I'm not sure I'm a fan of technology, given that the Rivals machine has been in the shop. Granted, it's had a bit of wear and tear, but I didn't expect my hard drive to burst into pieces. Ugh.
Nevertheless, I am undaunted and return to you with an open mouth and an open mind.
Well, actually, the open mind part doesn't relate to the Mets' rumored pursuit of Jeff Weaver, which, as far as I can tell, could be the worst possible signing in history if it occurs, regardless of dollar amounts. While I still have enough remaining trust in Mr. Minaya to believe that it won't actually come to fruition, color me unimpressed by his scrambling efforts in the wake of the Zito contract.
In fact, Minaya has only been able to lock down David Newhan, who is not even a lock to improve over his batting lines from the last two seasons, including a .202/.279/.312 showing in 2005, and a slightly stronger 2006 performance of .252/.294/.374. It's actually rather telling that a team as woeful as Baltimore would not pursue a free agent who had spent a good deal of time there.
I would normally say, due to the strong performance of JoVal last year, that Newhan was a good flyer, except that Valentin brought 228 career dingers to the table. Contrast that with Newhan's 20-homer ledger, and well, you have the unimpressive fortunes of your 2007 Mets.
I'm not sure it would be prudent to throw in the towel at present, but I would say that the Mets are going to need at least thirty homers out of Wright, Beltran, Delgado and twenty out of Reyes and Alou. The team is set up to live and die on offensive production, and the last thing any of us need is something reminiscent of the Mets' offensive output from September and October.
Thankfully, there are other capable sports teams in this city, one of which is presently the New York Rangers. Shocking, no? Merely a week ago, the team was in the throes of a vicious losing streak, one that is roughly analogous to a sixteen-game losing streak in MLB. Yet now, the Rangers have dispatched the Capitals, Devils, and Flyers, and are looking to make it four straight in Montréal today.
Oddly enough, the Rangers' recent winning streak has included very little contribution from lynchpins Shanahan and Jagr and more production from unlikely heroes Martin Straka, Darius Kasparaitis, and Marcel Hossa. Since the debacle in Toronto, Hank has been rather strong and has showed it off during this streak.
Oh, and how about that other sports team... your New York Jetropolitans, visiting Tom Brady and the Patriots over in Foxboro tomorrow for a PLAYOFF GAME. I was not a huge fan of the Mangini hiring, but clearly I have backtracked, and with good reason... the Jets are IN THE PLAYOFFS.
No need to dissect the game, we'll just see which coach can outscheme the other.
Jets 23
Patriots 16
We'll hope.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
1.06.2007
12.29.2006
A Bit of a Shock
It really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Barry Zito followed the money trail to San Francisco. It's not as though one could punish the Mets for refusing to give a pitcher who has been just above average every year of his career (save for that 2002 23-5 Cy Young season).
Why wouldn't Zito go to San Fran? He doesn't have to switch houses. Moreover, he switches to the National League and stays in a nice pitcher's park. He's not going to Texas. So, as far as I can tell, we have to give maximum credit to the Zito/Boras team. He received everything he could have wanted while not having to make a single sacrifice. In fact, he agreed to the largest deal ever given to a pitcher, tying Mike Hampton's and Kevin Brown's in terms of length, while surpassing both of those in total dollars.
It's funny, actually. One would assume that the greatest contracts ever would have been given to pitchers like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, or Greg Maddux. These pitchers (with the partial exception of Pedro) have traditionally been the most durable. Up until a few years ago, they, not Hampton or Zito, were perennial Cy Young contenders.
It'll be enjoyable to watch the Giants' management drowning in a pool of their own tears once they realize that Zito isn't all that great. Thankfully for them, they have impressive young righty starter Matt Cain to be a mainstay as an ace, given that Zito certainly cannot fill that role.
The issue for the Mets now exists with the fact that their rotation is in shambles. It's foolish to count on Pedro for anything more than a minimal contribution down the stretch. So, your rotation looks like this:
1. Tom Glavine
2. Orlando Hernandez
3. John Maine
4. Oliver Perez
5. Mike Pelfrey/Phil Humber/Dave Williams
Although we have all recently adopted the "In Omar We Trust" mantra, it's hard to give him much credit for assembling this rotation. El Duque has a history of breaking down: his 162.1 innings this past year were the most since he threw 195.2 in 2000.
Glavine's history is injury-free, but he's unable to go very deep into games unless he's hitting the plate exactly with his changeup. It's tough to say this, but the 41 year-old lefty is probably the closest thing this rotation has to a sure thing.
Maine is a bit of a wild-card. He obviously has an impressive fastball and has shown the ability to work with secondary pitches from time to time, but he survives on a low hit rate, something that usually means future pitfalls for pitchers. He also serves up far too many home runs and a few too many walks. Maine's future is undoubtedly bright, but it's difficult to say whether 2007 will be a progression or a regression.
Oliver Perez has become something of a folk hero within Mets circles. It's deserved, on some level, given his admirable performance on short notice during Game 7 of the NLCS. Perez obviously has a great arm, but it's ridiculous to pencil him in as a sure thing. He's always going to be something of a project, as far as I can tell, and it would not come as a shock to anyone if he was leading the league in strikeouts or biding his time at AAA at the All-Star Break. A bold prediction: Dave Williams and Phil Humber will both make as many (or more) starts for the Mets in 2007 as Perez will.
Pelfrey, Humber, Williams... they're all special in their own ways. It's hard not to like most of what we saw out of Williams last year, but history has shown that he's not exactly an elite pitcher. Humber made a strong recovery from 2005's TJ surgery, but it's hard to say that he's ready to contribute at the big-league level. As far as we can tell with Pelfrey, his biggest problem is working with his secondary pitches. His fastball has a ton of movement, but he can't always bring it over the plate for strikes.
So where do we go from here? Are the Mets really going to begin the season with all of these wildcards in the rotation? My best guess is that they won't. It's awfully likely that the Mets will make a move for a player like Jeff Weaver. If Weaver is still insistent on his four-year deal, it's a safe bet that the Mets will try to kick the tires on Tomo Okha and Tony Armas, Jr. I'm a fan of both, and either one would give the Mets a safe option to bide time until Pelfrey and Humber are dominating AAA.
Nobody said that it would take Zito to win the NL East. It's safe to say, though, that the division won't be as much of a cakewalk next year. The Phillies have upgraded their pitching, while the Marlins' young aces will be impressive as usual. Stay tuned. Omar must have something up his sleeve.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
Why wouldn't Zito go to San Fran? He doesn't have to switch houses. Moreover, he switches to the National League and stays in a nice pitcher's park. He's not going to Texas. So, as far as I can tell, we have to give maximum credit to the Zito/Boras team. He received everything he could have wanted while not having to make a single sacrifice. In fact, he agreed to the largest deal ever given to a pitcher, tying Mike Hampton's and Kevin Brown's in terms of length, while surpassing both of those in total dollars.
It's funny, actually. One would assume that the greatest contracts ever would have been given to pitchers like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, or Greg Maddux. These pitchers (with the partial exception of Pedro) have traditionally been the most durable. Up until a few years ago, they, not Hampton or Zito, were perennial Cy Young contenders.
It'll be enjoyable to watch the Giants' management drowning in a pool of their own tears once they realize that Zito isn't all that great. Thankfully for them, they have impressive young righty starter Matt Cain to be a mainstay as an ace, given that Zito certainly cannot fill that role.
The issue for the Mets now exists with the fact that their rotation is in shambles. It's foolish to count on Pedro for anything more than a minimal contribution down the stretch. So, your rotation looks like this:
1. Tom Glavine
2. Orlando Hernandez
3. John Maine
4. Oliver Perez
5. Mike Pelfrey/Phil Humber/Dave Williams
Although we have all recently adopted the "In Omar We Trust" mantra, it's hard to give him much credit for assembling this rotation. El Duque has a history of breaking down: his 162.1 innings this past year were the most since he threw 195.2 in 2000.
Glavine's history is injury-free, but he's unable to go very deep into games unless he's hitting the plate exactly with his changeup. It's tough to say this, but the 41 year-old lefty is probably the closest thing this rotation has to a sure thing.
Maine is a bit of a wild-card. He obviously has an impressive fastball and has shown the ability to work with secondary pitches from time to time, but he survives on a low hit rate, something that usually means future pitfalls for pitchers. He also serves up far too many home runs and a few too many walks. Maine's future is undoubtedly bright, but it's difficult to say whether 2007 will be a progression or a regression.
Oliver Perez has become something of a folk hero within Mets circles. It's deserved, on some level, given his admirable performance on short notice during Game 7 of the NLCS. Perez obviously has a great arm, but it's ridiculous to pencil him in as a sure thing. He's always going to be something of a project, as far as I can tell, and it would not come as a shock to anyone if he was leading the league in strikeouts or biding his time at AAA at the All-Star Break. A bold prediction: Dave Williams and Phil Humber will both make as many (or more) starts for the Mets in 2007 as Perez will.
Pelfrey, Humber, Williams... they're all special in their own ways. It's hard not to like most of what we saw out of Williams last year, but history has shown that he's not exactly an elite pitcher. Humber made a strong recovery from 2005's TJ surgery, but it's hard to say that he's ready to contribute at the big-league level. As far as we can tell with Pelfrey, his biggest problem is working with his secondary pitches. His fastball has a ton of movement, but he can't always bring it over the plate for strikes.
So where do we go from here? Are the Mets really going to begin the season with all of these wildcards in the rotation? My best guess is that they won't. It's awfully likely that the Mets will make a move for a player like Jeff Weaver. If Weaver is still insistent on his four-year deal, it's a safe bet that the Mets will try to kick the tires on Tomo Okha and Tony Armas, Jr. I'm a fan of both, and either one would give the Mets a safe option to bide time until Pelfrey and Humber are dominating AAA.
Nobody said that it would take Zito to win the NL East. It's safe to say, though, that the division won't be as much of a cakewalk next year. The Phillies have upgraded their pitching, while the Marlins' young aces will be impressive as usual. Stay tuned. Omar must have something up his sleeve.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
12.22.2006
A Christmas Story
Every year, children and youthful adults alike all anticipate the arrival of Santa on Christmas Day. Sure, there are some religions that don't worship the Santacious one, but for all intensive purposes, this is a universally giving Santa.
Santa's coming a little late this year. That's just the quaking in our bones, as all of us can tell that we'll have a brand-new shiny present for us come early January. Sure, it'll cost our franchise a good chunk of change, but he's coming. It really shouldn't matter. We won't get prices cut if they decide to sign Suppan instead.
Yes, we all know that Barry Zito's coming to town sometime soon. It always seemed like the likely destination for the long-haired idiosyncratic lefty. We've heard rumors forever about bringing Planet Zito to town.
And with Christmas approaching (and Hanukkah in the rearview mirror) the space under our ceremonial evergreen is mysteriously bare. We got a few of the presents we got last year again, but both of them looked old, dusty, and banged-up.
Later more presents appeared, including one with urine stains, and one that vaguely resembled Damion Easley. And sure, we even wound up with what had been our favorite present from a few holidays ago. It was repackaged nicely and I heard it was even a little cheaper.
But we're missing the great present, it seems. Where is that Lexus with the big red bow on it? Maybe times are tight and it makes more sense to settle for a Subaru. I don't think that's what we should be feeling this Christmas.
I took a peek in Omar's closet. I think that was dishonest of me. I'm sure, though, that it was in my readers' best interests. I know what he has up his sleeve. Ebenezer (or is Satan a more accurate name?) Boras is not going to ruin Christmas for the nation's greatest city.
I just hope that Santa can get here safely, what with Dontrelle Willis on the road and all. That's something that's just pretty hard to fathom. You're a professional athlete, making a couple million dollars a year, poised to get a huge raise, and you can't manage to hail a cab? Erm, wait, come to think of it given Mets history, you're probably safer driving drunk than taking a cab in Miami.
With all due seriousness, though, could anything make Zito a better fit for New York? Boras has expressed his client's desire to play for a championship contender. Zito also would fit in very well in the Mets' clubhouse, which includes his kindred spirits Pedro Martinez and Rick Peterson. Zito could refine his changeup with help from two of the top change-up pitchers of our generation in Glavine and Pedro. Orlando Hernandez and Julio Franco could tell him stories about the invention of the game, given that they played for Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's prior to the team's eventual migration to Oakland.
Zito's personality (and ethnicity) are both very marketable in this area. Undoubtedly, the Mets are in good position to pony up as well, given their new cable station (its shortcomings aside) and the arrival of a new stadium complete with a mondolicious naming rights package.
So fret you not, children, during this holiday season. Zito will soon remind us of the courtship of another Boras client whom we couldn't quite snag until after New Year's. Nevertheless, Mr. Beltran turned out okay after a little bit.
Merry Christmas. I'll be back on either Sunday or Monday for a little bit of Jets coverage.
Enjoy your substitute Santa (played above by Benny Agbayani).
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
12.20.2006
A Letdown
You have to worry about the Rangers. Even though the team is only a few games removed from a five-game winning streak and they still hold the division lead, it's not a bad idea to turn on the panic siren.
We hear about the flu striking the team, and sure, Kevin Weekes should not be starting for this team. Nevertheless, the Rangers have allowed a whopping 17 goals in their last three games while only scoring 6. Those numbers are made less stark by the 4-3 defeat last night at the hands of the Icelanders.
The problem with the Rangers is on some level due to a lack of depth. Young players with scoring ability, like Petr Prucha and Jarkko Immonen, are being buried on the third and fourth lines with incompetent goons like Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr.
The Rangers team is made up of many players without a lot of scoring output. Jason Ward, who shifted for a bit with Jagr last night, has two goals and five assists on the season. Marcel Hossa has one goal and two assists. Those two combined have missed three games. Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr, goons both, have played a bunch this season. Orr has skated in 23 games, while Hollweg has played in all 35 games this season. The two have combined for 0 points. Not one goal, not one assist. Combined they have taken 108 penalty minutes as well.
The shame in dressing these goons is that the Rangers are forced to rely on only their top two or three lines for scoring. Matt Cullen is disappointing (and now injured), and it's hard to see Immonen, as talented as he may be, stepping up to fill the void Cullen left.
If anything can tell you what's wrong with this season, it might be the following stat: penalty killer/solid faceoff man Blair Betts has notched 60 shots on goal and four of them have gone in. Lethal shooter Prucha has rarely been set up, only firing 49. Six of them have gone in.
The defensive corps is devoid of much offensive talent aside from Tyutin and Rozsival, as Marek Malik serves mostly as a physical presence. Karel Rachunek isn't all that special.
And here we stand- no Cullen or Nylander in sight, for now, and former Islander Brad Isbister and Thomas Pock are up from the minors.
PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Panthers 5
Weekes, starting in place of the flued-out Lundqvist, gets shelled again. Malik should be out of the lineup again, accompanying Hank, Nylander and Cullen in the press box. (source: The Blueshirts Blog)
Merry Hanukkah, Happy Christmas, the whole thing. See you back here if there's any resolution of anything related to Zito, the Rangers, the Knicks, or the Jets.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
We hear about the flu striking the team, and sure, Kevin Weekes should not be starting for this team. Nevertheless, the Rangers have allowed a whopping 17 goals in their last three games while only scoring 6. Those numbers are made less stark by the 4-3 defeat last night at the hands of the Icelanders.
The problem with the Rangers is on some level due to a lack of depth. Young players with scoring ability, like Petr Prucha and Jarkko Immonen, are being buried on the third and fourth lines with incompetent goons like Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr.
The Rangers team is made up of many players without a lot of scoring output. Jason Ward, who shifted for a bit with Jagr last night, has two goals and five assists on the season. Marcel Hossa has one goal and two assists. Those two combined have missed three games. Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr, goons both, have played a bunch this season. Orr has skated in 23 games, while Hollweg has played in all 35 games this season. The two have combined for 0 points. Not one goal, not one assist. Combined they have taken 108 penalty minutes as well.
The shame in dressing these goons is that the Rangers are forced to rely on only their top two or three lines for scoring. Matt Cullen is disappointing (and now injured), and it's hard to see Immonen, as talented as he may be, stepping up to fill the void Cullen left.
If anything can tell you what's wrong with this season, it might be the following stat: penalty killer/solid faceoff man Blair Betts has notched 60 shots on goal and four of them have gone in. Lethal shooter Prucha has rarely been set up, only firing 49. Six of them have gone in.
The defensive corps is devoid of much offensive talent aside from Tyutin and Rozsival, as Marek Malik serves mostly as a physical presence. Karel Rachunek isn't all that special.
And here we stand- no Cullen or Nylander in sight, for now, and former Islander Brad Isbister and Thomas Pock are up from the minors.
PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Panthers 5
Merry Hanukkah, Happy Christmas, the whole thing. See you back here if there's any resolution of anything related to Zito, the Rangers, the Knicks, or the Jets.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
12.19.2006
Thuggish and Sluggish
I wish my notsomuch-anticipated return to blogging wasn't punctuated by a darling set of embarassing squads taking up residence at Madison Square Garden.
Your New York Knicks actually won tonight, alarmingly at the hand of $tephon (a little too clever, perhaps?) Marbury, against one of the league's best teams. I've decided that's not really saying much, given the disgraceful state of the NBA. It's not just that there are brawls. Hockey has fights too, you know.
What legitimately shocks me is the fact that the foremost role in the brawl was played by the league's leading scorer (Carmelo Anthony), who only a few days ago snagged the title from Allen Iverson, a man who has packed up his locker midseason to look for a better place. What is going on this league? Shouldn't the league's best players exhibit the most class? Take for example, the NFL, where elite wide receiver Terrell Owens is the epitome of class. Or you could maybe sneak a peek at the NHL a few years ago, where upper echelon scorer Todd Bertuzzi showed us how to respect the game and play with sportsmanship. Maybe you'll remember the tale of Barry Bonds, holder of many MLB records, who never broke any laws.
I don't understand why people seem to think that the NBA is doomed as a league filled with thugs. All professional sports leagues are filled with thugs. That's why, in most cases, they become athletes. They have the killer instinct. And in some cases, like that of Bears' DT Tank Johnson, they express that killer instinct by retaining six unlicensed firearms in their homes. Eight Cincinnati Bengals have been arrested this year. Many Vikings were arrested last year.
Baseball and hockey aren't devoid of criminal behavior either. Phillies RP Ugueth Urbina is still held in a Venezuelan jail cell on charges of attempted murder. Former #1 overall draft pick Josh Hamilton was recently selected first overall in the Rule V Draft, despite having prior battles with narcotics that netted him long suspensions. Hockey featured the Bertuzzi debacle, as well as an attempted murder allegedly organized by former Blues winger Mike Danton.
The media problem with basketball stems from the fact that there's really no barrier between the fans and the action, whatever it may be. Also, the players are usually big, black, and tattooed, which unfortunately provokes a subconcious prejudicial disposition in many. Football players may have similar appearances, but they are shielded by helmets, pads, and occasionally sleeves.
Basketball's problem is not unlike the others in sports. It's a mistake to compare this fight to that of a few years ago in Detroit. The fans had zero interaction with the sparring players during this brawl, and the league's suspensions and fines were dished out accordingly.
And to those who say that this fight proves that basketball has a serious problem on its hands, I would counter with this: the fight only proved one thing – that Isiah Thomas must go. His words after the game were startling, as he talked about how the Knicks had surrendered and how Nuggets Coach George Karl was wrong to leave his starters in. Isiah also apparently tried to explain this to Carmelo Anthony during the game, telling him to stay out of the paint.
What Isiah might lack, ironically, is that killer instinct. He lacks any sort of fire, and winds up through his action of dismissing Karl's friend Larry Brown inspiring the Nuggets more than the Knicks. It's not even that Isiah has done a poor job assembling this team, as his gamble on Eddy Curry seems to be a wise move. Hell, Thomas drafted wunderkind David Lee, and traded for Quentin Richardson, who has come alive this year. Marbury seems to be coming along as well.
The problem may lie in Thomas' coaching style, as only a few Knicks see it fit to play defense. It's not as though it takes an inordinate amount of skill to play defense well. Isiah's passive style has yet to yield hustle from the team. He has to go very soon. Bring anyone in. ANYONE.
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The Rangers stink. I was at the game on Sunday. Oops.
I will postpone judgment on Renney, Sather, the players, and Brian Leetch until tomorrow.
Here's something of note: Sandis "Fruit of the Vine" Ozolinsh was waived today. If he clears waivers, which he undoubtably will, he will be assigned to Hartford and the Rangers save some of his cap money.
I was excited when we got him, but the former All-Star has less than nothing left in the tank, and really likes refueling that tank with alcohol before driving. You might remember when he scored on his own goal during the playoffs last year. Good riddance.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
12.14.2006
Rivals Review: 100 Greatest New York Sports Arguments
I'm not one to focus so much on sports history. I like learning more about the upcoming games and analyzing recent ones. That's probably why I spend more time reading rumor mill columns from this winter than I spend time on reading rumor mill columns from, uh, 1947.
However, Peter Handrinos' (of the United States of Baseball blog) most recent book, The Best New York Sports Arguments:
The 100 Most Controversial, Debatable Questions for Die-Hard New York Fans, was an impressive read, covering most all memorable moments in New York sports history.
It covers an incredible breadth of topics, a lot of which are important for young baseball fans. It's valuable to learn about the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York (baseball) Giants, as most of us are used to a two-teams-in-two-leagues setup for New York baseball. Handrinos spends a lot of the book discussing baseball scenarios past and present, capturing some of the most important personalities in the city, like John McGraw (not the mediocre former Jets safety) and George Steinbrenner.
There is quite a bit of forgotten material in there, as I myself was unaware of what "Merkle's Boner" was. Needless to say, the book made sure that I didn't continue to think it was a low-budget porno. Of course, the book too goes into discussing A-Rod and Jeter, which is a regrettably all-too pressing sports issue in this town.
However, baseball coverage is only a small part of the book, as Handrinos goes on to cover all sorts of other sports, including football, hockey, basketball, boxing, racing, as well as several very interesting crossover chapters. The writing is of a style which allows the book to go into great depth on many topics without actually becoming dry. If you don't care for a chapter, although it's difficult to find ones without appeal, there are 99 more to read into.
The book also does a very good job of seeing both sides of the issues discussed, which can be difficult when picking such contentious issues. The thing I have to give the author most credit for was his statement that Spike Lee is New York's worst sports fan. I wouldn't be surprised if Reggie Miller stars in Do The Right Thing 2.
This book would make an excellent Christmas (and Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Boxing Day) gift for every sports fan in your life. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
12.09.2006
Howdy...
It's been a week since I've last spoken to you.
The week consisted of baseball's Winter Meetings, where you are utterly lost if you can't tell the difference between Scott Boras and Jeff Borris.
Oddly enough, not that Mets-much happened.
We're the first organization with two players named Ambiorix, as Concepcion and Burgos have now given us that accolade.
And, even closing in on Christmas, we lost Jesus [Flores] to the Nationals in the Rule V draft.
Aside from that, though, this week for the Mets has been nothing more than Buzz. Harden and Haren and Zito and Zito and Zito.
And Zito. Who really cares? I find the buzz intriguing, but nothing really happened. There's nothing behind the rumors.
And so, I had left you this week. The Rangers played twice. One of them was the most embarrassing game possible. The other, well, was slightly more palatable.
The Jets played. They romped.
Here's what I'll promise you::
-Rangers over Senators today
-Mets hang on to Milledge, Pelfrey, Humber, and Heilman, ink Zito on December 22.
-Jets crush Bills on Sunday
-A review of Peter Handrinos' The Best New York Sports Arguments: The 100 Most Controversial, Debatable Questions for Die-Hard New York Fans
by Wednesday.
See you then. Period.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
The week consisted of baseball's Winter Meetings, where you are utterly lost if you can't tell the difference between Scott Boras and Jeff Borris.
Oddly enough, not that Mets-much happened.
We're the first organization with two players named Ambiorix, as Concepcion and Burgos have now given us that accolade.
And, even closing in on Christmas, we lost Jesus [Flores] to the Nationals in the Rule V draft.
Aside from that, though, this week for the Mets has been nothing more than Buzz. Harden and Haren and Zito and Zito and Zito.
And Zito. Who really cares? I find the buzz intriguing, but nothing really happened. There's nothing behind the rumors.
And so, I had left you this week. The Rangers played twice. One of them was the most embarrassing game possible. The other, well, was slightly more palatable.
The Jets played. They romped.
Here's what I'll promise you::
-Rangers over Senators today
-Mets hang on to Milledge, Pelfrey, Humber, and Heilman, ink Zito on December 22.
-Jets crush Bills on Sunday
-A review of Peter Handrinos' The Best New York Sports Arguments: The 100 Most Controversial, Debatable Questions for Die-Hard New York Fans
by Wednesday.See you then. Period.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
12.01.2006
A Few Notes
EDIT: (4:30 PM) AP is reporting that Tom Glavine will remain a New York Met for 1 year, $10.5MM, with a Mets teleconference scheduled for 4:50.
Adam Rubin's Daily News blog says the deal is 1 year, $11MM.
ESPNNEWS (via Metsblog) is reporting that the deal contains an option for 2008.
------------
Metsblog posted a story today about the likelihood of a Manny Ramirez for Jake Peavy trade.
I spoke to a reputable inside source on Red Sox matters who indicated that Towers and Epstein are such good friends, the rumor was planted by San Diego with Edes to leverage the Giants potentially for Matt Cain or the Angels for Ervin Santana in a swap. He also indicated that the Padres have little to no interest in actually obtaining Ramirez.
Presumably, the San Diego cash will instead be used to bring in Schmidt or Zito to complement Jake Peavy, with Dave Roberts potentially being re-signed to play in their outfield.
Other reports today indicated that the Red Sox are moving closer to keeping Ramirez, which would leave them with a glut of outfielders should J.D. Drew finalize the 4-year, $56MM deal we hear so much about. That would probably mean the end of Trot Nixon's time in Boston and put Wily Mo Peña on the block.
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As for whether or not the Mets will offer Tom Glavine arbitration, I'm inclined to think that the Mets will refrain from doing so. Glavine has continually expressed indecision in the process, and the reason why the Mets didn't pick up his option was solely because the lefty was waffling. One would assume that the Mets, incredibly classy throughout what is quickly becoming an ordeal, would keep with their pattern and not offer arbitration.
That would be consistent with Jon Heyman's reporting at SI.com.
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Sabres and Rangers tonight at HSBC. Eight o'clock is your start time. Wear something warm.
Weekesy's in goal, and rookie Ryan Callahan could be making his first NHL start in place of Jason Ward, while serving as a compliment to Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
11.30.2006
The Last of the Old Guard
Omar Minaya has really put his stamp on this team.
It's worth noting that, with the exception of internal products Jose Reyes and David Wright (who were in fact drafted/signed when Minaya was still on Steve Phillips' staff) and a few other potential 2007 Mets (like Milledge, Humber, Bannister and Soler), this team is all Omar Minaya.
That has been made even more apparent by the likely departures of Tom Glavine and Cliff Floyd, both of whom were signed by Steve Phillips before the 2003 season.
This was our time, we were told, and it wasn't unreasonable to believe that Glavine could continue the stellar output he's shown for his entire career. And Floyd, despite some injury problems, was an excellent combination of power and speed.
However, the ensuing season was one of the ugliest in recent memory. Glavine slogged along to the tune of a 4.52 ERA, with Jeff Duncan (yes, you read that right) logging more innings than any other Met in centerfield.
You all might remember that as the year where the team was disbanded midseason, how in a span of two weeks, Burnitz, Alomar, Rey Sanchez, Benitez and Graeme Lloyd (remember him) all found new homes. They truly were the dark ages.
And the season saw uglier things as well, with Mike Piazza falling victim to a freak muscle tear, and a bunch of washed up utility men were there to see the whole thing, like Joe DePastino, Jay Bell, and Mike Glavine. He might have been there just as a favor to Tom.
Floyd, however, had a Met career cut far too short by injuries. I always praised the guy for his hustle and his grind, even when Achilles tendons were getting the best of him. I can't really argue about whether or not he delivered what we were looking for in the contract, given that he only had one really productive season.
Glavine, though, was something you'd like to forget during that first year. Regrettably, everyone remembers the 15-2 home opener loss to the Cubs, where Glavine threw an impressive 3 2/3 innings of 8-hit, 5-run ball. The game was made a hint uglier by Mike Bacsik's two innings of work, where he allowed nine runs, including two homers to Corey Patterson.
The rest of the season wasn't much better for Tom Terrific, as he really failed to look like that impressive ace we were hunting for. If he leaves (Floyd and Trax are essentially gone anyway), I hope you are aware of who becomes the longest-tenured Met. Yes, kids, it's Pedro Feliciano.
But if you look at the fact that Feliciano threw in Japan for 2005, your longest tenured Met is Jose Reyes. That's right-- all twenty-three years of him. I think that says something about Minaya's reign, and that he is constantly changing the team, leaving only the young and great athletes to remain part of the core.
This offseason, pending Tom Glavine's choice between money/no-trade clauses and his kids, your Mets will lose two players, and with them the memories of the failed season in 2003 are swept out the door.
With Glavine we also might lose the traditional tension that came with his signing. We'd forget the notion about whether he's a true Brave or a Met, or whether or not he actually called John Schuerholz panicked about joining the Flushing squad.
I'm not sure it's time to say good riddance, but for the Mets, the notions of seasons long ago played will be no more, which is nothing to argue about.
--------------
Coming on Saturday: Rangers wrapup, Jets/Packers preview, and maybe a little bit more about Tom Glavine?
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
It's worth noting that, with the exception of internal products Jose Reyes and David Wright (who were in fact drafted/signed when Minaya was still on Steve Phillips' staff) and a few other potential 2007 Mets (like Milledge, Humber, Bannister and Soler), this team is all Omar Minaya.
That has been made even more apparent by the likely departures of Tom Glavine and Cliff Floyd, both of whom were signed by Steve Phillips before the 2003 season.
This was our time, we were told, and it wasn't unreasonable to believe that Glavine could continue the stellar output he's shown for his entire career. And Floyd, despite some injury problems, was an excellent combination of power and speed.
However, the ensuing season was one of the ugliest in recent memory. Glavine slogged along to the tune of a 4.52 ERA, with Jeff Duncan (yes, you read that right) logging more innings than any other Met in centerfield.
You all might remember that as the year where the team was disbanded midseason, how in a span of two weeks, Burnitz, Alomar, Rey Sanchez, Benitez and Graeme Lloyd (remember him) all found new homes. They truly were the dark ages.
And the season saw uglier things as well, with Mike Piazza falling victim to a freak muscle tear, and a bunch of washed up utility men were there to see the whole thing, like Joe DePastino, Jay Bell, and Mike Glavine. He might have been there just as a favor to Tom.
Floyd, however, had a Met career cut far too short by injuries. I always praised the guy for his hustle and his grind, even when Achilles tendons were getting the best of him. I can't really argue about whether or not he delivered what we were looking for in the contract, given that he only had one really productive season.
Glavine, though, was something you'd like to forget during that first year. Regrettably, everyone remembers the 15-2 home opener loss to the Cubs, where Glavine threw an impressive 3 2/3 innings of 8-hit, 5-run ball. The game was made a hint uglier by Mike Bacsik's two innings of work, where he allowed nine runs, including two homers to Corey Patterson.
The rest of the season wasn't much better for Tom Terrific, as he really failed to look like that impressive ace we were hunting for. If he leaves (Floyd and Trax are essentially gone anyway), I hope you are aware of who becomes the longest-tenured Met. Yes, kids, it's Pedro Feliciano.
But if you look at the fact that Feliciano threw in Japan for 2005, your longest tenured Met is Jose Reyes. That's right-- all twenty-three years of him. I think that says something about Minaya's reign, and that he is constantly changing the team, leaving only the young and great athletes to remain part of the core.
This offseason, pending Tom Glavine's choice between money/no-trade clauses and his kids, your Mets will lose two players, and with them the memories of the failed season in 2003 are swept out the door.
With Glavine we also might lose the traditional tension that came with his signing. We'd forget the notion about whether he's a true Brave or a Met, or whether or not he actually called John Schuerholz panicked about joining the Flushing squad.
I'm not sure it's time to say good riddance, but for the Mets, the notions of seasons long ago played will be no more, which is nothing to argue about.
--------------
Coming on Saturday: Rangers wrapup, Jets/Packers preview, and maybe a little bit more about Tom Glavine?
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
11.28.2006
Back, but briefly
Sorry for the recent lack of activity.
My best guess is that I'll be back to cover the Glavine signing.
Also, expect in the next four weeks:
-Book Reviews
-Prospect Coverage
-Transaction Reactions
and nonetheless your elite Rangers and Jets coverage.
Here at crosstown rivals, we're unimpressed by Adrian Jones' blood alcohol level.
Thanks again.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
My best guess is that I'll be back to cover the Glavine signing.
Also, expect in the next four weeks:
-Book Reviews
-Prospect Coverage
-Transaction Reactions
and nonetheless your elite Rangers and Jets coverage.
Here at crosstown rivals, we're unimpressed by Adrian Jones' blood alcohol level.
Thanks again.
Crosstown Rivals is sponsored by JustGreatTickets.com, your home for Chicago White Sox Tickets.
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