Those Lucky Sons of Bitches...The Mets

Those gosh-darn New York Mets. They go up 8-0 then 10-1 and somehow only end up winning by a single run. The crazy thing is that the Mets are now above .500 and only 2.5 games out of first place in the pitiful division, commonly known as the National League East. The Phillies cannot seem to get a win, the Marlins have slowed down tremendously, the Braves are beset by injuries and the Nationals are just awful. This leaves the Mets as a viable option to come out of the division and make the playoffs. This New York Mets baseball team is just not very good, you know it, I know it, and everyone in baseball knows it. The offensive is terribly inconsistent, the starting pitching is not deep, and the bullpen is lacking ability. With all of these problems it is clear that if the Mets want to continue to make a playoff push they are going to have to make some midseason moves to acquire a solid 8th inning reliever and another hitter.

The Mets current bullpen setup looks something like this: Starter comes out of the game in the 6th inning. Joe Smith comes into the game and gives up a couple of hits then Pedro Feliciano comes in and closes the door on the threat that Smith has just created. Duaner Sanchez comes in for the 8th and gives up a run, and then Wagner comes in to blow the game or dominate depending on his mood the given evening.

The problem with this is that every game that the Mets are leading by only one or two runs becomes a dangerous, since Feliciano is the only consistent guy in the 'pen and he is only brought in after Smith, Heilman, or Schoenweis create a dangerous situation. Acquiring a pitcher like Brian Fuentes would solve this problem, giving the Mets a solid option in the 8th or 7th. A 7th, 8th, 9th combination of Feliciano to Fuentes to Wagner is a whole lot better than anything the Mets are currently putting out there. With the inclusion of a solid end game reliever the Mets can continue to win games like the one last night, only without the heart-attack inducing trauma that occured after Pedro Martinez left the game.

TODAY IN SPORTS (SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2008)

• Mets at Phillies 1:35 p.m. (CW11) - The Mets can't count on clutch hits from Brian Schneider every night.
• Red Sox at Yankees 8:05 p.m. (ESPN) - Even if the Yanks pull off a win tonight, their season may be over. Right now, they are behind Tampa Bay, Boston, Chicago, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Oakland and are only up one game on Baltimore and Texas in the American League standings.

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2008)

• Red Sox at Yankees 3:55 p.m. (FOX) - The last time the Yankees were in fourth place on July 5th or later was 1992. Does that explain to you how badly this team is playing?
• Mets at Phillies 7:05 p.m. (SNY) - Last night's game was the perfect microcosm of the Mets' season. Santana allows two runs in eight innings only to find himself with a no decision and the Mets' untimely hitting leads them to a 3-2 defeat in Philadelphia. I'm impressed. Could Omar Minaya be the next one out? More to come on this later...

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2008)

• The Annual July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest 12:00 p.m. (ESPN) - I wonder if Joey Chestnut blogs...
  

• Red Sox at Yankees 1:05 p.m. (YES) - Mr. Girardi seemed quite peeved after the Yankees' 7-0 loss to Boston last night. Let's see how the team responds to his closed door meeting.
• Mets at Phillies 7:05 p.m. (SNY) - As badly as the Mets have been playing, they're only 4.5 games out and they play the first place Phillies in a three-game series this weekend.

- D. Spell

Jetting Jeter to the Outfield

Derek Jeter never had very good range at shortstop, but now it seems to be plummeting, and fast. Jeter, who always ranged well to his backhand and poorly to his glove-side, is now only average ranging to his backhand well below average ranging to his glove-side. 

For those of you who contest Jeter's poor defensive ability, look at the stats. According to baseball-reference.com, he has a 4.04 range factor in his career. Over his time in the league, the average shortstop has a 4.11 range factor. Jeter's range factor has decreased in every year since 2005 (4.56 in 2005, 3.97 in 2006, 3.80 in 2007 and 3.79 this year). Although Jeter still has soft hands in the field - he has a .980 fielding percentage this year - he is hurting the team too much at shortstop. Thus, I propose that it's time for Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees' organization to move Jeter to right field next year and start to find a replacement for him.

Bobby Abreu is a free agent at the end of the season. There will be a hole to fill in right field and Jeter would be the perfect player to fill it. He has always been great on pop-ups. The most impressive part of his game in the field is ranging back and towards the line for fly balls. He still has the arm to play right field, as exemplified by his almost-great backhanded jump-spin-and-throw play against Texas on Monday. 

You may ask, who would play shortstop if Jeter moves? If the Yanks are moving him for defensive reasons, they should be signing a defensively capable shortstop. Orlando Cabrera and Rafael Furcal are both free agents at the end of the season. Cabrera has great hands and a good arm in the field. Although he is not known for his hitting, he is competent at the plate. Furcal has good hands and a tremendous arm, not to mention that he was hitting .366 before he got hurt earlier this year.

If Derek Jeter is truly about the team, he will realize that his defense is only hurting the Yankees at this point. It would take an adjustment, but there is no reason Jeter can't be as good in right field as he was in the prime of his career at shortstop. Now, all the Yankees have to do is realize that Derek's not the player that he once was. The real question is: will they ever come to that realization?

- D. Spell

It's About Making a Point

Although this doesn't relate to New York sports, as a sports fan in general, one should be outraged by the way the Boston Red Sox have handled Manny Ramirez's past antics. Only a week after Shawn Chacon's scuffle with Astros' General Manager Ed Wade ultimately led to his release, Manny Ramirez has done essentially the same act. The difference: it looks like he won't even be disciplined. 

When the traveling secretary for the Red Sox told Ramirez that it may not be possible to obtain the 16 tickets that Manny had requested for an upcoming game, Manny reportedly yelled, "Just do your job" and shoved him to the ground. Why is this any worse than Chacon shoving Wade to the ground? Because a traveling secretary is playing the part of the General Manager and a future-hall-of-famer is playing the part of Shawn Chacon. 

Red Sox manager Terry Francona claims that the organization has already taken care of the situation and that he is happy with the way it was handled. Of course he is. He wasn't the one shoved to the floor and he still has his slugger and best hitter in the lineup. 

The Red Sox need to ignore the jobs that these two have within the organization and simply acknowledge them as two people. If you shoved a co-worker to the ground at work, you wouldn't get out without any scratches. The Red Sox should suspend Ramirez indefinitely without pay. They should allow him to return when he has proven that he has cleaned up his attitude; when he no longer is taking swings at Kevin Youkilis in the dugout, when he says he will always run a groundball out. It's not nearly as severe as a punishment as what happened to Chacon, who was released. Granted, as Jay Mariotti said, "The biggest mistake Shawn Chacon made was having a 5.15 ERA." It's about making a point.

- D. Spell

Girardi Needs to Learn How to Make a Lineup...Again

About a month and a half ago, I wrote about Joe Girardi's difficulties with making a lineup. His troubles once again stemmed into Sunday's game against the Mets. 

With Hideki Matsui on the DL, Girardi couldn't afford to sit three of his best hitters (Robinson Cano, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu), but he did because they are all lefties. Facing left-handed starter Oliver Perez, Girardi completely reconfigured his lineup in order to avoid the lefty-lefty match-ups. In doing so, he decided to play Wilson Betemit instead of Robinson Cano, Jose Molina instead of Jason Giambi and Jason Christian instead of Bobby Abreu.

Girardi seems like he is reading the textbook, but not looking at the numbers or even looking into common sense. Why would he rather have a lifetime minor leaguer with twelve career at bats heading into a game (Christian) over a perennial All-Star (Abreu)? Christian shouldn't be starting unless he is filling in for someone during a day off or an injury.

Girardi clearly neglected to look at the numbers. If he had, he would've seen that Abreu is hitting .316 against lefties this year with an OPS 57 points higher than that against righties. Cano's batting average against lefties (.281) is twenty points higher than Betemit's (.261), as the utility infielder is notoriously known as an anemic hitter from the right side (even though he did hit a long homerun yesterday). Jason Giambi is hitting over .400 against lefties since May 17. 

If Girardi wanted to sit a lefty, it should've been the only one he decided to play. Johnny Damon's batting average against lefty pitchers (.292) is 36 points lower than his average against righties (.328). Consider the fact that he is also nursing a sore left arch and has witnessed his batting average drop since he returned to the lineup a few days ago, he should've gotten a day off. 

Why did Girardi decide to sit all the lefties against Oliver Perez, who had a 5.29 ERA entering the game, and decide to play all the lefties against Johan Santana, who had a 2.93 ERA entering Saturday's game and is known as one of the best pitchers in baseball? Wouldn't it make more sense to sit them on Saturday? There's a better pitcher on the mound - Sunday, there wasn't even a good pitcher on the mound - and you can rest players after a long double-header the previous day.

In the eighth inning, after Oliver Perez threw seven innings of three-hit-ball against a lineup in which Wilson Betemit was hitting fifth, Joe Girardi sent out Jason Giambi to pinch hit and face Pedro Feliciano, another lefty. However, the difference between Feliciano and Perez is that the former is an effective pitcher. Girardi knew that if the Mets had a lead, Feliciano would be in the game. He's their eighth inning guy. Thus, in pinch hitting Giambi, he was stating that he'd rather have his first baseman against a good lefty than a bad one - not exactly the right game strategy to have.

When Girardi sent out that lineup at the beginning of the game, Manuel knew it was because he didn't have confidence in his left-handed hitters. Thus, he pulled a great managerial move and called his bluff, only throwing lefties in the game (Perez, Feliciano and Billy Wagner). You know Scott Schoenweis would have been the next Mets' pitcher out of the bullpen. Girardi got out-managed on Sunday because of a lack of confidence in his players and too much of an allegiance to the baseball textbooks.

- D. Spell

Jozy Alitdore-We Hardly Knew Thee

As you know I have an ongoing love affair with the New York Red Bulls. A couple months back I wrote about the team, I explained why you should love them too. One of the reasons I gave was Jozy Altidore, the 18 year old stiker with European-League level talent, a rare talent in the MLS. Earlier this month Altidore was signed by Villareal, one of the top "clubs" in the Spanish Premier league. Not only did Villareal sign an American born player, but they signed him to the largest contract ever given to an MLSer. This post is not just an "I told you so" on my part, but another chance for me to ask you to please give the Red Bulls a shot. As they pull into the middle of the season (the all-star game is in a couple of weeks), the Bulls are only four wins out of first place in the Eastern Conference. With Altidore gone, Angel has become an even bigger part of the Red Bulls offense, and he now has 19 goals on the season, second best in the league. Clearly scoring is not an issue for the Bulls, and their games are not the boring contests you would normally think of when considering watching an MLS match on TV. And if you are one of the few who do consider watching MLS matches, good for you, to the rest of you give it a shot, just one, it will be fun I promise. And if you don't have a good time, I know that D. Spell's mom is available every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6 to 10...and that is always a fun time.

-Mose

TODAY IN SPORTS (MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2008)

• Mets at Cardinals 7:05 p.m. (SNY) - The Mets try to bounce back to .500 as they officially begin the second half of their season.
• Rangers at Yankees 7:05 p.m. (YES) - Could Scott Feldman be a fellow Jew?

- D. Spell

NBA Draft: Semi-Live Blog

8:02

So I am coming in a little late, but in time for the Knicks pick. Rose and Beasley went 1 and 2 obviously followed by OJ Mayo. The fucking Sonics took Russell Westbrook so that dream is over and Memphis took Kevin Love.


8:05
And now it is time for the Knicks to pick...the options as I see them are Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayless, Joe Alexander and the dreaded Italian. I am hoping for Gordon or Alexander in this situation, Gordon from the point guard angle and Alexander from the lovable, face of the franchise angle.

8:07
And here comes Stern

8:07
1 minute left on the clock, the fans at the Wamu theater do not look pretty happy, seem to know that the Knicks are going to take Mr. Italy

8:08
And of course the Knicks take the fucking asshole from Italy. Danilo Gallinari, the face of the New York Knicks. If someone could please just rip my heart out now.

8:08
Stu Scott just went over the Knicks 2 other international picks (Nene and some dude named Frederic Weis) those both worked out very well.

8:09
Oh great his nickname is "The Rooster" and he is, according to ESPN he will "not be a superstar", excellent!

8:10
Danilo's favorite player? Tayshaun Prince! Can this get any better?

8:12
Just like that my enthusiasm for the upcoming season has waned to close to nothing.

8:13
And the Clippers take...Eric Gordon. At the end of the year let's see who has a better season. E Gordon or The Rooster.

8:14
Now what happened to Brook Lopez? He went from the 3rd pick in many mock drafts to sitting here for the 8th pick.

8:15
According to the bottom-line, Donnie Walsh is going to be speaking soon. I want to see how he is going to explain the selection of Cock-a-doodle-doo

8:17
Donnie just looks like he is stoned out of his mind on some prescription pill...great

8:21
Marc Jackson just summed it up perfectly, Knicks fans are not going to wait for The Rooster to develop, I know that I am already impatient. I can only hope that the Knicks make another move tonight to counterbalance this pick.

8:30
Time for the Nets pick and they take Brook Lopez, putting himout of his misery and getting one of the best prospects in this draft. That is a really great pick for the Nets after trading away Richard Jefferson earlier in the day they needed a solid presence in the middle of the court. If only I was a Nets fan and not a Knicks fan, damn you fandom.

8:35
So the next Gotham related pick is the Nets second 1st round selection, 21st overall. Until then I can do nothing but watch uncomfortable Stephen A. Smith player interviews.

-Mose

Tonight is the Night

As you most likely know, tonight is the NBA Draft. The Knicks have the 6th pick precluding them from selecting either of two supposedly "can't miss" players of the draft-Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, but there is still some talent available. I would love for the Knicks to trade up, potentially with the TWolves at 3 and select OJ Mayo, but if that doesn't happen and they stay pat (which we know they will), they better not take Danilo Gallinari. I don't care what the analysts say about his athletic ability or his differences from all of the recent European prospects who were hyped up and then dropped out of sight within a season or two. I don't care that he has a great shot, and a lean body whatever that means. And I don't care that he and Mike D'Antoni are both Italian (Chad Ford seems to believe that all Italians are in some sort of blood pact, certifying that D'Antoni will select Gallinari). No matter how much information I am supplied with saying how great Gallinari is I still do not want him on the New York Knicks. And the real reason is simple. I want the Knicks to draft someone who I have heard of, who can become a fan favorite around New York. Could you imagine Gallinari being the iconic player on this Knicks team? No matter how great he becomes he will never be embraced by the media and he will never become the fan favorite that the Knicks are in desperate need of. Yes, David Lee and Renaldo Balkman are fan favorites, they play hard and hustle like no other. But deep down I know that Lee and Balkman can never be the faces of the New York Knicks franchise because they simply are not talented enough. Lee nor Balkman can carry a team by themselves, they are role players, excellent role players but nothing more. In this draft the Knicks have a chance to select someone who can be a star, someone who can carry the team, while still being someone who the average fan can like.

And there is one player in this draft who the Knicks can feasibly select that will fulfill this role. Russel Westbrook is the man that the Knicks must select 6th overall in the NBA Draft tonight. He fits a need (point guard), he is young enough, but experienced enough to build a franchise around, he has a great work ethic and he plays defense better than the entire Knicks roster combined. How the Knicks can even consider taking a nobody forward over a eye-catching point guard is beyond me. Tonight when I am watching the draft I will sit and hope that they make the right decision and make Russel Westbrook the new face of the New York Knicks.

-Mose

TODAY IN SPORTS (THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2008)

• Yankees at Pirates 7:05 p.m. (YES) - Mike Mussina could have more wins (10) than walks (13) this season.
• 2008 NBA Draft 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) - Imagine the boos you're going to hear in MSG when David Stern utters these words: "With the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select...Danilo Gallinari."

- D. Spell

Jerry Manuel and the Infamous Ump Bump

The Jerry Manuel-Brian Runge saga finally appears to be over. Runge formally apologized to Manuel last night for bumping him after his ejection on Tuesday night while arguing Runge's strike zone. I did not personally see the bump, but from the coverage that this received from the local media and ESPN I have come to the conclusion that not only did Runge bump Manuel but he also stuck his finer in his eye and broke his nose. Never have I seen so much coverage over something so minimal. Managers and players bump umpires all of the time, is it really such a big deal that one finally decided to bump back? If anything Runge's bump was helpful to the Mets as it took some of the attention away from the fact that they had just lost to the worst in baseball Seattle Mariners with their ace Johan Santana on the mound. This was followed up by an 11-0 shellacking
and yet people were still talking about the goddamn bump. Runge saved Manuel from a potentially thunderous storm of negative reporting. But now that the bump incident is behind us, the focus can return to The Mets and their pitiful play. Manuel better hope that another umpire is in a bumping mood, otherwise he might end up like Willie, jobless in a California hotel.

And the True Auteur Has Returned

So yes, we came back this week, and yes the great D. Spell has shepherded you through the beginning of this week. But we all know what you have been waiting for, my return to the blogosphere. I had a pretty good break sleeping and going to the bathroom, as Spell so eloquently put it, is a pretty huge time suck, but I am anxious to get this show back on the road.

A lot of Gotham sports events have occured during my absence, and I would write about all of them, but I want to look ahead not behind, forward not backward, so the only event I would like to write about is Jared Lorenzen's release from the New York Giants football team.

As I wrote last month, it did not look good for Jared Lorenzen's return to the Giants for this upcoming season and two days ago my worst fears were confirmed, as Lorenzen was released from the Giants. It was merely one line on the ESPNews fancy new-and-improved bottom ticker, it was not on the front page of ESPN.com, it was certainly not to be found anywhere on sportsline.com or si.com and it was a mere three sentences in the New York Times. Just like that Jared Lorenzen's career as chubby quarterback poster boy was over. So I would like to use my return post as an opportunity to remember Lorenzen's career and hope that David Carr and Anthony Wright both suffer the karmic consequences for depriving us of Mr. Lorenzen.

Anyway I am glad to be back and I will be back posting on a regular basis for the foreseeable future.

-Mose

TODAY IN SPORTS (WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008)

• Yankees at Pirates 7:05 p.m. (YES) - Johnny Damon could miss the entire series in Pittsburgh. Luckily for him, the Yankees are facing three lefty-handed starters in a row.
• Mariners at Mets 7:10 p.m. (SNY) - Oliver Perez just got lit up by the worst offensive team in the American League. I wouldn't be surprised if he is pulled from the rotation if he has a poor outing against the Yankees on Sunday.

- D. Spell

Time To Change the Jeterian Ways

The day before his 34th birthday, Derek Jeter should be prepared to listen to some advice. Currently hitting .278 with a .717 OPS, Jeter needs to change his hitting style in order to return from the valleys of mediocrity and head back to the peak of stardom.

First, the type of hit which John Sterling has coined as the Jeterian single needs to cease. Jeter turns 34-years-old tomorrow and is noticeably getting older. Not only has his range in the field diminished, but his bat speed has also slowed down. No player is as strong at the age of 34 as he is at the age of 26 or 27. It takes a lot of strength to hit that "Jeterian single", an opposite field bloop over the second baseman's head on an inside fastball. That strength that he had in his prime allowed him to get enough lift on the ball to hit it in the air.

Now, Jeter is not as strong as he once was. Those balls that he was once hitting in the air are being hit on the ground. This year, when he tries to inside-out a pitch to rightfield, he will often hit a ground ball to second base or right back to the pitcher. This has led to his highest groundball:flyball ratio since 1997 (2.70:1). Because of this, he is grounding into more double plays than he ever has before.

Jeter needs to start pulling the ball and turning on the inside pitch because he is not longer strong enough to consistently hit the ball to right-center. The Yankees' shortstop this year has simply turned into a below-average hitter. His OPS+ is 93 (league average is 100); his secondary average is .183, 30 points worse than his previous worst season; his runs created/27 outs are 4.3, by far the lowest of his career. 

Jeter has not just deteriorated as a physical hitter, but he seems as if he has also regressed as an intelligent hitter. He has changed his approach this year and not for the better. Derek, who was always good for around 100 strikeouts, decided to cut down on his strikeout total, but in turn, has affected his walk total. He is swinging at pitches earlier in the count, so that he doesn't get into two-strike holes. Although Jeter has only struck out 34 times this year, he has only walked 20 times . He is seeing a mere 3.67 pitches/plate appearance, the lowest average of his career. One of Jeter's strengths throughout his time in the league has been that he is able to force pitchers to work. This year, he is voluntarily giving into them earlier in the at bat. 

So, maybe Sports Illustrated was right in their player poll that stated that Derek Jeter is the most overrated player in Major League Baseball. Before this year, I would disagree, but it's hard to argue against it when his 2008 numbers so clearly outline him as a mediocre shortstop. 

- D. Spell

TRIVIA OF THE DAY

Yesterday was Mose's birthday!

TODAY IN SPORTS (TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2008)

• Yankees at Pirates 7:05 p.m. (MY9) - Who else is psyched to see Darrell Rasner hit?
• Mariners at Mets 7:10 p.m. (SNY) - He's been managing the team for less than a week and Jerry Manuel has already called Mets' Nation (if the Red Sox can have a country, so can the Mets) fertilizer for rooting for his team. I'm pretty sure a group of fans is allowed to boo when the team with the highest payroll in the National League by almost $20 million is 37-38. Someone should tell that to Jerry...

- D. Spell

If Only the Jets Weren't So Cheap...

Pete Kendall wanted a raise; he didn't get it. Chris Baker wants a raise; he doesn't seem like he's going to get it. After the Jets traded Kendall, their best lineman, before last season because of a dispute over a mere one million dollars, their offensive line completely collapsed. They went from 10-6 and a playoff team to 4-12 and the sixth pick in the draft. Their rushing attack and pass blocking weren't memorable last season, to say the least. 

This year, it seems as if they haven't learned their lesson. Chris Baker, who has been with the team since 2002, has been holding out for more money and the Jets seem not to be budging. After the team signed free agent Bubba Franks and drafted Purdue's Dustin Keller, Baker, the incumbent starter, is now the third highest paid tight end on the team's roster. 

Baker had 41 receptions last year, a career high. Next to Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles, he has the best hands of anyone on the roster. Although he is not a great run-blocker, he is a big target to throw to. If Chad Pennington ends up winning the starting position at quarterback, it is important for him to have a tight end he can throw to across the middle. Pennington needs a big target, who will be available for a short dump-off, since he no longer has a Jerald Sowell-type as a teammate. 

Right now, the Jets haven't paid Baker to make a point. In turn, the tight end is yet to attend a practice. If they trade or release him, they will be making a big mistake. Fans were upset about the Pete Kendall trade at the beginning of the season and even more upset at the end of the season. Not paying Baker will express to the fans that the Jets would rather save money than actually win. 

Two years ago, Coles wanted a new contract from the organization. When they wouldn't pay him, he claimed that the Jets were more concerned with paying big name free agents than they were with taking care of their current stars. The Baker holdout would prove just that. In an off-season, which the Jets signed Calvin Pace, Tony Richardson, Kris Jenkins, Damien Woody, Bubba Franks and Alan Faneca, it would be petty not to re-sign their starting tight end.

- D. Spell

Wait For the Other Half

Johan Santana is 7-6. I've heard too many questions about his talent compared to other National League pitchers. Is he as good as Tim Lincecum? Is he as good as Edinson Volquez? Is he as good as Felix Hernandez, who he faced off against on Monday night? The answer to every single one of those questions is yes. Mets' fans, who seem to have harbored the same traits in recent years as Yankees' fans, clearly have forgotten the virtue of patience. 

It's obvious that the Santana skeptics haven't taken a look at the lefty's second half prowess in his career. Santana, who is notoriously known as a stellar second half pitcher, is 45-11 after the All-Star break since the 2003 season. Keep in mind that he was 5-7 in the second half last year, which was clearly a fluke season. From 2003-2006, he was 40-4 in the second half. 

Santana seems to have already started a monster second half, as he has compiled a 1.87 ERA in June  to this point. However, he has managed to go only 1-3 as the Mets' offense has averaged a mere 1.8 runs in support of him during those starts. 

Last year's National League Cy Young winner, Jake Peavy, struck out 240 batters. 35 of those were pitchers. Santana has averaged 245.75 strikeouts per year over the past four years in an offensively superior league with a designated hitter. Two of the past five years. he's had a second-half ERA under 1.60 and four of the past five years,  he's had a second-half ERA under 3.20. 

So Mets' fans, calm down about Johan. He'll finish with the lowest ERA of his career. He'll finish with his highest strikeout total. The real question is: will that be good enough for the Mets to make the playoffs?

- D. Spell

TRIVIA OF THE DAY

Johnny Damon switched from maple to ash bats last week because he said that maple bats break too much. Since then, he has broken a bat at least once in every game.

TODAY IN SPORTS (MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2008)

• Mariners at Mets 7:10 p.m. (SNY) - Johan Santana faces off against Felix Hernandez in a battle between the two best Venezuelan pitchers in baseball. (We figured Freddy Garcia isn't quite on their level).

- D. Spell

A Draining System Would Be Nice

The picture on the left is an image of what Yankee Stadium looked like in the sixth inning of Sunday's game. I know because I was there. I sat in the bleachers with my brother when in the sixth inning, the skies opened up and it started to pour. The wind was obscene. In fact, it was so strong, it actually took my Coca Cola bottle, which was calmly resting on the bench in front of me, and sent it flying in the air across my section.

Now, here's where the Yankee Stadium architects are really brilliant. You have to walk up a small ramp to get from the indoor concessions to the bleachers. Naturally, water will stream down the ramp, considering liquid will rarely flow uphill. They delayed the game - seeing the grounds crew trying to put the tarp on the field in the wind was hilarious - and people started to go inside to get shelter from the rain. Of course, as my brother and I set foot inside, we felt a pool of water up to our ankles. All the water was draining into the Stadium. It was completely flooded, which led to a great time for me and an even greater time for my socks, who were accompanied by water and peanut shavings. 

Cheers to the builders of 1976, who are responsible for turning Yankee Stadium into a pool today. And for the record, the water was pitch black. 

- D. Spell

And We're Back

Well, after quite the hiatus, Mose and I are back for some more blogging. We apologize for such a long break between columns, but know that starting today, we're here for good. We thought you might want to know what we were doing in our three weeks off. Here was our average daily schedule:

2:00 p.m. - Wake up

2:03 p.m. - Bathroom call

2:10 p.m. - Movie of choice (usually something along the lines of "Gangs of New York" or "Kids Bop"

3:30 p.m. - Get really pissed because Skip Bayless has no idea what he's talking about on "First and Ten". If he says something, I automatically disagree with it, whether I think it's a good point or not. I just feel like I'm stupid if I agree with Skip Bayless on any given issue.

3:47 p.m. - Bathroom call 

3:52 p.m. - Go back to wondering how Skip Bayless can be so wrong about LeBron James, when he argues that he is not a top 20 player in the NBA. (Yes, he actually said that).

3:56 p.m. - Another four minutes of Bayless

4:45 p.m. - Eat something sweet and completely unhealthy.

5:45 p.m. - Finish eating sweet and completely unhealthy food and go for another bathroom call.

7:05 p.m. - Watch the Yankees' game and listen to The Great Michael Kay single-handedly take on being the number one PR guy for the Yankees. Boy, Bayless and Kay in one day...And Bissinger thought only bloggers could produce bad journalism. 

10:30 p.m. - Sleep for the next 16 hours.

So I guess now you can understand why we had so much trouble getting to the blog. We had such busy schedules we just weren't able to fit it in. However, we've now made room in our lives for it, and we'll be writing everyday. And check out this piece on Bayless from deadspin.com. It really describes him better than I ever could.

- D. Spell

Why Do the Yankees Always Rush Things?

Joba Chamberlain will make his first start tomorrow against the Blue Jays in Yankee Stadium. Ironically, Joba made his Major League debut out of the bullpen against the same Blue Jays' team on August 7th of last year. 

Because of an injury to Ian Kennedy, who was just placed on the disabled list, Chamberlain was forced to move into the rotation earlier than anticipated. Chamberlain has never thrown more than 40 pitches in a game. Joe Girardi expected that Chamberlain would have a 55-pitch relief appearance and then a 70-pitch appearance before joining the rotation. Now, Joba is starting on Tuesday and being held to a very strict pitch count - probably around 65 pitches, which is still too big of a jump from 40. 

Joba has been struggling in the second inning of his appearances this year. How is he going to do in the rotation if that's the case? Probably not very well. Neither his legs nor his arm is in good enough shape to be throwing so many pitches. If the Yankees want to make him into a starter, they need to either do it over the off-season, or take it very slowly during the season. In the meantime, they can call up Dan Giese, who has a 1.98 ERA in 59 innings at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Giese should be making the start tomorrow, not Joba. You can get five innings out of him and then have Joba throw 55 pitches in relief. In Giese's next start, Joba can throw two or three simulated innings in the bullpen and then take the mound, throwing a total of around 70 pitches. You have be gradual when working such a stellar reliever into the rotation. The Yankees are rushing him. It will lead to ineffectiveness on the mound and a possible injury.

However, the Yankees shouldn't even be moving Chamberlain to the bullpen anyway.

- D. Spell

TRIVIA OF THE DAY

Kei Igawa requested that the Yankees allow him to return to Japan.

Posada Should Take His Time

Jorge Posada, who has been out since the end of April with a shoulder injury, is expected to rejoin the Yankees by Thursday of this week. Posada will catch two straight games, have an off day on Wednesday and then rejoin the team on Thursday in Yankee Stadium.

However, Posada should not be coming back to the team so soon. The Yankees are not having his catch on Wednesday, because they don't trust that he can catch three days in a row. If the organization still trusts his shoulder so little, why would they activate him so soon? 

The team is forcing him back because of problems it has had against lefties. With Posada back in the lineup, it can break up the tandem of Matsui - Giambi - Cano, which has been terrorized by lefty specialists since the Yankee catcher left the lineup. Posada can slide Cano down the eighth slot, which he is more comfortable. 

Still, if the Yankees don't trust Posada to catch three days in a row, then he is being rushed back. It wouldn't surprise me if he re-injures his shoulder on a throw down to second base. Clearly the Yankees know this, since they have said that they will be carrying three catchers on their roster (Posada along with Jose Molina and Chad Moeller). The Yanks should wait a week until Posada is completely healthy. Then, they can take the risk of sticking him behind the plate. 

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008)

• Yankees at Twins 7:05 p.m. (YES) - The Yanks try to climb to one game over mediocrity.
• Mets at Giants 10:15 p.m. (SNY) - The lucky Mets miss Tim Lincecum (7-1-2.23) in their three games in San Francisco

- D. Spell

That Ain't Right

I have disagreed with a lot of what Joe Girardi has done this season. I don't like a lot of the on-the-field moves he has made. However, yesterday, he made his best move of the season in the ninth inning against the Orioles.

Girardi got tossed after arguing a Jason Giambi third strike call. Regardless of whether it was the correct or incorrect call, Girardi's move was brilliant. He didn't just argue, he fought. He threw his hat down, he kicked dirt on the umpire. As Michael Kay put it, "He got his money's worth". 

As soon as Girardi got ejected from that game, you could feel a different vibe. For the first time in a while, you actually felt like the Yankees were poised to win a game. And they did on the next batter, a walk-off single by Robinson Cano. Doing what Girardi did - especially in a home game - can pump up the players and the crowd to the next level. Hopefully, that energy with stay with the Yankees throughout their series with Seattle so that they can build confidence going into next week's softer schedule, featuring the Orioles and the Twins. 

Girardi knew was he was doing last night. Nice Job, Joe. It was Billy Martin-esque.

- D. Spell

TRIVIA OF THE DAY

Oliver Perez has been all-or-nothing this season, owning a 1.78 ERA in his four wins and a 8.10 ERA in his three losses.

Free Willie

Fred Wilpon refused to comment on Willie Randolph's future with the Mets. That means within the next few weeks or so, we will probably see Willie Randolph out as manager of the New York Mets. After leading the Mets to the biggest collapse in league history last year (blowing a seven game lead with 17 games to go), the Mets are underachieving again this year and slipped under .500 last night after they capped off a four game sweep in Atlanta. As much as I have been a Willie-supporter in the past, I think he has to go. In order to evaluate a manager, you need to go through a series of questions:

1) Do the players like him?

It seems like the players actually do like and respect Willie. He has a smart baseball mind and he's a fun guy to be around. Randolph's players have always liked him, but that's not the issue.

2) Does his team look more impressive on paper than it does on the field?

Absolutely. Especially with the addition of Johan Santana, the Mets were expected to be the best team in the National League. A team that won 87 games last year, is now 22-23, while only gaining talent.

3) Does he often give the dazed and confused Dusty Baker Face?

Actually, yes. Willie seems to feel the pressure mounting on him everyday. You can tell that he's just not as comfortable in the dugout. He has made a lot of questionable moves on the field, moves he probably feels like will make or break his job. They seem to be breaking it.

4) How does he handle the New York media?

He handled them well until recently. Monday, Randolph blamed his negative attention by the media on his race. (Of course, this was before he lost four straight to the Braves to dip back under par.) His examples were even more ridiculous. He said the New York media have Herm Edwards and Isaiah Thomas a hard time because of their race, also. Edwards demanded to leave the Jets because he felt like they were in a situation where he couldn't win. How good of a coach is that? Isaiah...Well, you get the point: Jerome James, Eddy Curry, Quentin Richardson, Stephon Marbury, Renaldo Balkman, Steve Francis. Ok, I'm done.

5) How is the clubhouse chemistry?

Terrible. Billy Wagner is mouthing off to the media weekly. Delgado and Beltran are leaving as soon as the game is over, not talking to the media or teammates. There is no unity on this team. Randolph has already had to have a closed door meeting. 

Willie fails four out of the five questions, which means the Mets need to seriously evaluate who they want at their manager. The Mets need someone, who is not going to be as lax, someone who won't stand for the clubhouse bickering and knows how to handle the media. Bring back the man in the glasses! We want Bobby Valentine!

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2008)

• Mariners at Yankees 7:05 p.m. (MY9) - In his last five starts, Andy Pettite has a 6.26 ERA and is only averaging 5.5 innings-per-start.
• Mets at Rockies 9:05 p.m. (SNY) - The Mets best defensive player tonight: the humidifier. 

- D. Spell

What Happened to the Old Reliever?

Twenty-five or thirty years ago, closers like Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle used to come into the game in the 7th inning to get the save. Now, closers come into the game for the ninth inning. It is considered a laborious outing for them if they have to get more than three outs. 

Joe Girardi recently announced that he has plans of moving Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation. Although the Yankee rotation has been terrible this season, I don't agree with this rash move. Girardi seems like a manager who is willing to take risks. I want to see him turn Joba into one of the old relievers, someone who can come in and throw three innings to close out a game routinely. This would be an easier transition for Chamberlain and it would be a way to still have him throw 120-140 innings. You can maximize his production with that amount. He wouldn't feel as pressured to be stretched out and therefore, he would still be throwing 95-98 MPH. When he moves into the starting rotation, the velocity on his fastball will drop since he will feel like he needs to conserve that energy for the later innings. 

For now, the Yanks can make him into a guy that can pitch the 6th, 7th and 8th. When Rivera leaves, he can become the closer and pitch the 7th, 8th and 9th. How dominant would that be? Three Joba's coming in to close out a game.

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2008)

• Mets at Yankees 8:05 p.m. (ESPN) - Two pitcher with opposite pitching styles, Chien-Ming Wang and Oliver Perez, face off in the last game of the first Subway Series.                                                                                                                                                                                                   - D. Spell 

The Mets Love the Media

The Mets have made a habit this season of mouthing off to the media about their own problems. Earlier this season Billy Wagner was highly critical of pitcher Oliver Perez for not giving his team a strong outing. Wagner has also been critical of the team for other issues. 

Last year, Paul LoDuca (damn racist) was critical of the Spanish players for not being more vocal with the media. "I know they speak English," he said. It was probably the 'roid rage. 

Yesterday, Willie Randolph held a 35 minute meeting with his team after the Subway Series game was officially rained out last night. Since this was a closed door meeting,  content of discussion was not disclosed to reporters. However, I would have to imagine the meeting was about keeping problems within the team. Randolph has to tell his players to keep their problems internal. This is the type of chemistry-killer that allows for seven game collapses in only a 17 game period.

- D. Spell

A-Rod Returns

Yesterday Alex Rodriquez played in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays minor league team. He went 1 for 4 with a home run. This should put A-Rod on track for his return to the majors on Tuesday. The Yankees offensive struggles have been well documented since Rodriquez and Posada have been put on the disabled list, so there is a serious need for A-Rod's return. There were some initial reports that the A-Rod could be out until at least the AllStar break, but that looks to be false. Hopefully it is not too little too late for the Yankees upon his return.

My Wonderful Shea Experience

So last weekend I went to the Mets-Reds game, the game where Santana started and Carlos Beltran actually managed to hit a triple. Anyway, the whole time I was there I couldn't help but notice how truly terrible Shea Stadium is. Now I know Darrell wrote a post on this already, but neither of us had been to Shea this season, and let me tell you it has not dressed up for its last season.
The most pressing issue at Shea is the seat size. People were a lot smaller in the sixites, I know that, but come now, how could any human being, at any point in our evolutionary lineage fit into the seats at Shea? Sitting in one of them for three straight hours was almost as torturous as listening to the fat bozo sitting right in front of me heckle Ken Griffey Jr.each time he came to the plate. "Hey Griffey, why don't you hit another pop out you loser!". Nicely played good sir, I would wager that you have hurt Mr. Griffey's feelings immensely. No one, not even your buddy sitting next to you, thought you were clever. Yet for all 4 Griffey at bats, you just kept going at it.
Regardless, the seats at she are tiny and the gaps between the seats in one row are also incredibly miniscule. If the person sitting next to you was wearing pleather pants and it was a hot day at Shea, there is a 90 percent chance that you would exit the stadium attached at the thigh.
Now the second issue I have with Shea is the apple that pops up beyond the outfield wall. I originally thought that the apple only came out on homeruns, but in fact it seems as though it comes out whenever the Mets staff sees fit. Delgado got a hit? My god! Send that apple out there! It seems to have lost any significance that it once had and it no longer as the appeal of a quaint novelty, a cute addition for the beleagured Mets fans. Now it is used as an ineffective tool to "motivate" the crowd. I'm shocked that it still even gets out of its hat.
The third problem I had during my visit was the interesting food options available at the stadium. I am not complaining about the prices, those were pretty reasonable compared to those found at Yankee stadium, I am talking about the actual food offered at the park. For example, the size of the Cracker Jacks bag is comparable to the that of your fist. How can I be expected to go through a whole game with a fist-sized back of Cracker Jacks? Exactly, I can't be, why must they taunt me with the fun size Cracker Jacks? Now the peanuts at Shea are salted in the shell. How that's possible I have no idea, but that is the claimon the bag. That seems completely unnatural. The peanut should not taste salty if it is still in its sheath. And yet when I tried a bag, the peanuts were in fact salted and the shell had no flavor at all. Until someone explains how this is possible, there are going to some serious issues. Lastly, Shea has managed to find a Dip'n Dots knock-off company. Honestly I forgot the stupid name of the company, but I can tell you that it carries a inferior product. I have no issue with Shea supporting a mini-sphere ice cream vendor, but that company should be Dip'n Dots not some bootleg brand, that is just dishonest. Which brings me to my last issue with Shea, the parking. I took the 7 train to the game, but my cousin drove. She had to park her car, literally 20 minutes from the stadium and she got to the game 45 minutes early. That shouldn't happem at any sporting venue anywhere in the country. Adequate and convinient parking should be available, period.
So as you can see Shea Stadium and I have a love-hate relationship. I hate the team that plays in it, I hate the seats in it, I hate the food in it, and I hate the parking around it. Other than that though I love it long time.

TODAY IN SPORTS (SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2008)

• Mets at Yankees 1:05 p.m. (YES, SNY) - On the tenth anniversary of David Wells' perfect game, two other great lefties - Johan Santana and Andy Pettitte - face off at Yankee Stadium.
• Wizards at Red Bulls 7:30 p.m. (MSG) - Let's not kid ourselves. There's no way you're going to watch this.

- D. Spell

Last Night in New York Sports

As Ollie predicted, "it gonna rain", and rain it did. So the Yankees and Mets were both off painting the town red. Or in the Mets case half the team, led by Billy Wagner got into a rumble with the other half, led by the Carloses, over their turf.
Now who is Maria?

It's a Coin Toss

After their first three OTA's, the Jets still have no idea who their starting quarterback will be going into the 2008 season. Chad Pennington has been working with the first team and Kellen Clemens has been working with the second team only because of a coin flip. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer flipped a coin in order to decide who would start off the season working with the first team. Pennington called heads and won the flip. 

Hopefully, the Jets won't have to use the same method in order to decide their starter going into the regular season - or even the preseason for that matter. Pennington's numbers last year were infinitely better (1,765-10-9 with a 68.8% completion percentage in eight starts) than Clemens' (1,529-5-10 with a 52.0% completion percentage). However, if the Jets want any shot of contending, they need to make Clemens their starter. 

Although his basement is much lower than Pennington's, his ceiling is much higher. The Jets know what they will get from Pennington - about a 1:1 TD:INT ratio, a good completion percentage and a lot of dump-offs to the backs. However, he can't throw to the sidelines anymore with his lack of arm strength. He has a lot of trouble on the flag routes as his passes tend to float up there for cornerbacks and safeties to knock down or pick off. He can't throw deep routes consistently - or at all. When he throws across the middle, he leaves his wide receivers out to dry, as he hangs up his passes and makes it very easy for Laveranues Coles or Jerricho Cotchery to take a hard hit from a linebacker. The Jets won't be able to win more than six to eight games with Pennington at the helm.

Although Clemens did not play as he was marketed last year, he proved that he has a very strong arm. He can throw the ball through the goal posts from the 50 yard line on his knees. He makes a lot of bad decisions, but that will change with good coaching and experience. He is more mobile than Chad. He can move in the pocket quite well and can actually gain some yards on the ground if the defense lays off. 

It is possible that Clemens could come out and have a terrible season like he did last year. But if the Jets want to be contenders, then they have to take that risk. His big arm and mobility could allow them to have a competitive season. 

- D. Spell

D'Antoni Needs To Lower His Expectations

New Knicks' coach Mike D'Antoni said yesterday that he would be disappointed if his team doesn't make the playoffs in his first year. D' Antoni claimed that with a weak Eastern Conference, 39 wins may be all it takes to back into the post-season. 

"Hopefully the East stays that way and it doesn't go where teams are winning games all over the place. We need to try to get in. If it doesn't happen, I'd be disappointed. There's no guarantees, but me personally, I would be very upset. "

39 wins may not sound like a lot to D'Antoni, who averaged 58 wins-per-year over his last four seasons in Phoenix, and for most every team in the NBA, it's not, but it would be a great improvement for the Knicks over only a year. 39 wins is 16 more than they had this past year, when they tied their franchise record for most losses with a 23-59 record. 

D'Antoni should prepare himself for disappointment if he thinks his Knicks can be playoff-bound next year. With essentially the same roster as last year, there will be no reason the Knicks can improve 16 games. A coach cannot better a team by 50%. D'Antoni's run-and-gun style can't work with the Knicks' current players. Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury are completely untradable. Their roster won't turn over until 2010, when Marbury's Zach Randolph's contracts are both up and LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are all free agents. 

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2008)

• Mets at Yankees 7:10 p.m. (MY9, SNY) - This series could determine Willy Randolph's future in New York.

- D. Spell

Not On His Way Back

Unlike Alex Rodriguez, who expects to be back on Tuesday, Jorge Posada seems like he will not step on the field for the Yankees for a while longer. He can now throw up the 75 feet with as Girardi put it, "better velocity". However, he is progressing slowly and definitely will not return before June. The Yankees are hopeful that he will be able to play in some extended spring training games at the end of May or the beginning of June.

- D. Spell

On His Way Back

Alex Rodriguez is playing in three extended spring training games starting tomorrow against the Rays' minor leaguers. On Sunday, he will play in a simulated game and on Monday, he will be playing the Phillies' minor leaguers, hoping to return to the Yankees by Tuesday. 

Rodriguez for the first time yesterday ran the bases and said that he felt great. He will be guaranteed five at-bats in all three games over the weekend. He hasn't played since April 28th, when he re-injured his aching right quad. 

- D. Spell

Randolph Shuffles the Rotation

The Mets have called up Claudio Vargas to start tonight's game in order to move Johan Santana back a day so he can face the Yankees on Friday in the first game of this year's Subway Series. There has been much speculation by the media, wondering if Willy Randolph will push Santana back or if he will have him start in his normal spot in the rotation - pitching on Thursday against the Nationals. 

According to the New York Post, Randolph has officially made his decision to have Santana start against the Mets' cross-town rivals. In this case, Randolph seems to have gotten caught up a bit with what the media and the fans want. The best decision for a team that is not playing as well as it could is keeping the rotation where it is. You want consistency in a starting rotation and it's hard to get that consistency when starters can't follow their usual routine. Randolph is simply setting up this game for the media and not for the Mets.

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008)

• Nationals at Mets 7:10 (SNY) - Claudio Vargas will make his first start as a Met.
• Yankees at Rays 7:10 (YES) - James Shields' linescore in his last start: 9 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks. The Yankee offense seems to have come up against him at just the right time.

- D. Spell

Last Night in New York Sports

Yankees-1 Rays-2

In what can only be described as an embarrassing showing, the Yankees lost again to the Rays, who are now in first in the AL East. The Yanks continue to have severe offensive offensive struggles, this time being shut out by Edwin Jackson of all people. The Yanks wasted another solid start by Wang and more solid bullpen work by Kyle Farnsworth. I didn't think that I would ever say this, but the Yankees offense simply and truly sucks. There is no other way to seee it, and that is a serious issue for the Yanks the rest of the season. Maybe ARods return, supposedly later this week, will jumpstart things. I sure hope so.


Mets-6 Nationals-3
Ryan Church continued his hot hitting with his 8th home run of the year and John Maine pitched a beauty of a game, and the bullpen didn't implode. Also the Mets were playing the Nationals-you and I could beat the Nationals.

TRIVIA OF THE DAY

Chien-Ming Wang has almost half the strikeouts (36 to 76) he had in his Cy Young runner-up year of 2006 in less than a quarter of the innings (52 to 218).

- D. Spell

Losing Is Also Not the Yankee Way

Former Yankee closer and newest member of the Hall of Fame Goose Gossage took a trip to Cooperstown yesterday in which he was critical of Joba Chamberlain's eccentric celebrations after recording the final out of one of his eighth inning appearances. Gossage saidof Chamberlain's celebratory antics, "There's no place for it in the game and I will stand by that."

Gossage went on to say that it is not representative of the Yankee way. 

"The jumping and the high-fiving, Roy White brought up a great point to me the other day when we were in a charity golf tournament. Roy said, 'Did you see Melky jumping up and down, doing the pirouette and all? That's not the Yankee way.' It's not the Yankee way."

Weren't Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle intolerable drunks? Gossage isn't talking about the Yankee way, he's talking about the Steinbrenner way, which has been instated every since the Yankees' owner bought the team in 1974. Gossage is referring to Steinbrenner's business-like attitude towards what a clubhouse should be. However, isn't this baseball is simply business attitude one of the reasons the Yankees haven't been able to win in so long? There has been a lack of team chemistry and a lack of energy. They need that boost of energy from the younger players.

Was Paul O'Neill not a Yankee? O'Neill is known as one of the most animated players in New York history for throwing his bat and his helmet and beating the water cooler as if it owed him money. Did O'Neill not follow the "Yankee way"? He must have. George Steinbrenner used to call him a Warrior (so much so that now it's a proper noun). Clearly, he was one of Steinbrenner's favorite players. Shouldn't George get to decide the Yankee way more than Goose Gossage?

If energy is coming from the top, why can't the players have that same fire? Hank Steinbrenner has made numerous comments through the media regarding the Red Sox and other teams, trash-talking them and referring to Yankee superiority. Why is that better than Melky Cabrera doing his signature handshake jump-and-bump high five with Robinson Cano after a win? 

I don't understand this comment by Gossage, who is a man who criticized Hall of Fame voters for keeping him out for so long. Was that following the Yankee way?

- D. Spell

You Get a Parade, But You're Still Sixth Best

ESPN released its preseason NFL power rankings on Monday, slating the Giants in as the sixth best team in the league. Sorry but didn't they just win the Super Bowl?

The power rankings have the Cowboys, a team the Giants beat in the playoffs last season, ranked ahead of the G-men as the fourth best team. This may be a bit high for a team that has lost two consecutive playoff games with Tony Romo at quarterback. 

Once again, everybody is talking about how the Jaguars are underrated. I don't understand how this team is so overrated by its underratedness. How has this team improved in any way from last year? Realistically, David Garrard will not be as good as he was last year when he only threw three interceptions. Clearly, they are a competitive team, but they lost in the second round last year and did not make any major off-season moves. I'm not sure how that dictates jumping over the Super Bowl Champs in the power rankings. 

Once again, the Giants seem to have been disrespected. Eli Manning's incredible playoff run was overlooked by the people at ESPN. Last January, we saw him develop into a big game quarterback. Clearly, this was not taken into account. 

Oh, and for those of you who care, the Jets are number 21.

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2008)

• Yankees at Rays 7:10 p.m. (YES) - Chien-Ming Wang has allowed only one homerun in 52 innings this season.
• Nationals at Mets 7:10 p.m. (SNY) - On a staff that includes Johan Santana, John Maine leads the Mets with a 3.00 ERA.

- D. Spell

We Remember - Luis Sojo

We will be running a segment called "We Remember" in an effort to honor old New York players, who may not have been the best, but were able to help their teams in different ways. Today, we remember Luis Sojo.

Game five. Top of the ninth. Two to two. Yankees have a three to one series lead. "Leiter has 141 pitches, this is gonna be number 142. The pitch...up the middle, base hit! They're gonna bring Posada to the plate. Payton's throw hits the runner. Brosius scores! Sojo goes to third. It's a two-run single by Luis Sojo and the Yankees take a 4-2 lead!" - Joe Buck

A better hitter than he was given credit for, Luis Sojo was described by Yankee announcer John Sterling as "The best .200 hitter ever". Sojo was a great utility player for the Yankees from 1996-2001. In one of the best moves of their dynasty, the Yankees claimed Sojo off waivers from the Mariners on August 22, 1996. Sojo, who was hitting only .211 in Seattle, hit .275 for the Yankees the rest of the season and .400 in the playoffs (.600 in the World Series). After only a few months as a Yankee, Sojo had already won a ring and established himself as a clutch and integral team player. The Yankees re-signed him before the 1997 season, a year Sojo did not disappoint hitting a career-high .307. 

Primarily a second baseman, Sojo was known most for his defense. He played every position in the infield along with left field. A versatile player, the Venezuelan native had soft hands, good range and a strong arm in the infield. But he could hit, too. Sojo is the proud owner of a walk-off hit against the Red Sox, a game-winning double down the right field line for a 7-6 victory in Yankee Stadium. In 2,571 career at-bats, he struck out only 198 times even though he used to hit in a lot of two-strike counts. With his short, compact swing, he was able to slap the ball through the infield often, making him a great hit-and-run guy.

The .261 career hitter would do anything for manager Joe Torre or his teammates. In fact, Sojo loved being a Yankee so much that when he was not re-signed after the 2000 season and was forced to sign with the Pirates, he would root for his former New York teammates every night, following the Yankee games daily. On August 7 of that year, the Yankees traded Chris Spurling to the Pirates for Sojo, who made a grand return to New York that night.  Sojo hit .288 the rest of the season in New York and contributed in the World Series, getting his famous series-winning hit at Shea Stadium off Al Leiter. 

Sojo will be remembered as a player who put everything on the line in order to win. As George Steinbrenner would put it, he was and always will be a true Yankee. He was one of the most relaxed and easy-going players I've ever seen, traits that are necessary in a guy who may not play everyday. They helped him become the best utility infielder of the 1990s.

Girardi Needs to Learn How to Make a Lineup

Before Sunday's Yankee game against the Tigers was rained out, Joe Girardi had penciled Derek Jeter into the cleanup spot in the lineup. Jeter hit is first homerun of the season the day before; it was his only long-ball in 133 at-bats this season. Girardi says that he made the decision because he wanted to give Matsui a day off. 

Clearly, Girardi is having trouble making the lineup this season. He has had inconsistencies throughout the year. Jeter's power seems to have diminished over the past few years. He seems to have gotten a bit weaker with age and with his hitting style - keeping his hands inside and hitting the ball the right field - he can't hit many homeruns since he doesn't get his arms extended.  Jeter has hit 27 homers in the past two years and 38 games, none of them traveling a long way.

Why does Girardi feel like he needs to give Matsui a day off? The Yankees were off the previous Monday, only six days prior. Why give your hottest hitter a day off and potentially ruin the best hot-streak the offensively challenged team has had by any individual all year. One of the first rules of managing - and something Joe Torre was so good at - is riding your hottest players. Torre seemed to stick to this theory without fail. Girardi, as a former player, should understand that if a player is hitting the ball well, only one day off can completely ruin his rythm. I also don't think he understands lineup construction.

In a game earlier this season, Girardi batted Morgan Ensberg fifth. I actually have no disagreement here. I think Ensberg has a very nice line-drive stroke and hits the ball back up the middle very well. He has been hitting much better than his numbers would show. Late in the game, Ensberg had a game-tying hit. Then, he came up in the ninth inning again with a runner in scoring position and a chance to win it. Here's the issue: Girardi pinch-hit. Now, why would you pinch-hit for your number five hitter? Why would you be hitting him fifth if you don't have the confidence to let him hit in that situation? Would he have pinch-hit for Cano? No. Would he have pinch-hit for Giambi? No. Then why didn't he bat them earlier in the lineup and move Ensberg to the seventh slot? I don't know.

He is a young manager but some of his lineup choices seem to nonsensical. Oh, this just in: Mike Mussina is leading off Monday in Tampa.

- D. Spell

David Ross Can't Count

What a strange occurrence. The last time I saw something like this, I was at a little league baseball game in Central Park. Yesterday against the Mets, Reds' catcher David Ross hit out of order in the lineup. Centerfielder Corey Patterson entered the game in a double switch, which had Ross hitting in the ninth hole and the pitcher moving to the sixth spot. However, Ross came to the plate where the eighth batter, Patterson, should hit, forcing the umpire to call Patterson automatically out for the first out in the inning.

How pissed must Patterson be? His average is down three points in an at bat which he never stepped into the batter's box. Ross eventually singled. Isn't Patterson thinking, "That could've been mine"? 

Manager Dusty Baker says that the lineup card in the dugout was correct and that Ross simply got confused. Shouldn't Dusty have been paying attention enough to pull Ross back into the dugout and send Patterson to the plate? He had the same dazed and confused look on his face as he did when he forget to keep Mark Prior's pitch count in every game of the 2003 season. Oh, The Dusty Baker Face. 

- D. Spell

TRIVIA OF THE DAY

After singing "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" yesterday at the Cubs' game, Tony Romo now has two career singing appearances. Unfortunately, they took the rest of the clip down.

- D. Spell

Wilson Betemit-More Like Wilson Gets Hurt A Lot

So Wilson Betemit is back on the DL this time with a strained hammy. Betemit has managed to not walk once this entire season-26 at bats, 7 hits, 7 strikeouts, and 0 walks. Not sure that that is what the Yankees wanted when they traded for Wilson last season. Betemit isn't exactly a great fielder either, taking ARod's spot at 3rd base, Betemit has look lost recently. In Friday night's game against the Tigers Betemit misplayed 3 balls in a row that were hit his way. Now that Betemit is hurt Morgan Ensberg will be given the opportunity to start regularly. Ensberg has struggled this season offensively, his first as a backup, but he is a very good fielder. He clearly is not much of an improvement over Betemit, if at all. Even with Ensberg at 3rd, the Yankees are still a total wreck at the position. Calling up Alberto Gonzalez, who was brought up to the Bigs to take Betemit's spot wont help matters much either. If ARod's injury is as mild as the Yankees seem to believe it is than this will hopefully be behind them soon enough. However, if ARod is out for an extended period of time, as many press sources are stating, then there will be a serious issue for the Yankees to deal with. They already need to find a catcher who can hit, since Moeller and Molina are not the answers there, they need to find another quality starter because Kei Igawa is still a member of the Yankees' rotation and Kei Igawa should not be in anyone's rotation, so if you add starting 3rd baseman and heart of the lineup to that list it looks as though this could be a very long season for the Yankees and their fans.

-Mose