 Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Mets to Raise Ticket Prices 20%
Mets management has severely underestimated the market situation. The Mets, a team built on top of disappointment, had one of the most disappointing collapses last season. Then the steroids report. Two big reasons for fans to stay away from Shea next year. The typical response would be to lower prices to attract the fans. Then go get a big name front line starter. The Mets management has done neither. Fans should boycott the games unless management lowers the prices and brings in a pitcher. Posted by Steve in New York
Monday, December 17, 2007
NY Pitching Moves this Offseason
The Mets and Yankees world's may have been shocked on Thursday with the Mitchell report (and the Tank is still in denial), however, the respected GMs need to get back to business, the business of finding starting pitching. Even with Andy Pettette confessing, the Yankees have less pitching issues than the Mets since they have three young prosopects that can be brought up nicely this year and next anchored by a mix of veterans. In reality the Yankees should have went after Dan Haren, he would have been less costly and would have been a great addition to their staff. The Yankees could have given up much less for Haren and have him signed now and also cost them less money and effort. Unfortunately for baseball, the Yankees decided to well, be the Yankees and chase the best on the market Johan Santana, thus complicating it for everyone else. The Yankees instead have lost out on Haren and claim that they are no longer working on Santana, leaving the Red Sox and the Mets pondering their next moves. Haren would have been good for the Mets too. Instead he went to a team with a Cy Young candidate on it already. The Mets need to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Baltimore for Bedard and the Yankees need to talk to Billy Bean about Joe Blanton, he is going to be cheap now, and way cheaper than Santana. Let the Red Sox overpay for Santana or let the fun start up again on Santana in July, when the Twins HAVE to move him. Posted by Steve, still waiting to hear from Roger Clemens, in New York
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Does Andy Pettitte deserve the Steroid Scarlet Letter for taking HGH twice? Justice was Not Served Literally
The fallout from the Mitchell Report continues to envelope the baseball world, especially NY baseball players. According to AM New York, 15 players who played for the Yankees and 12 players who played for the Mets at one time or another.
Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, David Justice, and others have been named. Andy admitted yesterday to using HGH twice for an elbow injury according to Bloomberg Radio. Roger denies using performance enhancment drugs.
Another of the 85 players named was David Justice who was on Michael Kay's radio show on 1050 AM Radio Friday. Justice said Senator Mitchell nor his team did not contacted the YES Network nor his business manager. Justice's phone number has changed twice in the past year as his home burned down and for other reasons. Justice was said that former Yankee trainer Brian MacNamee did offer him HGH. He said it is not a steroid. Justice turned down MacNamee's "siren song" offer.
There are fundamental flaws with this investigation. Can the "evidence" hold up in a court of law? Maybe. People are named but are they tested? No. They are guilty until proven innocent. They have to wage their battle in the court of public opinion. Senator Mitchell is judge, jury, and prosecutor.
Is this his report an exercise in nothing? (1) No, it was an effort to shine the light of day on the past to improve the future. The only good thing that will come out of this is that kids will hopefully be discouraged from using performance enhancing drugs. (2) It is also an attempt to salvage what little is left of Bud Selig's legacy. This report is really indicative of what is wrong of his Commissionership. For instance, when the All Star Game was still tied in extra innings a few years ago, he declared a tie and didn't have a home run contest or some other way to end it. No one went home happy and the same is true with the Mitchell Report. People were thrown under the bus and their reputations were sullied forever. They have little chance to defend themselves -- guilty until proven innocent.
Given Senator Mitchell's record, it's hard to question his integrity but we all have biases. As I have written in the past, Senator Mitchell also happens to be a Red Sox director which he stepped down during the investigation but was seen on the field at Fenway Park earlier this season wearing a Red Sox sweater. He should have recused himself from any ballpark. The bias is true for Commissioner Selig himself. Only under intense pressure, he transferred ownership of the Milwaukee Brewers to his daughter Wendy a few years ago. But seriously, do you think she isn't going to listen to her dad? Exactly. Baseball isn't going to be truly fixed until there is an truly independent commissioner and not with ownership ties. Where have you gone Peter Ueberroth?
Yes, players from all 30 teams were named but only a non-star from the Red Sox was named. Were Red Sox sources similar to Radomski on the Mets and MacNamee on the Yankee discouraged, covered up, and/or overlooked? I don't think Senator Mitchell himself but perhaps someone on his staff did. As many questions that the Mitchell Report answered, the more questions need to be asked.
The IOC stripped Marion Jones of her medals earlier this week. MLB won't strip Clemens and others of Cy Young awards and World Series rings for allegedly used performance enhancement drugs. However, will he still go to the Hall of Fame?
As I predicted months ago, don't be surprised if politicians jumped into the fray, especially Republican President candidate Senator John McCain who has been on the forefront of this issue. Senator McCain was on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning on Friday morning. This is not an endorsement of Senator McCain but an observation of this continuing story.
Posted by a saddened and skeptical Tank in NY.
Time to Come Clean Roger
Yesterday Andy Pettette came clean and admitted that what was reported in the Mitchell report was true and he took HGH twice when he was on the DL. While not excusable, at least he came clean and told the truth and is willing to face the music. The Rocket has hid behind his lawyer and tried to discredit his accusers. Posted by Steve in New York
Saturday, December 15, 2007
NFL Week #15 Predictions
Last Week: I was 3-0 last week and 20-10 for the season.
This Week's Fearless Picks:
The Bills lose at the Browns in a hard fought Rustbelt special.
The Jets lose badly at New England in Spy Bowl. The Jets best hope is a blizzard followed by monsoon followed by heat wave... Expect Patriots Coach Bill Belichick to run up the score on his former protege Eric Mangini. If Belichick beat friends like Bills Coach Dick Jauron 56-10 earlier in the season, he will try to score 100 points against new enemy Mangini.
The Giants beat the Redskins.
Posted by the Tank in NY.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Should They Erase the Records?
Should Barry Bonds' home run record be erased? Roger Clemens records? Should the Yankees give the Mets their 2000 World Series rings since Pettette and Clemens were cheating at that time? No. Just about everyone was cheating. I think all the records should be kept on the books and history can evaluate everyone. Once you start taking one record off and not another then it gets crazy. The past was the past and it is time to move on to the post-steroids era. New rules. Strict no tolerance. Mandatory testing all the time. Moving forward anyone caught is banned for life. Posted by Steve in New York
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Is Omar Crazy or Just Bluffing?
Yesterday was the Christmas party at Shea Stadium and John Maine was Santa. Omar insisted that even with Tom Glavine's 200.3 innings going back to Atlanta, he has enough pitchers to start the season. I understand the art of bluffing, but Omar also failed to sign a big name pitcher every winter since 2004. That means he did get the memo from Mets fans or forgot the 2006 NLCS where we had a 3-13 pitcher pitch games 5 and 7 due to lack of anyone else or the bullpen collapse that lead to the team collapse last year due the bullpen being over worked. Bullpens are usually overworked when the starters do not perform. Memo to Omar-your job is on the line here. If you are bluffing you are starting to do a good job at it since the natives are getting restless. All I want for Christmas is a 200 inning, 28 year old, front line pitcher. Posted by Steve in New York
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Bobby "Woo, Pig Swooey" Petrino's 24 Hour Party People
Bobby Petrino coached the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. On Tuesday, he accepted the new head coaching job of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Petrino is the latest NFL coach to return back to the college ranks. At this time last year, he was the coach of the University of Louisville.
In a conference already blessed with the best coaching and playing talent in the country, the SEC just got another great coach, Bobby Petrino. He joins Nick Saban who left the Dolphins in January and took the Alabama job. Roll Tide!
Why did Petrino leave the NFL? Well, he was the head coach during the Michael Vick saga. That is about as an extreme of a bad situation as one can get going from the fun of college to the grind of the pros. The funniest part of the press conference was watching Coach Petrino and his family do the Arkansas Razorback "Woo, Pig Swooey" cheer lead by the cheerleaders. It was like a religious revival where everyone raised their hands and cheered. I guees it's more fun than hearing the anti-Michael Vick jeers from animal rights demonstrators at home and on the road.
Posted by the Traveling Tank in NY.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Johan Santana Saga Drags On
A week has passed since Hank Steinbrenner's deadline to the Minnesota Twins to trade Johan Santana to the Yankees.
Hank Steinbrenner's credibility is diminishing by the moment. He can't impose deadlines as the Twins hold the cards. This isn't A-Rod as no one else could or would pay him mega money.
However, Hank is carrying on the Steinbrenner tradition of bombastic statements and demands which is plenty of fodder for bloggers like Steve and The Tank to continue writing about. Furthermore, the deadline did make the Twins, Red Sox, and other teams show their cards. The Angels folded, the Red Sox tried to bet twice with two separate deals, and the Twins held. Why did the Twins hold? I don't blame them for balking on Lester and I really would hold out for Buchholz who already pitched a no-hitter for the Red Sox in his rookie season.
What should teams do?
Yankees: Send Hank Steinbrenner on a vacation to Antarctica where is only reachable by satellite phone and then jam the phone. Let Brian Cashman do the deal. Don't let go of both Kennedy (preferred to let go of the two) and Hughes.
In the meantime, try to get Haren who slightly younger and much cheaper than Santana.
Red Sox: Continue to drive the price up for the Yankees. Hope to get lucky and land Santana without giving up Buchholz.
Twins: Get something done by the end of the year. It will only be six weeks after that until pitchers and catchers in mid February. Yes, Santana will have value if he isn't traded by then but it will diminish to zero by the end of July trading deadline because he's going to take the big money in free agency like Torii Hunter did this year with the Angels.
Mets: Our buddy Omar Minaya needs to get either Santana and/or Haren. Trading the best player he had, Lastings Milledge, could prove to be costly. If Omar doesn't get a deal done, I am going to give Steve the highest recommendation to become the Mets next GM. Steve always wanted to overthrow former GM Steve Phillips. I may have to go to the Wilpons that Steve is the man for the job. Youth will be served.
Bottom Line: Oh well, sometimes the hot stove season is better than the real season. Keep check Steve and The Tank for more updates and perspective.
Posted by a philosophical and traveling Tank in Austin, Texas.
Monday, December 10, 2007
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