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

It's Hard Out Here for a Star at USC

Since this is a New York Sports blog, I am writing this under the guise that if OJ Mayo is available for the Knicks to take in the NBA Draft, I think that they should select him, over Eric Gordon and over Jeryd Bayless.

By now I am sure that you have all read the story about one of OJ Mayo's confidants coming clean about all of the violations that Mayo committed as a high schooler and as a freshman at USC this season. Allegedly Mayo was receiving cash and other gifts from his friend/advisor Rodney Guillory who was getting the money he was spending on Mayo from BDA (Bill Duffy Associates), the sports agency that Mayo signed with when he declared for the NBA draft. Obviously, if true, this is a violation of NCAA regulations and Mayo as well as USC and BDA should be punished for it. This is all well and good, I have no issue with there being punishments when a violation occurs. However, on Sportscenter this morning, there was a 5 to 10 minute piece in which the Outside the Lines reporters spoke with Louis Johnson (the confidant who is accusing Mayo and Guillory, after Guillory "sabotaged Johnson's relationship with Mayo") and then proceeded to follow around Mayo and Guillory with their accusations. The reporters ambushed Mayo the day of his press conference to announce his draft intentions, on one of the happiest and most important days of his life, Mayo was confronted and attacked by these so-called reporters. I understand that they were just doing their jobs and that as journalists it is their duty to find the truth. But Mayo is still just a kid, was it really that important for them to ruin his draft intentions? Did they need to come in guns ablaze trying to catch him and trick him into admitting that he had received money from BDA? No it was not. The piece reminded me of the recent Miguel Tejeda piece that Outside the Lines did, where they confronted Tejada about his age, and the fact that he is two years older than the Astros organization believed. Two freaking years. The way that ESPN covered the story you would have thought that he had admitted to taking steroids, with Roger Clemens, in Jose Canseco's house, will falsifying documents for terrorists. Yes Tejeda made a mistake and yes Mayo might have potentially made a mistake, but the guerrilla tactics that these reporters are using to confront these men make the reporters seem like the bad guys.

-Mose

TODAY IN SPORTS (MONDAY, MAY 12, 2008)

• Nationals at Mets 7:10 p.m. (SNY) - Odalis Perez has a 3.43 ERA in eight starts for the Nationals and is 0-3. Talk about your stagnant offenses...
• Yankees at Rays 7:10 p.m. (YES) - The Rays have scored four more runs than the Yankees, have allowed nine fewer and are 2.5 games better. Gotta love baseball.

- D. Spell

Last Weekend in New York Sports

Darrell was kind enough to give me the weekend off, I know you all missed me. Anyway if you took the weekend off to spend more time with your mother here's what you missed.

Friday:
Yankees-5 Tigers-6
As Darrell wrote so eloquently last week, Kei Igawa sucks. And he followed through on his terrible pitching ability Friday night going 3 innings, allowing 11 hits, 6 runs, and not striking out a single batter. Besides Igawa the Yankees were good Friday night, nearly coming back to tie the game up against Todd Jones, alas it was not to be. But 5 innings of shut out ball from the bullpen and another home run from Jason Giambi were very positive indicators for the Yanks. Even Robinson Cano had two hits, so you know it must have been a good day.

Saturday:
Mets-12 Reds-6
For the opening half of Saturday's doubleheader, the Mets came out swinging, scoring seven runs in the first five innings of off starter Matt Belisle and reliever Bill Bray, before Mike Lincoln came in and shut the door, allowing only four runs in two innings. Everyone was able to hit off of the Reds pitchers, David Wright had two hits and Carlos Beltran was able to hit a triple, his second of the season. Santana pitched well, although he did allow 10 hits in just six innings, but the offensive firepower was more than enough to make up for Santana's less than perfect pitching.

Mets-1 Reds-7
The second half of the doubleheader looked like the exact opposite of the first game. The Mets offense could not put it togther against Reds starter Bronson Arroyo, who surrendered just four hits over eight innings. Mike Pelfrey had a pretty good start himself, allowing two runs over six. And the game stayed close until the 8th, when Duaner Sanchez game up another two runs, and at that point it was all over. 3 unearned runs in the 9th off of a David Wright error, and the game ended up looking like a route, but it was really a close game for the Mets.

Yankees-5 Tigers-2
Darrell Rasner had his second consecutive strong start and the Yankees finally ended their losing streak against the Tigers. Derek Jeter hit his first homerun of the year and Jason Giambi continued his slump busting ways, hitting a double and driving in a run in the Yankees victory. The bullpen showed up yesterday as well, good for 3 innings of shutout ball. Kyle Farnsworth is securing his spot as the 7th inning guy in the Yankees bullpen, making this team reminiscent of the Yankees teams of yore, when the Yanks were nearly unbeatable with a lead after the 6th inning.

Red Bulls-2 LA Galaxy-1
In the first Red Bulls game since I wrote my post about them, the Bulls squeaked past the LA Galaxy thanks to goals by Angel (I mentioned him) and Danleigh Borman (I did not mention him). David Beckham is on the Galaxy and the Red Bulls held him scoreless even though he did take like 5 free kicks. Where is your bending power now punk? So the Bulls have not lost a game in four consecutive matches, and they have only played six matches in all. Just to remind you it is not too late to join the Red Bulls bandwagon.


The Knicks sign Mike D'Antoni to be their next head coach. Yeah, let's see how well that works out.

Sunday:
Mets-8 Reds-3
After taking the second game of the double header off on Saturday the Mets offense came back strong on Sunday, scoring six runs off of rookie Johnny Cueto in just 4 2/3 innings. Carlos Beltran hit an RBI ground-rule double and a two-run homer in the victory and Oliver Perez had one of his best starts of the season as the Mets took care of business at home against one of the worst teams in the Majors.

-Mose

TODAY IN SPORTS (SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2008)

• Yankees at Tigers 1:05 p.m. (YES) - Mickey Mantle hit his 500th homerun on Mother's Day. Let's see if the Yankees can work some more magic.
• Reds at Mets 1:10 p.m. (CW11) - Rookie Johnny Cueto has been much better than his numbers show. However, he has only topped 100 pitches once. 

Can Pedro Fix the Mets' Rotation?

The New York Post is reporting that Pedro Martinez may be back at the end of this month with some luck. Pedro threw 60 pitches off a mound yesterday in rehab for his injured hamstring. "He's definitely at the point of being on the mound," said Mets' General Manager Omar Minaya. "His arm feels good." Minaya wouldn't say when Pedro was going to pitch a simulated game, however, it is anticipated to be soon. At this point, however, you have to ask yourself: Can Pedro go through an entire rehab stint with no set-backs? Last year, the Mets had anticipated a Martinez return so many times, and so many times, he re-injured himself on the way back.

Here's where the Mets are wrong: They are putting too much pressure on Martinez to recover and come back to the team. Last year, they clearly rushed him, which is why he continually hurt himself. This year, they seemed to have not learned their lesson. Although Pedro was originally supposed to make his comeback in the middle of June at the earliest, the organization is now hopeful he can be back by the end of the month, within the next three weeks or so. There's no way that an older player with a long history of injuries and fragility and be so ahead of pace. The Mets are writing themselves a recipe for another Pedro hamstring injury.

Another possibility for a Martinez injury is to his arm or shoulder - his elbow, his rotator cuff, etc. When he has leg injuries, he tends to baby that side more-so than other pitchers. If he continues to do so, he won't push off his legs as much, where he gets almost all his power for his velocity. He will try to compensate by swinging his arm around harder. It could hurt his control, fundamentals and could injure his arm. 

- D. Spell

If We Knew This, Why Didn't Brian Cashman?

On Wednesday, we wrote that Kei Igawa's numbers in the Minor Leagues were not important. What would be indicative of his play in the Majors would be how he was pitching each hitter, how he was getting to that ERA. With the high curveball and the high and away fastball, he would be unable to produce in the Major Leagues. Well, we were right. Three innings, six runs and 11 hits later, Igawa looks worse than he did last year. How did Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi not know this? The Tigers hit .550 off him last night. Who's the fat toad now?

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2008)

• Reds at Mets 1:10 p.m. (SNY) - Johan Santana is only four wins short of 100 for his career. 
• Yankees at Tigers 3:40 p.m. (YES) - Darrell Rasner is only four wins short of nine for his career.
• Reds at Mets 7:30 p.m. (SNY) - Double the trouble.
• Red Bulls at Galaxy 10:30 p.m. (MSG) - David Beckham might be there. 

- D. Spell

No Longer Farns-Worthless

Kyle Farnsworth's appeal was worth it after all. After being penalized with a three game suspension for allegedly throwing at Manny Ramirez's head in a game between the Yankees and Red Sox on April 17th, Farnsworth's punishment was reduced to a one game suspension on Friday. 

When Farnsworth was initially suspended, my reaction was an overwhelming feeling of happiness. I wanted the Yankee set-up man out longer than three days. He had been horrible out of the bullpen for the past two years and was off to another poor start. 

However, since April 13th, Farnsworth has a 1.69 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP and is averaging 9.3 K/9. He has helped lead the Yankee bullpen, which has been surprisingly good, to major success thus far this season. Now, he's actually worth something.

- D. Spell

Award Injustices-Dominik Hasek Over Martin Brodeur 1996-97

We are going to be running a series highlighting the greatest award injustices (situations where the winner of an award clearly should not have been the victor) in New York sports history. We will be doing this in both directions-where a New York player was not given the award even when he was the superior player, and when a New York player was given the award even though there was a better option available. Today we will be examining...

Dominik Hasek's victory over Martin Brodeur for the 1996-97 Vezina Trophy

The Vezina Trophy, named after 1920's goaltender Georges Vezina, is awarded to the best goalie in the league. It is basically the CY Young of NHL awards, since goalies rarely win the Hart Trophy (the NHL's MVP award), winning the Vezina is the crowning achievement of a successful season. During the 1996-97 season there were two clear candidates for the Vezina, Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres, and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils. Their stats follow-

1996-97 Stats- Games Played Wins Losses Ties Shutouts GAA Save %
Dominik Hasek- 67 37 20 10 5 2.27 .930
Martin Brodeur- 67 37 14 13 10 1.88 .927

Brodeur and Hasek had remarkably similar seasons. They started the same amount of games, won the same amount of games had save percentages within .003 of each other. And yet Hasek won the Vezina trophy and he won it handily. Not only did Brodeur win the same amount of games as Hasek, but he last lost 6 fewer and tied 3 more, giving him a much better overall record. However, the two most vital parts of Brodeur's argument in favor of winning the Vezina over Hasek are his goals against average and the amount of shutouts he had. Brodeur's goals against average of 1.88, easily the lowest of any goaltender of the 96-97 seasonis incredibly impressive and nearly half a goal better than Hasek's GAA. Many people argue that, like ERA in baseball, GAA is heavily dependent on the defense in front of you but even so, a GAA that low is indicative of an amazing goaltender not just the caliber of his defense. The 10 shutouts that Brodeur had during the 1996-97 season also speak to the high-level that he was playing at.Having twice as many shutouts as Hasek, while playing the same amount of games lead me to believe that Brodeur was the better stopper that season.
Hasek went on to win three Vezina trophies, from the 1996-97 season through the 1998-99 season, while Brodeur was held without a Vezina until the 2002-2003 season. That Brodeur had to wait that long for his first Vezina is one of the greatest injustices in New York hockey history, especially since he should have had it won in the 1996-97 season.

-Mose

Ultimate Subway Series-Yankees Play In Series

Yankees Play-In Series: Best 3 out of 5
8. 1978 Yankees VS. 9. 1956 Yankees

Game 1
Home: 1978 Yankees-Ron Guidry Away:1956 Yankee-Whitey Ford

In the opening game of this play-in series each team put forth an excellent pitching effort. The game went through 10 innings in a 1-1 tie. Whitey Ford pitched brilliantly, allowing only 5 base runners over 10 innings, while Guidry only allowed 5 hits over 8 innings. The game reached the top 11th inning, with Sparky Lyle pitching for the '78 Yanks. Lyle give up two quick hits to Bill Skowron and Hank Bauer, and had to face Billy Martin with no outs and runners on first and third. Martin hit a triple into the gap in right field, allowing Bauer and Skowron to score, and Marting was driven in later in the inning by an Elston Howard sacrifice. With a 4-1 lead, Tommy Byrne came into close it out securing the win for the 1956 Yankees
Game MVP:Whitey Ford, 10 innings pitched, 1 ER.
1956 Yankees win 4-1.

Game 2
Home: 1978 Yankees-Ed Figueroa Away:1956 Yankees-Don Larsen

Trying to not fall into a 2-0 hole, the 1978 Yankees game out swinging against Don Larsen and the '56 Yanks. The game started out the '56 Yankees way, after Mickey Mantle hit a 3-run shot in the first, but it soon turned into a slugfest for the 1978 Yankees thanks in part to errors by Gil McDougald and Andy Carey. In all the '78 Yanks scored 15 runs, leaving the '56 Yanks in the dust. Home runs by Willie Randolph and Roy White highlighted the effort and Ed Figueroa pitched a complete game as the '78 Yanks tied the series at 1 game apiece.
Game MVP:Willie Randolph, 3 RBIs and 1 Homer
1978 Yankees win 15-5

Game 3
Home:1956 Yankees-Tom Sturdivant Away:1978 Yankees-Catfish Hunter

Game 3 saw another offensive explosion, but this time on the side of the 1956 Yankees. Catfish Hunter was dealt with handily as the '56 Yankees scored 7 runs in the 5th thanks to a bases clearing double by Elston Howard with the bases loaded and some sloppy defense from catcher Thurmon Munson who had a passed ball and an error in the inning. After that the '78 Yankees could not scratch anything together, getting only two men on base after the 5th inning.
Game MVP: Mickey Mantle, 2 doubles and 3 RBIs
1956 Yankees win 10-3

Game 4
Home: 1956Yankees-Whitey Ford Away:1978 Yankees-Ron Guidry

Playing for their tournament lives, the 1978 Yankees threw out Ron Guidry to face the '56 Yankees ace Whitey Ford. Unlike the first game of this series, the '78 Yankees were able to get to Ford, with 9 hits over 6 innings. The scoring began in the 6th for the '78 Yankees, after singles from Lou Pinella and Thurmon Munson were followed by hits from Mickey Rivers and Bucky Dent scoring both runners. The '78 Yanks scored two more in the 7th thanks to a Graig Nettles double with 2 men on base. That turned out to be enough as Ron Guidry pitched a beautiful game, allowing just 2 runs in a complete game victory, as the series returns to 1978 for the deciding game of the series.
Game MVP:Ron Guidry, Complete Game, 2 runs allowed, 9 strikeouts
1978 Yankees win 5-2

Game 5
Home: 1978 Yankees-Ed Figueroa Away:1956 Yankees-Don Larsen

The 5th and final game of the series was also the most exciting of all 5 games. Ed Figueroa and Don Larsen paced each other through 6 innings, with the '56 Yankees holding a 1 run lead in a 4 to 3 game. Two-run homers by Gil McDouglad and Yogi Berra had given the '56 Yankees and lead and Andy Carey widened that lead the 3 runs with a 2 RBI double in the 7th. The game remained at 6-3 until the 8th inning until Tommy Byrne, in for relief of Don Larsen, walked 3 consecutive batters after surrendering a single to open the inning. Tom Morgan came in to the game to stop the bleeding, allowing only 2 more runs with the bases loaded and no one out, but at that point it was already too late and the '78 Yankees had tied the game at 6 going into the ninth inning. Don Gullett escaped the top half of the ninth thanks to a great defensive play at second base by Willie Randolph, which stopped a run from scoring. In the bottom of the ninth Roy White came to bat with the bases-loaded and 2 out, facing Rip Coleman, and he came through squeaking a single up the middle to drive in the deciding run of the series.
Game MVP:Roy White, series winning RBI
1978 Yankees win 7-6

1978 Yankees win series 3-2

-Mose

I Guess Green Really is the Color of Money

This offseason the Jets have spent an incredible amount of money in order to solidify their defense and offensive line. The moves on defense have garnered the majority of the attention-signing Cardinals OLB/DE Calvin Pace to a huge contract worth 22 million guaranteed, trading for run-stuffing defensive tackle Kris Jenkins from Carolina, signing corner back and former first round pick Andre Woolfolk, and finally veteran safety Artrell Hawkins.

The Pace signing, paired with the Jets first round selection of Vernon Gholston should create one of the best past rushing tandems in the entire NFL. I really like the Pace signing, even though the guaranteed money is a little high because with the departure of Victor Hobson to the Patriots there was a hole to fill and the Jets did what they needed to do to find a replacement. It seems like this is one of the first seasons in which the Jets organization actively attempted to fill holes through blockbuster free agent signings or trades as opposed to simply finding role players who were average at best. This pattern is easily seen with the acquisition of Kris Jenkins, who is a good fit for the Jets 3-4 defense, weighing in at 6'4 and 335 pounds if there was ever a body made to play the nose Jenkins is the one. And now that the Dewayne Robertson era is over, the Jets might actually be able to play some run defense next season.

The signings of Woolfolk and Hawkins are interesting because neither defensive back played even one down in the NFL last year. Woolfolk hasn't really had any impact in the league since 2005 when he played 13 games, had 55 tackles, and 1 interception. If Woolfolk manages to remain uninjured then he should be able to help the Jets in run support and he can play a decent 3rd or 4th corner. Either way he cannot be any worse than Andre Dyson. who the Jets waived in February. Hawkins, who last played in 2006 with the Patriots, will look to replace the departing Erik Coleman, who left for the Falcons in free agency. Hawkins is only 31 and had a very solid season with the Pats recording 73 tackles, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
On the offensive side of the ball The Jets biggest free agent signings were on the O-Line. Damien Woody was signed to play right tackle, and Alan Faneca signed another huge contract, with 21 million dollars guaranteed over 5 seasons. Woody is supposedly a great player, even though he was moved from guard to tackle last season and he played on one of the league's worst offensive lines in Detroit. I will take a wait and see approach towards Woody, I am not expecting an incredible season. Faneca is in my mind the premier offensive guard in the league and his acquisition should give a huge boost to the running game, where Thomas Jones and Leon Washington looked dazed and confused for the majority of last season. To further help Jones and Washington the Jets signed veteran full back Tony Richardson. It is unclear how much gas he has left in the tank, but Richardson has been one of the greatest blocking and receiving fullbacks in the league over the past 10 years.

The last offseason acquisition of any import was the signing of tight end Bubba Franks. I am worried about Franks' durability as he has missed significant time due to injury in two of the past three seasons, Franks signing paired with the selection of TE Dustin Keller in the first round of the draft leaves me even more confused about what the Jets are going to be doing offensively. Why the Jets chose to take Keller at the end of the first round instead of a big wide receiver like Limas Sweed is quite a mystery. I have no choice, but to hope that the Mangenious knows what he is doing, I just hope we don't end up running multiple 3 tight end sets, because that my friends is not fun to watch for anyone.

Going into the season the Jets have made some massive improvements, particularly on defense, but the situation at quarterback still leaves a lot to be desired. No matter how many weapons Pennington gets, he still will never be able to throw the ball more than 20 yards down field, and until Kellen Clemens becomes more consistent this could end up being another very long season for the Jets.

-Mose

TRIVIA OF THE DAY

Today's Yankees starter, Kei Igawa, has only one career quality start (three runs or fewer in six innings or more) in his career in 12 starts. It was almost 13 months ago (4/18/07).

Boomer's Back

May 17th will mark the ten year anniversary of David Wells' perfect game in Yankee Stadium, the second in Yankee history. Now, the past seems to be seeping into the present. Yesterday, David Wells said that he wanted to return to pinstripes. 

When asked what he thought of the 45-year-old lefty, who was 9-9 with a 5.43 ERA combined for the Dodgers and Padres last season, Hank Steinbrenner responded, "I've thought about it. You never know." Steinbrenner went on to say that he has not spoken about this idea with General Manager Brian Cashman, yet.

The Yankees rotation has been spotty at best. Aside from Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte, no one has been consistent. Mike Mussina has actually been decent of late, however, he has trouble going more than six, and sometimes five innings. Hughes is injured, Kennedy might as well be. The Yankees' four and five starters right now are Darrell Rasner and Kei Igawa. They are desperate to find more starting pitching, however, they should never be so rash to sign David Wells.

When Wells said that he would want to return to New York, that he thinks he could still have a positive impact on the Yankees' staff, he was asked what kind of shape he is in. My favorite part of this piece by the New York Post is that it quotes Wells as saying, 

"I'm in shape, I'd just have to fine-tune a couple of things. I'd need a little bit of time, but not much. Physically I feel fine, real good."

By a couple of things, I hope he is referring to his gargantuan belly, which files out his prominent 300-pound, cough, I mean 248-pound frame. (Did he actually say he was 248 pounds? Does he think he's fooling people?) He already has back problems from the wear and tear of a long career. His extra weight will be an issue more so than ever, now that he is a middle-aged man. 

He had a 5.43 ERA pitching in the National League last year. Let's not forget that. If Roger Clemens' ERA sky-rocketed two runs in his league-switch last season, think about how much the change would affect Wells, a pitcher of similar age, but not similar ability of physical shape.

Wells in a return to the Bronx would be a disaster. I will remember one thing about David Wells' legacy in New York. It's not the perfect game. It's not the 18-4 '98 season. It's not the 19 win season only a few years ago. It was when he screamed at a teammate for making an error behind him allowing for the only time I have ever seen Derek Jeter lose his temper on the baseball field. The Captain put Wells in his place. You don't slight another teammate on the field because of a physical error. 

To me, Wells' character will always be in question. He drinks nights before he pitches, he does not hold his teammates to a top priority. It's not worth it to bring a guy like that into your clubhouse, especially when he will contribute with an ERA of 5.50 at best.

- D. Spell

D'Antoni May Be Coming To New York

Knicks' fans, I give you a premature congratulations on your new head coach, Mike D'Antoni. ESPN is reporting that the Knicks have outlined a deal for the Suns' head coach, who is now their number one priority this off-season. The deal is five-years and an estimated $30 million, a contract that would make the Phoenix coach the highest paid coach in the league next to the Lakers' Phil Jackson.

It seems like for the first time since the Jeff Van Gundy days, the Knicks have done something right. Donnie Walsh seems to have handled the coaching situation quite well. The Knicks have made it public that D'Antoni is far and away their first choice, letting him know that they are willing to put other coaching jobs on the line for him. 

Although it has been reported ever since D'Antoni was given permission by the Suns to talk to other teams that his top choice is Chicago (understandably so), Ric Bucher of ESPN the Magazine is now saying that D'Antoni's interests have changed. His first choice seems to have shifted to New York. Although the Knicks are now his top pick, D'Antoni says he will wait for a Bulls offer before he commits to anything. The Bulls are expected to offer him a contract by Sunday at the latest, however, they have said that they will not get involved in a bidding war. They still owe Scott Skiles $4 million after firing him (even though he has already signed a deal to coach the Bucks). Bulls' management has made it public that they don't want to add on too much more salary to their coaching staff.

According to Donnie Walsh, the Knicks have not made any formal offer to D'Antoni. However, this may simply be a technicality, a ploy to the media in order to avoid any sort of tampering violations - which happen in sports all the time without the media finding out. He seems to know what he's doing. Or maybe I've just been around Isaiah Thomas for too long.

- D. Spell

TODAY IN SPORTS (FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2008)

• Yankees at Tigers 7:05 p.m. (MY9) - The Yanks try to tie the Devil Rays for second place...I can't believe I just uttered that sentence. 
• Reds at Mets 7:10 p.m. (SNY) - Mike Pelfrey allowed only two runs in six innings in his only career start against the Reds. 

- D. Spell

The Patriots Are Bigger Cheaters Than We Thought

We know this is a New York sports blog, but this story has encompassed every city in the country. The Patriots are even bigger cheaters than we thought they were. 

Yesterday, Matt Walsh handed the NFL eight video tapes of his stealing signs for New England. Although it was reported by the Boston Herald before this year's Super Bowl that the Patriots had stolen defensive signals from the St. Louis Rams in a walk-through before the 2002 Super Bowl, there was no evidence of this in Walsh's tapes. The initial reaction of the media and presumably of the NFL was that "Spygate" was not as drastic as it seemed. 

However, it is being reported now that the Patriots were stealing not only defensive signals with their video tapes, but also offensive signals. As part of a pact that he accepted with the league, the former Patriots' video assistant agreed to hand over all tapes that he had filmed in his years in New England. Tape number three was labeled "OFF signals" and contained footage of the Miami Dolphins' calling their offensive signals in a 2002 game. It is assumed that although those eight games are the only that Walsh still has possession of, that they are not the only ones that were filmed by New England. In fact, one of the eight tapes turned in by the former Patriots' employee was not even filmed by him and was taped after he was promoted from the video department. 

The questions that this leaves me asking is what should the punishment be for the New England Patriots and how will their affect their and Bill Belichick's legacy? After not being completely truthful about video taping this season - they were taping offensive signals, also - I would once again take away their first round pick in the draft. In fact, they, in effect, still had a first round pick this season. (They drafted seventh overall, taking the 49ers spot in the NFL Draft.) I would also fine Belichick another $250,000 to bring his total Spygate fine to a clean $1 million. He knew what he was doing was wrong and, yet, continued to film opposing coaches. He then lied to the media, the fans and most importantly, the NFL about who he was filming and how often he was filming them. 

The Patriots will always have their three Super Bowls from this era - there may be more to come - but there will always be an air of skepticism surrounding them. Would they have been a great team without the video taping? Absolutely. Did they need to tape opposing coordinators? Probably not. This entire situation could've been avoided in New England by some simple common sense and ethics. 

- D. Spell

New Background

We were a bit worried from the beginning about the background, so we have decided to change it after a few wise words from our friend Jonah Keri over at ESPN. I must admit, I liked the black background with white writing, but when I first mentioned it to Jim, he said to me, "Don't you think it might be stressful for the eyes?" Of course it wouldn't. What's the difference between black on white and white on black? Then, a friend called me emo for having a black background on my blog. I didn't appreciate his comment, but realized his right to the First Amendment and backed off.

After receiving an email from Jonah Keri, an ESPN baseball columnist, we have decided to change our background after four days of experimentation. Jim left the decision up to me, so we will now have the yellow background that you see. If we get the same complaints about this, then screw everyone. I'm not going through this process again. 

"Seems like white writing on black background might be hard on the eyes," Jonah said via email. Well, here's your gift Mr. Keri: a new background. 

- D. Spell

Last Night in New York Sports

Yankees-6 Indians-3

The Yankees finished off their series against the Indians with a solid 3 run victory. Thanks to home runs by Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, and Wilson Betemit the Yankees powered their way to victory. The Bombers went up 3-0 in the 4th after Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi hit their home runs, but Mike Mussina gave the lead right back in the 5th, in part due to Bobby Abreu's terrible fielding effort. Yet the Yankees answered right back with a Damon RBI double and they did not look back. The bullpen pitched very well, combining for 4 innings of 2 hit ball, including a solid inning from Joba Chamberlain, who struck out his tormentor from earlier in the week, David Delluci, to end the 8th. This was a very positive game for the Yankees offensively as Giambi hit two shots, one caught near the warning track, and Robinson Cano went 2 for 3 which could potentially signal the end of his cold start to the season.

-Mose

We Remember - Chris Childs

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 Chris Childs.

He didn't go straight to the NBA. After going undrafted in 1989, point guard Chris Childs graduated from Boise State and left to play in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) hoping to be signed by an NBA team, eventually. Childs dedicated himself to the CBA from the '89-'90 season to the '93-'94 season, when finally made his mark averaging 17.9 points-per-game, 7.6 assists-per-game and winning the league MVP. He was signed by the Nets at the end of the season and was finally given his first shot at an NBA career. 

As a 27-year-old rookie, Childs started 11 games in New Jersey, averaging 5.8 points-per-game and dishing off 4.1 assists-per-game. In his second season, a contract year, Childs started 54 games at point guard for New Jersey, averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 assists, both career highs. He had a 17-assist game against the Lakers in February. 

At the end of the season, he signed with the Knicks, the team he will always be most associated with. In '96-'97 Childs helped the team to 57 victories and a playoff appearance. In '98-'99, he helped them win 27 games in a strike-shortened season and become the first number eight seed to power its way to the NBA finals. That same year, he was named to the All-NBA Interview Second-Team as one of the most likable and intelligent basketball players. A team leader, Childs continued to help the Knicks win until he was traded to the Raptors for Mark Jackson and Muggsy Bogues in 2001. It was the last time the Knicks have finished over .500.

After spending one and a half years in Toronto and 12 games in a return to New Jersey, Childs was released by the Nets and decided to call it quits. Childs' Knicks legacy: leader. His career points-per-game and three-point-percentage both climbed higher in the playoffs. We remember Childs as s big game player with a character that can't be questioned.

- D. Spell