I guess it is so far so good for New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman, as he crossed a lot of things off his 2012 off-season not-to-do-list at the Winter Meetings this past week.
Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Cashman Makes Progress On His Not-To-Do-List’ »
New York Post - Front Page - 12/6/2011
I knew it!
As I watched the New York Giants lose on Sunday 38-35 to the Green Bay Packers, I knew that something was not right with the officiating.
For an Eagles friend to say to me that the game looked “rigged” about five different times throughout the game was enough for me to make a list of reasons why.
When I got home and relooked at what I had jotted down, I unambiguously ripped the paper into pieces. I didn’t want to be that fan.
So, when the New York Post arrived at my front door on Tuesday morning I felt alleviated. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who felt “robbed.”
Coach Coughlin threw the red flag in the first quarter, and still the ruling of an incomplete stood. Coughlin, who is renowned for being right when he throws that red challenge flag, got it right.
Next time I promise not to let my ego get the best of me, as I thought of how I would look not what I saw clearly in front of me.
The Giants won that game, and listening to announcers Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, you heard how perturbed they were with more than just the Jake Ballard missed call.
In addition to the NYP’s picture:
1) Two facemasks tugs that the referees didn’t call on the Packers. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: To Pissed To Write’ »
What is the RULE 5 DRAFT in Major League Baseball?
The Rule 5 Draft was generated to stop MLB teams from stockpiling minor league prospects indefinitely in their farm system. With the Rule 5 Draft a player has an opportunity to be picked up by a team who is willing to play him in the Majors.
The Rule 5 Draft happens in December at the annual Winter Meetings of all 30 MLB teams General Managers. This off-season’s Winter Meetings begin on December 5th, with the Rule 5 Draft scheduled for the last day of the Winter Meetings, which is on December 8th.
Any minor league player, who has been retained for three, (signed at age 19) or four years, (signed at age 18); and are still not on their respective club’s 40-man roster. Minor leaguers’ who are on the team’s 40-man roster before the fixed time expires are protected, or ineligible to be drafted under Rule 5.
MLB Teams with no open spots on their 40-man roster are not allowed to partake in the Rule 5 Draft.
The Rule 5 Draft allows for a team to steal a raw, top prospect from another club who deems the player is not close to Major League ready in terms of their team. These are diamonds in the rough and are rarely found, but one example of a successful Rule 5 drafted is two-time CY Young winner Johan Santana.
In efforts to avoid what didn’t happen in 1994, as well as avoiding the path the NBA took, MLB and the MLB Players Association took the bull by the horns to avoid letting the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expire on December 11, 2011.
And that hard work has paid off, as MLB has a new (CBA) that lasts through 2016. This translates into nonstop play for the next 5 seasons, which makes it the longest agreement deal in history.
So, what changes in the new CBA would the everyday baseball fan want to know?
After reading about the new CBA, here are 9 points that a typical baseball fan might want to take note of:
Colorado Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki turned an unassisted triple play back in 2007. Image via Wikipedia
“What is the hardest play in baseball?”
“The unassisted triple play.”
Does this question ring a bell at all? Maybe from a Holiday Inn Express commercial that played a million times throughout the regular season.
The ad wizards behind that one should be ecstatic because I have been asked to explain the unassisted triple play more times than I can count, because of that commercial. And ironically, it has been mostly girl friends and very mild baseball fans that have been so curious about the what, how and why of the unassisted triple play.
So, what is the definition of an unassisted triple play?
An unassisted triple play is when a defensive player gets all three outs on his own, within the same play. No other defensive player can touch the baseball or contribute in any way.
What happens in a “typical” unassisted triple play?
In a “typical” unassisted triple play there would be runners on first and second, and categorically there can be no outs in the inning.
The two base runners’ call for a hit and run, which entails both taking off the moment the ball leaves the pitchers hand. Basically it is like getting a head start.
Then the batter hits a line drive right at the shortstop, or second baseman that happens to be positioned close to second base. The SS or 2B catches the ball on the fly (out #1), then proceeds to touch second base (out #2) and then tags the runner who came from first (out #3).
Why are shortstops and second basemen purposely used in the example? Continue reading ‘Baseball Basics: The Unassisted Triple Play’ »
Image via Wikipedia
It came as no surprise to learn that the New York Yankees inked Brian Cashman to another three-year deal to stay the franchise’s GM, aka The Brain Behind the Bombers.
Cashman didn’t miss a beat, as he was busy locking up the team’s ace CC Sabathia for a guaranteed five years, with a vesting option for a sixth, just hours before he worried about his own contract.
For the first time in forever and after last off-season’s absurd drama, the Yankees will finally start an off-season calmly. For Cashman that means his attention will not solely be focused on putting all the pinstripe eggs into one free agents basket.
The Yankees GM said the main goal was resigning Sabathia; otherwise his focus will be on “pitching, pitching, pitching.”
Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News wrote a great article and quoted Cashman responding to what the Yankees off-season goals this past Tuesday:
“As we enter the process this winter, I don’t anticipate a bat being of need at all. I anticipate people knocking on our door about the current bats we have. Offense is not a problem with this club, despite what happened in the Detroit series here in the first week of October. I don’t think we’re offensively challenged at all.”
Well, all this leaves for certain is that the relentless New York media will be mustering up plenty more BS than usual, as fans wait for 2012 Spring Training to start. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Free Agent Pitching Possibilities’ »
Pretend it is the middle of MLB’s off-season, and you are hard at work as most General Managers are at this time of year.
Significant decisions are looming and need to be made sooner than later, as your team’s forthcoming success depends on it.
Now, below are the stats of two currently active MLB hitting superstars, but the hitch is you can only sign one. The players and stats are real, but the each player’s name, respective team and year are all crossed out in order for you to make an unbiased decision.
You won’t be discouraged, that much I can promise you.
Once you are finished, please leave your decision, via a comment and hopefully an explanation at the end of this post. Presumably, each pick will be your opinion of who is the better player as you are trying to put the best team together possible to win.
Before disclosing any true identities, let me give you the three reasons why I would sign PLAYER 1 over PLAYER 2.
PLEASE WAIT once you click… ‘Continue Reading ‘MLB Batter Vs. Batter: Which Superstar Would You Choose’…. the two real owners of these stats shale be revealed.
*It is recommended that you make your choice prior to knowing each player’s true identity. As a team’s GM, intentionally hindering a decision instead of doing what is best for the team is selfish, so try to decide before you peak. You have been warned.* Continue reading ‘MLB Batter Vs. Batter: Which Superstar Would You Choose’ »
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