The Bronx is Burning

I find it ironic that the show "The Bronx is Burning" is based on thirty years ago this summer. The Bronx is really burning now. The Yankees stand 4 games out of the wild card and 8 games out of the division lead. As of late the Yanks have caught fire and have played inspired baseball. Unfortunately, you have to shake your head after this pathetic trade deadline. Up north the Red Sox basically made themselves invincible the rest of the season by trading for the rejuvinated and recovered Eric Gagne. The guy is sporting a 2.16 ERA with 16 saves and a 2-0 record. The seventh through ninth innings will be lights out now with Okajima, Gagne, and Papelbon. It is time for Brian Cashman to own up to his mistakes and step down as GM of the Yanks. With Steinbrenner's health getting worse, Cashman has been able to call all the shots lately, and they have all been the wrong ones. Kyle Farnsworth is one of the worst relievers I have seen in awhile. We go and trade away Proctor, our most used reliever for a guy that is batting .231 this season who plays first base? Wilson Betemit is going to be the answer for the Yankees to make the playoffs? Give me a break! The guy is a utility player and Andy Phillips has been playing inspiring baseball lately. Add this to the fact that Jason Giambi will be returning soon, I just cant understand that move. We needed bullpen help desperately. Our 8th and 9th innings have been automatic lately with Vizcaino and Rivera, but with our starting pitchers at the age they are, we need more relief help badly. Wilson Betemit never plays first base, and we sure as hell are not going to put him at third, short, or second base. Brian Cashman do us all a favor and get the hell out of the Bronx. The world championships you won so long ago was all because of George Steinbrenner anyway.

Ignorance is Bliss

After recent allegations about a former NBA referee fixing NBA games have come out, I have become even more paranoid that this is not the first time that this has happened. One thing that I am almost certain about is that games are not fixed by players. In today's day of age, players make way too much money for fixing a game to be worth their while. Add this on to the fact that to be a professional athlete, they have to be competitive by nature to the point of doing whatever it takes to win. I dont think I am being naive here either. Before a couple decades ago I am sure many players threw games all the time. Back when the mob scene was a lot more prominent and players didn't have multi million dollar contracts. The people who are in most control of games are the refs, umps, whatever you want to call them. These guys call the shots, and they are not the ones living in the multi million dollar mansions. I am worried that after these recent allegations, that many more are going to come out in the future. Professional sports will always be tainted from this angle. This is where ignorance is bliss. As a fan, you can only turn the other way and pretend like everything is legitimate in the world of sports. Unfortunately, every time I flip on a sporting event my first thought after a bad call is that the game is fixed. I know that these refs and umps are critiqued with every step they take, every strike and ball they call in baseball, every flag they throw in football, every foul and non call in basketball and every penalty in hockey. However, Tim Donaghy's rating this year went up as a ref! I realize that these refs have their own zones that they focus on in games and its hard for them to critique their fellow refs. Come on people, this is beyond appalling! If one guy is doing this, what are the odds that there aren't more out there doing the same thing. I hope that this one case will put these guys on power trips in their place, but the sad thing is what can possibly be done? Sure the FBI found out about this individual case, but how many cases have gone unnoticed over the years. David Stern claims that this is an "isolated" incident, and that no other refs are involved in the fixing of games. The guy has to say this. You think the usually collected and stern commissioner isnt biting his nails down to the bone right now? The commissioners in all sports should be just as concerned. Last year I went to the Yankees Tigers playoff series at Comerica Park in Detroit. I am a diehard Yankees fan and there was not once instance that I was able to cheer for my team. Sure I give the Tigers credit for shutting down our hitting, but I found it ironic that the umps completely turned that series around. After the Yankees won game one, the always patient yankees hitters started swinging at pitches in the dirt. Was this because every Tigers pitcher was throwing nasty sinkers? No, the umpires were calling strikes that were obviously balls. This was only happening when the Yankees were at bat, and in turn made every Tigers pitcher look like Sandy Koufax in his prime. Right after witnessing the Yankees lose that series I was convinced that sports were fixed by the guys that are making the least money on the field. Is it remotely possible that every game we are watching is in someway fixed? You can't say no anymore. Tim Donaghy was an official for 13 years! So this shit has been going on for well over a decade with only one guy? You are being very naive if you think this is the only situation in which this has happened. This is something that time will never heal. We will find out over the next couple weeks as Donaghy, the selfish prick that he is cooperates with officials to get a lighter sentence in prison who if anybody else comes up in this scandal.

The Real King of The NBA

Sunday Nights Blue vs. White scrimmage for team USA was a great success. Both teams played very hard and the game turned out to be very entertaining. Their were 6 lead changes and the blue team won 105-104. USA should be destroying teams next month at the FIBA Americas Championship. The team consists of top NBA All Stars. Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Amare Stoudemire will be leading team USA.
Sundays scrimmage was another example of the difference between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan from Lebron James. Yes, I know everyone will say Lebron is only 22 and he took his team to the finals. However, making the finals in the East this season was easier then getting out of the first round in the West. He played a Washington team without 2 of their top players in Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas . Then he played 2 teams who are over the hill. The Nets whose top players are 34 in Jason Kidd and a 30 year old Vince Carter whose legs look like they are 65. He did play extremely well against the Pistons another team who looks out of their prime. Lebron was Kobe and Jordan like in his 41 point overtime victory. That game he was nothing but outstanding. Besides that he was just good in the playoffs. When Daniel Gibson scores 19 points in the 4th quarter and 31 in the game something must be wrong with the East. The Western Conference is a far superior conference to the East. It isn’t even close. Any of the 8 playoff teams in the West would of won the East. We saw this in the finals in which the Spurs dominated the Cavilers in every aspect of every game on their way to a 4 game sweep. Don’t get me wrong I think Lebron James is an outstanding player. However, to compare this guy to Jordan and Kobe at this point in his career shouldn’t be happening. Shooting a 69% FT percentage in the finals isn’t getting the job done. He shot 0.698 from the line this season and had a 3point percentage of .319. Kobe the All- Star MVP.(should of won regular season MVP) Shot .863 from the line during the regular season and .358% from behind the arch. In the playoffs Kobe was 91.82 from the line. Its very simple Lebron James has one very big flaw to his game. He doesn’t have a jump shot. Yes, he can take the ball to the basket arguably better then any other player in the league. However, he isn’t a great shooter and hasn’t been very clutch. When the game is on the line time and time again we have watched Kobe and Michael take the ball and hit a game winning jumper with a guy in their face. This is something Lebron hasn’t been able to do yet. Sundays Blue White Scrimmage was more of the same. Kobe hit big shot after big shot and Lebron couldn’t make a jumper. He finished 1 for 5 on 3s with a 3 point line that is 3 feet shorter then the NBA line. Kobe was 4-9 and hit the big shots when it mattered most. With the Blue team down 101-98 Kobe drained a 3 with Lebron in his face to tie the game. Then down 1 with just over a minute left Kobe hit a jump shot with Lebron in his face again to give his team a 1 point lead. After Jason Kid scored to give the white team back a 1 point lead. Kobe had one chance to give his team the lead with 6 seconds left. Kobe of course delivered and sank a tuff jump shot to give Blue a 105-104 lead. White would give the ball to Lebron for the last shot. Kobe played incredible defense as always and forced Lebron to take a tuff jumper in which he didn’t even hit the rim. Kobe carried his team to a 105-104 victory. I understand this was only an exhibition however, how many times have we seen Kobe hit the big shot. Time and time again he comes up big. They said Lebron is the next Jordan. Right now it doesn’t look like he will be however, the closest thing we have to Jordan is Kobe Bryant. He is by far the best and most clutch player in the league. When the game is on the line Kobe always delivers. He is only 28 and he has 3 rings. Lebron is a great player. One of the best in the league however. when the game is on the line he was tending to pass the ball rather then taking the last shot. If this guy is the best player in the league why wouldn’t he want the ball in his hands when the game is on the line? I know Lebron is going to be a great player for years to come. He is 6-8 240 pounds and can take the ball to the basket. Simply put Lebron is a beast. However, until this guy develops a jump shot he will never be in the same league as Jordan and Kobe. Yes 22 is very young but, if you haven’t developed a jump shot by now and are shooting 0.698 from the line I don’t think you are ever going to develop a jump shot. Kobe is the A-Rod of baseball, the Sidney Crosby of hockey. He is the best of the best. Maybe in a few years Lebron will be the best player in the league. However, right now the real king of basketball is Kobe Bryant not Lebron James.

Decisions Decisions

Being a diehard Yankees fan it puts me in a very tough position to decide on Arod's future. Looking at his stats this season, you would think that it would be a no brainer to bring the guy back to New York next season. Brian Cashman has a list of reasons why he wants Arod to end his career as a Yankee. Most importantly, with the new stadium on the way, Cashman knows that Arod fills the seats. As long as Arod stays healthy he will most likely become home run king when it is all said and done. The guy isnt even 32 years old yet and he almost has 500 homeruns. The bottom line is, Alex Rodriguez is a money making machine for the yankees future. However, I think this is when the Yankees front office has to look in the mirror and decide what is best for the team. Arod is going to end up with around 60 homeruns this year and 150 RBIS probably batting around .315. His value will never be higher. Quite frankly, as much as I have enjoyed his fantastic season in pinstripes, it comes at a time in which the Bronx Bombers need some rejuvination. Looking at the rest of the Yankees, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, and Johnny Damon are all 33. Jorge posada will be 36 in August. Roger Clemens probably is a one and done, Andy Pettite has at most two years left in him. Mike Mussina is completely washed up. Mariano Rivera is also nearing the end of an illustrious career. Do I even have to mention Jason Giambi? That leaves a core of Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Chien Ming Wang, and Phil Hughes. If the Yankees care about winning in the future it is time to get rid of Arod while he is at his highest value. Lets put this in perspective, what are the odds of Arod ever having this good of a season again in his career? He is arguably the best player in baseball, but he is also in his contract year. This is besides the fact that he has never done anything in the postseason. Its great that he is having a fantastic regular season, and I know he is not to blame at all for the Yanks only being two games above .500. However, if we could trade Arod, I give Cashman the green light. The question isnt who we would get for Arod if we traded him before the upcoming trade deadline, the question is who wouldnt we get. The Angels have a very impressive farm system and they are willing to give up a lot of young talent for Mr. Rodriguez. They arent the only team. The problem is that the guy is going to be asking for 30 million dollars a year. I think the most realistic possibility is Arod opting out of his contract at the end of the year and heading to either San Francisco, the Cubs, or the Angels. I see the Giants and the Angels at the top of that list. They both have lots of money to spend and lots of talent they are willing to give up in the farm system. If the Yanks do resign Arod to a long term deal we are looking at five plus years of non playoff baseball after Jeter and Co. start walking with limps in three to four years. Lets face it, all those guys that I mentioned have at the most three good years left in them, and I am being generous with that. Just a little food for thought, Cashman do the right thing for once and get rid of "the best player in baseball". Its hard for me to consider Arod the best in baseball when he has never come up big in the postseason. The regular season doesnt mean anything if you cant perform in the playoffs. Hopefully Arod will get the chance to redeem himself in October.

A-Rod

Alex Rodriquez is hands down the best player in baseball. Its July 17th and A-Rod is batting .310 with 32 home runs, 89 RBIS, 84 Runs, 22 Doubles 9SB and a slugging percentage of .658. His projected numbers for this season are .310 average, 58 Home Runs, 160 RBIS. MVP numbers. A-Rod’s RBIS and Home Runs at this point in the season are what good players hit all year. A-Rod is first in Home Runs, Runs, OPS,RBIS, and Slugging Percentage. The numbers don’t lie. Without A-ROD the Yankees could be at the bottom of the American League East. He has carried them on his back for the entire season. For a guy who was called un- clutch he seems to be completely the opposite this season. He is batting .444 with the bases loaded with 2 Home Runs in his 9 plate appearances. He is batting. 333 close and late with 5 Home Runs in 45 Plate appearances. In Fenway Park against arch rival Boston Red Sox A-Rod is hitting .391 with 3 Home runs in 23 plate appearances including a huge 2 out 9TH inning home run of Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon.
A-Rod’s 9TH inning numbers are absolutely ridiculous. He is batting .500 in 33 plate appearances with 7 home runs and 18 RBIS. Rodriquez has also been playing an outstanding third base. He has a .978 fielding percentage will be in contention for his first Gold Glove as a third basemen. He won two already as a short stop. A-Rod is on pace to win his 3rd MVP in the past 5 seasons. Only in New York can a guy this good get booed. For a player like Barry Bonds it most be very difficult to go on the road and get booed every night. However, when he plays at home in San Francisco the fans treat him like king. A-Rod last season was booed everywhere. Especially at home. Its one thing to be booed on the road however, the hardest thing for an athlete is to be booed by his own fans. Fortunately this year A-Rod realized he is the best player in baseball and stopped worrying about the media and fans and started worrying about hitting and winning.
Now the fans in New York seem to love #13. However, the question everyone is asking is will he be in New York next year? I believe so. Bottom line, next year A-Rod is going to play where he wants to play. There is no question the money will be there for A-Rod in New York or somewhere else. He is expected to make over 30 million next season. If A-Rod does opt out other places A-Rod might end up in are Anaheim, Chicago, San Francisco, or Boston. It would be Brain Cashman’s worst nightmare watching A-Rod put on a Red Sox uniform.
I strongly believe A-Rod will be in pinstripes next season. The Yankees have until November 10th to give Rodriquez an extension. That is 10 days after the World Series. This gives the Yankees a lot of time. The Yankees really want to get this done as quickly as possible. Not only do they need A-Rod. But, if they are able to keep him from opting out they get the remaining 30 million owed by the Texas Rangers. The Yankees have been playing very good baseball. I believe they will find a way into the playoffs. I believe this is going to be a magical season for the Yankees and they are going to find a way to win the World Series. Most people would think that’s a long shot. But, weren’t most people booing A-Rod last year? Even if the Yankees don’t win the World Series I believe A-Rod will still sign with the Yankees. A-Rod is going to play where he wants to play. I believe he will want to stay in New York. Firstly, the money will be there. Whatever Scott Boras asks for the Yankees will deliver. Secondly the Yankees have a chance to win now. Something a team like San Francisco cant do now. Also, the media and fans are finally embracing him. Whatever happens all Yankee fans better be crossing their fingers that A-Rod signs an extension. You booed him last year , but I have a funny feeling when this guy is gone you are going to really miss him.

Shut up Sheffield

Its about time that somebody suspended players for more than steroids. How many times has Gary Sheffield gone off on teams about random bullshit. The latest? Claiming that Joe Torre doesnt like african american ball players. Do I even have to comment on this remark? If I recall, Joe Torre put his job on the line last year by putting Gary Sheffield at first base towards the end of the year after Sheffield was out with a wrist injury for two months. Plus Darryl Strawberry claims that Torre was the best manager he ever had and a great human being. Last time I checked, Darryl Strawberry is african american. You know a person is full of crap, when he asks players such as Tony Womack and Kenny Lofton to back them up. During both Womack and Loftons' tenures with the Yankees they were well past their primes and got their jobs taken by younger players. Of course this will make a player disgruntled and therefore the blame is placed squarely on the manager. Do you think that Joe Torre would still be managing the Yankees if he was racist? Wake up and smell the coffee Sheffield. Joe Torre is a class act and you are just pissed off at the world. Gary Sheffield is one of those guys who likes being put up against the wall. It adds fuel to the fire for him. I found it hilarious that the day after he made these comments about Torre, he hit a grand slam. Sheffield has had some kind of an issue everywhere he has landed. Its not right to put Joe Torre in a bad position like that. I really think it is time for Bud Selig to suspend Gary Sheffield for these outlandish comments. I know that America is known for freedom of speech, but that is just not right.

Chicago your curse will soon be ending

As I was drinking the morning coffee and reading the paper I stumbled across an article on Mark Cuban being intrigued by the Chicago Cubs ownership possibility. For anybody out there who thinks Cuban would be bad for baseball and the Cubs, you must not know anything about sports. Lets put aside his off the court antics. The guy calls David Stern all the time about different issues he has with the NBA etc. Who cares that he goes nuts and comes on the court sometimes. You know why the guy is a billionaire? He goes through each day with PASSION. Before he came to Dallas, the Mavericks were the laughing stock of the league. Now with Cuban at the reigns they are one of the most lucrative teams in the NBA and they compete for a NBA title every year. Once Cuban takes over as owner of the Cubs, as much as I hate to say it, they are going to turn into a powerhouse. Think about it, Cuban and no salary cap= a shopping spree. Expect the Cubs to spend as much as the Yankees in upcoming years on talent, and they will not go longer than 105 years without winning the World Series. Yes you heard me, a Michael Rolland guarentee that if Cuban takes over as Cubs owner they will win the world series no later than 2013. You old timers wait around a few more years because your ever so coveted World Series championship is coming soon. I detest Cubs fans more than Red Sox and Eagles fans put together. It was the Cubs fans back in 04' making fun of me after the Yankees blew the 3-0 lead to the red sox. I never understood why fans of a team would root for another team's curse to end. You Cubbies look even more pathetic now. The last time you won the World Series, Howard Taft was in office, and he has been dead since my grandpa was born in 1930. I laugh out loud every year that the Cubs blow it. Whether it be injuries, a fan, or just bad coaching and a lousy team, I am not going to be chuckling for much longer. Bud Selig and the rest of baseball, you better open the gates for Mark Cuban because what he did with the Mavericks, he will do with the Cubs times 100. Then again it wouldnt surprise me if the Cubs don't allow Cuban to come in and own the team. How can a team who hasnt won a world series in 99 years do anything right?

A Forgotten Sport

In today’s world the media seems to control everything. From the latest fashion to the popular athlete or sport. ESPN pretty much has a monopoly on sports. Any sports fan would know about the network. Their the network that makes T.O larger then life. Their the network that can make or break an athlete or sport. Unfortunately, they are the network that also gave up on hockey. From a businessman’s point of view ESPN had no choice. Hockey’s ratings were down the sewer. Today at 2pm on ESPN is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest. ESPN Classic has a 4 hour block of Japanese Sumo Wrestling which leads into American Gladiators. Tonight at 7pm on ESPN 2 is Major League Lacrosse. We see Arena football on ESPN and ESPN2. Major League Soccer is also a regular on the network. Pretty Much any sport you can think of is on ESPN. Even Arm wrestling, Poker and Darts.
I am not trying to take anything away from any of these sports, however how can people enjoy watching Joey Chestnut eat 66 Hot Dogs in 12 minutes rather then seeing Sidney Crosby and his dazzling moves? How can we sit there and watch Arena Football, a league made up of players not talented enough to play in the NFL rather then watching Jaromir Jagr dance around 3 guys and put the puck in the back of the net? Even worse, how can we sit there for hours watching people play poker instead of watching Alexander Ovechkin run someone over take the puck down the rink and roof the puck top shelf? Maybe its just me, but I think we are forgetting about one of the best games on earth.
When you look at the sport you would think it would be popular with Americans. Its fast, players are big and strong, body checks are thrown regularly and when players fight they only have to sit in a penalty box for 5 minutes. Maybe, its that we don’t give hockey a chance. We bash the sport but don’t ever take the time to watch a game. If you ever watch the NHL or almost any hockey game the players never give up. It doesn’t matter if the score is 3-2 or 5-1 everyone works hard every shift. In today’s sports world how many times do we see players not caring about the team and putting themselves first? We see Randy Moss walking off the field on his Raider teammates. T.O. bashing everyone on his team, including his own Quarterback. Players complaining for not getting the ball enough. Players jumping into the stands in the NBA fighting fans. Players giving up. I love basketball, but how many times do we see someone in the NBA not playing defense?
When it comes to the playoffs, playoff hockey is the best playoffs in all of sports. Men become warriors on a sheet of ice. Battling to for the most precious trophy in all of sports the Stanley Cup. There is nothing better then playoff hockey. For 7months men work to get a chance to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Once they are there all bets are off. Anyone can beat anyone. Heart and determination is all these guys need. They battle injuries and play for what’s on the front of the sweater not on the back. (something a lot of today’s athletes have forgotten) Who doesn’t love an entire team growing out playoff beards and watching it get longer and longer as they advance to the round by round. It is more then inspiring to see Erik Cole take the Ice in game 6 of the Stanly Cup finals after being out for 3 months because of a broken vertebra in his neck. Or seeing Ray Bourque finally win the cup after 22 years in the league.
In today’s world of sports in which players seem to care more about paychecks and popularity then about their team how can we forget about the purest of the 4 major sports here in the U.S.? The beautiful thing about the NHL is these guys want to win more then anything. They always put there team in front of themselves. Hockey is a beautiful sport. All it needs is a chance.

Transfering a 'Win-Win'

One underestimated recruiting secret in college sports that's not so secret is transferring. It's no secret that transfers are most-often viewed as "Band-aids" and are seen as inferior to fresh high school talent, but a transfer plays a pivotal role for their team both on and off the court. Although there is a one-year hiatus in playing, transfers are allowed to practice and intertwine with teammates throughout their year of ineligibility. One can look past this, but the experience players gain with a year of learning and watching is invaluable to both their careers and the teams success. While being able to observe your teammates tendencies and see the game from afar, transfers gain a better understanding of not only their sports, but also the system and game plans their coach enforces. Often times high-profile athletes have played their sport continuously since their youth limiting their ability to truly grasp new concepts and understand philosophies that are sometimes usurped while playing season-after-season. This is evident with the 2006-2007 UAB Men's Basketball team. Only having 9 scholarship players really hindered UAB's success last season, but one positive that can be taken away is that three young-men learned invaluable lessons about basketball, their teammates, and life. Learning how to manage frustration/emotion, learning how to teach, and learning how to contribute to a team in non-traditional ways are all lessons that Robert Vaden, Walter Sharpe, and Channing Toney picked up while riding the pine in '06. These players all left situations where they were successful in order to personally improve their lives and explore realms that were previously unattainable. For these 3 players transferring is a Godsend and has effected their lives and future.
Coaches are also winners because they have players that dedicate a full year to learn their system and become familiar with surrounding players. Transfers are viewed as skilled and experienced which are traits all coaches are looking for. Some coaches are hesitant to sign transfers because of their lack of time with the school, but in the right situation transfers can be invaluable to a school looking to build a program. Take UAB for instance. This competitive C-USA school has made the NCAA's three times in the past 5 seasons, but has yet to make the same kind of splash you see from the Gonzaga's, Southern Illinois', and Nevada. Mike Davis knew that he could keep the program afloat by recruiting average basketball players out of high school, or he could burn 3 scholarships, bite the bullet for a season, and return the next year with a star-studded lineup destined for deep play in the NCAA's. Davis welcomed three Rivals Top-150 recruits (Vaden, Sharpe, and Toney) hoping they could immediately impact a competitive in order to make them great. After speaking with Vaden and Sharpe personally, both are grateful for their year away from the court, and both are truly comfortable in their new roles. Vaden learned invaluable tendencies about future opponents and also learned a thing or two about coaching situations in basketball. In other words he spent a year getting educated in the field of basketball, a field he hopes to make a career in. That experience in invaluable.
One reason why UAB slumped last year is because of the transfers. Ultimately these 3 transfers dominated so much in practice last year that it was hard for eligible players to learn not to rely on those 3. The fierce competition obviously helped the players tremendously with their games, but it also gave the team a year to gel before ever playing a game together. That is experience that cannot come from recruits straight out of high school. Now I am not saying that every transfer situation works out, but most transfers are dead-set on making the best of their new situation because it could well be their last. This idea of necessity and changes the players mindsets and shifts the attention from "Me" to "Team."
Mike Davis knows that transfers are different, so he will treat them accordingly. But once the ball is tipped he will definitely look to his three upperclassman to lead the team that he has waited so long to build. So don't hate on the transfers, rather embrace them because they are here under trying circumstances or else they would have remained with their old teams. These guys are kids and are trying to pave a future just like everybody else. As players they are more experienced and expectations should be set higher, but next time you see a transfer play, look at him/her and see what kind of leader they are for their team, because with that year of training and time off that's what they become.

Don’t give up on these guys!

Its July 11th and most people have given up on the Yankees. People have been bashing the Yankees all year. Yes, the Yankees haven’t played to their potential, however there is the entire second half of the season. Giving up on the Yankees now would be ludicrous. Last season no one wanted to give A-Rod a chance and look at him now. A-Rod has hit 30 home runs and has 86 RBIs and we are only half way done with the season. I understand its hard to be patient, but baseball is a streaky sport and the Yankees will come around, their second half couldn’t be set up any better for a story book finish.
The Yankees are currently 42-43 ,10 games back of the Boston Red Sox’s for first place and 8.5 games back of the Cleveland Indians for the Wild Card. The Yankees schedule for the second half is anything but difficult. For the rest of July they play 7 games against Tampa Bay, 4 games against Toronto, 4 games against Kansas city, 3 games against Baltimore then ending the month with a 3 games series against the White Sox. That means the Yankees play a total of 0 teams over .500 for the rest of July. The Yankees don’t play a team over .500 until Friday August 10th when they start a 3 game series with the Cleveland Indians. That’s a month of baseball against 0 teams over .500. The Yankees August does have series with winning teams. Series include the Angles, Boston, and Detroit. In September the Yankees play Boston and Seattle each once and besides that don’t play a team over .500. With the Yankees remaining 77 games only 23 are against teams over .500. 6 of those games are against Boston 3 against Cleveland and 8 vs. Detroit. I understand the games are played on the field not on paper. However, with this schedule the Yankees chances are better then people think.
They have great starting pitching. Chien Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina are all solid pitchers. Kei Igawa brings absolutely nothing to the table. However, we have Phillip Hughes on the DL and once he comes back there starting 5 is as good as any team in baseball. The Yankees line up is definitely the best line up from top to bottom in baseball. They haven’t been playing to there potential and are missing an important bat in Giambi. Damon has been hurt all year. Matsui and Cano are starting to swing the bat better and Bobby will come around. With the kind of talent on the Yankees roster there is no chance they will have as bad of a second half as they did in the first half. They have scored 356 runs in the first half which is tied for third in all of baseball trailing only Detroit and Cleveland. They have scored 21 more runs the Red Sox’s and 62 more then the Mets. The scary thing is the only guys who have been hitting all year is Arod, Jeter and Posada. The Yankees will all get hot and with the talent they have expect a huge second half and the Yankees to end the Season with the most runs scored in all of baseball. Although the Yankees bullpen has been terrible I believe they will be good enough to get the job done. In the first half of the season the Yankees battled injuries and had to pitch rookies all the time. Because of these kids getting rocked every game the bullpen would come in and was over worked. Proctor and Farnsworth will come around. They just need to gain control. Farnsworth is looking better and better each start. When him and Proctor are on they are pretty much un hittable. Bruney has been great he has a 2.57 era. Myers hasn’t been his best however his era is still 2.61 and he will come around. The kid Edwar Ramirez has been great. In his MLB debut he stroke out the side. He is going to be a great pitcher. And then there is Mariano Rivera who is simply the best.
Lets also not forget the Yankees had a game in Baltimore suspended with the Yankees winning 8-6 in the 8th inning. Boston has lost there last 3 games and the Yankees have won 5 of 7. With all this in mind don’t be surprised if in September if the Yankees are battling with the Red Sox to win the division. Even if the Yankees don’t win the division, they can still win the wild card and once they are in the playoffs with the line up pitching and experience they have will give them a great chance of winning the World Series. Don’t give up on these guys now there is a lot of baseball to play.

Time is Ticking

I just watched Old Timers day, and am getting ready to watch the Yankees reach the .500 mark again. The yankees have been battling around .500 and it has been more than pathetic to watch from a fan's point of view. The Yankees last missed the playoffs in 1994, so its something that we arent used to thinking about as fans. Although, I stated in an earlier post that the Yankees are done this year, that was before I looked at the rest of their schedule. The Yankees play Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Baltimore, as well as a couple series with the Royals. We have one of the easiest strengths of schedules for the remainder of the year. There are 79 games left and I have decided that it is very likely for the yankees to go 55-24. This would give the Yankees at the very worst 97 wins for the season, saying that they split the remaining two games against the Angels. Although I still think the Red Sox will win the division, the Yankees should be able to sneak into that wild card spot. The way I see it, I am finally watching the Yankees catch fire all at once. Last night the Yankees tacked 14 runs on the board, and a few nights ago they blew out the Twins with over ten runs in a game. With Jason Giambi set to come back in a couple weeks, and Robinson Cano finally gaining last season's prowess back, expect the Yankees to be one of the hottest teams down the stretch and make the playoffs yet again. The Yankees biggest weakness is by far their bullpen, but if they can put up 10 plus runs a game I dont think that is anything to be concerned about. Besides, Mariano Rivera has looked like the old Mo lately, and Scott Proctor actually showed the world that he could throw a 12 to 6 curve ball and strike out a batter. As long as Kyle Farnsworth isnt in the game the Yanks will be fine. Lets be honest, its great if you can throw 98 MPH, but what is the point if the ball has no movement? I think I could hit a homerun off Farnsworth, I will just start swinging when he gets in his wind up and hope for the best. Roger Clemens has to come up big this afternoon and throughout the rest of the season for the Bronx Bombers to have any hope of playing in October. Roger Clemens only gave up 1 run in 8 innings during his last start, so I am expecting that momentum to continue. Unfortunately we are playing the one team that the Yankees have a losing record against during the Torre Tenure as Yankees manager. The reason that the Angels have had so much success against the Yanks is because they have a strong set up man and closer. They also are great on the bases, and have a ton of guys that can hit a homerun at any point of a game. It wont matter though if Alex Rodriguez hits another homer today, and Cano and Abreu continue their hot ways. GO YANKS!

Good Trade ?

Now that I have had about a week to think about the Knicks moves, I still can't decide whether or not I like the trade. When Ric Bucher of ESPN reported that the New York Knicks have agreed to trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, I couldn't even imagine what Isiah could have done. I had visions of a Darius Miles for David Lee trade, or something of the sort, in which my only option would be to kill Isiah with my bare hands. When it was said that it was Channing Frye and Steve Francis that were going to Portland for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau and Fred Jones, I instantly had many different thoughts racing through my head about the trade. I'll start with the negatives:

My first thought was that we no longer can be players in the summer of 2009 free agency, as I have discussed in a past blog. My whole two year plan that I have been talking about with friends for a year now was out the window. Say goodbye to the chance of acquiring LeBron, Kobe, Garnett, Wade and Bosh for the opportunity to get Zach Randolph? That's an enormous mistake in my opinion.

Second, this trade is a mirror image of every other move Isiah Thomas has made since he has been President and General Manager of the New York Knicks (sending Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway's expiring contract for Steve Francis). The Knicks get the best player in the deal but at the same time sacrifice a young player for the chance to receive a player the opposing team was rushing to get off their hands. In my opinion, Portland's opinion on Zach Randolph is that he is such a nutjob and a bad influence that they would take any trade offer that is on the table just so #1 overall pick, Greg Oden, doesn't have to meet the guy. Is there any other reason why Portland would do this deal ? It is not often that you can find a Power Forward in the NBA, especially in the Western Conference, that averages 24 and 10. To trade a 24 and 10 guy along with 6 million dollars in expiring contracts (Fred Jones, Dan Dickau) for Channing Frye and Steve Francis ? You cannot tell me that from a basketball standpoint, Portland felt that this was a good deal for them. Randolph must be such a poor influence on his team and low character person for them to even consider this trade.

In addition, once again Isiah has traded for a player who is an exact carbon coby of a player already on the roster (trading for Steve Francis when we already had Stephon Marbury on the roster). Can you not tell me Zach Randolph is not the exact same player as Eddy Curry ? Yes, Zach Randolph is a better rebounder but they both live down low on the block, waiting for somebody to post up. Once the ball is in their hands, it is not coming back out. How is going to work if Curry and Randolph play THE EXACT same position as one another. My thought was that they can just go on opposite blocks down low and they can just alternate who gets the ball on each position, but I just have visions of the most unimaginative one-on-one bullshit offense in the NBA. I can just see it now, Stephon Marbury dribbling up the court, throws it down low to Randolph, Randolph has it on the block and shoots a jump hook. Next time down the court...Stephon Marbury dribbling up the court, throws it down low to Curry, Curry has it on the block and shoots a jump hook. Next time down the court...Stephon Marbury dribbling up the court and passes to Jamal Crawford. Crawford then proceeds to launch a ridiculous off-balance three pointer which results in a brick just so he can get his shots in. It is a disaster waiting to happen. At least I am preparing myself mentally for it before hand. Also, we all know Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford aren't shooters, they are scorers. How are they going to drive the lane with two beasts down low ? Is there going to be any room for them to drive to the basket ? There is going to be so much traffic in the paint from trying to stop Curry and Randolph that it is going to force us to shoot jumpers, which is the Knicks weakness. Should be interesting...By the way, I also guarentee if the roster stays as is, we will be the WORST defensive team in the entire NBA. Between Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph down low defending, if you want to call it that, is a scary thought. It is going to be a disaster. I think I just threw up in my mouth...

On a positive note, I am shocked that Steve Francis and Channing Frye still had that kind of trade value. Granted, Portland was desperate, but I never thought in a million years we would be able to get Steve Francis off of our hands. Channing Frye's value also took a huge hit this past season when he was just a shell of his former self. Frye looked lost on the court all season because they no longer used him on the block the way Larry Brown sometimes utilized him. He was forced to become strictly a jump shooter, and you can tell it took a toll on him mentally. It looked like he was forcing shots instead of letting the game come to him. He lost all confidence in his jump shot and it showed out there on the court. Also, where did all the 'pick and pop' plays go ? How good was Frye in his rookie season with Marbury when they ran that play ! Why scrap a play that worked so beautifully ? Isiah probably scrapped it from the playbook since Larry Brown used it and we cannot do anything that Larry Brown did whether it was successful or not. On the defensive end, Channing Frye was weak and couldn't rebound if the world depended on it. Francis...I am not even going to get into. The fact that the Knicks acquired a 24/10 Power Forward in the Eastern Conference and two expiring conference for Steve Francis and Channing Frye is obviously a great trade for the Knicks from a basketball standpoint, but we'll see if it can work. For the most part, everyone on the Knicks roster except for Stephon Marbury is in their 20's and locked up for a long time. If Curry and Randolph can co-exist and Randolph can behave off the court, this trade will be a steal by the Knicks and the Knicks could be a perrenial Eastern Conference Contender for years to come. If it doesn't, look for it to cost Isiah Thomas his job.

Random Thoughts:

• As everyone predicted, the Knicks selected Wilson Chandler with the 23rd pick to add to the other 35 small forwards the Knicks already have on the roster. Let's see how it works out. We'll get a little preview starting Monday at 10:00pm on MSG when the Knicks face Kevin Durant and the Sonics in their first Summer League game in Las Vegas.


• I actually thought Isiah made a great move by acquiring Syracuse rookie Demetris Nichols from Portland for next year's 2nd round pick. Nichols can really shoot the ball and was probably the best player in the Orlando rookie camp before the draft. Sound familiar to Renaldo Balkman's performance in the Orlando camp last summer ? Hopefully the Knicks get similar results.


• Has anyone seen the insane Stephon Marbury video from Mic'd Up ? He has absolutely lost his mind.
  
• If reports are true, the Knicks are seriously considering trading David Lee and either Malik Rose or Jared Jeffries to Sacramento for Ron Artest. Once again, this would be a typical Isiah move in which the Knicks do get the most talented player in the deal, but give up a young talent for a bad seed who may ruin the chemstry of the team. The fact that this reeks of a typical Isiah move, it really would not surprise me if it happened. However, how come I am reading reports the Miami Heat are offering Udonis Haslem and the Orlando Magic are offering Hedo Turkoglu for Artest. Why do the Knicks have to give up D-Lee ? Isn't an offer of two expiring contracts that combine for approximately $6 million and young players like Nate Robinson and Ranolph Morris more enticing than Hedo Turkoglu ? Maybe I am crazy...


• You think it is a coincidence that Nate Robinson is playing for the Knicks Summer League team for the 3rd straight year ? Sacramento, can you say 'showcase' ?


• Here is my trade idea...If we in fact do trade David Lee and Jared Jeffries to Sacramento for Ron Artest, I would then trade our two expiring contracts to the NYPD for two police officers so we could have them on our bench to watch over Artest, Randolph and Nate. Marbury can yell out "they scared now" all he wants but in reality, I think what opposing teams may be scared of is that we may mug them before, during or after the game and not because of what we can do on the court. This would complete Isiah's dream of bringing back the "Bad Boys".
• Indiana Hoosier, Rod Wilmont, has made the New York Knicks Summer League roster...Holla!

94 all over again

For you hockey gurus out there, the Rangers signing high coveted free agents, Scott Gomez, and Chris Drury is exactly what hockey needed to get back on the map. Hockey was never bigger than when the New York Rangers last won the Stanley Cup in 1994. I was only eight at the time, but the memory of Messier holding up that cup will forever be in my memory. New York City is where it all happens. Being the media craze that it is, having the New York Rangers winning the cup would get a lot more people back into hockey. The lockout a couple years ago caused many to flee from a falling sport. Obviously a bit north of us, Canadians eat, sleep, and breathe hockey. I wish that was the case in the USA. If anybody wants to jump on the Rangers bandwagon now is the time. With the prowess of Jagr, Gomez, and Drury, as well as one of the best up and coming star goalies in Lundqvist expect no short of a stanley cup appearance. Being a Yankee fan I always expect a World Series, and this year I am expecting a championship from the blueshirts. I have lived through a decade of turmoil, and being torn apart by devils fans. Well its finally time to give them a taste of their own medicine and bring Lord Stanley's cup back to MSG, exactly where it belongs.