That is what it feels like for a lot of baseball fans. Tomorrow we find out the details of the long anticipated Mitchell Report. Why is this such a big deal? Well, this is a report that actually has some teeth. Mitchell is former US Senator and former US Prosecutor. He is a very respected and smart man. He will have done a ton of research and anything he puts in there will be supported by factual evidence. In addition he is impartial and has no agenda except to get the most truth out of everything that he researched. Now to what I do and don't want to see in it...
Curt Schilling: I think that the guy is a prick, runs his mouth and sticks his nose in other peoples business. It would be nice to see him with cake on his face.
David Ortiz: To be honest, I like the guy. In the same breath though, this would probably the biggest blow to Red Sox Nation. It would be very sweet to see all of New England hide there heads in the sand on this guy.
Alex Rodriguez: Add another embarrassment to the list with this guy. This one though would for once be a negative reflection of something ON the field.
Roger Clemens: Selfish, greedy, etc etc. Please let there be some affirmation of this clowns steroid abuse.
Mike Piazza: Please please please do not let this guy be on the list. As a Met fan this would be something I might not be able to get over.
Knicks Game:
Knicks just lost to the Sonics at home. Pathetic. Can the fans change it up a bit on the "Fire Isiah" chants?? How about a FIRE DOLAN?????
As for the Sonics, I like their group. They will lose a lot in that division and conference, but PJ is a very good coach. In addition they got a couple nice vet ins Kurt Thomas and Wally. Kurt has always been a great leader and locker room presence, while Wally provides the ability to light it up on any given night. For a young team a guy like Wally can be very helpful for the confidence of the offense. As for Durant...hes awesome. With him and Green at the forward spots the Sonics could have the most dynamic forward combo in the league over the next 10 years. Too bad the city of Seattle won't be able to see it.
STKAFI
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Blockbusta
I have got to say that the Cabrera-Willis trade seemed straight out of talk radio when I first heard it. So many players and too many big names for it to ever work. The two most popular players from the Marlins going Detroit and a slew of prospects going to Florida, including their two big name top prospects in Maybin and Andrew Miller. I think it is a great trade for both sides because it fits exactly what both teams are trying to do.
When you look at the Tigers, it is now clear beyond any doubt that they will go blow for blow with the Yankees and Red Sox. They have the deepest line-up in baseball, alongside a very solid starting rotation. The best part of their team is that their line-up is not made up of just power guys like the trap the Yankees had fallen into in recent years. Guys like Polanco. Renteria and Granderson supply a nice complement to the power of Cabrera, Ordonez and Sheff. I still think the Red Sox have to be the team to beat, but Detroit has shown the commitment needed to fight the superpowers of baseball.
At the end of the year it is going to come down pitching as always. The Detroit line-up is great, but the most important guys on this roster will be Verlander, Bonderman, Willis and Rogers. The Red Sox proved that this October, as the Cardinals proved the year before, and the White Sox the year before that.
METS
I would just like to address the Mets offseason really quick. The Mets were possibly the toughest team to figure out at the end of the year. Everyone felt they were the best team in the NL and that they should have been in the playoffs. The bottom line though was that they collapsed. How do you address an 88 win team, but also a team that a historic meltdown in September?
Well in a strict baseball sense it was very clear that the Mets needed help at the top of the rotation. The other aspect though that I felt needed to be addressed was the culture of the clubhouse. You can not go through such a long and drawn out collapse and then come back the next year with the same guys. There is too much bad history and karma for that. So lets take a look at who is gone as of now. Tom Glavine, Paul Loduca and Lastings Milledge are the biggest names that are already gone. Those are three pretty big personalities in that clubhouse. There will be different voiices speaking up to the media and different guys being vocal leaders behind closed doors. To me that was a big key in this offseason.
Speaking of Milledge, his trade was very controversial. So many Met fans were bothered not only by giving up on Milledge, but by getting so little for him. Well, I will say that Schneider and Church are not that bad. I am fine with a platoon of Schneider and Castro behind the plate. Combined I expect about .260-.270 AVG with 15-20 homers, and very good defense. As far as Church goes, I will mention a name that will make many people roll their eyes....Paul O'Neill. Look at O'Neill's numbers before coming to the Yankees at age 30 in 1993. While O'Neill had been established for about five years and Church has only been around for the past two, their numbers look pretty similar. Before coming to the Yanks O'Neill never hit over .276. They are both lefty, line-drive hitting right fielders who play very solid defense and are very hard nosed. Chruch may not have the intensity of O'Neill (not many do), but I can easily see him hitting .280-.290 with 20 homers and 50 doubles, while playing a strong right field. Not the front line pitcher Mets fans expected (unrealistically) for Milledge, but possibly a guy who can provide further balance and depth to this Mets line-up.
KNICKS
I am not trying to be insensitive, but there have been some off the court issues that have been out of the Knicks control that will be used as excuses in the future by Dolan and Isiah. When this season is analyzed by the Knick powers that be, I promise you that within their prognosis will be the fact that Randolph missed multiple games due to his Grandmother's passing and that Marbury had to go through the extremely difficult passing of his Father. I am not trying to disparage either one of these players or minimize wheat they must have gone through and continue to go through. I have lost loved ones and it is extremely hard. All I am saying is that no matter how you look at this Knicks team, it is a disaster. The Knicks management will bring these losses up as reasons for the teams troubles and that will be something that no one will be able to question. How can you without sounding like an insensitive asshole? Well, I will not question that. I will just say that I hope that the owner finally sees this team for what it is and cleans house, and not continue to give Isiah a way to stick around. Some day......
STKAFI
When you look at the Tigers, it is now clear beyond any doubt that they will go blow for blow with the Yankees and Red Sox. They have the deepest line-up in baseball, alongside a very solid starting rotation. The best part of their team is that their line-up is not made up of just power guys like the trap the Yankees had fallen into in recent years. Guys like Polanco. Renteria and Granderson supply a nice complement to the power of Cabrera, Ordonez and Sheff. I still think the Red Sox have to be the team to beat, but Detroit has shown the commitment needed to fight the superpowers of baseball.
At the end of the year it is going to come down pitching as always. The Detroit line-up is great, but the most important guys on this roster will be Verlander, Bonderman, Willis and Rogers. The Red Sox proved that this October, as the Cardinals proved the year before, and the White Sox the year before that.
METS
I would just like to address the Mets offseason really quick. The Mets were possibly the toughest team to figure out at the end of the year. Everyone felt they were the best team in the NL and that they should have been in the playoffs. The bottom line though was that they collapsed. How do you address an 88 win team, but also a team that a historic meltdown in September?
Well in a strict baseball sense it was very clear that the Mets needed help at the top of the rotation. The other aspect though that I felt needed to be addressed was the culture of the clubhouse. You can not go through such a long and drawn out collapse and then come back the next year with the same guys. There is too much bad history and karma for that. So lets take a look at who is gone as of now. Tom Glavine, Paul Loduca and Lastings Milledge are the biggest names that are already gone. Those are three pretty big personalities in that clubhouse. There will be different voiices speaking up to the media and different guys being vocal leaders behind closed doors. To me that was a big key in this offseason.
Speaking of Milledge, his trade was very controversial. So many Met fans were bothered not only by giving up on Milledge, but by getting so little for him. Well, I will say that Schneider and Church are not that bad. I am fine with a platoon of Schneider and Castro behind the plate. Combined I expect about .260-.270 AVG with 15-20 homers, and very good defense. As far as Church goes, I will mention a name that will make many people roll their eyes....Paul O'Neill. Look at O'Neill's numbers before coming to the Yankees at age 30 in 1993. While O'Neill had been established for about five years and Church has only been around for the past two, their numbers look pretty similar. Before coming to the Yanks O'Neill never hit over .276. They are both lefty, line-drive hitting right fielders who play very solid defense and are very hard nosed. Chruch may not have the intensity of O'Neill (not many do), but I can easily see him hitting .280-.290 with 20 homers and 50 doubles, while playing a strong right field. Not the front line pitcher Mets fans expected (unrealistically) for Milledge, but possibly a guy who can provide further balance and depth to this Mets line-up.
KNICKS
I am not trying to be insensitive, but there have been some off the court issues that have been out of the Knicks control that will be used as excuses in the future by Dolan and Isiah. When this season is analyzed by the Knick powers that be, I promise you that within their prognosis will be the fact that Randolph missed multiple games due to his Grandmother's passing and that Marbury had to go through the extremely difficult passing of his Father. I am not trying to disparage either one of these players or minimize wheat they must have gone through and continue to go through. I have lost loved ones and it is extremely hard. All I am saying is that no matter how you look at this Knicks team, it is a disaster. The Knicks management will bring these losses up as reasons for the teams troubles and that will be something that no one will be able to question. How can you without sounding like an insensitive asshole? Well, I will not question that. I will just say that I hope that the owner finally sees this team for what it is and cleans house, and not continue to give Isiah a way to stick around. Some day......
STKAFI
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
MNF
That was some game. Probably one of the most intense, back and forth, and frustrating games I have ever watched.
However, the entire time, I know everyone who follows sports closely and was watching, knew, no matter how well the Ravens played for 59 minutes, they would not pull it out. They are easily destinied to go undefeated this year and most likely win the Superbowl. Their weakness is easy to identify but not easy to probe. You must attack, attack, and attack their defense all game. Do not let up and do not shy away from your game plan. Their defense is good, but it is not great (as seen by letting Baltimore score 24 points). They are also on the older side and you must keep them on the field for as long as you can all the way through the fourth quarter. The second, and more important of the two is getting pressure on Brady. Everyone knows the most important position on a football team is offensive line. The Patriots have the best offensive line in the leauge, by far. You must have a defensive coordinator with balls, and blitz from every possible angle, but not only that, you must also have very good pass covering linebackers and corners (to allow the pressure to get there), and viscious hitting saftey's. See: Eagles, Ravens. There are very few teams in the league that can say they have a chance against the Pats (Steelers, Colts, maybe the Jags. No one really in the NFC, except possibly, and this may come as a shock to you, the Vikings, and to a lesser extent, the Packers). The Patriots are definitely vulnerable, but not much, and I don't see them losing any time soon.
I actually feel very, very bad for the Ravens defense. For years now they have carried their team, and even won them a Superbowl. They played with more intesity than any other defense I have seen while watching the game. They knew they were going to win, they could feel it. Up until the last 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the game, that's where it all started falling apart.
I have never seen so many unlucky bad breaks for a team in a row, and although the pentalties might have cost Baltimore a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation, I have no problem with what Bart Scott did. I was exhausted and frustrated just watching the game, I can only imagine how the players on that defense felt. After two 4th and 1 stops, one called back for a timeout (which was legit) and the other for a false start (also, legit) you can't actually expect the defense who had played so hard for so long in the freezing cold continue to stop the most potent, explosive offense ever to play in the NFL that many times in a row.
Oh, and the Dolphins will be the first team in history to go 0-16. Which is nice.
However, the entire time, I know everyone who follows sports closely and was watching, knew, no matter how well the Ravens played for 59 minutes, they would not pull it out. They are easily destinied to go undefeated this year and most likely win the Superbowl. Their weakness is easy to identify but not easy to probe. You must attack, attack, and attack their defense all game. Do not let up and do not shy away from your game plan. Their defense is good, but it is not great (as seen by letting Baltimore score 24 points). They are also on the older side and you must keep them on the field for as long as you can all the way through the fourth quarter. The second, and more important of the two is getting pressure on Brady. Everyone knows the most important position on a football team is offensive line. The Patriots have the best offensive line in the leauge, by far. You must have a defensive coordinator with balls, and blitz from every possible angle, but not only that, you must also have very good pass covering linebackers and corners (to allow the pressure to get there), and viscious hitting saftey's. See: Eagles, Ravens. There are very few teams in the league that can say they have a chance against the Pats (Steelers, Colts, maybe the Jags. No one really in the NFC, except possibly, and this may come as a shock to you, the Vikings, and to a lesser extent, the Packers). The Patriots are definitely vulnerable, but not much, and I don't see them losing any time soon.
I actually feel very, very bad for the Ravens defense. For years now they have carried their team, and even won them a Superbowl. They played with more intesity than any other defense I have seen while watching the game. They knew they were going to win, they could feel it. Up until the last 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the game, that's where it all started falling apart.
I have never seen so many unlucky bad breaks for a team in a row, and although the pentalties might have cost Baltimore a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation, I have no problem with what Bart Scott did. I was exhausted and frustrated just watching the game, I can only imagine how the players on that defense felt. After two 4th and 1 stops, one called back for a timeout (which was legit) and the other for a false start (also, legit) you can't actually expect the defense who had played so hard for so long in the freezing cold continue to stop the most potent, explosive offense ever to play in the NFL that many times in a row.
Oh, and the Dolphins will be the first team in history to go 0-16. Which is nice.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Woah
Huge win for the Gmen today. On the road, in the cold weather, coming from nine points down in the 4th quarter....like I said, woah that is good. A couple thoughts..
- This is the second truly gutsy road win that the Giants have had this season (Redskins week 3). Overall the Giants are 5-1 on the road this season. Very impressive.
- I am not here to defend Eli. I am done doing that. I will point out the same thing I have pointed out on numerous occasions in the past though. This guy has a knack for playing poorly early in ballgames and finding a flow late in 4th quarters. He did it against the Broncos and Cowboys a couple years back, against the Eagles twice last season (once in the playoffs where he tied the game with a flawless drive with less than two minutes to go), and today with two fantastic 4th quarter drives. As fans we are still maddened by the progress (of lack) of Eli, but today was a tough encouraging effort. He stood tall in the pocket all day and took his hits. He also showed a short memory. He had three turnovers but was able to put that all behind him to drive the Giants down the field twice in the 4th quarter throwing some bullets all over the field.
- The Giants are in the drivers seat for the 5 seed in the playoffs. Would they rather go into Seattle or Tampa for a Divisional Playoff? I know I want no part of going into Seattle. At this point though it seems that the Giants chances are much better playing anywhere but Giants Stadium.
- I could make the case that this was the biggest win of the Coughlin/Eli era. Midway thru the 4th quarter they were facing 7-5 and being losers of three of there past four. Oh, and going in Philly next week which has not been the easiest place to play over the past few years. Now they are two games ahead of the rest of the NFC with tiebreakers over Detroit and Arizona.
STKAFI
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