Bronx Bombers? Not Quite.

Anybody who watched the New York Yankees in 2013 knows they did not have the powerful season we fans are used to. They had a plethora of injuries which left them grasping at straws to try and field a competitive team for most of the year. I was curious just how many home runs the Yankees left on the table as a result of all these injuries. I mean they ended up going 85-77 even with their drop in power so just imagine what they could have done with these extra dingers.

In total, the Yankees hit 144 homers in 2013 as compared to 245 (!!!!) in 2012. That's 101 fewer homers!! In the words of the illustrious Phil Rizzuto... "HOLY COW!" If that stat doesn't tell it all, I wanted to dig a little deeper and figure out just where those 101 homers went.

So first I will eliminate those players who would have played for the Yankees in their full stead even with a "fully" healthy squad. Robinson Cano, Alfonso Soriano, Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells, Ichiro Suzuki, Brett Gardner, Chris Stewart and even Jayson Nix were not really affected by injuries to themselves or others this season. Yes, I know Hafner and Nix did get hurt but Hafner's injuries were expected and Nix had about as many at bats as he should have due to injuries from other players. All in all, these players were able to amass 89 home runs in 2013. That's roughly 62% of the team's total output on the season.

I have taken a look at 4/5 of the outfield, designated hitter, second base, catcher and reserve infielder. How about first base, shortstop, third base, backup catcher and the final outfield spot?

First Base: Mark Teixeira ended up playing only 15 games and hitting 3 home runs due to his wrist problems. However, his replacement Lyle Overbay was able to do an admirable job hitting 14 bombs. However, those 17 home runs are only half of Teixeira's average of 34 during his previous four years in pinstripes. So we can say the Yankees lost about 17 home runs from first base in 2013.

Shortstop: Derek Jeter is not a home run hitter by any means but he does have some pop. Same could be said for backup Eduardo Nunez. Unfortunately both were ravaged by injuries this season and only combined for 4 home runs. The numerous reserve shortstops didn't do any better only adding one homer from the position. 5 home runs from shortstop is putrid, for any team, especially when you consider Jeter has averaged 16 home runs per 162 games during his career. So there's another 11 home runs lost.

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez played 44 games and hit 7 home runs. Nuff said. If that doesn't tell a story then I don't know what does. His also numerous backups led by Kevin Youkilis (I know, I know) and Mark Reynolds were able to add 10 dingers. A total of 17 from third base when ARod has averaged 34 homers during his Yankee career. Again like with Tex, a drop off of 17 expected home runs. However, we must also look at Youk's lost home runs to be fair. He has averaged 23 home runs during his MLB career so that's another 21 homers lost in reality. So really the Yankees lost 38 long balls from this spot.

Backup Catcher: I may be stretching here but if Francisco Cervelli did not get injured and then suspended I believe he would have added some real pop. Austin Romine and Cervelli hit 4 homers in 2013 but I believe Cervelli could have hit about 5 more if he played a full season so I'm personally just adding 5 missed homers here without much factual evidence.

Final Outfield Spot: This is a big one seeing as this spot would have belonged to Curtis Granderson. Grandy hit 7 homers in 61 games. Looking back at his last 2 seasons he has hit 43 and 41 homers. So an average of 42 which means the Yankees lost about 35 home runs from Granderson in 2013. Wow.

In total, 17 lost homers from first base, 11 from short, 38 from third, 5 from catcher and 35 from outfield... That's 106 home runs lost. The Yankees hit 144...

Add the 106 lost to the 89 they would still have had and the Yankees would have hit at least 195 long balls in 2013. This isn't taking into account the protection for certain guys and all of that stuff. My point is that the Yankees could have hit about 200 home runs and instead they hit less than 150. Injuries. Injuries. Injuries.

Youk the Yank?

There is a serious possibility that Kevin Youkilis could end up in pinstripes. Fans seem to be split on how they would handle his addition. There are those fans who are 100% opposed to the idea because he played so many years for the hated Red Sox and fueled the biggest rivalry in sports. Others realize third base options are limited and welcome him to the team if he can help the Yankees win. I was literally split down the middle because I hate him as much as any Yankee fan out there, but then I thought about it and realized... he would be the perfect fit for this team. Here's why.

With the news that Alex Rodriguez will be out until at least June with hip surgery, there is a glaring need at third base for the beginning of the season and possibly further. Yankees fans wanted a platoon of Eric Chavez and Jeff Keppinger but they both got taken off the board during the winter meetings (not that I'm all too upset about that but that's a different story). That left few options to pick from. So why is Kevin Youkilis the perfect fit? Well let's start with his ability to play both corner infield positions. Why is first base important you ask? Well Mark Teixeira is there but he always could use a day off and what if he gets banged up? Who plays first? Nick Swisher? He's unlikely to return. There is not a single player on the roster that can play first besides Tex. So Youkilis can play third base until Alex returns and then either DH or rotate in at third or first when Alex needs a day or if Tex needs one. Then there's the fact that the Yankees are overloaded with lefty bats. Youkilis can add balance to the order allowing Joe Girardi to mix his lineup around without stacking too many lefties together. Plus, Youkilis is great at using all parts of the field. What is Yankee Stadium known for? That's right, a short right field porch. Youkilis could absolutely abuse that ala Russell Martin. I know Youkilis had a down average year but he is an established hitter who has been in the dogfight that is the AL East and specifically he knows how intense the New York/Boston rivalry is.

I'm not going to tell you how to feel nor tell you who you think should be our opening day third baseman, but the addition of Kevin Youkilis truly couldn't be a better fit.

There is a Correlation Between the Yankees and the Devils

I've been saying this for a while now and it's 4 New Jersey Devils victories away from my Nostradomus-like prediction to come true. I've been saying that the Devils will, in fact, win the Stanley Cup in this the 2011-2012 NHL Season. Why was I so sure? Well I had a hypothesis that they were going to follow in the New York Yankees' footsteps of winning it all the year after they surprisingly miss going to the postseason. Here's the breakdown...

New York Yankees


Made the playoffs from 1995-2007: a span of 13 straight years.
Missed the playoffs in 2008
Won the World Series in 2009

New Jersey Devils


Made the playoffs from 1996/97-2009/10: a span of 13 straight years.
Missed the playoffs in 2010/11
Are currently in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012

Seems a little like destiny eh?

New York, New York (Parody)

Start speading the blues

You’re losing today
I want to win and save and hit
New York, New York

These Marty taunts
Are really stupid
From every person in the crowd
New York, New York

I wanna listen to an arena
That isn’t so dumb
And find we beat you to hell
Seven to one!

These little town Devils
Are winning it all
We’ll make a nice, long parade for it
In old Newark

If we can win it there
We’ll win it anywhere
You’re gonna lose
New York, New York

New York, New York
I want to beat you
In the most convincing way
And find we’re A-number one, top of the list
King of the hill, A-number one

These little town Devils
Are winning it all
We’ll make a nice, long parade for it
In old Newark

And... If we can win it there
We’re gonna win it anywhere
You’re gonna lose
New York, New York

My Personal Memes

I've recently been on a meme kick so here is a collection of all my sports related meme's...

Schotty Doesn't Know

This is a parody on the song Scotty Doesn't Know from the movie Eurotrip, written by me...

Schotty doesn't know,
That Shonn Greene,
Can run the ball every Sunday.

Yet he keeps calling passes,
But they never work,
Still he throws and throws, and...

Schotty doesn't know, oh.
Schotty doesn't know-oh.
So don't back Schotty!
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know.
SO DON'T BACK SCHOTTY!

Rex says he wants running,
Instead Schotty keeps on shunning.

Cause Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know.
So don't back Schotty.
Schotty doesn't knoooooow....
DON'T BACK SCHOTTY!

I can't believe he's so clueless,
While he stands there looking foolish.

Fans are bitching from the crowd,
and he stands there dumb and proud.
It's an easy play call,
and he knows nothing.
NOTHING!!!

Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Don't back Schotty.
Cause Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't knoooooow....
SO DON'T BACK SCHOTTY!

We'll fire his ass, he has to go.
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't knoooooow....

Throw a lot, why not?
Two 40 yard plays all season.
His play-calling, just blows.
Screaming so loud, cuz...

Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know.

He’s the worst I just have to say.

Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Schotty doesn't know,
Don't back Schotty.
Schotty doesn't knoooooow....

Schotty’ll never know,
Schotty won’t know,
Schotty's gotta go,
Gonna fire Schotty,
Gonna can him myself.

Schotty has to go,
Schotty has to go,
Schotty has to,
Schotty has to,
Schotty has to go!

Schotty doesn't know,
(Don't back Schotty)
Schotty doesn't know,
(Don't back Schotty)
Schotty doesn't know...
Schotty's gotta go!

Rapid Reaction: @ Nashville, 10/15/11

Tonight the Devils played, in my opinion, their best overall game of the season. They overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Predators 3-2 in a shootout. Here are the most important things to take away from the victory:

Questionable Call - David Clarkson was sent to the box with a 5 minutes boarding major when he was said to have checked a defenseless skater from behind. However, replays show it was more from the side and looked worse than it actually was. Nonetheless, the Devils eventually surrendered 2 goals at the end of that penalty (even though one was technically an even-strength goal).

Moose is the Man - Johan Hedberg, starting for the banged-up Marty Brodeur, was brilliant yet again. He saved 29 of 31 shots including a penalty shot when the game was still scoreless. Moose also made a save as time expired in regulation earning the Devils a trip to OT. And the two goals he did give up he had no chance on.

Devil Dominance - After the Predators went up 2-0, the Devils kicked their game into a whole 'nother gear. Their passing was crisp, their shots were plentiful, and their overall energy was electrifying. If it wasn't for Pekka Rinne's outstanding goalkeeping, the Devils would have scored 10 goals tonight.

Ugly PP - The Devils' first goal came on one of the ugliest power plays they have had this season. They had no control, no cohesion and yet Kovy wristed one past a screened Rinne. Finally the Devils had life.

Unsung Hero - Coach DeBoer made some subtle changes to the lines that ignited the offense in the late-second and third period. When teams were at 4 aside, DeBoer used his 3 best forwards and a defenseman to try to get more offense (something old Devils coaches would never flinch at trying). He also swapped Zubrus and Sykora on the 1st and 3rd lines which ended up resulting in Sykora's new line creating a turnover and tying the game at 2.

Tedenby - Mattias Tedenby has had one of the most consistent seasons of any player. His stats wouldn't tell you that but if you watch the game, his puck possession and vision have been exquisite. Tonight he took a turnover in the offensive zone and set up Clarkson for the game-tying goal with beautiful pass across the slot.

Deja Vu - The game eventually went to a shootout and it was Thursday night all over again. Kovy and Parise netted their attempts and Moose stopped both shots on him. The only difference was that both Kovy and Parise fooled Rinne by faking the backhand that they scored with on Thursday and scoring on the forehand. Those two are so skilled it's just not fair for opposing goalies. Anyone remember Kovy's attempt @ Buffalo last year? Well maybe, but it seems like old news nowadays.

Rapid Reaction: vs. Los Angeles, 10/13/11

Just got back from the Rock and I'm pretty psyched over the Devils' 2-1 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Here are the things to take away from the game:

Slow Start - The Devils began the game just as bad, if not worse than, their opening game against Philly. They could not get the puck out of the zone, took an unnecessary penalty and created too much work for Martin Brodeur. This resulted in a quick one goal deficit when Simon Gagne put the puck in past a helpless Brodeur.

Huge Answer - The second half of the first period was a total reversal from the first half. The Devils played with energy, aggression, poise and offense! Their top scoring line created some solid pressure on Jonathan Quick and Patrik Elias flipped a rebound in to tie the game and relieve the tension in the crowd.

Scary Moment - In the Kings initial flurry to begin the game, Brodeur was forced to make a couple of spectacular saves, however, they did come at a cost. Brodeur ended up getting hurt on one of his sprawls and had to leave the game after the first. Thankfully DeBoer says he is day-to-day.

Mooooooose! - Johan Hedberg relieved Marty and was perfect. He made every save asked of him and stopped both of the Kings' shots in the shootout. It is truly a blessing to have a top-notch backup.
Shootout Skills - Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise were the 2 Devils shooters to take an attempt in the shootout and they both came through with goals. Kovy top-shelfed Quick and Parise used his patented fake forehand, backhand shot to net his.

Another Small Crowd - Yet again, the Devils played to an underwhelming attendance. For every seat occupied, there were 5 or 6 empty ones. Surprisingly, the crowd had a lot of energy and lived or died with every play. It may have not been packed but those who were there did their part to cheer on their beloved Devils.

Looking Ahead - The next game for Jersey's team is their first road test of the season. They head to Nashville on Saturday to take on Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators (2-0-0; but who currently trail the Coyotes 4-2 late in the third) at 8:00 on MSG+2.

Huge Bounce Back Victory

There was nothing more the Devils needed on Columbus Day than a solid bounce back effort coming off their opening night flop against the Flyers. To say they needed a win is an understatement but, in reality, what they needed most was a goal. You can't win without scoring... Enter Captain Zach. Zach Parise, the newly elected captain of the Devils, got the monkey off their back by redirecting a Patrik Elias shot to give the Devils an early 1-0 lead. Had the 'Canes scored first there might have been a unified groan throughout the crowd and a feeling of "here we go again." However, that feeling reared it's ugly head twice in the second period. Two more crucial Devils mistakes led to a pair of 'Canes goals (which were wrapped around a Fayne wrister) to tie the game at 1-1 and then again at 2-2. The first goal was a result of, yet again, inability to clear the puck from the zone. The Devils were stuck in their own zone for over a minute and it cost them. The second goal resulted from a turnover when they attempted to enter the attacking zone. Carolina picked up the puck and turned it into a goal the other way. At the end of the second period the score was still tied at 2 and the start of the third did not help matters. Nick Palmieri and Elias penalties created a 5-on-3 for Carolina and things were not looking good. The Devils manned up and killed off the penalties leading to some heroics by the million dollar man, Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovy took his own rebound and put it in over the sprawling Cam Ward to give the Devils the lead for good. Parise added an empty netter for good measure. Except for the two costly mistakes, Jersey's team did what they needed - they scored goals, played mostly solid defense and thus earned a huge win.

Opening Night Stinker

Opening night could not have gone any worse. With a packed house full of enthusiastic fans ready to explode at the first sign of life, the Devils never offered them that opportunity. Getting blanked 3-0 by the hated Flyers brought back dismal memories of last season. The Devils could not muster up any sustained offensive attack. Their best chance came in the waning moments of the second period when the Parise - Elias - Sykora combination created a glorious opportunity that left Sykora at the side of the net with Bryzgalov no where in sight. Sykora sent the puck off the side-netting, the period ended and momentum along with it. Aside from the weak offense, their defense was the worst I've seen in my tenure as a Devils fan. Penalty Kill notwithstanding, they could not get the puck out of their zone. Numerous errant passes and failed clears resulted in a plethera of turnovers that surprisingly only amounted to a total of 3 goals against. Why? Because Marty Brodeur played like he was 25. He stopped 26 of 29 Flyer shots but performed way better than the stats show. He stuffed 3 breakaways and many other close-in chances. All-in-all it was a game that lacked continuity and flow out of the team in red and if not for their 39 year-old goaltender, the final score would have been much worse.

I'll Make a Brand New Start of It

Well this is my first blog in a while - thanks to my extremely busy college schedule. So this will not be the first of many, sadly. But last night's Yankees loss was too big of a moment not to give my thoughts about. They lost 3-2 to the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS and got eliminated from the playoffs to the delight of Red Sox fans, Mets fans and TBS broadcasters everywhere (if you watched the series, you know what I'm talking about). But I'm not here to talk about the game or what transpired the last week. As a true fan of my team, today is the first day of next year. The postseason is over in any Yankees fan's mind and that means that we get to look forward to an offseason that can prove to be a enjoyable one or has the prospects to be devastating.
The first big decision will be that of CC Sabathia, our Ace of the rotation. Does he opt out seeking a bigger contract or does he decide to stay and play out the last 4 years of his deal for a team he loves. Without CC, the Yankees are nothing this year. The next big decision is if Brian Cashman decides to return as the GM. Cashman, hands down, is the best GM in baseball. You can say he didn't make any moves this year and that cost them in the playoffs. While the latter is true, there were no logical moves to make. He always puts the team in a great position to win and that's all you can ask of your GM. Thirdly the Yankees need to re-sign Nick Swisher and Russell Martin. There has been a lot of displease with both players but I completely don't understand it at all. Swish is the glue of the team. He provides energy and enthusiasm to an extremely veteran and focused ball club. Not to mention he has become a better defender and is always dangerous from both sides of the plate. Martin also had a GREAT year. Sure he only batted in the .230's but he provided nice power and production out of the bottom of the lineup all year AND he was OUTSTANDING behind the plate. He threw runners out at at will and blocked everything thrown in the dirt. He also proved he can stay healthy. Both of those guys need to come back.
And now looking forward to next year... If I had my wish and could make the Yankees the way I wanted, this would be my 25-man Opening Day squad and lineup. Enjoy.

Starting Pitchers
CC Sabathia
Ivan Nova
Phil Hughes
AJ Burnett

Relievers
Hector Noesi
Boone Logan
Cory Wade
Joba Chamberlain
Rafael Soriano
David Robertson
Mariano Rivera

Catchers
Russell Martin
Francisco Cervelli
Jesus Montero

Infielders
Mark Teixeira
Robinson Cano
Eduardo Nunez
Derek Jeter
Alex Rodriguez

Outfielders
Nick Swisher
Curtis Granderson
Brett Gardner

I know that's only 22 players. The other 3 would be 2 bench players and a new starter whom I cannot name because I don't know who will be available this offseason. The starter needs to be a solid acquisition either through Free Agency or via a trade. Garcia and Colon did good for us but that spot NEEDS to be upgraded. As far as Jones and Chavez on the bench, I'm not ruling out a return for either guy but I would like more speed and versatility on my bench. Someone like Jerry Hairston Jr. who we had in '09 would be perfect. He can play 6 positions and is good handling the bat and has decent speed.

Lineup vs. RHP & LHP
Brett Gardner - LF
Derek Jeter - SS
Robinson Cano - 2B
Alex Rodriguez - 3B
Mark Teixeira - 1B
Curtis Granderson - CF
Jesus Montero - DH
Nick Swisher - RF
Russell Martin - C

Gardner needs to lead-off. He struggled this year in that spot but let him lead-off 160 times and see how disruptive he can be for opposing pitchers. Jeter slides down to his natural 2 hole and can hit and run with Gardy on and we will end up with 1st & 3rd no one out so many times. Then that brings up our best hitter - hands down - Robbie Cano. Nuff said. Behind him will hopefully be a HEALTHY Alex Rodriguez. When healthy, ARod is a force. Then comes Tex in the 5 hole and following him is Grandy. Why do I have the possible MVP hitting 6th? Because he strikes out too much to be at the top of the order and he's now more of a power/production hitter. Why not bat him 5th? That's easy. It's to add another righty bat between him and Cano in case an opposing manger wants to bring in a lefty. Now he would have to go thru ARod and Tex with that lefty and that's something no one wants to do. So Grandy gets a nice matchup vs. a righty. Then we end with Jesus, Swish and Martin. Jesus and Swish can switch depending on who's hotter but I like breaking up righties if possible and giving Jesus a chance to shine like we all know he can. Thoughts?

Fantasy Failure

Today was not the greatest when it comes to my fantasy baseball squad. Russell Martin, the catcher for the New York Yankees, was left sitting on my bench as he decided to go 5-5 with 6 RBI, 2 HR and 2 R scored. It was only one of the most epic performances of the season and my personal error made it as though it never happened. The way the league I'm in works is that the player is locked in to his slot when his game starts. Usually that's not a problem because Martin is always slotted in the Catcher's slot. The problem is that he had the day off yesterday so I moved Miguel Montero, the Arizona Diamondbacks' catcher, into that slot and Martin to the bench. Hideki Matsui, the Oakland Athletics' OF/DH, was then moved to the Utility slot. Then when today rolled around I hadn't been able to check on my team because I had a haircut at noon and then went out to get lunch. I had plainly forgotten about the team with other stuff on my mind. Then when I finally checked the team at around 1:40 I realized my fatal flaw. With so many players off today, I could easily have moved Matsui into an Outfield slot and Martin into either the Catcher or Utility slot. Sadly he was left on the bench unable to be moved. At this point I said to myself I hope he hits 3 homeruns to spite me. Funny thing is that he almost did just that. He hit a solo homer in the 2nd inning and a Grand Slam in the sixth. Then he one-hopped one off the wall in the 8th, just missing his 3rd homer of the game. Suffice to say, his 5-5 day made me regret not checking the team earlier, but the reality is that I'm destined for the playoffs anyway and the Yankees won which is the most important thing of all.

New York Rangers Preview

Being a New Jersey Devils fan, my strength does not lie with covering the Rangers. I know my fair share from living in the metropolitan area but not as much as is needed to write a preview for them. Thus, I asked my friend Andrew Shapiro, a diehard Rangers fan to write up a review on the Blueshirts for me. I think he did an outstanding job. I made a few additions and it came out great. Here's our (but mostly his) take on the new and improved New York Rangers:

The 2010-2011 season saw the Rangers sneak into the playoffs with a little help from the Carolina Hurricanes, only to be eliminated in 5 games by the Washington Capitals. This year, however, I don’t see the Rangers needing any help to make the playoffs. They dealt more players than they signed, but it seems to have paid off for them.

New Arrivals: The Rangers acquired the crown jewel of the free agent market in Brad Richards, signing him to a 9-year deal. The 31-year old center put up some big numbers last year with Dallas (28 G, 49 A in 72 games), and New York is counting on him to do the same this year. He’ll most likely play on a line with Marion Gaborik and Derek Stepan, who had a superb rookie year (21 G, 24 A) and would have been a contender for Rookie of the Year had it not been for Jeff Skinner of Carolina.
The Rangers also added tough guy Mike Rupp, who was a known Ranger-killer last year, scoring 5 goals in 6 games against the Blueshirts while playing with Pittsburgh. In addition to his scoring, Rupp will add toughness to an already physical fourth line featuring Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust. These two will also be New York’s primary penalty killing unit, a special teams feature that was among the best in the NHL during the 2010-2011 campaign.

Departures: The Rangers said goodbye to a lot of familiar faces this off season, releasing sophomore defenseman Matt Gilroy, veteran D-man Brian McCabe, and veteran forward Vinny Prospal. Prospal will play for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season after a shaky and injury plagued year with the Rangers (9 G, 14 A in 29 games). Gilroy, the former Hobey Baker Award winner as the nation’s top college player, moves to Tampa Bay to help strengthen their defensive corps. McCabe is still a free agent, but he is getting up there in years and not too many teams are sure of how much he has left in the tank. The Rangers also released last off-season’s key signing, forward Alex Frolov. Frolov was a bust for the Blueshirts last season, notching only 7 goals and 9 assists n 43 games. He spent most of the year injured, and even when he was healthy saw his playing time limited.

Overall: The Rangers look poised for another playoff run. I expect them to challenge the Flyers for the Atlantic Division, making this year’s Winter Classic all the more important. With the retirement of captain Chris Drury, the “C” is now up for grabs. My money’s on forward Ryan Callahan, but defenseman Marc Staal would also be a good pick. Whoever doesn’t get the “C” will certainly be named an alternate captain along with either Richards (most likely), or perhaps forward Brandon Dubinsky. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist should provide New York with another 30-win season, and the rest of the Rangers forwards should produce solid numbers. The Rangers’ Achilles heel, their Power Play, should be much more effective this year with the signing of Richards. The big question looming is one about their young defensive corps. While they have the potential to be extremely talented, there’s not much more than a year of experience after the combination of Staal and Dan Girardi. If that group can solidify then the Rangers will be a force in the Eastern Conference. Bottom line: The Rangers have a window of opportunity to win it all within the next couple of years, and I expect them to make a deep playoff run this year.

Projected Line Combos:
Marion Gaborik - Derek Stepan - Brad Richards
Artem Anisimov - Brandon Dubinsky - Ryan Callahan
Wojtek Wolski - Erik Christiansen - Sean Avery
Ruslan Fedotenko/Mike Rupp - Brian Boyle - Brandon Prust

Marc Staal - Dan Girardi

Ryan McDonagh - Michael Sauer
Steve Eminger - Michael Del Zotto

Henrik Lundqvist
Martin Biron

Fly Jets Fly

In their second preseason game, the Jets looked like a team that wants to back up Rex Ryan's bravado and win the Super Bowl. Granted, there is a lot of work left to do but tonight was a gigantic leap in the right direction. Playing without many key players (RB Shonn Greene, LB Bart Scott, LB Calvin Pace, RG Brandon Moore, DT Sione Pouha, WR Derrick Mason, and OL Robert Turner) the Jets were able to pound the anemic Bengals 27-7. Since this is the preseason and so many players were out, I will not say that there were any negatives with the game. Everyone made it through healthy and that's all that matters in these types of games. However, there are bright spots and here are the ones for Gang Green:

The Sanchise - Mark Sanchez looked great tonight throwing 12-20 with 173 yards and 2 scores. He managed the offense with great poise and leadership; no dumb passes and had a very clean and solid outing.

Plax is Back - The biggest storyline going into the game was the return of WR Plaxico Burress. Last playing an NFL game (whether regular season or preseason) exactly 1000 days ago, Plax looked like he never missed a beat. Sanchez hit him with his first pass for a 20 yard gain, he received a hearty ovation from Jets Nation and the night went up from there. He and Sanchez also connected for a patented Plax-go-up-and-get-it throw to the left sideline. The highlight of the night, however, came at the end of the first half when Sanchez threw up a ball for Plaxico in the corner of the endzone. Plax made a terrific over-the-shoulder grab and received an even bigger roar from the crowd.

Tone Time - Yes, Santonio Holmes showed up as well with his new P.I.C. and grabbed 3 balls with one going for a TD, the first points of the game. He was solid as usual.

Dustin Who? - Clearly I jest. Dustin Keller is an elite pass catching tight end, but continuing to stand out is reserve TE Jeff Cumberland. Cumberland moved up a spot on the depth chart this year with the loss of Ben Hartsock and looks poised to hold on to his roster spot. He has underrated speed and hands and could be a secret weapon for this offense come later in the season.

Pick Party - The Jets feasted on overwhelmed rookie QB Andy Dalton and co. on their way to a total of 3 interceptions. Eric Smith grabbed the first one and it was more of a gift than anything. The ball was dropped and tipped and ended up right in Smith's mitts who then pitched it off to Darrelle Revis for a nice return. Then Jim Leonhard picked off Dalton on a clear overthrow and one of the easiest picks you'll ever see. Thirdly, reserve OLB Brashton Satele picked-off backup QB Bruce Gradkowski and got tripped up mere feet from the goal line. Each one didn't take much skill but it was nice to see the Jets capitalize on some turnovers.

A Sack! Could it be?! - Former Buffalo Bills' bust OLB/DE Aaron Maybin made his Jets' "debut" tonight and it's safe to say he turned some heads. People laughed at the Jets for signing 'another Vernon Gholston' but tonight it was the Jets who were left laughing. Maybin only played a few snaps but he made the most of them. Mostly in on passing downs, Maybin made his mark in the fourth quarter. On 3rd & 11 he turned the corner and FLEW past his man as if he were standing still, blindsided the quarterback and forced a fumble. I'm not ready to put him in Canton yet but I sure see a lot more upside than Gholston ever showed. You can't teach speed and determination and that's what Maybin has.

The Amazin's?

Amazin'ly exciting that is! Today's Mets vs. Brewers game at Citi Field was a prime example of why I love watching the Mets play - and I'm a Yankees fan. Their games are flat out entertaining. They turned a late 7-1 deficit into a thrilling finish. Their comeback started in the 7th against starter Randy Wolf who had been dealing. Ronny Paulino and Nick Evans led off the inning with a pair of singles. Then Ruben Tejada, who is filling in for MVP candidate Jose Reyes, ripped a double down the left field line to bring in Paulino. Willie Harris, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, added a sac fly and that made the score 7-3. After an Angel Pagan RBI single the Brewers signaled the end of the day for Wolf and brought in veteran Takashi Saito. He immediately walked Justin Turner to load the bases for David Wright. Wright grounded into a fielder's choice and that brought up pinch-hitter Lucas Duda. Duda got a pitch he liked a smacked it into the left-centerfield alley, bringing in Pagan and Wright to bring the Mets within one.
Then in the bottom of the 8th, against their former closer Francisco Rodriguez AKA KRod, they took the lead. With 2 outs and nobody on KRod walked Tejada to bring up pinch-hitter Josh Thole. Thole, who used to catch KRod, got a pitch he liked and drove it to deep center. Jerry Hairston Jr. could not reel it in and Tejada scored all the way from first to tie the game. Then Pagan came up and delivered an improbable 2-run blast into the Pepsi Porch in right field to give the Mets a 9-7 lead! Sadly this game would end in disappointing fashion for the Metropolitans. Jason Isringhausen came on to go for career save 301 and he was awful; he faced 4 batters, walked 3 and gave up a single. That left Manny Acosta to have to come in in a 1-run game and face the dangerous Ryan Braun with the bases loaded. Acosta got Braun to fly out to shallow right. Crisis #1: averted. Now the Brewers had MVP candidate Prince Fielder coming up. Lefty Tim Byrdak was warming up in the bullpen for the Mets and everyone was waiting for manager Terry Collins to come out and take the ball from Acosta... that never happened. Collins shockingly left Acosta in to face Fielder and Fielder made him pay for it. He hit a slider in the dirt into right past the diving secondbaseman to tie the game at 9. Acosta then gave up a 2-run single to Casey McGehee and the Mets' 2-run lead quickly turned into a 2-run deficit. They went down without a fight in the 9th and lost the game.
The Mets may have lost the game but that doesn't mean that the game wasn't thrilling. Not only was it thrilling, it was completely unexpected - just like their entire season. If you told me that the Mets would hang around the .500 mark and be contenders for the Wild Card in July/August, I would have laughed in your face. I honestly thought this team would be one of the worst teams in the entire MLB. Boy was I wrong. Talent wise they may be one of the worst, but this team has something that many teams wish they had - heart. The Mets never give up. They never quit and always put up a good fight. That's the only reason they are even competitive in the vaunted NL East. Look at the guys they are currently missing and guys that they have missed for significant periods of time this season.

Johan Santana - Their ace. Former Cy Young Award winner. Has not pitched all season.
Ike Davis - Power-hitting first baseman out since May 10th. Presumably out for the season.
Daniel Murphy - Davis' replacement. Tore his MCL in early August. Was 5th in the NL in hitting.
Jose Reyes - MVP candidate at SS. Leading the NL in hitting. 2nd stint on the DL - hamstring.
David Wright - Former All-Star third baseman. Spent 2 months on the DL - stress fracture in his back.
Carlos Beltran - All-Star outfielder. Traded to the Giants in late July.
Francisco Rodriguez - Holds the record for saves in a season. Traded to the Brewers in mid-July.
Angel Pagan - Spent a stint on the DL early in the season - oblique.
Chris Young - Former #2 starter with the Padres. Lost for the season in May with more arm trouble.

That's seven important players that they have lost at one point or another for a significant period of time. Not to mention they have had absolutely NO production from former All-Star left fielder Jason Bay, a pair of backup catchers platooning behind the plate, two starting rookie second baseman and a mess of pitching. Yet this team scratches and claws its way into ballgames and has been able to pull more then their fair share of wins out. This team is a long way away from the playoffs but with a bunch of terrible contracts off the books next season look for the Mets to finally be able to build the team they want - and that all starts with re-signing Reyes. Without him, they are doomed.

New York Giants Preview

This is my take on the current Giants roster and the prospects for the upcoming season:

Quarterback:
Eli Manning comes into this season looking to have a big rebound year. Last year Eli threw for 4002 yards and 31 TD's which are pretty good numbers, however it was his 25 interceptions that made fans want his head. Sound familiar? In 2006-07 Eli threw 20 picks and fans wanted this guy run out of town. What happened the next year? He won the Super Bowl. So while he is not in the class of Tom Brady (although Eli would disagree) he is still a servicable NFL quarterback and with the right tools around him could have a solid season for Big Blue. The problem is that Jerry Reese, the Giants GM, has taken more players away than he has added and that signals trouble for #10.

Backfield:
The Giants backfield is the team's biggest strength on offense. Although they don't have a veteran fullback on the team, TE Bear Pascoe is used to provide lead blocking for their one-two punch of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw came out of nowhere in recent years to win the starting job away from Jacobs. Last season he racked up 1,235 yards with 8 scores but he does suffer from fumblitis. He fumbled 7 times (lost 6) last season and that was a real question mark during his free agency this summer. The Giants decided to bring him back anyway to become their feature back. Jacobs, who restructured his deal to bring Bradshaw back, has not lived up to the big money Reese threw at him but can be an effective short yardage, goal line type rusher - proof is his 9 TD's on only 147 carries. His 6'4" 264 lb frame makes for him to be a powerful short yardage rusher but he was earning everydown back kind of money, something Bradshaw is now making. D.J. Ware is also in the mix and will be used mostly on third downs and in case of injury.

Wideouts:
This is one of the biggest areas of concern for the offense. With the departures of #1 WR Steve Smith and #1 TE Kevin Boss, the Giants are in dire need of someone to step up and fill those shoes. They believe Hakeem Nicks can be the guy to assume the role of go-to pass catcher and Mario Manningham will be looked at as the #2 WR. Their depth is seriously thin at both WR and TE. While Nicks is a star in the making and Manningham has been dependable, there is not much after them. There is a plethera of unproven players: Victor Cruz, the preseason phenom of last season has no regular season experience. Ramses Barden, the 6'6" receiver has not been able to get on the field. Darius Reynaud, Domenik Hixon and rookie Jerrel Jernigan are viewed more as return men than WR's. It is probable that one these 5 will step into the slot role but if not, the Giants will rely heavily on the running game. You may ask why doesn't Eli throw to the tight end. Good question because even Eli doesn't know who his tight end is. Travis Beckum is in line to be the starter but the 3rd year player out of Wisconsin has never been more than a backup in his first 2 seasons in the NFL. Pascoe could see some time at TE along with some other candidates but none of these players can do what Kevin Boss did for the offense. The passing game is really going to suffer for Big Blue this season.

O-Line:
This is one of the most serious problems for the Giants. With veteran C Shaun O'Hara and veteran G/C Rich Seubert being released, the once dependable line is suddenly depleted. Former LT David Diehl will slide in to play LG and unproven player Will Beatty will be the starting LT. That signals trouble for Manning's blindside. The right side stays the same with Chris Snee manning RG and Kareem McKenzie at RT. McKenzie is coming toward the end and there are concerns if he can be the player he once was. Besides Beatty, the biggest question is new C David Baas. Baas is a guy no one has ever heard of. He was stuck on the San Francisco 49ers and finally gets a chance to be a starting center with Big Blue. He will need to fill the shoes of O'Hara, which is not an easy thing to do. If Baas can develop a rapport with Eli and Beatty doesn't get him killed then the line will have done it's job - unfortunately those 2 things are easier said than done.

D-Line:
Okay Giants fans, we can finally talk about something good! The Giants defensive line is the strongest part of the team. With Pro Bowlers Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora and 2nd year phenom Jason Pierre-Paul, the Giants' pass rush is a force to be reckoned with. Tuck came out from Michael Strahan's shadow and become one of the league's top pass rushers. Osi, who has had double digit sacks numerous times, finally seems content with his contract and will hopefully not be a distraction during the season. JPP has such a bright future. This kid, who only starting playing football his Junior year of high school, has all of the natural ability to get to the quarterback; pair that with a great motor and the sky is the limit. The question however lies in the interior. With Barry Cofield signing with the Redskins, that leaves seasoned veteran Rocky Bernard and youngster Linval Joseph and rookie Marvin Austin to stop the run. I believe they will be fine due to the fact that their DE's are so dominant there is no way that line can struggle.

Linebackers:
This group poses a lot of uncertainty for the G-Men. The linebackers as a whole haven't been a strength for this team in years. This year is no different. However, I think this group could surprise a lot of people. Michael Boley, Jonathan Goff and Mathias Kiwanuka are slated to be the starting three come Week 1. Boley was injured a lot last season and never really showed what he can do. Goff is not the greatest MLB in the game but he will be given a shot to get the job done. The biggest question out of these 3 is Kiwanuka. Aside from his health, there are questions asking if he can be a starting OLB in the NFL. His pass rushing abilities are outstanding but he notoriously struggles in pass coverage. This is a serious problem seeing as in their division alone there are very talented tight ends in Chris Cooley, Brent Celek and Jason Witten. The wild cards of the group are rookies Greg Jones and Mark Herzlich. Jones was an animal at Michigan State and could make a real impact at OLB. Herzlich was also a monster at Boston College. He was able to beat bone cancer and fulfill his dream of being in the NFL. If there is anyone to never bet against, it's him.

Defensivebacks:
The Giants suffered a pair of big blows already. First with 1st round pick CB Prince Amukamara being lost for at least 2 months with a broken foot. Amukamara was believed to be battling for a starting role but guaranteed at least a nickel spot in the lineup. He'll at least be back during the season. Then during their second preseason game, starting corner Terrell Thomas tore his ACL while rushing the passer and will miss the entire season. This means disgruntled Aaron Ross will need to step up and fill their shoes being the #2 corner. Easier said than done. The former 1st round pick out of Texas has not lived up to expectations and has constantly insisted he does not want to play Safety like the Giants want him to. He should now get one last shot at corner; what he does with it is yet to be seen. The other starting corners is Corey Webster. He is not the greatest corner in the NFL but he is a solid corner and will need to play out of his mind to make up for the losses Amukamara and Thomas. The brightest part of the secondary is the Safety position. A pair of former Miami Hurricanes, Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle man the back of the defense. It doesn't get much better than this pair, as long as Nevin Shapiro doesn't ruin things that is...

Special Teams:
This was, by far, the Giants worst facet of their game. Their offense and defense had their moments but Special Teams was atrocious. From kicking field goals, to kick returns, to punt coverage, to punting. Nothing seemed to go right. To be honest, I can't see this season being much different. The 2 areas they should improve on are returns and coverage. With the drafting of Jerrel Jernigan, they hope they have found their kick/punt returner of the future. He was effective in college and hopefully can continue his elusiveness in the NFL. As far as coverage, LB's Jones and Herzlich and fellow rookie S Tyler Sash hope to make an impact making some big tackles and impressing the coaches even more. The 2 areas that will not improve are field goal kicking and punting. As long as Lawrence Tynes is on the team, they will suffer. You may say, "But they won a Super Bowl with him!" And yes that is true, but it was no thanks to him (I go into detail further in another article). To address punting, they signed former Jet Steve Weatherford. He will be in a competition with incumbent Matt Dodge. Dodge is infamous for the punt that Eagles WR DeSean Jackson returned in the final seconds for the GW TD in their gigantic comeback victory. Sadly, whoever wins, the Giants are still stuck with a below average boot. Can Jeff Feagles come back?

Wide Left

In the New York Giants' first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, K Lawrence Tynes was injured when an opposing player ran helmet first into his thigh on a blocked field goal (his third missed FG of the game). He will be out for a few days and try to regain his kicking ability by Thursday in hopes to play on Monday night against the Bears. My question is: what kicking ability is there to regain? This guy is easily one of, if not the, worst kickers in the entire NFL. It's not that he doesn't have the leg strength to make kicks - it's his inconsistency which makes every Giants fan's hair turn gray. Nick Folk of the Jets is a more consistent kicker than Tynes. Yes, the Nick Folk that got ran out of Dallas, that guy. Anyone remember back to the playoffs of 2007-08 when the Giants won it all? How many clutch kicks did Tynes miss in the Packers game alone? The headline in the paper the next day was 'Third Tynes a Charm' meaning he missed the first two and finally made the third one sending the Giants to the Super Bowl. That's just one example of why the Giants are in serious trouble if Tynes is on their team come September 11. They need to sign a free agent kicker, ANYONE, to 'compete' with Tynes for the job. I'm not playing favorites but my money would be on the other guy. This injury is the Giants' chance to bring someone in without starting a huge kicking controversy being able to cite it purely as an injury replacement, but it really is to see if the new guy can do something Tynes can't - make field goals.

Come On Man!

What was lost in tonight's preseason game between the Jets and Texans was how annoying John Gruden was in the broadcast booth. While I usually enjoy his commentary, tonight was not one of his better nights. There were two things he commented on that really angered me. One was his view on the new replay rules and the other was his hype regarding Texans fourth string halfback Chris Ogbonnaya.
When Texans rookie receiver Lester Jean hauled in a pass and then was tackled into the endzone. The ruling on the field was a TD. The play was reviewed, not by a coach's challenge, but by way of the new rules that state every scoring play will be looked at and controversial ones will be reviewed further. On replay, it was clear that Jean had been down a half-yard short of the goal line and that it should be 1st and Goal for the Texans at that spot. However, during the review, Gruden voiced his opinion that the referee #78 had the best look at it and we should go with his call. He also went on to say that he didn't like the new rule saying that it slows down the game. I'm paraphrasing him but he basically said that we should just let the call be wrong and make the game go faster because that's what the referee is paid for. Referee's can get it wrong, and if he was on the sideline's in a meaningful game, he would want the call to be right. I just can't see how you can argue the replay when it so blatently shows the call on the field was wrong.
Now regarding Ogbonnaya. The Texans starting halfback for the game tonight was Derrick Ward but he left early in the first quarter with an injury. That allowed Chris Ogbonnaya out of Texas to get the bulk of the carries the rest of the way through. He had a nice game with 2 TD's (one receiving) but truth is, he had 67 yards receiving and only 37 rushing...on 17 carries. That's 2.2 yards a carry. How exactly is that impressive? And to even further this curious love affair with Ogbonnaya, he did most of his work against the Jets' reserve and third-string defense! I'm not taking anything away from the kid, but it is extremely unnecessary to be gushing over his play when it wasn't against any starting players...or even many players who will be on the team come September. Like I said, I usually enjoy Gruden's commentary but tonight I wish he would have been more reasonable and less annoying.

It's Only the Preseason!

Well preseason game 1 is over for the Jets and it comes as a 20-16 loss to the Texans. I say, WHO CARES?! It's just the preseason. The starters that played, played very well and showed good signs in their one quarter of work. Nothing overly impressive and also nothing concerning - except an injury to reserve offensive lineman Robert Turner who was filling in for All-Pro C Nick Mangold. If Turner is seriously hurt, that means Vlad Ducasse is next in line to be the primary backup lineman; that my friends is a scary scary thought. The 2nd round pick last season out of Massachusetts has been terrible. He looks like he is going to get someone killed out there. If he sees the field at all this season, the Jets are have serious problems. But enough of the negative, I want to talk about the 3 players that really stood out to me tonight and showed real promise for the season and the future.
The first player I want to talk about is rookie QB Greg McElroy, the Jets 7th round pick out of Alabama. McElroy was extremely impressive in this game. He went 23-39 for 208 yards and a TD. He also lost a fumble. But his stats don't tell the whole story. He was on the field with the second-string, third-string and even the fourth-string offense at times. His first series was a painful one as every time he dropped back to pass he was pressured and hit immediately. At this point I was hoping he would just stay on the field. Then the second half came and McElroy found his mojo. He looked poised and confident just like he did in his Alabama days. He hit Patrick Turner for a 2 yard TD pass on 3rd and Goal to tie the game at 13-13. Then after the Jets surrendered the lead with just under 2 minutes left, McElroy led the offense down the field and threw a beautiful pass to the corner of the endzone for rookie Michael Campbell - and Campbell flat out dropped it. In my book, McElroy won the game. In reality he ended up running out of bounds as time expired on a 'fourth and score a TD' play. That was the only blip on his radar. He played outstanding and showed why the Jets drafted him. He isn't the best QB out there but the kid is a winner and he is one smart football player. He will be a solid backup for Sanchez in years to come.
The next player I want to applaud is another rookie, WR Jeremy Kerley, the Jets 5th round pick out of TCU. While he will probably end up as the team's 4th wide receiver, it was his play on special teams that really stood out. Kerley didn't break anyone's ankles nor did he return anything for a TD, but if you actually watched the game, you would know how special this kid is. He looks extremely comfortable with a football in his hands and knows how to make people miss. He has that rare elusiveness that teams search for. His kick and punt returns always went for positive yardage and he put the Jets in good field position every time. He will be the featured returner once the season starts no question about it.
The third player I want to point out is reserve ILB Josh Mauga. Only true Jets fans know who this player is, but soon the whole NFL will. Where he really shined is in his pair of snaps with the first team defense. On the first play from scrimmage Bart Scott hurt his knee (but thankfully is okay). In come Mauga. His first play he stuffs Ward's run attempt for a one yard loss; his second, he sacks Schaub for a loss of 11 yards. He also added an interception on a tipped ball by rookie NT Kenrick Ellis who was also very impressive tonight. Not to forget Mauga's tenacity and impact on special teams coverage. This kid may never start for the Jets but he is a valuable backup and special teams player.

The A-Rod Shuffle

With the return of Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees lineup, that means a change has to be made in the order. No one knows what the binder will come up with but there are a few options for the skipper. Here is what lineup I would go with:

vs. RHP:
Gardner - 7
Jeter - 6
Granderson - 8
Rodriguez - 5/DH
Teixeira - 3
Cano - 4
Swisher - 9
Posada/Chavez - DH/5
Martin - 2

vs. LHP:
Jeter - 6/DH
Granderson - 8
Rodriguez - 5/DH
Teixeira - 3
Cano - 4
Swisher - 9
Jones - DH/7
Martin - 2
Gardner/Nunez - 7/5 or 6

Doug Glanville on ESPN just said that he would slot A-Rod into the 6-hole. I think that idea is preposterous. This isn't the 2006 A-Rod, this is the new and surgically improved A-Rod. I would keep the lineup very similar whether a lefty or righty is on the hill in order to allow the players to feel comfortable who is batting in front of them and behind them. That builds strong teams. Against righties Gardy leads off and if a lefty is on the bump he is dropped to 9 - however if it is a really tough lefty Nunie gets the nod in the lineup shifting A-Rod or Jeter to the DH. I would bat Tex after ARod and then Cano. That way, an opposing manager cannot use a lefty specialist to go through Grandy and Cano without going through ARod and Tex - a pair of powerful right handed bats against lefties. Then the obvious move is to have a platoon at DH. Jones against lefties and either Posada or Chavez against righties (depending on what regular needs to DH and other idiosyncracies like that). Just a reminder, the specifics can change depending on injuries, days off and other unforseen events but this is what my fully rested and healthy lineup would look like. Any opinions?

Hip Hip, Jorge!

Well if today's Yankees game wasn't a sight for sore eyes, I don't know what is. Jorge Posada, who hasn't played in a week, got a surprising start at DH and boy did he make the most of it. Posada went 3-5 with 2 singles, a Grand Slam and 6 RBI. He was one short of his career high in RBI and hit his 10th homer of the season. Joe Girardi cited his reason for giving Posada the start saying that he liked his at bats against Rays SP Jeremy Hellickson in their last meeting. In his first at bat, Posada came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Eric Chavez had just fouled out and although no one would admit it, people were expecting an inning-ending double play. Posada's recent at bats would support that thinking as he was just 1 for his last 13. Eventually Posada roped a single through the right side of the infield bringing in Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira. In his next at bat he fought off a single to left center to make himself 2-2. However, it was his at bat in the 5th that made his day go from good to great. The situation was the same as his first at bat - only the pitcher had changed. Brandon Gomes had entered the game after Cano's double and immediately walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases for Posada. He fell behind Jorge 2-0 and it was at this point I just knew Posada was going to make this day magical. There was no way Gomes wanted to fall behind 3-0 to the previously slumping Posada with the bases loaded and Jorge knew that. He got a fastball right down the middle and sent it deep into the right field seats. The crowd went nuts and gave Posada a well-deserved curtain call. It was a joyful moment for anyone associated with the Yankees - to see one of the most loved and respected players who had been down on his luck to come through in such a big way.
Posada will get a second straight start in Sunday's rubber game against James Shields. It would be hard not to play him after a day like today. Sadly the question remains, how many more of these kind of days does Jorge have left in him? It was his first homerun since June 29th against Milwaukee and first 3 hit game since June 25th against Colorado. While I, along with every other Yankee fan, hope Posada would have this kind of day every time out that is just not the case. Posada is at the end of his storied career and is likely going to retire at the end of the year. Even though he would disagree, he cannot catch anymore and he is not enough of a force at the plate to play everyday. At this point he is a backup DH who gets a rare start spelling Teixeira at first base. From someone on the outside looking in, they would wonder why a team would waste a roster spot on that kind of player. For a lifelong Yankee fan, however, it is obvious that he needs to finish his career with the Yankees and the situation needs to be handled with as much respect as possible. The Yankees' front office is handling it with tremendous class and balancing Posada's dignity with winning. It would be very easy to threaten him with a release if he doesn't retire, but the Yankees have too much respect for Posada to do that to him. While they probably wish he would go that route, they would never force it upon him. They will ride out the season and have a difficult decision to make come playoff time. Is there a spot on a playoff roster for a backup DH? That answer is obviously no. But is there room for a dangerous Jorge Posada? Absolutely. It's up to Jorge to produce.

Odd Man Out

With Joe Girardi stating that the Yankees will not go with a six man rotation, that leaves one of their six starting pitchers as the odd man out. Whether that pitcher goes to the minors, the bullpen or the unemployment line is yet to be seen. CC Sabathia, even with his back-to-back shaky outings, is the ace of the staff and not going anywhere. Ivan Nova who has impressed everyone has cemented his place in the rotation. Journeymen Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have shocked the entire baseball community with their solid seasons and it is hard to see how either of those two get bumped. That leaves youngster Phil Hughes and veteran AJ Burnett as the options to get the hammer. If Hughes is the choice, he can either go to the bullpen where he thrived in 2009 or he can go to the minors for the rest of August until the rosters expand in September. If AJ is the choice, he would have to go to the bullpen - a thing he has not done in seven years.
My choice would be AJ Burnett. He is in the third year of his 5 year, $82.5 million contract and has been severely underwhelming to say the least. In 2009 he looked like a good signing putting up decent numbers going 13-9 with a 4.04 ERA but delivering a crucial gem in game 2 of the World Series that year. Since that game, he has been terrible. I have always been one of his biggest supporters, seeing his mid 90's fastball and devastating curve as a force for the Blue Jays in past years. However, in 2010 and 2011 he hasn't been able to put it all together. There was hope early this year when he had a strong April but quickly faded and he has not won a game since late June. His stuff would translate to the bullpen well giving the Yankees another power arm to go with the likes of Soriano and Robertson as the bridge to Mo. It would also keep Burnett from imploding after a few innings which has become more predictable than Carl Pavano's DL stints.
Phil Hughes might end up being the choice because they don't want to waste Burnett's contract in the bullpen. But since when has the Yankee motto been about caring about how much money a guy is making? It's all about winning - and that's what Phil Hughes has been doing. Granted it's only been 2 starts and he has a long way to go before he cracks the playoff rotation, but Hughes has been money. He went 6 dominant innings against the White Sox in a rain-shortened outing and today threw a solid 6 innings against the Rays giving the Yankees a much needed win after CC's dud last night. Hughes is showing signs he can be the pitcher he was at the beginning of last season and he should continue to get the ball every fifth day while AJ twiddles his thumbs from behind the right-center field wall.

Plaxi-concern?

In the New York media, there is a lot of bad mouthing the Jets for their signing of Plaxico Burress. The few people who were excited about the signing have quickly turned sour due to the latest drama revolving around the ex-con. 'AnkleGate' is the new craze sweeping the metropolitan area. Many columnists, experts and even fans are wondering why the Jets put all of their eggs in the Burress basket as opposed to re-signing the popular WR Braylon Edwards. Now with Burress hardly practicing all week and the latest news reporting that he will miss the Jets opening preseason matchup with the Texans, the Burress hate is stronger than ever. People are wondering if he can last all season due to the fact that he hasn't played for more than two seasons and especially since he has his new ankle injury. Burress is scheduled to have an MRI today for precautionary reasons. It is believed to be a sprain or a strain and nothing serious. He will be shut down until Wednesday (the first practice after the Texans game).
My problem is why is there so much media drama about Plaxico not playing in the opening game of PRESEASON?! We're talking about a meaningless game in which starters wont play more than a series or two anyway. Last night's Patriots game was without Tom Brady, Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco...but there was no fuss made about them not playing. Brady can obviously miss the whole preseason and still go win the MVP but where was EightFive and Fat Albert? Ocho was most likely given rest but Haynesworth was clearly not in football shape - or else he wouldn't have failed yet another conditioning test. I'm not trying to say that I'm not worried at all about Plaxico because anytime you have an injury, there is an air of concern around it no matter who it is and what it is. All I'm saying is let's relax on the Plaxico and Jets bashing until the regular season. That's when it matters. If Plax misses the September 11 game against Dallas, then I'll be worried and questioning the move. Right now, I love the signing. He adds a tall receiver that Sanchez can go to in the red zone and another guy with Super Bowl experience. Will he be a huge addition or a giant bust? That remains to be seen...seeing as they haven't even played one preseason game yet!
Also today is Plaxico's 34th birthday. Happy Birthday Plax!

New Jersey Devils Preview

This is my take on how the Devils lines should shake out and my opinion on the team:

Ilya Kovalchuk - Travis Zajac - Zach Parise
Patrik Elias - Dainus Zubrus - David Clarkson
Mattias Tedenby - Jacob Josefson - Nick Palmieri
Eric Boulton - David Steckel - Cam Janssen/Vladimir Zharkov

Anton Volchenkov - Andy Greene
Mark Fayne - Mark Fraser/Bryce Salvador
Adam Larssen - Henrik Tallinder
Matt Corrente - Matt Taormina

Martin Brodeur
Johan "Moose" Hedberg

Rebounding from missing the playoffs wont be easy...or will it? The Devils come into this season with everyone healthy and looking to make noise in the regular season and more importantly beyond. For starters, the ZZChuk line needs to be together. There is too much firepower for that line not to thrive. Kovy has learned how to play with his teammates and Zajac and Parise have some of the best chemistry I've ever seen. That line could be one of the best in the league. Then you have Elias and Zubie paired with Clarky and that provides scoring as well as a defensively responsible second unit DeBoer can rely on. The third line is the future of the squad. A pair of young Swedes and a young American who look to break out this season. Finally we come to the fourth line which is mean and nasty. Boulton, Steckel and Janssen all are bruisers and will physically out-battle any threesome in the league.
Now onto defense. The pairing of Volchenkov and Greene would provide bone-crushing blows on one side and a slick play-making defender on the other. Those two are probably (with Tallinder) the most reliable defenders on the team with the departure of Colin White. Fayne and Fraser would be interesting, that is if Fraser beats out Corrente and Taormina for the bulk of the playing time. The wild card is if Salvador can fully recover from his injury. If Salvador comes back, look for him to slide into that second pairing. Fayne really came on at the end of last year and proved that he can play solid D while also chipping in on the powerplay. Finally we come to the most intriguing duo with the rookie Larssen and the veteran Tallinder. Tallinder the last two years has developed Tyler Myers of the Sabres and Fayne into two very good defenders. He should be paired with Larssen so he can teach him and bring him along. Also them both being Swedish doesn't hurt matters.
Finally the netminders. Is there any worry with these two men in net? Marty and Moose are about as experienced as they come. Marty's durability has been shaky the last few seasons but he is the most decorated goaltender in NHL history. If he stays healthy he will no doubt post yet another 30 win season. And his backup is one of the most reliable backups in the league. Moose got thrown into action more than anticipated last season and immediately became a fan favorite. Proof is in the pudding as the crowd at The Rock would yell 'Moooooooose' after every save he would make. Marty and Moose may be getting long in the tooth but they are still both at the top of their game and will need to be this season with the extremely tough Eastern Conference and especially their own Atlantic Division.

New York Jets Preview

This is my take on the current Jets roster and the prospects for the upcoming season:

Quarterback:
Mark Sanchez is entering his 3rd season and he has so much room to grow. With Mark Brunell mentoring him for another season there is much optimism in Jets Nation. Sanchez needs to take control of the offense and become not just a reliable quarterback, but an efficient one. With his new role as captain, Rex Ryan has shown complete faith in his young passer. Let's hope he responds.

Backfield:
The question is can Shonn Greene be the workhorse in the 'ground and pound' style offense Rex has employed. The last two seasons Greene has been inconsistent in the regular season but flourished in the playoffs. This year needs to be his breakout season. Once the NCAA's leading rusher, the Jets need to see the same production from him in order to make more noise in the vaunted AFC. LaDainian Tomlinson is the '3rd down back' and I couldn't be happier with that role for him. He was amazing last year proving he still has gas left in the tank but faded down the stretch with the overwhelming workload he had to carry. Joe McKnight also proves to be a contributor in all facets of the game including possibly running the WildCat vacated by Brad Smith. And who can forget John Connor AKA 'The Terminator.' With a year of tutelage from All-Pro Tony Richardson, Connor is ready to be the lead blocker for Greene & Co.

Wideouts:
Mark Sanchez has some familar faces along with some new toys to play with. Santonio Holmes is back and ready to be the leading option in the new Jets passing game. I'm looking forward to more 'Tone Time' situations that endeared Jets Nation to #10 last season. Dustin Keller is a favorite target for Sanchez out of the Tight End position. Schotty needs to infuse DK into the offense more because he is a matchup nightmare for LB's and Safeties. Plaxico Burress headlines the new toys that Sanchez has at his disposal. Fresh out of prison, Burress has something to prove to himself and the rest of the NFL. Question is: can he stay healthy? Taking the place of JCo is Derrick Mason, the 37 year old veteran most recently from the Baltimore Ravens. He will be a reliable set of hands for the Sanchise, especially in 3rd down situations - something the Jets struggled mightily with last season. Also in the mix is Rookie Jeremy Kerley who has opened many eyes in the few days of training camp. He looks to be the new version of Brad Smith seeing as he will in all likelihood be the 4th WR and be one of the featured members of the return game.

O-Line:
With Damien Woody retiring, that leaves a gaping hole on one of the best O-Lines in football. That hole will need to be filled by Wayne Hunter. Hunter was acceptable in his few games last season but he will need to step it up in order to complete the line. Otherwise the line is pretty formidable. The rest of the line: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Matt Slauson, Nick Mangold and Brandon Moore are all proven lineman. Slauson had many question marks coming into last season but answered them all and became very reliable. Moore is one of the most underrated lineman in the NFL and is a major force in run blocking. And Ferguson and Mangold are some of the best lineman in football. If Hunter can step up, the line wont skip a beat and will assist the halfbacks and most importantly protect the Sanchise.

D-Line:
This is the biggest area of concern for the Super Bowl contenders. Where will the pressure on opposing quarterbacks come from? With the departure of Shaun Ellis to the rival Patriots, that opens up a key starting role for rookie Muhammad Wilkerson. He has large and important shoes to fill playing defensive end and being the main pass rusher from the defensive line. Another rookie, Kenrick Ellis, will also play a key role; his role however is going to be stopping the run along with incumbents Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito. Both of those veterans came out of Kris Jenkins' rather large shadow last year and proved to be valuable members of the defensive front.

Linebackers:
The Jets have one of the best pairs of middle-linebackers in the NFL. Newly extended David Harris and emotional veteran Bart Scott provide leadership and force in the middle of Rex Ryan's powerful defense. No halfback is going to want to run up the middle when they see #52 and #57 in their way. On the outside is one of the longest tenured Jets in Bryan Thomas who can play almost anywhere in the front 7. He is not flashy but gets the job done. Opposite him is Calvin Pace who hasn't really lived up to expectations the last few years. The oft suspended and injured OLB was brought in to put fear in opposing quarterbacks. He has done far from that. He has the talent to be one the best pass rushing linebackers in the league, but will he prove it when and where it counts?

Corners:
Two words: Revis Island. What more can I say about the best corner in football? Nnamdi who? Revis turns the game into a 10-on-10 matchup because whoever he is covering is automatically shut down. The only guy who ever gave Revis a smidge of trouble was Randy Moss - and he is retired now. Opposite Revis will be Al-Cro-Traz or Antonio Cromartie. When the Jets missed out on the Asomugha sweepstakes, they quickly refocused their efforts on Cromartie. The tall and speedy corner complements Revis well and is looking to improve on his first season with Gang Green. The key to the group will be second-year player and former first-round pick Kyle Wilson. Wilson had a disappointing rookie campaign, but in my opinion was given a raw deal. Wilson was asked to play the nickel - a position he never played before. In training camp, instead of working on his new position, he was filling in for Revis while he held out. Wilson missed out on valuable learning experiences and thus never really adjusted to life in the NFL. With a season under his belt and a 'whole' offseason of learning the nickel I look for big things out of Wilson and the entire group this season.

Safeties:
This group is led by Jim Leonhard. Leonhard is the quarterback of the secondary and one of the smallest and smartest players in the game. His season was abruptly ended with a terrible leg injury mere days before the drubbing at the hands of the Patriots. If, and that's a big if at this point, Leonhard can come back healthy that adds a huge spark to the defense. Opposite Leonhard will be Eric Smith. Smith was used as Leonhard's replacement when he went down last season, but this year will be in the starting lineup. Smith is a very hard-nosed player who crosses the line every once in a while. He isn't a Pro Bowl caliber safety but is very servicable. Brodney Pool will be the third safety. He came back to the Jets for less money and that is commendable. Pool struggled at the beginning of last season but played very well down the stretch. Dwight Lowery will also split time between safety and cornerback.

Special Teams:
The loss of Brad Smith will hurt a bit less because of the new kickoff rules but he was still a dynamic kick returner during his time with the Jets. Filling his shoes will be a variety of players. Rookie Jeremy Kerley, RB Joe McKnight, CB Antonio Cromartie and CB Kyle Wilson all figure to get a chance returning both kicks and punts. Nick Folk and Nick Novak will battle for the place kicking job. Each man has had his ups and downs in his career and this position will be a heart-stopper for Jets fans all season long. Battling to do the punting is T.J. Conley and Chris Bryan. Conley is an inexperienced punter out of Idaho and Bryan is a former australian rules football player. Reports say that Bryan has a better boot but only time will tell.

Is Rivera Done?

Many folks may say that Mariano Rivera's career is coming to a crashing finish. Why? Because on Sunday, August 7 he blew a save against the Boston Red Sox by giving up the tying run in the 9th in a game the Yankees felt like they had in the bag; also because in his next appearance last night, August 9 he surrendered the game-winning 2-run homer to Bobby Abreu in the 9th. Rivera is 41 years old and is signed through 2012. While I can't see him pitching beyond that, there is no one else I would rather have pitching the 9th inning on Game 7 of the World Series than him. A 41 year old Rivera is just as good, if not better than most closers in the Major League's.
What really ticks me off is that on Friday, August 5 Rivera set down the Red Sox with relative ease in a 3-2 game and not one person in the baseball community had the thought, "maybe Mo is too old." The Monday after Rivera blew the save to Boston, ESPN came out with an article on how Rivera was long in the tooth and new blood needs to come in. Phooey! If anyone watched that game, he gave up a double (which was more or less a Fenway Park version of wall ball) and then Nunez botched the bunt defense. So while, yes, he did blow the save, he didn't give up a 500 foot walk-off bomb. And now every time a man gives up a save or a homerun, is he too old to pitch...or did he just have an off day?
Rivera has a career record of 75-57 with a 2.23 ERA but, it is his 588 saves that set him apart from the rest. When it is all said and done, he will be the all-time saves leader (Trevor Hoffman currently holds the record with 601). This is just in the regular season. In the playoffs is where he thrives and where he has locked in his first ballot Hall of Fame entry. In his career in the playoffs he is 8-1 with a 0.71 ERA and 42 saves! Most of those saves have been more than 3 outs and have been in the World Series - proof is his 5 rings. So give me a break on Rivera being done; his track record speaks for itself.