I still can't believe the hype surrounding Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks. The guy has been phenomenal, don't get me wrong, but he has played less than a week of basketball at this level and has yet to play with the Knicks two biggest stars, Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. Lin has been the answer for the Knicks after they lost Anthony to injury and Stoudemire to the death of his brother. However, Stoudemire is back and I don't see a problem with him playing with Lin. Instead, I see Melo being the question because Melo almost demands that the offense run through him. Look at what has happened to Stoudemire's stats since Melo joined the team as exhibit A.
Anyway, this blog isn't about how Jeremy Lin is going to fit in with the Knicks. I'm sure he will be fine. This post is about the insanity, or should I say Linsanity, surrounding everything Jeremy Lin. A quick scan of eBay will show astronomical prices on some Jeremy Lin rookie cards. Three weeks ago, people couldn't give these cards away. How much value did a guy who was cut by the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets and riding the bench for the Knicks warrant? None. Then, Lin started playing, and the Knicks started winning. That once worthless basketball card is now selling for $20 in most cases. Here is the link to an offering for a Jeremy Lin autographed RC going for $199.50 (with less than two minutes left as I write this)http://www.ebay.com/itm/JEREMY-LIN-2010-11-PANINI-TIMELESS-TREASURES-CARD-AUTO-10-299-ROOKIE-KNICKS-/320847880837?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab4062285.
It's crazy. It's Linsane! Want more? Just type in Jeremy Lin on eBay, or follow this link and prepare to be shocked. His jersey is selling out faster than stores can replenish them. He is putting the Knicks back on the radar because he has people excited again. For all of the hype that surrounded the Knicks going into this season with Stoudemire and Melo, and Tyson Chandler, it was Lin that made Knicks fans believe. Why?
In the sports world when you have someone come from out of nowhere and enjoy success it excites fans mostly because the fans can dream about doing it themselves. What kid wouldn't love to take Kobe to school on the court? Jeremy Lin never went to school at a basketball powerhouse. He was a HArvard boy with enough talent to barely get a look in the NBA. Then, all of a sudden, like Robert Redford in The Natural, he is hitting game winning shots and putting up rookie numbers that haven't been seen in a long time. With this type of success you will have people looking to cash in, especially on the secondary market.
Enter the eBay Lin craze. Enter the Lin craze in general. In a society fueled by the need to have the latest and greatest, people are running out and buying everything Jeremy Lin. Jeremy Lin is the new iPhone of the NBA. Everyone has to have his jersey. People want his autograph. People need to follow him on Twitter (his account by the way now has 217,195 followers as of 2:27 PM on Feb. 13th). People want to feel a part of "IT", whatever "IT" is. Right now, Jeremy Lin is "it" because he has helped turn around the Knicks season which was looking like it was going to be a huge disappointment. In a city with over 8 million people and a metro area of about 14 million, being the next big thing is huge. We have all seen the Facebook and Twitter posts of our friends who are suddenly interested in Knicks basketball again, even if the last Knick they could name was Patrick Ewing.
Jeremy Lin is bringing the swagger back to New York, especially on the heels of the New York Giants winning the Super Bowl. New York is becoming cool again in sports. Even the New York Rangers are atop the NHL standings and the Yankees are poised for another playoff run. New York has had it's share of winners over the years but the Knicks haven't had much success since Patrick Ewing left and now, with the help of a scrawny Harvard kid, the Knicks are relevant again in a way that might even make Patrick jealous.
So, will the Jeremy Lin market crash? In a conversation on Twitter with Beckett editor, Chris Olds, who clearly has a pulse on the card market, he believes there is a chance for the Lin market, at least the Lin card market to sustain these prices if people start putting them away and not flooding the market with it. He is right. There are limited numbers of these cards since card companies, like Panini, are not overproducing cards like they did in the 1980's and 1990's. If people are putting the Lin's away into their personal collections and the demand remains high then there won't be a crash. My personal belief is that greed will win out and these cards will keep on getting posted, especially if the Knicks make the playoffs and Jeremy Lin continues this absurd level of playing. People will always look to cash in. It's human nature. There will be a few who will keep their Jeremy Lin rookie cards, if I had one I might take advantage of the craze and post it up for sale but if I had doubles I would keep one for my own collection.
Bottom line, if you think the Jeremy Lin craze is at a fever pitch now, just wait if the Knicks get to the NBA Finals and this kid is still playing at this level. You ain't seen nothing yet.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Some of this and a little of that
-Mets GM Sandy Alderson is now on Twitter and opened his account with a bit of a joke. It read, "Getting ready for Spring Training-Driving to FL but haven't left yet. Big fundraiser tonight for gas money. Also exploring PAC contribution." Pretty funny guy. Although this account isn't verified by Twitter just yet the Mets organization confirmed that it is Sandy's account. However, given the Mets propensity for misdiagnosing everything from injuries to free agent contracts I wouldn't hold my breath just yet.
-The New York Knicks have their Tim Tebow. Jeremy Lin has exploded in New York, and around the league. He has scored 25, 28, and 23 points in his last three games and has almost single handedly made Knicks fans forget that Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are out with injury or, as in Stoudemire's case, out grieving a lost brother. It also helped that Lin won the game against Utah on February 6th. Yeah, the Knicks might have found an answer in Lin or they may have created more questions in the long run. Personally, I'll wait and see what happens when Carmelo and Amar'e come back and see how the kid handles the point guard position then. I also wonder if the monetary commitment to Baron Davis will make a difference in Lin's playing time when Davis comes back from injury. For now, it's hard not to like the kid. He went to Harvard and has come from out of nowhere. Of course he is going to be hyped. Time will tell if the kid is as good as these three games says he is. I, however, have liked what I have seen in the bits and pieces that I can stand to watch pro basketball. Here you can see Maurice Evans avoid being posterized by Lin as he goes in for a dynamic dunk. Nice defense Evans.
-The Yankees signed Russell Branyan to a minor league contract yesterday. Branyan is getting up there in age, he is 36 years old, and his production suffered mightily last season. Between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (can you please change your name back to the California Angels because this name sucks) and Arizona Diamondbacks he hit .197 with 5 homers and 14 RBI's. He has, however, hit two of the longest home runs ever at the new Yankee Stadium, the longest of which travelled 451 feet. He isn't that far removed from hitting 31 homers, which he did in Seattle in 2009 so it might be worth a shot. Branyan will either hit the ball deep or strike out so there won't be much suspense if he makes the team. Joining Branyan with the hopes of keeping their Major League dreams alive are DeWayne Wise (famous for his catch that saved Mark Buerhle's no-hitter), Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, and Bill Hall.
-Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd admits he was under the influence of cocaine when he pitched sometimes. Somehow, even as a kid, I had that feeling. He blames racism for his not getting another chance like Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and Steve Howe. He claims that he was a loud and proud black man and he was discriminated against because of this. My question is, when was this guy not on cocaine? He says he pitched "two-thirds" of his games under the influence but he doesn't say when he actually quit the drug, if he did at all. That could have a lot to do with it. If he was stil using and wasn't performing why would ANY team give him a shot? At least in Gooden and Strawberry and Howe's cases, these men had stopped using, had entered treatment facilities and are, in Gooden and Strawberry's case, still dealing with the struggle to stay clean. Boyd needs to stop pointing the finger at a racist MLB and start looking in the mirror. He has nobody to blame but himself.
-Here is an interesting tidbit, Mike Napoli heads into arbitration as being one of only 4 catchers to average 20 homers a season in his first six seasons. The others? Oh, just Mike Piazza, Roy Campanella, and Johnny Bench. Amazing.
-The Yankees and Pirates are talking about a deal for AJ Burnett. According to Buster Olney, the Yankees are asking for Garrett Jones and the Pirates aren't interested in dealing him. I don't know if a deal will happen, in fact I'd be surprised. The Pirates will most likely ask the Yankees to eat most, if not all, of Burnett's contract while not giving up any decent players or prospects. Jones is a nice player who would fit in nicely in the OF/1B/DH rotation and provide some pop.
-After watching the New York Rangers lose a game-tying goal in the closing seconds of their game against the Devils thanks to a blown call by the referee, I think it is time the NHL adopt a review policy like that of the NFL. Simply reviewing that potentially-game altering play would have shown there was no penalty and that goal should have counted, thereby awarding each team one point. Instead, the game was over and the Devils got two points all because a referee got a call wrong. In the last minute of every game if there is a goal it should be reviewed, regardless if there is a penalty or not on the play. If no penalty is seen then the goal should count. Period. Just my two cents.
-
-The New York Knicks have their Tim Tebow. Jeremy Lin has exploded in New York, and around the league. He has scored 25, 28, and 23 points in his last three games and has almost single handedly made Knicks fans forget that Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are out with injury or, as in Stoudemire's case, out grieving a lost brother. It also helped that Lin won the game against Utah on February 6th. Yeah, the Knicks might have found an answer in Lin or they may have created more questions in the long run. Personally, I'll wait and see what happens when Carmelo and Amar'e come back and see how the kid handles the point guard position then. I also wonder if the monetary commitment to Baron Davis will make a difference in Lin's playing time when Davis comes back from injury. For now, it's hard not to like the kid. He went to Harvard and has come from out of nowhere. Of course he is going to be hyped. Time will tell if the kid is as good as these three games says he is. I, however, have liked what I have seen in the bits and pieces that I can stand to watch pro basketball. Here you can see Maurice Evans avoid being posterized by Lin as he goes in for a dynamic dunk. Nice defense Evans.
-The Yankees signed Russell Branyan to a minor league contract yesterday. Branyan is getting up there in age, he is 36 years old, and his production suffered mightily last season. Between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (can you please change your name back to the California Angels because this name sucks) and Arizona Diamondbacks he hit .197 with 5 homers and 14 RBI's. He has, however, hit two of the longest home runs ever at the new Yankee Stadium, the longest of which travelled 451 feet. He isn't that far removed from hitting 31 homers, which he did in Seattle in 2009 so it might be worth a shot. Branyan will either hit the ball deep or strike out so there won't be much suspense if he makes the team. Joining Branyan with the hopes of keeping their Major League dreams alive are DeWayne Wise (famous for his catch that saved Mark Buerhle's no-hitter), Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, and Bill Hall.
-Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd admits he was under the influence of cocaine when he pitched sometimes. Somehow, even as a kid, I had that feeling. He blames racism for his not getting another chance like Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and Steve Howe. He claims that he was a loud and proud black man and he was discriminated against because of this. My question is, when was this guy not on cocaine? He says he pitched "two-thirds" of his games under the influence but he doesn't say when he actually quit the drug, if he did at all. That could have a lot to do with it. If he was stil using and wasn't performing why would ANY team give him a shot? At least in Gooden and Strawberry and Howe's cases, these men had stopped using, had entered treatment facilities and are, in Gooden and Strawberry's case, still dealing with the struggle to stay clean. Boyd needs to stop pointing the finger at a racist MLB and start looking in the mirror. He has nobody to blame but himself.
-Here is an interesting tidbit, Mike Napoli heads into arbitration as being one of only 4 catchers to average 20 homers a season in his first six seasons. The others? Oh, just Mike Piazza, Roy Campanella, and Johnny Bench. Amazing.
-The Yankees and Pirates are talking about a deal for AJ Burnett. According to Buster Olney, the Yankees are asking for Garrett Jones and the Pirates aren't interested in dealing him. I don't know if a deal will happen, in fact I'd be surprised. The Pirates will most likely ask the Yankees to eat most, if not all, of Burnett's contract while not giving up any decent players or prospects. Jones is a nice player who would fit in nicely in the OF/1B/DH rotation and provide some pop.
-After watching the New York Rangers lose a game-tying goal in the closing seconds of their game against the Devils thanks to a blown call by the referee, I think it is time the NHL adopt a review policy like that of the NFL. Simply reviewing that potentially-game altering play would have shown there was no penalty and that goal should have counted, thereby awarding each team one point. Instead, the game was over and the Devils got two points all because a referee got a call wrong. In the last minute of every game if there is a goal it should be reviewed, regardless if there is a penalty or not on the play. If no penalty is seen then the goal should count. Period. Just my two cents.
-
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Hall of Shame
Right before the Super Bowl, the NFL announced it's Hall of Fame class. Needless to say I was shocked at the omissions. I'm not saying that these guys didn't deserve a shot at the Hall of Fame, but some of the omissions have left me angry at the NFL and the way people are elected into the Hall of Fame.
Cris Carter is second all-time among receivers with 130 TD receptions. He is also one of eight players to have over 1,000 receptions. He has been eligible since 2008 and yet he still finds himself on the outside looking in. Carter led the league in receptions one year (1994) with 122. The following year, Carter tied his career high with another 122 receptions. He led the league in touchdown catches three times. He was an 8x Pro Bowler to boot. There is no way Cortez Kennedy is more valuable than Cris Carter.
Let's talk about Cortez Kennedy. He was elected to the Pro Bowl 8 times, never led the league in a single category, and recorded double digit sacks just once, 14 in 1992. He was a good player but not Hall of Fame worthy in my opinion. His 568 tackles and 58 career sacks don't come close to the numbers that other, more deserving players put up. One of those players was Charles Haley.
Charles Haley did get elected to the Pro bowl as many times as Cortez Kennedy. Haley was only elected 5 times. However, Haley ended his NFL career with 100.5 sacks. More importantly, Haley led the 49ers defense to Super Bowls and then helped Dallas do the same. He was the heart of several Championship defenses and a terror to opposing quarterbacks. I know he had more of an impact on the game than Cortez Kennedy did. I'm not trying to diminish what Kennedy did but Haley was the best on some of the best defenses in the game. That has to count for something.
How Bill Parcells is left off is beyond me. That is just ludicrous. He turned around a pathetic Giants team and brought 2 Super Bowl Championships to New York. Then he took New England from the depths and brought them to a Super Bowl. Then, he became the head coach of the Jets and turned that franchise around. Next, he took a struggling Dallas team and remade them into title contenders. He even almost rejuvenated a Dolphins franchise. Everywhere he has gone he has won. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, period.
Andre Reed was the number one receiving option on one of the most explosive offenses in football history and yet did not get elected. Tim Brown is another of the best receivers of his generation and yet did not get elected. Something is fishy about the way the NFL allows people to vote. Surely it wouldn't hurt if they made people make their ballots public like they do in baseball. I say they do it so people can explain how they voted.
Cris Carter is second all-time among receivers with 130 TD receptions. He is also one of eight players to have over 1,000 receptions. He has been eligible since 2008 and yet he still finds himself on the outside looking in. Carter led the league in receptions one year (1994) with 122. The following year, Carter tied his career high with another 122 receptions. He led the league in touchdown catches three times. He was an 8x Pro Bowler to boot. There is no way Cortez Kennedy is more valuable than Cris Carter.
Let's talk about Cortez Kennedy. He was elected to the Pro Bowl 8 times, never led the league in a single category, and recorded double digit sacks just once, 14 in 1992. He was a good player but not Hall of Fame worthy in my opinion. His 568 tackles and 58 career sacks don't come close to the numbers that other, more deserving players put up. One of those players was Charles Haley.
Charles Haley did get elected to the Pro bowl as many times as Cortez Kennedy. Haley was only elected 5 times. However, Haley ended his NFL career with 100.5 sacks. More importantly, Haley led the 49ers defense to Super Bowls and then helped Dallas do the same. He was the heart of several Championship defenses and a terror to opposing quarterbacks. I know he had more of an impact on the game than Cortez Kennedy did. I'm not trying to diminish what Kennedy did but Haley was the best on some of the best defenses in the game. That has to count for something.
How Bill Parcells is left off is beyond me. That is just ludicrous. He turned around a pathetic Giants team and brought 2 Super Bowl Championships to New York. Then he took New England from the depths and brought them to a Super Bowl. Then, he became the head coach of the Jets and turned that franchise around. Next, he took a struggling Dallas team and remade them into title contenders. He even almost rejuvenated a Dolphins franchise. Everywhere he has gone he has won. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, period.
Andre Reed was the number one receiving option on one of the most explosive offenses in football history and yet did not get elected. Tim Brown is another of the best receivers of his generation and yet did not get elected. Something is fishy about the way the NFL allows people to vote. Surely it wouldn't hurt if they made people make their ballots public like they do in baseball. I say they do it so people can explain how they voted.
Super Bowl Hangover? Not in New York
The New York Football Giants are Super Bowl Champions. The confetti has been cleaned up and the champagne has been drunk but there is no hangover in New York. The New York Giants defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots for the second time in 4 years in the sports biggest game and New York football has taken center-stage once again. Amazingly, it had nothing to do with Rex Ryan who must be on Zoloft by now after watching the team that shares a stadium with the Jets beat the team that reigns in their division. It happens sometimes, Rex. In all seriousness, that was the last shot I'm taking at Rex Ryan or the Jets in this post because it isn't about the Jets right now. It is about the New York Giants. They are the Champions of football once again. I never thought this team had a shot at the beginning of the year. Never. I don't think there was a Giants fan out there who thought the team would be Super Bowl bound after they were at 7-7 after losing to the Washington Redskins. I have seen every Giants Super Bowl and they all seem to have one moment (ok, not the Ravens Super Bowl debacle but all the wins do) that makes the game a classic. In 1986 there was Phil McConkey with the catch and Phil Simms setting the all-time Super Bowl completion percentage. In 1990 there was Mark Ingram's catch and Scott Norwood's wide right. Hell, even in 2000 Ron Dixon had the kickoff return for a TD. In 2007, there was David Tyree catching the ball against his helmet after Eli Manning escapes a sure sack. Then, there was the Plaxico Burress TD catch in the corner of the endzone. There was the defeat of a previously undefeated team and the thrill of victory. Then, this year, there was Mario Manningham's catch that led to the Giants game-winning "reluctant touchdown" by Ahmad Bradshaw. There was Eli Manning leading his team down the field for one more 4th quarter comeback in a season full of them. There was Chase Blackburn, the guy who started the year as a substitute teacher before being signed right before the Giants-Packers game in early December, getting a timely interception against Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, a tight end coming off of one of the best single seasons ever at his position.
As the Giants bring the Lombardi Trophy to the New York/New Jersey area, it is fitting to think about the history that the New York Giants have had in this game. No, they don't own the record for most Super Bowl victories. But, there is something special about Big Blue. Something that no other team can claim. The New York Giants were where some of the game's greatest coaches got their start, whether as head coach or assistant. A quick mental check reveals Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and Tom Coughlin all began their coaching careers with Big Blue. It just seems fitting that the Lombardi Trophy now resides in New York.
It might be years before Giants fans stop talking about this past Super Bowl. The memories of the last Giants Super Bowl were still fresh in every Giants mind as they prepared for a rematch. I hope, as a Giants fan, that I don't have to wait more than two years for another Super Bowl but I know I will have this one to keep me warm for many winters to come if need be. Especially when the embers of the Giants Super Bowl XLII win still smolders all these years later. Thank you Big Blue.
As the Giants bring the Lombardi Trophy to the New York/New Jersey area, it is fitting to think about the history that the New York Giants have had in this game. No, they don't own the record for most Super Bowl victories. But, there is something special about Big Blue. Something that no other team can claim. The New York Giants were where some of the game's greatest coaches got their start, whether as head coach or assistant. A quick mental check reveals Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and Tom Coughlin all began their coaching careers with Big Blue. It just seems fitting that the Lombardi Trophy now resides in New York.
It might be years before Giants fans stop talking about this past Super Bowl. The memories of the last Giants Super Bowl were still fresh in every Giants mind as they prepared for a rematch. I hope, as a Giants fan, that I don't have to wait more than two years for another Super Bowl but I know I will have this one to keep me warm for many winters to come if need be. Especially when the embers of the Giants Super Bowl XLII win still smolders all these years later. Thank you Big Blue.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Sandy and the Mets
The New york Mets are in a bit of a bind. They have financial problems that threaten the entire organization, all stemming from the Wilpon's decision to invest in Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme. Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel were fired two seasons ago and now the Mets are run by Sandy Alderson, who some believe fostered sabermetrics in the baseball world and gave birth to Billy Beane, the star of Moneyball. Well, here in reality, I see Sandy Alderson, not as the father of sabermatricians everywhere but rather a shrewd evaluator of baseball talent. Here is a look at some of the players Alderson drafted during his tenure as general manager of the Oakland Athletics:
1984: Drafted Mark McGwire in the first round with the 10th overall pick. McGwire, with, or without the help of performance enhancers, would go on to become one of the greatest sluggers in the game. Oh, and he won the Rookie of the Year Award.
1985: Drafted Walt Weiss with the 11th overall pick in the first round. Weiss would win the Rookie of the Year award as well and would go on to become a serviceable player for years and helped lead the A's to a World Series title.
1986: Alderson drafted two players who would go on to have very productive careers, albeit for other teams. He drafted Kevin Tapani in the second round and Rod Beck in the 13th. Tapani would be a very good middle of the rotation starter for the Twins and Rod Beck would be a dominant closer for the Giants in the mid-1990's.
1987: This draft was a little lackluster. Scott Brosius, who went on to be traded for Kenny Rogers, would go on to help the Yankees win a World Series or two, or three.
1988: Nobody big drafted here. Just a few serviceable players like Darren Lewis and Joe Grahe.
1989: Another kind of blah year with Matt Mieske, Kurt Abbott, Craig Paquette, and Dana Allison types. Good enough to make the majors, maybe even have a very good year or two but not good enough to keep it up.
1990: Everyone who grew up collecting baseball cards in the 1990's remembers the name Todd Van Poppel. He was the top pitching prospect in all of baseball at one point but never came close to living up to expectations, mostly due to injury. Other serviceable Major Leaguers drafted that year include Tanyon Sturtze, Kirk Dressendorfer, Ernie Young, and Izzy Molina.
1991: Not a very good draft.
1992: Jason Giambi was picked in the 2nd round. He would only go on to win an MVP in an A's uniform before bolting for more money in the Bronx.
1993: Scott Spiezio was taken in the 6th round. He helped the Angels win the World Series in 2002.
1994: Ben Grieve, who would go on to win yet another Rookie of the Year Award for the A's was drafted here. He had a nice career but flamed out early on. I wouldn't mind having had Grieve's career in the Majors. Not for one second. Tim Hudson was also drafted but did not sign.
1995: Mark Bellhorn was drafted in the 2nd round. Bellhorn was a decent enough middle infielder. Other notables include Jeff DaVanon and David Newhan.
1996: Eric Chavez highlights this class. Chavez was one of the best third basemen in the entire Major Leagues. Too bad injuries sapped him of all of his Hall of Fame potential.
1997: Drafted Tim Hudson again in the 6th round and inked him to a contract this time. He only won 20 games and helped take the "Moneyball" A's to the playoffs. He was an ace and is still pitching very well for Atlanta.
1998: Mark Mulder, one of the three aces that had nothing to do with the success of the Oakland Athletics "Moneyball" years was taken with the 2nd overall pick. Mulder won 20 games but his career was shortened due to injury. Gerald Laird, and Eric Byrnes are the other notables from this draft class.
Then, the torch was passed to Billy Beane who profited more than any other general manager from his predecessors draft classes. Yes, Beane did draft Barry Zito to round out the big three but it was Alderson that laid the groundwork. It was Alderson who signed Miguel Tejada, drafted Eric Chavez, and Jason Giambi. Yes, none of those guys stayed but it was also their departures that paved the way for new draft picks like Nick Swisher, for example, who was taken with the compensation pick after the A's lost Giambi. Sandy Alderson made the A's into what Billy Beane got credit for. There is no doubt in my mind.
Since taking the reigns from Omar Minaya and the clueless Mets ownership that allowed Minaya to ink the likes of Jason Bay, Luis Castillo, and Oliver Perez to name a few, Alderson has set about rebuilding the Mets team. Granted, he doesn't have the resources that Minaya enjoyed but he has a plan and a keen eye for baseball talent that Minaya never had. Let's not forget that this is the same Omar Minaya that traded Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips to the Indians for Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew when he was GM of the Expos. Gee, I wonder if the Expos, who turned into the Nationals, would have liked to have a middle of the field that included Brandon Phillips at second, Grady in center, and Cliff Lee on the mound? Colon did go 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA for the Expos but he was traded to the White Sox for...get this...Rocky Biddle, Orlando Hernandez, and Jeff Liefer! Great job Minaya. You turned 3 players who made the All-Star team later on for basically a washed up El Duque, a middling middle reliever in Biddle, and a guy who barely made the Majors in Liefer. Congrats! Oh, and those playoff hopes that Minaya saw and dealt the future for? Well, the Expos finished 12 games out of the playoffs. So, ummm, yeah. It's hard taking over for stupidity. Well, I'll give him a bit of a pass because he did give up bopkus for a couple of good seasons of Johan Santana.
The Mets farm system hasn't produced a star since David Wright debuted in 2004. Before that it was Jose Reyes. The Mets haven't been known for their farm system in years. It has been neglected and abused over the years. Look at the "Top Prospects" that have come forth: Paul Wilson, Bill Pulsipher, Jason Isringhausen, Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Alex Escobar...the list goes on. These were top prospects that were either rushed to the majors, suffered major injuries, or saw success on other teams, or all three. The Mets and farm system do NOT go together. Don't mention Ike Davis to me just yet, he has a lot to prove, including staying healthy. I have written about the Mets farm abuse before, you can look in the archives for those stories. This is nothing new. Enter Sandy Alderson.
Alderson has been the Mets GM for two seasons now. Really, he has one full season under his belt as Mets GM, having taken over in October of 2010. He has had one draft with the Mets. One. Yet, Mets fans are already ready to fire him. He let Jose Reyes walk. He spent $10 million on middle relievers and bench players. He drafted Brandon Nimmo who never played high school baseball. The list of complaints, all of them unwarranted, goes on. Alderson has not even gotten his office set up yet at Citi Field and already Mets fans want him gone, afraid that he is trying to turn the Mets into Oakland East. Let's not forget that Alderson did build a World Series winner using a fairly big payroll in 1989. His teams also went to two other World Series'. The man knows baseball, period. He turned Carlos Beltran, who was not coming back to Queens, into a top pitching prospect in Zack Wheeler. The Giants got half of a season out of Beltran who went to St. Louis. Score one for Alderson.
Alderson fleeced San Francisco again when he sent Angel Pagan to the Giants in exchange for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. Torres and Pagan are kind of interchangeable. Pagan had a bit of a stigma as a clubhouse distraction and getting a similar player and a middle reliever in exchange for him was a solid move. Within hours of that trade, Alderson inked Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco to contracts. Both are middle relievers. Both should be decent enough in Citi Field, even with the fences moved in, to get some decent prospects in return come July when every MLB team in the race is looking for bullpen upgrades. None of these moves made this offseason are for this year. They are stopgaps and plugs to bide time until Alderson's draft classes, and Matt Harvey, and some others are ready to help take the reigns of the future. Most of the veterans are pieces to be used in trades for prospects which will allow Mets ownership to breathe a little and regroup. The goal of the Mets is NOT to become the A's of the East. There is no way fans would pay to watch that and the Wilpon's are businessmen who are probably tired of losing money at this point. Having an empty new stadium is probably not on their list of things they want.
Mets fans need to calm down and stop demanding Sandy Alderson's job already. He hasn't had a chance to execute his plan. Firing him now would only add years onto the Mets rebuilding plan and possibly destroy it. I'd have faith in a guy who found McGwire, Giambi, Tejada, Hudson, Mulder, and Chavez. Why wouldn't you?
1984: Drafted Mark McGwire in the first round with the 10th overall pick. McGwire, with, or without the help of performance enhancers, would go on to become one of the greatest sluggers in the game. Oh, and he won the Rookie of the Year Award.
1985: Drafted Walt Weiss with the 11th overall pick in the first round. Weiss would win the Rookie of the Year award as well and would go on to become a serviceable player for years and helped lead the A's to a World Series title.
1986: Alderson drafted two players who would go on to have very productive careers, albeit for other teams. He drafted Kevin Tapani in the second round and Rod Beck in the 13th. Tapani would be a very good middle of the rotation starter for the Twins and Rod Beck would be a dominant closer for the Giants in the mid-1990's.
1987: This draft was a little lackluster. Scott Brosius, who went on to be traded for Kenny Rogers, would go on to help the Yankees win a World Series or two, or three.
1988: Nobody big drafted here. Just a few serviceable players like Darren Lewis and Joe Grahe.
1989: Another kind of blah year with Matt Mieske, Kurt Abbott, Craig Paquette, and Dana Allison types. Good enough to make the majors, maybe even have a very good year or two but not good enough to keep it up.
1990: Everyone who grew up collecting baseball cards in the 1990's remembers the name Todd Van Poppel. He was the top pitching prospect in all of baseball at one point but never came close to living up to expectations, mostly due to injury. Other serviceable Major Leaguers drafted that year include Tanyon Sturtze, Kirk Dressendorfer, Ernie Young, and Izzy Molina.
1991: Not a very good draft.
1992: Jason Giambi was picked in the 2nd round. He would only go on to win an MVP in an A's uniform before bolting for more money in the Bronx.
1993: Scott Spiezio was taken in the 6th round. He helped the Angels win the World Series in 2002.
1994: Ben Grieve, who would go on to win yet another Rookie of the Year Award for the A's was drafted here. He had a nice career but flamed out early on. I wouldn't mind having had Grieve's career in the Majors. Not for one second. Tim Hudson was also drafted but did not sign.
1995: Mark Bellhorn was drafted in the 2nd round. Bellhorn was a decent enough middle infielder. Other notables include Jeff DaVanon and David Newhan.
1996: Eric Chavez highlights this class. Chavez was one of the best third basemen in the entire Major Leagues. Too bad injuries sapped him of all of his Hall of Fame potential.
1997: Drafted Tim Hudson again in the 6th round and inked him to a contract this time. He only won 20 games and helped take the "Moneyball" A's to the playoffs. He was an ace and is still pitching very well for Atlanta.
1998: Mark Mulder, one of the three aces that had nothing to do with the success of the Oakland Athletics "Moneyball" years was taken with the 2nd overall pick. Mulder won 20 games but his career was shortened due to injury. Gerald Laird, and Eric Byrnes are the other notables from this draft class.
Then, the torch was passed to Billy Beane who profited more than any other general manager from his predecessors draft classes. Yes, Beane did draft Barry Zito to round out the big three but it was Alderson that laid the groundwork. It was Alderson who signed Miguel Tejada, drafted Eric Chavez, and Jason Giambi. Yes, none of those guys stayed but it was also their departures that paved the way for new draft picks like Nick Swisher, for example, who was taken with the compensation pick after the A's lost Giambi. Sandy Alderson made the A's into what Billy Beane got credit for. There is no doubt in my mind.
Since taking the reigns from Omar Minaya and the clueless Mets ownership that allowed Minaya to ink the likes of Jason Bay, Luis Castillo, and Oliver Perez to name a few, Alderson has set about rebuilding the Mets team. Granted, he doesn't have the resources that Minaya enjoyed but he has a plan and a keen eye for baseball talent that Minaya never had. Let's not forget that this is the same Omar Minaya that traded Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips to the Indians for Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew when he was GM of the Expos. Gee, I wonder if the Expos, who turned into the Nationals, would have liked to have a middle of the field that included Brandon Phillips at second, Grady in center, and Cliff Lee on the mound? Colon did go 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA for the Expos but he was traded to the White Sox for...get this...Rocky Biddle, Orlando Hernandez, and Jeff Liefer! Great job Minaya. You turned 3 players who made the All-Star team later on for basically a washed up El Duque, a middling middle reliever in Biddle, and a guy who barely made the Majors in Liefer. Congrats! Oh, and those playoff hopes that Minaya saw and dealt the future for? Well, the Expos finished 12 games out of the playoffs. So, ummm, yeah. It's hard taking over for stupidity. Well, I'll give him a bit of a pass because he did give up bopkus for a couple of good seasons of Johan Santana.
The Mets farm system hasn't produced a star since David Wright debuted in 2004. Before that it was Jose Reyes. The Mets haven't been known for their farm system in years. It has been neglected and abused over the years. Look at the "Top Prospects" that have come forth: Paul Wilson, Bill Pulsipher, Jason Isringhausen, Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, Alex Escobar...the list goes on. These were top prospects that were either rushed to the majors, suffered major injuries, or saw success on other teams, or all three. The Mets and farm system do NOT go together. Don't mention Ike Davis to me just yet, he has a lot to prove, including staying healthy. I have written about the Mets farm abuse before, you can look in the archives for those stories. This is nothing new. Enter Sandy Alderson.
Alderson has been the Mets GM for two seasons now. Really, he has one full season under his belt as Mets GM, having taken over in October of 2010. He has had one draft with the Mets. One. Yet, Mets fans are already ready to fire him. He let Jose Reyes walk. He spent $10 million on middle relievers and bench players. He drafted Brandon Nimmo who never played high school baseball. The list of complaints, all of them unwarranted, goes on. Alderson has not even gotten his office set up yet at Citi Field and already Mets fans want him gone, afraid that he is trying to turn the Mets into Oakland East. Let's not forget that Alderson did build a World Series winner using a fairly big payroll in 1989. His teams also went to two other World Series'. The man knows baseball, period. He turned Carlos Beltran, who was not coming back to Queens, into a top pitching prospect in Zack Wheeler. The Giants got half of a season out of Beltran who went to St. Louis. Score one for Alderson.
Alderson fleeced San Francisco again when he sent Angel Pagan to the Giants in exchange for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. Torres and Pagan are kind of interchangeable. Pagan had a bit of a stigma as a clubhouse distraction and getting a similar player and a middle reliever in exchange for him was a solid move. Within hours of that trade, Alderson inked Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco to contracts. Both are middle relievers. Both should be decent enough in Citi Field, even with the fences moved in, to get some decent prospects in return come July when every MLB team in the race is looking for bullpen upgrades. None of these moves made this offseason are for this year. They are stopgaps and plugs to bide time until Alderson's draft classes, and Matt Harvey, and some others are ready to help take the reigns of the future. Most of the veterans are pieces to be used in trades for prospects which will allow Mets ownership to breathe a little and regroup. The goal of the Mets is NOT to become the A's of the East. There is no way fans would pay to watch that and the Wilpon's are businessmen who are probably tired of losing money at this point. Having an empty new stadium is probably not on their list of things they want.
Mets fans need to calm down and stop demanding Sandy Alderson's job already. He hasn't had a chance to execute his plan. Firing him now would only add years onto the Mets rebuilding plan and possibly destroy it. I'd have faith in a guy who found McGwire, Giambi, Tejada, Hudson, Mulder, and Chavez. Why wouldn't you?
"Media" Day
I don't understand the NFL's vetting process for Super Bowl media day. Seriously, who lets some of these people in? Do we really need to have Artie Lang asking Bill Belichick on how to fix the Minnesota Timberwolves? Or, reporters from EXTRA running around wearing Tom Brady jerseys? Just what NFL knowledge does Ciara bring to the event? Oh, she trains with the same trainer Tom Brady does? Or how about the crackpot asking Pats tight end Aaron Hernandez if he wants to hold his dragon? For the record, the man was talking about a dragon he was wearing around his neck. Was it necessary to ask Logan Mankins, an All-Pro guard for the Patriots, who would win an arm wrestling match between King Kong and Godzilla? Do Super Bowl fans really care if Wes Welker can name the cast of the "Jersey Shore"? Why are reporters, wearing outrageous costumes and asking questions that have nothing to do with the Super Bowl, allowed to do this? It's a side show that, in my opinion, cheapens the whole event. Does anybody really care about fictitious arm-wrestling match-ups? There is no reason for these questions. None. I understand that the Super Bowl is the NFL's biggest stage but don't make stooges out of the players by allowing Larry, Moe, and Curly in to interview the players. Do we really care, as NFL fans, what kind of dance moves Aaron Hernandez, a Puerto Rican, will do in response to Victor Cruz who has made the salsa dance part of his end zone routine? The answer, NFL, is no, nobody gives a damn.
Here is an idea...check out who you are giving the credentials to. If you aren't going to do that then I want a pass for next year's media day so I can interview the players for my blog. I promise I will ask only football questions. Can we begin to take the NFL's most serious football game a little more seriously? Keep the crackpots for the Pro Bowl where this kind of atmosphere can be accepted. Stop jerking real NFL fans around and don't waste the time of the players. I honestly can't blame Osi Umenyiora for skipping out, who really wants to deal with that crap. Now, seeing Marisol Gonzalez in attire more suitable for a call girl (see video here) and Ines Sainz in tight fitting clothes isn't always a bad thing...but hey, they are foreign reporters and probably know more about football than most male reporters in their country. It's the guys wearing capes, the reporters asking King Kong questions, the "Jersey Shore" references, and the men with dragons around their necks. Enough already.
Here is an idea...check out who you are giving the credentials to. If you aren't going to do that then I want a pass for next year's media day so I can interview the players for my blog. I promise I will ask only football questions. Can we begin to take the NFL's most serious football game a little more seriously? Keep the crackpots for the Pro Bowl where this kind of atmosphere can be accepted. Stop jerking real NFL fans around and don't waste the time of the players. I honestly can't blame Osi Umenyiora for skipping out, who really wants to deal with that crap. Now, seeing Marisol Gonzalez in attire more suitable for a call girl (see video here) and Ines Sainz in tight fitting clothes isn't always a bad thing...but hey, they are foreign reporters and probably know more about football than most male reporters in their country. It's the guys wearing capes, the reporters asking King Kong questions, the "Jersey Shore" references, and the men with dragons around their necks. Enough already.
Pretty Close
Call it insomnia or whatever, but I couldn't sleep last night and began flipping through some of this year's NFL Preview magazines. With the Super Bowl nearly upon us I wanted to see how their predictions fared and I was a little shocked to come across The Sporting News and their predictions. Going into the season not many people gave the Giants a shot but they did. Here's how they predicted:
AFC East
1. Patriots
2. Jets
3. Dolphins
4. Bills
AFC North
1. Ravens
2. Steelers
3. Bengals
4. Browns
AFC South
1. Colts
2. Texans
3. Titans
4. Jaguars
AFC West
1. Chargers
2. Raiders
3. Chiefs
4. Broncos
NFC East
1. Eagles
2. Giants
3. Cowboys
4. Redskins
NFC North
1. Packers
2. Lions
3. Bears
4. Vikings
NFC South
1. Falcons
2. Buccaneers
3. Saints
4. Panthers
NFC West
1. 49ers
2. Rams
3. Seahawks
4. Cardinals
Not terrible. a few ones wrong, a few very nicely picked. Here is how their playoff match-ups unfolded:
Wild Card Games:
Steelers over Chargers, Jets over Colts, Giants over 49ers (eerie they picked that these two teams would play each other, though two rounds early), Falcons over Buccaneers.
Divisional Games:
Patriots over Jets, Ravens over Steelers, Giants over Eagles, Packers over Falcons.
Championship Games:
Patriots over Ravens (nicely done) and Packers over Giants
Super Bowl:
Packers over Patriots.
Well, we know now that the Packers won't repeat because the Giants beat them in the divisional round. I was a little shocked that they were the only magazine to pick the Giants for the playoffs, and to go deep into them as well. They nailed two matchups for the Giants on the head, just in the wrong round. I have to give a lot of credit to The Sporting News staff for picking the Giants and 49ers to make the playoffs when most had them written off.
Paul Schwartz had this to say:
"There are enough quality athletes and players at marquee positions for the Giants to contend once again for the playoffs. If they clean up the turnover sloppiness, their offense should have little problem moving up and down the field and finding the end zone. The defense can get to the passer up front but must find a linebacker to make plays.
The Giants have stability at quarterback, which is always a plus, but Manning's offensive line--for so long a strength-- is banged up and in need of repair. Better overall depth is also needed, as the Giants have shown an alarming tendency to wear down late in the season, leading to swoons that are often costly."
I have to give a lot of credit to Schwartz here. He was pretty accurate in his assessment. The Giants made the playoffs because of their playmakers. They cleaned up the turnovers and moved the ball through the air like no other Giants offense in team history. The Giants got to the passer quite a bit and they struggled when their linebackers failed to make plays. Then, once the linebackers started to grasp the defensive playbook, the Giants began to win. These kids, and I will call them kids since they started 3 rookie linebackers at one point this season, took time to learn and once they did they showed a lot of promise.
They weren't perfect but I was surprised to see that any magazine picked the Giants for a bit of postseason glory. I was also surprised to see them pick the 49ers. Nice to see they had some confidence in that team.
What was also surprising to me was their forgetting the Saints in the playoff picture. They went with the cool team from last year in the Buccaneers who fell on their face but who can blame them. The Bucs, like the Giants, missed the playoffs after going 10-6 last year in a tough division. Little did they know what was in store for them this year. Their pick of the Colts gets a pass because that was based purely on Peyton Manning playing. Without him, we saw what happened. The Colts now have the first pick in the draft and Peyton may or may not be leaving Indianapolis. Either way, Andrew Luck will be a Colt unless they pull off some crazy deal. Anyway, in a year barely anyone picked the Giants to make the playoffs, The Sporting News gets a ton of credit in my book because they came very close to getting the Super Bowl matchup right, and that was before free agency, and even before we knew there would be a season.
AFC East
1. Patriots
2. Jets
3. Dolphins
4. Bills
AFC North
1. Ravens
2. Steelers
3. Bengals
4. Browns
AFC South
1. Colts
2. Texans
3. Titans
4. Jaguars
AFC West
1. Chargers
2. Raiders
3. Chiefs
4. Broncos
NFC East
1. Eagles
2. Giants
3. Cowboys
4. Redskins
NFC North
1. Packers
2. Lions
3. Bears
4. Vikings
NFC South
1. Falcons
2. Buccaneers
3. Saints
4. Panthers
NFC West
1. 49ers
2. Rams
3. Seahawks
4. Cardinals
Not terrible. a few ones wrong, a few very nicely picked. Here is how their playoff match-ups unfolded:
Wild Card Games:
Steelers over Chargers, Jets over Colts, Giants over 49ers (eerie they picked that these two teams would play each other, though two rounds early), Falcons over Buccaneers.
Divisional Games:
Patriots over Jets, Ravens over Steelers, Giants over Eagles, Packers over Falcons.
Championship Games:
Patriots over Ravens (nicely done) and Packers over Giants
Super Bowl:
Packers over Patriots.
Well, we know now that the Packers won't repeat because the Giants beat them in the divisional round. I was a little shocked that they were the only magazine to pick the Giants for the playoffs, and to go deep into them as well. They nailed two matchups for the Giants on the head, just in the wrong round. I have to give a lot of credit to The Sporting News staff for picking the Giants and 49ers to make the playoffs when most had them written off.
Paul Schwartz had this to say:
"There are enough quality athletes and players at marquee positions for the Giants to contend once again for the playoffs. If they clean up the turnover sloppiness, their offense should have little problem moving up and down the field and finding the end zone. The defense can get to the passer up front but must find a linebacker to make plays.
The Giants have stability at quarterback, which is always a plus, but Manning's offensive line--for so long a strength-- is banged up and in need of repair. Better overall depth is also needed, as the Giants have shown an alarming tendency to wear down late in the season, leading to swoons that are often costly."
I have to give a lot of credit to Schwartz here. He was pretty accurate in his assessment. The Giants made the playoffs because of their playmakers. They cleaned up the turnovers and moved the ball through the air like no other Giants offense in team history. The Giants got to the passer quite a bit and they struggled when their linebackers failed to make plays. Then, once the linebackers started to grasp the defensive playbook, the Giants began to win. These kids, and I will call them kids since they started 3 rookie linebackers at one point this season, took time to learn and once they did they showed a lot of promise.
They weren't perfect but I was surprised to see that any magazine picked the Giants for a bit of postseason glory. I was also surprised to see them pick the 49ers. Nice to see they had some confidence in that team.
What was also surprising to me was their forgetting the Saints in the playoff picture. They went with the cool team from last year in the Buccaneers who fell on their face but who can blame them. The Bucs, like the Giants, missed the playoffs after going 10-6 last year in a tough division. Little did they know what was in store for them this year. Their pick of the Colts gets a pass because that was based purely on Peyton Manning playing. Without him, we saw what happened. The Colts now have the first pick in the draft and Peyton may or may not be leaving Indianapolis. Either way, Andrew Luck will be a Colt unless they pull off some crazy deal. Anyway, in a year barely anyone picked the Giants to make the playoffs, The Sporting News gets a ton of credit in my book because they came very close to getting the Super Bowl matchup right, and that was before free agency, and even before we knew there would be a season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)