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Book: Parcells still eyes return to the Meadowlands
2007-09-04 13:58:00
After reading a tease for the book "The GM: The Inside Story of a Dream Job and the Nightmares That Go With It," in the Daily News I can't wait for the book to be released. Written by Tom Callahan with the help of former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi the book -- to be released later this month -- appears to be full of interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits about the Giants. The juiciest? The various flirtations between the Giants and Bill Parcells during the past decade. There is apparently one story about how Parcells made it known during last season that he would accept the Giants GM job after Accorsi retired if the team was interested. I'm sure Dallas owner Jerry Jones will be thrilled about that revelation. Another story details how the Giants would have given the coaching job to Parcells instead of Jim Fassel back in 1997 but the Mara family couldn't reach GM George Young fast enough to stop him from offering Fassel the job. Crazy stuff that would have changed the course of the...
More About: Eyes , Book , Return , Meadowlands , Mead

What does Pedro have left?
2007-09-03 15:42:00
Pedro Martinez returns to the mound for the New York Mets today. Question is, what are the Mets really getting?The Mets are, of course, hoping Pedro will be close enough to the old Pedro to help them hold off the Phillies in the NL East and win a world championship.But, is that realistic for a guy is less than a year removed from rotator cuff surgery? In his rehab starts, his velocity topped out in the high 80s and he will be on a strict pitch limit. "There were a lot of doubts when I first started this rehab that I might not make it again," Martinez said. "They told me that nobody has ever done this. That somebody has to do it. I'm hoping it's me. It's not so much of a challenge; it's more like an uphill battle. Nobody's been able to climb that big mountain. I'm going to give it a try. We'll see what happens after that."My guess is that we are going to see a guy who looks a lot more like Orlando Hernandez than the Pedro of old when Martinez takes the mound today. No more swa...
More About: Left , Pedro

Baseball's stretch run is here
2007-09-01 14:38:00
It's Sept. 1, and baseball's pennant races are now officially in the stretch run. Let's take a look at where the races stand.AL East -- Red Sox fans are sweating after the Yankees swept three games from Boston this week to pull within five games. I have to admit I enjoy their nervousness. The reality is, though, there are only 27 games left and while the Yankees might be the better team right now the Red Sox would have to completely implode to lose the division. I don't see that happening.AL Central -- Cleveland has gone 9-1 in its last 10 games to pull 5.5 games ahead of the reeling Tigers. Without ace Kenny Rogers and slugger Gary Sheffield you wouldn't think the Tigers have much of a chance. But, this is basically the same Cleveland team that spit the bit in the final week of the season two years ago. Take the Indians, but you never know.AL West -- The Angels are 6.5 games ahead of Seattle and cruising to the title here. It always amazes me that the Angels, who have really o...
More About: Base , Etch , Stretch

Uniforms to blame for SU's woes?
2007-09-01 06:03:00
What the hell is going on with Syracuse University football?Not only do they have quite possibly the ugliest uniform in the history of college football, they really, really stink on the field.The Orangemen, wearing even uglier uniforms than the ones pictured (orange jobs from head to toe that made them look like big pumpkins), opened their season last night by getting drubbed by Washington, 42-12.What has happened to the proud tradition of Syracuse football? They haven't been a national power in a long time, but they have always been respectable, the Carrier Dome has always been a rocking, difficult place for opponents to play, and the Syracuse has always sent a handful of players to the NFL. As recently as 2004, the Orangemen appeared in a bowl game.Now? The program appears to be a mess. Greg Robinson is in his third year as coach, and he has one Big East victory in his first two years. His overall record after Friday night is an atrocious 5-19. Halfway through last night's game ...
More About: Blame , Uniforms , Lame

Viewing the Blogosphere, Friday edition
2007-08-31 18:07:00
It's a lazy Friday , and that means it's time to look around the blogosphere and see what people are saying.• Today is the last day of August. With football about to crank up and baseball's pennant races heating up, sports are about to enter a much more interesting time of the year. Rumors & Rants gives us '27 Reasons Sports Suck in August.'• ESPN worries about a lot of things. According to AOL Fanhouse, making inroads in the blogosphere isn't one of them.• Gilbert Arenas rules! The Wizards star is now giving away basketball courts.• Deadspin points out that at least one left-handed NFL quarterback loves dogs.• One more from Deadspin. This crappy little story is a couple of days old, but it's still amusing.
More About: Blogosphere , Viewing , Edition

Sometimes golf sucks ... and other times it's great
2007-08-31 12:50:00
Today is Golf Friday for several of my co-workers and I, as we get the holiday weekend off on the right foot by heading to the links.In honor of Golf Friday, and for all of you will be heading to your local course this weekend, here are 5 reasons playing golf sucks ... and 5 reasons why it's great.Playing golf sucks because ...1. Groundskeepers think they're funny. Why else would they tuck the hole in the corner of a green on a steep downslope so that when you miss a 20-foot by an inch or two the ball keep right on rolling off the green and down a hill so you have to pitch back on and try again?2. There is sand. We're adults, we were supposed to be done playing in the stuff a long time ago.3. You can lose a ball even when you hit a perfect shot. How many times have you hit a great drive, headed up the fairway knowing your ball is in a great spot and still not been able to find it. Too many to count. Golf sucks!4. Every so often you hit a great shot and you think you should be abl...
More About: Great , Times , Sucks , Some

Questions to ponder as NFL pre-season winds down
2007-08-30 18:07:00
Tonight we head into the final weekend of the NFL exhibition season. Here are five questions to ponder as approach the opening of the real football season.Does Michael Strahan want to play? It sure doesn't seem that way. The New York Giants star defensive end is still undecided with the season less than two weeks away. It sure seems like Strahan's heart isn't in it, and if that is the case he should just stay away.Is Romeo Crennel trying to get fired? We know the Cleveland Browns suck, and it appears their coach does, too. Romeo has four quarterbacks and can't seem to decide what to do with any of them. Other than first-round pick Brady Quinn, none of them seem to know who is making the team or who might play. Memo to Romeo -- play Quinn, the rest of your guys are awful.Will the Falcons be better without Michael Vick? At first glance, you might think that's a ludicrous question. Remember, though, Vick is not exactly a great NFL quarterback. Joey Harrington isn't, either, but t...
More About: Questions , Season , Winds , Seas

Keith Hernandez goes PC on us
2007-08-30 13:40:00
I didn't hear it, but apparently baseball's moral compass, Mets broadcaster Keith Hern andez , had a few things to say last night about Phillies reliever Brett Myers calling a reporter "retarded."We agree with Keith that Myers is a jerk. Remember last season when he was arrested for beating up his wife in public.But, maybe Hernandez is not the guy who should be taking anyone to task over their choice of words. Advice to Mr. 'No girls in the dugout.' Stick to baseball.• Apparently, MLB's Bob Watson and Boston Manager Terry Francona are at odds over Francona's choice of attire during games. Watson even entered the Red Sox dugout last night during a game to speak with Francona. The Red Sox skipper tossed him out. Umm, Bob, next time do that BEFORE the game.• What the hell are the Los Angeles Dodgers thinking? First, they bring in David Wells. Now, they claim Esteban Loaiza and his $8 million contract from Oakland. The guy has pitched two games all season, and from thei...
More About: Goes , Nand

IPK another signal of new Yankee era
2007-08-29 13:43:00
It's a great day for all those New York Yankees fans who spend their time on blogs and message boards dissecting every move the team makes, or doesn't make.IPK is coming! IPK, in case you don't know, is Ian P. Kennedy, the Yankees No. 1 pick in 2006. Fans on Yankee sites everywhere have been calling for Kennedy (12-3, 1.91 ERA at three minor league levels this season) to replace the awful Mike Mussina in the Yankees rotation.Now they get their wish, at least for Saturday's game against Tampa Bay.This is great news for those fans who have been calling for it. It's also bad news for the rest of baseball.That's not because you can expect Kennedy to go all Joba Chamberlain on the rest of the league. Kennedy, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, is more like Mussina than he is Chamberlain.The arrival of Kennedy, whether for one start or the entire month of September, is bad news for baseball because of what it signals -- the Yankees deepening commitment to developing AND USING their...
More About: Signal

Viewing the Blogosphere
2007-08-28 16:04:00
Let's take a look around and see what is going on out there in the blogosphere.• One of the great things about professional athletes blogging is that we get to read a perspective that even some of the best sports writers can't bring to us. Today, for example, Bart Scott of the Baltimore Ravens offers a player's perspective on what it is like dealing with cut-down day in the NFL.• Here's a starting lineup of baseball players having bad years. The Angry T• The Yankees are reeling again, and spending boatloads of cash on a team that might not even be good enough to make the playoffs. Here's a look at the six most overpaid Yankees. Big Show Baseball• Here's an interesting look at baseball's best set-up men of 2007. Beyond the Box Score
More About: Blogosphere , Viewing

John Sterling is capable of criticizing the Yankees?
2007-08-27 04:59:00
Every time I end up listening to a New York Yankees game on the radio -- meaning suffering through the blather of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman -- I wish I wasn't a Yankees fan.I know I'm not the first one to think this way, but how in the world did the Yankees -- the 26-time world champion, richest, most legendary sports franchise in the world -- end up with these two nincompoops broadcasting their games?Anyway, there I was yesterday stuck working on cleaning up and re-organizing my garage -- a task which it seems I have been working on steadily now for the entire 15 years my family and I have lived in this house.The radio, of course, was tuned to Sterling and Waldman. I had to listen to Waldman breathlessly give the lineups, speaking so quickly and excitedly she could barely get the words out. Sounding like a kid on the air for the first time she stumbled all over herself before finally spitting out the lineups, then turning the game over to Sterling.Sterling, of course, botch...
More About: Capa , Critic

'Joba Rules' are a good thing
2007-08-26 13:42:00
New York Yankees rookie phenom Joba Chamberlain is now a cult hero in the Bronx, and why wouldn't he be? In seven games, the 21-year-old flamethower has pitched 9 innings, struck out 15, allowed just 3 hits and has yet to give up a run.All of this dominance has Yankee fans clamoring for an end to the 'Joba Rule s ,' which were established to keep Manager Joe Torre from overusing Chamberlain.Even Torre, whose overuse of favored relief pitchers has long been an Achilles heel, is starting to rebel against the rules established by General Manager Brian Cashman and minor league pitching guru Nardi Contreras.From Pete Abraham's fine Lohud Yankees Blog.Torre said that he doesn’t quite understand why Joba Chamberlain needs a day of rest when he throws only 10 pitches as he did last night. It’s something “we’re talking about,” he said.In case you don't know the 'Joba Rules,' they are as follows. No appearances on consecutive days, at least one day off for each inning pitche...
More About: Good , Thing

Taking the blogosphere to task
2007-08-24 04:20:00
I have been blogging regularly now for a little more than a year. In that time, I've become an avid reader of a wide variety of sports blogs. Some big and well-known in the blogosphere, others small and unheard of.There is a lot of great writing out there. A lot of thought-provoking stuff, well-researched stuff, funny stuff -- all generally written with a perspective and a flair that the mainstream media can't easily imitate.There is also a lot of garbage, and that is really what I want to discuss today.Let's talk about the tasteless stuff, the irresponsible stuff, the stuff that plays fast and loose with the facts, the stuff that is meant to do nothing but damage the reputations of some of the biggest names in sports.There's been a rash of it lately.• After the death of former NBA player Eddie Griffin a few days ago, there was a post asking whether or not he was jerking off when his SUV struck a train.• There is currently a post, again related to Griffin, headlined 'Great ...
More About: Blogosphere , Taking , Task

Marbury: 'Dogfighting is a sport'
2007-08-23 13:26:00
Memo to Stephon Marbury : Stick to selling sneakers.During an appearance in Albany, New York Wednesday to promote his popular and inexpensive 'Starbury' sneakers -- which are a great thing -- Marbury did something that wasn't so great.He defended Michael Vick, who has said through his attorneys that he will plead guilty to charges stemming from a federal dogfighting investigation."I think it's tough," Marbury said, according to Albany TV station Capital News 9. "I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors."Say what? A sport? I'm sure the folks at PETA, the animal rights organization, just loved to hear that statement.Oh, and I'm sure PETA would agree with Marbury's characterization of Vick as a "good human being."Of course, it's not the first time this off-season that the New York Knicks point guard has said some strange things. Oh, and how is...
More About: Sport , Dogfighting

Mariners won't make this easy
2007-08-22 13:06:00
OK, Yankees fans, it's time for a reality check. It's nice to think about catching the Boston Red Sox and winning the AL East. I would love to see that happen, and it is still a possibility. But, two straight losses to the Angels and New York finds itself trailing by six games.That's not an impossible deficit over 36 games, especially with six epic Yankees-Red Sox tilts coming up. But, it's not very likely, either. Especially when you consider that when they aren't playing the Yankees the Red Sox will spend most of their time for the next six weeks facing the AA Devil Rays.It's time to focus on the wild-card, which means it's time to start paying attention to the Seattle Mari ners . As well as the Yankees have played, going 32-15 since July 1, they are still 2.5 games behind the 71-52 Mariners.Who are these guys, anyway? You know, of course, that the Mariners have Ichiro, the speedy hit machine with the rifle arm in center field. But, what else do they have?They have a starting...
More About: Make , Easy

Eli puts Tiki in his place
2007-08-22 02:11:00
Monday and Tuesday may have been the most important days of Eli Manning's four-year career with the New York Giants.That's because the usually reserved Manning finally stood up and took on the biggest star, and the biggest mouth, around the Giants for the last several seasons. He took on Tiki Barber.All I can say is 'hooray!' During halftime of Sunday's Giants-Ravens exhibition game, the retired Barber, working for NBC, took Manning to task. He said Manning was uncomfortable trying to motivate and questioned whether he could "be a leader of men."Giants fans have wondered the same thing, but they don't have to wonder anymore. Manning blistered Barber, first commenting Monday during an interview with ESPN Radio 1050 in New York."I don't always believe everything Tiki says. I feel very comfortable. And I saw the [halftime show] last night and it seemed very rehearsed, kind of like his pregame speeches in a way," Manning said. "I feel confident in what I'm doing in getting the t...
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Is the NFL exhibition season too long?
2007-08-21 14:24:00
The dangers of the NFL preseason were on full display Sunday night when the New York Giants played the Baltimore Ravens. Five Giants went down to injuries, including two serious ones. As I mentioned yesterday, wide receiver Michael Jennings is lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon and safety Will Demps is out for several weeks with a dislocated elbow. Giants quarterback Eli Manning did not get hurt, but he took a big hit in the second quarter. Coach Tom Coughlin quickly got him out of the game after that. The question is this -- is the preseason too long? Occasionally, the idea of cutting the preseason to two games and expanding the regular season to 18 is floated. Is that a good idea or a bad one? I'm not so sure. The worst thing about any exhibition game is watching players suffer serious injuries. I don't blame San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson for skipping the preseason games. Running backs take enough hits during the season. You hate to see them take more dur...
More About: Season , Long , Exhibition , Seas , Exhibit

No sympathy for Vick
2007-08-21 03:27:00
Don't feel sorry for Michael Vick .Monday's announcement that Vick will plead guilty to charges stemming from a federal dogfighting probe, likely means he could spend anywhere from 1-3 years in a federal prison. After that, he could remain suspended from the NFL. He might even wind up being permanently barred from the league.If you have any sympathy for Vick, I don't want to hear about it. If any part of you wants to say 'poor Michael, he doesn't deserve this,' you would be wrong. Way wrong.Michael Vick did this to himself. By agreeing to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges for his role in a dogfighting ring, Vick has admitted as much.It was Vick's property. It was Vick's considerable bankroll that apparently funded the operation and the gambling that went with it. According to an ESPN story, several of his co-defendants were willing to testify that Vick had executed several poorly performing dogs himself. It was Vick who lied to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and tol...
More About: Path

Your 2009 Opening Day Yankee pitcher ... Johan Santana
2007-08-20 13:11:00
This Johan Santana guy is pretty good.The Minnesota Twins star lefty turned in the most dominating start of his career Sunday, striking out 17 and allowing only two hits over 8 innings in a 1-0 victory.There is no better starting pitcher in baseball than the 28-year-old Santana, and he is the main reason the Twins are always respectable.Santana, however, has recently expressed some frustration with the small-market Twins. The fact that he can be a free agent at the end of the 2008 season, when he will still be just 29 and in his prime, is not good news for Minnesota.If Barry Zito, who is just an average starting pitcher at this point in his career, can get 7 years and $126 million how much will it cost sign Santana? Probably upwards of $150 million, which is likely to be too rich for the Twins.There will only be a few teams who could pay Santana. That, of course, brings me to the Yankees.Under the guidance of GM Brian Cashman, the Yankees are turning more to their own farm system an...
More About: Opening , Pitcher

Breaking down the playoff races
2007-08-19 14:14:00
The other day, SI.com's John Donovan wrote that there are five reasons the New York Yankees will make the playoffs ... and five reasons they won't.Wishy-washy fellow, that Donovan. He does make a good point, though. As well as the Yankees have played lately -- 33-13, a .717 winning percentage since July 1 -- they are still a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners in the wild-card race and are not a lock to make the postseason.With that in mind, let's take a look at the contenders and pretenders in both leagues.American LeagueIn the East, Boston still has a five-game lead. That's not the 14.5-game lead they Red Sox had at one time, and Red Sox Nation is nervous. There are six games left with the Yankees to worry about. The sox, though, also have nine games left with the AA-caliber Devil Rays. I hate to say it, but I think they will hang on.In the Central, Cleveland is 1.5 games ahead of Detroit. Both of these teams have issues. The Tigers bullpen hasn't been what it was last yea...
More About: Breaking , Races , Brea , Breakin

Vick has no place to run
2007-08-19 04:53:00
For years Michael Vick has had the fastest feet of any quarterback in the NFL. He could sidestep, or just plain outrun, just about any defender who tried to track him down.Vick, however, cannot outrun the federal government.He is trying. As though he were scrambling from sideline to sideline searching vainly for a wide receiver, Vick keeps delaying making a decision on whether or not to accept a plea agreement in the dogfighting case he faces in federal court. He many not even enter a plea until Tuesday.To keep it in football terms, Vick can't run for much longer. Pretty soon he is going to have to take the sack.All of Vick's co-defendants in the case have already pled guilty, and have apparently turned on him. Vick must know at this point that it appears he has no escape. A plea means prison time. A trial would also likely lead to prison time, and could end up bringing about the public airing of heinous details of the case that could shatter any remaining popularity or public sup...
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Time for my 10 minutes of fame
2007-08-18 06:07:00
This blogging stuff sure can be fun sometimes. You get to write what you want when you want with no editor screaming at you to hurry up, or make your post shorter. You get free stuff sometimes from other sites looking for a little publicity.Once in a while people other than those you are related to or work with actually read your stuff, and even more rarely than that people occasionally actually think you know what the hell you are talking about.I'm having one of those days today. I'll be making an appearance on a Louisville, KY sports talk show this afternoon to talk about the New York Giants. Specifically, I will be on 1570 The Zone at 12:40 p.m. for a spot that should last about 10 minutes.The good folks at Yardbarker recommended me for the spot, and I thank them for that. Remember, you can check out my thoughts about the Giants at Big Blue View.
More About: Time , Fame , Minutes , Utes

Giants tired of waiting for Strahan
2007-08-17 14:31:00
C'mon Michael, what's it gonna be already? Giants GM Jerry Reese wants to know. Head coach Tom Coughlin wants to know. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo wants to know. The fans want to know. Are you playing or not? It's time to stop mulling retirement, and make a decision. Reese showed some impatience Thursday when asked about Strahan. According to NFL.com, Reese had this to say: "We would like for him to be here if he's going to be here, just for him to get some work," Reese said Thursday at training camp at the University at Albany. "Michael knows that if he's going to come back, he has to get some work in. You just can't show up and play in the National Football League. "If he decides to come, I think he will be here soon, but it's still his decision and we'll see what happens in the next few days." Reese can't do anything but wait for Strahan's decision, but I certainly can't blame him for getting a little irritated by No. 92's hemming and hawwing.-- (Origi...
More About: Waiting , Tired , Wait , Tire

Time to worry about Mo
2007-08-16 13:08:00
After Shelley Duncan went Tino Martinez/Scott Brosius/A-Rod Wednesday afternoon with a game-tying three-run home run with two outs in the 9th inning, New York Yankees fans had to figure they were about to witness another of those crazy, improbable victories that sometimes happen in the Bronx.Something else improbable did happen, but it wasn't good news for the Yankees. Mariano Rivera got torched by Baltimore in in the 10th inning, giving up three runs on two doubles and a two-run home run as the Yankees lost, 6-3.It is time to worry about Rivera.In his last three appearances, Rivera has surrendered 9 hits and 5 runs in 3.1 innings. He has a blown save and a loss in those three games.The key question, of course, is whether or not he is healthy.Speaking to reporters after the game, Rivera insisted that he is.“Physically I’m fine. I’m fine. Nothing is wrong. I’m just human, that’s all. I know you guys are trying to find something but I’m fine.”You have to wonder, thoug...
More About: Time , Worry

Abreu looks like a keeper
2007-08-14 06:16:00
A couple of months ago New York Yankees fans couldn't wait to run Bobby Abreu out of town.The Yankees were stumbling, and Abreu's performance -- or lack thereof -- was being looked at as part of the problem.At the end of June the veteran outfielder was hitting just .248 with 4 home runs and 35 RBI. He looked disinterested, was playing only so-so defense and was either getting shuffled around the lineup or left out of it entirely on many occasions.Yankee fans were salivating at the thought of taking the $15 million the team is paying Abreu, who can a free agent at the end of this season, and turning that money into Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter or Ichiro Suzuki.It might seriously be time to re-evaluate that stance. There have been lots of reasons for the Yankees turnaround over the past couple of months. Stabilized starting pitching, the return to form of Mariano Rivera, the play of Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Hideki Matsui, the improved bench.Abreu's presence has also been a ke...
More About: Keeper , Looks

Viewing the Blogosphere
2007-08-13 21:34:00
Let's go Viewing the Blogosphere on this gorgeous Monday afternoon and see what folks are talking about.• If you watched any of Sunday's NASCAR race from Watkins Glen you know there was plenty of entertainment, both race-related and otherwise. Yeah, Tony Stewart won when Jeff Gordon spun out with two laps left, but that wasn't the fun part.We had a near-fight between two drivers for starters. And, we had a most likely drunken fan run out on the track during a red flag looking for a driver's autograph. Epic Carnival says NASCAR is more fun than the WWE.• The Yankees tried to get Eric Gagne from Texas, hoping he would shore up their bullpen and help them catch Boston. The Yankees didn't get him, but he is still helping them catch the Red Sox. Rumors and Rants has some thoughts on Gagne.• With my Yankees only four games back of Boston, closer than they have been since April, I don't mind taking some jabs at the Red Sox. In another post from Epic Carnival, here's a list of ...

Ideas for a Pacman Reality Show
2007-08-13 13:46:00
Listening to a sports talk show on the radio the other day -- I can't remember which one -- I heard the idea mentioned that there should be a Pacman Jones Reality TV Show .What a great idea! Think of the possibilities when it comes to plotting out episodes for Pacman, the Tennessee Titans star who is serving a one-year suspension for violating the NFL's player conduct policy.Let's take a shot at a few possibilities for Pacman's show.• Pacman goes to a strip club. Oh, wait, since he seems to practically live in those places, maybe we should change that. We could have each episode end with a stop at another of Pacman's favorite strip clubs.• Pacman and Michael Vick do lunch. They can talk about how it's everybody else's fault but their own that they have each screwed up promising careers. Maybe they can even plot a way to sneak some pit bulls into NFL headquarters and turn 'em loose on Commissioner Roger Goodell.• Pacman goes to wrestling. Jones has been barred from wrest...
More About: Ideas , Ality

Kudos & Wet Willies
2007-08-12 14:49:00
It's time for a Sunday edition of Kudos & Wet Willies, our occasional look at who deserves praise and who deserves, well, scorn in the world of sports.Kudos to ...• Bobby Abreu. He got off to a horrid start this season, and Yankee fans were calling for the team to get rid of him after this season. He's hitting .365 since July 1 with a major-league leading 43 RBI. He's got 78 RBI on the season now and has been a huge part of their turnaround. Maybe they should keep him around.• Josh Beckett and John Lackey. The Red Sox' Beckett and the Angels' Lackey became the first 15-game winners in the majors yesterday.• Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees rookie right-hander has been impressive in two appearances, pitching four shutout innings and stiking out six.• Kenny Lofton. For clarifying that he does not think Yankee Manager Joe Torre treats black players differently than white players, an assertion made recently by Gary Sheffield.Wet Willies to ...• Dario Fran...
More About: Lies

Great day to be a Yankee fan
2007-08-11 13:02:00
So, Yankees fans, here's the question. How do you feel today about Eric Gagne being with the Boston Red Sox and Joba Chamberlain being in the New York bullpen?I feel pretty damn good about it!In case you missed it, Chamberlain, the fireballing 21-year-old phenom, set up Mariano Rivera with two perfect innings last night. In his second big league appearance, Chamberlain struck out four of the six hitters he faced, including fanning the side in the eighth inning.Gagne? Acquired by the Red Sox mostly as insurance that he wouldn't wind up in New York, he got torched last night by the Orioles. Summoned to pitch the eighth inning with Boston leading 5-1, he got just one out and surrendered four runs in a game Boston lost, 6-5.The Yankees tried and failed to acquire Gagne from the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline. But after watching Chamberlain, who cares? With a crackling 95-99 mph fastball, and a wicked slider he uses for his strikeout pitch, it has quickly become obvious that he be...
More About: Great

Tonight, pennant race begins for real
2007-08-10 12:55:00
The pennant race begins in earnest for the New York Yankees tonight.Left for dead a couple of months ago by gleeful Yankee-haters everywhere, the Bronx Bombers have bashed their way back into position to push for a post-season berth.With 48 games left to go the Yankees are in Cleveland tonight to start a three-game series. WhenFausto Carmona of the Indians throws his first pitch it will begin a stretch of 35 games for the Yankees in which they play contending teams 23 times. This will be the critical group of games that determine whether or not the Yankees, who have made the playoffs every season since 1995, will continue that streak.To borrow some horse-racing terminology (and if I butcher it I know my pal Rick will be all over me) we haven't quite reached the stretch run, but we are rounding the final turn.This 35-game stretch includes three games with the Indians, three with the Seattle Mariners and eight with the Detroit Tigers, all of whom are lumped into the wild card battle ...
More About: Race , Pennant , Real , Tonight , Penna