This is great. Not only has baseball started its exhibition games but they're being covered exhaustively, along with ongoing analysis of each team and game. This is unprecedented. The MLB Network is a keeper.
Right now they’re discussing the chances that the Rays and Phils will repeat. And Tom Seaver will join the panel in a while to discuss whatever. I think I must’ve died and gone to heaven.
Then when you’ve had enough baseball, when you can feel the baseball lodged in your throat, there are college and NBA basketball, free agency beginning with a loud bang in the NFL and if you still have the time, you can follow Barry Bonds’s embarrasment of our free-wheelin’ U.S. “Justice” Department.
I’m a Mets fan, of course, like any other fun-loving New York area baseball fan, those fans who can live with not always having the most expensive players, and not always being the favorite to win the pennant, a team that laughs and jokes and jumps around when something good happens.
That’s a far cry from the world of the Yankees. Bobby Abreu, the former Yankee who recently signed with the Angels, said it was really nice to be with players who were smiling all the time. He didn’t really say nobody smiled in the Yankees clubhouse but the implication was clear.
Let’s play “compare and contrast”. The Yanks have Joe Girardi as manager while the Mets have Jerry Manuel. Manuel is smooth, smart and experienced and somewhat of a philosopher, capable of entertaining his players and the media for hours on end. Girardi’s best move so far was to take his players to the pool hall.
At the GM spot, we Mets fans have the energetic and warm personage of Omar Minaya while the Yanks have the cold and calculating Brian Cashman. I say “calculating” but you couldn’t prove it by his pitcher selections over the years. Behind his silly decision to go with two unproven rookie starters last year, I’m sure, was his record of failure in selecting pitchers in free agency.
Delgado versus Teixeira, Reyes vs. Jeter, Wright vs. an un-juiced Arod, I’ll take the Mets player in each case. I’ll give the Yanks second base, but just for now. I think Castillo will make a dramatic comeback and Robinson Cano will be, well, Robinson Cano. Hopefully, the Yanks can keep him interested enough to chase ground balls this year.
In the outfield, Beltran is the best centerfielder in the game. Melky Cabrera is trying to stay out of Triple-A. We have a guy in left who shows a lot of promise in Murphy, the Yanks have a whole bunch of guys to put there, Abreu, Matsui, probably Swisher, who knows, but usually, if you have multiple guys filling a position, that means you haven’t really filled the spot. In right, they’ve got Nady, the guy we should have kept. We’ll have Ryan Church in right, who started last year as a star but got hurt and flamed out upon his return. We still take two out of three outfield positions.
At catcher, the Yanks have Posada, who’s coming off an injury but sure can hit. Our Schneider cannot. But he can field the position with the best of them. We don’t know what Posada can do these days, but I have a strong feeling that Posada may wind up being still another Yankee candidate for designated hitter. So at catcher, I’d call it even.
You have to like the Yankees starters though. I’ll call the respective aces of the staff even, Sabathia vs, Santana, if just because Santana may not be totally healthy. Then at #2, there’s Burnet vs. Maine, I’d have to go with Burnet. Pelfrey vs Wang, I’d have to go with Wang and Joba vs. crazy Ollie, I think Joba will be a little more consistent. So the Yanks, for once, have a great starting staff.
Relievers are a different story though. With the Mets’ acquisition of Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz, they match up well against the Yankee relief corps at closer and well ahead at the setup guy, unless you’re really a fan of Edwar Ramirez. He does have the right last name though, joining Manny and Hanley and Aramis and Alexei as the most prolific group of guys ever to share the same last name.
Ah yes, and then there’s the DH. The Yanks have a flare for filling that spot. Indeed, it seems as if half their roster over the years have been best at DH. At a wildcard position meant to keep older guys in the league forever, the Yanks seem to have fixated on trying to find the perfect DH. You have to love it.
I almost forgot the announcers. We have Keith Hernandez, probably the most knowledgable and entertaining guy in the game while the Yanks counter with Michael Kaye. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! If you want to know how may balls and strikes a pitcher has thrown, updated on virtually every pitch, Kaye’s your guy.
So it’s going to be another great year for following the Mets and Yanks, and for the exhibition season, it’s like a whole new paradigm, what with five different ESPN’s and now the MLB channel.
And then there’s the Patriots giving away Cassell and Vrabel for a second round pick to the Chiefs, who just hired former Patriot Pioli as their GM. You have to wonder how long this deal has been in the works since Cassell was the Pats designated guy at first, thus protecting Cassell and themselves from having him hit the open market. Then they trade him to the worst team in the league, saving their 14.5 mill and ridding themselves of an aging linebacker at the same time. If it smells a little, what the hell, it’s the Patriots.
If all the above isn’t enough fun for you, there’s March Madness right around the corner, Steph joining the Celtics and Manny being Manny in a financial way. He does play hardball.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ya Can't Go Back?
Who says ya can’t go back? Tell that to Jason Giambi. Tell that to Tom Glavine. And now Ken Griffey. Wouldn’t it be nice for all these once-greats to become future greats too? These are three players you have trouble rooting against. Even when Giambi was a Yankee, I couldn’t do anything but wish him well.
It’s shaping up as quite a season….one to remember. That is, if you like the Yankees and Dodgers. As far as I can see, if the Dodgers manage to get goofy Manny, they’ll be big trouble for any team, even the Yankees.
The Dodgers have re-signed Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal. And they just picked up a very nice second baseman in Orlando Hudson. They’ve got a pretty fair starting rotation and some very steady relievers, a team you can be sure that Joe Torre will use to his advantage, and theirs for that matter.
And who will be their competition? The friggin’ Padres? The Rockies? Yeah, there will be Arizona to contend with but that shouldn’t be all that difficult for a team with a lot of returning veterans, a team that came pretty close last year to winning it all. The Giants could make some noise though.
Lincecum, Cain, Zito, Johnson, Sanchez and Lowry….they’re the starters for the San Francisco Giants this year. Not too shabby, Jerry. Of course, the lineup doesn’t score too many runs, but maybe they won’t have to. I can definitely see the Giants winning a lot of games this year, and, once again, that NL West is nothing to write home about.
The Yankees will have it a little tougher. Make that a lot tougher. The Rays won the division last year, of course, and that was with some guys having bad years. The Red Sox just re-signed Varitek. That should make the pitching staff a lot happier, and, if nothing else, he is the captain.
Pedroia will be back, probably stronger than ever, and then there will be Big Papi coming off a down season. There’s another pretty fair pitcher on board in Brad Penny, and I see Rocco Baldelli listed on their depth chart behind J.D. Drew in right. The only position player on their team that I don’t like is Julio Lugo at short. And Orlando Cabrera is still out there…..
But it’d be a mistake to count out the Yankees. That’s really quite a lineup they’ll have. And one that should have a great deal of motivation to finally win something. I won’t run through the pitching again. We all know who they are. I don’t like their centerfield outlook, but hey, Nick Swisher will be a much tougher out than Melky ever was.
I’d look for better seasons from some of these Yankees too. They could have a lot of guys having last hurrahs. Godzilla, his knees have been fixed. Posada, he’ll be back, Damon, he should be just as good as ever, probably a little better.
A good pitching staff should help energize that entire team. In fact, it’s hard to believe the Yankees could have been so stupid as to waste an entire year with just two or three leigtimate starters. But then, Cashman was never that bright. If there’s a weak link on the Yankees, he’s it. Money can’t cure everything.
It’s a shame though that it looks as if it’ll be the same contenders again. But then it always looks that way. Who would’ve believed the Rays could go to the World Series last year? Except my brother, of course. And there were the Rockies before that.
Dark horses? I don’t know but I kind of like what the Oakland A’s have been doing, and I think the Marlins and the Cards might finally do something too.
The A’s added Matt Holliday besides Giambi and that should add about fifty to sixty homers right there. They’ll have a very improved lineup and it looks as if the team won’t be moving so that should give them some stability too. I’m not that crazy about their pitching staff but Billy Beane always seems to come up with something. And look for Jack Cust to put more than a few over the wall.
They’ll have the Angels to contend with though, so I wouldn’t look for them to win anything outright, but who’s to say they couldn’t grab the wildcard? The AL East teams will be knocking the heck out of one another so I wouldn’t imagine anybody’s record in that division will be too overpowering.
In the AL Central, there will be the Indians, another team I have hopes for, and the White Sox and Twins will be there too at the end. But somehow, those teams never seem to have much luck. So, the A’s might just have a chance to sneak in there. And if Giambi can help put them over the top, so much the better.
Just as the AL East teams will be knocking one another about, a similar situation should develop in the NL East with the Phillies, Mets and an improved Marlins team. The Cubs should win the NL Central again, but there’s not much else to contend with in the Central. So the Giants might just have a shot at a wildcard too.
Giambi may bring the A’s back but Glavine and Grifffey will have their hands full to have any effect whatsoever on the Braves and Mariners. I’m as romantic as the next guy, but there’s a limit to what I can believe. The Mariners have a LOT of question marks..
The Braves had nothing last year. They look to have nothing this year too. Not that this makes me very unhappy. If there is a team I hate in the NL as much as the Yankees in the AL, it’s the Braves.
But I’ll be hoping Glavine can make his mark on them anyway, while I wait for Griffey and Giambi to put thirty or so over the wall.
It’s shaping up as quite a season….one to remember. That is, if you like the Yankees and Dodgers. As far as I can see, if the Dodgers manage to get goofy Manny, they’ll be big trouble for any team, even the Yankees.
The Dodgers have re-signed Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal. And they just picked up a very nice second baseman in Orlando Hudson. They’ve got a pretty fair starting rotation and some very steady relievers, a team you can be sure that Joe Torre will use to his advantage, and theirs for that matter.
And who will be their competition? The friggin’ Padres? The Rockies? Yeah, there will be Arizona to contend with but that shouldn’t be all that difficult for a team with a lot of returning veterans, a team that came pretty close last year to winning it all. The Giants could make some noise though.
Lincecum, Cain, Zito, Johnson, Sanchez and Lowry….they’re the starters for the San Francisco Giants this year. Not too shabby, Jerry. Of course, the lineup doesn’t score too many runs, but maybe they won’t have to. I can definitely see the Giants winning a lot of games this year, and, once again, that NL West is nothing to write home about.
The Yankees will have it a little tougher. Make that a lot tougher. The Rays won the division last year, of course, and that was with some guys having bad years. The Red Sox just re-signed Varitek. That should make the pitching staff a lot happier, and, if nothing else, he is the captain.
Pedroia will be back, probably stronger than ever, and then there will be Big Papi coming off a down season. There’s another pretty fair pitcher on board in Brad Penny, and I see Rocco Baldelli listed on their depth chart behind J.D. Drew in right. The only position player on their team that I don’t like is Julio Lugo at short. And Orlando Cabrera is still out there…..
But it’d be a mistake to count out the Yankees. That’s really quite a lineup they’ll have. And one that should have a great deal of motivation to finally win something. I won’t run through the pitching again. We all know who they are. I don’t like their centerfield outlook, but hey, Nick Swisher will be a much tougher out than Melky ever was.
I’d look for better seasons from some of these Yankees too. They could have a lot of guys having last hurrahs. Godzilla, his knees have been fixed. Posada, he’ll be back, Damon, he should be just as good as ever, probably a little better.
A good pitching staff should help energize that entire team. In fact, it’s hard to believe the Yankees could have been so stupid as to waste an entire year with just two or three leigtimate starters. But then, Cashman was never that bright. If there’s a weak link on the Yankees, he’s it. Money can’t cure everything.
It’s a shame though that it looks as if it’ll be the same contenders again. But then it always looks that way. Who would’ve believed the Rays could go to the World Series last year? Except my brother, of course. And there were the Rockies before that.
Dark horses? I don’t know but I kind of like what the Oakland A’s have been doing, and I think the Marlins and the Cards might finally do something too.
The A’s added Matt Holliday besides Giambi and that should add about fifty to sixty homers right there. They’ll have a very improved lineup and it looks as if the team won’t be moving so that should give them some stability too. I’m not that crazy about their pitching staff but Billy Beane always seems to come up with something. And look for Jack Cust to put more than a few over the wall.
They’ll have the Angels to contend with though, so I wouldn’t look for them to win anything outright, but who’s to say they couldn’t grab the wildcard? The AL East teams will be knocking the heck out of one another so I wouldn’t imagine anybody’s record in that division will be too overpowering.
In the AL Central, there will be the Indians, another team I have hopes for, and the White Sox and Twins will be there too at the end. But somehow, those teams never seem to have much luck. So, the A’s might just have a chance to sneak in there. And if Giambi can help put them over the top, so much the better.
Just as the AL East teams will be knocking one another about, a similar situation should develop in the NL East with the Phillies, Mets and an improved Marlins team. The Cubs should win the NL Central again, but there’s not much else to contend with in the Central. So the Giants might just have a shot at a wildcard too.
Giambi may bring the A’s back but Glavine and Grifffey will have their hands full to have any effect whatsoever on the Braves and Mariners. I’m as romantic as the next guy, but there’s a limit to what I can believe. The Mariners have a LOT of question marks..
The Braves had nothing last year. They look to have nothing this year too. Not that this makes me very unhappy. If there is a team I hate in the NL as much as the Yankees in the AL, it’s the Braves.
But I’ll be hoping Glavine can make his mark on them anyway, while I wait for Griffey and Giambi to put thirty or so over the wall.
Monday, February 23, 2009
On the Oscars
As sports and acting are both all about passion and inspiration, I thought, especially as there isn’t much to say with conviction about any NY sports team right now, I thought I’d just share my thoughts about the broadcast of the Oscars, a presentation that has a remarkable record of being both moving and inspirational.
So the following are just impressions I had while watching. The broadcast, all in all, hit a home run.
It had some new things, a new emcee, Hugh Jackman, multiple Oscar winners presenting heartfelt commentary on each candidate’s performance and life, and many welcome flashbacks of the great performances of our time.
There was even some good music, but it may have been a down year for that. The segments just taking notice of some notable thank-you’s was great too. But I could’ve lived nicely if I never saw Jackman and Beyonce high-steppin’…
The presentation for Best Supporting Actor was stirring. Cuba Gooding was funny too, commenting on Robert Downey Jr.,….”a white man doing a black man in blackface”….very funny. Christopher Walken was always bigger than life and still is.
And Heath Ledger as The Joker got the prize…an “enduring legacy” to be sure, and accepting were his mother and father and sister…. poignant. Talk about inspiring performances…..even if you’re not into Batman.
Will Smith was great in coming out big-time for action movies, and the real heroes behind all action movies, visual effects and sound editing and film editing. “Slumdog Millionaire” won some of these…..a precursor of things to come.
There was Eddie Murphy, back from obscurity and a tribute to Jerry Lewis, another hero of my own childhood…he was a Batman for the kids with Muscular Dystrophy. I guess. It’s good that the Academy recognizes humanitarians.
Lewis was so gracious in his acceptance that it almost got me teary-eyed, as were many of the audience for Heath Ledger’s Best Supporting Actor. “The movie business…such a joy to be a part of you…”
The “In Memoriam” piece was very touching. Richard Widmark was always terrific. James Whitmore, Charlton Heston….Sydney Pollack and Paul Newman, all being remembered and in the background…. “I’ll be Seeing You”…beautiful…ending with Paul Newman’s piece on the biggest difference between people being that of those who have had pleasure in love and those that haven’t.
There was Reese Witherspoon, looking better than I’d seen her in a long time, presenting for Best Director. Danny Boyle for Slumdog, of course, was jumping up and down, the award received in the spirit of Tigger…priceless..
There were Sophia Loren, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Shirley McLaine and Marion Cotillard…passion, vulnerability and depth….very nice indeed. And Anne Hathaway got a nice accolade from McLaine, one well deserved…I can vouch for her extraordinary voice…she sang in the Millburn Choir with my Jenna…
There was Halle feting Melissa Leo and Sophia Loren looked like one tough broad commenting on Meryl Streep…and her portrayal of a nun, while expressing her appreciation for her 15 nominations…quite amazing indeed…..and there was Nicole Kidman introducing for Angelina Jolie and Changeling. The Oscar went to a breathless Winslet who won for “The Reader”…and that was some great whistle and hat from her Dad….
There were many more filmed thank you’s of course, the funny from Adrian Brody (there comes a time in life when everything seems to make sense ….and this is not one of those times) and quick hitters such as those of Gregory Peck, Dustin Hoffman, crazy Jack Nicholson, “the Duke” John Wayne and of course Marlon Brando and David Niven.
Then we got to see Adrian Brody, Bobby DeNiro, Ben Kingsley, Michael Douglas and Hannibal Lecter (I mean Anthony Hopkins), leading men all for sure. Douglas feting Frank Langella for his portrayal of Richard Nixon….DeNiro for Penn….championing human rights, gently reasoning with the Paparazzi was a great line…there was the serial killer Hopkins for Brad Pitt…And Kingsley on Mickey Rourke, the bleach blonde battered bruiser…good line…for The Wrestler…
It was ironic I thought that a sophisticate like Ben Kingsley should comment on Mickey Rourke, and both were very classy, but the Oscar went to Penn. Yes, Sean Penn won Best Actor….even if he was a bit long-winded in his acceptance, and ….well, you can’t have everything.
Steven Spielberg wrapped it all up, quite fitting of course that the best film maker should present for Best Picture….and for Best Motion Picture, there were : Button…Nixon… Milk… The Reader… Slumdog….. all presented by interleaving great films of the past with each of the nominated pictures, great films all, films that resonated with the same feelings portrayed by the nominated flicks…all very tastefully done.
People capable of anything, from Chinatown and Frost/Nixon; prejudice and a sense of destiny from Twelve Angry Men , Casablanca and Forrest Gump as compared to Slumdog. There was first love, lost love and death from The Graduate to The Reader, anger and outrage as expressed in movies from Braveheart to Raging Bull and Milk; and finally aging and loss from Butch Cassidy and the Godfather and Good Will Hunting to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Yes, it was another successful night for Oscar, giving us something new while reminding us that even the new derives somewhat from the past, and maybe that’s a good thing. I know it was for me.
So the following are just impressions I had while watching. The broadcast, all in all, hit a home run.
It had some new things, a new emcee, Hugh Jackman, multiple Oscar winners presenting heartfelt commentary on each candidate’s performance and life, and many welcome flashbacks of the great performances of our time.
There was even some good music, but it may have been a down year for that. The segments just taking notice of some notable thank-you’s was great too. But I could’ve lived nicely if I never saw Jackman and Beyonce high-steppin’…
The presentation for Best Supporting Actor was stirring. Cuba Gooding was funny too, commenting on Robert Downey Jr.,….”a white man doing a black man in blackface”….very funny. Christopher Walken was always bigger than life and still is.
And Heath Ledger as The Joker got the prize…an “enduring legacy” to be sure, and accepting were his mother and father and sister…. poignant. Talk about inspiring performances…..even if you’re not into Batman.
Will Smith was great in coming out big-time for action movies, and the real heroes behind all action movies, visual effects and sound editing and film editing. “Slumdog Millionaire” won some of these…..a precursor of things to come.
There was Eddie Murphy, back from obscurity and a tribute to Jerry Lewis, another hero of my own childhood…he was a Batman for the kids with Muscular Dystrophy. I guess. It’s good that the Academy recognizes humanitarians.
Lewis was so gracious in his acceptance that it almost got me teary-eyed, as were many of the audience for Heath Ledger’s Best Supporting Actor. “The movie business…such a joy to be a part of you…”
The “In Memoriam” piece was very touching. Richard Widmark was always terrific. James Whitmore, Charlton Heston….Sydney Pollack and Paul Newman, all being remembered and in the background…. “I’ll be Seeing You”…beautiful…ending with Paul Newman’s piece on the biggest difference between people being that of those who have had pleasure in love and those that haven’t.
There was Reese Witherspoon, looking better than I’d seen her in a long time, presenting for Best Director. Danny Boyle for Slumdog, of course, was jumping up and down, the award received in the spirit of Tigger…priceless..
There were Sophia Loren, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Shirley McLaine and Marion Cotillard…passion, vulnerability and depth….very nice indeed. And Anne Hathaway got a nice accolade from McLaine, one well deserved…I can vouch for her extraordinary voice…she sang in the Millburn Choir with my Jenna…
There was Halle feting Melissa Leo and Sophia Loren looked like one tough broad commenting on Meryl Streep…and her portrayal of a nun, while expressing her appreciation for her 15 nominations…quite amazing indeed…..and there was Nicole Kidman introducing for Angelina Jolie and Changeling. The Oscar went to a breathless Winslet who won for “The Reader”…and that was some great whistle and hat from her Dad….
There were many more filmed thank you’s of course, the funny from Adrian Brody (there comes a time in life when everything seems to make sense ….and this is not one of those times) and quick hitters such as those of Gregory Peck, Dustin Hoffman, crazy Jack Nicholson, “the Duke” John Wayne and of course Marlon Brando and David Niven.
Then we got to see Adrian Brody, Bobby DeNiro, Ben Kingsley, Michael Douglas and Hannibal Lecter (I mean Anthony Hopkins), leading men all for sure. Douglas feting Frank Langella for his portrayal of Richard Nixon….DeNiro for Penn….championing human rights, gently reasoning with the Paparazzi was a great line…there was the serial killer Hopkins for Brad Pitt…And Kingsley on Mickey Rourke, the bleach blonde battered bruiser…good line…for The Wrestler…
It was ironic I thought that a sophisticate like Ben Kingsley should comment on Mickey Rourke, and both were very classy, but the Oscar went to Penn. Yes, Sean Penn won Best Actor….even if he was a bit long-winded in his acceptance, and ….well, you can’t have everything.
Steven Spielberg wrapped it all up, quite fitting of course that the best film maker should present for Best Picture….and for Best Motion Picture, there were : Button…Nixon… Milk… The Reader… Slumdog….. all presented by interleaving great films of the past with each of the nominated pictures, great films all, films that resonated with the same feelings portrayed by the nominated flicks…all very tastefully done.
People capable of anything, from Chinatown and Frost/Nixon; prejudice and a sense of destiny from Twelve Angry Men , Casablanca and Forrest Gump as compared to Slumdog. There was first love, lost love and death from The Graduate to The Reader, anger and outrage as expressed in movies from Braveheart to Raging Bull and Milk; and finally aging and loss from Butch Cassidy and the Godfather and Good Will Hunting to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Yes, it was another successful night for Oscar, giving us something new while reminding us that even the new derives somewhat from the past, and maybe that’s a good thing. I know it was for me.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
On Fantasy and Arod
It’s a slow news week for just about everything in sports this Tuesday. Except for Pitt knocking off U Conn, there really wasn’t anything happening, that is, unless you’re really into Alex Rodriguez. Or the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. As Conan might have said, “It’s a good day to die”. Of course, he had a much more exciting context at the time.
It’s at times such as these when a young man’s thoughts turn to, well, what would I know about that? But I have been taking a look at this year’s fantasy baseball mock drafts, and I must admit there are some strange things shaping up there.
For example, Hanley Ramirez, the Marlins shortstop and Albert Pujols, the Cards perennially great first baseman, are ranked one and two in most mock drafts. While Pujols isn’t really such a surprise, you have to turn your head a little at Hanley’s ascension.
Not that his numbers are bad. Hanley batted .301 with 33 homers and 67 ribbies. Even better, he scored 125 runs and stole 35 bases. But Pujols batted .357 with 116 ribbies and 100 runs scored. Of course, Albert doesn’t steal bases unless the sky is falling, and in these 5 by 5 leagues (stats categories in hitting and batting), speed is an over-rated thing.
It’s also been reported that Hanley came to camp about 25 pounds heavier than last year, and it’s reported to be all muscle, developed through weight training and swimming. While he doesn’t expect to start the season at 225, he’ll probably play at about 210, a ten-pound jump over last year’s weight. Still, I’m wary as to how that muscle will translate to the game of baseball. After all, it never did much for Arod.
Speaking of Arod, and isn’t everybody, Arod is arguably in the top three fantasy picks again this year. Not that there’s any chance I’ll select him, but I know I’ll hate facing any team that does. Alex hit .302 with 35 homers and 103 ribbies in a down year for him. He also stole 18 bases and will be following newly-acquired Mark Teixeira in the batting order. It should be interesting to see how that will affect his ribbies as Teixeira may have already cleared the bases.
As a Mets fan, I always try to draft some Mets but not at the expense of competitive advantage. I’ll be very curious to see my draft position this year as I might be able to select Beltran, my favorite Met, if things work out just right.
Jose Reyes, by the way, was selected 4th in one mock draft while Wright was 5th. I would never select either that high, however, despite all the steals from Reyes and the five-category contributions from Wright. I’m still quite sure they both contributed big-time to the Mets demise last year. I do hold grudges.
Beltran, though, was selected in the second round with the fifth pick. He’s definitely on my list as is Johan Santana, who made it deep into the second round. I’ll be looking to add closer Francisco Rodriguez too, who lasted until the seventh round, and Delgado, who lasted until the ninth round.
If you’re curious, some other Mets went very late, which hopefully won’t be a bad omen. Crazy Ollie Perez and Mike Pelfrey were both selections in the 19th round and John Maine almost wasn’t picked at all, before someone took a chance on him in the 23rd round.
Ah, the importance of good fortune! Nobody appreciates luck more than this fantasy nut as evidenced by my luck in football this year, when my running back-depleted team beat my brother’s perfectly-situated team in the playoffs, or when my nephew’s fantasy acumen took a hit as he went winless!
I believe it was Julius Caesar who said “In all of life, but especially in war, the greatest power belongs to fortune”. And if it’s good enough for Caesar, it’s good enough for me.
I’ll continue using a rather curious fantasy strategy this year as it’s been working. I simply make a list of players I’d like on my team along with the round they’re likely to be selected. Then, as the actual draft proceeds, I simply plug them in if they’re still on the board later than I thought they’d be.
The great thing about this method is that it yields a team that, if nothing else, you can root for. At the worst, the team may lose but you enjoy the play. If you’re lucky at the same time, you get the best of all possible worlds, the money and the fun.
Just as an example, I’ve selected four outfielders I’d love to have – Curtis Granderson, Alexei Ramirez (with second base eligibility as well), Nate McLouth and Jay Bruce. Granderson was picked in the mock draft in the fourth round, 5th pick, while Alexei Ramirez was also picked in the fourth round with the 9th pick.
If either player is still there in the fifth round, I’m taking him, or, if an even higher-rated player on my board is still there, say, a Brandon Webb or Jonathan Papelbon who were both third round mock selections, I’ll take one of them.
There’s nothing worse than owning a team that has been very methodically selected by someone else’s druthers. For example, I won’t ordinarily have a Yankee on my team. If I’m picking 8th and Arod is still there, I’m not taking him. Yes, I could trade him but then you’re really leaving your fates up in the air.
Today’s New York Times sports headline screamed “Welcome to Camp Alex” in a font large enough to be unforgettable, not just to me but likely also to Jeter, Teixeira, Damon and Sabathia. Why should they perform? It’ll be Arod who gets the headline. I’d guess the Arod legacy or curse, if it pleases you, will continue. He’ll never play on a winner.
My guess is that all the Yankees will have down years.
It’s at times such as these when a young man’s thoughts turn to, well, what would I know about that? But I have been taking a look at this year’s fantasy baseball mock drafts, and I must admit there are some strange things shaping up there.
For example, Hanley Ramirez, the Marlins shortstop and Albert Pujols, the Cards perennially great first baseman, are ranked one and two in most mock drafts. While Pujols isn’t really such a surprise, you have to turn your head a little at Hanley’s ascension.
Not that his numbers are bad. Hanley batted .301 with 33 homers and 67 ribbies. Even better, he scored 125 runs and stole 35 bases. But Pujols batted .357 with 116 ribbies and 100 runs scored. Of course, Albert doesn’t steal bases unless the sky is falling, and in these 5 by 5 leagues (stats categories in hitting and batting), speed is an over-rated thing.
It’s also been reported that Hanley came to camp about 25 pounds heavier than last year, and it’s reported to be all muscle, developed through weight training and swimming. While he doesn’t expect to start the season at 225, he’ll probably play at about 210, a ten-pound jump over last year’s weight. Still, I’m wary as to how that muscle will translate to the game of baseball. After all, it never did much for Arod.
Speaking of Arod, and isn’t everybody, Arod is arguably in the top three fantasy picks again this year. Not that there’s any chance I’ll select him, but I know I’ll hate facing any team that does. Alex hit .302 with 35 homers and 103 ribbies in a down year for him. He also stole 18 bases and will be following newly-acquired Mark Teixeira in the batting order. It should be interesting to see how that will affect his ribbies as Teixeira may have already cleared the bases.
As a Mets fan, I always try to draft some Mets but not at the expense of competitive advantage. I’ll be very curious to see my draft position this year as I might be able to select Beltran, my favorite Met, if things work out just right.
Jose Reyes, by the way, was selected 4th in one mock draft while Wright was 5th. I would never select either that high, however, despite all the steals from Reyes and the five-category contributions from Wright. I’m still quite sure they both contributed big-time to the Mets demise last year. I do hold grudges.
Beltran, though, was selected in the second round with the fifth pick. He’s definitely on my list as is Johan Santana, who made it deep into the second round. I’ll be looking to add closer Francisco Rodriguez too, who lasted until the seventh round, and Delgado, who lasted until the ninth round.
If you’re curious, some other Mets went very late, which hopefully won’t be a bad omen. Crazy Ollie Perez and Mike Pelfrey were both selections in the 19th round and John Maine almost wasn’t picked at all, before someone took a chance on him in the 23rd round.
Ah, the importance of good fortune! Nobody appreciates luck more than this fantasy nut as evidenced by my luck in football this year, when my running back-depleted team beat my brother’s perfectly-situated team in the playoffs, or when my nephew’s fantasy acumen took a hit as he went winless!
I believe it was Julius Caesar who said “In all of life, but especially in war, the greatest power belongs to fortune”. And if it’s good enough for Caesar, it’s good enough for me.
I’ll continue using a rather curious fantasy strategy this year as it’s been working. I simply make a list of players I’d like on my team along with the round they’re likely to be selected. Then, as the actual draft proceeds, I simply plug them in if they’re still on the board later than I thought they’d be.
The great thing about this method is that it yields a team that, if nothing else, you can root for. At the worst, the team may lose but you enjoy the play. If you’re lucky at the same time, you get the best of all possible worlds, the money and the fun.
Just as an example, I’ve selected four outfielders I’d love to have – Curtis Granderson, Alexei Ramirez (with second base eligibility as well), Nate McLouth and Jay Bruce. Granderson was picked in the mock draft in the fourth round, 5th pick, while Alexei Ramirez was also picked in the fourth round with the 9th pick.
If either player is still there in the fifth round, I’m taking him, or, if an even higher-rated player on my board is still there, say, a Brandon Webb or Jonathan Papelbon who were both third round mock selections, I’ll take one of them.
There’s nothing worse than owning a team that has been very methodically selected by someone else’s druthers. For example, I won’t ordinarily have a Yankee on my team. If I’m picking 8th and Arod is still there, I’m not taking him. Yes, I could trade him but then you’re really leaving your fates up in the air.
Today’s New York Times sports headline screamed “Welcome to Camp Alex” in a font large enough to be unforgettable, not just to me but likely also to Jeter, Teixeira, Damon and Sabathia. Why should they perform? It’ll be Arod who gets the headline. I’d guess the Arod legacy or curse, if it pleases you, will continue. He’ll never play on a winner.
My guess is that all the Yankees will have down years.
Friday, February 13, 2009
It's Friday the 13th....
It’s Friday the 13th and I guess there’s enough bad luck to go around, just in general, but for the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, the fortunes of the day hit especially hard.
The Astros Miguel Tejada, one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball, has now admitted to buying steroids but then throwing them out. They cost about $6500 but he threw them out. When was the last time you bought ANYTHING for $6500 and then not used it? Maybe I can become his garbage man.
Oh, and he’s not really the age that he told his employers, the Houston Astros. He’s at least two years older than that. I’m pretty sure that makes him about 37. Oh, and by the way, Tejada’s numbers fell a bit in his first Houston year. Just to give you an idea, his homer totals were as follows for the seven years from 2000 through 2006: 30, 31, 34, 27, 34, 26 and 24. In his last year with Baltimore, 2007, he managed to hit 18 homers in only 133 games.
In 2008, he hit 13 homers in 158 games and a full 632 at-bats. He did have 38 doubles though and scored 92 runs. The really bad news is in the RBI department though. His ribbies declined to 66 while he averaged well over 100 ribbies from 2000 through 2007. Wonder what round he’ll be drafted in Fantasy Baseball this year?
If I’m Ed Wade, the Astros GM, I’m feeling a little blue. Oh, and Miguel will play in the World Baseball Classic. What the hell….it probably won’t add to the wear and tear on a 37 or 38 year-old body, one that is possibly weaning itself off God-only-knows what. And he’s only making 13 million per year, so what’s the big deal?
As baseball fans, we have to have a little fun with this stuff. It’s, after all, not showing many signs of going away. Maybe when spring training really gets rolling, it’ll be largely forgotten. I certainly hope so.
You have to chuckle, you really do. Clemens just took another hit when a judge ruled that his case against McNamee would have to be re-formulated. The judge found that evidence shows prosecutors threatened McNamee that if he did not talk to Mitchell, he could have become a target of a criminal investigation. The judge therefore ruled McNamee was compelled to speak to Mitchell as part of a government proceeding and could not be sued for defamation for his comments.
I had another hearty grin as I read my local newspaper. Apparently, this great baseball mind who writes for the Star-Ledger thinks Arod will now be a force in the fight against drugs. He’ll be speaking to the kids out there, letting those little ones know how bad steroids are, and why they shouldn’t follow his example.
Somehow, I just can’t see Arod doing that. I can’t imagine Arod being a force for good in any way, shape or form! Maybe you have to be a Yankees fan to believe this inane nonsense. (not that there is any other kind of nonsense).
Meanwhile, Barry Bonds’s case seems to be getting better and better. And I can’t say I’m sorry to see it. Does he really deserve to go to jail? Maybe the folks taking the taxpayer’s money, both the Congressmen and the lawyers, deserve jail (or worse-how about a slow roasting), but Bonds probably doesn’t.
The only straight guy in this whole mess has been Jose Canseco. Now, I’ve read both his books. MLB has been trying to get him thrown into jail for quite some time now, and I actually think they succeeded on at least one occasion.
I wish a different organization ran professional baseball. Is that so much to ask? Get rid of the shyster Selig, and while we’re at it, we could get rid of Fehr and Orza too. Let’s get some new leadership in there. Enough is enough.
Some people are asking that all 104 names (actually 104 positive tests – whatever that means….why there wouldn’t be a virtual 1 to 1 correspondence between tests and players quite escapes me) be released. Not me.
Let’s just drop it, ok. Keep on testing, try to test for everything under the sun, and if some players are smart enough to keep beating the grim reaper, mazeltov. Testing would be a lot like locks, they would keep honest people honest, which, by the way, would not necessarily include Messrs. Bonds, Rodriguez and certainly not Tejada, or his buddy Palmiero, McGuire, Sosa…et al….
I was most gratified to see that Paul White of USA Today Sports Weekly is picking the Mets to finally win the NL East, although his reasoning for same seemed quite specious. White must be very impressed with Freddy Garcia; that’s all I have to say. He also mentions an improved bench, but except for Alex Cora and Angel Pagan, I don’t really see it.
Unhappily though, there’s a cloud in every silver lining, especially on Friday the 13th. The rest of the USA Today staff feels that the Mets are just the third best team in the National League, and picks them to finish 2nd again in the NL East.
Gee whiz, there certainly seems to be enough Yankees Kool-Aid to go around. The same weekly newspaper is picking the Yankees narrowly over the Rays as the premiere team in Major League Baseball. I guess if they’re making Arod some kind of evangelist, they can pass muster as the favorite.
They do have some pitching now though. I have to admit that much. And I love C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnet. Wang is coming back. Joba will probably be Joba again, but as a starter or premium set-up guy remains to be seen. Mariano will be a year older and pardon me for saying so but Jeter, Damon, Matsui, Posada, Pettite and some others are already a little long in the tooth.
I like the Mets.
The Astros Miguel Tejada, one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball, has now admitted to buying steroids but then throwing them out. They cost about $6500 but he threw them out. When was the last time you bought ANYTHING for $6500 and then not used it? Maybe I can become his garbage man.
Oh, and he’s not really the age that he told his employers, the Houston Astros. He’s at least two years older than that. I’m pretty sure that makes him about 37. Oh, and by the way, Tejada’s numbers fell a bit in his first Houston year. Just to give you an idea, his homer totals were as follows for the seven years from 2000 through 2006: 30, 31, 34, 27, 34, 26 and 24. In his last year with Baltimore, 2007, he managed to hit 18 homers in only 133 games.
In 2008, he hit 13 homers in 158 games and a full 632 at-bats. He did have 38 doubles though and scored 92 runs. The really bad news is in the RBI department though. His ribbies declined to 66 while he averaged well over 100 ribbies from 2000 through 2007. Wonder what round he’ll be drafted in Fantasy Baseball this year?
If I’m Ed Wade, the Astros GM, I’m feeling a little blue. Oh, and Miguel will play in the World Baseball Classic. What the hell….it probably won’t add to the wear and tear on a 37 or 38 year-old body, one that is possibly weaning itself off God-only-knows what. And he’s only making 13 million per year, so what’s the big deal?
As baseball fans, we have to have a little fun with this stuff. It’s, after all, not showing many signs of going away. Maybe when spring training really gets rolling, it’ll be largely forgotten. I certainly hope so.
You have to chuckle, you really do. Clemens just took another hit when a judge ruled that his case against McNamee would have to be re-formulated. The judge found that evidence shows prosecutors threatened McNamee that if he did not talk to Mitchell, he could have become a target of a criminal investigation. The judge therefore ruled McNamee was compelled to speak to Mitchell as part of a government proceeding and could not be sued for defamation for his comments.
I had another hearty grin as I read my local newspaper. Apparently, this great baseball mind who writes for the Star-Ledger thinks Arod will now be a force in the fight against drugs. He’ll be speaking to the kids out there, letting those little ones know how bad steroids are, and why they shouldn’t follow his example.
Somehow, I just can’t see Arod doing that. I can’t imagine Arod being a force for good in any way, shape or form! Maybe you have to be a Yankees fan to believe this inane nonsense. (not that there is any other kind of nonsense).
Meanwhile, Barry Bonds’s case seems to be getting better and better. And I can’t say I’m sorry to see it. Does he really deserve to go to jail? Maybe the folks taking the taxpayer’s money, both the Congressmen and the lawyers, deserve jail (or worse-how about a slow roasting), but Bonds probably doesn’t.
The only straight guy in this whole mess has been Jose Canseco. Now, I’ve read both his books. MLB has been trying to get him thrown into jail for quite some time now, and I actually think they succeeded on at least one occasion.
I wish a different organization ran professional baseball. Is that so much to ask? Get rid of the shyster Selig, and while we’re at it, we could get rid of Fehr and Orza too. Let’s get some new leadership in there. Enough is enough.
Some people are asking that all 104 names (actually 104 positive tests – whatever that means….why there wouldn’t be a virtual 1 to 1 correspondence between tests and players quite escapes me) be released. Not me.
Let’s just drop it, ok. Keep on testing, try to test for everything under the sun, and if some players are smart enough to keep beating the grim reaper, mazeltov. Testing would be a lot like locks, they would keep honest people honest, which, by the way, would not necessarily include Messrs. Bonds, Rodriguez and certainly not Tejada, or his buddy Palmiero, McGuire, Sosa…et al….
I was most gratified to see that Paul White of USA Today Sports Weekly is picking the Mets to finally win the NL East, although his reasoning for same seemed quite specious. White must be very impressed with Freddy Garcia; that’s all I have to say. He also mentions an improved bench, but except for Alex Cora and Angel Pagan, I don’t really see it.
Unhappily though, there’s a cloud in every silver lining, especially on Friday the 13th. The rest of the USA Today staff feels that the Mets are just the third best team in the National League, and picks them to finish 2nd again in the NL East.
Gee whiz, there certainly seems to be enough Yankees Kool-Aid to go around. The same weekly newspaper is picking the Yankees narrowly over the Rays as the premiere team in Major League Baseball. I guess if they’re making Arod some kind of evangelist, they can pass muster as the favorite.
They do have some pitching now though. I have to admit that much. And I love C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnet. Wang is coming back. Joba will probably be Joba again, but as a starter or premium set-up guy remains to be seen. Mariano will be a year older and pardon me for saying so but Jeter, Damon, Matsui, Posada, Pettite and some others are already a little long in the tooth.
I like the Mets.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Smart Get Smarter
Well, the Angels picked up Bobby Abreu for one year at the relatively measly price of 5 million dollars. This just proves the fact that good teams make good decisions and come out smelling like a rose more often than not. These of course are the same Angels that habitually embarrass the Yankees, the team that gets on base and then runs like the devil, the team that brings in strong relief pitching to shut down any thoughts its opponent had of coming back.
Abreu, by the way, batted .296 for the Yanks last year with 20 dingers and 100 rbi’s along with 100 runs scored. Sure, he’s a little afraid of the wall in right field, but maybe that’s why he’s scheduled to play left. Any way you look at it, this is a solid pickup for the Angels.
It’ll probably rank right up there with the Tigers signing of Pudge Rodriguez a couple of years ago.
I’m giving the Mets a pass on this missed opportunity as they do have quite a few left-handed batters already. They need a solid right-handed bat. That is, if they need another bat at all. All that pitching makes hitting almost extraneous.
Bret Favre is retiring again. What can you say? I certainly hope it’s true. The Jets, meanwhile, from Woody and Tannenbaum, have released quotables expounding on his excellent play and his humanity. Gimme a friggin break. They’re also committed to not raising ticket prices, a good thing, of course, but you’ll still have to come up with the dough for the seat license.
So, if Favre plays out this situation according to form, he’ll retire and then un-retire about every other day for a few months before signing on with some totally unexpected team. Or, who knows, he may even wind up with the Jets again, who are genuflecting themselves right into the ground.
And Miguel Tejada is scheduled to apologize today. Another non-surprising surprise is just what baseball needs right now. Let’s just pull in everybody the public has suspected anyway and get them to say “sorry”. What could be less painful than that?
Arod’s “sorry” was pretty sorry, by the way. He was young, he was very stupid, he had just made a lot of money, he felt tremendous pressure to perform, yada yada ya….sounded a lot like my fraternity brothers apologizing for unspeakable atrocities committed at open houses by saying, “Well, I was drunk”.
But that’s okay. Sorry is better than not being sorry and it’s all we’re going to get. I couldn’t help but smile though as he restricted his usage to his years in Texas. And qualified everything really by not being really precise about anything. But that’s Arod being Arod…
Hmm, sounds familiar. Manny being Manny, Arod being Arod. I read today that fans are tired of hearing about Manny. Not me. He’s the best thing that’s happened to baseball in quite a long time. If he could run the bases, there would be no God.
But geez, I wish the Knicks would win a game again. It’s been a while and D’Antoni actually made a mistake to lose that last one, the one before Jamal Crawford lit them up for Golden State.
That’s all for me today. I’m nursing an urge to accomplish something on this beautiful Spring day in February.
Abreu, by the way, batted .296 for the Yanks last year with 20 dingers and 100 rbi’s along with 100 runs scored. Sure, he’s a little afraid of the wall in right field, but maybe that’s why he’s scheduled to play left. Any way you look at it, this is a solid pickup for the Angels.
It’ll probably rank right up there with the Tigers signing of Pudge Rodriguez a couple of years ago.
I’m giving the Mets a pass on this missed opportunity as they do have quite a few left-handed batters already. They need a solid right-handed bat. That is, if they need another bat at all. All that pitching makes hitting almost extraneous.
Bret Favre is retiring again. What can you say? I certainly hope it’s true. The Jets, meanwhile, from Woody and Tannenbaum, have released quotables expounding on his excellent play and his humanity. Gimme a friggin break. They’re also committed to not raising ticket prices, a good thing, of course, but you’ll still have to come up with the dough for the seat license.
So, if Favre plays out this situation according to form, he’ll retire and then un-retire about every other day for a few months before signing on with some totally unexpected team. Or, who knows, he may even wind up with the Jets again, who are genuflecting themselves right into the ground.
And Miguel Tejada is scheduled to apologize today. Another non-surprising surprise is just what baseball needs right now. Let’s just pull in everybody the public has suspected anyway and get them to say “sorry”. What could be less painful than that?
Arod’s “sorry” was pretty sorry, by the way. He was young, he was very stupid, he had just made a lot of money, he felt tremendous pressure to perform, yada yada ya….sounded a lot like my fraternity brothers apologizing for unspeakable atrocities committed at open houses by saying, “Well, I was drunk”.
But that’s okay. Sorry is better than not being sorry and it’s all we’re going to get. I couldn’t help but smile though as he restricted his usage to his years in Texas. And qualified everything really by not being really precise about anything. But that’s Arod being Arod…
Hmm, sounds familiar. Manny being Manny, Arod being Arod. I read today that fans are tired of hearing about Manny. Not me. He’s the best thing that’s happened to baseball in quite a long time. If he could run the bases, there would be no God.
But geez, I wish the Knicks would win a game again. It’s been a while and D’Antoni actually made a mistake to lose that last one, the one before Jamal Crawford lit them up for Golden State.
That’s all for me today. I’m nursing an urge to accomplish something on this beautiful Spring day in February.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Is Nothing Sacred?
Everyone wants to weigh in on the Arod situation and I’m no different, I guess, but why do I feel as if I broke into his bedroom? It just really stinks that anybody gets smeared as Arod has been for taking a drug test that was supposed to be anonymous. That really bothers me. And I’m a Yankee-hater most of the time.
Major League Baseball botched the steroids situation from the very start. If anybody pays for their mistakes, it should be MLB. If any individual needs to be vilified, look to Bud Selig. Look to the Players Union too and its leadership. Their strategies, if they could be called that in their inanity, have failed. And now everybody will pay.
The Yankees will pay the most. As a Mets fan, and often-times Yankee-hater, life is sweet. But I wish I knew for sure my favorite Mets were clean. I don’t.
A couple of things make Arod’s situation unique. For one, it seems as if steroids didn’t really help him that much, as opposed to Bonds and Clemens and Sosa, for example. His performance may have improved as he weaned himself off them. You could say Arod botched steroids use.
A quick look at his career stats would seem to bear this out, that is, unless he also took steroids throughout the entire period from about 2003 and on. (THIS JUST IN_AROD HAS ADMITTED USE FROM 2001-2003) Just taking a look at OPS, the best measure of hitting and slugging, his numbers were as follows from 2003 through 2008: .995, .888, 1.031, .914, 1.067, and .965.
His wondrous 2007 season, in which he batted .314, with 54 homers and 156 rbi’s is suspect, of course, because we don’t really know when he stopped taking steroids. But I do know that he slimmed down a lot from 2006 to 2007. I can recall thinking Arod looked like a blown-up softball player in 2006. And his performance suffered in that year, batting only .290 with 35 homers (but he still had 121 rbi’s).
Interestingly enough, from his first full season with Seattle in 1996 through and including the year 2000, his OPS numbers were: 1.045, .846, .920, .943 and 1.026. He’s really been pretty consistent throughout his career, and it’s really difficult to isolate any drastically improved performance in a steroids year.
So what does all this mean? Baseball has been incredibly naïve AT BEST about the entire steroids question. You’d think that they’d have a greater sense of social responsibility than they have shown. (Talk about naïve, right)?
If there is a crisis for baseball, it’s one of credibility. A sport that absolutely obsesses about statistics suddenly finds itself without any meaningful ones. But, if there is a crisis for the rest of us, it’s the answer to the question “is nothing sacred”?
For it would appear that nothing is. The records aren’t sacred and our freedoms aren’t either. Confidentiality? Privacy? Forget about it. The only good advice you can impart to your children is “don’t do anything wrong, and if you do, admit nothing and don’t submit your sacred body to tests of any kind, drugs, DNA, or whatever comes next.
The U.S. Government has proven its heavy-handedness in its prosecution of Barry Bonds. Greg Anderson, Bonds’s trainer, went to jail for a year or so because he wouldn’t testify against his friend. The U.S. threatened his wife and even his mother. I still can’t believe I’m now rooting for Barry Bonds. But only to a certain extent.
I don’t think Bonds should go to jail, or even the hateful Clemens. But, for as long as they refuse to admit their cheating, for all these guys were cheaters, they should get no Hall of Fame consideration. Their records shouldn’t stand for their steroids years. Throw them out.
For those who have amitted their wrongdoing, I’d say they should go on as before, and if their non-steroid years stats should prove Hall-worthy, so be it. Translation: guys like McGuire, Bonds, Sosa and Clemens should just forget the Hall. But if Arod should just come clean about his involvement, let’s just subtract the wonder years and consider the remaining statistics.
I don’t think that’s so difficult. Hall voters can figure that out. They’ll vote their consciences. And it’s hard to have a clear conscience about someone who just continues to deny when all indications are otherwise.
Giambi and Pettite admitted their usage and life goes on for them. It’s somewhat disturbing that none of the true superstars have tried to come clean. But, if they did, they should get a break.
As a Mets fan, I must admit nothing makes me happier than to think the Yankees made a very stupid 300 million dollar investment. And they can listen to the jeering Arod will take for a decade. Cool.
But, then again, what if some of the other hundred or so names are some of my beloved Mets? It makes you think.
But what I think more than anything is that this country is beginning to stink out loud. Bush did a lot to kill our reputation. The Bonds perjury hearing is in a way quite like the Abu Ghraib torturing of prisoners. It’s heavy-handed and absolutely unnecessary.
Call off the Bonds hearings. He’s finished anyway. He was always a mean guy and that’s the way he’ll be remembered.
Hall of Fame? I don’t think it matters much to most people, except as a curiosity, another interesting factoid in sports, that, let’s face it, is in itself just a curiosity. Who are the best players in the land and what’s the best team of players in the land?
Which player called safe says, “but no, I was really out.” Every competitor, at least the rabid ones, will seek out every advantage. If steroid usage weren’t dangerous, I’d say to just forget about it. But it is dangerous.
But not as dangerous as are invasions of privacy and violations of ethics. Clean up baseball but clean up our government as well.
Major League Baseball botched the steroids situation from the very start. If anybody pays for their mistakes, it should be MLB. If any individual needs to be vilified, look to Bud Selig. Look to the Players Union too and its leadership. Their strategies, if they could be called that in their inanity, have failed. And now everybody will pay.
The Yankees will pay the most. As a Mets fan, and often-times Yankee-hater, life is sweet. But I wish I knew for sure my favorite Mets were clean. I don’t.
A couple of things make Arod’s situation unique. For one, it seems as if steroids didn’t really help him that much, as opposed to Bonds and Clemens and Sosa, for example. His performance may have improved as he weaned himself off them. You could say Arod botched steroids use.
A quick look at his career stats would seem to bear this out, that is, unless he also took steroids throughout the entire period from about 2003 and on. (THIS JUST IN_AROD HAS ADMITTED USE FROM 2001-2003) Just taking a look at OPS, the best measure of hitting and slugging, his numbers were as follows from 2003 through 2008: .995, .888, 1.031, .914, 1.067, and .965.
His wondrous 2007 season, in which he batted .314, with 54 homers and 156 rbi’s is suspect, of course, because we don’t really know when he stopped taking steroids. But I do know that he slimmed down a lot from 2006 to 2007. I can recall thinking Arod looked like a blown-up softball player in 2006. And his performance suffered in that year, batting only .290 with 35 homers (but he still had 121 rbi’s).
Interestingly enough, from his first full season with Seattle in 1996 through and including the year 2000, his OPS numbers were: 1.045, .846, .920, .943 and 1.026. He’s really been pretty consistent throughout his career, and it’s really difficult to isolate any drastically improved performance in a steroids year.
So what does all this mean? Baseball has been incredibly naïve AT BEST about the entire steroids question. You’d think that they’d have a greater sense of social responsibility than they have shown. (Talk about naïve, right)?
If there is a crisis for baseball, it’s one of credibility. A sport that absolutely obsesses about statistics suddenly finds itself without any meaningful ones. But, if there is a crisis for the rest of us, it’s the answer to the question “is nothing sacred”?
For it would appear that nothing is. The records aren’t sacred and our freedoms aren’t either. Confidentiality? Privacy? Forget about it. The only good advice you can impart to your children is “don’t do anything wrong, and if you do, admit nothing and don’t submit your sacred body to tests of any kind, drugs, DNA, or whatever comes next.
The U.S. Government has proven its heavy-handedness in its prosecution of Barry Bonds. Greg Anderson, Bonds’s trainer, went to jail for a year or so because he wouldn’t testify against his friend. The U.S. threatened his wife and even his mother. I still can’t believe I’m now rooting for Barry Bonds. But only to a certain extent.
I don’t think Bonds should go to jail, or even the hateful Clemens. But, for as long as they refuse to admit their cheating, for all these guys were cheaters, they should get no Hall of Fame consideration. Their records shouldn’t stand for their steroids years. Throw them out.
For those who have amitted their wrongdoing, I’d say they should go on as before, and if their non-steroid years stats should prove Hall-worthy, so be it. Translation: guys like McGuire, Bonds, Sosa and Clemens should just forget the Hall. But if Arod should just come clean about his involvement, let’s just subtract the wonder years and consider the remaining statistics.
I don’t think that’s so difficult. Hall voters can figure that out. They’ll vote their consciences. And it’s hard to have a clear conscience about someone who just continues to deny when all indications are otherwise.
Giambi and Pettite admitted their usage and life goes on for them. It’s somewhat disturbing that none of the true superstars have tried to come clean. But, if they did, they should get a break.
As a Mets fan, I must admit nothing makes me happier than to think the Yankees made a very stupid 300 million dollar investment. And they can listen to the jeering Arod will take for a decade. Cool.
But, then again, what if some of the other hundred or so names are some of my beloved Mets? It makes you think.
But what I think more than anything is that this country is beginning to stink out loud. Bush did a lot to kill our reputation. The Bonds perjury hearing is in a way quite like the Abu Ghraib torturing of prisoners. It’s heavy-handed and absolutely unnecessary.
Call off the Bonds hearings. He’s finished anyway. He was always a mean guy and that’s the way he’ll be remembered.
Hall of Fame? I don’t think it matters much to most people, except as a curiosity, another interesting factoid in sports, that, let’s face it, is in itself just a curiosity. Who are the best players in the land and what’s the best team of players in the land?
Which player called safe says, “but no, I was really out.” Every competitor, at least the rabid ones, will seek out every advantage. If steroid usage weren’t dangerous, I’d say to just forget about it. But it is dangerous.
But not as dangerous as are invasions of privacy and violations of ethics. Clean up baseball but clean up our government as well.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Around the New York Sports World
So what’s new in the sports world?
The Knicks come immediately to mind, they’ve been trying to stay with the Lakers and Cavs of the world and now the Celtics…bad luck…and the Celtics just lost to the Lakers by a point in overtime…they won’t be thrilled with that. The Knicks are in trouble.
But just in the short term. Some of these new guys can really shoot, it seems. Gallinari and Harrington and Chandler and even Lee….I think they’re in 10th place in the East now…and I’m beginning to think they have a chance. If Harrington starts to pick up some assists in his game, things might be better….
It seems the good teams, the best teams, always have their share of assists. The bad teams never have good assists numbers. Fantasy players, take note.
Speaking of assists, Kevin Garnett was out of the Celtics lineup and Paul Pierce was trying to do everything….and made a pretty nice job of it…that Allen and Pierce and Garnett trio might be the best thing in pro hoops right now…I know most folks like Kobe and LeBron but geez…how much can you take of them? The NBA needs to realize there’s more to the league than just Kobe and LeBron. There are some great stories around the league besides just LeBron and Kobe.
Hey! The Pro Bowl’s coming up….heh-heh….
Yeah, football’s over…which is a good thing because I’m ready for baseball. Not just the Mets, my team, but the Yankees too. And I do hate them and always will….they buy everything…shotgun approach…throw enough brown stuff on the wall and sumthin’s gotta stick…..
I mean, really, they pick up Sabathia and Burnett and Teixeira, re-sign Pettite, and are now supposed to be shopping Nady because they have their new addition Swisher. Just like the Yankees to be so disorganized. Swisher was insurance at first base, I guess. And then they picked up Teixeira…..
So their lineup will be pretty awesome. I wouldn’t be thrilled with a couple of things myself though, if I were them. To me, there’s no real leadoff hitter on that roster. Damon’s getting a little long in the tooth, I think. And he does seem to be injured quite a bit. They’ve picked up guys with speed in the past and sat them on the bench.
So, let’s see, Damon, Jeter, Teixeira, Arod, Matsui (as a DH), Nady, Posada, Cano and Cabrera/Swisher, not a bad lineup at all and chock full of lefty-righty combinations. And it just struck me that Swisher could play center but Nady never could….of course, then there’s Andruw Jones…but he wasn’t interested in the Yankees….haha…gotta love an old National Leaguer.
Damon had 29 stolen bases in ’08 but was caught 8 times. He played in 143 games, more than I would have guessed. Maybe he is a real leadoff hitter….at least he’s easy to talk to….
And, speaking of talking, Joe Torre sure seems to have said more than was absolutely necessary…I love hearing from indignant Yankees fans that he broke the clubhouse code….
The Mets I have talked about enough…but have I mentioned that Wright and Reyes are both first-rounders in most fantasy leagues…that says something good…but Beltran will only be a second or third-rounder….fielding doesn’t count in 99% of fantasy leagues.
The U.S. Government is showing its stupidity once again in court, trying lamely to introduce into evidence things they knew never had a shot….but it did make all the newspapers, didn’t it……hmmmm.
I’m thinking now that Bonds will walk. He admitted to using “the clear” and “the cream” and the U.S. can’t prove differently. You have to admire Anderson, his druggie trainer, who decided jail was better than testifying against his friend, or client, whatever….could make a good TV movie……
I just heard the Jets might be showing interest in Ray Lewis! He’d have to be better than Favre, wouldn’t he? It’s hard to judge a Jets defense when a QB turns the ball over so much…and I hope Pennington lights it up again next year too….M-A-R-S-H-A-L-L ..
The Giants are quiet except for losing Spagnuolo and making some noises toward bringing Plaxico back…can’t say I’d be sorry to see it….(if I’m feeling some sympathy for a guy like Bonds, you know I feel sorry for a guy who catches the winning TD against the hated Patriots in the Super Bowl and then shoots himself in the leg…..too bad it wasn’t the foot…’cause he really “shot himself in the foot”, as it were….
And I won’t have Herman Edwards to kick around anymore….that’s sad in itself…I just heard that Larry Johnson wants to leave…..don’t think the Chiefs will be crying too much about that one…..but I will miss those ridiculous play calls from Herm…
The Nets are making the best of things….getting more than their share of injuries..now Najera and Yi out but Carter and Harris have been playing hurt…and why aren’t they playing at the Prudential Center? I have no idea but I wouldn’t miss the parking fees…
It should be interesting to see who’ll wind up higher in the standings, the Knicks or the Nets. The Knicks just took a hit with their losses to the Cavs and Lakers but are still just two games behind the Nets in the win column….
And Seton Hall beat St. John’s…their second win in the Big East…of course it’s probably too much to expect 60% shooting from 3-point land most nights…Jeremy Hazell sure is lighting it up though….
Rutgers hasn’t shown much at all but it’s really a tough conference….that’s as nice as I can put it…
And somebody besides the Dodgers has expressed interest in Manny, if you can believe the news reports (or that agent of his)….only when his lips are moving….
That’s it for me this Friday. I should just go skiing. Of course, there’s the 4-hour drive, the lift ticket(s), the hotel…the drinks…the tolls, the gas….maybe I’ll just take a nice long walk. Healthy stuff.
The Knicks come immediately to mind, they’ve been trying to stay with the Lakers and Cavs of the world and now the Celtics…bad luck…and the Celtics just lost to the Lakers by a point in overtime…they won’t be thrilled with that. The Knicks are in trouble.
But just in the short term. Some of these new guys can really shoot, it seems. Gallinari and Harrington and Chandler and even Lee….I think they’re in 10th place in the East now…and I’m beginning to think they have a chance. If Harrington starts to pick up some assists in his game, things might be better….
It seems the good teams, the best teams, always have their share of assists. The bad teams never have good assists numbers. Fantasy players, take note.
Speaking of assists, Kevin Garnett was out of the Celtics lineup and Paul Pierce was trying to do everything….and made a pretty nice job of it…that Allen and Pierce and Garnett trio might be the best thing in pro hoops right now…I know most folks like Kobe and LeBron but geez…how much can you take of them? The NBA needs to realize there’s more to the league than just Kobe and LeBron. There are some great stories around the league besides just LeBron and Kobe.
Hey! The Pro Bowl’s coming up….heh-heh….
Yeah, football’s over…which is a good thing because I’m ready for baseball. Not just the Mets, my team, but the Yankees too. And I do hate them and always will….they buy everything…shotgun approach…throw enough brown stuff on the wall and sumthin’s gotta stick…..
I mean, really, they pick up Sabathia and Burnett and Teixeira, re-sign Pettite, and are now supposed to be shopping Nady because they have their new addition Swisher. Just like the Yankees to be so disorganized. Swisher was insurance at first base, I guess. And then they picked up Teixeira…..
So their lineup will be pretty awesome. I wouldn’t be thrilled with a couple of things myself though, if I were them. To me, there’s no real leadoff hitter on that roster. Damon’s getting a little long in the tooth, I think. And he does seem to be injured quite a bit. They’ve picked up guys with speed in the past and sat them on the bench.
So, let’s see, Damon, Jeter, Teixeira, Arod, Matsui (as a DH), Nady, Posada, Cano and Cabrera/Swisher, not a bad lineup at all and chock full of lefty-righty combinations. And it just struck me that Swisher could play center but Nady never could….of course, then there’s Andruw Jones…but he wasn’t interested in the Yankees….haha…gotta love an old National Leaguer.
Damon had 29 stolen bases in ’08 but was caught 8 times. He played in 143 games, more than I would have guessed. Maybe he is a real leadoff hitter….at least he’s easy to talk to….
And, speaking of talking, Joe Torre sure seems to have said more than was absolutely necessary…I love hearing from indignant Yankees fans that he broke the clubhouse code….
The Mets I have talked about enough…but have I mentioned that Wright and Reyes are both first-rounders in most fantasy leagues…that says something good…but Beltran will only be a second or third-rounder….fielding doesn’t count in 99% of fantasy leagues.
The U.S. Government is showing its stupidity once again in court, trying lamely to introduce into evidence things they knew never had a shot….but it did make all the newspapers, didn’t it……hmmmm.
I’m thinking now that Bonds will walk. He admitted to using “the clear” and “the cream” and the U.S. can’t prove differently. You have to admire Anderson, his druggie trainer, who decided jail was better than testifying against his friend, or client, whatever….could make a good TV movie……
I just heard the Jets might be showing interest in Ray Lewis! He’d have to be better than Favre, wouldn’t he? It’s hard to judge a Jets defense when a QB turns the ball over so much…and I hope Pennington lights it up again next year too….M-A-R-S-H-A-L-L ..
The Giants are quiet except for losing Spagnuolo and making some noises toward bringing Plaxico back…can’t say I’d be sorry to see it….(if I’m feeling some sympathy for a guy like Bonds, you know I feel sorry for a guy who catches the winning TD against the hated Patriots in the Super Bowl and then shoots himself in the leg…..too bad it wasn’t the foot…’cause he really “shot himself in the foot”, as it were….
And I won’t have Herman Edwards to kick around anymore….that’s sad in itself…I just heard that Larry Johnson wants to leave…..don’t think the Chiefs will be crying too much about that one…..but I will miss those ridiculous play calls from Herm…
The Nets are making the best of things….getting more than their share of injuries..now Najera and Yi out but Carter and Harris have been playing hurt…and why aren’t they playing at the Prudential Center? I have no idea but I wouldn’t miss the parking fees…
It should be interesting to see who’ll wind up higher in the standings, the Knicks or the Nets. The Knicks just took a hit with their losses to the Cavs and Lakers but are still just two games behind the Nets in the win column….
And Seton Hall beat St. John’s…their second win in the Big East…of course it’s probably too much to expect 60% shooting from 3-point land most nights…Jeremy Hazell sure is lighting it up though….
Rutgers hasn’t shown much at all but it’s really a tough conference….that’s as nice as I can put it…
And somebody besides the Dodgers has expressed interest in Manny, if you can believe the news reports (or that agent of his)….only when his lips are moving….
That’s it for me this Friday. I should just go skiing. Of course, there’s the 4-hour drive, the lift ticket(s), the hotel…the drinks…the tolls, the gas….maybe I’ll just take a nice long walk. Healthy stuff.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
They're All in Line for 2009
The big game is over. We can stop wondering what all those speedy world-beating Cardinals were doing in the eighteen seconds it took Harrison to traverse those hundred yards to pay dirt and no longer ponder the prevent defense that could’ve killed the Steelers in the end. We can just get out in the snow and play.
Omar Minaya sure got on with his life, and that of the Mets at the same time, by finally signing good old Ollie. That would be Oliver Perez, of course, the schizoid lefthander from, as John Madden put it while describing an Oakland lineman whose head was steaming in the cold, the University of Mars.
That moniker would certainly fit Mr. Perez. Maybe the kindest thing you could say about him is that he’s not boring. Masterful one game and horrible the next, Perez is usually at his best against the best and just as bad against the worst. He also seems to lose interest after five innings, a dangerous habit especially for a team that had such an, um…….. exciting bullpen.
But he’s a year older now and, while experience certainly doesn’t guarantee anything, that should do nothing but good for mad Ollie. It’s to be hoped that the 36 million won’t go to his head, and since nothing else seems to penetrate that skull of his, I doubt that money has one chance in hell.
So ends, I would imagine, the free agent acquisitions for the Mets this season. Yeah, Pedro is still out there as is “El Comedulce”, sweet Bobby Abreu. And who knows? If they’re allowed to keep the Citi money, maybe they’ll even swing a trade for Xavier Nady, who the Yanks may have soured on, incredible as that seems to me. Of course, if there’s a bad move to be made, Cashman will find it.
Nobody could say Minaya hasn’t been on point though. He needed relievers, he got relievers; he needed a couple of starters, he got some nice ones. There have been no flights of fancy, no 43 year old left fielders, no ancient pinch-hitters or second basemen, just good solid value so far, or so it would seem anyway.
If you’re into probability though, signing guys in their twenties beats signing a bunch of old men any day of the week. As much as I like Pedro, I hope he looks great in the World Baseball Classic and signs with Boston, or even the Dodgers where he can be reunited with Manny.
There are those who will say he should have gone after Ramirez, or he should have picked up Abreu, but I really think you need to reward your current people for jobs well done. That young platoon in left field did quite nicely in left field last year, and who says they can’t get even better?
A team needs life, and that life often comes from those unproven guys in the lineup, those hustlers, those young guns trying to prove themselves. It’s what the Yankees have lacked year after year, for the most part, unless you count the young pitchers they threw into the fire last year.
You may think that last crack is a contradiction. Why is it good to give a left fielder a chance but not a pitcher? It has to do with expectations of success, I think. I’d rather go with Murphy, who showed promise for much of last season, at a less critical position, left field, than go with a rookie at a critical position, starting pitcher, for TWO rookies who really hadn’t shown much at the major league level.
Starting two rookies at starting pitcher alarms the whole team. Starting a deserving 2nd year guy in left field is a reason for optimism. It shows that the team will reward hard work and solid play. Decidedly not what the Mets had shown when they ditched Nady for a potential relief pitcher who never panned out. (That was another flight of fancy).
The Mets depth chart currently shows Murphy and Tatis in left field. It shows Nick Evans at third base. Maybe they’re expecting Wright to get tired after his World Baseball Classic. He certainly seemed to be tired in some very big spots last year.
Those are the kinds of things I’d worry about as a Mets fan, drop-offs in performance from guys who have done it in the past. I’d like to see some depth at first base, and Nick Evans is not my idea of depth at third. Delgado, Reyes, Beltran and Wright have been real workhorses for the Mets for a long time. Probability says it can’t continue. Somebody’s got to break down.
I hate to even suggest the possibility of losing any of those core guys. Who plays center like Beltran? Who can come close to providing the all-around game you usually get from Reyes or Wright? Not anybody, of course, but really, there are currently only six infielders shown on the roster, one of whom is Alex Cora at shortstop, who’s a little long in the tooth himself.
Well, it’s still early. Maybe we’ll see some new blood manning those infield positions, especially when they get into a bind. Argenis Reyes filled in nicely at second base last year. And, despite Castillo’s horrible last year, there is reason to believe he’ll recover the form he once had.
Marlon Anderson did nothing last year. That should change too, at least part of the time, as he’s an old-timer too, but he’s the Mets’ current backup for Delgado at first base. There are three catchers, Brian Schneider, Ramon Castro and Robinson Cancel, a nice threesome. Schneider is solid, Castro is a clutch hitter and seems to be the designated catcher for Santana. Cancel delivered some big hits too.
All in all, though, the Mets are all in line for 2009. The core is solid, the pitching is very good all around, but there is no depth. Depth can be had fairly easily. Omar?
Omar Minaya sure got on with his life, and that of the Mets at the same time, by finally signing good old Ollie. That would be Oliver Perez, of course, the schizoid lefthander from, as John Madden put it while describing an Oakland lineman whose head was steaming in the cold, the University of Mars.
That moniker would certainly fit Mr. Perez. Maybe the kindest thing you could say about him is that he’s not boring. Masterful one game and horrible the next, Perez is usually at his best against the best and just as bad against the worst. He also seems to lose interest after five innings, a dangerous habit especially for a team that had such an, um…….. exciting bullpen.
But he’s a year older now and, while experience certainly doesn’t guarantee anything, that should do nothing but good for mad Ollie. It’s to be hoped that the 36 million won’t go to his head, and since nothing else seems to penetrate that skull of his, I doubt that money has one chance in hell.
So ends, I would imagine, the free agent acquisitions for the Mets this season. Yeah, Pedro is still out there as is “El Comedulce”, sweet Bobby Abreu. And who knows? If they’re allowed to keep the Citi money, maybe they’ll even swing a trade for Xavier Nady, who the Yanks may have soured on, incredible as that seems to me. Of course, if there’s a bad move to be made, Cashman will find it.
Nobody could say Minaya hasn’t been on point though. He needed relievers, he got relievers; he needed a couple of starters, he got some nice ones. There have been no flights of fancy, no 43 year old left fielders, no ancient pinch-hitters or second basemen, just good solid value so far, or so it would seem anyway.
If you’re into probability though, signing guys in their twenties beats signing a bunch of old men any day of the week. As much as I like Pedro, I hope he looks great in the World Baseball Classic and signs with Boston, or even the Dodgers where he can be reunited with Manny.
There are those who will say he should have gone after Ramirez, or he should have picked up Abreu, but I really think you need to reward your current people for jobs well done. That young platoon in left field did quite nicely in left field last year, and who says they can’t get even better?
A team needs life, and that life often comes from those unproven guys in the lineup, those hustlers, those young guns trying to prove themselves. It’s what the Yankees have lacked year after year, for the most part, unless you count the young pitchers they threw into the fire last year.
You may think that last crack is a contradiction. Why is it good to give a left fielder a chance but not a pitcher? It has to do with expectations of success, I think. I’d rather go with Murphy, who showed promise for much of last season, at a less critical position, left field, than go with a rookie at a critical position, starting pitcher, for TWO rookies who really hadn’t shown much at the major league level.
Starting two rookies at starting pitcher alarms the whole team. Starting a deserving 2nd year guy in left field is a reason for optimism. It shows that the team will reward hard work and solid play. Decidedly not what the Mets had shown when they ditched Nady for a potential relief pitcher who never panned out. (That was another flight of fancy).
The Mets depth chart currently shows Murphy and Tatis in left field. It shows Nick Evans at third base. Maybe they’re expecting Wright to get tired after his World Baseball Classic. He certainly seemed to be tired in some very big spots last year.
Those are the kinds of things I’d worry about as a Mets fan, drop-offs in performance from guys who have done it in the past. I’d like to see some depth at first base, and Nick Evans is not my idea of depth at third. Delgado, Reyes, Beltran and Wright have been real workhorses for the Mets for a long time. Probability says it can’t continue. Somebody’s got to break down.
I hate to even suggest the possibility of losing any of those core guys. Who plays center like Beltran? Who can come close to providing the all-around game you usually get from Reyes or Wright? Not anybody, of course, but really, there are currently only six infielders shown on the roster, one of whom is Alex Cora at shortstop, who’s a little long in the tooth himself.
Well, it’s still early. Maybe we’ll see some new blood manning those infield positions, especially when they get into a bind. Argenis Reyes filled in nicely at second base last year. And, despite Castillo’s horrible last year, there is reason to believe he’ll recover the form he once had.
Marlon Anderson did nothing last year. That should change too, at least part of the time, as he’s an old-timer too, but he’s the Mets’ current backup for Delgado at first base. There are three catchers, Brian Schneider, Ramon Castro and Robinson Cancel, a nice threesome. Schneider is solid, Castro is a clutch hitter and seems to be the designated catcher for Santana. Cancel delivered some big hits too.
All in all, though, the Mets are all in line for 2009. The core is solid, the pitching is very good all around, but there is no depth. Depth can be had fairly easily. Omar?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Toe-Tappin' to Glory (Days)
“After all, they are the Steelers”. That’s how I ended my Super Bowl prediction column last Friday. I’d maintained that the Cardinals were a bit deficient on character as a team, that they’d quit on a few games during the season, and despite their huge talents, they’d lose in the end.
That’s the way it ended up, of course, but NOT for lack of character. The Cards effort was even throughout, and at a very high level. I’m a little ashamed to have suggested otherwise. That they lost a tough one is bad enough. They made a hell of a game of it.
The game was decided on two plays really; the interception return for 100 yards and a touchdown by James Harrison was a 14-point swing, and the Cards showed a lot of heart to come back from that at all.
In fact, it seemed to me that Harrison should have been a stronger candidate for MVP himself. He also appeared to come up with a Warner fumble recovery in the third quarter, but it was later ruled an incomplete pass. But how can you argue with the selection of Santonio Holmes and those 9 big receptions for 131 yards, including the game-winner?
The second big play was the Holmes toe-tapper, a beautifully-thrown Big Ben TD to Holmes in the corner of the endzone with just 35 ticks on the clock, with Santonio deftly tapping those feet down in bounds while fully extending to make the catch.
But Warner was awesome. Even after that last Holmes back-breaking touchdown, here came Warner again, bravely leading his charges downfield in the face of the black and gold rush. It reminded me of last year’s Giants victory over the Pats, when all Giants fans hearts beat a little faster when the ball was back in Brady’s hands, even with just 20 seconds left.
Kurt brought his team back from 10-0 and, against any other team, would have had a 14-10 lead at the half. But the Steelers were too smart, dropping their best pass rusher Harrison into coverage, thus enabling him to pick off the Warner short toss intended for Boldin. Harrison made like Earl Campbell on the return, behind a cadre of black and gold, and voila! The score became 17-7 Steelers instead.
Pittsburgh extended their lead to 20-7 after the third quarter and it looked as if they could coast the rest of the way and still win. But Kurt would have none of that. The fourth quarter was all Arizona as Warner took advantage of the Steelers two deep safeties to complete pass after pass downfield, completing eight passes in a row to five different receivers for 87 yards and a touchdown to bring the Cards within six.
The Cards defense stiffened and on Warner’s next opportunity, he drove the Cards downfield again but a Cards penalty helped stall the drive at the Pitt 36. The subsequent punt put the Steelers on their own 1-yard line. And, after a Steelers holding penalty in the end zone for a safety, the Cards were really in business.
At the 2:53 mark, Warner threw an incompletion, but then threw a beautifully-timed pass to Fitzgerald over the middle, who proceeded to race downfield, splitting those two deep safeties easily for still another touchdown and, incredibly, the Cards were up by 3 points.
That set the stage for Big Ben’s heroics. Starting from his own 12-yard line because of still another Pittsburgh holding penalty, Roethlisberger found Holmes time after time for big yardage, 14, then 13, then 40 and 6 on his perfect strike to Santonio in the corner with just 35 seconds on the clock.
If Warner was awesome, and he was, I don’t know what to call Roethlisberger. Does he make any throws from the pocket? Isn’t anyone ever open on his first look down the field? It seemed as if every big throw came only after a lot of running and ducking and dodging and pumping.
But Big Ben had been doing it all night; he looked like the greased chicken from “Rocky” only much much bigger. Not only did he use the scramble but he also used the pump fake more than a few times, especially before that 40-yard strike to Holmes to get to the six-yard line.
He did get time on that last throw, though, just standing tall in the pocket and throwing a dart to the corner of the end zone behind three Cards secondary men for the game-winner, as the handful of Cards fans present spent the rest of the evening trying to peer through yellow towels.
It was a great Super Bowl though, one of the best ever…..maybe not on a par with the Giants victory over the Pats last year for sheer suspense, but it had more big plays for sure, and, dare I say it, arguably better players.
For the Steelers, there was Big Ben and Hines Ward, Holmes and Willie Parker and for the defense, Harrison and Polamalu, Farrior and Woodley. The Cards trotted out Warner and Fitzgerald, Boldin and Edgerrin James, and on defense some newer stars such as Dockett and Wilson, Rolle and Rodgers-Cromartie.
It had better announcers too, John Madden and Al Michaels easily surpasing Joe Buck and Troy Aikman and, oh yeah, better music too, although the Boss may have lost his voice somewhere along the way. The pre-game was better than last year’s too, with Costas and Chris Collinsworth, Mike Holmgren and Tony Dungy.
The Boss made Tom Petty look a little tame, and, come to think of it, did a lot of scrambling and arm pumping himself. Bruce exhorted the audience through “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”, then “Born to Run” with the big man Clarence and his sax, then “Workin’ On A Dream” before segue-ing nicely into “Glory Days” with Stevie Van Zandt.
Yeah, the Boss was great, but his toe-tappin’ had nothin’ on Santonio’s. We’ll be seeing those feet for another twenty years or so.
.
That’s the way it ended up, of course, but NOT for lack of character. The Cards effort was even throughout, and at a very high level. I’m a little ashamed to have suggested otherwise. That they lost a tough one is bad enough. They made a hell of a game of it.
The game was decided on two plays really; the interception return for 100 yards and a touchdown by James Harrison was a 14-point swing, and the Cards showed a lot of heart to come back from that at all.
In fact, it seemed to me that Harrison should have been a stronger candidate for MVP himself. He also appeared to come up with a Warner fumble recovery in the third quarter, but it was later ruled an incomplete pass. But how can you argue with the selection of Santonio Holmes and those 9 big receptions for 131 yards, including the game-winner?
The second big play was the Holmes toe-tapper, a beautifully-thrown Big Ben TD to Holmes in the corner of the endzone with just 35 ticks on the clock, with Santonio deftly tapping those feet down in bounds while fully extending to make the catch.
But Warner was awesome. Even after that last Holmes back-breaking touchdown, here came Warner again, bravely leading his charges downfield in the face of the black and gold rush. It reminded me of last year’s Giants victory over the Pats, when all Giants fans hearts beat a little faster when the ball was back in Brady’s hands, even with just 20 seconds left.
Kurt brought his team back from 10-0 and, against any other team, would have had a 14-10 lead at the half. But the Steelers were too smart, dropping their best pass rusher Harrison into coverage, thus enabling him to pick off the Warner short toss intended for Boldin. Harrison made like Earl Campbell on the return, behind a cadre of black and gold, and voila! The score became 17-7 Steelers instead.
Pittsburgh extended their lead to 20-7 after the third quarter and it looked as if they could coast the rest of the way and still win. But Kurt would have none of that. The fourth quarter was all Arizona as Warner took advantage of the Steelers two deep safeties to complete pass after pass downfield, completing eight passes in a row to five different receivers for 87 yards and a touchdown to bring the Cards within six.
The Cards defense stiffened and on Warner’s next opportunity, he drove the Cards downfield again but a Cards penalty helped stall the drive at the Pitt 36. The subsequent punt put the Steelers on their own 1-yard line. And, after a Steelers holding penalty in the end zone for a safety, the Cards were really in business.
At the 2:53 mark, Warner threw an incompletion, but then threw a beautifully-timed pass to Fitzgerald over the middle, who proceeded to race downfield, splitting those two deep safeties easily for still another touchdown and, incredibly, the Cards were up by 3 points.
That set the stage for Big Ben’s heroics. Starting from his own 12-yard line because of still another Pittsburgh holding penalty, Roethlisberger found Holmes time after time for big yardage, 14, then 13, then 40 and 6 on his perfect strike to Santonio in the corner with just 35 seconds on the clock.
If Warner was awesome, and he was, I don’t know what to call Roethlisberger. Does he make any throws from the pocket? Isn’t anyone ever open on his first look down the field? It seemed as if every big throw came only after a lot of running and ducking and dodging and pumping.
But Big Ben had been doing it all night; he looked like the greased chicken from “Rocky” only much much bigger. Not only did he use the scramble but he also used the pump fake more than a few times, especially before that 40-yard strike to Holmes to get to the six-yard line.
He did get time on that last throw, though, just standing tall in the pocket and throwing a dart to the corner of the end zone behind three Cards secondary men for the game-winner, as the handful of Cards fans present spent the rest of the evening trying to peer through yellow towels.
It was a great Super Bowl though, one of the best ever…..maybe not on a par with the Giants victory over the Pats last year for sheer suspense, but it had more big plays for sure, and, dare I say it, arguably better players.
For the Steelers, there was Big Ben and Hines Ward, Holmes and Willie Parker and for the defense, Harrison and Polamalu, Farrior and Woodley. The Cards trotted out Warner and Fitzgerald, Boldin and Edgerrin James, and on defense some newer stars such as Dockett and Wilson, Rolle and Rodgers-Cromartie.
It had better announcers too, John Madden and Al Michaels easily surpasing Joe Buck and Troy Aikman and, oh yeah, better music too, although the Boss may have lost his voice somewhere along the way. The pre-game was better than last year’s too, with Costas and Chris Collinsworth, Mike Holmgren and Tony Dungy.
The Boss made Tom Petty look a little tame, and, come to think of it, did a lot of scrambling and arm pumping himself. Bruce exhorted the audience through “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”, then “Born to Run” with the big man Clarence and his sax, then “Workin’ On A Dream” before segue-ing nicely into “Glory Days” with Stevie Van Zandt.
Yeah, the Boss was great, but his toe-tappin’ had nothin’ on Santonio’s. We’ll be seeing those feet for another twenty years or so.
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