 Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Signs of Life in Flushing
Forget the win last night over the Nationals. Forget the 14 hits and 6 runs and rock star performances from Ryan Church and John Maine. The signs of life are from the passion displayed. Monday night Nelson Figueroa got rocked by the Nationals. Yea, those thigns happen. But what was bad was the Nationals, led by Lastings Milledge, were in the dugout tormenting Figueroa. He said after the game: ”They were cheerleading in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls. I’m a professional, just like anybody else. I take huge offense to that. If that’s what a last-place team needs to do to fire themselves up, so be it. I think you need to show a little bit more class, a little bit more professionalism. They won tonight, but again, in the long run, they are who they are.” ex-Met Lastings Milledge said: “Well, what were we supposed to do? We’re not supposed to cater to anybody on the opposing team. We’re not going to cater to him or anybody else. We’ve been down the last couple of days and we wanted to get something going. And if he doesn’t like it, then he’s got to deal with it. Anybody don’t like it, they just have to deal with it.” On Tuesday night, John dealt with it. Maine hit Felipe Lopez with the first pitch of the game. Take that Lastings Milledge. The Mets then followed with a victory and Maine had another brilliant performance. This is what you have to do, hit the batter to set the tone, send a message. There are some signs of life in Flushing after all. Posted by Steve in New York
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A-Rod to Miss the Subway Series
A-Rod's right quad is still not 100% and he will not be off the DL before the weekend series at the Stadium vs the Mets. There has been a buzz about the Subway Series this year (well there is always a buzz) since it is the last year at both stadiums. I say, who cares? This is like the Sears and K-Mart merger. Both teams are no fun to watch anymore. they seems to give up, even against bad teams. The Mets can't beat the last place Reds and Nationals and the Yankees can't beat the hapless Rays. The Yankees will limp into the series maybe at .500 and the Mets will be no better. I was watching the game last night and at one point it was 3-3 and then the Nationals took the lead 6-3. Last year (pre-September) and definitely in 2006 I would have said "no problem, we'll get those 3 runs back, epically against a 0-3 pitcher." Not this year. The Mets seem to give up when they fall behind. The Yankees are even worse. I have been saying for weeks now that the Mets and Yanks have to beat up on bad teams. So now they can beat up on each other. Posted by Steve not excited by the Sears Series.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Was Mike D'Antoni the Best Choice for the Knicks New Coach?
The Knicks signed Mike D'Antoni to a four year, $24 million contract over the weekend. I know Steve and many other Knicks fans wanted former Knick and Saint John's star Mark Jackson. I understand that but the Knicks went with an experienced AND successful coach. D'Antoni is good enough to adjust his up-tempo style to the personnel that he has now. Expect a mix of up tempo and half court. This will make the Knicks a more watchable team over the next couple of seasons until Lebron James and/or Dwayne Wade becomes available.
That said, I think D'Antoni should have been given another year in Phoenix as should have Avery Johnson in Dallas. Shaq wasn't 100% fit when he came to the desert in the middle of the season. If D'Antoni didn't succeed after next season, then he should have been reevaluated and replaced if necessary. For that matter, D'Antoni's style would have worked better in Chicago as would Avery Johnson's style in Phoenix. That's water under the bridge and time to move on.
The Knicks will need to be creative in getting out of Salary Cap H*ll. They will then be able to go after Lebron James or Dwayne Wade. Expect the latter as Lebron is close to Jay Z. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lebron in a Brooklyn Nets jersey. Plus, the Nets hold the option in 2010-2011 for Vince Carter so expect his salary to be used to acquire Lebron. Dwayne Wade would be a great consolation prize for the Knicks.
Factors to Watch:
(1) Stephon Marbury is entering his contract year. (Thank God!) Mike D'Antoni has coached him in Phoenix before he got traded for Steve Nash. Stephon knows this is his last chance to stay with Knicks or audition for another team. The Knicks would be smart NOT to re-sign Stephon unless he were to win a championship next season.
(2) Who will the Knicks draft? Let's hope the ping-pong balls (with a possible assist from David Stern) go the Knicks way. Expect D'Antoni to draft and sign top level international players as he had in Phoenix and other stops in his career.
(3) Will D'Antoni have the confidence and support of Walsh and the Dolans? Will they cave into the players at the first sign of trouble? If they do, D'Antoni will hang in the wind and Knicks fans will continue to suffer. Walsh must back D'Antoni and get rid of any players who don't get with the program.
(4) Will the ghost of Isiah (in person or spirit) continue to haunt the Knicks? Will he hold secret meetings with players to plant dissention in their heads? Isiah is devious as a fox so the players must be on guard for this trap as everything Isiah touches turns to junk.
Bottom Line: Anyone is better than Isiah so D'Antoni was a good choice. If you think the Yankees rebuilding process on the fly is painful, the Knicks are going to be a total renovation down to final brick, pun intended per NYC Building Code regulations.
D'Antoni is good enough to get the Knicks from 23 to about 35+ wins in 2008-2009 with the current "talent" and some help from the draft. 35+ wins is enough to contend for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Heck, Steve, myself, and all of our 23 month old to 16 year old nieces, nephews, and Godchildren could contend as Team SteveAndTheTank.com in the Eastern Conference. The challenge in D'Antoni's second through fourth seasons is to get the Knicks to get above .500 and go deep into the playoffs. Contending for a championship is a mathematical possibility but not likely for another four years or more. I have a better chance of winning the Lottery, touch wood. 
Posted by a cautiously optimistic Tank in NY.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Double Header Sums up the Mets Season
The Mets yesterday split a double header with the last place Reds that they should have won. In 1986 they would have won and in 2006 they would have won. After winning their last game on the road to salvage a .500 road trip and scoring 12 runs, the Mets looked like they came alive and showed some passion in the first game, giving Santana 12 runs to work with. That was all the Ace needed to get his first win at Shea. In the nightcap, the Mets stalled, getting only 4 hits off a struggling 8.00 ERA Bronson Arroyo. He embarrassed them and the Mets also made two sloppy errors as well in the field. Jeff Keppinger has more hits then the whole Mets team. This is the problem. Good teams grind out those nightcaps, don't go to asleep and give games away to last place teams and .800 ERA pitchers. Good teams knock out the .800 pitcher in the 5th inning with a few runs and attack the bullpen. If the team is struggling offensively (how can you say that when the Mets scored 24 runs in the previous two games?) then you foul off a ton of pitches, earn some walks, try to steal and force the pitchers to make mistakes and raise the pitch count. If the Mets can't win these kind of games, what makes you think they can win a critical Game 7 in October? (Or a critical game in September to clinch a spot in the playoffs.) This team is good, there is no doubt about, but it lacks the passion. When it finds that drive, that will to win, they will easily overtake their division and possibility go to the World Series. But they won't make the playoffs if they don't find it. Posted by Steve in New York (Still needing time to digest the Knicks move...)
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Bring Boomer Back to The Bronx?
Former Yankees pitcher David Wells is trying to return to the Yankees according to yesterday's New York Post. I liked Boomer when I met Boomer in September 2002 in Toronto. However, I was initially against his return to the Yankees after the way he left the Yankees in 2003. (I didn't have a digital camera back then so I don't have our photo.)
However, given Kei Igawa's dismal performance last night, it maybe time to reconsider Boomer. Boomer has a rubber arm and a valuable left hander. He's never been in the best shape in the world but maybe a short term answer until Hughes gets healthy and Kennedy fixes his issues. If the Yankees decide to start Joba later this season, he won't be ready until July or August at the earliest.
If I was Brian Cashman, I would do the following:
(1) Sign Boomer to the minimum contract with performance incentives for starts, innings pitched, ERA, etc.
(2) Let Igawa start one more game to give him another chance while Boomer gets a minor league start to knock off the rust.
I know this may seem like panic move but I don't think Igawa will work out. The Yankees invested lots of money in him but it maybe time to let him go back home. If I am Brian Cashman, I am listening to any offers to bring him back home to Japan which include eating the contract.
Posted by an anxious Tank in NY.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Can Wang be Wonderful for the Seventh Straight Time?
Chien Ming Wang was 6-0 in his first seven starts. The Indians Cliff Lee is 5-0 going into the game. Two aces on a beautiful early May evening at the Stadium. It promises to be a classic.
Wang gave up an early run even before I got to the Stadium. Indians 1 - Yankees 0.
Lee was brilliant throwing a one hitter through three innings. Matsui hit an early pop fly single to extend his hitting streak to 17 games.
Peralta scored on Blake single to center to make it 2-0 with two outs in the fourth. Darn it!
Jeter leads off in the fourth. The Yankees go down in order.
The Indians get two on in the fifth. When Francisco tried to bunt on 1-1, Shelley Duncan sprinted down to home plate and almost got the ball as Francisco bunted to foul territory on the third base side. Wow!
Dellucci singles to center. Indians 3 - Yankees 0.
Martinez swung and missed. Sizemore caught stealing at third. You gotta love Molina's arm and Jane's Addiction "Caught Stealing" playing over the speakers. Indians lead 3-0 after the top of the fifth.
The Melk Man singled to right with one out in the fifth. Cano fouls a couple of pitches and then hits a single to shallow right. Ensberg strikes out. Better than a double play. Oh no, Molina is hitting .226. He hit a ball to the warning track in right field. Ouch! At the end of five innings, Indians 3 - Yankees 0.
Since it is now an official game, the Yankees invite former manager Buck Showalter to turn the Met Life sign from 65 to 64 games remaining at Yankee Stadium. Good job Buck! Buck is in town for the ESPN Wednesday night game. I became a big fan of Buck when he managed the Oneonta Yankees to NY-Penn League titles in the 1980s.
My fellow Bleacher Creatures yell "Take the Wave to Shea" as the Wave dies at the Bleachers. Speaking of Shea, it will be my next game on Friday. Steve will be joining me for the first time in over a season as he is finishing up his MBA. Congratulations Steve!
Damon grounds out to second. Jeter flies out to right. Abreu beats the pitcher to first. Good hustle "El Come Dulce" - translation "Just Like Sugar". Duncan doubles down the left line. Abreu advances to third. The crowd rises to its feet in the Right Field Bleachers as Matsui comes to the plate but strikes out. Darn it!
It was good visiting JR in between innings. It's great to be back home in the Right Field Bleachers. Since I am a 20 game Flex Plan holder, most of my tickets are in Left Field Bleachers or Tier. Darn it!
Cabrera flies out deep in Death Valley. Cano grounds out to second. Ensberg hits a nubber down the third baseline. The Indians bullpen starts to warm up. Molina strikes out swinging. After seven, Indians 3 - Yankees 0.
Kyle Farnsworth starts the eighth. He hasn't been bad this year, touch wood. Francisco grounds past Ensberg. Dellucci flies out to Damon. Farnsworth's throws back to first don't work. Farnsworth has to keep focused on batter. Martinez flew out in front of me to Melky. Peralta swings and Molina guns out Martinez. Nice!
Perez replaces Lee. Damon promptly grounds out to short. Jeter comes up to the "Humpty Dance", one of my favorite songs. Jeter held his swing but called out swinging. The crowd rightly boos the blind ump. Abreu doubles down the left field line. Duncan flies out to right.
People start to leave the Stadium. Not The Tank but this is a disturbing trend. Only the most die-hard fans give the Yankees a chance. Part of me can't blame them as the Yankees are without Posada and A-Rod, or Ego-Rod as Steve wrote yesterday. I don't have any children of my own but I'll give him a pass on fainting in the delivery room. His wife should have kept the story private. As for giving his daughters the middle name of "Alexander", I don't know what was thinking but he's still my buddy.
Albaladejo starts the ninth. Peralta singles to left. Cabrera walks. Blake bunts to third and is out at first. Shoppach walks. Hafner comes in for Marte. Hafner's slump continues as he grounds out in front of home to Molina who throws to first to complete the double play and keep the game at 3-0.
Betancourt tries to close it out. Time for the Rally Cap. Matsui fouls off to stay alive. Betancourt is lulling me to sleep because he is almost as slow as Aaron "The Human Raindelay" Heilman. Matsui grounds out to third. Melky comes up as the Red Sox unfortunately tie the Tigers 8-8 in the 7th according to the left field scoreboard. This is not good for us as the Tigers will probably catch fire again when we visit them this weekend, counter tooch wood. Melky pops up to the third baseman. Cano is out to end the game. The Indians win 3-0.
Bottom Line: The Yankees are under .500 again at 17-18. Ugh! Tuesday night's loss was a heart breaker as it exposed Joba and cost a chance to go two games above .500 and keep the Mariners' sweep momentum going.
Posted by a depressed Tank reporting live from Yankee Stadium in the Boogie Down Bronx.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Ego-Rod
Tonight A-Rod's wife goes on TV and says how it took A-Rod 3.5 weeks to build up the courage to ask her out and how he passed out in the delivery room when his first daughter was born. More importantly, avid reader Jack figured out that both of A-Rod's daughters have "Alexander" as their middle name. To quote Jack: "Are you freakin kidding me? The middle name of BOTH of his daughters is Alexander? Not even Alexandra, but his name. Man talk about ego." Well Said Jack-o. Posted by Steve in New York
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