October Journey Begins Tonight: Are The Yanks Ready???
After going through 162 games, injuries to ARod and Derek Jeter, inconsistent starting pitching and a terrible season record against their blood rivals the choking Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees begin their journey to what they hope will be their 28th World Championship. Since the mid-to late 1990's, I have always been fired up for the playoffs because there was enough for me to believe that the Yanks could go all the way. However, this season I have no lofty expectations and that is because of one word: pitching.
Throughout the season I have harped on the fact that the Yankee starting pitching has not been good enough to win it all. As Game 1 approaches, nothing has happened to change my mind. That's why I tempered my expectations. Could the Yankees win the ALDS and ALCS? Yes. Could they win the World Series?? Yes. With their lineup and the bullpen trio of Rafael Soriano, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera, the Yankees certainly could win their 28th title. But the starting pitching will make it a struggle.
It may be a cliche to say that Game 1 is a big game in a 5 game series but the fact of the matter is that Game 1 is a HUGE game for the Yankees because their best pitcher is on the mound, CC Sabathia. Sabathia's assignment is to face the American League's best pitcher: Justin Verlander. Sabathia needs to hold down the Tigers long enough so that the Yankee lineup can wear down Verlander. In order to do that, we are going to need to see the CC prior to August 1st. The CC after August 1st will not be good enough. A Yankee loss tonight means that the season will be in the hands of rookie Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia.
The Yankee offense will need to bring their "A" game. Leaving multiple runners on base is not going to cut it particularly against a pitcher like Verlander. In fact, the combination of Verlander and Game 2 starter Doug Fister are 14-0 with a 1.61 ERA in 16 outings from August 16th. ARod, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixiera are going to have to step up and drive in runs. The Yankees are also going to need to utilize their speed and try to manufacture runs.
This series will not be a cakewalk. The Tigers were 20-6 for the month of September and riding a 4 game winning streak. If there is one silver lining it is that Verlander was roughed up in his last outing against Baltimore: 7 innings 8 hits 5 earned runs with 1 walk, 6 strikeouts and 120 pitches. The Yankees will need to wear Verlander down going deep in counts.
It all begins tonight. They have home field advantage which should help. But the Yankees will need to make good on scoring opportunities and CC Sabathia will need to match Verlander and give the Yankees some length. Many of the talking heads are not giving them much respect and hopefully they can build an "us against the world" mentality. The journey begins tonight. Hopefully, it will take us late into October and a ride down the Canyon Of Heroes.
NFL Week 4 Picks
Last week did not go very well as I went 1-2 to lower my season record to 4-6. If that phantom holding call wasn't made against the Bears, I would have won that one and Atlanta had numerous chances to pull their game out against Tampa Bay. But enough excuses. It's time to produce so here's my fearless picks for Week 4 in the National Football League:
* Cincinnati (+3) over Buffalo: The Bills are on a high coming off their big come from behind win over the Patriots. The Bills high powered offense has scored a ton of points but two of those games were against the Chiefs and Patriots who's defenses are terrible. The Bengals defense is not bad, in fact they are pretty good. The Bengals should be able to run the ball on the Bills and they should be able to give Andy Dalton some time to make some plays. The Bengals defense should keep this game closer than you think as the Bengal front four will be able to pressure Ryan Fitzpatrick. Buffalo 21 Cincinnati 20.
* Pittsburgh (+4) over Houston: The Steelers looked awful against the Colts and look like a team in trouble. While Houston has improved this year its hard to believe that they are a 4 point favorite over the Steelers. This is a big game and I can't see Pittsburgh losing and even if they do the game will be close. Pittsburgh 28 Houston 27.
* Minnesota (-1 1/2) over Kansas City: Kansas City played much better against San Diego last week however Minnesota has the better team in this game. The Vikings once again blew a lead losing in overtime to Detroit 23-20. The Viking defense will shut down the weakened KC running game putting pressure on Matt Cassel. In a nightmare season that might have the Chiefs in line to select Andrew Luck in the NFL Draft, Minnesota prevails on Sunday. Minnesota 27 Kansas City 17.
* New Orleans (-7) over Jacksonville: I hate to give 7 points on the road but this game is clearly a mismatch. Can't see the rookie Blaine Gabbert being able to match Drew Brees. Look for the Saints to score early and often. New Orleans 35 Jacksonville 14.
There you have it. Tomorrow a preview of the Yankee-Tigers series.
100 Win Red Sox CHOKE!!!!
In March, Josh Beckett predicted that his Red Sox would win 100 games this year with all of the talent they had. The rotund blow-hard John Kruk predicted that not only would the Red Sox win the AL East but they would be in the World Series. Fat Kruk also predicted that the Yankees would not make the playoffs. My, my, my, my what happened on the way to a Red Sox title??? They choked on their own arrogance.
Last off season, Theo Epstein went all out dropping a $142 million contract on Carl Crawford and acquiring Adrian Gonzalez to create what all of the experts were proclaiming, "the most awesome lineup in baseball." The pitching staff was suppose to be solid with Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey and Dice-K. And the bullpen, no problem as Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard would be a formidable back end. In the end, it all collapsed and I couldn't be happier.
Please don't tell me about injuries because the Yankees had their share of injuries this year. The fact is the Red Sox were 7-20 in the month of September. They had a 9 game lead on September 1st over Tampa. Go 8-19 and there is a playoff game today. Go 9-18 and they are heading to Texas. But the 100 win powerhouse couldn't pull it off.
The Yankees are always critiqued on their off season free agent moves. The Red Sox always get a pass particularly since 2004. But let's take a look. Dice-K: $50 million just to talk to him and then a $40 million contract. The guy had one good season. John Lackey: Brutal, just look at his numbers. Carl Crawford: $142 million for a left fielder who hit .255 and played terribly in the field. Adrian Gonzalez: Best months were May & June. August & September lowest monthly RBI totals for the season.
The boy genius, Theo Epstein had a terrible off season. And while were at it, the Yankees have historically been criticized for buying players and not developing their own. Gonzalez, Scutaro, Saltalamacchia, Crawford, Drew, Beckett, Dice-K, Lackey, Aceves, and Wakefield are all players brought in from outside of the Red Sox organization.
Since 2004, Red Sox fans have been as arrogant as their team. Stores in WNY would have Yankee, Met and Red Sox items for people to buy. I often found that amazing since we are better than 7 hours away from Boston. I could see Blue Jay and Indian items since there are big contingents of fans for those teams here in WNY. But with the 2004 comeback win over the Yankees in the ALCS and 2 World Series wins, Red Sox hats, shirts, jerseys and jackets suddenly popped up all over WNY. Somehow I don't ever remember seeing any prior to 2004.
Well, Red Sox fans you now are the owners of the Greatest Choke Act in Baseball History. It's going to be a hot off season on Yawkey Way.
Why Trash Sweetness??
All over the internet today there are reports about the release of a book by Jeff Pearlman called: "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton." An excerpt of the book will appear in the October 3rd edition of Sports Illustrated. I have not received my October 3rd edition of SI. All I have read are excerpts of the book that have appeared on the internet. The excerpts deal with Payton's drug use, suicidal tendencies and cheating on his wife. Twelve years since the man has died this book will be released and I ask the question, WHY???
I'm not sure what the purpose of the book is other than to try to make Pearlman some money. Do those who are Bears fans and fans of this great running back need to know all the gory details reportedly in the book?? Does the Payton family need to have all of this out there for the world to see??? In this day and age, I think we have all come to understand that our heroes may have feet of clay. With that being said I ask once again, what is the purpose of this book???
Based upon the excerpts I read, this book tells me that Walter Payton was a human being. It also tells me that the world of professional football is a violent and dangerous one. A world that drives players to play with pain for fear of being called a wuss and if that means shooting yourself up with drugs so be it. It's also a world that once you are no longer playing, you are cast aside to deal with the pain, the drugs and the realization that the dream is over.
My understanding of Payton was that he was guy who was a great teammate, great with the fans and did a lot of charity work. What demons he had inside he dealt with while he was alive. But the man is no longer with us and those demons died with him. If there is anything good that is to come out of this book its that the NFL needs to examine how they treat their players both when active and when they retire. Last January you had players calling out Jay Cutler for leaving the NFC Championship due to injury. His manhood was being questioned. Two weeks ago you had Tony Romo going out and playing with broken ribs and a punctured lung and he was called a warrior. Maybe he should have been called stupid and the Dallas Cowboys should have been called out for endangering Romo's career and more importantly his health. Somehow though I think it is highly unlikely that the NFL will take this as a call for greater player safety. Instead Pearlman will make some money, the NFL will applaud its "warriors" who play with pain and Sweetness gets trashed. Welcome to America 2011.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering when did Monday Night Football become so irrelevant, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The monumental collapse of the Boston Red Sox is making the end of the season so much more enjoyable for me. Josh Beckett, he of making a 100 win prediction back in March, gave up 6 runs last night against the lowly Orioles as the Red Sox lost 6-3. With Tampa winning, Boston is tied for the AL Wild Card spot with the Rays. If I told you I feel sorry for the Bostonians I'd be lying.
* Don't want to here about injuries being the reason for the collapse. The Yankees had several key injuries this year losing ARod, Jeter, Soriano and Hughes for periods of time this season. They also lost Joba Chamberlain and Pedro Feliciano for the year. The Yanks overcame all of that to win the AL East going away. All the Red Sox had to do was play .500 ball in September and they would have clinched a playoff spot. And by the way, Beckett and Jon Lester have a combined ERA of over 5 for the month of September.
* I'd love to see John Kruk and the rest of the Red Sox Nation affiliated with ESPN eat crow. Kruk was so emphatic that the Red Sox would win the division and that the Yankees would not make the playoffs. Well, Krukie now what???
* The NFL season approaches its 4th week and I have some observations: The Atlanta Falcons, a trendy pick to go to the Super Bowl, are going to struggle to make the playoffs. Their offense is totally out of sync. I have never been a Matt Ryan fan and he has shown nothing this season to make me change my opinion.
* The Pittsburgh Steelers may be in trouble. They took some hits on their O-line with some injuries Sunday night and it appears that they cannot run the ball. It will be interesting to see what adjustments Mike Tomlin makes.
* The New England Patriots ride to a Super Bowl hit a bump on Sunday. The Buffalo Bills exposed the Patriot defense big time. But when you think about it, New England's defense has been terrible for the last several years. I attribute that to the arrogance of genius Bill Belichick who thinks he can put people in and out of the roster no matter how good they are and still win.
* The Philadelphia Eagles may be the Boston Red Sox of the NFL. The proclaimed Dream Team was lit up by the NY Football Giants Sunday. So much for that vaunted defensive secondary. Maybe Andy Reid should have paid attention to his O-line.
* Living in WNY, the sports bandwagons are filled up to the brim as enthusiasm for the Bills and Sabres is unreal. Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup are Buffalo's to own. At least that's what the locals are saying. Too bad that both aren't won in September.
* And finally, the blown call on an extra point attempt by Syracuse in its game against Toledo was a total disgrace. Syracuse had scored a touchdown putting the Orange ahead 29-27. The extra point attempt was clearly wide to the left but the officials ruled the kick was good. The play was reviewed by the replay official and they concurred that the kick was good. Are you kidding me!!! If Syracuse was playing West Virginia or UConn what would the result have been??? Plain and simple: Toledo got screwed. The Big East should be ashamed of themselves.
Browns Pull Out 17-16 Win
For almost 4 quarters, the Cleveland Browns offense was flat out terrible. Colt McCoy may have been having his worst game of his young professional career. With just over 3 minutes left in the game and his team down by 6, McCoy had to go 80 yards to give his team a victory. The way he had played up to that point, it semmed hardly possible. But given the opportunity with the game on the line, the kid quarterback came through.
14 passes and the Browns went 80 yards capped off by a 14 yard touchdown pass to Mohammad Massaquoi as McCoy had put his team in the lead with 43 seconds left to play. The drive should give Browns fans some hope, not only because the Browns came back to win the game but because of who were the vital contributors. Greg Little, Montario Hardesty, Massaquoi and McCoy: all youngsters who stepped up when the game was on the line.
While the offense came through at the end, it was the defense that saved the Browns all day. Without a doubt, this year's edition of the Browns D-line is the best one they have had since they came back in 1999. Rookies Jabaal Sheard and Phil Taylor continue to improve each week. It seemed like Sheard was in the Dolphin backfield all day and Taylor was a force up the middle. Jayme Mitchell and Ahytba Rubin teamed up with the 2 rookies to pressure Chad Henne all day long. Joe Haden took Brandon Marshall out of the game and TJ Ward dished out some tough hits.
But while the offense came through with a great final drive to give the Browns the lead, it was the defense that once again had to make a stand. After two penalties against the Browns after the Massaquoi touchdown, the Dolphins got the ball on the Cleveland 47 yard line. It seemed like once again Browns fans were going to suffer another heartbreaking defeat. But the defense stood tall again forcing 3 straight incomplete passes and ending the Dolphin chances on 4th down with a Mike Adams interception.
The win was big as the Browns improved to 2-1 and are tied with the Ravens and Steelers. Tennessee is up next and this will not be an easy game. The Titans usually play tough defense and Matt Hasselback has been playing well. Kenny Britt could be out which would be a positive for the Brownies. But one thing is clear, the offense needs to come to play in the 1st quarter. They have not played well in the opening frame in any of the 3 games this year. Hopefully, Peyton Hillis is back and Evan Moore and Josh Cribbs can play at 100%. Going 3-1 into the bye week would certainly be a confidence builder for this young team. If they can build on this win, the Brownies will give their fans reason to believe in a place called Believeland!!
Browns Need To Win Today
The Cleveland Browns take on the Miami Dolphins today at Cleveland Browns Stadium where the Browns have had limited success. This is another winnable game for Cleveland however it won't be easy. The Dolphins are 0-2 having lost to the Patriots and Texans at home. Both those teams are AFC playoff contenders. I'm sure the Dolphins are thinking this is a game that they can get their first win.
The Browns offense needs to make good on scoring opportunities. In the season opener, they had a chance to go up 21-13 but had to settle for a field goal. Going up by eight could have changed the complexion of the game and given them an opening day win, something that has been a rare occurence.
Defensively, the Browns face Chad Henne who likes to take off when under pressure and has the ability to move the ball if given time. The Brown D-line needs to pressure Henne but they also need to have someone mindful of Henne's scrambling tendencies. If the Browns can control Henne they can be successful.
I'm still not sold on this team. The victory over the Colts was a good one but beating a Kerry Collins-led team is hardly inspiring. The Browns need to put on an impressive show particularly in front of the hometown crowd. The offense needs to be more creative. The defense needs to continue to improve. And the Brownies need to give their fans hope to believe in Believeland.
Gardiner Belongs In The NHL
After watching last night's 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, there is no doubt in my mind that the Toronto Maple Leafs need to have Jake Gardiner on their opening night roster. Not since the acquisition of Brian Leetch have the Leafs had a defenseman who is such an excellent skater and has the ability to set up scoring chances even from in his own end of the rink. Moreover, not since Borje Salming can I remember the last time the Leafs had a young defenseman with this much skill.
You might think I'm going overboard with comparisons to Leetch and Salming, but in my mind this kid is special. Often times during Tomas Kaberle's time with the Leafs you waited for him to take over a game. While Kaberle was a fine player in his prime with the Leafs, he did not have the ability to set the pace for the game when he was on the ice. Leetch and Salming had that ability. When they were on the ice they were a threat from anywhere. They also were excellent defensively. I see the same attributes with Jake Gardiner.
Gardiner's long pass to Matt Frattin last night is the type of play that would make Leetch and Salming proud. It was a beautiful tape-to-tape pass that sent Frattin in on Ryan Miller for an excellent scoring chance. Gardiner has the ability to read and react both offensively and defensively. It is very telling that Ron Wilson was not afraid to put this kid out their during penalty-kill situations.
Putting Gardiner down with the Marlies would be a huge mistake. This kid exudes confidence and has special talent. The Leafs need to think long and hard about who the 7 defenseman will be to start the season. It's obviously a forgone conclusion that Dion Phaneuf, John-Michael Liles and Luke Schenn will be on the roster. That leaves Cody Franson, Mike Komisarek, Keith Aulie, Carl Gunnarson and Gardiner. I think Aulie fits in perfectly paired up with Phaneuf and with his size can be a presence in the Leafs end of the rink. He showed his ability last night in preventing a Nathan Gerbe scoring chance in the 2nd period. That leaves 4 D-men with 3 spots left.
For some reason I don't think that the Leafs will send Komisarek to the Marlies. In fact, the big defenseman played well last year when his ice time was scaled back. The Leafs need a big tough defenseman and Komisarek has that ability. It then comes down to Gunnarson, Franson and Gardiner. Of the three, Gardiner is the clear choice to take one of the 2 remaining roster spots and should be on the ice opening night against the Canadiens.
Brian Burke and Company tend to be conservative when it comes to playing rookies. But Gardiner is 21 years old and has excelled in college hockey and looked good in his brief stint last year with the Marlies. The kid has a special ability. You know it when you see it. Every time he touches the puck you have a feeling that something good is going to happen. Gardiner belongs in the NHL and it will be disappointing if he is not on ACC ice come October 6th.
Leafs, Yankees & Week 3 NFL Picks
The last two days I was away on business and the hotel I was staying at lost wireless service so I was unable to access the blog. A lot has happened over these 2 days so I'm going to try to catch up this morning along with giving out my fearless Week 3 NFL picks.
* The Maple Leafs get ready for a back-to-back series against the Buffalo Sabres tonight. There are plenty of players who are looking good in the preseason. Jake Gardiner, the young defenseman, has played very well and logged 22 minutes of ice time in the 4-2 win over the Flyers. Matt Frattin and Joe Colborne have also played well and goalie Ben Scrivens is making a statement that he may be ready to play in the NHL. All of this is good news as the Leaf organization is finally filled with quality prospects. Whatever you want to say about Brian Burke there is no question that he has built up the farm system to a level that has not been seen for years.
* On Wednesday the Yankees became the 2011 American League Eastern Division Champions. While this is important, they need to secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs. This will mean that they will have to win at least 2 games out of their remaining 6. They will look to accomplish this starting tonight in a 3 game series against the Boston Red Sox in New York.
* The Yankees have the ability to singlehandedly knock the Red Sox out of the playoffs if they were to sweep them this weekend. The Red Sox have been terrible, going 5-16 in their last 21 games. This from a team that was all but pre-ordained by all of the talking heads on ESPN to be the AL World Series representative. All of the big money acquisitions have failed terribly. Kudos to Russell Martin for telling it the way I feel: "I hate the Red Sox".
* Week 3 NFL Picks: Last week I went 2-1 to raise my season record to 3-4. This week there are 2 games with no lines (Phil-NYG & Dallas-Wash) and so far favorites are 14-14 for the season. So much for trends!!!
Fearless Week 3 Picks:
New Orleans -4 over Houston: The Saints host the 2-0 Texans and are coming off a big win at home against the Bears. This will be the Texans toughest test this season as they have defeated the Dolphins and Chiefs. The Saints have enough firepower to hand the Texans their first defeat.
Atlanta +1 1/2 over Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers are at home but I think the Falcons are the better team. This game should be close but if the Falcons are legitimate Super Bowl contenders they need to win a game like this. A loss and they start the season at 1-2.
Chicago +3 1/2 over Green Bay: In a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game, these two teams know each other like the back of their hands. The Bears are coming off a brutal loss to the Saints and they realize the importance of this game at home against their arch rivals. This game will be close and I like the points but it would not surprise me to see the Bears pull the upset outright.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering how many people will be on the bandwagon after the Bills-Patriots game, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* Yesterday Mariano Rivera cemented his position as the greatest closer of all-time by notching his 602nd save making him the all-time saves leader. As Derek Jeter said after the game what makes Rivera even more special is his post season work as he has the most saves in the post season with 42. The next closest is Brad Lidge with 18.
* While the focus was on Rivera yesterday, AJ Burnett's continued inability to pitch consistently throughout a game was evident once again. In an article in the NY Post, Burnett seemed perturbed over being pulled out of the game before completing the 5th inning. After being staked to a 5-0 lead, Burnett gave up 4 runs and once again the bullpen had to save the day. Joe Girardi made the right move getting him out of there. If Burnett is part of the Yankee post season rotation I will be be shocked and completely disgusted.
* Hate to keep repeating myself but the state of the Yankee pitching rotation is of major concern as we approach the playoffs. If CC Sabathia doesn't get on track, the Yankees are in even bigger trouble.
* It was great watching the Maple Leafs last night in their first preseason game against the Ottawa Senators. Jake Gardiner, the youngster acquired in the Francois Beauchemin trade, played very well notching two assists and looked extremely confident. The Leaf power play scored 2 goals on 6 opportunities and did not give up a shorthanded goal on 3 Ottawa power plays. Tyler Bozak had 2 goals for the Leafs. They are in action tonight against the Flyers which should be the Maple Leaf debut of Cody Franson and Tim Connolly.
* The Buffalo Bills are 2-0 and living here in WNY means that Bills Fever is running wild. Sunday should be a true test as the New England Patriots come to Orchard Park.
* The reported moving of teams out of the Big 12 and Pittsburgh & Syracuse moving out of the Big East signals the end of college football as we know it. As it is, some traditional rivalry games such as Pitt-Penn State and Penn State-Syracuse ended a long time ago. The long time Oklahoma-Nebraska game has also come to an end. Just another example of why the NCAA is a joke for allowing this type of money grabbing to continue.
* There was a report that the non-football schools of the Big East were looking at a basketball conference that would consist of Catholic universities. I wonder if the local Little 3 schools, St. Bonaventure, Niagara and Canisius, would consider making the jump. Back in the day, those 3 schools played St. John's, Villanova, Providence, Marquette, DePaul and Georgetown on a regular basis. Niagara and Canisius would need to upgrade their home court facilities. It probably won't happen but it doesn't hurt to dream.
My NFL picks this week will be posted on Friday morning.
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