major offseason acquisitions -- C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher -- thrived in their first season with the Yanks. Yes, even Swisher thrived. When your No. 8 hitter has an OPS of .869 and the MLB average for all players is .751, just forget his nightmare postseason and enjoy how stacked your lineup is.

Of the newbies, Sabathia made the biggest difference in the playoffs, giving the Yankees their first dominant ace since Roger Clemens. At 29, C.C. has plenty more good years left in him. Along with Mark Buehrle and maybe Roy Halladay, he's got the best shot among active pitchers at 300 wins, and his seven-year contract means Yankee fans should get to see a lot of them.

The second key to the season was A-Rod's epiphany. After admitting to steroid use, losing his wife and dealing with a possible career-ending hip injury in the same year, Rodriguez said he "hit rock bottom". Everyone knows his subsequent revelation: Remove himself from the spotlight, put the team first, take the pressure off himself, become a better teammate... you get the idea. We've heard sportscasters and media pundits discuss it all season.

The general reaction from people has been, "It's about time" or "Finally, he stopped being a self-centered moron". Few people have discussed or even acknowledged how hard it must have been for A-Rod to reinvent himself. For the better part of his life, A-Rod has been treated like baseball royalty, feted and hailed as a baseball god. A $252-million contract and adoring fans bases in two cities before the age of 30 will go to anybodies head. Only New York fans aren't forgiving, not for anybody, and especially not for a pretty boy who makes more that most of us could ever dream of for playing a game. So when A-Rod flopped in the postseason three years in a row, the fans got harsher, which increased the pressure, which made him play worse, which made the fans get harsher. And so it went.

In order to "turn things around" this spring, A-Rod had to basically humble himself before the jeering masses and simply take the beating he got in the press and at every opposing ballpark. Sure, it's not in the same universe as what a guy like Jackie Robinson went through, but you can't tell me it wasn't excruciating for a guy who was programmed to be egotistical to bow his head, admit his mistakes and get back to work.

A regular season of 30 homers and 100 RBIs in just 124 games was impressive enough. His postseason heroics were simply sublime. Other than Mariano Rivera -- who at this point has reached demigod status in my book -- no one did more than A-Rod to bring home the title.

(Honorable mention: How 'bout that Derek Jeter? The mainstream media writes him off before the season and he puts up these numbers. Jeter says he wants to play until he's 43. After a season like this, it's hard to argue with him.)

Good enough arc for you? Now for the real fun stuff.

Several local papers wrote an article summarizing each of the Yankees' 27 championship teams. Some even ranked them. And invariably, three teams came to the fore: 1927, 1939, 1998. Let's see how the 2009 edition stacks up against each of those teams.

1. 2009 v 1927
Ah, Murderers' Row. There's something about that saying that strikes fear into the heart of opposing players. As dangerous as A-Rod and Teixeira were in the middle of the lineup, something tells me they won't have their own moniker in 2101. When people think "Murderer's Row," the think Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

That year, Ruth and Gehrig combined for 107 home runs, 339 RBIs, 307 runs, 81 doubles, 246 walks, 864 total bases and 410 hits. I'm not convinced the Pittsburgh Pirates did better as a team this season. The numbers speak for themselves, and a supporting cast of Tony Lazzeri, Bob Meusel and Earle Combs gave the '27 teams a lineup far superior to this year's team -- and I called the '09 lineup "stacked".

All five of the '27 starters had at least 10 wins, though ace Waite Hoyt didn't have the track record Sabathia does. Miller Huggins' club even had a bona fide reliever, Wilcy Moore. Moore picked up 13 saves, which in those days was akin to 50 today.

That squad went 110-44 and swept the Pirates in the Series. Their lineup may not have as good top to bottom; every spot in the order was dangerous this year, at least in the regular season. But if you added Rivera to the '27 roster, that team wins 125 games in the regular season without breaking a sweat. Of course, Rivera wouldn't have been allowed to play back then. But that's a different story.

2. 2009 v 1939

The '39 club had just one hitting superstar: Joe DiMaggio, who hit .381 with 30 homers and 126 RBIs in one of his best seasons ever. He was surrounded by not-so-household names like Charlie "King Kong" Keller and Red Rolfe. Behind the plate was Bill Dickey, the first in a long line of great Yankee catchers. Overall, though, this lineup didn't have the overall punch of the current Bombers. And yet they averaged 6.40 runs per game, while the '09 Yanks averaged just 5.65.

At this point, it's worth saying that it's hard to compare eras. Hideki Matsui wouldn't have had a place in '39 even if he were white because there was no DH. Even Jeter, he of mixed parentage, doesn't get past Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Where the '39 team definitely outclassed this year's club is starting pitching, where they were literally twice as deep. Seven different pitchers recorded double-digit win totals, and each pitched at least 120 innings. Hall of Famers Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez anchored the septet, which finished with a combined 91-34 record.

Once again, they didn't have Rivera, and they didn't have an explosive combination at the top of the lineup like this year's Jeter-Johnny Damon combo. But 106-45 and a sweep of the Reds in the World Series puts them ahead of this year's club as well.

3. 2009 v 1998

By far the most interesting comparison, since both teams played in almost the same era (2009 was ostensibly minus the steroids). The teams also share the Dynasty Boys -- Jeter, Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte -- and current manager Joe Girardi backed up Posada on the '98 squad.

The '98 team didn't have anyone to go longball for longball with Teixeira and A-Rod. But Jeter actually had a better statistical season that year, and Scott Brosius provided the back-of-the-lineup boost this year's team got from Swisher. Both teams had second basemen that drove fans crazy, Chuck Knoblauch because of his occasional throws into the stands and Robinson Cano because of his apparent lack of effort. As a batting order, though, the '09 teams is superior, if only because the '98 squad platooned Shane Spencer and Ricky Ledee in left field.

What made the '98 team was pitching. The starting rotation had Pettitte, David Wells, David Cone, and from May on, Orlando Hernandez (El Duque!!!). Hideki Irabu was a serviceable fifth starter during the regular season, and at no point did the Bombers have to piece together starts with Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin types.

What's more, the bullpen was better, maybe the best of all time. Rivera was hitting his prime and was unhittable from June on, and Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton were a nasty lefty-righty setup combo. It helped that Joe Torre didn't have to use converted starters in the bullpen, like Girardi did with Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. In a short series, this club was as hard to beat as any team in the last 20 years.

At the end of the day, these Yankees don't match up to any of the three monoliths. But who cares? They won the World Series. That's all that matters.

The 1998 team headed into the offseason with significant personnel questions, most notably whether to re-sign Bernie Williams (which, thank God, they eventually did). And the winter saw a huge trade that sent Wells packing and brought Clemens in.

In the coming months, we will undoubtedly see the same thing happen to these defending champs. Some players will be re-signed (Damon? Pettitte?), others will be let go (Matsui?). And there will be at least one move no one saw coming.

But if you ever lose faith, remember what happened to the post-1998 team. They won it all in 1999 and 2000. This team has the makings of dynasty, so get ready to sit back and enjoy.

For now, I can only tip my cap to a fantastic season, a scintillating postseason, and a 27th title. As Mel Brooks said: "It's good to be the king."

The Rundown: How to lose a season in 194 seconds

2009-11-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

I heard some team in the Bronx won their 27th championship or something. Really big deal, champagne everywhere, "Canyon of Heroes", all that good stuff.

But I also recall writing 15,000+ words on the Yankees in the last month. And I feel a leviathan of a season wrapup coming tomorrow. So let's take a moment to review the New York sports landscape as it will be for the next five months.

NEW YORK GIANTS: The difference between making the playoffs and not making the playoffs is the last 3:14 of Big Blue's gut-wrenching 21-20 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. The Giants' fourth loss in a row was worse than all the others because they dominated so many facets of the game and because of the way they lost.

When cornerback Terrell Thomas intercepted Philip Rivers and returned the pick to the San Diego four-yard line, the G-Men were on the verge of icing the game. They had their biggest of the season in their hands. And they (figuratively) dropped the ball.

Playoff teams put the ball in the end zone and make it a two-score game. The Giants didn't. Playoff teams stop opponents' do-or-die touchdown drives in the final two minutes. The Giants didn't. Playoff teams find a way to make that one game-ending play to put them over the top. The Giants didn't. It's that simple.

The blame extends from the players all the way across the coaching staff. When a costly holding penalty on first-and-goal pushed the offense back to the 14, Tom Coughlin took the ball out of Eli Manning's hands and played for the field goal. Wide receiver screen on first down for no gain. Inside handoff to Brandon Jacobs for 5 yards. Inside handoff to Brandon Jacobs for 5 yards.

No, I didn't black out and type the same sentence twice. The Giants' calls on second and third down were exactly the same, designed to force the Chargers to burn timeouts and predicated on the belief that Big Blue's D could keep Rivers and Co. out of the end zone. Coughlin put his faith in a defense that had allowed 24 points in the final two minutes of the first half in the preceding three games. In other words, a defense that clearly has issues stopping the two-minute drill.

When Rivers got the ball back, he sliced through the G-Men like a hot knife through butter (pardon the cliche, but that's how it was). First-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan repeatedly brought the blitz even though the Giants' best blitzing linebacker, Michael Boley, was hampered after reaggravating a meniscus injury in his right knee (for God's sake, he had hobbled off the field the drive before and was clearly not 100 percent). The blitzing exposed the Giants' overmatched secondary and led to consecutive big plays that took San Diego from the Giants' 39 to the end zone. On the touchdown pass, star receiver Vincent Jackson beat crotchety cornerback Corey Webster to the corner of the end zone even though Webster had safety help over the middle. Easy throw and catch, touchdown, game over.

The Giants won't be able to lose again this week -- they have a bye. Maybe two weeks off will give them time to figure things out before games against Atlanta (5-3) and Denver (7-1) in a five-day span.

NEW YORK YANKEES: Always love to see a good parade, so I thought I'd throw this gem from the New York Times' Tyler Kepner in here.

NEW YORK JETS: The Jets had the week off to contemplate how to turn a 4-4 start into a playoff berth, get Braylon Edwards more familiar with the playbook, and insert ligaments from a cadaver into Kris Jenkins' leg to get him back on the field. OK, I made one of those up. Seriously, though, they really, really miss Jenkins in the middle of that defensive line.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Whenever I go camping in the summer, a swarm of mosquitoes inevitably descends upon me and saps my energy bite by bite. Assorted injuries are doing the exact same thing to the Rangers. In Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Flames, the Blueshirts lost two centers -- captain Chris Drury to a concussion and Brandon Dubinsky to a broken hand. Starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist is still day-to-day with a "minor injury." And though offensive machine Marian Gaborik is healthy now, he missed two games after a collision in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes. It's hard to fault the Rangers for going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games -- they simply haven't been at full strength.

NEW YORK KNICKS: What can you say? The best thing about watching Knicks games is listening to Walt Frazier find new pairs of verbs that rhyme and be excited about it. Did you know no Knick player has 10+ assists in a game yet? How they beat New Orleans, I don't know. At least they have more wins than the Nets (1 to 0, but still).

World Series Wrap: Meditations in a Celebration

2009-11-04T22:35:00.001-08:00

I'm a sports fan, and I'm a New Yorker. I was born here, I live here and I follow the sports teams here with a rabid passion. And I can rattle off the list below on command.

1994 Rangers
1996 Yankees
1998 Yankees
1999 Yankees
2000 Yankees
2007 Giants

Those are the teams that won it all, the teams that made every postseason heartbreak, every last-place finish and every Knicks season in the last decade worth it. These are my championship teams.

After seven months, 177 games and countless hours in front of the television, it's finally time to add the 2009 Yankees to that list.

The Bombers captured their 27th World Series title with a 7-3 win over the defending champion Phillies in Game 6 (and it couldn't have come against a better sports town... not really). Andy Pettitte got the win -- extending his MLB records to 18 postseason victories and six series-clinching wins, including all three this postseason -- and World Series MVP Hideki Matsui blasted a home run and a double on his way to six RBIs.

I'll have a complete look at the season that was later today. For now, here are five points from Game 6, one for each ring now owned by the Dynasty Boys.

--Since Pedro Martinez's infamously called the Yankees his "daddy" in 2004, derisive chants of "WHO'S YOUR DAD-DY?" have rung down from the Yankee Stadium stands. After Wednesday's game, I think we have the answer: Matsui.

Godzilla continued to completely own Pedro, blasting a two-run homer and a two-run single to single-handedly give the Bombers a 4-1 lead and chase Martinez. For the series, Matsui was perfect against Pedro, going 4-4 with a walk, two singles, two home runs and five RBIs. For his career, Matsui is 9-for-19 against Pedro in the postseason. And for those of you who weren't at Fenway Park on September 24, 2004, it was Matsui's game-tying home run off Pedro that started a go-ahead rally and led to Pedro "daddy" comment in the first place. So I guess Matsui was his papa all along.

For the series, Matsui hit .615 with three homers and eight RBIs. Those kind of numbers make you the first full-time DH to win a World Series MVP. Matsui's has now made his playoff bones on two continents; he won a Japan Series MVP for the Yomiuri Giants in 2000.

--Anyone 21 and over may fondly remember Graeme Lloyd, the left-handed specialist who was so effective against Rusty Greer, Fred McGriff and Ryan Klesko in the 1996 postseason. Well, Damaso Marte is this year's Graeme Lloyd.

In fact, Marte was much better than the swashbuckling Australian. Beginning with Game 2 of the ALCS, Marte retired 12 consecutive hitters over seven appearances, culminating with sick strikeouts of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard on Wednesday. Not bad, considering Utley's record-tying five World Series homers and Howard's 45 jacks in the regular season.

Saying Marte struck out the Phillies' Murderer's Row doesn't even do it justice. He did it on six pitches, three to each, all strikes. That's pretty much perfect.

--You can't say enough about how gritty Pettitte's performance was. Three runs, four hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings doesn't look like much on a stat sheet, but anyone who saw the game knows how good it was. The veteran southpaw cruised into the sixth, allowing only one hard-hit ball, a triple by Carlos Ruiz in the third. His backdoor cutter was falling over the outside corner, his accuracy was impeccable and his concentration never wavered. Only when he tired in the sixth did he lose his command, walking Utley and surrendering a opposite-field home run to Howard (on a good outside pitch at that). A double by Raul Ibanez later in the inning finally chased Pettitte, who left to more than a standing ovation.

The Yankee Stadium fans chanted his day during the Ibanez at-bat, sensing that one way or another, this inning would be his last. It was reminiscent of the crowd's tribute to Paul O'Neill in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series, his final game at Yankee Stadium. Pettitte has earned a similar place in pinstripe lore, and if this win was really his last hurrah, I can only tip my cap to one of the all-time Yankee greats and the best postseason starting pitcher I have ever seen.

--Watching the postgame analysis on ESPN, I heard Bobby Valentine provide a rare grain of insight among the cacophony of voices. "The Yankees always play 'New York, New York' after wins," he said, "and Joe Girardi should be singing 'I Did It My Way' right now."

I was struck by the reference to two great Frank Sinatra songs (though the title of the latter is wrong -- no 'I did it') and the fact that Girardi did indeed do it his way. In my last post, I wrote that Girardi had gone out on a limb in throwing a three-man rotation in the ALCS and World Series, rolling the dice with a trio of tired arms. You know what Pettitte, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett gave him in their 12 starts? 11 starts of four or fewer earned runs, 11 that went at least five innings, and a 6-2 record. All three went on short rest in the final three games of the World Series, Sabathia and Pettitte pitched well enough to put the Yanks in position to win, and the bats did the rest.

Girardi definitely gambled, but in the end he rode a talented team just the right amount. Pretty good for a fellow Northwestern graduate.

--When I said Pettitte was the best postseason starting pitcher I had ever seen, I included the caveat because Mariano Rivera is the best playoff pitcher in history in addition to being the best reliever of all time. The moment Rivera jogged in from the bullpen with a 7-3 lead in the eighth inning was the first time I allowed myself to smile and admit to myself, "Hey, we're really gonna win this thing." Mo had three more postseason saves in the Fall Classic and was on the mound for the end of all four Yankee wins. He allowed just one run all postseason and was five for five in save opportunities.

To top it all off, he delivered the best quote of the postgame celebration. Grinning like an idiot, he quipped to the Yankee Stadium crowd, "I was going to retire before this, but now I think I'll come back for another five years."

The crowd roared in approval -- obviously. You know what, Mariano? You pitch 75 percent as well as you did this season and you can close until you're 50. And you can keep recording the final out in the World Series and starting the victory mosh pit (we're at four and counting).

Much, much more to come later today. For now, bask in it, Yankee fans. Nine years never felt so long.

The Rundown: Girardi's All-In Shove

2009-11-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's ever watched ESPN in the wee hours of the morning has seen reruns of the World Series of Poker, which the Worldwide Leader milks to the tune of 50 or so episodes every year. It's all tournament play, and the most exciting moments come when a player is low in chips and desperate and utters those two unforgettable words: All in.

It's usually a move for those low in chips (or, for the poker savants out there, for the big stacks who want to bully people with fewer chips). It's as high risk as it gets, because if it backfires, you're done.

It's not often done when you're ahead and have everything to lose. But with a 3-1 lead in the World Series, it's exactly what Joe Girardi did .

Entering Monday's Game 5, the Yankee manager had two choices. He could stick with his pre-Series plan of a three-man rotation and throw A.J. Burnett on three days' rest (with Andy Pettitte and C.C. Sabathia slated for equally short rest in a possible Game 6 and 7). Or he could start the mediocre-but-consistent Chad Gaudin, who was 2-0 in six starts with the Yankees but hadn't started a game since Sept. 28.

Girardi chose Option A, and so far it has backfired. Burnett, often a head case on the mound, was awful in a series-clinching game on short rest, giving up six runs in 2+ dreadful innings. By the time he'd gotten an out in the first, the Phillies had three runs.

At this point, I'm going to forget Game 5 -- with Phillies' ace Cliff Lee going, the Yankees were not expected to win. But Girardi placed his team's championship hopes on three -- and now two -- very tired arms.

Girardi hasn't said anything, but we all know 37-year-old Andy Pettitte will go in Wednesday's Game 6 on three days' rest. For his career, Pettitte is just 5-7 with a 4.18 ERA on short rest, and most of those starts came before his mid-30s. The Phillies will throw Pedro Martinez on full rest, and if the Yankees' old nemesis duplicates his Game 2 numbers (six innings, three runs) expect the Phillies to win.

That would leave Game 7 for Sabathia, the Yanks' bulldog of an ace who is 1-0 this postseason on short rest (and would be 2-0 if not for Joba Chamberlain allowing a game-tying home run to light-hitting Pedro Feliz in Game 4). Whether Phillies' skipper Charlie Manuel throws unproven lefty J.A. Happ or 2009 postseason burnout/"Can't wait for it to end" Cole Hamels, the Yanks should have an advantage with Sabathia.

But every game is different. And Sabathia has now thrown a career-high 266.1 innings in 2009. And it would be an awfully long offseason for Girardi if the Phillies came back from the brink and won the series off the Yanks' weary arms.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Paging Michael Strahan. Paging Michael Strahan. The New York Giants are requesting your presence on the defensive line. And if you could get Lawrence Taylor and Sam Huff down here too, that would be great.

Actually, what the Giants' defense really needs is Jason Sehorn, circa 2000. Big Blue's secondary looks like a college team at this point, pointing fingers and waving arms at each other while opposing wideouts, running backs, waterboys and team mascots rack up receiving touchdowns in bunches.

The Giants have given up 122 points in their last three games -- all losses (you think?). In those games, opposing quarterbacks are 60-89 for 840 yards, eight touchdowns, one interception and a combined 122.9 quarterback rating. With safety Kenny Phillips out for the season and cornerback Aaron Ross well behind in rehabbing from a hamstring injury, the Giants are left with the likes of cornerback Kevin Dockery and safety C.C. Brown (who was the target of this recent gem from New York Times' writer Mike Tanier -- scroll to the third paragraph).

Barring injury, the next five quarterbacks the Giants will face are San Diego's Philip Rivers (over 2,000 yards passing in the first seven games); Atlanta's Matt Ryan (12 TDs); Denver's Kyle Orton (one INT all season); Dallas' Tony Romo (12 TDs); and Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb (four TDs against the Giants on Sunday). Wile E. Coyote had a better chance of success than the Giants' secondary has in the next month.

NEW YORK JETS: I can't figure these guys out. They have a shutdown defense and a killer running game, but they can't stop Mark Sanchez from throwing INTs. They're 1-0 against the Patriots but 0-3 against the Dolphins and Bills. They've allowed 16.8 points per game, fourth in the NFL, but they gave up three defensive/special teams touchdowns in one game and two in another. They're 4-4, but all the losses can be explained away. In one loss, they had the most rushing yards in defeat (318) since 1964. In another, they outgained their opponents 378-104 but allowed Ted Ginn to become the first player to return to kickoffs for touchdowns in the same quarter since 1967.

It makes my head hurt. Good thing Rex Ryan and his coaching staff have a bye week to sort it out.

NEW YORK KNICKS: The Knicks got their first win of the season Monday night, beating the New Orleans Hornets 117-111, so we'll put them ahead of the Rangers for one week (and one week only). Among other positives: Danilo Gallinari is off to a sizzling start, um, David Lee is still on the team, ummmmm.... did I mention Gallinari's hot start?

NEW YORK RANGERS: After two losses in a row, the Rangers basically got on the backs of their two stars and went for a ride Monday. Marian Gaborik, in his first game back from injury, has his 11th goal of the season, and Henrik Lundqvist had 29 saves in a 1-0 win over the Bruins. That'll only work for so long.

Game 4 Analysis: Anatomy of a two-out rally

2009-11-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

How to turn a two-out, none-on, no-momentum ninth-inning situation into three runs, a 7-4 victory and a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series:

1. Shake off the bad juju: The Yankees were either ahead or tied the entire game and held a tenuous 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Joe Girardi summoned Joba Chamberlain from the bullpen, and the mercurial righty got the dangerous Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez easily. With two out and none on, Joba got ahead of weak-hitting third baseman Pedro Feliz, 1-2, and was a pitch away from handing a lead to Mariano Rivera.

Then he got cute. Instead of blowing Feliz away with a high fastball, Joba threw consecutive breaking balls out of the zone, forcing him to go with a fastball in the strike zone on 3-2. Feliz was waiting for it and ripped a home run to left, tying the game at 4 and putting the pressure squarely on the Yanks.

But even though Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter started off the ninth with outs, the Yanks never appeared nervous or down. They kept the attitude that got them a league-best 103 wins in the regular season and playoff victories over the Twins and Angels: We're the best team in baseball, and we play all 27 outs.

2. Fight off your opponent's best shots and get something started: Matsui and Jeter were sent back to the dugout by Phillies' closer Brad Lidge, who blew two save opportunities against the Yankees in two days back in May. This time, Lidge was trying to keep the game tied and give Philly a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth, when they would have the top of the their order against the aggressively mediocre Phil Coke.

With two out and none on, Lidge faced Johnny Damon, who quickly fell behind 1-2. The Phillies were one strike away from a chance for a come-from-behind win that would even the series -- and with ace Cliff Lee going in Game 5, give the Phils a decided advantage. Only Damon wouldn't back down. He fouled off a pitch, took two balls, and spoiled two 3-2 pitches to keep the at-bat alive. Lidge tried an outside fastball, and Damon took it to left field for a single.

3. Make a smart, heads-up play: Damon wasted no time making an impact on the bases, breaking for second on Lidge's first pitch to Mark Teixeira. The Yankee left fielder made it with time to spare, sliding in as the throw from Phillies' catcher Carlos Ruiz bounced in front of second.

FREEZE THIS MOMENT

(OK, so you're Johnny Damon. You slide into second, pick up your head and look around. Feliz is three feet away from you catching Ruiz's one-hop throw. And why is Feliz, a third baseman, catching the ball? Because the Phillies have the shift on for Teixeira, which means the shortstop and second baseman are both playing between first and second and the third baseman covers second on stolen base attempts. And what does that mean? There's no one between you and third base.

So what you do? You make a break for it.)

Damon took off, avoiding a desperate tag attempt by a stunned Ruiz and chugging into third as the Philadelphia crowd watched in horror. In theory, Lidge should have covered third base with the shift on, but the situation is so rare that you can't really blame him.

The move put Damon on third instead of second and had one very specific, very critical effect on the game. Basically, Lidge is a two-pitch closer. He has a mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider that breaks down, a pitch that baffles hitters but often ends up in the dirt. With a runner on third, any breaking ball in the dirt could lead to a wild pitch that scores Damon and ties the game.

So once Damon made his mad dash to third, the hard slider -- Lidge's best pitch -- was effectively removed from his arsenal. In other words, a pitcher with a history of blown saves was reduced to a one-pitch fastball machine. Two pitches later, Lidge plunked Teixeira in the elbow with a fastball, putting runners on the corner for Alex Rodriguez.

Oh, and A-Rod's been deadly on fastballs all postseason. And he hit a game-tying home run back off Lidge back in May -- on a fastball. Think Damon's dash was kind of important?

4. Get the big hit: A-Rod took the first fastball from Lidge for a strike. But with Lidge reduced to fastball after fastball, the 0-1 count was irrelevant -- A-Rod knew the next pitch was going to be another inside fastball. The Yankee slugger smashed it into the left field corner for a double, plating Damon and giving the Yanks a 5-4 lead.

It was only A-Rod's second hit in 14 World Series at-bats. But each one -- a two-run homer in Game 3 and the double off Lidge -- was huge.

5. Go for the jugular: The Yankees were back in front, but a 5-4 lead isn't exactly safe, even with Rivera coming in for the save. With Teixeira on third and A-Rod on second, Jorge Posada had a chance to give the Yanks some breathing room. Like Damon, Posada fell behind in the count, fouling off the first two pitches and facing an 0-2 hole. Like Damon, he battled back, taking two balls and taxing Lidge's patience. And like Damon, he lined a single to left center, scoring both runners. Posada was tagged out trying to advance to second, but the damage was already done, and Rivera walked to the mound with a 7-4 lead.

That's how it's done. We'll see if Lee and his electric stuff can get the Phillies over such a gut-wrenching loss. Otherwise, the Yankees may reverse Jimmy Rollins' pre-Series prediction and take it home in five.

World Series Game 2: Musings on a New York night

2009-10-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

Was lucky enough to go to Game 2, and it was quite a night in the Bronx. From Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' live pregame performance of "Empire State of Mind" to Mariano Rivera's game-ending strikeout, it felt like New York's night -- the Yankees, the city, the fans, everything.

The Yankees' 3-1 win featured a little bit of everything: great pitching, clutch hitting, key home runs, poor umpiring and a finale from the best closer in baseball history. A few thoughts:

-The "hidden play" in this was Jose Molina's snap throw from home plate to pick Jayson Werth off first base in the top of the fourth. For the first 13+ innings of the season, the Yanks were getting none of the breaks. Whether it was Hideki Matsui straying off first base in Game 1 or Alex Rodriguez letting a fairly routine ground ball get by him to give the Phils a 1-0 lead in Game 2, things just weren't going the Yankees' way. But Molina's heads-up play completely changed the momentum and gave the Yankee Stadium crowd something to cheer out. A.J. Burnett got out of the inning, and Mark Teixeira led off the bottom of the fourth with a game-tying home run off Pedro Martinez.

--The starting pitching was excellent on both sides. Despite the "Who's Your Daddy?" chants raining down from the sands, Martinez was solid in his first start at Yankee Stadium in five years. The former Red Sox's ace gave up six hits and three runs in 6+ innings, taking a hard-luck loss despite changing speeds beautifully and baffling the Bombers for much of the game. Martinez's downfall came at the hands of an old nemesis, Matsui, who added to his litany of big hits against Pedro with a go-ahead solo blast in the sixth.

Burnett was on his game, turning in his best start of the postseason in allowing just one run in seven innings. If A-Rod gets his glove down on Matt Stairs' RBI single that basically went right by him, Burnett holds the Phillies scoreless.

--Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel is one of the best in the game, yet he still victim to the Grady Little-Terry Francona Memorial Curse of keeping Pedro in too long. Manuel let Martinez come out for the seventh inning, even though he'd already thrown 99 pitches. Pedro's threshold has long been considered 105 pitches, a stat backed up by John Olerud's two-run homer off Pedro on his 105th pitch in Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS. Sure enough, Jerry Hairston tagged Pedro for a single on his 105th pitch. Two pitches later, Melky Cabrera smacked another single, and Pedro was done for the night. The Yankees went on to score a valuable insurance run in the inning and give Rivera some breathing room.

--Candidates for new Yankees' good-luck charms: Jay-Z, ignorance (the fans in the two rows in front of me spent half the game in the Jim Beam Lounge and barely paid attention when they were in their seats), my new navy Yankee hat (first time worn to a game). Heading towards a lifetime Yankee Good Luck Charm Award: Pedro Martinez.

--Derek Jeter's baseball IQ is almost unparalleled, but sometime the Yankee captain can outsmart himself. With runners on first and second and no one out in the seventh, the Bombers were looking to add to their 3-1 lead. Twice, Jeter squared to bunt, and twice he failed. With the count 0-2, everyone in the stadium, including (most likely) Joe Girardi, expected Jeter to swing away. Instead, he tried to be slick and bunted the 0-2 pitch. It went foul, Jeter was out, and the Yanks didn't score another run in the inning. The brain lock didn't end up hurting the Yankees, but Girardi should sit Jeter down before Game 3 and tell his captain he made the wrong move.

--The umpires just can't buy a break, and they keep compounding their mistakes. Johnny Damon followed Jeter in that seventh inning and hit a line drive to first. Ryan Howard appeared to catch it on the fly, and first base umpire Brian Gorman ruled Howard had indeed caught it. Howard had already fired the ball to shortstop Jimmy Rollins just in case, who tagged Jorge Posada for an inning-ending double play.

Only replays showed Howard had in fact trapped the ball. On another bang-bang play, the umps got it wrong again.

Before you get too incensed, I'd argue the call had no effect on the outcome of the play. If the play is correctly called a trap, Howard fires to Rollins anyway to start a 3-6-3 double play, ending the inning all the same.

Gorman's second missed call had a larger effect on the game and may not have been born of incompetence. With runners on first and second and one out in the top of the eighth, Rivera got the dangerous Chase Utley to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Replays showed Utley was actually safe at first, which means the inning would have continued had the play been called correctly. The tying run would then have been on first for the red-hot Howard, who could have given the Phillies the lead with a home run. You have to wonder if Gorman knew he blew the call on Damon and gave the Yankees a break with a makeup call on Utley.

--Speaking of Rivera, bringing him in for a two-inning save was unquestionably the right move. There's an off day tomorrow, no one else in the bullpen inspires any confidence, Burnett had already thrown 108 pitches, he's the best relief pitcher in baseball history and at his best in the playoffs... how many reasons do you need? Mo clearly did not have his best stuff and struggled to locate his fastball on the outside corner. But even without his regular command, he still pitched two scoreless innings for yet another postseason save.

Let me add one thing. Two-inning saves are hard to begin with in the age of the one-inning closer, and in the postseason the pressure is greater and the opposing hitters are usually better -- it is baseball's best teams after all. So it's a pretty rare thing; since 1996, the year before Rivera became a closer, there have only been 25 two-inning saves total in the playoffs. Rivera has 14 of them.

--I'll close with the overwhelming feeling of relief you could sense in the fans as they walked out to Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York". Dating back to 2003, the Yanks had lost four World Series games in a row, including the series-ending Game 6 loss to the Marlins. In other words, another team had celebrated wildly on the Yankee Stadium field since the Bombers had last won in the Fall Classic. A loss Thursday would have put New York in a perilous 0-2 hole before three games in Philly. Instead, the Yanks head to Pennsylvania even with the defending champs. Now it's a series.

Game 1 Analysis: Pick an order, and stick with it

2009-10-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Question: What is dizzying, moves around constantly and always seems on the verge of collapse?

A) A top
B) Health care reform
C) The pecking order of the Yankees' bullpen
D) All of the above

In this case, D stands for Defeat.

Thanks to Cliff Lee's complete-game gem and Chase Utley's two solo shots off C.C. Sabathia, the Yanks probably weren't winning Game 1 even if Mariano Rivera had pitched for two innings. But two runs in the eighth inning and two in the ninth for Philadelphia turned a long shot at a comeback into a certain loss for the Bombers.

The four late-inning runs by Philadelphia weren't amazing so much as the convoluted way the Yankee bullpen gave up those runs. Check out the box score from Wednesday's 6-1 loss. Joe Girardi used five relievers to get six outs and let Brian Bruney give up two nail-in-the-coffin runs in the ninth inning, yet somehow Joba Chamberlain wasn't used the entire time. Instead, Girardi used first David Robertson (allowed a two-run single in the eighth that made it 4-0) and then Bruney (couldn't even get to two outs in the ninth) while keeping Joba and his electric stuff in the 'pen.

Whaaat???

I just don't get it. Middle relievers and setup men are a mercurial bunch. Give them a defined role and they tend to do OK, but switch them around to the point where they have no earthly idea when their number will be called, and they will struggle. Girardi was a catcher for 15 years; he has to know this. So why did Damaso Marte suddenly become the go-to lefty over Phil Coke in the middle of the ALCS, after Coke had been the guy the entire season? And why was Joba suddenly behind Robertson and Bruney -- Bruney, who wasn't on either the ALDS or ALCS rosters -- when he got two huge outs in the seventh inning of Game 6 against the Angels in his last appearance?

I mean, everyone in the Stadium, the city, the country and beyond knew Bruney wasn't getting out of the ninth inning unscathed. Everyone.

The only explanation I can offer is Joba was hurt or otherwise unavailable, and that Marte's retired the last eight batters he's faced this postseason. The latter explanation I can live with. If the former isn't true, then Girardi is spinning his bullpen like a roulette wheel and doing what most roulette gamblers do -- losing.

Yanks-Phillies last minute updates

2009-10-28T10:23:00.001-07:00

An addendum or two to my World Series preview:

--Instead of Raul Ibanez in left field and Matt Stairs at designated hitter for Games 1 and 2, the Phillies will go with Ben Francisco in left and Ibanez at DH. The throw-in in the Cliff Lee deal in July, Francisco was solid for Philadelphia in the second half and showed some power -- 14 of his 29 hits for the Phillies were for extra bases. In the playoffs, though, he's been a dud, with no hits and no impact in a few late-inning appearances.

--In addition to swapping Freddy Guzman for Eric Hinske, the Yankees dropped third-string catcher Francisco Cervelli from their playoff roster and added hard-throwing reliever Brian Bruney. Once the Bombers' eighth-inning setup man, Bruney fell from grace and off the radar with a series of poor appearances. He wasn't on either the ALDS or ALCS rosters, which suggests he's around for the back end of a possible extra-inning affair.

--Ending on a whimsical note. In an article in the Wall Street Journal, prediction "experts" from an astrologist to a computer predicted the outcome of the World Series. I'm just glad my prediction (Yanks in 7) is the same as the computer's.

Yankees-Phillies World Series Preview

2009-10-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

It's the $200 million team vs. the defending champs. Before we get started, let's put a name on this baby. Faced with a pair of Northeast cities just 97 miles apart (if you use I-95), writers looking for a moniker for this World Series have focused on the means of transportation between The Big Apple and The City of Brotherly Love.

ESPN.com provided multiple options in the same World Series Preview section. All-purpose scribe Howard Bryant called it "The Amtrak Series", while Baseball Tonight veteran Tim Kurkjian went with "The New Jersey Turnpike Series" (the aforementioned I-95).

All well and good. But why is everyone just coughing up a repackaged version of the Subway Series? Why is it always about transportation? Surely New York and Philly must have something else in common.

So may I present to you: The Greasy Sandwich Series! The infamous Philly cheesesteak sandwich is a classic greasy staple, and I've heard from reliable sources that the local Wawas (18 within five miles of the city) make a great hoagie. Any New Yorker who's ever been to Katz Deli knows a good pastrami on rye is piled thick and high with fatty, greasy pastrami. Mmmmmmmm.

So without further ado, let's break down The Greasy Sandwich Series.

CATCHER: On paper, this matchup isn't even close. Jorge Posada is a career .277 hitter with 12 years of postseason experience and a huge game-winning home run in Game 3 of the ALDS to his credit. Then there's Philadelphia's Carlos Ruiz, who's played in just three full major league seasons and hit just .255 this year.

But as Kenny Mayne so often says, "Game aren't played on paper, they're played inside TV sets." Since his series-winning homer, Posada has been a disaster at the plate, hitting just .200 in the ALCS with one homer and one RBI. Against the Yankees this season, Ruiz was a regular Howie Kendrick, with a stat line (.750 average, 2.028 OPS in three games) more reminiscent of my old T-Ball average in first grade than the big leagues.

The numbers, then, are basically a wash and may even favor the young Ruiz. But I can't go against a guy who's played in 105 postseason games and is a charter member of the Dynasty Boys. Edge: Yankees

FIRST BASE: Talk about a stacked deck. Former NL MVP and current All-Star and NL RBI leader. All-Star starter and home run and RBI leader in the AL this year. Scary big and a threat to hit one into next week every time he steps to the plate. Best fielding first baseman in the game and OPS machine. Yes, Ryan Howard and Mark Teixeira are the two best first basemen in baseball not named Albert Pujols. It's almost impossible to put one ahead of the other when looking at the bodies of their careers.

The 2009 postseason, however, shows a clear-cut winner. Howard has been a monster at the plate, hitting .355 with two homers and a whopping 14 RBIs in just nine playoff games (that's how you have a playoff OPS of 1.203). Teixeira has looked, well, mortal in October, with just eight hits in 39 at-bats and a woeful .273 on-base percentage. One walkoff homer doesn't make up for a postseason of general futility. Not against Howard. Edge: Phillies

SECOND BASE: Chase Utley is the best second baseman in baseball and has four straight All-Star starts to prove it. Robinson Cano isn't even the clear-cut best second baseman in the American League. Much as I'd love to belabor the point and harp on Utley's recent case of the yips, that's pretty much the end of the discussion. Edge: Phillies

SHORTSTOP: If the debate at first base was a pair of kings, this one is pocket aces. Despite owning an NL MVP, two straight Gold Gloves and the most important hit of the entire postseason, Jimmy Rollins is the obvious underdog in this matchup. I mean, how can you bet against Derek Jeter, who will alternately go by "Captain October" or "Mr. November" depending on how far into the series we are.

Not only does Jeter have 13 Octobers of clutch hits, dazzling gems in the field and singular plays forever etched in our memory, but he's been a better leadoff hitter than Rollins from Opening Day on. Jeter has a massive edge his Phillies' counter part in on-base percentage in both the regular season (.406 to .296) and the postseason (.435 to .279). If the job of the leadoff hitter is to set the table for the big bats behind him, Jeter has been the best in baseball in 2009, while Rollins has been barely above average. And that's not even taking into account the plethora of intangibles Jeter brings to the Yanks. Edge: Yankees

THIRD BASE: The only player having a better postseason than the red-hot Howard? Alex Rodriguez, who has a sick postseason line (.438 average, .548 on-base percentage, .969 slugging percentage, five homers, twelve RBIs, and three kittens saved from trees) that doesn't even take into account his three super-clutch, game-tying home runs in games the Yanks eventually won. Used to be the knock on A-Rod was his inability to catch up with fastballs and his disappearing act in the clutch. The latter is obviously a thing of the past, and the former has been eliminated because of A-Rod's new, more compact swing, which he debuted after his hip surgery at the beginning of the season. Maybe a torn labrum was the best thing that's ever happened to A-Rod, as it forced him to shorten his swing and take fastballs to right field, where all three of his equalizing homers have gone. At this point, he has no obvious weaknesses and is a terror for all opposing pitchers.

If it seems like I've focused entirely on A-Rod and ignored Pedro Feliz, it's because the matchup is that one-sided. Edge: Yankees

LEFT FIELD: Ah, the outfield. The place where the Phillies seem to have an edge that gets bigger and bigger as you go from left to right. The matchup in left field is relatively even, considering Johnny Damon's ALCS resurgence, capped by his go-ahead two-run single in Game 6. He even appears to have won Game 1 of the World Series for the Yanks, according to this absurd simulation. While Raul Ibanez got off to a sizzling start and was one of baseball's best hitters at the All-Star Break, he hit a wall in the second half of the season and began a three-month slump that has continued in October.

Given their recent production -- namely, that Ibanez has one hit in his last 14 at-bats and Damon hit .300 in the ALCS -- it's hard not to go with Damon. But know this: No position player on the Yanks scares the crap out of me more than Damon. He could hit .400, .100 and everything in between in this series. Edge (gulp): Yankees

CENTER FIELD: Setting his mad dashes at umpires from center field aside, Shane Victorino has been a solid No. 2 hitter for the Phillies this season, hitting over .290 and scoring 102 runs. He's been even better in October, posting five multi-hit games in nine starts and reaching base safely in every game.

You could make the argument that it's easy to do that when you're surrounded by Rollins, Utley and Howard, while poor Melky Cabrera usually has Nick Swisher hitting in front of him (more on that in the minute). But strip away the lineups and ask yourself who you would want up at the plate in a vacuum. It's an easy choice. Edge: Phillies

RIGHT FIELD: Is Philadelphia getting good value on Jayson Werth right now or what? For $2.5 million, the Phillies have a player who was a solid back-of-the-lineup guy in the regular season and then exploded in October with five homers and 10 RBIs in 32 at-bats. He almost single-handedly closed the door on Joe Torre's Dodgers in the NLCS with a two-homer, four-RBI performance in the Phillies' 10-4 win in Game 5. If that's not enough, he has the coolest facial hair on either team (though that's not really fair, considering the Yankees don't allow facial hair.

For more than twice as much money, the Yankees have Nick Swisher, a good-field, good-walk, no-hit career castoff who's been REALLY no-hit in the postseason (4-32 so far). Swish has killed more rallies than I can count in the last two weeks, to the point where you almost want to see him dropped below Melky to the No. 9 spot in the lineup. In a series filled with big hitters, Swisher may distinguish himself as one of the few real offensive liabilities. Edge: Phillies

DESIGNATED HITTER: Not exactly a fair fight, since the Phillies play in the NL and therefore have no DH. The position will only relevant in Games 1,2, and possibly 6 and 7 at Yankee Stadium, since all games played in Philadelphia will feature pitchers hitting (can't wait to see C.C. Sabathia in the batter's box). The Phillies will probably go with veteran Matt Stairs, whose built-only-for-power lefty swing may actually pay off with the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

In the end, though, it will probably be all trash and no treasure for Stairs, who hit just .197 in the regular season and is 0-4 as a pinch hitter in October. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsui continues to go along nicely, flying under the radar as the epilogue to Texeira and A-Rod in the lineup. He's not the best No. 5 hitter in the league, but he has seven hits and eight walks in nine postseason games and always seems to come up with a huge hit when you least expect it. Edge: Yankees

BENCH: Minus Stairs, the Phillies don't really have a bench, just a hodgepodge collection of 30-somethings who played their best -- ie mediocre -- ball for other teams. Backup catcher Paul Bako has his best season with the Tigers 11 years ago, Greg Dobbs' best season average (.370) came as a second-half callup with the Mariners, and Eric Bruntlett was better in Houston than Philly. As the Associated Press put it: "This is far from a dazzling unit, but the Phillies don't necessarily use their bench that much."

Well, the Yankees do. They have speed, in the form of backup outfielder and pinch running specialist Brett Gardner. They have "savvy" in the form of A.J. Burnett's personal catcher, Jose Molina (I put savvy in parentheses because if he is actually calling most of Burnett's pitches, I take the whole sentence back). And it appears they will have slugging as well, as power-hitting lefty Eric Hinske is reportedly replacing speedster Freddy Guzman on the World Series roster. All three would immediately be the best player off the bench for Philadelphia, even the light-hitting but rocket-armed Molina. Philly just doesn't have anybody. Edge: Yankees

STARTING PITCHING: Ah, there's the rub! I could write more on the starting pitching in this series than this entire post. Let's keep it simple and give some bulletpoints.

--C.C. Sabathia (2007 AL Cy Young winner with the Indians) will face Cliff Lee (2008 AL Cy Young winner with the Indians) in Game 1. I think folks in Cleveland would rather be beset by midges than watch their former aces start the World Series for other teams. Hard to give the edge to either ace, but right now C.C. would be hard to bet against at home even if Walter Johnson started for the other team.

--It looks like Pedro Martinez, the Yanks' old nemesis himself, may start Game 2 in Yankee Stadium on Thursday. After all Pedro's been through, it's hard to tell which pitcher will show up. Will it be the one-hit, 17-strikeout Pedro? Or will we see the "Who's Your Daddy?" Pedro? I'm leaning towards the latter.

--Game 3 would then feature a battle of two lefties -- veteran Andy Pettitte and youngster Cole Hamels -- who have more than proven themselves in the postseason. Hamels won the NLCS and World Series MVP honors in 2008, and as for Pettitte... well, just read my last post. As good as Hamels has been in the last two Octobers, I'll take Pettitte against lefties Utley and Howard and hope Rollins and Werth don't burn him from the right side.

--Oh, one more thing. New York starters are 5-0 this postseason. Edge: Yankees

RELIEF PITCHING: Each side has three setup men they can't really count on: Scott Eyre, Ryan Madson and Chan Ho Park for the Phillies, and Phil Coke, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes for the Yankees. That's right, you can't argue Joba and Hughes are reliable when Mariano Rivera is pitching two-inning saves and everyone -- I mean everyone -- is calling it the only possible move.

And that's the thing. The conversation really starts and ends with Rivera. Phillies' closer Brad Lidge blew two saves in two days against the Yankees in May; Rivera blew two saves all season. The best reliever in baseball history is also the only guy on the planet I want to pitch one, two, even three innings with my season on the line. No one -- not Lidge, not anybody -- can stand up to that. Edge: Yankees

MANAGER: The New York Times ran an article earlier this week that succinctly sums up the difference in coaching styles between Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel. The Cliff notes: Girardi coaches from his head a la Joe Torre, while Manuel coaches from his gut a la Stephen Colbert.

We could debate the contrasting approaches all day, but what it really boils down to is results. Manuel has a World Series ring as a manager, and Girardi doesn't. Until that changes, Manuel's on top. Edge: Phillies

X-FACTOR -- MOJO: Austin Powers had it, James Bond certainly has it, and the Yankees and Phillies have it in spades. Both teams breezed through their first two series, and both were comfortable waiting until the last moment for come-from-behind wins that broke the backs of their opponents. The Yankees have Jeter; the Phils have Rollins and Utley. The Bombers have A-Rod; the Phillies have Howard. The Yanks have Sabathia; the Phils have Lee. The Yanks have 26 World Series and four in the last 13 years; the Phillies are the defending champs. And so on and so on.

These are the two best teams in baseball, and more importantly, the two clubs best suited for a short series. They're full of confidence and talent, and neither team will be scared by the other's formidable attributes. Going forward, we'll see which team can exert its mojo on the opposition. But I couldn't for the life of me predict who comes out ahead. Edge: Even

BOTTOM LINE: This series is Ali-Frazier, Affirmed-Alydar, Pacino-DeNiro, a heavyweight fight that promises to be a classic. Both sides can score runs in bunches, and both will be looking to get past the elite starting pitching and exploit the opposing bullpen.

It's almost too close to call. But three projected starts by Sabathia and Rivera waiting in the ninth inning is too much to bet against. After the ALCS, Girardi said he picked the number 27 to wear as manager because he wanted a constant reminder of his team's goal: a 27th World Series title. Next season, he'll have to wear #28.

PREDICTION: Yankees in 7

The Rundown: Hats off to Andy Pettitte

2009-10-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'm leading with the Yankees until they win it all or go home.

NEW YORK YANKEES: When the discussion of "greatest postseason pitcher in baseball history" comes up, people my age will throw out Pedro Martinez, Mariano Rivera and Curt Schilling and wax eloquent about the Bloody Sock Game until I want to be a cadaver myself. The old guard often counters with a pair of New York lefties, Whitey Ford (though he faded near the end of his career) and Sandy Koufax (4-3 record I know, but look at that ERA!).

After Sunday night, it's time to include another name in the discussion: Andy Pettitte.

The veteran lefty set a number of records with his win in the Yanks' 5-2 victory over the Angels in Game 6 that put them back in the World Series for the first time in six years. Pettitte picked up his fifth career series-clinching win, best all time, and moved ahead of John Smoltz into first place alone with 16 postseason wins. With three postseason series played each year (ALDS, ALCS, World Series) instead of one, Pettitte certainly has an advantage over Ford and Koufax. But having the most postseason wins of any pitcher in the history of baseball is nonetheless an impressive feat.

Ironically, Pettitte's first signature postseason victory came against Smoltz, when he outdueled the Braves ace in a classic pitcher's duel in Game 5 of the 1996 World Series. The Yanks won the game, 1-0, and were in front of Atlanta for good. Since then, Pettitte helped the Yanks win three straight World Series and played in three more, including the 2005 fall classic for the Houston Astros.

But Pettitte's importance to the Yankees lies beyond the numbers. He brings an infectious consistency and tenacity to the mound in every start, inspiring everyone in pinstripes with his iron will to win. At 37, Pettitte no longer has the same stuff he did 10 years ago, and he seriously contemplated retirement before signing a one-year deal with the Bombers in January. Yet there he was, shaking off a hard-luck bloop double by Vladimir Guerrero and battling back from 3-0 down to get Kendry Morales and preserve the Yanks' 3-1 lead in the sixth on Sunday.

After retiring Morales on a comebacker to the mound, Pettitte gave an emphatic fist pump as 50,173 fans at Yankee Stadium roared. An inning later, they cheered even louder, giving Pettitte a standing ovation as he exited with one out in the seventh and a two-run lead. It was a well-deserved tribute to one of October's all-time best.

(P.S. It was the Yanks' 40th American League pennant and first since 2003. Check back tomorrow for a mammoth Yankees-Phillies World Series preview).

NEW YORK JETS: After three straight losses, the last two to AFC East opponents, Gang Green was in need of a pick-me-up. It came in the form of the Oakland Raiders, who proved to be the panacea for all that ailed the Jets -- almost.

Rex Ryan's squad pounded the pitiful Raiders, 38-0, dominating every facet of a game that was basically never in doubt. The Jets rushed for more than 300 yards (318) for the second straight game, a feat not seen in the NFL since 1975. Mark Sanchez went the whole game without a turnover while his Oakland counterpart, JaMarcus Russell, had two interceptions and a fumble in the first quarter before he was banished to the far corner of the bench.

It wasn't all fun and games for the Jets, though. In a gruesome scene, running back and kick returner extraordinaire Leon Washington fractured his right fibula so badly the bone broke through his skin. Washington will undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season, dealing a big blow to the Jets' return game and putting the running game squarely on the shoulders of Thomas Jones (and, perhaps, rookie and 2008 Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Greene). Gotta feel for Washington, who tried and failed to get a long-term deal with the Jets in the offseason and will now be a free agent coming off a possible career-altering injury.

NEW YORK GIANTS: In a post on the new NFL Blog Blitz site, I predicted a frustrating Giants loss to the Cardinals marred by mistakes and a big game from Larry Fitzgerald. Man, do I hate being right sometimes.

The Giants brought their best mistake-prone mindset (three interceptions by Eli Manning, the last one on a ball thrown into double coverage, and a fumble by Ahmad Bradshaw when he tried to "heroically" turn a very good run into a great one). And while Fitzgerald didn't get a touchdown, he led all receivers with six catches and 83 yards and consistently burned Big Blue's cornerbacks.

Despite the secondary's poor game, the blame for this loss lies mainly with Eli. Apparently, the quarterback's torrid start to the season was a product of bad opposition more than good play. In his last two games, Eli has five turnovers, a 48.5 completion percentage and a horde of mocking headlines in the New York tabloids. I hope I'm not right about this prediction: Come next Monday, the Giants will be in third place in the NFC East.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Yes, the Blueshirts gave up 16 goals in their three-game losing streak last week. But cries about the plight of the Rangers' defense may be a tad premature. Five of those goals were let up by backup goalie Steve Valiquette in a 7-3 loss to San Jose. One was scored by the Devils on an empty net, and one came in overtime in a 5-4 loss to the Canadiens. And before that, the Rangers didn't allow more than three goals in any of their first eight games.

So let's put those "Where is the defense?" moanings on hold. At least wait for the Blueshirts to fall closer towards .500.

NEW YORK KNICKS: The Knicks -- or if you prefer, the Wait For 2010s -- kick off the regular season against the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Check in for a season preview later in the week. Until then, I'll leave you with 33 words of wisdom from one of ESPN's NBA gurus, Marc Stein. Hint: scroll way, way down.

Time for Game 7 -- I mean Game 6

2009-10-25T11:49:00.001-07:00

The low-pressure system that dumped more than an inch of rain on New York and postponed Game 6 of the Yanks-Angels series gave the media an additional 24 hours to harp on the following stat.

CONSECUTIVE ALCS-CLINCHING GAMES LOST BY THE YANKEES: 5

That brings up a round of comparisons to the Yanks' 2004 collapse against Boston and questions about whether this team will suffer the same fate. But since only five of the 25 players on this year's playoff roster were on the team during that epic fail in '04, I think I'll leave that discussion to the talking heads.

That said, the Yankees have to win Game 6 tonight against the Angels. If they don't, they will not win the World Series. Oh, they could easily take home the ALCS, but that's as far as they'll go.

And there's one 6-foot-7, 290-pound reason why: C.C. Sabathia.

The Yankees' bulldog of an ace has been unbeatable in the postseason, throwing eight innings in each of his three sterling starts and giving up a total of four runs. Even short rest couldn't stop the C.C. locomotive -- Sabathia bulldozed the Halos in Game 4 and brought the Yanks within one game of their first World Series since 2003.

In Game 5, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes demonstrated why the only pitches Joe Girardi can really trust are Sabathia and Mariano Rivera. Even veteran Andy Pettitte looks beatable after allowing a 3-0 lead in Game 3 to slip away.

Pettitte takes the hill for Game 6 against the Angels' Joe Saunders, a matchup that seems to favor the Bombers, especially at home. But if Los Angeles/Anaheim/California manages to win tonight, the Yanks will have to go to Sabathia in Game 7.

Now, that seems like a good thing. Handing the ball to the best pitcher in baseball (right now, at least) in an all-or-nothing game is a recipe for mosh pits on the mound and champagne in the clubhouse (Game 7 of the 1968 World Series notwithstanding). But if Sabathia goes in Monday's Game 7, he won't be available for Games 1 or 2 of the World Series on Wednesday and Thursday.

What it boils down to is that C.C. would start Games 3 and 7 instead of Games 1,4, and 7. That's two starts instead of three against a Phillies team that promises to give New York all it can handle. In a short series, one game often makes the difference. Not having C.C. for an extra game would put the Bombers at an immediate disadvantage, since Philadelphia will have both Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels rested and ready to go come Wednesday.

The Yanks should win tonight and have a rested Sabathia ready for Game 1 against the Phils. But if they don't, a Game 7 ALCS victory may be the best they can hope for.

Mr. Selig, Remove Tim McClelland

2009-10-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Commissioner Selig:

This time of year, your job should be pretty easy. You can sit around and enjoy the fruits of a long regular season as four teams from three of baseball's biggest markets (New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia) battle it out in the LCS. You even have a marquee World Series to look forward to (at this point it's looking like Yanks-Phillies, but hey, who knows?).

The last thing you want to be doing this week is making controversial decisions. So I apologize in advance for making this request on behalf of all of baseball.

Relieve ALCS crew chief Tim McClelland from his umpiring duties for the rest of the playoffs. Today. Right now. Without a second thought.

See the link I put up there on McClelland's name. That's to the 28-year veteran umpire's Wikipedia page. As you can see, the page has been locked -- meaning no changes can be made by anyone except registered users -- because of vandalism. Now why do you suppose that is?

Well, it might have something to do with his historic spate of bad calls in the Bombers' 10-1 win over the Halos in Game 4. Mr. Selig, allow me to break this one down point by point.

1. With one out in the top of the fourth inning, the Yanks had Nick Swisher on third. Johnny Damon lifted a high fly to center field, more than deep enough for Swisher to tag and score, which he did easily. Immediately, the Angels dugout began clamoring Swisher had left third early and should be called out. So Halos' hurler Scott Kazmir threw over to third to appeal, a play that happens occasionally but works once in a blue moon.

This time, it worked. McClelland, the "third base umpire" for the day, called Swisher out, even though replays showed that not only did Swisher stay on the base until the catch was made, but McClelland wasn't even looking at Swisher as he tagged up. It's hard to rule a player left early when, you know, you didn't see him leave early.

2. An inning later, the Yanks were threatening again and had Jorge Posada on third and Robinson Cano on second with one out. Swisher chopped a ground ball to pitcher Darren Oliver, who caught the slow-footed Posada in a rundown between third and home. As the rundown continued, Cano crept toward third base but inexplicably stopped two feet short of the bag, as if he didn't want to cut off Posada's escape route.

Angels' catcher Mike Napoli alertly went after both runners, tagging Posada as he scampered toward third, then slapping the tag on Cano as he continued to stand just off the base.

We could discuss the baserunning stupidity of Posada and Cano getting caught in an inning-ending double play -- if it had been called a double play. Instead, McClelland called Cano safe, even though replays showed him a full step away from third base when he was tagged.

3. After the game, McClelland had a chance to go in front of the press and admit he was very, very wrong on both calls. And he did -- sort of. But he added some unbelievable commentary. Here's a snippet of his thoughts on the two calls:

First call: "The first one, with Swisher leaving too soon, in my heart I thought he left too soon... After looking at replays, I’m not sure I believe the replay of the first one."

Second call: "On the play with Cano and Posada, I was waiting for two players to be on the base. When he tagged Cano, I thought Cano was on the base."

Both explanations don't hold water, but as a baseball fan I'm much more concerned the first one, the one where McClelland thought "in his heart" Swisher left soon and "is not sure he believes the replay."

Are you kidding? ARE YOU KIDDING??? THIS ISN'T AN AFTER-SCHOOL SPECIAL, IT'S A BASEBALL GAME!!! IF YOU DON'T SEE SOMETHING, YOU DON'T CROSS YOUR FINGERS AND GO WITH YOUR HEART, YOU DON'T CALL IT!!!!! AND A REPLAY ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN 'NOT BELIEVE', IT'S A VIDEO RECORDING!!!!!! IT CAN'T LIE!!!!!!!!!

Whew... sorry about that, Commissioner. I'm just moved beyond sanity by those comments, which indicate either a man with no clue what he's doing or someone who's entered the advanced stages of dementia.

Either way, it's textbook gross incompetence. Even at best, it means McClelland knew he got the Swisher call wrong for the Yanks and called Cano safe in an attempt to "make up" the earlier gaffe. Still beyond unacceptable for a spring training game, much less the ALCS.

Luckily for baseball, neither call directly affected the outcome of the game, which featured 10 Yankee runs scored on non-controversial plays. But what if either McClelland blunder had changed the result of the game? How bad would that look for baseball?

How bad would that look for you?

So please, Mr. Selig, do whatever you have do as leader of Major League Baseball. Cite his incompetence. Bring in a new crew chief. Bring in a whole new umpiring crew (second base ump Dale Scott wasn't far behind McClelland in idiocy on Wednesday). Hell, you can kidnap him in the middle of night and hold him in Borneo until the postseason is over. Just get him off the field.

There will be fallout. The umpires union will have an aneurysm, and some will accuse you of being too heavy-handed. There will be so much red tape to go through in the next 24 hours that you may literally drown in paperwork.

But the Yankees and the Angels will thank you. The fans will thank you. And baseball itself will be better for it.

So please, Bud. Do it for the good of the game.

Sincerely,
A Concerned Lover of Baseball

The Rundown: Joe's Magic Book

2009-10-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hate to lead with the Yankees AGAIN, but they keep having these crazy extra-inning games in the postseason, so...

NEW YORK YANKEES: "Conventional wisdom" is a dangerous thing. In sports, managers and coaches often forget the old adage that change is good and fervently stick to the script. The rise of statistics, analysis, statistical analysis and Bill James has only made it worse, with coaches often allowing even the smallest minutia of stats to influence an in-game decision.

So now we're left with Joe Girardi and his big black book.

The Yankee skipper has been good all year, keeping his machinations to a minimum and pretty much letting the most talented team in baseball do its thing. But in the ALCS, he has begun to (gulp) overmanage, pulling relievers after just one or two batters and inserting pinch runners faster than you can say Alfredo Aceves.

Speaking of Aceves, he has been overmatched by these Angels. Forget numbers and watch Game 2, where he gave up the potential game-winning run in the 11th inning only to be bailed out by Alex Rodriguez's game-tying homer. I know Girardi watched the game -- I saw him there on TV. He was in that dugout thing.

And yet there the Yankee skipper was, looking at a book the size of a family photo album and pulling David Robertson for Aceves with two outs and none on in the bottom of 11th in Game 3. All Robertson had done was win two postseason games, the same number as C.C. Sabathia, and get the first two batters of this inning on 11 pitches. You know, everything.

Aceves came in and promptly surrendered a single to Howie Kendrick and a triple to career .200 hitter Jeff Mathis. Game over.

Watching SportsCenter this morning, I learned what had been in that weighty tome of baseball stats that caused Girardi to bring in Aceves. Kendrick's a top 10 hitter in the league against fastballs, Robertson gets 71 percent of his outs on fastballs, while Aceves gets only 51 percent. Apparently, that justifies pulling a hot pitcher and bringing in a cold one when a single, double, or triple by Kendrick -- off a Robertson fastball, perhaps? -- still doesn't beat you.

Great book you got there, Joe. Can't wait for the sequel.

The Yanks are still up 2-1 in the series, and Girardi will undoubtedly get more chances to employ his heavy-handed managing. But since he went to Northwestern like I did and seems to be a pretty smart guy, I'm going to make a direct appeal. Destroy the book, Joe. Burn that thing Fahrenheit 451-style. Go with the action on the field, not the numbers that ultimately mean very little in the heat of a postseason series.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Screw the Giants and Jets. These Rangers have been far more impressive this month. Even a 7-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday shouldn't really blunt their momentum, since it came with backup goalie Steve Valiquette getting a rare start. When the chips are down, Henrik Lundqvist will always be the netminder, and he's been superb thus far.

Rangers' general manager Glen Sather is looking more and more like a genius for his decision to sign former Minnesota Wild right winger Marian Gaborik to a lucrative free-agent deal in the offseason. Gaborik is tied for fifth in points with 12 (six goals, six assists), best among right wingers, and he has provided an offensive catalyst for the Rangers, who have scored at least three goals in their last eight games and are averaging 3.9 goals per game for the season. The Blueshirts may not have come out of the blocks as fast as the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, but at 7-2 they are one of the elite teams in the NHL.

NEW YORK GIANTS: What can you say, really? The Giants had their first real test of the season after three "cupcake" games, facing the 4-0 Saints on the road. Big Blue got an F.

The Giants were thrashed, 48-27, in a game that was actually more lopsided than the final score. New Orleans scored touchdowns on five of its six first-half possessions, and a costly fumble by Eli Manning with 20 seconds left in the second quarter led to a Saints' TD, a 34-17 halftime deficit, and a swift push of the "Last Channel" button on the remote so I could watch Vikings-Ravens.

The G-Men play Arizona and Philadelphia the next two weeks. If they can get two W's, perhaps they will once again be considered a top team. Right now, though, they simply don't belong in the same discussion as the Saints or Vikings in the NFC.

NEW YORK JETS: It's not exactly earth-shattering that Mark Sanchez threw five interceptions. He is, after all, a rookie quarterback. What is amazing is the numbers in the Jets' 16-13 overtime loss to the Bills.

Gang Green racked up 318 -- 318! -- yards on the ground, the most by a losing team since 1944. I believe Bronko Nagurski may have been somehow involved in that game.

My question is why was Sanchez throwing the ball at all in overtime? The Jets had run over, around, and away from the Bills the entire game, and the rookie QB already had four picks. Just run the ball three times in a row every time. Odds of getting at least 10 yards: very high. Odds of a game-killing Sanchez INT: nonexistent.

NEW YORK KNICKS: Other than this insane scene in Sunday's preseason game, the biggest subplot of the Knicks' preseason has been the continued poor shooting of Danilo Gallinari. The Knicks' swingman and supposed sharpshooter has shot just 28 percent from the field in the preseason, and coach Mike D'Antoni has hinted the 21-year old Italian may start the season on the bench. It's too early to tell, but Gallinari may prove to be another Frederic Weis -- sorry, Maciej Lampe. You get the idea.

Link'd Up, 10/18/09: Overstaying his welcome

2009-10-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

The Knicks can't even have a preseason game without something going wrong.

To be fair, this one wasn't the hapless franchise's fault. This was more like a combination of customs, an insane coach, and replacement referees.

New York played an exhibition game against Maccabi Tel Aviv in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden, rare for a preseason contest. The 14,602 fans were treated to a spectacle they most likely have never seen before and will never see again -- at any level.

After being ejected in the third quarter, Maccabi coach Pini Gershon refused to leave the court, leading to a bizarre sequence of events that included a rabbi coming out of the stand to moderate and an impromptu half-court shooting contest from the players while they waited.

The replacement referees -- installed for all NBA games going forward after the league locked out its referees -- were completely befuddled as Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, clad in a black hat and coat and sporting a long white beard, pleaded with the refs to let Gershon stay. Knicks' guard Nate Robinson even wandered over to figure out what was going on, but he was stymied by all the Hebrew being spoken and retreated.

Eventually, Gershon left and the game continued. But for a while, it looked like security would literally have to drag him off the court.

Bizarre. Even for the Knicks.

The Curse of the Shellaclava, and the apotheosis of A-Rod

2009-10-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com advertises the shellaclava as a lightweight, low-bulk, microfur neck warmer. It's great for alpine adventures or a day on the ski slopes.

No one in baseball should wear one ever again.

The ALCS has become the curse of the shellaclava, with two Angels and one Yankee already victims of the insidious garment. It started with Halos' shortstop Erick Aybar, who let a pop fly drop directly in front of him in Game 1 that gave the Bombers basically a free run in their 4-1 victory. Saturday, it claimed Robinson Cano and Maicer Izturis as well.

Though conditions for Game 2 were just as cold and wet, Aybar trotted out to shortstop Saturday with an exposed neck and no headwear, possibly on pain of death from skipper Mike Scioscia. And Aybar had a stellar game, racking up a hit, a walk, a stolen base, and a run and contributing almost spotless defense. His only blemish came when second base umpire Jerry Layne negated a double play on of the once-in-a-blue-moon neighborhood play.

Cano and Izturis, meanwhile, donned their shellaclavas without a second thought. The curse lay dormant until the late innings, when it struck with a fury. First, Cano muffed two routine ground balls, including a misplay in the 13th where the ball literally rolled under his glove. The ball was hit by Aybar, now on the other end of the curse.

The Yankees were able to maneuver around Cano's errors each time; Izturis was not so lucky. The Angels' second baseman fell victim to the curse on the final play of the five-hour, 10-minute classic. With runners on first and second and one out in the bottom of the 13th, Melky Cabrera slapped a ground ball into the hole. Izturis grabbed the ball, spun, and fired to second, trying for a heroic double play.

The throw was wild, and Jerry Hairston Jr. came around to score the winning run as the ball dribbled away.

After the game, Izturis defended his decision to try for the double play. Maybe the shellaclava was wrapped around his head a little too tight.

The series shifts to warm and sunny L.A. for Games 3-5, so the shellaclavas will be put away for now. But the forecast calls for more rain and low temperatures in the 40s next weekend in New York, when a possible Game 6 and 7 would be played. We'll see if anyone is foolhardy enough to break out the headgear again.

In other news, how 'bout that Alex Rodriguez guy? Earlier this postseason, I questioned the sanity of anyone who threw A-Rod a fastball in a big moment. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Brian Fuentes! The Halos' closer had A-Rod down 0-2, with light-hitting Hairston and Brett Gardner on deck. In that driving rain, only A-Rod and Mark Teixeira are hitting it out for the Bombers. How could you possibly throw the hottest hitter in baseball an 0-2 fastball?

Out in the cold

2009-10-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

In my ALCS preview, I wrote the cold weather would be the X-factor in the series because the Angels just weren't used to near-freezing temperatures, howling wind, and a steady mist. Actually, was I said of the Angels was: "You cannot adequately become used to these conditions, no matter how hard you try, if you live where they filmed Baywatch."

Maybe the reference was dated. But after Game 1, the sentiment appears to be absolutely right.

From the first inning of the Yankees' 4-1 win, the Halos looked miserable in the chilly, wet conditions and played like a badly coached high school team. Four separate miscues by Mike Scioscia's club led to three of the Yanks' four runs and forced the Angels to play from behind all night.

To say Los Angeles couldn't get out of its own way isn't quite right. It was more like the Angels left their fielding skills -- and their brains -- in balmy Southern California.

Leading the race to the bottom was left fielder Juan Rivera, who reminded the Yankees why they let him go when he threw to no one on a Johnny Damon single, allowing Damon to advance to second and setting the early standard for defensive futility.

Three batters later, shortstop Erick Aybar did Rivera one better. With two outs in the first, Damon was still on second and the Bombers led 1-0. Hideki Matsui lofted a mile-high popup between short and third, and it looked like the inning was over.

Only it wasn't. As the ball fell toward the infield, Aybar and third baseman Chone Figgins stood stock still 10 feet apart, neither player making any move to catch the ball. The ball fell to the dirt between them, a stunned Matsui stood on first with a "single", Damon scored and the Yanks led 2-0.

It's hard to articulate how monumentally bad this play was, or how much it cost Los Angeles. But it's easy to assign blame. Scioscia chewed out Figgins in the dugout, but that was probably more getting on the veteran infielder for not picking up Aybar's slack. Aybar's the shortstop. He runs the infield. He's got to make that play or be 100 percent sure that Figgins has it.

One Yankee fan brought a banner hailing Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter as "Captain October." Jeet's counterpart on the Angels is Captain Moron.

The Angels went largely mistake-free for the next few innings, though Aybar bounced a routine throw to first that Kendry Morales had to make a nice scoop on. But as the game wore old, the cold wore its way into everyone in the stadium, including Halos' starter John Lackey, who braved the elements in short sleeves but made a critical mistake on a pickoff attempt in the sixth with Melky Cabrera on first and two out. The errant throw got past Morales, and Melky scooted to second. Jeter laced the next pitch up the middle, and center field Torii Hunter booted the ball for the Angels' coup de grace.

Hunter has won eight consecutive Gold Gloves. When the best defensive center fielder this decade is making errors, you know you're in trouble.

The cold unquestionably played a major role in the Angels' mistakes. Aybar was wearing a shellaclava that covered most of his face, and he didn't hear Figgins yell for him to take Matsui's pop fly. And the Angels appeared more uncomfortable than the Yankees on the field throughout the game, as if they couldn't wait to hit the clubhouse for a steaming mug of hot cocoa.

The Yankees didn't exactly look happy on the field either. But ace C.C. Sabathia (eight innings, one run, four hits) could pitch at the North Pole and still turn in a quality start.

The weather may actually be worse for tonight's Game 2, with temperatures around 40 and heavy rain likely. The teams may face multiple rain delays, as the MLB will be reluctant to postpone the game until tomorrow and fight Sunday Night Football for ratings. Forget Jeter and A-Rod -- Mother Nature may turn out to be the Yankees' ALCS MVP.

Yankees-Angels ALCS Preview

2009-10-16T12:43:00.001-07:00

Time for another exhaustive breakdown (couldn't be happier -- two down, one to go). But first, a look at a more unheralded explanation for the Yanks' 2009 success.

In today's Wall Street Journal, Matthew Futterman and Austin Kelley examine whether a more relaxed clubhouse attitude has led to more success on the field for the Bombers. They focus on the usual suspects, offseason acquisitions C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Nick Swisher. But while it's certainly true that pies to the face and mohawks in the clubhouse have eased the tension for the traditionally buttoned-up Yanks, Futterman and Kelley -- like everyone else -- fail to give one much-maligned Yankee his due: Alex Rodriguez.

I imagine most of you are squawking in disbelief, "A-Roid? The guy who makes more than a small country every year and still couldn't get a big postseason before last week? I think not (or other more graphic language)." Just bear with me.

Since he arrived in New York in 2004, the single biggest point of tension between Yankee players has been the frosty relationship of A-Rod and team captain, ladies' man, and general savior Derek Jeter. The Yankee shortstop, who has a tendency to hold grudges, never got over A-Rod's infamous comment to Esquire:

'he [Jeter] has never had to lead. He can just go and play and have fun. He hits second — that's totally different than third or fourth in the lineup. You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie [Williams] and Paul [O'Neill]. You never say, "Don't let Derek beat us." He's never your concern.'

For four years, the feud persisted, and burdened with a poisonous dynamic between the two most visible players on the team, the Yankee clubhouse dynamic suffered. Then came the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009, when A-Rod received a triple dose of humility. In rapid succession, he got divorced, he admitted to steroid use from 2001-2003, and he was forced to the DL because of hip surgery.

Rodriguez missed the first month and a half of the season, rehabbing his hip and staying out of the public eye. During his time away, A-Rod "took a new approach to life, personally and professionally." The Yankee slugger mentally took the weight off his shoulders, choosing to be just another part of the team rather than the center of attention.

The results has been more than a looser, more happy-go-lucky A-Rod. The left side of the Yankee infield finally appears to be in sync, as Jeter and Rodriguez have reached at least a detente, if not an actual friendship. Combine that with the offseason of Burnett and Swisher, clubhouse pranksters both, and you get Kangaroo Courts in May and walkoff wins in October.

I'm not saying A-Rod should get all the credit for the Yankees doing their best "Idiots" impressive all season. But give the man his due for making a positive change in his life, and acknowledge his contribution to the new Yankee way.

Now back to the field...

CATCHER: No Joe Mauer for the Yanks to face in the series. Instead, they get a two-man platoon that features one of the Angels' many Yankee-killers. Mike Napoli is 22-54 lifetime against New York, a sizzling .407 average, and should see a lot of favorable matchups with lefties C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in the Yanks' three-man rotation -- and if needed, he can be spelled by Jeff Mathis. That said, it's hard to go against Game 3 hero and "Dynasty Boy" Jorge Posada when Mauer, the prospective AL MVP, is off the table. Edge: Yankees

FIRST BASE: The Angels made a calculated decision in the offseason: let superb slugger Mark Teixeira go and roll the dice with the unproven Kendry Morales at first base for 5 percent of the cost. Morales has made the Angels' front office look positively clairvoyant hitting .306 and smacking 34 homers and 108 RBIs. He even went .375 with three longballs against the Yankees. Teixeira, meanwhile, was nabbed by the Bombers as one of their lucrative free-agent signings. All he did was lead the AL in homers and RBIs and make a viable case for the MVP. Oh, and that walkoff homer in Game 2 against the Twins was pretty good too. Edge: Yankees

SECOND BASE: It can be argued that outside of Dustin Pedroia and Chase Utley, Robinson Cano is the best second baseman in baseball, he of the incomparable athletic, often lackadaisical manner and maddeningly inability to work a walk. It can also be argued that two good players are better than a single very good one. The Angels will throw the two-headed monster of Maicer Izturis, who hits well and fields better, and Yankee-killer extraordinaire Howie Kendrick at the Bombers. Kendrick's unconscious numbers against New York -- .468 average and 1.165 OPS in 79 at-bats -- make the difference here. Edge: Angels

SHORTSTOP: Anyone doubted Derek Jeter's ability to change a game with just his head can be quiet now (Exhibit 451: Sunday's Game 3 against the Twins). If that weren't enough, Jeter went 4-10 with a homer and two doubles against Minnesota, raising his lifetime postseason average to .311. Jeter can be the catalyst for the whole Yankee ballclub, and Los Angeles' Erick Aybar just doesn't measure up. Edge: Yankees

THIRD BASE: Like I said in my ALDS preview, the Yanks have a pretty, pretty, pretty good infield. And that was before A-Rod went all Reggie Jackson on the Twins. Don't get me wrong -- Chone Figgins is a terror on the bases, a top leadoff hitter and a possible nightmare for Yankee pitching. But is he one of the best players is baseball going through a postseason Renaissance? No. Edge: Yankees

LEFT FIELD: Former Yankee curse, Part 1: Juan Rivera, who never won over the Yanks or the New York fans and was shipped out well before he realized his full potential for the Angels. After posting the best power numbers of his career in 2009, Rivera seems to be on his way up. Johnny Damon, meanwhile, is clearly on his way down, and after his 1-12 performance in the ALDS, it's questionable whether he could even hit Triple A pitching at this point. Anyway, it's not a debate when the general consensus among Yankee fans is Damon should no longer be hitting second. Edge: Angels

CENTER FIELD: The Angels shelled out money like the Yanks at this position. This year alone, they paid out $28.4 million to center fielders alone -- $18 million to Torii Hunter and $10.4 million to backup Gary Matthews Jr., a rich man for doing virtually nothing. What the Angels get for all that money at least one and possibly two players who are better than the Bombers' Melky Cabrera, who made $1.4 million this year and will most likely never come close to $10 million a season. This time, you get what you pay for. Edge: Angels

RIGHT FIELD: Former Yankee curse, Part 2: Bobby Abreu, jilted by the Yanks in the offseason, has been better than ever as a table-setter for the Angels. Only Figgins had better numbers across the board in the AL than Abreu's 96 runs, 94 walks and .390 on-base percentage. In the ALDS against Boston, he had a .556 average, best of anyone in the playoffs, including a crucial two-out double off Jonathan Papelbon to keep the Angels' ninth-inning rally in Game 3 alive. Because of the season-ending injury to Xavier Nady, the Yanks have essentially replaced Abreu with Nick Swisher -- and it's been a downgrade. Edge: Angels

DESIGNATED HITTER: Let me tell you of a dark time in Yankee history, when George Steinbrenner made the personnel decisions even though he was slowly losing his mind, and the Yankees got Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown and Jaret Wright and we thought the madness would never end...

What was I saying? Oh, yeah. The worst decision the Boss made in those years earlier this decade was choosing Gary Sheffield over Vladimir Guerrero, a move that I knew even then would haunt the Yanks for years. Six years later, Guerrero is the heart of Los Angeles' lineup, while Sheffield wears a Tigers' uniform. While Vlad swings at pretty much anything he sees, he manages an inordinate number of extra-base hits on ball two feet out of the strike zone. Hideki Matsui has more discipline at the plate than Guerrero, but he possesses neither the power nor the raw skill of the Angels' star. Edge: Angels

BENCH: The key bench players for both teams -- Brett Gardner for the Yanks and Reggie Willits for the Angels -- bring speed and more speed to the table. Both can steal bases, score from first on a ball in the gap, and run down fly balls in the outfield, and both will see time in the series. This category come down to whether Yanks' backup catcher Jose Molina can do as good a job handling the finnicky A.J. Burnett as he did in Game 2 against Minnesota (six innings, three hits, one run). I say he does. Edge: Yankees

STARTING PITCHING: The Yankees have the big names -- C.C. Sabathia, Burnett, and Andy Pettitte. But none of them had an ERA better than Burnett's 4.26 against the Angels this season. The Halos' starters fared little better against the Bombers, though ace John Lackey gave up just two runs in seven innings in his one start against New York. The Angels are hoping for three things: Joe Saunders can keep the Yankees in the park in Game 2, Jered Weaver can bring his A game in Game 3, and former Ray Scott Kazmir can continue his strong play against the Yanks in Game 4. The Yankees know what they got from their Big Three in the ALDS: 19 innings pitched, four earned runs, 2-0 record. Edge: Yankees

RELIEF PITCHING: In days gone by, the Angels had such bullpen bulldogs as Francisco Rodriguez, Troy Percival, and the bespectacled Brendan Donnelly. These days, the Los Angeles relievers appear much more beatable. Though closer Brian Fuentes led the AL with 48 saves, he's been skating on thin ice in his recent appearances and looks prime for a meltdown. Their right-handed specialist, Kevin Jepsen, had a 4.94 ERA this season. Meanwhile, the Yanks bring the same murderers' row as last series: Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Phil Coke to get to the ninth, and Mariano Rivera to be like death and taxes: inevitable. Edge: Yankees

MANAGER: Joe Girardi has been solid in his second season and accumulated enough postseason experience as a player to be comfortable in the big time. But there's a reason the Angels are 2-0 against the Yankees in playoff series this decade and haven't lost the combined regular-season series to them since 2003. A big part of it Mike Scioscia, who was a catcher like Girardi and can apparently somehow see directly into the minds of the Yankees. His ninth-inning moves with Fuentes and Jepsen have been curious, but he still owns the Yanks until he's lost a series to them. Edge: Angels

X-FACTOR: The gametime temperature for tonight's Game 1 will be about 42 degrees, with a 70 percent chance of rain. It may not be Colorado, but it will be borderline miserable out there nonetheless. Game 2 will be no different -- cold, cloudy, and probably rainy. The Angels hail from Los Angeles, which at this moment Friday afternoon is 92 degrees and sunny. You cannot adequately become used to these conditions, no matter how hard you try, if you live in where they filmed Baywatch. Edge: Yankees

BOTTOM LINE: The Angels play a running game on offense that frustrates the Yankees to no end, and they have no shortage of hitters who circle every game against the Bombers on their calendar. And yet... I keep thinking about the Yanks' home-field advantage. Through the ALDS, Girardi's squad is 59-24 at home, the best mark in the league. If the Yankees can get the series back to New York for Games 6 and 7, I can't see them fumbling it away at home. And the Angels aren't beating the Yanks in five.

PREDICTION: Yankees in 7

Link'd Up, 10/16: Goal, Estados Unidos!!!

2009-10-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with New York sports. To be honest, it really doesn't have anything directly to do with American sports, only tangentially. But rarely do you hear such unbridled joy.

Wednesday night was the final night of World Cup qualifying for the CONCACAF group (North America), with the top three teams qualifying automatically and the fourth-place country relegated to a playoff with the fifth-place team from South America.

Honduras, beset by presidential turmoil since June, needed a win over El Salvador and a U.S. win or tie against Costa Rica to avoid that all-or-nothing playoff and qualify automatically in third place. Honduras did its part with a 1-0 win, but Costa Rica had an early 2-0 lead on the U.S., and it looked grim for Honduras.

Only the U.S. pulled off a miracle, coming back despite being a man down and tying the game in the fifth minute of second-half injury time with a miracle goal. The score gave Honduras its place in the 2010 World Cup and set off what can only be described as advanced delirium brought on by ecstasy.

Here is the call from a Honduras radio station. If you're in a bad mood or just in need of a pick-me-up, listen to it. It will give you goosebumps, and it will bring a smile to your face. Promise.

Plus, it's the happiest a Central American country has been with the U.S. in years.

Link'd Up, 10/13/09: The future of baseball?

2009-10-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

In the 72 hours since Phil Cuzzi became a household name across the country and a pariah in Minnesota, the debate about major league umpires has once again entered the national spotlight. No less an authority than the Wall Street Journal devoted its one-page sports section Tuesday to an in-depth look at the men in blue, detailing the history of umpires in baseball and examining new technologies that may one day render umpires obsolete.

The latter point is what really interested me. If the Pitch f/x system is in fact close to 100 percent accurate calling balls and strikes, then my dad's continuous pleas for "an infrared strike zone" may actually already be possible. Numerous obstacles would remain before home plate umpires could be replaced by technology, and there are those who would fight the change tooth and nail even if the new system got it right on every pitch. But it's intriguing to know the technology is out there.

The Rundown: Ode to the Dynasty Boys

2009-10-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

It seems redundant to lead off with the Yankees after my 1,600-word monster of a post wrapping up the ALDS from last night. But the Bombers are the talk of the town after their sweep of the Twins over the weekend. And it occurs to me that I neglected to recognize the accomplishments of a very specific group of Yankees, who the New York Post's Joel Sherman aptly named "The Dynasty Boys" in his 3UP column Monday.

Sherman was referring to the quartet of Yanks who have been around since the beginning of the Joe Torre Era: Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. Sure, Posada was still in the minors when the Yankees won the 1996 World Series, and Pettitte was banished to the Astros for three seasons during George Steinbrenner's I'm-slowly-going-insane-but-still-making-all-the-major-baseball-decisions phase early in this decade. But from 1996 to 2009, these four have been on the Yankee roster for 52 out of a possible 56 seasons (the math works, I promise).

And each of them were vital to the Yanks' series-clinching, come-from-behind 4-1 win in Game 3. Pettitte set the tone by allowing just one run and three hits in 6 1/3 sterling innings, tying John Smoltz for the most postseason wins in baseball history (15) and taking his place in the pantheon of great postseason pitchers. Next came Posada, who smacked the biggest home run of his 13-year career to give the Bombers a 2-1 lead in the seventh. Posada took a fastball from Carl Pavano the other way, an impressive hitting job even though the ball barely cleared the left-field fence.

Then came Jeter, who for the second time in his career made a heads up, game-saving play in Game 3 of a divisional series. This one wasn't quite as extraordinary as his backhanded flip against Oakland in 2001, but it saved the game nonetheless. With Nick Punto on second and no one out in the eighth, Denard Span slapped an infield single up the middle. Jeter immediately recognized he had no chance of getting the speedy Span at first, so he turned his head towards home plate and saw Punto round third with a full head of steam, sure the Yankee shortstop would throw to first. Instead, Jeter threw home, a stunned Punto scrambled back towards third, and Posada's throw to A-Rod got there first. Rally over. Punto's atrocious baserunning aside, Jeter has displayed his incredible baseball acumen time and time again. In the age of Manny Ramirez, it's a refreshing thing to see.

Rivera provided the coup de grace, getting the last four outs for yet another postseason save and propelling the Yankees to the ALCS for the first time in five years. His wicked cutter got the best of Joe Mauer, whose .365 average was the best in baseball this season, and his pinpoint control and fastball took care of everyone else.

The Yankees open the ALCS at home on Friday against their old nemesis, the Anaheim/Los Angeles/California Angels. The men in pinstripes are 0-for-2 in playoff series against the Halos this decade, but with the Dynasty Boys on their side, you can never count the Yanks out.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Eli Manning didn't really have to play Sunday against the hapless Oakland Raiders. But the fact that he did sent a powerful message to his teammates and Giants fans everywhere. The fact that he played out of his mind -- that sent a message to the rest of the NFL.

Manning went 8-10 for 173 yards and two touchdowns in a little less than one half of work on his way to a perfect 158.3 passer rating and a 28-0 second-quarter lead. He then handed the reins to backup quarterback David Carr, who added a rushing touchdown of his own in a 44-7 thrashing that said less about the Giants' place among the elite teams in the league and more about the heart of their starting quarterback.

Eli has now started 76 consecutive games, behind only his brother Peyton (181) and octogenarian wonder Brett Favre (274) among active quarterbacks. Say what you want about Archie Manning's handling of his sons, but he definitely imparted a truckload of toughness into Eli and Peyton. Both the Giants and Peyton's Indianapolis Colts know they have a leader who's willing to play banged up, and though you can't measure the tangible effect that has on a football team, you can count the two Super Bowls won by Mannings in the past three years.

The G-Men will learn a lot more about their team next week when they travel to New Orleans to face Drew Brees and the 4-0 Saints. But at least they know what they've got at quarterback.

NEW YORK JETS: The Jets play tonight against the Miami Dolphins, so I'll save my comments for tomorrow. I will say this, though: Man, does Gang Green have an easy schedule! Beat all the teams they're supposed to beat and the Jets go 11-5 without breaking a sweat.

NEW YORK RANGERS: The Blueshirts have shot out of the gate this season and are tied atop the Atlantic Division -- and the NHL -- with eight points in their first five games. After a 3-2 loss to the defending champion Penguins to open the season, the Rangers have won four in a row, including a 3-0 pasting of Anaheim that featured the debut of backup goaltender Steve Valiquette, who dazzled the Madison Square Garden crowd with shutout in his first career appearance. Don't expect starter Henrik Lundqvist to lose his job anytime soon -- he shut down Alex Ovechkin last week -- but Rangers appear to have a competent fill-in.

ALDS Wrapup: New Stadium, Same Ol' Shakin'

2009-10-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you witness an event as a fan that leaves emotionally drained and totally speechless, which is OK, because you've lost your voice. You've shouted yourself hoarse, lived and died with every play, and run the gamut of emotions in four nerve-racking, tense, euphoric, nervous, jubilant, exhausting and ultimately satisfying hours.

Then, as Bill Simmons once wrote of his beloved Red Sox, "Wait a minute... I'm supposed to write about this???"

Putting your emotions together in your head is borderline impossible, so putting good words on a page seems like a lost cause. You need time to digest. You need time to fully process how amazing what you witnessed was.

Anyway, that's my excuse for not writing about my firsthand experience at the Yankees' epic 11-inning, 4-3 win over the Twins in Game 2 until now. The Yanks wrapped up the sweep with a 4-1 win at the Metrodome tonight, so there's lot of stuff to get through. But I'll start with my thoughts on the experience that was Game 2 and then throw out my thoughts on the series as they pop into my head.

LOUD AS IT EVER WAS: For months, I heard about the lack of crowd noise at the new Yankee Stadium, that was formerly a madhouse was now just a quiet summer evening. Well, I'm hear to tell you that the playoff ambiance was every bit as raucous as in year's past.

Twins fans were heckled, verbally abused, and generally ridiculed throughout the night. Two-strike situations for A.J. Burnett and the Yankee relievers brought the crowd to its feet, screaming for a punch out. And when Alex Rodriguez blasted a game-tying two run homer in the ninth, the upper deck literally shook.

It reminded me of Game 4 of the 2001 World Series, the "Mr. November" game. It had almost the same feel.

In fact, Friday's win followed almost the same path as that Halloween classic eight years ago. The Yankees trailed by two going into the bottom of the ninth and had done nothing on offense. They faced their opponent's elite closer -- the Diamondbacks' Byung-Hyun Kim in 2001 and the Twins' Joe Nathan on Friday. The Yanks' top slugger (Tino Martinez then, A-Rod now) hit a game-tying two run blast in the ninth. And a solo walkoff home run gave the Bombers the win each time.

The difference in Friday's win was that the real hero was A-Rod, the one with the horrific postseason track record and the constant derision from media and fans desperate for one series-changing hit.

If you listened really closely as A-Rod rounded the bases, you could almost hear the monkey finally jumping off his back.

By the time the Yanks had survived a bases-loaded, no out jam in the top of the eleventh and finally won the game minutes later on Mark Teixeira's longball, the 50,006 fans were going back and forth between exultation and delirium. There are few better feelings in the life of a fan.

AS IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH: A-Rod was the offensive catalyst again Sunday night, blasting a solo shot of Twins' starter Carl Pavano to tie the game at 1-1. The slugger finished the series 5-for-11 with two home runs and six RBIs. Quick sidenote: Both home runs came on fastballs. At this point, why would you ever throw A-Rod a fastball in the strike zone in a key moment?

REASON NO. 311 WHY DEREK JETER IS THE COOLEST PLAYER IN BASEBALL: His at-bat music is "Empire State of Mind" from Jay-Z's new album. Great hook, great song, great message. Also, since when does Jay-Z sponsor the Yanks' at-bat songs? Jeter, A-Rod and Robinson Cano all use songs from H.O.V.A's new album "Blueprint 3".

MEN IN BLUE BLUES: Yes, the blown fair/foul call by left field umpire Phil Cuzzi was by far the worst of the plethora of botched calls by the umps in the series, and it may have cost the Twins Game 2. But some of the ball/strike calls by the last two home plate umpires (Chuck Meriwether in Game 2, Mark Wegner in Game 3) made me yearn for an infrared strike zone.

Case in point: Bottom sixth, runner on second, two outs, 2-1 count on Orlando Cabrera. Andy Pettitte threw a perfect backdoor breaking ball over the outside corner -- so good Jorge Posada didn't even bother trying to catch Denard Span stealing because he wanted to frame the pitch. Only Wegner called it a ball. This pitch had the strike zone by at least three inches on every side. It wasn't even close. Pettitte ended up walking Cabrera, and Joe Mauer lined a single to left to give the Twins their only run of the game. Umpires shouldn't be deciding games with bad calls, and that includes Game 2. End of story.

STAT OF THE GAME, FRIDAY EDITION: The Yankee pitching staff did not get a single 1-2-3 inning in the 11-inning Game 2. And the Yanks still won.

SUPER SUB: Talk about making the most of six innings. Twins' bench player Brendan Harris came in to pinch hit for Matt Tolbert and promptly hit an RBI triple to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead, then took Tolbert's spot at third base. In the eighth inning, he hit an opposite-field single to keep a two-out rally alive and eventually came around to score. In the tenth, he made a diving stop on a smash by Jeter to save a double and threw him out at first. Not bad for a guy who didn't even start in Game 1.

ONLY ONE FINGER NEEDED: Before Game 3, the TBS cameras caught an odd seen in the Yankee dugout. Posada was having the nails on his right hand meticulously painted, Seventeen style. It turned out Posada wanted his pitchers to be able to clearly see what fingers he was holding down. And when you think about it, nail polish was probably the best way.

When Mariano Rivera came on with two outs in the eighth and a man on first to protect a 2-1 lead, Posada needed only one of those fingers. Rivera faced AL batting champ and potential MVP Mauer, and the best closer in baseball history didn't mess around. Twice, Posada extended his pinky finger. Twice, Rivera threw his signature cutter. Mauer managed a weak foul ball the first time, but the second cutter shattered his bat and produced a dribbling groundout to first. Rally over. It was vintage Mariano, and it ended the Twins' best shot at a comeback.

TWO OUTS, TOO MANY WALKS: The Twins scored all their runs in Game 2 with two outs -- actually, they scored all their runs after there were two outs and no one on. Both Burnett and Phil Hughes gave up two-out walks to start the rallies, and both walks came after a 1-2 count. The way the Los Angeles Angels run, two-out walks will be equally costly in the ALCS.

BALLS TO THE WALL: The Twins' nearly tied the game in the seventh after a cup shot ended up icing Joba Chamberlain. Joba was rolling along and had a 1-2 count on Delmon Young. But when Young fouled a ball off the plate that bounced up and hit him squarely in the groin, he spent the next five minutes doubled over on the ground in agony. Most people in the crowd were either winced or were amused, but Joba was not happy with the extended delay, eventually soft tossing with Posada and shooting glares at the prostrate Young. As we all know, it doesn't take much to get into Joba's head, and the next pitch to Young was a flat fastball the Twins' outfielder lined into right center for a double. Luckily for the Yankees, Joba escaped the inning unscathed.

SHIFTING WORKS: Several times in Game 3, Yankee batters hit ground balls up the middle that in other situations would have been base hits. But Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire had clearly done his homework, and the Minnesota were always in the right place to make the out. Safe to say Angels' manager Mike Scioscia will take notice of Gardenhire's successful shifts.

AND FINALLY, AN ODE TO IDIOCY: The only way to describe the Minnesota contingent in the game's final innings is stupid. First, Twins' second baseman Nick Punto decided it would be a good idea to try and score the tying run from second base on an infield single with no one out. God, it even looks stupid in print. Jeter saw Punto round third with a full head of steam and threw to Posada. Now trapped, Punto scrambled back to third, but Posada's throw to A-Rod got their first, and Gardenhire appeared ready to strangle Punto in the dugout.

If that weren't enough, one Twins' fan decided the appropriate swan song for the Metrodome was a classless dash onto the field that held up the bottom of the ninth for several minutes and made all those Homer Hanky-waving fans look very bad. Shame it had to end like that. Hopefully, the guy spends the night in jail and is permanently uninvited from Target Field, the Twins' new ballpark.

That's all for tonight. Oh, almost forgot. In the other ALDS series, the Angels swept the Red Sox behind a 7-6 win in Game 3 that should permanently remove Jonathan Papelbon from the "best closers in the game" discussion. The Yanks will now have to go through their playoff nemesis if they want to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2003.

Game 1 is Friday. So stay tuned.

Calling all Yankee fans

2009-10-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

It's not exactly a hajj, but I will making a long-awaited pilgrimage tonight: my first Yankee playoff game in five years. I'll be hoping to erase the sour taste of Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, my last postseason appearance, when potential winning run Tony Clark struck out against Boston's Keith Foulke to end the game and continue the Bombers' epic meltdown.

Those of you on Twitter, I'll be posting updates after the bottom of every inning. Those who aren't, check back here tomorrow morning for my thoughts on the game, the atmosphere and anything else relevant from Game 2 of Yanks-Twins.

I leave you with this article by ESPN.com's Wright Thompson on the caviar culture at the new Yankee Stadium. Here's hoping the buzz tonight is a little more electric.

Yankees-Twins ALDS Preview

2009-10-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

In the not quite immortal words of Bill Simmons, "Let's break this baby down, Dr. Jack style."

CATCHER: Jorge Posada is one of the best catchers in the league, and he's been a constant presence behind the plate for the Yankees since Joe Girardi played for the team. All the Twins' catcher has done -- that Joe Mauer guy -- is hit .365 to become the first catcher in baseball history to win three batting titles, smack 28 home runs and lead the AL in slugging and on-base percentage, and make himself a virtual shoo-in for the AL MVP. Edge: Twins

FIRST BASEMAN: One of the Yanks' troika of big acquisitions in the offseason, Mark Teixeira has been just as good in pinstripes as he was for the Rangers, Braves, and Angels. Teix-Mex tied for the AL lead in home runs (39) and was alone at the top in RBIs (122). The switch-hitting slugger got better after the All-Star Break, hitting .313 in the second half and .343 in September. To top it off, he was .483 against the Twins this season with four homers, 11 RBIs and an unconscious 1.497 OPS. As much power as Michael Cuddyer has shown in the second half of the season, he can't match Teix. Edge: Yankees

SECOND BASE: Robinson Cano hit .336 after the All-Star Break, best of any Yankee, and his rocket arm gives him more range up the middle than any second baseman in the game. The only knock on Cano is his lackadaisical manner on the field. Many would like him to show a little tenacity and a little hustle, qualities the talent-strapped Nick Punto has is spades. The purists may like Punto more, but the purists aren't on the field. Edge: Yankees

SHORTSTOP: Derek Jeter -- the captain, Mr. November, et al -- against the good-field, little-hit Orlando Cabrera? Cabrera could have hit four go-ahead home runs in Tuesday's one-game playoff and this category still wouldn't be close. Edge: Yankees

THIRD BASE: OK, OK, you get it. The Yankees have the best infield in baseball, if not the best ever. So I'll keep it short Alex Rodgriguez over Matt Tolbert in a first-round KO. Edge: Yankees

LEFT FIELD: Both Johnny Damon and the Twins' Delmon Young have put up solid numbers this season, though Damon's increasingly limited range in the field makes him a major defensive liability. That said, you gotta like the veteran Yankee's playoff track record. Young's inability to draw walks -- just 12 free passes all year -- makes the difference here. Edge: Yankees

CENTER FIELD: Denard Span has been one of the more pleasant surprises for Minnesota this season. Posting 180 hits and 97 runs and batting .311 in your first full major league season will earn you those accolades. Melky Cabrera's been a pleasant surprise in his own right for the Bombers, but he doesn't have the numbers to match Span. Edge: Twins

RIGHT FIELD: A little explanation here. Because of the season-ending injury to elite first baseman and 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau, Cuddyer has spent most of the past month playing first base. That means DH-type Jason Kubel has been holding things down in right field. Whether he plays the field or not, Kubel has been dominant at the plate, sliding nicely into the cleanup spot vacated by Morneau and hitting for both power and average. His solo shot in the sixth inning of Tuesday's one-game playoff got the Twins off the mat and started their first rally. Nick Swisher gets on base more than Kubel, but he doesn't produce nearly as many runs. Edge: Twins

DESIGNATED HITTER: The ageless wonder, Hideki Matsui, had a resurgence at the end of the year, hitting .325 in September and eclipsing 20 home runs for the fourth time in six seasons (the other two were cut short by injury). Matsui is one of those players who mechanics never change, no matter what the situation. That can be a nightmare in certain situations, but it makes for some clutch hitting. Compare that with Jose Morales, who started at DH for the Twins in the one-game playoff. Morales has a total of 55 major league games under his belt and was only called up from Triple A for good on August 28. Edge: Yankees

STARTING PITCHING: The Yankees have the $275 million combo of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett to go with arguably the best postseason starting pitcher of the last 40 years in Andy Pettitte. They also get to start their ace, Sabathia, in Game 1 and proceed in order. Not only do the Twins have exactly zero proven big-time pitchers, they used their best pitcher in yesterday's playoff, Scott Baker. That means he can only start one game in the series, and it probably won't be until Game 4. So the Twins' Game 1 starter will be rookie Brian Duensing, who pitched out of the bullpen until September. Batters hit .290 against Game 2 starter Nick Blackburn, who posted identical 11-11 records in his two big league seasons. In Game 3 , it'll be none other than former Yankee nightmare Carl Pavano -- and by nightmare, I mean nightmare for the team he plays for. Think the Bombers are excited to feast on two unproven starters and a mediocre veteran? Me too. Edge: Yankees

RELIEF PITCHING: The Yankees have a flamethrower in Phil Hughes, a proven lights-out setup guy in Joba Chamberlain, and the best closer of all time in Mariano Rivera. The Twins' have an elite closer of their own in Joe Nathan, but their setup guys just don't rival Hughes and Joba. Plus, the Twins used six relief pitches to get through six innings on Tuesday. They're basically spent for Game 1. Edge: Yankees

MANAGER: Ron Gardenhire was brilliant in getting his Twins to ride the momentum down the stretch to a 17-4 finish and a miracle division title. But his playoff record is 6-15, and the Twins have lost their last three ALDS appearances. Joe Girardi is an unknown commodity in the postseason, though he has looked like King Midas in 2009. Edge: Even

INTANGIBLES: The Yankees won all seven games from the wins this year. They've beaten the Twins in their two ALDS matchups, four games in both 2003 and 2004. And they've had more than 20 hours to prepare for the all-important Game 1. Edge: Yankees

BOTTOM LINE: A couple thousand words later, I'm going to keep this brief. The ALDS is always a crapshoot. The best teams often lose, and teams with 87 wins (2009 Twins) can win the World Series (2000 Yankees). But all we prognosticators can do is judge the teams on paper. And on paper, there's no question the Yankees are better.

PREDICTION: Yankees in 4

Link'd Up, 10/7/09: Jets gamble with trade for Edwards

2009-10-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Jets haven't had a truly controversial receiver since the loquacious Keyshawn Johnson in the late 1990s. Even Keyshawn was only an issue because of his mouth, which he liked to shoot off at any particular time for no particular reason.

Now Gang Green has a wideout who's got enough off-the-field issues for a whole team. Multiple sources reported Wednesday morning that trouble Browns' wideout Braylon Edwards was traded to the Jets for wideout Chansi Stuckey, special teams dynamo Jason Trusnik and undisclosed draft picks.

An elite receiver since his days at Michigan, Edwards has seen his numbers decline since his monster 2007 season but remains a big, physical wideout who can go up and get almost anything thrown his way. Off the field, he can't stay out of trouble, drawing the ire of everyone from Charlie Frye to LeBron James himself for various incidents. My favorite was when Browns management told Edwards he couldn't attend the 2007 rivalry game between his alma mater Michigan and Ohio State. Edwards chartered a helicopter and buzzed up to Ann Arbor anyway.

The move is a definite gamble. The NFL is reviewing the incident outside a Cleveland nightclub where Edwards allegedly punched club promoter and LeBron confidant Edward Givens in the face. But it gives rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez a deep threat and a big target who not only brings his own considerable talents to the table but immediately takes some of the focus off receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who should see single coverage the rest of the season. Sanchez should like that, even if the Jets have to lock up the 'childish' Edwards (LeBron's words, not mine) between games.

Link'd Up, 10/5/09: Eli's MRI

2009-10-05T12:35:00.001-07:00

The biggest play of the Giants' season to date just happened off the field. Touchdown, Big Blue.

Quarterback Eli Manning announced on Michael Kay's radio show this afternoon that his bruised right heel is actually plantar fasciitis, a condition that inflames the heel and causes pain walking or running -- or planting to throw a football, as it were.

Not a rosy diagnosis. But it's certainly better than a torn Achilles' tendon, the debilitating injury on the lips of so many Giants fans in the last 24 hours. Whether or not Eli plays against the Raiders on Sunday, the news is better than it could have been.

The Rundown: Yankees By The Numbers

2009-10-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

With a 10-2 drubbing of the Rays on Sunday, the Yankees ended their most successful regular season in seven years. Most fans know the Bombers' win total (103), finish in the AL East (1), and number of years since their last division title (3). Let's throw in a few more numbers that help tell the whole story.

HOME WINS: 57
The Yankees finished the season a staggering 57-24 at home, the best record in the bigs. Had they been equally successful on the road, they would matched the great 1998 team's record of 114-48. The Yanks' debut in their new bandbox (er, stadium) wasn't just good, it was virtually unparalleled in baseball history. The only team to win as many games in their first year in a new stadium is (wouldn't you know) the Red Sox, who also won 57 in 1912, the first year of Fenway Park. People have scoffed at the new Yankee Stadium all year, but the Yanks have one of the biggest home-field advantages in the league.

YANKEES WITH 20+ HOME RUNS: 7
Teixeira, A-Rod, Swisher, Matsui, Cano, Damon, Posada -- all of them clubbed at least 20 longballs this season. Aided by the new Yankee Stadium jet stream? Sure. But the number is historic nonetheless, as only four teams in history have had seven players with 20 home runs: '96 Orioles, 2000 Blue Jays, '05 Rangers, and this year's Bombers. Had Derek Jeter blasted just two more homers, the Yankees would stand alone.

TOTAL YANKEE HOME RUNS: 244
No club in team history has hit as many. Bronx Bombers indeed.

WINS FOR C.C. SABATHIA: 19
The big fella proved he was the Yanks' bona fide ace when he posted an 11-2 record after the All-Star Break. Starting Wednesday, we'll see if he's was worth seven years and $161 million.

MARIANO RIVERA'S SAVE PERCENTAGE: .957 (44 for 46)
It's no longer a question that Mo is the best closer in baseball history. What's astounding is he's the best closer in baseball right now. Once again, Rivera's the Yankees' silver bullet heading into the postseason.

One more bonus number for you. Since the Tigers and Twins finished tied atop the AL Central, they have a one-game playoff Tuesday to decide who faces the Yanks in the ALDS. Why Tuesday? Because the Metrodome is home to both Twins and the NFL's Vikings, who host the Packers tonight on Monday Night Football.

Think about how improbable that is for a second. This is the ninth one-game playoff in MLB history, so the odds are 9 in 105 (start with first modern postseason in 1903, take away two years with no postseason). That game would have to played at a stadium that also houses an NFL team, and there are only three such stadiums -- Marlins and Dolphins at Land Shark Stadium, Twins and Vikings at the Metrodome, A's and Raiders at the Coliseum -- so the odds there are 3 in 30. Further, the football team would have to randomly be the team that's hosting Monday Night Football, a 1 in 32 chance.

Do the math, and the odds of this freak occurrence are roughly 3,725 to 1. C-3P0 couldn't have said it better himself. And when you add the fact that this is the Twins' last year in the Metrodome, so if this ever happened again they'd play on Monday? It's borderline Twilight Zone stuff.

It's an impossible series of coincidences come to life. And it's great for the Yankees, because the winner will have less than 24 hours before Game 1 at Yankee Stadium.

NEW YORK METS: Earlier today, word came that the Mets' brass was shaking up the coaching staff, though it appears that manager Jerry Manuel's job is safe. Me, I'd have purged the whole management structure, from father-son ownership combo Fred and Jeff Wilpon on down. Of course, with the Wilpons in charge, the sordid saga will likely continue.

Sordid saga. How else can you characterize a Mets' season that included a VP threatening to fight the whole Double A team, the GM subsequently taking potshots at the writer who uncovered the scandal, more than half the Opening Day starting lineup and rotation missing significant time to injuries, a horde of walk-off losses and an epic rant from a CBS Sports blogger to sum up the season?

Time to hit the links, guys. Just try not to blow out an ACL while on the course.

NEW YORK JETS: The Jets lost and the Giants won. But Gang Green can learn far more from its game.

Specifically, Mark Sanchez can learn a lot from the Jets' 24-10 loss to the Saints. Sanchez had been a world-beater in winning his first three starts, the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to 3-0. The Jets were flying high, and Sanchez was the toast of New York.

But the NFL isn't a cakewalk. Even the best quarterbacks deal with adversity -- just ask Tom Brady. So when Sanchez personally gave the Saints 14 points with a fumble in the end zone and an interception that was returned 99 yards for a score, he was forced to shoulder the blame for a loss for the first time.

The Jets as a team have little to worry about. The defense continued to be among the NFL's biggest surprises holding Drew Brees and the explosive New Orleans offense to just 10 points. It is Sanchez, whose four turnovers were the difference between 4-0 and 3-1, who will have to go back to the drawing board and work on his mistakes. For a rookie quarterback, that's never a bad thing.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Ho-hum. That's the sum total of Big Blue's 27-16 win over the hapless Chiefs. Wins are nice, but beating the Chiefs doesn't prove anything about your team. So let's keep it brief. Big positives: the emergence of Steve Smith as an elite wide receiver and another solid game from Brandon Jacobs. Big negatives: Four dropped passes from Mario Manningham and a defense that allowed the Chiefs to convert four straight fourth downs in the final quarter and almost make a game of it. Big question mark: Eli Manning's bruised right heel.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Of the three New York-area NHL teams, only the Rangers have a win to their credit this season. That gives them the leg up here. Marian Gaborik, the prize free-agent signing in the offseason, scored for the second straight game in 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. Equally impressive was the play of of Gaborik's linemates, Brandon Dubinsky and Vaclav Prospal, who combined for three goal and an assist in the victory. The more help Gaborik gets, the better.

COLUMBIA FOOTBALL: The Lions hadn't won their Ivy League opener since 2003. But that was before the rise of Millicent Olawale.

The senior and neuroscience and behavior major led a suddenly explosive offense that jumped on Princeton from the beginning. The defense followed suit, stifling the Tigers on the way to a 38-0 drubbing -- on the road, no less -- that instantly makes Columbia a contender for the Ivy League title.

At 2-1, with the ability to beat teams with his arm or his feet, Olawale is the real deal. More on him to come.

The Case for Chad

2009-10-03T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you have to go out on a limb. So here goes.

Chad Gaudin should be the Yankees' Game 4 starter if they reach the ALCS.

Now, most of you casual Yankee fans are probably thinking two things -- Chad who? and Don't the Yanks have some prodigy, that Joba guy?

Yes, Chad Gaudin is a virtual unknown, even to Yankee fans. And Joba Chamberlain has been the Bombers' ace-in-waiting for the last two years. But if you get past the hype and look at the numbers, everything points to Gaudin.

Coming into 2009, Joba had thrown a total of 128 innings in his major league career. In both 2007 (as a reliever) and 2008 (as a starter), he was subject to the ever-changing Joba Rules, pitch counts and inning limits implemented by Yankee management in an attempt to protect the young righty from overusing his arm and killing his career (think Francisco Liriano).

The strategy appeared to work. Joba got off to a sizzling start this season, sitting at 7-2 with a 3.58 ERA on July 31. At that point, he looked like a bona fide Game 3 starter and was a sure member of the postseason rotation.

Then four things happened in rapid succession: Joba began to struggle, he got injured and missed a start, the Joba Rules came back, and his confidence went completely to hell.

You can draw a straight line from the tendinitis in Joba's right rotator cuff to his dismal run of starts in August and September. Because of the Joba Rules the last two years, Chamberlain wasn't used to a full season's worth of starts, and his throwing shoulder began to break down. The Yankees overreacted, as they have done throughout Joba's career, and put his innings count on lockdown. So every time Joba took the mound, he didn't know when he would be pulled, no matter how well he pitched. It led to a torrent of commentary and hyperbolic rhetoric on the blogosphere, and more importantly, it screwed with the head of a kid who just turned 24 and acts much younger than that on the mound.

The result was a 1-4 record, 7.69 ERA, and exactly one quality start in the final two months of the season. At this point, it's hard to have any faith in Joba, to the point where the Yankees have no choice in selecting their ALDS schedule (because they have the AL's best record, they get to pick). They have to choose the series with an extra day of rest, making a fourth starter unnecessary.

But in the ALCS and World Series, you need a fourth arm for Game 4. Enter Chad Gaudin.

Gaudin was a mideseason pickup from San Diego, where he was 4-10 with a 5.13 ERA. But the journeyman found the American League more to his liking, going 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in New York. More impressive was his line in outings of three or more innings: 1-0, no more than three runs allowed in any start. Even more impressive was his performance on Sept. 22 against the Los Angeles Angels, the Yanks' longtime playoff nemesis and possible ALCS opponent.

Bottom line: The Yankees don't need a great performance from their Game 4 starter. If they get 4-5 good innings, they can turn the ball over to long man extraordinaire Alfredo Aceves, who is lights-out at getting a couple of scoreless innings. At that point, you're into the meat of the Yankee bullpen, and I figure Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera can take it from there.

If the question is who can give the Bombers a great start, I say go with Joba. But if the Yankees want the best chance for a good start and the lowest risk for a pitching implosion, they've got to go with Gaudin.

MLB Musings

2009-09-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Random thought while toggling back and forth between the Yanks-Royals game and the all-important Twins-Tigers clash:

FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE YANKEES RIGHT NOW: Phil Hughes' peach fuzz. I haven't been so happy about a Yankee mustache since Sal Fasano (sorry, Giambi).

GOOD SIGN: Nick Swisher's newfound aggressiveness. YES's John Flaherty reported the normally patient Swisher's been going after the first pitch more often, throwing off hurlers who expect him to take, take, take. In the fifth, Swisher waited one pitch before belting the 0-1 offering from Royals' starter Robinson Tejeda over the wall in right field. It was his 29th homer of the year, a remarkable season for Swisher, who began the year as a platoon player at best. Never thought losing Xavier Nady would hurt so little. (Swisher's fielding misadventures last night aside)

GOAT OF THE NIGHT: Atlanta's Matt Diaz. The Braves' right fielder was picked off third base by the catcher after a pitch in the dirt, which is bad enough. That it came with two outs in the ninth inning, bases loaded, down 5-4, in a must-win game for the Braves? That's positively Merkle-esque.

WORST PLAY OF WEDNESDAY'S GAME FOR THE YANKEES: Freddy Guzman NOT getting picked off first base. The outfielder and September callup is basically a Dave Roberts type player -- he's here so he can steal bases. Guzman has more stolen bases (two) than at bats (one) this season. But like most Herb Washington types, Guzman gets picked off far too often.

In the seventh inning, Guzman pinch ran for Robbie Cano after Cano drew a leadoff walk. Reliever Jamey Wright threw over once, and Guzman eased back. But when Wright tried a second time, Guzman was fooled and barely made it back to the bag.

Young speedsters often need to learn their limits the hard way, and getting picked off is often the quickest lesson. But Guzman got back safely, and he probably took little away from the pickoff attempt. Better he'd been nabbed now and figured it out before the postseason.

VERY GOOD SIGN: Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera went one scoreless inning each. Good to see the pistons are firing on all cylinders.

BAD SIGN: Johnny Damon's current 2-25 stretch. Now 35, Damon has seen his average drop back to .280 after a strong second half. Can't help but wonder if he's running out of gas.

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SHUDDER: "Mariano Rivera made an appearance this week on the new cover of Sports Illustrated"

RANDOM INTERJECTION INTO OVERBLOWN DEBATE: Joe Mauer should win the MVP award. He leads the AL in batting overage, on-base percentage, and slugging average as a catcher, and he has 28 home runs. Jeter, meanwhile, is second in hits and third in runs, average, and OBP. As good as Jeter has been, Mauer has been better.

VERY BAD SIGN: Joba Chamberlain. 3 2/3 innings, 91 pitches, seven hits, four walks, three runs. This was his last start before the postseason. The goal was seven strong. Instead, it was another start that must cause Girardi to pull out what little hair he has. At this point, even Chad Gaudin is looking like a viable alternative for a possible ALCS Game 4.

WTF: Umpires squeezing Mariano.

SCARY PLAYER ON DETROIT: Placido Polanco. The Tigers' second baseman made two under-the-radar plays that changed the course of Detroit's 7-2 win. In the third, he speared a Delmon Young line drive out of the air with a man on first and two outs to end the inning and preserve Detroit's 4-2 lead. Later, he singled to center on a hit-and-run to move Ramon Santiago to third and kick-start a three-run fifth inning that put the game away. Polanco hit .412 with three runs scored against the Yanks in the 2006 ALDS, and he continues to be a dangerous bat in the lineup.

I'D RATHER PLAY: Twins. One of the ESPN announcers wondered aloud "How on earth have they managed to win all these games?" He went on to add the Twins have no real ace, don't have a lot of power and aren't scoring a lot of runs. People aren't saying these things about Detroit. 'Nuff said.

Link'd Up, 9/30/09: Follow up on the big fella

2009-09-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

In my article about C.C. Sabathia earlier today, I linked to a Sports Illustrated story from six months ago. Here's something a little more current from ESPN's Peter Gammons. Yankee fans, you better hope the wizened czar of Baseball Tonight knows what he's talking about.

Link'd Up, 9/30/09: Clairvoyant on C.C.

2009-09-30T08:50:00.001-07:00

The Sports Illustrated cover jinx is well-documented, to the point where superstitious minds think it's as real as the Madden curse (et tu, Polamalu?)

Players and coaches have actually refused to pose for the cover of SI, fearing they'll lose their mojo once the magazine hits newsstands. Every once in a while, though, the jinx reverses itself, and the player featured goes on the fulfill the lofty expectations that usually sit upon those who make the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Enter C.C. Sabathia, the Yankees' brawny ace who graced SI's cover in early April for its baseball preview issue. The big man has exceeded all expectations, posting a 19-7 record and 3.21 ERA while anchoring a Yankee rotation that at times was among the best in baseball. Sabathia will start Game 1 of the ALDS, most likely on Wednesday, and he gives the Yankees an immediate advantage (even if his counterpart is Tigers' flamethrower Justin Verlander).

Kudos to C.C. for breaking the cover jinx. Oh, and the corresponding article from S.L. Price ain't bad either. If you want to really understand the rock of the Bombers' starting pitching, this is a must read.

Former Friend, Fallen Foe

2009-09-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

The rash of shoulder injuries to pro and college quarterbacks this season is nothing sort of maddening. The biggest luminaries to go down have been the Pats' Tom Brady and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, who both hurt their right (throwing) shoulder on post-pass hits by the defense. Both hits were legal, yet both were executed in a manner seemingly designed to injure the quarterback. Let me rephrase: When you pile drive a QB into the ground with all your weight behind you two seconds after he throws the ball, you're trying to hurt the guy.

The latest victim of this disturbing trend is the quarterback who was in turn snubbed, cast aside, and forgotten by the Jets: Chad Pennington.

The Dolphins' signal-caller suffered a torn capsule in his right shoulder when he was pulled down from behind by Chargers' linebacker Kevin Burnett after a throw in Sunday's 23-13 loss. Barring a second opinion by sports guru sage James Andrews, Pennington's season is over, and some experts say his career is done as well.

If that's the case, it marks an ignominious end for a quarterback who was actually one of the Jets' all-time best. Sure, you could argue that points more to the sad state of Jets' quarterbacks through the years, but the bottom line is Pennington ranks fifth all-time in team history with 13,738 passing yards.

Since 1963, the Jets have drafted just five quarterbacks in the first round: Joe Namath, Richard Todd, Ken O'Brien, Pennington, and current rookie phenom Mark Sanchez. Each of the first four were drafted to turn middling franchises around, and each is in the pantheon of Jets' quarterbacks. Pennington is a worthy member of that fraternity, however rocky the ride seemed at times.

Then the Jets saw a better opportunity in Brett Favre 3.0 (I think -- I can't keep track of all his retirements) and basically kicked Pennington to the curb. All Chad did was sign with the Dolphins, turn 0-16 into 11-5 and finish second in the MVP voting. Pretty good.

And now his career is probably over.

After the Jets failed with Favre, they were once again left without a No. 1 quarterback. Enter Sanchez, the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to a 3-0 start and the new savior signal-caller for Gang Green. Perhaps Sanchez will be the great quarterback the Jets have sought since Joe Willie hung up his cleats. But people should take a moment to think on the career of Chad Pennington, a man who deserved better on and off the field.

The Rundown: Yankees say "just a step", celebration says different

2009-09-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

As the saying goes, it was a banner weekend in New York sports. The Yankees clinched the AL East by sweeping the Red Sox. The Giants and Jets are both 3-0 for the first time since 2000. And the Knicks made themselves borderline watchable next season by re-signing their two key free agents. But banners aren't always a good thing. Just ask George W. Bush.

NEW YORK YANKEES: Sunday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox was about as significant as you can get for a regular-season game. The victory gave the Bombers their first division title since 2006 and secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It gave them 100 wins in a season for the first time since 2004. And it completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox and evened the season series at 9-9 after Boston won the first eight games.

A big deal, obviously. But it led to a curious postgame dichotomy.

Joe Girardi's squad said all the right things, led by the manager himself. Girardi called the win "just a step," and added: "That's the way it is here. We don't play just to make the playoffs."

Yet the Yankee skipper was sporting a '2009 AL East Champions' hat as he said it. And the scene around him belied his tempered speech.

The Yanks did everything but hang a "Mission Accomplished" banner in the locker room, dousing each other with champagne and cavorting around like they'd won the whole thing. C.C. Sabathia only added to the confusion with this head-scratching quote: "Winning a championship is what I came here for. It definitely feels good -- first one in pinstripes, first one in the new stadium, first celebration."

Now it could be that the folks at the AP decided to cut corners and combine quotes from two different questions, or Sabathia could have perfectly articulated the study in contrasts that was the Yankees after Sunday's game. If that's not enough, look at the picture and caption in this CBS Sports article and tell me the team isn't sending mixed messages.

Celebration is good. Being satisfied in your accomplishments is good. But you don't go crazy and fill the clubhouse with champagne for a regular-season title. Last I heard, they don't give out championships for winning your division. Girardi better hope the new Yankees don't get flush with regular-season success and fall flat next week.

NEW YORK GIANTS: The G-Men pounded the hapless Bucs 24-0, outgaining them 397-86 in total yards in a game that was never in doubt. They held former teammate Derrick Ward to two yards rushing on five carries and battered washed-up quarterback Byron Leftwich.

The win looked impressive, but it's hard to take much from a victory against such inferior opposition. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay's first-year coach, summed it up nicely after the game. "We were beat by a grown-man team," he said, and indeed the G-Men earned their moniker on Sunday.

As pedestrian as the victory was, it's still a W. Victories against similarly bad teams in the next two weeks (at Kansas City, vs. Oakland) and the Giants will be off to a sizzling 5-0 start.

NEW YORK JETS: Gang Green has started 3-0 just four times in its history: 1966, 2000, 2004, and now 2009. The Jets avoided an obvious trap game after their upset of the Patriots in Week 2, holding on in the second half to beat the Titans 24-17.

For the third week in a row, the onus was on the defense to put the game away. Once again, Rex Ryan's D delivered, stopping Tennessee twice in the last five minutes to put the game on ice.

Linebacker David Harris was this week's defensive hero, collecting an interception and a sack on the final defensive stands. One of Ryan's many talents so far has been his ability to coax great individual performances from his defensive players. The Jets will need someone else to step up next week against Drew Brees and the juggernaut that is the Saints' offense if they want to remain unbeaten.

NEW YORK METS: On Sunday, it will be 40 years since the formerly Amazins won the first ever NLCS game on their way to a "Miracle" World Series title. The Mets will celebrate the milestone by quietly playing their last game of this hopefully forgettable season and grabbing their Calloways out of the closet.

NEW YORK KNICKS: At the beginning of this offseason, Knicks' GM Donnie Walsh made a conscious, farsighted decision: He was not going to spend one cent more than he had to this summer. That way, he could keep enough cap space free to go after the Dream Team of 2010 free agents (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh) and still have enough green left over for a decent supporting cast.

The move was a gamble, dependent on a bad economy forcing down the salary cap and scaring teams across the NBA away from making lucrative multi-year offers to the Knicks' prize free agents, guard Nate Robinson and forward David Lee.

Well, fans, it's time to light a stogie in honor of Mr. Walsh, because that's exactly what happened. Lee and Robinson tested the free agent waters and found nothing. Wednesday, they agreed to one-year deals with the Knicks that fit Walsh's plan perfectly.

Those contracts will come off the cap after this season, leaving the Knicks with the desired cap space for next offseason. And Lee and Robinson, both proven talents, will be more likely to re-sign again if they have LeBron or D-Wade as a new teammate. Isaiah Thomas was never this savvy.