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New York Yankees: Cliff Lee’s Just Not That Into You

Posted by on 12 March 2011, 2:06 am

First off let’s make one thing clear, Cliff Lee is not some kind of hero.

As everyone knows, Lee was the most coveted free agent on the market this off-season and he choose to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

This past Thursday, Lee made some bold and stupid comments during a radio interview on CBS Philadelphia 610WIP Sports Radio about what factored in the process, who came in second and third and why Philly will win him multiple rings.

Click on link below to listen to Lee’s interview:

Cliff Lee talks with Angelo Cataldi – March 10, 2011

WHY LEE NEEDS TO GET FACTS STRAIGHT:

Look, I could really go into details about this entire interview but those would be more opinions vs. opinions.

What I could not let slip by was how Lee answered this question below, with my reasons for being angry following.

601WIP SPORTS RADIO: “Who finished second?’

LEE: “Texas probably finished second to be honest with you. Just as far as the quality of the team and the chance to win a World Series ring, I think they’re a better team. That’s just my opinion. The Yankees can do anything at any moment to improve and they’re not afraid to go do things. That was part of the decision making process too, but I felt like with what the Red Sox had done and it seems like some of the Yankee guys are getting older, but I liked the Rangers.”

I guess Lee didn’t realize that Philadelphia is the oldest club in all of baseball with an average of 28.7 years old, while the Yankees average is an almost a year younger. Ooooppps.

What did the Red Sox do that puts them ahead of New York?

Boston filled holes where the Yankees were better. Starting with matching Mark Teixeira by getting Adrian Gonzalez and than signing Carl Crawford to make the outfield as good as the Yankees trio Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher.

So, could someone tell me what Lee is referring too in his answer?

Pitching-wise both Boston and New York have unsettling back ends of their rotations. The Yankees have the best bullpen in baseball with Soriano, Mariano, Feliciano, Joba and Robertson. The Red Sox have a solid group in relief too, but not as good because closer Jonathan Papelbon still remains a question after not being dominate the last two seasons.

Hitting-wise both the Red Sox and Yankees have heavy hitting line-ups that ooze with talent. Is one better than the other is too hard to tell because both can be equally as lethal.

Oh and maybe Lee didn’t know that the Yankees have some of the best young pitching prospects in baseball. If they continue developing at this rate, the youngsters will bring many more rings to the Bronx.

Regarding Texas as being a better team than New York is ridiculous. Lee cannot be basing this on one series where the Yankees played like crap. Look it is no excuse as a game is a game, but fact is New York lost the 2010 ALCS.

So, could someone please explain who is giving Lee his facts? Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Cliff Lee’s Just Not That Into You’ »

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New York Yankees: Finally Baseball Starts On Saturday

Posted by on 23 February 2011, 7:20 am

Baseball is about to start, as the New York Yankees will play their Spring Season opener against the Philadelphia Phillies this Saturday at Steinbrenner Field.

It looks to be a nice change from all the usual drama that comes with being a Yankee and playing in New York. Sometimes you forget why the team is in Tampa in the first place.

Skipper Joe Girardi announced that Bartolo Colon would start Saturday’s game, which is mind-numbing.

Colon showed up to camp, which has been a problem for the 2005 CY Young winner in the past. He came in 25 pounds heavier, which is almost unimaginable considering he has never been accused of being skinny prior.

Colon hasn’t pitched in over two years for a Major League team, but has been playing in the Dominican League over the winter.

Here is the rest of the pitching order:

Saturday vs. Phillies: Bartolo Colon

Sunday at Phillies: Ivan Nova

Monday at Tigers: CC Sabathia

Tuesday at Pirates: A.J. Burnett

Wednesday vs. Astros: Phil Hughes

Thursday at Rays: Freddy Garcia

The press is already starting World War III against the Bombers, asking Girardi why Burnett is behind Sabathia and not Hughes.

I would more concerned with why Colon is starting, but Girardi stated it was because he had been pitching the most recently. This is the same Colon that cannot partake in drills because he is so out-of-shape, right?

For crying out loud, it is just Spring Training and even I am guilty of acting as if this is the Yankees post-season rotation. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Finally Baseball Starts On Saturday’ »

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Jumping The Gun: 7 MLB Headlines You Might Be Reading At 2011 All-Star Break

Posted by on 29 January 2011, 12:53 am

Every MLB season, the All-Star break is viewed as the halfway point of the 162 games season. Even with still a lot of baseball to play, this is the time when a team’s reputation and attitude have been backed by enough play on the field.

At this point, there are the obvious observations that only a miracle could change, but there are many more what if’s than anything.

Now, I have gotten way ahead of myself, in predicting seven headlines that fans might be reading at this 2011 season’s half-time. The headlines, in no specific order, are the forecasts, while the summaries below give the present reasons why each lead could be future news.

1. New York Mess: Finally Cleaning Up The Mets

No one from the fans to the players expect much out the New York Mets until 2012. Still, Citi-Field’s atmosphere certainly feels different, with a new GM and Skipper.

Even without Santana, the Mets have the pieces and it’s about time the puzzle started coming together.

The team should be more relaxed, respectful and the players’ natural competitiveness to win, as that’s what pro athletes like to do, could actually do just that. My bet is 2011 will be a nice surprise for Mets

fans, to finally get some genuine hope.

2. Twins, White Sox, Tigers – AL Central Looks To Be A Fight To The Finish

The AL Central will be a tight three-team race that should continue till the end. This division did have to have a tiebreaker back in 2009, when the Tigers lost to the Twins in a literal baseball dual.

Definitely throw the White Sox back in mix for 2011. If the AL Central didn’t house the Royals and Indians, it could rival the AL East for toughest division.

3. Perfection Or Bust: Philadelphia Phillies Aiming For Better Second Half

The moment the Phillies signed Cliff Lee expectations soared in Philadelphia.

Now, the 2011 season is a World Series or bust situation. Lee came to win; the Phillies broke the bank to get Lee in order to win; which makes leading the NL East at the All-Star break by a half-game completely

unacceptable. Phillies should only lose every fifth game and they might have to start to if they get behind the Marlins and Mets.

The Phillies should effortlessly win a minimum of 98 games or else the Lee signing will look like a failure. Lucky for Philly fans the team always plays better post-All-Star break.

4. Jeter Still Finished? No Way As The New York Yankee Captain Is Proving Everybody Wrong

I can guarantee what a bad idea mocking the Yankee Captain’s ability was this off-season. Jeter wills and hard work is going to shut-up his detractors in 2011.

Hopefully, Jeter will earn the well overdue respect from all who have criticized this man’s every move.

Jeter is moving all right, but it isn’t away from shortstop, as Jeter has taken his off-season workout up a few notches. He is already in Tampa, and amped-up for the start of Spring Training.

5. Giants Are Struggling Out In San Francisco

The Reigning Champs felt so good in 2010, that they did nothing in the off-season. Why mess up a good thing?

Well, reality bites and the Giants will realize that winning the World Series once is just good timing, but repeating is what makes a team truly worth keeping together. It is presumable that their young pitchers will have growing pains as a group. The bats can’t not score runs like last year, but Posey and Huff have to lead the way. Also, Cody Ross will prove to be a postseason fluke or a legit player??

Lucky the NL West is home to D-backs, Padres who pose no threat this season. Still, Giants are not in the clear as the Colorado Rockies have the complete package, while the Dodgers will either be much better than expected, or embarrassingly awful.

6. For What It’s Werth: The Phillies Miss Jayson’s Clutch Hitting Continue reading ‘Jumping The Gun: 7 MLB Headlines You Might Be Reading At 2011 All-Star Break’ »

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New York Yankees: Finally….Rafael Soriano Will Be In Pinstripes in 2011

Posted by on 14 January 2011, 12:10 am

Finally, the New York Yankees got their man by signing closer Rafael Soriano.

This recent good news came from a tweet by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated just minutes ago, of the reported three-year, $35 million dollar deal.

Well, Yankee fans will sleep well tonight, because Soriano to Mariano is without question the best one to punch to shut down opponents in the eighth and ninth innings. Soriano was a Tampa Bay Ray in 2009, so he is already familiar with the competitive AL East.

Strength in a team’s bullpen and closer are absolutely vital in winning games.

A solid bullpen takes pressure off the starting rotation to have to go more than five to six innings.

In tight game circumstances, if your relievers have the ability to shut down hitters, it closes the opponent’s capability to score, inevitably giving a team a better shot at winning more games.

Soriano was hands-down the best closer in the American League and most would say in all of baseball in 2010. Soriano posted 45 saves in 64 attempts, giving up just four home-runs, two walks and striking out 57 in 62.1 innings of work. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Finally….Rafael Soriano Will Be In Pinstripes in 2011’ »

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Cliff Lee Signs with the Philadelphia Phillies: A Bad Decision for Both Sides

Posted by on 14 December 2010, 1:03 am

Now, even Brett Favre can breathe again with free-agent ace Cliff Lee finally making a decision to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Favre is on a growing list of fans, athletes, sportscasters, beat writers, my doorman and pretty much anyone who reads the NY Post who were annoyed with Lee’s decision making of where he is bringing his talents, basically until his 40th birthday party.

Lee had a serious offer of $160-plus million for seven years on the table from the New York Yankees.

He also has about five different contracts proposals from the Texas Rangers, who went over and above, in attempts to compete with the Yankees resources.

Days passed with no “decision,” so it made perfect sense that another team is in hot pursuit and one that Lee deemed worth the wait.

The Philadelphia Phillies is that team, but Lee just makes no sense for such a heavily loaded ballclub as Philadelphia.

Philly traded Lee’s talents without a hitch last season to attain Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays. Later, the franchise added Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt to the rotation of Halladay and Cole Hamels.

Halladay has a three-year contract worth $60 million, with a fourth year option but a lot of stats have to be fulfilled for that to happen.

Oswalt is slated to make $16 million in 2011, but his contract is up if the Phillies want it to be. Oswalt does have an option for 2012 at $17 million.

Both Halladay and Oswalt turned 33 years old in 2010, so adding another 32-year-old arm at $20-plus million doesn’t make much sense.

Why?

1. Lee wants years and two offers already on the table are for seven seasons. If Philly didn’t sign Halladay for more than three years, why would they sign a less durable, injury-prone pitcher to more?

2. Outfielder Jayson Werth took his talents to the Washington Nationals a week ago, leaving Philly with a huge gap to fill in their lineup. Werth was clutch for Philly, especially in the last three years and his absence won’t go unnoticed. Philly’s priority should have been re-signing Werth.

3. Another option for Philly would be to go after closer Raphael Soriano. Brad Lidge has proved unreliable for long stretches and it cost the team. Soriano is way better and any team who has him finish games is significantly better. Lidge could setup for Soriano, making a lethal one-two in the eighth and ninth innings. Continue reading ‘Cliff Lee Signs with the Philadelphia Phillies: A Bad Decision for Both Sides’ »

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MLB Hot Sove: Can Money Beat Misery? Just Ask Jayson Werth

Posted by on 6 December 2010, 10:44 am

When I saw the latest MLB news was that ex-Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth had signed with the Washington Nationals, I ran right to my computer to Google the truth.

To my utter disbelief, it was true. Werth signed with the Nationals for the next seven years and $126 million dollar paycheck.

Werth had many options as one of the coveted free agents this offseason, with teams like the Red Sox, Angeles and his own Phillies in the mix.

So, signing with the not-going-to-win Nationals was shocking—until you saw the price tag and remember he hired a new agent named Scott Boras.

Moving from the Phillies, who won the 2008 World Series and four straight NL East titles, to one that finished in last place in 2010 with a 69-93 record and has yet to have a winning record since 2003 makes absolutely no sense for three reasons.

1) Playing for the Nationals and your chances of even getting in playoff contention is slim. Hope rolling in dollar bills can make up for having to play everyday and losing consistently.

2) From the franchise’s prospective, it makes no sense to spend that money on a 31 year old that made $2.5 million in 2010.

What a way to piss off all the other teams the day before the Winter Meetings, especially Los Angeles Angels GM Tony Reagins, who must be ready to kill Boras and the Nationals, along with every other GM in baseball because prices just went up.

3) For Werth, a lesson will be learned because playing 162 games for a losing ball-club, who will have an empty park, is worth no amount of money. Werth was an All-Star as a Philly too. Remember that Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg is out for the entire 2011 season and that was the only time fans showed up.

This reeks of Scott Boras. Boras tends to get his players to go for the green instead of where they can utilize their skills. Yes, it usually means less of a payday, but gaining personal achievements to be a tad less rich is a no brainier.

Boras brainwashes his clients that the better deal pays more, as if the team that is showing Werth the money appreciates his value more. Continue reading ‘MLB Hot Sove: Can Money Beat Misery? Just Ask Jayson Werth’ »

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New York Yankees: Not Scoring Runs Just Blame It On The Pitching

Posted by on 20 October 2010, 6:29 am

The ALCS has not been good for the New York Yankees thus far, but blaming the pitching is just a mask for the real issue.

The issue is not hitting, which means runs don’t score. With zero or two as a team’s score, it forces the pitching into having to be almost perfect to get a win.

For example look back at CC Sabathia’s start in Game 1 of the ALCS. Sabathia, who is an ace in all terms is human at times and that CC was on the mound against the Rangers that night.

Sabathia posted his shortest outing of the season, leaving the game after four innings, giving up six hits, five earned runs, one a home-run, while walking four and striking out three. To say he imploded would be correct, but guess who won that game?

The Yankees did in one inning, being down 5-1 entering the top of the eighth the bats scored the five runs needed to take the lead. Then it was over because Mariano Rivera in the ninth is a postseason God.

So, the reason behind the Yankees losing ALCS Game 4 is not AJ Burnett’s fault, as he pitched much better than Sabathia.

In the sixth inning Burnett threw one bad pitch, which turned into a Bengie Molina homerun. Molina scored the two Rangers on base and turned the Yankees 3-2 lead into a 3-5 New York deficient and an eventual Yankee loss.

Whatever is not happening on the mound is also not happening at the plate and that is the Yankees or any other team’s recipe for disaster. This holds even truer in the tough postseason.

Philadelphia Phillies seem to be following in the Yankees footsteps in the NLCS, as the Giants 3-0 shut out the Phillies. A post-game quote from Phillies Shane Victorino sums up my point:

“If you don’t hit, it doesn’t matter how good the pitching is,” Shane Victorino said. “So you can’t blame our pitching right now. We need to find a way. Cole gave up three runs today and we scored nothing.”

It is crazy that the two best teams can’t seem to hit the ball and it is a shame for baseball. A rematch of a Yankees-Phillies World Series make for an awesome series, ratings would be through the roof.

Without question, MLB will see it’s worst ratings if the Giants-Rangers both make it into the championship ever! No one in the northeast (huge sports media market) will even care to watch, which only hurts the game itself.

A rematch is still possible but surely the Yankees and Philles are cutting it too close.

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