Pop Flies

Some more random stuff from around sports for today:

-The Brewers signed Ryan Braun to a five-year contract extension which extends his seven year deal he signed in 2008. He will make an additional $105 million for those five years which will take him to his age 36 season. I think I like this deal. Braun is much more likely to age better than fellow Brewers star Prince Fielder. Locking him up now until he is probably going to no longer be a star player is excellent financial responsibility. There is no telling how much Braun would have asked for in free agency. Of course, there is always the downfall that Braun loses his talent a bit too early, ask the Cleveland Indians about their contract extensions to their young players back in the early 2000's and ask them if they were the wise moves everyone touted them to be. Still, I think Braun should be a good player for years to come and the Brewers already locked up Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks for a few more years. Not to mention their commitment to Zack Greinke. Maybe things will turn around in Milwaukee one of these days.

-With the start the Mets are off to and the hot start for Jose Reyes maybe it is time to start feeling out trades for the shortstop. I don't know who would be looking to part with what the Mets would need to get out of Reyes but perhaps its time to start seeing what's out there. Maybe the Tigers, Red Sox, and maybe even the White Sox if they get sick of waiting for Alexi Ramirez could make a play for him. I'm not sure the Red Sox will though with Marco Scutaro already there and Jed Lowrie playing so well lately. Plus the money would be prohibitive for them.

-Speaking of the Mets, they should make a play for the recently designated for assignment Brandon Wood. Wood, a former first round pick of the Angels in 2007 still is young, 26, and the talent was there at one point. He can probably play adequate defense at second since he has played some shortstop in the past as well as third. Why not give this kid a shot? He has power, has a decent enough glove and won't cost much. Give the kid a shot and let him rip for 500 at bats from second base. It's not like he would be taking the spot of a hot prospect at second.

-According to reports, Kevin Millwood is going to be making a start for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. So far his fastball is still sitting in the mid 80's, not exactly where it was when he was with Atlanta in the late 1990's. I don't know if he is a step up over what the Yankees already have.

-Bartolo Colon had a nice start against the Blue Jays on Wednesday but I don't know how long this guy can hold up. Health has been an issue with him in recent years, not to mention weight. Throw in the fact he pitched in winter ball and I see a breakdown coming one of these days. Still, I can't help but root for the guy and hope he can stay healthy and keep pitching like this.

-Speaking of oft-injured pitchers, Mark Prior went on the 7-day DL in SWB. Prior who has not pitched in the majors since 4,000 years ago hurt his groin. At least it wasn't his elbow or shoulder. I am rooting hard for this guy to make it back to the big leagues.

-Is there a quick fix for the Mets? No. But one way to ensure future success is to start drafting above slot which means you spend a little more per prospect but, as in the Yankees case in 2010, can actually save money on your first round pick to sign the guys you draft in rounds 2-7. The Mets need to restock their farm system and it wouldn't hurt to adapt a system that several teams are having success with.

-Commissioner Bud Selig has stated he would like to expand the MLB Playoffs by adding an extra wild card team. Make sense. You gotta get more markets excited about their seasons and giving the number one team a first round bye is the best idea out there. If you wanna be the best you gotta beat the best.

-Nets GM Billy King thinks newly acquired point guard Deron Williams will re-sign with the Nets. Man, for his sake I hope so. The Nets gave up a lot to get him and if leaves via free agency the Nets will be set back for another five years.

-Call me old fashioned, or nuts, but I HATE the NBA lottery system. When you're the worst team in basketball how can you expect to get better when you don't get the number one pick. Do you think Minnesota will be able to get much better if they get the number 7 pick instead of the first pick they deserve? Stupid, just stupid.

-Ike Davis hit a crushing home run to deep center field tonight. It came right after Jason Bay turned a routine fly ball to shallow right field into a four base error after Hunter Pence dropped the ball. Good job by Bay not giving up. He could have run a little harder out of the box but not much. I'll give him credit for scoring on what should have been an out. Chris Capuano was also surprising tonight. The Mets just need a bullpen and a young Carlos Beltran and a healthy Johan. But, since that ain't gonna happen they just need to play hard and keep going out there every night. Or maybe Terry Collins just needs to get ejected every night. Whatever works.

-The most surprising thing about the playoffs so far? The fact that a banged-up Knicks team has been able to hang tough with the Boston Celtics for two games. Honestly, with Amar'e Stoudemire being hurt and Billups leaving Game 1 I didn't think they had much of a chance. That's not a knock against them but rather props to the Celtics who ARE the defending Eastern Champs. The Knicks gotta be proud and confident they can beat this team and Knicks fans should be feeling good as well. Even if they lose this series they go into next year with something that has been missing from the Knicks since Patrick Ewing left town, hope.

-The biggest surprise this season? Not the Indians. Its the Royals. Honestly, what are THEY doing with a winning record? I bet nobody can name me 8 Royals and I'll spot you Melky Cabrera, Joakim Soria and Billy Butler.

-The percentage of black ball players in MLB has declined from 9.1 to 8.5 percent. This is a huge downswing from the 19% in 1995. I don't really know what the reason is for this, probably because football and basketball are more appealing to African-American youth today. Maybe its the lack of a huge star to get the interest of the kids. I don't know and I don't know how baseball fixes that. Of course, the RBI Program is a great thing and should make an impact in a few years but how do you get people, of any race, creed, or gender interested in baseball if they don't like the sport?

-Kei Igawa went 4 innings tonight for the SWB Yankees allowing only two hits and striking out 3. I can't imagine what is going through his mind. He has to know that he is never going to be brought up to the Bronx again and with the whole earthquake mess in Japan I am sure his mind is going in a thousand different places. I admire him for coming back to the States to honor the remainder of his contract. Would anyone blame him for wanting out?

-Andy Sisco has not allowed a run down in Scranton in 7 innings. The big, 6'10" lefty might be just what the Yankees are looking for, a lefty specialist. He has allowed only 3 hits during that span and opponents are hitting just .125 off of him. Unfortunately, all of those hits have been to lefties. They are hitting .273 off of him. How about a righty specialist?

Well, that's all from me tonight. Enjoy whatever sports are still on. If not, enjoy the replay of the Mets, it was a good game.

Around the Leagues

Is there any reason to watch golf now that Tiger Woods isn't going to be playing in any major tournaments?  I won't be tuning in so let me know how it goes.

LaTroy "Home Run" Hawkins still has a job.  My God, this is getting ridiculous.  Why can't GM Brian Cashman just admit he made a mistake on Hawkins like every other reliever he has acquired via free agency or trade.  Face it Cashman, between Farnsworth and Hawkins, Cashman's mistakes are killing the Yankees.  I know there the Yankees can get better production out of some of their AAA players.  It also looks like Cashman is finally owning up to those mistakes as David Robertson was recently called up.  Robertson has been absolutely amazing in the minors.  Hopefully, those stats translate.

I just witnessed Jose Reyes do one of the most childish things I have ever seen.  On a routine play, Reyes fielded the ball cleanly and fired to first.  The throw was a little wide to the right of the bag, drawing Carlos Delgado off the bag.  Delgado, then missed the ball as he tried to tag Melky Cabrera before the ball was in his glove.  The ball rolled into the dugout and Cabrera went to second.  Reyes then threw his glove down on the ground with such force that his sunglasses also went flying.  The error was on Delgado and here is Reyes showing up one of his teammates.  Good job, Reyes.  And you wonder why the Mets seem to be playing under their level?  Maybe Willie Randolph was lucky getting fired when he did.  Maybe Delgado will break Reyes in two as the kid deserves.  Time to grow up Reyes.  Maybe the Mets should finally admit the kid isn't a team player and trade him to rebuild a farm system that looks like 1980's George Steinbrenner got a hold of it.  The Mets will never win with a kid like that.

What are the Rangers doing with Sean Avery, Brendan Shanahan, and Jaromir Jagr?  Why are these guys not re-signed?  What is Glen Sather waiting for?  Sean Avery has been a charge to the Rangers, on both ends of the ice.  The treatment he has received from the Rangers has been awful and almost criminal.  

The fact that Jagr is not re-signed is also a mystery.  Jagr has been a model citizen since coming to this team, doing everything asked of him.  He is deserving of a contract and respect from the Rangers.  If the Blueshirts wait much longer he will be gone.  It feels like Sather is pushing these guys out the door.  The only problem is, there is nothing he can bring in the door that equals these guys.  Oh, and if things aren't bad enough, Martin Straka just jumped ship and returned to his native Czech Republic to play.  Think he knows something?

A message to Jeremy Shockey:  Shut up and play.  I am sick of your whining.  You want to be traded because you don't like the way the Giants treated you?  Are you kidding me?  I thought you were a man.  I thought you were a leader on this team?  Guess not, huh?  You are showing you are not about the team but rather about you and only you.  The Giants don't need that attitude.  Eli proved he can play very well without you.  If only you could just shut up, do your job, stop yelling every time you don't get a pass thrown your way, and hold onto a pass when it is thrown your way, then the Giants could have one of the best passing attacks in the game.  But you, Mr. Shockey, don't care about that.  Grow up or get out.

I love how all of a sudden Danny Ainge is getting all the credit for this Boston Celtics revival.  Like it takes a genius to know Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are great players!  Give credit where it is due, to the players and Doc Rivers.

I loved how Knick fans booed their team selecting Danillo Gallinari.  I could almost feel the collective groan.  I bet the only thing they could think of was Frederic Weis.  Only time will tell if they're right.

Good job by the Nets on draft day.  They dump Richard Jefferson's contract on the Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons.  Yi was a disappointment for the Bucks, a team he didn't want to play for from day 1.  Yi should give the Nets some boost in the frontcourt.  Trading Jefferson, one of the better players to ever put on a Nets uniform, sets the Nets up for 2010 cap room, something the crosstown Knicks can only dream about.  You know who becomes a free agent in 2010?  LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Josh Howard all can opt out of their contracts.  Think the Nets are setting themselves up for a run at one or two of these guys?  How does Chris Bosh and LeBron James sound in Brooklyn?  Kudos to the Nets for at least trying.