Lester vs. Gabbard

by Dean Geddes

There doesn't seem to be much talk about a position battle brewing in the Red Sox organization. We all know Curt Schilling is coming back to the rotation, and somebody is going to the bullpen. The Red Sox have two great young lefties, Kason Gabbard and Jon Lester pitching for the right to claim the fifth spot in the rotation.

At the start of the season, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Jon Lester would take Julian Taverez's spot in the rotation once he fully recovered from his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But in one of those problems every team loves to have, a young lefty by the name of Kason Gabbard has stepped in and been pitching lights out.

Honestly, before last night, I would have said the spot belongs to Gabbard, no question. But Gabbard's meltdown in the fifth inning after being staked to a 9-1 lead on Thursday, it's become a race again. I still think Gabbard should get the spot, you can't judge a pitcher on one outing, heck, one inning. But with these two young guns, you don't have much else to go on.

Lester pitched a gem in his first return to the Major Leagues since being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It was a feel-good story not just for Red Sox fans, but for baseball fans. He held a great Indians offense to two runs, pitched deep into the game, and got the win. That's all you can ask for from your starter. And quite frankly, Lester is a major league caliber pitcher. There is no reason he should not be pitching every fifth day in the bigs. Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for the Red Sox, he is on a team with a lot of quality starters.

It will be interesting to see how each fares in their next start. But in all honestly, unless Gabbard has a horrible outing, I don't see how the Red Sox front office could put him in the bullpen, he has been too good. Even courting his poor outing in Cleveland, he is 4-0 with a 3.73 ERA this year in seven starts.. He seems to thrive at Fenway too, posting a 4-0 record with a 2.03 ERA in four starts.

If Lester is lights out tomorrow against Tampa Bay, then perhaps the Red Sox can get him another start before Schilling comes back. Maybe slowdown Schilling's rehab or give Wakefield a breather. It will be a shame to see either of these guys in the pen, but this rotation ain't big enough for the both of them. Not yet.

One of a dying breed

By Austin Amoroso

On Wednesday night, a pitcher took one step closer to baseball immortality, to joining the most elite of pitching clubs and all but cementing himself in baseball lore.

Tom Glavine won the 299th game of his career that night, beating the Pirates with six innings of three-run ball. On the very same night, Alex Rodriguez also took one step closer to an exclusive and quite impressive club, slugging the 499th homerun of his career. But in media outlets everywhere, A-Rod is receiving a lot more pub than Glavine. I just can’t figure out why.

Maybe it’s because Rodriguez is the face of baseball. Or because Glavine is almost 42 and well past his prime. Or just because America (and chicks) digs the long ball. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t make much sense because what Glavine is about to do is much more special.

While the two clubs have roughly the same amount of members, eight have hit homerun number 500 in the past 20 years while only three have won their 300th game over the same span. Bottom line, the 500-homerun club is losing its distinction while the 300-win club is gaining it.

And while there are 22 300-game winners in baseball history, half of them played before 1930 when pitchers were making 45 starts, throwing 400 innings and winning 35 games a year.

So the modern 300-win club really only has 11 members, making what Glavine is about to do all that much more impressive. Two of those 11 are active right now (Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux), but Glavine might be the last one to ever accomplish the feat.

Yes there are two other pitchers, active ones at that, that joined the club just four years ago, but Glavine is one of a dying breed. In fact, after Glavine, the club might just shut and lock its doors and throw away the key forever.

In this day and age of pitch counts, lefty specialists and seven-man bullpens, it’s becoming increasingly less likely that anyone can pitch deep enough into games to get enough decisions to make it to 300. 250 is going to become the new 300.

Once Glavine does the deed, the next in line are 43-year-old Randy Johnson with 284, 38-year-old Mike Mussina with 244 and the 44-year-old David Wells with 235. Randy has a shot, but it’s looking more and more like his career is over. And Mussina, well, to be honest, I’m pretty surprised every time he pitches well enough to earn a W.

You have to go a lot further down the line to find a pitcher that has a legitimate chance to do it. All the way down to a guy with 129 wins, a guy in 332nd place on the all-time list. He just has to pass 309 more guys to join the elusive club.

That pitcher is Tim Hudson. He is 31 and has 129 wins. All he needs to do is win an average of 14 games over the next 12 or 13 years and he’ll do it. Unlikely. The only other players with even an outside shot at it right now are 29-year-old Roy Oswalt with 107 wins and 28-year-old Mark Buehrle with 104. But they’d both have to sustain an average of about 13 wins over the next 15 years. Even more unlikely.

Glavine’s first shot at 300 will come this weekend in Milwaukee. And the next time through the rotation, he’ll take the mound against the Cubs in Wrigley. Finally, after two starts, if all goes accordingly, he’ll face the Marlins at Shea. Mets disdain aside, I just hope he gets bombed against the Brewers and Cubs because I want a chance to be at Shea when history is made, to see one of the greatest feats in baseball. And to see something that may never happen again.

Sox Finally Have a Made Hand

By Dean Geddes

Let's hope the rumors are just that. With the trade deadline less than five days away, there is a whirlwind of speculation surrounding the Red Sox. But for god's sake, the front office had better not sacrifice any future prospect for somebody they don't even need.

Rumors seem to include three groups of players: relief pitchers, first basemen and outfielders. I know its great to have a lot of options in the bullpen, but the Sox already have plenty, not to mention, you can expect either Jon Lester or Kason Gabbard to join the bullpen once Curt Schilling returns to the rotation.

As for the offense, I cannot for the life of me understand why the Red Sox would be interested in starting first basemen like Mark Teixeira or Todd Helton. Those are big names, and don't get me wrong I would love to see either one in a Red Sox uniform. But not through a trade. In order to get those guys teams will demand top tier prospects like Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Kevin Youkilis has proven to be an above average first baseman. An offensive upgrade at first base is not going to push this team over the hump because, honestly, this team is already over the hump. I don't want to sound like a homer, but I really don't see any holes in the Red Sox as a team. They have the best pitching, from starters to the pen, in all of baseball.

And I really like the bench, Eric Hinske is a good left-handed batter who can play the outfield and first base. Alex Cora is like a Swiss army knife in the infield, and although he's not a great hitter, he is great at having productive at-bats and moving runners over.

The only problem is Wily Mo Peña. I can understand the Red Sox picking up a right-handed outfielder with a strong glove. Wily Mo is a project. And the Red Sox are doing the worst possible thing with a player like this. Letting him rot on the bench. David Ortiz had a bittersweet quote about Wily Mo yesterday:

"He can be even better than me. He is one of the strongest people I've ever been around. With Wily Mo it's just playing time. With his hitting it's just timing. That's all it is. People say he can't hit the breaking ball. Well, I couldn't hit the breaking ball either. I learned to hit it. But I learned to hit it because I got the opportunity. Wily Mo hasn't had the opportunity."

I think it makes more sense to let him play in AAA if you can't get him an everyday spot in Boston. Maybe if one of the the starting outfielders goes down (and they are a fragile bunch), Wily Mo can step in and play everyday.

I hope the Red Sox don't trade him though. Not only because they will be trading him for pennies on the dollar, but also because I think he will turn out to be a great hitter.

So, Theo, for the sake of the future, turn your phone off. You can turn it back on in four days.

Not so fast, Yankees fans

By Austin Amoroso

The Yankees are rolling. Winners of five in a row and 10 of 12, the Bronx Bombers are finally doing just that, hitting the bombs and putting the runs on the board that everyone expected them to all season long. During this five-game winning streak, the Yankees have notched 12 runs per game, including 17 and 21-run affairs against Tampa Bay over the weekend.

And it’s not just the offense that’s kicked into gear. The pitchers, from the top of the rotation to the bottom of the bullpen, have held opponents to just 3.6 runs over the last five games.

Robinson Cano, Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui, and yes, even Johnny Damon (though to a lesser extent) have turned a corner and started hitting like, to quote John Sterling, the back of their baseball cards.

Yes, it’s finally good to be a Yankees fan. You finally, after a half a season of doubt and humiliation, watch the pre-game show not just wishing, but assuming they are going to find a way to win.

It’s nothing but hope and optimism for the Yanks now. Just 4.5 games back of Cleveland in the Wild Card (and 7.5 back of Boston in the division) it’s only a matter of time before the Yankees overtake the Indians and happily accept the Wild Card berth and a spot in the post-season.

Right? Well, not so fast Yankees fans.

They’ve been here before when nothing could go wrong for them, when it wasn’t a question of if, but how they would win. And it was only a month ago.

After beating Toronto to close the month of June, the Yankees went on to win series against Boston, the White Sox, Pittsburgh, Arizona and the Mets, winning nine in a row and 14 of 17 to bring their record to 35-32 and finally putting .500 in the rear view mirror.

But then they reverted to their old, losing ways. In two ugly road series against NL cellar-dwellers Colorado and San Francisco, the Yankees lost five of six games. And then they returned to face AL teams Baltimore and Oakland, losing four of five and left wallowing in their own self pity with a record back below .500 at 37-41.

Yes they’ve certainly been on a roll since then, but that west coast road trip, and two series against Oakland and Baltimore, is just a reminder that nothing is certain. They’ve won 16 of 21, including six (assuming they win one of the next two against Kansas City) straight series, since waving goodbye to Oakland, and with series against Baltimore, Chicago and Kansas City, the winning should continue.

But you only have to look back to the last time they were on a streak like this to realize it can all go down the drain, and go down pretty quickly.

The Wrath of Roger Goodell

By Austin Amoroso

Last time I checked, this is America, the land of the free. The land where all criminals from jaywalkers to murderers are given their day in court. They are innocent until proven guilty. People don't get punished unless they are found guilty by a jury of their peers.

Unfortunately, though, that doesn’t hold true in the court of public opinion where only an accusation is needed to brand someone for the rest of his life.

You only have to look back at the last sports-related criminal accusation, the debacle that was the Duke men’s lacrosse rape case. In the court of public opinion, those three men were tried and convicted of raping a stripper at a party. But finally, almost two years later, the real court ran its course and found out that they did nothing wrong. Those men lost a year of their lives and who knows how much else as a result of one woman’s pettiness. An entire nation was too eager to jump to conclusions and didn't bother waiting until all the facts and evidence were presented.

So is the case for Michael Vick. Vick, according to a federal indictment, has ties to a dog fighting ring operated out of a house he owns in Virginia. But did he engage in said fights? Did he fund the Bad Newz Kennels? Was he even aware that it was going on at the property?

Maybe. But Maybe not.

Therein lies the problem with Commissioner Roger Goodell’s “suspension” of Michael Vick. Now, Goodell hasn’t really suspended Vick, but he has ordered him not to report to the Falcons’ training camp. And you’d have to be a halfwit not to know that a lengthy suspension is coming for Vick. And coming before he’s tried or (maybe) proven guilty in court.

Goodell is going to determine the future of Vick’s career in the NFL, but there is no specific timetable for that decision. Except that it will happen "as soon as possible".

"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the personal conduct policy," Goodell wrote Vick in a letter, according to an NFL statement.

So, the question is, exactly what part of the personal conduct policy did Vick violate? Unfortunately for guys like Vick, Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, Goodell has the power of interpretation. He can use the now very strict personal conduct policy to determine a case as he sees fit.

Under the persons charged with criminal activity heading of the conduct policy, which it would seem applies to Vick at this point (even though he hasn't even been charged yet), it states:

“Any Covered Person arrested for or charged with conduct prohibited by this policy will be required to undergo an immediate, mandatory clinical evaluation and, if directed, appropriate counseling.”

But that’s not what has, or will, happen to Vick. He is going to be suspended and lose a lot of money as a result of this accusation, or maybe, only as a result of him associating himself with the wrong people. But Goodell, or any policer of an organization, has no right to determine who a person hangs out with outside of work.

Now, let’s make this perfectly clear. I in no way condone, support or engage in electrocuting, hanging or beating dogs to death, or dog fighting in general for that matter. But Vick is going to be a victim of Goodell’s wrath.

The difference between Jones and Vick is that Vick isn’t an idiot. He doesn’t feel the need to make it rain at a strip club the night before he’s due to meet with Goodell to discuss his actions. Vick has generally been a stand-up guy since he left Blacksburg for Atlanta.

Goodell had to make a statement with the Jones incident. And he did. But now it should be interesting to see what he does with Vick, a money-making machine for the NFL. And if Jones was suspended for an entire season, the same likely will happen to Vick.

But Goodell, while he should be commended for trying to clean up the NFL, oversteps his boundaries. Whether or not Vick is convicted of these crimes, his life is going to change significantly. And change for the worse. The amount of money he is going to lose over this incident, thanks to organizations like PETA, is immeasurable.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank can do what he wants with Vick, he signs the checks. But Goodell shouldn't decide Vick's future until he's proven to have committed the crime. He has no right to decide how the Falcons should handle the situation until then. But unfortunately that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

Barry Lamar Bonds

by Dean Geddes

I know Barry Bonds plays very, very far away from anywhere the Fung Wah Bus operates, but this is a national story. Bonds is on the eve of breaking the most sacred of all sports records. 755. And to top it off there is a giant, juicy scandal swirling all around him and his pursuit of Hammerin' Hank.

I should throw in a disclaimer, I'm writing this under the assumption that Bonds has knowingly used steroids for a significant period of time. If you're familiar with the facts surrounding Bonds and BALCO and honestly believe he never used performance enhancing drugs, you're nuts. Seriously crazy. For the sane ones, let's continue.

Bonds is a wretch. Maybe he's an O.K. guy when you get him away from all the reporters and TV cameras. But I can only go by what I see. A huge wretch. But he is also the greatest player of this era, the steroid era, and possibly the greatest player of all time.

It's easy to point the finger at Bonds. He's so incorrigible during interviews, and soon he will own the most precious record in all of sports. Commissioner Bud Selig must love him. While Bonds is out getting ripped in the media and hearing "Barr-oid" chants every time he steps into a batters box on the road, Selig debates whether he will be present when Bonds breaks the record? Are you kidding me?

Selig, with the help of MLB players association president Donald Fehr created the Steroid Era in baseball. No, they didn't hold a syringe to any one's arm. They never had to.

Major League Baseball never tested players for performing enhancing drugs until 2002. And that first policy was a joke. Not one player was ever suspended during the two years it existed. It was a policy that Selig and Fehr hoped would quell public outcry and also let these hulks continue to mash home runs and keep the fans coming back. In 2005, Congress came in and forced them to create a real policy, one with teeth. It was the first year in a very long time that players who chose not to take steroids could compete on a level playing field.

Selig and Fehr, and the organizations they represent, chose to sacrifice the sanctity of the game in order to boost ratings. As steroids ran rampant in MLB locker rooms, they turned a blind eye. You didn't have to juice to be in the Majors, plenty of players didn't. But those who did had an edge.

Most professional athletes are ferocious competitors and have huge egos. How do you think you would react when that guy on the bench starts juicing and taking away some of your playing time? Or that outfielder you know you are better than, starts putting up better numbers and takes your spot in the lineup, and maybe signs a giant contract in the offseason.

I'm not condoning steroid use, but at the same time I'm not going to get on my high horse and condemn the players who did. I can understand why players used them. Sure you could rely on your natural talent. but you might lose your job, you might not get paid as much. And if you juiced, there were never any consequences, other than what you might do to your body.

Bonds is a product of his time. Baseball Almanac has a stat, OPS+. They put the "+" next to certain stats in order to compare them to other players during the same year. For those that don't know it's the best way to compare players who played in different eras, and under different conditions. If you hit .275 in a year when the league average batting average was .275, then your "batting avg+" would be 100. If the number is over 100, then you did better than the league average.

It's a good stat if, say, you want to compare Pedro's 1.74 ERA in 2000 (during the steroid era when the league average ERA was an astounding 4.97), to Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968 (the year before they lowered the mound when the league average ERA was 2.90).

If your curious, Pedro's ERA+ was 285 in 2000, compared to Gibson's 258 ERA+ in 1968.

O.K., back to OPS+. The top three seasons all-time all belong to Bonds. That's right, all-time. When you compare Bonds' season in 2002 to his juiced peers, he still comes out ahead of Ruth, or Williams or Aaron, or anyone else when compared to their peers.

We may never again see somebody as locked in as Bonds was from 2001-2004, when he won four straight MVP awards. If you had the pleasure of watching him during this time, it is something you will never forget. I won't run through his stats, it would take forever. If you missed it and your not familiar with them or just haven't seen them in a while, you should. They are unreal.

So whether you hate him or love him, just be thankful you got to witness him, one of the greatest players ever, play the game. It's a shame our generation is a juiced one, but don't put that on Barry. He didn't make the rules, he just played the game.

It's a long season. Relax.

by Dean Geddes

Make no mistake, the Red Sox offense in the last couple months has been terrible with runners in scoring position. They just can't seem to put together big innings. Whether it's a rally-killing double play or the lack of clutch two-out RBI's, it seems these last couple of months the Red Sox need an extra out to score runs.

The Red Sox hit .297 with RISP in their first 49 games and had the best record in baseball at 36-13. In the last two months the Red Sox hit .234 with RISP and it's no coincidence they have a record of 20-23.

With the Yankees getting hot and cutting the division lead to seven games. It's panic time in much of Red Sox Nation.

But don't let some dope on the TV or the radio convince you this team can't succeed as is. Unless Theo Epstein can blackmail a GM to take Drew or Lugo and their overpriced contracts, then the Red Sox shouldn't make any trades at the deadline. The only move they need to make is to move Julian Tavarez out of the rotation and into the pen.

The season is incredibly long. Teams get hot, cool off, slump, get hot again and repeat this process multiple times during the season. In fact, the 2003 Marlins, the 2004 Red Sox, the 2005 White Sox, and the 2006 Cardinals all had stretches of over 40 games in which they played sub .500 baseball.

The Red Sox have too many quality players on offense to continue to slump for this long. That's the great thing about the length of the baseball season, things have a way of averaging out over the course of 162 games. Manny Ramirez, who has never had a slugging percentage of under .587, will probably improve on his .495 slugging percentage in 2007.

And Manny is the key for this offense, he's too important, not just for the runs he drives in but for the protection his gives David Ortiz. This season, managers have not been punished for pitching around Big Papi, and as a result, he has seen less to hit.

Another important piece of the offensive puzzle is J.D. Drew, he cannot continue to hit lead off. The Sox need him in the five-hole hitting more than just singles. When Drew is up, he usually has Ortiz and/or Manny on base, and unless one of them is on third base, they're not coming home on a single.

Just now as I am writing this, Jose Contreras pitched around Big Papi with two outs and nobody on base. Then plunked Manny, and Drew punished him with a three run homer. Unfortunately, the umps took it away from him (it just cleared the Green Monster and bounced back into the field), so he only got credit for an RBI double. It's still a great sign.

The Red Sox have the best team on-base percentage in the Majors at .357. With the talent they have on offense, it is only a matter of time before things start clicking and all those runners start coming home. Maybe Drew's home run, and Tito's resulting "Pinniella-esque" blow up and ejection is the spark this team needs to get the ball rolling and keep it rolling into October. After all, hitting, like winning, is contagious.

Enter Sandman

By Austin Amoroso

Let's take a trip down memory lane.

It's April 15. The Yankees just lost to Oakland on a Marco Scutaro walk-off three-run homerun that dropped the Yanks' record below .500 at 5-6.

The loss wasn't all that alarming, despite Scutaro's pension for keeping the ball in the park. It was just a loss, in April, one of many to come over the course of the season.

But what was alarming, at least to some, what had Yankees critics salivating and Yankees fans cringing, was that the homerun came off of the best closer in the game. At least the guy who used to be.

Wait. Used to be?

The Scutaro job was Rivera's first blow-up of the season, but his next time out, five days later, he gave up two runs on two-thirds of an inning against the Red Sox, in another loss, as his ERA soared to 8.44. It made it two blown saves and two losses in a row for him, just 15 games into the season, and it was surely an omen that this was the beginning of the end for the guy that you never expect to fail.

Rivera turned 37 last November, and the slender 6'2'', 185 lb. one-pitch wonder wasn't going to be able to extend his career, the critics said, the way Trevor Hoffman has, or Dennis Eckersley did.

But what those critics forgot was that this isn't just some other great closer doomed to succumb to the inevitabilities of aging.

No, this is Mariano Rivera, Mo-Ra, the single most dominant pitcher in the game and the most important piece to the success of the Yankees over the last 12 years. The guy with a record 34 postseason saves and a 0.80 playoff ERA.

And while it's his postseason performance that has separated him from his peers, Rivera has been just as consistently dominant in the regular season.

Since he became a reliever in 1996, Rivera has compiled 428 saves and a 2.07 ERA. Those numbers make him a hall of famer and one of the best. But what he does in the playoffs makes him the greatest of all time.

"I wanted to go inside," Rivera said after the A's loss. "It was in and over the plate."

It was more of the same from Rivera as he scrutinized exactly what went wrong; it was pretty much the same thing he's said after just about every blown game of his career. But for some reason this one was a clear sign, for the critics, that Mariano had lost his muster.

So now, three months later, where are those critics?

Since the Scutaro blow-up, and the debacle five days later against Boston, Rivera hasn't blown a save all season. He's converted 15 straight while posting a 2.36 ERA, numbers you're used to, and expect, to see him put up.

Wednesday night's game was just that, exactly what you expect, as Joe Torre, who has been insistent all season on only using Rivera for one inning, brought him in with two on and one out in the eighth to save a struggling bullpen.

Ground out, strikeout, fly out, fly out, ground out. Game over. Yankees win.

Torre doesn't have the luxury of holding Rivera back for just one inning, not now, when every game counts for the Yankees. That win made it five in a row and 11 of 14 overall for the team, cutting the A.L. East deficit to seven games and the Wild Card to six.

With more than two months still left in the season, there's more than enough time to get back into it. And with 'ol reliable #42 in the back of the pen, anything can happen, and it's sure to be a memorable finish to the season.

The time is now for Eli

By Austin Amoroso

After making a bevy of questionable cuts early in the off-season, there are gaping holes all over the New York Giants roster.

Tom Coughlin thinks the team will benefit from moving defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka to strongside linebacker because “it will put more athletes on the field”. That’s a smart move by the Giants brass because Kiwanuka just might be athletic enough to make that transition. Try to turn the 6’5’’ 265 lb. monster into a player in the likes of Shawne Merriman or Adalius Thomas.

But the move that made no sense, not a lick, was cutting left tackle Luke Petitgout. For a right-handed quarterback, the left tackle is the most important position on the field, protecting the passer’s blindside. But the Giants, for reasons unknown, refused to renegotiate his contract and just parted ways with the underrated eight-year Giant vet.

The Giants were 6-2 and had won five straight games when Petitgout broke his leg early on against the Bears in week 10 last season. The G-men were in control of the game. It was only 7-3, but the Bears were showing no life on either side of the ball and Eli Manning was able to move the ball downfield against the vaunted Chicago defense.

And then, in a split second, everything changed. Manning was seeing, or not seeing, pressure from the left side. Bears defensive end Alex Brown ended the game with two sacks and the Giants lost 38-20. And it was all downhill from there for the 2006 Giants.

So now the onus is on former left guard David Diehl to take over for Petitgout.

And it’s a tall task for Diehl because this is the season, if it’s ever going to happen, that Manning is going to break out. Eli has had two seasons as the full-time starter. He’s now entering his fourth year, third as a starter, and at 26, the ‘he’s still developing’ excuse isn’t going to work anymore.

Eli as a history of starting off strong and finishing poorly. In the last two seasons, he has a QB rating of 86 in the first eight games of the season and just 67 in the second half. It’s no coincidence that, over the same span, the Giants’ record is 12-4 in the first half and 8-8 in the second.

As Eli goes, so goes the team. And if the G-men have any hope of making a push for the playoffs and beyond this season, it’s going to be on Manning to get them there. Without Tiki Barber behind him, it’s going to be that much harder.

"It's not scary or anything," Manning said of Barber's retirement. "I'm ready to step up. Leadership is something you earn from your teammates, and I think I've earned that.”

At least he’s confident because if he doesn’t step up this year and become a big-time quarterback, like everybody assumed he would, it’s never going to happen.

Stephon "Stellaseppellire" Marbury

By Austin Amoroso

So Stephon Marbury wants to take his game over to Italy after his contract with the Knicks expires in two years. I wouldn’t expect it any other way from the oft-traveling point guard.

“It’s like a Beckham thing,” Marbury said.

Yes, a Beckham thing. Because the sport of basketball in Italy is due to flourish once it is graced with the presence of the Starbury. Right?

Well, it’s obviously clear he’s conquered New York. There couldn’t possibly be anything left for the Coney Island native to prove here, not after racking up a 114-179 record in his three and a half years in a Knicks uniform.

It’s the same way he conquered Minnesota. And New Jersey. And Phoenix. See, Marbury’s definition of conquering is, ‘making better’. And he’s done just that for every team he’s played on. Teams just get better and he moves on. Or wait, maybe it’s the other way around. Yeah, that’s it, he moves on and then teams get better. The numbers don’t lie.

His last season in Minnesota: 25-25
The next season for the Wolves: 50-32
His last season in New Jersey: 26-56
The next season for the Nets: 53-30
His last season in Phoenix: 29-53
The next season for the Suns: 62-20

I guess you can’t put all the blame on Marbury for all the records in his last season on a team. He did, afterall, only play about half the season when he was traded both by Minnesota and Phoenix. Odd theme, though, isn’t it? He leaves, team gets better. He arrives, team is worse.

But therein lies the good news for Knicks fans. In just two short years, it’ll be nothing but wins and playoff appearances for the Knickerbockers.

And, hey, that lucky Italian team that Starbury graces with his presence... Well, they will ultimately have the pleasure of sending him packing. And then that team can look forward to some success. Finally.

Mr. Patriot

by Dean Geddes

The final piece of the Patriots Super Bowl puzzle is in place. Yesterday the club announced that Mr. Patriot, Troy Brown, will be returning for his 15th season in New England. Brown, more than anyone else during this championship run, has exemplified what the Patriots are all about. Team before individual.

Just ask Tom Brady. "When you look up the New England Patriots in the dictionary, there's a big picture of Troy Brown's face," Brady said. "He's everything we stand for."

Brown is a true class act. Drafted in 1993 in the 8th round, he earned himself a spot on the Patriots special teams squad. He worked hard, didn't complain, and finally became a starter in 1999. Last year, his 14th in a Patriots uniform, he broke the Patriots all-time record for receptions. With punt returns and punt return yardage already under his belt, that gives 'ole number 80 three franchise records. But there is oh so much more he has done.

In 2001, when Terry Glenn was benched for the remainder of the season, Brown stepped up as the team's go-to receiver and didn't disappoint. He finished that season with career highs in catches (101) and receiving yards (1199). But Brown's most memorable moments from that All-Pro year came in the playoffs.

Patriots fan can ever forget his "special" performance in the 2001 AFC Conference Championship game. His 55-yard punt return for a touchdown to put the Pats ahead 7-0 early against the Steelers. Then, at the start of the second half, Brown recovered a blocked field goal and took it 11 yards upfield before making a heads-up lateral to Antwan Harris, who took it the rest of the way to put the Patriots ahead 21-3. Those are just the kinds of plays Troy makes.

Like In the 2007 Divisional playoff game against the Chargers, Brown gave the Patriots a second life after it looked like Brady had thrown the game-ending interception to Marlon McCree. Instantly switching to a defender, Brown instinctively stripped the ball out of McCree's hands and the Patriots were able to recover possession and ultimately come back to win the game.

Brown was the Patriots leading receiver in Super Bowl XXXVI. But the catch I will always remember him for was the 23-yard catch over the middle that put Vinatieri in range for the last-second field goal. That was Troy, always there in the clutch.

Whether it was taking a paycut to ease the team's salary cap burden (something Brown did twice), or playing nickel corner, receiver and special teams during the Patriots remarkable injury-plagued 2004 Championship run, Brown does whatever is asked of him. And what makes him special, he does it with a smile on his face.

Brown hasn't made it onto the Patriots final roster just yet, he still has to compete with Kelley Washington, Jabar Gaffney and Chad Jackson for the final two or three receiver spots. Something tells me, though, that with all the new additions at WR this year, the Patriots will want a character guy that brings veteran leadership into the locker room. Look no further than, 'ole number 80, Mr. Patriot.

Patriot Games

By Dean Geddes

It must be frustrating for Asante Samuel. It's every professional sports player's dream, and Asante did it. In the final year of his contract, Samuel had a breakout year, snagging 10 interceptions, when he had totaled just six in his three previous years in the NFL. Samuel also had career highs in tackles and pass deflections. But instead of a long-term deal and a hefty signing bonus, the Pats still stuck him with the one-year franchise tag.

This did not make Samuel happy. He and his agent discussed his options and they decided to hold out in hopes of a long term contract. They are asking for a front loaded contract that will pay Samuel $30 million over the next three years. Samuel is good, but he's not $10 million a year good.

During the 2005 season, fans and the media were berating the New England secondary. And for good reason. More than once I remember Samuel being referred to as "overmatched" having to face up against opposing teams top wideout every week, and was better served as a "nickel corner". After a 40-21 whupping at the hands of the Colts, Mike Reiss asked this rhetorical question in the November 8, 2005 edition of the Boston Globe, "Anyone still think Duane Starks and Asante Samuel are the answers at cornerback?"

It seems clear now that Asante wasn't as bad as perceived in 2005. By the same token he isn't as good as perceived in 2007. He has improved dramatically against the run since he first arrived in Foxboro. He's always been a ball hawk, recording double digit pass deflections every year since he was a rookie.

Asante has transformed himself from a mediocre cornerback into a great cornerback in the last two years. He has, however, not made the leap into the top-tier of cornerbacks to join the likes of Champ Baily, DeAngelo Hall, and Chris McAlister. All of those players will be making less than $10 million this year. Although to be fair, all three signed long-term contracts before the recent salary cap increase.

So for more recent reference, the Chicago Bears and their top cornerback Nathan Vasher, a better all-around cornerback than Asante, who has some of the best man-to-man cover skills in the NFL. Vasher just signed a contract extension that will pay him $16 million over the next two years. Of course, the contract is for longer than that, but since NFL contracts are like a series of one year deals with a team option at the end of each season, the first few years of a contract are most important.

Samuel wants $30 million over his first three years. He's just not worth that.

Yesterday, at 4 p.m., the deadline for the Patriots to sign Asante to a long-term deal passed. This means that Samuel can only get a long term deal in 2007 if it's outside of New England. Any team willing to sign him to an offer sheet has to give the Patriots two first rounders. And that's just not going to happen.

This deadline actually helped the Patriots, though, by limiting their options and backing Samuel into a corner. He knows they cannot legally offer him a long term deal, so he either suits up and plays for one year at $7.6 million, or sits out and hopes the Patriots trade him, a la Deion Branch. The ball is completely in his court.

The Patriots' other corners this year are Tory James, the injury-plagued Randall Gay, Ellis Hobbs and Chad Scott. Asante would clearly be the top dog of that group if he were to return. While its scary to imagine that foursome patrolling New England's secondary without Samuel, and even scarier to think about them lining up opposite Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, the Patriots and Bill Belichick have proven they can win without big name corners.

In 2004, with both starting corners (Ty Law and Tyrone Poole) on injured reserve, then-sophomore Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, and even wideout Troy Brown chipped in to hold the Colts to three points in the Divisional Playoffs.

So it can be done. Although Peyton Manning has improved greatly since then, and Patriot fans would much rather see Asante in a Pats uniform, the front office knows it can't sacrifice the future for one player. Just ask Lawyer Milloy, or Ty Law, or Deion Branch.

Kyle F---ing Farnsworth

By Austin Amoroso

When Tom Gordon left the Yankees for the newly available Phillies closer job after the 2005 season, the Yankees scrambled to find a set-up man that could do the job that Gordon did for two years.

In 2005 with Detroit and Atlanta, Kyle Farnsworth combined to go 1-1 with 16 saves, 19 holds and a 2.19 ERA. And so, the Yankees invested $17 million over three years for the hard-throwing righty.

A year and a half into the deal, Farnsy, hardly the nickname-deserving caliber player, has been nothing but a disappointment. He lost six games and blew four saves while compiling a 4.36 ERA in his first season in pinstripes last year.

It wasn’t pretty. And this year is even worse. Let’s take a look at some of his stats this season.

He’s appeared in 40 games, throwing 37.1 innings. He’s given up 42 hits, walked 18 batters and struck out 24. He has a 1.61 WHIP, 4.58 ERA, 1.33 K/BB ratio and his BAA is .282.

And that’s the good news.

The bad news is that in 40 appearances, he has just 10 hitless innings, four (four!) 1-2-3 innings and he’s never pitched more than one inning in any outing. His job is to get the ball to Mariano Rivera. He has 11 holds, adequate for halfway through the season, but in five of those holds he gave up a run. That means he turned a comfortable two or three-run lead into an agonizing one or two-run lead.

But none of those stats really show what Farnsworth does to the Yankees. One of the most important stats for a reliever is inherited runners that scored. Farnsworth hasn’t allowed an inherited runner to score all season. And that’s fantastic.

But what’s just down right embarrassing is that he hasn’t even had the chance to allow an inherited runner to score. Joe Torre doesn’t trust him to pick up the slack for a struggling reliever mid-inning.

This guy is making more than $5 million this year, more than a lot of closers in the league, and he’s not even good enough to give Torre the comfort of calling on him mid-inning when he needs a big strikeout. I guess you can’t blame Torre when Farnsworth has struck out just 24 in 37.1 innings.

The Yankees have two other hard-throwing righties sitting in the bullpen in Brian Bruney and Scott Proctor. While the two of them have had their share of struggles this season, there’s not a Yankee fan out there that would rather see Farnsworth in a 2-1 game in the eighth than Bruney or Proctor.

So why is this guy still given the ball in the eighth inning of a close game? In fact, why is he even on the Yankees anymore? Whatever the reason is, the bottom line is that he shouldn’t be.

The Yankees are trying to climb back into the playoff picture and shouldn’t be sellers at the trading deadline. But there is a more gaping hole in the Yankees roster and they could use Farnsworth to fill it.

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Yankee bench currently consists of M.L. bench-warmer Miguel Cairo, AAAA bench-warmer Kevin Thompson and AAA bench-warmer Wil Nieves. That’s not how you rack up enough wins to make the playoffs, and certainly not how you win games if you’re lucky enough to get there.

The Yankees need someone on their bench, a real fourth outfielder that can actually give you some pop in a pinch-hitting spot. Or someone that can spell one of the corner outfielders and not be an automatic out.

Now, GM Brian Cashman is unlikely, if he were to actually deal Farnsworth, to deal him to an American League opponent, even though the Tigers, Angels and Indians all need help in the pen.

But there are two National League teams that are in dire need of some help: the Phillies and the Cubs.

They are two teams making the playoff push and would happily part with a fourth outfielder to pick up a guy that, despite the ugly numbers this year, can still hit 100 on the gun and has struck out 653 in 652 career innings.

The trade that makes the most sense for each team is Farnsworth to the Cubs for Daryle Ward. Ward has been a backup first baseman in the last few years (which certainly doesn’t hurt the Yankees), but he can also play outfield.

And that’s what the Yankees need, a guy that can spot start in one of the corner outfield positions (and even at first) and have it not be like adding a pitcher to the lineup. I’m sure Torre would love a bench that actually had a major leaguer on it.

Farnsworth was a mistake from the get-go; he’s just not the kind of player that can thrive in New York. It’s time Cashman realizes that. And if the Yankees have any hope of making the playoffs, does so sooner rather than later.

What a relief

by Dean Geddes

The Red Sox are going to win the World Series this year because they have what won them the World Series in 2004. A bullpen. Yes there was Papi's magical late inning heroics, and Schilling's bloody sock. But what made those moments possible, the nuts and bolts of that astounding eight-game winning streak that started down 0-3 in the ALCS and ended with champagne showers in St. Louis--Keith Foulke and the Boston bullpen.

Lets take a trip down memory lane:

Game 4 (ALCS): The Red Sox bullpen gave up just one run in 6.2 IP, but more importantly shut out the Yankees from the seventh inning through the 12th inning.

Game 5 (ALCS): The showcase game for the bullpen, pitching eight shutout innings in which a single Yankee run in any of those eight frames would have spelled an end to the season.

Game 6 (ALCS): The pen was handed a 4-1 lead in the 8th inning and held on for the 4-2 lead.

Game 7 (ALCS): The offense took care of this one although the bullpen didn't give up a run (not counting the 7th inning in which Francona went with Pedro out of the pen. Martinez gave up two runs, but managed to pitch his way out of the inning. )

In the World Series it was Keith Foulke getting the win in Game 1 with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. In games three and four, Foulke came away with a pair of saves and his teammates in the bullpen were able to get him on the mound with a chance to close out both games.

Foulke spearheaded a bullpen that played out of it's mind for that playoff run. In 2004, Foulke pitched 14 playoffs innings and gave up only one run, had a record of 1-0 and was 3 for 3 in save opportunities.

It was a shame he fell apart in 2005 and was booed out of town (in the boo birds defense, his attitude, at least in interviews, was absolutely atrocious), because what he did in October of 2004 is the stuff legends are made of.

Flash forward to 2007. The Red Sox have the best bullpen in the American League, a gun slinging 25-year-old closer with a razor thin ERA, and a Japanese import (Hideki Okajima) who was the best setup man in the majors for the first half of the 2007 season and also found himself on the all-star roster. Its not often a team sends two relief pitchers to the All-Star game, but this year the Red Sox deserved to.

So far this season the Boston bullpen has an ERA of 2.77, the Mariners and Twins are tied for second with bullpen ERA's of 3.42. But Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon aren't the only reason why the Red Sox relievers best the field by over half a run. The Red Sox pen is deep. Manny Delcarmen has come up from AAA and posted a 1.32 ERA in 13.2 IP. Left-hander Javier Lopez has a 2.96 ERA in 24.1 IP, while Kyle Snyder has been strong in long relief with a 3.21 ERA in 33.2 innings.

It's incredible that this is the same team that ranked dead last in bullpen ERA in 2005 (5.15) and in 2006 had an overall bullpen ERA of 4.51, good for 9th out of 14 AL teams, despite Papelbon's 0.93 ERA.

It's been a complete turnaround in two years. With a starting pitching staff that can put the Red Sox in front and now, finally, a complete bullpen to close the deal, the Red Sox will be a formidable foe for any team come October. Well... as long as the offense wakes up.

Good riddance

By Austin Amoroso

Despite leading the league in just about every offensive category, Alex Rodriguez was recently mired in a 0-8 slump. How dare he! For $27 million, and with his team hovering at .500, A-Rod can’t be suffering through these kinds of slumps. It’s unacceptable for “Alexander the Great”. And the slump came right after slapping George Steinbrenner in the face. Well, figuratively, anyway.

The slap in the face came after the Yankees broke away from the norm, from the kind of thing that makes the Yankees the Yankees. In order to keep the best player in the game in the Bronx for the rest of his career, they made it public that they were willing to negotiate with Rodriguez mid-season. But A-Rod refused, saying he wouldn’t talk about it during the season:

"Like I've said all year, I think it's something we need to do at the end of the year. I think it would be selfish on my part to talk about my contract status when our team desperately needs wins. My goal is to win as many games as we can, focus on my teammates and play at a real high level in the second half."

To the Yankees, A-Rod has a $30 million decision to make. He’s going to get paid. A lot. It’s just a matter of now, by George Steinbrenner, or after the season, by… Arte Moreno? Steinbrenner doesn’t want Tom Hicks’ $30 million to go to waste, so if A-Rod opts out, it should end his rollercoaster, and championship-less, tenure in New York.

Good riddance.

The Yankees should let him go and end the debacle that was A-Rod in the Bronx. Why? Because he’s not worth anywhere near what he’s going to get paid. Of course, the Yankees do know a thing or two about overspending (ahem, Roger Clemens). But that’s a different matter.

Instead of spending $200 million more on A-Rod’s already ludicrous contract, Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman should shift their focus elsewhere. There isn’t a shortage of young and talented free agents over the next few seasons, to say the least, and the Yankees should be at the top of the list.

Miguel Cabrera signed a one-year, $7.4 million contract in the off-season, and he’s eligible for arbitration again after the year is over. The Florida Marlins can’t afford both him and Dontrelle Willis (who is also up for arbitration this year), so it certainly seems one of the two will be packing their bags and leaving Miami. Cashman should stop at nothing to make sure it is Cabrera doing the packing.

Cabrera isn’t quite the hitter, or fielder, that Rodriguez is, but then again, nobody is. Cabrera is still one of the best players in the game. And he’s only 24. Locking up Cabrera for the next 10 years would be a lot smarter than doing the same with A-Rod. And it would be a lot cheaper too.

Cabrera will get what he deserves, but it won’t be anywhere near $30 million per year. With the leftover money, Cashman can shift gears and go after one of the many young and studly free agent pitchers either this off-season or next.

With the ownership of the Chicago Cubs in limbo, it’s looking like Carlos Zambrano, just 26, won’t be returning to the north side. He would fit in nicely with Chien-Ming Wang and Phil Hughes at the top of the Yankees’ rotation for years to come. Or the Yankees could wait a year and go after the best pitcher in the game, Johan Santana. Or even take aim at John Lackey or Jake Peavy.

The Yankees could get a top of the rotation pitcher and one of the best third baseman in the game for the same price as Rodriguez, and they would be much younger to boot.

At season’s end, and after four years as a Yankee, A-Rod will likely have two MVPs, a .300 average, about 175 homeruns and 500 RBIs, ridiculous numbers for a four-year stretch. But the Bombers will also have no championships, no pennants, and if they miss the playoffs this year, just nine post-season wins. The Yankees won nine playoff games in 2003 alone, the year before A-Rod arrived in New York. That doesn’t cut it in the Bronx where every championship-less season is deemed a failure.

Steinbrenner and Cashman have already strayed from the norm this season, so now it’s time to continue down that path by letting the overpaid Rodriguez go and infusing some youth into the aging roster. The Yankees haven’t celebrated in seven years; the championship seasons are gone. For now. It’s time the Yankees build for the future. And with Cabrera and an ace starter, they can win now while they do it.

Theo's man

By Dean Geddes

J.D. Drew is one lucky guy. Never in Red Sox history has a high profile free agent not been crucified for playing this badly. That's what winning will do. A double digit lead in the A.L. East can pacify even the most rabid Red Sox pessimist. It also helps having free agent classmate Julio Lugo stealing the lowlight with a .079 June batting average, including a spectacular 0-33 hitless streak.

Make no mistake, Drew has been bad. Really bad. He was billed as the man who would finally give Manny Ramirez the much needed protection he deserves. He was supposed to create nightmares for opposing managers, who would either have to keep their left-handed specialist in to face Manny or let Drew feast on a righty.

Don't worry opposing managers, Drew isn't going to be keeping you up late at night. Nope. Somebody who is slugging .388 on the season, somebody whose .260 batting average drops to .225 with runners in scoring position and an abysmal .200 with runners in scoring position and two out, well he's the kind of guy you dream about facing after Ortiz and Manny.

Terry Francona came to this sad realization too, and in order to stop playing into the hands of the opposing managers, he was forced to find a new spot for Drew. Last night it was the lead off spot. Where the $70 million "slugger" and his inability to drive in runs and lack of power will hurt the team least.

Drew was never one to shine under pressure. His career .249 average with runners in scoring position and two out can attest to that. Dodger fans were all too eager to say goodbye. When he's at the plate, you just don't expect him to do anything, they would say. They're right. What makes it worse is his seemly oblivious demeanour. It's tough watching him take strike three to end an inning with runners on base. But does it bother him? Watching him carelessly stroll back to the dugout, you sure wouldn't think so.

It was a puzzling off-season acquisition to begin with. Not often does a front office go after a "star" player in his prime much to the disgust of its fan base. Gerry Callahan summed it up nicely in his column in the Boston Herald on Nov. 29, 2006:

"While Sox fans are starved for someone, anyone, who represents an upgrade from last season's roster, it is not easy to find a fan who is excited about the prospect of seeing Drew in a Sox uniform. For some reason, the paying customers seem to understand better than the Sox front office wonks that it ain't all about OPS. Sometimes you've got to look at the character and the personality of a player before you walk down the aisle with him."

The majority of Red Sox fans were against the Drew acquisition from the get go. Credit Theo for revamping the bullpen, for stopping at nothing to make sure the Red Sox got Daisuke Matsuzaka, for signing Beckett to an extension last year for a bargain basement price. But $70 million for Drew? Theo, you got fleeced. Not a single team in the big leagues would take Drew and that contract if you tried giving it away.

What made the Drew signing even more bizarre was that it seemed the Red Sox already had their man. They traded away hometown favorite Bronson Arroyo, for the raw but powerful Wily Mo Peña. Last season the 25-year-old slugger played in 84 games for the Sox. In 276 at bats he hit .301, clubbed 11 homers (a handful of the jaw-dropping variety), and drove in 42 runs. The best part about Wily Mo is he's $70 million cheaper than Drew. The worst part about Wily Mo, he has 428 career strikeouts to only 85 career walks. He also plays an atrocious right field, and center field, and left field. In 139 games in a Red Sox uniform, Wily Mo has put together a blooper real that most players couldn't dream of compiling in a lifetime.



Nonetheless, the Red Sox did invest in him. The gave up a young, solid, middle of the rotation fan favorite for him. After an impressive 2006 performance, it was time to roll the dice with him. He's young, and he can't get any worse in the outfield. Maybe he can learn how to track fly balls. Maybe he can learn a little plate discipline. Worse comes to worse, the Red Sox rent a right fielder at the trading deadline. But by signing Drew, Wily Mo is now the fourth outfielder for the foreseeable future. And the Red Sox are stuck with an overpaid, injury-plagued right fielder for the next five years.

Igawful

By Austin Amoroso

The Yankees keep waiting for Kei Igawa to turn it around. He is going to realize a mechanical flaw and fix it, they pray. Something is going to “click”. Unlikely.

Almost four months into the experience, Igawa has been nothing but a disappointment. He’s made nine starts and has two wins and a 7.14 ERA to show for it. It was so bad that he was demoted to the minors in May to work on his mechanics.

"There's some things he's got to fix, mechanically, we believe," GM Brian Cashman said in May. "He's got major league ability, we have no doubt about that. We've seen it in three games. But we haven't seen it consistently."

Cashman was right that there are some things that he has to fix. But the real question is, can he fix them? And does he really have major league ability?

George Steinbrenner shelled out $26 million to Igawa’s former team, the Hanshin Tigers, for the rights to negotiate. Add the five-year, $20 million contract and he’s costing the Yankees almost $50 million [$10 million per year] for a [keep your fingers crossed, Steinbrenner] major league fifth starter.

But eventually Steinbrenner, Cashman and Joe Torre are going to have to realize that this guy just can’t cut it in the big leagues. He’s not young [today is the big 2-8] and he’s shown no signs that he has the physical or mental makeup to be able to pitch in the major leagues.

The numbers don’t lie: 5.1 innings per start, 4.44 walks per nine innings, 1.44 strikeouts per walk, 2.12 homeruns per nine innings, 1.61 WHIP, .275 BAA, 7.14 ERA.

And that’s just on paper.

Throw out the spot “start” he had against the Red Sox on April 28 when Julio Lugo’s leadoff line drive broke Jeff Karstens’ leg and Igawa has shown nothing in any of his starts that gives you hope.

Japanese pitchers, even 28-year-old ones, are usually given a little leeway when it comes to immediate performance. Sometimes they need a little time to get used to the new league and the new hitters. But none of his predecessors struggled this badly when they first arrived. Not even "that fat f---ing toad", Hideki Irabu.

Irabu certainly wasn’t a success in pinstripes, but he did give the Yankees 24 wins over his first two full seasons. While he’ll be rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery, Carl Pavano is still going to get paid next year, and when it’s all over, that might be the worst contract in the history of baseball: $40 million for five wins.

It’ll be pretty hard absurdity to top the of Pavano as a Yankee, but at this rate, Igawa might give Pavano a run for his money. Igawa isn’t a serviceable major league pitcher, not even a fifth starter. He isn’t a serviceable long reliever. Right now he’s just a big disappointment and a disaster on the mound.

After a whirlwind offseason, the Daisuke Matsuzaka sweepstakes went to the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox paid $51.11 million to the Seibu Lions in the blind lottery for the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. It was reported that the Yankees didn’t come close to $50 million, settling on about $30 million. It’s unclear whether Steinbrenner and Cashman thought $30 million was enough, or that they weren’t going to go any higher for something that wasn’t a guarantee.

Either way, it made sense. A Japanese pitcher switching to the big leagues, even one as hyped as Dice-K, is a gamble. The fact that Matsuzaka is looking like he’s going to be worth the $100 million the Red Sox spent must be making it all that much worse for Steinbrenner when he thinks about the $50 million he spent on a guy that looks like he’s ticketed for a career in the minors.

A-Rod's special treatment

By Austin Amoroso

Brian Cashman, George Steinbrenner and the Tampa contingent have finally come to their senses. They’ve realized Alex Rodriguez is the greatest player in the game today, maybe of all time, and they’re prepared to stray from the norm and offer him some special treatment. Kudos.

A-Rod will deserve the $180 million, six-year extension he will be offered by the Yankees, which, thanks to Tom Hicks, will only cost them $150 million. The Yankees hope beginning negotiations now will stop Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, from doing what he does best, starting a bidding war.

Surely the Yankees could offer Rodriguez the most money, but once he’s out on the market, anything can happen. He’s said he loves New York, but that’s about it. Alex hasn’t talked much this year, about anything, and that might have a lot to do with the 30 home runs and 86 RBIs he has a little more than halfway through the season.

It took Alex three years to figure it out, but he finally has. Derek Jeter figured it out, probably a lot earlier than Alex did. It’s pretty simple. Keep your mouth shut and do your job. Go about your business like nobody is watching. He’s doing it this season and having one of the greatest seasons in Yankee history. That’s no coincidence.

So the Yankees front office has made a very wise decision to try and wrap up A-Rod for the rest of his Hall of Fame career. It won’t be easy, but it can certainly be done. It will take a lot of back-and-forth negotiating, unless of course, Cashman just gives Boras the liberty to set his own price. And that very well may happen.

But while settling on a contract extension likely will be a long and drawn-out process for Rodriguez, it wouldn’t be for two Yankee mainstays, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, two guys with eight more rings than Rodriguez has. That’s not the point though. What is, is that negotiating with Rodriguez would be a slap in the face to two guys that are throwbacks to the days of Yankee winning and who have already assured themselves of a spot in Monument Park.

With the end of his six-year, $59 million deal, including a $12 million option this season, looming, Posada has remained very quiet while having the best season of his career. For a catcher that’s about to turn 36, you can’t quite call it a “walk year”. Posada wants, and deserves, another two or three years, and then he’ll gratefully call it quits on what should be a border-line Hall of Fame career.

It’s clear the Yankees are going to resign him. The only thing that’s left to figure out is if it’s two or three years, $20 million or $30 million. It’s really that simple. So if the front office is opening the door like this for a long, probably grueling, negotiation process for A-Rod, why not leave it open for Posada and Rivera, two contracts that are, basically, already signed.

The difference between Rivera and Posada, and A-Rod, is like night and day. Alex hasn’t said what he wants or what he plans on doing. All there is is speculation. But Rivera said repeatedly in spring training that he wanted an extension, that he wanted to stay a Yankee and retire a Yankee.

The Yankees didn’t budge from their standard, however callous and moronic it might be. Rivera made his stance very clear in spring training when he himself brought up the issue to reporters.

"Definitely, I want to finish my career here," he said. "But if they don't give me the respect that I deserve, [if] I have to move on, I have to move on. The Yankees always give me respect. When it comes to these times, I don't like to talk about it.”

And he emphasized that once he’s a free agent, nothing is guaranteed for the only team he’s played for.

"Everybody has the same shot. The Yankees will not have an advantage. Everyone will have the same shot."

While Rodriguez will undoubtedly (and after the over-the-top free agent spending this past off-season, deservedly) get in the vicinity of $30 million per year, the amount of money the greatest closer in baseball history has saved the Yankees is immeasurable.

Before the 2001 season, Rivera signed a four-year, roughly $40 million contract. Three years later, with one year still left on the deal, he signed a two-year, $21 million extension with a $10.5 million option for 2007.

The most important piece to Yankee success could’ve commanded whatever he wanted from the Yankees, and they would’ve reluctantly, but happily obliged. But Rivera didn’t. While Derek Jeter was signing for 10 years and $189 million, and Jason Giambi was being lured from Oakland for $120 million over seven years, Rivera quietly took the road less traveled.

But it didn’t make all the difference.

The Yankees should be rewarding Rivera’s temperance with a quick, easy and painless three year deal for $30 million that will ensure that Rivera will remain, and retire, a Yankee.

"I don't anticipate Mariano being anything but a Yankee,” Cashman said in spring training. “There's a time and a place, and we'll deal with it in a proper time and place. We love Mo, he knows that, and he knows how we feel."

Now is the time and this is the place. If you really love Mo, and Posada, you will show them the admiration that you’re giving A-Rod, but not just for their numbers, for what they’ve meant to the Yankees for their entire careers.

Second half letdown?

By Austin Amoroso

We reach the midsummer classic with the New York Yankees still looking up at .500, something Yankee vets Joe Torre, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada have never seen. Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera were rookies when it last happened in 1995.

In that strike-shortened year, the Yankees’ record stood at 30-36 at the break, a few games worse than the 42-43 record they’ll take to Tampa Bay when the season resumes for them on Thursday.

Buck Showalter’s team lost the last game of the first half that year and stood eight games back of Boston in the division and 7.5 back in the Wild Card. The Yanks eeked into the playoffs to face the Seattle Mariners and we all know how the season ended... with Ken Griffey Jr. sliding feet-first into home, scoring the series-winning run in game five of the ALDS and jumping up with both arms raised above his head in triumph.

That might be the lasting image of the 1995 season for the Yankees, but what’s forgotten is that they were still 7.5 games out in the Wild Card on Sept. 5. And went 19-4 to end the season, finishing a game ahead of both Seattle and the California Angels, who had to to play a one-game playoff to determine the AL Western division champ.

Nineteen and four isn’t something you can rely on, but right now the Yankees have 77 games to work with, not 23. And the second half schedule is considerably easier than the first half. To this point, 32 of the Yankees’ 85 games have been against teams under .500, and 53 against teams .500 or better. It flips in the second half when 54 of 77 games are versus sub-.500 competition.

If this team has any hope of making the playoffs, let alone winning the division, that’s where it’s going to have to make its mark. No matter the sport, that’s how a team succeeds, by beating up on the bad teams and playing .500 against the good teams.

In the first half the Yankees were 26-27 against the better competition. Adequate. But against sub-.500 teams they were just 16-16. In a normal baseball season, with all things even, a team can win half its games against the good teams and two-thirds of its games against the bad teams to get to 95 wins, and all but assuring itself of a spot in the playoffs.

Recent history shows that 94 wins will get a team into the playoffs. Only once in the Wild Card era has a team with 94 wins not made the playoffs, the 1999 Cincinnatti Reds. That year five NL teams won more than 90 games and only six of 16 finished above .500. There was a considerable gap between the good and the bad teams.

That leaves the Yankees needing to go 52-25 in the second half, or, winning at a cool .675 clip. Can it be done? Sure. Will it be done? Maybe. How is it going to be done? By dominating in the 54 games against bad teams in the second half like Yankees fans are used to seeing from the Bronx Bombers.

Maybe that’s what they need, a few more bombs, a little more oomph out of their lineup. They started on Sunday, slamming three homeruns in a 12-0 rout of the Angels.

They have to continue the trend in the second half when their first eight series consist of Tampa Bay, Toronto, Kansas City, Baltimore and Chicago, all teams with records below .500. The Yankees need to be back in the thick of it after that stretch when they conveniently travel to Cleveland for a three-game set against the Wild Card leader.

After that the schedule gets considerably tougher with games against Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle. That will be about survival. Win one, lose one. Until the bad teams are back.

A 19-4 close to the season is unlikely, but with games against Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Kansas City (oh, and a three-game series in Boston in mid-September) to finish, anything is possible.

After the Bombers’ win on Sunday, Alex Rodriguez said, “We’re playing with a lot of heart right now.”

Yes, they need heart. But they also need to play the way they know they can, and win games they’re supposed to win. Their first test will be in Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Bench coolers

By Austin Amoroso

This was the lineup Joe Torre sent out to face Johan Santana on Wednesday:

1. Melky Cabrera
   
2. Miguel Cairo
3. Derek Jeter
   
4. Alex Rodriguez
   
5. Hideki Matsui
   
6. Andy Phillips
   
7. Robinson Cano
   
8. Kevin Thompson
   
9. Wil Nieves

Conceding the loss to the best pitcher in baseball, Joe?

The Yanks (shockingly) lost that game 6-2, but the loss isn’t what’s troubling. What is is that on a day when Torre was looking to rest his starters, anybody outside of New York would be saying ‘Who?’ when they saw the box score the next day.

When the Yankees optioned utility infielder, and 28-year-old rookie, Chris Basak to AAA on July 1, and brought up reliever Edwar Ramirez, it left the team with just three players on its bench: Nieves, Thompson, Cairo. And Thompson, a career minor-leaguer, as the team’s fourth outfielder.

So the next question is: Where is Bernie Williams?

Cairo has subbed in nicely after the injury to Doug Mientkiewicz and the demotion (did you really not see that coming?) of Josh Phelps. But Cairo is still a guy who has spent his career on the bench, serving as an injury and late-game defensive replacement. So this is the state of the Yankees bench: A fourth outfielder, who at best is a AAAA benchwarmer; a back-up catcher with an on-base percentage of .154 (.154!); and a guy that hasn’t homered in 486 at-bats.

Anybody could recognize that Williams would be a welcomed addition to a bench that is as bad as any in baseball. But Bernie might not even want to come back. He didn’t report to spring training after Torre told him he wouldn’t be guaranteed a spot on the roster, certainly a blow to the pride of the four-time World Series champion outfielder. But the decision was a business one and it’s hard to argue. There was a better, and younger, player that had taken his job as the fourth outfielder. And now, with Johnny Damon looking more like 43 than 33, Cabrera is starting in center.

Williams claims he’s working out and staying in shape, probably at his Armonk home, but he’s certainly not, at 38, baseball-ready. But when is that phone call going to be made? How long do Yankees fans have to watch the 28-year-old Thompson take the field? (It should be noted that the Yankees are 0-3 when Thompson starts and 4-6 when he enters the game.)

The four-time Gold Glove winner Williams isn’t a good outfielder anymore, but then again, none of the Yankee outfielders are. Matsui has the intuition, Cabrera has the speed and Bobby Abreu has the arm. Fuse them together and you get Ichiro. Cabrera is obviously the best outfielder the Yankees have, but how much of a downgrade in the field would Williams be over Thompson? Or even over Matsui and Abreu?

What the .297 career hitter gives you over Thompson at the plate more than makes up for the difference in the outfield. Brian Cashman should have been knocking on Bernie’s door a month ago when the Yankee bullpen was looking like the worst in the Majors and it was clear that Torre would need to keep eight pitchers back there.

Williams obviously needs time to get baseball-ready, and probably time to mend his shattered ego, but the Yankees need him back in The Bronx. Sooner rather than later. If the Yankees have any realistic shot at making a run at the postseason, they are going to need a bench that doesn’t consist of two career minor-leaguers and a career benchwarmer. Bernie has been there before; you know he can handle the pressure.

Pick up the phone, Cashman.

Angels in The City

By Austin Amoroso

It’s July 6 and the Yankees are still looking up at .500. A 1-7 road trip nullified the 11-1 stretch that had Yankees fans preparing for October baseball for the 13th consecutive year. At 40-42 they are 12 games back of Boston in the AL East and 8.5 back of Detroit for the Wild Card. This might be a season to forget for the Bombers, who don’t seem to deserve that nickname anymore. Not this year, anyway.

But if they are going to turn it around, it’s going to have to start now. The best pitcher in baseball [Johan Santana] was the only thing that stood in the way of a Yankee sweep of the Twins, and now that elusive .500 record is within reach once again.

The Angels arrive at The Stadium for a three-game set starting tonight and despite the Angels’ dominance of the Yankees in recent memory, this is one series, with the pitching matchups well in New York’s favor, that the Yanks have to win.

Andy Pettitte, due to bounce back after one of the worst starts of his career, takes the mound against Bartolo Colon, who is 6-4 after starting the season 5-0. He’s won just one of his last seven starts to go along with four losses in that stretch. Colon is a pitcher the Yankees have traditionally battered, highlighted by Alex Rodriguez’s three-home run, 10-RBI game last May. With Pettitte on the hill, that’s a game the Yanks should, and need, to win, at the very least to take the pressure off having to win two in a row.

On Saturday afternoon, Roger Clemens, fresh off his 350th career win, faces the Angels’ best: John Lackey. It’s hard to forecast what you’re going to get from Clemens these days. The Rocket turned back the clock in Tuesday’s 5-1 win over the Twins, shutting down the opposition to the tune of two hits and one run over eight masterful innings. But that’s really not what you expect to see every time the 44-year-old takes the mound. In 46 starts against the Angels, which dates back all the way to when they were the California Angels, Clemens is 29-9 with a 2.53 ERA.

But he hasn’t pitched against them since 2004, when he was a tender 41 with Houston, an interleague game where he was shelled for five runs on nine hits in four and two-thirds innings. With the Angels’ best on the mound, this is one game that Torre could use to give Jorge Posada, Johnny Damon and A-Rod the day off, similar to what he did on Wednesday against Johan Santana.

The finale on Sunday is another W the Yanks need to chalk up with ace Chien-Ming Wang going against Ervin Santana, Los Angeles’ talented, but erratic young righty. Santana has been crisp at home, going 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA, but on the road he is a different pitcher. He has just one win and is sporting a 7.42 ERA. Wang, on the other hand, has won his last five starts and is fresh off seven shutout innings against Minnesota on Tuesday.

The Yankees are just 12-20 against the Angels in the past four years, including a three-game sweep by the Angels in the Bronx in May, and haven’t won a season series against their nemesis since 2003, the year before Vladimir Guerrero showed up in Southern California. But if the Yankees are a good team, like they look to be on paper and claim to be in the media, then they’re going to have to beat good teams.

And they can start tonight at 7:05, against the one team they haven’t been able to figure out.