Martin To Pirates….Now What??
Last night it was announced that Russell Martin signed a two year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for a contract worth $17 million dollars or $8.5 million dollars a year. This all happening as it was being reported that Mariano Rivera and the Yankees had agreed to a deal for the 2013 season. Interestingly enough, it was also reported that the Yankees never made an offer to Martin.
While many will say, "good let him go", the fact remains that the Yankees are now stuck with the option of using Chris Stewart, Austin Romine or Francisco Cervelli as your starting catcher. The free agent market is not conducive to where the Yankees want to be in 2014 because both Mike Napoli and AJ Pierzynski will be looking for more than a two year deal and Napoli will definitely want more than $8.5 million a year. Both of these free agents have issues as far as I'm concerned. Napoli is not an every day catcher and the Yanks have enough available DHs lying around. He also seems to fit into the current Yankee mold of hitters: home run or bust. Pierzynski is 36 years old. In my mind, even a 2 year contract for a 36 year old catcher seems to be a stretch. One also has to wonder how AJ's personality would fit in the Yankee clubhouse.
While Martin had a terrible first half of the season at the plate, he was one of the Yankees better hitters down the stretch, defensively he was solid and he could handle the pitchers well. On top of the fact that he turns 30 years old next year. This is why based upon Hal Steinbrenner's payroll edict, re-signing Martin made sense while the Yankees wait for somebody from their farm system to be ready, whether that's Romine or Sanchez.
It will now be interesting to see what the Boy Wonder Cashman will do now to fill this position. If we are to believe what the Yankees were saying that they wanted Martin back, why in the world would this have happened. $8.5 million dollars a year for 2 years for a soon to be 30 year old catcher is not unrealistic. Maybe it's because Cashman can only do one thing at a time as evidenced by his methodical signings of Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Rivera. Or maybe it's because the Boy Wonder is too busy preparing for once again rappelling down a building.
Ken Davidoff's article (listed below) outlines that the Yankees will need to be creative to meet Steinbrenner's edict while carrying the contracts of ARod, Teixiera and Sabathia. How the Boy Wonder handles the catching position will be the first sign of whether he has the ability to be creative. My gut tells me that he doesn't.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/bombers_badly_need_creativity_on_OC1Bt1Pn4q8KK0VG4F10JN
Petitte Re-signs With Yankees…Are We Happy Yet??
Well the Yankee high command and propaganda machine is working in overdrive as it begins the sell job for the 2013 baseball season. A couple of weeks ago they announced that they signed 38 year old Hiroki Kuroda to a one year deal, bringing back their number 2 starter from a year ago. Yesterday, it became official that their number 3 starter, 40 year old Andy Petitte, will be back for another season. It is reported that a deal with 42 year old future hall of famer Mariano Rivera should be done before the Winter Meetings begin next week. According to Brian Cashman & Company, mission accomplished.
The game plan, according to Cashman, is to then focus on the catcher and right field position. Russell Martin appears to be the catcher the Yanks are after but it is being reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates are interested and may be willing to offer Martin a 3 year contract. This will be a problem for the Yankees since they are adverse to extending contracts beyond 2013, though they would be willing to give Martin a 2 year deal. With respect to right field, there have been many reports that the Yankees are willing to bring Ichiro back and the 39 year old wants to be back in Pinstripes. See a trend here??
With the Yankees signing so many players between the ages of 38 and 42 will the next step be renovations in the clubhouse for wheelchair access?? All kidding aside, where are we going with all of this?? Cashman will tell you that age doesn't matter. It's all about the individual and how they prepare. But I hate to tell Mr. Cashman, baseball is a 162 game marathon and the older you are the more difficult it is to complete the marathon. Particularly when your goal is to play deep into October beyond 162 games.
The moves that the Yankees have made to this point are indicative of the arrogance of this organization. They obviously believe that as long as they can bring back long time favorites (Petitte & Rivera) and big names (Ichiro), fans will continue to follow the team and pay the ridiculous prices at the new Stadium. What these money grabbers don't understand is that sports fans need to believe that there team is getting better and/or their team has a chance to win a championship. The last time the Yankees did either was before the 2009 season when they signed CC Sabathia and Mark Teixiera. That was also the only time they have won the World Series since 2000.
With Hal Steinbrenner's edict to get the payroll down to $189 million dollars by 2014 and a farm system which seem to be devoid of anyone who can step in and contribute in 2013 or 2014, there doesn't seem to be much to be hopeful for. Steinbrenner wanting to get payroll down to $189 million dollars is fine. But the problem is that the farm system that Cashman & Company have is not ready to add pieces to the big league roster. What makes it worse is that the Yankees are saddled with ARod and Teixiera's contracts, which take up a huge chunk of the team's payroll not to mention Sabathia's contract and what they will have to pay Robinson Cano and if they decide to keep Curtis Granderson.
Cashman needs to be held responsible for not preparing for the time when the Yankee stars of the mid to late 90's begin to leave the game. We still don't know who will replace Derek Jeter at shortstop. It is clear that since he moved Jesus Montero to Seattle, he has no one to replace Jorge Posada. The fact that they need Andy Petitte back and must rely on Kuroda shows that he has failed in the development of pitchers. And I shudder to think what happens once Mariano calls it quits.
So am I suppose to be happy with the Yankee moves at this point?? Hardly. If anything I see another season of watching a creaky old team that may make the playoffs only to be knocked out. When you think about it, the Yankees have done nothing to improve themselves. In fact, Cashman will tell you that this team had the best record in the American League last year. That's great but the reality is that if it wasn't for Raul Ibanez, the Orioles would have eliminated them in the first round. Food for thought: in 1964 the Yankees lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. It was the fifth time in a row the Yanks had made the World Series. In 1965, the Yankees finished in last place. The moral of the story is don't tell me about last season when your roster is filled with late-30 somethings and 40-somethings. Brian Cashman needs to be held accountable. Unfortunately, it appears that's not going to happen.
The Big East Is Dead
Back in 1979, a new basketball conference was born called the Big East which was comprised of St. John's, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, Boston College and UCONN. Villanova joined in 1980 and Pittsburgh joined in 1982. For those of you in Western New York, Niagara University was approached to join but declined as these were all schools that the Purple Eagles played back in the day.
The Big East soon became one of the premier basketball conferences in the country. In 1984, Georgetown won the national championship by defeating Houston in the NCAA Finals. In 1985, Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's all advanced to the NCAA Final Four with Villanova pulling off the upset by defeating the defending champs. Big East basketball took a back seat to nobody.
But the Big East is a shell of what it was as this once basketball conference turned into a football controlled one which led to many defections. Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Boston College are gone or will be gone by next season. The conference has been left to pick up schools like Tulane, Fresno State, etc. The all-eastern big city school basketball dominated conference is no more. That's why the whole thing needs to be blown up.
The Big East needs to go back to its roots by forming a conference that would be basketball schools only. How about Villanova, DePaul, Xavier, Marquette, Seton Hall, Providence, and Georgetown. Maybe see if you can poach Lasalle, Manhattan, Siena and how about St. Bonaventure and/or Niagara. A basketball only conference that would tie in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Buffalo. It could work.
The demise of the Big East falls in line with the end of the Southwest Conference, the creation of the BIG 12 and additional teams added to the ACC and BIG 10. All of this has happened because of the almighty dollar. Forget about traditional rivalries. They are a thing of the past. Now it's all about television contracts and tie ins to the bowl games and the BCS. What a shame.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While basking in the glow of a Notre Dame victory over USC and a Cleveland Browns win over Pittsburgh, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Browns win over Pittsburgh wasn't pretty but it was gratifying in the sense that the Cleveland defense was more physical than the vaunted number one defense in the league. The Browns D line has been playing extremely well, particularly since the return of Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin. These two provide quite a wall in the middle. TJ Ward has been the type of strong safety the Browns have not had since Eric Turner. This kid is a punishing hitter and coupled with cornerback Joe Haden gives the Browns a great foundation for their defensive backfield. Since the Browns have been back they have not had a defense who could punish the other team. With another corner and an OLB who can rush the passer, the Browns D will be a force to be reckoned with for a number of years.
* The Browns offense is another story. No question that Trent Richardson is the real deal and the O-Line is really improved. The wide receivers have improved and the acquisition of Josh Gordon was a good move by GM Tom Heckert. However, the Browns need to strongly consider picking up a veteran receiver to provide leadership and play the slot. The big question for the Browns is at quarterback but what else is new. As with those before him, I want to believe in Brandon Weeden but I'm just not sure he is going to be "the guy."
* The NHL and the NHLPA are bringing a federal mediator in to try to save the season. This whole situation is a disgrace and I don't care what anyone says Gary Bettman is to blame. When will owners of these big market teams have the stones to tell that little weasel that enough is enough. If Bettman wants cost certainty then he needs to stop his incessant desire to expand into non-traditional hockey markets. In fact, maybe he needs the Phoenix Coyotes to either move to Quebec City or to contract. I'll even go one step further, how about contracting the Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators. Not only would there be the elimination of struggling franchises but it would improve the quality of play by reducing the number of marginal players in the NHL.
* Buster Olney is reporting this morning that Andy Petitte will be announcing that he will be coming back to the NY Yankees for the 2013 season. This will certainly solidify the rotation. Now it will be interesting to see what else Mr. Cashman has up his sleeve heading into next week's Winter Meetings.
* I'm not sure what it is about Carmelo Anthony that makes me have a difficult time warming up to him. There is no question he is a superstar but aren't superstars suppose to make the big shot at the end of a game??
* The SEC arrogance and media bias is really annoying. When bowl season begins I always root against them.
* Wouldn't it be something if Georgia knocks off Alabama. I think I would laugh my butt off.
* Does anybody really care that Fireman Ed is giving up his act at Jets games??? I certainly don't and this guy must really be in love with himself. He puts a letter in a local free paper to make his grand announcement?? Really!!! Next Louie Lackwanna will be putting a letter in the Pennysaver saying that he will be turning in his Hank Bullough autographed 1985 Buffalo Bills schedule.
* Was on Twitter during the NFL games on Sunday and was dying laughing seeing Jeremy White's whining tweets. This guy really believes the propaganda that the Bills had a chance to make the playoffs if they beat the Colts. Maybe now White can dedicate his time toward analyzing the cause of the NHL lockout.
* Twitter was also the source of more laughs when a passionate member of the Bills Mafia said that the Bills still could make the playoffs. The sad thing is that this bird brain was serious. Bills fans face reality: You have no quarterback, your coach is terrible, your GM sounds like Foghorn Leghorn and who knows where your owner is. In other words, you're done like dinner!!!
And finally, if there is no NHL season what will the boneheads at GR have to talk about for the next 6 months??
Notre Dame Proves They Are Number One
Last night at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish proved they belong in the BCS Championship Game by defeating the the University of Southern California 22-13. The score was not indicative of how close this game was as Notre Dame dominated the game. The only thing that kept it close was Notre Dame's inability to close the deal several times down in the red zone, which they will need to do against either Alabama or Georgia.
What we saw last night , and for that matter all season long, is a team that relies on its defense to stop their opponent and an offense that can pound away at their opposition to close the game out. That's what happened last night. Up 16-10, the Irish offense ran the ball down the Trojans' throats with Theo Riddick being the main man. Notre Dame had to settle for a field goal and took the lead 19-10. USC was not ready to quit as a long pass to Marquise Lee brought the ball down to the ND 2 yard line. After 2 pass interference calls, USC tried running the ball 3 times and 3 times the Notre Dame defense denied them from scoring. Then an incomplete pass ended it for USC. The Irish took the ball on their own one yard line and Riddick rushed for 15 yards and got them out of harm's way. The game was over.
Defense wins championships and Notre Dame's is arguably one of the best in the land. The offense can be punishing and Everett Golson has developed into a good quarterback. They have the ingredients of a championship team and on January 7th we'll find out if they can close the deal.
Wake Up The Echoes
Tonight the number one team in the nation, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, will take on an old rival to ensure their first trip to the BCS Championship Game. A year ago, many around the nation were proclaiming that this storied football program would never reach the heights achieved by Lou Holtz, Ara Parseghian, Frank Leahy and Knute Rockne. Well, this current edition of the Irish have other ideas.
Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis all tried to restore the luster of the Golden Dome but to no avail. But Brian Kelly, a winner at every place he has coached, is 60 minutes away from "shaking down the thunder from the sky." This game against USC will not be easy. Interestingly enough, the last time Notre Dame visited Los Angeles they won 20-16 as Matt Barkley was injured. It was the Irish's first victory over the Trojans since October 20, 2001 at South Bend. Similarly to 2010, Barkley is out for tonight's game forcing USC to start a redshirt freshman, Max Wittek. This will be Wittek's first college start and the brash freshman has proclaimed that the Trojans are going to win this game.
Notre Dame is like the Yankees: you either love them or you hate them. The haters are already saying that the Irish don't deserve to play for the national title. That they should have lost to Pittsburgh. That Stanford should have won their game against the Irish. To the haters I say: sour grapes!! As a Notre Dame fan, I kept on waiting for the wheels to fall off. When they visited Norman, Oklahoma I expected the Sooners to roll. That didn't happen. When the Pitt game was going into overtime, I had a sick feeling that they were going to blow it like they have in the recent past. Even entering the game against Boston College, I was nervous. But this team is different than those in the recent past.
College football is better when traditional powers like Notre Dame are contending for a title. The Irish have a national following. A victory tonight will most certainly ensure that this year's BCS title game will be the most watched in history all because this private school from South Bend, Indiana will be playing in it. It will certainly be watched more than if two SEC teams are playing in Miami on January 7, 2013. Here's hoping that whether "the odds be great or small, old Notre Dame will win over all."
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering who is the genius who has come up with those awful Oregon football uniforms, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Blue Jays have vaulted into the AL East elite with a stunning blockbuster trade that brings Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle and Emilio Bonifacio to the Rogers Centre. While there are never any guarantees with trades, this one certainly may change the balance of power in what is the most competitive division in baseball.
* Meanwhile, the Yankees are waiting to hear from Andy Petitte about his intentions to play in 2013. In looking at the Yankees right now it seems hard to imagine this team doing more than making the playoffs.
* It was reported on ESPN Cleveland that Browns players would like to see a uniform change. Really?? How about trying to win a football game. Cleveland fought hard to keep its colors. Those uniforms are a part of an iconic franchise, one that was once a power in the NFL. Many of these current players don't realize this, but many fans do. Would the Green Bay Packers change their uniforms??? I don't think so. Here's hoping that new owner Jimmy Haslam doesn't fall for this.
* Notre Dame is number one in college football and I couldn't be happier. It has been a long time coming and kudos to Brian Kelly and his staff. A win Saturday against USC seals the deal for the Fighting Irish. To all the haters out there, deal with it!!!!
* There is nothing more exciting than college football as evidenced by last Saturday night's upsets of Oregon and Kansas State. I thought I was going to short-circuit my remote control going back and forth between games. That's why I love college football.
* Watch out for the New Orleans Saints as they seem to be getting things in gear for a playoff run.
* The NHL/NHLPA met last night and once again the league gave the players an ultimatum: come back with a full proposal or don't bother coming back. It is clear that in order for the season to begin the players will have to give back once again. Seems to me that Emperor Bettman is poised to win again.
* Kudos to ex-Maole Leafs Ian White and Kris Versteeg for calling it the way it is. White called Bettman an idiot and Versteeg said that the Emperor and his henchman, Bill Daly, are cancers who have polluted the game and should be fired.
* The Bills victory over the Dolphins has sparked playoff talk again in Western New York. Really?? The Bills are 4-6 right now, as are the Jets, Dolphins, Titans and Chargers. The Bengals are 5-5 and the Colts and Steelers are 6-4. If the Bills don't win on Sunday against the Colts will this put an end to the playoff blather???
And finally, Niagara and Canisius both had big basketball victories over the weekend. It would be great for the area if both teams were contenders for the MAAC title and it would be a great alternative to a winter with no hockey. I wonder if the geniuses at WGR would notice???
Another Rotten Browns Loss
What has become a familiar pattern since they have come back in 1999, the Cleveland Browns did enough to keep their long suffering fans on the edge of their seats only to lose to the Dallas Cowboys 23-20 in overtime at the Palace That Jerry Jones Built. How many times have we seen this before?? I have been so conditioned to expect the worst that even at half time with the Browns ahead 13-0 I had a bad feeling. You see, the Browns had opportunities to score more than one touchdown in the first half but instead had to settle for field goals. I just knew that would come back to haunt them and in the end it did.
The Browns defensive front 7 played one helluva a game. They had Tony Romo on edge all day. The problem is that the secondary had issues, particularly the unbelievable number of defensive holding calls on Buster Skrinne. But the most damaging call was for unnecessary roughness on T.J. Ward with 63 seconds left in the game and the Browns ahead 20-17. Officials ruled that it was a helmet to helmet hit. Not sure what they were watching. Ward's helmet never hit Kevin Ogletree's helmet. It was Buster Skrinne's helmet that collided with that of Ogeltree's. The call was critical and allowed the Cowboys to be in a position to tie the game.
I'm not sure what to make of Brandon Weeden. There is no doubt he has a strong arm but he has a tendency to overthrow receivers at critical times, like on fourth and one when he overthrew a wide open Jordan Cameron. While I understand he is a rookie, one has to wonder how Colt McCoy would fair with a receiving corp that appears to have improved over the one that McCoy had to throw to last year. It seems forever that Browns fans have to wonder whether the guy behind center is "the guy". With 6 games remaining in the season, I want to believe that Weeden is the guy but I'm not so sure.
The only thing I am sure of is that Trent Richardson is the real deal. The rookie out of Alabama has been a standout and certainly warranted being the fourth pick in last year's draft. Richardson made some key runs and receptions that kept the Browns rolling. Montario Hardesty also looked good when he came in to give Richardson a chance to catch his breath. And it appears that Greg Little and Josh Gordon may be the two receivers that Browns fans have been waiting for.
Being a Browns fan is pure hell. While there seems to be some glimmer of hope on defense and with the young RBs and WRs, it's hard to get overly excited since we have seen this story since 1999. At some point you have to win games like the one on Sunday to build confidence. With Big Ben out for the Steelers who come to town next week, you would think that it would be a great opportunity for a big win in front of the hometown fans. I want to believe that it is possible but deep in the recesses of my brown and orange mind I know that something bad will happen. Such is life as a Browns fan.
If Bettman Were President
One of the biggest stories in the news today is the impending deadline of fiscal disaster if the President and the Congress can't come up with a deal. Can you imagine if Emperor Gary Bettman was President??? He would have convened a meeting with Speaker John Boehner and told him we are raising taxes on everyone, not cutting any entitlement programs and Congress will relinquish its right to question anything. Boehner of course would reject this ultimatum and then President Bettman would call for a two week moratorium on any further negotiations.
The above scenario may seem ridiculous but it is exactly what is happening with the NHL-NHLPA negotiations. Some fans like to place blame on both sides. You will get some who say that the players are getting paid well and should just be happy they are playing a game and earning great money. But these positions neglect the following:
1.) The owners are the ones who give out outrageous long-term contracts. Right up until the league announced there was going to be a lock out, teams were signing players to multiple year contracts.
2.) Bettman put forward a take it or leave it proposal on the first day of negotiations setting the tone for distrust among the players.
3.) The players have agreed to go down from a 57-43 split to a 50-50 split of the revenue. All they are wanting are current contracts honored. They have proposed a gradual phase-in of the reduction. Remember the players in 2004-2005 took a pay cut.
4.) In my opinion, it is the players who came up with the most creative proposal to achieve fiscal stability by proposing a revenue sharing plan which would see big market teams helping out small market teams.
5.) The players in the last contract gave in on a salary cap, changes in eligibility for free agency, a salary roll back (reduction) and salary arbitration.
Emperor Bettman is leading the league to disaster. Fans are getting outraged. Sponsors are not happy. And in spite of all of this, Emperor Bettman has called for a two week moratorium on negotiations. It's a slap in the face to the fans, the people who work at the arenas, the tavern and restaurant owners near the arenas, the owners & employees of sports apparel stores and the parking lot attendants. But as far as the Emperor is concerned, let them all eat cake.
How Bout Those Knicks!!!
The 1969-70 NBA season was when I began to give a damn about the NBA. You see that was the year that the NY Knickerbockers won the NBA title. The team's starting 5 was Willis Reed at center (when centers mattered), forwards Dave DeBusschere & Bill Bradley and Walt "Clyde" Frazier & Dick Barnett at guard. With Phil Jackson and Cazzie Russell coming off the bench, the Knicks went on to knock off the heavily favored LA Lakers who were led by Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. In fact, if memory serves me well the clinching game at MSG, with Reed badly limping to start the game, was the first one ever in prime time on television.
Those were great days and my following of the Knicks was interrupted by the Larry Bird Celtics but I came back with the Patrick Ewing-led team. But after Ewing and Company were gone, my interest in the Knicks evaporated. In fact, my interest in the NBA was pretty much gone. With Emperor Bettman's cancelling of NHL games, I have started to watch the Knicks again and it has been highly entertaining.
Going into last night's game, I wondered how real this Knick undefeated start was. But the fourth quarter last night showed me that this team may indeed be for real. The Knicks were down by 12 midway in the fourth quarter and I'm wondering whether it's time for me to go to bed. I began to rationalize that they can't win every game and they haven't won in San Antonio for years so its not a big deal if they lose. But they came roaring back to take control of the game and win it.
This Knicks team seems for real. Jason Kidd has made a huge difference. His veteran leadership has been a huge factor. Last night, Carmelo Anthony showed that he can contribute even when he is not scoring by playing defense and setting up teammates. And Mike Woodson has been a positive factor as head coach. One wonders how much better this team can be once Amare Stoudmire comes back.
While it is only November, last night's win over the Spurs gives Knick fans reason to have high hopes for this season. It has been a long time since there have been meaningful playoff games played at MSG in late April and May. Could this year be the year that changes?? Maybe. But as long as Emperor Bettman keeps the pucks on ice, I will be along for the ride.
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