April 28, 2009

The Phil Phranchise Era - Part III

CC Sabathia pitched his first complete game for the Yanks last night but it wasn't enough. Justin Verlander was just plain nasty and the Yanks couldn't touch him. Two runs in the ninth against the Tigers closer wasn't enough as the Yanks lost 4-2.

The Yanks have now lost 4 straight and are back under .500. But I liked what I saw from CC last night. He didn't walk anyone and struck out 7, while going the distance. He was pitching okay thru 3 but wasn't really dominant. Then it seemed to click for him in the bottom of the 4th when he struck out Ordonez, Cabrera & Guillen - the heart of the Tigers' order. That was a glimpse of the CC we paid 160 Million for. He got into trouble in the 6th but even then he really didn't pitch that bad. The pitch Ordonez homered on was outside but Ordonez is so strong...he was able to muscle it just over the wall in right. Actually, it hit the top of the wall but it counts either way. If we can get this kind of performance from CC every time out, he will definitely earn his money.

The other positive was that Robinson Cano had 2 more hits and and hit the ball hard 1 other time. On this date last year he was hitting .153/.217/.214 with 1 HR and 5 RBI. This year he is at .380/.419/.633 with 5 HR & 15 RBI. He is the Yankees MVP for the month of April. Hope he continues to hit well all year.

Tonight, Phil Hughes will start for the Yankees. The plan was to leave Phil in AAA for most of the year to build up his innings and polish his stuff. But, due to the injury (read: ineptitude) of Chien Ming Wang, Phil has been summoned to take his spot in the rotation. Phil has pitched well in AAA so far this year. He has been working on a cutter & a change since we last saw him in the big leagues. Hopefully, he will pitch well and stay up here with the big club. But if Wang can get his confidence & effectiveness back, the Yanks will probably send Hughes back down for more seasoning in the minors.

It will, however, be interesting if Hughes dazzles. Let's say he has 3 starts with numbers like this: 18 innings, 14 hits, 6 ER, 6 BB, 16 SO. What do you do? Wang has to go back in the rotation. He can't be sent to the minors and he serves no purpose out of the bullpen. And what if Joba falters in his next 2 or 3 starts? The "Joba to the bullpen" people are already growing restless. They will outright riot if Joba struggles, Hughes pitches well and the bullpen continues to under perform.

On a side note, Ramiro Pena played an excellent 3rd base last night. That was to be expected since he is known for having a great glove. But he also chipped in with 2 hits. That's all I need to see. He should be the every day 3rd baseman until ARod comes back. And even then, he should stay as the utility infielder. I look forward to Angel Berroa's release once ARod returns.

April 27, 2009

BEATDOWN IN BEANTOWN

The Yankees were spanked up real good in Boston over the weekend. They got swept by a hot Red Sox team that has now won 10 in a row after starting the season 2-6. The Sox beat the Yanks in just about every possible way.

On Friday the Sox got to Mariano Rivera in the ninth to tie the game and then won it later on a home run from Youk off Damaso "Farnsworth" Marte.

On Saturday, AJ "Jekyll & Hyde" Burnett gave up a 6 run lead. And even though the Yanks battled back several times to regain the lead, the bullpen just would not allow the Yanks to win this game.

I mean, seriously, when the Yanks took an 11-10 lead in the 8th inning with Damaso Marte warming up in the bullpen for the Yanks, I wrote a comment in Peter Abraham's LoHud blog that the Yanks would need to put up at least 6 in the inning to avoid the bullpen giving it back. What happened? Yanks lose by 5. That's how much confidence I have when Marte takes the mound.

Marte didn't give up all the runs but he is like the character Eddie Mush from the movie "A Bronx Tale". Mush was the type of guy who, "if he didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have no luck at all." In one scene in the movie all the mobsters are at the race track betting on a particular horse. When they see that Mush has bet on the same horse they all tear up their tickets because they know, even though their horse was currently in the lead, they can't win if Mush bet on him too. That's how I feel about Marte. Even if he pitches well (which happens just about as often as Rush Limbaugh compliments Obama), just the fact that he participated in the game, the Yanks are cursed to lose.

On Sunday, the Yanks got their first well pitched game of the series by Andy Pettitte but poor defense, lack of timely hitting, a Big Papi sighting, and a friggin' straight steal of home did them in.

To add injury to insult, the Yanks put Chien Ming Wang, Cody Ransom & Brian Bruney on the disabled list. Now Wang & Ransom going on the DL is actually a blessing in disguise, considering the way they've played. But Bruney was one of the few bright spots in the bullpen. And he was THE ONLY reliable link to Mariano. So that hurts.

The Yanks should have won 2 of 3 but instead will leave Boston with their tails between their legs. Despite all that the Yanks have been thru, they currently sit at .500. But it seems that the Yanks should be something like 6-12 right now due to all the blowouts and heartbreaking losses they've endured.

Hopefully, the starting pitching can get on track, which will by itself help to improve a worn-out bullpen. CC goes today. It might be a good time for him to start pitching like a 160 million dollar pitcher. And Phil Hughes will start on Tuesday against Detroit, replacing Wang in the rotation. If he can just go 5 innings and give up 5 runs or less it will be a HUGE improvement over what Wang was giving us.

Plus, I predict ARod will be back by the end of next week. I hope, I hope, I hope.

Fare thee well Boston,...until we meet again!

April 17, 2009

New Stadiums Come With A Trade-Off

I read an article today by Tom Verducci about how the New Yankee Stadium may not equal the previous one in terms of fan noise. This of course, he suggests, figures to take away a certain advantage that the Yankees had. His is not the only take I've heard on this issue in the last several weeks. The same things have been written about the Met's Citifield.

But is it really an issue?

I was living in Baltimore when Oriole Park at Camden Yards was built. Memorial Stadium was a dump. And Camden Yards is a jewel of a ballpark. But it may surprise some to know the same things were said of it back then, that are being said about the Yanks' & Mets' new digs today.

"Too many corporate guys with suits."

"The new ballpark has priced out the real fans."

"The noise level can't compare to Memorial Stadium"

Maybe these issues were a surprise to the Orioles' organization at the time but do you think they have, for one second, regretted building Camden Yards? Of course not.

Now, do you think the Yankees were unaware that moving the fans back from the field in a bowl shape instead of straight up would reduce the noise level?

Do you think they might have considered that pricing some seats as high as $2500 would alienate a portion of their fan base?

Would it have occured to the Yankee brass that the type of fans who can pay top price for a seat in the new stadium aren't the kind of people who are going to get drunk on beer and heckle opposing players all game?

Perhaps they balanced those negatives with how much extra money they'd make with luxury boxes and corporate sponsorship.

That's why teams build new ballbarks. It increases revenue streams. In theory, by doing so you are able to use that extra income to put a better team on the field.

The Yankees have not won 26 championships in baseball because they've acheived some sort of advantage over other teams due to loud, intimidating fans. They've done it by putting a winning team on the field more often than not. If they continue to do that, I think they'll be alright...even in the New Yankee Stadium.

Bullpen Spoils New Yankee Stadium Debut

Damaso Marte & Jose Veras blew another one for us.

Veras, I have accepted is streaky. He'll be lights out for weeks but then he'll have periods of poor control that lead to him getting rocked. I'll live with him, but you have to monitor him closely when he's in one of his unreliable periods.

Marte, on the other hand has been consistenly bad for the Yanks since they got him. Girardi & Cashman want to believe otherwise, due to his body of work in Pittsburgh. But this is New York. I don't care what you did other places. You have to get it done here. Last year he was used as a lefty specialist. He failed. He was used as a set up guy. He failed. He's been used as a mop up guy. He failed.

At this point Marte should be used as a lefty specialist only, pitching to 1 hitter at a time. If he can handle that for the next couple months, then, maybe his role can be expanded. God, I hate the fact the Yanks gave him a 3 year contract!!!

The Cody Ransom Experiment should be shut down, NOW. It's obvious his bat is non-existent but if we can't even get steady defense from him, he ain't worth a Zimbabwe Dollar. He was probably looking at this chance as his last shot at the major leagues since he's 33. When he started off poorly, he obviously started pressing and things just snowballed. Time to move on and get a major league quality body at 3B until ARod returns.

CC Sabathia didn't look too good yesterday. Too many pitches led to him leaving after 5 and turning the game over to a shaky bullpen. But at least he was able to battle in this one and keep us in the game unlike his first start in Baltimore. Maybe he was too jacked up yesterday due to it being the first game in the new stadium and pitching against his former team. Hopefully, he'll bounce back in his next start.

David Robertson pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game. Robertson was called up due to the Nady injury and had been lights out at Scranton. The Yanks should not hesitate to swap out guys in the bullpen. We have too much depth in the minors to continuously send guys out there who aren't doing the job. Marte & Veras, this means you.

Cano continued his hot bat yesterday with 3 more hits plus a walk. Keep it up, Robbie.

April 16, 2009

Why the Increase in Blacks in MLB?

ESPN reported yesterday that the percentage of black ballplayers in MLB increased to 10.2% in 2008. The percentage had not been that high since 1995.

Hmmmm. I wonder why. Here's my take:

The mid 90's saw the beginning of The Steroid Era in baseball. Fred McGriff led the NL in HR's in 1992 with 35. By 1998 that would have been good for 10th in the NL...35 HR's behind the leader, Mark McGwire. I could go on and on but everyone knows the guys were juicing and HR's became more prevalent in the game.

Steroids made big, strong guys who could hit the ball a country mile the ideal ballplayer. The glorified 5 tool player - hit, hit for power, run, throw, field - was not necessary anymore. All you needed was the 2 tool player - hit & hit for power.

Also desirable during the Steroid Era was the ability to draw a lot of walks (Moneyball) because that meant more men on base when somebody came along and hit that homer. Didn't matter that you couldn't run because you'd be trotting, not running, around the bases anyway. In the Steroid Era run, throw, field just weren't important anymore. (Notice how Barry Bonds was comfortable bulking up to the point that he could barely run or play the outfield. He knew his speed and fielding ability just wasn't in high demand anymore.)

All fine and good, you may say, but what does this have to do with a decrease in the percentage of black ballplayers during the Steroid Era? Stay with me now...

It's an established fact that some of the better athletes in the USA are black. But with the speed game all but gone in baseball and teams not valuing fielding that much, there wasn't as much value in youngsters who were athletically talented but in terms of baseball skills...raw. (Austin Jackson, top Yankee prospect, is an example of this type of player. He's always been a very good athlete but just starting to become a very good baseball player. )

Most blacks grow up playing multiple sports. They are less likely to have developed a "trained eye" for the strike zone in high school. (Foreign-born Hispanic ballplayers are known for being free swingers, too, but are enormously cheaper to sign than Americans and thus, more desirable.) Scouts were mainly looking for guys with high OBP who could bulk up and be HR hitters. The black kids were pulled to other sports who appreciated their all around athletic abilities, i.e. football & basketball.

Now with drug testing in MLB, teams have for the last couple years started to again try to build around speed & fielding ability to make up for the decrease in power. Guys like BJ Upton, Curtis Granderson & Cameron Maybin are in. Guys like Jason Giambi, Pat Burrell & Adam Dunn are out. Don't get me wrong. There is a place in baseball for all types of players. That's what makes the game so great. But now you just want one Pat Burrell type in your line-up, not 5.

Not sure if the percentage of African Americans in MLB will continue to rise, but I hope it does. It's good for the game.

MLB Network Good, Not Great

I have to admit the new MLB Network is my favorite channel. I love baseball so a channel devoted to it is heaven. I actually watch it more than ESPN now, which I never thought could happen.

I love watching the old baseball games from the 60's, 70's & 80's (The Golden Age) and seeing Ken Burns "Baseball" series on Sunday nights is a nice touch (Although it coincides with ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball...Thank goodness for DVR). The live look-in's each night during the week are good too, as well as the extensive coverage of the World Baseball Classic.

There is one problem with MLB though. The guys in the studio just aren't that good. I know they're mostly former players but, to be honest, most of them suck as analysts. Too many of them are from the John Kruk School of Analysis: "Say something funny and nobody will notice that you don't know what the hell you're talking about."

With John Kruk, of ESPN, his shenanigans are acceptable because he's surrounded by Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, Jayson Stark and Tim Kurkjian. So, if Kruk says something outrageous, those guys are there to counter-balance it with actual research & reporting.

But then, maybe MLB is trying to emulate Fox Sports as opposed to ESPN. "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Fox is as much about gossip, music, Hollywood, and pop culture as it is about sports. I never watch it for that reason. But I'm sure it has it's share of viewers. The only problem is baseball in this country is not as popular with the mainstream as football and basketball is. The kind of people who will watch the MLB Network are people like me...baseball fanatics. We're sports nerds who spend our time writing blogs and looking up stats all day. We don't want comedy relief, we want facts, or at least, well thought out opinions.

For example, yesterday, the question was asked in the MLB studio why Jeter was back to hitting lead-off after hitting second the last couple games. Mitch Williams says it's because Jeter is a better 2 hole hitter. But then, a graphic is shown that says Jeter, in his career hits .315 leading off and .316 batting second. Instead of Williams just shutting up, he then says it's because Girardi is still testing things out and doesn't know what he wants to do yet. The actual reason was that Johnny Damon, the #2 hitter, had not played the last two days because of the flu. No one in the studio mentioned this. They, instead chose to agree with Mitch Williams. If any of them had picked up a NY paper or read a blog they would have known the real reason.

Back in the spring, Harold Reynolds who used to fit in nicely at ESPN, said that the Yankees bullpen last year was a weakness. This, of course, was untrue. The Yanks bullpen last year was one of the few strengths of the team, even after Joba left to go to the rotation. What made it worse, the network chose to run this statement in their promos as a sign of the type of in depth commentary you could expect from their studio analysts.

Harold Reynolds, Barry Larkin, Mitch Williams, Joe McGraine, Sean Casey...they all pretty much try to outdo each other in hyperbole, comedy & bullshit. The only guys who give it to you straight, with facts to back up what they're saying are John Hart (maybe because he's a former front office guy), Al Leiter, & Billy Ripken.

All this being said, I love having a full time Baseball network. And it's hard to expect them to be as good as ESPN right off the bat. But hopefully they'll understand it's the purists that keep the game alive and it's mostly us who are watching and judging.

Stars From the Tampa Series:

AJ Burnett:
Took a no-hitter into the seventh. Up until the 7th inning didn't even have a hard hit ball against him. Many people doubted the Yanks signing this guy. But now it looks like he's the steal of the off-season. He's pitching like an Ace.

Nick Swisher:
Even if if he didn't hit .360 with 2 HR, a 2B, 4 rs, and 2 rbi, he would have made this list for being the only Yankee relief pitcher on Monday to not give up a run.

Derek Jeter:
After getting only 1 hit in the KC series and going hitless in the first game in Tampa, The Capt. broke out in a big way going 5 for 9 with a HR, a 2B and 4 rbi in games 2 & 3. His single in the 8th inning yesterday brought home the winning run. Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Brian Bruney:
Faced 5 batters. Struck them all out. Threw 18 pitches, 16 for strikes. I think we've found the bridge to Mo.

Honorable Mention:
Andy Pettitte, Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner.

Yanks Take 2 Out of 3 from Tampa Bay

It didn't look too promising for the Yanks after losing game 1 of the Tampa Bay series 15-5. But the Yanks showed why they figure to be an improved team this year. They got excellent starting pitching in games 2 & 3. Add to that shut down relief work and timely hitting, and you've got a recipe for success.

The negatives you take from the series are the continued struggles of Chien Ming Wang and what looks to be a season ending injury to Xavier Nady. Wang pitched batting practice yesterday and it was noted that he was keeping the sinker down. However, I won't feel comfortable until I see him do it in a real game. Keeping the sinker down in spring training, or bullpen sessions or batting practice just doesn't mean much to me.

As for Nady, I feel bad for the guy but with the way Swisher has been playing, it seemed that Nady was in danger of losing his starting job anyway. For now it weakens our bench and versatility but the Yanks will call someone up to fill his spot. Maybe Juan Miranda (He's hitting .375 with 3 HR and 12 RBI in just 7 games at Scranton) . The Yanks have already said, though, they have no intention of bringing Austin Jackson up, whose been playing great in AAA. They want him to play everyday and not just be a 4th or 5th outfielder with the big club. I think by the All-Star break Jackson could be the starting center fielder for us.

Season Opener today at the New Yankee Stadium. CC Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee. Should be a good one.

April 14, 2009

What's Wrong With Wang?

Chien Ming Wang was totally useless last night. I understand he couldn't get the ball down and his mechanics were off...Again!!! But, Dude, you have to give me more than 1 inning. You have to find a way to battle thru and get some outs.

One of his problems is he seems to throw every pitch the same speed. His sinker, 4 seam fastball & slider all come in between 87-93 miles per hour. So, if he doesn't have his control the hitters can just sit on something up and crush it. It would really help him if he had a slow curveball or change up to keep hitters off balance a little. But the guy has had two 19 win seasons and was 8-2 last year before injury. So, it's easy to criticize him now. Fact is, he's proven he can win, and win big, with the stuff he's got. Maybe he's injured or just doesn't feel confident yet, throwing off the foot he broke last year.

Not much positivity from last nights game. Wang gave up 8 runs, the bullpen 7. The highlight was when everyone's new favorite Yankee, Nick Swisher, pitched a scoreless 8th, even picking up a strikeout. It was definitely a night when a long reliever would have come in real handy. If Wang gets another start, and I expect him to unless he's injured, no doubt Brett Tomko or Alfredo Asceves will be in the bullpen just in case.

I don't think it's time to consider bringing up Phil Hughes. I'd really like him to stay in AAA and perfect some of his secondary pitches before coming to the big club. The next time he comes to the Majors I want him to stay for good.

AJ Burnett goes tonight. Hopefully our starters can get back on a roll and give the bullpen a much needed rest.

April 13, 2009

Three Things the Weekend Showed Us

1) CC is a horse.
I was reminded on Saturday why I have always liked CC Sabathia. From his early days in Cleveland, before he had become a consistent winner, I marvelled at this guy. He's 6'7", big, strong & left-handed. He throws hard, mid 90's+ with great control. And he wants the ball. He's the type of guy that when a scouts are talking about him they would say, "Great Make-up". When you combine "Great Stuff" with "Great Make-up" you get "Ace". It's the reason a guy like Eric Bedard isn't an "Ace". He has great stuff but he doesn't have that certain something that makes a Josh Beckett or a Johan Santana an "Ace". CC has that. I'm glad he's finally a Yankee.

2) Joba looks fine
Six innings, 1 ER, 5 SO's. Good day for Joba. Too bad he couldn't get the win, but if he keeps pitching like this, the wins will come.

3) There is a reason Cody Ransom was 33 and in the minor leagues
I had thought Cody could be a good stop gap until ARod returned. But an .050 batting average with 7 K's thru 6 games is just not getting it done. Besides that he's looked very shaky on defense. I never thought I'd long for the days of Wilson Betemit but I do.

I was going to say something about the bullpen blowing yesterday's game but I won't. The bullpen had been lights out in the previous 4 games so they were due for a little blip. Hopefully, that's all it was, a blip, and not a trend of things to come.

I'm praying Tex' wrist is just sore with no lingering damage. We sure need his bat right now.

...And was I the only one who turned off the Master's once Tiger & Phil finished their rounds?

April 11, 2009

Andy is Dandy

There's a old saying that states, "You're only as strong as your weakest link." When you think about a starting rotation in baseball, this adage is definitely true. It's great to have an ace or a dominant 1,2,3 but if you have a bum pitching in that 4th or 5th spot, you're going to feel the pain. That's why signing Andy Pettitte was so important this off season.

I know Andy struggled down the stretch in 2008, but before his shoulder started barking he was having a very solid season. On July 22, Andy won to improve his record to 12-7 with an ERA of 3.76. If he had just been around .500 pitcher the rest of the way he would have won 16+ games. Instead, he struggled to just a 2-7 record the rest of the way.

Now, of course, there are reasons that 37 year old pitchers break down during the year. Andy has averaged 215 innings a year over his 14 year career, so, there is always the chance that he'll break down again this year, but if he can stay healthy I see no reason he can't give you numbers close to what he put up in the first half of the year. And even if he can't, just being able to eat up another 200 innings out of that 4th slot in the rotation is worth a lot.

Look at Boston. Even though Tim Wakefield is far from a dominant starter, being able to send him out there every 5th day when you know he usually is able to give you 6+ innings his huge. It saves your bullpen. And I'd love to see what the ERA is for the games started immediately after he pitches, since that knuckle ball is bound to screw up opposing hitter's swings. But the point is he is a reliable option on the back of the Sox' rotation.

In the off season, the Yanks spent a king's ransom on improving the rotation with CC & AJ. Chien Ming Wang returned after an injury hampered '08. But the best pitching performance thus far came from a guy who spent most of the off season looking for a job. Andy was sharp and efficient enabling him to go 7 innings and rest a weary bullpen.

We shouldn't need Pettitte to give us that every time he takes the mound. CC should eventually gain command of his fastball, Wang should find his sinker release point, AJ has the potential to dominate every time out, and Joba is on the cusp of being very, very good. But until all that happens it sure is nice to have good ole Andy taking the ball every 5th day.

April 10, 2009

Now That's What I'm Talkin' Bout...

Victory at last!!!

It's always good to get that first win. And the offense exploded as I expected it to. The final score was 11-2 if you missed it. AJ Burnett got the win. Texiera hit his first homer as a Yankee, as did Nick Swisher. And Robinson Cano continued his hot hitting going 3 for 4 with a homer...and even more important...another walk.

AJ looked dominant at times. But he struggled at times too. The homeplate umpire was squeezing him with the strike zone...but the signature moment of the game was in the 3rd inning. The O's had taken the lead at 1-0 and had the bases loaded with 2 outs and the dangerous Aubrey Huff at the plate. The count went full and then AJ snapped off a curveball that was so nasty, so filthy, it made a $10-blowjob-crackhead-whore seem squeaky clean by comparison. Next inning, Tex & Swish homered and the route was on!

What may be overlooked, though, was the work of the bullpen. After a shaky start to the season on Monday, the bullpen has been lights friggin' out! Here's what they've done in the last two games:

IP 8 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 SO 8

Yes, that's correct: Eight hitless innings. I really like our bullpen but many of the "experts" have doubted if it can match up with Boston or even the Rays. Time will tell, but I think we'll be just fine, thank you.

On to K.C. now. You can't sleep on this Royals team this year. They've got some talent and they could be a surprise team in the A.L. Central. However, I can't understand why they would pick up Kyle Farnsworth. In case you missed it, he gave up a 3 run homer in the 8th inning of the Royals first game to lose the game for Gil Meche, who had pitched a gem. I'm so glad the Yanks got rid of that guy.

April 9, 2009

Master's Prediction...

Tiger

i'm in......

left a few comments.....nice blog dude......well written too
mvp13klb

Orioles' fans suck


The attendance for yesterday's game at Camden Yards was 22,856. That is pathetic.
This is for the 2nd game of the year against the Yankees. When I lived in Baltimore, the Yankees always brought a crowd of at least 40,000, usually over 50,000, anytime of the year.
That franchise has sank soooo low. It's a shame. Who would have thought Tampa Bay would have passed them by.
Where have you gone John-ny Lo-wen-stein? A nation turns it's lonely eyes to you.

Wang Can't Make It Right

I've always liked Chien-Ming Wang. Probably because he's given the Yanks more than expected. When he came up in 2005 no one knew who he was. I mean, how many Major League ballplayers come from Taiwan?

The problem is that when his mechanics are off, he is terribly hittable. As was the case yesterday. Several times a year there will be games where he can't get the sinker down. And when he can't get the sinker down he doesn't have much else that he can get hitters out with.

Personally, I feel he lacks a killer instinct. When he gets two strikes on a hitter he has no desire to sit them down. There is really no reason for him to have such a low strike out rate. He throws in the mid 90's. Sometimes you just have to put a high hard one in there and challenge a mutha fucka. Kevin Brown had a great, hard sinker too, and he was able to get his share of K's.

Well, hopefully AJ Burnett brings his "A" game tonight. Although, after seeing CC & Wang the last couple days, I'd settle for AJ's "B" game or even his "C" game.

We CAN NOT GET SWEPT BY THE ORIOLES. Anyone but them.

We're making Nick Markakis look like George Brett. Fuck that.

April 8, 2009

Worst Guarantee Ever

I don't watch Women's College Basketball. But after Connecticut spanked Oklahoma last night to win the National Championship I had to comment on it for this reason:

A player on the Oklahoma Sooners, Courtney Paris, had made a prediction that Oklahoma would win or she would repay her entire scholarship. You can read the details here.

They gave her an opportunity before the game was played to take back her promise but she chose to stick by it. I guess that's admirable in a sense. But she was playing a Husky team that hadn't lost a game all year. Now, she owes about $64,000.

The article above goes on to state that if Paris should get drafted into the WNBA, the rookie salary is under $45,000. So, she will basically have to turn over her whole check. Hopefully, the University of Oklahoma will refuse to accept her money and get her off the hook. But, she should have never put herself in such a predicament.

Making bold predictions before title games has become common in sports but I've never known someone to put their money where there mouth is. And I doubt I'll see anyone do it again anytime soon.

Sox Can Only Go Down Hill...

The Red Sox defeated the Rays yesterday 5-3 in their home opener and they looked pretty good doing it, too.

Beckett pitched 7 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run, and 10 SO's. It was the total antithesis of Sabathia's start on Monday. Beckett was dominant. Whatever was wrong with him last year seems to be fixed.

Dustin Pedroia (Why doesn't he just officially change his name to Dusty? Has there ever been a more perfect person to be named Dusty?) homered in the 1st inning picking up right where he left off from last year where he was the AL MVP. Even Jason Varitek's old ass homered. And Jonathan Papelbon finished it off for his 1st of many saves.

What can you say? The Red Sox couldn't have scripted a better opening day. Except for the little blip from their bullpen, they dominated the Rays in every way.

I know it's only 1 game but I have to admit...Damn!! Beckett looked good!!

April 7, 2009

2009 Pre-Season Predictions

Maybe I should rethink some of these...


AL East
New York
Boston
Tampa Bay
Toronto
Baltimore

AL Central
Cleveland
Minnesota
Detroit
Kansas City
Chicago White Sox

AL West
Oakland
LA Angels
Seattle
Texas

Divisional Round
New York Yankees over Oakland
Cleveland over Boston

AL Pennant
New York Yankees over Cleveland

AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia
AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters, Baltimore

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NL East
NY Mets
Atlanta
Philadelphia
Florida
Washington

NL Central
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Houston

NL West
Arizona
LA Dodgers
San Francisco
Colorado
San Diego

Divisional Round
NY Mets over St Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs over Arizona

NL Pennant
Chicago Cubs over NY Mets

NL MVP: Manny Ramirez
NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Arizona
NL Rookie of the Year: Colby Rasmus, St. Louis

World Series
NY Yankees over Chicago Cubs

I waited all winter for this???

Greetings all ye Yankee fans!

First off, I decided against posting during the off-season. I get so into the Yanks that I really need to take a break during the winter to re-group and live this thing that sometimes closely resembles a life.

But Opening Day has passed and I am a little disheartened.

CC looked awful. He says he couldn't command his fastball but that's like Chris Paul saying "I couldn't command my dribble." It's the most basic requirement of a pitcher, the fastball, and if a pitcher can't "command" it, he is in a word...worthless.

In any case, I'll give him a pass. But he better find that "command" real soon. And by real soon, I mean by his next start because his 3rd start figures to be Opening Day at Yankee Stadium and he really doesn't want to get booed off the mound in his first outing in his home park.

Mark Texeira went 0-4 with a walk and failed in a chance to tie things up late in the ballgame. He was booed lustfully by the Baltimorons as was to be expected. And when you accept the big bucks to play in NY you should know that boos come with the territory. He seems to be a thick skinned kind of guy. We shall see.

Now for the bullpen (or lack there-of). Brian Bruney continued to pitch poorly picking up where he left off in the Spring. His spot as the 8th inning set-up guy is in serious question at this point. Damaso Marte has a long way to go to justify the 3 year deal the Yanks gave him. Phil Coke pitched well but seemed to tire in the 8th. Maybe having a true long man wouldn't have been such a bad idea. The Yanks chose not to bring one.

The positives were HR's from Posada & Matsui. Multiple hit games from Jeter & Damon. Cano had 2 walks, which used to take him 2 weeks to amass. And Brett Garnder, The Feisty One, threw out a guy at home.

Can't dwell on this one too much. It's just 1 down and 161 to go...