September 1, 2010

The New York Yankees activated designated hitter, Lance Berkman, from the 15-day DL Wednesday, and three minor leaguers will follow Big Puma to the Bronx.

As part of September call-ups—a period beginning September 1st when teams can promote any minor leaguers situated on the 40-man roster to the big league team—the Yankees recalled reliever, Jonathan Albaladejo, speedy outfielder, Greg Golson, and veteran catcher, Chad Moeller. As closer for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees, New York’s Triple-A affiliate, Albaladejo took the league storm. In 63 and 1/3 innings, he recorded 43 saves while posting a 1.42 ERA and sub-1 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched). The versatile Golson, who plays all three outfield positions, was scorching in the month of August for Scranton. The 24-year-old hit .330 in the month, belted four home runs, reached base at a 40% clip and converted all six of his stolen base attempts.

Not so hot was the veteran Moeller, who New York surprisingly tacked on to its roster to add more catching depth. Since Moeller was not on the 40-man roster prior to the promotion, the Yankees will need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to accommodate him. Given the Yankees’ surplus of catching talent in the farm, the decision to open a roster spot for a player who had cleared waivers earlier this season is at the very least curious. The Bronx Bombers designated Moeller for assignment earlier in the season, but since no team claimed the veteran catcher, he was able to accept an option assignment to the minor leagues.

Conspicuously absent from the list of call-ups was the hottest hitter in the minors—the very player Chad Moeller backed up in Scranton. Super phenom, Jesús Montero, was left off the 40-man roster in favor of Moeller, affording the 20-year-old more time to sharpen his defensive skills behind the dish. Montero, who struggled early in the season during his recovery from a broken finger, has made child’s play of the International League (where Triple-A Scranton plays) now that he’s healthy. Since July 1, the stout slugger is hitting a tantalizing .357 with a .430 on-base percentage. He’s belted 13 home runs, including a walk-off, two game-tiers and a fourth go-ahead shot all in the month of August. An established big-game performer and big-time hitter in the minor leagues, Montero’s advanced bat recorded hits off several major league mainstays—Josh Beckett, Rick Porcello, Stephen Strasburg, Fu Ti Ni, Andres Galarraga and Luke French. Although he’s young for the league, Jesús has already outgrown Triple-A, and the superstar in the making is primed to take his final vault to the big show.

But that won’t happen in 2010, as Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, refuses to give the kid the chance. Cashman, notorious for overprotecting young prospects, has been reluctant to let the rising star loose despite telltale signs that he would come up and contribute summarily. With Berkman joining a sizzling Marcus Thames to patch up the DH spot, the Yankees have little space to accommodate Montero this late in the season. And while Montero could top the production Posada has posted since fracturing his foot in mid-May, it would too much to ask for a 20-year-old super prospect to split time with a potential Hall of Famer at the position.

More reinforcements loom in the foreseeable future for the Yankees, ones of much greater stature than the minor league crop. Star third baseman, Alex Rodriguez, took batting practice before Wednesday’s game against Oakland and is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list as early as Sunday. Veteran starting pitcher, Andy Pettitte, threw a side session Sunday in Chicago and felt no discomfort in his groin, though he admitted he felt mild tenderness the day after. The crafty lefty who was instrumental to New York’s success in the playoffs last year threw 55 pitches in the bullpen Wednesday. He took a five minute recess after his 30th pitch to simulate the end of an inning. No timetable has been set for a return, but Andy is scheduled to throw from an elevated mound later in the week and could be on track for a return sometime toward the middle of the month.

The Yankees head into Thursday’s matinee with Oakland winners of five games in a row, this despite the recent wrath of injuries compounded by a turbulent last few weeks for the starting rotation. The Bombers have begun their patented second half surge as they gear up for postseason play. As more healthy bodies return to the expanded roster over the next few weeks, the AL East leaders continue to gain steam in their late-season push. And while optimism in New York percolates as the Yankees heat up down the stretch, a 20-year-old catcher in Scranton, Pennsylvania is shaking his head. He’s been this hot for several months.

Mets ship Francoeur to Texas for former New York farmhand

August 31, 2010

The New York Mets accelerated its youth movement Tuesday, sending outfielder, Jeff Francoeur, to the Rangers for utility infielder, Joaquin Arias. The 25-year-old Arias is no stranger to New York. Once an esteemed prospect in the Yankees organization, he was used as a chip in the blockbuster trade that sent Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees for a package headlined by Alfonso Soriano. Texas was allowed to choose a second player in the deal from a crop of Yankees prospects, among which was an overlooked [at the time] second baseman, Robinson Cano.

The Mets have much milder expectations for Arias than Cano. In fact, the light-hitting infielder doesn’t figure into the Mets future plans as an impact major player at all. New York acquired the young second baseman as part of an addition by subtraction deal. The Mets were able to unload Francoeur, who was hitting a paltry .236 with a .293 on-base percentage in 401 at-bats, and the $1 million remaining on his 2010 contract. Francoueur is eligible for his final year of arbitration in 2011 and likely would have been non-tendered (released into free agency) by the Mets anyway.

The trade saves the Mets $1 million on an unproductive player congesting the outfield depth chart and hauls in a 25-year-old who at worst can serve as a viable utility infielder for the team. New York had high hopes for the young outfielder when it acquired him from the Braves in 2009 for Ryan Church. But Francoeur’s bat never came around to match his arm. He hit .268 with a .314 OBP and 21 home runs in 690 at-bats. Loaded with potential, Francoeur amounted to nothing more than a right-handed fourth outfielder with a rifle for a throwing arm.

Although he is still relatively young and cost-controlled for one more season, Omar Minaya couldn’t wait any longer for Francoeur to come around. The Mets organization has been too forgiving to a fault in its handling of players over the last few years. It gave Oliver Perez a second chance with a lopsided second contract with the team. Now that contract is unmovable. It gave slap-hitting second baseman, Luis Castillo, extended opportunity to prove he belongs as a starter on the squad. That latitude only proved that Luis Castillo is not a starting caliber player anywhere in the Major Leagues. There goes his trade value. The Mets even allowed embattled closer, Francisco Rodriguez, the opportunity to resume his closing duties after serving a petty two-game suspension for allegedly striking his father-in-law. Rodriguez sustained an injury in the scuffle that will sideline Rodriguez for the rest of the year, but it doesn’t erase an inherent flaw in New York’s far-too-forgiving policy on handling underperforming talent and players with poor character.

The Mets had lay down the lumber, to send a powerful message that jobs are at stake and auditions have begun. While ridding Oliver Perez’s cumbersome contract would have served to benefit the team financially the most, the Metropolitans made an even stronger message by trading away a player revered by his teammates as a high character guy and great clubhouse presence. There are players on the Mets who warrant a trade far more than Francoeur, but few who had the charm in the clubhouse like the young right-handed hitter. With Francoeur out, the writing is on the wall for the rest of the team. Either perform or follow the leader (Francouer) all the way out the door.

The Mets are in a feverish process of evaluation over the final month of the season as they must determine who fits in with the organization’s future plans. That first verdict came down on 26-year-old Jeff Francoeur. Prized, young outfielder, Fernando Martinez, will assume Francouer’s position for the remainder of the year. It’s an opportunity for the Dominican-born outfielder, who turns 22 in October, to show the organization more of what he has to offer. But even as a promising prospect, Tuesday’s decision to cut ties with Jeff Francoeur shows the Mets are no longer giving Martinez and his fellow teammates unlimited opportunity to prove their worth. No pressure, youngster. You’re now on the clock.

Ex-Yankee Damon nixes waiver claim by Red Sox

August 24, 2010

Who says Johnny Damon has no loyalty? The former Yankee outfielder nixed a waiver claim by the Boston Red Sox Tuesday that will keep him in Detroit for the duration of his one-year contract.

A sixteen-year journeyman in the league, Damon made stops in Boston and New York before settling in Detroit this offseason—a marriage that wasn’t on the veteran’s intended terms. The pesky outfielder had rejected a two-year, $20 million offer from his former team in hopes of finding a three or four-year deal elsewhere. But after a career-high strikeout total (98) in 2009, Damon struck out on the market as well. When the Yankees settled for oft-injured first baseman, Nick Johnson, to fill the DH void instead, Damon was left barren and without any bargaining leverage. The two-time World Champion eventually agreed to a modest one-year contract worth $8 million with the Tigers, a team transitioning toward the future and with reserved expectations for the postseason.

Damon will now finish the year with that team in transition, one riddled with injuries and sprinkled with young talent. By spurning the Red Sox, the self-proclaimed idiot has demonstrated his first semblance of loyalty since becoming a major leaguer in 1995. He remains allegiant to the organization that bailed him out of an offseason miscalculation; allegiant to the organization which offered him a reasonable, market-value, two-year contract proposal last winter; and allegiant to his own admission that the Red Sox treat their players poorly.

No, Damon could never be mistaken for a baseball martyr. Heck, he is living proof baseball is indeed a business and not an oath. But after stops in five baseball cities, Damon is finally paying his respects to organizations that handled him the right way. The man instrumental in stealing the ’09 World Series (quite literally) has paid tribute to his former team by shunning an opportunity to play for its biggest rival.

Damon has toed the rivalry line before. He’s even vaulted the treacherous fence and turned coats. But not this time. Not again. After hopping the fence the first time, Johnny Damon found greener ($) pastures on the other side. He met an organization that treated its players fairly and loyally. It was a team run in opposition of Boston where longtime mainstays were kicked to the curb as soon as they shed a grey hair or saw a dip in production. Tuesday night was Damon’s turn to say thanks.

In Boston, Johnny Damon was notorious on a biblical scale. While sporting his caveman beard and dangled hair, Damon looked like Jesus, betrayed like Judah and threw like Mary. But in New York, Damon was a mere disciple following an elusive 27th championship. And though he did turn down the Yankees over the offseason, Johnny has made it clear where his heart remains. The 36-year-old Damon created his Yankee legacy in Game 4 of the 2009 World Series. On Tuesday night, that legacy was cemented and framed.

Melo open to playing for Knicks, Nets

August 20, 2010

Denver Nuggets star, Carmelo Anthony, has made it clear he’d be in support of finishing his career where it started—at home. Anthony, who has already been linked to the Knicks because of his New York City ties, recently gave the thumbs up to playing in Newark/Brooklyn as well.

Melo added the Nets and Rockets to a list of trade destinations he would sign off on, a list that presumably is headlined by the Knicks. Anthony, 26, is entering the final year of a five-year, $80 million contract with the Nuggets, but whether he wants to honor that contract through its life remains unclear. Denver proposed a three-year, $65 million contract extension earlier this summer, but Anthony has yet to make a decision on whether to accept it.

With LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining forces with holdover hero, Dwyane Wade, in Miami, the pressure on Anthony to win his coveted first championship has intensified. The three-headed monster in South Beach has seismically shifted the balance of power in the NBA, putting former contenders, like Denver, on the backburner. The Nuggets won 53 games last season, but became first round fodder in the postseason after the Utah Jazz brushed them aside in six games. After taking the eventual champion, Los Angeles Lakers, to six games in the Western Conference Finals the year before, Denver took a sizable step back in 2010. A season that was dedicated to taking that final step toward a title now has the league’s number-three scorer striding toward the exit.

Step forward the New York Knicks and Newark/Brooklyn Nets

Anthony was born and raised in Brooklyn, then matriculated into Syracuse University where he delivered a championship in his first and only season. Flash forward to 2010 and Anthony’s ticket back to his roots is not only possible, but probable.

Melo has made it no secret he’d like to return home. Want proof? The three-time All-star flew cross-country to wed his wife in Manhattan. Between the formal nomination of the Nets as a team he’d sign a long-term deal with plus Chris Paul’s playful toast at Anthony’s wedding suggesting the two team up in New York, the writing is on the wall for Melo’s next career stop.

Whether or not the Hornets point guard, Amar’e Stoudemire—who was also at the wedding—and Anthony team up to form the league’s newest three-headed empire, the Empire State appears ready to embrace Carmelo Anthony. But will it be the Knicks or Nets who woo Melo’s services?

If Anthony hits free agency in 2011 [that would imply he rebuffs Denver’s extension offer and isn’t traded before the February deadline], he’ll almost certainly be Manhattan-bound again, this time as a newly married man. Although Anthony is Brooklyn-born, even the potential of playing in his native borough is not enough to steer Anthony from the bright lights of the Garden and the glamour of playing alongside Stoudemire and potentially Paul.

But don’t preorder your road #15 jersey just yet. The chances of Anthony hitting free agency in 2011 remain infinitesimal.

The Nuggets are the only team in the league with a general manager vacancy, but you can bet the man who fills it will have a foolproof game plan on how to handle the Anthony sweepstakes. Denver figures to remain moderately competitive this upcoming season, but the organization’s proverbial championship window has closed. The ultimate winner of the GM candidacy will likely have the best trade configurations involving Melo in mind. Denver can ill-afford to lose one of the sport’s most prolific offensive players for nothing next offseason. And with an NBA title improbable next season, Denver’s strongest play is to fetch value for Anthony before he darts.

Cue New Jersey.

Like the Rockets, the Nets have an abundance of attractive, young talent to dangle for Anthony. Promising combo guard, Terrence Williams, can play the point, shooting guard or small forward and offers a versatile skill set. He is super athletic, has good size for the position, has tremendous court vision and can rebound and defend the basketball. Williams would complement sharpshooting, J.R. Smith, in Denver, forming a backcourt tandem of the future along with second-year point guard, Ty Lawson. With Williams, the Nets have a trio of promising pieces to go with him. New Jersey could offer Devin Harris to match salaries, but Denver has little need for another point guard with Lawson and Chauncey Billups on board. More likely, GM Billy King has several appealing forwards to bait Denver.

Troy MurphyMurphy’s $11 million contract helps the two teams match salaries while offering Denver an ever-valuable expiring contract. The productive Murphy would excel in George Karl’s offense, then would come off the books in 2011 giving the Nuggets freedom to pursue other free agents in the class.

Derrick FavorsThe third pick of the NBA Draft is bursting with potential. Favors has an athletic, tall frame that he’ll fill over time. In offseason workouts, Favors teased his high ceiling when he bested many of the marks set by Magic center, Dwight Howard. Favors, 19, is the league’s youngest player, one who would seal a deal between Denver and New Jersey.

Damion JamesThe former Texas Longhorn has been a man among boys in summer league action. James has tremendous size for a small forward, can shoot the ball from the perimeter, explodes to the hoop and rebounds well for his position. New Jersey traded up in the draft to nab the former Big XII standout. Now the Nets could use James in another trade to reel in Denver’s popular superstar.

The Nets have an abundance of young, cost-controlled talent, several expiring contracts, a pair of trade exceptions from the Vince Carter deal and multiple picks over each of the next three years. New Jersey could make Carmelo Anthony a Net by tomorrow if it offered rising star center, Brook Lopez, in any proposal, but the team shouldn’t have to go that far. Realistically, the Nets could construct various packages to land Anthony. Determining the option that least taxes the wellbeing of the organization moving forward remains Billy King’s biggest project.

While professional hoops in the metro area is beaming with promise again, it must be reminded that this is not uncharted territory. In fact, both professional basketball teams in the greater New York area had recent experience dealing with other NBA moguls. And from that those inner-dealings, both organizations were humbled through failure and rejection. The Knicks thought they were the frontrunners for LeBron James, and New Jersey was the vaunted dark horse in the LeBron-a-thon. But both organizations came up empty for the league’s best player.

If recent history is any indication, bank on Melo agreeing to that three-year extension with Denver or a surprise trade to Houston sometime midseason. But don’t expect a move anytime soon. LeBron James stalled, piqued expectations and then stalled some more before piercing the hearts of Knicks and Nets nation on his nationalized decision show. As the hype and glow mounts surrounding Carmelo Anthony builds, anticipate the New York native following James’ lead. No, not forming the league’s second star trio in the Empire State. Spurning the Garden for greener pastures.

Ex-Yankee Clemens indicted on perjury

August 19, 2010

Roger Clemens was headed to Cooperstown—a first ballot lock for the Hall of Fame. Now, the seven-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champion could be headed to jail instead.

Clemens was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for allegedly lying to Congress about his involvement with performance enhancing drugs. The jury alleges Clemens lied 15 different times under oath in his 2008 testimonial. To prove innocence, baseball’s most dominant pitcher of the late 80s and early 90s would have to debunk each of the 15 allegations individually—a tall task for a man whose lone defense in the case has been adamant denial.

Clemens voluntarily brought himself to Capitol Hill in 2008 to testify, hoping to clear his name from the accusations. But as evidence mounted from Clemens’ former trainer in New York, Brian McNamee, pleas of innocence fell on deaf ears. Two years later, while tainted slugger, Barry Bonds, is flying under the scope of a congressional hearing, Clemens isn’t so fortunate.

The electrifying starter could face up to 30 years in prison, although a sentence somewhere between one and two years is the normal length for similar charges. Clemens could make a plea bargain to reduce the sentence and even eliminate jail time altogether, but the right-hander has stood by his defiance and appears willing to defend his innocence tooth and nail.

Roger Clemens had always provoked the ire of the public because of his petulant and arrogant persona. Now in 2010, those character flaws could ultimately keep the man notorious for ruffling feathers in federal prison.

Jets bloody Eli as Giants bludgeon Gang Green

August 17, 2010

The Jets drew first blood as football christened the New Meadowlands Stadium, but the Giants ultimately came out victorious in the battle of New York. Led by three touchdowns from an unlikely hero—Victor Cruz—Big Blue toppled Gang Green 31-16 in the preseason opener for both teams.

Lost in the skirmish was Giants’ quarterback, Eli Manning, who had to leave the game in the second quarter after suffering a three-inch laceration on his forehead. On a third and five play on the Jets’ 5-yard line, Manning dropped back to pass on a designed running play with a fade option and collided with stocky running back, Brandon Jacobs. Manning bounced off Jacobs into Jets’ linebacker, Calvin Pace, who drilled him in the back. With his helmet coming undone, Big Blue’s signal caller stumbled into the facemask Jets’ safety, Jim Leonard. The left side of Manning’s forehead oozed a floor of blood down his face forcing the six-year quarterback to the locker room. Manning showed no signs of a concussion and X-rays came out negative, but the M.V.P. of Super Bowl XLII did need 12 stitches on the gash.

Second string quarterback, Jim Sorgi, who backed up Eli’s brother Peyton in Indianapolis, excelled in Manning’s place. Sorgi completed 8 of 14 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. In back of Sorgi, third string QB, Rhett Bomar, completed 6 of his 7 throws for 67 yards and a third touchdown to Cruz.

While both offenses struggled to matriculate the ball down the field on the ground, both passing attacks had eminent success on secondaries that were supposed to be revamped in 2010. Jets’ franchise quarterback, Mark Sanchez, threw for 119 yards and converted 13 of 17 passes. Sanchez struggled out of the gate, throwing an interception on his first pass returned to the goal line by Big Blue’s biggest offseason defensive acquisition, safety Antrel Rolle. Sanchez was great, especially in the short passing game, thereafter. He picked apart the flanks of the Giants’ defense, carving up a secondary that had trouble staying in front of the talented Jets’ receiving corps.

With an outcome that means absolutely nothing, the biggest story of Monday night’s baptism of the New Meadowlands Stadium was that neither team sustained a major, long-term injury. In a highly contested scuffle between two teams scrumming to stake claim as New York’s number-one team, only the left forehead of Eli Manning paid the price. The ceremonious inauguration of New Meadowlands Stadium started off with a bang. Eli Manning serves as firsthand evidence.

Mets’ K-Rod out for season after altercation with father-in-law

August 17, 2010

Embattled Mets’ closer, Francisco Rodriguez, will miss the remainder of the season after a run-in with the grandfather of his children turned violent. Rodriguez allegedly struck his father-in-law during a scuffle in the family room at Citi Field last Wednesday. But also a part of that melee, unbeknownst to the Mets or K-Rod at first, was that the veteran closer tore a ligament in the thumb on his pitching hand. Rodriguez will undergo season-ending surgery on that thumb, although a date has not yet been set for the procedure.

Rodriguez has not shied away from negative press in his Mets’ tenure. In 2009, K-Rod engaged in a heated back-and-forth through various media with former Yankees’ reliever, Brian Bruney. Earlier this season, Rodriguez reportedly tussled with bullpen coach, Randy Niemann, in an Interleague tilt against the Mets’ cross-town rivals.

K-Rod was suspended without pay Thursday and Friday for his role in the fracas, but pitched Saturday when he experienced discomfort in his right thumb. The Mets will likely look into voiding the remainder of his contract and will have a compelling case since Rodriguez injured himself as a result of his own off-the-field tomfoolery. But the player’s union will fight hard in the closer’s defense making the Mets’ latest struggle an uphill battle. Only one known contract has been successfully voided to date. The Houston Astros voided the contract of starting pitcher, Shawn Chacon, after the righty threw to the ground team general manager, Ed Wade.

Francisco Rodriguez’s contract owes him $11.5 million for this season. He is due to make $17.5 million next year and has a $17.5 million vesting option for 2012 if he plays in 55 games in 2011.

NBA dismisses Knicks hiring of Thomas

August 16, 2010

Updating a previous item—The NBA front office has rejected the Knicks intended hiring of Isiah Thomas as a consultant. The league deemed the new position a conflict of interest with Thomas’ holdover job as coach at Florida International University.

According to the New York Post, other league owners actually triggered the decision. At least two league owners, according to the Post, complained to the league immediately while a handful of other league executives acknowledged in less formal ways it was an outrageous situation.

Although Thomas is out of the Knicks’ hair for now, at least in principle, that doesn’t necessarily make this ordeal any less disconcerting for the organization. James Dolan in recent weeks has praised Thomas, lauding his role in the organization over his half-decade reign in New York. Nothing can stop Dolan from reaching out to Thomas through more informal streams on future matters regarding the team. And there’s nothing forbidding Thomas from resigning from his FIU post and joining New York as a full-fledged commitment.

On the surface, the NBA bailed out the New York Knicks by denying the reemployment of Isiah Thomas, but even David Stern cannot keep Thomas out of the shadows of the organization. Truthfully, as long as Dolan sits at the helm, the league’s unstated intention of rescuing the Knicks from a murky situation did anything but. James Dolan will just have to be more guarded with his contacts now.

Nets land Pacers’ Murphy in four-team deal

August 11, 2010

The New Jersey Nets, laden with youth, will now have a veteran presence to complement Brook Lopez in the post. In a mega, four-team deal, New Jersey acquired 30-year-old power forward, Troy Murphy, from Indiana. As part of the trade, the Nets shipped second-year shooting guard, Courtney Lee, to Houston. The Rockets unloaded the pricy contract of Trevor Ariza on the Hornets and sent sixth man specialist, James Posey, to Indiana. Completing the deal, the Pacers acquired promising, young point guard, Darren Collison, who previously backed up Chris Paul in New Orleans.

Murphy, a product of Sparta, New Jersey, is a versatile power forward who can stretch defenses with his long-range shooting ability and crash the glass with vicious intensity. The 9-year veteran is a double-double machine, racking up double figures in points and rebounds in each of his last two seasons and four of his last six.

The 6’11” Notre Dame alum will fit nicely alongside the up-and-coming Lopez. Murphy, a lifetime 40% shooter from three-point range, will force defenders to split out and contest his shot. This should create more space for Lopez, a well-versed post presence, to work with in the paint. The acquisition also buys time for rookie power forward, Derrick Favors, to get his feet wet in the league before becoming a regular starter.

Murphy has just one year remaining on his contract, which will make him an enticing and easily movable piece at the trade deadline if the Nets choose to trade him. The lanky veteran is due $11.9 million this season, but will be off the books in 2011 affording the Nets even more wiggle room under the cap. With Courtney Lee’s rookie contract off the payroll, the Nets no longer will be owed the $1.6 million Lee would be owed in 2011-2012.

The skinny on the trade is threefold. For one, it makes the Nets better this upcoming season. Murphy deepens the frontcourt, adds size and veteran leadership to the team and makes the Nets a stronger rebounding squad. The four-way deal also opens up the formerly congested shooting guard position on the roster. With Lee out, swingman, Terrence Williams, will now have the latitude to explode in his second year in the league. Between Williams and sharpshooter, Anthony Morrow, New Jersey will have a variety of skills and styles at its disposal for the 2. Perhaps most importantly, the deal affords the 19-year-old Favors a year to ease into the NBA. Favors enters as the league’s youngest player, having just turned 19 last month. Instead of forcing Favors into the starting lineup, the Nets will allow the young phenom to develop his raw talent, build an NBA body and learn a complicated professional system.

Recently appointed general manager, Billy King, has big shoes passed on by Rod Thorn to fill. King has more than held his own in his first major transaction as a member of the organization. It will take more moves of this kind to return the lowly Nets to playoff form. Players like Jason Kidd aren’t passed around at minimal cost like they once were.

Isiah Thomas returns to Knicks in new role

August 10, 2010

It was too good to be true. For two years, it seemed the New York Knicks had cut ties with Isiah Thomas and the cataclysmic era he’s associated with in Knicks lore.

But that changed Friday.

As the organization was steadily beginning to restore equilibrium from within, the newest wrinkle in Big Apple basketball caught even those closest to the organization by surprise. The Knicks, who were slowly returning to sea level under Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni, rehired the man responsible for a five-year recession. New York appointed Thomas to a consultant position Friday, welcoming back an era of gloom into an organization pining to look beyond the past.

Thomas, who still coaches at Florida International University, will assume an advisory position on the Knicks and play a role in negotiations with some of the league’s younger players who once looked up to him during his playing days in Detroit. Pending league approval, Thomas will juggle two jobs at once—the head coach at a small Divisional 1 school and a position on one of the NBA’s brand-name organizations.

Friday’s hiring isn’t Thomas’ first foray back into the organization since his firing. The Knicks had called on Thomas in their recruitment of megastar, LeBron James, and other lesser name free agents. Thomas’ consultant position appears to be just one rung on a long ladder the ex-Knicks G.M. will climb within the organization. But just how high Thomas can make it in the franchise he almost singlehandedly undermined remains the biggest question.

Notorious for New York’s inability to win even one playoff game under his watch despite one of the league’s highest annual payrolls, Thomas ushers in a new wave of controversy within the high ranks of the organization. During his time as general manager and interim coach, Isiah wrote his own tutorial on G.M. miscues.

Isiah dealt an undervalued Kurt Thomas for Quentin Richardson and Nate Robinson, then traded unprotected lottery picks for Eddie Curry [who at the time of acquisition was laced with health concerns and was rumored to have a heart condition]. He traded promising, young forward, Trevor Ariza, and Penny Hardaway for the malcontent, shoot-first, body double of Stephon Marbury—Steve Francis. Thomas employed Larry Brown as head coach, but after the team struggled in Brown’s first season, didn’t give Brown the opportunity to clean up his own mess like he had done in San Antonio. Brown had turned a 21-win Spurs team into a 56-win team in his second year with the organization, but wasn’t granted the same opportunity in New York. Isiah Thomas himself chose to run damage control instead. But emblematic of the Thomas regime, that only made the situation worse.

Perhaps worst of all, Thomas sent four players, the rights to a fifth and two unprotected first round picks to Phoenix for Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway and a filler. Triggering an era of salary cap torment, Thomas added a boatload of salary to a team already well above the salary threshold.

But then came a mishap not even years of basketball incompetency couldn’t top. In a lengthy and publicized scandal, Thomas was found guilty of sexually harassing a team official. The stench of Thomas’ bad administration had diffused across the organization. Not only had Isiah made the on-court product worse and handcuffed the organization financially long-term, he added unnecessary attention to an already tumultuous organization.

After dragging the Knicks into the ground during his five-year tenure as coach, general manager and team official, Thomas will begin his flight up the organization’s ranks again starting this season. And for every peg Isiah Thomas moves up in the hierarchy, the Knicks will sink that much further. For a team that needed several years of solid drafts, payroll slashing and free agent signings just to break even, the decision to throw it all away with just one signing has set back New York-area basketball even further.

Maybe Nets’ owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, wasn’t kidding when he said he would convert Knicks fans to Nets fans. With Isiah Thomas back in play, now would be the time to make the switch.

With season in freefall, Mets look toward future

August 9, 2010

The New York Mets have not won a road series against a National League adversary all season. The team has not won back-to-back games against N.L. opposition in two months, when the team bested San Diego and Florida in successive games on June 6th and 8th. Even Pittsburgh, Houston and Arizona, the riffraff of the league, have not suffered a longer drought.

The Mets dropped road series to the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies last week, series they almost had to have to entertain any realistic aspirations of catching the two teams they’re chasing. Losers of 8 of their last 27 games and 9 of their last 11 series (one of the remaining two series was a four-game split), the Mets find themselves on the fast track to an ending of disappointment. The proverbial white flag has finally been raised.

But that hasn’t stopped the Mets from making moves—not moves in the standings, but changes nonetheless. The Mets made shakeups to the roster, recalling outfielder Fernando Martinez and infielder Ruben Tejada from Triple-A Buffalo. With Jason Bay on the shelf nursing a concussion and Luis Castillo loafing at the plate and in the field, Omar Minaya infused more youth into a team looking ahead, not behind.

Catcher, Josh Thole, has already given the Mets a youthful spark in place of the sluggish Rod Barajas and Angel Pagan has more than earned his stripes wherever he’s been asked to play this season. On the whole, the Mets farm system has been a rare beacon of light in a cloudy 2010 season. Although key farmhands, David Wright and Jose Reyes, have underperformed, other, nondescript players from the system have left warm impressions. Thole, Pagan and the new call-ups will have more opportunities to turn strong first impressions into lasting reputations as the Mets wade through the remainder of the season leaning on the youngsters.

For a team with a bloated payroll littered with bad contracts, the Mets are in a position to jettison the deadweight and rely on farmhands the rest of the way. A feasible starting lineup would feature seven homegrown positional players (Wright, Reyes, Tejada, Davis, Thole, Martinez, Pagan) leaving a washed up Carlos Beltran as the lone free agent signee. No, this revamped lineup will not play like world beaters, but it will further distance the Mets from the albatrosses of Luis Castillo, Jason Bay and Rod Barajas. New York has already cut ties with the Ollie Perez failed experiment, auctioning his rotation spot to Jonathan Niese, a promising, young lefty who can recognize a strike zone.

The 2010 season for the New York Mets is quickly spiraling toward a finish that could rival the 2009 disaster. But the future is not lost. With sights set on 2011 and beyond, the final two months of this season can serve as a building block for the future. And who knows. The team may set a few more records of futility along the way.

A-Rod joins 600 club, climbs home run ladder

August 4, 2010

On August 4, 2007, Alex Rodriguez struck his 500th career home run off Royals pitcher, Kyle Davies. A-Rod reached a new milestone on the same date three years later, belting his 600th long-ball in another afternoon tilt, this time against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It took 47 clamorous and anticlimactic at-bats between Rodriguez’s 599th and 600th home runs, by far the most of any of the seven players to reach the plateau. A-Rod went 9 for 46 between home runs and was riding an 0-17 drought—the second longest of his career—entering the at-bat. On a 2-0 count, he pounced on a hanging slider by Jays’ starter, Shaun Marcum, and deposited it into Monument Park, a fitting prelude to the day Rodriguez’s silhouette is etched onto a plaque in center field.

And when that day happens, Rodriguez will be an elite among the elite, having accomplished a feat only one other notable Yankees retiree has ever done.

At 35, Rodriguez has become the youngest player in baseball history to reach the 600-mark. He joins Babe Ruth as one of only two Yankees’ sluggers to ever hit 600 home runs. And at this rate, Rodriguez will eclipse a figure even Ruth couldn’t attain. After this season, Rodriguez has 7 years left on a deal that will pay him until he’s 42. If A-Rod averages 25 home runs over those final seven years, a modest estimate that takes into account his inevitable decline, Rodriguez would finish with 775. The three-time M.V.P. and 13-time All-Star projects to hit between 8 and 10 home runs this year too, which would put him in the 783-785 range. That would break the mark set by record-holder, Barry Bonds, by 20+ home runs.

Already, Rodriguez has tiptoed into the discussion for best hitter of all-time. He’s not there yet, and his connection to anabolic steroids could ultimately sully his case, but A-Rod will never be omitted from the discussion, steroids or not. Four of the top nine home run hitters in baseball history have been tied to steroids. Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Bonds and Rodriguez, all moguls of the modern era, are admitted or accused steroids users. But you cannot simply remove their achievements from baseball lore. We remember Bonds’ record-breaking home run. It was celebrated in San Francisco, after all. We remember the race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire as they chased down Roger Maris’ hallowed 61. The race left an indelible imprint on our memories of the game, and knowledge in hindsight that both players were steroids users cannot erase that.

With Rodriguez’s flight up the home run charts, a wave of hypocrisy has flooded his pursuit of 762. What is forgotten, ignored or not known is that Willie Mays and Hank Aaron were not immaculate players themselves. Mays and Aaron used greenies (amphetamines) before games to battle fatigue and maintain focus. Before anabolic steroids became fads, lesser banned substances were prevalent instead. Yet rarely is there backlash toward those pastime baseball icons. Because those greats were detached from the steroid era, the assumption is that they were clean and pure.

Baseball may never forgive Alex Rodriguez for his steroids admission. But as part of an era littered with steroids, controversy and question marks, it would be poor judgment to use A-Rod as a paradigm of punishment. Major League Baseball has glided around the banned substance issue for far longer than this most recent steroids era. And Rodriguez is not worth an exception. Since testing has begun, A-Rod has remained one of the most lethal power hitters in the game. If lost in the fog of the steroid era is that Alex Rodriguez was, with or without the juice, one of the best hitters to ever play the game, then perhaps all records set in this era should be branded with asterisks.

Starting Friday, a clean A-Rod will begin his quest for 700, a plateau only a select few major leaguers will ever threaten to reach again given the boom of minor league systems, growth of player development and quality of pitching league-wide. As for when it will happen this time: if history is any indication, Alex’s newest milestone is due in three years on the dot.

Jets’ CB Revis absent from training camp

August 2, 2010

The New York Jets opened training camp Monday without a familiar face. Lockdown corner back, Darrelle Revis, began a holdout and was absent from the team’s first mandatory practice. The three-year veteran out of Pittsburgh is said to be in search of a new contract that would make him the highest paid corner in the league. Revis says he is looking for a contract offering an annual salary worth more than that of Raiders’ defensive back, Nnamdi Asomugha, who signed a three-year $45.3 million extension last summer.

According to ESPN New York, Jets’ general manager, Mike Tannenbaum, made two contract offers to Revis last week—a long-term option that would make Revis a Jet for life and a short-term alternative that would raise his 2010 salary of $1 million. Revis spurned both offers, firmly holding to his stance that he will not return to training camp without a new deal.

Revis is arguably the league’s top cover corner back. His ability to shut down opposing teams’ #1 receivers and virtually cut off half the field is invaluable to the Jets’ defense, which ranked atop the NFL in points allowed in 2009. Revis is looking to be blown away by an offer that would make him the league’s highest paid defensive back, as he should be. Tannenbaum has already committed to left tackle, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, agreeing to an extension that will pay Ferguson $5.3 million in guaranteed money this season.

Veteran center, Nick Mangold, the anchor of Gang Green’s front line, is also seeking a new contract. The All-Pro Mangold was at camp Monday, although he is still adamant about reaching a new deal. Tannenbaum’s commitment to Ferguson, the least valuable of the three players pining for new deals, is somewhat curious. Although Ferguson is an anchor on the left side of the line, he is not the captain of his unit like Mangold is to the O-line and Revis is to the secondary. With Ferguson locked up, the next logical step would be to appease Revis, who is instrumental in the Jets’ defense which figures to be the league’s best again in 2010.

Mike Tannenbaum has played hardball in the past, but this is not the time to flex his power. With the start of the NFL season just weeks away, Gang Green’s brain trust is losing leverage. Revis has made it clear he will not suit up until his demands are met. Tannenbaum, who has danced around the issue for some time, knows what he must do. Now it’s time for him to put his bravado aside and act. The entire outlook of the 2010 New York Jets hinges on Mike getting Revis back in uniform.

Cashman comes up money at non-waiver trade deadline, Minaya inactive

August 2, 2010

Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, has always done his best work hawking around the trade deadline. Across the river in Queens, Mets’ G.M., Omar Minaya, is notorious for his idle tendencies this time of year. Both men lived up to their reputations on Saturday, as the Yankees added three pieces to an already formidable team while the Mets sat on their hands, watching aloof as division rivals grew stronger.

Cashman hit the jackpot Saturday, acquiring five-time All-Star first baseman, Lance Berkman, from Houston for minor leaguers, Jimmy Paredes and Mark Melancon. The Astros will pay $4 million of the $7.15 million due to Berkman over the remainder of the season. Berkman, who has been one of the league’s best offensive first baseman over the last decade, will be used primarily as the Designated Hitter.

While strengthening the lineup, Cashman also bolstered his bench and lengthened his pen by adding Indians’ outfielder, Austin Kearns, and reliever, Kerry Wood, for players to be named later. Kearns is a veteran who can play both corner outfield positions and provides some right-handed punch off the bench. Kearns, who hit third in Cleveland’s lineup, will be the team’s fourth outfielder moving forward and counted on to hit lefties in lieu of Curtis Granderson, who struggles against southpaws. Wood, a two-time All-star who closed in Cleveland, adds length to the backend of the Yankees’ pen. While Wood has struggled this season (he sports an ERA over 6 and a 1.6 WHIP), he brings a veteran arm with a ton of upside to New York’s bullpen. Wood is not a suitable candidate for the eighth inning role, although he’ll certainly pressure Joba Chamberlain to get his act together.

In two deals, Brian Cashman acquired a potent switch-hitting bat to fill [and upgrade] the spot Nick Johnson left behind. He also added veteran depth to his bench and bullpen, which, if nothing else, will give Joe Girardi more options to play with. All three players, who in the past have been centerpieces to other ball clubs, will only be needed to fill niche roles on a team already rife with All Stars. Cashman acquired Berkman, Kearns and Wood for a total package of two minor leaguers the Yankees do not consider prospects plus two players to be named later. He’ll also get Berkman and Wood at discounts, as Houston and Cleveland have agreed to pay part of their remaining salaries. In what virtually amounted to two salary dumps, and only half-baked ones at that, the Yankees significantly upgraded their offensive arsenal while deepening a bullpen in need of a shakeup.

Cashman, prudently proactive, followed a similar blueprint laid out on this site. As recommended in the July 12th piece on Cliff Lee, Cashman answered the DH void by acquiring Berkman in a salary dump. While most buyers were feverishly pursuing Washington slugger, Adam Dunn, Cashman swooped in and nabbed an overlooked, Hall of Fame caliber, first baseman. Cashman also double-dipped in one trade as outlined in my July 27th piece, acquiring a reliever and a bench bat at a reduced premium.

The Yankees exploited a market of sellers looking to shave payroll and dump players on the last years of their deals (Berkman, Wood and Kearns are all in the final year of their respective contracts). Berkman and Wood both have vesting options for 2011, but both options can [and will] be bought out for a small price. Houston, in fact, has already agreed to finance Berkman’s $2 million buyout so he can return to the team in 2011. All in all, Cashman was able to secure his marquee prospects, specifically Jesus Montero, by using the organization’s best asset, money, to pluck top-flight but undervalued talent for cheap. It was flawless execution of financial leveraging that only the Yankees, led by an open wallet, could pull off. A general manager’s foremost responsibility is to improve the Major League club as much as he can while forfeiting as little in the way of prospects and other players as possible. Brian Cashman followed that formula better than any general manager last week, receiving $10 value for spare change.

In Queens, meanwhile, Omar Minaya remained mum. After the Phillies acquired Houston ace, Roy Oswalt, Minaya responded with a tacit “well done.” When Atlanta snagged Royals’ reliever, Kyle Farnsworth, and power bat, Rick Ankiel, from Kansas City, Minaya didn’t counter. Minaya was even presented an opportunity to dump Oliver Perez’s cumbersome contract on the Cubs in exchange for Carlos Zambrano, a better pitcher with an equally bad contract. But again, a slumbering Minaya became stubborn, insisting Chicago take Luis Castillo as well. Even firesale Florida made a buyer’s move, acquiring Orioles’ lefty reliever, Will Ohman. The Mets? They stayed true to their mistaken belief that flaws laced throughout their roster will straighten themselves out. That must have been the logic behind resigning Ollie Perez to that albatross of a deal.

August has arrived. Playoff positioning is beginning to intensify. And now both New York teams have shed light on where they intend to be in October. Cashman has enhanced his 25-man roster and kept his farm system intact with eyes keened on the Fall Classic. Minaya’s sights are fixed on postseason baseball too, but given the roster he has assembled, he’ll need a television or a ticket this fall to keep it that way.

Little goes right as Mets leave left coast

July 30, 2010

The New York Mets stormed out of the second half gates and made two very clear statements. One, there is nothing like home; and two, the Mets are nothing away from home.

Jerry Manuel’s club won just two tilts on an eleven-game west coast swing that covered San Francisco, Arizona and Los Angeles. The Mets were on the verge of getting swept by the Giants when a would-be game-winning run was waved off. Replays confirmed what the naked eye detected in regular speed—Wright’s throw home was late, the runner was safe and the Mets, who ultimately won the game in extra innings on an Ike Davis RBI double, should have lost. Trips to Phoenix and Chavez Ravine didn’t end up any better. Facing an inexperienced, grossly flawed Diamondbacks squad with no pitching, the Mets were ignominiously swept. When the Mets were given an opportunity at vindication against a reeling Dodgers team entering the series losers of 6 of their last 7, the Mets lost 3 of the 4 games.

The Metropolitans, undeserving of even two wins on an eleven-game road trip, limped back to Queens with their heads between their legs. There waiting for the Mets were minted bats, ones that the team forgot to bring with it across the country. New York’s eleven-day strife could very simply be reduced to one common thread—nonexistent offense. The Mets set new record lows at each pole on the trip. Here is quick overview of just how bad the offense has been:

Four- That was the number of times the Mets were blanked on the west coast swing. It was also the number of runs knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey, gave up over three starts (19 and 2/3 innings) on the trip. The Mets lost all three of his starts.

23- The number of runs the Mets scored in eleven road games since the All-star Break. That’s just a hair over 2 runs per game.

24, 17, 16- In three separate stretches, the Mets went scoreless for 24, 17 and 16 consecutive innings. All on one road trip.

.082- New York’s average with runners in scoring position on the left coast voyage.

15 of 16- In 15 of their last 16 games extending to a home stand before the west coast rodeo, the Mets scored 4 runs or less. They won just four games in that span.

38- The number of games the Mets have been trailing after eight innings.

0- The number of games the Mets have won after trailing after eight innings.

For a team sprinkled with as many question marks on the pitching front as the Mets, it’s been an unstable and underachieving offense that has caused the most self-destruction. While hurlers, Dickey and Jonathan Niese, continue to transcend expectations, underachieving bats—notably Jason Bay—and nonexistent offensive production out of catcher, second base and right field have rendered their success moot. That is, until the Mets headed home, where the Mets continued a season-long offensive conundrum by touching up NL Cy Young favorite, Adam Wainwright. The Mets scratched across 6 runs over 5 innings off a pitcher who hadn’t given up more than 4 earned runs in any game all season. The next day, again in the cozy confines of Citi Field, Johan Santana pitted the Mets into an inauspicious 6-0 hole after one inning. But a revamped Mets offense clawed back and eventually tied the game at 7. Although the Metropolitans ultimately lost the game in extra innings, the offense showed new punch that was absent out west.

After dropping 2 of their first 11 on the road, the Mets bounced back strongly on their home turf and took a three-game series from the Central-leading Cardinals. With plenty of reason to be encouraged, the Mets should be anything but. While the Mets have finally grown into their ballpark with strong pitching (the Mets have the third best team ERA, 2.85, at home), failure to translate their success at home to the road has dragged the team down in the NL East hierarchy. The Mets have the largest discrepancy between home and road records in the National League. Sitting at 15 games above .500 at home (32-17) and 13 below on the road (20-33), the boys from Queens have performed like babied children during the regular season—requiring the comfort of their home venue to succeed while looking dazed as soon as they hit uncharted territory. Championship-caliber teams win in spite of their surroundings. No team in the last 10 years has won a World Series with a sub-.500 record. If the Mets are serious about contending in 2010, it starts with winning series’ on the road. Drubbing quality pitching and pounding top-tier teams, while impressive, means very little if it only happens at home.

But are the Mets done? Can a team that scuffles as much on the road radically transfigure into a contender? The short answer is no to both. It does Omar Minaya no good to wave the white flag prematurely, although with the Phillies on the rise with the addition of Roy Oswalt and the Braves 6.5 games up on the Mets, going all in to win this season isn’t very prudent. While Minaya and his brain trust teeter the line on what to do before Saturday’s trade deadline (history says they’ll do nothing, as Minaya is notoriously inactive at this time of year), the crux of New York’s future hinges on their road gray uniforms. The Mets will hit the road next week for a six-game pocket against the two teams ahead of them in the NL East. It’s a perfect chance to gain ground and erase bad trends. Maybe this time they’ll remember their bats, too.

Baseball’s best Bombers aim to get even better as trade deadline approaches

July 27, 2010

With the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline right around the corner, Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, is feverishly in the process of improving his 25-man roster. Cashman tried landing the league’s best lefty starter, Cliff Lee, but the Mariners spurned New York’s offer and shipped him south to Texas instead. Cashman then made a play for Arizona’s Dan Haren, but the Diamondbacks restricted their struggling ace to the west coast when they dealt him to the Angels for a rather unappealing package headlined by left-handed starter, Joe Saunders. Even without Lee or Haren, the defending World Champs are still primed to get even better for the stretch run, and it can be done at a marginal cost.

When Nick Johnson hit the 60-day Disabled List because of wrist surgery, a hole opened up in the Yankees’ lineup. Without their Designated Hitter, the Yankees have gone to a DH-by-committee, using the position to rotate bodies and give veteran positional players half days off. But the Bombers rely on bopping, and an incomplete lineup is not their signature. With Johnson on the shelf, Curtis Granderson failing to produce and four of the five star infielders underachieving offensively, the Yankees should, and likely will, look to add an impact bat. No, not a slugger. Perhaps not even a starter. Whether it’s someone to stabilize the bench, assume Jerry Hairston’s super-utility role from last season or to plug into the DH vacancy, the Yankees ought to pursue an offensively-minded positional player before July 31st.

Even with Andy Pettitte sidelined for four to five weeks with a grade-one groin strain, the Yankees have enough starting pitching depth to survive. CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Javier Vazquez and a fresh Andy Pettitte should be enough to anchor the rotation down the stretch and in the postseason when Hughes will likely be optioned to the bullpen upon reaching his innings cap. The Yankees could add a starting pitcher and then move Phil Hughes to the bullpen to strengthen two areas at once, but they probably don’t have to. Since the bridge to Mariano Rivera has crumbled for much of the year, the Yankees should be scouring for relief for their ailing relief pitching. New York’s bullpen ranks eighth in the league in bullpen ERA (4.17), thanks almost exclusively to Mariano Rivera, who continues to pitch at an unparalleled level. Without Rivera’s sugarcoating numbers, Yankee middle relief has floundered all season, and must be addressed before the postseason.

In 2008, the Yankees killed two birds with one stone by acquiring corner outfielder, Xavier Nady, and left-handed reliever, Damaso Marte, from the Pittsburgh Pirates in one transaction. The trade filled the team’s left-field vacancy left when Matsui went down with a season-ending wrist injury. It simultaneously shored up a bullpen that had struggled for most of the year. The Yankees have similar needs in 2010, which means a combo package involving a pitcher and batter in the same deal seems to make the most sense. With this in mind, here are several foolproof stratagems to bolster the Yankees roster and position the team well for a strong championship push.

Fish in Florida- The Marlins have three hitters and two bullpen arms worth pursuing. Relievers, Leo Nunez and Clay Hensley, are having outstanding seasons in Miami. Either player would strengthen the back of the Yankees’ bullpen, which has suffered because of Joba Chamberlain’s inconsistency and injuries to Damaso Marte and Alfredo Aceves. Third baseman, Jorge Cantu, second baseman, Dan Uggla, and center fielder, Cody Ross, pique interest on the offensive side. Uggla could slide right into the DH spot in the Yankees’ lineup and would provide be an appreciable upgrade over Marcus Thames and Juan Miranda—current shareholders of the position. Cantu and Ross profile more as bench bulwarks. Cantu would add power and experience to the Yankees bench—a welcome offensive upgrade over Ramiro Pena. Ross gives the team more flexibility with the outfield alignment. He plays a good defensive center field and hits lefties very well. Given Granderson’s struggles against southpaws, Ross could assume the lion’s share of at-bats against them, which would improve the team’s overall production out of the center field position. Florida is perhaps the most enticing trade partner for the Yanks. Some combination of Nunez/Hensley and one of Cantu/Uggla/Ross would stabilize the Yankees bullpen and improve the lineup, all in one move.

Utilize the farm system- Brian Cashman has spent the last several years repairing a farm system that was neglected and dismantled because Steinbrenner preferred overspending on the free agent market over drafting and developing homegrown talent. Cashman’s new wave of commitment to the farm has produced Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, Brett Gardner and Joba Chamberlain, but perhaps the most promising of the bunch is a 20-year-old slugger in Triple-A. Prized catching prospect, Jesus Montero, now considered the best offensive prospect in baseball by Baseball Prospectus, has gone torn up the Minor Leagues over the last two months. Since June 4th, Montero has been the best hitter in the International League, hitting .365 with 7 home runs, 25 runs driven in and a sparkling 1.07 OPS during that frame. Montero’s bat has been Major League ready for over a year, but the Yankees are adamant about grooming him as a capable defensive catcher. That’s still no excuse for keeping Montero, who can make up time behind the dish in winter ball, off the Major League roster. The 20-year-old phenom can split time at DH and catcher, relieving backup Francisco Cervelli, who is mired in a huge offensive slump.

On the pitching front, most of the Yankees’ biggest prospects are in the lower levels of the system (Double-A or lower). Zach McAllister and David Phelps are highly touted prospects throwing in Triple-A, but both are new to the ranks and have plenty to prove still at that level. Ivan Nova, who had a cup of coffee on the big league club earlier in the year, has been outstanding for Scranton. Nova projects to be a solid middle of the rotation starter, and could [should] be used to fill Pettitte’s spot if Sergio Mitre and Dustin Moseley are ineffective. Jonathan Albaladejo has been equally as impressive as the closer in Scranton. Albaladejo has struggled in previous stints with the Yankees, but should be worth another look. He was sent down after a brief, three-day call-up, although he certainly deserves a roster spot more than Chan-Ho Park or Chad Gaudin.

Whether the Yankees choose to touch up the roster with help available on the market or from within, shoring up the bullpen and solidifying the bench with a strong bat remain tops priorities. The Yankees may make a big splash for an Adam Dunn or Roy Oswalt, but it certainly won’t be out of necessity for a team that should win 100 games as currently constructed. As the Yankees sit comfortably atop the American League East, there’s but one thing Brian Cashman must come to grips with before the 4 p.m. trade deadline on July 31st. Instead of using Jesus Montero as a trade chip to bring in a big piece, let Jesus Montero be that piece.

NHL spurns Devils’ 17-year contract agreement with Kovalchuk

July 22, 2010

The National Hockey League has rejected a contract agreement that was in place between the New Jersey Devils and free agent left wing, Ilya Kovalchuk. The deal, which was worth about $102 million over 17 seasons, would have been the longest contract ever handed out to an NHL player. The league spurned the agreement because it was disproportionately frontloaded in an effort to circumvent the salary cap at the end of the contract. Over the final six years of the contract, Kovalchuk was only due to make $3.5 of the $102 million.

The 27-year-old Kovalchuk was traded from the Atlanta Thrashers to the Devils in February after he rejected a 12-year, $101 million extensions. The crafty left wing is one of the NFL’s premier goal scorers, amassing a league best 338 goals since 2001.

An arbitrator will review the league’s rejection and determine if it was indeed appropriate. If the termination of the contract is upheld, Kovalchuk will again become an unrestricted free agent. The loss would be a major blow for a defensive-oriented Devils team that was looking to re-up one of the best attackers in the game. New Jersey, normally reluctant to dole out large contracts, would have to work out a new, restructured contract with Kovalchuk to fortify its front line.

Yanks’ midseason report card

July 16, 2010

The first half of the Yankees season has been a series of melodramatic mysteries. The Bronx Bombers have puzzled more than they have entertained. They have begotten more questions than highlights.

Andy Pettitte’s rejuvenation is inexplicable. One of New York’s most consistent pitchers over the last 15 years, Pettitte is having his best season as a Yankee at 38. Here’s the kicker—he’s historically been a second half pitcher. Brett Gardner’s surge is not to be outdone or upstaged. The pesky Yankees left fielder was doubted entering the season. Pundits and analysts said he would be a platoon outfielder who couldn’t handle a full season’s work load. Gardner, they said, would not hit lefties well enough to earn an everyday starting gig. Lo and behold, the new Yankees’ center fielder—the man who nudged Gardner off his center field perch—has looked like the platoon player. While Gardner’s consistency has made him irreplaceable in New York’s loaded lineup, Curtis Granderson is tiptoeing towards the bust list in just his first season in pinstripes.

Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher, both All-Star selections, are in the midst of career years. The super-talented Cano seems to have finally tapped his potential thanks in part to the departure of friend and distraction, Melky Cabrera. Swisher, meanwhile, is building on a strong first season in the Bronx. A lifetime .250 hitter, Swisher is hitting about .300 at the break. Go figure.

But perhaps the greatest conundrum of all is one that shouldn’t be surprising at all: the New York Yankees are in first place, five games ahead of their pace on this date last year. But how? The Bronx Bombers have been laced with underachieving stars, Javier Vazquez and AJ Burnett had historically bad months, several key starters have missed extended time and the bridge to Mariano Rivera has been a chaotic mess. Analyze the Yankees player-by-player and you would be concerned, not impressed. For every pleasant surprise or breakthrough season, there have been two players who have underperformed thus far. Whether New York’s success is because of synergy or the graces of great starting pitching, the defending World Champs must be elated with the position they’re in.

While the team itself has aced its midterm, most Yankees veterans will not be satisfied with their progress reports at the midway pole in 2010.

Jorge Posada- Grade: C Posada has been a nonfactor offensively (.212 BA, .348 OBP, .337 slugging %) since returning from his foot injury that cost him a 15-day stint on the DL. The aging Yankee backstop is substandard defensively and not fleet of foot making his bat that much more important. Cano's sizzling first half demands protection, and if Jorge cannot provide that, he offers little value to the Yankees. As good as Posada is offensively, Father Time and nagging injuries could begin to interfere with his production.

Mark Teixeira- Grade: C- The first three months for New York’s #3 hitter, including a categorically hideous month of April, were substandard. The notoriously slow starter carried over a poor postseason performance into April again, but this year it’s taken longer to rebound from. Nevertheless, Mark has been flaming hot in July, and his stat line is beginning to resemble the lofty numbers that have made him one of the league’s finest first basemen over the years. Because of his slow start, it’s impossible to rate Teixeira favorably on his midterm, although he is expected to fare much better on his final exam.

Robinson Cano- Grade: A+ Philadelphia’s Chase Utley has been baseball’s best second baseman for several years, but that’s changed in 2010, at least so far. Cano has been stellar defensively thus far and offered one of the best and most consistent bats in the first half. Immersed in a pool of underachieving, veteran infielders, Cano has put the All-Star cast on his back and salvaged an otherwise dismal offensive showing in the first half. There is nothing more Cano, a midseason MVP candidate, can do except prove his mettle in the postseason.

Derek Jeter- Grade: D Not surprisingly, Jeter has been below average defensively through the midway point of the season. But while strong defense has never been a DJ trademark, his bat has. Offensively, Jeter has struggled since the get-go. He hasn’t been able to hit for his normally high average, he set a career mark by going 19 consecutive games without driving in a run and his on-base percentage sits at a pedestrian .338. Jeter’s average is 45 points below his career average, and he’s in line for the worst statistical season of his career. He is also in jeopardy of losing the leadoff role to Brett Gardner, who outproduced the Yankee captain in the first half.

Alex Rodriguez- Grade: C+ Relative to expectations, A-Rod is having a letdown year following his 2009 heroics. Rodriguez has been his usual clutch self, leading the team with big hits and in most clutch metrics. Still, for personal achievement, the American League’s best overall player needs to boost his overall numbers, perhaps by performing better in low-leverage spot. Alex has looked his best in the field in 2010 since moving to third base in 2004. On a layman’s scale, Rodriguez has been great. But A-Rod is a superstar and still has room for large improvement. Scary.

Brett Gardner- Grade: A Gardner was expected to play like a platoon fourth outfielder, yet the speedy left fielder has proven his worth as an everyday player. He has been the toughest out in the Yankees lineup, seeing more pitches per plate appearance than anyone in baseball. Gardner’s glove has been sensational, his speed has been a tremendous asset, if for nothing else but to distract opposing pitchers, and the young Yankee has maintained a .300 batting average for most of the season. While he’ll never have the career of the Yankee captain, Brett Gardner is looking more and more like an outfield version of Derek Jeter, intangibles and all.

Curtis Granderson- Grade: F Cashman’s biggest offseason acquisition has been an absolute abortion at the plate. Granderson’s defense has average and he doesn't utilize his speed nearly enough [in part because he doesn't have enough opportunity on the bases]. The Yankees center fielder was never especially great to begin with, and expectations that a stacked Yankee lineup laced with protection and the short porch in right field would bolster his numbers look silly now at the midway pole. Granderson has looked juvenile against left-handers all year long, but he’s never hit them in his career, so it seems only Brian Cashman was fooled. The reeling Yankees outfielder has been trending downwards for three-and-a-half years since his anomalous 2007. Not good for a player who cannot get much worse.

Nick Swisher- Grade: A Not only is Nick Swisher a high character guy with a great clubhouse presence, he has also been instrumental on the field. 2010 has been a breakout year for the jubilant Yankees’ rightfielder, so much that he has begun to look like Giambi [in his prime] lite at the plate. His average is a notch less than .300, 50 points higher than his career average. Swisher is now a complete hitter. Not only will he hit 30 home runs, get on base at a high clip and work pitch counts, but now he is beginning to hit for a high average too. But one caveat—if there's one player on the Yankees vulnerable to a big second half plunge, it's probably Nick.

Nick Johnson- Grade: N/A It’s not the first time an injury has derailed Nick Johnson and put him on the shelf for an extended period of time. Nick was struggling offensively in large part because of a sore wrist which eventually required surgery. But even a struggling Johnson was able to produce a high .388 on-base percentage, a perfect fit in the 2-slot of the Yankees order. Believe it or not, Johnson has been missed, and if he is not able to return at some point down the line, the Yankees will likely have to trade for another bat to fill his shoes.

CC Sabathia- Grade: A The burly ace was not sharp in May, yet his numbers in that month were still passable. That’s how effective the normally slow-starter has been. Sabathia’s April, June and July have simply been outstanding. C.C. is on pace for a career year, and consider he's a second half pitcher. If Carlston Charles has his usual strong second half, he’ll win 20 games for the first time in his career while posting up gaudy numbers in a hitter’s haven. Impressive, though you should expect nothing less from the ace.

AJ Burnett- Grade: B- Burnett’s holistic numbers for the first half are not pretty, but he has been better than what his player page says. Burnett was outstanding in April and July, and his May was decent as well. Only an atrocious June, far and away the worst month of his big league career, has tarnished Burnett’s numbers in 2010. With pitching coach Dave Eiland in the dugout, AJ has been particularly productive (he imploded when Eiland took a leave of absence in June). If we toss out Burnett’s anomalous month of June, #34 has otherwise been ace material. Burnett, like Sabathia, is a second half pitcher, and will only get better down the stretch. On a related note, run support would be greatly appreciated. AJ doesn't get any.

Andy Pettitte- Grade: A+ Andy has reshaped himself into a reliable ace so far this season. Pettitte always pitches his best down the stretch and typically comes up large in the postseason. AP has been the best pitcher in the Yankees’ rotation and one of the best in the entire league. 2010 was supposed to be a last hurrah for Pettitte, but amid the best season of his career, how could he possibly leave after this stroke of magic? While Pettitte’s Hall of Fame credentials have become stronger, his legacy continues to grow.

Javier Vazquez- Grade: B- Vazquez looked was close to flunking out of the Bronx after his disastrous first month. But after the Yankees skipped his start against Boston so he could clear his head, Javy has been on point. Vazquez’s ERA has dipped each month. Since May 12, he has lowered his ERA from a ghastly 9.78 to a modest 4.45. Vazquez has been one of the team’s most consistent pitchers since April, eating innings, maximizing run prevention and helping the team win games despite virtually no run support. More rough patches may be on the horizon in the second half for Vazquez with better offenses on the schedule, but Vazquez doesn’t need to be light’s out to be an effective #4 starter

Phil Hughes- Grade: A- Hughes must get better pitching at home and cannot fear the long ball in his own ballpark. He also needs to feature his offspeed stuff more instead of just overpowering hitters with cutters and moving fastballs. Phil's offspeed stuff, specifically his curveball, looked the best it has all season in his last two starts before the break. That’s something to build on for a pitcher who blazed hitters with raw stuff and great control for the first three months of the season. Overall, even despite a very rough stretch in the month of June, Hughes has dwarfed expectations and given indications that he does have the potential to be an ace in this league. In the meantime, with the Yankees set at the top of the rotation for the next several years, Hughes can continue to be one of the backend starters in the game.

Mariano Rivera- Grade: A+ The greatest of all-time just keeps getting better, even at a ripe 40-years-old. How good will he be when he’s 50?

Bridge to Mo- Grade: D New York’s middle relief and bridge to Mariano Rivera struggled tremendously prior to the All-Star Break The bullpen ERA sans Rivera was 4.7, which would’ve ranked second-to-last in the league in the first half. The Yankees will need to get Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson and Damaso Marte straightened out before the postseason beckons. With hybrid reliever Alfredo Aceves likely out for the year with a back injury, Sergio Mitre will bear the onus as the team’s go-to long-man.

State of the Mets address

July 15, 2010

Following a turbulent 2009 campaign, the New York Mets have returned to the thick of a pennant race at the midway pole in 2010. The Mets, who were 6.5 games out of first in the division and 7.5 behind in the Wild Card at the same time a year ago, are just 4 games in back of the NL East leading Braves and one game off the pace for a playoff spot this season. While New York hobbled into the All-star break 3 games below .500 in 2009, it was able to stay afloat in 2010, heading into the break 8 games over .500 despite injuries to two-fifths of the starting rotation and the absence of the team’s best overall player, Carlos Beltran.

The postseason is a realistic aspiration for this year’s Mets team. Since an up-and-down April, the Metropolitans have never separated from the playoff picture. But a berth in the playoffs is only a feasible possibility if the Mets are willing to make changes—fairly big ones.

The Mets need, not would appreciate, another starting pitcher, preferably a front of the rotation arm. Mike Pelfrey was ace material for the first three months of the season, but his treacherous last three starts (13.1 IP, 15 ER, 33 this, 8 walks, 6 strikeouts) elicit justified concerns. Is this really a new, refined Mike Pelfrey finally tapping his potential, or will Big Pelf revert to 2009 form? Pelfrey, with his notoriously high WHIP (now up to 1.44), is much more suited to be a #3 starter than a #2 on a championship-caliber squad.

The Mets certainly cannot count on a pair of 35-year-olds—journeyman R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi—the way they did in the first half. Dickey will not maintain a 2.77 ERA [or anything close] in the second half. With a 1.3+ WHIP, an earned run average that low is not sustainable. Takahashi, meanwhile, seems destined for a return to the bullpen where he rightfully belongs. Although he is slated to start in Arizona next week, the reliever-turned-starter has been trending downwards since his last start in May.

In an ideal rotation, Santana anchors the staff as the #1, Omar Minaya acquires a frontend starter to insert behind his lefty ace, Pelfrey and promising southpaw Jonathan Niese are each bumped back a spot in the order and Dickey bookends the rotation. The rewards are innumerable. For one, bumping back Pelfrey, Niese and Dickey each one spot enhances their value. The trio would comprise one of the best backend rotations in the league. By acquiring a #2 starter, Minaya also strengthens his bullpen by allowing Takahashi to pitch in shorter stints and more selectively against lefties. Takahashi’s ERA jumps from 2.3 to 5.6 when hitters see him for a second time, and the veteran lefty has an outstanding .615 OPS against when facing left-handed hitters. By facing more lefties and without hitters having the benefit of seeing him a second time around, Takahashi’s value increases exponentially.

But enough hypothetical scenarios and hollow visions. What pitchers fit the bill? Who can the Mets add to complete the puzzle? Cliff Lee is now off the market, although the Mets didn’t have the pieces to acquire him anyway. The next tier of frontline starters is headlined by Houston’s Roy Oswalt, followed by Arizona’s Dan Haren, Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona and Chicago’s Ted Lilly.

Haren is a west coast kid. He grew up in southern California and has spent most of his time playing for Oakland and Arizona. The Diamondbacks’ ace has spent his entire career in small markets, pitching for non-contenders. He’s a big market unknown and has no experience pitching for a winning team. The kicker—he’s not even having a particularly good season. Cross him off the list.

Carmona is similar to Haren. Cleveland’s #1 is having his best season since he burst onto the season in 2007. Carmona pitched in the postseason for the Indians, who had three chances to win one game that would have sent them to the ‘07 World Series. While he shined against the Yankees in the Divisional Series, Carmona was instrumental in Cleveland’s disappointing loss in the ALCS. Carmona has done his worst work pitching in and against Boston and New York. He has had anxiety issues in the past, so he doesn’t appear to have the gall to handle the Big Apple. Carmona is still young and cost-controlled, and likely would cost a lot in return. Hesitantly cross him off the list too.

Lilly is a crafty veteran who has experience pitching in New York (he pitched for the Yankees from 2000-2002). Lilly struggled in 2001 in his first work as a starter for the Bronx Bombers, but he came along nicely in ’02 before being traded to Oakland in a midseason deal. But in numbers, makeup and style, Lilly is far too similar to Jonathan Niese. In fact, Niese has been better in 2009. While Lilly would improve New York’s rotation, it’s not the first Minaya is looking for. Bump him down the list, but don’t cross out his name.

Oswalt is the perfect match for Queens. The ten-year veteran has been a stable ace his entire career, pitching on several great Astros teams. Oswalt is proven in the postseason as well. In seven starts, Roy is 4-0 with a 3.66 ERA. Playing for a contender would likely invigorate the polished Oswalt. Houston’s ace is due to make about $7 million over the last two and a half months of the season and $16 million in 2011. If the Mets, who have the National League’s highest payroll, swallow the remaining $23 million on Oswalt’s deal, the star righty could potentially be had a reduced fee. A package surrounding Josh Thole or Fernando Martinez [plus some low-ball arms] would allow the Mets to acquire Oswalt without giving up prized 20-year-old flamethrower Jenrry Mejia. If Minaya exercises one of the organization’s greatest streams of leverage—the ability to eat salary—the Mets could have one of the game’s best pitchers backing Johan Santana for nothing more than money plus a pair of easily replaceable, but highly touted prospects. The Mets have the potential to assemble one of the game’s best rotations. Prospects are best put to use as currency for proven Major League talent when teams are one or two pieces away from getting over the hump. No prospect in the Mets system, including Jennry Mejia, is worth sheltering from a deal for a legitimate ace. The time is now for New York to make its move in the division, not overvalue its prospects.

Offensively, the Mets have little to worry about if the team can acquire a frontline starter. Carlos Beltran’s return to the Mets lineup will bolster an otherwise average offense from top to bottom, though it may not be the difference maker many are awaiting. It is ambitious to expect Beltran to immediately resemble his former self and replicate the numbers he was putting up as a Met before injuring his knee. In fact, the 33-year-old Mets’ center fielder may never be the same player again after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in January. But Beltran does not need to play superhero for the Mets to make the playoffs. If he showcases his characteristically smooth outfield defense, posts solid offensive production for his position and poses a distraction on the base paths, he would effectively be like a big deadline acquisition.

Second to David Wright, who had a sensational first half of the season with the lumber and the leather, Mets’ center fielder Angel Pagan was the team’s most valuable positional player. With Beltran out, Jeff Francoeur struggling and Bay off to a miserable first half, Pagan fortified the outfield with his silky smooth defense, savvy baserunning and surprisingly potent bat. Beltran’s return will likely push Pagan to right field in lieu of the inconsistent Francoeur, but Angel will still see plenty of time in center relieving Beltran, who the Mets will monitor carefully. If Jason Bay can meet his career line in the second half, the Mets offense should receive a jolt from two of the league’s best outfield bats. Runs, if all goes according to plan, should not be what holds the Metropolitans back.

We will have a strong idea where the Mets stand exactly one month from now (August 15th). By that date, the boys from Queens will have completed an 11-game West Coast swing, a pair of series with the Phillies and a span that included 23 of 29 games (17 of which are on the road) against teams with .500 or better records. The next two weeks prior to the trade deadline will be pivotal. With a strong showing out on the left coast, the Mets would become active buyers for starting pitching. But if the Mets bury themselves in the division and lose their tentative grip of the Wild Card, New York may instead opt to wait out the season and not take on anymore payroll.

The Philadelphia Phillies, saddled with injures, are reeling, but no other team appears ready to usurp their throne. With the National League in flux, the winner of the deadline could position itself as the team to beat. The Mets, as currently constructed, do not resemble a championship roster. But with a few Minaya masterstrokes and a touch of good luck, the New York Mets could vault from the middle of the pack to the cream of the crop before August 1st. The Metropolitans passively sat back as bad fortune crippled their 2009 club. Will they aggressively take up the reigns in 2010 and position themselves for a championship, or will the 21st Century Mets perpetuate a growing legacy of wasted opportunity.

Steinbrenner dead at 80

July 13, 2010

George Steinbrenner, whose legacy as the founding father of free agency and whose unquenchable thirst for winning by any means necessary made him the most polarizing owner in sports, died of a heart attack just nine days after celebrating his 80th birthday. Steinbrenner was rushed to a hospital early Tuesday morning after suffering a heart attack in his Tampa, Florida home. He died shortly later.

Dubbed “The Boss” for his radical ownership reign, Steinbrenner built a disheveled organization into the most powerful empire in sports. He brought back interest and intrigue to an organization left to vanish in the 60s and to a fleeting sport that couldn’t find room on the back page anymore. A middle-aged entrepreneur, The Boss had visions of resurrecting a franchise and salvaging America’s pastime. And with stylish pizzazz and an unrivaled commitment to success, he did, like none other.

In a league littered with owners searching for excuses rather than high prized free agents, Steinbrenner was the golden standard for how sports organizations should be run. The Boss placed loyalty and sentiment on the backburner; winning, however it took, was his only creed. Steinbrenner spent money only when it facilitated winning, and though it drove up the value of the colloquial baseball “star,” it did so in the best interest of the sport. He encouraged a league that rewarded its players and triggered a fierce market of buyers lining up for their services. The 37-year Yankees owner did what most of his contemporaries refused to do—invest sumptuously into the organization and reinvest all revenue streams into the fabric of the team. Steinbrenner was the owner most baseball fans hated, but only because he was better and more driven than their own.

The Boss separated himself from other lavish spenders in sports by how he handled himself within the organization. While Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, and Mavericks’ owner, Mark Cuban, made certain they were front and center, Steinbrenner carefully kept his distance. When Jones paraded the Dallas sidelines and Cuban heckled officials from his front row seat, George sat reticently in his luxury box, yielding to his team, not his image. Steinbrenner would enter the media fray only to spark his team, never for narcissistic revelry. He was baseball’s biggest corporate fan—a business mogul who hooted and hollered as much as any beer-guzzling bleacher creature inhabitant.

While Ruth and Gehrig built the Yankees from the ground up, it was George who kept the organization flourishing. Mantle and DiMaggio join Ruth and Gehrig as New York’s Mount Rushmore of baseball immortals, but The Boss left as large of an imprint on the organization as any of those four. Without Steinbrenner’s momentous purchase of the New York Yankees from CBS for $10 million in 1973, the organization would not even resemble the modern giant that is recognized today. Perhaps no individual, player or not, has been as influential on America’s pastime as Steinbrenner since the 1970s. No Yankees icon has meant as much in perpetuating the organization’s storied lineage into the modern era than The Boss himself. Not Yogi. Not Jeter. Not even the game’s greatest closer of all-time. While Mantle and DiMaggio cashed in at a time when the Yankees were at their crest, Steinbrenner took over a reeling Yankees franchise near its lowest point ever. Big George, maligned for his perceived impatience, withstood an 18-year championship drought to construct one of the finest dynasties [including baseball’s best team ever] in sports history.

George Steinbrenner the philanthropist was indeed the best of all. For every dollar he invested into his baseball team, two were given as charitable donation. And for as much flux and changeover as Steinbrenner promoted on the diamond, his life was emblazoned by loyalty, family and charity off it. The very tycoon who spent more money on his ballclub than most organizations combined was even more proactive as a benefactor away from the sport he loved.

On July 13th, 2010, George Steinbrenner died a World Champion, so very befitting of the life he lived and legacy he left.

Yankees miss out on Cliff Lee, avoid major blunder

July 12, 2010

The Seattle Mariners had agreed to trade Cliff Lee to the Yankees Friday for a package surrounding elite catching prospect, Jesus Montero. According to the New York Post, the league’s best pitcher was destined for the Bronx to join forces with fellow lefty ace, CC Sabathia, a friend of Lee’s since the two played together in Cleveland. Indeed, the deal was so close that the wives of the two standout southpaws convened for lunch to help pick out a house for Lee in Alpine, New Jersey, where Sabathia resides.< p>

Several hours later that Friday, Lee received a call from Mariners’ general manager, Jack Zduriencik, informing the ace he had been traded to the Texas Rangers, not the Yankees. Lee was dealt to the Rangers for a package of minor leaguers, most notably first base prospect, Justin Smoak. Zduriencki had successfully executed his ploy, using the Yankees as leverage to drive up the price on Lee and lure the Rangers into the fold. Seattle had preferred Smoak to Montero and conned Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, into a dog and pony show that would ultimately bring Smoak to the Emerald City.

But where there’s Smoak, there’s fire, and the Cliff Lee trade whirlpool had plenty of it. While Zduriencik thinks he is getting away with highway robbery, Cashman and company should be thanking the stars for narrowly evading a catastrophic mistake.

Sure, Lee has been the best pitcher in baseball over the last two and a half years, posting a sparkling 2.62 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over that span. And yes, no pitcher is more proven over the last three seasons, flourishing under every conceivable condition. Lee was equally impressive hurling in small ballparks (Philadelphia) and big ballparks (Seattle), the American League (Seattle, Cleveland) and National League (Philadelphia), playing on a contending team (Philadelphia) and teams out of the playoff picture (Seattle, Cleveland) and in the regular season versus the postseason. Lee’s dazzling 91:6 strikeout to ball ratio even puts him on pace to shatter the all-time mark (please note that the league average K:BB ratio is approximately 2 to 1). But even the league’s most reliable ace is not worth the price Brian Cashman was willing to meet.

Lee, who turns 32 at the end of August, is a free agent at the end of the season. The 2008 American League Cy Young award winner has been clear he will not sign an extension midseason and wants to test the free agent waters. That means a midseason deal for Lee guarantees only three months of his services. Cashman is enamored with the lefty ace, and almost traded for him over the offseason when he was a member of the Phillies. The Yankees appear to be the proverbial favorite for Lee in the offseason. They have the money to spend, the desire for another playoff proven ace and Lee himself appears to be equally interested. Lee is buddies with former Arkansas native, AJ Burnett, and ex-teammate CC Sabathia. Getting paid, winning a championship and comradeship appear to be Lee’s biggest priorities in that order, and no team offers a better blend of that formula than the squad who defeated Lee’s Phillies in last year’s World Series, anchored by two of his friends and the highest-paid team in the United States.

Lee is Yankee property this winter. That he was eager to buy a house in northern New Jersey before a trade to the Yankees was even finalized signals the smoking gun of the Cliff Lee free agency saga. Over the offseason, Lee will cost just money and two compensatory draft picks. Is an extra three months of his service in 2010 really worth the most advanced hitting prospect in all of baseball? The 20-year-old Montero is already playing for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. After mashing in Trenton, a notorious pitcher’s park, as a young 19-year-old catcher, Montero has already drawn comparisons to Major League sluggers Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and the retired Edgar Martinez. While his defense is subpar and his position in doubt (he stands at 6’4”, 225 pounds, which is considerably large for a catcher), Montero’s bat will play him at the Major League level very soon. Even if Montero is eventually forced to move from the position, he has a once-in-a-decade bat and projects to be one of the league’s biggest sluggers over the next 15+ years.

A super slugger in the making plus a promising young arm, Zach McAllister, and quality second baseman, David Adams, is a price too steep for just three months off Lee. Seattle reportedly asked for the Yankees #1 shortstop prospect, Eduardo Nunez, in lieu of Adams, whose sprained ankle became a prominent concern. New York is in no position to trade perhaps baseball’s best offensive prospect, a candidate for the heir apparent to Derek Jeter and a starting pitcher projected to be a serviceable middle of the rotation arm.

For a team that ranks second in the league in starters’ ERA (3.68, only behind Seattle which is now down Lee), a starting pitcher ranks at the bottom of needs. The Yankees offer the league’s best rotation with two lefty aces, a young one in the making (Phil Hughes) and two pitchers who have been very effective by and large, but were each plagued by one bad month (Burnett and Javier Vazquez). New York has four frontend starters plus Vazquez, a horse who eats innings and keeps the team in games at the back of the rotation. Adding Lee to the mix would be overindulging an abundance of riches. And come the postseason, the rotation wouldn’t necessarily be much off. A.J. Burnett dazzled hitters in his three postseason starts at home, throwing 19.1 total innings and only giving up 4 earned runs. On the road, Burnett showcased his trademark inconsistency, imploding in his two postseason starts away from home (8 IP, 12 ER). Bringing Cliff Lee into the equation would effectively bump Burnett to Game 3 or 4 of the ALDS and ALCS, which would be played on the road, not at home, assuming the Yankees secure home field advantage. While Lee will likely do little better than Burnett has done at home in the postseason already, Burnett’s treacherous history away from home would render starting him on the road in the postseason a major mistake.

No, the Yankees do not need Cliff Lee in 2010. An above average hitter who can fill the DH void and make spot starts in the field would suffice. Lance Berkman, Houston’s star first baseman, would be an ideal substitute for Nick Johnson, and Berkman could be had in a virtual salary dump as the Astros look to shave payroll. Next in line on the Yankees trade deadline checklist is a reliable bullpen arm. Middle relief has been a pest for the Bronx Bombers. While Mariano Rivera has been, well, ordinarily supernatural, the gas cans below him have not. Sergio Mitre and Phil Hughes should give the Yankees depth in the bullpen in the postseason, but if the Yankees cannot straighten out either David Robertson or Joba Chamberlain, they may look to acquire some insurance.

July 9, 2010 will go down in Yankees lore as yet another boon in the organization’s salient history. When Jesus Montero is sending souvenirs into the Yankee Stadium grandstand for 15+ years while the pinstriped Cliff Lee anchors the rotation for the next five, Brian Cashman can laugh guiltily at the time he almost tossed away a future Yankeeography fixture for a player he has won without and was going to sign three months later anyway.

LeBron spurns Big Apple, follows Wade and Bosh to Miami

July 10, 2010

NBA megastar, LeBron “King” James, sat uneasily on his throne at his self-appointed free agency special. Ending months of frenzy and empty speculation, James pierced the hearts of millions of Cleveland fans when he announced his intention to join forces with fellow superstars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami. For the New York area, where fans have been starving for basketball success since the advent of the Jason Kidd era and prime of the Patrick Ewing reign, it was a not-so-subtle reinforcement that pro hoops will take a backseat to the pigskin and America’s pastime, even in a region that craves the roundball. Here’s a look at the offseason work of the Knicks and Nets now that the major free agent dominoes have fallen, plus a peak at what the future may hold for the postseason-parched clubs.

New York Knicks- Head coach Mike D’Antoni welcomes back a blast from the past in former Phoenix Suns star, Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire was a staple to D’Antoni’s up-tempo, helter-skelter system out west, and will again be the focal point of the offense in New York. But Stoudemire was brought in to be a supplementary piece to an even bigger star, ideally James. Without a go-to playmaker at the helm, the Knicks merely replace David Lee with a marginal offensive upgrade in Stoudemire, leaving similar holes in the roster that were present last year. The Knicks bulldozed cap space in hopes of having the league’s best one-two punch, with emerging role players in Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler waiting in the shadows to complete the puzzle. They didn’t shave payroll, pawn off draft picks and deal young talent just to swap one top-flight power forward for another. President of basketball operations, Donnie Walsh, aspired to make James his legacy when he came on board in 2008, but his failure to coax the NBA’s biggest name renders years of preparation moot. Instead, Walsh has created the Phoenix Suns of the East, a recreation lacking the two most important positions on the floor—point guard and center. On this abbreviated version, there is no Steve Nash to facilitate the offense and create easy scoring opportunities for Stoudemire. There is no inside presence to steer defenders away from Stoudemire like there was a Boris Diaw in Phoenix. Missing too is an explosive offensive guard similar to Leandro Barbosa who can attack the tin and coast in the open floor. And absent on Phoenix East is a defensive stopper like Grant Hill who can lock down the opponent’s best player when D’Antoni calls for a rare defensive stop. No, there’s not much to like on Donnie Walsh’s visionary master plan. In laying out a grandiose formula for success, Walsh completely disregarded contingency plans in case James wasn’t wooed by the New York limelight. And now the Knicks are left with nine planets without a sun, a new convertible without the keys. New York is strapped with more cap space than it can possibly use in one offseason, and will now to look toward the 2011 free agent class to put it to use. Even with Eddie Curry’s abominable contract coming off the books next summer, there is little promise for an organization that sacrificed the last several seasons to construct a blueprint of the future. Oklahoma City and Kevin Durant agreed to a 5-year extension Thursday which takes Durant’s name off the 2011 free agent list. The Knicks will summarily shift attention to Carmelo Anthony, the lone prize of the class of 2011. But with Anthony and Denver making progress on a potential three-year extension, the Knicks could be left with clusters of money to spend on mid-level talent. When laying out the next blueprint of the future, the Knickerbockers ought not to assume they are entitled to any player on the market because of the glow of the Garden and prominence of the city. The Dolans should form a competitive basketball team that doesn’t rely on the league’s biggest names and exorcise the delusional belief that simply playing the New York card trumps all. Losing, even if it’s in the Big Apple, certainly isn’t any more special.

New Jersey Nets- Nets’ owner Mikhail Prokhorov made two bold promises at the onset of his reign—that the Nets would win a title within the next five years and that he would convert Knicks fans to Nets fans. Prokhorov took steps toward achieving the latter when he pitched a billboard promoting the Nets just outside Madison Square Garden. That, combined with New York’s lofty free agent blueprint which self-destructed when James committed to South Beach, leaves Prokhorov’s second pledge at least plausible. But Prokhorov’s most appealing promise, that New Jersey would win a title within the next five years, took a major hit when the confident owner struck out on all the major free agents of the 2010 class. Chicago landed New Jersey’s contingency plan to James, Carlos Boozer, one of the four best power forwards on the market and a perennial 20 and 10 player. When the Knicks agreed to a sign-and-trade that sent David Lee to the Warriors for a package headlined by Anthony Randolph, a young forward with a ton of promise, New Jersey was totally closed out from the top tier of the market. Holdover general manager, Rod Thorn, who announced his decision to resign July 5th, signed Travis Outlaw, a small forward, to a 5-year, $35 million offer sheet. New Jersey’s first splash in free agency appears to be a move just for the sake of making one, as if the Nets felt compelled to sign someone, anyone, after whiffing on the big names. But Outlaw, who averaged 9 points on 39% shooting for the Clippers last season, certainly did not fit the bill of a contract that will pay him an average of $7 million per season over the life of the deal. The versatile Outlaw, who can also play shooting guard and power forward, will push Terrence Williams, a promising second year player, to shooting guard and allow newcomer Damion James, the Nets’ second first round selection, to earn backup minutes at forward. With an overabundance of youth on the roster, the prospects for the Nets don’t suggest rapid growth in 2010 and 2011. Even with Avery Johnson running the show and cap space to spare, New Jersey will need to rely on Brook Lopez, Devin Harris and its prized first round selection, Derrick Favors, to step up and contribute immediately. Yi Jianlian and Chris Douglas-Roberts were let go in trades intended to open up more cap space to potentially sign two free agents to maximum deals, but the Nets thus far have only filled that available financial wiggle room with one mediocre player. The Nets continue to explore trade possibilities for big names, the latest which have included Chris Paul (New Orleans point guard) and Danny Granger (Indiana small forward). But it appears the Nets will head into the 2010 season, prepared to defend a crown of futility, with a roster similar to the one that won only 12 games last season. Prokhorov has an unlimited cache of money to spend, but the newest NBA owner has learned it takes more than a free flow of cash to assemble a quality basketball team.

Yankees, Mets each snubbed in All-Star voting

July 4, 2010

Major League Baseball revealed on Sunday both rosters for the 2010 All-Star Game to be played July 13th in Anaheim. David Wright was the lone Met to make the starting roster for the National League team, but teammate Jose Reyes will join him as an infield reserve. The Yankees sent six of their own to the American League squad, though the names themselves may have been jumbled in the voting. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano will man the middle of the infield as starters in Anaheim and Alex Rodriguez will come off the bench. CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera will represent the Yankees pitching staff at the Midsummer Classic, although Sabathia is ineligible to pitch because of a new rule that prohibits starters who throw the Sunday before the game from participating (Sabathia throws next Sunday in Seattle). The burly ace is likely to be replaced by teammate Andy Pettitte.

Although New York will send eight total players to the game, and possibly two more if Swisher is selected for the final vote and Pettitte is added in lieu of Sabathia, several Yankees and Mets players should be wondering why they were left off the roster. Meanwhile, two undeserving Big Apple stars who were selected to the Midsummer Classic should be paying for tickets to the game instead.

Snubs

Andy Pettitte--The crafty southpaw is seventh in the AL in ERA (2.82), tenth in WHIP (1.15) and tied for second in wins (10). He leads all Yankees starters in earned run average and has decided advantages in ERA, WHIP and innings pitched over fellow teammate, Phil Hughes, who made the All-Star Game. If the 23-year-old Hughes, who gives up a full run more per game than Pettitte, is All-Star material, then so is baseball’s winningest postseason pitcher.

Mike Pelfrey--The Mets’ biggest power arm was tenth in the NL in ERA (2.93), one of only three pitchers with 10 or more wins and even has a save under his belt. Pelfrey, who emerged as a reliable ace in the first half of the season, anchored a Mets rotation in flux. Perhaps Pelfrey didn’t impress the voters because of his low K/9 ratio (less than 6 strikeouts per 9 innings), but that’s no basis for leaving one of the National League’s steadiest starters off the roster.

Brett Gardner--The Yankees left fielder wasn’t guaranteed a starting spot in Spring Training. Yankees’ General Manager, Brian Cashman, signed veterans Marcus Thames and Randy Winn as depth in case Gardner couldn’t handle the everyday outfield duties. But Gardner has proven to be more than just an everyday starter at the Major League level. He’s been All-Star caliber. The dynamic outfielder ranks second out of all AL outfielders in batting average (.319), first in on-base percentage (.401) and third in steals (24). As a center fielder, a less premium offensive position and Gardner’s natural spot in the outfield (he was moved to make room for the underachieving Curtis Granderson), the numbers Gardner has put up are elite. But because Gardner plays a corner outfield spot rife with offensive sluggers, Gardner will use the All-Star break to rest his legs instead. Granderson owes him at least a massage.

All-Stars in name only

Phil Hughes--If Hughes throws a single pitch in the All-Star Game, he’d become the youngest Yankees pitcher to ever throw in the Midsummer Classic. But it would be a pitch the young right-hander doesn’t deserve to deliver. Entering the season as the Yankees #5 starter, Hughes squashed expectations with surgeon-like precision and ace-caliber results. Through his May 12 start in Detroit, Hughes was the league’s best pitcher statistically, having allowed just 6 runs in his first 6 starts (1.38 ERA in 39 innings). But after a rough outing against Boston in mid-May, Hughes’ fortune turned. Lineups began to have more success against Hughes after seeing him once before, and the power fastball with sharp movement that sawed bats began finding holes in the outfield. In his last 9 starts, Hughes has posted a 5.9 ERA during a spurt which has boosted his overall ERA to 3.83. Run support (a league best 8.5 runs per game) has made Hughes’ record as a starter wickedly deceiving, and an inflated home run per nine innings ratio has spoiled the young righty’s peripherals. Andy Pettitte has Hughes beat in every relevant category. The nifty veteran is certainly more deserving of an All-Star invite than his 23-year-old teammate.

Jose Reyes--One of the league’s most dynamic infielders, Reyes exploded offensively in June after poor showings in April and May. Reyes hit .314 and belted 5 home runs in the month, improving offensive numbers which had rivaled those of Rey Ordonez for the first 50 games of the season. Still, a hot June notwithstanding, Reyes’ .277 average, .321 on-base percentage and .741 OPS are not All-Star worthy. Rafael Furcal, who is hitting .338 with a .386 on-base percentage and .889 OPS for the Dodgers, is far more deserving of the vacancy. Troy Tulowitzki’s broken wrist left an opening at shortstop on the National League bench. The spot should be filled by a player who has simulated Tulowitzki’s production, not someone who has struggled for most of the season excluding an 11-game hit streak. Reyes’ legs are All-Star caliber. His body of work in 2010 resembles nothing close.

Poor officiating extends to World Cup, beckons instant replay expansion

June 20, 2010

The nuances of instant replay in sports are booming. The technological potential is at its apex. The effectiveness of referees and officials across sports is not.

The U.S. men's soccer team nearly completed an improbable comeback down two goals in the second half against Slovenia in group play of the FIFA World Cup. In fact, the Americans did complete the comeback, lacing three balls in the back of the net before the final whistle. But only two of those goals stood up, as an egregious foul call made by referee, Koman Coulibaly, negated the Americans' third score. A splendid surge by U.S. was soured and overshadowed by a faulty whistle and a phantom foul that was, well, foul.

The U.S. did earn one point with the 2-2 draw, a point the U.S. will take begrudgingly just days after it triumphed over a 1-1 tie with England. The Americans can still advance to the second round with a win against Algeria, but even the most convincing U.S. victory Wednesday would not disguise the eminent problem at hand. Whether or not the United States advances through to the second round, the plight of officiating across sports is an issue demanding attention and reform.

If not unforgivable, Coulibaly's inexcusably hideous call was certainly timely. Poor officiating has pervaded, indeed eclipsed, the sports world over the last month. In early June, Detroit starting pitcher, Armando Galarraga, was robbed of a perfect game when first base umpire, Jim Joyce, inexplicably called a baserunner safe at first on what would have been the final out. The 2010 NBA Finals featured a fierce rivalry, stifling defense and an invariable presence of bad officiating which sucked any rhythm out of the series. Horrid officiating wasn't a foreign notion to FIFA either even before the US-Slovenia drama. In a World Cup qualifying match between France and Ireland, France's Thierry Henry got away with a blatant handball that led to an illegitimate French victory. The play was not reviewed and the call was not reversed, ultimately cheating Ireland out of a berth into the 2010 World Cup.

The championship-clinching goal in overtime of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup was even missed in real time. But because of a sound instant replay system in place, the NHL reviewd the play and correctly made the call. It was a delayed, anticlimactic conclusion to a championship, but it guaranteed the right call was made, and most importantly, the right team won the game.

There are two ways to correct the habitual mistakes and misjudgments made by referees across sports. Either overhaul the officials or impose a technology-based checks and balances system in sports that oversees and amends human error. Correcting the former seems implausible, as human error is an incorrigible element to the game.

An instant replay system doesn't have to be elaborate and it will not necessarily slow games down to an unbearable pace. In an age of technological innovation, there is no excuse for armchair fans watching on High Definition televisions to know the right call, but those actually responsible for mediating the game must make instinctual judgments. The foremost objective of the referee is to get the call right. The technology is there to maximize good judgment and to supplement an official on difficult calls. Letting it go by the wayside is ineffectively sacrificing accuracy for simplicity.

Purists and traditionalists insisting the human element should not be removed from sports seem to mistake the intention of instant replay altogether. Instant replay eliminates human error, not the human element. A system as such would not supplant officials altogether; it would merely provide more opportunity to enhance the judgmental effectiveness of officials worldwide.

Technology is not meant to replace referees. It is intended to ensure Koman Coulibaly is never in another position to singlehandedly cost a soccer club two points. If used properly, it would've preserved a perfect game for a young Major League pitcher instead of deflecting the attention to Jim Joyce and his gaffe. All this rectified by a one minute glance at a monitor. Maurice Edu's go-ahead goal against Slovenia didn't earn another look, but instant replay policy across sports certainly did.

Yanks remain King, best the boys from Queens

June 20, 2010

Winners of seven straight games including six in a row on the road, the scorching Mets swaggered into the Bronx, attempting to usurp the New York throne. No ballyhoo was needed for the second edition of the 2010 Subway Series. For the first time in several years, there was more at stake than city bragging rights. First place in the AL and NL East was on the line.

The Bronx Bombers, losers of two straight against the Phillies, punished their inner-city rivals even more. Phil Hughes and CC Sabathia kicked in strong performances on the hill as the Yankees took 2 of 3 from the Mets at Yankees Stadium.

It was a backwards week for the defending World Champions. After thumping Phillies' ace, Roy Halladay, for six runs over six innings, the Yankees' offense floundered amid the post-beatdown glow. Over the next three games against middling, soft-tossers--Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick and Hisanori Takahashi--the Yankees managed just 3 runs over 21 innings (resulting in three losses). The Mets brought their pair of aces to the Stadium on Saturday and Sunday hoping to add to the Yankees' struggles, but capping off a warped week in New York, Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey became the antidote for the slumber Yankees bats. The Bombers touched up Pelfrey for 5 runs on Saturday, then a Mark Teixeira grand slam on Sunday taxed Santana for 4 runs over 6 otherwise steady innings as the Yanks' salvaged the series 2-1.

Overall, it was a successful week for both the Yankees and Mets. As the overachieving Rays continue to tumble back to normalcy, the Yankees have made their move, attaining sole possession of first place Sunday for the first time since April 21. CC Sabathia took a big step in righting his season last week, outdueling aces, Roy Halladay and Johan Santana, over a five-day stretch. If A.J. Burnett can follow suit in two starts on the West Coast next week, the Yankees rotation will be steady and reliable after Javier Vazquez was able to resurrect his season. The Yankees' pitching was outstanding over the weekend; although he took the loss, Javier Vazquez gave the Yankees 7 strong innings of one-run ball. Alex Rodriguez's hip seemed to stifle him throughout the week, but that remains the Yankees' only glaring concern assuming Mark Teixeira's two-homer weekend is a sign of a long-awaited turning point in his season.

The Mets, meanwhile showed their mettle during the week. A team that looked hapless on the road for the first two months coaxed a 7-2 road trip. The two losses to end the 9-game, American League swing hardly detract from an otherwise outstanding week for the Metropolitans. And even in defeat, the boys from Queens exposed minor roster flaws. The oft-used Fernando Tatis was totally ineffective as the DH. Tatis was crisp last year when used consistently to fill in for ailing bodies. He doesn't figure to remain a Met through the season if Carlos Beltran returns sometime mid-season. Although Santana and Pelfrey struggled, the Mets had to be most encouraged by the continued success of Takahashi. Facing a potent Yankees' lineup for a second time, Takahashi's prospects were far more inauspicious the second go-around. But the southpaw was surpringly every bit as effective as he was in his last start against the Bombers in Citi Field, posting 6 scoreless innings and earning the victory. Any scenarios drawing Takahashi back to the bullpen to make room for John Maine [who suffered a setback Sunday] can be scratched. The Tokyo native is a fixture in the Mets rotation. It's his starting gig to lose.

Nets land new coach, future outlook continues to soar

June 15, 2010

The New Jersey Nets made a strong push for the worst record in NBA history last season, yet the future is ironically beaming promise in the Garden State. In perhaps the organization's greatest triumph since back-to-back Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003, the Nets announced Tuesday the signing of former Dallas Mavericks head coach, Avery Johnson, to a three-year contract.

With Johnson at the helm, New Jersey’s future prospects continue to blossom. Though diminutive in stature, the longtime San Antonio Spurs point guard carries grand expectations, even for a team coming off only the fifth 70-loss season in league history. Johnson also brings with him the highest regular season winning percentage of all-time (73.5%) among coaches. The New Orleans native led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2006 in his first season as a head coach. Johnson made the playoffs twice more in Dallas before owner Mark Cuban fired him following a first-round playoffs series loss in 2008.

The Nets’ new boss has a familiar history with some of the team’s players. Johnson coached Devin Harris in the Finals in 2006, though their relationship was unsettled. Harris publicly criticized Johnson for riding him too hard and eliminating his freedom in the Mavericks' offense. Harris, a speedster with the dribble who excels in the open floor, was denied leeway within Johnson’s system and had to sacrifice some of his up-tempo flair for methodical defense. But Harris also credits Johnson for polishing his career as a young player in the league. He was surprisingly one of Johnson’s most vocal lobbyists internally in the Nets organization.

Johnson enters a promising situation amid organizational turnover. The renaissance began when Russian billionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov, purchased majority ownership in the team. Unlike holdover owner Bruce Ratner, Prokhorov brings with him visions of transforming the Nets from a metropolitan stepchild into a global brand. Prokhorov has brandished his willingness to spend lavishly and at any cost to improve the team’s on-court quality. With a commitment to globalizing the New Jersey Nets icon, Prokhorov has opened visions of immediate success.

The organization would not renew its lease with the IZOD Center (formerly the Continental Airlines Arena) in East Rutherford, so the Nets will call Newark their new home in 2010. The Nets will move south to the deluxe Prudential Center for at least two seasons while construction on the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is in the works. With sights on another transition to Brooklyn in 2012, the nomadic Nets should enjoy an upgrade in home court advantage and heightened fan support due to the state of the art facility.

But Johnson’s promising potential isn’t limited to off the court luxury. The Nets have enough flexibility under the cap (currently about $23 million) to sign two max free agents if Kris Humphries waives his player option or the team can pawn off another player currently under contract. New Jersey also offers a solid, young core, headlined by emerging center, Brook Lopez, who has already established himself as one of the premiere centers in the league (and a potential 20 & 10 player to boot). With Harris facilitating the offense, Lopez manning the post, plus a talented crop of young role players including Terrence Williams, Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Yi Jianlian, the Nets have the potential to summarily improve by great lengths.

The Nets own the third, 27th and 31st picks in the 2010 NBA Draft. A balanced combination of draft picks, free agent signings and the development of the young, holdover talent puts the Nets in a promising position moving forward. With a super-savvy general manager (Rod Thorn) scouring for talent and a spirited owner willing to win at any expense, Avery Johnson is in an envied position where he can do no wrong—where the only feasible direction is up.

In all three seasons of his career, Johnson’s teams have finished in the top ten in scoring defense. Johnson’s emphasis on defense, an area where the Nets struggled tremendously during the 2009-2010 season, bodes well for defensively-deficient New Jersey, which should improve by leaps and bounds even if significant changes aren’t made to the its personnel. With a few Thorn strokes of ingenuity in the free agent pool, Johnson may be the frontrunner for 2011 Coach of the Year, and his team may be a viable contender for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Avery Johnson has not won a single game as coach of the New Jersey Nets, but his addition already makes the offseason a victory. If the organization plays its cards right, success can become something more than a variable offseason occurrence.

Yankees stay hot as Posada heats up

June 14, 2010

One of baseball's worst teams strolled into Yankees Stadium riding a rare 3-game winning streak. The Houston Astros came rolling into the Bronx, winners of 8 out of their last 10 games. But on the power of two Jorge Posada grand slams in back-to-back games, the Bombers put the 'Stros back in place by winning all three games in an otherwise routine series sweep.

Posada, who missed 15 games with a fractured foot, forwent a rehab assignment and rejoined the Yankees on June 2nd. Since his return, Posada had struggled greatly with the bat, accumulating just 3 hits in his last 27 at bats coming into the series. A Houston pitching staff, which ranks 23rd in the league with a 4.57 team ERA, was the perfect tonic. Posada belted two grand slams in successive days, helping the Yankees slug their way past the Astros.

Posada took his first crouch behind the plate Saturday since injuring his foot in mid-May. Promptly, Posada, who is a lifetime .281 hitter with an .871 OPS when catching, finally got going at the dish. Although most catchers hit better out of the Designated Hitter's role because it eliminates the wear and tear of catching in a crouch for 9 innings, Posada is a marked exception. The longtime, Yankees backstop is hitting a mere .213 with a .683 OPS in 240 career at bats as the DH.

Sprightly reserve catcher, Francisco Cervelli, who filled in admriably as Posada's replacement, will take his young charisma back to the bench as a reserve. But with Nick Johnson, the Yankees everyday DH coming into the season, on the shelf with a wrist injury, the Yankees' best lineup is with Posada at DH and Cervelli behind the plate. Posada needs to rectify his struggles hitting as the DH soon because Cervelli's nimbleness and defensive prowess cannot be replaced by the ungainly, offensive-minded Posada.

Posada's return to catcher does have a silver lining. On one hand, the move signals the imminent end of interim backup catcher Chad Moeller, who the Yankees will Designate For Assignment and replace with a better bat, most likely Juan Miranda. More importantly, it provides much needed rest for Cervelli, who was beginning to tire and struggle offensively because of consistent playing time which he, as a backup catcher is not conditioned for. Cervelli was hitting .400 in mid-May, but saw those numbers plummet when the everyday catching duties took their toll, inducing a 13 for 71 (.183) slump.

Mets end road woes, sweep O's

June 14, 2010

The New York Mets hadn't won back-to-back road games since July of 2009. Eleven months later that hallmark of futility finally came to an end when the Mets swept the lowly Baltimore Orioles in Camden Yards over the weekend.

All three Mets' starters picked up wins, spearheaded by the pleasantly surprising R.A. Dickey. The 35-year-old knuckleballer sports a 2.78 ERA and 4-0 record in five starts and has gone at least 6 innings in each of those appearances. Hisanori Takahasi was effective over the weekend as well, throwing seven innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 Mets win.

Given the somewhat unexpected success of Dickey and Takahashi, the Mets have a dilemma on their hands with John Maine set to come off the Disabled List soon. Maine threw four scoreless innings in his rehab assignment Sunday, but with a healthy Jonathan Niese back, there is no room for Maine in the Big League rotation.

Takahashi has been a tremendous asset as a reliever for the Mets in 2010 and is the likely candidate to leave the rotation for the bullpen. The Mets' middle relief has been less effective with Takahashi in the rotation. The bullpen has allowed almost a full run more per game in Takahashi's absence. Takahashi is 3-1 with a 3.12 ERA as a reliever, so by moving to the pen, the Mets can strengthen their middle relief better than they could by placing Maine in the pen.

While Dickey's knuckleball could be a great gimmick pitch in relief, his style provides more value in the rotation where he can keep lineups off balance in a series following the hardthrowing Mike Pelfrey and staff ace, Johan Santana. Dickey adds a great dynamic to the rotation that should not be fiddled with unless hitters begin to figure him out. The Mets are best off riding the hot hand and utilizing Takahashi's versatility in the bullpen when Maine is ready to return. One or two 6+ inning starts from Dickey per week are more valuable than invariable relief apperances, especially in blowout situations.

Injured Howard shines as U.S. earns draw with England

June 14, 2010

A fortuitous goal that ricocheted off English goalkeeper Robert Green fueled the U.S. men's soccer team to a 1-1 draw in its opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But while a lucky bounce boosted the United States to a free point in group play, the news was less auspicious for American goalkeeper, Tim Howard. On a night in Rustenburg, South Africa highlighted by two plays that put both goalies in pain--mental or physical--Howard's misfortune left him writhing on the ground for minutes.

Howard bruised his ribs when the foot of English forward, Emile Heskey, struck Howard below the chest while sliding for a ball. After spending several minutes on the ground in anguish, Howard, who is considered one of the world’s best goalkeepers, got to his feet and returned to the game. It was another moment of good fortune for the United States, one necessary to keep alive its aspirations of moving deep into the tournament. Howard received a cortisone shot at halftime and was outstanding in the net thereafter, amassing five saves down the stretch to keep the game tied.

According to ESPN, Howard is cleared to play in next Friday's match against Slovenia. With Howard in goal and a free point in the books, the United States is in great shape moving forward. Wins against Slovenia and Algeria would guarantee the U.S. a spot in the Round of 16.