One Fell Swoop

John Lackey joins the Red Sox rotation.
Roy Halladay joins the Phillies' rotation.
Cliff Lee joins the Mariners' rotation.

Joel Piniero and/or Jason Marquis will join the Mets' rotation.

BOHICA, BOHICA, BOHICA!!!

What if?

Remember when the arms race was between the Orioles and Yanks in the mid-90s? What if this deal happened? I guess you Yankee haters now know who to blame.

1995 recap of David Wells deal to Orioles

"Jim Bowden, the Reds' general manager, declined to discuss the Yankees' involvement, but an official familiar with the Wells talks said Steinbrenner called Bowden Saturday night and offered pitcher Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada."

Bonds Market Closed

Even Barry Bonds's agent is conceding that his career is over. As his #1 fan (at least outside of San Fran), it's my duty to point out a ridiculous Bonds stat to mark the occasion. Despite missing nearly all of 2005 with an injury, and being pseudo-blackballed for the last two seasons, Bonds was still arguably the best offensive player of the decade.

Adjusted Batting Runs is a stat that estimates how many more/less runs a player produced compared to an average batter. According BattingRuns, Bonds has the best three offensive seasons of all time. He also managed to lead all of baseball in BattingRuns for the decade with 623, compared to Pujols's 580 and A-Rod's 476. Player of the decade? Maybe not. Hitter of the decade? Probably.

(I'll also note that Bonds led baseball in BattingRuns during the 90s with 610.)

Adidas adiNOVA TRX FG Soccer Cleat Review

Got a review up of a pair of Adidas soccer cleats over at EPL Talk. The cleats work for playing touch football as well, and I know so many of you enjoy playing that on weekends.

BOHICA

Have to give the Mets brass' some credit: to dissipate the negative reaction they'd receive for signing their third catcher of the offseason, they used Mike Francesa as a vehicle -remember the Chevrolet Suburban or Ford Excursion?- to spread word that they are making an offer to outfielder Jason Bay. Of course, the Mets will bat .500 here, signing Bengie Molina and whiffing on Bay, and BOHICA.

New York Times Magazine Paper Stock

waaaaah.

Just as a follow-up to my post yesterday about the future of journalism, does anyone else absolutely despise the paper stock used in the New York Times Magazine? Makes the content inside more unreadable than it already is, such as the ethics advice column featuring a tortured, tortured, hiring partner at a law firm torn over whether to hire politically conservative applicants. Don't forget, the NY Times is above printing such syndicated fare as Dear Abby. The Sunday paper itself featured an op-ed from a college-bound senior describing how many of her college tour guides glowingly described the many Harry Potter-themed activities available on campus. Her visits included Middlebury and Harvard. Elite northeastern liberal arts colleges are full of awkward nerds who recreate scenes from a children's book about magic? That shit aint fit to print.
I'm also confused about a sports section front page piece (at least in the national edition) about how the Bloomberg company will begin selling baseball statistical software to major league franchises. Why was it front-page worthy? Why did it read like a press release for their services? Were similar product launches by other companies front-page worthy or newsworthy at all? More importantly, how could this front-page piece neglect to mention that Dan Doctoroff, the head of the Bloomberg's company foray into baseball stats, was Mayor Mike Bloomberg's Deputy Mayor for six years, and during that time was instrumental in the deals for the new Yankee and Met stadiums?

Isn't it Grand(erson)

From our corner of New York, it often seems like teams are all to willing to hand their star players over to the Yankees for practically nothing. And from that perspective, the initial reaction today was that the Yankees acquired one of the best center fielders in baseball for a package led by a prospect who had 4 homers and 123 strikeouts in AAA.

Once we calm down, we'll probably come to the conclusion that this is in fact a very good deal for the Yankees, but totally understandable from the Tigers perspective because of the different economic positions of the teams. Granderson is a very good player, but probably not nearly as good as we thought he was a year ago. He's probably a 3.5-4 win above replacement player, worth about $15 million on the open market. He's due about $24 million over the next 3 years (with a $13mm team option in 2013), so the Yanks are getting about $20 million of excess value over what they'll have to pay Granderson. Are they giving up $20 million worth of talent? Probably. I know Ian Kennedy seems like a failed prospect, but he came back healthy in the Arizona Fall League and there's still a decent chance he'll be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter. Austin Jackson will likely be a solid everyday player, but because he doesn't hit for power and strikes out a lot, it's hard to imagine much more. The odds of any of these guys turning into a player as good as Granderson are very, very slim. On the other hand, there's a lot of value in having an average starting pitcher and an average center fielder for 6 seasons at extremely discounted prices.

I think it's a great deal for the Yanks. They upgraded at one of the few positions they were able to with a young, fairly cheap player. They didn't give up anyone who figured prominently in their future plans. Unlike most teams, the Yankees don't have much use for a young, cheap, average player. So, it doesn't make sense for them to hold onto players like Jackson and Kennedy.

I think the Tigers are doing pretty well in the deal, too. Jackson will be practically free for his first three seasons, and will probably be an average everyday player. They also managed to pick up a great young pitcher in Max Scherzer.

This is a NY blog, so I won't focus too much on the Tigers-DBacks part of the swap. But I don't understand this deal from Arizona's perspective at all. Scherzer is probably at least as good a pitcher as Edwin Jackson and he's much cheaper.

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From the department of things that make you go hmmmmm: the Yankees traded Brian Bruney for the rights to the first pick in the Rule 5 draft.

Rupert Murdoch, News Corp, Online Advertising, the Decline of Newspapers, and the General Future of Media Encapsulated in One Pathetic Banner Ad

As newspapers continue their self-imposed march to the grave, Rupert Murdoch, who, whatever you may think of him, deserves our respect for his agressive belief in newspapers, has announced tentative plans to move begin charging for access to the vast array of international newspapers in his News Corp Empire, including the New York Post, the Australian and the Times (UK). His recently-acquired Wall Street Journal already charges for online access to its content. News Corp may also strike an exclusive deal with Microsoft's new search engine, Bing, whereby surfers would not be able to use Google or Google News to search for News Corp content.

It's a bold gamble. But it's a gamble predicated in a belief that good content is still valuable. And it's an idea better than whatever else has been proposed by other newspapers, because they haven't come up with any. Well, except for the still-in-development Google Fast Flip, which promises to replicate the actual experience of reading a newspaper i.e. turning the pages and coming across articles that you may not have read if you just scanned headlines on a news website all in a graphically-pleasing, fast-loading format. The question is if anyone even wants to read news in a traditional-manner any more. Certainly, banner ads and web-ads in general would be more effective if they were presented as part of a graphically-pleasing whole, rather than as afterthought add-ons to already clunky news pages.

Because that is the current model, and the current model is not working, as evidenced by this pathetic banner ad that accompanied my surfing of the nypost.com site this morning.

This man does not own a home. Also, sugar cubes do not turn teeth white.

The Playoff Push Begins Now?

After a thrilling 106-97 victory over the hapless Nyets, the Knicks are only 2.5 games behind the Raptors, Bulls and Wizards for a golden ticket to the postseason and more importantly, avoiding the ignominous fate of handing the Jazz a lottery pick. The major issue going forward is, does Donnie further scuttle his roster with the team sniffing contention, much like he did early last season when he unloaded Jamal Crawford and Zebo? Chicago is dangling career project and forward Tyrus Thomas -a great athlete that Mike D'Antoni apparently would love to have- in exchange of egalitarian sneaker pitchman/swingman Al Harrington, and I'm at least mixed about it. Trading for youth is a no-brainer, but Harrington can score, whether he starts or comes off the bench, and would even be useful next season. And trading him undoubtedly waves the white flag on the already rocky season, killing whatever little buzz this squad could generate. What say you?

On a separate note, Nate Robinson should be glued to the bench for the rest of the season. No debate there.

Man City versus Chelsea Photoshop Fun

Ice Cube messes around and gets a triple-double. I mess around in photoshop and end up with these altered screen caps of Saturday's thrilling Manchester City-Chelsea match at the Middle Eastlands that rocked the casbah.

Didier Drogba's intense face before a free kick.

An ominous omen for England at next summer's World Cup? "Fat" Frank Lampard takes an abysmal penalty that Shay Given easily saves.

Carlos Tevez' free kick evades the wall and Chelski keeper Petr Cech.

Didier Drogba is taken down in the box, leading to Lampard's woeful penalty attempt.

Micah Richards with the inadvertent handball that leads to Emmanuel Adebayor's equalizer.

"Carlito" Tevez celebrates after his match-winning goal.

St Johns Red Storm Basketball v Duke and 2009-2010

Still haven't warmed to the Red Storm name. Let's go Red-men. clap-clap-clapclapclap.

We watch sports for hope that one day we'll get to revel in a championship. I root for the Mets, they haven't won since 1986, when I was but a wee coach on Pop Dukes' lap. I root for the Knicks, they haven't won since 1973. I root for the 'Gers, who won in 1994, but it's hockey. I root for the Giants, who won in 2008, which was a blast but I don't care much for football. I root for Manchester United, who have won a ton, and while I've watched some of their title-clinching games in bars and at home with Coups and Pops, it's different and ultimately hollow to cheer for a team from a different country and culture. Lastly, I cheer for St. John's, who have never won an NCAA championship. But in 2003 St John's won the NIT at the Garden, and Frownie and I were there. It was the greatest sporting event I've been to, culminating with Frownie and I rushing the Garden floor alongside Frownie's new friends the Elijah Ingram's family, and running into fellow Johnnie -lover Josh Dick under the hoop.

Like almost every other metro-area team, the Johnnies have fallen off the face of the earth. Coach Norm Roberts has restored stability to the program. While stability is important considering that NCAA violations under Mike Jarvis forced the Johnnies to relinquish that 03 NIT Crown, it only goes so far for a program as storied as St. John's.

It's criminal that the NYC metro area is a college basketball wasteland considering that the area seeds so many national powers with players. West Virginia, Kansas, Cincy and Kentucky are amongst the programs to have benefited from metro players in recent years. Sure, kids want to go away to college, but surely some must want to stay at home. And players from outside the area must want to come to play for a program that plays its home games at Madison Square Garden.

What's ironic is that this fallow period for St. John's comes during an era where the school has invested massive sums in building dorms in making a transition from a commuter school to a campus-based school. This should be an added bonus for recruiting, but Roberts has yet to even get the Johnnies back in the NIT. Inexcusable.

This season likely represents Roberts' last stand, and so far he's doing the best he can with the team off to a 6-0 start, including a win over back-to-back March Madness members Siena.

Also not the biggest fan of their new "STJ" logo.

The season turns for-real-for-real this Saturday when the Johnnies take on Duke at Cameron. In a further sign of St. John's' downfall Duke has decided to end this series. Part of the appeal for Duke was the chance to play a game in the Garden every two years. The Garden was once St. John's' ultimate recruiting advantage. But these days, MSG plays host to almost as much college baskets as it did in the golden age of the 50's.

Surprise! This is what Duke's best player looks like. His name is Kyle Singler.

St. John's usually plays Duke tuff. This game and their next against Gawgia represent their only two significant out-of-conference games for the rest of the season. In a down year for the Big East, it better be an up year for St. John's.

Shocking Real Video Footage of Tiger Woods Accident (via Taiwan)

Mayhap many you are tired of the endless Tiger Woods coverage. Or maybe some of you are confused by all the differing accounts of what happened.
Where to turn to get the facts? With American Journalism dying rapidly, the Taiwanese have thankfully stepped in to set the record straight.
So, here it is, the first, the last, Nay, the only word needed on Tiger Woods' "accident." Slight translation needed, perhaps, but really, this succinct video speaks for itself.

Overheard in L.A.

older man, neat-looking, all-white hair, k-mart slacks, all-white e-z strider sneakers, dragging a large suitcase on wheels in souf santa monica at ten in the morning, speaking on an enormous cell phone:

"Tonight? No, I've completely lost the taste for fish, you know. When I bottomed out and lost everything I was eating canned mackerel every day..."

I Call My Brother Sunn Cuz He Shine Like One

Al Harrington's kicks cost $35

The refs aint blind

Not quite sure what to make of the demolition tonite at the Garden. The Sunns not giving a fuck? The Italian Stallion playing D? There was even a Jordan Hill sighting, ugh, I think Renaldo Balkman was smoother around the hoop at this point. What are the odds the Knicks whiff with LeG.O.D.D., Flash, or Bosh and end up with Amare aka Antionio McDyess Part II?

Swing the Bat There, Big Boy! or, Mike Francesa's Brother Will Teach You How To Pitch, or Jeff Lynne of E.L.O. is Difficult to Look At.

Via the always-entertaining Uniwatch, footage of Terrific Tom Seaver's first game on the mound from 1967. Watch the footage and tell me you don't get nostalgic for Shea.


There was a time, a long time ago, when I modeled my pitching on Tom Terrific. I figured, I've got the trunks, may as well make use of them. Of course, I never did pitch effectively for too long. Bryman had a bit of Seaver in him as well, in so far as that his left knee would almost kiss the earf, pope-style, during his delivery. Cannatar made use of his stems as well, but, oddly enough, he seems to end up cross-legged at the end. The Bizman always appears to be all-arm.

In recent years, I've shifted my focus from my gams to my wrist, as Mike Marshall advocates. Using two deliveries based on pronation, I've found increased accuracy, if not velocity.

Which somehow brings me to the following insanity/video. Mike Francesa's brother, in both accent and looks, will help you INSTANTANEOUSLY achieve an ideal pitching motion. Peep the gold watch on his left watch. That's so he can constantly clock all the cold hard cash that he melts into pomade. Do you know what's behind that garage door? Did you guess sadness? Would you have guessed that this operation is based out of Staten Island? Actually, I appreciate this guy's intentions. Doesn't mean the product is worth it but it is worth focusing on the wrist. His heart is in the right place.



Also worth noting that the one non-baseball-training related video is a video for E.L.O.'s "Telephone Line" featuring a coked-out-of-his-fucking-mind Jeff Lynne. It's hard to look at him. Little known fact, Jeff Lynne always wears shades because he lost his eyeballs in a back alley in Bangkok betting that "Evil Woman" was not the greatest piece of pop rock ever written. Ever a man of integrity, he knew it was, but he could not, would not, bet on himself. But he can still see right through your shit.

Chasing Weeb & Joe

Weeb Ewbank, winner of two titles with Baltimore Colts in his previous stint, and Joe Namath, "the greatest athlete I ever coached" according to Bear Bryant.

Rex Ryan, first-year head coach displaying all of his father's blustery disposition and disdain for non-defensive aspects of the game, and Mark Sanchez, brief pupil of Pete Carroll. Of Bryant, Namath had this to say: "Not only the smartest coach I ever knew, but the man who taught me the meaning of integrity." I don't think anyone's ever uttered 'smartest', 'integrity' and 'Pete Carroll' in the same sentence.

Happy Thanksgiving New York

Guard Yo Grill. That dude on the lower right is peeping your shit.

So much to be thankful for on the New York sporting scene. The middling Giants. The wayward Jets. The regressing Knicks. The historically abysmal Nets. The underachieving 'Gers. The overachieving but still bad Isles (bro). The invisible Devils. The fallen-off-the-face-of-the-earth Johnnies of St. John's. Did I mention how well the Red Bulls (bro) and the Mets did this year?

Man, does any town have it as bad as NYC right now? With this much losing it's no wonder chumps like Jay-Z have to overcompensate with the over-the-top bragging. Welcome to New Yawk. Gobble-Gobble, suckers.

Vote or Die

In the wake of Thierry Henry's blatant handball that gave France the win over Ireland to advance to the World Cup, I've got a poll up at EPL Talk asking whether soccer should add another referee by each goal or start using video replay.

The Final Verdict on David Lee

David Lee clumsily driving to the rock with probably his only move.

"...He is vastly overrated: listen, I'm not knocking him... well I guess I am."

-Mike Francesa

Mike never had strong opinions on the Knicks' power forward that has few offensive skills, can't quite guard 4s but grabs a lot of double-doubles, until one call from an overzealous fan and defender, elicited a damning response. Both Lee and Nate Robinson, the 'see, at least Isiah can draft!*' guys, had to squirm until a few weeks before preseason to sign one-year deals, and it's pretty clear neither will have places on the team next year, especially Nate after his debacle in the Meadowlands last Saturday. David might move on to become an 8th or 9th banana on an elite team -Spurs, maybe- and Nate might possibly light up an And1 tour somewhere.

*Granted, Isiah salvaged his awful Channing Frye pick in 2005 by trading the homeless man's Tim Duncan, Kurt Thomas, to the Suns for Nate and the pick to get David, but let's not apologize for his catastrophic reign with some nice fantasy players he picked late in the draft.

Not Bad

Chose this pic cuz it sorta looks like Ray Allen may be about to dunk but clearly not.

Employee #5

The Knicks put up a good fight today. Best that can be said. Celts played em for fools on the last play, but to the Knicks' credit, that shot was a tad outside KG's range. The 'Bockers are playing better of late, and it's bout time. As bad as the team is, they are not as bad as their start suggested. Call me brazybrains, but this team as currently constituted should be scrapping for an 8th seed, not looking to give the Jzz the first pick in the draft.