Week 7 NFL Picks
Had another bounce back week going 2-1, getting back to .500 at 10-10. Interestingly enough, last week favorites were 9-5, with home favorites being 8-4. This is a big week as I try to go over .500.
New York Jets (+2) over San Diego: Despite their record, the Chargers have not really played all that well, particularly Philip Rivers. He will be facing a Jets team that needs a win badly and have those two corners: Darrell Revis and Aaron Cromartie. The Chargers usually travel poorly when they come back East. I don't see that changing on Sunday. NY Jets 21 San Diego 17.
Dallas Cowboys (-12) over St.Louis: The Rams are 0-5 ATS and go into Dallas with Sam Bradford's status in question due to a bum ankle. With Bradford or not, the Rams will be facing one of the top defenses in the NFL. Tony Romo and Company should be able to put up some points in a game that they must have. Dallas in a rout. Cowboys 35 Rams 10.
Pittsburgh (-3.5) over Arizona: The Steelers struggled last week against Jacksonville holding on to a 17-13 win. Look for Big Ben to roll this week against a Cardinal defense that leaves a lot to be desired. Pittsburgh 27 Arizona 17.
Leafs Head To Boston With 4-3 Shootout Win
Things did not look good going into the third period for the guys in blue and white as they trailed the Winnipeg Jets 3-1. Not only were they trailing, but it was probably the worst two periods of the young season. But once again, the duo of Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel pulled the team up by its boot straps by scoring a power play goal each as the Leafs tied the game sending it to overtime. After a scoreless extra period, which saw the Leafs dominate in the first half of the extra frame and James Reimer saving the day in the latter half, the Leafs won the shootout 2-0 as Joffrey Lupul and Matt Frattin scored and Leafs closed out the home stand with a 4-3 win.
Positives:
* What can you say about Phil Kessel. The Leaf right winger has been on fire and he has developed a great chemistry with Joffrey Lupul. The two of them have been in effect the total offense of the team. Kessel is really playing with a lot of confidence and every time he has been on the ice he has been a threat. Lupul has been a great pick up for the Leafs as he has been a very good compliment for Kessel.
The other player the Leafs received in the Francois Beauchemin trade was Jake Gardiner. Last night, the young 21 year old defenseman was arguably the best blue liner for the Leafs. Gardiner was very cool inside his own zone last night and was an offensive threat all night setting up Phil Kessel a couple of times. There is no way this kid can be out of the line up.
David Steckel continued his dominance as the Leafs face off specialist winning 16 out of 18 and was a key factor in the Leafs comeback when he was placed on the power play. I have been suggesting this for the last two games. Steckel's ability to win face offs and his size make him a great asset on the power play and it was borne out last night. It will be interesting to see if Ron Wilson keeps Steckel on the power play especially tonight when they go up against the Boston Bruins and Zdeno Chara. Steckel may be the only player on the Leafs who can physically match up with Chara.
Carl Gunnarsson also continues his steady play on the Leafs blue line.
Negatives:
Despite winning, there are plenty of things to be concerned about as the Leafs head out on the road for the next 4 games. They desperately need the Grabovski line to start scoring. Due to injury, Matt Frattin was moved up to this line and I hope that Ron Wilson keeps him there with Nikolai Kulemin and Grabovski. This line had more chances in the first two games of the season when Frattin was playing on the line and Clarke MacArthur has looked extremely rusty. Frattin has scoring ability and could be a good source for some offense. In addition, he's solid physically along the boards and could really compliment Grabovski and Kulemin.
Luke Schenn had a terrible game last night and quite frankly has not played well at all in the first 5 games of the season. He obviously lacks confidence and seems terrified when the puck lands on his stick. With the glut of defenseman it would seem that based on his play, Schenn should be the one relegated to the press box.
If not Schenn, then another candidate should be Mike Kommisarek. Last night was one of the worst games that he has had as he looked extremely slow and took two penalties in a row in the second period. While Kommisarek is the Leafs most physical defenseman, if out of position he does not have the speed to recover and it usually results in a penalty or a good scoring chance for the opponent.
The Leafs begin a four game road trip tonight in Boston, which has been typically a tough place to play for them though they did win a couple of games there last year in their late season run. We all know that the Bruins will shadow Kessel with Chara which may make it more imperative that someone else start scoring besides Kessel and Lupul. It will be extremely interesting to see how Kessel reacts tonight.
The power play also needs to get its act together consistently. The insertion of David Steckel on the power play should continue. I also think that if Frattin plays with Grabovski and Kulemin this could help the second power play unit. If that doesn't work, maybe you need to give Mike Brown some power play time to stir things up. Another option could be to get Dion Phaneuf in front of the net and have either Gunnarsson, Liles, Franson or Gardiner at the point.
The road trip takes the Leafs to Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia and Madison Square Garden, traditional hockey markets where the fans will be into to it from the opening face off. We will learn a lot about this young team. If the Leafs were to grab 4 points out of the four games I would consider it a success. We will see what happens tonight. Jonas Gustavsson is reportedly going to be in the nets tonight for Toronto. It's a big game for The Monster and the Leafs brass will be watching closely. If The Monster looks bad tonight, Leaf management will be roundly criticized for not bringing in a veteran goaltender to back up Reimer.
The puck drops tonight at 7pm at the TD Center.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Herman Cain becomes President, if we will receive a piece of pizza with our tax returns, here's what is on my mind this morning:
* The Maple Leafs were lucky to earn a point last night against the Colorado Avalanche as they lost 3-2 in overtime. While he made some nice saves, James Reimer let in two softies and the young netminder wished that he could have those two shots back. In addition, the Leafs power play continues to struggle as they have only score 2 goals with the man advantage. It sure would be nice if this can catch fire before they hit the road on Thursday.
* Phil Kessel continued his hot hand scoring the Leafs first goal last night. It was nice to see the Grabovski line finally get on the score sheet as Nikolai Kulemin scored to tie the game late in the third period. It was a great effort by Kulemin as he held the puck in the zone and then headed to the net to slam a rebound home past J.S. Giguere. The Leafs will need the Grabovski line to start scoring if they are to be successful this season. Toronto is back at it Wednesday against Winnipeg. A Leaf win will end the homestand at 4-0-1.
* The Jim Schwartz-Jim Harbaugh confrontation Sunday was all on Schwartz. After watching the replay numerous times, Schwartz went back at Harbaugh and was looking for trouble. Schwartz has a chip on his shoulder and apparently was yelling at Harbaugh during the game when the rookie coach challenged a scoring play. This year in the NFL, you can't challenge scoring plays as all scoring plays are automatically reviewed. Schwartz was yelling, "Know the Rules." The guy is classless and I would love to see his Lions spiral out of relevancy. He is a punk.
* The state of the Cleveland Browns continues to perplex long-time fans. Most Browns fans had no illusions of playoffs or even a winning season this year. But it would be nice to see some growth and progression particularly with the offense and that has not been the case. Maybe it has to do with having a rookie coach and basically a rookie quarterback. The defense seems to be adjusting well to the 4-3 defense. It is headed up by veteran coach Dick Jauron. Hmmmm....sounds like it could be the offensive coordinator which also happens to be Head Coach Pat Shurmur.
*The World Series begins tomorrow with the St.Louis Cardinals hosting the Texas Rangers. FOX must be sick as this Series will generate hardly a blip in the major media markets like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. In fact, not sure how much buzz it will generate over the weekend in Dallas with the Cowboys and Longhorns in action. I'm rooting for the Cardinals, hopefully in 7 games.
* Jon Lester admitted that he was a part of the beer and fried chicken triplets. I found it amazing that Lester was outraged that the source wasn't man enough to identify himself. How about being outraged that you are a professional athlete who acted as if you were some beer league softball player??
* Not sure if the Cubs are making the right move with hiring Theo Epstein. Hopefully, he can turn things around. The Red Sox had to be joking if they thought the Cubs were going to give them Matt Garza as compensation for hiring Epstein. It will be interesting to see what the Cubs do with Prince Fielder and possibly Albert Pujols on the free agent market.
* I was watching the Kansas State-Texas Tech game Saturday and I was thinking to myself how entertaining Big 12 football is as most teams can really light up the scoreboard. The president of the Big 12 should be hammered for allowing the Texas Longhorns to have their own television network which has in effect destroyed one of the most entertaining conferences in college football and the NCAA should be ashamed for allowing it.
* And finally, the bandwagon got a little lighter Sunday night as the Buffalo Bills lost to the New York Giants. Bills fans need to get a grip. If someone told them before the season that the Bills would be 4-2 at the bye week they would have been ecstatic. The fact remains that they have been opportunistic and that has resulted in their wins. Cincinnati and the Giants limited turnovers and the Bills lost. The Chester Cheektowagas of the world need to enjoy the ride. As one Bills fan told me yeaterday, at least this year the games are entertaining.
Were We Better Off If The Browns Never Came Back??
Typically after another disappointing Browns loss I ask myself the question, "Would we be better off if the Browns never came back?" I have followed the Cleveland Browns for 50 years. In the 60's, the Browns were always contenders and they actually won the NFL Championship in 1964. In the 70's there was a down period until toward the end of the decade when Brian Sipe and the Kardiac Kids bursted onto the scene. After Sipe, there were the Bernie years. Bernie Kosar led the Browns to the AFC Championship 3 times, twice having victory stolen from them by the Denver Broncos late in the game. Then they moved to Baltimore where they ultimately won the Super Bowl.
In 1999 the NFL graciously allowed Cleveland to have a football team again and it has been misery ever since. In one year during the Butch Davis era, the new Browns made the playoffs blowing a first half lead to the Pittsburgh Steelers and being eliminated. Then they went 10-6 under Romeo Crennel but did not make the playoffs as Derek Anderson couldn't distinguish Bengals from Browns and the Colts decided they were going to rest everyone against the Tennessee Titans. Absent those two years, to be a Browns fan has been terrible.
Yesterday continued the misery as the Browns lost to the Oakland Raiders 24-17. The score doesn't really indicate how bad the Browns played. In spite of all of that, the Browns had a chance to tie the game after recovering an onside kick with about 1:20 left in the game. Yet, not one play was directed to the endzone. All dink and dunk passes. They needed a touchdown to tie not a field goal. Just terrible.
I so wanted to believe in Colt McCoy but after watching yesterday's game I really believe that this kid doesn't have the physical ability to win in the NFL. He is too small and his arm strength is average at best. The kid's got a great head on his shoulders and is a solid citizen. Mind you the offensive line has been terrible. It seems like McCoy doesn't have much time to set up and it also looks like the O-line can't run block either. It's pretty basic that in order to slow down a pass rush you need to be able to run the ball, something it seems that the Browns can't do anymore.
Not sure what to believe anymore as it pertains to Peyton Hillis. Initially it was being reported that Hillis tweaked a hamstring and would not play the rest of the game. On a FOX game it was reported that the reason Hillis was out was a "coach's decision." Then it comes out that Hillis will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the hamstring injury. If Hillis is out for an extended period of time, the Browns will have to solely rely on Montario Hardesty, who has shown very few glimpses as to why Tom Heckert moved up in the second round two years ago to draft him.
What was also odd was that Hillis started the game and had six carries. He then was out and came into the game in the third quarter for a series before being banished to the bench again. If the hamstring injury pulled him out of the game in the first half, why was he put back in the game in the third?? Did Hillis push the coaching staff to go back into the game??? One thing is clear, in order for the Browns to win they must run the ball 20-30 times because the dink and dunk passing is not getting it done. And if Hillis is out for an extended period of time, the Browns are in trouble.
Let me be clear, I did not expect the Browns to make the playoffs this year. I understand that they were at a disadvantage with the lockout since they were bringing in a new coach with a new offensive and defensive system. But we are going into Week 7 and I'm not seeing any improvement, especially on offense. My hope was that with an offensive minded coach we would see some creativity. But quite frankly it doesn't seem to be that much different than the moribound Brian Daboll offense. Which brings me back to McCoy. Is the problem that Pat Shurmur is in over his head or is the problem that McCoy doesn't have the ability to throw down field??
I want to give Shurmur and McCoy a chance but I am getting tired. Tired of having my hopes raised only to be left watching terrible football. I'm tired of every Sunday knowing that there is a better than even chance that they are going to lose. I'm tired of believeing that its only going to get better when it seems to only get worse. That's why I wonder, would be better off if the Browns never came back? My heart says no but my head says yes.
Kessel, Reimer Leads Leafs In 3-0 Win
Phil Kessel and James Reimer led the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames boosting the Leafs record to 3-0. After falling behind 2-0 in a first period which saw the Leafs look rather sluggish, the Leafs started their comeback on a goal from Joffrey Lupul who was set up on a nice pass from Phil Kessel. Kessel was not done as he scored at the 16:38 mark on a beautiful shot that beat Mikka Kiprusoff. And then early in the third, Kessel drove hard to the net and scored his second goal of the night which put the Leafs ahead to stay. Kessel picked up where he left off last week and was the most dangerous player on the ice.
After falling behind 2-0, James Reimer was solid in the net as he turned aside whatever the Flames threw at him. But the best save of the night was late in the third period with Phil Kessel in the penalty box and the Flames net empty, Alex Tanguay had a beautiful opportunity alone in front of the net and somehow Reimer stoned him preserving the victory. The Reiminister of Defense made 30 saves to post his third win of the season. Can't believe that some were questioning Reimer after the first period as he had no chance on the first Calgary goal.
There were a number of players who impressed me tonight. Tyler Bozak was very good tonight as he had two assists and was a dynamo on face-offs. He also made some excellent defensive plays particularly one on Jerome Iginla which ended up resulting in Kessel's first goal. Bozak's play has to make you wonder why the Leafs would move him off the first line when Tim Connolly comes back.
I was extremely impressed with Matt Frattin tonight. While he didn't score a goal, he was a force inside the Flames end and really uses his body along the boards. He had a couple of good scoring chances, including ringing one off the crossbar has he was coming to the end of a shift that he worked his butt off. I don't see how this kid can be sent down to the Marlies.
Joffrey Lupul also played very well tonight and he has 5 points in 3 games. Lupul seems to really have developed a chemistry with Phil Kessel and if he can stay healthy, the Beauchemin trade will even tilt more in the Leafs favor.
Carl Gunnarsson was very solid on defense tonight. There have been plenty of rumors that the Leafs were showcasing Gunnarsson and if he continues to play like he did tonight he could be a very marketable commodity. I've always liked Gunnarsson and I would be just as happy if the Leafs held on to him. The play of David Steckel and Matthew Lombardi certainly has made the Leafs penalty killing much better. Their ability to win face-offs gives Ron Wilson plenty of options when it comes time to take a big draw in their own end. I also thought Dion Phaneuf was solid as was John-Michael Liles.
The Leaf power play continues to sputter as it had a couple of two man advantages and came up empty along with an extended power play as a result of a four minute high sticking penalty against Oli Jokinen. The coaches need to come up with something different because what they have going is not working. I would love to see David Steckel on the power play. Put him in front of the net and it will be very difficult for their opponents to move him out. The other thing may be to put a Colby Armstrong or a Matt Frattin upfront to create space. I was really hoping with having a week to work on special teams that we would really see some progress with the power play however that was not the case tonight. This is an area that the Leafs must improve particularly when they face some of the Eastern Conference toughies.
The Leafs next game will be Monday against the Colorado Avalanche, who defeated the Montreal Canadiens tonight 6-5 in a shootout. It's a game that the Leafs can win but they will have to be on their game as the Avs have some offensive weapons. They need to have this effort every night if they are to make the playoffs. Until Monday night, GO LEAFS GO!!!!!
Leafs Hope To Keep Things Rolling vs Flames
Not having played since last Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs will continue their extended early season home stand tonight against the Calgary Flames. The Flames are coming off a 4-1 Thursday night win over the Montreal Canadiens. It has been reported that the Leafs have worked extensively on special teams during the past week and hopefully we see the fruits of that work.
There will be lineup changes tonight as Clarke MacArthur returns from his suspension and Cody Franson will make his regular season debut. MacArthur will find himself back on the line with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin as Matt Frattin will be shifted to the third line with Colby Armstrong and Matthew Lombardi. With Franson moving into the starting lineup, Jake Gardiner will be sitting out tonight's game. It is being reported that the Leafs will go with a 3 man rotation, Gardiner, Carl Gunnarsson and Mike Komisarek, for the 6th D-spot.
This week, Franson stirred things up a bit by expressing his disappointment with being in street clothes for the first two games of the season. The young defenseman that the Leafs acquired from the Nashville Predators was expecting a big role on the Leafs blueline. But, quite frankly I wasn't overly impressed with Franson in the pre season and maybe Leaf management wasn't either. Based on Franson's comments I wonder if Coach Ron Wilson didn't sense that Franson figured he had a spot on the opening night game roster locked up. Since Brian Burke has taken over as General Manager, we have heard over and over again about the need to eliminate the sense of entitlement that has existed on previous Leaf teams. Maybe that was the message that was being sent to Franson. He will have to be on his game tonight as I think the young defenseman has put a lot of pressure on himself.
How the message was delivered to Franson may leave a lot to be desired. According to the player, he found out about his demotion to the press box through the team's website. Ron Wilson has not confirmed or denied this which leads me to believe that Franson is telling the truth. I understand that Wilson wants to make it clear to Franson that he has to earn his keep but there may have been a better way to do it. This type of situation doesn't help Wilson's reputation in Toronto and don't be surprised if Don Cherry doesn't have something to say about it. Of course, I'm sure Wilson could care less what the fans, the media or Grapes has to say about the whole thing.
The Leafs will have to be on their game tonight and I don't think they can afford a third period breakdown like they had last week against Ottawa. With Mikka Kiprusoff in goal for Calgary, James Reimer will have to stand tall tonight to give the Leafs the opportunity to win another Saturday night contest. After a week's rest with plenty of practice time, the Leafs begin a stretch of 4 games in 6 nights: Flames, Avalanche and Jets at home and then their first road game on Thursday night against the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. The 3 home games are games the Leafs should win if they play to the best of their ability. Starting out 5-0 or 4-1 on this early season homestand would be a great start as they head out on the road for the Thursday game vs the Bruins and then road games in Montreal (next Saturday), Philadelphia and Madison Square Graden.
As usual I am fired up for the game as its Saturday night. Hopefully the Leafs can keep this train rolling the right way. Go Leafs Go!!!!
NFL Picks: Week 6
Last week I bounced back going 2-1 and bringing my season record to 8-9. As I mentioned in Tuesday's Thoughts, I am officially done with the Atlanta Falcons. How can you play so well in the first half and then not show up in the second half at home against the Super Bowl Champs. By the way, the same team that eliminated you at home last year in the playoffs. Despicable. Well, it's time to get over the Mendoza line, here are my picks for Week 6:
* Green Bay (-15) over St.Louis - The Packers have been awfully tough at Lambeau Field and the young and hurting St.Louis Rams should be in for a long day. The Rams are 0-4 ATS all as an underdog while the Packers are 4-1 ATS all as a favorite and are 2-0 as a home favorite. Despite the large point spread, the Packers will get the job done. Green Bay 34 St.Louis 10.
* Pittsburgh (-12) over Jacksonville - The young Jaguars are going to Pittsburgh and it won't be pretty. Jacksonville is 0-4-1 ATS and 0-2 as a road underdog. The Steelers are 2-3 ATS but they are 2-0 as a home favorite. The Steelers will focus on Maurice Jones-Drew and force rookie Blaine Gabbert to beat them. Good luck with that. Pittsburgh 28 Jacksonville 13.
* Dallas (+7) over New England - This game should be a shootout and the Cowboys are getting Miles Austin back and Dez Bryant is fully healthy. Both teams are weak defensively against the pass which should lead to plenty of scoring. New England is coming off a big divisional game against the Jets and the Cowboys are coming off a bye. The Cowboys might not win outright but they will keep it close. New England 35 Dallas 31.
Tomorrow a look at the Maple Leafs game against the Calgary Flames.
State of the Yankees – 2011/12
As I have stated numerous times before on this blog, I am a life-time Yankee fan. I've been through the good times and the bad times over the last 50 years. I remember when the Yankees were on every Saturday afternoon in the early 60's to when I would never see them on TV because they were so bad during the late 60's and early 70's. This trip down memory lane is being written because there may be some who after they read today's blog may think that I am not a true Yankee fan.
Let me first start out by saying that it is painfully clear that this is not George Steinbrenner's team anymore. While Steinbrenner at times meddled to the detriment of the team, the one thing we knew as fans was that he cared about winning. When he said that a season is only successful if you win the World Series, you knew he meant it and he would do everything in his power to make it happened. Some times what he did worked, some times it didn't but at least you knew he cared.
When Randy Levine last Friday said that the season was not a success because the team did not accomplish its goal of winning the World Series, it rang as hollow as a three dollar bill. The fact of the matter is that the current ownership group really only cares about how much money they are going to rake in. Now don't get me wrong, George wanted to make money. But he had passion for the game and the team. Do you see passion out of Hal Steinbrenner?? Randy Levine??? Lonn Trost??? The only one of the group with what I would consider passion would be Hank Steinbrenner, however Hank can't match his Dad in saavy or in dealing with the media. It's interesting how quiet he has been throughout the season and how we have heard nothing from the Steinbrenner family after the Yankees were eliminated.
It's a forgone conclusion that Brian Cashman will be back as General Manager. To be fair, Cashman deserves credit for signing Russell Martin, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez. Chavez and Jones came up big during the last Boston series at Fenway and they filled in admirably. To be frank, I think Girardi didn't use them enough particularly Jones. I loved the Russell Martin signing. Martin was a NL All-Star before being injured when he was with the Dodgers. He has stabilized a position until one of these kids are ready to take over. Obviously, Garcia and Colon saved the season.
While these signings helped the Yankees win their division, they did nothing to ensure that they would advance in the playoffs. Of the non-pitchers in the group, the only one who played was Martin. Jones and Chavez were given limited opportunities to contribute which is amazing in and of itself when the offense struggled so badly. Colon didn't even make the playoff roster and Garcia pitched a good game in Game 2.
My problem with Cashman actually begins back in 2010. He was so fixated on Cliff Lee that he discounted any opportunity to get Dan Haren from the Diamondbacks. In free agency, he once again was zeroing in on Lee and in the end got whipsawed by the Phillies. He ended up taking flyers on two aging pitchers. In essence, he gambled and won. That's just great!!! But all he won was a playoff series and a guarantee that he will be back as Yankee GM. You see under the current ownership, Cashman accomplished a lot this year. His signings were more reminiscent of a low budget team and they got 3 home playoff dates. Spend less money and still get 3 extra games. Extra gate receipts, continued ratings for YES, the sale of playoff items and the continuance of the myth that its only a success if we win the World Series.
It's being reported that 2 people in the Yankee organization will be interviewing for the vacant Angel GM position. One is Damon Oppenheimer who is the Yankees' chief guru for drafting young players. Oppenheimer is being credited for rebuilding the Yankee farm system which 10 years ago was considered one of the worst and now is considered one of the best. My question is this: when are we going to see the fruits of this farm system?? Back in June I was begging for this team to bring up Jesus Montero and they waited until September. The kid showed that he can be exceptional hitter in the big leagues. But already we are hearing that he may be packaged to get an accomplished pitcher. In my opinion, that's a mistake. The Yankees track record for acquiring pitchers is spotty at best. For every CC Sabathia there are more AJ Burnetts. Montero could be a middle of the lineup guy for years. Besides, when are we going to see the many arms that the Yankees have in the farm system??? How come the Rays seem to always have a young arm every year come up and contribute?? Why not bring up one of these kids and see if they can't be the next Ivan Nova.
If the Yankees really were committed to winning the World Series they would level with all of their fans. They would tell us that they are not going to give up key pieces of their farm system. That they are going to go with their youngsters and there may be growing pains. That it may be actually a year or two before we are a legitimate contender to win the Series, not just once but for many years. That we will try to add pieces via free agency but not necessarily the biggest name but players who can contribute when needed. Players who can do the little things. But this will never happen. The reason it won't happen is that the current ownership would be concerned that the bottom line would be effected. Maybe less people will come to the games. The ratings will go down at YES. And heaven forbid if we don't get any playoff gate receipts.
That is why as we head toward a long winter, I am not hopeful. There's already talk that they are going to go after CJ Wilson. He has done nothing this year in the playoffs up to this point. I already mentioned the Montero rumors. And I'm sure they will take flyers on some others who they will gamble on in 2012. In the end they will be competitive again to make the playoffs and probably win the division. The Red Sox are in disarray and the Rays simply don't have enough firepower to match up with the Yanks. So we will be back here next year and Girardi will talk to us about not having luck, being a sac fly away from advancing and how revenue sharing has evened things out. And Randy Levine will once again tell us how the 2012 season was a failure because we didn't win the World Series. Boy to I miss The Boss!!
Joe Girardi: The Consumate Company Guy
Had the opportunity to watch Joe Girardi's interview with Mike Francesa yesterday afternoon. What struck me, besides Francesa's softball questions, was how the Yankee manager came up with excuse after excuse about why his team didn't advance. "We were one sac fly away, one single away from moving on", Girardi quipped to the over indulgent Francesa. Of course, the Yankees would love us to believe that it was bad luck that eliminated them from advancing to the ALCS.(more on the general state of the Yankees tomorrow)
In his continuing defense of the punchless middle of his lineup, Girardi was emphatic in saying that you have to give credit to the Tiger pitchers. Well, I can agree with that if this was a one time occurrence of hitting ineptness on the part of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixiera and Nick Swisher. Girardi was asked about making changes to his lineup and the unfunny Yankee manager flippantly said that he could have batted "Gardy fourth." But Joe, what about moving Posada up into the 6th spot for the slumping Swisher??? Girardi will tell you that we scored 10 runs the game before and I thought we were clicking offensively. But what did Swisher do in that game to make you think he should not have been moved down to the 7th spot for Posada?? Moreover, how many times this year did this Yankee team score a boat load of runs only to come back the next game and barely scratch out a couple of runs??
And this is what bugs me about Girardi: he is all about the numbers. It drives me crazy when I see him go to his binder. While it's important to have an idea of how a guy has done against an opposing team or pitcher, you also need to have a feel for what's going on at the moment and Girardi is terrible at that. Posada was hitting .429 and you don't think it might have made some sense to move him up in the lineup?? Add in the fact that he had winning playoff experience.
Girardi was on the defensive when Francesa pressed him for an answer on what the manager thought was the reason why CC Sabathia struggled from August 1st into the playoffs. Girardi never answered the question and at one point Mike told Girardi "we just want to know what caused the dip in production." The weight issue was brought up but Girardi dismissed that by saying that if CC had won 25 games nobody would be talking about his weight.
But what was the ultimate company line was when Francesa asked Girardi to compare this team to the team of the late 90's where it seemed that there was always someone in the lineup to get the big hit. Girardi said it was unfair to compare the two teams because things are so much more even now because of the increased revenue sharing throughout major league baseball. Are you kidding me???? You have the highest payroll in baseball and you are going to tell me that because other teams are getting more money through revenue sharing that it is harder for the Yankees to win the World Series!!!!
While Girardi may be good at managing a bullpen, he's not good at having a feel for the game. I believe he has a difficult time dealing with the older players because he's not that far removed from when he was playing with them or against them. He is an uptight guy and that can influence your team. They say a team's personality is a reflection of their coach's personality. That may say a lot as one can only wonder what was going on in the minds of those players when Girardi was taking out pitcher after pitcher during Game 5. It gave off the feeling of desperation. Maybe that's why you can't get a fly ball with the bases loaded and one out. Maybe that's why Mark Teixiera looked relieved when he walked to force in the tying run. But it doesn't matter because Joe is the consumate company guy. Revenue sharing is why the Yanks can't win a World Series, please!!!
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Hank Williams Jr. realizes that his mouth has sent him back to irrelevance, here's what is on my mind this morning:
* If you happened to watch last night's league championship games, you saw how big stars are suppose to deliver. Albert Pujols helped drive that free agency price tag up by going 4 for 5 and leading his Cardinals to a 12-3 shellacking of the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee evening the series at 1-1. Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz delivered a game-tying home run and then a walk-off grand slam home run to lead his Rangers to a 7-3 extra inning win over the Detroit Tigers. Cruz' granny was the first walk-off grand slam in post season history and it came with no outs. Hmmmmm....and the Yankees couldn't get a fly out from their clean-up hitter.
* Rumors began circulating in the New York dailies over the weekend about the Yankees possibly moving Jesus Montero for a starting pitcher with Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants being mentioned. Somehow I don't see it happening.
* Yesterday, Mike Francesa defended Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi like he was on the Yankee payroll. He attacked a caller who was questioning Cashman, screaming that the guy all Yankee fans wanted, Cliff Lee, blew Game 2 of the NLDS by coughing up a 4-0 lead. Francesa went on to say that everyone would have said that the Phillies were built for October and they got bounced so what does it mean to be "built for October". Mike's logic is skewed though because the Phillies were bounced because of a classic pitcher's duel between Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter. As the caller pointed out and I agree, we knew that the Yankees were going to have a tough playoff run because of the pitching. I would still take the Phillies starting rotation over the Yankees any day.
* Not only did Francesa defend Cashman he praised him, saying this was one of his best years as a General Manager. Really, Mike. Could the Yankees have used Doug Fister, Mike??? How about Delmon Young, Mike??? Francesa also atacked a caller for questioning Joe Girardi and the manager's stubborness in keeping the same lineup intact. There were moves that Girardi could have made and I will critique Girardi tomorrow. It looks like Francesa wanted to make sure that his YES gig would continue for another year. C'mon Mike wake up!!!!
* The NBA cancelled the first two weeks of its season. Other than the people who work in the arenas and surrounding restaurants and bars does anybody really care??
* College athletics are in complete chaos as everyday we hear about this school going to one conference or another. The Air Force athletic director said it best when he said that his fellow ADs have sold out the student-athlete for the ability to earn more money by going to a higher profile conference. He's right and its flat out disgusting.
* If I ever pick the Atlanta Falcons to win another games as one of my weekly selctions, I should be punched right in the head. They should be ashamed of themselves and a trendy pick to make it to the Super Bowl will be lucky to win 10 games this year.
* And finally, R.I.P. Al Davis, President to the General Partner of the Oakland Raiders.
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